This Entrepreneur Is Giving Girls the Tools to Build Long-Term Financial Wellness

You asked for more content around business finances, so we’re delivering. Welcome to Money Matters where we give you an inside look at the pocketbooks of CEOs and entrepreneurs. In this series, you’ll learn what successful women in business spend on office spaces and employee salaries, how they knew it was time to hire someone to manage their finances, and their best advice for talking about money.

Photo: Courtesy of Nicole Hartwig

Nicole Hartwig learned everything she knows about money from her late Aunt Lynn. “My aunt guided me through all of my financial firsts, often sitting me down with a pencil and paper, teaching me the most foundational financial principles like how to make a budget and how to set a savings goal,” Hartwig tells Create & Cultivate. “She coached me through saving up for my first car by allowing me to make ‘deposits’ into a Tupperware container she kept safe for me in her kitchen drawer.“

So when her aunt passed away in 2013 after a 25-year battle with cancer, Hartwig was inspired to help girls develop financial literacy skills as a way of honoring her late aunt and the values she lived by. “My aunt relentlessly pursued her career goals in finance, slowly working her way up with a steady determination and humble grace, all while battling breast and ovarian cancer for nearly half her life,” explains Hartwig. Thus, Capri, an app designed to teach high-school and college-aged girls financial literacy skills and cultivate confident money mindsets, was born.

Ahead, Create & Cultivate chats with Hartwig about everything from starting her business to bringing on her first hire, and everything in between.

How did you make your first dollar and what did that job teach you that still applies today?

My first job was at a local coffee shop in Metro Detroit when I was 14 or 15. They only hired team members 16 years and older, but I applied anyway. When they asked me the obligatory interview questions about past jobs, I told stories about how I’d taken care of friends during tough times or risen above challenges at school, and I got the job! That experience taught me something that I’ve carried with me ever since: you never know until you try.

Take us back to the beginning. What was the lightbulb moment for your business and what inspired you to pursue this path?

The idea for Capri came from my late Aunt Lynn, who passed away in 2013 after a 25-year battle with cancer. A true Capricorn (the inspiration for the name Capri), my aunt relentlessly pursued her career goals in finance, slowly working her way up with a steady determination and humble grace, all while battling breast and ovarian cancer for nearly half her life.

Entrepreneurship is all about taking calculated risks. What’s the most pivotal financial risk you’ve taken, and how did it change your path? 

The most pivotal risk I’ve taken was leaving my full-time job to pursue building Capri. Creating the space, both logistically in my schedule and energetically in my life, changed everything. There’s a lot of advice floating around about waiting to leave your day job until you’re really ready. The truth is that your path depends on a lot of factors: your financial situation, your drive, the opportunity you’re pursuing, your network, etc. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer for when to leave your day job to pursue the thing you’re passionate about. 

For me, creating the space was critical; it was essential to the growth of the company. As a sole founder in the early stages of a startup, there is no company without me. If I’m burned out, the company suffers. If I don’t have time to make that meeting, the work doesn’t get done. If I have no space to envision what’s next, the company has no path forward. The degree to which I make space for the creation of this company is directly correlated to our growth and success. Making space for the overall wellness of myself and the company was—and still is—one of the most important actions I’ve taken as a founder.

Where do you think is the most important area for a business owner to focus their financial energy and why?

The needs of your business change with every stage of development and each business is unique. Every founder has a unique set of circumstances within which they’re working, and their business is a direct reflection of that. 

Capri is a female-led, bootstrapped, early-stage tech startup. Within our unique set of circumstances, our most important spend was on product development, but we also chose to spend on our brand identity development at the same time. For us, this was vital. We were building brand awareness during a pandemic and we had to rely largely on our digital presence to make that happen. Many would have argued against that expenditure so early on, but for us, in our unique set of circumstances, it was what helped us establish ourselves in our launch market. 

As a business owner, you have to trust your gut, because there is no right answer out there. Everyone—founders, operators, investors—will have different advice for you. You have to follow your intuition about the next right step. 

What was your first big expense as a business owner and how should small business owners prepare for that now? 

Our first big expense was hiring a software development team to build our beta. We intentionally built a true minimum viable product, both for cost savings, and because we knew we’d make edits to the product design once we got the product in front of users. 

Aside from the design research and development that led up to our hiring decision, we also did a ton of due diligence and vetting of potential vendors. That took months and months of work. My best advice for founders preparing to build a technical product is to build in a huge cushion for the amount of time it will take!

What are your top three largest expenses every month?

Software development, graphic design, and legal expenses.

In the beginning, how much did you pay yourself and how did you know what to pay yourself? 

We’re 2 1/2 years in and I still haven’t paid myself a dollar. That’s not a badge of honor that I wear, it’s just the truth. All the capital we’ve raised has gone to product development and business expenses. We just aren’t at the stage of development where it would be appropriate to pay myself. Once we reach that stage, I’ll add in a modest salary for myself until we’re really rocking and rolling. 

Would you recommend other small business owners pay themselves? 

Of course, when it makes sense for the business. You don’t build a business to not make money, but you also don’t usually build a business just to pay yourself. You have to wait until it “pencils”—until the financials of the business support a salary. 

How did you know you were ready to hire and what advice can you share on preparing for this stage of your business? 

I made my first hire after I completed our first accelerator program. I knew I had hit a wall in my own capabilities and I needed someone to help me bring the initial design of the product to life. For every single team hire I’ve made, I’ve shopped from my first-degree network. I cannot recommend this enough. Working with colleagues and friends who were familiar with me, my character, and my working style, allowed me to forge team relationships quickly on an existing foundation of mutual trust. My best advice to other founders preparing for this stage of their business is to comb your network. Literally scroll through LinkedIn and see what your connections are up to. Reach out to people you know who are doing the scope of work that you need, and start that conversation. Expect it to take some time to gain their full trust, but know that you’ll have a headstart working with people you already know personally and/or professionally.

Did you hire an accountant? Who helped you with the financial decisions and setup? What do you recommend or advice do you have for that?

I made all of our financial decisions in the beginning, and I asked trusted people around me when I wasn’t sure how to move forward. For example, when I incorporated the company, I had to choose the total number of shares of the company. I went to business school, but I didn’t know a thing about this part. So I Googled, I made phone calls to anyone I knew who might know a thing or two about it, and I ultimately made a decision based on the information I had (and the very limited amount of money the company had in the bank). This is the beauty of starting a business—it’s truly messy! You cobble together the answer to every single question and decision, and there are a million of them, day after day. It wasn’t until we were a year or more into the business that I brought on a team member with great financial experience. Now we make those decisions together. We still learn as we go, together, and we ask questions when we don’t know the answer. 

What apps or software are you using for finances? What has worked and what hasn’t?

In the earliest stages of the business, I used Freshbooks to track what little expenses we had, and I used an Excel spreadsheet template for our financial projections. Now that we’ve raised capital, we use QuickBooks in place of Freshbooks as it’s more sophisticated for reporting purposes, but we still use the same (albeit much more customized) Excel spreadsheet to create our financial projections.

What are some of the tools you use to stay on top of your business financials? What do you recommend for small business owners on a budget?

I loved using Freshbooks in the early days of Capri! It was inexpensive, easy to use, and the interface is honestly delightful. For projections, Excel is great. Get a template from the internet or from someone working in finance or in whatever industry you’re in. If you can get someone to sit with you for a bit to explain the formulas, that’s ideal. You can then take that spreadsheet and make tweaks to it, which you’ll continue to do forever and ever. It’s actually great to familiarize yourself with making projections from the very beginning. A lot of your business success hinges on your ability to understand the relationship between various business expenses and practices.

Do you think women should talk about money and business more? Why? 

Yes! Money is still a taboo topic to talk about, and the world of startups is still so male-dominated and so mysterious. When women are profiled for being successful in business, they’ve often already slogged through the toughest part: getting started. Rarely do you hear the real story behind the buzzy headlines; the I-drained-my-401(k)-to-start-the-business story, or the I-moved-in-with-my-parents-to-save-the-company story. Those are the stories women starting businesses need to hear. They need to hear that the messiness they’re experiencing is normal. That successful women didn’t always save up the perfect emergency fund before they launched their companies, or they didn’t get a check from the first VC they had a meeting with. They need to see themselves and their situation reflected in these stories. The truth is that founders who have ivy-league connections and family members in private equity have an easier go of it. If you don’t have those things, starting a business can feel like a hopeless pipe dream. Women without those privileges have made it happen by being scrappy, creative, and persistent. The more we talk about those experiences, the more we encourage women of all backgrounds to go for it.  

Do you have a financial mentor? Do you think business owners need one? 

I do! I have several. I have one advisor who manages an angel investing group who advises me from an investor’s perspective. I have another advisor who comes from private equity and the finance industry. I have an advisor who coaches startups. And of course, my most cherished mentor is my late Aunt Lynn. Even though she’s no longer with us, her foundational teachings from my teenage years will stick with me forever, and her loving energy is still with me every day. 

What is your best piece of financial/money advice for new entrepreneurs?

First, heal your money traumas (we all have them in some form). Reflect on the past experiences and beliefs that might be holding you back. Second, listen to your intuition. It won’t steer you wrong. 

Anything else to add?

Just don’t let fear stop you. Don’t let the odds that seem stacked against you stand in your way, whatever they are. Trust—trust, trust, trust—that if you have a vision for something you want to create, you are meant to bring it into the world. Follow what lights you up.

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Black Female Founders to Receive $36 Million in Funding

 

THE WAY OF THE FUTURE. 

She watches the hell out of General Hospital, writes the ‘L Word’ fanfic twitter page @ModernLWord, but Arlan Hamilton, founder and Managing Partner of Backstage Capital, is an emerging venture fund manager to watch. Especially since what she's trained her investor's eye on is what everyone else is ignoring. 

Here are the facts: less than 10% of all venture capital deals go to women, People of Color, and LGBT founders. Other VCs see this as a pipeline problem. Backstage Capital sees it as the biggest opportunity in investment. And they've put their money where the stats are, their second round of funding has just launched and is targeting $36 million in commitments and Arlan foresees the fund investing $1 million checks into 15-20 companies over the next three years.

Dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech, Arlan and Backstage Capital are investing in high-potential founders who are of color, women, and/or LGBT. Once homeless, she knows what it's like to have doors closed on you and your dreams. But, she's opening the doors. We suggest you walk through them with her. 

She's the way of the future. 

Name: Arlan Hamilton 

Instagram Handle: @arlanwashere

Business Instagram Handle: @backstagecapital

Where do your drive and passion come from for Backstage Capital?

The mission. The fact that nothing has changed from my original thought, that there needs to be more access to capital for certain people who are being overlooked and underestimated. Until that massive problem is solved, it will fuel the energy that I need to do that.

How have you successfully navigated a male-dominated field?

By asking what a male would do and just giving myself permission to not apologize for being who I am.

What are your hopes for young women looking to get into finance as investors?

I wish it were now, but I hope that the work that I'm doing and the women alongside of me are doing makes it easier for them to enter this field. That's another part that makes it worth it for me, the idea that what we're doing is making it that much easier for the next person.

What would you say is your biggest pet-peeve in business?

Politics. I think a lot is held up and not accomplished because of ego and people trying to play certain personal agendas. A lot could be accomplished if we just focused on what was important.

What are your biggest fears about running Backstage?

That we won't be enough. That we won't be able to raise more and more funding for the very deserving and viable companies that we are backing.

What's something that you would like people to know about your work with Backstage that they probably aren't aware of?

It's much, much harder than it may appear. There's a ton of work that goes into it that it's not seen. I get a lot of feedback from people who think we're okay, that we've made it. When in reality it's a day-by-day, brick by brick, thing.

What about your career makes you feel the most complete?

Having a woman come up to me and say she started a company because she read something about me. Or having a woman of color tell me that because Backstage exists they knew they wouldn't be alone when they came to Silicon Valley or launched a business. So, moments likes that where I know that something is working and I'm inspiring someone.

When you come across a difficulties or bumps in the road, how do you approach them?

I've always been able to self-motivate by seeing into the future and what I think the future might be. Anytime something is rough, which happens a lot. We might be told we were getting $100,000 investment and then the day the wire is supposed to hit, it doesn't. That's a big deal for us. On those kind of days I just think about the fact that I was homeless and I would imagine myself as a VC. There was no question to me that I would be able to make Backstage happen. You have to keep reminding yourself to keep going, you can do this. The way that you fail, is to stop. That is certainty. If you keep going, there's that potential that you win.

If you were to trade jobs with anyone, who would it be?

I think Ellen has a fun job.

At what point in your career did you find the ability to take charge and become the leader that you are today?

I had to have that mentality with everything. When I was working part time doing data entry, working at a pizza shop. I had to have that "I'm the boss" attitude to get through it so I don't know that it happened recently. It started with my mom telling me I deserved to be in any room and shouldn't shrink myself to make someone else feel better about themselves.

"It started with my mom telling me I deserved to be in any room and shouldn't shrink myself to make someone else feel better about themselves."

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What is the best piece of advice or #realtalk you've ever been given?

The best piece of advice that I take in come from music. Anyone from Nikki Minaj to Casey Edwards.

What song do you sing in the shower when you've had a really shitty day?

Can You Stand The Rain x New Edition.

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Create & Cultivate 100: STEM: Kimberly Bryant

THE EXEMPLARY LEADER. 

“I consider myself a fighter and a revolutionary and I’m driven to stand up to injustices and inequities whenever I see them manifest.”

When Kimberly Bryant first met computer programming as a freshman in an Electrical Engineering course at Vanderbilt she was excited. 

But she also felt culturally isolated. "Few of my classmates looked like me," she says. Though much has changed in the tech sector since her college days, the issue of representation has not. 

In 2011, Kimberly, founded Black Girls Code after her daughter expressed an interest in learning computer programming, but the mom found none of the programs in the Bay Area were crafted to or for young African American girls. The entrepreneur and champion for change has cited lack of access and lack of exposure to STEM topics as likely culprits.

"By launching Black Girls Code," she says, "I hope to provide  young and pre-teen girls of color opportunities to learn in-demand skills in technology and computer programming at a time when they are naturally thinking about what they want to be when they grow up."

That's the mission of Black Girls Code. Their aim is to increase the number of women of color in the digital space by empowering girls of color ages 7 to 17 to become innovators in STEM fields, leaders in their communities, and builders of their own futures through exposure to computer science and technology, and to train 1 million girls by 2040.

It's Kimberly's Code of Honor, if you will. 

More from Kimberly below. 

Name: Kimberly Bryant

Instagram Handle: @6gems

Mostly male. Mostly white. That's been the narrative. It's been the picture. Many of our readers struggle with owning rooms like that. How were you able to find your voice and your power?

I come from a very strong matrilineal family. Both of my grandmothers were businesswomen and were able to create opportunities for themselves and their families at times in circumstances much more difficult and tenuous for Black women than what I'm faced with today as a professional woman of color in a male-dominated industry. This ancestral heritage has played a significant role in helping me to both find and owns my voice, my unique views, and my personal power. My wish is that my daughter will find the same light within herself by the example I hope to set for her. I want her to know that she is powerful beyond measure and has absolutely everything she needs to find her path and thrive in these spaces.

Do you remember feeling fear in any of your initial career moments and how did you push through?

I still have fear during certain career moments. One way I push through is preparation. I've found it helps to ease my tension when I know I've prepared for the "moment" to ensure I know my stuff and I'm ready for whatever outcome I can imagine. For those outcomes, I can't foresee? Well, I lean on faith to conquer those fears. I honestly believe that every experience is meant to get you closer to where you're supposed to be. So this pushes me through the fear.

Our children have immense power to shift our perspective. We are able to do for them what, at times, we've been unable to do for ourselves. How has being a mom made you a better entrepreneur?

Embarking on this entrepreneurial journey as a single mom has definitely been one of the hardest things I've ever done yet it has also been the most rewarding.

Where do your drive and passion come from?

This is a difficult question to answer because in some ways I feel this is just who I am. I've always been a rather intense and passionate person and I'm not quite sure where that comes from. I do know that I consider myself a fighter and a revolutionary and I'm driven to stand up to injustices and inequities whenever I see them manifest.

So many industries are shifting. You're part of the movement that is doing the shifting. How does it feel to be a part of that seismic activity?

I'm very proud of the work that BGC has done to shift the narrative around who belongs in the field of technology and I'm very glad that this path found me. We still have much work to do and I'm reminded of a phrase from the musical Hamilton; "legacy is planting seeds in a garden you'll never see". I look at the work I'm doing now in this light. I may never see the true fruits of my work in this lifetime but I'm certain that the seeds we are planting now are creating a legacy that permanently transforms this industry for future generations. It better.

2040 you want to reach 1 million girls. What are some other benchmarks for Black Girls Code?

This year marks our seventh year in existence as a non-profit organization and what we are most excited about is seeing girls who have been involved with Black Girls CODE since they were 10 or 12 years old, graduate from high school and head off to college many in STEM and technical fields. We hope to focus a significant amount of our efforts this year on building a strong and active alumni network and connecting our BGC alumni to career and internship opportunities in some of the many companies we've worked with over the past seven years.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

What's something you'd like people to know about your job that they probably don’t?

What about your career makes you feel the most complete?

The greatest sense of completeness in my work comes from seeing so many of our girls discover their passions and become empowered to follow their dreams. I am continually inspired by the girls who are such brilliant, creative, and strong leaders. When I see them shine I know my work and this path is exactly where I was meant to be.

What's the best advice you've ever been given? Or your favorite piece of #realtalk?

Shortly after I graduated from high school one of the directors at a firm I was interning for during the summer took me to lunch and shared a crucial piece of advice with me---never go to lunch alone. His advice was to use the lunch hour as a time to network internally and build strong business relationships with my fellow co-workers and associates. Today in the age of self care I'm sure there are many folks who would disagree with this advice and I would certainly also encourage the art of disconnecting and resetting as a good practice, but his fundamental advice was really meant to emphasize the value of networking both within and outside of your work environment. Learning how to build a network very early in my career has yielded immense benefits for me both in my past corporate career and in my current entrepreneurial pursuits.

When you first when to raise, you were met with resistance, in part because of the name. But as you've said, words matter. How we chose to frame issues matters. You've shown that you can say no to dollars to don't feel right (multiple times). How would you encourage other young women to walk away from money that's not in their best interest? (It's scary!)

As I've built BGC over the last seven years it's been extremely important for me to lead with authenticity and to be willing to take a loss if it means we hold true to our values. I understand that making the hard decisions can be di cult and at times the seemingly impractical choice but I believe strongly that "values-driven leadership" is extremely important in mission driven organizations. The decisions we make at the top lter down and infect the work we do---it's the fertilizer for the soil that we build in.

“Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance. — Vernā Myers, VP, Inclusion Strategy, Netflix”

When you hit a big bump in the road, like a NO, how do you find a new road?

I'm a person that doesn't take 'NO' for an answer. Perhaps it's my training as an engineer but I always think there could be a better or different way to get around a no so I'll actively look at the situation and try to figure out a way to reach my desired outcome. When I can't figure out the answer on my own I ask for help. This is probably one of the most important skills (asking for help) I've had to embrace as a leader.  

What song do you sing in the shower when you’ve had a bad day?

My current obsession is the Broadway musical Hamilton. I'm a late-comer to the Hamilton train but was completely blown away by the show and every single song in it. So I find myself humming the various melodies in the shower, during the day, and just about anytime I need a little extra boost of motivation and inspiration.

Photo Credit: @davisfactor

Hair & Makeup: @SmashboxCosmetics @TheGlamApp @TheOuai

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Create & Cultivate 100: STEM: Jesse Draper

CLOSING THE GAP.

Jesse Draper is proving that it takes a Valley Girl to take down the gender bias of Silicon Valley. We call this Sweet Valley High Schooling Your  

As founding partner of Halogen Ventures as well as creator and host of the 2015 Emmy nominated television series,“The Valley Girl Show,” Jesse is Sweet Valley High Schooling our asses about what it means to put your money where your mouth is. A 4th generation venture capitalist focused on early stage investing in female founded consumer technology, Jesse is challenging the industry's penchant for funding more men than women. 

Though her dad opened the investing doors to her at a young age, investing isn't just in her DNA. She's had unparalleled access and and easy education. She was one the first people to test AIM (AOL’s Instant Messenger) and participated in the first ever Skype video conference at 16. She's said that women take fewer risks with their money, but wants them to put it to work. 

With a background in investing and media, that's double the reason to invest in her.  

More from Jesse below.

Name: Jesse Draper

Instagram Handle: @jessecdraper

Business Instagram Handle: @halogenvc

Where do your drive and passion come from?

My family. My family is very driven and my grandfather always instilled in all of us that if you do what you love, the money will come with some really hard work. That is where my passion comes from. I feel like I do what I love by supporting female run tech companies every day.

How do you feel as a woman in STEM?

It is a huge advantage to be a female in STEM because there are fewer women. We have a long way to go and we need to encourage more women to enter the profession by giving media exposure to the ones within the STEM industries.

What do you think is a major "miss" for women when it comes to investments?

When it comes to raising money as a female, something I see regularly is that they aren't thinking big enough. We are realistic. We know exactly how much money we need to raise to get where we need to go. This is positive but sometimes we need to think bigger. Women need more of what I like to call the 'billion-dollar mindset' which is 'How do you build this company into a $Billion business?'. When women pitch me and I think they are thinking too small, I will say 'Take this idea. Imagine how big this business could get. How many different revenue streams? How do you find more customers, imagine the biggest business you possibly can with this idea Then multiply that by 100. Then multiply that by 1000. And then come back to me and pitch your company.'

How do we reprogram ourselves to believe that we are good at/with/handling money?

This is a problem buried deep in the history books as men used to control the majority of the nances. Women are still becoming used to handling the money in a relationship. A couple things: Go to every accountant or financial planner meeting with your spouse, don't let your husband make any large financial decision alone. The more exposure you have to finance, the more you will realize that you know more than you think. And what you don't know, you can easily learn. Women also need to experiment with their money more. They feel safe buying a pair of shoes or hard good that is tangible because they understand that. They would feel more comfortable investing in the stock market, companies, etc...if they tried it. It's not as complicated as we make it out to be. Start by investing in a stock that you know. Put your money to work. Don't 'save' it all, invest it, grow it. Play with it.

How do we get more venture dollars to go to women?

We need more female investors. I have found that often, the high net worth women that I meet feel more comfortable writing a $1 Million dollar check to a charity than they do investing in a for-profit venture. I encourage more women with this type of access to wealth to invest in both the non-profit world as well as the for-profit world because you can do just as much good, if not more by investing in women lead companies. By investing in a for-profit female-led company, you are creating more female billionaires of the future and thus more wealth handled by women. This is how we level the playing eld.

How have you successfully navigated such a male-dominated eld?

I am a tough negotiator and I speak up when it's important. I also try and promote the women around me because no one wants to stand on top of the mountain alone.

What are your hopes for young women who are interested in STEM?

I hope they go for it and build the Ubers, Googles and Amazon's of the future with the most diverse teams. If the data proves to be true, diverse teams breed success and with more women in leadership, these companies of the future will be infinitely more successful than those that currently exist.

"Diverse teams breed success and with more women in leadership, these companies of the future will be infinitely more successful than those that currently exist."

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What is your biggest pet peeve?

Wasting water. I grew up in the never-ending drought that is California and my husband grew up in Seattle where they have tons of water. I hate the faucet running unnecessarily. Drives me nuts.

What are your biggest fears about running a business?

You can't have any fears if you are running a business. You have to be insanely optimistic and open to pivoting, rolling with the punches and trying new things no matter how terrifying. You have to JUMP.

What's something you'd like people to know about your job that they probably don’t?

I get to bet on people's dreams and I feel incredibly fortunate to be an investor and be able to do so. It's a privilege. It's also a ton of hard work.

IYO-- How can we stay original when we are so saturated with other people's work?

I think the most dangerous place any human can live is inside the box. You need to think outside of the box. Question everything. Don't do things the way other people do. Create a company that solves a problem that you have experienced in a new way. Copycats are boring and they won't get anywhere. I stay original by going to the beat of my own drum. I don't like to do things the way other people do.

"The most dangerous place any human can live is inside the box."

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What about your career makes you feel the most complete?

I don't think I ever feel complete in my career. I am always excited about what else there is to do. I just closed my first fund and that feels like a good step completed. I like to think that I can always do more and improve and no one has figured it all out. I certainly haven't. I do like knowing I have completed something but the only thing that gives me that feeling is finishing a book. Everything else can be improved or bettered in some way and that is how I see the world.

If you had to trade jobs with anyone else in the world, who would it be and why?

Trump. Just for the next couple of years.

At what point in your career did you find the confidence to really take charge and become the woman you are today?

I'm still finding the confidence but if you talked to me in my 20s, I think you would have met a much less secure woman. I had to learn how to be confident in my abilities and teach myself to trust my decisions.

What's the best advice you've ever been given? Or your favorite piece of #realtalk?

My family always says '80% of success is just showing up' - this has worked well for me.

When you hit a big bump in the road, how do you find a new road or a detour?

I take a step back and go do something else for a little while. Sometimes I give it a night's sleep. I try to look at the situation through different people's perspectives and I talk to my friends, mentors, and advisors about it. Once I have done enough 'research', I make a swift decision and plow forward until I hit another bump.

What song do you sing in the shower when you’ve had a bad day?

Baby got Back by Sir Mixalot. It's my theme song. I have a Kardashian booty.

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Create & Cultivate 100: STEM: Leila Janah

EVENING THE PLAYING FIELD.

If beauty is only skin deep, then lifelong social entrepreneur, anti-poverty activist, and skincare guru Leila Janah hasn’t gotten the memo.

Since founding Samasource in 2008, the visionary “impact sourcing” company has unlocked thousands of dignified digital job opportunities for people in the the world’s poorest countries. With LXMI, the ethical, organic skincare line she co-founded, Janah continues her mission of ending world poverty by providing fair wage work for marginalized East African women through the harvesting of a rare butter called Nilotica—LXMI’s signature ingredient.

For more on being a woman in tech, how men suck at introductions, and why world travel isn’t always glamorous, follow Janah’s journey below.

Name: Leila Janah

Instagram Handle: @leilajanah

Business Instagram Handle: @samasource, lxmiofficial

Both of your companies share a common social mission to end global poverty. Where do your drive and passion come from?

I knew from an early age I wanted to dedicate my career to social justice. I wasn’t quite sure what form it would take exactly, but my family was always on the front lines advocating for human rights.

It all started with my grandparents. My grandfather was one of the top trial lawyers in Calcutta. Because he grew up poor, he made a point of taking pro bono cases for tribal people who were being discriminated against and had no prayer of finding representation. After finishing university in Paris, my grandmother joined a group of friends called “The Messengers,” and traveled around the world spreading messages of peace. She finally ended up in Calcutta, and that’s where she met my grandfather.

Also, my mother worked for the Sisters of Charity when she was a teenager and my dad instilled a deep sense of social justice in my brother and me. I took the lessons to heart and in middle school joined my local chapter of the ACLU, and even started my high school’s chapter of Amnesty International.

So, you could say it’s in my blood :)

How do you feel as a woman in tech?

When most people ask what it’s like to be a woman in tech, they immediately ask if I’m always getting hit on. Truthfully, I think we’ve mischaracterized the problem. Yes, people hit on each other in business settings. Men and women alike have been the subject of unwanted sexual advances. It’s awful to feel objectified, and nothing makes that excusable.

But personally, I find being hit on far less damaging than what I feel most often: not being seen. This is true even when I’m a speaker. If I’m standing near a man, someone will inevitably come up and talk to the man, assuming I’m his plus one. And when men introduce their wives, they often leave it at that— “oh, and this is my wife, Mary.” I find myself wondering, is that all we get to learn about Mary?

"I find being hit on far less damaging than what I feel most often: not being seen." 

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Men, please introduce the women in your life as full human beings with interesting stories, talents, and ambitions, rather than accessories. And women, if you witness a man doing what I’ve described, gently but firmly call him out. Talk to his wife, girlfriend or colleague, and play a part in making another human being feel valuable, rather than a satellite around someone else’s sun.

Men, please introduce the women in your life as full human beings with interesting stories, talents, and ambitions, rather than accessories. And women, if you witness a man doing what I’ve described, gently but firmly call him out.

How have you successfully navigated such a male-dominated field?

I think I’m still figuring out how to navigate it but the success I’ve seen comes from the mindset I’ve chosen to take on. I’m optimistic about what we’re capable of accomplishing as humans and am hopeful we can close the gap between the gender imbalance. In the meantime, I’m deliberate about taking a moment to celebrate things others would consider table stakes for a man–like a woman being appointed to a board, or raising a round of funding–as big wins for moving women forward in business.

Another important note is I don’t consider men my enemies. I receive a lot of support from men as mentors, colleagues, investors and overall champions of the work we’re doing so I choose to focus on the good that comes from those relationships.

What are your hopes for young women who are interested in STEM?

My hope is they stick with it. We need more women in STEM. I recently read a stat that about 50% of STEM college graduates are women–but that number drastically drops after graduation when they begin their careers. I think a lot of this is because we don’t have the right systems– like proper maternity leave–in place to help women thrive in these fields.

I hope to see more men take action here as well. Advocating for things like fair pay, inclusive hiring practices and equal funding opportunities would help create a more even playing field for women.

What are your bigger hopes for the world?

One of the biggest opportunities we have in reducing poverty is getting corporations to change the way they spend money. It’s said the global 2,000 companies spend 12 trillion dollars on goods and services annually. Even 1% of that spent on social enterprises would lift millions out of poverty–imagine! The fair-trade coffee providers, local food services, so many different options for people to work out how to hire low-income people. We currently aren’t incentivized to spend more on social enterprises so it’s my hope we build structure around this to incorporate these behaviors into doing business.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

It’s not really a pet peeve but people often come up to me after a talk or event and say, “Thank you...we need more people like you!” I tell them, “No, we need more people like YOU!” We’re all capable of change and the only way it’s going to happen is if more people get involved.

What are your biggest fears about running a business?

Focus is something I struggle with. My team will tell you I have a lot of ideas–for Sama or LXMI, for other businesses or things I want to try to further our mission. I travel a lot and meet so many awesome entrepreneurs with incredible ideas–it’s hard not to be inspired all the time. My default setting is to create but I have to remember to hunker down and focus on growing our current programs.

What's something you'd like people to know about your job that they probably don’t?

I think my social channels can glamorize my travel and appear as a highlight reel. I post photos of me in various parts of the world, meeting fun people and trying new things from other social enterprises. I’m incredibly grateful for those experiences and chance encounters, which is why I share them as sort of an entrepreneurial diary. What people don’t see is that the travel is constant, often over long hours–I’m usually sleep deprived, dehydrated, running on caffeine and whatever I could find at an airport to pass for food. Being away from family and friends for so long can also be a bit lonely so sharing my experiences on social media helps me feel connected.

Over the past few years, I’ve tried to make an effort to share more of the challenges I face–not just the successes. Hopefully it shows people that, just like everyone, I’m working to achieve balance and the experiences will help other people facing similar obstacles.

IYO-- How can we stay original when we are so saturated by other people's work?

I actually think it’s people’s tendency to think they aren’t original enough so they don’t put their work out there. They think it doesn’t matter. I wish more people felt confident enough to share what they create so we’d be surrounded by more perspectives and a well-rounded lens through which to view the world.

"I wish more people felt confident enough to share what they create so we’d be surrounded by more perspectives and a well-rounded lens through which to view the world."

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What about your career makes you feel the most complete?

I feel most complete when I hear a story about one of our Samasource agents or Samaschool students whose life has been transformed by work–someone who was able to move into safer housing, or provide better education for their kids or family members. We also often hear of agents starting their own businesses with their Sama wages–our workforce is beyond talented.

What’s more, we’ve now seen first-hand that giving work is good for society as it addresses poverty at the root, and for business as Samasource recently became self-sustainable off of earned revenue this past year. What I love most is that we’re applying our Give Work model to new industries like Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence as well as new labor trends like the gig economy. We’re at the forefront of some of the greatest technology and economic shifts in our lifetime, and working with some of the biggest corporations who are redirecting their procurement dollars to radically transform people’s lives (nearly 60k, to date!). It’s pretty incredible.

If you had to trade jobs with anyone else in the world, who would it be and why?

That’s a tough one. I would likely be a conservationist of some kind, but I was blown away by “West With the Night,” a book by Beryl Markham. Markham was the first aviatrix (love that word) in East Africa, and she set a record flying west over the Atlantic in 1936, in the early days of aviation. Her memoir is full of gorgeous images of Africa, Los Angeles (her second home), and horses (her second love).

At what point in your career did you find the confidence to really take charge and become the woman you are today?

I think my most character defining moments have come from really challenging decisions. The most recent that comes to mind is the decision to merge Samahope, the first crowdfunding platform for medical treatments (which we launched in 2012), with Johnson & Johnson in early 2016. We funded over 16,000 critical medical procedures for women and children - things like surgeries for birth injuries that destroyed women's lives in rural Africa and Asia. Seeing the avoidable suffering that still marks people's lives in many parts of the world due to lack of basic medical care is heartbreaking.

But we realized that Sama wasn't the right organization to scale this business, and that even though we raised over $1M for the procedures, we'd never be able to scale the platform as fast as a big health organization could. It felt like giving up a baby. My cofounder Shivani and I cried about it. But I think it was the right thing to do, and because of our increased focus Samasource was able to scale much faster and help many more people. It was also a major growth moment for me as an entrepreneur.

What's the best advice you've ever been given? Or your favorite piece of #realtalk?

My grandmother once told me, simply, to, “Trust the world.”

"My grandmother once told me, simply, to, 'Trust the world.'"

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I also like Ben Horowitz’s, “Don’t punk out and don’t quit.” Entrepreneurship is hard. It’s so easy to give up and go do something else–to go back to a big company and make a lot of money instead of scraping by to get your idea off the ground. Emotional resilience, the ability to not quit, is probably the most important (and often overlooked) thing in entrepreneurship–more than brilliance or talent or raising a lot of money.

When you hit a big bump in the road, how do you find a new road or a detour?

I zoom out. I go look at the stars or the sea. I spend time in nature to understand my own smallness–that helps me put things in perspective. I also think meditation, prayer, or simply reflecting on the core values that brought you into doing this work in the first place are all helpful tactics in making it through a rough patch.

I zoom out. I go look at the stars or the sea. I spend time in nature to understand my own smallness–that helps me put things in perspective.

What song do you sing in the shower when you’ve had a bad day?

Probably “Work” by Rihanna. Ha ha, I talk about giving work all day so sometimes will change the line to, "Give work work work work work."

TO SEE THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE STEM LIST CLICK HERE. 

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Create & Cultivate 100: STEM: Ara Katz

THE STARTUP GURU. 

A storyteller, designer, techie and dot connector, Ara Katz has vision.

A holistic vision and approach which she applies to every company she starts. Most recently, she Co-Founded and served as CMO of Spring, a venture and LVMH-backed mobile marketplace, which launched in August 2014. Before that, Ara was on the Founding Team of BeachMint, where she launched six direct-to-consumer, celebrity-partnered brands.

But the Seed of something new has sprung within her. A new journey that combines her curiosity around the human body, passion to raise the standards for consumer health products, and belief in the profound importance of the microbiome. 

More from Ara below. 

Name:  Ara Katz 

Instagram Handle: @arakatz 

Where do your drive and passion come from? 

My heart. 

How do you feel as a woman in STEM? 

Badass. 

How have you successfully navigated such a male-dominated field? 

By never thinking about it as a male-dominated field. 

What are your hopes for young women who are interested in STEM? 

That they pursue it. Our future cannot only be men asking the important questions and contributing to the solutions. That is, in large part, how we arrived here. 

Can you chat about Seed and its aims? 

Our aim is simple - to improve human health (and our understanding of it) through the microbiome - the 38 trillion microorganisms that live on and in us that are essential to our health and to what makes us human. 

And in turn, about going with your gut? 

For me, 'in your gut' is literal - our gut is our "second brain"; it is where the majority of the bacteria in your body reside (2-3 pounds!) and where they do the important work of keeping you healthy. 

"Our gut is our "second brain.'"

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What is your biggest pet peeve? 

Injustice, scarcity and bad tippers. 

What are your biggest fears about running a business? 

I fear complacency and mediocrity - so if we ever get to a place where our team feels either of those, we are failing. 

What's something you'd like people to know about your job that they probably don’t? 

The level of detail to which I'm involved and the amount of content I write myself.

What about your career makes you feel the most complete? 

Nothing. I learned the hard way that nothing external like my work should ever be a source of feeling complete. 

If you had to trade jobs with anyone else in the world, who would it be and why? 

At this moment, POTUS. 

What's the best advice you've ever been given? Or your favorite piece of #realtalk? 

The pin my mother gave me just before she died that says, "She didn't always follow the recipe." 

When you hit a big bump in the road, how do you find a new road or a detour? 

Hustle, persistence, creativity and the inability to see a bump as a dead-end. 

What song do you sing in the shower when you’ve had a bad day? 

'Let the River Run' by Carly Simon - it's the closing credits song of 'Working Girl'. 

Photo Credit: @davisfactor

Hair & Makeup: @SmashboxCosmetics @TheGlamApp @TheOuai

TO SEE THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE STEM LIST CLICK HERE. 

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Create & Cultivate 100: STEM: Aisha Bowe

THE NASA GAL.

This is what an engineer looks like. 

Meet Aisha Bowe, Aerospace Engineer, Founder, and CEO, advised by her high-school guidance counselor to attend beauty school.

While she never did pursue that career in cosmetology, she did grow up to be one of NASA’s leading aerospace engineers. These days, the would-be-beauty-school-dropout focuses her genius on the tech solutions company she co-founded. As a proud minority owned business, STEMBoard creates software solutions for defense and enterprise clients and works toward closing the achievement gap by empowering minority youth.

Learn about how Bowe’s bootstrapped her way to the top of the boys' club below.

Name: Aisha Bowe

Instagram Handle: @aishabowe

Business Instagram Handle: @stemboard

You are a force and we are in awe. From aerospace engineering to STEMBoard. What were you like as a kid?

Insecure and unfocused. I wasn’t the greatest student, I didn’t have any goals and I internalized the limitations others put on me. It wasn’t until college that I began to recognize my abilities.

At first, you were too intimated to accept a job at NASA. What's your advice for young women experiencing similar feelings?

Do not be afraid to put yourself in a position of failure! Studies have shown that girls consistently outperform boys in the classroom, so remember that we are badasses! And when that fails, just fake it until you make it

Do you still feel that creeping intimidation some days?

Of course! There is no playbook for what I am attempting to achieve. The company, our mission, and objectives were at one point just a daydream. I constantly nd myself combating negative stereotypes.

Where do your drive and passion come from?

Impact. I measure success as lives touched...including my own. At so many points along my journey, I doubted myself. Watching the company grow into an entity that builds technology for Federal clients while uplifting women, people of color and other historically disadvantaged groups in the workforce has been a motivating experience.

How do you feel as a woman in STEM?

Inspired & empowered! Visibility of Women in STEM is at an all-time high. While there is still much work to be done, I love waking up to uplifting narratives in social media.

How have you successfully navigated such a male-dominated eld?

Don’t think it hasn’t been difficult, but I realized early on I couldn’t do this on my own. I needed mentors (both men and female) who believed in me almost more than I believed in myself to help push me through and motivate me. I have a tribe of people that surround me with light and real talk when I need it the most.

What are your hopes for young women who are interested in STEM?

I hope that women see themselves and technology as being key to future success in STEM. I look up to women like Debbie Sterling founder of GoldieBlox, Dr. Ellen Stofan former Chief Scientist at NASA, Kimberly Bryant, Black Girls Code

You've said that "success lies in the establishment of positive daily habits." What are some of those positive habits?

It’s easy to get overwhelmed. I set small, measurable goals focused on incremental progress: meditate, workout, eat well. Working out in the morning gives me energy, I feel accomplished which helps to create a positive mindset. I make lists, if I don’t write it down it gets lost. I review my goals each day and prioritize.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

Negative attitudes. Staying positive, even in the face of the improbable, is vital to success.

What's the best advice you've ever been given? Or your favorite piece of #realtalk?

Don't spend life daydreaming about 'what could be'. Invest your energy in what is right in front of you and see how it can be cultivated into something meaningful #realtalk.

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Do you have any fears about running a business? If so, what?

That I will fail those who are a part of the team. That I won’t progress as quickly as I want to. I want to win and that drives me more than anything.

What's something you'd like people to know about running STEMBoard that they probably don’t?

Running a company is hard. STEMBoard creates smart tech for Federal and private sector clients. There’s no playbook to starting a business you created. As an entrepreneur, it is a constant race to stay ahead of the curve. Love yourself like Kanye loves himself-it’s key!

What about your career makes you feel the most complete?

There is an African proverb I love: If You Want To Go Fast, Go Alone. If You Want To Go Far, Go Together. Your team is and will always be the most vital part of a company’s. Bet on them, empower them and learn that in order to lead one must learn to follow. From my tenure at NASA to co-foundering STEMBoard, I used to place pressure on myself to have all of the answers.

If you had to trade jobs with anyone else in the world, who would it be and why?

Less than 10% of all venture capital deals go to women or People of Color. I aspire to one day provide investment to startups. Arlan Hamilton of Backstage Capital does just that.

At what point in your career did you nd the confidence to really take charge and become the woman you are today?

Sometimes you have to take an L. As much as I believed that others were going to see our vision, no one decided to fund us in Silicon Valley. We had to focus and relinquish the notion that someone needed to co-sign our worth. We bootstrapped and did it ourselves, ve years later we’re so glad we did.

Photo Credit: @davisfactor

Hair & Makeup: @SmashboxCosmetics @TheGlamApp @TheOuai

TO SEE THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE STEM LIST CLICK HERE. 

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Create & Cultivate 100: STEM: Mandela Schumacher-Hodge Dixon

THE FOUNDER.

Forget thigh gaps, Founder Gym is about representation gaps. Knowledge gaps. Network gaps. 

Specifically, Founder Gym is an online training gym that focuses on underrepresented founders building tech startups. Over the course of 4 weeks, founders complete structured exercises to increase their strength in a core area of startup success, and receive personal training from Silicon Valley investors and venture-backed founders.

Top trainer and co-founder: Mandela Schumacher-Hodge Dixon, says, "As a woman of color in Silicon Valley I have seen first-hand the gaps in knowledge, network, and capital that underrepresented founders experience. Founder Gym is my way of closing those gaps."

More below.

Instagram Handle: @MandelaSH 

Business Instagram Handle: @FounderGym 

Congrats on the launch of Founder Gym! Chat us through what it's all about and the impetus for the company? 

Founder Gym is an online training center for underrepresented tech startup founders. Via four week cohorts led by expert trainers, we help founders develop their entrepreneurial muscles, so that they can successfully navigate their startup journey. As a woman of color founder in Silicon Valley, a global director of entrepreneurship, and a portfolio services director at a venture capital rm, I have seen first-hand the gaps in knowledge, network, and capital that underrepresented founders experience. Founder Gym is my way of closing those gaps. 

So, when someone is launching, what's the biggest mistake they usually make? 

The biggest mistake most new founders make is that they build the solution, before they truly, deeply understand the user and their problem. They are so smitten with their idea of a solution that they invest all their time, energy, and resources into developing it out. Then when they finally launch it, they are confused as to why no one is using it. The issue is they did not first focus on mastering the user and that user's problem. If they had kept their eye on that, they could have intentionally designed a solution with that information in mind, and likely achieved greater early adoption of their solution. 

The biggest mistake most new founders make is that they build the solution, before they truly, deeply understand the user and their problem.

Do you remember your first big mistake and what you took away from it? 

My first big mistake was not asking for help when I needed it. I had imposter syndrome and didn't want to be "exposed" for not knowing something everyone probably thought I should. So rather than seek out advice when I really needed it, I kept my head down. This was a big mistake and a huge waste of time, because I spent countless hours struggling alone, and problems that likely could have been resolved, ended up spiraling out of control. This experience taught me a few things: 1) I don't have to know it all (99.9% of other founders don't), 2) I should ask for help when I need it (99.9% of all successful founders have close advisors and coaches), 3) there are people who are willing to help me, and 4) vulnerability is key - you have to be willing to talk about your weaknesses, if you truly want to reap the benefits of other people's guidance. 

Where do your drive and passion come from? 

My parents always pushed my sisters and I to be our very best - both in academia and sports. Hard work, discipline, and excellence were engrained in me at a young age. Also mortality played a role. Once my father unexpectedly passed away when I was a teenager, I very quickly realized the finiteness of life; that I only have a limited amount of time on this earth and I'm going to make the very most of it. 

How do you feel as a woman in STEM? 

I feel like I am not just a woman in STEM. I am a Black woman in STEM, who grew up in a low- income household, who never took a technology, business, or finance class in K-12 or college, didn't go to an Ivy league school, and didn't know a soul in tech prior to entering Silicon Valley in 2011. My background and lived experiences has shaped who I am, how I interact with this industry, and the way in which I want to make an impact. My existence in this space isn't just about me. This is about what I can do to help other people like me; people who aren't from the tech world and don't have access to it, but who want their shot to contribute to it and benefit from it also.

I am not just a woman in STEM. I am a Black woman in STEM, who grew up in a low- income household, who never took a technology, business, or finance class in K-12 or college, didn't go to an Ivy league school, and didn't know a soul in tech prior to entering Silicon Valley in 2011.

How have you successfully navigated such a male-dominated field? 

Several things have helped me successfully navigate this male-dominated field: an unwavering belief in myself, my ability to learn, grow and adapt, a relentless work ethic, a commitment to excellence, building strong relationships, strong communication skills, and a deep understanding of human nature. 

What are your hopes for young women who are interested in STEM? 

If you are not yet in STEM, but are interested in entering the field, step one is to get clear on why. Why do you want this? Once you are crystal clear on your reasoning for pursuing this path, that will create the motivation that propels you forward to learn whatever you need to learn, meet whoever you need to meet, and do as much as work as you need to do, in order to break into the field and make your dreams a reality. Any path to greatness starts with a strong reason why. 

"Any path to greatness starts with a strong reason why."

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What is your biggest pet peeve? 

People who make excuses, instead of taking personal responsibility. 

What are your biggest fears about running a business? 

My biggest fear is letting the opinions of others drown out my inner voice. In business, that could lend itself to me signing up for things that truly don't align to the type of business I want to run and the type of founder I want to be. I try to ensure that fear doesn't become realized by blocking off time each week to be alone, reflect, think, plan, and ensure my business is still in alignment with my innermost truth. 

What's something you'd like people to know about your job that they probably don’t? 

I work extremely hard. I work in the early mornings, late nights, weekends, etc. Sometimes I even pull all-nighters (even though I'm trying to cut back, because I also recognize the importance of sleep and rejuvenation). I work really f___ hard behind the scenes to create the things everyone else sees later on in public. 

What about your career makes you feel the most complete? 

Doing something that I truly believe in with people I truly enjoy, and having fun every step of the way. That makes me feel complete. 

If you had to trade jobs with anyone else in the world, who would it be and why? 

Oprah Winfrey, because she built her career on listening, learning, and sharing the truths about humanity. 

At what point in your career did you find the confidence to really take charge and become the woman you are today? 

I think every time I have faced my fears and come out on the other side in one piece, I have grown more confident. I think every time I have received recognition or praise from others, I have grown more confident. So it's been a combination of internal affirmations and external affirmations that have helped me realize my potential and step into my power. I don't think true confidence is an overnight or instantaneous thing. I believe it's developed from experience, and I am still on my journey of experiencing new challenges that will help me evolve into who I need to be, in order to truly, fully embody unwavering confidence. 

What's the best advice you've ever been given? Or your favorite piece of #realtalk? 

I didn't receive this advice, but this is the advice I want to give. It's advice that I live by. Don't blindly accept the narrative: "This is just the way it is." That's something that others can easily accept, but I challenge you to question it, push back on it, and even offer alternatives if you're able to. Many problems with society today stem from people blindly perpetuating the same narratives, systems, and behavior they inherited from the previous generations. I'm here to remind you that this is a new time, a new era, and you do have the power to create better ideas and narratives that can positively change the world. 

When you hit a big bump in the road, how do you find a new road? 

If I hit a bump in the road, I try to focus on what's in my control to fix. I try not to complain (which is easier said than done sometimes). Instead, I like to remind myself that struggle is par for the course - it's an expected part of the journey on the road to greatness. And with that in mind, I go for a run, watch a motivational video on YouTube, and get back to it! 

What song do you sing in the shower when you’ve had a bad day? 

"Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley.

TO SEE THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE STEM LIST CLICK HERE. 

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Bumble Queen Whitney Wolfe's Best Real Talk Advice

Written by: Tyeal Howell

Nearly all of the fastest growing occupations in the U.S. are within the STEM/STEAM industries. The gender gap in these industries is unreal. #NationalSTEMDay was created to celebrate, inspire and encourage the younger generation to explore their interests in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math fields. To join the celebration, we talked with 8 Women in STEM to get the best “real talk” advice they’ve ever received:

Stay humble.

Know that your career path and your goals may change over time, but stay true to yourself along the way. - Latinas in STEM

Your close crew matters. 

“Who you hang out with determines what you dream about and what you collide with. And the collisions and the dreams lead to your changes. And the changes are what you become. Change the outcome by changing your circle.” -- Seth Godin - Claire Burke

Breathe. 

Take a deep breath and move on! You will realize that you are a lot stronger than you think. - Leura Fine

Honestly, be authentic.

Answer honestly, support authentically, share resources and share other women's work. - Heather Lipner

Get thick skin.

The bigger the risk, the more likely the failure. You have to develop thick skin if you want to accomplish a lot in life. - Rachel Tipograph

Celebrate the small wins.

I've tried to actively start celebrating small milestones and successes, since I know that I'm really bad at recognizing how far we've come as a company. - Aarthi Ramamurthy

"A successful career is earned and requires sacrifice."

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A successful career is earned and requires sacrifice. It truly is done through dedication and a lot of hard work, nothing is handed to you. - Melissa Grillo

Don't sweat it.

Snap out of it! It always looks better in the morning. - Whitney Wolfe

What other women in STEM are you inspired by today? Comment below!

MORE FROM OUR BLOG

The One Thing That Gives Women Power Over Men

Portland went off last night. Last night we landed in the PNW for a night of cocktails and conversation! We'll talked all things entrepreneurship, creative & tech with women who are breaking down barriers and actively putting in work to build a better future. Over 300 guests attended the popup at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront, hearing  from panelists Grace Mahary, Jessica Naziri, Karen Okonkwo, and Heather Lipner about their life in STEM, their aspirations, and how women are the true superheroes. 

Read some of our favorite takeaways below and head to our Facebook to watch the full live stream including our keynote with Sonja Rasula. 

FIND YOUR TRIBE

TechSesh founder Jessica Naziri quit her job in the startup world when she felt like she didn’t belong. She told the crowd, “I never want to feel like that again. I want to make it my mission to empower myself and empower others.” So she taught herself to code— well, with a little help from her friends. “I am part of a network called Persian women in tech. We all meet once a month.” One of the women in the group help Jessica learn to code. “I’m not going to say I’m a programmer. I know the basics and that enabled me to understand the foundation. Even if you don’t want to code, just knowing a little bit is so important. These days it’s so easy— you can take  an online course and empower yourself.”

Model and Project Tsehigh founder Grace Mahary also brought up that in such a digitally dependent world, there is no way to survive without getting involved in STEM in some way. So get on it. 

TURN PASSION IN PROJECTS

Heather Lipner, the founder of then now-closed, but highly popular, Clashist (they made James Franco leggings) and now Drawsta, knew that she wanted to continue in the fashion world, but incorporate tech. “Augmented reality at that point was not really even a word people were talking about.” Before Snapchat even came out with face filters, Heather was doing R&D to figure out how to make Augmented Reality work in the fashion sphere. “If you don’t know what it is, it’s adding a digital layer to a physical thing you can touch and feel, and the digital layer can only be experienced through a device like an iPhone. With Drawsta you can have real time changes to your clothes. With AR you can upload a new animation— you can program your clothes in real time. It’s a powerful tool and a new way to experience wearing something. With Snapchat and Instagram stories everyone is changing their face, but it could be on clothes and surfaces.”

It could also make fashion more sustainable— something that Grace Mahary brought up.

OFFSET YOUR WORK 

"I work in an industry that’s one of the most polluting on the planet, so it’s all about offsetting,” the activist told the crowd.

Project Tsehigh (PjT) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing uninterrupted energy to impoverished or remote communities around the world via renewable energy sources. 

“While I was visiting and living in some of these developing nations I realized, very quickly, I couldn’t charge my phone, I would go to a restaurant and the power would go out. When you live in that condition you’re forced to see how people live and wake up every day. To think that you can't wake up every day and have facilities that run consistently— that’s how I became passionate about it. We’re working with solar panels, and as of this month, we’ll be launching our first project in Eritrea, and we’re donating 101 solar units to households — and then a school, a church, and a mosque.” 

PROMOTE INCLUSITIVITY 

Karen Okonkwo of TONL, a which seeks to transform the idea of stock photography by displaying images of diverse people and their stories around the world, explained, “For people to feel welcome in any industry, they need to see online that there are other people that look like them, in those particular fields. Imagery, in the form of advertising, is the first step in saying, ‘hey you are welcome and we want you here.’ That angle is very powerful and underutilized.” 

“Sometimes, especially in the black community we feel tokenized,” Karen told the crowd. "I’m not trying to act like the spokesperson for the black community. I’m simply someone who is trying to provide change and influence. I may have some missteps along the way. Try to give people grace as they launch their businesses and feedback.” 

She also dropped a version of this gem: Be your own Dora the Explorer and teach yourself. 

"Be your own Dora the Explorer and teach yourself."

Tweet this. 

“If you don’t see what you want— anyone who has a skill set, be that change. Start your own Facebook group or start your own meet up, or agree to mentor one person, that’s how we create that cascade of people who can enter into STEM. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help, either. That knowledge is there for you to take." 

WOMEN ARE FREAKIN SUPERHEROES 

“A lot of money is controlled by men, and that’s the biggest problem," shared Heather when talking about raising money and going into VC meetings. "When you go and try to raise you’re almost always talking to a man and they don’t understand the female perspective. Until you experience something or have that problem, you’re not going to understand what the solution is. It’s harder for women to get funded, it sucks,” she said frankly. “For me I’ve been jumped into a room and seen a total glaze.” Which is why she says, "The money has to also be diverse in category, gender, race, and everything so you can create companies that are targeted for what your niche is.” 

Heather then dropped this AMAZING bomb during the Q&A portion.

“I just had a baby. The baby was in me and then it came out of me. And I feed the baby with my breasts. Men cannot do that. I wish I could go back to all the VC meetings I had and to the men in those rooms  say, ‘You have no power.’ I wish I could have a different mind shift and just go for it without being intimidated or being scared. It’s a crazy thing to think about. They might have the money. It’s artificial. It’s contrived. And we can change that. You just need that mind shift. 

Any questions?

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5 Women of Color Dominating the Startup Tech Space

Esosa Ighodaro, co-founder of COSIGN 

The stats on women in STEM and tech are pretty dismal. (About 26% of women hold tech jobs.) Those numbers drop lower when it comes to women of color-- they hold only 3 percent of all tech positions in the U.S. Which is why supporting of women who are doing their damn thing, and doing it well, is crucial. 

Here are five amazing women of color in the tech space you need to hit that follow button on. 

1. Jessica O. Matthews & Unchartered Play

Jessica O. Matthews is the Founder & CEO of Uncharted Play, an energy company that designs renewable energy technology systems for infrastructure and smart applications. Founded by Jessica when she was 22, Uncharted Play’s flagship product is the SOCCKET ball, an energy generating soccer ball that provides off-grid power for the developing world. Jessica invented the SOCCKET when she was 19 years old.

Jessica’s research and career centers around the intersection of disruptive technology, human behavior, and the psychology of self-actualization. A dual citizen of Nigeria & the U.S., Jessica has a degree in Psychology and Economics from Harvard University, and
an MBA from Harvard Business School.

2. Dawn Dickson & Solutions Vending  

Dawn W. Dickson is a serial entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in marketing and business development. She launched three successful cash flow positive companies since 2002, her most recent venture Solutions Vending International (SVI) in October 2012 after identifying a need develop a software solution to make vending machines more intelligent.

What Solutions Vending International does: Smart vending machines now represent a new breed of machines connected to the internet. Their software helps vending machines not only understand retail customer demographic and sales data, but communicate with one another to understand consumer purchasing behavior, identify venue traffic patterns, and establish a network of connected retail devices. SVI is building a network of connected machines to securely collect and analyze data about consumers and venues across the United States.

3. Maude Okrah and Bonnti

Bonnti is a mobile platform which helps women navigate and simplify their hair experience. The site explains, "We understand ethnic hair is different and we want to empower women to have more choice when it comes to your hair." 

Okrah recently told Project Entrepreneur, "I’d love to see more women, especially women of color, dive deeper into the tech world and come up with solutions to solve the unique everyday problems we face. I’ve learned so much throughout this entrepreneurial journey that I’d be remiss not to share it with any other woman who even shows an inkling of interest in this field. I mentor a small group of women from my alma mater and the D.C. area, helping them navigate the challenges I faced when beginning on this journey."

4. Erin Horne McKinney and KissIntel 

Passionate about emerging technology and entrepreneurship, Erin Horne McKinney is the cofounder of Black Female Founders (#BFF) and KissIntel. KissIntel is the first mobile application to function as a "CRM for dating" by creating a platform where users can aggregate and track their dating lives, compare and rate dates and get instant feedback from their family and friends in real time. KissIntel’s proprietary date aggregator allows users to compile all their date options in one place. KissIntel revolutionizes the way people make dating decisions and creates an entirely new way to interact with potential partners by providing customized comparison and rating tools that tie into the user’s curated contact list and social network for immediate feedback from family and friends they trust. In addition to the end-user focused capabilities, KissIntel can offer its rating and comparison engines directly to online dating sites.

5. Esosa Ighodaro and Cosign

She's the woman who is making your photos shoppable. COSIGN connects you to your favorite brands and retailers in just one tap. COSIGN is the first app to make products in your photos ready-to-buy, turning your social media followers into customers and your style into a way to earn cash rewards.

After constantly asking herself, "where did she get that?" Ighodaro decided to come up with her own solution, creating an app to solve her shopping issues. CoSign serves as a mobile app that makes any product with an image shoppable on social media. As an added incentive, users can make a commission for every product purchased through the app.

In this new world, women save themselves. Have more amazing women we should be following? Share in the comments below!

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How This Wedding Company Is Defying Tech Industry Norms

Weddings and tech. It's the perfect union. From simplifying the wedding process to making the entire process more productive, it's easy to say "I do," to the concept. Plus, tech nerds should get excited as VR makes its way into the planning process. (More on that below.) 

For all other needs, wedding planning starts here, with WeddingWire. So does progress in the workplace. Ranked as one of Washington's Best Places to Work, find out why this company is solving problems for couples as well as their own employees. 

Let’s start simple! Weddings and tech. How do the two work together? 

Consumers have had online resources for many things over the years. You could plan a vacation, decorate a house, find a doctor, or order a car to pick you up with just a few clicks, but people had difficulty planning and finding wedding vendors online. WeddingWire, the leading global online destination for couples looking to get things done throughout their wedding planning process, creates and leverages technology to support the way couples experience all other things in their daily lives. This use of technology meets couples and wedding vendors where they are online, making wedding planning a more streamlined, convenient and productive process. 

How has WeddingWire simplified the process of getting married?

Whether couples choose to tackle their wedding planning tasks on their desktop or on their mobile device, WeddingWire provides the most in-depth information (including a database of over 200,000 vendors and 3 million consumer reviews), inspiration and planning tools, to help them make choices and feel confident in their selections. WeddingWire’s various educational resources, like the wedding date guide, provide valuable information and education to couples to help them be more informed when reaching out to vendors, and features such as WeddingWire’s customizable wedding geo-filters, allow couples to personalize their big day in a fun and convenient way. 

It feels natural to take the wedding process online. What are some of your best tips and solutions for engaged couples?

Set your budget: Couples tend to underestimate how much they’ll spend on their wedding by about 40 percent, so it’s important for couples (and anyone else contributing to the wedding) to discuss and set a budget early on. WeddingWire’s budget tool helps couples organize all their costs, planned and unexpected. Need more information on what to expect? Check out the WeddingWire Budget Guide. 

Do your research: Do your homework to ensure you work with vendors that fit your budget and understand your vision. WeddingWire allows couples to search, compare and book from an extensive database of over 200,000 vendors. Plus with over 3 million reviews available from recent newlyweds, couples can feel confident and empowered to make the best choice when it comes to selecting their wedding vendors. 

Enjoy the planning process: Be sure to celebrate your #JustSaidYes moment and take some time to enjoy being engaged to your partner. Browse WeddingWire for inspiration, involve friends and family, and have fun with the experience!

The tech space is predominantly male. Some people say it’s a pipeline problem. And yet 40% of WeddingWire’s product development team is women (when the average is 18%). Why was hiring a female team important to WeddingWire? 

WeddingWire’s primary goal is to hire the best talent. The best talent are those that bring a diverse group of thought to the company. Without diversity, you are not looking at business problems from all perspectives and therefore, unable to provide the best experience for all users. Women are a huge part of that diversity in thought and we are committed to ensuring they have an equal voice at the table, as well as equal leadership opportunities within the organization. 

"Without diversity, you are not looking at business problems from all perspectives."

Tweet this. 

Additionally, while we are a tech company focused on the wedding planning process, we organically attract diversity across all genders not just women. WeddingWire defies gender generalizations even when the wedding industry is typically thought to be female-dominated: founded by four non-white men, 40% of our product development team is female (vs the average of 18%).

How did you go about finding the talent?

Referrals from current employees are one of WeddingWire’s most valued recruiting methods. The WeddingWire team is deeply proud, committed and motivated and their recommendation for personal and professional contacts to join our team, is the greatest way to find the best talent. Additionally, the strength of WeddingWire’s talent brand supports our hiring efforts. With its unique employee experience and regularly ranked as one of Washington’s Best Places to Work, WeddingWire is able to recruit competitively for top talent. (Interested in applying, learn more at https://www.weddingwire.com/corp/careers!) 

What are your thoughts on the “pipeline” issue?

WeddingWire is proud of the diversity in its application volume which enables us to hire the best talent for the roles across the product and tech organizations. We have seen a notable increase in the interest of all individuals to secure positions in the tech industry; however, we would love to see more early education in technology. We know this would only continue to further roles in the tech industry as a career option for young women! 

How else does WeddingWire support women in tech?

WeddingWire’s culture is about overall inclusivity. Not just for women, but for everyone.  We promote a culture of flexibility for all employees. This can be highlighted specifically with working parents as they transition back to work after parental leave. Additionally, coaching is an essential part of WeddingWire’s leadership programs. Through the Manager’s Certification and Leadership Development Programs, WeddingWire is dedicated and encourages mentorship. 

What have you seen in tech world that excites? Both for your own platform and for women developers? 

Sara Zalowitz, VP of Product Management, is very excited by the advancements in 3D videos and Virtual Reality. These technologies open a whole new world for how users consume content, and it is particularly exciting in the Wedding Industry as it allows for couples to truly see how a venue looks before reaching out. It can be a true game-changer. 

Photo credit: WeddingWire Instagram

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STEM: Heather Lipner

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full STEM List Here.

Taking on fast fashion with AR. 

Heather is wearing Keds' Champion Originals.

Heather Lipner, tech maven, has worked in the dude-heavy tech industry for "at least 13 years." As the former creative director of MySpace, co-founder of Uncovet, and founder of Clashist, that oh-so-pop-culture-meme-tastic apparel line approved by James Franco, the entrepreneur has a few tricks up her techie sleeve. 

Drawsta is her latest newest venture. An augmented reality fashion concept that adds an unexpected layer to wearables. “I created Drawsta.com because I love creating products that are allow the customer to really express themselves,” says Heather. With Drawsta, customers can write their own animated text and emojis on t-shirts and share the augmented reality digital experience via social media and/or show how it works in person. It’s also a backlash against the greed of fast fashion. Why change your shirt when you can change the image on said shirt? 

It was during the course of running e-commerce brand Clashist that Heather witnessed “how fast people got sick of fashion trends.” Instead of succumbing to the masses and embracing the world of fast, she instead opted to “let people digitally wear, create, and swipe through different graphics.” 

While Heather loves being able to create new graphics for people to wear, she admits that new takes some adjustment. “Experiencing fashion via augmented reality is new and with anything new it takes a bit longer to pick up then let's say a smiley face on a tee.”

"With anything new it takes a bit longer to pick up then a smiley face on a tee.”

Tweet this. 

It’s also the first business she launched without funding. “Doing it all myself is mentally challenging,” she explains, but says her boyfriend, Drawsta’s customers who are “highly influential on what gets designed and built out,” and her “incredibly supportive friends and family," keep her motivated. 

Heather shares that she’s not “into all of the girl boss and girl gang stuff - I think it keeps gender segregated rather than ensuring that men and women are both sitting at the table. We should all be networking together and making sure men see us as women not girls, not in a girl gang, but as equals who want the same things.” 

“We should all be making sure men see us as women not girls.”

Tweet this. 

Over her decade plus in tech Heather has accumulated her fair share of lessons. Practically speaking she likes to get the stuff she hates (paying bills and going to the gym) out of the way first thing in the am. She also shares that she doesn't make five year goals. "I let opportunities arise and choose to do or not to do them, instead of getting stuck into a long term plan." But what the future personally holds for the inventor is clear: "Answer honestly, support authentically, share resources and share other women's work." 

We'd put that on a t-shirt. 100. 

Styling provided by Reservoir LA. Hair and makeup provided by Glamsquad. Photography courtesy of Light Lab and Woodnote Photography.

STEM: Latinas in STEM, Board of Directors

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full STEM List Here. 

Inspiring the next generation.

Jazlyn Carvajal, Diana Albarrán Chicas, Cecilia Fernández, Kimberly Gonzales, Joanna Gonzalez, Desiree Lassiter, Maribel Mendoza, and Nidia Trejo make up the Latinas in STEM Board of Directors, an organization founded by 5 MIT alumnae looking to formalize the service work they were doing in their respective communities. 

The founders of the organization are all first generation American women who have been the first in their families to attend college. They have careers in industry with a long track record of community service. The current board consists of professional Latina women who are interested in providing Latinas with mentorship, resources, and access to careers in STEM.

The stats around women in STEM aren’t great. And the barriers to entry for women of color are compounded. A lack of role models, lagging outreach, and overall limited parental awareness, leads to dismal numbers. So you’ve heard. 

But with organizations like Latinas in STEM, founded in 2013, there is hope. And not only on the horizon. 

Their goals include: inspiring young women to consider STEM careers, increasing the number of Latina women pursuing STEM careers, and creating a network that enables women in STEM to survive. Their programs include K-12 student and parent outreach, college student support, and professional development that enables their network to grow and reach more students. 

It’s vital work that serves the community and world. 

More from the Board of Directors below. 

What is the most important step you took to get here?

The most important step was starting a dialogue among friends about the need in our communities and our desires to help our communities in a more formal matter. It was a simple Facebook group message sent among friends that eventually led to the formal organization of Latinas in STEM. 

What are some challenges you’ve encountered along the way?

There have been many challenges for us as a group. To begin, the group is currently completely volunteer run, meaning that we all have day jobs as STEM professionals. As such, one of the challenges has been carving sufficient time to help our organization progress along the way. Luckily, we have had a lot of support from our networks and other organizations who have similar goals. 

What keeps you going?

Knowing that we can encourage Latinas whose shoes we were once in -- to do well in math and science subjects, get good grades to enter college, and follow a career path of their dreams. 

Who are the people you consider your mentors or influences and why? 

Our first mentors and influences for many of us were our families. We have all had various mentors throughout our careers including each other. 

What is the best piece of "real talk" advice you've received? 

Stay humble. Know that your career path and your goals may change over time, but stay true to yourself along the way. 

What is your favorite life advice?

One of the greatest things we can have as women is education. Our knowledge and opinions are valuable to share with the world to help make it better. 

Is there a time in your lives when you've thought, 'I can't do this anymore?'

We’ve all overcome a lot of adversity in our lives. We move forward and make opportunities by being proactive. 

What’s next? What are the five year goals?

Next, we plan to expand the organization, and hire full-time administrators to help us continue the work that we are doing. As we mentioned, currently we are 100% volunteer run, but we want to expand our work by reaching out to more people nationwide. We need more woman power, and so we hope to formalize the group even more. 

What is a habit or routine you swear by?

Share your big goals with others- it makes you accountable and also may open new doors. 

"Share your big goals with others- it makes you accountable."

Tweet this. 

How have your relationships to your careers changed in the last five years?

Embracing the idea that mentoring the next generation of STEM experts outside of our individual, professional work is an important part of our career journeys. 

How have your personal relationships changed in the last five years? 

We encourage one another to embrace failures and share these stories with our Latina members. It’s important for our members to know about our successes as Latinas in STEM, and it is equally important to tell our stories of roadblocks and lessons learned. Although it can be difficult to think back on difficult situations, our stories can be what inspires our members to continue pursuing and thriving in STEM fields. 

What does female empowerment mean to you?

It means supporting and mentoring one another to achieve our goals. It means being critical of each other in a way that helps build other women up, and not tear them down. It means helping other women achieve their dreams. 

STEM: Claire Burke, Goby

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full STEM List Here.

Giving a dental damn.

Brush up for a minute on Claire Burke, co-founder of Goby’s career trajectory. After graduating from NYU’s Stern School of Business with a dual BS in Finance and Accounting, she worked at investment bank Lincoln International for six years. Simultaneously, she pursued her personal passion for film and media by co-founding a production company. In 2013, Claire left investment banking to pursue an MBA at Columbia Business School. While at Columbia, she immersed myself in media and technology, working for The Raine Group, Hearst, theSkimm, and Female Founders Fund, each of which expanded her interest in startups and exposed her to the value and power of brand.

Take a breather. 

Deemed “Cavity Claire” by her family growing up, Claire was inspired by her own struggles with good oral care. Determined to enhance consumers’ oral care experience by creating a value-driven oral care product with a relatable brand personality, Cavity Claire (and co-founder Ben) got to work, hoping to change the experience of oral health care. 

And now, the founders current largest challenges include filling roles at her company, not in her mouth.

More from Claire below. 

What is the best piece of "real talk" advice you've received? 

A close friend recently bought me the book "You are a Badass." The gift, and the advice, was self-explanatory. Reading it has transformed the way I look at myself and interact with the world.

What is your favorite life advice?

“Who you hang out with determines what you dream about and what you collide with. And the collisions and the dreams lead to your changes. And the changes are what you become. Change the outcome by changing your circle.” -- Seth Godin

Is there a time in your life when you thought, ‘I can’t do this?’

I tend not to think this way. I try to breathe through any challenge, see the bigger picture, and move forward.

What’s next?

Continuing to build Goby into a lasting brand. 

What’s a habit or routine you swear by?

Daily mantras. You control your thoughts and your mood, and mantras help to ensure you're in the right mind-state throughout the day.

International Women’s Day is coming up. It's a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. If you could steer the conversation around International Women’s Day, what would that dialogue be about?

The first step in removing disparity, is recognizing that the disparity exists. Encouraging men to participate in the conversation and admit that there is inequity is a goal of mine on IWD.

How has your relationship to you career changed in the last five years?

In the past five years I decided to pursue what I was passionate about, even if it came with significant sacrifice in the near-term, as opposed to pursuing what provided short-term benefit but wasn't fulfilling.

How has your relationship to yourself changed in the last five years?

Significantly! I think positively, support myself and don't fret the small stuff. I definitely used to beat myself up a lot, and I've stopped doing that in the last five years.

What does female empowerment mean to you?

"Feminism is the radical notion that women are people." Female empowerment to me means that women are able to lead self-actualized lives, regardless of the life they choose to live, and regardless of the fact that they are women.

STEM: Ana Kasparian, The Young Turks

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full STEM List Here.

Giving fake news a middle finger. 

“I taught myself what I could just so I could stay,” says Ana Kasparian host and co-producer of The Young Turks, the largest online news network in the world. 

As a major political voice and specifically one trusted by young people, Ana knows that honesty is crucial during the current political climate. “You don’t see a lot of that in mainstream media,” she says, “and it gets me in trouble. But it also empowers women to share in an outspoken and aggressive way.”  

Aggressive is not a tone she shies away from. “I think a lot of people are uncomfortable with the paradigm shift. Women are more educated than men, they’re more ambitious, and there is a new type of competition for men for the types of jobs they’re used to getting. Hearing someone like me? I think it’s intimidating.” 

"Women are more educated than men and they’re more ambitious."

Tweet this. 

What else would you expect from the little girl who would cuddle up with her mom on Friday night to watch Barbara Walters interview world leaders and public figures on ABC’s 20/20. After finishing her undergraduate degree in journalism, the go-getter immediately landed a job as an associate producer at CBS radio. However, after about six months into the job she knew it wasn’t for her. “The type of journalism produced in that newsroom,” says Ana, “didn’t make me feel like it was was making a difference or doing enough to inform listeners.” 

At the same time there was a temp position open at The Young Turks, which, was a “tiny little startup at the time.” From day one Ana says she knew it was where she needed to be. “It was unscripted, uncensored, and raw! The honesty that reverberated through the halls during every broadcast drew me in so intensely that I didn’t want to leave when my temp position was over.” She asked to stay. There wasn’t a position available that spoke to her skills, so she took a job in the marketing department and did everything she could to remain a part of the organization.  

Ten years later, as producer and co-host Ana is now an integral part of the show’s success. 

She thinks the mainstream media made a lot of mistakes the past election cycle. “They love the drama,” Ana shares. “The biggest mistake was not taking him [Trump] seriously from the beginning. He’s ignorant, not necessarily stupid. And he’s great at manipulation.” 

She also thinks Hillary’s calculated actions had little chance in the face of Trump’s “word vomit,” because of Hillary's next level misogyny conundrum. If she had behaved like Trump, it never would have worked.  But Ana recognizes the importance of her career, presidential win or not. "She has paved the way for women like me to be aggressive,” the host shares. Ana hopes that post-run she “comes out in a way she never has,” especially for the younger generations who are “drawn to authentic.” 

Despite experiencing violent threats, Ana won't be silenced. "I do what I think is right to get the message across to the viewers. We have to not be afraid. We have to fight back against that type [misogynist] rhetoric." 

“There are individuals who threaten my life on a daily basis. In fact, 2016 was the first year where I actually encountered a few in-person physical attacks. But I see these threats as an effort to silence me, and women have been silenced for so long. I'll be damned if I allow anyone to silence me and stop me from doing what I love to do.”

And she’s learned to love herself, even when the world is telling her she’s a “terrible person.” 

“My career has become a big part of my identity. It represents who I am and what my purpose is. Part of that purpose is remaining true to that voice, particularly in the face of a Trump presidency. “I’ll be just as opinionated and committed to getting accurate information out there. I see my privilege to look out for the disenfranchised and people who are going to suffer under his presidency. I think it’s important to spread a message about what it means to be an America. True patriotism is looking out for your neighbor.” 

"True patriotism is looking out for your neighbor.” 

Tweet this. 

Her other goal is to get money out of politics. “With a vanishing middle class, you’re going to have hunger games. We’re attacking each other for stupid shit instead of attacking the system.”

Female empowerment means choosing your own destiny. It doesn't matter what you want to do, or how you want to do it. Being empowered allows you to make the right decisions for your life, regardless of what others expect of you."

Styling provided by Reservoir LA. Hair and makeup provided by Glamsquad. Photography courtesy of Light Lab and Woodnote Photography.

STEM: Aarthi Ramamurthy, Lumoid

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full STEM List Here.

Try before you buy, 2.0

Lumoid Founder & CEO Aarthi Ramamurthy is betting that the only thing better than buying is trying. Because purchasing gadgets can pricey (read stressful), Lumoid is eliminating the guesswork with an online service that lets you rent and test professional quality camera and audio gear, fitness trackers, drones, and more. This way, you can guarantee your satisfaction with a product before committing to it. Even better? The money you spend on renting goes toward the total purchase price. What’s not to love?

Coming from Chennai, India, Ramamurthy was recruited by Microsoft a year before even graduating college. Prior to founding Lumoid three years ago, she worked as a software engineer at xBox and Netflix, becoming an expert in consumer electronics and studying the psychology behind how people buy. “Getting the product off the ground was easy,” says Ramamurthy, “But, hiring is always a challenge — as it should be — really good people are few and hard to find.”

In 2017, women sadly still hold less than 25% of all jobs in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math). It’s a gross gender gap that Ramamurthy takes seriously, and does her part to remedy. “I feel strongly about how few women are taking up STEM and engineering courses, and I’d like to change that and see more women enroll in them,” she explains. As one of the few female founders in a traditionally male-dominated industry, Ramamurthy embraces her role as inspiration and mentor. “I help other female founders who are earlier in the process of building their company — I try to help with fundraising, introductions, or just talking through their issues.” While she’s all for supporting other women, she looks forward to a time when female CEOs no longer need to be interviewed about their definition of female empowerment. Point taken.

As Lumoid continues to achieve new levels of success — moving into swanky, designer offices, securing new rounds of funding, and expanding into the wearable market — Ramamurthy has been making personal and professional strides, and taking inventory along the way. “I've tried to actively start celebrating small milestones and successes, since I know that I'm really bad at recognizing how far we've come as a company,” says the founder, whose capitalizing on the universally appealing ethos of try-before-you-buy. “I’ve come to appreciate the journey a lot more, stop worrying and focus on what's going right.” Rather than stressing over a career bucket list or a five year plan, she prefers to take it one day at a time.

STEM: Miki Agrawal, THINX

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full STEM List Here.

Taking on taboo with invention. 

 Miki Agrawal did what many inventors do: find the white space. Or in her case the red. No, we're not talking wine. We're talking periods. The CEO and co-founder behind the period-proof underwear, THINX, saw a need in a 15 billion dollar industry and went after it.

But converting people isn’t simple. At one point the company was $60K in the hole. “I had a struggling partnership,” she shares, “and investors who didn't ‘get’ the product…” So Miki once requested a male investor to wear a maxi pad over the course of a meeting. The point: to give him first-hand experience. 

It’s her out-of-the-box approach to all topics taboo that make Miki a force, and not just in the period space. She’s taking on incontinence with ICON, pee-proof underwear, as well as the booty with TUSHY, a bidet attachment for the toilet that she says, “elevates the American pooping experience to the 21st century.”

Get to know Miki, why a life coach changed her life, and what she’s looking forward to below. 

What is the most important step you took to get here?

Put one foot in front of the other (and also put reminders in my phone to breathe).

What are the challenges you encountered along the way?

Wrong partnerships, manufacturing struggles and generally growing a business! 

What keeps you going?

Changing culture and helping people at the same time. Truly. 

Who are the people you consider your mentors or influences and why?

My friends! They are all entrepreneurs or creatives and inspire me on the daily. 

What is the best piece of “real talk” advice you’ve received?

Hire slow; fire fast. 

What’s your favorite life advice?

Everything’s gonna be alright. 

How has your relationship to your career changed in the last five years?

I've worked hard on myself to become a better leader and human, cop to my mistakes quicker and be softer on everyone including myself. 

How has your relationship with yourself changed in the last five years?

Seeing a life coach has changed my life. It has forced me to face myself like I never have before and really find full integrity with what I am thinking, feeling and saying. 

What's on your career bucket list?

Impact a billion people and build a billion dollar company :-) 

What does female empowerment mean to you?

Women deserve a seat at the table. ALL studies point to the fact that women-led companies outperform male-led companies, boards that include more women have outperforming companies than only all-male boards, all signs are pointing to the fact that women absolutely deserve to have equal rights to men. It's time. 

STEM: Rachel Tipograph, MikMak

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full STEM List Here.

Saw the future of digital and commerce. 

“What risks can you afford to take?” This is the question Rachel Tipograph, founder and CEO of the world’s first mobile video shopping network MikMak, asks herself with every new challenge she faces. And in building a startup that takes on the Goliath that is the $250 billion home shopping industry, you can be sure the challenges abound. “The bigger the risk, the more likely the failure. You have to develop thick skin if you want to accomplish a lot in life,” says the 29-year-old minimercial mogul.

Tipograph, whose groundbreaking platform creates short, shoppable videos to market beauty, tech and home related products all priced under $100, has been destined for a career that bridges comedy and commerce since being crowned an eBay power-user at age 13. And she  harnessed the power of social media to launch an up-and-coming comedian she managed while attending NYU.

“The bigger the risk, the more likely the failure. You have to develop thick skin."

Tweet this. 

After graduating, she cut her teeth working as a digital strategy consultant for corporate giants including Levi’s, GE, and PepsiCo. And then came the proverbial big break. By age 24, she was named Global Director of Digital & Social Media at Gap. “It was there that I saw the future of media and commerce, and decided to quit my job to build MikMak,” says the mobile shopping maven. With MikMak, Tipograph is on a mission to reinvent the traditional infomercial for the millennial generation. No more cheesy late-night sales pitches or impractical gimmicks. Just 30 second, mobile-friendly spots featuring actually-engaging comedians as spokespeople.

While Tipograph may have some of the biggest names on her resume, nothing has quite prepared her for the uphill battle that is building and running her own business. In May of 2016, a deal she spent four months orchestrating fell apart. For the first time in her impressive career, there was nobody to rely on but herself.  “I was exhausted. After a momentary pause where I allowed myself to feel defeated, I remembered I was the one who chose to build MikMak. No one will ever want this company to succeed more than me. The moment that energy waivers, it will spiral,” she explains. “Starting MikMak is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I am MikMak. When you work for someone else, it’s not the same.”

As a CEO turning channel-switching ads into must-see entertainment, Tipograph does things differently, and that includes company culture. Every Sunday, she sends out the “MikMak Attack,” a weekly email that breaks down the goals by department and offers company-wide visibility into all high-level initiatives. “Each email ends with me answering the question: ‘What’s inspiring me to attack the week?’ The time I put in Sundays to organize saves me hours during the week.”

Just a little over a year old, MikMak has already raised its first millions in funding. And for Tipograph, it’s nothing short of all-consuming. “It’s my number one priority,” she says. “I do hope within the next five years it reaches a point where I can allow for other life milestones to occur. I want to own a home, start a family and for all the founders who do all of that while running a company, I have so much admiration for you.”

STEM: Leura Fine, Laurel & Wolf

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full STEM List Here.

Democratizing design. 

Leura Fine, CEO and founder of Laurel & Wolf, the interior design company that offers its services online only, has come a long way and is bringing the design world along with her. 

A Jewish, southern girl who grew up in Alabama, Leura moved to Montreal to study at McGill University. But she graduated early, moved to LA where she worked for a world famous Burlesque dancer, all the while building a career as an interior designer. Then, she started a tech company. All before the age of 30. 

An innovator in the online design space, Laurel & Wolf has developed a platform and software to allow for easy communication between a client and a designer, from anywhere. The entire service takes place in the digital world, and has opened the industry of interior design to people who never thought they could afford such services. 

Luckily her experiences in the interior design world made a few things quite clear to the budding techie. 

First, “the days of physical style boards and long, unproductive in-person meetings,” needed to go. “The future of design could be digital.” 

Second, she noticed that most designers could not afford to support themselves because their were not enough people who could pay traditional industry rate. 

And third, and most important, people wanted interior design help, but couldn’t afford it. There was a design hole. 

“It was time to figure out a path to allow designers to earn a living doing what they love,” says Leura, “and for far more people to be able to afford access to those services. It was time to democratize design.” 

In January 2014 Leura began concentrating full-time on Laurel & Wolf. The first version of the site was up that month. "I was the algorithm" she says about the company's beta site, a very bare-bones version of what exists today. Instead of spending 100k on a website build out, she paid a local LA-based developer 5k to build out eight pages with no backend. "I started spreading the word through friends and friends of family, putting it out on social media, saying, 'Hey who is looking for interior design services that only cost 300 dollars?'"

She had about 1,500 people sign up over the course of six weeks. The first iteration of Laurel & Wolf took users through a "style quiz,"-- that had no outcome. What Leura was testing was the public's interest. The BIG question: Would people be willing to pay for an interior design service online? 

It's a simple, but brilliant idea-- take a service that only a small percentage of households can afford, and open it up to more people. More people=more work=more revenue. 

And then there were more questions, more late nights, and the step of raising money. 

“There are all sorts of moments you have as a founder and CEO where you might question the path you are on,” says Leura. “However, usually after a good venting session, a good cry, a few glasses of wine, I feel refreshed and ready to conquer the world.” Feeling failure she explains is an important part of the process, but you can’t dwell. “Take a deep breath and move on! You will realize that you are a lot stronger than you think.” 

You’d have to be to work her hours. “My career has evolved from having a job to being the job. My life life is Laurel & Wolf, which is how it should be when you start your own company.” 

But she says she can rely on herself more than ever before. “In my job, I’m constantly having to push myself harder to learn more, do more, be more, and as fast as possible. For the first time, I’ve realized I can actually meet those demands along the way.” That doesn’t mean she always gets it right, nor does she have the expectation she will, but knows if she’s willing to fight for it, there’s nothing she won’t accomplish. Which includes taking Laurel & Wolf public. 

Beyond democratizing design, Leura wants to level the playing field for dreams as well. “Little girls should dream of being scientists, designers, or CEOs and they should have women to look up to in every single field.When I was a little girl, I never dreamed I could be a CEO because I never saw one. We have the power to change that and therefore change the course of history.”

Styling provided by Reservoir LA. Hair and makeup provided by Glamsquad. Photography courtesy of Light Lab and Woodnote Photography.