Invisible Ink

How do you marry a burning desire to help women advance, with the need for economic viability? How do you take something that works very well at the individual level, and carefully rebuild it so it works for thousands of people reliably and effectively? And how do you balance the needs of individuals with those of large companies and make both of the happy? In this episode, D Sangeeta, founder and...

Are you the founder of a STEM startup suddenly dealing with the vc pipeline closing up? Are you intrigued by the influx of government funding especially into climate related fields, but even other sectors more broadly? Have you ever tried diving into the wide world of government grants but quickly realized you’re out of your depth? In this episode, Christine E.B. Howard, seasoned grant professiona...

How do you find a big market opportunity in a deeply technical, even boring field like chemistry? How do you overcome years of training as a scientist and learn entirely new and uncomfortable skills as a founder? And when you know you're new, how do you develop the insight to know which "expert" advice to take and which to leave alone? In this episode, scientist and founder Lieza Marie Danan talks...

What’s the one negotiating lever women overlook in almost any negotiating situation? What’s more important in a critical negotiation - looking for fairness or looking out for your best interests? Why does even a top notch attorney work with ANOTHER attorney when engaging in a negotiation for herself? In this episode, Jennifer Justice, entrepreneur and women’s advocate extraordinaire, talks about w...

What are the three non-negotiable factors EVERY investor looks for, and every founder MUST demonstrate to get funded? How can you create an intelligent yet simple startup roadmap no matter where you're starting and what resources you have access to? What steps do you need to take as an early stage founder to get investors excited even when the market isn't hot? In this episode, Pat Hedley, veteran...

Why is it important for women to understand the “view from the balcony”, and not just stay on the dance floor? What’s the surprising barrier to entrepreneurship you never heard about? Why do you need to be extra vigilant as a woman with entrepreneurial ambitions? In this episode, Dr. Sameeksha Desai, Associate Professor, and Director, Manufacturing Policy Initiative at Indiana University, talks ab...

What’s the single surprising thing you must get right as a founder before setting compensation for your team? How can you avoid the typical pitfalls of early stage founders on HR issues so they don’t come back to bite you later? What do you need to know about stock option plans and incentives so you’re setting up the best possible environment for your team AND your startup to succeed? In this epis...

What's the one startup lesson that never changes no matter what your specific startup situation is? How do you flesh out and test a B2B idea before spending a single dollar on building it? What’s the surprising test to tell if you’ve priced your offering not too high, not too low, but just right? In this episode, Vanessa Liu, Co-Founder and CEO of Sugarwork, talks about the biggest lessons she lea...

What could a career on Wall Steet possibly teach you about creativity, innovation and ownership? How can you translate the moves of high finance into eminently practical lessons for your entrepreneurial venture? What's the single surprising thing that is at the heart of all the financial forces you'll have to contend with in your business? (Hint: it has nothing to do with spreadsheets) In this epi...

What do you do when your cherished startup idea vaporizes right before launch, the world shuts down....and you've just had a baby? How do you deal with the hand you've been dealt, and still make it work as a business? What do you need to know, and how do you adapt in the midst of a maelstrom of change and uncertainty? In this episode, Disha Gulati, cofounder and CEO of Here Here Market, talks abou...

What if you want to be your own boss but the whole founder thing isn’t your cup of tea? What does it take to hit the ground running and take an already good business and make it great? How do you find the money, the resources and the network to find and buy the right business for you? In this episode, Allegra Stennett, cofounder of New Majority Capital, tells you everything you need to know about...

How do you go from being an insurance actuary to a speech therapist to a health tech startup as a nontechnical founder? How do you recognize the right time and place to bring your idea to the world? How do you walk the tightrope between what inspires and drives you and what the market is telling you about the opportunity? In this episode, founder and CEO of SMARTCharts, Corinne Vargas, talks about...

What’s even more important than an MBA when you’re a founder on the lookout for funding? What’s one obvious mistake many founders don’t even realize they’re making when fundraising? What simple exercise will help you find the best sources of capital for where YOUR startup is right now? In this episode, Marie Meslin, former president and Executive Director of The Capital Network, talks about the on...

How do you start from where you are, and do what you can with what you have, especially if you feel like they don’t add up to much? What is the right path to the right business for YOUR combination of skills, resources, and aptitudes? And how do you stretch your entrepreneurial gas as far as possible so you can get to positive cash flow and far beyond? In this episode, two-time author on small bus...

How can you evaluate and find the right support for YOUR startup - one that fits your industry, your stage and what you need most right now? What preparatory steps can you take early on to protect your interests before ever stepping into an accelerator program? How can you get the most bang for your accelerator buck and continue to build your business once you enter an accelerator? In this episode...

What are the hidden dangers that lurk in the unsexy foundations of your business that can trip you up? How can you make smart and strategic decisions about the most basic steps, like how and where you register and incorporate your business? What do you need to do before you take the first outside dollar to protect both yourself and your company so you don’t get blindsided down the road? What simpl...

How do you take a runaway viral movement and transform it into an effective and sustainable organization on a global scale? How do you create a culture and work environment that protects and safeguards your highest values as an organization? And how do you do all of this with the slimmest of budgets, all powered by unpaid volunteers spread across the world? In this episode, Isvari Maranwe, ex phys...

What invisible traps lurk in the shadows that could trip you up as a new entrepreneur? How can you stay grounded in reality and uncover all the predictable but hidden reasons that might cause your startup to fail? What’s the one thing you MUST do to ensure you stay in business long enough to start making money? In this episode, seasoned entrepreneurial educator and mentor Donna Rockin taps into he...

How do you create a viable business by scratching your own itch? Can you really build a tech business as a nontechnical founder? And in a world made noisy with “disruptive unicorns” how do you buck the trend and manage your business for profitability and longevity rather than explosive short-term growth? In this episode, repeat founder and tech entrepreneur Melissa Kwan talks about how she capital...

How do you banish the fear and dread you feel when you’re pitching investors? What’s the one mental switch you can make to instantly gain power and confidence when pitching? How can you use your knowledge of the human brain and the investor mindset to make your pitch much more compelling? In this episode, entrepreneur and founder Allison Byers talks about the key mindset shifts you need to increas...

How do you bring a radically new idea down to earth and make it real? How do you validate the market for a product that doesn’t even exist? And how do you do this with a view to getting a very specific kind of incubation and growth support, as well as capital, in a narrow, niche industry? In this episode, insurance technology entrepreneur Soton Rosanwo talks about her incredibly thoughtful and sys...

How do you transform a deeply personal, even traumatic experience into a transformational moment for thousands of other people? How do you scale personal change and impact so it manifests in behavior and attitudinal change that affects the bottomline? How do you package all of this into a real, economically healthy and scalable business that does well, makes money AND promotes greater economic and...

How do you go from zero to sixty in mastering the angel fundraising game? What hidden indicators signal to investors that you’re a pro and not a rookie entrepreneur when it comes to your startup? What’s the one thing angel investors look for in a pitch that most entrepreneurs miss? What small action will get you off to a great start with any angel investor? In this episode, veteran angel investor...

How do you start with a revolutionary technological product, no educational credentials, and $600 in your pocket and sign up a huge name in your market? How do you stretch your time and money so far that one small order from one surprise customer opens up an entire market for you? How do you get over self-doubt, blatant reverse ageism and sexism to create a product that literally saves lives for l...

Summary How do you take an important but noisy subject like workplace equity and move it into the realm of data, discipline and impactful action? How do you stay true to mission while staying solvent AND relevant to your paying clients? How can you find the right markets to serve so you can deliver impact AND grow at the same time? In this episode, Aparna Rae, entrepreneur and founder of Moving Be...