Finding Purpose After Sudden Loss
SheVentures
Imagine your significant other dies unexpectedly from a heart attack. In the midst of grief, you must find the resilience to go on while raising children and deciding how to move ahead professionally. This week’s guest — Sejal Lakhani-Bhatt — shares her story of the unexpected and how she managed to balance her family, her health, and her profession. Lakhani-Bhatt speaks candidly about her global banking career and how mentorship helped her climb the ladder at Deutsche Bank. Her husband, a tech entrepreneur, supported Lakhani-Bhatt when she decided to leave her banking job. Though...
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Has This Startup Vet Created the TikTok of Live Fashion Events?
SheVentures
Named one of Inc. magazine’s top 100 female founders to watch, Maggie Adhami-Boynton is well-versed in the pivots required for an early-stage company to morph into a viable, scalable business. A 15-year startup veteran, she understood earlier than most the rapid evolution of digital apps and e-commerce and hit the ground more than a decade ago. Adhami-Boynton helped grow Canada’s Plastic Mobile, an award-winning mobile app agency, to acquisition in 2015. In 2019, she soft-launched , one of North America’s first live video commerce apps, which quickly amassed hundreds of...
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This Woman Is Raising a Venture Capital Fund, Solo!
SheVentures
Kimberley Nixon tells it like it is. Yes, she is a Los Angeles–based venture capitalist and the founder and managing partner of . Yes, she is passionate about increasing access to investment for women of color, who we know raise less than 1 percent of all venture capital. Nixon is also keen to share the human side of her life. Health is a topic she knows intimately as she overcame cancer in her late 20s after a misdiagnosis. Today, she is balancing, like many of us, her passions with being a wife and mother to two tweens. If you are looking for a relatable, smart, hip role model, Nixon is...
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Breaking Down Barriers: Women’s Representation in the Music Industry
SheVentures
If you’re feeling stuck in your pursuit of success in the music industry despite all the hard work and effort you’re putting in — you’re not alone! Karla Ortiz, founder of , delves into her struggles and victories as a woman of color in the entertainment industry. Early in her career, Ortiz shaped digital marketing campaigns for megastars like Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, and Nelly Furtado. Decades later, she founded Monark Entertainment, an agency focused on streaming and digital marketing, with a particular emphasis on supporting women of color. Ortiz shares her experiences as a...
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Transforming Women’s Health and Racial Equity
SheVentures
Ever wondered how one woman can impact racial wealth and investment equity as well as advancements in women’s health? In two decades, Erika Seth Davies transitioned from a career in development and fundraising to becoming the CEO of , a groundbreaking fund that secured an impressive $44 million (in 2022) to revolutionize the U.S. women’s health market through impact investing. But wait, there’s more! Davies isn’t stopping at women’s health. She’s also the mastermind behind the , an impact investing venture tackling the persistent racial wealth gap. Tune in as we explore the...
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How a Global Perspective Helped Pauline Idogho Create Her Business
SheVentures
From Nigeria to London to Paris to the United States, Pauline Idogho’s journey has taken her on a whirlwind tour of different cultures and experiences. But it’s her ability to adapt to change that has made her a successful entrepreneur. As the founder of Mocktail Club, an innovative line of elevated non-alcoholic beverages, not only does Idogho take pride in offering delicious, natural drinks, but she also dedicates 1 percent of her sales to support clean water initiatives around the world. She tapped into an ever-evolving market — and has learned to diversify her distribution...
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From Biomedical Engineer to Baby-Feeding Startup CEO
SheVentures
Becoming a parent is a seismic pivot in itself. Add the societal pressure to breastfeed — with virtually no support and sleepless nights — and you have a rocky six months. But it doesn’t need to be this way. Andrea Ippolito, CEO of , created a community to help women navigate everything from finding an insurance-covered lactation consultant to exploring different formulas to scoring the best-quality breast pump. Ippolito offers free classes and directories of allies and providers and works with workplaces and insurers to help parents get the support they need. As a mom...
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Kenya Duke’s Divorce and Financial Empowerment
SheVentures
Divorce is a life pivot that touches many, and it can be civil or act as a wrecking ball. You may know Kenya Duke from her BET+ show The Gary Owen Show, with her now ex-husband and their three children. Duke, an entrepreneur, real estate investor, and host of the podcast Truly Kenya, shares her experience of divorce, as well as its emotional and financial impacts. The pain of financial instability and the struggle to make ends meet can be overwhelming. But there is a way to regain control and find empowerment. Duke tells her story from childhood to what it means to be a Black woman in the...
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From Army Vet to Spa Creator
SheVentures
Have you ever considered opening a spa, but the number of unknowns stopped you? Not Crystal Bethea, founder and CEO of , who pivoted from Army veteran to licensed massage therapist, cosmetologist, and entrepreneur. Bethea is passionate about massage, acupuncture, and other wellness modalities. Coming from a family of veterans, she’s passionate about helping vets maintain their health and to help them pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and find fulfillment in their post-military lives. That’s why C3 Wellness Spa is a franchise and ready to expand! Bethea works with her husband, Marus...
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How a Heart Attack Changed This Ph.D.’s Life — for the Better
SheVentures
Imagine rising through the ranks of the Federal government for three decades until one day a sudden heart attack forced you to reevaluate your life priorities. , is an Army veteran, former U.S. Postal Service employee, and a U.S. Department of the Treasury human resources manager. By all accounts, she built a stable career while raising two children, going through a divorce, and taking every opportunity possible to educate/upskill herself, tireless in her pursuit of knowledge. While building her career, Owens was often asked by friends or family about how to navigate the Federal government....
info_outlineHave you heard these myths about work-life balance in venture capital? Myth #1: You have to sacrifice your personal life to succeed. Myth #2: Only men can handle the demands of the industry. Myth #3: Taking time for self-care is a sign of weakness. But let’s be real, these are all…myths. And Ashley Aydin, principal at VamosVentures, is here to share the truth about balancing work and life in venture capital.
As a successful VC, she knows firsthand the challenges and rewards of juggling a demanding career and personal life. Get ready to debunk these myths and learn practical strategies for achieving work-life balance in the startup world.
In this episode, you will be able to:
- Unravel the untapped value of diverse funding in venture capital
- Appreciate the impact of empowering underrepresented entrepreneurs on driving sustainable economic growth
- Aydin’s career pivots from Morgan Stanley to working with an early-stage startup and subsequently earning her MBA from MIT Sloan School of Business
- Real talk about the marginalization of Black and Brown consumers — and what you can do
- Acquire the recipe for achieving work-life equilibrium in the fast-paced environment of venture capital
- Get a glimpse of the cutting-edge technological solutions tackling the complexities of aging and elder care
- Why Aydin is focused on investing in and empowering Latinx entrepreneurs.
- Hone your skills in delivering persuasive pitches that leave a lasting impression on potential investors
The tips mentioned in this episode are:
- Prioritize building a strong company culture as a founder to attract and retain top talent
- Focus on creating a viable business model that can scale quickly and target a large, growing market
- Know and understand your consumer or target audience to build a product that meets their needs and priorities
- Consider impact-oriented investing and allocating dollars toward diverse founders to make a big impact
- Seek out and learn from those who have been through similar experiences to gain insights and guidance