 Sharon Kan built and successfully exited four startups, acquired by names such as Microsoft, Barnes and Noble, and Oracle. Listen to her pragmatic approach to business and learn what she believes is the one quality all entrepreneurs should embrace.   Raised in war-torn Israel, Kan reminisces, “You lived today because you weren’t sure what might happen tomorrow.”   Nonetheless, she started her first business at 14, selling homemade cakes to local shops, served her mandatory two years in the Israeli air force, and started a multi-decade career in marketing, business and product development. But her corporate career path was sidelined by motherhood. How did she react?   Kan chose to focus on ‘feminine power’ and boost the momeconomy by co-founding Pepper Lane, a platform designed to provide a community of women to co-mentor and inspire each other — complete with workshops, mentorship, and the myriad of services one needs when starting a business.   It’s time we stop apologizing and embrace our feminine power in the workplace whether we’re moms or not, says Kan.    On our final episode of the third season, listen as Kan dishes real talk on how to bring your authentic self to the workplace on this episode of SheVentures.

SheVentures

Season 3 Finale: Entrepreneurial Must-Haves With Startup Veteran Sharon Kan

 Imagine what it’s like for any immigrant to embrace the culture and norms of a new nation. Then think about being a highly respected doctor, practicing for years in your native country. When you arrive in the United States, you learn that if you want to practice medicine, you’ll have to dust off your organic chemistry and anatomy books and pass a rigorous exam.     That’s what happened to Noor Ali who skipped undergrad, going straight from the renowned Bronx High School of Science into six years of medical school in Bangladesh, only to barely miss the cutoff when she sat for the U.S. exam to practice medicine. How did she cope?   Ali always knew she wanted to follow in her anaesthesiologist grandfather’s footsteps and become a doctor, but she never envisioned being denied the ability to do so — especially after “paying her dues” and finishing med school. With a successful career in her home country of Bangladesh, Ali was recognized by the United Nations as a volunteer — bringing healthcare to pregnant women and children. Ali felt lost and downtrodden.   Ali’s pivot? She founded a business, Dr. Noor Health, where she marries medical knowledge with health insurance in an advisory role, helping the “healthy and wealthy” find more fitting health insurance policies in the private market based on their health status.   Listen as Ali describes being an immigrant in New York City, volunteering in the slums of Bangladesh, and the price of reinvention on this episode of SheVentures. 

An Immigrant Doctor Forced to Pivot With Noor Ali

SV089 Dr Noor Ali

 She joined Microsoft when it was a startup, when it was not uncommon to run into Bill Gates in the hallway. She never envisioned a career where she would travel to 60 countries, while being a parent to three sons, a wife, and an executive.     Though Kate Isler did not start her career with dreams of globe-trotting, she defied expectations with the help of a supportive husband, who was willing to move as her career thrived with their growing children in tow. Rather than view their lifestyle as a negative, the family enjoyed the adventure of experiencing new cultures.    Isler’s pivot? Today, she is founder of an eCommerce platform for female-owned and -led businesses called TheWMarketplace, which she and her team created during the pandemic. The platform boasts about 400 women-owned brands, more than 2,000 products and services, and is growing rapidly.   Isler is not-your-typical-success story. She focused on work experience first, spent 20 years as an entrepreneur, but realized that with only a high school diploma, she was limited professionally. Another pivot: returning to school and earning her bachelor's degree in education in 2018.    SheVentures is not the only media outlet that finds Isler's life story inspirational — HarperCollins Leadership published her memoir, Breaking Boarders, earlier this year.

Will the Next Amazon Be Run by This Woman? With Kate Isler

Twenty percent of LGBTQ+ people say they are “much worse off” financially because of the pandemic, compared with only 11 percent of the general population. Hadassah Damien, queer femme writer, digital technologist, and financial strategist joins us to provide actionable tips for the LGBTQ+ community to take control of their finances today. Damien grew up in a single-parent household where she experienced financial challenges. She entered adulthood believing money was unattainable. But as Damien embraced nonprofits, community art, archiving and #vanlife in her 20s, she taught herself personal finance basics — and put herself through grad school.  When Damien left the corporate world after the 2008 financial crisis, she focused on how she could help other artists learn to manage their finances and found people she could help as a financial coach.  Damien candidly speaks about the challenges those in the LGBTQ+ community face when it comes to money, and provides some suggestions on what they can do, one step at a time, on this episode of SheVentures.

Why LGBTQ+ Distrusts Big Finance and What’s Next With Hadassah Damien

 Six months before she was due to receive tenure (which is highly coveted in academia), in the midst of a pandemic, this psychology professor left it all behind.   Janet Ahn, Ph.D., pivoted from academia and entrepreneurship to consulting for large companies such as Procter and Gamble, before joining MindGym (a behavior change company for organizations and corporations) as chief behavioral science officer. Now, she focuses on the science to support workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).   Ahn discusses why traditional approaches to DEI in the workplace aren’t successful — and maps out the psychological pillars that should be a part of any workplace DEI efforts.   Ahn also reveals how a marshmallow drew her to psychology despite her first-generation Korean father not considering it a “real” science, the truth behind intellectual differences between men and women, and the steps to effectively implement DEI in the workplace on this episode of SheVentures.

How to Implement Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace With Janet Ahn, Ph.D.

Nearly 2 billion people lack access to nutritious food — a staggering number likely to increase due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lara Ramdin, Ph.D., and Barbara Guerpillon are trying to change that. These two global female executives are playing integral roles toward Dole Food’s corporate initiative: the Dole Promise Sunshine for All, the goal of which is to make nutritious foods accessible to 1 billion people by 2030. Ramdin, chief innovation officer at Dole Packaged Foods, has built her global research and development team to be made up of 60 percent women, demonstrating her advocacy for women and girls in STEM. Guerpillon, head of ventures at Dole and Asia Fresh, is the first person to hold this position and focus on a global strategy to enable profitable business growth through start-up led innovations and the creation of entrepreneurial networks worldwide. Listen to how these two women foster change by showing how a large company can leverage the ingenuity of the global startup ecosystem to help solve food inequity. It’s all in a day’s work as they balance their home lives as well.

Dole-ing Out Proper Nutrition to 1 Billion People With Lara Ramdin and Barbara Guerpillon

 What path leads you from NBA marketing exec to the mystic world of shamanism and moon circles?   Ashley Cramer was a burned-out marketer, yearning for change. Becoming a shaman was the last thing on her mind, and even today she understands people may be skeptical of shamanism and what it entails. Cramer’s healing journey along with her appreciation of lunar cycles and all they involve inform her practice today.   Shamanism is a term used for energy healers across many cultures worldwide, and Cramer is seeking to modernize her lunar practice with her new website and app, Align With the Moon.    Learn more about how Cramer focuses on the moon’s position and energy to help her clients engage with their innermost emotions and to help discover their purpose on this episode of SheVentures.

Ask Not What The Moon Can Do For You with Ashley Cramer

 COVID-19 required us to be mindful of our physical health like never before. What about our mental health? It’s time to talk to about it.   Kristin Miscall is a psychotherapist with nearly two decades of helping others under her belt. She worked initially with homeless LGBTQIA+ youth before pivoting to private practice. Last year, she, like many in the mental health field, transitioned to telemedicine to meet the unprecedented need for her services in the midst of the pandemic.   Miscall noticed women were impacted disproportionately by COVID-19, and she shares her experiences of teletherapy over the past year. She speaks about the adjustments both she and her patients made — a blueprint for any practitioner.    Listen as Miscall recounts the impact of COVID-19 on women specifically, and on humanity as a whole, her ultimate tips for self-care in a time when we need it most, and the power of saying “no” and setting boundaries on this episode of SheVentures.

Her Pivot From Private Practice to Telemedicine to... With Kristin Miscall

What is pro-poor financial technology, and how is Mae Watson Grote’s company at the forefront of making a difference? Mae Watson Grote is dedicated to improving the lives of the under-served and under-banked in the United States. As founder and CEO of the Change Machine — a nonprofit dedicated to building financial security through technology — she is doing just that. The platform is available to all kinds of practitioners who work with women (financial advisors, social workers, coaches) and want to help their clients escape the poverty cycle. Focused on both short- and long-term outcomes rather than just outputs, the Change Machine recently launched a recommendation engine on its platform that suggests vetted products and services to practitioners that line up with their clients financial journeys. Listen as Grote describes the pitfalls in “the system” that keep people (particularly people of color) poor, how Americans and financial institutions can combat systemic poverty, and the importance of alignment and a shared vision within your team on this episode of SheVentures.

Championing Pro-Poor FinTech With Mae Watson Grote

Five languages. Three continents. Three kids. Two careers. One foundation. Zankhna Parekh is a trailblazer. Born in India but raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Parekh always knew she would venture into medicine. With a 20-year successful career as a physical therapist under her belt, Parekh was keen to return to her career after having two children.  But, Parekh noticed (as do many women who become mothers) that her pre-baby clothes didn’t fit the same way anymore. So she decided to make her own — and then start selling them. Through her education in Kenya, Parekh had the skills she needed to found Zankhna Designs. With a focus on the coined term Zaftan, a new generation of kaftan (a long, loose dress or shirt), Parekh seeks to revolutionize luxury clothing by making it elegant yet affordable, with an international flair influenced by Parekh’s background (India, Kenya, and the United States). On this episode of SheVentures, listen as Parekh discusses the difficulties of running a business while raising three children under age 4, the foundation she and her husband started to help and educate people in developing nations, and her (surprising) tips for managing a career and a hectic family life.

How to Create a Fashion Label With Zankhna Parekh

 From an early age, Kristi Data knew she wanted to make an impact, and she used sports as her gateway. In the fourth grade, Data petitioned her school to allow girls to play basketball — and got it done the very next season.   Data went on to receive a full athletic scholarship for volleyball — the pressures of which caused her to spiral into an eating disorder that lasted throughout college. Data discusses the reality of this situation that so many women and girls in sports face today.   After a stint in medical sales, Data is now a certified values determination coach, passionate about fitness, nutrition, and above all, community. She founded Girl Gang Evolution, an event company focused on female empowerment that she hopes to see take off internationally in the years to come.    Listen as Data discusses what goes into clinching an athletic scholarship, how to find your perfect coach, and the impact that one singular woman had on her life in this episode of SheVentures.    If you or a loved one is struggling with an eating disorder, help is available. Contact the National Eating Disorders Association’s helpline for support, resources, and treatment options.

Athletic Scholarships, Eating Disorders, and the Power of Community With Kristi Data

What maximizes your chances of receiving funds from a venture capitalist? Shelly Kapoor Collins knows firsthand. She’s a tech entrepreneur and public servant–turned– founder/CEO of Shatter Fund, a venture capital fund that invests almost exclusively in female entrepreneurs whose businesses stand to disrupt the tech landscape. With more than 20 years in the tech sector advocating for innovation and policy reform, Kapoor Collins was appointed to the National Women’s Business Council in the second Obama Administration, served as vice chair of the Women in Public Service Project started by Secretary Hillary Clinton, and was part of the transition team for then California Attorney General (now Vice President) Kamala Harris. Because of her experience, grit, and commitment, Kapoor Collins has received numerous accolades, including being named one of the top 20 global influential Indian women by the Economic Times of India as well as one of Forbes 40 women to watch over 40. Shatter Fund also launched The Shatter Foundation, a nonprofit organization that connects girls in under-served communities with access to capital, networks, and markets, in an effort to foster an inclusive economy and equitable entrepreneurship. Listen as Kapoor Collins discusses what drew her to the tech sector in the 90s, how the tech landscape has evolved, why she started a venture capital fund, and what female entrepreneurs can do to improve their chances of securing funding on this episode of SheVentures.

Insider Tips to Securing Venture Capital With Shelly Kapoor Collins

 Did you know female founders face bias in how venture capitalists ask questions and are often negatively impacted when their products fall in a male-dominated industry? These are two separate findings of Dana Kanze, Ph.D., that add to a growing body of research that quantify gender discrimination in attracting investors. After all, women receive a paltry 2.3 percent of venture capital — women of color even less, according to the Harvard Business Review.   A little-known fact about Kanze: She started her career as an entrepreneur before pivoting to academia where she earned a doctorate at Columbia Business School. Kanze experienced firsthand what it meant to be equally qualified but sometimes sidelined. This experience contributed to her interest in researching why this common phenomenon happens.  Now a professor at London Business School, her groundbreaking research focuses on the unconscious gender biases that many women experience daily. Kanze provides actionable tips for female entrepreneurs on how to beat these often subconscious but harmful biases on this episode of SheVentures.

How to Beat Gender Bias When You Pitch With Dana Kanze

 Sometimes, the best business ideas are right in front of you. That was the case for Ashley Clark, who pivoted from being a banker to an entrepreneur and creator of old-school board games and flashcards that teach financial literacy — going against the current trend of online gaming with six-figure success during a pandemic.   A decade as a banker underscored that too many people didn’t understand their own finances. Clark began to write down common customer questions — using this as her initial “market research.” Next was her tough focus group: her children. Her passion for teaching people about money flourished, and today Clark is CEO and founder of Sense 2 Cents, a financial literacy–based game company.   Sense 2 Cents aims to take the chore out of learning and foster a solid financial foundation by making the flashcards and board games a family activity, in which parents can learn alongside their children. Clark has also developed active communities on Instagram and Facebook.   But it wasn’t all smooth sailing: Three months into starting this venture, Clark was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and, being so ill, she understandably wanted to quit. Advice from her entrepreneurial mom helped her stay focused, and now she has tips for those starting their own business.   On this episode of SheVentures, discover why financial literacy is so important in establishing generational wealth in under-served communities, what financial institutions can do to help, and Clark’s top tips for success.

From Banker to FinLit Game(r) With Ashley Clark

Sheventures is about women who pivot careers, take risks, and get shit done. Each interview-style episode will feature an inspirational, no holds barred story of the trials, pivots, and reality of being a trailblazing woman. Get ready to listen, be inspired, and take action.

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