Tell us a bit about yourself! How did you get started with your current career path/business journey?
I was a thwarted mathematician (my parents thought I wouldn't be able to support myself with an academic career) who found statistics and finance in college which led me to a decades long career in FInTech ultimately ending up in VC which ultimately gave me the courage to create WellSpices. These years were also ones of great setbacks and great strides for women and I played an active role advocating for myself and others which is why I am in academia today, leading a new program in Women's Entrepreneurship at the University of Delaware.
What behavior or personality trait do you most attribute your success to, and why?
Curiousity. Learning and serving always create more value than existed before you took those actions...so being curious and a continuous, confident, humble learner is at the core of all my successes and failures...and they are both important and meaningful
What’s a mistake you made early on in your career, or in your business, and what did you learn from it?
I have never been able to shake my desire for a PhD....to really create, provide the evidence for and publish something new that others would benefit from and build upon. I applied right out of college and then just before my first child was born and got into wonderful PhD programs but I was too afraid then to make what seemed like a momentous leap off the career track I was on. My lesson: Be Afraid...and still Just Do It!
What’s one professional skill you’re currently working on?
Communication demands constant awareness and adoption of changes that are happening outside of 'you' - demographics, technology, economics, social justice, social norms, business norms - and you have to constantly be working on how to adapt while remaining authentic and effective.
How do you invite others to take a seat at the table?
I always ask someone how I can help them. Give first.
What is one thing you wish you knew a year ago?
I wish I knew some of the bumps in the road that were ahead in 2020 so I could have been better prepared personally, politically and professionally
What impact has Luminary made in your career? eg: Business Generated, Revenue, New Clients, Career Connections, Advancement Opportunities
I have found great service providers in the Luminary community that I have engaged and benefited from their great work product and the great feeling of supporting other women business owners.
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