Tess Danielson 
The U.S. has become a hostile environment for advocates of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The opposition to DEI initiatives, which are designed to assist historically marginalized groups, can be summed up in one word: politics. Conservatives claim that DEI is “reverse racism” and are pursuing legal action. As a result, businesses are slashing funding … more
It can be difficult to leave your mark in the startup world. But occasionally, someone comes along who upends the system. In the modern age, that someone is Tope Awotona. Tope, founder and CEO of the scheduling automation platform Calendly, has become a hero to many. His journey resonates with so many underdog founders – … more
For many founders, they find themselves overwhelmed after making it past the early startup stages. One option that makes these next steps easier is finding the right accelerator. Accelerators are organizations that focus on the rapid growth of early-stage companies that offer a combination of relevant educational workshops, mentorship programs, and networking opportunities. The most … more
While Scot Wingo, 55, describes his upbringing as vanilla, his career path has been anything but. Scot began his entrepreneurship journey 30 years ago and led him to his current love and obsession Research Triangle Park (RTP) in North Carolina. Located in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill region, Scot is deeply passionate about the RTP’s prospects for … more
Emily Brown, co-founder and CEO of Attane Health, was born and raised with her siblings in Dallas, Texas. She had a great childhood and even better parents. Growing up, Emily, who now lives in Kansas City, Missouri with her family, describes herself as a go-getter, which is highlighted throughout her professional career. But her first … more
With the amount of stress founders take on, it is inevitable that anxiety will get the best of you. Good news is that it is completely normal. Each human only has so much emotional bandwidth to work with. The biggest challenge with anxiety is finding a way to break your toxic thought cycle. By diverting … more
Since she was a child, Sydney Thomas, the founding general partner of Symphonic Capital, had an innate curiosity about what her legacy will be. The San Diego native became obsessed with building a legacy. But to find it, she had to leave home. Then, 20 years later, she found her way back to start Symphonic, … more
For decades, there’s been a very cozy relationship between state and local governments and Big Tech across the country. When it comes to tech giants relocating, monetary incentives, such as tax breaks or grants, are commonplace – and seemingly expected. To secure the mere possibility of job and economic growth, many cities have consistently and … more
Paul Gassée, 43, has spent most of his career in the early stage startup ecosystem with the “battle scars to prove it.” Paul founded two startups, ran sales at a recruiting software company, and spent the past eight years as a sales coach with Gassée Consulting. But it took a while to find what he … more
Growing up, Jowanza Joseph, 36, didn’t have the most stable home life. His parents immigrated from Saint Kitts to the United States before separating. He ended up living with his mother and three brothers. Joseph’s family spent his childhood jumping from borough to borough in New York – occasionally popping into Connecticut for brief stints. … more
Askar Musakunov and Adina Tilek, his wife and co-founder, prefer a nomadic lifestyle. They don’t think twice about switching cities or disappearing to Qatar for 6 months. For them, slowing down to create a foundation is completely out of their comfort zone. “It’s very hard to get out of your roots, and we have no … more
Siddharth Singh, 39, has spent much of his life analyzing how to solve big problems. He prefers to look at the overall picture and how to do the most good within those parameters. Singh, who currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, began life in India. He grew up in Bombay and eventually moved to London … more
As the founder of OK2StandUp, Dr. Eunice Yang has made it her mission to keep seniors safe. Standing at 5’4”, Dr. Eunice Yang represents the living embodiment of ‘big things come in small packages.’ She’s a mechanical engineer, professor, mother, Christian, immigrant, and founder. As the CEO of her startup, OK2StandUp, elder safety has become … more
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