Role Breakers Change Makers, Circular Summit 2018 Program, Powered by Alice
Last week I attended the Circular Summit powered by Alice, in Washington, DC. Alice is a technology platform connecting entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources they need to succeed. The platform can be found at HelloAlice.com. With an eye on women entrepreneurs in particular, the Circular Summit is an annual gathering (ITRW) of Alice community members from entrepreneurs to investors, supporters and partners.
Highlights of the program (for me) were those modules featuring entrepreneurs who had successfully launched businesses and were now sharing their experiences. I’ve been calling them “the kitchen table sessions” because so many of these businesses were founded around kitchen tables and have gone onto profitability while building factories, retail outlets and more. These included:
- Jen Gotch, Founder and CCO, Ban.do
- Sarah Jones Simmer, COO, Bumble
- Susan Tynan, Founder and CEO, Framebridge
- Kara Goldin, Founder and CEO, Hint, Inc.
- Neil Blumenthal, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Warby Parker
Aimee Woodall, Founder, The Black Sheep Agency, ran a workshop that included practical exercises designed to hone one’s brand purpose and authentically engage community on social media. Lots of great takeaways and homework(!) to continue perfecting my social media presence after the conference.
And, the best for last. A “speed dating” session with mentors who listened to my elevator pitch and gave practical, actionable advice. I was lucky enough to have sessions with Amazon Web Services’, Adam Lee and Bumble’s, Sarah Jones Simmer. They were both encouraging while offering serious, realistic and actionable advice. #Invaluable. I’ll be in touch!
Break the Rules, Build a Following Panel at Circular Summit 2018
Though the day-and-a-half program was cut short because of Friday’s (3/2/2018) windstorm that closed all Federal Buildings including the Circular Summit’s venue, Thursday’s full day was a deeply worthwhile experience nonetheless. I’m hoping the Circular Summit folks might find a way to offer the missing half-day via webinar sometime soon.
Until then, I’ll be at my kitchen table honing my brand and building the first travel platform designed to connect women to the world of travel experiences created specially for them. Happy International Women’s Day!