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boston
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Career Path - Eric Zadorian, Enablement Specialist at Onapsis banner image

Career Path - Eric Zadorian, Enablement Specialist at Onapsis

Open Jobs Company Page

What do the career path and the day-in-the-life look like for an Enablement Specialist at Onapsis?

We connected with Eric Zadorian to find out!

Interested in learning more about Onapsis? Make sure to check out their company page!


Where did you grow up?  What did your parents do for work?  

I grew up in Pembroke, which is a town on the south shore of Massachusetts. My mom has worked in the financial services industry for over thirty-five years. My dad recently retired but he spent time working in the golf and fitness industries.

Where did you go to college?  What did you study and what were some of your initial jobs out of school?

I recently started taking classes as part of the MBA distance learning program in Colorado State University’s College of Business. As an undergrad, I attended UCONN and graduated in 2008 with a degree in Economics.

Upon graduation, I decided that working 9-5 in a cubicle was not where I wanted to be, so I decided to follow my passion for golf and began a career in the golf industry as an Assistant Golf Professional. Don’t worry, I’ve since learned that not every job out of college is 9-5 in a cubicle. I was very fortunate to work at three golf facilities in the Greater Boston area. My responsibilities included organizing member and charity golf tournaments, managing the golf merchandising operation, providing instructional lessons to members, and representing the club in local tournaments. Part of my experience included completing the PGA of America’s rigorous certification program and becoming a P.G.A. Golf Professional.

After working in the golf industry for 10 years, I decided it was time for a career change.  Fortunately, I had a couple of former colleagues who had undergone a similar transition before me and they provided incredible guidance.  My first role post-golf was as a Business Development Representative (BDR) position at a cloud security startup in Boston. After that, I joined Onapsis in November 2018 as a Strategic BDR and was a part of that team for 2+ years before joining the Sales Enablement team in July 2021.

Eric Zadorian Onapsis

What has attributed to your success thus far and has helped propel you to the position you have now?

First and foremost, I have had the opportunity to work with great people in my professional life who I have learned a lot from and who have supported me throughout my career. I think my work ethic, intellectual curiosity, and willingness to learn from others has led me to where I am today. In addition, I pride myself on following through on my commitments which I hope bring reliability and accountability to my role.

Can you share the high-level responsibilities of your current position as an Enablement Specialist at Onapsis?

The Company Enablement team is a part of the broader Strategic Programs team at Onapsis. As an Enablement Specialist, my responsibilities include: strategic initiatives such as global onboarding and bootcamps for new Ona team members, implementing certification programs for our GTM teams, and helping to organize various internal and external training sessions.

Any tips for someone considering a career in your field?

I am early on in my Enablement career, and it has been a winding road to get here, but I think it is important to define end-goals for the projects that you are working on and design a plan to get there. This will provide clarity and direction towards achievement. I also think it is important to be task-oriented and have the ability to juggle multiple projects simultaneously.


Day in the Life

Coffee, tea, or nothing?

Both. Iced coffee year-round with iced and hot tea mixed in from time to time.

What time do you get into the office? 

Around 7:30 AM. I am an early riser and like to walk to work, so I can’t blame it on the #7 bus being late.

What are three things that motivate you in your role?

  • Helping others achieve their goals
  • Taking part in projects that have a meaningful impact
  • Working at a company that makes a difference

Every day is different, but can you outline what a typical day looks like for you?

I live in Boston and like to walk to the office, unless the weather prevents me from doing so. This helps set the tone for the day. Once I arrive, I usually eat breakfast and clear my inbox. Throughout the rest of a typical day, I meet with colleagues on our current projects, attend company-wide or team-specific meetings, and then perform work tasks related to those projects. I think it is important to break up the day a bit so I like to go for a walk around the city during my lunch break.  

What time do you head out of the office? 

Between 5:15-5:30

Do you log back in at night or do you shut it down completely?

Shut it down completely. One thing the pandemic has taught me is the importance of work-life balance.

Eric Zadorian Onapsis

Any productivity hacks?

  • Build short breaks into your schedule and block off your calendar for lunch
  • Block off time at the end of the week to get caught up on things that got pushed back during the week
  • Create a ‘To-Do’ list each night for the next day which will help you stay organized and hit the ground running in the morning
  • Take notes during meetings, especially if you have several meetings each day

What are the 3 apps that you can’t live without?

  • Spotify for music and podcasts
  • 98.5 The Sports Hub for Boston sports talk radio
  • GHIN mobile golf for posting scores, tracking stats, and handicap updates

What professional accomplishment are you proudest of?

When I was in the golf industry, I was elected President of the New England PGA’s Assistants’ Association, which is a volunteer association responsible for organizing a tournament schedule and career development opportunities for members of the Association.

Who do you admire or call upon for professional advice?

I typically reach out to my mentors and friends within my professional network who have helped me in the past. I try to identify someone who has been in a similar position before and pick their brains for advice. 

About the
Company

Onapsis protects the business-critical applications that power the global economy including SAP®, Oracle® and leading SaaS providers. Onapsis proudly serves more than 300 of the world’s leading brands including 20% of the Fortune 100 and partners with leading consulting and audit firms.

 
View Company Page
Hottest Jobs in Tech - November Edition banner image

Hottest Jobs in Tech - November Edition

This is our monthly highly curated list of the top startup jobs from companies hiring on VentureFizz.

If this list doesn't have the right job for you, then head on over to our Job Board, where you'll find thousands of positions listed! 


Marketing

Head of Growth MarketingPropel
Position Overview: Own user acquisition. Create the strategy, generate excitement, and operate the systems to grow Propels user base. This includes managing our paid marketing budget, product-led growth initiatives, viral growth, and more.
Senior Marketing Manager, Direct MarketingPERSUIT
Position Overview: You'll focus on a strategic blend of planning, execution, and analysis. The key outcomes are generating quality engagement and nurturing relationships with key titles, ultimately driving conversions with large enterprise legal departments.

Software Engineering

Senior Manager, ASI Research and Development (Attack Surface Intelligence)Recorded Future
Position Overview: You will manage a team of junior researchers, drive the identification and analysis of emerging threats, and ensure our scanning products are equipped with the most effective defense strategies.
Principal Software EngineerLiberty Mutual
Position Overview: As a principal software engineer at Liberty Mutual, youll consult on highly complex projects and solve technical problems, while working in an agile environment that has the creative energy of a start-up and the full backing and comprehensive benefits of a Fortune 100 company.
Senior Software Engineer - SlicerAlloy Enterprises
Position Overview: A successful candidate will be responsible for developing new features, solving 3D geometric challenges, and helping drive development standards to quickly expand the possibilities of our novel stack-forging processes.
Consultant Engineer - WirelessNWN Carousel
Position Overview: The Consultant role is a subject matter expert responsible for the configuring, installing, troubleshooting, and repairing offerings technical solutions for our customers.
Sr. Software Engineer IIFlywire
Position Overview: Your primary responsibility will be to build and maintain the platform that supports the money movement of our industry leading payment engine moving hundreds of millions everyday.
Senior Automation EngineerOWN
Position Overview: In this role, you will collaborate across all of our product development teams and help test features across our unified API.
Senior Software Engineer - Full StackVeeva
Position Overview: Your impact as a seasoned technical problem-solver will mean you will be focused on building software that can not only scale for heavy use, but that can also evolve with new features and capabilities.
Principal Software EngineerAgero
Position Overview: We're looking for a Principal Ruby on Rails Engineer to build and support critical, client-facing and internal systems that provide real-time roadside assistance to a diverse customer-base, which range from OEM and Insurance carriers to connected vehicles.
Staff Technical Lead Manager (New Verticals)Cedar
Position Overview: As the Staff Technical Lead Manager, you will serve as both the technical leader, as well as the individual people manager, for the New Verticals squad.
Senior Software EngineerNayya
Position Overview: As an Engineer at Nayya, will be responsible for building and maintaining the backbone of our platform that powers millions of users to choose and navigate their benefits.
Sr Software Engineering Program ManagerBevi
Position Overview: We are seeking a Sr Software Engineering Program Manager who will partner with our software and product team. You will be a highly visible leader that will own the communication, coordination, and execution of our software programs.

Analytics & Data Science

Principal Data Scientist II (AI)Seismic
Position Overview: As a Principal Data Scientist II - AI Architect, you will play a crucial role in shaping the AI strategy and driving the development of innovative AI solutions across our platform.
Data Scientist, ProductJellyfish
Position Overview: Collaborate with product managers, designers, and engineers to design and build compelling, innovative new experiences that drive real change for our customers
Lead Data Science Engineer, Personalization and SearchDraftkings
Position Overview: As a Lead Data Science Engineer at DraftKings, you will leverage your expertise in data science and analytics to drive impactful projects to create the most relevant product in the Sportsbook industry.
Director, Data IntegrationArcadia
Position Overview: This role will have oversight over claims data integration and will be responsible for ensuring seamless, accurate, and timely integration of healthcare data across our systems.

Sales & Business Development

Director, Sales OperationsezCater
Position Overview: Reporting to the Chief Revenue Officer, this leader will collaborate with executive leadership, sales leaders, and various departments to enhance sales productivity, selling effectiveness, and accelerate revenue growth.
Sales and Account Support SpecialistPatientPoint
Position Overview: The position is responsible for supporting sales and account management while marketing and selling in various patient engagement and educational programs to both current clients and new physician offices, specialty provider groups, and hospitals.
Solutions ArchitectAqua
Position Overview: As a Solutions Architect at Aqua, you will be responsible for providing subject-matter expertise on the security of running software containers (Docker and other formats), which are rapidly being adopted in enterprise deployments.
Location: SF / Bay Area

See Details / Apply View Company Page
Enterprise Sales Engineermabl
Position Overview: Sales Engineers are the technical voices of mabl's Sales team. We help guide prospective users through their first experiences using the product, support them as they implement their test cases, and address any technical obstacles they may face.
Vice President of SalesTeikametrics
Position Overview: You will be an integral part of the revenue leadership team, alongside the VP of Marketing, VP of Partnerships and the CRO, by providing continuous mentorship for our sales reps, refining our sales process, defining and tracking our KPIs and spearheading recruiting alongside our People Team.
Location: Boston, Remote

See Details / Apply View Company Page
Strategic Account ManagerApplause
Position Overview: The Strategic Account Manager is responsible for driving revenue growth by building and managing strategic accounts, long-term client relationships, and developing key business relationships.

Finance & Operations

Assistant ControllerSmartBear
Position Overview: The Assistant Controller will be instrumental in leading the day-to-day accounting while also influencing the strategy and direction of the team. This includes developing and implementing policies, procedures, and driving continuous improvement.
Account Director, Professional and Financial ServicesAttensi
Position Overview: Working closely with the sector lead for Professional and Financial Services, this person will own relationships and expand key accounts within this segment. This is a key role for us as we have seen strategic accounts driving significant growth for the business with much more potential to capture.
Director, Technology PartnershipsO'Reilly
Position Overview: This position reports directly to the Chief Corporate Development Officer and will lead the identification, development, and establishment of strategic partnerships that align with and advance O’Reilly Media’s corporate and product development initiatives to achieve corporate growth targets.
Senior Territory ManagerImprivata
Position Overview: The Senior Territory Manager role is responsible for overseeing the Territory plans and strategy increase sales productivity, efficiency, and drive growth for Imprivata. The role is also responsible for developing analytical and reporting frameworks that are in line with Imprivatas business objectives.
Accounting ManagerReversingLabs
Position Overview: You, as the Accounting Manager, will oversee the day-to-day accounting activities and work with a team of accounting professionals, provide coaching, development, and technical accounting guidance.

Customer Success

VP, Strategic Customer SuccessEliseAI
Position Overview: Reporting to the Head of Operations and Strategy at EliseAI, the VP, Strategic Customer Success will play a pivotal role in scaling our customer success strategies by driving strategic initiatives to enhance customer engagement and retention. You will engage in high-level business and technical discussions across the organization, including with C-suite executives.
Location: New York, NY

See Details / Apply View Company Page

IT, Security, & DevOps

Director of Enterprise Information TechnologyVestmark
Position Overview: The role will report to the Chief Technology Officer as a senior IT leader driving the information technology roadmap, and enterprise application delivery. This role will help manage overall IT Planning as well as leading the team in IT service delivery.

Hardware Engineering

Manufacturing Quality EngineerLexington Medical
Position Overview: This role focuses on continuous improvement and compliance with regulatory standards, ensuring our products meet the highest quality requirements.
Mechanical Engineering ManagerVolta Labs
Position Overview: In this role, you will be responsible for owning the mechanical and systems design for our instrument, Callisto. A successful candidate will have experience managing large teams, launching and managing post launch product development activities.

The VentureFizz Podcast: Sean Duffy - Co-Founder & CEO of Omada Health banner image

The VentureFizz Podcast: Sean Duffy - Co-Founder & CEO of Omada Health

Episode #237 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Sean Duffy, Co-Founder & CEO of Omada Health.

There’s so much going on in the healthcare industry. It is truly a transformative time that spans across the full spectrum whether it’s advancements in medicine, operational improvements, and more, there is obviously no shortage of innovation and an opportunity to make a meaningful impact. Thus, I always get excited when I get a chance to interview an entrepreneur who is scaling a company in this industry. 

Omada Health has raised over $250M in venture captial funding and they are on a mission to help people make significant, lifelong changes through incremental steps. They are making it possible for people with chronic conditions to achieve long term improvements in their health and we get into the weeds in terms of how they are accomplishing this very meaningful cause. 

In this episode of our podcast, we cover:

  • Sean’s full background story including his time working in the healthcare industry, Google, IDEO, and a side hustle business that still operates today.
  • His fascination with building out ideas and how it led him down the path of becoming an entrepreneur.
  • All the details on Omada Health and how they are making a difference in the healthcare industry, push the complexity of their business model.
  • A look at their Series D round of funding and growth plans ahead.
  • Hiring advice when scaling your company.
  • And so much more.


Keith Cline is the Founder of VentureFizz. Follow him on Twitter: @kcline6.

Inside Sales Account Executive

The mabl team is on a mission to build the easiest low-code test automation solution on the market. Were enabling everyone from global enterprises to fast-growing startups to integrate application testing into their development pipelines and harness test data to improve product quality by making fast, powerful test automation possible for everyone, regardless of coding experience. 


Lead(H)er Profile - Shira Haddad, VP of Engineering at CareAcademy banner image

Lead(H)er Profile - Shira Haddad, VP of Engineering at CareAcademy

Open Jobs Company Page

Our Lead(H)er series features impressive women leaders in the tech industry. In this Q&A, we are featuring Shira Haddad, VP of Engineering at CareAcademy


Where did you grow up and how would you describe yourself as a child?

I was born and raised in Jerusalem, Israel. I was always a geek who loved books, TV, and computers. My older siblings had an Atari computer (connected to the TV) and we spent our summers playing video games and watching TV shows together.

What did you study in college and what was your first job out of school?

I studied Mathematics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem - I loved it; it was so different from the math I learned in High School. When I got my degree I wasn’t sure what I could actually do with it, so I decided to check this QA thing people were talking about. 

Can you share the details on your career path and what were the critical moments that got you to where you are today?

My path was... unexpected. I started with QA and stumbled into management. I then went back to being an individual contributor in both QA and Product but was promoted to lead the QA team in Veson Nautical. From there I moved to lead the whole Engineering department and I really enjoyed this transition. I was always interested in the big picture and this opportunity allowed me to actually impact it.

What is your current role and responsibilities?

I recently joined CareAcademy, as their VP of Engineering. I’m currently leading Engineering and Product and am super excited about the team and the work we do here. 

Looking back, is this where you thought you’d be professionally?  Was it always your goal to be in this position?

Not at all! I never imagined myself to be a manager or a leader in an organization. I was always an introvert and a  shy person so my future picture was always of someone who keeps to herself and codes all day. I am grateful to be here though; the challenges are never the same so the learning is constant. 

For people who are looking to be in a similar position, what advice would you give to others in terms of helping them achieve their career goals?

Be open-minded and honest about the type of contribution you’d like to make to your company, community, and surroundings overall. The answers might change in time, so it’s good to always go back and ask the questions while considering the big picture.

What are the most important skills that you need to do your job well?

I think there are many answers, but I’ll highlight two: attention to detail and empathy. The former is straightforward - listen, observe and follow up on what you’re hearing. You want to grow with the job and impact from within - not from the outside, using a boilerplate of ‘best practices’. The latter is crucial - your agenda might compete with other agendas across the organization so it’s very important to acknowledge it and to try and help the others; even if it’s not spelled out in your OKR’s.

What do you find most interesting/rewarding about your work?  What’s the most challenging?

The most rewarding aspect of my job is to help folks around me to have a better day at work. This takes many forms for different people around me and I think that’s also the challenge - understanding when I have the power to make an impact on the work and when do I need to step back.

Are you involved with any professional organizations outside of the company? Volunteer work

I’m a co-chair of the MassTLC Technology and Innovation community. I also mentor a few women in STEM. I really enjoy the relationships those opportunities created for me.


Q&A

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Watching TV and playing video games. I have two young girls and I can’t wait for them to join me in those activities - I guess not a lot has changed since I was a kid!

How do you manage stress?

See above - I love casual video games and I’ve been hooked on Stardew Valley recently. So my answer is farming and killing monsters.

How many cups of coffee do you have in a day?

I can stop whenever I want, 2-3 cups a day.

Any book or podcast recommendations?

I listen regularly to Reply All, What a Day, and 60 songs that explain the 90’s. They’re all very different from each other, but I highly recommend each and every one of them.

What advice do you have for recent college graduates?

Embrace the ways in which you are different, that’s your power and your contribution to expanding people’s perspectives.

About the
Company

CareAcademy provides evidence-based online classes for non-medical professional and family caregivers. 

View Company Page
How Companies are Giving Back to their Communities banner image

How Companies are Giving Back to their Communities

Companies recognize the importance of giving back, whether it's volunteering, raising money for a charity, food drive, etc.

We asked companies:

What is your company doing to give back and support your community and/or charitable initiatives?


Flywire has always had an active role in giving back to our communities and supporting employees with social, charitable, and volunteering programs. In the past, we have even organized and funded many charitable events including our annual trip with School the World.

With that being said, if we truly want to “do better” in the world, we must take real action in our communities. At Flywire, we encourage all FlyMates (Flywire employees) to truly evaluate their own desire to have impact in the world, how they lead their day-to-day life, how they treat others, and whether there are ways that they can contribute to improving their country, community and themselves.

In an effort to encourage FlyMates to take even more action, in June 2020 our leadership team decided to provide FlyMates with two paid days of time off per year to dedicate their time to a social cause they care about.

Explore flywire's company page


Justin Teague, former CEO of SmartBear, lost his courageous 20-year battle with cancer in October 2020. To honor the memory of their loved and inspirational leader, SmartBear donated $250,00 to Justin’s Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) 2021 fundraising page. For many years, Justin worked with PMC to raise funds for cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and his family and friends are continuing his mission. To further honor Justin’s memory, employees at SmartBear organized a 3k Memorial Run on August 5, 2021, which raised an additional $5,000 for Justin’s PMC page.

Explore SMARTBEAR's company page


We have started a monthly collection of non-perishable food items, winter hats and gloves, and new socks (all highly requested items) for the Boston Rescue Mission. Mablers are also participating in the Friends of the Children - Boston Frosty Friends program. It is a holiday gift-giving drive for all of the children who are served in their programing. In the new year, mablers plan on participating in National Mentoring Month activities and continuing the food and supply drive for the Boston Rescue Mission.

Explore mabl's company page


For every 25 days, Hydrow donates to Water.org to help provide lasting access to safe water for one person in the developing world.

  • To date, Hydrow has donated to help empower more than 77,000 people with access to safe water solutions

Water.org

  • Granting people access to safe water and sanitation through affordable financing, like small loans.
    • Small, affordable loans allow for recipients to make big changes, like adding a toilet to their home, or building a water collection system on their property.
  • This empowers recipients to change their lives; instead of spending time collecting water, that time can instead be invested elsewhere (e.g., education, pursuing economic opportunities). 

Explore hydrow's company page

Why You Must View Your Own Career as a Startup banner image

Why You Must View Your Own Career as a Startup

There are few things more synonymous with fast growth and problem solving than startups. If their goal is to grow fast and solve problems in today’s career landscape, a young professional really has to view themselves as a startup. “Startup” has become an elusive term, but I think most of all it represents a way of thinking. Thinking about yourself more like a startup provides a mental model for viewing your career through a lens of the problems and solutions that will propel you to success. It offers a modern approach to engineering a career that allow you to do what you truly love in today's crazy career landscape. 

Here are a few startup principles to apply as you navigate your own career:

Embrace change. At a fast growth startup, it can feel like a completely different company month over month. Change is the only constant because growth is change. The nature of work has changed exponentially and continues to evolve still. Entirely new job titles appear seemingly every year. Career success cannot come with an aversion to change, so the modern young professional must learn how to lean into change and leverage the opportunity that comes from it.

Take risks. "Playing it safe" is a reliable strategy for stagnation. Proven solutions are easy to replicate, but that means they are easy for everyone to replicate. This is why startups tend to buck best practices and do things their own way. They think outside of the box. You can’t do it better than the competition if your plan is to copy what they’re doing. The same is true for an individual. All too often we look for "career paths" in terms of following the steps that are already laid out for us. Early career success comes to those who question best practices and stick their neck out when they believe they can find a better way.  The modern young professional surges ahead of their peers when they see their career as something to be discovered rather than tracing along the lines everyone else can see.

Make data driven decisions. Data has become humanity’s sixth sense. It is the best tool to understand problems and identify opportunities. The successful young professional is either moderately data literate, or taking steps to get there. No matter what their field, the ability to support their ideas at work and show their value with meaningful data insights is a super power. They also constantly research salary data for their field to inform their salary negotiations and audit their current salary against the market.

Learn from failure. Taking risks isn’t only valuable when they pan out. Sometimes the most valuable lessons leading to success for a startup come from past failures. The successful young professional asks for feedback after failed interviews, and reviews notes to improve for the next one. They see rejection and failure as an education.

Adapt. Every startup knows things don’t go as planned. A good plan is quite useful to get started, but it is not actually useful for its end point. It must remain an evolving blueprint. The successful young professional has an end goal, but is constantly adjusting their understanding of how to get there as they learn new information. They are even open to changing their end goal as they grow and gain a deeper understanding of the options in front of them. They dream big, and pivot often as opportunity presents itself.

Maintain a sense of purpose. Always draw a connection to the big picture with everything you do.  Not surprisingly, a common point of study around startup success is purpose. The engagement and passion for the mission at hand that inspires long hours and intense focus from employees, all who are focused on the end goal. The successful young professional falls in love with the pursuit of their end goal. They find motivation and passion in the vision they carry, but don’t expect to reach it overnight. They enjoy the challenge and struggle of each step toward it and they know how to celebrate small wins along the way.

Push through ambiguity. The right answer isn't always clear. Often progress is a matter of seeking the best answer, not the right answer. The more we understand about our environment, the more we are required to see things through multiple lenses at once. What is true through the microscope may not also be true through your reading glasses or through the telescope. Technology simplifies, but it also complicates our lives. The pace of change around us is exponential. The young professional has to learn to embrace ambiguity and look through the lens that best suits their question. They must be able to navigate scenarios that are both true and false, both positive and negative simultaneously.

Solve problems. People pay for solutions to their problems. They seek the company or the individual who adds value. As an individual, a problem is only as big as you are small. When a problem feels too big, it's just a trigger for you to grow bigger. Get creative. The one who avoids problems may be comfortable, but the one who pursues tough problems is growing. The one who solves problems is adding value, not just to their own lives but to the lives of those around them.

Be customer obsessed. As you're starting your career remember, solutions don't follow money - money follows solutions. A sales driven organization has its limits. The startups that rise above are more often than not the product-led teams who are obsessed with the problem they are solving and the customers they are serving. Once value is created for the customer, money follows. The same is true for you. Your boss, your peers, your cross-functional partners, they are all your customers. The company interviewing you for your next job and offering a 40% pay increase is another customer competing for the value you create. 

Build a brand. If financial growth is important to you it might feel absurd to accept a job that pays less now just because it's more interesting work. The truth is, taking the more interesting job now could lead to far greater rewards down the road. You are a startup, and your brand is far more likely to shine when you're excited to talk about your work with others. When your brand shines, opportunity will always present itself. Find the job in a field that you think about with excitement in your off-hours. Find the ladder you will enjoy climbing. Fall in love with the PURSUIT of your end goals and let that passion and joy be your brand. Use it to build meaningful relationships. Share with others as you learn and grow and let yourself be known and heard for the contributions you make to your field. 

Lastly and most importantly, dream big. Form a huge vision, and let that vision evolve as you grow and pivot. Netflix started with DVD rentals, and since then they’ve created an entire new category for consuming content (streaming) and they’ve become an Oscar winning production studio. Like Netflix, your career end point might bear little resemblance to your founding vision, but great things lie ahead if you dream big, and think like a startup.


This article was written by Taylor Roa, Director of Talent at Wistia.

The VentureFizz Podcast: Lori Cashman - Managing General Partner at Victress Capital banner image

The VentureFizz Podcast: Lori Cashman - Managing General Partner at Victress Capital

Episode #236 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Lori Cashman, Managing General Partner at Victress Capital.

A disproportionate amount of capital invested into companies does not go to gender diverse teams and it’s a problem. It’s a problem and an issue that I’ve brought up multiple times in this podcast as I hope the continuous awareness of this issue creates a positive impact over time.

Based on Lori’s background and the focus on her firm, it was a perfect opportunity to find out if we are making some level of progress in terms of capital fundraising for gender diverse companies. We kick off our interview on this topic and we address a recent report from Pitchbook that shares some positive statistics from this year in terms of company exits, funding activity, and unicorn valuations for women-led startups… but as you’ll hear… there’s still a long way to go.

Victress Capital is working to address this issue with a focused on investing in early-stage consumer startups with gender diverse teams. The firm recently announced its second fund and portfolio company examples include companies like Daily Harvest (which was recently valued at over $1B), Droplette, Summersalt, Alyce, and many others. 

In this episode of our podcast, we cover:

  • Lori’s background story and how she transitioned into an investor role, then co-founded a private equity firm called Lineage Capital.
  • What led Lori and her partner, Suzanne Norris, down the path of starting Victress Capital.
  • All the details on the firm in terms of the size of their fund, stage of investing, and how they evaluate startups.
  • Advice on building a consumer company and why you should focus on retention versus paid acquisition.
  • And so much more.


Keith Cline is the Founder of VentureFizz. Follow him on Twitter: @kcline6.

Talent on the Move - November 19, 2021 banner image

Talent on the Move - November 19, 2021

Here's your look at the latest hires and promotions across the tech community at Pixability, EngageSmart, EDB, Jobcase, Ably, SpotOn, and Netskope.

Did I miss your new employees? Send me an email with their name and details about their new role. I'll add them to next week's edition of Talent on the Move. 


Pixability
 
VP, Product Marketing at Pixability

Previously, Global Head of Product Marketing at Smartly.io
 
VP, People at Pixability

Previously, Director of Strategy/Operations at PwC
 
SVP of Customer Success at Pixability

Previously, VP, National Account Services at ZEFR

Pixability is hiring!

EngageSmart
 
Vice President Talent Acquisition at EngageSmart

Previously, Executive Director-Head of Talent Acquisition at athenahealth

EngageSmart is hiring!

EDB
 
Senior System Engineer at EDB

Previously, Data Solutions Architect at Salesforce

EDB is hiring!

Jobcase
 
General Counsel at Jobcase, Inc.

Previously, General Counsel at CarGurus
Netskope
 
Senior Vice President of Sales, North America at Netskope

Previously, Chief Revenue Officer at Agari
Ably
 
Senior Manager, People & Talent (US) at Ably

Previously, Global Employee Experience at Mendix
SpotOn
 
Customer Service Representative at SpotOn

Previously, Store Leader at GameStop

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