What are you working on right now?
I consult with startups of all sorts, from tech to manufacturing. My most recent projects have included overseeing operations for a startup that imported the largest amount of medical gloves in US history to the Department of Health and Human Services, structuring and raising a pre-IPO round for a pharmaceutical startup that developed an anesthetic that mitigates the need for post-operative opioid prescriptions, and developing a business and fundraising plan for a startup that patented a prosthetic meniscus that can delay total knee replacements by over 10 years.
Who is your ideal client?
A founding team with a groundbreaking value proposition.
What is a common misconception about your work?
You don’t just get to step in and out when you’re consulting, especially with emerging companies. You have to immerse yourself and almost become a part of the long term vision for the company.
What is your big picture vision for your business?
I’d like to open up a private equity firm with a focus on Environmental, Social, and Governmental investing – bringing companies in historically negative industries into a greener and more equitable future.
What is your superpower?
I can see a ton of different outcomes and measure the risk of each in a relatively short amount of time. I can also sit on both sides of the investment table, having evaluated over 700 startups before becoming a founder myself.
What is your favorite business tool?
Calendly. For sure, Calendly.
What book or podcast should every entrepreneur read/listen to?
Anything fiction. Sure, there’s a ton of self help and business books out there, but startup life is hard. You need to escape sometimes!
Why Alkaloid?
It’s an extremely welcoming environment. Even though I’m usually traveling, when I can join a community event, I always feel like I’m a part of it. It’s also a super cool, industrial space. You really feel like you’re on the grind when you’re in that environment.
What is your favorite perk at Alkaloid?
Banjo Coffee, Banjo Coffee, Banjo Coffee. Did I mention Banjo Coffee? The stuff is literally jet fuel. HUGE props to Katharine for supplying that (and so much more). Also, can we talk about proximity to the Eastside Atlanta Beltline?!
If you were working from Alkaloid during the pandemic, how were you using the space?
I was here all the time. It gave me a safe place to come in and get my work done. Working from home initially put me into a bit of a laissez faire attitude; my project was literally coordinating the supply of medical goods to hospitals, businesses, and governments all around the country and I couldn’t afford a day off.
What advice would you give someone considering coworking?
100% do it. When you’re in a coworking space, you don’t feel like you’re ever alone, especially when you’re literally alone working on a business. You get to see and hear people every day, and it’s hard to get in a rut when you see everyone else working on their own unique projects.
What is your favorite overheard quote from Alkaloid?
“Don’t forget that we have pirate day next week”
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