“I became an entrepreneur to solve what I call The Frizzle Problem: in the history of children's television, there has never been a real, live, human woman science role model. As a scientist, educator, and performer myself, I decided to be the role model I wish I had had growing up.”

“I started my first venture when I was literally nine years old making and selling mazes that I drew for my classmates. I learned that working for people teaches you how to better work for yourself. What I enjoy most about being a founder is both the autonomy and no direct person to stifle or reject my vision and direction, because they can't see the relative worth of what I propose. I also like the challenge of building what's in my head.”

“What I enjoy most about being a founder is seeing the results of my teams' hard work. I love being creative, adaptive, and supportive. I love having the ability to build a culture centered around trust and authentic care for each other, our customers, and their employees.”

“I had a vision to create something that I believed would add value and make the world a better place. I enjoy collaborating with smart and creative people.”

“I was tired of being in spaces, mistaken for the secretary, or told that I was too young to be the "Head" of something. Thus, I created my own table at Generation Success and took my seat there. What I enjoy most about being a founder is dreaming big, and often, then watching my dreams come true.”

“I taught in schools that were not led by us and didn't want to waste my few years on this earth asking permission to unleash our collective genius. I rather birth the new than fix the old.”

“As an entrepreneur, you are told "no" 90% of the time. You are your own and your company's own best advocate. You have to possess a ruthless "belief in our mission and vision” to build a team, grow a company, fundraise to support an idea, and work with customers through the ups and downs of the entrepreneurial journey. That all begins with an unshakeable belief in the mission and vision.”

“The promise of a better future. Embarking on this journey has meant staying committed to making sure the future is better, and different from the present state. I would not have started Words Liive unless I truly believed that I could impact the future. That's also the most enjoyable thing about being a founder. My decisions are directly and easily translated into outcomes. The proximity to the change we're helping cause is such a beautiful thing.”

“The opportunity to design a school that is aligned to my value and vision for learning is what propelled me into this work. After more than 15 years in education including higher ed, early childhood, non-profit, governance, and corporate, I have seen the best and the worst of education at every level. Working to launch Capital Experience Lab Public Charter School gives me an opportunity to work with amazing educators to design a school with the best practices for student success.”

“I was interested in becoming an entrepreneur once I was exposed to massive inequities in the K-12 public education system after being a middle school educator for several years in urban Chicago. Today, I am most fond of being able to react to problems both internally and within the education space with great flexibility and autonomy.”

We’ve called them “Camelback’s Superheroes” in the past and as 2020 comes to a close that title couldn’t be more on point. The COVID-19 pandemic, a recession, and continued systematic racism which propelled the Black Lives Matter movement into the whitestream spotlight - these are just some of the herculean obstacles the BIPOC and women founders we call the #camelbackfam continue to stare down, skillfully adapt to, and work tirelessly to overcome navigating the unknowns of 2020 and beyond.