A rockstar board helped Julie Kantor overcome 'startup ......A rockstar board helped Julie Kantor...
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Julie Kantor A rockstar board helped Julie Kantor overcome ‘startup isolation’ By Marissa Levin “Get On Board” will be spotlighting companies that have successfully implemented advisory boards. If you have a successful advisory board and would like your firm to be spotlighted in this column, please email Marissa at [email protected]. If you are looking to implement an advisory board, we would like to hear from you as well. See below for more information. This month, we spotlight Twomentor, LLC, a Washington-DC based start-up that brings mentoring programs and curriculums to the private sector. In the following interview, founder and CEO Julie Kantor talks about how her advisors have championed her and helped her get her startup off the ground. Tell us about Twomentor. How long has it been around, and what inspired you to launch it? Kantor: It was time to put both the words “women” and “men” into “mentor,” so we launched Twomentor, LLC on Sept. 25, 2015 to build mentoring cultures and elevate women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). We work with Fortune 500 companies and small or medium businesses to offer mentor training and consulting. Today, purpose over paycheck is the top career motivator. More than 75 percent of millennials believe having a mentor is crucial to their professional success. Women can learn the art of being a sponsor and drive greater retention at their companies. I spent the last two decades of my career building movements. [In my work at] both Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship and Million Women Mentors, I saw a gap in mentor education at the more than 500 major companies that I worked with and interviewed about their mentoring strategies. When did you first implement an advisory board? Kantor: I implemented my advisory board on day one! I ran a board of advisors when I was at Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship for 20 years, and it was a fabulous and invaluable experience to build with brilliant, awesome leaders who taught me so much. I started bringing on Advisors for Twomentor right away. What prompted you to do so? Was it in response to a pain or challenge, was it in response to a growth strategy or goal, or was it a combination of the two? Kantor: I believe that entrepreneurs stand on the shoulders of giants. Also, I am a people person, and I needed some big brothers and sisters to launch my company with no real safety net. I reached out to rockstar entrepreneurs and people with great knowledge of the HR, diversity and CSR space for corporations. I view having advisors as part of our growth strategy. They help us understand our customers’ needs, and help inform the business model. It also personally and psychologically helped me get through the startup isolation. I felt incredibly supported, and my advisors got me up to bat for many business opportunities. How many people serve on your advisory board? Kantor:We are now up to about 15 members. We are blessed with outstanding leaders. It is a diverse group, with individuals that possess a multitude of skills and complementary strengths. How did you recruit your advisors? Kantor:One at a time. I have been building movements for the past 22 years, so I knew exactly whom to pick. I have worked with every single one of my advisors, or they have mentored me on an issue integral to the company over the last 12 to 24 months. How often do you meet? What is the format? HOW CAN SMARTCEO HELP YOU? I need help finding: Search FEATURED ROUNDTABLES AND THINK TANKS Navigating the unique challenges of a family business, sponsored by St. Joseph’s University More Roundtables Ready to file: CPAs share the tax facts CEOs need to know in 2017 and beyond Pricing strategy and tactics, sponsored by Aurynion LLC The next four years: Where is the economy going, and how does it affect your business? Sponsored by Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP Staying ahead of cybersecurity threats, sponsored by Norris McLaughlin & Marcus, P.A. and Wilkin & Guttenplan, PC (part 2) SMARTCEO MAGAZINE MORE ARTICLES Win over your audience with a well-planned, effective opening and closing to your speech Businesses are affected by crises and disasters all the time. Are you ready? Wealth manager Stephen Cohn shares lessons from three decades of running a family business ‘I just want to be one of the guys:’ Excuses to avoid managing, and the harm they can do The way to prevent death by meeting is to make meetings matter MAGAZINE EVENTS GROWTH TOPICS LEADERS YOU SHOULD KNOW BLOGS JOIN OUR COMMUNITY VIDEOS ! " # $ % F ’ ( About Contact ! " # $ % F ’ ( Search... A rockstar board helped Julie Kantor overcome 'startup isolation' http://www.smartceo.com/levin-rockstar-board-helped-julie-kan... 1 of 2 4/12/17, 9:07 AM
Transcript of A rockstar board helped Julie Kantor overcome 'startup ......A rockstar board helped Julie Kantor...
Julie Kantor
A rockstar board helped Julie Kantor overcome ‘startupisolation’By Marissa Levin
“Get On Board” will be spotlighting companies that have successfullyimplemented advisory boards. If you have a successful advisory boardand would like your firm to be spotlighted in this column, please emailMarissa at [email protected]. If you are looking toimplement an advisory board, we would like to hear from you as well.See below for more information.
This month, we spotlight Twomentor, LLC, a Washington-DC basedstart-up that brings mentoring programs and curriculums to the privatesector. In the following interview, founder and CEO Julie Kantor talks about how her advisors havechampioned her and helped her get her startup off the ground.
Tell us about Twomentor. How long has it been around,and what inspired you to launch it?
Kantor: It was time to put both the words “women” and “men”into “mentor,” so we launched Twomentor, LLC on Sept. 25, 2015to build mentoring cultures and elevate women in STEM(science, technology, engineering and math). We work withFortune 500 companies and small or medium businesses to offermentor training and consulting.
Today, purpose over paycheck is the top career motivator. Morethan 75 percent of millennials believe having a mentor is crucialto their professional success. Women can learn the art of being asponsor and drive greater retention at their companies.
I spent the last two decades of my career building movements.[In my work at] both Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship andMillion Women Mentors, I saw a gap in mentor education at themore than 500 major companies that I worked with andinterviewed about their mentoring strategies.
When did you first implement an advisory board?
Kantor: I implemented my advisory board on day one! I ran a board of advisors when I was at Networkfor Teaching Entrepreneurship for 20 years, and it was a fabulous and invaluable experience to build withbrilliant, awesome leaders who taught me so much. I started bringing on Advisors for Twomentor rightaway.
What prompted you to do so? Was it in response to a pain or challenge, was it in response toa growth strategy or goal, or was it a combination of the two?
Kantor: I believe that entrepreneurs stand on the shoulders of giants. Also, I am a people person, and Ineeded some big brothers and sisters to launch my company with no real safety net. I reached out torockstar entrepreneurs and people with great knowledge of the HR, diversity and CSR space forcorporations. I view having advisors as part of our growth strategy. They help us understand ourcustomers’ needs, and help inform the business model. It also personally and psychologically helped me getthrough the startup isolation. I felt incredibly supported, and my advisors got me up to bat for manybusiness opportunities.
How many people serve on your advisory board?
Kantor:We are now up to about 15 members. We are blessed with outstanding leaders. It is a diversegroup, with individuals that possess a multitude of skills and complementary strengths.
How did you recruit your advisors?
Kantor:One at a time. I have been building movements for the past 22 years, so I knew exactly whom topick. I have worked with every single one of my advisors, or they have mentored me on an issue integral tothe company over the last 12 to 24 months.
How often do you meet? What is the format?
HOW CAN SMARTCEO HELPYOU?
I need help finding:
Search
FEATURED ROUNDTABLESAND THINK TANKS
Navigating theuniquechallenges of afamily
business, sponsored by St.Joseph’s University
More Roundtables
Ready to file:CPAs share thetax facts CEOsneed to know
in 2017 and beyond
Pricing strategyand tactics,sponsored byAurynion LLC
The next fouryears: Where isthe economygoing, and how
does it affect yourbusiness? Sponsored byMoritt Hock & Hamroff LLP
Staying aheadofcybersecuritythreats,
sponsored by NorrisMcLaughlin & Marcus, P.A.and Wilkin & Guttenplan,PC (part 2)
SMARTCEO MAGAZINE
MORE ARTICLES
Win over your audience with awell-planned, effective opening andclosing to your speech
Businesses are affected by crises anddisasters all the time. Are you ready?
Wealth manager Stephen Cohn shareslessons from three decades of runninga family business
‘I just want to be one of the guys:’Excuses to avoid managing, and theharm they can do
The way to prevent death by meeting isto make meetings matter
MAGAZINE EVENTS GROWTH TOPICS LEADERS YOU SHOULD KNOW BLOGS JOIN OUR COMMUNITY VIDEOS
! " # $ % F ' (About Contact
! " # $ % F ' (
🔍Search...
A rockstar board helped Julie Kantor overcome 'startup isolation' http://www.smartceo.com/levin-rockstar-board-helped-julie-kan...
1 of 2 4/12/17, 9:07 AM
‘I just want to be one of theguys:’ Excuses to avoidmanaging, and the harm theycan do
Understanding the rise ofintrapreneurship
The top 4 obstacles thatcause new companypresidents to fail
Kantor: To be determined. Right now, I schedule one-on-one calls with our advisors, meet the local onesin person, and send them reports on our progress to date. They do have a desire to connect and meet witheach other, so I am thinking through that strategy. We have an incentive model as well in our businessdevelopment strategy for advisors as we are building. None of them asked for it, but we insist unless it’s aconflict of interest for them professionally.
What has been the single greatest benefit of your advisory board?
Kantor: The greatest benefit is that most of our advisors are both mentors and sponsors. A mentor talksto you, advises you, and a sponsor is someone who talks about you behind closed doors, meaning theychampion you to others. I have access to exceptional advice at all times, and I know I have a team ofchampions behind me.
What advice would you give to a CEO looking to implement a board?
Kantor: If you can open the space for others to build with you and help inform your strategy, don’thesitate to build a board. Make sure that they hold you accountable and have a very clear, customizedaction plan on how they will engage over six to 12 months with your organization. Leverage your advisorsas much as possible.
“Get On Board” will also be spotlighting companies that are looking to implement advisory boards, and willserve as an online recruiting center to connect potential advisors with these firms. If you are currentlybuilding an advisory board, please email Marissa at [email protected].
Marissa Levin is CEO of Successful Culture, a consulting firm that helps CEOs build excellent cultures. She isthe author of Built to SCALE. www.successfulculture.com. Contact her at [email protected] oron Twitter @marissalevin. Contact us at [email protected].
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