Accelerators 101 with Acceleprise CEO and Managing Partner Michael Cardamone

This week’s episode features an interview with Rachael Wolfner, the owner of The Little Rad Wolf Boutique and the #MAMAWOLF Blog!  The boutique and blog stems from Rachael’s desire to increase awareness around the joys and challenges of motherhood and passion to build a sustainable business.

In this episode, Rachael shares her journey from school teacher, to NFL cheerleader, dance and cheer teacher to business builder.  She expands on how her friends, network, and mentors influenced her success.  She also speaks about truths of motherhood – including the bonds she’s built with other moms – and balancing a small business while managing a family. 

Tune in to hear Rachael’s inspiring story of how she brings her authentic self while reaching for her aspirations.

Here’s where you can find out more about Rachael’s boutique:

• Website: The Little Rad Wolf Boutique
• Blog: #MAMAWOLF Blog
• Instagram: @thelittleradwolf
• Email: the littleradwolf@gmail.com

Rachael’s friends’, mentors’, and sponsors’ boutiques mentioned in the episode: Brooke and Arrow and The Southern Gypsy Rose

Questions or comments? Email us at fourofakindpodcast@gmail.com.

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This week’s episode is a check-in with some of the wonderful female founders we interviewed on prior episodes of Four of a Kind Podcast.  We wanted to see how they were holding up during COVID and also how their businesses were faring with such a major shift in the way we are conducting business during the pandemic.   

We asked our guests to answer the same four questions about the impact of COVID-19 on their businesses, and during the episode we share their answers with you.

1. How has COVID impacted your business? What changes, if any, have you had to make in the short term?
2. What have you learned so far from this experience?
3. What surprised you the most about your business / your team / yourself during this time?
4. Is there anything that you have had to do differently that you might keep doing?

Note: We recorded this episode earlier this summer - we know the entrepreneurs we discussed have been managing their response to COVID realtime, so please make sure to checkout their platforms for the latest on new projects, products, and updates.

Here’s how you can get in touch:

• Shruti Joshi, CEO/Co-Founder, Compell'd
  • Instagram: @compelld
  • Twitter:  @compelldnow 
  • Website: Compelld.com 
  • LinkedIn Company Page: Compell'd
  • Download the App!!
  • Shruti on LinkedIn: Shruti Joshi, CEO and Co-Founder at Compell'd
• Ashley Connell, CEO/Co-Founder, Prowess Project
  • Instagram: @ProwessProject
  • Twitter: @ProwessProject
  • Website: ProwessProject.com
  • LinkedIn Company Page: Prowess Project
• Cassy Saba Shovak, CEO/Co-Founder, Cassy Saba Jewelry
  • Instagram: @cassysabajewelry
  • Website: Cassy Saba Jewelry

Questions or comments? Email us at fourofakindpodcast@gmail.com. 

Also, don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Instagram for updates! 

This week’s episode features an interview with Trang Pham, Executive Director, Venture Lab of the University of Pennsylvania. Venture Lab is a resource for students across all of the University of Pennsylvania interested in entrepreneurship and education.

In this episode, Trang talks about her background as an immigrant to the US, and her path from consultant, to supporting innovation in the federal government, and to her role today as Executive Director of the Venture Lab of the University of Pennsylvania.  She tells us about the perspective of Venture Lab in educating and exposing students to not only the topics of entrepreneurship and innovation, but also the practice of entrepreneurship. Trang also gives great perspective on how we can attract and promote female entrepreneurs.  

Listen to hear the great story of an inspiring female leader, and the work she is doing to set the stage for the future generation of entrepreneurs. 

Here’s how you can get in touch with Trang and learn more about the Venture Lab:

• Website: Venture Lab
• Twitter: Venture Lab on Twitter
• LinkedIn: Venture Lab on LinkedIn

Questions or comments? Email us at fourofakindpodcast@gmail.com. 

Also, don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Instagram for updates! 

In this week's minisode, we answer the question "What is hobby have your started or what new thing have you tried during the Stay at Home orders?"

In an attempt for some lighter content during everyone's time at home, tune in to the episode to learn more about the new things your pod hosts are trying out!

Questions or comments? Email us at fourofakindpodcast@gmail.com. 

Also, don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Instagram for updates! 

What a crazy few weeks it has been! (Do we all start every email with that now, or is it just us?). In this week’s episode, we address the topic du jour, COVID-19, and specifically how it is impacting women in the workplace. We discuss some of the challenges we have heard from our female friends and colleagues as well as some bright spots and potential opportunities to accelerate change and equality at work.  

There are so many facets to this topic, and we know everyone's situation is different and there are challenges no matter where or who you are, but we hope we can use some of this time of major change to reflect and just talk!

 Here are the articles we mentioned in the episode:

• "Life after pandemic: How will coronavirus change us?", by Mike Bebernes, Yahoo News, April 7, 2020 
• "What's the Surprising Leadership Lesson in the COVID-19 Crisis?", by Joan Michelson, Forbes, March 28, 2020  
• "I Feel Like I Have Five Jobs: Moms Navigate the Pandemic", by Jessica Bennett, The New York Times, March 20, 2020  

Here is an interesting podcast on the Future of Work that we also learned a lot from (and we reference some of the ideas in our episode).

• "The New Future of Work - A Conversation with Matt Mullenweg", Episode 197, Making Sense Podcast by Sam Harris, March 24, 2020.

Questions or comments? Email us at fourofakindpodcast@gmail.com. 

Also, don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Instagram for updates! 

In this week's minisode, we answer the question "If you had a time machine, would you go back in time or into the future and why?" 

Tune in and learn more about your pod hosts!

Questions or comments? Email us at fourofakindpodcast@gmail.com. 

Also, don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Instagram for updates! 

This week’s episode features an interview with Anna Ratala, CEO and Co-founder of Zvook, an Antler portfolio company leveraging AI to monetize the long tail of podcasting industry by matching brands with podcasts based on target groups, brand alignment and relevance.

In this episode, Anna talks about her experience and advice on moving across the globe to build out a startup from scratch. She also talks about finding her co-founders through Antler, which is a global startup generator and early-stage VC firm, as well as how the idea of Zvook came about.
 
Here’s how you can get in touch with Anna and learn more about Zvook:

• anna@zvook.co
• Website: Zvook
• Instagram: Anna and Zvook 

Questions or comments? Email us at fourofakindpodcast@gmail.com. 

Also, don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Instagram for updates! 

In this week's minisode, we answer the question "What upcoming trip(s) are you most excited above?" -- a very fitting question for all four of us with busy travel schedules.

From work trips to personal getaway, learn more about your pod hosts! 

Questions or comments? Email us at fourofakindpodcast@gmail.com. 

Also, don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Instagram for updates! 

This week’s episode features an interview with Shruti Joshi, CEO and Co-Founder of Compell'd.  Compell'd is an app that changes the way we experience and share authentic, personal recommendations.

In this episode, we talk to Shruti about how she built a career in marketing - working in corporate America, in startups, and in consulting - before founding her own company.  We also discuss Shruti's journey from intrapreneur to entrepreneur and how she found ways to drive innovation before starting Compell'd.  We finally of course dive into the world of Compell'd.  You will definitely want to become an experience collector after this episode.  We didn't hesitate to jump onto this bandwagon!

Shruti began her career at Verizon Communications.  She was a Partner at Altman Vilandrie & Company, a consulting firm where she built the firm’s Marketing Analytics practice.  She holds board positions with a number of organizations, including TVision Insights, Facet Wealth, Syntactx and the David Lynch Foundation. Shruti has an M.B.A from Columbia Business School and a B.S. in Business from the University of Southern California.  

Here’s how you can learn more about Compell'd and get in touch with Shruti:

• Instagram: @compelld
• Twitter:  @compelldnow 
• Website: Compelld.com 
• LinkedIn Company Page: Compell'd
• Download the App!!
• Shruti on LinkedIn: Shruti Joshi, CEO and Co-Founder at Compell'd

Questions or comments? Email us at fourofakindpodcast@gmail.com. 

Also, don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Instagram for updates! 

In this week's minisode, we answer the question "If you could go anywhere in the world for a week, where would you go?". No concern for cost or physical safety!

Our answers were literally and geographically all over the place.

Questions or comments? Email us at fourofakindpodcast@gmail.com. 

Also, don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Instagram for updates!