Despite her years of experience consulting for venerable brands, and her celebrated successes leading business development at 1871 in her native Chicago, Lakshmi Shenoy describes herself as a “Starter CEO,” with a propensity to come to the table with as much acknowledgement of the things she doesn’t know, as the things she does. And it’s that growth mindset that makes her, and the organization she leads, Embarc Collective, perfect partners for aspiring entrepreneurs in the fast-growing tech hub of Tampa, Florida.
In her talk with Jesse, Lakshmi discusses the extraordinarily creative paths she’s taken—from her first scrappy campaigns to save the earth’s rainforests, to turning a sociology degree into a coveted advertising role at Leo Burnett, to finding ways to keep Chicago’s graduating business talent from breezing out of the Windy City. You’ll hear why she left Chicago to come to Tampa Bay at the invitation of Jeff Vinik, and learn the unique approaches she’s taking now as she helps put Tampa on the map as a rising hub for top entrepreneurs in tech.
Guest Bio
Lakshmi Shenoy is the CEO of Embarc Collective, where she leads the mission to make Tampa Bay a prime destination for diverse startup talent. Before moving to Tampa, Lakshmi lived in Chicago and served as the Vice President of Strategy & Business Development at 1871, the top university-affiliated business incubator in the world.
Prior to 1871, Lakshmi focused on growth strategies for a variety of businesses through previous roles at Prophet Brand Strategy, Time Inc., Procter & Gamble, and Leo Burnett. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from the University of Chicago, and a Masters of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. Lakshmi was recognized in 2017 as one of Chicago’s “20 Rising Brand Stars” by Ad Age.
Helpful Links
Embarc Collective website
Lakshmi on St. Pete X podcast
Article: Jeff Vinik’s Embarc Collective innovation hub opens in Tampa
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