“We’re living in an era where companies can stand for something,” says Susan McPherson, founder of McPherson Strategies, a consultancy that connects brands and social good. Starting out as a journalist at USA Today, Susan’s road to entrepreneurship has been filled with unexpected twists and turns. With her dad’s words of “nothing is a prison sentence” in her head, Susan took risks, from changing the direction of her career from journalism to marketing to relocating from Washington DC to California and then Seattle. Over un-oaked South African white wine, she discusses how these risks set into motion the path to becoming an entrepreneur that she still follows today, as she opened up new markets and introduced new products at PR Newswire to the work she does today helping corporations create messaging and strategy through the lens of social good.   What You’ll Learn: - How corporate social good programs can attract and retain the best customers and employees. - How working as an “intrapreneur” in established companies can prepare you for entrepreneurship. - How knowing your strengths and hiring great people to supplement your weaknesses can lead to success as an entrepreneur.

Merrill Brown has worn many hats over the course of his career in journalism; beginning at the Washington Post to founding editor-in-chief of MSNBC.com, he’s seen first hand the evolution of the industry. From printing to mass distribution and the improvement of tools to help information spread faster, it’s never been an industry that benefit from resting on its laurels. Over beers at ABC Beer Co. in New York City, Merrill talks about how he’s kept this innate truth as motivation - and maintained a focus that’s one step ahead. This has served him especially well, as technology has made an ever-expanding world that much smaller and content production that much easier. Today, he’s poised to coach a new class of journalists to do the same, as the Director of the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University where he helps to shape the future of the industry. What You’ll Learn: How and why a journalist’s responsibilities have increased over time Why the industry may not be prepared for the short and long term of this political season The danger in ignoring or rejecting trends in technology

One of the unfortunate, universal truths of humanity is that, at one point or another, everyone deals with the loss of a loved one. Be it a family member, close friend, spouse or partner, grief can manifest in many forms and stages, and so while it’s not novel in concept, it affects everyone completely differently. For Rebecca Soffer, the loss of both of her parents inspired her to seek company in others who have experienced the same, and was the catalyst that lead her to her co-founder, and ultimately their site Modern Loss. Over Shirley Temples, Rebecca talks about her path leading to that point - being the product of two parents who fostered her love of words, her unique background in Hispanic marketing (including several stints abroad), and how she eventually realized her dormant dream of going to Columbia Journalism School. And just when it seemed her resume was a bit winding, it was this distinct experience of loss that tied it all together to give her perspective. Modern Loss is as its name suggests: a community that embraces mourning and the unique circumstances created from it within the modern world, especially compared to the historical solution of trite, “this too shall pass” advice. Rebecca explains that, while all content on the site is singularly linked with the throughline of mortality, that it’s truly about the lives of the people who carry on, and how they have been impacted by their loss - happy, sad, confused or otherwise. And, while Modern Loss has been the solution to the problem she had personally needed to solve, becoming a founder has, of course, lead to more challenges as she grows and expands the site to help create that haven for others. What You’ll Learn: How to create a content site where you may be part of the audience, but not the only audience. The value of taking comfort where it provides itself - even if it is not your perspective. Why being a successful founder takes a healthy combination of “balls and ignorance” (at least, according to her dad).

A natural entrepreneur is someone who, despite his best effort, can only excel in business when he works for himself. However, when he can also focus that drive with the clear vision to see opportunity where others do not, he’s passed litmus test as a true innovator. Tony Mugavero is just that. As co-founder and CEO of Virtual Reality platform Littlstar, Tony and his team come up with innovative ways to bring virtual reality to the masses; from 360-degree, journalistic videos to immersive, branded content, across myriad devices, they are leading the charge in this seemingly nascent industry. Over Victoria Prima Pilsners provided by ABC Beer Co., Tony talks about not only his path leading to this industry - by way of small businesses since he was a kid growing up in Dallas to his experience creating a music streaming service in the mid-2000s - but also the growth of virtual reality since its inception. Though it’s one of the hottest, up-and-coming trends in the tech world today, which is just now getting to some of the peak experiences at consumer level, he reminds us that VR has been around for decades and gives insight about how we can expect the best experiences ahead of us.   What You’ll Learn: - How to not only make it, but pioneer an industry where you have little to no experience - Behind the scenes in virtual reality content distribution - The challenges in trying to work with Lucas Films and Star Wars

One of the most valuable characteristics an entrepreneur can possess is having a well-rounded background of roles and perspectives over the course of his or her career - establishing a baseline of context and experiences to better serve in business pursuits. It’s a quality that is not lost on Jenna Matecki, founder of Matecki & Co. When considering her path, on the surface, it seems obvious that she is driven by the pursuit of her passions, sharing equal time between politics and art while layering in tech and startup experiences, as well. Over negronis, we learned what’s truly at the heart of her drive: her natural tendency to uncover the most interesting aspects that define the story, and, while the subject matter may change, it’s this role as a modern historian which remains constant. That is especially apparent today, as founder of Matecki & Co., where she sits poised at the intersection of brand, PR, and marketing - helping companies large and small define the elements of their DNA and, ultimately, their story. And as a personal project - leads her to uncovering the stories of others, which she showcases on her podcast ‘Notes On Doing’ (which may or may not have a familiar guest this week). What You’ll Learn: - As a company - the value of expressing what is special and unique about what you do.- How to put an interesting lens on what otherwise might be considered banal- Why straying away from societal norms can be important to your or your company’s success

As technology continues to evolve and consumer habits shift so do trends in content creation in order to reach people in myriad ways. And while there is no end in sight, Will Mayo, founder of Spoken Layer is doubling down on sound. Growing up with dyslexia and overcoming the challenges that came along with it as a student, Will has not only appreciated this medium, but thrived because of it - benefitting from having his textbooks audio-translated. Moreover, in having a musical inclination and passion for choral singing, this interest was only further substantiated. Over ginger beers he explains how the culmination of these things plus his academic career in engineering lead to the first iteration of Spoken Layer - with a goal of being a music collaboration tool. However, like any great founder, he was able to listen to the needs of his audience and, while learning how to operate at various life stages of his company, he was also able to pivot (twice) in order to finally realize the true problem audio was able to solve. Today, as the company has grown to fit into the more compartmentalized consumption habits of the population - as an audio-transcription of some of the most popular content on the internet - Will too is figuring out how this fits into his day-to-day as a founder and thought leader in the space. What You’ll Learn: - How to transform a space to adhere to meditation, work, and life - The benefit of test and learn approaches to product development - The importance of managing your expectation of employees based on your company’s life stage

Gillian Morris, founder of travel app Hitlist, has a story that is unsurprisingly filled with travel; from family trips to Canada as a kid, a stint living in a bell tower in Paris, and journalist gig in Turkey, she’s certainly appreciated many points of view across the globe. That’s how she became the unordained travel agent of her immediate friends and family, and despite her initial tech ineptitudes, was uniquely poised to bring these types of opportunities to the market. Over ginger beer and vodkas, we get a behind the scenes peek at the milestone moments that have lead her to where she is today; with a resume that includes a Harvard degree, international journalism experience with CNN, and even parakeet wholesaling (yes, that’s right). Gillian explains how the single driving motivator has always been to set her sights on a new place and see what happens and how she’s able to continue to achieve that today, even with a founder’s schedule keeping her mostly grounded. What You’ll Learn: The myriad trials-and-errors of fundraising How it’s possible to turn your passion into a business The benefit of changing your perspective - and the impact it can have on your career

A strong investment thesis can help VCs sift through the plethora of companies that come their way. With Primary Ventures, Brad Svrluga’s second venture firm, he’s focused on companies that are solving real problems with SAAS products for both businesses and the general public. Over Mezcal, Brad talks about his path to venture after shortly considering a career in chemistry, his quick shot up and even faster fall down in the venture world of the dot-com boom, and what it takes to get in front of him and his partner to pitch your startup. What You’ll Learn: The challenges in building product and distinguishing between what the market thinks they want vs. what the market needs Why investing in a great idea and an authentic founder without a clear business plan is okay How the way startups approach funding is can be an example of how they run their companies

Caitlin Strandberg has a resume that spans many industries and roles -- from studying history in undergrad and a MBA from Harvard post-grad, to a stint in content creation and publishing in the music world, to hands-on founder apprenticeship at noteworthy startup, Behance — she’s appreciated many perspectives. However, over Arnold Salazars (an homage to her hometown in Florida that she shares with pro golfer Arnold Palmer) she explains that her drive is that of the eternal student - that once she overcomes a steep learning curve of one industry, she’s searching onward to the next. That path has served her well, and especially today, as a “student" of Venture at Firstmark Capital, where she brings her unique background to the table while she embarks on the path to becoming the next best investor. What You’ll Learn: - The value of having a great mentor - How sometimes making a career out of your passion may not be the best move - The benefit of being a “student” in your career - and how to approach new opportunities

In the high risk world of venture capital, investors need to not only be savvy, but also innovative. Charlie O’Donnell stands out in the crowd as one such VC whose process is nothing less than unorthodox. The native New Yorker and sole partner of Brooklyn Bridge Ventures sets his own rules - taking meetings literally anywhere with anyone, resulting in one of the most diverse portfolios (including an incredibly diverse stable of founders) to-date. Over homemade milkshakes from one of his investments, Ample Hills Ice Cream, he talks about how this diversity is important for early stage investors specifically, but not without the challenges of growing into this position of power and the scrutiny that comes along with it. What You’ll Learn: How to learn and grow from criticism and setbacks, especially when they are public How to find and deliver value in every meeting Why it’s important to know your expertise - and when to call on others who know more than you