Entreprenista

Join our ⁠Entreprenista League⁠ community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our ⁠website⁠ and social channels, and access to Office Hours with top founders who have been on our show! We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

Curious about joining the Entreprenista League? ⁠Sign up ⁠here⁠⁠ for a free info session.

“I would see brands on store shelves and think “oh those are big companies” she sees products and companies and is like “one day I could do that” because she sees so many amazing Entreprenistas building companies and changing the game.”

In this episode of the Entreprenista Podcast, Denise returns four years after her first appearance to share what’s changed in the decade since she launched Partake. She opens up about the journey from leaving corporate America and investing everything she had into her vision to building a nationally distributed brand and raising more than $30 million in venture capital.

Denise also reveals the story behind Partake’s groundbreaking new partnership with the Girl Scouts of the USA: Girl Scout Sparkables™, the first allergy-friendly Girl Scout cookie in the organization’s history. She explains why the partnership took six years to bring to life, what it took behind the scenes to develop the cookie, and why creating a more inclusive experience for children with food allergies is so meaningful to her and her daughter.

What We Talked About:

The Partake Origin Story [2:50]

How to Build a Dream Brand Partnership [12:42]

Founder Confidence After 10 Years [20:14]

Retail Economics and Unit Margins [25:19]

What’s Next for Partake [28:58]

Connect with Denise:

@densiegwoodard on Instagram

Denise Woodard on LinkedIn

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for women founders and leaders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠TuneIn⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠iHeart Radio⁠⁠

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Join our ⁠⁠Entreprenista League⁠⁠ community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our ⁠⁠website⁠⁠ and social channels, and access to Office Hours with top founders who have been on our show! We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

Curious about joining the Entreprenista League? ⁠Sign up⁠ ⁠here⁠⁠⁠ for a free info session.

Resources mentioned:

⁠Framer⁠

⁠Willow⁠

⁠Granola⁠

⁠Joy⁠

"The most important relationship you'll ever have is with yourself. More than your investors, your partners, even your co-founders — it starts there."

In this episode, Betsy Fore shares her remarkable journey from first-generation college graduate and toy inventor to serial founder, venture capitalist, and nonprofit leader — all driven by an unwavering belief in the power of "why not me?" As the founder of Tiny Organics, which generated over $13 million in revenue in its first 24 months, and now managing partner of Velveteen Ventures, Betsy has built, scaled, and fundraised across multiple industries while breaking barriers as the first Native American woman to raise a Series A round.

But her story doesn't stop there.

Betsy opens up about the burnout that forced her to do the inner work, the mindset practices that rewired how she leads, and the Indigenous values of reciprocity and humility that have quietly shaped every business decision she's ever made. From pitching in front of the co-founder of Square to launching a nonprofit community for Native technologists and founders, she reveals what it really takes to stay in the ring — and why the founder who succeeds is often the one who simply refused to quit.

What We Talked About:

Tiny Organics: $13M in 24 months 5:52

Angel vs. venture capital funding 21:25

How to pitch your three whys 31:24

Burning out and bouncing back 35:57

Natives Rising and Velveteen Ventures 31:24

Connect with Betsy:⁠@betsyfore⁠ on Instagram

Betsy Fore on ⁠LinkedIn⁠

Buy ⁠Built on Purpose⁠

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for women founders and leaders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠TuneIn⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠iHeart Radio⁠⁠⁠

Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.

Join our ⁠Entreprenista League⁠ community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our ⁠website⁠ and social channels, and access to Office Hours with top founders who have been on our show! We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

Curious about joining the Entreprenista League? ⁠Sign up ⁠here⁠⁠ for a free info session.

Resources mentioned:

Marcia Dawood Website

Unapologetic Wealth: Rewrite Your Money Story from Any Beginning

Do Good While Doing Well: Invest for Change, Reap Financial Rewards, and Increase Your Happiness

The Angel Next Door

“At the beginning, you can offer entrepreneurs a lot of things…making one phone call could actually help an entrepreneur get ahead”

In this episode of The Entreprenista Podcast, Stephanie sits down with angel investor, author, and SEC Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee Chair Marcia Dawood to demystify startup investing and fundraising—and explore why women continue to face major barriers to capital.

Marcia shares her journey into angel investing, the biggest mistakes she’s made along the way, and what founders need to know before pursuing funding. She breaks down the difference between angel investors and venture capitalists, explains who qualifies as an accredited investor, and makes the case for education as a better path to investment readiness than income or net-worth requirements alone.

What We Talked About:

Marcia’s Journey into Angel Investing [3:04]

Who Qualifies as an Accredited Investor? [9:09]

Exploring Alternative Funding Paths [15:03]

What Investors Look for in Pitch Decks [27:13]

Balancing Yes and No in Business Decisions [36:10]

Connect with Marcia:

@marciadawood on Instagram

Marcia Dawood on LinkedIn

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for women founders and leaders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠TuneIn⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠iHeart Radio⁠⁠

Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.

Join our ⁠Entreprenista League⁠ community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our ⁠website⁠ and social channels, and access to Office Hours with top founders who have been on our show! We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

Curious about joining the Entreprenista League? ⁠Sign up ⁠here⁠⁠ for a free info session.

"But it is important to ask your wholesale partners for help and to say I cant give that but we are working towards it and allow them to be part of that journey”

In this episode of the Entreprenista Podcast, Stephanie sits down with Michelle Wahler, co-founder and former CEO of Beyond Yoga, to unpack the remarkable journey of building a beloved activewear brand from the ground up and ultimately selling it to Levi Strauss & Co.

Michelle shares how she and her co-founder grew Beyond Yoga organically without outside investors, why saying “no” to major retail opportunities helped protect the brand, and how relationships with wholesale partners became one of the company's greatest growth engines. She also reveals how she navigated more than $6 million in canceled orders during the early days of COVID—and how that crisis ultimately accelerated the company's e-commerce growth.

What We Talked About:

From Graphic Design to New York City [3:39]

Early Sales Reps and Brand Credibility [10:25]

Partnering With REI [17:57]

The Pandemic and $6M in Cancellations [37:37]

A Memorable Last Day [54:41]

Mentoring Female Founders [60:26]

Connect with Michelle:

@michelle.wahler on Instagram

Michelle Wahler on LinkedIn

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for women founders and leaders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠TuneIn⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠iHeart Radio⁠⁠

Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.

Join our ⁠Entreprenista League⁠ community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the

opportunity to have your story featured on our ⁠website⁠ and social channels, and access to Office Hours with top founders who have been on our show! We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

Curious about joining the Entreprenista League? ⁠Sign up ⁠here⁠⁠ for a free info session.

“What I have realized is people can take your paycheck, they can take your title, they can strip you of these different external things, but your personal brand can never be taken from you.”

In this episode of the Entreprenista Podcast, bestselling author, keynote speaker, and confidence expert Heather Monahan shares how losing her corporate executive role pushed her to reinvent herself from the ground up. She reveals the LinkedIn post that changed her life, how she turned a personal brand into a global speaking career, and why confidence is something you build—not something you're born with.

Heather also dives into the practical strategies behind growing a business through authenticity, landing paid speaking engagements, leveraging viral content, using AI to work smarter, and creating products your audience actually wants. Whether you're navigating a career transition, building your brand, or looking to scale your business, this conversation is packed with actionable advice and inspiring stories.

What We Talked About:

Reinventing After Rejection [7:36]

Monetizing Your Skills [21:21]

Leveraging LinkedIn for Speaking Engagements [27:30]

Building Your Signature Talk [33:32]

Utilizing AI for Business Growth [42:05]

Connect with Heather:

@Heathermonahan on Instagram

Heather Monahan on LinkedIn

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for women founders and leaders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠TuneIn⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠iHeart Radio⁠⁠

Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.