Elizabeth Usovicz
principal of WhiteSpace Consulting
Recent Articles by Elizabeth Usovicz
Analysis from binge watching six-months of 1 Million Cups KC
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Every Wednesday morning in over 100 communities nationwide, two entrepreneurs present a six-minute profile of their companies to a diverse audience, followed by 20 minutes of open Q&A. Last July, I binge-watched 1 Million Cups Kansas City’s 51 presentations from January 1 to…
Angel investment trends with the Angel Capital Association’s Marianne Hudson
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in the commentary are the author’s alone. Kansas City is known for the Royals, great barbecue and recently-acquired tech firm EyeVerify. But it is also home to the headquarters of the Angel Capital Association . From its inception, the Overland Park-based Angel Capital Association has been led by executive director…
Shaping the sharing economy: Women in coworking
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. High-growth, share-based startups — like Airbnb and Uber — are transforming the hospitality and transportation industries. The sharing economy is also fundamentally changing how people work. From corporate professionals to entrepreneurs, coworking is rapidly becoming a viable alternative to offices and cubicles….
What do 1 Million Cups presenters reveal about KC’s entrepreneurial community?
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Every Wednesday morning in Kansas City and 91 other cities nationwide, one or two early-stage startups present a six-minute profile of their companies to a diverse audience, followed by 20 minutes of open Q&A. I recently reviewed 51 presentations delivered at 1 Million Cups…
How local founders manage startup disappointment
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Fail fast. Fail forward. Startup failure may be educational, but it’s a lesson delivered by a very expensive teacher who exacts a steep emotional and economic price. The space between the Big Success and the Big Failure is where entrepreneurs live and…
Entrepreneurial lessons from the girls of Malawi, Africa
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. While the Kansas City entrepreneurial community continued to percolate in April, I spent two and a half weeks in the poorest country in Africa. Malawi is known as “The Warm Heart of Africa,” and with an average annual income of $255 per…
Women entrepreneurship: Miles to go and room to grow
I am an unabashed coffee fan, but conflicting research on my favorite brew has both raised and dashed my hopes. One study reveals that my two-cups-a-day may increase longevity, while another points to an increased risk of heart disease. Sipping a cup recently while reviewing data on women-owned businesses and entrepreneurship, it occurred to me…
The impact and challenges of cultivating champions of your startup
I recently wrote about the importance of building a close relationship with a champion of your company. Sylvia Ann Hewlett, author of Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor, notes that “women have twice as many mentors as men, but half as many sponsors.” A mentor can provide advice and perspective, but a sponsor or champion…
Advisors, role models and the importance of ‘champions’
“What types of support relationships do you find beneficial as a startup founder?” I asked a group of six women founders this question as part of a whiteboard conversation conducted last year by WhiteSpace Consulting and Startland News. Their answers reveal a broad range of support relationships, including one that is a must-have for every…
(S)heStarts: Define yourself and your startup on your own terms
At a recent One Million Cups gathering at the Kauffman Foundation, Little Hoots founder Lacey Ellis discussed lessons learned since launching her company. It had been almost a year since she first presented at the pitch event, and one of her primary lessons is sound advice for startup founders. “When you’re first starting out, you’re…