On Friday, October 11th, Caren Maio (Gallatin ‘07), founder of Nestio, spoke with the NYU Female Founders community at the Leslie eLab. At the event, entrepreneurs from 15 different NYU colleges asked questions ranging from “what resources did you utilize at NYU while you were building your startup?” to “how did you know when to pay yourself?” and “How do you *date* potential investors?” Caren shared candid feedback and countless gems of wisdom she’s picked up in the startup trenches.
Here are the top five pieces of advice that Caren shared:
- If you’re thinking about starting a company, do it when you feel like there is nothing you could do but that. Starting a startup is hard - but even in the darkest moments, I knew that I had to do it.
- Having a healthy level of paranoia is good! The challenges will change, but there will always be challenges - be prepared to play whack-a-mole tackling challenges quickly as they arise.
- Embrace what makes you memorable - especially when it comes to fundraising.
- Spend time with investors when you are not fundraising - it will you help you get to know them and discover who is and who isn't a great fit for you and your business.
- Embrace the roller coaster. When things are difficult or feeling particularly rough, remember that this too shall pass. Sit in it, acknowledge it, and know it won’t last forever.
Huge thank you to Caren for spending the afternoon with our Female Founders Community! We’re so grateful to have you in our orbit and look forward to celebrating your continued success.
Join us next month on Friday, November 22nd from 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM for our next Female Founders Lunch featuring Claudia Espinosa, Founder and Director of Latinas On the Verge of Excellence (L.O.V.E.) Mentoring Program. Claudia will share share her startup stories and we’ll discuss resources for female founders in creating innovative businesses at NYU.
About this month’s speaker:
Caren Maio is the CEO and Co-Founder of Nestio, the industry's leading leasing and marketing software for multifamily professionals. Prior to Nestio, Caren lent her business expertise to corporate sales positions at powerhouse brands Nike and The Wall Street Journal. Caren graduated from New York University. She has been named one of the 3 Female Entrepreneurs to Look Out For by Metro and one of the 15 Women to Watch in Tech by Inc.com
About the series:
The NYU Entrepreneurial Institute spurs conversations and events to support women in entrepreneurship. Our NYU Female Founders initiative offers monthly “lunch & learn” events, an annual Female Founders Forum, and resources to help NYU female founders grow their startups.
