Founder Bio

Geri Stengel
Founder and President

“A baby boomer with the heart and soul of a millennial” describes Geri best. She grew up believing that dedicated, thoughtful people can change the world by working together.

She is a believer still. In fact, Geri is even more committed to the possibility of meaningful change because she realizes that we have a huge, untapped resource: Women!

For the last few years, Geri has researched and written about the challenges women face in the entrepreneurial world and the success factors that help them break through barriers, whether they are starting a business or scaling to a multi-million dollar enterprise.

Geri’s passion to get women on the radar as leaders of mega-firms led her to write Forget the Glass Ceiling: Build Your Business Without One. To find out best practices for investment crowdfunding — a great alternative for women entrepreneurs! — Geri undertook a successful rewards-based crowdfunding campaign herself and published the results in  Stand Out in the Crowd:  How Women (and Men) Benefit from Equity Crowdfunding [add link]

Geri is a questioner and a builder, and is passionate about eliminating barriers to entrepreneurial aspirations.

Geri’s accomplishments include:

  • Mentor for WE NYC: 2016 to present
  • 2015 Madam C.J. Walker Business Leadership Award from the National Minority Business Council.
  • 2013 and 2012 Small Business Trends Small Business Influencer
  • Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at The New School
  • Facilitator, Kauffman Foundation FastTrac courses for entrepreneurs
  • Researched and published Ditch Digital Dabbling: How Small Businesses + Nonprofits Can Master Online Marketing
  • Former board member for the New York City Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners. Was on the board for eight years.
Clients