Pledge 1%'s #WomenWhoLead series celebrates female leaders who are paving the way for the next generation. While our featured leaders come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, they are united in their efforts to promote equality for all women in the workplace. We’ve asked them to share a bit about their journey to success, as well as lessons they’ve learned along the way.
Kasey Lundquist
GP, Rise Together Ventures
Santa Barbara, CA, USA
What is your current role? Briefly describe in 1-2 sentences.
I am pioneering an integrated approach to venture and philanthropy investing through my fund, Rise Together Ventures. We pair each for-profit investment with a philanthropic budget in alignment with the company's mission.
What’s the best part of your job? What do you enjoy the most?
I'm lucky to work at this amazing intersection of venture and philanthropy, which allows me to meet the most amazing and inspiring people who are innovating in their fields to create fast change. The entrepreneurs in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors give me so much hope for the future of our world.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Find both a mentor and a sponsor. They are different: while mentors may help you network, sponsors will actively include you in their networks. They fulfill different purposes, but are equally important.
How do you feel businesses can play a larger role in solving today’s biggest challenges? Do you have any specific stories or examples from your work or colleagues you can share?
Increasingly, businesses are playing a larger role in solving today's biggest challenges, more than any time in the past; and I strongly believe that entrepreneurs are best suited to become the change agents of our society. That belief is core to Rise Together Ventures, and we look to back founders whose missions go far beyond revenue. Ryan Peterson of Flexport is a great example of an entrepreneur who is simultaneously disrupting an archaic industry - global trade - while leveraging his business's core capabilities to deliver impact throughout the world via Flexport.org.
If you could describe yourself in one word what would that be and why?
Curious - in fact, that word has appeared on every one of my performance reviews! I find great energy in learning about people's backgrounds, what challenges them, and what motivates them.
