F5 Collective Presents Women in Business

Linda Morris
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship

F5 Collective Presents Women in Business features stories of and insights from female founders, their allies, and other underserved/overlooked founder communities to inspire and encourage up-and-coming likeminded entrepreneurs. The content we create is meant to empower by sharing information gained through hands-on (and hard won) personal experience, to support by seeing "You are not alone," and to serve as a trusted "go-to" resource for all those overlooked business risk-takers just starting out, in the midst of, and seeking rejuvenation on their entrepreneurial journey.

  1. 6d ago

    Her Business Partner Quit—Then Opened the Same Store 10 Doors Down | Jennifer Ann Johnson

    A month into her new business, there was a knock on the door at 10pm on a Sunday. Her business partner — the neighbor who'd put up the money — wanted out. She wouldn't sign a non-compete. Within days she'd leased a space ten stores down in the same plaza, for the same business, and when she opened she took every employee but one. Jennifer Ann Johnson cashed out her husband's 401(k) to buy her out, put her blinders on, and built True Fashionistas into Florida's largest lifestyle resale store. Jennifer shares: ✨ The Sunday-night knock that nearly ended the business before it started ✨ "Things don't happen to you. They happen for you." — and how long it took her to believe it ✨ Why she says "BS" to the idea that confidence is something you're born with ✨ Confidence as stacking: how repetition builds it one notch at a time ✨ The question we should ask founders instead of "how did you build this?" ✨ The certification plaque she didn't need — and why she got it anyway ✨ Garage saling with her grandma, and the clothes that made her feel like she belonged ✨ 60 weddings a year, chair covers washed in her own garage ✨ Running a business absentee from 1,200 miles away for 18 months ✨ Turning resale on its head: bright white, modern, and online before anyone else was ✨ "They come in as strangers, they leave as friends" ✨ Anticipating the customer's needs — and knowing when to fire one ✨ Why she went back to college in her fifties and walked the stage ✨ What she learned about her own resilience along the way Whether you're rebuilding after a partnership blew up, waiting to feel confident before you start, or wondering if it's too late to go after the thing on your list — Jennifer's story is a straight answer. About Jennifer Ann Johnson: Jennifer Ann Johnson is the owner of True Fashionistas, Florida's largest lifestyle resale and consignment store, based in Naples with a second location in Fort Myers. Before opening True Fashionistas she spent 12 years running a nationally recognized wedding planning company and bridal shop in Minnesota. She is the author of Grace & Grit: Becoming a Confident Entrepreneur, host of The Confident Entrepreneur Podcast, and a speaker and coach who teaches entrepreneurs to use the most powerful asset they have — their voice. Shop and consign at https://truefashionistas.com/ Speaking, coaching and the book at https://jenniferannjohnson.com/ The growth engine for women who mean business. http://www.f5collective.com 0:00 Cold Open: The Knock at 10 O'Clock on a Sunday 0:55 Welcome — Jen Johnson, True Fashionistas 2:08 A Dairy Farm in Central Minnesota 3:12 "This Whole Wedding Planning Thing Is Easy" 4:28 The Plaque She Didn't Need 5:34 60 Weddings a Year, Chair Covers in the Garage 8:02 Florida, and Running a Business Absentee 8:48 Garage Sales With Grandma 10:34 Starting True Fashionistas With a Neighbor 11:12 A Month In: The Partner Walks Out 12:24 "Things Don't Happen to You, They Happen For You" 16:29 Bright White: Turning Resale on Its Head 19:22 Online From Day One: 93% Sell-Through 21:04 Why She Started Speaking and Coaching 23:25 Confidence Is Learned: "I Say BS" 26:23 The Question We Should Ask Billionaires 27:13 Writing Grace & Grit and Finding Her Core Values 33:53 The Side Hustle Years, and Going Back to College 37:18 What's Next, and What She Learned About Herself 39:10 Customer Service — and When to Fire a Customer 45:49 The SBA, COVID, and the Week on the Couch

  2. 6d ago

    "Drop Athena, Take a Gender-Neutral Name": The Rejection That Built a Platform

    Athena was quoted $2.5 million to build the platform in her head. Two development teams told her the technology didn't exist. She ended up building it herself from a hotel room, eating a frozen burrito, after a tree took out the water line at her place in the woods. "I did not want to go the AI route. I really didn't. And here we are, almost entirely vibe coded for the cost of maybe a car payment." Athena shares: ✨ Why she calls the fuel behind StoryverseStream "sacred rage" — and why women are taught to fear it ✨ The agent rejection that changed everything: drop Athena, take a gender-neutral name ✨ $2.5 million vs. a car payment — how the platform actually got built ✨ Why she walked away from legacy publishing after her very first contract ✨ The 5% royalty math most new authors never hear ✨ Turning down VC money to keep the platform creator-owned ✨ Planning her exit before the platform even launched ✨ "Runways aren't just money. They're energy. They're bandwidth. They're your relationships." ✨ The myth of work-life balance when you're a founder ✨ Building a team that can handle your communication style instead of managing everyone's ✨ Why she believes every person is creative, and we're simply taught otherwise ✨ Medallic storyverse structure, and why Western storytelling keeps stalling out ✨ How a career auditing banks became her secret weapon as a tech founder ✨ The professor who told her to drop out of college — and why she listened If you've ever been told your idea was too expensive, too big, or too much — or that you'd sell better under a man's name — this conversation is worth your hour. About Athena: Athena is a fantasy author, independent publisher, and the founder of StoryverseStream, a streaming platform built for narrative franchise projects and the creators who own them. She grew up in Valdez, Alaska, landed her first publishing contract researching ghosts up and down the West Coast, and went on to launch her own labels — BlissQuest Publishing and Elder Glade Publishing — after deciding traditional publishing wasn't worth the trade. She writes the Pillars of Dawn fantasy series, including Murder of Crows and Sinnet of Dragons, and publishes adult fiction under the pen name B. Unbidden. Her novels are available in thirteen countries. She lives and writes on the Oregon Coast, deep in the Siuslaw National Forest. 📚 Books and essays: https://www.athena-author.com/ 🌐 The platform: https://storyversestream.com/ 📖 Publishing label: https://www.eldergladepublishing.com/ The growth engine for women who mean business. http://www.f5collective.com 1:11 Welcome to F5 Collective Presents Women in Business 6:34 Falling Into Fantasy: Unicorns, Dragons, Anne McCaffrey 12:49 Never Again: Walking Away From Legacy Publishing 14:04 BlissQuest, Healthcare for Authors, and Burnout 16:52 What World Building Actually Means 21:34 The 5% Royalty Math Nobody Explains 25:49 "Drop Athena, Take a Gender-Neutral Name" 32:17 $2.5 Million and "The Technology Doesn't Exist" 36:40 Inside StoryverseStream: Living in a World Longer 48:07 Medallic Storyverse Structure 54:00 Plan Your Exit. Turn Down the VC. 57:04 Everyone Is Creative. We're Taught Not to Be. 58:57 Sacred Rage and the Double Standard on Women 1:03:31 The Finance Career She Almost Went Back To 1:09:57 The Myth of Work-Life Balance 1:13:45 If You're Never Nervous, You've Hit Your Ceiling 1:15:07 Don't Wait for Permission

  3. Sep 30

    She Chased an Investor Through the Rain to Build Her Mezcal Brand | Alexa Herrera, Entre Nōs

    Alexa Herrera was a 19-year-old Parsons student with a two-point-something GPA and a thought she couldn't shake: she wanted to build an alcohol brand. What she didn't have was money, connections, or a bottle. What she did have was nerve — enough to chase a stranger in a suit across a flooded SoHo street in the rain and ask, "Have you ever thought about mezcal?" That stranger became her angel investor. Today, Entre Nōs Mezcal is artisanal, 100% agave, made in the mountains of Oaxaca in partnership with Maestro Héctor Gómez's family — and it's on the shelves at Total Wine. In this episode, Alexa shares: ✨ Chasing an investor through the rain — and landing him ✨ How "let's keep it between us" became the brand name ✨ Building a luxury mezcal brand at 19 with no connections ✨ Being two young women in a room full of 65-year-old men ✨ Partnering with a family that's made mezcal for 100+ years ✨ Six months of rejection before getting into Total Wine ✨ Why she's turning down the easy acquisition payday ✨ Building a business entirely on relationships ✨ The five-year "overnight success" ✨ Slowing down on purpose — the ducks that stopped her ✨ How she handles the days she wants to quit Whether you're building your first brand or protecting the one you've got, Alexa's story is a reminder that the people who win aren't always the most prepared — sometimes they're just the ones willing to be the freak who taps the investor on the shoulder. About Alexa Herrera: Alexa Herrera is the co-founder of Entre Nōs Mezcal, an artisanal, 100% agave mezcal brand crafted in the mountains of Oaxaca. Born in Mexico and raised in San Diego, she studied at Parsons School of Design before pursuing a master's in entrepreneurship and innovation at USC. She built Entre Nōs around culture, storytelling, and community — and is now developing a second venture. 🥃 Learn more at https://www.entrenosmezcal.com/ The growth engine for women who mean business. http://www.f5collective.com 0:00 Cold Open: "Have You Ever Thought About Mezcal?" 0:24 Meet Alexa Herrera & Entre Nōs 1:41 From Mexico to San Diego 3:03 Parsons, Gossip Girl & a 2.0 GPA 5:09 Business School Inside a Fashion School 10:53 The Idea: Mezcal in New York 13:07 Mezcal vs. Tequila 17:09 "At Ten, I Told My Mom I'd Have an Alcohol Brand" 19:03 "Let's Keep the Name Between Us" 21:39 Chasing the Investor Through the Rain 25:17 The Angel Investor Says Yes 26:45 First Trip to Oaxaca 28:19 Meeting the Mezcalero: "My Dream Is Your Dream Too" 32:37 Partnering With a 100-Year Family Business 35:42 Two Girls in a 65-Year-Old Man's Industry 38:39 Permits, Bottles & Learning Who to Trust 40:32 Coming Home & Getting Into USC 46:49 The Second Brand: Perfect Day 50:16 Six Months of Rejection, Then Total Wine 52:24 The Days She Wants to Quit (and the Ducks) 55:55 Who Actually Drinks Mezcal? Marketing & Audience 1:00:31 Turning Down the Acquisition 1:04:31 Three Things She Wishes She Knew 1:05:43 Founder Deep Dive: $500K, Funding & the "Overnight" Myth 1:12:08 Rapid Five

  4. Sep 23

    She Quit Lucasfilm at 22 to Go Out on Her Own | Melanie Paykos, Incubrand Studios

    Melanie Paykos quit her job at Lucasfilm at 22 to start her own design firm. Her reasoning at the time: "Sure. Why not? What could possibly happen?" She and her partner then won the Return of the Jedi marketing poster, competing against all the big studios. Melanie shares: ✨ Quitting Lucasfilm at 22 — and winning the poster anyway ✨ Why Star Wars had no style guide, and what it took to build one ✨ The real difference between a business and a brand ✨ Inking characters for licensees: lunch boxes, bedsheets, size relationship charts ✨ Selling Melanie Paykos Design — and why staying on felt humbling ✨ Building Creative Branding Group and Incubrand Studios with Brooks Branch ✨ The Maltese Falcon, the Casablanca piano, and 13 years of TCM auctions ✨ Why a creative director is really an air traffic controller ✨ Withholding a deadline on purpose to get the juices flowing first ✨ You will not get good work from someone who feels scared or stupid ✨ Manager vs. leader: the difference is the overview ✨ Teaching at Otis — terrifying, and where she found her first employees ✨ Bringing a brand into Roblox, where daily audiences beat the Super Bowl ✨ Where AI actually helps a creative, and where it flatly does not ✨ Her startup advice: build your processes before you open the door If you have ever left something stable without a plan, or wondered what separates a brand from a business, Melanie's run from Star Wars style guides to Sleep Club is a masterclass in starting before you are ready. About Melanie Paykos: Melanie Paykos is Founder and Creative Director: Brand at Incubrand Studios and a partner in Creative Branding Group. An award-winning creative director, she has developed brands and campaigns for some of the largest franchises in entertainment and consumer products, from Lucasfilm and Paramount to Turner Classic Movies. She founded and later sold Melanie Paykos Design, has taught and mentored designers since early in her career, and today builds and partners on proprietary brands including Sleep Club. Learn more at https://www.incubrandstudios.com/ The growth engine for women who mean business. http://www.f5collective.com 0:00 Cold Open: What Could Possibly Happen? 0:28 Welcome to F5 Collective Presents Women in Business 1:06 Erie, Pennsylvania and Knowing at Six 2:46 Selling Portraits in High School 4:07 Bauhaus, Swiss Design, and the Penn Publications Job 5:28 The Empire Strikes Back and the Lucasfilm Archives 7:13 Star Wars Had No Style Guide 7:53 She Drew, I Inked: Building the Character Library 9:55 What Intellectual Property Actually Means 11:35 Why You Feel It When a Brand Deviates 12:45 Leaving Lucasfilm at 22 to Chase the Jedi Poster 14:01 I Never Had Any Fear About Being on My Own 15:06 What Makes Branding and Licensing So Addictive 15:50 Business vs. Brand: The Real Difference 18:48 Meeting Brooks Branch and The Addams Family 19:44 Creative Branding Group vs. Melanie Paykos Design 21:02 Selling the Company and Building Incubrand 24:52 13 Years of Turner Classic Movies Auctions 26:05 Bonhams, The Maltese Falcon, and the Opening Bid 29:51 The Creative Director as Air Traffic Controller 33:18 Mentoring: Teaching at Otis Was Terrifying 36:19 Nobody Does Good Work When They're Scared 39:45 What's Next: Bringing a Brand into Roblox 41:27 Where AI Helps and Where You Lose Your Voice 46:14 Sleep Club, Jeff Bridges, and Cozy Earth

  5. Sep 18

    From Doctor to $1B Founder: How Iman Abuzeid Flipped Healthcare Hiring | F5 Collective

    Iman Abuzeid raised $100 million for a company now valued at over a billion dollars — and she is refreshingly blunt about how. She did not pitch everyone. She named the bias out loud, then treated it as a filter instead of a wall: she would only take meetings with investors who had already written checks to women or minority founders. A medical doctor who finished med school in a family of surgeons and then walked away from practicing, Iman co-founded Incredible Health after noticing both sides of healthcare hiring were complaining at the same time. Hospitals could not staff. Qualified nurses applied to ten places and never heard back. So she flipped the model: employers apply to the workers. In this episode, Iman shares: ✨ Why she only pitched investors who had already backed women and minorities ✨ Flipping the hiring model so employers apply to the workers, not the other way around ✨ Finishing medical school and realizing she did not want to practice ✨ Why a small team plus software is the epitome of what you can do with a career ✨ Staying in California for the first two years before expanding nationally ✨ Building AI voice agents Lyn and Gale, and a future where every worker has an agent ✨ Hiring for values, because you cannot teach values after someone joins ✨ Why resilience needs systems: founder friend groups, an executive coach, no-work Saturdays ✨ Saying no to every industry outside healthcare ✨ What she wishes she knew younger: the world is malleable If you are raising, hiring, or trying to build something durable without burning out, this one is full of specifics you can actually use. About Iman Abuzeid: Iman Abuzeid, M.D., is the co-founder and CEO of Incredible Health, an AI-native healthcare career marketplace connecting 1.5 million U.S. healthcare professionals with more than 1,500 healthcare employers. Born in Saudi Arabia to a Sudanese family and partly raised in the UK, she immigrated to the U.S. at 24. She holds an M.D. and an MBA from The Wharton School, and was named to the TIME100 Next list in 2024. Learn more at https://www.incrediblehealth.com/ The growth engine for women who mean business. http://www.f5collective.com 0:00 Cold Open: "That's Taken Years" 0:44 Welcome to F5 Collective Presents Women in Business 1:38 From Sudan to San Francisco 2:08 Why Entrepreneurship Is the Epitome of a Career 2:44 Both Sides Were Complaining: The Origin Story 3:29 Healthcare's Labor Shortage, by the Numbers 3:55 "Post a Job and Hope It All Works Out" 4:15 Flipping the Model: Employers Apply to Workers 5:19 Customer Discovery in the Bay Area 6:14 Two Years in California Before Going National 7:22 Meet Lyn: The AI Voice Interview Agent 8:12 Meet Gale: An AI Career Partner 8:47 A World Where Every Worker Has an Agent 9:48 Free Tools and How to Get on the Platform 10:45 1.5 Million Workers, 1,500 Employers 11:16 Why the Answer to Other Industries Is No 11:52 Challenge One: Delivering ROI, Not Just Vision 12:56 Challenge Two: Fundraising and Bias in the System 13:36 "I Was Selective About Who I Pitched" 14:04 What's Next for Incredible Health 14:43 Taking Care of the People Who Take Care of Us 15:24 Business Minute: Hire for Values 16:37 Staying Even-Keeled Through the Roller Coaster 17:37 How Iman Decompresses 18:51 Rapid Five 19:39 "The World Is Malleable" 20:38 Wrap-Up

  6. Sep 16

    "We Are Now Officially Woman Owned" | Sightglass Coffee CEO Sharon Healy

    Sharon Healy didn't start Sightglass Coffee. She's the one rebuilding it — and she'll tell you that's the harder job. "Rebuilding is harder than building from scratch. Because you have so many things you have to break and then rebuild again. And there's long standing habits. But in order to thrive, you have to have a solid foundation." Sharon spent 30 years in food and beverage, cut her teeth at Starbucks during its explosive growth — and stayed through the downsizing, which is where she says she learned the most. Now she's CEO of Sightglass Coffee, steering a beloved San Francisco brand through its next chapter without losing the thing people fell in love with. Sharon shares: ✨ Why rebuilding is harder than building from scratch ✨ What she learned at Starbucks when the growth stopped ✨ Coming to California "following a man" — and staying for a career ✨ Hospitality in her DNA: her grandmother's farm-to-table Sundays ✨ Telling her father she'd use her English degree in food and beverage ✨ Championing women coffee farmers through the Women of Coffee series ✨ Giving back to La Cocina and the local food community ✨ "People will say I'm tough — I lead with empathy" ✨ Why the right culture matters more than mental toughness alone ✨ How to grow something special without losing what made it special ✨ Building company values with the whole team, not three people in a room ✨ Her Business Minute: hiring, soft skills, and building a roadmap ✨ Still learning how to decompress — and why quiet is a leadership skill This is a special edition episode celebrating Sharon's recognition on the floor of the California State Senate and Assembly as an extraordinary California founder. About Sharon Healy: Sharon Healy is the CEO of Sightglass Coffee, the San Francisco specialty roaster and café group with locations across San Francisco, Berkeley, and Los Angeles. She has spent three decades in retail food and beverage, including nearly a decade at Starbucks, and now leads Sightglass through its next phase of growth. ☕ Learn more at https://sightglasscoffee.com/ The growth engine for women who mean business. http://www.f5collective.com 0:00 "Rebuilding Is Harder Than Building From Scratch" 0:27 Welcome: A Special Edition for California Founders 1:41 From the South to California — "I Followed a Man" 2:51 Why Sightglass Was the Right Fit 3:13 Cutting Her Teeth at Starbucks 3:56 What She Learned When the Growth Stopped 4:32 The Call From Sightglass: Her Dream Job 4:45 Third Wave Coffee: Treating Coffee Like Wine 5:29 Hospitality Is in My DNA 5:40 Her Grandmother's Sunday Table 6:12 "He Was Disappointed I Wasn't Using My Degree" 7:32 The Women Growing the Coffee 8:26 A First-Time Reveal 9:25 Supporting Women Coffee Farmers at the Source 9:57 The Women of Coffee Series: Peru and Mexico 10:32 Giving Back to La Cocina 11:30 Challenges as a Woman Leader in Food 12:53 "People Say I'm Tough. I Lead With Empathy." 13:32 How Do You Decompress? "Still Working on That." 14:46 Food Is Love 15:15 What's Next for Sightglass 15:49 Growing Without Losing What Made It Special 16:13 Building Values With the Whole Team 17:04 Business Minute: Four Rules for Building a Team 19:19 Why Rebuilding Is the Harder Job 20:19 Rapid Five 23:18 Wrap-Up 25:55 After the Interview: The Art of the Cup

  7. Sep 11

    I Couldn't Afford $2 for Milk — While My Face Was on the Magazine Cover | Beatriz Acevedo

    Beatriz Acevedo was on the cover of a magazine in Mexico City when her credit card was declined at the supermarket. "There I was on the cover of a magazine at the register, and I was just sobbing that I couldn't afford $2 to buy milk." Three Emmys, a hit TV career, and no emergency savings. Decades later, she started over — in her 50s, knowing nothing about finance — and built SUMA Wealth, a platform teaching Latinos how to build it and keep it. In this episode, Beatriz shares: ✨ The $2 carton of milk that ended her invincible era ✨ Why she enrolled in every online fintech program she could find at 50 ✨ "It's possible to reinvent yourself at any age" ✨ Calling SUMA her "last, last, last startup" ✨ Latinos drive GDP growth — and don't have $1,000 saved for an emergency ✨ Explaining credit scores with an avocado ✨ Why "my daughter is my 401(k)" isn't a joke ✨ Her mother's safe deposit box from Costco, and the devaluation behind it ✨ Building for youth who become their family's translator, accountant and advocate ✨ Why she added Spanish after users kept asking for their moms ✨ Growing up at a dinner table where building wealth felt like bad taste ✨ Her father's scholarship foundation — and what it could have been ✨ Unlearning the habit of putting herself last on her own to-do list ✨ Taking SUMA B2B to financial institutions ✨ Business Minute: passion and perseverance over talent If you've ever looked successful on the outside while quietly having no plan, this one is for you. About Beatriz Acevedo: Beatriz Acevedo is CEO and Co-Founder of SUMA Wealth, a financial literacy and wealth-building platform built for Latinos through fintech, digital content, and community. Born in Tijuana and raised on the border, she began her media career as a radio announcer at age eight and went on to win three Emmy Awards. She co-founded and served as president of mitú, the leading digital media brand for young Latinos in the U.S., and is president of the Acevedo Foundation. She was recently honored on the floor of the California State Senate as one of eleven women founders recognized for their work in California. Learn more at https://sumawealth.com/ The growth engine for women who mean business. http://www.f5collective.com 0:00 The Youth Are the Bet 1:50 Born on the Border, Immigrant by Default 3:28 What Led to SUMA Wealth 4:07 Driving GDP, No $1,000 in Savings 4:27 Is Anyone Explaining a Loan in a Meme? 5:05 You Can Reinvent Yourself at Any Age 5:36 Enrolling in Every Fintech Program She Could Find 5:59 My Last, Last, Last Startup 6:22 The First Startup: Three Emmys in Her Early 20s 7:38 $2 for Milk, and the Magazine Cover at the Register 8:20 Radio Announcer at Eight, Because of Ricky Martin 8:56 Teaching Finance Through Culture 9:27 How Ripe Is Your Credit? The Avocado Video 9:42 We Are Not a Bank 10:19 When VCs Handed Out Checks Like Halloween Candy 10:39 The Demo Nobody Was Serving 11:42 The Kids Who Become the Family's Attorney 12:10 It's Not Fun. It's Not SUMA. 12:33 Changing the Strategy: Going Multigenerational 14:43 Why My Daughter Is My 401(k) Isn't a Joke 15:55 Teaching Your Own Kids to Start Now 17:30 Her Father's Foundation and What It Could Have Been 18:22 It's Your Right to Understand How to Do It 20:16 Not Putting Herself Last on Her Own To-Do List 21:25 What's Next: Taking SUMA B2B 22:23 Selling Financial Health to Banks 23:56 Passion and Perseverance Over Talent

  8. Sep 9

    Her Climate Fix Was Hiding Inside Cement Kilns | Jade Marcus, CEO of Mafix

    Ag funding has fallen more than 50% since its 2020 peak, and a lot of the startups that burned through it failed for the same reason: the economics never worked. Jade Marcus designed her way around that problem before she started. Roughly 30% of the world's cement kiln capacity is already sitting idle — infrastructure that's built, paid for, and sitting in nearly every region on earth because cement is too expensive to truck very far. Mafix uses that spare capacity to run chemistry inside the kilns, starting with a climate-smart fertilizer made from cheap, abundant silicate rock. Jade shares: ✨ Why she went looking for spare capacity instead of building new infrastructure ✨ The 30% idle capacity on cement kilns worldwide — and why it may double ✨ Developing the technology behind Mafix during her PhD at Stanford ✨ What McKinsey's sustainability practice taught her about scaling climate tech ✨ Why "better for the planet" can't mean "more expensive" for the customer ✨ Why ag tech funding collapsed — and what those companies got wrong ✨ Why you can't go direct to farmer, and who to partner with instead ✨ Working with extension agronomists to prove yield in real fields ✨ The food security math: staple crops down 3-7%, production needs to rise 60% ✨ Her first 1,000-ton deployment inside a commercial cement kiln ✨ Doing 100-200 customer interviews before you trust your own numbers ✨ The 3:1 rule — for every dollar a farmer spends, they need three back ✨ "If you don't need to build it, don't build it" ✨ Why someone else's margin is your opportunity ✨ Ten days a year in the backcountry, and why real fear beats invented stress Whether you're raising in a down market, selling into an industry that moves slowly, or trying to build something better that doesn't cost more, Jade's approach is a masterclass in using what already exists. About Jade Marcus: Jade Marcus is the CEO and co-founder of Mafix, a mineral conversion platform that runs on the world's spare cement kiln capacity, turning cheap, abundant silicate rock into carbon-negative fertilizer. A chemical engineer by training, she studied at Georgia Tech, worked as an engagement manager in McKinsey's sustainability practice, and developed the technology behind Mafix at Stanford. 🌱 Learn more at https://www.mafix.ag/ The growth engine for women who mean business. http://www.f5collective.com 0:00 "Real Fear, Real Stress": Ten Days Off the Grid 0:51 Welcome: Honoring California's Women Founders 1:36 Meet Jade Marcus, CEO & Co-Founder of Mafix 1:54 Georgia Tech, Oil & Gas, and McKinsey 2:26 Why "Better for the Planet" Costs Too Much 3:12 Hardware Is Slow. Software Is Instant. 3:36 30% Spare Capacity on the World's Cement Kilns 5:02 The Real Challenges: Geology and Deployment 6:26 Beyond Fertilizer: Anywhere You Need Alkalinity 6:46 Astronomer, Marine Biologist, Journalist, Archeologist 7:50 Ag Funding Is Down Over 50% Since 2020 8:21 Why She Didn't Build New Infrastructure 8:45 You Can't Go Direct to Farmer 10:25 "Naively, I Thought I Could Do This" 11:08 Running a Company While Finishing a PhD 11:47 Crops Down 7%, Demand Up 60% 12:31 How She Actually Handles Stress 12:53 Ten Days in the Arctic With No One Around 14:04 What's Next for Mafix (They're Hiring) 14:56 Business Minute: Know Your Economics 15:47 "If You Don't Need to Build It, Don't Build It" 16:25 Rapid Five 16:50 What She Wishes She Knew: Community

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F5 Collective Presents Women in Business features stories of and insights from female founders, their allies, and other underserved/overlooked founder communities to inspire and encourage up-and-coming likeminded entrepreneurs. The content we create is meant to empower by sharing information gained through hands-on (and hard won) personal experience, to support by seeing "You are not alone," and to serve as a trusted "go-to" resource for all those overlooked business risk-takers just starting out, in the midst of, and seeking rejuvenation on their entrepreneurial journey.

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