Large scale research projects suggest that as many as 40% of employees are expecting to quit this year, yet there will be winners who capture and retain the best talent during this time of mass transition. Purpose-driven cultures have been proven to have the best employee acquisition and retention.

Learn how you can be a winner of talent by building purpose and strong culture into the DNA of your startup. Join Doug Lessing, Laura Sage and Susi Burke for this dynamic panels where takeaways will include:

• The key importance of diversity in the workforce
• Why now is the time for founders to take action in strengthening their workforce
• What roles must values play in shaping today’s workforce
• The importance of fun and ‘vibes’ in shaping your team and company

Meet the panelists:

Doug Lessing (Moderator)

Doug Lessing, Founder of Phin, was born and raised along the Great South Bay of Long Island and now resides in Blue Point, NY known for its oysters and beer. Married to his wife Grace, with 3 Gen-Z daughters and 2 young female springer spaniels named Piper and Sadie, Doug has been surrounded, outnumbered and influenced by strong women. Doug spent nearly 30 years with the best team helping build Firebrand Technologies, a software and services company for book publishers. During an ideal moment of transition, Doug decided to take the experience he had gained to use the power of business to create real social impact, using sponsored donations to connect great companies, their people and the causes that truly make a difference.

Susi Burke

Susi Burke’s personal mission is to shine a light on people, organizations and systems that promote diversity of thought and opportunity for all, seeking always to have a positive, meaningful impact on the world. She is excited to spend a lifetime learning, tackling new challenges and connecting ideas in new and interesting ways. After 30+ years in the tech industry, name a tech job and Susi has probably done it – from Software Engineer to Director of Product. She has a passion for advancing diversity in tech believing that more diversity in thought will lead to better products, more opportunity for underserved populations and in short, a better world.

Laura Sage

A graduate of Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, Laura created Chill when she couldn’t find a modern meditation studio in Chicago. Laura was the Director of Marketing and Investor Relations at a hedge fund based in Chicago and London for over a decade. She is also the Co-Founder of the Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Foundation which funds innovative breast cancer research and medical education. Realizing that many professionals found meditation unapproachable, she created Chill in 2017 and Chill Anywhere in 2019. Chill Anywhere is a B2B app that provides customizable, video-based, employee wellness solutions through live and on-demand mindfulness content including meditation + yoga. Laura and the Chill team are committed to helping people live less stressed, more mindful lives.

Max Shapiro

Max Shapiro founded PeopleConnect in 2000 to help early-stage high-tech companies find the talent they need to succeed. PeopleConnect’s clients are in technology, biotech, cleantech, apps, services, medical devices, and consumer products.

Their team of outstanding recruiters finds C-level executives, talented managers and experienced leaders who will bring their client companies to the next level. They provide traditional contingency searches as well as their one-of-a-kind ‘Employees Without Paychecks’ program, which he created after the dotcom bust to help promising companies find top-level talent willing to work for equity only until the company gets their funding.

As you can tell by the name of his company, Max likes to connect people and would love to know if there is any way that he and his team can help you add some fantastic, startup experienced people to your team, like PeopleConnect has been doing for 20 years.

Complimentary Ticket:

Are you a full-time tech founder? Be our guest! During COVID, we’re making our events available to tech founders everywhere. Enjoy a complimentary ticket to come learn from fellow tech founders, partners and investors. Already used your complimentary guest pass? Request an invite to see if you qualify for membership.

About Founders Network:

Founded in 2011, Founders Network offers lifelong peer mentorship to over 600 tech startup founders globally. Our platform, programs and high-touch service facilitate authentic experience sharing, warm introductions and long-term professional relationships. Additional benefits include over $500k in startup discounts and promotion to 2,000 newsletter readers. Members are located in San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Toronto, London and other tech hubs. Each month our Membership Committee admits a new cohort of full-time tech founders who are nominated by an existing member. Learn more at https://foundersnetwork.com

Confidentiality Policy

All information shared within Founders Network is strictly confidential. We are built on a foundation of trust, and the community takes confidentiality seriously. Investors, members, and staff all share experiences and opinions off the record.  In this roundtable forum, we continue to model our fnValues of Reciprocity, Humility, Authenticity and Inclusivity.