The Power of Community - Interview with Valerie Anne Ward

In today’s episode of If Not Now Wen, we’re excited to talk with special guest Valerie Ward. Valerie recently completed her MBA at UT Austin's McComb's School of Business, where she is concentrated in Strategy and Innovation with a special focus on Social Enterprise and Social Impact, and she'll be joining Strategy&'s Customer Transformation practice in early 2024.

Valerie was the co-founder of Sweet Ritual vegan ice cream shop and non-profit Good Work Austin. She is a mentor at Capital Factory in Austin and is dedicated to increasing access to entrepreneurship. She has taught, directed, and performed improvised theatre for over 20 years, touring internationally with her troupe Parallelogramophonograph.

An authentic people leader, Valerie is passionate about connecting with others and building a community. She is such an inspiration, and I know you are going to love this episode as much as I do.

 We talk about:

🔹 Finding balance between the dream and the reality of building a business

🔹 Why networks and community are so crucial

🔹 Deciding whether to persist or move on to the next chapter

🔹 Giving yourself grace and letting go of perfectionism

🔹 Advice for founders starting out and those who are in the process of growing and scaling their business

Curious to learn more about Valerie and her amazing story? Catch today’s episode right here!