Jul
23
Speakers
Lisa Skye
Founder, PRIMARY
As a magnetic leader and inspirational public speaker, Lisa has spent a lifetime leveraging unmistakable charisma to guide businesses across industries to remarkable success. She managed two restaurants within Danny Meyer’s hospitality empire, drove deals for a top NYC real estate team, built the world’s fourth largest business networking franchise within BNI, and initiated WeWork’s first-ever community model, positioning the startup for astronomical growth. In her role as CEO, Lisa founded and built Primary, “NYC’s Coolest New Wellness-Focused Coworking Space,” which quickly expanded to two locations in Manhattan—and was eventually named the 3rd Best Coworking Space in the US. Lisa has raised significant startup funding (10mm+), negotiated multi-million dollar leases, and invented a wellness category within coworking. She has also weathered industry-wide downturns with unshakable grace and resilience. Having recently received a Certificate in Applied Positive Psychology, Lisa is working to create a program designed to inspire and elevate entrepreneurs around the world. In her spare time, she inspires and elevates her sons, Henry and Hawk.
Soraya Darabi
General Partner, TMV
Soraya is a General Partner and founder of TMV, an early-stage venture firm investing in purposeful startups reimagining the future. TMV backs start-up companies focused on ideas that will reshape industries or inspire new ones. Fund I and Fund II investments focus on: frontier organizations, marketplaces and design-driven technologies. Notable investments: Figs (NYSE: FIGS), Casper (NYSE: CSPR), Lightwell (acquired by Twitter), Cityblock Health, Hungryroot, Kindbody, Parsley Health, Ridwell, Smalls, Scope3, Gimlet (acquired by Spotify), Clockwise, Running Tide, Nautilus Labs – as an LP across 4 funds: Clubhouse and Poparazzi, pre-IPO, Cloudflare. Soraya is also the host of "Business Schooled - a Podcast by Synchrony," - a "Top 20 Business Podcast" on Apple - for which she travels the United States interviewing persevering founders who have made it past their startup days. Soraya began her career as Manager of Digital Partnerships & Social Media at The New York Times, where she positioned the global news leader on social networks such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, partnered with startups large and small, and established award-winning campaigns. She went on to co-found the application Foodspotting, named by Apple and Wired Magazine as an “App of the Year," later acquired by OpenTable, then Priceline. For her work at The Times and startups, Soraya has been featured on the cover of Fast Company Magazine's “100 Most Creative People in Business” issue and on the cover of Brand Week’s "Digital Best” issue. Soraya was named an Inc. Magazine "30 Under 30" (2012), Fortune Magazine "40 Under 40: Women to Watch" (2015). She sat on the first digital advisory board of General Electric. She is a World Economic Forum "Young Global Leader," a six-time mentor to TechStars New York - three-times named a "Mentor of the Year." Soraya graduated with honors from Georgetown University and completed the Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century module at Harvard Kennedy School. She is currently on the board of directors for the non-profit Yamba Malawi, her 12th year advising the organization.
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