BOOKS

Been There, Run That

Start Up. Go to Market. Raise Capital. Pivot. Scale. Sell. Rinse. Repeat.

The whole recipe is in this book.

Forty-five proven entrepreneurs-thought leaders in technology, media, e-commerce, software and life sciences share their best practices from the trenches to power the success of others. All the tools you’ll need are in this book, whether you’re starting out or deep into the growth phases of your second or third company. Here is real-life, actionable information from those who have “been there, run that.”

Each chapter was selected, introduced with summarized with takeaways by Kay Koplovitz, Chairman and Co-creator of Springboard Enterprises.  Koplovitz is the founder and former CEO of USA Networks and is the first woman network president in television history, ran the network for 21 years until its sale for $4.5 billion.

Springboard Enterprises is an expert network of innovators, investors, and influencers who are dedicated to supporting women-led, high-growth companies. Since 2000, 896+ Springboard portfolio companies have created over $39.1 Billion in value, including 227 in M&A transactions and counts 27 IPOs. They have created tens of thousands of new jobs and generated billions of dollars in annual revenues. 90% of Springboard companies have raised capital. Springboard entrepreneurs are transforming industries.

Alumnae of the Springboard have become successful in all fields and have gone on to found companies that include Zipcar, ConstantContact, AgraQuest, iRobot, ViaCord, and Minute Clinic.

Bold Women, Big Ideas

Kay Koplovitz went from selling cable TV services in New Jersey to founding and running the incredibly successful cable television franchise, USA Networks, the Sci-Fi Channel, (formerly the Syfy Channel), and USA Networks International.

But when the company was sold in 1997 for $4.5 billion, not a nickel of the sale proceeds came her way. Instead, she was on the street without a job. Why? She didn’t have equity. And equity ownership is all that counts. 

Looking for money to start new businesses, Koplovitz soon learned another tough lesson: Over 95% of American venture capitalists are men and 95% of the money they invest goes to male-owned businesses. So how do women get money to fund their start-ups? They don’t. 

This realization spurred Koplovitz into action. She co-founded a venture capital forum called Springboard Enterprises, designed to empower women to build the networks and presentational skills to source the capital they need. 

In Bold Women, Big Ideas, Kay Koplovitz shares the lessons of Springboard: how to craft a business plan; how to create a winning pitch; how to figure out what investors are looking for and what to look for in investors. 

Using examples of pioneering women entrepreneurs, she shows us how gutsy, ambitious, smart women are breaking the barriers of the old-boy network and forging their own start-ups. Her inspiration, wisdom, and clear-eyed advice are crucial for anyone who wants to create, launch, and finance a brand new enterprise.