MENTOR SPOTLIGHT | THERESA FESINSTINE @ CULTURE MARKERS & PEOPLEPOWER.AI
When did you know you wanted to take an entrepreneurial path?
About 5 years ago I jumped into self-employment and then lost my courage. I jumped back in the water in July of 2022 and I’m learning my way.
Tell us about your venture!
I have two focus areas that have a common thread. With 24+ years in HR and serving in CHRO roles, I am passionate about building structure and systems that assist employees with a better understanding and connection to the mission and vision of the companies they work for. Developing culture is ambiguous. My goal with Culture Markers is to blend the use of frameworks along to lead the conversation around culture development in a more strategic and scientific way – that will gain the respect and attention of c-suite colleagues.
The second endeavor is peoplepower.ai. Here I am again going back to harnessing my experience to embolden HR and People leaders to take control of the AI implementation for their organizations and lead the company through investigation, implementation and integration. It is so important as females lag behind in their learning (and a majority of HR leads are female) that we learn and understand so that we can have a voice of impact during the decision making process when it comes to AI. This is a mission to increase knowledge so that a smart decision can be made… not to extoll the virtues of AI.
How did you decide to tackle this particular issue?
1) Building a strong company culture is often discussed, yet it remains elusive. There is a lack of practical information amidst the sea of ambiguous ideas. I aim to change this by equipping HR leaders with tangible tools such as frameworks and communication plans. Together, we can simplify the process and make it more accessible.
2) The potential of AI to revolutionize our work fascinates me. And it is crucial to involve HR leaders in this transformation. Their profound understanding of organizational dynamics and ability to ask the right questions can ensure intelligent adoption. Unfortunately, many companies, publications, and articles solely focus on Tech leadership, which is a mistake. I am committed to rectifying this and championing the inclusion of HR leaders in the conversation.
What do you enjoy most about being an impact entrepreneur? What’s hardest about it?
What I love most about being an impact entrepreneur is the creativity and the ability to lean into my own natural curiosity. The strength of the community I have around me of fellow shepreneuers is powerful. The confidence and excitement that comes from winning a new client, or impacting a conversation with a new perspective gives me a natural high.
The biggest challenge is business development from someone that doesn’t have that in my current toolkit. It is an ongoing work in progress.
How do you navigate the space of being a founder and also being a POC/women/non-binary person?
I find as a woman there is less focus on us in general and even more so in the world of investing and opportunities for funding. Women that have a first round investor of a woman is less likely to receive a second round of funding or to be taken as seriously than a man or a male funded round. It’s frustrating.
I try to not only build my network of female all stars, but push them higher and support what they are doing in the world.
What advice do you have for early-stage impact entrepreneurs about using their time, relationships, and opportunities at The New School to prepare for this kind of career?
Break up your time and energy in meaningful “buckets” and one of which should be ongoing learning. Read books, listen to podcasts and tag articles that give you guidance in areas where you may need to grow.
Don’t listen to all of the advertisements about what you should be doing on social media… they are likely trying to sell you something. Focus on your state of expertise and then flow where your ideal clients are looking. Use your network to help in this capacity.