The public imagination is captivated by stories about entrepreneurs–from wild successes to public failures. Founders like Richard Branson and Sara Blakely have become household names. However, the early days in an entrepreneur’s journey happen out of the public eye. In this period, founders struggle with failures and challenges both personal and professional. In her new book, founder and Wharton alumna Mona Bijoor shares her personal insights and learnings along with tactical guidelines on how to navigate the founder journey.
Start-Ups and Downs: The Secrets of Resilient Entrepreneurs by Mona Bijoor (Partner, King Circle Capital & Founder, JOOR) takes readers through her entrepreneurial journey where she successfully disrupted an industry as a first time founder. Ten years ago, Mona started JOOR—a global wholesale marketplace—raising millions in venture capital and built a software company successfully curing the pain points in retail. Her story, similar to the other founders interviewed is not about the successes, but rather how to overcome challenges with the right mindset. Mona created a guidebook for navigating everything from pitching with power to coping with competition and includes first-hand accounts from 10 respected entrepreneurs sharing failures and triumphs, including founders of: SmartyPants Vitamins, S’well, WTRMLN WTR, Burrow and Flatiron Health.
Date: February 26, 2020
Time: 6PM
Location: HSBC: 11th floor of 452 5th Ave
Admission: $5 or $15 with book
About Mona Bijoor:
Mona Bijoor is a Partner at King Circle Capital LLC, an investment firm and is also the founder of JOOR, an online global B2B marketplace for wholesale buying that directly connects brands and retailers. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, Mona lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two daughters. She is a frequent contributor to TechCrunch, Entrepreneur, and Thrive Global.
About our sponsor, HSBC:
HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organizations, serving more than 40 million customers through four global businesses. The commercial banking operations cover 53 countries and territories including the US. Through teams of strategically placed relationship managers, HSBC connects businesses to opportunities, helping them thrive and grow. Working with a wide range of customers, from small enterprises to mid-market companies and large multinationals, they provide the solutions needed to operate efficiently.
About WAFFA
The Wharton Alumnae Founders & Funders Association (WAFFA) is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Our mission is to accelerate the success of Penn Wharton female founders and investors. Today, 13% of Penn founders are women but they raise just 6% of venture capital. WAFFA harnesses the power of the Penn Wharton network to educate, support, and foster connections for female founders and funders.