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When a pregnant Nicole Wee (MBA 2018) teamed up with Amelia Lin (MBA 2016) to launch the AI image-generation platform Honeycomb in 2018, one of their biggest challenges was determining how to craft a workable maternity leave policy. During her own first pregnancy, entrepreneur Lisa Marrone (MBA 2017) also realized that there was no playbook for balancing the demands of starting and managing a venture while planning maternity leave. Over time, as the trio connected to address this dilemma, they recognized the need for a supportive community to help women founders navigate motherhood and entrepreneurship, and VC Backed Moms was born. Established in 2021, the nonprofit is now the largest network of venture-capital-backed founders at all stages of motherhood, with 500 active members across six continents who have collectively raised $5B in funding to date. It offers educational and networking events, as well as a safe space to discuss the challenges members might encounter. Wee says the group helps women entrepreneurs understand that they don’t have to choose between work and family—they can have both. And Lin envisions a world where more female founders thrive. “What if more people believed they could build the companies of tomorrow,” she wonders. “What kinds of problems would those companies solve?” #ForceForGood #VCBackedMoms #NonProfit #HBSForceForGood Illustration by John Ritter

It was a simple idea with the potential for far-reaching impact: During her medical residency, Elizabeth Clayborne, MD, realized that a basic device to properly treat nosebleeds could help the estimated half-million people who visit emergency rooms each year for the common condition. Clayborne, who is now on the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, did not consider herself an entrepreneur, but she became one by making the NasaClip a reality with assistance from Maryland’s Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO). “A lot of our deals start in somebody’s garage, on the back of a napkin, in one of Maryland’s universities, or because of something that happened to them or that they observed in their personal or professional life,” explains Troy LeMaile-Stovall (MBA 1994), the CEO of TEDCO since 2020. The quasi-independent agency was established by the state government in 1998 with the goal of growing Maryland’s innovation ecosystem. The organization is approaching $250 million in assets under management with funding from Maryland and the federal government and investments from the philanthropic and corporate sectors. A University of Baltimore study found that in its first 25 years, TEDCO has created nearly $2.7 billion in statewide economic activity. LeMaile-Stovall credits that success to TEDCO’s commitment to what he calls the “Four S’s”: scaling companies, stitching together the innovation ecosystem, storytelling, and “stickiness.” “The whole point is to create ‘stickiness’ for companies that are started in Maryland,” he says, emphasizing TEDCO’s efforts to foster the kind of connections, resources, and opportunities that encourage companies to stay and grow in Maryland. 📸 Photo Credit: Ryan Donnell #ForceForGood #HBSForceForGood #HBSAlumni #StartupFunding

Thank you to everyone who joined us! This month, HBS alumni from the Classes of 2000–2018 came together with current students in Professor Leslie Perlow’s Crafting Your Life course for an evening of dinner and conversation. It was inspiring to see alumni and students connect, share experiences, and reflect on their journeys. The discussions were engaging, the energy was high, and the insights were invaluable. #HBSAlumni #LIFEMatrix

✏️ The latest episode of Skydeck features several HBS alumni reflecting on their early experiences with the working world—from fast food and factories to Amazon and McKinsey. Listen to their stories here 👉 https://bit.ly/3J05oCW Christopher Bradley Wyatt Smith Karen Robinson-Rafuse John DexheimerMadhu Punjabi Roger Zino Amy Hernandez Turcios Moushmi Soleja Sarah Bryar Andrew LeSueur Karen Baldeschwieler, Small Business Consultant Patrick Beverly Esha Tiwary #HBS #HBSAlumni #Skydeck #MyFirstJob

HBS Alums-- this is for you! HBS is coming to the city that never sleeps on Tuesday, November 18th. Register and RSVP for an evening of connecting with your HBS community: https://bit.ly/4qhVJIA #HBSAlumni #HarvardBusinessSchool

Harvard Business School Alumni – We can’t wait to see you celebrating the special HBS community all around the world tonight! 🎉 While you’re connecting, mixing, and mingling, use #HBSGNN to share memories from the event with alums all over the world! #HBS #HBSAlumni #Networking