Isabella Mandis - Leadership At A Young Age - Authentic Leadership for Everyday People

Today we talk to Isabella Mandis, Founder and CEO of Girls Who VC and sophomore at Havard, proof that age is no barrier to making a positive difference in the world of VC.

Isabella shares her inspiring journey into authentic leadership and starting Girls Who VC just seven months ago, her insights into navigating challenges, embracing opportunities, and how she’s making a positive difference in the world of venture capital.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[01:04] - Dino introduces today’s guest, Isabella Mandis, a sophomore at Harvard and founder of Girls Who VC and living proof that leadership transcends age.

[02:22] - Isabella shares her vision for Girls Who VC, the pioneering organization dedicated to bringing young women into venture capital.

[04:00] - Discover how Girls Who VC has grown into a vibrant community of over 2000 members and 100 mentors in just seven months.

[06:02] - Isabella opens up about her leadership journey and how she navigates leading college students and managing projects while respecting their busy lives.

[07:46] - Explore why Isabella chose to take on the gigantic mission of addressing gender and minority disparities in the venture industry.

[09:31] - Isabella shares a glimpse of her vision for Girls Who VC five years from now, where she hopes to invest in and support even more female-led startups.

[09:52] - Discover the programs that Girls Who VC has in place to connect more aspiring venture capitalists with industry experts.

[10:43] - Learn three valuable lessons Isabella has picked up since starting Girls Who VC.

[14:19] - Isabella highlights how COVID shaped her career positively, allowing her to gain valuable formative opportunities and build connections in the venture capital field.

[16:22] - As Girls Who VC continues to grow, Isabella shares some of the hurdles they’ve overcome and the plan for the organization's future.

[20:57] - Why it’s crucial to Isabella to create a diverse leadership team

[22:13] - What’s unique about Gen Z entrepreneurs.

[23:31] - Dino expresses his own opinion of Gen Z entrepreneurs and their focus on making the world a better place.

[27:16] - Isabella shares valuable advice she has received from her mentors and the key lessons she’s learned.

[28:31] - The proven significance of encouragement for female founders

[29:09] - Isabella invites those interested in supporting or joining Girls Who VC to visit their website and join the community (it’s FREE). You can also reach out to Isabella on LinkedIn.

[29:52] - Isabella shares how her interests outside of school and work have impacted the way she thinks about making a difference.

[30:48] - Isabella shares the overused word she just plain doesn’t like.

[31:45] - Why she’s so inspired by TV and TS (and her favorite TS song).

[32:40] - If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends and family, and subscribe on your favorite listening platform so you don't miss any episodes. You can also follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram.

Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.com

Websites:

al4ep.com or authenticleadershipforeverydaypeople.com

Girls Who VC

Other links for Isabella:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/girls-who-vc

Twitter: @GirlsWhoVC

Instagram: @girlswhovc

Isabella’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/isabellamandis

Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo

Dino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo

Podcast Instagram: @al4edp