Amy Nelson is part of a new crop of women who have started companies in record numbers this year. She is the CEO of The Riveter, a female-forward space for entrepreneurs. And not only does the Seattle space do well in its Capitol Hill and Fremont neighborhoods, the platform has now expanded into Los Angeles and beyond.
This year she's all about opting up and not opting out. She's breaking barriers and breaking down the maternal wall, trying to get women-owned businesses to stop punishing themselves in the workplace.
Nelson's offerings are catching the attention of some heavy hitters in Hollywood. She recently announced The Riveter will be holding a "Conversation with Jane Fonda" on September 11 at the Capitol Hill location. The event will be open to Riveter members first and then the public.
Nelson sat down with Take 5:
Q: Did you ever feel like there was a time you wanted to give up on your project?
A: Starting a company is the hardest thing - aside from parenting - that I've ever undertaken. Every day brings different challenges and some of those challenges feel insurmountable. And while I am grateful for this opportunity, it can be exhausting. I've never felt like I wanted to give up, but there are certainly days when I wish I could take a break. When this feeling pops up, I try to take some time away from the hard stuff and enjoy the good stuff! Luckily, The Riveter provides a lot of the good stuff. We work with women starting companies and all I have to do to get inspired is walk into one of our workspaces and talk to a mom returning to the workforce after working at home with her kids or listen to a startup founder tell me about a cool hire or a new development. The stories give me fresh air!
Q: Who are some of the people you look up to in your field and why?
A: I really look up to Arlan Hamilton. Arlan is a venture capital investor who recently raised a $36 million fund to invest in diverse and under-represented founders. In fact, she has committed to investing only in African American female founders, $1 million at a time. Last year, women received less than 2% of venture capital funds. But the story for African American women shows even worse numbers: only 34 African American women have ever raised over $1 million in the American start-up ecosystem. Arlan is breaking barriers and doing something critically important. I'm in awe of her work, her team, and her strength.
Q: Was there a time you failed, but triumphed in the end?
A: This one is easy! I fail every day. Failure is a feature of your life as an entrepreneur, not a bug. I tend to think that if we aren't failing at The Riveter, we aren't growing and learning. I think I learned about the value of failure as an athlete. I played water polo in high school. We won two state championships, which was amazing. However, in my senior year we lost by one goal in the semi-finals. It felt like such a blow. At the same time, I learned that the value of the team and the friendships I made far outweighed a trophy.
