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Alyson Stemas

Epic work fails

My program for women in entrepreneurship...looking at you VCs.

Disclaimer: I am not the reason this effort has failed. Read on --> I designed a program to accelerate the path to entrepreneurship for young women. It is uniquely designed to tackle some of the biggest roadblocks they face on their journey including social capital, actual capital, the confident to go full-time, mentorship, de-risking by finding a co-founder and more... There's the infamous stat of <3% of VC funds going to women and that was my motivator for the program. Unsurprisingly, no one was interested in funding my program aimed at solving the lack of funding for women in entrepreneurship. 🙃 I still have the program designed, branded, and ready to build when the right person comes to the table to bring this program to life. I have hope!

Things I want to learn cover image
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Alyson Stemas

Things I'd love to learn

I continue to be curious about creating authenticity in communities.

Here's a presentation I did on some of my research in this area for my On Deck cohort: https://www.notion.so/as1313/Creating-an-Authentic-Community-Environment-A-Workshop-by-Alyson-Stemas-a901990dded44428aebe3ec5b8ada02f

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Alyson Stemas

When I'm stressed, you might notice me…

Skip small talk and become more formal in my communication style.

Help me make a list and hold me accountable to work through it!

Most fulfilling project cover image
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Alyson Stemas

Most fulfilling project I've worked on

Creating a new DEI program for a community.

There was a lot of negative feedback regarding our DEI programming and missteps taken by previous leadership. Creating a program that had shared responsibility and connected the community together was so meaningful to me.

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Alyson Stemas

Proud moment

When I created a mental health program that was intentional and impactful.

Mental health month awareness campaigns can often feel performative and check a box, so creating something lasting felt important to me.

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Alyson Stemas

Best way to get me excited about something

Tell me how it helps us achieve a bigger goal and what hasn't worked before

I also love to see the data! I want to be able to connect all the dots from existing knowledge and help us move closer to the goal.

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Alyson Stemas

Something that drives me crazy 😵‍💫 🤬

Solving the wrong problem!

It is a waste of time, energy and resources. For example, if you're worried about event attendance, don't simple create more events, solve for the entire engagement model from prompts to motivation and ability. Do some research, iterate, learn, and then create a solution.

How I relax cover image
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Alyson Stemas

How I relax

I love pilates, watercolor painting and time outdoors (on water preferably)

Binge watching all seasons of The Crown is my go-to activity when I'm sick and need to force myself to relax and recover.

I really admire teammates who… cover image
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Alyson Stemas

I really admire teammates who are…

Creative thinkers, data wizards, technical experts

They often help me see or uncover what I missed or what's possible!

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Alyson Stemas

A fun fact about me is…

I'm a former competitive figure skater!
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Alyson Stemas

People who have impacted how I see the 🌍

Malcom GladwellHenri MatisseSerena WilliamsKendra ScottMichelle ObamaTaylor SwiftStacey AbramsBrene BrownAmy Cuddy

Each of these people have shifted how I see myself in relation to the world around me. For example, Matisse changed how I see color and how I paint. Gladwell changed how I talk to strangers and interpret the behavior of others. Serena taught me about the power of tenacity, grit, and self. Kendra Scott showed me what women with an idea can build, create, and give back to other women. Taylor Swift continues to keep me on my toes as she creates a digital community like no other. Stacey Abrams' work helped me add to my knowledge on inequality in America. ...I could go on. They're all great in their own work and expertise and I'm grateful to share the world with them.

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Alyson Stemas

Most used emojis

Alyson Stemas's most used emojis

What comes before and follows this emoji is always 🏆

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Alyson Stemas

The best environment for me is:

space for deep work in the PMback to back meetings

I like to prepare for my day in the morning and get ready for all meetings at one time. But I'm also a flexible person, so I often switch up my working preferences to keep my WFH energizing.

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Alyson Stemas

Me when sh*t hits the fan

Alyson Stemas when sh*t hits the fan

I am a creative thinker under pressure!

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Alyson Stemas

You can ask me about

People LeadershipStrategyCultureOperationsAirtableNotionAutomationCommunityLearning

I love to connect and scale tools to make people's roles easier. For example, I created a zap using Zapier to easily create a personal feedback database in Notion so at the end of the year during performance reviews, you have a complete catalog of feedback to reference.

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Alyson Stemas

Outside of work, you'll find me...

Coffee shopFarmers MarketOutdoor activityDay tripMuseumLunch on a patio

Doing any of these things with my family makes me happy.

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Alyson Stemas

Personality type

ENTP

I'm also an Enneagram Type 3! I know I'm a high achiever that aims to succeed and often sees the forest before the trees!

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Alyson Stemas

I'm energized at work by…

getting sh*t done.building stuffsolving problemshelping others succeedjam sessions

I even enjoy building Ikea furniture! I love any opportunity to take on a messy challenge, untangle the details, and make sense of it all to create a path forward.

Values cover image
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Alyson Stemas

My core values

AuthenticityBeautyCommunityFairnessLearningServiceSuccess

Missing from this list is equity!

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Alyson Stemas

What I'm like at work

ThoughtfulResourcefulCreativeAnalyticalObservantHard WorkingConfident

The number one compliment that I get is that I'm thoughtful and intentional, and the great part? It's true. I am confident in my ability to built and execute in a way that is intentional and mindful of time/resources/purpose/outcome.

Motivations cover image
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Alyson Stemas

Things that deeply motivate me…

Winning 🥇Helping others ❤️Being my most authentic self 🎨Learning as much as I can 🤓Having unique experiences ✨Running the show, being in charge ⚡️Working with people I love 🥰

I once watched a TikTok about the need for executive gravitas and thought, "I guess I'm not an executive," but I had the title of VP. I find posturing (or forced gravitas) to get in the way of authenticity and connection which limits my ability to help others ...which feeds my soul. Helping others for me looks like mentoring or coaching my team through challenges or getting into the details with the team to build the solution together. The thing that motivates me the most is watching my own team succeed personally and professionally. It gives me such joy to empower others or help them on their journey.

How to make my day cover image
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Alyson Stemas

You will make my freakin day if you…

share a problem

I love being able to support my team -- so tackling a problem together is really rewarding for me. It often allows us to be creative together, share feedback, challenge each other, and develop a solution. I feel productive while creating connection.

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Alyson Stemas

I work best as a…

Some mix of execution and strategy. I love doing tasks and the high-level strategy conversations.
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Alyson Stemas

My biggest fear

Being bad, wrong, or corruptHaving no meaning or being insignificant and mundaneBeing in conflict or separated from others, being without connection
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Alyson Stemas

I learn best by…

doing itpairing with a teammateUsing Tango to track the steps!
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Alyson Stemas

I like to get feedback when its given…

1:1face to faceslack/email okwith kindnesswith contextwith examples
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Alyson Stemas

My areas for growth

Balances internal resources effectivelyMakes decisions promptly, even with uncertaintyClearly communicates purpose and vision
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Alyson Stemas

My superpowers

Manages feelings of self and others during conflictCollaborates effectively with teammatesFosters high performance teamworkMentors and develops teammates for their growthPrioritizes common good over self-interest