Being the Boss

You founded Upward after working at some pretty big established companies, including Intel. How did founding a startup compare with working at those larger organizations?

Well, kind of a difference in a good way, I think the thing that I like most about Upward is that I can recruit people that are 100% aligned with the vision that I have for the organization. It's not always easy to do that when you're working at big companies, because there's lots of people that have a say on who you hire. But at Upward, I was able to handpick people that I knew were committed to this, they were either working on projects that supports advancement or they were deeply passionate about it. So being selective about who I recruit was really helpful. And I think also that as the founder and as the CEO of Upward, I get to make the decisions and so that feels good, that's very good, that's a very good thing. I enjoyed working for big companies and having, you know, I was CEO at National Grid, and so I have that kind of experience and perspective to bring to what I do every day. But there's really nothing that replaces being the boss and I don't mean that in a commanding or demanding way, but just knowing that you get to make decisions on the strategy, the vision, who we hire, what events we do, what companies and partners that we pursue, it's actually pretty enjoyable.