EP.12 — Everywhere for Everyone: TaskRabbit, Scaling Culture, and Investing in the Founders of the Future

Join us as we talk to Stacy Brown-Philpot, Founding member of SoftBank’s Opportunity Fund, Board Member of HP Inc., Nordstrom, Noom, StockX, Black Girls Code, the Urban Institute, and former CEO of TaskRabbit. We chat about launching new markets, scaling culture, leading authentically, and investing in founders of the future.

Authors: Chris Ferrer

See bottom of the post for links to your preferred podcast player

How does the small size of apartments in Wembley, England and Ikea Pax wardrobes lead to improvements in TaskRabbit’s app? What does the NYC metro and grid lock traffic in LA mean for expansion in quirky markets? I couldn’t have asked better questions myself, you’ll have to check out the podcast to find out :)

Let’s talk about culture. We all know culture is crucial when leading a company, but how do you scale it? How do you avoid the many stories of culture gone wrong? Stacy shares her insights on creating an environment where the flowers can bloom, where there isn’t one single great culture, but a melange of unique cultures in every office. Leading authentically is certainly a buzzy phrase right now, but what does it mean to actually create a space where people can bring their full selves? It’s not simple, but it starts with building an organization that is representative of the folks you’re serving, searching for people that are already living your organization’s values, and creating systems that promote and reward teams.

It’s not a “pipeline problem”, there’s a lack of capital focused on investing in founders of color. We talk about how SoftBank’s Opportunity Fund is intentional about its focus on diversity, creating opportunities, building community, and mentorship.

Enough teasers check out the podcast below!

Today’s Guest: Stacy Brown-Philpot

Other podcast players:

Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Pocket Casts, Anchor, Spotify, Breaker, RadioPublic

Check out Wharton Tech Toks socials:

IG: whartontech

Twitter @whartontechclub

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wharton-tech-club/