Jennifer Brandel

Much of the harm individuals face is the result of poorly designed systems. When systems are built without the benefit of feedback from all stakeholders, they are likely to have negative impacts for those who weren’t heard from when decisions were made. One critically important system that has had devastating consequences globally is the corporate finance system of the USA. For decades, it has prized shareholder value above all else, and the startup ecosystem has mutated accordingly. Jennifer Brandel started her company Hearken in the belly of the hyper-growth culture beast, Silicon Valley, but questioned the logic along the way. She and three other startup founders started dreaming and writing about an alternative model, which has now gone global. Instead of “unicorn” companies, they are building “zebras.” Jennifer will share lessons from her journey and ways to build more inclusive systems.

The research is in and the data is clear: Engaged journalism increases audience trust in journalists, which results in audiences being willing to financially support journalism. To achieve this shift, newsrooms must change how they relate to the public they serve. Jennifer Brandel, engaged journalism pioneer and CEO of Hearken, will share valuable concepts and practical tips for how to shift the mentality and reality of your newsroom toward a relational model.

The best insights and ideas often happen outside the places they can be realized. Someone has a brilliant idea for a new product but lacks connections to people in that industry. Another person has a smart question for a person in power, but no ability to reach them to get answers. What if every company and institution had a way where useful insights from people outside of that organization could flow into them, be processed, and lead to action? Hearken is trying to make this possible, starting with the journalism industry. CEO and co-founder Jennifer Brandel will share her path and vision toward reimagining the assets of a news organization to be paired with the power and curiosity of the public they serve. She’ll share how with a few shifts in perspective, new potential can be unlocked and top-performing, award-winning stories can result.

Be unicorns? Now small-scale entrepreneurs are resisting. Meet Jennifer and Mara. The two American founders have started the zebra movement, a counterbalance to macho capitalism.

When you look up “female CEO” in Google images, you come across a common trope: women – dressed like men in blazers with button up shirts and their arms crossed – trying to look serious but also accessible. What does it look like to lead as a woman? What cultural baggage are you bringing with you and ready to leave behind to step into your leadership style? This interactive workshop will help you re-center around your individuality and the gifts you bring to leading others, so you can better lead yourself.

As we ask ourselves whether startups have done more harm than good, we have an opportunity to question and understand how that harm happened, and what we can do to prevent it. Companies are born from the capital they take, the corporate ownership structures they adopt, and the community they exist in and contribute to. Together, founders and investors will examine why the prevailing capital systems serve so few and co-create more aligned alternatives. We’ll define what type of support community is needed, and we’ll identify who is missing from ownership and access as wealth is created to design more inclusive structures.