Leadership and Storytelling: Notes for Early Stage Founders
About Event
Building a startup isn't just about building a product, it's about building trust, telling a compelling story, and leading people through uncertainty.
As your company grows from idea to reality, the challenges shift: How do you transition from "doing everything" to leading a team? How do you keep your brand story consistent when the internal reality is messy? And how do you use equity, not just as a legal requirement, but as a leadership tool to attract and motivate top talent?
If you're an early-stage founder navigating these questions, this conversation is for you.
Join us for a webinar with leadership and storytelling experts as they discuss:
Using equity as a strategic tool, not just for compliance, but for building culture and investor confidence
Building systems of trust by moving from "handshake agreements" to scalable, human-first leadership structures
Communicating value during volatility and keeping teams connected to the mission when morale dips
The human dimension of scale and avoiding the critical mistakes founders make when growing from 5 to 50 people
The art of transitioning from founder to leader and how storytelling accelerates that shift
Meet the Speakers
1. Julia Markish (Head of Strategy, Executive Coach, and Facilitator at Elevate Leadership)
Julia has been coaching and advising leaders on their organizational culture and practices for over two decades. She cut her teeth as a consultant at Bain & Company, led the Employee Practice at Medallia, founded the People Strategy Group at Lattice, and now heads up strategy at leadership development firm Elevate Leadership.
2. Jenny W. Hsu (Head Creator, Day 2 Studios)
Jenny W. Hsu is the Head Creator for Day 2 Studios, a Taipei-based advisory helping business leaders and founders find their authentic voice to attract the right people to their corner. For nearly 15 years of her two-decade communications career, Jenny was a reporter for several outlets, including serving as a foreign correspondent for The Wall Street Journal in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
3. Matthew Rowett (Moderator) (Partnerships Manager, Qapita)
Leading Qapita's growth in the US market while navigating the complexities of cross-border expansion.
About Qapita
Qapita is the #1 rated equity management platform trusted by 3,000+ companies globally and now expanding in the U.S. We help startups digitize their cap tables, automate Employee Stock Ownership Plans, and turn complex legal spreadsheets into a clean, investor-ready source of truth.
About Elevate Leadership
Elevate Leadership is dedicated to helping managers become the kind of leader they would want to work for. They believe that who you work for is everything, because it changes your life and determines if you love or hate your job. With science-backed tools and resources, Elevate creates inspiring leaders who foster better work environments for their teams.
About Day 2
Day 2 Studios helps founders move beyond the launch and turn their vision into reality. They specialize in helping business leaders find their authentic voice to attract the right people to their corner. With global reach and battle-tested expertise in strategic communications, Day 2 acts as truth-telling partners who deliver the hard truths and sharp guidance that drive real progress. One focused team, fully engaged, delivering real results.