Lessons from 40 Industries: What Founders Miss When Building from Scratch

​Fireside Chat with Maggie McDermott

​When you’ve worked across 40+ industries — from Fortune 500 brands to scrappy startups — you start to notice patterns. You see what founders overcomplicate, what they consistently miss, and what truly makes a brand or business scalable from day one.

​Join us for a high-impact conversation with Maggie McDermott — strategic business development leader and early-stage advisor — as she distills decades of cross-sector insight into practical, founder-friendly takeaways. From launching products at top-tier agencies to guiding purpose-driven entrepreneurs today, Maggie brings a rare blend of strategic sharpness, marketing savvy, and creative storytelling that’s helped ventures move from ambiguity to clarity — and build real momentum.

​In this session, Maggie will unpack:

​• What working across 40+ industries teaches you about early-stage success

​• The foundational gaps most founders miss (and how to avoid them)

​• A decision-making lens to move faster without losing focus

​• How to balance vision and execution in a noisy, uncertain market

​• Her go-to frameworks for brand building, positioning, and founder clarity

​Whether you’re still shaping your idea or already in market, you’ll walk away with new mental models, sharp perspective, and a few hard truths that could save you months of trial and error.

​Come for the insight — stay for the real talk.

​This one’s for the founders who want to build something meaningful and make it work.