Karen Wertman

Karen Wertman

Karen's career spans 25+ years in marketing and management, where she's built brands in publishing, education & consumer electronics. An entrepreneur and independent consultant, she's had several startups and is Executive Producer for Vator Splash.

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karenwertman/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/karenwertman
Oakland, California, United States
Member since December 18, 2013
  • About
Investor interests
Locations of interest
Credentials None
Education
St. Louis University , BA , Psychology, French

I am a(n):

Entrepreneur

Companies I've founded or co-founded:
RallyCall, Sausalito Audio, Medigift
Companies I work or worked for:
Miller Freeman, Mix Magazine, Ex'pression College for Digital Arts, Karen Wertman
If you're an entrepreneur or corporate innovator, why?

I'm passionately interested in building products and organizations that make money while making a positive difference.

What's most frustrating and rewarding about entrepreneurship/innovation?

You are in control of your time, your ability to be authentic, and your opportunities. You are at the mercy of market timing, investor whim, and an unpredictable economy.

What's the No. 1 mistake entrepreneurs/innovators make?

Waiting too long to launch (instead of being lean and failing fast). Failing to understand the importance of brand and marketing, even at the early stages.

What are the top three lessons you've learned as an entrepreneur?

Surround yourself with the right people: inspired visionaries and ultra-executors.
Be realistic about the product or service you are creating. Do people love it? Do people need it?
Iterate! Don't be wedded to your ideas - whether it's your product, funding or business model.

Full bio

Karen’s career spans more than twenty-five years in marketing and business management. She’s helped build brands in publishing, higher education, consumer electronics and diverse non-profit organizations. She's led or partnered with several startups, An avid and collaborative educator, Karen has facilitated workshops as well as designed and delivered training sessions on social media and varied marketing topics. Karen and her team won the contract to launch  the City of Oakland’s first social media strategy. She's also served on Mayor Jean Quan’s  Positively Oakland advisory group and currently co-chairs 2.Oakland, a volunteer organization working to help support the tech & innovation ecosystem. In addition to developing RallyCallKaren is  Executive Producer for Vator Splash Events.