Rachel Sterling’s Post

Hola Tinkers 🌟, You may have attended many hackathons… but Why Useless Projects? This one’s like no other! Forget business models, pitches, or practicality – here, the more absurd, the better! 🎉 Bring us your wildest, wackiest ideas with absolutely zero use. Here’s why you’ll want in: Unleash Your Imagination: Have an idea too out-there to share? Now’s your time! 🌈 No limits, no judgments – just pure creativity. Let’s see where your wild thoughts take us! Collaborative Chaos: In this space, everyone can mentor everyone! 🤝 Join our brainstorming sessions where “too crazy” doesn’t exist. Ask questions, share insights, and help each other with those “useless” ideas! Every Win Matters: Every step counts, no matter how small! 🎊 Celebrate every quirky project and every brainstorming session. Let’s uplift one another on this wild journey! Let’s learn, share, and innovate together! 🚀 Ready to bring your most useless idea to life? Registration closes soon💡✨ Hurry up 🏃💥 Link:https://lnkd.in/gvAdW54b vedio credits:Fathima Rida PS 👏✨

Hello, Network! 🌐 In this moment, I am excited 💗 about: 1) putting some ideas into action and planning a workgroup. Check out my recent newsletter: https://lnkd.in/e_b668tN 🍂💡 2) working towards another rocket pitch at W&M Entrepreneurship Hub 👩🚀🪐 3) developing more confidence to take risks through the Career Design Fellowship I have begun thanks to Michael Steelman through William & Mary ...We just wrapped up our first team meeting, and as the moderator, I had the chance to guide both group discussions and individual reflections. We ended with questions like 'What’s your favorite spot on campus?' and 'What books are you reading?' These prompts brought to light the connections we share as part of the Tribe. Right now, I can’t think of a better way to spend my time, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my experiences as we all seek balance while navigating life’s dynamic course. 🎨I created an image with DALL·E to visualize what I’m calling Dynamic Course, which reflects how our ever-changing paths converge around shared ambitions, rest, and flexibility. We are all meant to navigate. Where do you aim? 💭I'm curious: Are you feeling energized and ready to act today, or are you feeling burned out? Reframing how we view where we are in this energetic cycle can have a big impact on our overall mental and physical well-being. Let me know your thoughts below!

🧠Why spend $300K on a traditional university when you can join Catalyst Collective for $299? 🎓 💼Catalyst isn’t just another course—it’s a full-fledged business university designed for entrepreneurs. Imagine a one-stop learning environment where you have: ✨ Classes led by a former Meta executive and industry experts. ✨ Clubs & Accountability Groups  tailored to your niche, keeping you focused and motivated.  ✨ Guest Professors from Harvard, Stanford, and top business schools sharing their insider knowledge.  ✨ Workshops & Challenges that push you to apply what you learn and get results fast.  ✨ Done-for-You Resources like Reels, Stories, and emails so you can focus on scaling your business. ✨This is your chance to learn from the hand-picked best in each industry—without the sky-high tuition. COMMENT CATALYST to enroll in the only business school you’ll ever need. 🚀 📱 Message me anytime for questions & support same day. https://drstephaniej.org Webinar October 15th at 7:00 pm

"I’ll wait until I’ve done something bigger, something worth sharing on LinkedIn." This was the excuse I kept giving myself, time and again. It was easier to stay quiet, to convince myself that what I’d achieved wasn’t enough. Because out there, in this noisy, competitive world, I believed I needed to have something extraordinary before I could let myself be seen. When I was building my startup, I was so focused on our next big win that I barely took out time to share our journey. We were gaining impressive traction—after multiple high-stakes meetings and growing industry buzz, we were ready for a major breakthrough. But just as we were about to take that monumental leap forward, life threw me an unexpected curveball, and I had to step away from the company. After that, I got myself into video editing, working with some of the biggest names in the industry. But still, I held back. “Not yet,” I thought. “Let’s wait for a massive project, something that will really turn heads.” And then, I entered the MBA program at Masters' Union. I thought, Maybe now? But no—I kept waiting, kept telling myself the right moment was somewhere down the line. But the truth is, there’s no magical “right time.” There’s just now. And now is enough. One whole term at Masters’ Union has passed—a term filled with ups and downs, challenges, memories, and lessons I never saw coming. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: waiting doesn’t get you anywhere. The moment you’ve been waiting for? It’s right here, right now. So here I am, taking that step I’ve been avoiding for so long. It’s time to share. Time to own my story, with all its imperfections.

Last week, we hosted our first Virtual Coffee Chat, and the energy was unmatched! Here’s what went down: 📌 Over 32participants from 4 countries connected in a dynamic and inspiring session. 📌 Participants reflected on onboarding learnings, sparking fresh ideas and innovative insights. 📌 A lot of thought-provoking questions were answered, leaving everyone motivated to push forward. 📌 New connections were made, setting the stage for collaboration and growth. We’re only one week in, but the passion and drive we’ve seen so far are nothing short of inspiring. This bootcamp is about equipping graduates, young professionals, and entrepreneurs with the tools to solve real-world problems and lead with confidence. 🚀 💡 Missed the start? There’s a slim window left to join the journey and catch up with this vibrant community of innovators. 👉 Don’t wait, registration closes tomorrow 12pm GMT —Register NOW: bit.ly/virindubootcamp Let’s shape the future together. 🌍 #VirinduBootcamp #InnovationLeadership #NextGenLeaders #EntrepreneurshipJourney #AfricaLeads

I recently connected with an inspiring entrepreneur, Chris Bent 🥒, the founder of Piccles... Here’s what's happening: ✨ Piccles transforms the way people connect and create, offering an interactive platform that unleashes the power of collective imagination. With every brush stroke, teams and communities draw closer together, fostering creative confidence, storytelling, and emotional intelligence. Their collaborative drawing software is accessible, easy to use, and most importantly, FUN! And guess what? We’re teaming up for the WEDO Canada | Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization RISE WITH HER summit on November 13th! This partnership will bring a whole new level of interaction, allowing attendees to express themselves creatively and connect through collective art. It’s an unforgettable way to spark joy and leave a lasting impression. But more than that... Our conversation reminded me of how often we overlook using drawing to express our emotions. Our bodies know us best, yet we often ignore their signals to slow down and reflect. Piccles serves as a powerful reminder to pause, create, and reconnect with ourselves and others. I was particularly impressed with how seamlessly the platform worked during our demo! Initially, I was concerned about the technical aspects for our event, but my worries vanished as soon as I started using it. Chris’s journey is also super inspiring—Piccles evolved from a simple tool for group art into a platform that enriches events and provides valuable insights to understand your audience. Plus, they create custom-branded videos, GIFs, and data visualizations to share with the world! 🌍 So, what’s the impact they're making? Disruptive impact! I’m talking: ➠ Engaging icebreakers and workshops that make events memorable. ➠ Meaningful connections that last beyond the event. ➠ Qualitative data to help you understand your audience better. ➠ A creative outlet that inspires attendees to express their true selves. I can’t wait for you to experience Piccles at the WEDO RISE WITH HER summit on November 13th! We’ve got an incredible lineup of powerhouse speakers ready to share insights on embracing technology, mastering digital tools, and leading with vision in an ever-changing world 💻 This summit is going to be unforgettable—tickets are on sale now! 🎟️✨ Side note: This is the drawing I made during our live demo 😆 #EventInnovation #CreativeLeadership #DigitalTransformation #WomenInBusiness #Innovation

Venture Atlanta is totally exhausting…but incredibly fun! Next week will be non-stop action and I couldn’t be more excited! Thousands of people, tons of energy, and endless opportunities to connect. Venture Atlanta Conference is a great representation of Atlanta and the fantastic, growing startup ecosystem of the Southeast. And my personal highlight? The TrackCred Founder & Funder Jog on Tuesday morning. Get ready for a casual jog with 70+ folks. 🤯 It’s seriously the best not-networking networking event! Open to everyone, link below to register. Other events I’m pumped for! 🎉 • VC Panel: We read Mark Suster blog like it was the Bible in the early days of Pardot. Excited to hear him speak plus love the other powerhouse panelists! • Women in Capital Breakfast: What started with 3 women is now hundreds! It’s incredible what can happen in a short time. Thank you Christy Brown, @Allyson Eman, and Kim Seals for getting it started. • Keynote Speaker Dawn Staley National champion & hall of fame basketball coach, right here in the South. Find me in the front row. • Female Founders in Innovation Dinner: Atlanta Ventures is a sponsor and I could not be more excited to celebrate the amazing women building companies! • Hands On Atlanta Tech Day of Service: Giving back in South Downtown Atlanta! Thank you Eileen Lee and Endeavor for this important event. 5 more events I’ll be at and all the details in the blog below (+ tips on how to make the most of the week)!! Not a comprehensive list by any means! There’s SO MUCH going on. NOW…Who’s ready!? What are you looking forward to the most at Venture Atlanta? Got any conference tips you can share?

80.000hrs - t[working life] = your #impact #residue Very proud to share the launch of our game-changing network, the Impactmakers Community: the place to meet peers; join panels, discussions and work related intervision; and forge alliances for change. After launching (1) Trailblazers, the post-academic school for #entrepreneurs, #CSRD #specialists and #innovation minded #intrapreneurs; (2) repositioning Starters.eco, priorly known as #starters4communities, towards the overarching ecosystem with local networks, community based consulting, and development programmes for youngsters such as Futureproof NL and Ik wil FIKS; (3) the launch of the #impactmakers #Community is the third and final pillar to support our mission to make Impact entrepreneurship the standard. Special thanks to the main drivers behind our networks: Yana Mechielsen, Raoul Becher, Rachel Weijman, Elles Van Der Heijden, Jan Van Veelen, Mike Jonker, Tamar Slooves, Anke Hendriks, Wieke Meilink. Looking for ways to elevate your #CSR, #Social, #Sustainability and #innovation targets? Or interested in working together with us? Just send me a DM.

✋🏻Celebrating FIVE years in business!!! 🥳 This month Rachel Zillner, our team and I celebrate the evolving organization that is Clutch. 🤓 With a heart full of gratitude, we extend a thank you to the community of humans that has supported us over the years❣️ In honor of our fifth year, I am sharing five learnings about creating a business from the ground up and lessons I have learned along the way; ⚡️Trust your gut, intuition plays a huge role in the decisions you make (big and small) ⚡️Community shows up in unexpected and delightful ways, remain open and pour into others ⚡️Disciplined organization of your business documents will pay dividends back in time as you apply for and obtain; certifications, program admittance, new vendor relationships, and more ⚡️Align with people and partners that value respect, communication, curiosity and a yearning to do good in this world through powerful work (including your business partner💗) ⚡️Limiting beliefs are a choice and how you choose to define success is a personal decision. Scaling a startup isn’t for the faint of heart and the experience I’ve gained from these past five years is being harnessed in exciting ways. Can’t wait to share more! #connectwithClutch #anniversary #fiveyearsinbusiness

Some good brief insights for associations and their membership acquisition and engagement strategies when it comes to attracting students and young professionals into the organization.