She turned to me and said, “I took this job over something that paid more, and now what should I do?” These agonising decisions kept me up at night for weeks, and I know it was much harder on those affected. I told my cancer doctor, “I like data. For years I did a poor job of communicating the depth of my stress and exhaustion, a problem only compounded by the fact that, at times, I wasn’t even sure of my own feelings. So I felt I had no choice but to be a source of energy for potential stakeholders even though I barely had enough energy for myself. CircleUp is an equity crowdfunding platform that you can use to raise money for your startup company online. CircleUp has a wide selection of open offerings, and sets themselves apart with their “Classifier” algorithmic process for assessing prospective issuers. What Will Grocery Shopping Look Like in the Future? How could I have cancer? Blue Apron co-founder and COO Matt Wadiak stepped down to become a senior advisor following the company’s latest stock struggles. I truly feel lucky for their help in steering the ship, particularly through difficult times, with skill, vision, patience and resolve. Japanese pharmaceutical company, Otsuka, bought out Canadian plant-based food company Daiya for $326 million, speaking to the rise of a more holistic, preventative, plant-based approach to health. In their minds, we wouldn’t be able to hire a new CEO until that was done, and doing both simultaneously would be impossible to get done in less than a year. Daiya, which makes a range of dairy-, gluten- and soy-free dairy alternatives, said the deal would help increase its presence throughout North America and worldwide. I knew it would be a difficult transition for CircleUp, but I also believed it was the right move for the company as much as it was the right move for me. Generation Investment Management and Lead Edge Capital led the round with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners and existing Investors. I know I am privileged to be in a demographic, time and geography that makes starting something this audacious feel possible. Please, you need to take a sabbatical — at least six weeks”. So when you decide to buy in an offering on CircleUp, you can see if the company is offering transfer rights. A few teammates tried to help me focus only on work that brought me joy, but I failed at that task. Copyright © 2015 I feel thankful for the partnership that Matt, Andy, Dan and other advisors and investors have given to CircleUp, and to me personally, for years. I’m not here to share a playbook — I don’t think one exists. The pivot was behind us. Dealing with this issue was one of the loneliest times I faced as a CEO. I think so, but I can’t know the answer to that any more than I can know how people will react to this account. Fight for your own health and the health of millions of women out there. I also hope this piece can help build greater empathy and understanding among the investors, teams and families that have backed, supported and lived with founders whose struggles might at first seem opaque or impenetrable but are, in essence, deeply human. In retrospect, I think I would have brought our company closer together by being vulnerable and authentic, and I certainly wouldn’t have felt as lonely. Company profile page for CircleUp Inc including stock price, company news, press releases, executives, board members, and contact information To be clear, this email is unlike anything I’ve sent in my life, and I’ve thought long and hard about the decision to share it. Create an alert to follow the executive moves at CircleUp. All Rights Reserved. My personal obstacles were under better control and we now had an infant boy along with our daughter, who was three at the time. Food+Tech Connect. 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