In today’s episode of Framework, Jamie talks with Madeline Parra, a startup founder and candidate for U.S. Congress in North Carolina’s 10th District.
After a stint as the “iPad girl” at pharmaceutical giant GSK, Madeline and a partner started Twizoo, an app designed to aggregate reviews from social media sites. Following Twizoo’s acquisition by Skyscanner, Madeline and her team founded Purple Dot, an ecommerce platform for fashion retailers that promotes sustainability.
Madeline is passionate about where she grew up, an area of North Carolina that she says has been “left behind.” That passion drew her to open an office in her home district and decide to run for Congress there.
Madeline talks with Jamie about going “from 0 to 1,” the challenges of launching a startup and what she hopes to accomplish as a Congressional candidate.
“I felt so lucky to have built this company from 0 to 1, to a point whereby another company would pay millions of dollars for it. And that’s when I kind of realized, this 0 to 1 space is where I want to sit, because not only do you give people a chance to be part of a longshot, you can help be part of the story that makes it happen for them, and it can be a life-changing experience for you and your team.” ~ Madeline Parra
Main Takeaways
- Don’t see missing out on achieving your goals as a failure; see it instead as a step toward success.
- Founding a startup isn’t just about writing your story. Everyone involved in the process has a chance to be part of it.
- If you feel like the area you’re from has been left behind or forgotten, take an active hand in changing that perception. That’s the drive behind Madeline’s run for Congress.
Links and Important Mentions
- Madeline’s campaign website
- Madeline on LinkedIn
- Madeline on Twitter
- Purple Dot
- Skyscanner
- Five Guys
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