.png)
Madeline Fraser is the CEO and Founder of Gemist, the first mobile app to allow users to design jewelry and try it on at home before purchasing it. Having grown problem-solving tech startups in the past, Madeline founded Gemist to turn the custom jewelry process into something personal and modern for consumers. Before creating Gemist, Madeline served as the CMO and Co-founder of the tech companies, ZOOM Interiors and Hutch. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, Interior Design, and Architecture at George Washington University in 2014.
Madeline joins us today to share her advice on weathering the fundraising process. She discusses the lessons she learned from co-founding her previous two companies and describes what it was like to pitch in Shark Tank. She explains how the founder of Tinder became her mentor and why failures turn us into stronger business owners. She also outlines how venture capitalists invest during the pandemic and underscores the importance of building a network with other founders.
“Fundraising is networking and tapping into the founder network.” - Madeline Fraser
Help More Female Entrepreneurs & Leaders Through the IFundWomen Campaign
We are thrilled to announce that our iFundWomen campaign is now live! We have supported so many women through Entreprenista, and we're excited to share this opportunity with you to support our campaign and continue to help women business owners and leaders.
Our funding goal is $100,000 - which means that every dollar counts. The best part? We've created incredible rewards that will help you as part of our campaign!
When you pledge to the iFundWomen Campaign, you’ll receive:
Visit iFundWomen.com/Projects/Entreprenista to contribute any amount you feel comfortable with.
Seriously. Every dollar, every share, and every mention on social media to your network counts and is beyond appreciated. Thank you for supporting us and women everywhere.
Today’s episode is brought to you by: ANISA Beauty Brushes
ANISA Beauty understands that what touches your skin matters. ANISA designs each brush through cruelty-free, vegan and sustainably responsible practices to elevate your skincare and makeup routines from hands-on to hands-free. The innovative design of these skin care and makeup brushes offer versatile application and fiber flexibility to achieve a great look - each and every time.
Head over to ANISABeauty.com and use the code Entreprenista50 at checkout to unlock the power of self-expression today.
Entreprenista has also teamed up with ANISA Beauty for an exciting giveaway! Enter to win the entire ANISA beauty collection and an Entreprenista League one-year membership! Visit Entreprenista.com/ANISABeauty to enter by December 15.
Good luck!
If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:
Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and MORE!
Whether you’re looking to scale your existing business and want to make the right connections, or you’re thinking about finally taking the leap to launch your business, we’re here to give you access to a community of women who will celebrate your every step, and with whom you can share the candid reality of building a business from scratch.
Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!
Become An Entreprenista!
Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for female founders, by female founders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.
Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Radio | GooglePlay
Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.
Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn and for more exclusive content, tips, and insight, join the Entreprenistas Facebook group and visit the SocialFly website.
Guests
Madeline Fraser
Founder of Gemist
Hosts
Stephanie Cartin
Stephanie Cartin is a serial entrepreneur, investor, podcast host, community builder, and a champion for women founders. She created the Entreprenista League, a community for women founders, to provide resources and support necessary at all business stages. She’s also the Co-founder of Socialfly, one of the first social media marketing agencies, as well as Entreprenista Media and Pearl Influential Capital which was recently acquired by Cherub. Stephanie has shared her journey managing her health challenges with Multiple Sclerosis, Infertility, and a complicated pregnancy and is an advocate for women going through similar challenges. Her story and businesses have been featured on the Today Show, Bloomberg and Forbes. Consider Stephanie your biggest business cheerleader.
Courtney Spritzer
Courtney Spritzer is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor, author, and community builder with a passion for creating brands and platforms that empower women to lead, grow, and thrive.
In 2012, she co-founded Socialfly, a leading social-first digital and influencer marketing agency. Over the course of a decade, she helped scale the business into an award-winning agency working with Fortune 500 brands and emerging startups, building a powerhouse team and culture along the way. In 2024, Socialfly was acquired.
In 2018, Courtney launched the Entreprenista Podcast to spotlight the stories of inspiring women founders. That passion evolved into Entreprenista Media in 2021, a media platform and community supporting women entrepreneurs at every stage of growth. She now co-leads the continued expansion of The Entreprenista League, a membership-driven community and ecosystem for founders.
As an angel investor, Courtney supports female-led and mission-driven startups aligned with her vision for a more inclusive and equitable business landscape.
She is the co-author of Like, Love, Follow: The Entreprenista’s Guide to Using Social Media to Grow Your Business (2015), a strategic guide for leveraging social platforms to drive business success.
Her work and ventures have been featured in Bloomberg, Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, and The New York Times. She is committed to championing visionary founders and helping build the next generation of impactful, community-driven businesses.
Join 2,000+ supportive, ambitious founders in the
Highlights
The Latest
Why 'Just Be Authentic' Is Bad Sales Advice for Experts
This article challenges the popular sales advice to "just be authentic," explaining why this approach often fails for expert entrepreneurs. It identifies the "Curse of Knowledge" as the true barrier to sales and shows why learning to "translate" your passion into clear client language is the key to connecting and closing sales without feeling "icky."
