Luann Abrams

Advising, investing in, and supporting the people, companies, and causes that will "leave it better."

CEOX connects highly qualified female candidates to CEO and board roles. We identify candidates for these crucial roles by asking successful CEOs and senior leaders who understand what skills are required to excel, to nominate women who have the potential to transform companies. Companies searching for their next CEO or board member can quickly and affordably expand their network with our vetted CEO-ready candidates. Research shows that the best performing companies have women in leadership roles, yet women make up only 6% of Fortune 500 companies. Gaining experience remains a daunting barrier—numerous studies reveal that companies hire men based on their potential, while they hire women because of their past experience. What ensues is a Catch-22 for women leaders, who need and deserve increasingly significant roles, yet are rarely championed into them. For organizations willing to look past their traditional networks when searching for candidates for senior leadership positions, qualified women abound. CEOX expands your existing candidate pipeline to include some of the most qualified, innovative and thoughtful women—women who have the potential to lead and transform your company. Coming from the venture capital world, we have seen up close how often organizations replace CEOs. Often earlier stage or smaller companies do not have the money to pay for a recruiter. Instead they rely on their tried and true sources to find a replacement. As most VCs are men, their networks are not gender balanced and those that rise to the top are often men. Exceptionally qualified women remain overlooked and frankly underutilized, to the disadvantage of companies and the candidates. With CEOX, you get the opportunity to greatly expand your network, access the recommendation of successful women and explore a broader, dynamic, and high-performing talent pool of women leaders who you may have not encountered before.

Based in Bend, OR, FoundersPad is a venture capital fund and early-stage startup mentorship program working with the best and brightest entrepreneurs. FoundersPad delivers extensive support for our portfolio companies by matching them with a carefully curated team of expert mentors who are committed and incentivized to help them succeed. With FoundersPad you have deep access to highly qualified resources at a critical stage in your company’s life without using having to burn through precious cash. We partner with companies and their founding teams much earlier in their maturation process when most other venture funds consider an investment as “too early” for them. We utilize a deep mentoring approach that spends substantial one-on-one time strategically focusing on taking your from Initial Product Release (IPR) to Minimum Viable Repeatability (MVR). We thrive at working with companies that may have an incomplete team or systems, an immature revenue plan or struggle with a product/market fit and have the confidence and resources to help your company build a sustainable high growth business. We are extremely selective in our investments and mentorship because we commit a considerable amount of our most precious asset: our time. For many who are successful in the mentorship program, FoundersPad will invest capital and help with future fundraising efforts. We have an extensive network to help navigate this exciting growth stage. FoundersPad has both the expertise and capital to help you succeed. FoundersPad companies typically have: • A core founding team in place • An Initial Product Release (IPR) • A serious commitment to growth • At least six months of runway • Little to no professional capital invested and an expectation of pursuing future financing rounds Please visit FoundersPad.com for more information about our program, mentors, and the successful companies we have worked with in the past.