Celebrating International Women’s Day: Meet The B-School Female Founders

Jordan Sale, from UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business, created a salary negotiation platform that helps underrepresented candidates negotiate their pay

Jordan Sale, UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business, 81cents

Hometown: Los Angeles, U.S.

Business Degree: MBA

Why did you choose to study your course at UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business?:

I applied because I was really drawn to the small class size and the school’s focus on social impact and exploring the intersection between doing well and doing good. However, I ultimately attended because of the connection I felt with so many students when I visited for an admitted students weekend. Everyone I met was so warm and welcoming and smart, yet humble!

Tell us more about your company/organization and what you do:

81cents is a salary negotiation platform that helps underrepresented candidates negotiate their pay. We do this by sourcing data and personalized feedback and guidance for candidates from a network of over 2000 hiring managers and recruiters. To date, we’ve supported over 850 candidates — and the average 81cents candidate sees an 18% increase in pay!

Was it always your goal to found a company?:

I’d always been interested in entrepreneurship – my mom and my grandmother actually started their own companies, so I grew up watching smart, ambitious women start things! I was also lucky enough to spend a few years pre-Haas working at an early-stage start-up so I felt like I had (a bit of) an understanding of what it might be like.

What advice would you have for other entrepreneurial women that want to start a business?

Early on, I found that my entire identity became wrapped around 81cents – so when I had a hard day at work it felt totally debilitating. I’m not sure if this is unique to women. Over time, I’ve learned the importance of taking time away from work to clear my head and honestly just rest, and have actually seen significantly better business results since learning to move a little slower and spend time really thinking about what my top work priorities are.

How did your experience at business school help you with your venture?:

I’m not sure I would’ve started 81cents if it weren’t for being in business school. I had the time and space to try out different ideas and validate the 81cents model before deciding to dive in full-time.

There were also tons of scholarships and non-dilutive funding available to me because I was a founder, which was really helpful and meant I didn’t have to take VC funding.

Not to mention – several of my classmates became early customers and team members — and still continue to serve as sounding boards for me!

What are your hopes for the future of women entrepreneurs?:

That we see more of them!

Miriam Agüero Lorenzo went to ESMT Berlin and founded the Meraki Smile School

Miriam Agüero Lorenzo, ESMT Berlin, Meraki Smile School

Hometown: Seville, Spain

Business Degree: Master’s Degree in Management Finance

Why did you choose to study your course at ESMT Berlin?:

In the summer of 2020, I graduated cum laude from the University Queensland of Technology in Australia. But, after spending three amazing years there, I wanted to come back to Europe.

Every time I have made an important decision, I do the research first. For me, Germany was the best option. I consider it the centre of the European Union. I also studied German at primary school and my mother lived there too.

After searching business schools, I came across ESMT Berlin which is ranked number one in the country. I had a close friend who graduated from ESMT Berlin and when I applied, not only was I offered a spot, but two of the highest scholarships.

The decision was clear to me. I chose finance because, as a social entrepreneur, it’s always good to know and understand what’s going on at all levels. Finance is the key element to ensure the sustainability of our project or anything else.

Tell us more about your organization and what you do:

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