How to Go From an Idea to Closing a $3MM Round of Funding with Keren Sachs, Founder of The Luupe

In today’s episode, host Lindsay Pinchuk is joined in conversation with Keren Sachs, Founder of The Luupe to discuss how she transformed her dream into a sustainable business that has raised over $3 million in funding.

As a long-time creative, Keren couldn’t help but notice the lack of diversity in the photography business. To bring the creative community together, Keren started The Luupe, a one-stop marketplace where women and other diverse creators could connect and create meaningful content for brands around the world. Today, The Luupe has connected a diverse staff of photographers with large reputable brands such as SweetGreen, Dropbox, and Peloton.

Tune into this week’s episode of Dear FoundHer…for an in-depth conversation about how to take a vision and turn it into a reality. Learn more about the importance of trusting your gut, having a thick skin, and utilizing your network so you can get the funding you need to start a business with a lasting impact.

Quotes

• “I firmly believe that when there's more diversity behind the lens, there's more diversity in front of the lens.” (08:27-08:32)

• “It's so important to tap into your network. It can't hurt to ask because the worst someone can say is no. So you always have to ask and put yourself out there just to see what people will say.” (20:49-21:01)

• “A lot of the people who are the founding members of our team are people that I've worked with before at previous companies.” (21:52-21:57)

• “Never burn bridges. Keep good relationships with people because you never know who's going to come around later and want to support you in what you're building.” (22:12-22:21)

• “If you're going to be a founder, you have to have thick skin and you have to know that you're going to receive rejections.” (23:41-23:47)

• “There's a lot of things that come into play, a lot of things that you have to prove when fundraising. And you will have to do even more to prove yourself as a first-time woman founder.” (25:42-25:48)

• “I knew what I was capable of doing and I knew what I didn't know. I think that the most important thing a founder can do is be comfortable with what you don't know. I'm very aware of where my shortcomings are and what I don't know, and then I hire to fill in those gaps.” (31:11-31:26)

• “If you believe in what you're building, you're going to build it.” (35:36-35:39)

Connect with Keren Sachs:

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/kerensachs/

Twitter | https://twitter.com/kerensachs

Website | https://theluupe.com/

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