EPISODE 05: SUSAN YAMADA
Investing in student entrepreneurs, running startups, and golf handicaps
Ms. Yamada has been the Executive Director of PACE since June 2008. Located within the University of Hawaii’s Shidler College of Business, the Entrepreneurship Center hosts a comprehensive set of programs, utilizing both experiential and mentoring approaches to teaching students and faculty the process of entrepreneurship.
Prior to assuming her position at PACE, Ms. Yamada spent 17 years working in senior management positions at various entrepreneurial start-up companies in California before returning home to Hawaii in 2001.
While in Silicon Valley, Ms. Yamada served as the founding CEO of TRUSTe, the first globally recognized, online privacy seal program dedicated to protecting users’ personal information on the Internet. At TRUSTe, Ms. Yamada served as part of the founding management team for VEO Systems, a business-to-business software developer, which was subsequently sold to Commerce One in 1999.
Prior to founding TRUSTe, she led technology publisher Upside Magazine where she spent five years as the CEO and Publisher. Upside magazine was the first business magazine focusing exclusively on serving the information needs of technology executives.
LINKS AND RESOURCES
Websites Mentioned:
Notable People Mentioned:
Shows she likes
Favorite Golf Course
Favorite Book
Institutions and Foundations Mentioned
SHOW NOTES
2:36 – CEOs gathered at Upside Summit: Huge success
3:13 – Being fired from Upside Startup, the company she turned around
5:11 – How TRUSTe makes money
6:43 – How the European Union influenced regulations on United States companies
10:07 – TRUSTe’s advertising blitz
12:15 – How TRUSTe started
17:08 – Susan’s introduction to business
21:40 – The Startup of You: Skills needed include… 1. Good communicator, 2. Have common sense, 3. Collaborative spirit, 4. Creative mind, 5. Know how to sell.
23:10 – Learning how to fire an employee
23:47 – Industry tips
26:10 – Susan’s sign to move on
32:40 – Trying to create a new startup while pregnant
34:35 – Moving back to Hawaii
36:08 – Act 221
41:23 – Why Susan decided to become the Executive Director of P.A.C.E
47:40 – How does P.A.C.E fit into the community
53:15 – The goal of the P.A.C.E program and what they want students to get out of it
58:08 – Rapid fire Q&A: Is there a fear of failure in Hawaii, what would excite her as an investor, favorite thing about Hawaii, favorite beach, favorite golf course, recommended blogs or podcasts, best book, last Netflix show she binge watched, most proud career accomplishment
107:42 – Final tips for entrepreneurs