CHICAGO WOMAN JUNE 2016 3
If there is anything that most entrepreneurs will tell you, having a group of like-minded souls to connect with is necessary. was searching for support when she started Meetup.com-based . She says, “There was no inspiration. I started it by accident. The first Founding Moms’ Exchange, or Meetup, was meant to be self-serving. I was running two unrelated companies and pregnant with my second child, so I was very curious as to how I was going to do it all with two kids in one home office. I invited any mom with a business to come tell me how she was doing it.” Founding Moms became a collective of offline meetups and online resources for mom entrepreneurs. After six years, there are 10,000 members in more than 50 cities around the globe. Salzman counts , , , , and as women who have inspired her professionally. “I adore these women—they are professional comedians—and the joy they bring to people everywhere is something that I strive to do in my work.”