Today we’d like to introduce you to Isabella Johnston.
Hi Isabella, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
One of the best things about being a teacher is that no one thinks twice about you having a side business. I started my career as a public classroom English teacher and went back to school to earn an MBA and am all but dissertation for a Ph.D. in Leadership with a specialization in Human Resource Development. At that time, I transitioned into teaching as an adjunct professor when I launched Pivot Business Consulting. Customers and prospects asked me to teach them how to have successful intern programs, and I began building and teaching employers how to create powerful intern programs.
A second company that I launched is Cat 5 Studios. A video and game production company for marketing and education content.
The startup that has a majority of my attention is Employers 4 Change. That is the rebranded name. In August 2017, I applied and was accepted to StarterStudio Accelerator program as Intern Pursuit. After graduating from that program, I applied and was accepted to a number of impressive startup programs. Sharing their names because I want to encourage other founders to apply to them.
In 2018, I applied to UCF I-Corps (affiliated with the National Science Foundation), where I received a small grant to attend Web Summit. I applied to the Alpha program and they built me a booth on the floor and had over 100 people waiting to speak with me. Huge customer validation to expand globally. From there, I applied and received a spot with Y Combinator’s Startup School, Female Founders Fund Bootcamp, and then NASDAQ’s Milestone Makers.
In 2020 I was accepted to Avalon Innovation Center and received a $25K prize and the opportunity to work out of their Fifth Floor Coworking Space which is gorgeous.
In 2021 I applied to Cenfluence – the Central Florida Cluster Initiative and also applied to Prepare 4 VC where we recognized as one of the Top 21 startups of 2021 to watch. In 2021, we received 2nd place in EdTech by the United States International Trade Counsel. After applying for a grant from the City of Orlando and Orlando Economic Partnership, we were awarded funding to study and publish our 2021 Multidimension DEI Skills Study.
In 2022, I received a full ticket to the SaaS TR conference in California September 11-13, 2022, where there is a focus on DEI. We also won first place from Podfest for our video on Deaf Accessibility that was created by intern talent Keisha Perez- who is deaf, and Jason Sindoni (both interns) to remind podcasters to be inclusive with closed captions and providing an SRT transcript.
All of these programs and opportunities will push you forward and help you validate your business model, find customer fit, and launch. They include mentoring and introductions, and some provide seed funding.
My original company name was named Intern Pursuit, and we rebranded to Employers 4 Change to better identify our target paying customer who are Employers – all entities and sizes that want to work with intern talent and build an intern program that upskills their people and culture. I am very, very thankful for Joe Nastasi (intern that is now lead developer) for 4 1/2 years and is a founding member. His picture is included.
Employers 4 Change is an intelligent Diversity, Equity, Inclusion [DEI] SaaS platform that accelerates HR recruitment and skill development making three months equal to a year of experience. This saves employers recruitment dollars and time so they focus on what matters – their people and their customers.
Our E4C Academy features courses to accelerate knowledge, employee cognitive learning, and increase retention. E4C courses and their affiliate partners allow participants to earn badges and certificates.
Our podcast, The Intern Whisperer, is on 20+ podcast streaming channels and our own YouTube channel. Isabella interviews prominent CEOs, Futurists, HR Experts, and Thought Leaders where we discuss what the Future of Work will look in 2030.
E4C has also gamified our marketing lead gen targeting the game industry and students seeking employment in that industry. Our game is published on STEAM and is gamifies playing for skills in an edutainment add-on. Grateful for the people on the game team that have stuck with me to develop the game for 4 1/2 years. Grateful for these people also. Special shoutout for Luke Ivill, who created Intern Pursuit Game posters and inspired all of us to push harder despite his disability.
Fun fact – everything from the logo, video editing, game, website, and the E4C code and Machine Learning algorithm were created by intern talent and a few dedicated mentors. I am thankful and grateful for each and every intern that invested their career journey and some that stuck with me on this journey. Thank you.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I usually tell people that being a startup tech founder is Fxxking HARD. Startups don’t become the giants we hear about overnight. Companies like Facebook, TikTok, and Uber, have put in a LOT of sweat and struggle to grow to be giants in industries. A person has to be extremely focused and connected with resources to take their product to market, get used to failure as way to learn, and realize you cannot do this alone.
This is one of the hardest things I have done in my life because founders make a choice to commit. All of my revenue from my consulting company, COVID grants, and personal funds have been funding this vision. Most challenges and obstacles are centered around funding and being a female founder which is underrepresented and typically receive less funding than male founders.
According to Bloomberg (2022), female founders secured only 2% of venture capital in the U.S. in 2021, the smallest share since 2016 and a sign that efforts to diversify the famously male-dominated industry are struggling.
It was the second year in a row that women’s percentage of VC funding shrank, according to a report by research firm PitchBook. However, because total funding levels in 2021 hit all-time highs, the overall dollar value of the funding to female founders rose.
Massive, late-stage deals drove total fundraising in the U.S. to $330 billion in 2021 — nearly doubling the industry’s previous record in 2020. Female-only founding teams collected $6.4 billion of that across 217 deals, a record amount.
When women teamed up with a male co-founder, they tended to raise more. Female and male founder teams captured 15.6% of total venture cash in 2021 — the highest amount since 2017.
Jenny Lefcourt is a general partner at venture firm Freestyle Capital and a board member of All Raise, a nonprofit focused on increasing representation of female and nonbinary founders and funders.
Lefcourt said the gap in capital allocated by gender in 2021 was especially disappointing given the industry’s overall surge and said significant work remains to be done to close it.
She also said the recent increase in the number of female and non-binary venture capitalists in recent years has been “impressive” and could help over time because “data shows women are more likely to fund women.”
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a hybrid entrepreneur. Meaning I have a background and expertise in multiple industries and skillsets. My background is a blend of Organizational Development, Human Resource Development, Education (grades 6-12 and higher ed), nonprofit management, marketing content, and tech.
My specialties are blended also because the paths have been interwoven simultaneously around training/learning (26 years blended together in education, higher ed, adult learning, nonprofit management, and startup life).
This alone sets me apart from most startup founders because my background is centered around how people learn, communicate, and leadership development.
What do you think about happiness?
What makes me truly happy is seeing people develop skills and grow to be their best self. Why? Because I am at heart a servant leader – I use a touch of red in my logo as a reminder of why I am here on earth and that I serve Christ. I strive to be the best leader and remember who I follow.
I am also human and make mistakes daily – like everyone else. I believe my purpose is to help people see potential in others and focus on what makes the person shine and grow. Part of my why is that I hope to inspire others so they can do more than what they think they can. How? By thinking like an Olympian. Meaning there is no try, no I think I can, no I believe I can – there is only I KNOW I can and then solve the problem. The hard part is how to put “I care for you” in human form in a technology that is a machine.
Pricing:
- 50% off paid employer seat until we hit 100 employer members – Annual systems fee waive
- Startup Price 1-2 employee seats 50% off $2,000 is $1,000 for year
- Team Price 3-7 employee seats 50% off $7,500 is $3,250 for year
- Business 8-14 employee seats 50% off $15,000 is not $7,500 for year
- Enterprise – Call for information
Contact Info:
- Website: https://e4c.tech
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/employers4change
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/employers4change
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/employer4change
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8c_T19-pyfghVuAEbOMmHg/videos?view_as=subscriber
- Other: https://internwhisperer.podbean.com/
Image Credits
Landen Conner Photography
