Commencement 2021

Ice carvings, alpacas, chili, hot chocolate...what’s not to love about celebrating the end of the season at Winterfest? 🦙❄️

Betsy Harbison, CEO of Softrip, took an unconventional path to acquisition entrepreneurship. In 2021, she completed a funded search and acquired a remote, vertical software company—one that was also a carve-out. Untangling Softrip from its parent company added a layer of complexity to her journey, but that was just the beginning. In this episode of Think Big, Buy Small, she reflects on key decisions: the trade-offs between self-funded and funded searches, why she ultimately acquired a remote company despite originally focusing on the Midwest, and her choice to forgo debt in the purchase. She also shares the challenges of conducting due diligence on a carve-out—especially when the seller restricted her from speaking with employees or customers before closing. Now, as CEO, Betsy discusses the realities of leading through change, from shifting the company’s approach to product customization to rebuilding its core offering and launching an entirely new product. A compelling story of resilience and strategic decision-making, this conversation is not to be missed. Listen at the link in bio.

Amy Merrill, CEO of the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) joins host Mike Toffel in this fourth episode of the Climate Rising podcast series on voluntary carbon markets. Amy has extensive experience in carbon markets, including leading negotiations on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and advising on global carbon finance. Amy explains how ICVCM uses a multi-stakeholder approach to enhance the integrity of carbon credits, including by developing ten Core Carbon Principles (CCPs) and using them to evaluate and strengthen carbon credit programs and methodologies. She discusses the challenges in ensuring credit quality and how the boundary is evolving between voluntary and compliance markets. Amy also shares her insights into the latest trends in carbon markets and offers advice for those interested in learning more about these topics. Watch the full episode at the link in bio.