Sue is a sought-after speaker, former federal prosecutor, startup CEO, investor, mentor, adjunct professor of entrepreneurship, conscious leadership coach, and a direct and fearless catalyst for change.
As the co-founder and CEO of MergeLane -- a leading accelerator for startups with at least one female in leadership -- Sue offers companies and audiences deep insights into how to create a culture that fully empowers and leverages high-potential females in leadership.
Along with her work with MergeLane, Sue is a strategic consultant in the areas of business development, marketing, branding and growth strategy. She works closely with high-potential leaders, executive teams, startups and growth companies.
Sue is an active executive facilitator and coach in the area of conscious leadership. She focuses on the work outlined in the 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, recently published by the Conscious Leadership Group.
Sue has been a CEO, president, and chief marketing officer for digital marketing, technology, and ecommerce companies since the earliest days of the Internet. She began her career as an attorney – last as a federal prosecutor with the US DOJ Civil Rights Division. She transitioned to business by founding an online baby gift company in 1999, which she later sold when she joined Discovery Communications, parent company of Discovery Channel and 15 other international networks.
Since Discovery, Sue has led companies in the interactive travel, digital publishing, ecommerce, and online education sectors. Two of these firms had successful exits. Sue has the privilege of serving as a mentor in the international Techstars Accelerator program and an adjunct professor of law and entrepreneurship at the University of Colorado Law School. She is an avid angel investor in companies with amazing founding teams working on problems she cares about.
Sue is a sought-after speaker who inspires audiences with her authenticity, directness and humor. As a speaker, Sue is quickly becoming the global authority on leveraging the power of authentic leadership to grow successful companies and to optimize the potential of the founders and executives that run them.
Sue earned a B.A. from Oberlin College and a J.D. and M.A. from Duke University. She lives in Boulder, Colorado.
