Meet the seven Penn-affiliated founders whose journeys span industries, capital strategies, and identities - a powerful reminder that entrepreneurship isn’t limited to one archetype or one route.

This book isn’t just about startups—it’s about redefining what it means to be an entrepreneur.

Disruptors. Funders. Social entrepreneurs. Intrapreneurs. Acquirers. Tech commercializers. Bootstrappers. All building real value on their own terms.

The Magnificent Seven

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The Disruptor
Amy Errett
CEO, Madison Reed
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The Bootstrapper
Jesse Pujji
CEO, Gateway X
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The Social Entrepreneur
Katlyn Grasson
Founder & CEO, GenHERation
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The Tech Commercializer
Joan Lau
CEO, Spirovant Sciences
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The Funder
Jarrid Tingle,
Co-Founder & CEO, Harlem Capital
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The Acquirer
Charbel Zriek,
Founder & CEO, Manifestations Capital
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The Intrapreneur
Jackie Reses
CEO, Lead Bank
Amy Errett
Amy Errett is the Founder and CEO of Madison Reed, a company dedicated to reinventing the home hair care experience through a line of easy-to-use, chemical-free products. With over 30 years of experience, she has a multifaceted career ranging from founding and operating companies to investing in startups. Prior to founding Madison Reed, Amy was a General Partner at Maveron, a venture capital firm focused on the consumer sector. She also served as CEO of Olivia, where she repositioned the travel business as a lifestyle company, and held a senior management role at E*TRADE, overseeing a $200 million business.

Amy is also a Partner at True Ventures, focusing on investments in consumer and e-commerce startups. She has been recognized with numerous accolades, including being named to Forbes' 50 Over 50 list and receiving the Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award by Ernst & Young.

Amy earned an M.B.A. in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in liberal arts from the University of Connecticut. She is committed to philanthropy, serving on the boards of organizations such as the University of Connecticut Foundation, Common Sense Media, and Glide.
Jesse Pujji
Jesse Pujji is an entrepreneur and investor dedicated to fostering personal growth through entrepreneurship. He is the Founder and CEO of Gateway X, a venture studio and holding company that co-founds businesses alongside other entrepreneurs.

Prior to Gateway X, Jesse co-founded Ampush, a digital marketing firm that became one of Facebook's top 100 advertisers in 2010. Under his leadership, Ampush partnered with notable clients such as Uber, Dollar Shave Club, Peloton, and Blue Apron, managing over $1 billion in digital media spend.

Before embarking on his entrepreneurial journey, Jesse worked as an investment professional at Goldman Sachs, focusing on investments in the auto, education, and new media industries. He also served as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, specializing in internet media, e-commerce, and telecom sectors.

Jesse holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Entrepreneurship from The Wharton School, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania.
Katlyn Grasso
Katlyn Grasso is the Founder and CEO of GenHERation®, which is a network where young women and companies connect. In her role as CEO, she has created GenHERation® Discovery Days, hosted the GenHERation® Summer Leadership Series, developed original GenHERation® webisodes, launched the GenHERation® product line, and has grown the GenHERation® community to reach more than 600,000 young women. Katlyn is a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she received a B.S. in Economics with concentrations in finance and strategic globalization. She received the inaugural Penn President’s Engagement Prize, which provides graduating seniors with $150,000 to develop ventures that have the potential to change the world.
Joan Lau
Joan Lau is Chief Executive Officer of Spirovant, responsible for the strategic direction and growth of the gene therapy company. She delivers more than 20 years of biopharma leadership experience, including as CEO for several venture-capital-backed biotech companies. Dr. Lau co-founded Spirovant (then called Talee Bio), envisioning the potential for advanced gene therapy to treat cystic fibrosis and other patients in need. Within a few years under Dr. Lau’s leadership, Spirovant gained the prestigious scientific support of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and was acquired twice (in one year), most recently by Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma. As CEO of Spirovant, she has been selected to receive the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 Award in Greater Philadelphia and was named a Woman of Distinction by the Philadelphia Business Journal. Dr. Lau earned her MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, her PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and her BS in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
Jarrid Tingle
Jarrid Tingle is Managing Partner of Harlem Capital Partners where he focuses on deal sourcing, organizational strategy, and due diligence efforts. Jarrid was featured on the 2019 Forbes 30 under 30 list, 2019 Inc. 30 under 30 list, and the 2018 Ebony Power 100 list. He received his MBA from Harvard Business School (HBS) in 2019 where he was a Baker Scholar (top 5% of class). During HBS, Jarrid was a fellow in the Robert Toigo Foundation and Management Leadership for Tomorrow MBA Programs. Jarrid graduated cum laude from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a Concentration in Finance. Jarrid was an active member of Friars Senior Society, Onyx Senior Honor Society, and The Lantern Senior Society. Upon graduation, Jarrid received the Wharton Undergraduate Dean’s Award for Excellence (Wharton’s highest honor).
Charbel Zreik
Charbel Zreik is the Founder of Manifestations Capital. He served as the Managing Principal at Light Beam Capital. He served as Chief Executive Officer at DCI Design Communications. He also served as an Investor at Quinten Capital. He brings a track record of excellence as an investor, a small company operator, and an advisor to Fortune 500 companies. His hallmarks are valuing and caring about the people around him, solving any problem with a unique combination of analytical rigor and creative energy, as well as an ethic of hard work, humility, and excellence.

He then went on to be a founding member of The Rohatyn Group, an asset management company in NY. He moved on to operate Osage Partners, a venture capital fund in Philadelphia, where he invested in and advised startup companies. Most recently, He spent four years at McKinsey and Company, leading global teams and advising CEOs of Fortune 500 companies on how to create value in their companies. He was instrumental in shaping the NY non-profit, Minds Matter, an organization aimed at helping motivated yet underprivileged high schoolers to make it to college. He played many roles over five years from mentoring a student to serving on the national board of the organization. He has a BS in mechanical engineering from Cornell University and an MBA in finance and entrepreneurship from Wharton
Jacqueline Reses
Jacqueline Reses is a prominent American business executive, investor, and philanthropist known for her influential roles in the technology and finance sectors. She currently serves as the Chair, CEO, and Co-Founder of Lead Bank, a chartered banking-as-a-service platform aimed at supporting fintech innovators. Under her leadership, Lead Bank has expanded its assets under management to over $2.5 billion, positioning itself as a key player in providing modern financial infrastructure.

Reses began her career at Goldman Sachs, working in mergers and acquisitions and principal investments. She later became CEO of iBuilding, Inc., a real estate software company, and then joined Apax Partners, where she led the U.S. media group. Her tenure at Yahoo! as Chief Development Officer saw her overseeing significant transactions and serving on the board of Alibaba Group, contributing to Alibaba's IPO.

In 2015, Reses joined Square (now Block, Inc.) as Capital Lead and Executive Chair of Square Financial Services, where she played a pivotal role in expanding small business lending and navigating regulatory challenges.

Beyond her executive roles, Reses is an active board member of companies like Nubank, Affirm Holdings, and Endeavor. She co-authored "Self-Made Boss," a guide for small business owners, and has been recognized by Forbes as one of America's Richest Self-Made Women.

Reses holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics with honors from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Her career reflects a commitment to innovation in financial services and support for small businesses.

Press Coverage

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Bootstrapping allows entrepreneurs to grow organically and control their own destiny. Entrepreneur Jesse Pujji bootstrapped his digital marketing firm Ampush all the way to a mid-eight-­figure exit in 2023.