Carly Chamberlain nominated by Murat Aktihanoglu

Murat Aktihanoglu is the managing director of Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator in New York, New York.

Entrepreneur: Carly Chamberlain

Age: 27

Title: Co-Founder

Company: CaterCow

Founded: 2012

Industry: Technology/Food

Number of employees: 4

What they do? CaterCow makes ordering food for your group fun and easy. Browse, compare, and order from thousands of unique chefs, restaurants, and traditional caterers – perfect for your office, private social event or wedding.

What makes her company unique? CaterCow was started by two of the original Airbnb employees. They reached profitability without external funding.

What are some of her awesome achievements?

–          3-time All American Sailor.

–          Bootstrapped her way to a profitable company with six employees.

–          Guest Blogger for sites such as Women 2.0 and The Muse.

–          Panelist for General Assembly Food & Tech.

–          ERA alumni mentor.

What gives this entrepreneur that ‘Got Next’ glow? Brilliance, hard-work and persistence that never lets her deviate from her goals.

Tell us why this entrepreneur should be a 2014 She’s Got Next winner: Carly is confident, hardworking, intelligent, and one of the best natural negotiators I have ever met. Aside from possessing important business skills, Carly prides herself on giving back to the female entrepreneurial community by always being available for support and giving advice to other founders and younger women. She graciously takes feedback from more experienced mentors and recently began mentoring on her own. This rare combination of business acumen and humility makes Carly a clear choice for the 2014 She’s Got Next.

Let’s talk to Carly

Lioness: Where are you located?

Carly: Brooklyn, NY.

Lioness: Why did you decide to launch your startup?

Carly: CaterCow was created to connect two sides of a market that were struggling to find one another. Local food entrepreneurs like restaurants owners, artisanal sandwich makers, and food truck operators look for ways to reach new customers who have catering needs. Similarly, office managers, brides-to-be, and event planners are constantly seeking out affordable and unique options to feed their employees and guests. By creating an online marketplace we are able to use technology to more efficiently connect these two groups.

Lioness: How do you feel about being a Who’s Got Next winner?

Carly: When I first heard I was even nominated for ‘Who’s Got Next’ I was extremely flattered. To win is even more humbling! As an entrepreneur your head is down constantly working to improve your product, engage with customers, and build your internal team. Having outside recognition is not the goal but it’s certainly welcome. Additionally, I’ve more recently been getting involved in promoting female entrepreneurship to women of all ages. To be recognized by a group with similar goals is more than I could have asked for.

Lioness: What does being a female entrepreneur mean to you?

Carly: Day-to-day I don’t think about being a female or even an entrepreneur, I simply take on whatever role is required of me that day. Whether it’s boss, fundraiser, sales person, customer support representative, or co-founder, my job is constantly changing and evolving. However, when I take a step back I am certain that I’ve found success in these roles because I’m a woman and not in spite of it. I think the best thing for female entrepreneurs is to stand up and admit it when they’ve accomplished something. When I see a successful, intelligent woman discuss her accomplishments I don’t think about the fact that she is a woman, I simply think about how impressive she is as a person. The more women who intelligently discuss their professional successes, the more our society starts forgetting we ever had a bias against them. Therefore being a female entrepreneur to me means an opportunity to first and foremost build a successful company but also positively impact how our world views professional women.