Nancy left the corporate world in 2010 to create Fingerprint, which is now a 30-person strong company in Silicon Valley creating learn-and-play mobile app networks for brands such as Samsung, Sylvan Learning, Highlights and Corus Entertainment. Named one of the Top 50 Women in Tech in Silicon Valley by Tech.Co, previously Nancy was EVP of Product Innovation & Marketing at LeapFrog where she led the charge around connected learning with the launch of the Learning Path Online, Tag Reader and Leapster Gaming System. A veteran product marketer at LucasArts (VP Global Sales & Marketing) and Hasbro Interactive (VP Marketing), Nancy has launched over 100 games, 11 #1 titles, and over $2 billion in revenue. She holds a BS in Finance and Accounting from Drexel University.
How has your life experience made you the leader you are today?
I was the first working mom in my office at Lotus Development in Philadelphia. I had to learn quickly how to balance, how to prioritize, how to get work done efficiently and well all while keeping the wheels on the bus at home with two little kids. I had a great boss who told me that it didn't matter how many hours I worked, only that I focused on performance. He said that the only numbers that counted were revenue, not the time card. I've followed that advice my whole career in my approach to building a company and team. The focus is only on getting the job done. We instituted a work-from-home friendly policy about a year ago to support this and have been delighted to see the benefits of providing flexibility to a happy, motivated work force.
How has your previous employment experience aided your tenure at Fingerprint?
I've worked with some iconic and beloved companies in my career like Hasbro, Atari, LeapFrog, and LucasFilm. This has made me think big - as in trying to play in the big leagues with big brands. We had only 8 people at Fingerprint when we did our first deal with Samsung in Asia and we had to convince them that we could deliver and be good partners. This was only possible because of the insight I had from working on the other side of the fence!
What have the highlights and challenges been during your tenure at Fingerprint?
Running a start-up is like being on a roller coaster. Exhilarating. Terrifying. Thrilling. Fast. The ups and downs can be pretty intense. Closing our funding - first our Series A led by Corus Entertainment then our Series B led by DreamWorks Animation were big days for our little company. Launching Samsung Kids was a huge accomplishment, made even more gratifying once we began to see how much kids were playing - over 2 hours per day! Partnering with Highlights for Children to develop a completely re-imagined digital magazine and getting written up in USA Today and Bloomberg was pretty exciting. But everyday is a challenge in a start-up. Too many things to do, too few resources, and always thinking about fundraising! Our biggest challenge has been getting enough people resources - primarily engineers to grow as fast as we want to.
What advice can you offer to women who want a career in your industry?
Build a great support system. Sheryl Sandberg said that choosing the right mate/spouse is the most important career decision you make. I wholeheartedly agree with that, but it's broader than just a mate. Find mentors, investors, board members, friends, and competitors to surround yourself with. If you're starting out, spend time finding advisors who know your business, have contacts, understand product, and will talk straight to you. Straight talk is key, especially to yourself. Know that you're going to have to work very hard and that doing a start-up is not a lifestyle business. It has to become your lifestyle!
What is the most important lesson you've learned in your career to date?
Surround yourself with people you like and can depend on. Life and work is impossible if you don't have that.
How do you maintain a work/life balance?
See question 5! I am lucky to have an amazing husband who has always been the COO of our home lives. I can depend on him for anything not work related; he's completely supportive of my business, which frees me up to focus on Fingerprint. I've also got a great team of people at work that I trust completely.
What do you think is the biggest issue for women in the workplace?
I'm not sure what the biggest issue is, but what concerns me are two things - Income equality (getting paid the same salary as a man doing the same job) and creating a system that lets women confidently have a family without worrying it will damage her career.
How has mentorship made a difference in your professional and personal life?
I believe in learning by watching successful people whether at work or at home. I've been fortunate to have good bosses to look up throughout my career. I learned how to close a sale from my boss at 3M, how to bring ideas to life at Hasbro, how to think big at LucasFilm, and how to deal with adversity at LeapFrog. Each of these people added building blocks to who I am today.
Which other female leaders do you admire and why?
Sheryl Sandberg has done a great job motivating young women to think forward and raising awareness within the tech community around the importance of supporting women. Shonda Rimes has created a leading entertainment company on her own terms making TV content that people love - all without answering emails after 8pm. Angela Merkel has been the standout politician in the world. Her leadership with the migrant situation and deft handling of the European crisis is really impressive.
What do you want Fingerprint to accomplish in the next year?
My goals are simple. Make Fingerprint profitable. Launch new products that are commercially successful and surprise / delight kids and their parents. See Fingerprint recognized as a leader in the market!