Tag: nourish

  • Fearless & Forty: Nourishing the Female Entrepreneur in Midlife

    Fearless & Forty: Nourishing the Female Entrepreneur in Midlife

    Horizon Point is all about nourishment this year, especially nourishing innovation and entrepreneurship. This week, we’re featuring Katie Caldwell and Susan Norgren – better known as Fearless & Forty – who are sharing their experience with nourishing the female entrepreneur. Let’s do it! 

    When we started Fearless & Forty, we didn’t have a business plan, a studio, or even microphones. What we had was something more powerful: weekly phone calls filled with real, honest conversations about careers, motherhood, marriage, and identity. Those calls—raw, supportive, and often hilarious—became a lifeline. And one day, we said what many women have probably joked about: “We should start a podcast.”

    Only we didn’t let the idea go.

    We’re Katie Caldwell and Susan Norgren—friends, moms, working women, and now co-hosts of Fearless & Forty. What started as a friendship sparked at our children’s school has grown into a podcast born from laughter, vulnerability, and a shared desire to nourish women like us navigating midlife and entrepreneurship.

    But let’s be real: it hasn’t been easy. Like most women in their 40s, our plates were already full. We had zero experience in podcasting. Between researching equipment, testing platforms, and trying to find the time in our already jam-packed schedules, progress was slow. And yet, we knew this dream mattered. We shelved it for a season, then came back with new energy and deeper purpose.

    And now, here we are—launching in 2025, just as we step into our 40s. The timing couldn’t be more perfect.

    Because Fearless & Forty isn’t just about podcasting. It’s about reclaiming the narrative of what it means to be a woman—and an entrepreneur—in midlife.

    Midlife Is Not a Deadline. It’s a Launchpad.

    Too often, women in their 40s start to feel invisible. Like their best years are behind them. Like their dreams are too big or their time has passed. We call BS on that.

    Fearless & Forty is a space where women are reminded that they are still full of power, potential, and purpose. It’s about nourishment—not just physically, but emotionally, spiritually, and creatively. We talk about the messy middle of life: the pivot points, the burnout, the reinventions, and the wins. We’re not chasing perfection; we’re celebrating progress.

    We don’t have all the answers. But we do have each other. And now, we have you.

    Entrepreneurship, on Our Terms

    We’re not founders of tech startups. We don’t have angel investors or Shark Tank pitches. But we areentrepreneurs—because we had a vision, we took action, and we created something from nothing. This podcast became our way to build something ours. A platform, a passion project, and a movement.

    Entrepreneurship doesn’t have to look like hustle culture. It can look like two friends showing up for each other. Like carving time out of chaotic days to share stories that matter. Like believing your voice still has something important to say—even if it’s your first time saying it out loud.

    Nourishment Is More Than Self-Care

    To us, nourishing the female entrepreneur means creating space for connection. It means being honest about the highs and the lows. It’s cheering each other on in big wins and small steps. It’s allowing joy to coexist with struggle—and not waiting until everything is “figured out” to begin.

    That’s what Fearless & Forty is about.

    So if you’re a woman in your 40s (or getting close), if you’ve ever felt like you were too late to dream again, or if you’re simply looking for a community that gets it—welcome. You’re in the right place.

    We see you. We believe in you. And we’re walking this fearless path with you.

    Go be fearless, friends.

    With love,
    Katie & Susan

  • SPECIAL FEATURE: Singing River Trail Launch Tank 2025

    SPECIAL FEATURE: Singing River Trail Launch Tank 2025

    Experience Innovation in Action at the Singing River Trail Launch Tank

    We love to nourish entrepreneurship, and we’re especially thrilled when it’s in our own backyard. Today’s special feature comes from John Joseph and Toni Eberhart, Co-Chairs of the Singing River Trail Launch Tank 2025 and the Launch TN Valley Entrepreneurship Pillar. We hope you will join us in Scottsboro on April 23 for Launch Tank 2025!

    Looking for a front-row seat to North Alabama’s next big ideas? Mark your calendar for Wednesday, April 23, 2025, and make your way to the Scottsboro Civic Center for the Singing River Trail Launch Tank Pitch Competition—a high-energy event where innovation takes center stage and community-driven entrepreneurship shines. 

    What Is SRT Launch Tank 2025?

    Inspired by the fast-paced excitement of “Shark Tank,” the SRT Launch Tank is a live pitch competition that showcases some of North Alabama’s most promising entrepreneurs. Selected from a wide pool of applicants across the region, finalists will present their business ideas in front of a panel of expert judges—and a live audience—for the chance to win $20,000+ in funding and support.

    But SRT Launch Tank is more than just a pitch competition. It’s a celebration of regional innovation and a rallying point for anyone interested in building stronger, more connected, more entrepreneurial communities.

    Why You Should Attend

    Whether you’re a local leader, business owner, aspiring entrepreneur, educator, or just someone who loves seeing new ideas come to life—this event is for you. Here’s what you can expect:

    Connect with Visionaries

    SRT Launch Tank brings together entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, educators, and community members from across North Alabama. It’s a rare opportunity to expand your network, meet stakeholders, and discover how entrepreneurship is evolving in our region.

    Spark Ideas for Your Own Community

    In addition to the pitches, attendees will hear insights on what it takes to build a supportive, thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. You’ll walk away equipped with ideas you can bring back to your own community or organization.

    See the Future, Live

    Watch finalists pitch their ideas live, in real time at SRT Launch Tank 2025. You’ll get an up-close look at the challenges they’re tackling and the innovative solutions they’re developing. It’s one thing to read about startups online—it’s another to see them pitch their hearts out in front of a crowd.

    Event Details

    • Date: Wednesday, April 23, 2025
    • Time: Doors open at 9:00 AM | Pitches begin at 10:00 AM
    • Location: Scottsboro Civic Center, 876 Ed Hembree Drive, Scottsboro, AL
    • Cost: Free and open to the public, but registration is required
    • Register here: Eventbrite

    A Proven Launchpad for Regional Innovation

    Now in its fourth year, SRT Launch Tank has already made waves across the Tennessee Valley. Past winners have gone on to launch businesses that are making real impacts—from electric bike rentals enhancing mobility to tech platforms that support disease detection.

    The competition is powered by Singing River Trail, a regional initiative focused on connecting North Alabama through greenways, culture, and innovation. SRT Launch Tank 2025 is a key part of that mission, supporting entrepreneurs as the backbone of strong, vibrant communities.

    Come Be Part of the Energy

    You don’t need to be pitching to be inspired. Come for the ideas, stay for the connections, and leave with a renewed sense of what’s possible right here in North Alabama. If you’re passionate about innovation, community development, or just want to support the next generation of local leaders—this is where you need to be.

    We’ll see you in Scottsboro!

    Toni Eberhart and John Joseph

    Co-Chairs, Launch Entrepreneurship Pillar

  • Nourishing Nyad: Growing a Startup, a Team, and a Mission

    Nourishing Nyad: Growing a Startup, a Team, and a Mission

    This is our third straight week featuring guest bloggers, and we are especially excited this week to nourish entrepreneurship and highlight the story of Nyad, recent winners of Alabama Launchpad. Mary Ila is a Launchpad Advisor, and watching the people behind these startups grow and nourish their new businesses is a thrill for our whole team. So, without further ado, Nourishing Nyad! 

    Nyad Launchpad Winners
    Launchpad Winners: Nyad

    Building a startup is a test of resilience, vision, and leadership. At Nyad, we’re learning that the key to success isn’t just having a great idea, it’s about how you nurture it, how you develop the people around you, and how you foster a culture that sustains both innovation and impact.

    As co-founders, Chris and I started Nyad to tackle one of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges: polluted water. But beyond the technology we’re developing, our focus has been on nourishing the leadership, talent, and culture that will allow our company to thrive.

    This year, as Horizon Point focuses on the theme of Nourish, we’re reflecting on what it means to nourish an idea, nourish ourselves as leaders, and nourish the communities we aim to serve.

    Nourishing an idea from concept to reality

    Many founders believe that success is about coming up with a breakthrough idea. But in reality ideas are everywhere, and the best ideas often fail, not because they aren’t good, but because they aren’t properly nurtured.

    For us, the journey started with a simple observation: wastewater treatment is outdated, inefficient, and heavily reliant on manual processes. We saw an opportunity to bring today’s technology into this space, using artificial intelligence to optimise microbial management. But our ‘why’ runs deeper than that. Chris and I are keen swimmers and scuba divers, we’ve spent years in and around the water, and we’ve seen firsthand how pollution threatens the places we love. We couldn’t shake the feeling that if we had the skills to help fix this, we had a responsibility to try. But having an idea wasn’t enough. We had to test it, refine it, and prove that it could work in real-world industrial settings.

    This meant listening, really listening, to the people who manage wastewater every day and experience the problem we’re trying to solve. It meant adapting our approach based on customer feedback, learning from industry veterans, and being willing to change direction when necessary. The process of nourishing an idea requires patience, adaptability, and a deep commitment to continuous learning.

    Nourishing leadership and talent development in a startup

    A startup is only as strong as its people, and it takes a village.

    One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned is that leadership isn’t a title, it’s a practice. As founders, we’re constantly stepping into new roles: pitching customers and investors, negotiating with industry partners, and navigating the technical and regulatory challenges of wastewater treatment. We’ve had to develop skills we never anticipated needing and handling setbacks with resilience.

    We’ve learned that leadership isn’t always about having all the answers, it’s about creating an environment where you can find the answers together. We commit to our vision, hold ourselves accountable, and make sure we stay balanced and motivated through the ups and downs of early-stage entrepreneurship.

    We’ve found that nourishing leadership in ourselves means:

    — Prioritizing learning by seeking mentorship, reading, and surrounding ourselves with people who challenge our thinking.

    — Building discipline by establishing routines that keep us focused, from structured work blocks to regular reflection on progress.

    — Staying grounded in purpose by remembering why we started Nyad and making sure our decisions align with our long-term vision.

    Nourishing communities beyond the office

    Leadership doesn’t stop at the workplace. One of the most rewarding aspects of building Nyad has been the opportunity to engage with the broader community, engaging with other entrepreneurs, collaborating with industry leaders, and contributing to initiatives that drive sustainable innovation.

    Our journey has been deeply shaped by the support of the Birmingham Alabama startup ecosystem, organizations like the Innovation Depot, the EDPA’s Alabama Launchpad, and the mentors who have helped us grow. Now, we see it as our responsibility to pay that forward. Whether it’s through hiring locally, sharing our knowledge, or supporting initiatives in clean technology, we believe that nourishing a company also means nourishing the community around it.

    Final thoughts: leadership as a practice of nourishment

    The theme of “Nourish” resonates deeply with us, not just in the environmental sense, but in the way we lead, build, and grow. Whether it’s an idea, a team, a culture, or a community, true leadership is about fostering growth in ways that are sustainable and meaningful.

    As Nyad continues to evolve, we remain committed to this principle. Our mission is to transform wastewater treatment, but our success will ultimately be measured by the people we empower, the culture we cultivate, and the impact we create.

    Nyad Founders

    Virginia & Chris are WaterTech entrepreneurs from London, UK who previously founded a successful Covid diagnostics startup together.

    NYAD logo

    Virginia Szepietowski, Co-Founder & CEO, has experience in corporate and startup growth & strategy, and is a qualified attorney.

    Virginia Szepietowski Headshot

    Chris Braithwaite, Co-Founder & COO, is a mechanical engineer with a background in corporate finance.

    Christopher Braithwaite Headshot
  • Nourish: A Bold New Direction for 2025

    Nourish: A Bold New Direction for 2025

    After a year of “Open the Door” as our 2024 theme, we decided this year as a team that maybe we needed to simplify- our theme and our focus.  As I discussed in my speech Taste and See, turning responsibility into obligation to open the door to anyone and anything brought about a state of too much in 2025.  Like they say, there can be too much of a good thing. 

    So in keeping with tasting and seeing what is good and letting that be the only obligation or responsibility to pursue, trusting that good things will flow naturally from there, we felt as though “Nourish” speaks volumes to what we are pursuing this year and aligns with our organizational values. 

    What Nourish means to us: 

    • Living with intention
    • Nourishing the people closest to us
    • Emphasizing abundance instead of scarcity
    • Pouring into good things allows the outcomes take care of themselves
    • The mindset that capacity doesn’t equal obligation. Margins nourish us to live with intent and pour into the important people and things around us. This helps us see who and what needs to be nourished right in front of us. 
    • Nourishing creates growth 
    • Nourishing leads to thriving 

    Values Alignment 

    And in true HPC fashion, we put the word into ChatGPT and found that nourish aligns well with our values: 

    1. Passion: Nourishing reflects a commitment to fueling enthusiasm and energy in all endeavors, encouraging others to pursue their work with heart and dedication.
    2. Productivity: Nourishing the mind, skills, and workplace environment enables individuals and teams to perform at their best, driving meaningful outcomes.
    3. People First: At its core, “nourish” emphasizes care, growth, and support, putting people at the center by fostering their well-being and development.
    4. Continuous Learning and Improvement: Nourishment encompasses providing the resources, opportunities, and encouragement for ongoing growth and enhancement, ensuring a culture of improvement.
    5. Give Back: Nourishing others extends to contributing to the greater good, whether through community efforts, mentorship, or empowering others to succeed.

    What we will Nourish this year: 

    Leadership Development and Coaching

    We are launching new content in 2025 that includes monthly blog posts and coaching moment videos to help nurture leadership development in companies and communities.  These will be practical strategies to implement, not complex theories or vague guidance. A taste of what we will be doing to nourish leadership development in our area includes facilitating the Cummings Research Park Tech to Exec Program and continuing to deliver Encounter Groups to our clients.  Our customized programs for organizations will now come with a customized website page(s) to provide nourishment even after the in-person component concludes. 

    Entrepreneurship

    We will be launching new content featuring entrepreneurs across our network to showcase the innovation taking place all around us. We will continue to support Alabama Launchpad and the dozens of entrepreneurs that come through the program each year. 

    Career and Professional Development

    In 2024, we launched online courses and will continue to launch more courses throughout 2025. Taylor is now one of the very few people in the country certified to deliver the National Career Development Association’s brand new School Career Development Advisor (SCDA) training, and she will continue to work with the Alabama State Department of Education to certify hundreds of educators across the state in this and other content and certifications. 

    Informed Compensation

    We continue to do a lot of compensation work. We realize that this core hygiene factor helps people literally nourish themselves and their families. Living wages are important and so is making wise business financial decisions to ensure the longevity of our organizations. These can exist together and be nourished together- remember abundance, not scarcity.  We will continue to facilitate the North Alabama Regional Wage and Benefit survey to help companies and communities make informed compensation decisions. 

    Each Other

    We are a family at HPC and each of us needs nourishment from each other. This year, we will be focused on nourishing Taylor as she undergoes surgery and treatment for breast cancer.  Emily is nourishing new life, and we will welcome a baby into the HPC family in May!  We ask your prayers for Taylor and Emily and their families. 

    nourish gift basket
    Taylor’s “nourish” basket from the team!
    Each of us curated a few items that we knew would bring Taylor a little bit of joy and “nourishment”.

    What are you nourishing this year? What do you want to see grow?