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In this episode, Gregg Garrett speaks with, Wendy Lea, CEO of Energize Colorado. Wendy discusses her work building out entrepreneurial communities across the Midwest and Colorado. Additionally, she shares her Top 3, which includes a former boss, a mentor, and the former CEO of P&G. Finally, Wendy shares her secret to approaching each new challenge with the same energy and drive as the first one. All this and more!

Wendy Lea is a leading expert in digital innovation strategy and ecosystem development. As an experienced CEO, board director, and strategist, she advises government, public/private partnerships, and global enterprises on growth through innovation.\\xa0

Recognized for work across industries and regions, Wendy is a maximalist who is equally well-versed in helping large enterprises systematize innovation as she is in creating vibrant startup innovation ecosystems that grow city, regional, and state economies. An active mentor and advisor for tech accelerators, Wendy leverages a global network of entrepreneurs to catalyze economic resilience.

As CEO of Energize Colorado, Wendy mobilizes resources and relief for small businesses, nonprofits, and individuals recovering from the economic impact of COVID-19. She leads a team of inspired innovators from Colorado\\u2019s private, public, nonprofit, and academic communities to revive and invigorate Colorado\\u2019s economy.

Wendy also serves on the Danaher Water Innovation and Technology Board, the P&G Ventures Advisory Board, and select venture-backed startup boards. In the State of Kentucky, she advises the Department of Community Economic Development, the public-private partnership\\xa0LEAP\\xa0(an initiative aligned with\\xa0LHHC), and serves on the board of regional innovation hub\\xa0Amplify, based in Louisville. Wendy provides corporate innovation subject matter expertise to Techstars\\u2019 ecosystem development partnership with the Country of Taiwan. She also serves university innovation and entrepreneurship programs, including Miami University\\u2019s\\xa0John W. Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship\\xa0and the University of Colorado Boulder\\u2019s Engineering and Applied Science Advisory Board.

Wendy was named a \\u201cWoman of Influence\\u201d in Silicon Valley and San Francisco. Recently she was honored with the Signal Excellence Award in 2018 by Procter & Gamble and the University of Cincinnati\\u2019s Carl H. Lindner College of Business Distinguished Service Award.

Wendy is a graduate of the University of Mississippi in Business Administration and has lived and worked around the world. She lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Segment 1: Overview

00:46\\xa0\\xa0 Big game hunting in the connected world \\u2013 looking for the biggest challenges to tackle

03:15\\xa0\\xa0 Bringing the entrepreneurial spirit to Southeast Michigan; creating the Connected \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Detroit Innovates incubator

05:06\\xa0\\xa0 Looking back on our previous guests \\u2013 a collection of individuals trying to hunt for \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 the big problems

06:49\\xa0\\xa0 Introducing Wendy Lea

06:27\\xa0\\xa0 Having the grit to win \\u2013 Elon Musk

09:27\\xa0\\xa0 Wendy\\u2019s background

11:50\\xa0\\xa0 How Wendy got involved in community entrepreneurial activities

12:46\\xa0\\xa0 Balancing community impact with less independence in actions and decisions

Segment 2: The \\u201cTop Three\\u201d

14:18\\xa0\\xa0 Wendy\\u2019s \\u2018Top Three\\u2019 begins with Randall Murphy, a small business owner who took \\xa0\\xa0 a chance with Wendy at a young age

17:05\\xa0\\xa0 Using the \\u201cstudent of the game\\u201d mindset to evolve and grow quickly in the \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 entrepreneurial space

19:22\\xa0\\xa0 Having a teaching mindset to help you navigate the tech sales space

20:22\\xa0\\xa0 Wendy\\u2019s \\u2018Top Three\\u2019 continues with Brad Feld, who got her into the VC space and was \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 instrumental in helping her direct her career to its present path

23:21\\xa0\\xa0 Making opportunity moves \\u2013 making the trek from Texas to Colorado

26:01\\xa0\\xa0 Getting comfortable taking risks and making VC investments

27:32\\xa0\\xa0 Angel investing

28:24\\xa0\\xa0 Moving out to Silicon Valley and being a unique individual in a male dominated\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 industry

30:52\\xa0\\xa0 Falling in love with a startup and becoming it\\u2019s CEO

35:44\\xa0\\xa0 Wendy wraps up her \\u2018Top Three\\u2019 with the former CEO of P&G Bob Macdonald, who \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 taught Wendy to be a student again

37:05\\xa0\\xa0 Valuing social impact more than making money in the for-profit sector \\xa0

39:37\\xa0\\xa0 Leveraging your experiences: why Wendy\\u2019s Silicon Valley experience was key

Segment 3: Transformation & Disruption

43:11 \\xa0 Using fear as a motivator for success and being a good student

46:34\\xa0\\xa0 Wendy\\u2019s work in Colorado: what she\\u2019s doing there

47:46\\xa0\\xa0 Using her skills to help Colorado weather the pandemic

48:40\\xa0\\xa0 Energize Colorado

Segment 4: Wrapping Up

52:14\\xa0\\xa0 Check out Wendy\\u2019s organization \\u2013 how can we collaborate?

53:09\\xa0\\xa0 Closing thoughts: embed three thoughtful rest periods into your day in order to \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 approach every challenge with the same energy

56:28\\xa0\\xa0 Keep up with Wendy at Wendylea.com and checkout Energize Colorado\\u2019s \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 website

Contact Wendy Lea

• Wendy Lea\\u2019sLinkedIn
• Energize Colorado\\u2019s Company website

Contact Gregg Garrett:

• Gregg\\u2019s LinkedIn
• Gregg\\u2019s Twitter
• Gregg\\u2019s Bio

Contact CGS Advisors:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Twitter