Ombre CEO, Elise Contarsy, on Early-Stage Start-Up Success and Work-Life Balance

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Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business:

My passion is building businesses and creating products people want to buy. I started my career in textile manufacturing, and I have worked in almost every category of general merchandise as well as multiple consumables. Having spent most of my entire career creating new revenue streams inside large organizations, I now have the privilege of leading an early-stage VC-backed start-up, Ombre Lab, as the growth CEO.

What excites you about being an Entreprenista League member?

Learning from other women about fundraising and the VC culture.

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

It was the right time in my career.

What was your background prior to starting your own business?

Merchant | Marketer | Brand Builder | Team Leader

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

No.

What is the biggest challenge you have encountered along the way and what did you learn from it?

Fundraising, you need a thick skin.

What is the accomplishment you are the proudest of to date?

The Ombre launch on 11/1/2021

Do you believe in work/life balance? What are some of your best tips?

Have dinner with your family – you will never regret it.

What’s a piece of advice you can share that you wish you’d known when you first started your Entreprenista journey?

Don’t run out of cash! Raise more and earlier than needed.

What have you achieved recently that you’d like to celebrate with our community?

Our new web app!

What’s next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

We are launching on Amazon this month!

Learn more about the Entreprenista League and join today!

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