The Driver’s Seat with Heather Kernahan
Former Hotwire CEO Heather Kernahan transitioned from corporate acquisitions to owning a business by purchasing Content Bureau through seller financing. Leveraging a 25‑year personal relationship, she secured a one‑third down, four‑year payback deal without bank involvement. The experience revealed a scarcity of women‑owned sell‑side businesses, prompting her to launch Novella Ventures, a capital platform focused on acquiring and investing in women‑led marketing and communications firms. Kernahan’s story underscores the power of relationships and risk‑aware planning in enabling female entrepreneurship.
The Executive-to-Investor Transition Nobody Talks About
The article highlights a growing shift among senior women executives from earning salaries to becoming active investors. As they accumulate wealth, many are confronting an identity transition, leveraging strategic and operational skills to navigate private markets. Community salons hosted by...