Maria Colacurcio
It’s been my lifetime privilege to see people I’ve known and worked with over the years rise to great heights.
I’m thinking of people like Leigh Fatzinger, Sean Thompson, Betti Fujikado (she/her), Bryce Hein, Amber Jacobs, James Bernstrom, Erina Malarkey, Christine McCaffrey, and Shannon Garbaccio, to name a few. One of the brightest stars in my little orbit is Maria Colacurcio. I first worked with Maria when she was a client at Onyx Software. Even then, working on product campaigns together, Maria’s buoyant energy and natural charisma made her a joy to collaborate with.
Maria went on to Microsoft, co-founded Smartsheet, had senior roles at Starbucks, and eventually was asked to be CEO of a new pay equity startup, Syndio. Oh, also, Maria’s the amazing mother of seven (!) kids, is as fit as a professional athlete, and is a sought-after speaker on eradicating pay disparities in the workplace.
Maria has the DNA of a CEO, I know that. Having worked with more than a few, the best of them have an extra reservoir of energy, ideas, bravery, and non-linear thinking that sees past obstacles. Maria has all of that, plus a heart of gold. The day we met, she showed up in a casual sweatshirt and stocking cap, as she had gotten up early that day to take a walk with a colleague who just needed to feel heard by senior leadership.
A few takeaways from our all-too-brief chat at Café Cesura in Bellevue:
1) Pay equity to workplace equity: The conversation around equal pay for equal work is evolving to include equal access to career opportunities, or opportunity equity. New tools make it possible to measure and address gaps caused by gender and racial bias in hiring, promotions, and advancement, so that true pay equity can finally become a reality.
2) Scaling with agility: One of the headwinds for fast-growing companies is maintaining the early-stage agility to pounce on opportunities as the organization expands in people and processes. Maria has found success by investing in fast-response teams that are ready and able to handle short-window opportunities, which also keeps the rest of the organization from being randomized by the latest fire drill.
3) Silicon Valley knows how to network: Maria is connected with mentors who have opened her eyes to the next-level networking and relationship building that is the standard in Silicon Valley; how to make small talk, how to connect at events, even the art of texting. What she’s learned: keep it short, add value, and it’s okay to be informal. “You’re making friends,” Maria says.
I am immensely proud to know Maria and proud of all she has accomplished. And it feels like she’s just getting started. What she does is not easy, but like all the great ones, she sure makes it look so.
Thank you Maria for being part of my reconnect roadshow!
#payequity #leadership #startupgrowth #coffee #thankyou