Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Giulia Imperatrice, COO of WEVE Acceleration, located in New York, NY, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

WEVE Acceleration is a startup accelerator based in New York City that supports international entrepreneurs with US market entry. As an immigrant myself, the mission of helping extraordinary talented individuals make it in America is incredibly fulfilling. We work with the companies on their go-to-market strategies, fundraising, and anything related to their business expansion and growth! Our sweet spot is Series A and Series B companies in the B2B space with solid product-market fit and traction in their home country. We also work directly with government agencies and corporations to support with ad-hoc programs and startup scouting based on their specific needs.

Tell us about yourself

As a founding Partner at WEVE, I've overseen the company's overall strategic planning since its inception. From sourcing to scaling, I've brought together individuals and startup teams across continents into a cohesive system for them to continue to operate. Before WEVE, I lived in the UK, France, Spain, and Italy, where I supported European VCs with deal flow, consulted early-stage companies on their business model, and helped startups launch operations. I always knew I wanted to work with mission-driven individuals and help them build the "next big thing." An accelerator program is a perfect vehicle to enable our founders to reach their goals and objectives. We created a community around our business that now counts more than 600 mentors and investors, and each one of them is fully dedicated to supporting our founders. That type of commitment is hard to find, and it is my number one motivation to continue running our business and support the next generation of entrepreneurs.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment to date has been building a business that enables others to belong in a country that is not theirs. As an immigrant, I know the challenges that individuals face when first stepping foot in a foreign country. You are missing that support system and friendly hand that helps you overcome big and small everyday challenges. Creating a community and a program that focuses on fostering diversity and generating impact has been challenging and, at the same time, incredibly rewarding. After having worked with over 200 companies to date, I can say it is definitely my biggest accomplishment as a business owner.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Being a business owner means accepting the responsibility of building a product and a team around your idea. It requires courage but also humbleness. Bearing that responsibility comes at a cost often, and balancing personal and professional life can be very challenging. I believe it is very useful to start creating more space for "personal moments" during the workday, especially as a business owner. I started doing it in 2020 during the pandemic. It helped me increase my mental space and have more clarity to make tough decisions.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Trust your gut. You will always hear different opinions from different people, but eventually, what makes a choice the right one, is believing in it yourself first. I wish I had received the advice to trust my intuition more when I started my journey, not because it's always the best way to go, but because it is a strong signal of what you are passionate about. It's a way to examine underlying information we are not fully aware of. Trusting my "gut" is what brought me to New York in the first place, despite having a career in France. I "knew" this was the place where I was supposed to be and took a leap of faith, and four years later, I can't say I regret that choice.
  2. Luck is not a success factor. In the entrepreneurial world, we often attribute a company's success to a lucky moment, time, or circumstance. We start at different points, and we might encounter pivotal moments in our journey. This doesn't mean we are more or less lucky than others, as long as we identify those moments and are ready for them. What I mean by that is you gotta work hard for what you want, and when the "right" time comes, you have to be ready to take advantage of it fully.
  3. Critiques are a blessing. I owe everything I have accomplished to the harsh feedback and critiques I have received during my journey. I have been told I was too young to lead a company, too old to change my industry field, too inexperienced to do consulting work, or just not good enough to be a founder. I could continue with thousands of examples, from my teenage years to today. The truth is, every critique is an additional motivation factor and a moment to reflect on what can be done better or differently. And, of course, listen to each opinion with an open mind, but take it with a grain of salt. Eventually, only you know you and what you're capable of.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://weveacceleration.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giuliaimp/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GiuliaImperatr4
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/giuliaimperatrice/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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