Betsy Flanagan is an entrepreneur who produces and hosts StartupStudio, a podcast that spotlights the challenges and successes of entrepreneurs. StartupStudio inspires audiences by showcasing examples of people who once lived ordinary lives and went on to create something extraordinary from the businesses or organizations they created from scratch.

StartupStudio is distributed on the San Jose Mercury News podcast Inside Silicon Valley, AllBusiness.com, University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business podcast series and the official FeedBurner podcast.

In 2000, Ms. Flanagan started BrightMinds, an online tutoring service, and Georgetown Tutors in 1994, a college prep and tutoring center in Great Falls, VA, which she sold to what is now called Georgetown Learning Centers.

In addition to starting her own ventures, Ms. Flanagan has a passion for working with entrepreneurs. While at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (acquired by Credit Suisse) she worked in the Private Client Service group guiding founders through liquidity events such as IPOs and buyouts. Later, she worked as an Associate at The Band of Angels, a $50MM venture fund with 100+ members, many of whom are the first generation of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and high technology executives. Ms. Flanagan’s business knowledge is augmented by her experience at Wells Fargo in investor relations and Internet strategy.

Ms. Flanagan volunteers for The Full Circle Fund and the SPCA’s Bark & Whine Ball. She enjoys swimming from Alcatraz, competing in triathlons, trekking gorillas in Uganda, and traveling off the beaten path as often as she can.

Ms. Flanagan has an A.B. in Anthropology from Harvard, cum laude, and an M.B.A. from University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business.