Leadership requires authenticity. This was said by
Kay Koplovitz during a guest session at YIFP today morning.
Kay inspired the students by talking about her life journey. Can you imagine life without any sports on TV? She's the visionary who started sports television as we know it today by negotiating the first cable contracts for Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey
League, the US Tennis Open and many others (from http://koplovitz.com/About.html ). She was the first woman in the world to head a cable network when she founded USA Networks in 1977. She is now a venture capitalist and motivational speaker on topics like leadership and entrepreneurship. To know more about this enchanting lady, check out the website of her media advisory and investment firm, Koplovitz & Co. http://koplovitz.com
When asked about how being a woman had affected her professional journey, she said that if you think of yourself as an equal with dignity, you are treated that way. She excelled in a sector which was completely male-dominated. When you see barriers and can't work around them, know when to move on so that your growth is not stifled. In her experience, women tend to not take credit for their achievements. E.g. A woman who was pitching a biomedical device to a roomful of VCs talked about her project, her team etc. but did not mention that she's a physician and an astronaut.
