From Stumbling to Storytelling: Master the Message That Sells Your Startup
You’ve built something remarkable. You understand your product, your market, and the problem you’re solving. But when someone asks, “So—what does your startup do?” does your answer spark curiosity… or confusion?
In a world of AI, constant noise, and shortened attention spans, the startups that break through aren’t always the most technically impressive—they’re the ones that know how to make people care.
Because if you can’t communicate why your startup matters in 30 seconds, you won’t get the meeting, the funding, the customer, or the right hire.
Based on insights from Startup Yale 2025, this workshop reflects a clear and consistent pattern: standout startups aren’t defined by complexity, but by clarity. The most successful teams articulated why their solution mattered now, told a compelling story, and made audiences want to lean in. In live settings, that advantage only grows—founders who communicate with confidence, strip away jargon, and anchor every answer in a clear narrative are the ones who stand out.
In this session, you’ll learn how to turn what you’re building into a story people actually remember. We’ll break down why strategic messaging is one of your most powerful—and underutilized—competitive advantages, and how to craft a narrative that makes your startup resonate with investors, customers, and partners alike. You’ll leave with a practical, repeatable framework you can immediately apply to pitches, conversations, and content—so your startup doesn’t just sound smart, it sounds compelling.
Speaker(s):
Erin Ollila, Founder and Copy Chief, EO Copy Co.
