Panel: Navigating the Journey from 0 to 1
In this panel, speakers will share their firsthand experiences of starting and scaling a business from its inception, providing insights into overcoming early-stage obstacles, securing funding, and offering practical advice, inspiration, and strategies for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Moderator – Arya Diwase MBAA Co-President, MBA/MPP Candidate Class of 2024
A Durham resident and alumna of Duke University, Francie brings a wealth of business development and sports marketing experience to the North Carolina Courage and North Carolina FC, as well as a valuable perspective on sponsorships and relationship building. Before taking the role of Club President, Francie served as the Chief Executive Officer of Sports Systems, a sports technology company; Senior Vice President of Sports and Entertainment Marketing at JP Morgan Chase, which followed a similar role at Wells Fargo. Gottsegen has also worked at notable professional sports organizations including the PGA of America, the National Basketball Association, and Major League Soccer. As Club President, Francie leads business operations including sponsorship, ticketing, merchandise, marketing, communications, broadcasting, operations, finance and human resources. She also serves on the board of NCFC Youth, the United Soccer League, the Raleigh Chamber, the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, and the North Carolina Sports Leadership Council.
Eden Laurin, CEO & Co-founder, Nyssa
Eden Laurin is Co Founder and CEO of Nyssa Care, a wellbeing brand creating solutions for women through design and innovation.
Kelly Froelich, MBA ’19, Director, Mindbody, Co-founder & COO, Balanced
Kelly Froelich is an angel investor as part of The Council and the co-founder of Balanced, a digital exercise platform for older adults, which was acquired by Hinge Health in 2023. Currently, Kelly is the Director of Business Intelligence at Mindbody and previously a Technical Program Manager at Ro and an Analyst at ClassPass and Facebook. Kelly received her MBA from Fuqua in 2019 and B.S. in Economics from Duke at 2013. Kelly lives down the shore in New Jersey with her husband, Octavio (Fuqua ’19), and their dog, Macaroni.
Michelle Addison, MBA ’23, CEO & Co-founder, Allergood
Lindsay Wrege, CEO & Co-founder, 321 Coffee
Lindsay Wrege is the co-founder of 321 Coffee, a coffee shop and roaster that focuses on employing people with disabilities. She started this company in college, and it now has 5 locations and employs over 60 people. She believes in using business for social good.
