As a business owner, your time and mental energy are often dominated by product/service design and implementation, back-office administration, and the day-to-day grind. In this session, you’ll take a moment to get out of your own head, imagine the perspective of your current and future customers, and consider ways to grow your business with their needs and desires in mind.

Makaela Kingsley is Director of the Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, USA. She teaches courses on social change theory and practice, and she runs programs that support student entrepreneurs and changemakers. A 1998 graduate of Wesleyan, Makaela previously held positions in Wesleyan’s advancement office and the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, where she worked in development and public relations. Outside of the Patricelli Center, Makaela volunteers on multiple boards and has served as a Coach for Ashoka, a mentor for Yale University’s entrepreneurship programs, a judge for Echoing Green and the Grinnell Prize, and a guest speaker for incubators that support small business entrepreneurs. She lives in Connecticut with her husband Matt, their two children Amelia and Eli, and a hedgehog named Avocado.