Co-founder of Orate

Sometimes in life, you have to take a leap of faith.  This is what Sara Capra, Co-founder of Orate did, in order to make the career transition from marketing into entrepreneurship.  As a former Senior Associate of Global Partnerships for the United Nations Foundation, Capra began to look for ways to enhance her marketing skills, as she felt that she needed more qualifications to further flourish within her field.  “Due to the many advancements that are constantly occurring in marketing, I wanted to ensure that I was well equipped to take on any new endeavors that would strengthen my career going forward,” explains Capra.  After learning about the various conferences offered through AMA, Capra decided to join AMADC to take advantage of the networking opportunities and programs geared towards marketers within the Washington metropolitan area. “The content that is provided at the national conferences is very attractive, as well as the events that are available through AMADC,” remarked Capra.  “Opportunities to meet like-minded professionals and to mentor others also piqued my interest within the D.C. chapter.”

Sara graduated from the University of Denver with an M.B.A in International Business.  In her previous role with the UN Foundation, Capra developed the idea for Orate while planning an event for SXSW.  “Speakers for the event canceled at the last minute, and I saw a need for a service that would fill in such vacancies,” Capra says.  With this idea, she went on to compete in D.C.’s 2014 Spring Startup Weekend where she and her team won first place amongst 12 other competitors, and secured a $25k surprise donation towards launching Orate.  Recently, Orate was featured in an article in the Small Business section of The Washington Post which focused on a portion of the company’s current marketing strategy.

Words of Wisdom:

“Don’t let the fear of being a ‘Jack of all trades’ prevent you from exploring all of the different aspects of marketing.  Get out there, and use AMADC and other resources to progress into a more accelerated route to the career you desire.”

Looking for additional ways to leverage for your career?  Check out the menu of benefits that are offered through AMADC membership.