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PitchIt Podcast 75: Jean Smart, Founder & CEO, Penelope

December 15, 2022
PitchIt Podcast 75: Jean Smart, Founder & CEO, Penelope
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PitchIt
PitchIt Podcast 75: Jean Smart, Founder & CEO, Penelope
Dec 15, 2022

On today's episode, I sat down with Jean Smart, Founder & CEO of Penelope.

Penelope is the retirement savings platform for small businesses & entrepreneurs. Small is the key term; Penelope focuses on the smallest of the small businesses.

Penelope currently serves companies that have no more than 15 employees. A lot of these small firms are local mom-and-pop shops. One of the biggest barriers these companies face is finding and retaining talent.
 
Penelope offers them a chance to compete. Retirement accounts are one of the top asks from prospective employees. Having the chance to offer retirement savings helps level the playing field.

Jean and I discussed her journey to Penelope, her family's immigrant journey, how Penelope designs content & education, do-it-yourself investing apps, risky asset classes like crypto, raising capital, and much more.
 
Episode highlights include:

  • Jean's professional journey to Penelope
  • The biggest barriers SMBs face in trying to offer benefits 
  • Lessons learned from Schwab, TD Ameritrade, and others
  • Language and education barriers
  • Financial inclusion
  • Changing the perception of SMBs
  • Crypto
  • Raising Capital
  • And much more

Connect with Jean on LinkedIn

Connect with PitchIt:

Until next time.

Show Notes

On today's episode, I sat down with Jean Smart, Founder & CEO of Penelope.

Penelope is the retirement savings platform for small businesses & entrepreneurs. Small is the key term; Penelope focuses on the smallest of the small businesses.

Penelope currently serves companies that have no more than 15 employees. A lot of these small firms are local mom-and-pop shops. One of the biggest barriers these companies face is finding and retaining talent.
 
Penelope offers them a chance to compete. Retirement accounts are one of the top asks from prospective employees. Having the chance to offer retirement savings helps level the playing field.

Jean and I discussed her journey to Penelope, her family's immigrant journey, how Penelope designs content & education, do-it-yourself investing apps, risky asset classes like crypto, raising capital, and much more.
 
Episode highlights include:

  • Jean's professional journey to Penelope
  • The biggest barriers SMBs face in trying to offer benefits 
  • Lessons learned from Schwab, TD Ameritrade, and others
  • Language and education barriers
  • Financial inclusion
  • Changing the perception of SMBs
  • Crypto
  • Raising Capital
  • And much more

Connect with Jean on LinkedIn

Connect with PitchIt:

Until next time.