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The entrepreneurial journey
is a rollercoaster. Let me help you enjoy the ride.

Let me help you enjoy the ride

About Me

I started my career working as a technology consultant and operator working across several industries from supply chain and financial services to healthcare and non-profits. I got the startup bug in the late 1990s and have been there ever since. I have been in technology leadership roles during the early days of some of the most successful tech companies of our day: Akamai, VMware, and DigitalOcean. I am an angel investor and have advised hundreds of startups. I sit on startup boards, have been an active mentor at TechStars since 2014, and founded a non-profit organization Good For Her to support founders who identify as women. I am also the author of After The Idea: What It Really Takes to Create and Scale a Startup.

 

I was appointed to the faculty at Harvard Business School in 2016 where I've taught Product Management, served as the faculty lead of Startup Bootcamp, and launched two new courses, Startup Operations, designed for student entrepreneurs and the short intensive course, The Startup Toolkit. I also served as the faculty co-chair of the Rock Center for Entrepreneurship from 2023-2025. I received my Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential in 2023 from the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
 

Coaching entrepreneurs through their startup journeys brings me joy. There is nothing more energizing than helping people realize their dreams and allowing them step into their power. Read more about my coaching services below.​​

About Me

My Services

Since 2013, I’ve been successfully coaching clients to facilitate their self-growth. With three decades both startup leadership and education experience throughout the spark to scale journey, I bring a unique perspective to C-suite leaders of early stage companies. I focus on professional growth, organizational development and strategy. My in-depth experience working across all functional areas of organizations means we will not waste time gaining context on the core components of your business. I've seen and experienced many "movies" from talent development, engineering execution and finance issues to go-to-market strategies, financing and board management. We will speak the same language and I will bring tremendous empathy into our conversations. I will be your thought partner, reality checker and shoulder to cry on if/when needed. I will also guide you to step into your power to help you be the very best YOU you can be.

My work with you

The extras

I focus on the whole individual and weave in my operational expertise as needed. I believe everyone has the answer to their own challenges – it’s a matter of bringing these answers to the surface and developing the confidence to realize the possibilities. That said, I am an advisor and educator when needed and each session together is often a blend of self-discovery and learning.

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Our journey begins with a deep dive into your story. We will explore peak moments in your life, your education, career and key relationships. Through these initial discussions, we will develop a partnership where we will discover what makes you, you! From there, we will focus on whatever is most alive for you in each session. It is my role to hold space for you, guide you through solution discovery and serve as your accountability partner when needed.

In addition to weekly virtual sessions, I am available via emails/texts for time-sensitive situations. My clients also have access to my professional network which includes industry experts, investors, top rated job candidates and other coaches/mentors for members of client organizations. 

 

I offer additional consulting engagements exclusively for my clients such as:

  • 360° leadership assessments

  • Product roadmap development

  • Executive offsites and team building exercises

  • Hiring assistance for executive level positions

  • Organizational restructuring and growth planning.

  • Linkedin
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Services
"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it."

Maya Angelou

Let's Talk

Let's Talk!

I AM CURRENTLY ACCEPTING A LIMITED NUMBER OF NEW CLIENTS.
 

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© 2020 - 2025 by Julia Austin

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