17 Experts Share Impactful Growth Strategies for Startups

The Crunchbase “Female Leader Series” is comprised of stories, Q&As and thought-leadership pieces from glass-ceiling-smashers who overcame the odds and are now leading successful companies.


Marketing and branding can be make or break when it comes to coveted business growth. However, with new trends, strategies and technology emerging left and right, it can be hard for startups to keep up—and know where to invest their precious runway.

To ensure you and your team are not just crossing your fingers for success, we tapped into the expertise of 17 marketing and branding experts from the Dreamers & Doers collective to learn about the most impactful strategies they’ve leveraged for themselves and their clients.

Take a page from these experts’ playbooks to ensure your company is on a path toward growth and success this year and beyond.


Kaitlyn Lo

Co-founder of Just Enough Wines, a woman-founded premium canned wine brand based in San Francisco. 

My No. 1strategy: Collaborating with other female-focused organizations and businesses has allowed for organic marketing and network effects to occur for our company. By tapping into other organizations that have already built the know, like and trust factor with their audience, you get immediate conversion occurring. 

The results I’ve seen: We grew by almost 200 percent last year due to this model and were able to keep a low customer acquisition cost compared to what we get when utilizing ads. This approach also brings in more loyal clients from Day One and allows you the opportunity to keep them as a client longer term.


All individuals featured in this article are members of Dreamers & Doers, a private collective that amplifies extraordinary entrepreneurial women through thought leadership opportunities, authentic connection and high-impact resources. Learn more about Dreamers & Doers and subscribe to their monthly The Digest for top entrepreneurial and career resources.

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Last Updated:
November 12, 2025

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