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Episode 5: Kay Koplovitz

Entrepreneurial Adventures - The Springboard for Change

Janice Ellig, CEO and founder of Ellig Group, sits down with real leaders in this series of game-changing conversations, bespoke to fellow champions of change. Heralded by Bloomberg Businessweek as one of “The World’s Most Influential Headhunters,” Janice is often consulted for her expertise and her commitment to gender parity, inclusion, and diversity.

Episode 5: “Entrepreneurial Ventures: The Springboard for Change”

Kay Koplovitz is the Managing Partner of Springboard Growth Capital and the Chairman & Co-Founder of Springboard Enterprises. Kay was the founder, former Chairman & CEO of USA Networks, SyFy Channel and USA Networks International.

Nothing short of a visionary leader, Kay is the first woman to head up a television network and to launch major professional and collegiate sports on cable television. She broke down communications barriers globally that changed the course of TV history. Kay shares with us her past, the present, and her thoughts on the foreseeable future. Join us as we journey through Kay’s career, from broadcast, to authoring books, board work, and now her tireless dedication to women entrepreneurs in high growth businesses.

Springboard Enterprises was conceived after former President Clinton appointed Kay Koplovitz to Chair the bipartisan National Women’s Business Council in 1998. During that time, Kay discovered that only 1.7% venture capital and funding options were available to women entrepreneurs. Founding Springboard Enterprises in 2000 and serving as Chairman with Amy Millman as President, the value of their nearly 20 year track record of success being in women entrepreneurs; having launched 769 companies, 86% of those have raised capital amounting up to $9.5 billion, 82% are in business today, they’ve had 190 exits, 19 IPOs and counting!

It is with great pleasure, we share Kay’s story. We hope you enjoy listening to Episode 5!

Kay Koolovitz

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Janice Reals Ellig

Chief Executive Officer

As the head of the Ellig Group, Janice is dedicated to increasing the placement of women and diverse candidates on corporate boards and in C-suites by 2025. Janice joined the legacy firm in 2000 and became Co-Chief Executive Officer in its transition to Chadick Ellig in 2007; she assumed sole ownership of the company as the Ellig Group in 2017 with a new focus on Reimagining Search. Prior to her career in executive search, Janice spent 20 years in corporate America at Pfizer, Citi and Ambac Financial Group, an IPO from Citibank, where she was responsible for Marketing, Human Resources, and Administration.

Heralded by Bloomberg Businessweek as one of “The World’s Most Influential Headhunters,” Janice is often consulted for her expertise and her commitment to gender parity, inclusion, and diversity. She frequently appears at speaking engagements and as a media guest, and she has penned multiple articles for outlets such as Directors & Boards, Directorship, Corporate Director, The Huffington Post, and Forbes.com. Janice also co-authored two books: Driving The Career Highway and What Every Successful Woman Knows, acknowledged by Bloomberg Businessweek as “the best of its genre.”

A tirelessly active member of the industry and champion of her causes, Janice is Founder of the Women’s Forum of New York’s Corporate Board Initiative and its signature event, Breakfast of Corporate Champions. Since 2011, Janice continues to spearhead this event to honor companies committed to board diversity and to encourage CEOs to sponsor board-ready women for the Women’s Forum database. (LINK: www.womensforumny.org).

Janice is personally committed to several NFP organizations: Board Director of the National YMCA and Past Chair of the YMCA Board of Greater New York; Trustee of the Actors Fund and Committee For Economic Development (CED); Incoming Chair, University of Iowa Foundation; Women’s Forum of New York Past President and Chair of the Corporate Board Initiative; member of the Steering Committee, US 30% Club and The Economic Club of New York.

In recognition for her many philanthropic activities, Janice received the University of Iowa Distinguished Alumni Award in 2011 and the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC) Eleanor Raynolds Award for Volunteerism in 2008. Named one of the “21 Leaders for the 21st Century” by Women’s eNews, she was also a recipient of the Channel 21 Award In Excellence for her contribution to “Excellence in the Economic Development for Women.”

“Listening to our clients’ needs, learning their business and understanding their culture is how we present the best talent and provide  a competitive advantage. We place candidates with the character, competencies, commitment, (intellectual) curiosity and courage to make a difference. Our goal is always to go beyond the expected and deliver valuable advice, measurable results and great talent!”

– Janice Reals Ellig

  • Champion of gender parity, diversity, and inclusion
  • Industry expert, speaker, and author
  • Founder of the Women’s Forum of New York’s Corporate Board Initiative
  • Committed board and committee member and philanthropist

T: (212) 688-8671 ext. 226
E: Janice@ElligGroup.com