Thursday, June 13, 2024
Alissa Finerman
Wharton SoCal Women’s Network – Special event with Caroline Strzalka, co-founder of Overplay (recently featured on Shark Tank) – June 13th, 2024
The Wharton SoCal Women’s Network is honored to host a special event with Penn/Wharton grad Caroline Strzalka, a visionary entrepreneur and media executive, and the co-founder of Overplay.
Overplay, a platform that lets anyone turn their videos into games and share them with the world in minutes and without code, is revolutionizing a $574 billion digital media landscape with the first frictionless platform for user-generated games. It’s like TikTok for gaming! Caroline and Overplay were just featured on Shark Tank, and invested in by tech billionaire, Mark Cuban.
Please join us for a special conversation to learn more about Caroline’s journey including how her time at Penn/Wharton influenced her approach to business, the challenges of starting a company and raising capital, what it’s like to be on Shark Tank and have Mark Cuban as an investor/advisor, her advice to founders and her insights on the gaming industry and more.
Please note, this event is open to both men and women. We look forward to a wonderful and inspiring event and the continued opportunity to build our amazing community.
When: Thursday June 13th, 2024, 8:15am – 10am
Event flow:
8:15am – 8:40am: Welcome and networking
8:40am – 9:30am: Interview with Caroline Strzalka and Q&A
9:30am – 10am: Time to network and talk with Caroline
Where: Private residence in Santa Monica. Location will be shared after registration.
Cost: Members, $10; non-members, $20
This event will sell-out so please RSVP early.
Food: A light breakfast and coffee/Nespresso will be served.
Parking: There is street and metered parking available.
Contact info: Alissa Finerman, [email protected]
About the Speaker Caroline Strzalka
Caroline is a visionary entrepreneur and media executive, and the co-founder of Overplay which is revolutionizing a $574 billion digital media landscape with the first frictionless platform for user-generated games. Caroline and Overplay were just featured on Shark Tank, and invested in by tech billionaire, Mark Cuban. Caroline built her career at some of the world’s best edutainment companies -- Sesame Workshop and Scholastic Media. She initiated and executed ground-breaking deals with the likes of Apple, Microsoft, Intel, Netflix, Hulu, Google, and many others. Caroline has worked with producers to release dozens of apps and games, many of which have won awards like the BAFTA and Webby Awards.
She was formerly in Equity Capital Markets at Citibank, and the lead analyst in deals such as the Kraft, Leapfrog, and GameStop IPOs. Caroline has an MBA in Marketing and Entrepreneurial Management from The Wharton School, where she received the Joseph Wharton Fellowship, and a BA in Economics and International Relations from The University of Pennsylvania where she received the Student Award of Merit. Caroline is a Startup Leadership Fellow for the City of New York and on the Council on Foreign Relations. She is especially interested in education, the rights of women and children, alleviating poverty, and female empowerment and entrepreneurship.
About the Hosts:
Alissa Finerman WG98
Alissa Finerman is an Executive Coach and Gallup Certified Strengths Coach. She is a Facilitator/Guide for Chief, a private women’s network, and coaches teams, executives, managers and entrepreneurs. She is on the Executive Coaching team for the Wharton Executive MBA program and has guest lectured for several universities. Alissa was a VP on the Corporate Bond Sales Desk at Credit Suisse (now UBS) before she founded her Leadership Consulting & Coaching company. She is an angel investor (focused on impact and supporting women founders), advisor and author of the book, Living in YOUR Top 1%. She holds an MBA from The Wharton School and is a Board member for The Wharton Club of Southern California.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alissafinerman/
Sing Ling WG22
Sing Ling has over 15 years of experience working with Fortune 500 brands in consumer goods and entertainment at award winning branding agencies in the US and China. She has a broad range of expertise in marketing including growth marketing, branding, design, content strategy, and creative development.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sltegner/
Jessica Pugh
Jessica Pugh (she/her) is the Head of People Strategy and Operations, leading a team responsible for Google’s Customer Sales talent investments for our 5,000+ person organization. Jessica joined Google in 2019 as an Account Executive and quickly matriculated to a Sales Manager, leading a team of 12 and managing a $500M business. Jessica is a proud graduate of California State University, Long Beach (B.S) and The Wharton School (MBA). Jessica is a California native who is a glutton for travel and immersing herself in new cultural experiences, having both studied and worked in the UK.
Outside of work, Jessica enjoys traveling with her best friends, hosting friends for game nights (she’s overly competitive), making her 18-month old niece laugh and watching stand up comedy.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-pugh-5b3b5316/
Monisha Toteja G’09 WG09
Monisha Toteja is the CEO of Dynamic Speaking, where she advises, coaches, and speaks about communication challenges at work. She has over 20 years of professional experience, and focuses on empowering executives and rising stars to communicate effectively. She works across industries to assist leaders in improving their executive presence, confidence, and strategic communication, including navigating difficult situations, engaging key stakeholders, and creating a pitch for investors or clients. Monisha taught communication at The Wharton School for eight years and is a member of the Forbes Coaches Council. She holds an MBA in Management from The Wharton School, an MA in International Studies from The Joseph H. Lauder Institute of Management and International Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and a BA in German Studies from Duke University. Monisha speaks German fluently, Hindi conversationally, and has a basic knowledge of Spanish.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/monisha-toteja/