Any person with a food allergy knows what it feels like to miss out on sweets. But when starting a business to fill that void, how do you get investors to believe in your mission? And how do you gain the trust of your intended audience?
This week’s guest is Denise Woodard, founder of Partake, an allergen-free sweets company that Denise started because of her daughter’s many food allergies. In this episode, Denise discusses how her background helped her start her company, how she got investors to back her passion, and so much more. She also shares some amazing tidbits of information for all the Entreprenistas listening.
“I wanted to create an inclusive brand that invited people with and without food allergies to enjoy. And I didn't feel like I was seeing that reflected. And so the name Partake came from this idea of me wanting people with and without dietary restrictions to be able to enjoy.” - Denise Woodard
If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!
If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:
Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and MORE!
Whether you’re looking to scale your existing business and want to make the right connections, or you’re thinking about finally taking the leap to launch your business, we’re here to give you access to a community of women who will celebrate your every step, and with whom you can share the candid reality of building a business from scratch.
Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!
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Hosts
Stephanie Cartin is a serial entrepreneur, investor, podcast host, community builder, and a champion for women founders. She created the Entreprenista League, a community for women founders, to provide resources and support necessary at all business stages. She’s also the Co-founder of Socialfly, one of the first social media marketing agencies, as well as Entreprenista Media and Pearl Influential Capital which was recently acquired by Cherub. Stephanie has shared her journey managing her health challenges with Multiple Sclerosis, Infertility, and a complicated pregnancy and is an advocate for women going through similar challenges. Her story and businesses have been featured on the Today Show, Bloomberg and Forbes. Consider Stephanie your biggest business cheerleader.
Courtney Spritzer is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor, author, and community builder with a passion for creating brands and platforms that empower women to lead, grow, and thrive.
In 2012, she co-founded Socialfly, a leading social-first digital and influencer marketing agency. Over the course of a decade, she helped scale the business into an award-winning agency working with Fortune 500 brands and emerging startups, building a powerhouse team and culture along the way. In 2024, Socialfly was acquired.
In 2018, Courtney launched the Entreprenista Podcast to spotlight the stories of inspiring women founders. That passion evolved into Entreprenista Media in 2021, a media platform and community supporting women entrepreneurs at every stage of growth. She now co-leads the continued expansion of The Entreprenista League, a membership-driven community and ecosystem for founders.
As an angel investor, Courtney supports female-led and mission-driven startups aligned with her vision for a more inclusive and equitable business landscape.
She is the co-author of Like, Love, Follow: The Entreprenista’s Guide to Using Social Media to Grow Your Business (2015), a strategic guide for leveraging social platforms to drive business success.
Her work and ventures have been featured in Bloomberg, Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, and The New York Times. She is committed to championing visionary founders and helping build the next generation of impactful, community-driven businesses.
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Highlights
- Denise’s childhood introduction to entrepreneurship 3:38
- Denise shares when and why she started Partake 4:36
- Denise talks about the importance of branding 6:11
- Denise shares where the name Partake comes from 8:37
- How Denise marketed Partake in the beginning as a “team of one” 14:05
- How much money Denise put into her business at the beginning 15:01
- Denise shares in-depth about her fundraising process 24:53
- What keeps Denise going on the hard days 29:31
- What’s in store for Partake in the future 35:37
- Rapid fire questions 37:50
- How to overcome imposter syndrome 43:50
- What being an Entreprenista means to Denise 45:35




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