Discover/Women in VC

A Conversation with Katelyn Foley and Vicki Nakata, President & Venture CEO at UP.Labs | BCG | Stellar Labs | Booking Holdings | Hawaiian Airlines | Bain & Co.

Women in VCJun 26, 202418 min

This episode features Katelyn Foley and Vicki Nakata, President & Venture CEO at UP.Labs, who bring a unique perspective on how equity compensation fundamentally transforms employee behavior and decision-making. Drawing from their experience across major companies like BCG, Booking Holdings, and Hawaiian Airlines, they offer candid insights on the psychology of ownership and practical advice for women navigating high-stakes corporate environments.

Key takeaways

  • •Equity compensation creates fundamentally different people—employees with ownership stakes are more likely to voice disagreement and challenge strategic decisions.
  • •Raise your hand for opportunities, but equally important is knowing what support you need to succeed and actively asking for it.
  • •Personal background and family exposure to industries can create both passion and empathy that becomes a competitive advantage in business.
  • •The compensation model you operate under directly impacts your willingness to take bold positions and push back on poor decisions.

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11:09· 42sOrigin Story

I grew up around airlines with a, you know, airline parent. And so, I have a lot of passion for personal travel, but a lot of empathy for companies that try to both provide air transportation, and travel experiences to guests.

11:09 / 11:51

So, absolutely, I've loved traveling ever since I was a child. I grew up around airlines with a, you know, airline parent. And so, I have a lot of passion for personal travel, but a lot of empathy for, companies that try to both provide air transportation, and travel experiences to guests, but also, for, the the problem solving part of it. And I'll give you a quick example of, one of the problems that we're working on. If you're if you're a regular air traveler, you've probably experienced a flight delay or cancellation. I had one last night. That was caused by the inbound aircraft or crew being delayed.

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Women in VC

Bold/Contrarian

And seeing those folks under a compensation model where they get a salary and they have a bonus versus one where they have equity, it's like seeing totally different people. And just the ability to stand up and say, actually, I don't agree. I don't wanna build this. I don't think this is the right move.

Stark contrast between compensation models with a provocative claim about human behavior change. The quote about disagreeing with leadership challenges conventional corporate hierarchy thinking.

10:09 - 10:2718s

Women in VC

Origin Story

I grew up around airlines with a, you know, airline parent. And so, I have a lot of passion for personal travel, but a lot of empathy for companies that try to both provide air transportation, and travel experiences to guests.

Personal backstory connecting childhood experience to career passion. The dual perspective of loving travel while understanding airline challenges creates relatability for both consumers and industry professionals.

11:09 - 11:5142s

Women in VC

Practical Framework

So my advice to women is, raise your hand, take a chance, but also make sure that you know what you need to to succeed and ask for that. I think many times people don't know it's okay to ask for support to get advice, etcetera.

Actionable advice with clear steps (raise hand, take chance, ask for support). The insight about people not knowing it's okay to ask for help is universally relatable career wisdom.

16:14 - 16:3319s

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