Company: Influence and Co., Columbia, Missouri, MO USA
Company Description: Influence & Co. assists individuals and brands in growing their influence by creating and publishing bylined articles on reputable publications such as Forbes and Inc., facilitating in-residence programs for brands, and much more. Growing from two to 50 employees in the last two years, Influence & Co. is now one of the leading providers of expert content to the world’s top publications.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Young Female Entrepreneur of the Year

Nomination Title: Kelsey Meyer, Cofounder and President

Describe for the judges the activities and accomplishments of the nominated entrepreneur since the beginning of July last year (up to 525 words):

Influence & Co.’s increasing growth and success can be attributed to the leadership of Kelsey and her co-founder John Hall. She has been essential to growing the company from two to 50 employees in the last two years. Priding themselves on helping assist experts across industries to save time sharing their expertise and providing the highest quality content to top-tier publications, Kelsey is now co-founder and president of one of the leading providers of expert content to the world's top publications.

Kelsey and her co-founder saw the opportunity for success with brands, so they implemented a brands department in March 2013. They hired an executive vice president whose main responsibilities including assisting large brands in developing innovative content marketing strategies designed to reach, engage, and influence key customer segments.

Kelsey believes fostering a positive company culture has been central to Influence & Co.’s success as the company has grown. From flexibility on location, to late-start Wednesdays and an 80s prom the company culture at Influence & Co. is one of trust, autonomy, and fun. Kelsey has emphasized autonomy in all the employees at Influence & Co. and encouraged every person at the company to create value in the ways that capitalize on their unique skills sets and passions.

In July 2013, Kelsey became co-creator of Contributor Weekly, a free weekly newsletter for contributors that keeps them up-to-date on the latest trends and tips for writing, publishing, and sharing their contributions. Still in its infancy (only its 5th edition), Contributor Weekly already has over 500 subscribers who receive weekly coaching in the form of a free newsletter from Kelsey and her team at Influence & Co.

In 2011, Kelsey led the organization of the first Startup Weekend in Columbia, Mo. This year, she is a co-organizer for the event. Startup Weekend is a global network of passionate leaders and entrepreneurs on a mission to inspire, educate, and empower individuals, teams, and communities. Her duties involve putting on the event, but also mentoring the different teams trying to start businesses.

Lastly, Kelsey is a regular contributor to reputable publications such as the 85 Broads column on Forbes, a network of female game-changers who invest in each other’s success. She contributes her advice for startups, business culture, entrepreneurship, and much more.

Provide a brief biography of the nominated entrepreneur (up to 125 words):

Columbia, Mo. and cofounded the League of Innovators, an organization focused on developing and bringing together the local entrepreneurial community. She did both of these while also performing as a full-time student athlete for the University of Missouri. Kelsey is a member of the Young Entrepreneur Council and has a passion for promoting women in entrepreneurship. She has contributed her expertise and experiences to Forbes and many other reputable publications.