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Name: Elisa Miller-Out

Business: Singlebrook Technologies, web programming with a mission for change 

Industry: High-Tech 

Location: Ithaca, New York, U.S.

Reason for starting: I wanted to use technology to empower other entrepreneurs and business leaders to live their mission and follow their passions. I chose to base my company in Ithaca, NY because of the amazing natural beauty, access to culture through the universities in the area, the vibrant local food ecosystem and because of my family connections to the region.

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How do you define success? My vision of a thriving, successful company is one with happy clients, an engaged team, financial profitability, quality work and impactful community programs. 

Biggest Success: My biggest successes are building Singlebrook over the last ten years and mothering two amazing children.

What is your top challenge and how have you addressed it? 

My biggest challenge is accepting that the chaos that comes with running a company is the norm, rather than an aberration. Learning to cope with the stress while, maintaining my health and taking good care of my family is a daily challenge. However, I find that the basics of good projects and task management combined with healthy eating, consistent exercise, good sleep habits and a positive attitude usually allow me to confront whatever comes my way.

Hiring and retaining great technical talent is constantly a challenge for a custom software company like Singlebrook. We’ve always felt strongly about wanting to build our company headquarters in Ithaca and wanting to have the majority of our team collaborate from our studio here. We’ve recruited talent locally from the universities in the region, but have sometimes had to make the decision to supplement our team with developers in other parts of the US.

Related: When in Doubt, Go For It 

Who is your most important role model? My grandmother, Helena Gilder, was an amazing woman. She became a doctor, graduating from Cornell Medical School, at a time when few women were pursuing careers outside of the home, let alone becoming doctors. She was President of the Women’s Medical Association for several years and ran a research lab at the Weill Cornell Medical Center in NYC until she was in her 70′s. I’m glad that there are so many more tech women role models now such as Sheryl Sandberg and Caterina Fake, but we still need many more!