“Try Hard, Never Quit, Have Fun.”
This family motto has seen Diana Kander throughout her life: fleeing the Soviet Union as an 8 year old, to a debate-scholarship student who graduated from UMKC in two and a half years, to a Georgetown-educated attorney, university professor, the founder of 10 companies, consultant to Fortune 500 companies and government leadership teams, and on top of all that, a New York Times bestselling author.
“I came from a country that encouraged conformity and memorization while harshly discouraging individuality or academic curiosity,” Kander said. “UMKC embraced my inner entrepreneur and opened my eyes to what was truly possible in America.”
What has been the common thread in your approach to entrepreneurship, and how do you identify opportunities that others might overlook?
As a little girl who had just learned English and was wearing second-hand clothes to school, it took me a long time to find my place socially. But, that made me curious. I didn’t accept anything as it was, because in order to find my way, I had to question everything and find another way to achieve it. Today, that curiosity, that inner 8 year old, is still there, and she helps me to question the way things have been done so far. So, for me, that common thread is curiosity.
What advice would you give to today’s young entrepreneurs or students who are starting out in a rapidly changing world?
It’s not necessary to quit your day job and pour all your savings into your idea right out of the gate. There are tons of ways to de-risk your ideas, to iterate on them, to test them, so that once you’re ready to make that leap, your chances of success are much higher.
What is your favorite UMKC memory?
My favorite memory was when my husband, Jason Kander, who was attending a different university, spent his “semester abroad” at UMKC, and we got to attend classes together for a semester. Also, being on the debate team gave me confidence and a camaraderie to start college well.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
My proudest accomplishment is the business I’ve built as an author, consultant and speaker, because it’s given me the opportunity to do things I love, but also something my parents unfortunately didn’t have: the freedom to spend substantial time with my family. My parents were able to give my sister and me a chance at success by working non-stop. I’m proud that I’ve been able to take the opportunity they gave me and really make something of it.
Original source can be found here.