URL: http://forcoda.com/

Lena Levine’s entrepreneurial journey began when she moved to the United States in 2009, transitioning from a corporate web developer to founding her own software development agency, Forcoda, within just six months. Driven by her vision of becoming a CEO and armed with skills honed from her immigrant background, Lena applied her full stack engineering expertise to help companies build the right products for the right customers through design, technology, and data-driven decisions. Over the past decade, she has grown Forcoda into a thriving business with a team of 15, serving a diverse clientele that includes startups and Fortune 500 companies like Met Bank and Oral-B. Lena credits her success to the resilience and determination instilled in her by her immigrant experience, which has also fueled her commitment to mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs and contributing to the Buffalo startup ecosystem.

Here’s what to expect this episode:

· Immigrant experience equips individuals with valuable qualities crucial for navigating the entrepreneurial world.

· Resilience and determination gained from facing challenges as an immigrant are valuable assets in the entrepreneurial world.

· Adding a ‘WOW Factor’ to the sales process by exceeding client expectations drives business growth and success.

· Focusing on bootstrapping, generating sales, and refining the product before raising funding aligns with the initial vision of helping entrepreneurs worldwide.

· Mentoring startups, organizing events, and giving back to the community are essential in building lasting friendships and connections.

· Leveraging transferable skills acquired from relocating, such as resilience, networking, and goal-setting, is instrumental in entrepreneurial success.

Connect with Lena Levine:

  / lenalevine