Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Saxner.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Sara. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born and raised in a town just west of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The transformative years of my life were spent in Tallahassee, Florida at Florida State University where I was exposed to incredibly dynamic peers and people who poured into my growth and development. During my senior year, I chose to run on the first female ticket as Student Body Vice President. That experience, coupled with a few others leading up to that, including establishing the Women Student Union on campus, working for a nonprofit that served and supported women and girls in north Florida, and completing a leadership studies program, helped to prepare me for life after college.
During my senior year, I was admitted into a combined degree program where I was able to begin my Master’s. It was important to me to finish my term strongly serving the students at Florida State. After graduation, I chose to power through the program in about a year and work three jobs simultaneously. It was during those experiences tracking education legislation as a research assistant at a federally-funded educational research facility, designing and training students on interpersonal violence for the health center, and working at the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce that led me to where I am today.
I’ve always been fascinated by people and how to best solve problems through putting them first. Starting off in economic development for Tallahassee during a time the community was seeing great change and momentum was representative of that. After graduating with my Master’s in Public Administration, I knew I could go a variety of directions. However, I put my passion for serving people and nonprofit/government experience to use, but through the lens of business. I came to the conclusion that if people were economically secure through work and companies had jobs to offer, a lot of the issues they faced internally and throughout life could be mitigated. I also thought that if I could have a seat at the table, bringing my desire to have a larger impact on society outside of just a singular business, with those with the resources and capacity then maybe we could move the needle for communities and regions.
I went through some pivotal moments in my life shortly after graduate school and starting my first career-centered job contributing to the launch of the economic development office in Tallahassee. It tested my spirit, self-worth, and grit. However, because of a small, supportive group of people that I call my “tribe,” I came out stronger and more fierce — and found myself calling Atlanta home.
After setting up coffee conversations with connections in town, I landed a great job with an even better team and partners at the Metro Atlanta Chamber. During my time at MAC, I fell in love with this beautiful, diverse, and talented region — and also got to know the inner-workings and data behind why it is the 3rd fastest growing metro, home to 15 Fortune 500 headquarters, and 3rd most connected startup community in the US. I started to understand why it’s such a great place for business. MAC was the perfect place for me to start navigating a new market.
Earlier this year, I left the Chamber to build and give back to Atlanta in a different way. Currently, I’m head of operations and employee #2 for the Loeb.ATL team as we focus on identifying, curating, and scaling billion dollar companies for Loeb Enterprises.
I’m thrilled to help build better and stronger companies, which leads to better and stronger communities, for us in Atlanta, the South, and the rest of the world.
Has it been a smooth road?
Nothing is ever smooth or easy. However, I recognize and don’t take for granted the privilege that has been afforded to me stemming all the way back to the loving and supportive environment my parents raised my brother and me in. They showed us to work hard and be kind.
Leaving the comfort of the network I grew and familiar spaces I found myself in Tallahassee and Florida was really challenging. I had a strong desire to rid myself of a few toxic relationships that were inhibitive to my growth, which included sexual harassment and an unhealthy personal relationship. I moved to Atlanta within two weeks of the job offer and after putting all of my belongings aside from 2 suitcases in storage. I moved with hope and fire within me.
Even after the move to Atlanta, it took nearly a year (and a whole lot of patience from my “tribe”) for me to get back to the woman I knew I’ve always been and could be. I surrounded myself with positive people, challenged myself to try new things, and most importantly wasn’t afraid of trudging through the metaphorical mud to get to clarity and peace. I started running a lot, which became a lot like therapy for me. I invested time in learning about myself.
A very wise mentor of mine early on in Atlanta talked to me about unpacking the rocks I was carrying in my backpack, acknowledging that they existed, and placing them down one-by-one as I kept moving forward. That’s stuck with me since my first days in Atlanta.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Loeb.ATL – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
As mentioned earlier, I’m leading operations for Loeb.ATL. We’re a new venture model that scales the next generation of startups into dominant market leaders. Loeb.ATL thrives on building startups from seed to scale to exit. We eliminate the obstacles associated with growing a business by sharing our community of teams, shared services, and expert leadership. We’re calling ourselves a venture collective. We don’t incubate, we curate.
The team at Loeb are people-first investors, moving beyond venture capital to become a friend and trusted ally of our entrepreneurs. We invite our portfolio companies to live with us in our Studio, located in downtown Atlanta. It provides a high-return alternative to traditional venture capital investments, which typically have a high failure rate. 8 out of 10 startups fail due to a bad idea, bad capital, or bad execution. We’re solving this problem with our formula. The Loeb Enterprises network has a 91% success rate over the last 15 years. This success and the goal is liquidity events, exists, and return.
We are serious business builders with a proven platform for scaling consumer and B2B/enterprise companies. Our approach mirrors the character of Atlanta itself and attributes that I personally identify with: intelligent, gritty and geared to win. We significantly reduce venture risk by operating from the inside and providing capital, space, resources, and a very deep and experienced network.
Our team is highly committed to recruiting companies with diverse founders and experience. If you know of talent, companies, events, or programs we should be engaging in, we would love and appreciate knowing about it!
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Whether you enjoy taking in a sporting event like an Atlanta United match, walking and shopping on the East and Westside Beltline trails, finding and supporting new music artists, appreciating street art or art in the High, or taking in a new restaurant or bar — I love that there is something for everyone in Atlanta. It’s also big enough to be home to the world’s most efficient airport but close enough that someone will always be open to chatting and grabbing a cup of coffee.
I wish more people took the time to get out of their neighborhood pockets. The region is so vast and diverse. There are incredible people, restaurants, and activities in the communities outside of the city of Atlanta.The only way to get comfortable is to allow yourself to be uncomfortable, and that starts with curiosity.
Contact Info:
- Address: 101 Marietta Street NW Atlanta, GA 30303
- Website: www.loebatl.com
- Email: ssaxner@loebatl.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loeb.nyc/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/S_Saxner
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/loeb-nyc-inc/
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
