Fundamentals For Startups: Marketing Foundations- From Positioning to Pipeline

Elevators and doors open at 11:30 AM and will close promptly at 12:10 PM. About the Lecture: For early-stage startups, marketing can quickly become a long list of things you could be doing. In this interactive workshop, Sara Sonnen will help you focus on what matters most — from defining your ideal customer and sharpening your positioning to choosing the right channels, improving your website, and creating content that builds awareness and drives real conversations. Drawing on her experience working with startups and growth-stage companies, Sara will share practical examples and exercises to help you understand how these pieces work together — and leave you with a clearer sense of what to prioritize next. Speaker:Sara Sonnen, director of marketing, growth & acquisition, Symetra Sara Sonnen is a growth marketing leader who helps organizations build brands, reach new audiences, and turn marketing into measurable business growth. She currently serves as Director of Marketing, Growth & Acquisition at Symetra, where she leads growth strategy and emerging marketing capabilities across digital channels. Previously, Sara spent 10 years at Techstars, working at the intersection of startups, venture capital, and corporate innovation, where she led marketing and growth initiatives supporting founders and the startup ecosystem. She later led growth marketing at LevelTen Energy, a venture-backed climate technology company based in Seattle. Sara is passionate about helping founders develop growth strategies, sharpen their positioning and go-to-market approach, and build practical marketing programs that drive meaningful growth. About Fundamentals for Startups:Fundamentals for Startups is a weekly one-hour lecture series featuring notable experts who share startup-related information, experience, and insights with our entrepreneurial community. From raising capital to scaling to exit strategies, these seasoned guest speakers deliver valuable content designed to help startups and entrepreneurs thrive. These lectures are open to the public and you do not have to be currently affiliated with the UW or a startup to join. Lunch is provided while supplies last. Advanced registration required. Please note, we are no longer livestreaming these sessions. Elevators and doors open at 11:30 AM and will close promptly at 12:10 PM. Don't be late!We hope you can join us!