The Honest Startup Pitch

About the talk

Talia Fenwick, founder and former CEO of two manufacturing startups, one that failed, spoke at UW–Porter Falls in January 2026 as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series, nominated by the College of Management.

What the talk covered

Fenwick gave an unusually candid account of why her first company failed, walking through the exact decisions she would make differently, before describing what she changed at her second company as a direct result.

A line worth remembering

“Every founder talk you've seen is a highlight reel. I only had one talk in me that was actually useful, and it's the one about the company that died.”

— Talia Fenwick

If you missed it

Distinguished Lecture Series talks are recorded and streamed live from the Halvorsen Library auditorium, and a recording is typically posted afterward through the sponsoring college's page. Reach the College of Management directly if you are looking for a specific talk that is not yet posted.

How it connected to coursework

The College of Management typically builds a short discussion or reflection assignment around its nominated speaker into at least one course that term, so students who could not attend live still engage with the ideas secondhand. Faculty who teach in areas adjacent to “The Honest Startup Pitch” say the Q&A after the formal talk is usually where the most specific, applicable answers come out — worth staying for if you do attend in person.

Common questions

Can students propose a speaker? Each college nominates its own speaker; a student with a suggestion should raise it with a faculty member or the department office in the relevant college, since faculty typically make the actual nomination.

Is attendance required for any course? Some instructors offer extra credit or a short reflection assignment tied to a relevant talk, but attendance is never a blanket requirement across the university.