Moving from a Startup Mentality to a Strategic Vision: Insights from Jeesoo Sohn

In the dynamic world of startups, navigating the transition from a rocky start to a sustainable future requires strategic foresight and a deep understanding of organizational dynamics. This is also true for nonprofit startups. We recently spoke with Jeesoo Sohn, a seasoned HR consultant who runs her own Seattle-based firm, about this journey. Having previously supported startups like Duolingo and Glossier in their early stages, Jeesoo brings a unique perspective to scaling organizations.

Since 2019, Jeesoo has worked with over 20 companies and nonprofits of all sizes and has mentored over 30 individuals. Marissa Vogel, co-founder and COO and fundraising officer at Open Up, spoke with Jeesoo about this topic, using Open Up’s own journey as an example. Open Up is a nonprofit in Pittsburgh, PA, focused on mindfulness and accessibility, with programs centered around people with disabilities.

The city of Pittsburgh is experiencing a surge in startups, fostering a thriving ecosystem for both start-ups and nonprofits. The city’s reputation as a center for philanthropy and nonprofits is well-established, and its tech scene is quickly gaining momentum. Recent examples include the success of startups like Duolingo and Aurora. This robust environment provides fertile ground for innovation and social impact, creating opportunities for organizations to scale while maintaining their core missions.

This conversation illuminates the challenges and rewards of scaling an organization while staying true to its core mission. Jeesoo provides valuable insights on navigating the transition from startup to strategic growth, emphasizing the importance of organizational adaptation and communication in achieving long-term success.

Definition of the start-up phase

Marissa Vogel: Jeesoo, you’ve led organizations from startups to established teams. Open Up started working with you in January 2023, at a time when we were just starting to emerge or evolve from a startup phase. How has your journey shaped your perspective on growing an organization?

Jesus Son: Throughout my career, I have worked with companies of all sizes, from just two people to hundreds of employees. I have worked in a variety of sectors, both for-profit and non-profit organizations. My focus has always been on people and the key role of organizations in team dynamics. A well-organized team is the foundation for the success of a product or service.

To me, “startup” means the early stages of organizing resources and creating momentum, eventually moving into more strategic phases. Initially, the term “startup” often conjures up almost hackneyed Silicon Valley images—fast-paced, innovation-driven. But my work with Open Up and other startups has shown me that it’s more nuanced and can include nonprofits. It’s simply about starting something new, literally from scratch, building momentum, and then shifting the focus to sustainable growth. For example, we started working together when Open Up started connecting and thinking about not just getting things done, but also how to do them well, from a human perspective.

The Challenges of Moving Beyond the “Startup” Phase and Navigating Organizational Growth

Marissa Vogel: What changes have you noticed as companies emerge from the startup phase?

Jesus Son: Startups often start out focused on the immediate challenges of the present, on communicating their mission and thinking about the “now.” Getting through that requires a shift toward anticipating future needs and scalability. Many teams struggle with that shift, from working in the present to being able to step back and think about the bigger picture and long-term thinking.

Marissa Vogel: Not that it’s easy, but Open Up has perhaps always been a little more prepared to think this way, since we’re in the mindfulness and accessibility space, so we’re used to pivoting and adapting and being intentional about our strategies, including our growth. That by its nature requires reflection, feedback and adaptation. That mindset may have allowed us to navigate transitions more smoothly and integrate feedback more effectively. So yeah, that fits me.

That said, we have different stages of business and we need to communicate those to stakeholders, customers, funders, and our community. So how do we identify those stages, especially in a nonprofit context?

Jesus Son: I don’t define stages by time, size, or funding, but rather by movement and growth in the organization. After the startup phase, scalability must be considered, and then things always progress. Every decision and iteration contributes to a new phase of growth, whether it’s improving recruiting practices or adjusting organizational processes. For example, two separate rounds of recruiting may be different, and that’s okay. Organizations learn from scalability and from what they’ve been through in each phase of their growth in the past.

Iterating decisions and making changes even after the processes are complete should not be seen as failures, but as necessary steps for growth. For example, even if the board has already voted on something and you have implemented it, you can still go back and repeat those earlier decisions and processes. Being open to change and learning from each phase is crucial for positive sustainability.

Marissa Vogel: One of Open Up’s values ​​is “nurturing growth,” so that’s something we invested in as we went from just two people who were contract workers (myself included) to hiring more people, implementing payroll, and other things. What was your experience working with Open Up as the company approached the end of its startup phase?

Jeesoo Sohn: Open Up provided a unique opportunity for collaboration and innovation. The openness to unconventional ideas to promote equity and the genuine commitment to growth made our professional relationship incredibly rewarding. You really left the “founder ego”—which is something real that I think exists—at the door and were very open to trying things out. For example, we created an org chart and a ladder of levels together, and both were very unconventional in the sense that they weren’t completely hierarchical, they were more focused on impact and teamwork. So the openness was surprising and refreshing from the very beginning. It helped us build a stronger foundation for your organization. So I would recommend a similar openness to all organizations.

Marissa Vogel: I see it in the context of our mission of focusing on people with disabilities, and that’s something we’ve put a lot of thought into – how do we create a workplace that’s accessible and inclusive from the ground up? So we saw this as an opportunity to have a solid baseline while still being open to change, from policy to communication, and being very team-oriented. Yes, we have individualized work plans and more, but they’re created in a way that’s designed to help the team understand their role in the bigger picture and within the goal of organizational impact.

So what do you see as the benefits of the Open Up approach to development and what are the challenges?

Jesus Son: Open communication is essential and can be both difficult and beneficial. That is what you and your team brought to our work together. It has been one of the healthiest working relationships because of that beneficial factor.

The Role of Community in the Context of Nonprofit Organizations

Marissa Vogel: Finally, I was thinking about the fact that you have ties to Pittsburgh. You know, we have a couple of universities here, like Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh, so there’s a learning community here, and also a startup and nonprofit culture, with a lot of tech companies and seed organizations. Being a nonprofit in Pittsburgh is very interesting, with that tech and startup culture around us. So I’m wondering if you have anything to add in terms of that perspective? What role does the startup culture in Pittsburgh play in shaping organizations like Open Up?

Jesus Son: Pittsburgh is a people-driven city. At its core, it fosters a community-driven culture that supports startups through authentic collaboration and community building. This environment has helped startups succeed and has played a key role in Open Up’s journey. Overall, community can help inspire growth.

Marissa Vogel: You’re right, I’ve found that to be really unique in this city and I agree that it’s helped our organization here in Pittsburgh – we love our community! Thanks so much for your time, Jeesoo. It was great talking to you today and thanks again for all the great work you do!

Learn more about Jeesoo Sohn and her work here.