Kate Beebe Horn ’88, and her company Foglamp Research Corp., has been illuminating a pathway to international markets for clients for almost 3 years. Now the light is growing brighter with its recent certification by WBENC (The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council) as a women owned business and CEO Kate Horn’s completion of the prestigious Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses entrepreneur initiative. The company deciphers complex situations on the ground world-wide for businesses looking to extend their base in emerging and frontier markets.
“WBENC will provide us a platform to connect with larger companies and enhance our networking efforts,” Kate says. WBENC is the largest third-party certifier of businesses owned, controlled, and operated by women in the United States.
The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program taps into the economic power of small businesses by providing entrepreneurs across the country the resources they need to grow. Kate was selected as only one of thirty-two female entrepreneurs to participate in the Tory Burch all female cohort funded by the Tory Burch Foundation. “Based on the success of other women business owners who have completed the five month Goldman Sachs program, I am confident that it will also be instrumental in propelling our business,” Kate says.
Kate Horn joins a growing group of women entrepreneurs who are looking to harness the power of the free market. Investors are rewarding their initiative. According to a report recently released by the Center for an Urban Future, in the third quarter of 2015, 15 of the 89 New York companies receiving venture capital had a female founder. Investors are increasingly recognizing what women entrepreneurs have always known: that women are practical and realistic, and can work together across an ideological or cultural spectrum to get things done. In addition they tend to be more realistic in terms of risk assessment and balancing profitability with growth. “Women are good multi-taskers and even better caretakers,” Kate adds. “We meet our clients’ needs, and listen carefully to them to develop deliverables that exceed their expectations.”
Having contributed her skills, energy and time working for financial firms on Wall Street, Kate is now enjoying the freedom and independence of running her own business. “I realized the importance of having more balance in my life. Running Foglamp from my home office gives me flexibility, time to keep all my commitments and the ability to hire smart, talented hard working women who share my entrepreneurial spirit.” Kate’s interest in emerging markets and international business began with her junior year abroad at the National University of Singapore while at Hamilton in 1986-87. During that year, Kate traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia and China and her interest in foreign markets has stayed with her. She got the opportunity to buy the startup company she had been hired to help launch in 2013 and has been seeing more than 50% growth since inception.
Kate is confident that her WBENC certification and the Goldman Sachs Initiative will accelerate this growth. “These accomplishments are a great testament to Foglamp’s good hard work and our potential to offer an important service to a wide variety of corporate and consulting clients.”
