Jennifer Dulski and the Rise of Rising Team

Jennifer Dulski brings a wealth of experience to her current venture, having previously held key leadership roles at organizations like Change.org, Google, and Facebook Groups.

However, she recognized a significant gap in the market: a lack of readily available, comprehensive resources for individuals transitioning into management positions.

Securing Seed Funding

To address this need, Dulski established Rising Team, a platform designed to empower managers. The company has recently secured $3 million in seed funding, spearheaded by Female Founders Fund, with additional investment from Peterson Ventures, Burst Capital, Xoogler Ventures, 500 Startups, Roble Ventures, Supernode Ventures, and various angel investors.

Existing managerial tools often fall short, offering either broad employee surveys – such as those provided by Gallup and Glint – or isolated executive coaching sessions. A combined approach, however, has been largely absent.

Dulski reflects on her own experiences, stating that while training provided valuable insights, it lacked the practical tools needed for immediate implementation. She likened it to learning how to fish without being provided with the necessary equipment.

The Rising Team Platform

Rising Team aims to bridge this gap by integrating both tools and training into a single, cohesive platform. This is intended to help managers effectively motivate, organize, and lead their teams.

The platform’s core offering is a suite of proprietary tools, including unique assessments and customizable 1:1 meeting templates. Traditional employee surveys typically concentrate on job-related factors and optimal work environments.

Rising Team’s assessments, conversely, focus on individual team member personalities, exploring their preferred methods of appreciation and identifying their core talents and skills.

This understanding enables managers to strategically pair team members, assign tasks aligned with individual strengths, and gain a deeper insight into each employee’s motivations.

Complementing these tools, Rising Team provides a library of training resources, including videos, articles, and audio content. Future development plans include the integration of AI-powered, personalized training recommendations based on assessment data.

Building a Managerial Community

Furthermore, Rising Team is fostering a community where managers can connect and share insights with one another.

The startup is adopting a unique, bottom-up revenue strategy, allowing individual managers to purchase the software directly, with the expectation that positive experiences will drive wider team adoption. However, enterprise-level subscriptions for entire organizations are also available.

Currently, Rising Team is available in a free beta program, with official pricing to be announced at a later date.

A Diverse Team

The Rising Team currently comprises eight individuals, with a strong commitment to diversity: 60% of the team identifies as female, and 50% as BIPOC.

“Building a diverse team from the outset is incredibly important to both myself and the entire team,” Dulski emphasized. “The data consistently demonstrates that diverse teams achieve greater success.”

Early Stage Event Announcement

Early Stage is a leading event dedicated to providing practical guidance for startup founders and investors.

Attendees will gain firsthand knowledge from successful entrepreneurs and venture capitalists regarding business development, fundraising, and portfolio management.

• Sessions cover all aspects of company building, including fundraising, recruiting, sales, and marketing.
• Each session includes dedicated time for audience questions and discussion.

Use code “TCARTICLE” at checkout to receive a 20% discount on tickets.