The Music Behind Songs Against Slavery: Grace Theisen

Grace Theisen, co-founder of Songs Against Slavery and director of artist relations, created a nonprofit company that holds concerts and events to raise money and awareness against sex trafficking. Handling the music side of the business and working as an artist partner for SAS, Grace uses her songs to reach individuals involved in trafficking by giving them hope and freedom. The events have reached 5 different states and have raised over $70,000 in the past 4 years. Grace has been a member of the EC since September 2015 and we are proud to have her be this week’s spotlight member.  

Describe yourself in one word: 

“Curious”

Why are you interested in entrepreneurship? 

“I love being able to create, learn, and have a job that pushes me to think outside the box every day. I love that in entrepreneurship, rarely are two days the same so it keeps you on the edge of your seat and constantly pushes you to learn new things.”

If you could meet any entrepreneur, who would it be?

“Taylor Swift”

What is your favorite aspect of the EC? 

“The people and community!! I love walking in and seeing familiar faces every day. I love the entrepreneurial spirit where everyone is willing to help each other out – and the energy that comes with that kind of environment. It truly is an inspiring place to work!”

What advice would you give someone seeking to create, launch, or grow a business?

“It’s okay to ask questions when you do not know the answer. Stay humble in the learning process, ask a lot of questions to those who are wiser than you, learn from your mistakes, and always try to fail forward. Lastly, I would say be okay with change. The idea you started with will rarely be the idea you land on but that is the beauty of a startup!”

How do you balance the entrepreneurial lifestyle? 

“My co-founder and I try to treat it like any other 9-5 job. In the beginning, we set boundaries with each other regarding work – we do our best to not talk about work things “after hours” and if we do, we ask one another if it’s okay to bring up.”

For more information visit www.songsagainstslavery.org