Sam Colby (she/her)
Chief Operating Officer, Finalytics, Second Wind & TWENTY6
Sam Colby is an operator who has held executive roles in several high-growth consumer companies, including Glossier and Sheertex. She has helped scale teams and operations from early-stage environments through rapid growth phases and later-stage financing.
Today, Sam works closely with founders and early-stage companies in COO and advisory roles, helping translate vision into operational execution. Her work focuses on the practical decisions that shape how companies grow, including hiring strategy, organizational structure, and building teams that can scale without burning unnecessary capital.
Sessions
Startup Essentials
Hire, Outsource, or DIY: The Founder Decisions That Shape a Startup’s Early Years
In the earliest days of a startup, founders are often told the same thing: hire great people. But the real question comes earlier.
When should a founder hire at all? See More.
Mentor Office Hours
Office Hours: Managing Boards & Advisors
Run board meetings that extract value rather than waste everyone's time, get useful advice from advisors who have skin in the game but lack day-to-day context, and keep supporters aligned with your vision even when they don't understand your decisions. See More.
Mentor Office Hours
Office Hours: Crisis Management & Business Continuity
Keep your head and make good decisions when everything is breaking, anticipate disasters before they hit so you have response plans ready, respond effectively under pressure, and maintain operations when key people leave or major customers churn. See More.
Mentor Office Hours
Office Hours: Partnerships & Business Development
Find partners whose incentives truly align with yours, structure deals that create value for both sides, avoid partnerships that sound good but deliver nothing, and build business development into your growth engine. See More.