UMass Lowell Manning Industry Days Presentation
UMass Lowell Manning Industry Days
March 27, 2025
Profiles in Startup Grit
Where grit comes from and how it impacts startups
In "Profiles in Startup Grit," Jothy Rosenberg presents his framework for understanding entrepreneurial resilience through three interconnected traits: insecurity (creating healthy self-doubt), exceptionalism (building confidence through achievements), and discipline (sustained focus and hard work). Drawing from his personal journey of losing a leg and lung to cancer as a teenager, Rosenberg demonstrates how these qualities transferred directly to his founding of nine startups, including two with exits over $100M. The presentation features four compelling entrepreneur profiles: Kelly Bruno, who went from being told she couldn't swim with one leg to completing ultramarathons and founding health-focused companies; Jules Pieri, who rose from Detroit's "wrong side of the tracks" to found The Grommet and later join an all-women VC firm; Morgan Templar, who advanced from secretary to startup founder while handling multiple family health crises; and Dimitri Dintchev, whose journey from Bulgaria to Nigeria to America showcases adaptability as a critical entrepreneurial skill. Throughout these stories, Rosenberg illustrates how personal adversity becomes a source of strength in business, with his mantra "WHO SAYS I CAN'T" embodying the defiant resilience that powers entrepreneurial success. The framework suggests that anyone can develop grit by channeling insecurity productively, building momentum through small wins, and committing to consistent, focused effort.
