Sarah and Elle’s Inspiring Story of Friendship, Grit, and AI-Powered Supply Chain Innovation

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In a world where startup founders often clash and founder breakups are all too common, Sarah and Elle have defied the odds. As the co-founders of Retail Ready — a rapidly growing AI-powered supply chain compliance company — they have built both their business and friendship on a foundation of mutual respect, trust, and a unique ability to balance each other out.

Sarah and Elle’s professional accolades are impressive. They were recently featured in Forbes 30 Under 30, raised $3.3 million in seed funding just six months prior, and have prior experience at top companies like Microsoft and Stord.

However, early on, I was very forthright with Sarah that I wanted to know about the things not listed on her resume. I was interested in the depth of their relationship, early experiences, and misperceptions women may have about entrepreneurship.

Early Influences: The Roots of Resilience

Sarah indulged my curiosity and expressed gratitude for her upbringing, crediting her parents for keeping her engaged in structured activities like piano lessons and academic enrichment programs at KUMON. These activities may seem small but positively affected Sarah’s development and learning style. I’m not surprised as most piano players I know acquire this quiet perseverance about them.

Complementary Strengths: The Secret to Their Success

When asked about the qualities that unite and differentiate them, Sarah highlighted their shared ambition and calm demeanor. However, it seemed like part of their secret sauce was alternating who de-escalates and brings the calm.

“Sometimes I come in really hot, and Elle will calmly say, ‘Okay, let’s work this out.’ Other times, I’m the one who brings patience,” Sarah shared. Their differing strengths also play a significant role — Elle’s outgoing, sales-driven nature complements Sarah’s process-oriented, factual mindset. Together, they form a well-balanced team.

From Colleagues to Co-Founders: The Power of Persistence

Sarah and Elle met at Stord — a cloud supply chain platform. There they worked together for two years. During one of those years, the duo, both engineers, would meet every weekend to brainstorm startup ideas, refine their concepts, and lay the groundwork for what would become their thriving company.

This consistent, incremental approach, rather than a single, eureka moment led to their success.

Redefining Failure: A Shift in Mindset

Execution is often far more complex than ideation, so I was curious about Sarah’s perspective on failure. She acknowledged that while major failures — like having to shut down a business — are daunting, the smaller setbacks, such as losing a deal or a website crash, can feel just as significant in the early days.

In the beginning, these micro-failures felt catastrophic. There was this frantic echo of, “Oh my god, we failed,” Sarah shared. Over time, they learned to shift their mindset. Instead of framing things as “we failed” they realized it was more about “we pushed it out.”

Sarah’s reflection reminded me of the Sheryl Sandberg quote,

“Done is better than perfect.”

Breaking Barriers in Fundraising

Given their rapid fundraising success, I wanted to understand what made the process work for them and what tends to be gatekept from aspiring entrepreneurs. Sarah attributed much of their success to being part of a nurturing business incubator, where investors approached them rather than the other way around.

For those unfamiliar, business incubators are selective programs that provide seed funding, training, mentorship, and resources to startups. Gaining access typically involves submitting an application and business plan, followed by a pitch. While some incubators require fees or equity stakes, they can be game-changing for early-stage founders.

Breaking into the business incubator scene, contrary to popular belief, is not exclusive to tech geniuses or Ivy League business school graduates.

Sarah revealed, “There were all different types of people, personalities, backgrounds. Yes, there were some Ivy League people but there were also people that dropped out of college.”

The Reality of Rapid Growth

One of the most candid moments of our conversation was Sarah’s reflection on the sacrifices that come with scaling a company. Moving to the West Coast meant uprooting her life, leaving family behind, and dedicating everything to the business.

“To be honest, there’s not that much balance,” she admitted.

In that moment, I sensed a quiet dignity from Sarah, an abundance of self-control, and the impact of her sacrifices.

Despite her sacrifices, Sarah finds fulfillment in coaching her team and working alongside her best friend. And beyond their business success, Sarah and Elle’s partnership is an extraordinary example of true friendship and mutual respect. Their ability to balance each other, lift each other up, and navigate the highs and lows of entrepreneurship together makes them not just successful founders, but also inspiring role models. Their story serves as a powerful reminder that the strongest businesses can be built on the foundation of genuine, enduring friendships.