Jessica Herrin, who founded Stella & Dot, is back with a $5M seed round for an AI marketing startup called Marklo, and Rebecca Frankiewicz has been picked to become ManpowerGroup's next CEO. Add two board appointments, and the week gives you four women with a record to point to and one habit in common: each one's proof came first.
Herrin raised $5M for AI marketing startup
The fact: Herrin's startup Marklo raised a $5M seed round led by Forerunner, according to Crunchbase News, reported October 14, 2026.
Why it matters: Marklo has no revenue yet, but more than 100 brands are in a pilot. Forerunner's Kirsten Green valued that Herrin built the product while customers were using it. So an investor backed a second-time founder on usage, not on sales.
The lesson: get real users on your product before you pitch.
Frankiewicz named ManpowerGroup CEO
The fact: ManpowerGroup's board appointed Frankiewicz CEO on October 13, 2026, effective January 1, 2027, as Jonas Prising retires as CEO.
Why it matters: Prising becomes Executive Chair through December 31, 2027, so the handover overlaps for a year. Frankiewicz, 55, has been President and CSO since June 2025 and ran North America operations from 2017.
The lesson: her record pairs a strategy title with years running a large region, so make sure yours shows both.
Taylor Wolfe joins Floor & Decor's board
The fact: Floor & Decor's board appointed Lauren Taylor Wolfe as a director effective February 1, 2027, and to its Audit Committee.
Why it matters: she gets a committee job from the start. The filing lists the record behind it: she co-founded Impactive Capital in 2018, sits on WEX's board and previously served on the Envestnet and HD Supply boards.
The lesson: write down your experience by name and role, as the filing does, so a board can see it at a glance.
Roche joins Gen Digital's board
The fact: Gen Digital appointed Talbott Roche to its board on October 6, 2026, effective immediately.
Why it matters: Gen's board said what it wanted: experience scaling a global digital-first business. Roche has been CEO of Blackhawk Network since 2016, leading acquisitions and a 2018 take-private.
The lesson: describe your experience in the terms a board uses, such as scale and acquisitions.
The lesson worth keeping
Herrin had customers using Marklo, Frankiewicz had run a large regional business, and Roche had scaled a digital company. In each story, the proof came before the title or the check. Name your own proof, whether it is users, a business you ran or a skill a board wants, and lead with it in your next pitch or promotion conversation.
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Quick answers
Can a startup raise a seed round with no revenue?
Marklo did: it has no revenue yet, and its $5M round followed a pilot with more than 100 brands. Forerunner's Kirsten Green valued that Herrin built it while customers were using it.
Does Frankiewicz take over at ManpowerGroup right away?
No. She becomes CEO on January 1, 2027, and Jonas Prising stays as Executive Chair through December 31, 2027.
What did the boards say about the new directors?
Gen Digital cited Talbott Roche's experience scaling a global digital-first business. Floor & Decor placed Lauren Taylor Wolfe on its Audit Committee, with a record that includes co-founding Impactive Capital in 2018.
