About Sarah Dusek
Sarah Dusek is a managing partner and co-founder of Enygma Ventures, a private investment fund dedicated to supporting and investing in women-led businesses in Africa. Since Enygma’s inception in 2019, over 5,000 entrepreneurs have gone through Enygma’s investor-ready programs to learn how to build valuable companies. Sarah aims to demystify the complicated and often inaccessible world of funding. Making capital accessible for women, helping them to both deliver outstanding outcomes for their own businesses and drive economic and social progressive change. Her new book, Thinking Bigger: A Pitch-Deck Formula for Women Who Want to Change the World (Georgetown University Press, September 2, 2024), positions women to get the financing they need to scale their endeavors and change the world.
In 2009, she founded the leading upscale outdoor hospitality brand Under Canvas, which sold in 2018 for over $100 million. Under Canvas received a spot on the coveted Inc. 5000 list in 2017, and in the same year Sarah was also named to Ernst & Young’s EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women list as a forward-thinker and changemaker. In 2024, Sarah launched her latest venture Few and Far, a sustainable eco-travel company enabling guests to have incredible outdoor experiences whilst contributing to protecting and preserving the planet.
Sarah is a contributing writer to Forbes, The Telegraph, and TRT World. She is chairwoman of the Women’s Giving Circle for The Global Good Fund, a social entrepreneurship leadership development program, and sits on the board of 10 and rising startup companies in Africa.
After exiting her previous venture, Sarah set out to establish Enygma Ventures. Recognizing the critical role she would play, she began by laying the foundational work to develop her thought leadership and enhance brand awareness for the fund. This required starting from scratch, meticulously crafting a robust strategy to position both herself and Enygma Ventures prominently within the industry.
The Challenges
Amplifying Online Presence and Audience Engagement
After her successful exit, Sarah approached us in 2022 to help establish her personal brand as a serial entrepreneur. Having spent her career building corporate brands, she was now focused on creating her own identity through a thought-leadership strategy to launch future successful ventures. Her primary goal was to establish her thought leadership while also using this platform as an on-ramp back to her new ventures.
Sarah aimed to expand her reach and influence as she launched her new venture Engyma Ventures, and looked to grow her brand for speaking, teaching and book deal opportunities.
Our team worked closely with Sarah to create her personal brand identity. We developed a comprehensive thought-leadership strategy that highlighted her unique experiences and insights as a serial entrepreneur. By crafting compelling narratives and leveraging key media connections, we positioned Sarah as a leading voice in her industry. We have continued to secure placements in top-tier media outlets and grow her subscriber base, significantly expanding her reach and influence.
Through our strategic partnership, Sarah has successfully established a strong thought leadership that not only showcases her expertise but also serves as a powerful gateway to her ventures.
The Solution
Leveraging Expertise and Storytelling for Thought Leadership
To help Sarah achieve her goals, Zilker Media’s solution was to create a long-term vision for Sarah’s thought leadership by creating a comprehensive strategy tailored to her unique goals and strengths.
The partnership began with a thorough assessment of Sarah’s brand and target audience, identifying key opportunities for growth and engagement. Leveraging Sarah’s expertise, Zilker Media crafted a multifaceted approach encompassing media outreach, content development, and audience engagement strategies.
A key part of our work together was to create the foundation for Sarah’s visual brand identity. We worked closely with Sarah to define the look and feel that could be deployed across every channel, from social media to her personal brand website, to create a cohesive personal brand. Establishing this consistency across the board allowed for Sarah to begin building brand recognition and building trust with her target audience.
Services Provided
Over the past two years, Zilker Media has partnered with Sarah Dusek and Enygma Ventures on the following:
- Brand Audit & Strategy
- Brand Identity Creation
- Personal Brand Management
- Corporate Consulting
- Monthly Newsletter Management
- PR Representation
- Book Launch Strategy
The Execution
Implementing A Multi-Faceted Approach to Enhance Online Presence
The Zilker Media team created an overarching brand strategy to target every area of Sarah’s personal brand and establish a strong presence for her thought leadership. We defined her key messaging points, as well as her personal mission statement and tagline to set the tone for her brand. With these pillars of her strategy created alongside her brand guidelines, we moved into the execution phase of our partnership together. This oversaw an increase in media coverage, consistent LinkedIn content, the launch of her own email newsletter, and the launch of her personal brand website.
Zilker Media implemented strategies to grow Sarah’s email list, surpassing 4,000 subscribers. Through targeted campaigns and engaging content, our team continues to expand Sarah’s reach and cultivate a loyal following, increasing the likelihood of conversion and engagement. Zilker Media implemented targeted email campaigns to grow Sarah’s subscriber base and nurture relationships with her audience. By delivering valuable content directly to subscribers’ inboxes, Sarah is able to maintain engagement and foster a sense of community.
Zilker Media worked closely with Sarah to develop compelling content for her LinkedIn Newsletter, attracting over 1,800 subscribers. By sharing valuable insights and thought leadership, Sarah engages her audience and fosters meaningful connections, increasing engagement and brand loyalty. In an effort to grow Sarah’s thought leadership, Zilker Media spearheaded targeted outreach to top-tier media outlets, securing placements in publications such as BizWomen, Inc., Authority Magazine, Business Insider, and Fast Company.
The Results
Growing Email List and Increased Audience Reach
The partnership between Sarah Dusek and our team continues to yield impactful results. By leveraging Sarah’s expertise and unique story, our team has positioned her as a thought leader in her field, increasing her visibility and credibility among a broader audience. Through targeted strategies and compelling storytelling, Zilker Media has helped Sarah elevate her brand and secure placements in prestigious media outlets, positioning her as a leading voice in her industry. The media placements our team continues to garner for Sarah not only have increased her visibility but have also established her as a trusted authority in her field. With an established personal brand identity design and speaking assets, Sarah has since received an increase in paid speaking engagements and has secured a traditional book deal. Sarah is now a sought-after thought leader for high-value media opportunities.
Sarah Dusek continues to collaborate with the Zilker Media team, recognizing the ongoing value of their expertise and support. By maintaining a dynamic and collaborative partnership, Sarah and Zilker Media are poised to continue their success and further elevate her thought leadership and media presence in the digital landscape.