Nicole Eaton

24 | Director of Venture Platform, VCET
Residence: Chittenden

Career Highlights: A career highlight I am most proud of is building VCET’s Venture Platform. I get to create opportunities for founders to thrive, whether that’s featuring them on a Female Founders panel, highlighting their stories on the Start Here podcast, or providing startup discounts to help them get off the ground.

Community Involvement: I’ve found a love for serving the youth in my community. I currently volunteer with two youth ministries: I connect with middle schoolers through an organization called Young Life, and with high schoolers through a local church.

Serving youth looks different every day. Some days you’ll find me with a group of middle school girls at the movie theater, and other days doing a Bible study with high schoolers at a coffee shop. The love of Jesus has changed my life, so spreading that love to students is my greatest joy at the moment.

What motivated you to live and work in Vermont: When I graduated from UVM, I tried to leave but quickly realized the opportunities at VCET and the people I was surrounded by were worth staying for. The beauty of this state and its sense of unity are truly hard to find elsewhere.

Favorite part of your job: I have the honor of meeting new entrepreneurs every day. As a non-profit, VCET is able to provide no-cost advising and resources to any entrepreneur in the state. That’s my favorite part: sharing resources and seeing entrepreneurs’ shoulders relax when they hear it’s all free.

What is the best career advice: “The goal of the first year is to get to the second”. Oftentimes, we try to build the empire first, but it’s better to be intentional about what we’re building and focus on the next step rather than the entire mountain.

Tell us something fun about yourself that few people know: I was on UVM’s Hip Hop Team, Catamount Dance Crew!

Drawing on your experiences, what advice would you give to someone looking to get involved in community service: I’ve learned more about myself by serving others than I ever could by focusing on myself.