In this episode of EIR Live, hosts Ilya Tabakh and Terrance Orr sit down with Mia Bennett, a serial entrepreneur turned EIR enabler who has transformed from management consultant to venture builder to leading 120+ entrepreneurs at Oneday. With over 25 years of experience spanning corporate innovation at Citi Ventures and PwC, impact entrepreneurship at Zinc VC, and building 40+ products across multiple startups, Mia shares her unique journey through the evolving landscape of entrepreneurship in residence roles. She reveals how a 4 AM cold email changed her career trajectory, why relationships are 15-year investments, and how she's revolutionizing entrepreneurship education by making it accessible to everyone—from medical doctors to people who never touched a college campus. This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in corporate innovation, venture building, or understanding how diverse perspectives create entrepreneurial magic.
Chapters
[00:00:00] Cold Open - The 4 AM Email That Changed Everything
[00:01:25] Episode Introduction
[00:01:35] Guest Introduction & Background
[00:03:19] From Consultant to Entrepreneur - Making the Jump
[00:07:04] Management Consulting Lessons - Relationships Matter
[00:14:56] Building an Agency - 30 Failed Proposals to Success
[00:24:08] First EIR Role at Citi Ventures
[00:29:29] Impact Entrepreneurship at Zinc VC
[00:46:34] Joining Oneday - From 2 Hours to Head of Faculty
[00:53:08] Building a Network of 120+ EIRs
[00:58:15] The Power of Diverse Networks
[01:02:35] Long-term Relationships & 15-Year Connections
[01:06:32] Call to Action & Connect with Mia
[01:07:27] Hidden Talent - Spanish Property Development
[01:10:27] Host Reflection - The Onion Episode
Key Takeaways
Notable Quotes
[00:03:35] Mia Bennett: "I ended up in a role that I absolutely loved, great team, great projects. And I felt if I don't make the jump, I will never leave."
[00:17:10] Mia Bennett: "After we did about 30 [proposals], I didn't get anything. I was like, that's it. I am NOT doing any more proposals."
[00:41:46] Terrance Orr: "Usually your EIR role is created for you or it finds you. You don't find it."
[00:40:27] Ilya Tabakh: "This is sort of the concept of the ten or fifteen year overnight success... the story you get directly and what could have gone wrong, how high were the highs, how low were the lows is completely different than the TechCrunch article."
[01:03:22] Mia Bennett: "A lot of these relationships last... my very first employee when I was at the agency, fast forward fifteen years, he's a founder of a really interesting Microsoft. I'm now working with him again."
Organizations & Resources Mentioned
🔗 Connect with Mia Bennett
▪️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miabennett
▪️ Twitter/X: https://x.com/miaotsoa
🔗 Connect with EIR Live
▪️ Terrance Orr on LinkedIn: /in/terranceorr
▪️ Ilya Tabakh on LinkedIn: /in/ilyatabakh
▪️ Website: https://eir.live (sign up for early access)
▪️ LinkedIn: /company/eirlive
▪️ YouTube: @eirlive
▪️ Twitter/X: @LiveEIR
▪️ Suggest Guest: https://forms.gle/FQrBHoM3sU18gF3y8