Source: Women's Network
Collete Davis has a goal; to win the Indy 500. This is an impressive goal for a woman without a family history of racing to back her up. This tenacious maverick won’t let anything stop her.
Along the way to the Indy 500 finish line, Collete plans to show the world that women can succeed in business and STEM (Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) related occupations. She hopes to inspire other women to follow in her footsteps and shake up the educational system so that STEM courses are welcoming to women.
Collete’s STEM track record is impressive. At the age of 16 she graduated from high school with 16 college credits towards an Automotive Technology Associates Degree. She then was accepted into the Mechanical Engineering on High Performance Vehicles degree program at Florida’s Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and received a $40,000 scholarship from the National Science Association. So she isn’t just a driver, this girl knows her car from the rubber up.
Collete has been fascinated by engines and mechanics from an early age. She was a curious kid and loved to take apart lawn mower engines and put them back together. Her racing history started with go cart racing when she was 12. She was oblivious to the fact that she was a woman in a predominantly man’s sport.
Her dream of winning the Indy 500 will take some serious cash. A typical practice run can cost upwards of $10,000. Practice is important if she plans to succeed. Collete realized quickly that in order to achieve her goal, she would need to be business savvy and build the Collete Davis brand so that she could attract national and international sponsorships.
To gain the business skills she needed, Collete Davis’ enrolled in the Draper University of Heroes program; an intensive program that builds the entrepreneur heroes of tomorrow. Collete learned that to take the next step with her brand development, she will need to secure venture capital so that she can pave the way to the high level exposure she will need to attract the big sponsors.
Collete offers a great return on a venture capitalist or sponsor’s investment. Her brand inspires young girls and women. And with stats showing that women are a highly important target market, sponsors should be very attracted to this tenacious young woman’s story and racing career. It’s a win-win opportunity.
To contact Collete or follow her racing career, check out Collete’s website or follow her on Twitter @colletedavis
To be inspired by Collete’s story, watch the archived episode with Collete Davis which aired Feb 15, 2014 on the Saturday Morning Success TV Talk Show.
The Saturday Morning Success TV Show airs every Saturday morning from 9:30-10:30 am Pacific Time. The show Airs on Verizon FIOS 45 Time Warner Cable 26.105 in Riverside County, California.