Off the Record

LeeAnn Rasachak, CEO of WomenVenture, on making the leap as a first-time CEO

Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal and Platinum Bank Season 1 Episode 22

Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.


WomenVenture CEO LeeAnn Rasachak admits she’s known for not necessarily staying in her lane. Over her career trajectory, she’s worn many hats, including those in PR, retail and financial services, she reveals in the latest episode of the Off the Record podcast. 


“When you’re wearing multiple hats, you learn faster, you get to test, you get to fail,” Rasachak says. 


The idea of trying on a new hat — that of a first-time CEO — came in 2021, after Rasachak returned from maternity leave and started asking herself: What’s next? When she learned WomenVenture, a financial services nonprofit, was seeking a CEO, the idea caught in her mind. “And if I’ve learned anything in the last few years, it’s to go for it,” she says. 


Listen as Rasachak dives deep with Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Publisher Kathy Robideau and Platinum Bank CEO Dave Faust on topics like: 

  • Rasachak’s spirit of entrepreneurship that comes from her family history.
  • Leading businesses like Sleep Number, Securian Financial and RBC Wealth Management through digital transformations. 
  • The importance of sharing ideas and gathering recommendations from colleagues, mentors and allies before pursuing a new endeavor. 
  • What has changed at WomenVenture since Rasachak stepped into the CEO role two years ago. 
  • Approaching fundraising in the nonprofit space with an “abundance mindset.” 
  • Rasachak’s best advice for young female entrepreneurs with a dream. 


Leaders like Rasachak understand the value of moving quickly and acting creatively, just like Platinum Bank. Learn more about business banking with a different kind of bank.