French Landing: From Aerospace Engineer to Startup Founder—Chasing the American Dream | Elisabeth Bykoff

THE ONES WHO DARED

Elisabeth Bykoff is a powerhouse in the SaaS world—startup founder, investor, advisor, and global operator with over 17 years of experience scaling companies across the tech landscape. She is the Founder and CEO of Boxsy, an AI-powered SaaS platform helping startups scale. She is also an Operating Advisor at Alinea Ventures, supporting early-stage startups in CLM, fintech, AI, and DEI. Previously, she held leadership roles at Agiloft and YayPay and began her career at PwC. Elisabeth holds an MBA from the University of Washington and a Master’s in Aerospace Engineering from ENAC.

In this episode Elisabeth shares her courageous journey from French aerospace engineer to American tech entrepreneur. Her new memoir, French Landing: A French Woman's Journey to Her American Dream, offers a humorous and insightful look at the American experience through European eyes. With clarity, grit, and a deep understanding of both startup chaos and corporate culture, Elisabeth opens up about the cultural contrasts, bold career moves, and the resilience it takes to thrive in a male dominated sector.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Leaving PwC after 10 years despite being on track for partnership because of burnout and feeling the expectations were different for women
• Building Boxee, a platform to help entrepreneurs scale smarter by providing operational guidance and best practices
• Navigating cultural differences between France and America, from education systems to credit scores and healthcare
• Challenges of being a female founder in tech, including fundraising difficulties with only 1.8% of women getting funded
• Learning resilience as an entrepreneur and finding support through networks of fellow founders
• Taking calculated risks throughout life, from 155 parachute jumps to quitting stable jobs to starting a business
• Creating a solution that increases the success rate of startups making it from seed funding to Series A

From go-to-market strategies to exit planning and AI integration, Elisabeth brings clarity and vision to what it takes to grow smart in today’s fast-moving landscape.

You can connect with Elisabeth on:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisabethbykoff

🌐 Learn more: www.boxsy.io

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-Links-
https://www.svetkapopov.com/
https://www.instagram.com/svetka_popov/

Chapters

1. Introducing Elizabeth Bykoff (00:00:00)

2. Engineering to Consulting Journey (00:06:29)

3. Breaking Free from Corporate Life (00:15:55)

4. Cultural Shocks and Differences (00:23:12)

5. Credit Systems and Consumer Culture (00:33:39)

6. Founder Challenges and Mental Resilience (00:41:25)

7. Books, Bravery, and Final Thoughts (00:49:44)