When a job offer took Lynn Greenberg ’14 to London after graduating from Franklin & Marshall College, she quickly identified a need for relocated employees to make connections in their new cities.

“I didn’t have that ecosystem,” Greenberg said. So she created it.

Greenberg is the founder and CEO of Pivt Enterprise, a consumer app that has since grown into a platform for businesses to support their relocated, mobile, and remote workers. She recently returned to F&M to share wisdom and kick off a lecture series presented by The Mehlman Leadership & Performance Institute. 

“F&M is the perfect place to lead you into entrepreneurship,” Greenberg said. “The liberal arts method is all about critical thinking. It's all about questioning and being curious. Forming an argument and learning how to become leaders.” 

Greenberg has been named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30: Enterprise Technology and Forbes’ Next 1000 lists, among other accolades. She graduated from F&M with a government major and a sociology minor and played soccer for the Diplomats. In 2023, she became a member of the College’s Board of Trustees.

Members of the campus community recently joined 60 leadership fellows at a discussion led by Greenberg and Bryan Stinchfield, executive director of the Mehlman Leadership and Performance Institute. See an abbreviated conversation below.

Stinchfield: What would you say to [students] who might be hesitant about making mistakes?

Greenberg: Mistakes and failure are part of success. Roger Federer won about 54% of the points he played over his career, despite winning about 80% of his matches. Even the greatest players lose nearly half the points they play. What sets them apart is the mental resilience to let go of an error and refocus on the next point.

Michael Jordan missed plenty of shots, including game-winners, and became one of the greatest basketball players of all time. It’s all part of the journey. I think what makes someone successful is being able to learn from mistakes, get back up quickly, and pivot to the next thing.

Stinchfield: Who has had the most influence on how you lead today? 

Greenberg: There are so many – from coaches, to mentors, to professors – to alumni like [fashion brand founder] Veronica Beard ’94. Just seeing an F&M alum who has walked the walk before me was so powerful. She’s an incredible entrepreneur. [The 2012] F&M Commencement speaker was Mike Bloomberg, who I look to today for the ways that he got people involved in a large organization to really think entrepreneurially. For the past two years, I’ve had an executive coach. That’s been game changing in developing my leadership style, and I certainly look up to him as well.