Ms. Koplovitz is the founder and former Chairman & CEO of USA Networks, the SyFy Channel (formerly Sci-Fi Channel), and USA Networks International, today multi-billion-dollar television cable network. Ms. Koplovitz ran the network for 21 years before stepping down in 1998, at which time it was sold for $4.5 billion. As founder of USA Networks, Kay is the visionary who created the business model for cable networks by introducing the concept of two revenue streams: licensing and advertising.
Since 2000, Kay has served as Chairman of Springboard Enterprises, where under her leadership, the mission of the venture-catalyst accelerator is an ecosystem of essential resources to over 900 Springboard entrepreneurs. Springboard’s global community of over 5,000 experts advising and connecting its alumni to human, social and financial capital to support the next phase of their company’s growth.
A strong 24-year track record has validated the value of Springboard Enterprises’ alumnae totaling $61 Billion in value since launched in the year 2000, with 237 exits to strategic acquirers and counting 28 IPOs and 10 Unicorns. Springboard Enterprises was born after President Clinton appointed Ms. Koplovitz as chair of the bipartisan National Women’s Business Council (NWBC). Her research found that $104 billion in venture capital was going over the transom, but only 1.7 percent went to women.
In 2014, Ms. Koplovitz co-founded the New York Fashion Tech Lab bringing promising technology companies in collaboration with the fashion and consumer retail industry.
In 2016, Kay co-founded Springboard Growth Capital to bring growth-stage investments to women-led companies building iconic brands with the digital consumer in mind and a path to profitability in sight. Springboard Growth Capital recently announced the successful acquisition of K18 Hair ($700 Million valuation) by Unilever.
She served previously on corporate and private boards of Oracle, General Re, Nabisco, Kate Spade (formerly Liz Claiborne Inc.), Time Inc., CA Technologies, Instinet, ION Media Networks, Athena Consumer and Technology Acquisition SPACs, Veniam, Sun New Media, and as trustee (Emeritus) of The Paley Center for Media and International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Kay is a speaker and thought leader, called to deliver opening remarks and keynotes, talks on panels, and participates in fireside chats. She is an expert media contributor and is frequently interviewed by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, Inc., CNBC, MSNBC, Bloomberg TV, and Financial Times. She is the author of Bold Women, Big Ideas: Learning to Play the High Risk Entrepreneurial Game, a book she wrote to inform and inspire women entrepreneurs. She more recently published Been There, Run That, an anthology of best practices from Springboard Enterprises’ expert network of thought leaders.
