Mick Unplugged: Suneera Madhani – From Immigrant Roots to Unicorn Success

Episode Release Date: March 27, 2025

Introduction

In this inspiring episode of Mick Unplugged, host Mick Hunt welcomes Suneera Madani, a trailblazing entrepreneur who transformed a groundbreaking idea into a multi-million-dollar business and now empowers women worldwide to lead with confidence. Sunera's journey from her immigrant roots to becoming a unicorn founder is a testament to resilience, strategic thinking, and unwavering dedication to family and community.

Sunera Madani’s Inspirational Background

Sunera begins by sharing the profound influence of her family, emphasizing that her “because”—a deeper driving force beyond her motivations—is her family. “[01:25]Suneera Madani: “It's my family. Like, it's as simple as that.”

Born in Chicago to Pakistani immigrant parents who sought economic opportunities in the United States, Sunera highlights the sacrifices her parents made to provide her and her brother with educational opportunities they never had. “[02:06]Sunera Madani: “Both my parents weren't educated, so they came here for economic opportunity... Their American dream was for my brother and I would have an education something that they didn't have.”

Sunera’s academic achievements, including being the first in her family to graduate from college with degrees in finance and marketing, further underscore the value her family placed on education and hard work. Her parents' entrepreneurial spirit, starting with convenience stores and expanding into a small business empire, deeply influenced her own path.

Entrepreneurial Journey: Building Stacks

Transitioning from her educational background to entrepreneurship, Sunera recounts the inception of her first company, Stacks, a subscription-based credit card processing platform in the fintech sector. “[07:42]Sunera Madani: “I launched the first subscription-based credit card processing platform... It was a fintech idea aimed at empowering small businesses by cutting out middlemen and providing them with better financial tools.”

At 26, without prior experience in raising capital or a vast network, Sunera, alongside her brother, navigated the challenges of building Stacks from the ground up. Their innovative approach—offering a flat monthly subscription instead of percentage-based fees—resonated with small businesses looking to save costs and utilize data more effectively. This strategic model led to the company’s remarkable success, scaling to over 400 employees and achieving a billion-dollar exit. “[07:42]Sunera Madani: “We were the first... we raised from seed round capital to series D. We sold to private equity and became unicorn founders.”

Sunera attributes this success to consistent execution, a strong work ethic, and a supportive family dynamic. “[07:42]Sunera Madani: “The success over the last 10 years only came from me showing up every day, putting one foot in front of the other, and then solving today's problem.”

Next Venture: Worth – Bridging the Business Credit Gap

Not one to rest on her laurels, Sunera is now spearheading her next venture, Worth, which aims to revolutionize how business credit scores are assessed. “[19:13]Sunera Madani: “We're building the business credit score so that we can create standardization on how a business should be viewed as a business, not just the individual who runs it.”

Worth addresses the lack of a standardized credit scoring system for businesses, contrasting it with the streamlined, consumer-friendly approach seen in personal credit scores. This initiative seeks to eliminate unconscious biases in financial decision-making, ensuring that businesses are evaluated based on their merit rather than the backgrounds of their owners. “[19:13]Sunera Madani: “We create an equal playing field for every small business to actually have credit worth based on the worth of their business, not on who they are individually...”

By partnering with major financial institutions, Worth aims to enhance the onboarding experience for small businesses, making financial services more accessible and equitable. This venture exemplifies Sunera’s commitment to fostering an inclusive financial landscape where every business, regardless of its founder’s background, has the opportunity to thrive.

CEO School: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs

Beyond her ventures in fintech, Sunera is passionately dedicated to supporting women in business through her initiative, CEO School. “[23:51]Sunera Madani: “CEO school is my heart. I love supporting women... Less than 2% of female founders ever break $1 million in revenue.”

Launched initially as a podcast, CEO School has grown into a comprehensive community that provides resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities for female entrepreneurs. Sunera identifies a significant gap in support systems for women in business, emphasizing the need for tailored advice and genuine conversations about the unique challenges women face in entrepreneurship. “[23:51]Sunera Madani: “We have the most genuine women, mothers, entrepreneurs, leaders... It's vulnerable and if you're an entrepreneur and you're a female entrepreneur scaling your business, you're not alone.”

Through CEO School, Sunera fosters an environment where women can share their stories, learn from each other’s experiences, and access the tools necessary to scale their businesses successfully. This initiative not only addresses the systemic barriers women face but also celebrates their unique leadership styles and contributions to the business world.

Insights on Mindset and Execution

A recurrent theme in Sunera’s narrative is the importance of mindset and consistent execution. When discussing the transition from ideation to building a successful business, she emphasizes the necessity of taking actionable steps and maintaining resilience. “[13:50]Sunira Madani: “I love this question and I do believe, like, you can't manifest your way to success. Like, you have to take action every day.”

Sunera also highlights the psychological barriers women often encounter, such as perfectionism and fear of failure, advocating for a mindset shift that embraces imperfection and resilience. “[13:50]Sunira Madani: “We do have to... men are more prone to trying and failing and it's okay... We are very afraid of failure and it's definitely a mindset shift.”

This perspective aligns with Mick’s own philosophy on the podcast, reinforcing the idea that true leadership and entrepreneurial success stem from a combination of strategic thinking, consistent action, and an empowered mindset.

Conclusion

Suneera Madani’s journey from her immigrant roots to becoming a unicorn founder and a champion for women in business is a powerful narrative of perseverance, innovation, and leadership. Through her ventures, Stacks and Worth, as well as her commitment to CEO School, Sunera exemplifies the principles of Modern Leadership by transforming challenges into opportunities and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone can achieve their potential.

As Mick Hunt aptly concludes, Sunera is “the visionary, the empowering, the unstoppable”, whose work continues to inspire and equip leaders, doers, and aspiring entrepreneurs to create meaningful impact in their personal and professional lives.

Notable Quotes

• Sunira Madani [01:25]: “It's my family. Like, it's as simple as that.”

• Sunira Madani [07:42]: “I launched the first subscription-based credit card processing platform...”

• Sunira Madani [13:50]: “We do have to... men are more prone to trying and failing and it's okay...”

• Sunira Madani [19:13]: “We're building the business credit score so that we can create standardization...”

• Sunira Madani [23:51]: “CEO school is my heart. I love supporting women...”

Connect with Suneera Madani

For listeners inspired by Sunera’s journey and eager to engage further, she can be found on social media under the handle @suniramadani. Additionally, her ventures, Worth and CEO School, are accessible through her social profiles, offering resources and community for aspiring and established women entrepreneurs alike.

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