How to Prepare for Volatility Everywhere

Three founders of fast-growing companies share their strategies for navigating unpredictable markets.

- BY KEVIN J. RYAN

A founder’s to-do list never ends. No matter how many wins your company racks up, a new challenge is always waiting for you. So with all your business needs to accomplish right now, how do you possibly chart a path for next year amid changing tariffs and interest rates and inflation?

To answer that question, we brought together three founders at critical moments in their companies’ histories: Kara Egan, co-founder of cancer screening company Teal Health; Gabi Lewis, co-founder of health-conscious cereal brand Magic Spoon; and Martha Underwood, founder of digital vault company Prismm. To start the conversation, we asked each of them: How do you plan for 2026 when there’s so much uncertainty today?

UNDERWOOD For us, planning can be tricky because our clients are banks. We created Prismm, a digital vault that helps transfer money from an account holder to a beneficiary seamlessly when someone dies. It aggregates all of your assets, real estate, documents, and personal items, locks them down, and gives you the control to share it with family and friends when you'd like to. Selling to banks directly is pretty volatile. They’re starting to reduce their workforces because of AI and shrinking budgets. They know that they need our product and platform, but given the uncertainty and the regulatory and compliance changes in this industry, they’re not necessarily focused on innovation.