From Music to Market: How I Built QUAY Acceleration and Redefined My Entrepreneurial Path

I never planned to be an entrepreneur.

I planned to sing. As a child, I daydreamed about stages, microphones, and Broadway lights. I chased solos in choirs, studied voice performance, and pursued musical excellence with relentless determination. What I didn’t know then was that these early experiences—learning how to push through fear, standing tall after rejection, and obsessively honing my craft—would become the foundation of my career, not as a performer, but as the founder of QUAY Acceleration, a company built to help entrepreneurs thrive.

My entrepreneurial story begins not with a business plan, but with a broken dream. After attending one of the top music schools in the country, I realized the world of professional music wasn’t what I had hoped. Toxic competitiveness replaced joy. Fixed mindsets replaced curiosity. I knew I wanted to make an impact—but not like this.

In my early twenties, I floundered. I took jobs to pay the bills—at gift shops, as a nanny, wherever I could. But even in these roles, I was always observing, always improving. I treated sales shifts like psychological experiments in persuasion. I tracked performance data like a hawk. I crafted experiences for children that focused on their development. I didn’t yet see these experiences as entrepreneurial. I only knew that I cared deeply about doing good work and creating value for people.

Then, by luck and chance, I found my way into the startup world.

A bootcamp program called Startup Institute promised to teach people the skills to work at startups. I didn’t have business experience, but I had hunger, drive, and the emotional intelligence forged from years of navigating challenging environments. I gave up my nannying job, enrolled in the program, and dove headfirst into a new life. For eight weeks, I studied marketing, learned to code, networked my heart out, and surrounded myself with others who wanted to build something meaningful.

It changed everything.

Within months, I landed my first startup job—ironically, at Sittercity, the same platform I had once used to find nanny jobs. I helped them expand into new markets and led growth initiatives from New York to Boston to D.C. I discovered that startups are full of people like me: creative, driven, resourceful. I didn’t have to hide my background—I could leverage it.

That job was the start of a new chapter, one that ultimately led me to launch QUAY Acceleration.

Building QUAY Acceleration: A Harbor for Founders

At its core, QUAY Acceleration is about helping others bring their ideas to life. We are an accelerator, yes—but more than that, we’re a strategic partner for entrepreneurs navigating the uncertain, messy, and exhilarating journey of building something from nothing.

We work with international startups, often those expanding to the U.S., and we do this in direct collaboration with governments looking to foster entrepreneurship ecosystems. Our programs help early-stage founders understand new markets, refine their business models, and access the capital and partnerships they need to grow.

We built QUAY to be different. It’s not just pitch decks and surface-level mentorship. We meet founders where they are—often scrappy, overworked, and under-resourced—and provide the structured support, strategic thinking, and emotional stamina it takes to go further, faster.

Why the name QUAY? A quay is a structure where ships dock—a safe harbor. I liked the metaphor. We are a dock for founders and governments navigating the choppy waters of innovation and growth. A place to refuel, get direction, and launch forward into the big blue ocean.

From Misfit to Mentor

One of the things I love most about this work is that I get to meet founders who remind me of myself—ambitious, driven, and maybe a little unconventional. I’ve mentored hundreds of startups, and I always tell them: your non-traditional background isn’t a liability. It’s your secret weapon.

The best founders I’ve worked with aren’t always the ones with MBAs or funding from day one. They’re the ones who have grit, who’ve rebuilt themselves after rejection, who do not allow dreams to be dashed and who know they can create new ones. That kind of resilience is what entrepreneurship demands.

At QUAY Acceleration, we don’t believe in gatekeeping. We believe in access. That’s why we partner with governments and institutions to bring startup support to underserved regions. That’s why we obsess over designing programs that are inclusive, practical, and deeply human. 

Lessons from the Journey

Running a business is nothing like I thought it would be—and everything I needed it to be. Here are a few of the biggest lessons I’ve learned so far:

1. Fear is a companion, not a roadblock.

2. Your past is a strength.

3. Networks matter.

4. Purpose beats prestige.

Where We’re Going

QUAY Acceleration is now working with governments around the world—from Mexico to India, and everywhere in between—to run market-entry accelerator programs, develop local innovation ecosystems, and help small businesses grow. We partner with institutions that understand the power of entrepreneurship to transform lives and economies.

But more than our projects, it’s our philosophy that defines us.

We believe entrepreneurship isn’t about creating unicorns—it’s about creating opportunity. It’s about equipping people with the tools, community, and courage to solve real problems.

For some, that means launching a high-growth startup. For others, it means creating a sustainable small business that supports a family and a community. We embrace both.

Why I Share My Story

I never thought I’d tell this story publicly. I worried it was too messy, too vulnerable, too far from the startup founder archetype we see in the media.

But over the years, I’ve met so many aspiring entrepreneurs who feel like outsiders. Who don’t see themselves reflected in the world of business. Who think they need permission to start.

I share my story because I want them to know: you don’t need permission. You don’t need an MBA or a perfect resume. You need curiosity, courage, and the willingness to figure it out as you go.

That’s what entrepreneurship really is.

About the Author

Frances Simowitz is the Cofounder and President of QUAY Acceleration, an accelerator company that partners with governments and institutions to support startups and build innovation ecosystems globally. A former nanny, performer, and relentless optimist, Frances believes entrepreneurship should be accessible, human, and transformative. Learn more at https://www.quay.co.