Alumna carries the Hokie spirit forward as an entrepreneur

Theresa Caragol '93 recalls stepping foot on campus at Virginia Tech the fall of her first year not knowing a soul. It was a precarious situation that could have left Caragol lost and reeling, but instead, she decided to chart her own journey.

“I think one of the things that I learned is that your life is what you make it,” Caragol said. “My grandma taught me it's all in your attitude. Virginia Tech was a great example of that. I walked into this school and I knew nothing. I knew one person in the entire school when I came there. I left just loving it, having had an incredible experience.”

Over the next four years, Caragol racked up numerous leadership experiences, a handful of student awards, and the skills she learned as a communication major in what is now the School of Communication to make a difference in the world.

Now, Caragol is the founder and CEO of AchieveUnite, a company focused on helping leaders and organizations thrive through developing trust and dynamic partnerships. Below she shares memories from her time at Virginia Tech and how she still carries the Hokie spirit forward as an entrepreneur.

What was the inspiration for starting your own company?

I have worked in the tech industry running global partner businesses for many years. I was traveling all the time, and I had two little boys. I would be gone for a week at a time. It got to be really hard for me personally. I actually stepped down from Extreme Networks [a software development company in San Jose, California], and I wasn't sure what I was going to do. People started calling, asking if I could help them. I started helping them in businesses and I started consulting. And then I met a couple of other folks who have come into what became AchieveUnite and started working with them. About a year into consulting, I decided, ‘Wait a minute, if boys can build companies, I can build a company.’ And that's what I did.  

What were some of the biggest challenges along the way and how did you overcome them?

I can remember the exact day where I decided that I was going to shift from being a consultant to being an entrepreneur who did consulting. And there is a fundamental difference in that. That was lesson No. 1. ‘OK, now you're going to become an entrepreneur that's going to build a company.’ Your mindset changes. What you do and how you do it has to change because you have to be focused on growth and clients and people. It's this sort of expanded thought process that has to happen.

What do you want AchieveUnite to continue to be known for?

First and foremost, our goal is to make a difference in people's lives and to help them be the most successful that they can be. We do a lot of work in the people development domain, both in our education programs, but also in our consulting engagements. Our goal is to make our clients heroes. That means making people really be the best they can be. I am very proud of the company that we have — the inclusivity, the diversity of thoughts, the amazing, different backgrounds that are in our organization that we bring to our clients. And I love that our team is no drama, no politics. It's just a really great group of people to work with. I'm very proud of that culture.

Why did you major in communication at Virginia Tech?

Once I was there, Dr. Rachel Holloway [currently vice provost of Undergraduate Academic Affairs] was an unbelievable force in my life. She really was my first real mentor who helped me. It's very important to me to mentor others because of the mentorship that I had from her, and later on, many other people.

Is there a specific Virginia Tech experience that stands out in your mind?

I was the president of the Public Relations Student Society of America [PRSSA]. I went on to be the regional director at PRSSA in the country and traveled around to different universities and spoke about public relations. That was just a crazy, amazing leadership experience for me. And I learned so much. It was wonderful. Rachel was behind it all. The other person was Bob Denton, who was also a really great advisor. He was another force. The university has had so many great professors over the years in the communication department.

Virginia Tech’s motto is Ut Prosim (That I May Serve). What does that mean for you and how you go about your work with AchieveUnite? 

For me, it's about serving all of our clients and the community. I spend a lot of time mentoring young women and men. That's a really important part of AchieveUnite and an important part of the work that we do.

We spent several years researching and building a psychometric index that measures trust. It's called PQi. It's all about helping people understand the importance of relationships and the importance of trust. I think I began it when I was young, but that has been a journey for me. If I could inspire anyone, it would be to help them understand trust is gained in drops and lost in buckets. Lean into building these deep meaningful relationships in the business world and your personal life.

What would you tell students who are interested in a career as an entrepreneur?

Seize the opportunity. There's opportunities for entrepreneurship in all kinds of different areas. Get mentors and advisors early. And don't have only one - probably three are really critical. Really figure out what you stand for, why you want to do what you're doing, and what you want to have happen. The more you can manifest and create and build that in the universe, the more successful you'll be. It all starts with the why.

What gets you out of bed in the morning and keeps you going on this journey?  

I love to help people. I love to see them grow. I love to see light bulbs go off in their intellect or their careers or their lives. And that keeps me going. My team is amazing. They inspire me every day. 

Some answers were edited and condensed for clarity.