In a recent LinkedIn post, Emily Lyons critically examines the contrasting public narratives and capital allocation surrounding two prominent figures in the business world: Adam Neumann and Janice Bryant Howroyd. Lyons uses this comparison to question societal biases in recognizing entrepreneurial success, particularly highlighting the disparity in attention given to Neumann, the co-founder of WeWork, versus Howroyd, the founder of ActOne Group.
Lyons opens by drawing a stark parallel: Adam Neumann, despite losing billions of dollars of investor capital, received a high-profile Hollywood treatment with the series “WeCrashed.” In contrast, Janice Bryant Howroyd, who built a billion-dollar company from personal savings, has a comparatively obscure Wikipedia page. Lyons points out the significant difference in their public recognition and the capital, both financial and reputational, that has been bestowed upon them.
“Adam Neumann lost $40 billion of other people’s money and got a Hollywood show. Janice Bryant Howroyd made over a billion dollars of her own money and got a Wikipedia page nobody reads.”
The Disparity in Recognition
Emily Lyons details the trajectory of both Neumann and Howroyd. She recounts how Neumann’s WeWork reached a $47 billion valuation before collapsing, yet he still managed to secure $350 million in funding for his next venture from Andreessen Horowitz. This, Lyons suggests, is a testament to the immense capital of attention and second chances afforded to certain founders.
Conversely, Lyons narrates Howroyd’s journey, beginning with a $900 loan from her mother in 1978. Howroyd built the ActOne Group into an international operation over 47 years, becoming the first Black woman in American history to own and operate a company with over a billion dollars in revenue. Crucially, Howroyd never raised outside capital, not by choice, but because it was not offered.
Attention as Capital
A central argument in Lyons’s post is that attention itself is the most valuable form of capital, as it compounds into other forms of capital, such as investment, board seats, and inspiration for future generations. Lyons highlights the vast amount of this attention capital given to Neumann, even after his significant financial losses, while Howroyd, who achieved remarkable success through sheer perseverance and business acumen, received very little.
“Attention is capital. The most valuable kind, because it compounds into all the others.”
As Emily Lyons observes, this disparity is not accidental. “Who we idolize, who we give screen time to, who we hand a second chance with someone else’s money. None of that is random. It is a casting decision,” she writes. Lyons implies that these “casting decisions” have historically favored a particular type of founder, often overlooking the achievements of entrepreneurs like Howroyd, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds.
Admiring the Unsung Founder
Lyons, who runs a staffing agency herself, expresses deep admiration for Janice Bryant Howroyd’s story. She calls it the founder story she admires most, precisely because it is seldom discussed. This admiration stems from understanding the brutal nature of the staffing industry and recognizing the extraordinary feat Howroyd accomplished as a Black woman in a non-glamorous business, with minimal resources.
“I run a staffing agency. I have since 2009. I know how brutal the industry is. What she did in 1978, with $900, as a Black woman in a business nobody romanticizes, is the founder story I admire most.”
According to Emily Lyons, the societal tendency to focus on figures like Adam Neumann, who experience dramatic rises and falls but retain significant access to capital and attention, overshadows the quieter, yet arguably more profound, successes of entrepreneurs like Howroyd. Lyons concludes with a powerful call to action:
“The least we can do is learn her name.”
Emily Lyons urges readers to reconsider who is celebrated in the business world and to actively recognize and amplify the stories of entrepreneurs who have built their success through resilience and innovation, often against considerable odds and without the fanfare typically associated with startup unicorns.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Emily Lyons on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on May 12, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →