In 1997, Nellie Akalp and her then boyfriend, Phil, started their first company with $100 in their small apartment living room. Akalp was in law school at the time and knew she didn’t want to take the typical route of becoming a lawyer, but she valued the training law school offered. It was in a class that she and Phil came up with a business idea and launched a one-page website to help people complete the legal documents needed to start a business.
Akalp says she has always had an entrepreneurial spirit, something she traces back to her grandparents, who were business owners. “When my (not yet) husband and I started our first company in our small apartment living room with just $100, I knew that our determination to succeed would carry us into our own entrepreneurial journey and that the sky was the limit for our success,” she says. At the time, they were not yet parents of their children, but when they launched the company, they gave birth to their first baby.
Eight years later, that company was acquired by Intuit for $20 million. “It was surreal,” Akalp says. “We had spent years pouring everything we had into that business. Professionally, it felt validating. Personally, it was emotional because the company had been such a huge part of our lives.” By then, she was already a mother, and that changed how she viewed success. “It wasn’t just about what we’d built; it was about the security and opportunities it created for our family.”
Starting again
A few years following the sale, Akalp and Phil launched CorpNet.com from their garage with their own funding. They entered a newly saturated market with big competitors, but Akalp says they found ways to make room for CorpNet in the legal document filing industry.
“You don’t try to be bigger, you try to be better,” she says. They focused on service, relationships and delivering a level of personal support that larger competitors couldn’t always provide. They listened to customers and partners and built solutions around their needs. “When you’re entering a crowded market, your advantage isn’t always size. Sometimes it’s agility, innovation, and the ability to genuinely care.”
When you’re entering a crowded market, your advantage isn’t always size. Sometimes it’s agility, innovation, and the ability to genuinely care.
CorpNet has been recognized multiple times on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing companies in America. Akalp also points to the company’s 200 percent growth in a very short amount of time as one of the milestone moments that made her stop and reflect on where they started and where they are today. The acquisition of their first company was another. “Both of which were amazing accomplishments that were ‘stop-worthy’ to reflect on our path, where we started, and where we are today,” she says.
Money was never her goal. “Our motivation was to build something from nothing, create jobs and security for others and help thousands of entrepreneurs pursue their dreams,” Akalp says. “Those moments feel bigger than any revenue milestone.”
Motherhood changed her leadership
Becoming a mother changed the way Akalp approached leadership, but it didn’t make her less ambitious. “Becoming a mother made me a more empathetic leader,” she says. “It taught me patience, perspective, and how to prioritize what matters. It didn’t make me less ambitious, but it did make me more intentional.”
Becoming a mother made me a more empathetic leader. It taught me patience, perspective, and how to prioritize what matters. It didn’t make me less ambitious, but it did make me more intentional.
She became more focused on building something sustainable, not just for her family but for the employees and customers who rely on the company. “Motherhood strengthened my voice because it reminded me that leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about showing up consistently and helping others succeed.”
Her mornings usually start early with coffee and checking in with her family. She tries to meditate on her balcony for some time before diving into emails and meetings. During an average workday, she’s focused on strategy, leadership, partnerships, and supporting her team. Woven throughout that are texts from her children, coordinating schedules and trying her best to be present for the important moments.
Balance keeps changing
Akalp says there have been times when the house wasn’t perfectly organized, emails didn’t get answered immediately, or she had to say no to opportunities because her family needed her. “I think every working parent experiences seasons where something has to give,” she says.
For her, balance isn’t something you achieve once and keep forever. “It’s something you’re constantly adjusting, and I am still to this very day.”
That same approach has shaped the way she thinks about scaling CorpNet. “For me, scaling is about building systems, empowering leaders, and creating a company that doesn’t depend on any one person,” she says. She has learned that growth isn’t about doing more herself, but about helping other people step into leadership roles.
At home, Akalp protects family time and establishes boundaries. She also reminds herself that success means very little if she’s not able to enjoy it with the people she loves.
Building a business with your husband
Akalp and Phil have built both of their companies together, and she says communication, trust, and respect have been important to their partnership. “Phil and I have very different strengths, and we’ve learned to stay in our lanes while supporting one another,” she says.
They don’t always agree, but they’ve built a foundation where they can challenge each other without taking it personally. They also make a conscious effort to separate business conversations from family time whenever possible, something Akalp says they are still working at, especially now that their adult daughter is an employee.
“Every day brings both blissful and difficult moments, and it’s something we both have leaned into,” she says.
Watching her daughter contribute
Akalp’s adult daughter now works at CorpNet, something she describes as incredibly rewarding. “Watching my daughter contribute to the company and develop her own skills and confidence has been a full circle experience,” she says.
Her daughter brings her own ideas and perspective to the company, and Akalp says watching her contribute and develop her skills and confidence has been one of the meaningful parts of the journey. “It reminds me that businesses aren’t just built for today; they can create opportunities for future generations.”
The things people don’t always see
Akalp has experienced anxiety and depression, and those experiences have influenced the way she approaches leadership and the people around her. “It’s made me more compassionate,” she says. “We never know what someone else is carrying, and my own experiences have helped me lead with empathy.”
She’s learned the importance of asking for help, setting boundaries, and prioritizing mental health. She talks about these things with her children because she wants them to know that challenges are a normal part of life. “Strength isn’t pretending everything is perfect; it’s being willing to seek support when you need it.”
Strength isn’t pretending everything is perfect; it’s being willing to seek support when you need it.
What she hopes her children remember
When Akalp thinks about what she hopes her children remember, she wants them to know that she worked hard but also showed up for them. “I hope they say that I worked hard, but that I also showed up,” she says. “That they felt supported, loved, and encouraged to pursue their own dreams.”
She hopes they saw resilience, integrity, and kindness in the way she built her businesses and lived her life.
Start before you’re ready
Akalp doesn’t think women need to have everything figured out before starting a business. “You don’t have to have everything figured out before you start,” she says. “So many women wait until they feel completely ready, and that moment rarely comes.”
She encourages women to start before they’re comfortable, learn as they go, and trust that they’ll figure out the next step when they get there. “Progress creates clarity.”
So many women wait until they feel completely ready, and that moment rarely comes. Progress creates clarity.
Her own began in a living room and then a garage with her own funding. Her advice to women considering starting a business is direct: “Go for it!” she says. “Like I said earlier, there is no ‘perfect’ moment or ‘perfect’ time to start a business. Now is the time. Don’t let opportunity pass you by!”
Frequently asked questions
Who is Nellie Akalp?
Nellie Akalp is the co-founder and CEO of CorpNet.com, a business document filing company she launched from a garage with her husband, Phil, using their own funding. She was in law school in 1997 when the two of them started their first company with $100 in their apartment living room — a one-page website that helped people complete the legal documents needed to start a business. She is a mother, and her adult daughter now works at CorpNet.
What was the $20 million acquisition?
Eight years after Akalp and Phil started their first company on $100, it was acquired by Intuit for $20 million. "It was surreal," she says. "We had spent years pouring everything we had into that business. Professionally, it felt validating. Personally, it was emotional because the company had been such a huge part of our lives." She was already a mother by then, which changed what the sale meant: "It wasn't just about what we'd built; it was about the security and opportunities it created for our family."
How did she compete in a market that was already crowded?
"You don't try to be bigger, you try to be better," Akalp says. CorpNet entered a saturated legal document filing market against large competitors, and focused instead on service, relationships, and a level of personal support the bigger players couldn't always provide. "When you're entering a crowded market, your advantage isn't always size. Sometimes it's agility, innovation, and the ability to genuinely care." The company has since been recognized multiple times on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing companies in America.
How did motherhood change her as a leader?
"Becoming a mother made me a more empathetic leader," she says. "It taught me patience, perspective, and how to prioritize what matters. It didn't make me less ambitious, but it did make me more intentional." She became more focused on building something sustainable — not only for her family, but for the employees and customers who rely on the company.
What does she say about balance?
That it is never finished. There have been times the house wasn't perfectly organized, emails went unanswered, or she said no to opportunities because her family needed her. "I think every working parent experiences seasons where something has to give." Balance, for her, isn't something you achieve once and keep: "It's something you're constantly adjusting, and I am still to this very day."
What is her advice to women who want to start a business?
Start before you feel ready. "You don't have to have everything figured out before you start. So many women wait until they feel completely ready, and that moment rarely comes." She encourages women to begin before they're comfortable, learn as they go, and trust they'll work out the next step when they reach it. "Progress creates clarity."
