“I think a business is a worthy thing to create.”

But how you create that business also is important, according to serial entrepreneur Sue Marks, the opening keynote speaker at the annual Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium held Wednesday at the Monona Terrace.

A past winner of Ernst & Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” award, Marks previously founded and sold two startups. She is the founder and CEO of Cielo, a talent acquisition company.

In her companies, Marks has instilled a strong corporate culture. That includes being transparent with staff (“communicate early and often”), being a cultural match with vendors and financial partners, making business personal (“business is damn personal to me”) and recognizing the work of employees.

“I tell my employees every day it’s a privilege to work with them, because it really is,” Marks said.

Marks also spoke at the inaugural Wisconsin WOMEN reception Tuesday night at the Madison Club.