Podcasts about Gener8tor

We truly believe that God positions everybody where he needs them, when he needs them, in what point of life. And we can look back through the journey that we're currently on with the Water Rippler and see contacts that we made 30 plus years ago in college that are now a part of what we're doing with the Water Rippler. - Shondah Otwell  Discover the journey of a husband-and-wife team that set out to solve a problem on their working ranch and discover the trials and successes of becoming entrepreneurs. From facing the challenges of ranching in Wyoming to innovating a game-changing solution called the Water Rippler, this story will inspire you. It took six years to bring their idea to life, a lot of trial and error, but perseverance paid off! Stay tuned to learn more about the resilience and determination that led to this groundbreaking innovation. Meet Randall and Shondah Otwell, fourth-generation family ranchers from Oshoto, Wyoming, have leveraged their deep understanding of ranching challenges to develop the Water Rippler, an innovative solution for stock tanks. Their experience in managing the family ranch, combined with a commitment to sustainability, led to the creation of a product that effectively addresses the complexities of winter water management for livestock while also providing year-round benefits. Shondah and Randall's entrepreneurial journey underscores the potential for practical innovation within the family ranching community, offering a tangible example of improved operational efficiency and sustainability. My Special Guest is Shondah Otwell Shondah attended the University of Wyoming and graduated with a BS Degree in Finance. For more than 25 years worked as a computer network engineer and owned and operated several business network consulting companies. Her husband, Randall, is originally from Louisiana, and after his high school graduation he joined the Army. After his service he found his way to Oshoto to work on a neighboring ranch. Randall is a Journeyman Electrician, Master Electrician and Substation Electrician and worked in the electrical industry for more than 20 years. In 2010, they returned to her family ranch to care for it after her father passed away. The resources mentioned in this episode are: Discover the Water Rippler, an innovative solution for livestock water tanks to optimize water management and improve herd health.  Uncover the benefits of the Water Rippler for livestock, and how it can revolutionize your watering system for increased efficiency and cost savings.  Visit the Facebook page Water Rippler to learn more about the product and stay updated on its availability and launch date.  Check out the e-commerce website www.water-rippler.com to find more information about the Water Rippler and to place orders once it becomes available for purchase.   Gener8tor program's website and learn more about their free accelerator programs for entrepreneurs and innovators in Wyoming.  Visit the website Gener8tor to explore the various programs and resources offered by Generator, including their investment accelerator and free G Beta program. Connect with Stephanie or Bailey to learn more about the programs and get involved in the entrepreneurial community in Wyoming.  Subscribe to the Winds of Change podcast to never miss an episode and stay updated on stories of Wyoming entrepreneurs and innovators. Explore the resources provided by the Wyoming Humanities Council at Thinkwy.org to engage with the humanities and storytelling in Wyoming. Follow Us on These Channels: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emydigrappa/ www.ThinkWY.org https://www.facebook.com/storiesaboutwhy https://www.instagram.com/storiesaboutwhy Listen on all your favorite platforms and subscribe! As always leave a review if you enjoyed these stories and follow us on Instagram or visit the webpage of the Wyoming Humanities!    

The universe is predicated on abundance. Our existence, our Planet, our communities, our love, our communications, all of this is all abundance. That's what we need to tap into. -  Marko Ruble Imagine a Wyoming entrepreneur who started his journey in the heart of Cody, Wyoming with a childhood filled with adventures, family travels and curiosity. Little did he know that his upbringing in the land of high altitudes and low multitudes would spark an innovative transformation in the travel industry. In this episode we go on a journey that led him to create AI-driven smart maps in a state with a population slightly bigger than Fresno, California, but with the potential to impact the world. Discover how this entrepreneur's Wyoming roots and abundance mindset shaped his path, and how his solution-focused approach can inspire aspiring entrepreneurs to embrace problem-solving and strategy. My special guest is Marko Ruble Marko Ruble - Marko is the CEO and Co-founder of Yerguides.io.  Marko is a traveler, artist, entrepreneur, and father.  He is the founder of WHAT Fest a decentralized music and arts festival providing access to the arts in rural Wyoming, Co-Founder of BendeRuble Sound LLC a live production company, Co-Founder of A&R Trading LLC an import export brokerage formally providing services in Myanmar and the U.S.A.   While in Myanmar Marko got detained near the Chinese border and while being interrogated realized that despite having access to all major travel apps he needed a map that would help him navigate place, but also a map with waypoints infused with user generated content and experiences to navigate culture, yerguides.io was born.  The resources mentioned in this episode are: Learn about the art of transforming travel with AI-driven maps. Learn the adventure, advantage and struggles of entrepreneurship and innovation in Wyoming. Learn the strategies for building scalable startups in low-population states. Yerguides.io use of blockchain technology ensures digital copyright, ownership, and incentivization for users sharing their personalized maps.  Through the app Yerguides.io opens possibilities for community engagement and economic growth beyond traditional tourism.  Visit yourguides.io to learn more about a travel and adventure marketplace that transforms user-generated travel maps into AI-driven smart maps. Check out whatfest.com to find out more about WhatFest, a decentralized music and arts festival providing access to the arts in rural Wyoming. Gener8tor program's website and learn more about their free accelerator programs for entrepreneurs and innovators in Wyoming. Visit Thinkwy.org to learn more about Wyoming Humanities Council and their support for the Winds of Change podcast. Follow Us on These Channels: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emydigrappa/ www.ThinkWY.org https://www.facebook.com/storiesaboutwhy https://www.instagram.com/storiesaboutwhy Listen on all your favorite platforms and subscribe! As always leave a review if you enjoyed these stories and follow us on Instagram or visit the webpage of the Wyoming Humanities!

I think Wyoming is still working on making these things accessible and showing people the exact directions of where to go. Bailey and I really fill that gap in terms of our programming and this sort of investor strategy, really, that's our niche. - Stephanie Reece People don't necessarily show up for a venture capital seminar because they don't necessarily understand it. They feel intimidated by it. So, we're trying to break down those walls and pop the bubbles and try to help people understand that this is something that they can take advantage of. - Baylie Evans If you're feeling lost in the vast landscape of venture capital and entrepreneurship in Wyoming, struggling to find the right support and resources to turn your business dreams into reality, then you are not alone! Achieve a deeper understanding of venture capital and entrepreneurship in Wyoming with the insights shared by Bailey and Stephanie, who are on a mission to make the path to success more accessible for Wyoming entrepreneurs. In this episode we learn more about entrepreneurship in Wyoming. Hear how a nationally ranked venture capital firm and accelerator is uniting startup founders, investors, corporations, job seekers, universities, musicians, and artists. Want to know more about these diverse success stories in Wyoming? Listen to this podcast to learn more! My special guest are Baylie Evans and Stephanie Reece of gener8tor Baylie Evans and Stephanie Reece from Gener8tor, a nationally ranked venture capital firm and accelerator, join Emy DiGrappa on this episode. With their diverse professional journeys, Baylie and Stephanie offer a wealth of lived experiences and expertise in entrepreneurship. Baylie, originally from the Denver area, has a journalism background and a passion for storytelling, while Stephanie, a Wyoming native with a background in higher education, customer service, and running a brewery, brings her insights and understanding of people's needs. Together, they provide valuable perspectives and guidance on venture capital and entrepreneurship, making this episode a must-listen for Wyoming entrepreneurs and small business owners. In this episode, you will be able to:  Discover the success to securing venture capital funding for your startup and propelling your business to new heights in Wyoming.   Uncover the thriving landscape of entrepreneurship in Wyoming and learn how to harness its potential for your own business success.   Explore the opportunities offered by accelerator programs for early-stage companies and how they help business growth in Wyoming.   Be inspired by the innovation and success stories in Wyoming and learn how to apply their strategies to your own entrepreneurial journey.  The resources mentioned in this episode are:  Gener8tor program's website and learn more about their free accelerator programs for entrepreneurs and innovators in Wyoming.   Visit the website Gener8tor to explore the various programs and resources offered by Generator, including their investment accelerator and free G Beta program.  Connect with Stephanie or Bailey to learn more about the programs and get involved in the entrepreneurial community in Wyoming.   Subscribe to the Winds of Change podcast to never miss an episode and stay updated on stories of Wyoming entrepreneurs and innovators.  Explore the resources provided by the Wyoming Humanities Council at Thinkwy.org to engage with the humanities and storytelling in Wyoming.    Follow Us on These Channels: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emydigrappa/ www.ThinkWY.org https://www.facebook.com/storiesaboutwhy https://www.instagram.com/storiesaboutwhy Listen on all your favorite platforms and subscribe! As always leave a review if you enjoyed these stories and follow us on Instagram or visit the webpage of the Wyoming Humanities!

Simplenight AI Presents: 5 Strategic Clusters of Venture Growth with Leon Eisen May 08 Guest: Leon Eisen, Venture Partner, Network.VC Leon Eisen, Venture Partner, Network.VC   / leoneisen   About Leon Eisen: Leon Eisen, Ph.D., is an inventor, serial entrepreneur, Chairman of Oxitone Medical, and Senator at the Grand Assembly of the World Business Angel Investment Forum (G20). He is also a partner at Network.VC and GVI Investments, strategic executive adviser and keynote speaker with a strong background in technology, business, and leadership spanning over 20 years. Dr. Eisen is a fellow member of the Royal Society of Medicine (UK) and serves as a Board Member of The Global Africa Leadership Council. Additionally, he holds membership in the Forbes Business Council and serves as a partner at GSD Venture Studios. He actively mentors aspiring entrepreneurs at accelerators like Gener8tor and H7 BioCapital, and holds an official mentorship role at the Israeli Export Institute. Furthermore, Leon Eisen is widely regarded for developing and popularizing a highly effective business growth methodology called "Quantum Business Thinking. Having earned a Ph.D. in physics from the Weizmann Institute of Science, Dr. Eisen also pursued business and entrepreneurship studies at Harvard Business School. He is widely recognized for inventing and successfully commercializing the world's first FDA-cleared wrist pulse oximetry monitor. With an impressive track record of over 30 worldwide patents and more than ten scientific publications, Leon Eisen has consistently delivered innovative products and made significant contributions in his field. #SimplenightAI #GaryFowler #VentureGrowth #LeonEisen #StrategicClusters #BusinessGrowth

In this episode of If Not Now Wen, we are so excited to welcome special guest, Grant Newlin. Grant is a founder and general partner of Newlin Ventures, investing at Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A across both North and South America.   Grant began his career as a process improvement / strategy Consultant for Ernst & Young where he aided the nation's largest financial institutions in the post-financial crisis, Dodd-Frank world. He then worked in M&A sell-side and buy-side transactions for Waller Helms Advisors in Chicago, leading middle-market deals often as the sole junior banker. During the merger of Kraft Foods and Heinz, Grant worked with 3G Capital as the Lead, Senior Finance Manager to spearhead the finance and operations post-merger integration; he reported directly to the CFO and President of the US. And before Newlin Ventures, Grant was Head of Dealflow at New Stack Ventures, leading inbound and outbound dealflow strategies, owning all phases of diligence, and supporting LP engagement.   Grant is also a staunch supporter of non-profit Surge for Water where he manages the US endowment. He was Chair of the Minnesota chapter and has served on both the Governing and Associate Boards. Grant also plays Advisor / Mentor to Techstars, Gener8tor, the University of Virgina iLab, and several other leading innovation hubs across the country.   In this episode we talk about:

We all hear about the importance of international talent to the US technology sector. We understand how an open set of arms to international trade, travel and immigration plays a role in our country's success.  But our historic relationship to immigration tells a much more complicated story and with the recent threat of closed borders as posed by a possible Trump 2024 administration, we wanted to take a closer look at the lived experience of those plying the waters of our current international tech sector to really find an explanation for why an open society is so very important.  Our guest represents the human personification, the energy that comes to us and makes our tech sector vibrant and our country great.  Davide Dantonio is with us for this podcast.  He's a Class of '22 Venture for America fellow and currently plays program lead on no less than 2 Indiana-based gener8tor accelerators.  He's also a podcaster in his own rite.   You can find him and his crew at the Young Outcast's Podcast. Davide is also Program Manager for two Indiana based programs for gener8tor, a rural-focused technology fund operating more than 223 accelerators nation-wide. We're talking multiculturalism and the lived experience of young entrepreneurs living and working in America. 

In this insightful episode of Honey and Hustle, I had the pleasure of speaking with Ed Ross, the founder of Core AI. Our conversation delved into the nuances of authentic leadership and the transformative power of effective communication in the workplace. Ed emphasized that time does not equate to experience or expertise, and that individuals should be encouraged to lead in areas where they excel. We explored the importance of storytelling in presentations and how it can make information more memorable and engaging. Ed provided valuable insights into how every conversation, whether it's with a large audience or a one-on-one interaction, counts towards building relationships and influencing others.A particularly touching story was shared about Ed's mentor, Connie, who played a pivotal role as a sponsor in his career by providing support and opportunities for growth. This story highlighted the difference between a manager, a mentor, and a sponsor, and the profound impact a sponsor can have on an individual's professional journey.We also touched on the challenges faced by Black founders in raising capital and how Ed has navigated this landscape with the support of angel investors and strategic partnerships. The episode concluded with a rapid-fire Q&A session, where Ed shared his indispensable business tool, his alternative career choice (which is none, as he loves what he does), and a description of his brand, which is all about authenticity and helping others.Find him online at: https://michiganmanchester.com----Submit a Question: https://www.honeyandhustle.co/questionJoin Our Community on Substack: https://pleasehustleresponsibly.substack.com/Use Our Affiliate Links: https://www.honeyandhustle.co/digitaltoolsSponsor The Podcast: https://www.honeyandhustle.co/sponsorsBuy The Interview Workbook for Storytellers: https://www.blurb.com/b/11662269-interview-workbook-for-storytellersSubscribe To Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/AngelaHollowellFollow Us On Twitter: https://twitter.com/honeyandhustleConnect With Angela on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelahollowell/

Silas speaks with Ryan Jeffery, Sr. Managing Director of the Sustainability Accelerators at Gener8tor, a collection of Accelerators that serve the rest of the country outside of SF, NYC, and Boston, where the majority of VC dollars go. (Take the CleanTechies Listeners Survey to help us better serve you)Ryan started as a founder. Later, he became a VC and eventually ended up in Gener8tor running the sustainability-focused accelerators because of his desire to be closer to the founders and more involved. He shared a lot of great data on where funding goes, his story, why investing in underserved founders is, beyond being the right thing to do, also leads to better returns. Enjoy the episode!

In an age of decentralizing the map when it comes to venture capital, place takes center stage for an increasing number of communities whose neighborhoods benefit from innovation centers, coworking space, workforce development space and the like.   Our guest Robert Pieroni has his own story to tell in founding Downtown Launchpad in Houston, Texas.   He's a successful VC and is currently Director – gBETA ITA & Director of Italian Business Development for our good friends at gener8tor and he's with us today to recount his experience building space and the programming to ignite it. Learn More about gener8tor  

In this episode, Co-host Kathleen Gallagher talks with Jake Pollastrini, the Managing Director of gener8tor's CS Nest program.  Innovate 608 is made possible by the generous support of the American Family Institute for Corporate and Social Impact and our media partner the Wisconsin State Journal.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zaineb is a thought leader based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, emerging from a background in film, education, and alignment yoga. She has completed 500 hours of yoga teacher training and is right around the corner from 1,000 hours of teaching. She is passionate about integrating intellectual and spiritual techniques into her roles creating a hybrid dynamic of the commonly understood “Mind-Body-Spirit” connection in relationship to our day-to-day questions and opportunities.

Step into Season 2 of the Innovate That podcast! In this episode, the Lt. Governor engages in a conversation with Anita Ly from gener8tor, delving into the realm of Oklahoma's Accelerator initiatives. Accompanying them are two participants from gener8tor's cohort, Jenae Goodin and Shawn Gaetano. Tune in to gain more insights on the accelerator programs offered in Oklahoma's ecosystem.

Listen to a thought-provoking episode of GSD Presents, featuring Leon Eisen, Ph.D., an inventor, serial entrepreneur, and pioneer in "Quantum Business Thinking." Join us as he shares insights from his vast experience in technology, business, and leadership, and discover the power of this highly effective business growth methodology. Guest: Leon Eisen, Ph.D. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/leoneisen/), is an inventor, serial entrepreneur, Chairman of Oxitone Medical, and Senator at the Grand Assembly of the World Business Angel Investment Forum (G20). He is also a partner at Network.VC and GVI Investments, strategic executive adviser and keynote speaker with a strong background in technology, business, and leadership spanning over 20 years. Dr. Eisen is a fellow member of the Royal Society of Medicine (UK) and serves as a Board Member of The Global Africa Leadership Council. Additionally, he holds membership in the Forbes Business Council and serves as a partner at GSD Venture Studios. He actively mentors aspiring entrepreneurs at accelerators like Gener8tor and H7 BioCapital, and holds an official mentorship role at the Israeli Export Institute. Furthermore, Leon Eisen is widely regarded for developing and popularizing a highly effective business growth methodology called "Quantum Business Thinking." Having earned a Ph.D. in physics from the Weizmann Institute of Science, Dr. Eisen also pursued business and entrepreneurship studies at Harvard Business School. He is widely recognized for inventing and successfully commercializing the world's first FDA-cleared wrist pulse oximetry monitor. With an impressive track record of over 30 worldwide patents and more than ten scientific publications, Leon Eisen has consistently delivered innovative products and made significant contributions in his field.

Recorded June 2nd 2023   The hard tech corridor extends from Indianapolis to Lafayette and is expected to spur of wave of investment in everything from advanced manufacturing to life sciences.  At the center of it all is the 4,000 acre LEAP District in Lebanon which has already won a multi-billion dollar commitment from Eli Lilly.  As a VC investor, startup mentor and ecosystem builder in the hard tech space, Nida is the perfect guest to bring us up to speed on this huge development in the Hoosier state! Nida's Book Recommendations:  Burn Rate by Andy Dunn Being Mortal by Atul Gawande When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi Hard Tech Links: Forbes: Hard Tech Corridor in the Heartland Indiana Chamber: Indiana Poised to Become Home to Hard Tech Corridor Karmic Partners Twitter LinkedIn Connect with Nida: LinkedIn Twitter 2023 IBJ Forty Under 40 Pack Away Hunger Donations Guest Bios Nida has been in Indiana since 2021 and is CEO of karmic partners, a consultancy that works with innovation districts, startups, and corporate innovation groups. Karmic hopes to help with ecosystem building in the midwest by helping to connect these groups to the resources they need. Most recently, she's worked in venture capital and set up an early-stage hardtech accelerator. Prior, Nida has also worked in strategy and innovation for companies like Georgia Pacific and Westrock. Her work has included managing P&L of product lines globally, leading engineering and operations teams to launch products for large multinationals, some of which are in upwards of 50+ countries.  Nida serves on multiple nonprofit boards including Pack Away Hunger and Immigrant Welcome Center (Treasurer). She also mentors for Techstars and Gener8tor, and is on the Technical Advisory Committee for NextCycle. Who are the hosts? Austin Crites, CFA: Austin is a past-president and current committee member of CFA Society Indianapolis. Professionally, he is the Chief Investment Officer at Aurora Financial Strategies where he manages US-focused, all-cap, style-agnostic equity strategies as the core of client portfolios. Austin is a 2008 graduate of Marian University in Indianapolis where he is now an adjunct professor in the Byrum School of Business. Matt Henry, CFA: Matt is a Senior Investment Officer at STAR Wealth Management. He is also a Past President and a director of CFA Society Indianapolis. When he's not managing porfolios, Matt teaches Finance 300 at Ball State University. He enjoys air conditioning, wi-fi, and the conveniences of indoor living.    

⭐ My guest today is Ryan Jeffery, the Senior Managing Director for gener8tor Sustainability, a leading accelerator investing and supporting startups at the forefront of our climate crisis. They invest $100k in startups in their 12-week programs. Over the last ten years, they've made investments in 1,000 startups, which have gone on to raise $1.4B. In addition, Ryan is the: Founder of Ignite, a diverse and dynamic leadership community in Chicago Founding Partner at Survival Ventures, which is investing, advising and growing ventures that preserve and protect our planet Mentor at Impact Engine And advisor to many more impact startups ---

Donna Ehart is the Managing Director for Huntsville Gener8tor. Gener8tor is a VC firm with several programs/cohorts to help small business to reach scale. Donna discusses each program, the expectations of the VC, how Gener8tor is marketing themselves in HSV, rounds of funding, why she joined, and some of the exciting events on the horizon. 00:00 Start 01:53 Huntsville Gener8tor/Entrepreneurs 07:57 Gener8tor Business Model 13:05 VC Expectations 18:10 Website Tour 23:30 Cohort Programs 29:58 Zaden Technologies 34:34 Joining Gener8tor 38:08 Marketing Gener8tor in HSV 41:10 Launch Tank/Mentoring 44:21 Collaboration / Education 48:06 VC Funding Rounds For more information on Donna Ehart and Gener8tor visit https://www.gener8tor.com Host/Interviewer: M. Troy Bye, Owner, Our Town Podcast Website: https://ourtownpodcast.net Spotify Channel: https://spoti.fi/3QtpT8z Audio available on all platforms - just search for "Our Town Podcast" Follow us on social media: LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/41rlgTt Facebook: https://bit.ly/ourtownpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourtownpodcast/

Donna Ehart is the Managing Director for Huntsville Gener8tor. Gener8tor is a VC firm with several programs/cohorts to help small business to reach scale. Donna discusses each program, the expectations of the VC, how Gener8tor is marketing themselves in HSV, rounds of funding, why she joined, and some of the exciting events on the horizon. 00:00 Start 01:53 Huntsville Gener8tor/Entrepreneurs 07:57 Gener8tor Business Model 13:05 VC Expectations 18:10 Website Tour 23:30 Cohort Programs 29:58 Zaden Technologies 34:34 Joining Gener8tor 38:08 Marketing Gener8tor in HSV 41:10 Launch Tank/Mentoring 44:21 Collaboration / Education 48:06 VC Funding Rounds For more information on Donna Ehart and Gener8tor visit https://www.gener8tor.com Host/Interviewer: M. Troy Bye, Owner, Our Town Podcast Website: https://ourtownpodcast.net YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3HJWfe9 Spotify Channel: https://spoti.fi/3QtpT8z Audio available on all platforms - just search for "Our Town Podcast" Follow us on social media: LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/41rlgTt Facebook: https://bit.ly/ourtownpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourtownpodcast/

Today, we're going to talk about mushrooms. More than a delicious pizza topping, fungi can be useful in many different ways and it might even play a heroic role in addressing climate change. How might mushrooms help? Let's count some of the ways. They can be eaten and help reduce our dependence on animal protein. They can replace animal-based leather, sequester carbon, serve as a biofuel, improve soil health, and thereby reduce our need for fertilizers. They can accelerate reforestation, create an alternative to petroleum-based plastics and packaging, and finally, they can help break down and absorb pollutants. This last use case is called bioremediation and it's the focus of the startup Mycocycle – a company that's making impressive progress using mushrooms to clean up waste. We're joined by Mycocycle Founder and CEO Joanne Rodriguez, as well as one of her investors Ryan Jeffrey, Senior Managing Director at the venture firm and accelerator, Gener8tor. We chatted about the opportunity to transform the waste management sector, how fungi can help, Mycocycle's traction, Gener8tor's investment thesis and how they've helped Joanne's journey, and much more. Hope you enjoy this one, mushroom jokes and all. Here we go. In today's episode, we cover:[3:25] Joanne's background & how she got to where she is today[4:23] Ryan's background & how he got to where he is today[5:52] What is Gener8tor?[7:11] Mycocycle, the problem it's aiming to solve & the company's approach[9:37] The process of leveraging the power of fungi & nature to break down waste[13:47] Why did Gener8tor decide to invest in Mycocycle?[16:14] The role of fungi in battling climate change & the opportunity[18:06] The fungi-for-bioremediation business model[20:45] Surprises & lessons of working with fungi[21:19] The Department of Energy's Argonne National Labs & what it allowed Mycocycle to do[24:08] Mycocycle's experience with Gener8tor's accelerator[25:39] Mycocycle's milestones[26:46] The types of companies that Mycocycle is looking to partner with right now[28:05] Mycocycle's environmental impact & carbon measurement[29:34] John's view of milestones & risks for Mycocycle to reach commercial success[30:57] How John sees the space in 3-5 years[33:15] How Joanne sees the space evolving & opportunities to improve waste management[36:34] What's next for Mycocycle[37:36] A final mushroom jokeResources MentionedMycocycle Gener8torConnect with Joanne Rodriguez & Ryan JeffreyConnect with Joanne Rodriguez on LinkedInConnect with Ryan Jeffrey on LinkedInConnect with Jason RissmanOn LinkedInOn TwitterKeep up with Invested In ClimateSign up for our Newsletter

gener8tor Partner Chelsea Linder sits down with Inside Indiana Business's Gerry Dick to discuss winning the Entrepreneurial Service Excellence award.Indianapolis-based startup accelerator gener8tor won the Entrepreneurial Service Excellence Award during TechPoint's 24th annual Mira Awards gala honoring the best of tech in Indiana.

When you step on the accelerator, your car takes off. The same is true for a business accelerator. Today we are going to be digging in to what an Accelerator is, and how it helps a business go from 0 to 100 fast.Hey everybody, this is Chris Brandt, here with Sandesh Patel. Welcome to another FUTR podcast.Today we are talking with, Molly Dill who is a Managing Director at Gener8tor. Gener8tor is a venture capital firm and accelerator that brings together startup founders, investors, corporations, job seekers, universities, musicians and artists. gener8tor also believes that everyone deserves opportunities, regardless of race, place or gender. So let's talk with Molly about what an Accelerator does, and how they help businesses succeed.Welcome MollyClick Here to Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/c/FUTRtech?sub_confirmation=1FUTR.tv focuses on startups, innovation, culture and the business of emerging tech with weekly podcasts featuring Chris Brandt and Sandesh Patel talking with Industry leaders and deep thinkers.Occasionally we share links to products we use. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases on Amazon.

In this episode Doug speaks with Anklet Fender the CEO of Grant Cycle, one of the Gener8tor Reno/Tahoe Cohort companies. They discuss the ups and downs of her journey , the unique challenges of scaling a tech company in a small town and the benefits of the Gener8tor.

In this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Dawson Lamb, CEO of Loop another Gener8tor cohort company. They discuss Loops service in detail and get into the Dawsons origin story. He is a young and engaging founder and with deep Nevada roots.

As more Midwestern states legalize recreational marijuana, we look at how that's impacting Wisconsin. We talk about changes coming to the Milwaukee County Transit System. We tell you about a new program that supports traditionally underfunded artists develop their business skills. Plus, Bubbler Talk explores some of Milwaukee's early architecture.

This episode features Maureen Ragalie and Darius Smith from gener8tor's Milwaukee office. Gener8tor is a nationally-ranked venture capital firm and accelerator that brings together startup founders, investors, corporations, job seekers, universities, musicians and artists. Recently, they have teamed up with Sherman Phoenix, a marketplace and mixed used business space on Milwaukee's northside in the Sherman Park neighborhood, to offer grants for Milwaukee visual artists. In the conversation, Ragalie and Smith discuss the scope of the program. Beginning with a user-friendly application process that is designed to attract artists who may not have much in the way of formal professional experience, but display talent and vision, as well as an appetite for developing "the business side” of their art practice. Up to 20 artists will be selected by a panel of art world experts from outside of Milwaukee. The program will take place over seven weeks in-person and over Zoom beginning this spring, and will offer workshops, mentorships and resources to help individuals learn how to professionalize their artistic practices. The curriculum includes everything from marketing for artists, how to make a budget, learning about and how to decide if you should form an LLC— and even includes access to a therapist. Applications for the program are open to anyone in Milwaukee over the age of 18. Smith and Ragalie hope that the impact of this program and these investments ($7,000-$10,000 per artist) will be felt on both the individual and the community level, and that a positive effect will ripple out into the community, and help contribute to more vibrancy in the neighborhoods in which these artists live and work – and within Milwaukee as a whole. Another hope is to garner positive attention both within Milwaukee – and outside the region –for the artistry that is being created here—and to encourage future investment in the arts in Milwaukee and Wisconsin. Through this program, they also seek to show artists that they can continue to live and work in Milwaukee — and in doing so, encourage retention of our city's creatives. The application is due February 26, and the first gener8tor x Sherman Phoenix accelerator cohort will begin on April 10. Follow gener8torart on Instagram. Sherman Phoenix Marketplace Social Impact investment Wisconsin ranks last in the nation for arts funding Northwestern Mutual Black Founder Accelerator Program VAR Gallery Thanks to Darius Smith for the sound file from Sherman Phoenix Marketplace.

This week, we're diving into gener8tor's OnRamp Manufacturing Conference. gener8tor is a turnkey platform for the creative economy connects startup founders, musicians, artists, investors, universities and corporations, and their OnRamp Conferences are a subset of that.gener8tor's annual manufacturing event brings together startups, investors, and corporations for this unique “dealmaking conference” and this year, in October 2022, we headed to Indianapolis. There, we sat down for 8 interviews with individuals that are running startups, managing accelerators and investment funds, as well as leading state initiatives to help manufacturing thrive in Indiana.This episode explores how these different groups are working together and how they're all working to take on big initiatives like sustainability, 5G, and the Internet of Things. Our guest lineup includes:-Maggie Brickerman, Partner at gener8tor-Dave Roberts, Chief Innovation Officer at IEDC-Razi Nalim, Founder of Aerodyn Combustion-Apoorva Kiran, Co-Founder and CEO of Mentore-Emir Beg, Founder and CTO of Scout Autonomy-Batuhan Ulasan, COO of Scout Autonomy-Tim Chiang, Investment Director at Xerox Ventures-Ashley Bryan, Program Manager at The Heritage Group Accelerator-Sharina Perry, Founder and CEO of Utopia PlastixMake sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com/OnRamp2022 for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Troy Vosseller, Co founder of the Gener8tor accelerator and Co founder of Sconnie Nation joins the show to talk aboutTroy's experience founding a startup accelerator, and the similarities and differences of being an entrepreneur and investor.The story behind Sconnie Nation and how Troy established a meaningful and lasting brand.How Troy got into the business of selling his own brand of beer, and how he thinks about category expansion.

In this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Dan Feliciano the CEO / Cofounder of Clotheslyne. Clotheslyne is democratizing wash and fold laundry service through its Airbnb style marketplace. They cover topics including, the psychology of laundry, the challenges of 2 sided marketplaces, the value of the Gener8tor investment accelerator and more.

In this week's episode, Henry interviews Troy Vosseller, Co-Founder of Gener8tor. Gener8tor strives to be the best partner for a community that creates wealth and jobs by investing in its best and brightest. Their team has garnered over $1.2B in funding for over 938 startups, recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary, and they have no plans of stopping anytime soon.Listen in on this episode as Troy discusses:What led to starting Gener8tor.How they are changing the accelerator model. Starting a college t-shirt company that grew into a large brand. How he and his team are finding companies to invest in. The day-to-day of a CEO post covid and handling operations.This episode is all about growth in alternative investing and changing the way we think about the current accelerator model.

“A platform for communities to invest in their best and brightest” …that's how this week's guest describes the company he works for. Sounds great, right? We invited Cole Shearer, Vice President – Skills Accelerator at gener8tor, to join Manufacturing Happy Hour this week. In this episode, he outlines his career to date, what he does at gener8tor, and provides some top tips for startup founders. Cole explains the struggles of the talent shortage in the cybersecurity space and breaks down how the gener8tor program helps job seekers find work. We hear a little about how gener8tor has evolved since Cole joined the team, and he also describes what his ideal organization to work with would look like. In this episode, find out: All about Cole's early career Why startup founders should take risks How gener8tor helps jobseekers into work How gener8tor's skills accelerator program works Why gener8tor teamed up on a Microsoft initiative How gener8tor has changed in recent years Why there's a growing need for cybersecurity talent Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It's feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! Tweetable Quotes: “If someone wants to make a change in their career and they have the aptitude and willingness to go through a program, they're probably fit for ours.” “There are hundreds of thousands of open cybersecurity roles right now across the country. And the amount of actual potential talent to fill those positions is very limited.” “Our cybersecurity program is set up as a 10-week program that will be able to support participants and make sure that they're able to take the next stage of their career.” Links & mentions: https://www.gener8tor.com/ (gener8tor), an accelerator platform that offers over 75 programs such as startup and skills accelerators, fellowships and conferences to startup founders, corporations and job seekers. Bar 18, Indianapolis Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com/ (http://manufacturinghappyhour.com) for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Welcome to The Startup Tank Climate Investor Pitch Show presented by 4WARD.VC in partnership with the gener8tor and Capital Nature, the ultimate climate tech pitch show where top cleantech and sustainability startups pitch their project to a panel of top climatetech and impact focused VCs looking to fund world-changing climate companies. https://thestartuptank.com/apply Presenting startups: Reciclapp: A recycling / upcycling platform for circular waste management in Mexico Carbon Yield: A platform for farmers to enable transition to regenerative farming Symbergy: Converting fish farm wastewater into sustainable crop fertilizer Baru: Utlilizing existing and underused robotics for on-demand local manufacturing Aqua Alarm: Sensing tech & AI to providing early warning for water management systems BioEsol: Sustainable, intelligent energy storage solutions for Latam Today's Investor Panelists Include: Orelle Khalili @ Capital Nature Ryan Jeffrey @ gener8tor About 4WARD.VC's Angel Syndicate: 4WARD.VC's climate syndicate invests alongside leading climate funds and accelerators in breakthrough pre-seed and seed stage climate startups led by world-class, crazy founders tackling MASSIVE problems in the areas of Food & Agriculture, Construction & Manufacturing, Commerce & Circular Economy, Recycling & Waste Reduction, Energy & Renewables, Transportation & Mobility and anything with positive “climate-economics” that has the opportunity to massively better our world.For more information on 4WARD.VC and our angel syndicate: 4WARD.VC/syndicate -- BONUS: Free 600+ Climate VC & Accelerator Database Filter climate tech VCs by stage, sector, geography & check size to find your ideal investor and/or co investors! https://4ward.vc/VCdatabase -- Sponsored by LEVA - Simplifying venture investments for everyone LEVA is the next generation digital SPV, allowing anyone to set up and manage an SPV, issue digital shares, manage ownership, secondaries and follow-on, all through an intuitive digital interface to more efficiently and cost-effectively deploy capital - no cumbersome lawyers, legal fees or paperwork required. To discover the future of venture capital investing and syndicated deals and set up your low-cost, no minimum SPV today, visit: https://leva.pe -- About The Startup Tank: YCombinator popularized the demo day. Shark Tank revolutionized the investor pitch. We take the best of both worlds combined with the Covid-fueled remote nature of everything to bring you The Startup Tank Demo Days presented by 4WARD.VC, the startup pitch fest where founders get to pitch to prospective investors, possible cofounders and the tech ecosystem as a whole. If you've ever wanted a chance to pitch your company or get in front of VCs and angel investors, now is your time to shine. thestartuptank.com/apply

Welcome to the StartupBREW Fargo podcast!Join us this week to hear from Dieumerci Christel, founder of Enlightapp Inc. and Tyrre Burks, founder of Players Health.Visit our website to learn more about StartupBREW Fargo.

If you've ever wondered what it's like to work in the world of venture capitalists and start ups, tune into our discussion with Nate Domenighini to learn how he connects founders with funders and helps entrepreneurs get the support they need to bring their innovation to life.

In this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Maggie Brickerman and Jared Byer from Gener8tor. Gener8tor is a nationally ranked top quartile venture fund and investment accelerator program. They cover a ton of ground on the role of accelerators, why Gener8tor is different and how to apply in Nevada. https://www.gener8tor.com/investment-accelerators

In this episode, we talk about early-stage scaling. What it looks like, how to think about it, and what it takes to generate growth. We are joined by Eric Martell, Founder of Pear Commerce. Eric is a former founder of EatStreet, and a former Managing Director and Venture Partner at gener8tor.  With a background as a founder and as an investor and startup mentor, Eric has a lot of perspective on early-stage growth. He talks about what it takes to succeed: being obsessed with solving a problem (not with the solution), getting traction by creative means, and good old-fashioned hustle. He also shares how to land VC money: by demonstrating the aforementioned traction, hustle, and creativity; being willing to swing for the fences by taking risks; and understanding that the math that drives VCs means your business needs to be capable of reaching a tremendous valuation. Who does Eric see executing? Adam Choe, a former Managing Director at Gener8tor, current VC, and professor at University of St. Thomas.

Javier Soto es Program Director en Gener8tor, la plataforma "llave en mano" para la economía creativa que conecta a fundadores de startups, músicos, artistas, inversores, universidades y empresas. En este episodio Javier nos cuenta sobre sus inicios trabajando con startups y cómo a través de eso él logró realizar la suya, además de los aspectos transformacionales que buscan en los emprendedores al momento en que llegan con ellos y que tan entrenables podrían llegar a ser, la importancia de la escucha y de la aplicación para lograr un éxito seguro.

James Oliver Jr. is the Founder and CEO of The ParentPreneur Foundation, which empowers Black ParentPreneurs so they can leave a legacy for their beautiful Black children. Chad talks with James about inspiring, encouraging, and supporting ParentPreneurs to lobby to try to close wealth inequality gaps, shoot their shot and send cold emails, and engage in a community that supports one another. Parents Making Profits (https://www.parentsmakingprofits.com/) The ParentPreneur Foundation (https://www.parentpreneurfoundation.org/) Follow The ParentPreneur Foundation on Twitter (https://twitter.com/ParentPreneurF), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/parentpreneur-foundation/), or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/parentpreneurfoundation/). Follow James on Twitter (https://twitter.com/jamesoliverjr) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-oliver-jr/). Follow thoughtbot on Twitter (https://twitter.com/thoughtbot) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/150727/). Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Giant Robots! Transcript: CHAD: This is the Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots Podcast, where we explore the design, development, and business of great products. I'm your host, Chad Pytel. And with me today is James Oliver Jr., Founder, and CEO of the ParentPreneur Foundation, which empowers Black ParentPreneurs so they can leave a legacy for their beautiful Black children. James, thanks for joining me. JAMES: I'm super excited to be here. Thanks so much for having me. CHAD: So I just said, in a nutshell, the tagline for ParentPreneur Foundation. I know it's a community that brings people together, Black ParentPreneurs together. How did you get started and see the need for this, and how did you actually then make it happen? JAMES: Oh boy, that's a great question with a semi-long answer, so just hang in with me, but I think it's a really compelling story. So back in 2013, (I'm from Brooklyn, New York) at the time, I was living in Northeast Wisconsin. It started in 2011. I was trying to build a startup called WeMontage, which was the world's only website to let you turn your digital images into removable photo wallpaper. CHAD: If you haven't seen it, by the way, you should look at it. That description that you gave, even though it describes it perfectly, I didn't realize until I went to the website and looked at the pictures exactly what it is and how remarkable of a product it is. JAMES: Well, I'm delighted that you say that. Thank you so much. And that's part of the reason why [laughter] it failed. I mean, it's still around. And I know we have a bunch of designers in the community. So look, the website still works. The underlying collage editing software is still brilliant, but the UI UX needs a lot of love. It's a bit of a zombie with about $10,000-$15,000 of technical debt floating around over there. [laughs] But the product still works. And we still print, ship them sometimes. And we have tons of repeat customers. It's just one of those things. You build a great product, and they will always come. But the product is still brilliant still today. So back then, I was a non-technical founder. I was out of money. I cleaned out my savings and living in the middle of nowhere. There wasn't exactly a bastion of technology startups or diversity, even for that matter. And I was fortunate to get into Gener8tor's...I think we were the second cohort. Back then, it was super early. We went to Madison. And right now, Gener8tor is killing it. But I was out of money. I was thankful to get into their Madison cohort, which was a two-hour drive away. My ex-wife now was pregnant with our twins. The kids were supposed to be born end of March. Gener8tor ended early April. So I was like, okay, this timing works out brilliantly. But a day or two before the program started, I had to deliver, and we had to deliver the twins prematurely. Otherwise, my son would have died. CHAD: Wow. JAMES: His blood just started to circulate backwards. It was crazy. So we had to take them out. They weighed two pounds apiece. Every time I tell this story, it gives me agita, man. The accelerator was a two-hour drive each way back and forth to the NICU, waking up at 2:00 a.m. every morning because I couldn't sleep. I cried every day. I had a really talented developer on my team, but he had his personal demons. So he was really unreliable. But he was a brilliant guy. He was so smart, really talented. But anyway, I got through the accelerator. Right before I was going on stage for demo day, I got a call from this angel that we pitched. We were raising $250,000 at the time, which really, in retrospect, was not nearly enough money. But I got a call. He said, "Hey, we're going to fill your round." I don't know. What does that mean? I don't take anything for granted. [laughs] What do you mean? "We're going to give you $250,000." And then I just dropped to my knees. I thanked God. And I cried because I had sacrificed so much to get to that point. Thankfully, my daughter came home after six weeks, and my son came home after ten weeks. The kids are doing fine. They drive me crazy, but they're beautiful. CHAD: [laughs] How old are they now? JAMES: They just turned 9 in January. So after I launched WeMontage, I hired just a really remarkable technical co-founder and just a great guy. We still have a wonderful relationship. We got in there, and when I started out, I was like, well, I'm going to start a blog. I started a blog, and I was like, one of these days, I'm going to use the content from this blog to write a book. CHAD: Before you move on, so in those early days, you had just gotten into the accelerator. You had this thing you needed to deal with with your family and delivering the twins. And did you ever consider dropping out of the accelerator at that point? JAMES: I wasn't going to go, but I knew with that decision, WeMontage never would have come to light because I just didn't have the resources to make it happen. But as a family, we decided that I need to go do that and crush that, and so I made that choice. We raised money. In retrospect, we raised just enough money to fail because, look, the software was cute. We were running around pitching angels. It was cute to show look at what we can do, look at what we could do. When we turned the thing on, it was so unsustainable. It was a black box. And I was on the phone literally with customers holding their hand to get them to place an order, and that was clearly unsustainable. So we made the decision that we need to fix this thing. We need to pull it apart, make it modular, stabilize the code, build on it. And by the time we got done with that, we only had a couple of months' cash left. And I remember...man, if anybody has never told you this to your face, I promise you it's a hard thing to hear. They were like, "We're not going to throw good money after bad." I'm like, well, damn. Like, thanks. We have our first Today Show appearance coming up here next month. So thank you for that. Thanks. [laughs] Man. CHAD: So you actually did go on the Today Show. JAMES: Yeah, we got featured three times on the Today Show. I mean, on my own without a publicist, I got Today Show three times, Good Morning America, Money Magazine, DIY, Martha Stewart, on and on. CHAD: I'm curious, after making an appearance like that, do your sales go up? JAMES: They do. They did with the Today Show. So it was funny, like that first appearance, they didn't even put the graphic on the bottom with the name of the business. When Mario mentioned it, he said, "wemontage.com." Man, our freaking website went crazy. It crashed the website. [laughs] But we were kind of already prepared for it to crash. We had a little splash screen up and information. We got it back up in; I don't know, it was less than an hour. But I spent literally all day getting back to those people. We gave them a coupon code. And we did about $15,000 that month from that one segment, which was great. That was our best month to date. I mean, all total, I've probably done $75,000 to $80,000 in sales from the three times we appeared on The Today Show. CHAD: That's great. We've had clients, or I've known people who have done appearances like that, and it seems a little bit hit or miss. Sometimes it won't even result in a blip, and other times it's huge. And I'm not sure what the trend is when it matters and when it doesn't. JAMES: This is the point: we all love these vanity things. We want to get exposure, exposure. So I have a really great relationship with Seth Godin, and he's a big supporter of the work I'm doing at ParentPreneur Foundation. He gives us scholarships to his marketing seminar, and he comes to visit with us sometime. The last time he talked about...he said, "Stop trying to do things to get attention. Spend your time getting your customers to tell their friends about your business." And that's a whole fact. We love the vanity, but at the end of the day, PR does not necessarily equal cash flow. I had some hits. I got on Good Morning America, and that was not nearly as good as the Today Show. But that was by virtue of the last-minute change that they made in terms of how they were producing the segment. When they introduced my product, they had the camera on somebody else's product. They had people calling me about somebody else's stuff which is like, are you serious? But what are you going to do? You can't control that. So yeah, those things are good. I will say that having that stuff on the landing page is good for credibility. People feel more comfortable, especially if they can see it. So that stuff matters to a point, but I wouldn't be spending a lot of time. I certainly would not be wasting a penny on a PR professional if I was a founder. I just wouldn't do it. All that stuff I rattled off I did on my own. CHAD: Awesome. So you started to build a blog. [laughs] JAMES: Yes. So the intention of that was to use that content to write a book to inspire ParentPreneurs around the world because it's hard being a parent and entrepreneur, especially if you're like early-stage scraping to get some revenue. You can't even talk about product-market fit yet. Can we make some money? [laughs] Can we make a buck? CHAD: So I've done a few things in my life. Writing books is one of them, and I can't say that it's easy. I don't know how you found it. I was doing it with a traditional publisher the first few times around, and it was pretty difficult. How did you find it? JAMES: So I self-published that book. And because of the way I approached it, I already had a bunch of content on my blog. It's funny; I was actually out of town. I was in Midland, Texas, because I got flown out there. I was on CNBC's version of Shark Tank, West Texas Investors Club, horrible experience, by the way. I swear if I ever go on another one of those shows, I'm going to bring the drama. CHAD: [laughs] JAMES: Piece of advice, for any of you guys listening, if you go on Shark Tank or any of those shows, do not leave it up to the creative people to tell a story about you. This is just me; I'm a little crazy, crazy like a fox. But you give them the story. So this is me and you talking, just the two of us. [laughs] If I go on Shark Tank or something like that, I'm not taking those people's money. They're going to be like, "Oh, well, you're just here clearly for the exposure." I'm like, well, so are you. You're doing it too. Why should I give you 20% equity in my company for $200,000 or whatever it is? How much time are you actually going to spend helping me build my company? And by the way, the people who came before you from an investment standpoint already took a ton of risk off the table. So why should you get that money? And how many companies are in your portfolio? 50? So, okay, so are you really going to be helping me or nah? Nah? Right. No, I'm good. CHAD: That'll definitely air. The producers will love that drama. JAMES: That will air, right? See what I'm saying? And the people watching will be like, "Hell yeah, you tell them. Let me Google that real quick." [laughter] CHAD: That's funny. JAMES: But that's just me. But I have no intention of going back on any of those shows again because, at the end of the day, it was a bad experience for me. I only got about $6,000 in sales, but that's because nobody was watching that show. It was canceled. But at the end of the day, if you have a customer acquisition problem which is what we had at WeMontage, those things don't solve your problems. They just don't. Not necessarily. They could; you could get lucky. But it's probably not going to solve your problem. CHAD: So I'm curious. So you wrote the book, and you focused on the concept of ParentPreneurs, Black ParentPreneurs specifically. JAMES: No, actually, so the book was just for everybody who's a ParentPreneur. So the book's called The More You Hustle, The Luckier You Get: You CAN Be a Successful ParentPreneur. So Mario Armstrong, who's my guy from the Today Show, wrote the foreword to my book. We're really good friends. And it's on Amazon. Some people have regarded it as the realest book of entrepreneurship they've ever read. It's unlike anything you ever read. It's the story of my journey, some of those things I just told you, and the up and down the back and forth. It will make you laugh, make you cry, make you wonder. You put it down, come back to it. There are some hard questions that I ask myself, and people read the book. It's a superfast read too. CHAD: Awesome. At what point did you decide to focus on empowering Black ParentPreneurs? JAMES: So that's a great question. So after I wrote the book, I had this idea. I said one day I'm going to sell WeMontage. And maybe it will happen. I don't know; if God can intervene, something could happen. Who knows? [laughter] It's just not likely at this point, and that's okay. But I was like, I'm going to sell this business. I'm going to take a million dollars of my own money and start a foundation for parents who are entrepreneurs because it's really freaking hard. It's so hard. Unless you've been there, you have no idea how hard that is. It's really hard. So then, in early 2020, the whole world falls apart with George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor. I had my own Karen experience here in my backyard. I live in a really nice neighborhood in the suburbs of Atlanta. And I had to call the police on her. After the second experience, I filed a trespass warrant. Then I started looking at all the Federal Reserve wealth inequality data. And I was like, I'm starting this foundation for Black ParentPreneurs because we need the help the most. We have got to try to close this wealth inequality gap. It's a big problem. I'm doing that. So now to answer your question, prior to that decision, so when I was going to Gener8tor, I met David Cohen and Brad Feld. They just popped up on a Google Meet to meet us. And these guys are co-founders of Techstars, which is one of the preeminent global startup accelerators. And I just stayed in touch with them through their blogs. I didn't want anything from them. I remember I got an email from Brad a couple years back. And he's a voracious reader. He's a prolific writer. He sent me an email out of the blue. He said, "I just read your book. I effing loved it." [chuckles] He said, "I got to feature it on my blog." I was like, wow, okay, dope. So he did that. And we sold some books, which was great. But so I reached out to Brad and David. I was like, "Hey, guys, I'm thinking about starting this foundation for ParentPreneurs in general." And they were like, "Yeah, I'm game. We can go back and forth with you about it," and which is amazing at that level those guys would be willing to do that. I appreciated that. And they were both like, "Eh, foundations are hard. It's a constant fundraising grind, blah, blah, blah." And, look, they're not wrong. [laughs] They're not wrong. But here's the thing, though. For me, telling me something is hard doesn't land with me because I've had to scrap and scrape for every single blade of grass on the field of life. And quite frankly, it's hard being Black sometimes. If I had $1 every time somebody told me that WeMontage would have been successful if I had a white face out there instead of me type thing, it is very frustrating. So then I got an email from Brad Feld out the blue after George Floyd, which was just a subject that said, "Hey, you're game for a 30-minute Zoom?" There was nothing in the body of the email. And I'm just like, yeah, I could as well want to talk to Brad. He's top of the food chain. He's not just a VC and co-founder of Techstars with a portfolio valuation north of $200 billion. He's also a Limited Partner. LPs are the people who write the checks to the VCs who write the checks to people like me and you guys listening who are entrepreneurs. So I'm like, hell yeah, I want to talk to you for 30 minutes, Brad Feld. Who doesn't? I just didn't know what it was about. So he said, "I just want to know what two things you're working on addressing racial injustice, inequality I can put my time on or attention on." I'm like, Oh, hell yeah. Chad, I'm like, he has no idea what I just decided. So we get on to Zoom. And I say, "You know, Brad, you remember that foundation thing I was telling you about?" He was like, "Yeah." I said, "Well, now that's just what Black ParentPreneurs is." He goes, "I'm so glad you did that." And this is the part that knocks me out of my chair every time I say it. He goes, "What would a 12-month operating plan look like? I can throw it up in a Google Doc, and I'll co-create it with you." [laughs] CHAD: That's great. I mean, it is unfortunate that George Floyd being murdered and these other things have instigated people to want to make change and to get involved in ways that they haven't been able to before. That's super unfortunate, but something's got to wake people up. JAMES: Well, that will come up because he was like, "Look, I'm this rich, middle-aged white dude. I've been doing things to support Black entrepreneurs in the past," but he's like, "I got to do more. So I'm reaching out to my friends, and I consider you a friend." I was like, wow, like, I knew you liked me a little bit, but I didn't know you liked me like that. CHAD: [laughs] JAMES: But he is a friend. I have his phone number. I can call him. He's a friend. Him and David these guys are friends. So I got the 12-month operating plan right back to him. He said, "This is great. What would a six-month plan look like?" I got to write back. And he's like, "Assume three things, one of which is a $50 000 seed grant from my foundation to start the ParentPreneur Foundation." So Brad has given now, I don't know, north of $125,000. He got us into the Techstars Foundation, which has been phenomenal. My relationship with David has blossomed. I went on the Techstars Give First Podcast with David, and David's a friend as well. I just love those guys and how they move, and they've been super helpful. And so our foundation, at the heart of what we do, you mentioned this at the top, is we have a community of now almost 1,800 Black ParentPreneurs hosted on Mighty Networks, which is phenomenal because it's not on Facebook. That's the thing I love the most about it. [laughter] CHAD: I actually have some questions about Mighty Networks on my list. So we don't need to take a tangent in there right now. We can come back to it. I want to ask you about Mighty Networks. JAMES: Love it. Love it. Love Gina Bianchini. She's the CEO. I actually had her on my LinkedIn live show a couple of months ago. CHAD: Well, let's do it now then, actually. So as someone who has built software before to put together a company, did you ever consider that for this? And why not? And why use Mighty Networks? JAMES: To build a community platform? CHAD: [laughs] It's a very loaded question, James. JAMES: Yeah, why would I do that? Listen, by the time I got done with my prototype with that; these guys would be like two versions past where they are today, which would be infinitely better than my little stinky MVP, right? CHAD: Yeah. JAMES: And these people live, eat, and breathe community. Is Mighty Networks perfect? No, of course not. But they're constantly making improvements. I think I told you at the top I'm actually about to launch a new podcast. I just signed a national podcast distribution deal. So we're launching a podcast on the HubSpot Podcast Network. You guys have heard of HubSpot, right? CHAD: I have, yes. JAMES: So it's for ParentPreneurs in general, kind of like my book, to empower ParentPreneurs to be the best parent entrepreneur they can possibly be because being a ParentPreneur is hard. And we came upon this opportunity. I saw an article; maybe LinkedIn, I don't remember, talking about HubSpot launched a new podcast network last year. And I told you I got all these PR opportunities. And I got that because I'm not shy about shooting my shot. A lot of people are too scared to shoot their shot, or they don't know what to do, how to do it. But cold emails I'm really good at sending cold emails. So I sent a cold email to the CMO of HubSpot. He was mentioned in the article. I went on LinkedIn. I scraped his email address using my favorite email scraping tool, GetEmail.io. It works on LinkedIn. You get their email address. I sent him an awesome email. Of course, he didn't follow up right away; well, not, of course, sometimes they do. He didn't follow up right away. I sent a follow-up email. And when I send follow-up emails, I like to give some kind of update. So in my follow-up email, I wasn't just like, "Hey, did you get my email? Please respond." It wasn't that. It was like some other update. I can't remember what it was, but it was an update following up about my email. He got back, copied somebody on the team. They got back, copied somebody else. They were like, "Do you have a clip or an excerpt of an interview?" And it just so happened we did because we knew we needed to get ready. So we did an interview with Neil Sales-Griffin, who's the Techstar Chicago Managing Director, and so we sent them an excerpt. They were like, "This is great. Do you have a whole episode?" So we edited that thing down right here that day. It was a Friday, sent it to them. They were like, "Thanks for sending. We'll get back to you by Monday with the decision because, by the way, we have this new program, this emerging podcast voices program. There'll be six to eight podcasts in this program. And we'll listen to this and consider it." So they got back to us Sunday night at 11:00 o'clock. "This is amazing. You guys are pros." I'm like, that's not me. That's really Mario. I have no idea what I'm doing at all. CHAD: [laughs] JAMES: But thanks, Mario. "And you guys are stars. You can't teach stars." But I'm like, hey, all right. I've never done a podcast. But hey, glad somebody other than my mama likes me. This is awesome. And they were like, "We want to invite you to be one of the companies in this new cohort with a new podcast," and just a swoop in at the last minute like that all because I shot my shot. So if anybody's out there listening, don't be afraid to shoot your shot, man. It's a mindset. You got to know what to do, how to move. But you've got to first have the mindset like, yo, I am going to shoot my shot. CHAD: I think as long as you...and you already said this, but you're making it real. Like, when you're following up, you're not just saying, "Hey, did you get my email?" You're finding ways to make it real and authentic. You got to show that you're real and not some bot. JAMES: Yeah. So I will say in terms of the cold emails, I send them all the time. Cold emails is how I ended up collaborating with Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center. We're big partners with them. We're part of this grant project with them with this major Wall Street Bank Foundation they're about to be announcing this year any day now. We got a grant tackling the problem of Black or Brown founders, underestimated founders not getting access to early-stage venture and angel funding. So we're part of that with my foundation all because I sent a cold email to some guy at Nasdaq. I don't even remember who it was, Western president. Sent him an email, he copied the executive director from Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center. The rest is history. My last round of grants, they co-sponsored the last round of grants. They put in some money. Great relationship with Nasdaq. They got 30 of my people from our community featured in the Nasdaq Tower in Times Square, let that sink in, all because of a cold email. So if you're going to send a cold email, just a couple of tips off the top of my head. You need to have a compelling subject line. Keep the emojis to a minimum. [laughter] If you can use the person's name in the subject, I think that increases your open rate by like 20%. The email's got to be right to the point. Hey, my name is James Oliver, CEO of ParentPreneur Foundation. Put a link to the ParentPreneur Foundation in that instance. We got funded by Brad Feld, co-founder of Techstars, and put a link to Brad Feld's article. Establish credibility right away and get to the freaking point. Like, what do you want? Make an ask. What do you want? Get right to it. That's it. CHAD: And then when you don't hear back, and you should follow up? JAMES: Oh yeah. You absolutely got to follow up. I'll follow up a couple of times. I know Mario is like, "I just keep following up till they tell me to stop." [laughter] He's gangsta like that. I'll follow up three or four times. But after that, I know when people are pestering me. At that point, you're pestering. I'm not interested. If I was interested, I would have responded, so knock it off. But I also respect the hustle when people are coming to me with something that's legit. And I will respond because I am them sometimes too. I'm like, "Hey, thanks for reaching out. I really appreciate it. I'm just not interested," or "I'm not interested now. Ping me back in six months." CHAD: As someone who gets cold emails, I do the same thing when it's a legitimate...and you can tell. You can tell the ones where they're just blanket sending the same thing to a bunch of people. And you can tell when it's someone legitimately sending you a cold email. JAMES: Because if you mention something about what they do specifically and how that's relevant to your email or your ask, that increases your chances of getting a response. Hell, I sent a cold email to Mark Cuban, bro. CHAD: Awesome. JAMES: He said yes. I interviewed him on my blog. I don't write on my blog anymore. But he got right back to me, and I interviewed him on my blog. He was great. CHAD: So I don't know if everyone does this. Like you said, even if it's not a fit for me or I can't do it right now or whatever, if it's a legitimate thing, I will almost always actually respond to it eventually. Mid-roll Ad I wanted to tell you all about something I've been working on quietly for the past year or so, and that's AgencyU. AgencyU is a membership-based program where I work one-on-one with a small group of agency founders and leaders toward their business goals. We do one-on-one coaching sessions and also monthly group meetings. We start with goal setting, advice, and problem-solving based on my experiences over the last 18 years of running thoughtbot. As we progress as a group, we all get to know each other more. And many of the AgencyU members are now working on client projects together and even referring work to each other. Whether you're struggling to grow an agency, taking it to the next level and having growing pains, or a solo founder who just needs someone to talk to, in my 18 years of leading and growing thoughtbot, I've seen and learned from a lot of different situations, and I'd be happy to work with you. Learn more and sign up today at thoughtbot.com/agencyu. That's A-G-E-N-C-Y, the letter U. JAMES: So, if I may, I just want to talk a little bit about the impact in the ParentPreneur Foundation. CHAD: Yes. JAMES: Because we have 1,800 people now. This current round of grants makes $95,000 in the last 19 months since we launched. We do micro-grants of $1,000 apiece. I think I just tweeted this morning that it just seems like people look down their nose at a $1,000 grant. And I'm like; clearly, these people are not or never have been a super hustling, early-stage entrepreneur and definitely not one of those with kids. So $95,000, again, keep in mind, I don't know anything about a foundation, a non-profit. I've never done it before. I've never started a community, but I don't care; it doesn't matter. [laughs] You know what I'm saying? In this instance, there's a tremendous founder-market fit because I am them. And that shines through brilliantly in all the things that we do. And the thing that I'm most thankful for that we've done in the community is we've paid for 320 mental therapy sessions for our community members. And that's important because historically, mental health is stigmatized in the Black community. And there's this belief of epigenetics, which is basically you can pass trauma down through your DNA to your descendants. And if that's true, Black folks got a lot of trauma, and we need to get it worked out. And when we do it in our community, people jump right on it. So I'm so proud of those guys that they take it very seriously. And that's really legacy, and that's impact because we're creating a legacy of mental wealth for the people in our community that influences how they show up for themselves, for their businesses, for their partners and spouse, for their children, all of which impacts how their children show up in the world. So it matters a lot. CHAD: I think the therapy sessions are a great example of when you have an authentic, unique community, something is going to come out of that which is so specific to that community. The impact of that is huge but also, where did that idea come from? Was that you? You said, "Hey, this is a need we have to do this"? JAMES: Yes. CHAD: Did it come from the community itself? JAMES: No. And see, this is why I'm talking about the founder-market fit. I don't know all the things that my people need, which is why a lot of times I ask them, "What do you want? What do you need?" But a lot of things I already know they need before they even need them because I've been where a lot of those guys are, and some of them ain't been there yet. I already know what you're going to be looking at in six months, bro. You need to pay attention a little bit. So right from the beginning, we use betterhelp.com. We created a BetterHelp account. And it's so easy. We use Typeform. Typeform is another partner of ours. They've given us lots of free codes, and VideoAsk is a new Typeform company. We use that for our application process, which is just brilliant. I keep getting compliments about how amazingly seamless and elegant our application process is for the grants using VideoAsk. But we use Typeform and first come, first serve. It fills up, and then I just get the email addresses, and I just drop them right into Betterhelp's account. And they reach out to people in the community, and they get them set up. It's so easy. CHAD: That's great. What happens in the community? Is part of the value of the community just support from each other? JAMES: Well, that's a big part of it. So that's a great question. So one of the things in the Seth Godin marketing seminar is he talks about tension and why it's important in marketing and how it drives change and drives people to action. And the assignment around tension I couldn't think of like what the tension was for the ParentPreneur Foundation. But when he came to meet with us, and we were talking about it, he said, "If I'm on an airplane and we're sky jumping, and they're like, 'Well let's jump out,' and it's a perfectly good airplane," the tension for him is what if the parachute doesn't open? And the answer is like, "Well, don't worry. We have a backup chute for you." Okay, banzai, let's go. [laughs] But for the ParentPreneur Foundation, the tension is what if we fail on this rocky road? What if we fail in our journey to leave a legacy for our beautiful, Black children? He said, "It doesn't matter because we have each other's backs on this rocky road." So I'm like, yes, that's exactly right. We have each other's backs. And I'm telling you, man, I see it. A lot of stuff is taking place; I have no idea. But I hear about it from time to time, just organically. People are collaborating. It's just amazing, man. It's just great. So yeah, I know it's lonely being an entrepreneur, a lot of different challenges, unique challenges of being a Black entrepreneur. And it's just great to have a safe space for that. We do a lot of different things. We paid for virtual assistants. We paid for when kids were being virtual schooled. We paid for some virtual tutors for some of the children. Social capital is another thing that I talk about a lot. We pay for people to improve their LinkedIn profiles and understand how to move properly on LinkedIn and build and increase their social capital, which to me is as problematic as a dearth of financial capital because, without social capital, you can't even imagine what's possible. And it was Albert Einstein who said that imagination is more important than knowledge. And it's just so true. So we're doing all the things. CHAD: So, do you have a sense of what the split is between moms and dads in the community? JAMES: Yeah, just off the top of my head, I think it's around 75-25 moms and dads, and that's interesting. Women like to build community, men we don't. We're like the king of the jungle. We're all okay by ourselves. [laughs] We don't want to build community. But, man, women love to build community, and they hold down our community in a big way, and I'm just so thankful for them. CHAD: So you started in 2020. One thing that I've seen, and I think it makes your timing good, is that a lot of people either had change forced on them because of the pandemic, and they lost their jobs. Or they felt like they needed to make a change. And a lot of people faced with that decided to do something on their own and make something happen. So there has been a surge in entrepreneurship from my... And another thing there's been a surge in is people going to coding bootcamps feeling like yeah, I lost my job, or I no longer want to do this job that I can no longer do remotely. I want to make a change in my life and learn to code. Does that resonate with you as something you've seen in terms of people who have never been entrepreneurs before who had it forced on them or making a conscious choice to do it, joining the community? JAMES: Yeah, absolutely. To a certain extent, at the beginning of COVID, when everybody was freaking out, because I understand that within every crisis exists an opportunity, I was looking for that opportunity. I was like, all right, where's the opportunity here? I was asking the questions. And then, I had a chance coffee meeting with some acquaintances and told them my intention of starting the foundation one of these days. And they were like, well, what are you waiting for? Why don't you do it now? And I thought that was like the answer to my question. And I was like, oh damn, like, yeah, what am I waiting for? Let's do it now. So yeah, a lot of people are moving towards entrepreneurship. I think a quick Google search will bear that out. I don't know to what extent, but I know it's a lot. The application for new businesses are increasing over the last few years. So yeah, I get it. People kind of hate their corporate jobs. They hate going to the office. I get it. My goal in life is to never have to wear a suit and tie again. [laughs] CHAD: Even when you go on Good Morning America. JAMES: I might wear a suit, but I'm not wearing a tie. Knock it off. [laughs] CHAD: Well, I'm sure everything you mentioned that you've been fundraising all this stuff costs money. Does the majority of your funding come from bigger donors? I know that you have a link to donate, and I encourage people to do that. But how much time do you have to spend fundraising? What is the donor mix? And how can people help? JAMES: It's just weird. We get in our own heads. I used to say, man, I kind of suck at fundraising, but I don't. We raised almost $300,000 since I started this thing with no experience. That's not somebody who sucks at fundraising, right? CHAD: Yeah. JAMES: But in my mind, we should have a million dollars in the bank so I can hire an executive director, and we can ramp up the programs that we know, or I can scale this thing up and do some other things. I have some other things I want to do. I want to do a startup studio. I'm trying to partner with Techstars right now. With Techstars, I'm already talking to the right people. I want to do a pre-accelerator program with them for Black ParentPreneurs and putting like $20,000 in people's pockets. That's going to cost money. We need a sponsor for that. But to answer your question, you can visit parentpreneurfoundation.org click donate. And $25 a month it all helps. It all adds up. We have things that we have to do to keep the platforms going and tools and resources that we use to keep it all going. The big chunks have come from people like Brad Feld and David Cohen. And Fred Wilson even donated $10,000 one-time but yeah, we need more. I'm just biding my time. And the work we're doing matters so much. It's making a big impact. We are literally helping people raise money and get their businesses off the ground. And one woman who just went through the Techstars Founder Catalyst Program with JPMorgan Chase here in Atlanta she went because I introduced them on my show. And she got in, and she just raised $250,000. And then she just told me she got a commitment for another half a million dollars. And this other woman she got a $250,000 grant from Wells Fargo because of our relationship with Nasdaq. And another guy got a term sheet for half a million dollars because of the introductions we're making. So we're literally out here building capacity for the members of our community in so many ways. I'm thankful. I'm honored. I'm humbled to be in this position to do this work. But this is purpose work for me. This is my purpose, and I'm thankful to have found it. It's like Mark Twain says, "The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you figure out why." I encourage people to go figure out why. CHAD: And if you are Black ParentPreneur hearing what we're talking about and saying, "Yeah, now I know about this. This is for me." You also go to parentpreneurfoundation.org and sign up there. JAMES: Yes, sir. Click the join community button. Absolutely. CHAD: Well, James, thanks for stopping by and sharing with me and all the listeners. I really appreciate it, and I wish you and everything that you're doing all the best. JAMES: Yes. And, Chad, thanks for reaching out, man. Look at you; you're on your hustle. It wasn't you that reached out to me. There was somebody else. CHAD: It was, yeah. Another member of my team. JAMES: How'd you find me, man? CHAD: I think she's very good at LinkedIn, and you're good at LinkedIn and so -- JAMES: [laughter] Well, I got a big [inaudible 36:11] show them the receipts, man. Show them the impact because that's what you got to do. CHAD: Are there other places where if folks want to get in touch with you or follow along with you? Where are the other places they can do that? JAMES: Yeah, they can do that on IG. We're parentpreneurfoundation on IG. I'm not super active there, but we're there. You can follow me on Twitter. I talk a lot on Twitter. I don't think anybody's listening, but I talk a lot on Twitter. CHAD: [laughs] JAMES: That thing doesn't come on until you actually earn those blue checkmark thingies, I swear. Because I will say something I think is really profound, and it's crickets. And I see somebody with a blue checkmark say the exact same thing, and I'm like, okay, I see how it is, but whatevs. [laughs] So I'm on Twitter @jamesoliverjr, jamesoliver-J-R. Follow me on Twitter. That'd be awesome. Shoot me a tweet. Tell me you heard about us, heard about me on The Giant Robots Show here. I would love to connect, engage, and build and learn with your audience. So thanks. CHAD: Awesome. And for all of you listeners, you can subscribe to the show and find notes for this episode along with an entire transcript of the episode at giantrobots.fm. If you have questions or comments for me, email me at hosts@giantrobots.fm. And you can find me on Twitter @cpytel. This podcast is brought to you by thoughtbot and produced and edited by Mandy Moore. Thanks for listening and see you next time. ANNOUNCER: This podcast was brought to you by thoughtbot. thoughtbot is your expert design and development partner. Let's make your product and team a success. Special Guest: James Oliver Jr..

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The co-founders of Madison-based startup accelerator gener8tor offer their secret to success. Troy Vosseller got his start founding a T-shirt company that evolved into Sconnie Nation, a national apparel maker celebrating Wisconsin culture. Joe Kirgues earned his law degree and has helped grow gener8tor's brand since its founding in 2012.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a new year and you're ready for change – it's finally time to trade that paycheck for a dream. But how do you start your startup and make the world more sustainable? Gener8tor is a nationally ranked accelerator program that brings together founders, investors, corporations, job seekers, universities, musicians and artists. This week we spoke with Ryan Jeffery, Managing Director of the newly launched Sustainability Accelerator to discuss how Gener8tor is launching a new program to accelerate investing in sustainability and climate tech startups. He talks about the program and how you can be one of the five winners picked to enter the program- the reward a $100,000 investment.

In this episode of the Startup Visa Series, I speak with Troy Vosseller. Troy is the Co-Founder of gener8tor. Gener8tor is a turnkey platform for the creative economy that connects startup founders, musicians, artists, investors, universities, and corporations. The gener8tor platform includes pre-accelerators, accelerators, corporate programming, conferences, and fellowships. Hope you enjoy listening to this interview as much as I enjoyed interviewing him!The Startup Visa Series is a series of interviews of thought leaders on startups, entrepreneurship, and immigration from around the world. Hear more about why they argue for the need for a startup visa. Guests include startup founders, venture capitalists, investors, policymakers and others. This interview series coincides with the launch of the 2nd Edition of my book, The Startup Visa which is now available for order here!The Startup Visa series is produced and edited by Cambria Judd Babbitt. Be sure to follow me on my Amazon Author page, my author website www.tahminawatson.com as well as my usual blog at www.watsonimmigrationlaw.com.Find us on social media:LinkedIn - Watson Immigration Law and Tahmina WatsonTwitter - @TahminaTalksInstagram - @TahminaTalksFacebook - Watson Immigration LawSpecial thanks to our series sponsor, Joorney Business Plans for making these episodes possible. Learn more about their services here https://www.joorney.com/ Find us at watsonimmigrationlaw.com

Thank you for tuning in to The Startup Visa: A podcast on US Immigration for Startups. This episode is a clip taken from Gener8or's webinar on the International Entrepreneur Rule. Gener8tor is a turnkey platform for the creative economy that connects startup founders, musicians, artists, investors, universities, and corporations. The gener8tor platform includes pre-accelerators, accelerators, corporate programming, conferences, and fellowships. Check out their work at their website linked here https://www.gener8tor.com/Articles:Tahmina Watson, “International Entrepreneurs Now Have an Immigration Pathway to the U.S.”, Entrepreneur Magazine, June 9, 2021.  Tahmina Watson, “Biden Revives The International Entrepreneur Rule”, Above the Law, May 11, 2021.  I am excited to announce that my 2nd Edition Startup Visa book is out now and available here. The Startup Visa Series is also out with interviews from experts on the topic such as Brad Feld, Jason Wiens, Troy Vossellor, John Dearie, and many more.Learn more about Watson Immigration Law at www.watsonimmigrationlaw.comFind us on social media:LinkedIn - Watson Immigration Law and Tahmina WatsonTwitter - @TahminaTalksInstagram - @TahminaTalksFacebook - Watson Immigration Law

Thank you for tuning in to Tahmina Talks Immigration. This episode is a clip taken from Gener8or's webinar on the International Entrepreneur Rule. Gener8tor is a turnkey platform for the creative economy that connects startup founders, musicians, artists, investors, universities, and corporations. The gener8tor platform includes pre-accelerators, accelerators, corporate programming, conferences, and fellowships. Check out their work at their website linked here https://www.gener8tor.com/Articles:Tahmina Watson, “International Entrepreneurs Now Have an Immigration Pathway to the U.S.”, Entrepreneur Magazine, June 9, 2021.  Tahmina Watson, “Biden Revives The International Entrepreneur Rule”, Above the Law, May 11, 2021.  I am excited to announce that my 2nd Edition Startup Visa book is out now and available here. The Startup Visa Series is also out with interviews from experts on the topic such as Brad Feld, Jason Wiens, Troy Vossellor, John Dearie, and many more.Learn more about Watson Immigration Law at www.watsonimmigrationlaw.comFind us on social media:LinkedIn - Watson Immigration Law and Tahmina WatsonTwitter - @TahminaTalksInstagram - @TahminaTalksFacebook - Watson Immigration Law

On this week's episode of Inside Outside Innovation, we sit down with Melissa Vincent, Executive Director of Pipeline Entrepreneurial Fellowship. This recording was part of our IO Live series and Melissa and I sit down and talk about the people, the resources, and the companies making the Midwest a great place for startups to grow and prosper. Let's get started.Inside Outside Innovation, is the podcast to help new innovators navigate what's next. Each week, we'll give you a front row seat into what it takes to learn, grow, and thrive in today's world of accelerating change and uncertainty. Join us as we explore, engage, and experiment with the best and the brightest innovators, entrepreneurs, and pioneering businesses. It's time to get started.Interview Transcript with Melissa Vincent, Executive Director of Pipeline Entrepreneurial FellowshipBrian Ardinger: Welcome to Inside Outside Innovation. I'm your host, Brian Ardinger. And as always, we have another amazing guest with us today. This is part of our IO Live series, which is our virtual conversation series to talk innovation and entrepreneurship. Part of our Inside Outside platform, where we have our podcast and newsletter and ongoing events like this. So I'm super excited to host Melissa today. Melissa is a good friend. She's the Executive Director of Pipeline. So welcome to the show, Melissa. Melissa Vincent: Brian, thank you so much. I love it when I get to chat with you. Brian Ardinger: I'm excited about this conversation. Before we get too far. I always like to thank our sponsors. Today our sponsor is the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. They are a private nonpartisan foundation based in the Kansas City, Missouri. They seek to build inclusive prosperity through entrepreneur focused economic development. They've been a huge help to a lot of things going on, including Pipeline. I believe they're a sponsor for. If people are interested in finding out more about Kauffman, go to kauffman.org or check them out @KauffmanFDN on Facebook and Twitter.And so huge shout out to our sponsors for making things like this happen. And having conversations that make Midwest Entrepreneurs even better. I was gonna say, you're new to Pipeline, but you were new from the standpoint of you started working at Pipeline right before the pandemic. It seems like that's a short time ago, but it seems now we're what, almost two years into this thing. So it's exactly, exactly the pandemic years. But I wanted to have you on, because I think Pipeline has been one of those proven things in the ecosystem that has helped entrepreneurs across the Midwest here. And I wanted to get you on to talk about, you know, what have you seen? What's different and, and more importantly, what's going to happen moving forward. So maybe let's start the conversation with, tell us a little bit about what Pipeline is. For those who may not know that and where we're at right now. Melissa Vincent: I would love to. Yes. So I have been there for, as you mentioned, it'll be two years next month. So it's kind of crazy because it feels sometimes like six months and other times it feels like 10 years because of the pandemic. So you never know. So Pipeline is a fellowship for high- growth entrepreneurs in the Midwest. We are industry agnostic. So we do everything from Bio to Ag. You name it, everything in between. And do not take equity in the organizations that we work with. And so we're different in that way as well. And we focus on serial entrepreneurs because they have the greatest economic impact on the region, when you focus on someone who's going to get right back up, if they have a failure. And if they succeed, they're going to get back up, start another company and invest in the community. Brian Ardinger: Pipeline's been around for a number of years. It was actually started even prior to me starting Nmotion and that. I think you have over 140 or a 150 entrepreneurs that have gone through the program. Had had an economic benefit. 2,700 employees I think are, are based in Kansas and Missouri and Nebraska because of the founders that have been part of Pipeline. Your founders have raised over $600 million in capital since joining Pipeline. And it's a flywheel approach. So, you know what started 10 or 15 years ago. Now we're seeing some of the fruits of that payoff. So tell us a little bit about how you got involved in Pipeline. Melissa Vincent: Pipeline was started 14 years ago. It was started by Joni Cobb and a number of key people kind of in the Midwest. She was the CEO. And the idea was that there was such, as you mentioned, like 14 years ago, we were in such a different place.There weren't all the entrepreneur support organizations that we have now. And so, you know, when she started the organization, it was around this idea that if you came and you brought resources from the coast to the Midwest. And you focus specifically on serial entrepreneurs to have a massive impact on the region because of what we talked about earlier, they're going to reinvest, they're going to get back up, start another company. And that was really true. So over the last 14 years, our members are not just creating jobs. They're creating really high paying jobs. So average salary for an employee of one of our members is $52,000. So they're creating great jobs. They're creating a lot of them. And they're raising capital and they are staying here in the Midwest.And so really over 14 years, that whole concept that we were seeing, if it could be proved or not, if you bring in these resources, what impact would that have if you focused on serial entrepreneurs is proven. So it's like, okay, successful, we've done that. That's really amazing. But then it becomes the question of 14 years later, how things changed. Like to your point, we've had, with the pandemic and we've had social injustice that's been ongoing that really came to a head last year.So we have all these different things that happened over the past few years. And so I think for us as an organization, we've really looked at well, how do we respond to that? And I think there's a lot of other entrepreneurial support organizations that are doing the same. How do we step in. How do we be a part of that progress and change that really needs to happen? That's where Pipeline is headed. But we couldn't have gotten there without the legacy that was started 14 years ago, by bringing in all these resources and creating some amazing fellowship programs. Brian Ardinger: It's been a very important piece of the puzzle. When I started Nmotion, I think it was 10 years ago, ish. It was the first accelerator in Nebraska at the time that's a equity based accelerator. But we quickly wanted to tie ourselves with Pipeline and get our founders an opportunity to move through the Pipeline. And you find those early stage founders. You get them a little bit of capital. You surround them with mentors and investment capital.We help build that. And then you also then connect them into a wider network. I think that was one of the most important things about like an Nmotion is, you know, we started in Lincoln, Nebraska. But we realized quickly that you can't build a startup ecosystem by yourself. In just the four walls of your own county or city.And so how do we create opportunities for those founders to make network connections that can help them grow their business wherever they end up. And, you know, we've had some great founders that went through Pipeline. Brett Byman who started with Nobl. And now he's with another company, BasicBlock.You mentioned that serial net nature of entrepreneurs. Vishal Singh with Quantified Ag. Liz Whitaker with Pawlytics and that. And now with Brooke Mullen who's with Sapahn and she came through the GBeta Program with Gener8tor that we're now working with. So those are just some of the things, but maybe let's talk about some of the success stories of some of the Pipeline Entrepreneurs that have had success based on having access to your program.Melissa Vincent: Yeah. You know, one of the things that, you know, we're really looking for when we're investing is we're looking at high growth. So they're already at a decent place. And then we're really trying to help them get to that next phase of growth to hopefully, like we said, either exit or re invest in their community.And so some of those are ones that everyone kind of in the Midwest, you know, your Toby Rush with EyeVerify. So everyone kind of always thinks of Pipeline. They're like, oh, that was, you know, Toby went through that. But the thing that I love is that we have so many other organizations. So a couple that people know of that may not have realized that their founders went through Pipeline is ShotTracker Davion Roth.So that's a company that is still ongoing. Doing massive things. In the news. Part of Pipeline program back in the early days. Another one, let's go to Nebraska here. We have Blake Lawrence with Opendorse. Oh my goodness. Since the NIL law changes, like, I mean, he already was killing it. But now it's like, those are just like set him in a whole other trajectory because he can capitalize on college sports now and college athletes.So there've been these really successful founders. And I think that there's a lot of different pieces that in the ecosystem, like what you're doing and what Pipeline's doing. It takes more than just one organization to be able to provide the support. You really need layers to that. So you need some groups that are a little bit earlier stage. And then you have Pipeline which fits in this very unique role of serial entrepreneurs who are high growth, who are looking to exit and give back.It's a very unique spot that we fill. And so really trying to figure out how do we support each other. And I think that's kind of in the Midwest, what everyone's looking at right now. So it's like, we have organizations like yours that have been around for 10 years. Pipeline is fourteen. Like these established organizations that are now looking and saying, okay, we've done this. How do we work better together? Because if we work well together, we can do even more. So I think that's kind of the shift that's starting to happen. And I don't know if it's the pandemic that was part of like, kind of being the catalyst to that. Realizing that we all needed each other. And we needed, our entrepreneurs need more support than one organization could give solo. But when you combine forces, we can do so much more.Brian Ardinger: So let's talk about the program itself. So obviously there are specific things about the program. You go through things over the course of your year, and that. I think most people think of Pipeline and think of the value that's created from the network that's been established and the access to that network. But talk a little bit about the program itself. Melissa Vincent: When you're a Fellow In the program. You go through four modules a year. And those are really intense three day workshops, basically. And they are focused on helping you really scale your company. So the first module that they go through is understanding who your target customer is. Which these are all going to sound very like early stage.They're not. I mean, they're digging in super deep to analyze this information. So finding your target customer. The second one is all about your business model. And making sure that you have the right business model now that you know who your target customer should be. And the third is telling your story through your financials.Which, in all honesty is probably the one that everyone fears the most. Because one understanding your financials is one thing. Telling your story through your financials. Nobody wants to do that. And then when they get through that module, they are just able to easily tell the story through their financials.And then the fourth we just wrapped in St. Louis. Was about telling your story and what's your why? So taking all of the things that you learn throughout the year. Putting that into basically a pitch for an investor or a potential client. And being able to tell the entire story of your company in one single pitch. Brian Ardinger: One of the interesting things, because I've been a mentor in Pipeline for a long time, and I've seen the evolution of how these companies kinda go through that. And you mentioned things like just that customer discovery piece, for example, your business model. I think a lot of times we forget that that's not necessarily something that all entrepreneurs understand or know or use.And oftentimes just having that forced function of let's re evaluate, let's make sure that we are in the right business. And we have the right metrics. The right things that are going on can do such a powerful thing to an entrepreneur because it kind of levels the system, especially when you're surrounded with other entrepreneurs and other business models and that. It gets them thinking and doing things differently.Melissa Vincent: And we certainly saw that in the pandemic where I think as entrepreneurs we're hit across the board, just like everyone else, but realizing when you're the one who is out there as an entrepreneur, It comes to you. It's so, it is lonely at the top. It's especially lonely when you're a serial entrepreneur, because we do think a little bit differently.It's that whole like, ah, knock me down. I'll get right back up and start something else. And if I succeed, I'm gonna put myself through this all over again. But I think that in the pandemic, what we really saw was the value of that network and that connection. And really being able to lean on other people who were struggling.But because this isn't a program where you go through, and yes, you've gone through that program, but that's it, you become a member. And you're part of this pipeline family. They were really able to lean in and support each other in a very unique way. And obviously Pipeline provided resources, and we did a lot of stuff around mental health and wellness.However, that support of that network was so powerful. And you could really see it during the pandemic. Cause there was a safe space to be able to talk about things that you were struggling with, that had they not had that network maybe wouldn't have come up or they wouldn't have felt comfortable talking about. Brian Ardinger: Well, I think everybody was in that boat. Reevaluating what they're doing for who they were doing it for, et cetera, et cetera. We've got a number of people in the audience. If anybody has a question from the audience, feel free to type it in the chat, or there's a great feature in this Run the World called Grab the Mic.So you can also click the little microphone button and come on stage with us and ask your question directly. Happy to do that. So, yes, we're excited to make this a little bit more interactive. So we talked a little bit about ecosystems. So talk about the different ecosystems that you support. You know, you're in Kansas, you're in Missouri, you're in Nebraska. And obviously the cities are involved. Talk a little bit about the differences in the ecosystems and where you draw your entrepreneurs from. Melissa Vincent: You nailed it. Thank you for you have exactly right. So we are Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri. And I think everyone always asks the question, like, are you guys planning to expand further? Yes, we may at some point. However, right now there is so much like attention. Resources that we know we need to provide just on that three state region, that it's super important that we stay there. But those are the areas that we look at. We are actually, we just finished. We've just closed our apps for recruiting. Had in all honesty, the best turnout we've had in years. I mean, it's interesting because at some point you don't know, during the pandemic are people really starting companies. You know, for some, it might be a really difficult time to start a company, but that's such a great, you know, response from that. And we're super excited about that. We see a lot of pockets. So we have Wichita pockets. We have Lincoln Omaha pockets. We have St. Louis pockets. And then obviously Kansas city on both sides. And so we see a lot of people coming from there. I think as far as how the different regions, and the only I can really compare it to, because I feel like I've become entrenched over the last two years here in our three state region.But when I look at like Oklahoma or some areas that aren't part of that really strong network of ESOs or Entrepreneur Support Organizations. You know, Oklahoma is further behind than let's say Kansas or Nebraska, and certainly St. Louis. I think part of that is because they have not brought in outside organizations to come in and help them establish some of the entrepreneurial groups that you need. You need more than just one group within a region. And again, when you've been doing it, as long as you know, we have here and in Nebraska and certainly in Missouri, I think that that's where you're able to, you've been doing it for a while. You realize where you play well, and then you find other people to compliment. And I think when you look at other regions who aren't there yet, they're just trying to figure out who do we even want to bring in? They're not to a place yet where they could even say, oh, here's the part that we do really well. Let's find other organizations to supplement that. So I think that the Midwest, when we're talking about Nebraska and Missouri and Kansas is unique and really amazing, and its ability to work together regionally to create really strong entrepreneur. Brian Ardinger: Are you seeing fundamental differences or different expertise in the different ecosystems? Like how does St. Louis compared to a Lincoln or? Melissa Vincent: So St. Louis has a lot of bio. Obviously there's Bio STL. So we see a lot of bio coming out of St. Louis. And then Nebraska, we see a lot more animal health resources. And obviously healthcare resources as well. And then Kansas City, this conglomeration of bio and, and also Nebraska would be sports tech. I would put that in there too, even the shot trackers here in Kansas. So you have this interesting mixture and I think along the whole corridor, you have a lot of animal health cause we're in that kind of quarter for animal health. And then we have some amazing entrepreneurs who are rural because that's an area that we really have tried to focus on. And so we have rural entrepreneurs who are doing really unique things, you know, in ag and everything else. Brian Ardinger: So talk a little bit about the mentors themselves. What type of mentors did you bring in? And how do they work. Melissa Vincent: We love to bring in a mixture of regional mentors, like yourself, and then national mentors. And we feel like that mix is super important. Because one regionally, you want people who actually understand the ecosystem, understand the issues of raising capital that are still here. And, you know, that we need to address and change if we want to really be able to grow the ecosystem. And then we want people from the coast. So we know that a lot of times what we're seeing is that on the coast, we have PE and VC that are looking to invest here in the Midwest. And so we're able to kind of capitalize on that. And because Pipeline takes our entrepreneurs through such a strong vetting process to even get into Pipeline, it's not the easiest thing to get into, but there is a pretty long process to get in. And then you have a year's long fellowship. And then they know they're going to get that extra support. We get a lot of interest from the coast about what our entrepreneurs are doing, because you're adding those layers of continued support and resource, which should hopefully help their success rates continue to go up. So that's kind of where we are. Brian Ardinger: And the type of people that you bring in, like a Chris Shipley has been on the podcast before. And spoken at our events before. People like that who have been in the industry for a long time and can navigate east, west and in between is really helpful. Melissa Vincent: And even international. I will tell you, I love Chris Shipley. She is so able to help you take and tell your company's pitch. And we just saw this because she leads our fourth module. And you can tell your entire company story in your five minutes. You're in. And she'll be like, so what I think you're saying is, and she'll like completely boil down your company to like a minute.And it's like, oh yeah, that. And it's like, oh my gosh, please tell me I wrote that down. One of my other favorites that I think, it just reminds you of how unique Pipeline is in the mentors that we bring in. So Laura Kilcrease, she leads our module three on financials. If you look her up, she's literally credited with starting the tech scene in Austin.And she's just this ridiculous, amazing leader and ecosystem builder. And now she's in Alberta running the entire Alberta, the province of Alberta, she's running their entire new innovation arm. And so she's just, it doesn't even seem real when you talk to her. I mean, she's just, she can give you stories of companies that you know, she's been on the board for, that had sold for, you know, ridiculous amounts. And she's been through so many different things. So it's that level of just resources and expertise. And just people who really care about entrepreneurs, who understand the entrepreneurial lifestyle. What's it's about. How hard it is. And really care about giving back and supporting our entrepreneurs.Brian Ardinger: I want to shift to COVID. And again, you started right before a lot of this stuff happened. Talk a little bit about how COVID and the remote nature has changed Pipeline and, and change your entrepreneurs. Melissa Vincent: You know, so I would say there were both good and, you know, difficult pieces. So Pipeline for anyone who doesn't know is very, very much an in-person organization. The modules are in person. They're three days. The professional development was always in person. There are all of these pieces that it's like a hundred percent an in-person organization.And then you have a new leader that starts, and then you have a pandemic that doesn't allow anyone to be in person. And so it was really interesting because the downside was. Our Fellows had one module, the very first one, and then everything else was virtual. And for me just research thought was okay, how does that impact, you know, who becomes a member who doesn't, or their engagement with each other. And we started with 13 Fellows, we've finished with thirteen fellows, despite the pandemic.We were very intentional as soon as the pandemic hit to go virtual with resources. So rather than having, you know, a handful of professional development. We went weekly. Everything from, okay, how do I communicate? What is this pandemic? How do I communicate to my customers, my team? I mean like things that now it feels like, oh, that was 10 years ago, but it was just last year.And so we were trying to really figure out and then PPP loans and all of that. So just started doing virtual resources. So in that way, I think it was positive because it allowed us to really beef up, any type of professional development. I mean, it was just weekly. We're coming at you and we're helping you feel connected.And then after that, I would say the downside was not being able to have those in-person connections, but we just finished our last module for this year, which we had the first two, which virtual. The last two modules were in-person. And again, we've finished with thirteen, started with 13, finished with 13.So I think really for us, it allowed us to do a whole lot more because we could do it virtually. The transition for an organization that is so heavy on live in-person events is probably some of the members who have been around for a while. And we're like, whoa. When are we going to get in the person? I heard that a lot. Brian Ardinger: Absolutely. But Hey Bob, I saw you Grab the Mic and I didn't have a chance to click the button. So if you want to grab the mic. There you go. Welcome Bob. Bob: Yeah, there's some other people from the Midwest I'm in Cleveland, Ohio, I'm at Case Western Reserve University. I run something called Launch Net. We used to be a Blackstone Launchpad, which is around the country and now we're at Launch Net, There's five of us, in different universities in the area. Besides that I'm an Entrepreneur in Residence at the economic development called Jumpstart. And also doing some business incubator. Question I had, St. Louis. Is I, I was working with a guy from Kent State. And Melissa, I don't know if you know this guy or not in St. Louis, Brian Stoyfield. Does that ring a bell? Okay. I was just curious. He's a troublemaker, which in a good sort of way. He was trying to put rockets into suborbital space for experiments. And because there's so much aerospace in St. Louis, he ended up moving down there and hung out a lot with, begins with a C the big area where everybody collaborates, connects. No people in the middle, we just have to work harder. But I think it's turned a lot. Got quite a few friends out in SF and they're leaving. Some of them, just the cost of structure. And it used to be that a VC said if I can't have lunch with you, without flying somewhere, I don't want to invest. That has changed dramatically. Austin's picked up, as you know, and Miami has picked up. We picked up a little bit here. Actually rental costs for homes have escalated tremendously. And inventory has dropped. Because people were working from here, but a number of people are staying. Which is good to see.So, but yeah, I just wanted to, you know, say hello. I'm also involved with Techstars a little bit. I just had one in Techstars, Chicago. And then Techstars, Minneapolis. And so we're gaining that. And then I used to work with GSV Global Silicon Valley. GSV.com. If you want to take a look. They just did a $220 million spec and then something called GSVbootcamp.com.We do it now twice a year. And it could be helpful for some of the people in your cohort. It's not just ed tech, it's a broader spectrum. And they kind of did it to help during COVID. And now it kind of stuck. That they said, hey, this is good. You know, while we concentrate on ed tech for our SPAC, GSV invests in other entities, plus this is a good way that people can't, you know, do something in person physical can do this.I've also done a number of, three times now, startupschool.org, which is run by YC. Which has been really helpful. But yeah, the in-person the, the two that went to Techstars. One in Chicago, that was right in the midst of COVID. So there was no in person. The other one went to Minneapolis or Farm to Fork and he was in person. And they've got a delivery robot and it's really, really, really cool. And EcoLab. The company has helped a lot. Melissa Vincent: I've been taking notes as you've been talking Bob:  CarbonOrdinance.com. It's a grad again, getting into aerospace. So a guy who worked on the Mars rover, and some other folks, one who dropped out. That basically you can deliver food in these little carts. And you can observe or be kind of like not the driver, but kind of the driver in virtual reality.So those people who don't own a car. Who maybe don't have the ability to drive a car can be drivers of this. And we already have 300 people signed up. Yeah, to drive these vehicles in virtual reality. And we're getting some restaurant pickup again. Ecolab has been a great partner in Minneapolis. It's not the best place to have a little cart delivery because when the snow flies.Brian Ardinger: Yeah, next time. Spring and Summer time. Bob: Exactly. So, but they're, they're working hard. And the other one that was in Chicago was called undone.com. Yeah. During COVID I did a hell of a lot of stuff online. I'll give you one more. If your MPD is one of the it's called pitch-force.com. They went from being in person only in San Francisco and they were charging $75 to pitch.And I don't like to pay to pitch, but they would then turn around and buy pizza, beer and pop. They went to online. Free. And I've attended almost every week for over a year. And they've got 10 companies and five VCs. These VCs generally were San Francisco based. And now they're all over the place, including Austin, including New York.And there, now that it's virtual, they now have other entities pitching from Argentina, from Australia, from Israel. And it's a good way to learn how to pitch and see how things are going for people and also things, how they're going poorly for people. So it's a good way of see a real entrepreneur. It's your real business.And so friends of mine and I, we would literally watch it and text each other, our votes. And after a while, you get pretty aligned with what the VCs would do. And the downside is you get good. And all of a sudden you see these very, you both understand, you see these very smart people going, okay, you're in love with your technology, but what's it going to do for the customer? How much are you asking for? And then you're going, this is going to burn down. And sure enough, they get a two.Other ones you go, holy crap, did they hit it. I work with a lot of students and you know, they're just learning how to do this. And I sent them there. And they see, you know, the real people putting it all on the line to do it. Max who runs it, he runs a staffing agency and he also helps startups who don't have the finances to maybe pay someone right now, get somebody to work for equity only. And that's how he makes money that you have to pay him like five grand and then a certain percentage after let's say six months, once you put them on a salary and you know, maybe they're going for that Series A or something like that, but they can't get there because they don't have that chief marketing officer. Well, he knows off people who are bad exits and they can do that. Melissa Vincent: That's awesome. I love hearing from other regions on, well, not regions, but just other states that are kind of right next to us. What's going on there and how it's similar or different. And one of the things you brought up about the VC groups out of San Francisco being like the pandemic really did shift.And I think, you know, when you're talking about who you would put capital, that has been, I think one of the best biggest shifts. The ability for us to bring capital in from the coasts. Because to your point, exactly. That was not something. If you could not do lunch or coffee, there was not capital happening here and you'd have to move.And so it's really allowed us to have a lot of people moved back to the Midwest, their roots. And then allow people who would have had to leave previously, get to stay here in the Midwest. Which is just an enormous benefit, that was a by-product of the pandemic. Bob: Absolutely. One of the entities who didn't make it into the top five does a Reg A. He pitched at going public and he didn't make it to the top five and he did a great job. And I reached out to him and his name is Darren Marble. And he has a show that he he's working with Entrepreneur magazine. It's called Goingpublic.com. And so my friend is the board director for Gen Global. Jeff Hoffman.We just went through Global Entrepreneurship Week. And I introduced Jeff to Darren. And now Jeff is one of the advisors and one of the producers on Going Public. But that wouldn't have happened if again, to go to Pitch Force, I would have had to been on San Francisco that week. And I'm going to like do that maybe twice a year.Brian Ardinger: Well, Bob, thanks for coming on stage. Anybody else have any questions? Feel free to put them into the chat. And we have a couple more minutes to keep going. You've changed parts of that program. You're actually creating a new program focused on the diversity inclusion side of things. So maybe talk a little bit about that part of Pipeline and some of the new things that are happening.Melissa Vincent: Yeah, so super excited to be able to, as I mentioned, this is a great kind of success story of what Pipeline was traditionally for the first 14 years. And without that, you know, legacy of success, you can't really add or expand. But because of that legacy of success, and because we were able to successfully say, you bring in resources from the coast to the Midwest, and you focus on these entrepreneurs who are really going to scale.And one of the things that we realized in going through the recruitment process during the pandemic was that, in order to get into Pipeline traditionally, you have to working on your company full time. And so during the application process, what we saw were a lot of really great ideas for high growth companies that the person just wasn't able to yet work on their company. Full-time. And when you looked more closely, we realized that there were a lot of those people were from underserved communities. And for us, that is rural, female, and minority entrepreneurs. And so the only thing that's holding them back is they haven't had an even playing field to get to a place where they are actually ready to be able to get into Pipeline.And so we wanted to do something to address that. And so we created a new program. It's called Pipeline Pathfinder. That is kind of like a starter program to be able to get into the Pipeline traditional fellowship. But our hope is that when you go through the program and it starts next year, we just finished recruiting for it.That it will be something that you're either able to run your company full time at the end of it. Or you get to a place where you're ready for Pipeline traditional and a really scale to the next level. So that is our hope. Next year, will be our first year to pilot it. And then after that, we hope to expand and continue to grow.For More InformationBrian Ardinger: It's exciting to see changes that are happening across the ecosystem. You know, we mentioned one of the benefits of being an entrepreneur in the Midwest is this comradery. And this ability to get access to people that you wouldn't normally have access to necessarily in the big tech hub. Where again, if you find the right person typically are one or two degrees separated from getting to the people that you need. And appreciate everything that you've done to move it forward, and then also take it in new directions. So if people want to find out more about yourself or about Pipeline, what's the best way to do that. Melissa Vincent: So go to pipelineentrepreneurs.com or reach out to me on LinkedIn. Or you can always email me at melissa@pipelineentrepreneurs.com. Could we have any longer of an email? Probably not, but. Brian Ardinger: Melissa, thank you again for coming on Inside Outside Innovation. Thanks for doing this live and thanks for all the audience folks that came and participated. We look forward to having future events and that. If you want to find out more about Inside Outside, go to InsideOutside.IO. Subscribe to our newsletter and watch the podcast every week. So appreciate you coming on Melissa. Look forward to having further conversations and thanks very much. Melissa Vincent: Thanks so much for having me. I appreciate it. Thanks everybody.Brian Ardinger: That's it for another episode of Inside Outside Innovation. If you want to learn more about our team, our content, our services, check out InsideOutside.io or follow us on Twitter @theIOpodcast or @Ardinger. Until next time, go out and innovate.FREE INNOVATION NEWSLETTER & TOOLSGet the latest episodes of the Inside Outside Innovation podcast, in addition to thought leadership in the form of blogs, innovation resources, videos, and invitations to exclusive events. SUBSCRIBE HEREYou can also search every Inside Outside Innovation Podcast by Topic and Company.  For more innovations resources, check out IO's Innovation Article Database, Innovation Tools Database, Innovation Book Database, and Innovation Video Database.  

Diane has always had a passion for entrepreneurship. However, she shifted to venture capital after seeing the need to help emerging female entrepreneurs. She is an accredited investor to women investment funds and deployed funds to over 30+ businesses with top-tier leads and venture-backed Silicon Valley tech companies. Diane is an investment partner to the first fund in the nation to invest solely in women's health. As a venture capitalist, Diane is committed to creating value through education and mentorship to businesses from an investment perspective. She mentors nationally ranked accelerators and incubators in the entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem, including Capital Factory, MassChallenge, Divlnc, Gener8tor, and Brandery. She is also the Co-Founder of a national media platform, Identity Unveiled. What You Will Hear in This Episode:  Diane's personal story and how she arrived where she is today What attracted Diane to venture capital funding from being an entrepreneur Challenges that women have to overcome to be in leadership Statistics around the success of female founders securing venture capital versus male Things that venture capitalists look at before funding a company Diane's recommendations to female entrepreneurs looking for venture capital How to find the best venture firm for your company The Identity Unveiled media platform Quotes “Building a network of allies and champions is really helpful.” “Invest in people that give you the most value.” “In many cases, women reach a certain level in an organization and can't cross over to the top management because of lack of support within the organization to get them there.” “It is about living your best life. Showing up in power and confidence.” “Less than 3% of female entrepreneurs are venture funded.” Mentioned: LinkedIn: @dianesyoo Identity Unveiled media platform https://bonniemarcusleadership.com/  Gendered Ageism Survey Results Forbes article 5 Tips to own the superpower of your age Not Done Yet! Not Done Yet! Amazon Bonniemarcusleadership.com The Politics of Promotion Fb @Bonnie.Marcus LinkedIn: @Bonniemarcus Twitter: @selfpromote IG: @self_promote_

Troy Vosseller is the Co-Founder of gener8tor – a turnkey platform for the creative economy that connects startup founders, investors, corporations, job seekers, universities, musicians and artists. Geekdom and gener8tor have partnered up to launch a Cybersecurity Accelerator in San Antonio that will begin in the summer of 2022.In this episode, you will learn about the ins and outs of running an accelerator and what Troy and his team look for in the startups that apply.

Ryan Jeffery is the Executive Director of gener8tor's first-ever Chicago-based startup accelerator which focuses on sustainability and Climate-tech. genera8tor is one of the largest Midwest accelerator programs in the country. Ryan is a serial entrepreneur whose last company Ignite was sold in 2020. prior to Ignite, he was a partner at Roniin and a founder at GropwthPanda.Learn more about gener8tor.

Ryan Jeffery is the Executive Director of gener8tor's first-ever Chicago-based startup accelerator which focuses on sustainability and Climate-tech. genera8tor is one of the largest Midwest accelerator programs in the country. Ryan is a serial entrepreneur whose last company Ignite was sold in 2020. prior to Ignite, he was a partner at Roniin and a founder at GropwthPanda.Learn more about gener8tor.

gener8tor is a 10-year old startup accelerator program and fund that gives founders access to capital, connections, and the resources that they need to succeed. One key to its success is uncovering significant opportunities that exist in spaces that are often overlooked – especially in the context of race, place, and gender. The program prioritizes engaging with underrepresented locations and marginalized founders that are passed over by mainstream VCs and accelerators. In this episode, we learn about gener8tor's newest accelerator program focused on climate tech and sustainability. Ryan Jeffery, the Managing Director of Sustainability, shares more about the intent behind the program. His thesis is that the most impactful startups will also be the most commercially successful. Program applications are now open – check out this episode to gain insight into what the selection committee is looking for and the value participants can expect to receive. The Understory Podcast discusses innovation, insights, and the future of sustainability. It features innovators, industry experts, and diverse voices who make our world more sustainable. For more insights, please visit www.theunderstory.io.

Vadim Lidich joins the podcast today to talk about his experience of moving to Canada at a very young age by himself. His family saved enough money to send him here to give him better opportunities. Subscribe to the Podcast If you enjoyed listening to this episode, don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts. And make sure to follow the show on Instagram and LinkedIn. Lastly, if you're an immigrant and want to share your story on the show, go to immigrantsoftoronto.com/join and fill out the form. Thanks for listening, I'm Oscar Cecena, and this is Immigrants of Toronto. Learn more about Vadim Lidich Vadim Lidich Startup founder & product architect with experience in LegalTech, PropTech, Fintech, VC Tech, and eSports. Passionate about SMB SaaS and about building solutions for the underserved segments in the market. Co-founder & CTO @ Paperstack, where we help millions of e-commerce sellers across North America with bookkeeping, categorize all their expenses, and provide actionable insights to help them grow their online store. Mentor & startup advisor at Gener8tor, Founder Institute (Ukraine), The Forge (McMaster U), Ingenuity (Lakehead U), and through communities like TeaClub and MapleMaker. Podcast host. Get in touch with Vadim LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/vadimlidichInstagram: @vadimlidichWebsite: paperstack.us

Julius Valentine Maina believes it's time for startups to start thinking about industry and not just cool tech. Julius is the Chief of Staff at gener8tor, a startup accelerator for the creative economy that connects founders, investors, corporations, job seekers, universities, and even musicians and artists. In this episode, Julius explains why he wants to make tech fun and why everyone has the potential to be an entrepreneur. He explains how gener8tor helps to educate and support startups in getting funding and improving diversity at a team level and beyond. He speaks about diversity and inclusion and why it needs to be about more than a PR exercise. Julius goes on to explain how he likes to approach Venture Capitalists (VCs) about getting funding and why being a “hype man” is all about building that real connection to the person with the checkbook. In this episode, find out: Why everyone is an innovator on some level How gener8tor teaches and supports entrepreneurship in a different way Why your founder story should start before your business Why diversity should be more than a PR exercise How recruitment is the simplest way to increase diversity in your startup Why building connections is the key to winning a VC's heart Why startups all need a “hype man” The benefits of starting with the market first, then the problem as a new startup http://manufacturinghappyhour.com/iTunes (Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here.) Even one sentence helps. It's feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! Tweetable Quotes: “Find the market, the biggest one, which actually guarantees that you'll hit something. Find the community you're trying to impact and find the problem.” “You want to be investable. You want to be in an industry that matters. Not only now but ten years from now.” “Everybody, at some level, is an innovator and an entrepreneur. They just don't have the resources and the tools to really map that out.” Links & mentions: https://www.gener8tor.com/?utm_source=show+notes&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=manufacturing+happy+hour (gener8tor), a turnkey platform offering more than 40 different programs spanning accelerators, corporate programming, speaker series, conferences, upskilling, and fellowships+ https://www.guilfordhall.com/?utm_source=show+notes&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=manufacturing+happy+hour (Guilford Hall Brewery), a European-style dining experience in a revitalized historic Baltimore, MD site, located in the original 1989 Crown, Cork, and Seal factory in Station North https://www.vanguardbar.com/ (The Vanguard), a bar and restaurant in Downtown Bayview Milwaukee that sells some of the best cheese curds in the city Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com/ (http://manufacturinghappyhour.com) for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

From Wall St. 2. Main St. Fredrick shares with the community how it is that he and his Wall St. colleagues are shifting the paradigm of capital access by bringing angel investors, venture capital firms, private equity firms, mentorship, and relationship access for businesses in disenfranchised communities of color. He shares what's going down at great programs, incubators, and accelerators such as The Northwestern Mutual Black Founder Accelerator, Gener8tor, and Defy Ventures. No matter what stage of the business lifecycle you are at, there are FREE programs available to get you where you want to be. If you own a business or have ever thought of starting a business, this Podcast Episode is for you! #GetRealWoke #ForTheFree #SituationSaturday #RealWokeCommunity https://fredrickdscott.com Defy Ventures - https://www.defyventures.org/ (For the formerly incarcerated who want to start a business) Gener8tor gAlpha - https://www.galpha.io/social-impact/about (You aren't formerly incarcerated, you want to start a business but don't know how) Gener8tor gBeta - https://www.gbetastartups.com/gbeta (You've started a business but you need help growing your business) The Northwestern Mutual Black Founder Accelerator - https://gener8torblackfounderaccelerator.com/ (You are a black-owned technology based business, you have been operating, are growing & scaling, but you need more relationships, guidance and help with capital) Gener8tor's Flagship Accelerator - https://www.gener8tor.com/gener8tor-flagship-accelerator (You are not black-owned and/or not a technology business, you have been operating, are growing & scaling, but you need more relationships, guidance and help with capital) Become a #RealWoke LiveChat Member to participate in the #Learn2Earn Cash Giveaway, gain access to discounts, contests, cash giveaways, exclusive content, and the exclusive #GetRealWoke Community Group, a private Facebook group where you can network with like-minded individuals, thought leaders, and credible, successful business owners and experts from various industries.: https://join.getrealwoke.com. Proceeds generated from the #RealWoke LiveChat Community are deployed back into the community to expand existing programs and initiatives and develop new programs and initiatives that benefit our community! Read Fredrick's books for valuable insight into personal and professional financial growth and business development skills: https://fredrickdscott.com/product-category/books/ Have a business idea that you'd like to talk through? Book Fredrick for an assessment to get his expert opinion: https://fredrickdscott.com/book-an-assessment/ Want an opportunity to speak to Fredrick one on one for free? Apply for an opportunity to appear on a #GetRealWoke Q&A Session: https://fredrickdscott.com/getrealwoke-qa-session-2/ Free financial resources personally developed by Fredrick are available https://fredrickdscott.com/forthefree-resources/ Check out the articles that Fredrick has written for Entrepreneur Magazine https://www.entrepreneur.com/author/fredrick-d-scott Disclosure & Disclaimer: https://fredrickdscott.com/disclaimer-disclosure/ #wallst #venturecapital #angelinvesting #privateequity #blackownedbusiness #investing The content, images, name(s) (Fredrick D. Scott, Fredrick D. Scott, FMVA, Fredrick D. Scott FMVA, Fredrick D. Scott, FMVA®, Fredrick D. Scott FMVA®, Fredrick Douglas Scott, #GetRealWoke, and #RealWoke), likeness and brand are properties/assets of Fredrick D. Scott LLC and Intellectual Property rights are asserted thereto. No individual or company is authorized to duplicate, reproduce, or otherwise use any of the properties of Fredrick D. Scott LLC without the express, written authorization of Fredrick D. Scott LLC. Fredrick D. Scott LLC retains all use and licensing rights solely and e --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/getrealwoke/support

In this episode, I (@guerrilapreneur) talk with the Program Director of the Bronze Valley Accelerator, Dr. Haley Medved Kendrick and the members of the Summer 2021 cohort. Bronze Valley is a non-profit, early stage venture investment platform that supports high growth, innovation and technology-enabled companies created by diverse, underrepresented and underestimated founders. The organization is also certified as a Community Development Financial Institution (“CDFI”). The mission of Bronze Valley is to create an education-to opportunity-to outcome pipeline for communities that are underrepresented in technology careers and in fields where innovators will create the future.The members of the Summer 2021 cohort included the following founders and their companies:•Benjamin Vickers, Cofounder & CEO of NewAve. NewAve is a black founded startup that allows users to build relationships and create a social community in real time at their current location. Users will never miss out on meeting new people because they will know someone before they approach them (https://connectwithavenue.com/)•Jhana Porter, Founder & CEO of frakktal. frakktal develops thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) from end-of-life tires (ELT), post-consumer/post-industrial plastics and local biomass streams geared toward manufacturing (https://mytaask.com/).•Thkisha Sanogo, Founder & CEO of MyTAASK. MyTaask decentralizes planning for the next generation of superheroes. MyTAASK bridges the gap between social media and task management to automate repetitive tasks. MyTAASK builds a community of experts to share curated experiences and time saving life hacks (https://mytaask.com/).•Georgiana Wright, Founder & CEO of PaperAI. PaperAI generates customizable and affordable fan fiction for fan communities without an author or publisher, removing the hassle and costs of commissioning fan fiction. PaperAI uses natural language processing models to generate over 140,000 different story combinations to allow anyone to be represented in their favorite stories (https://paperai.io/).•Mark Anthony Peterson, Founder & CEO of Ziscuit. Ziscuit is a grocery search engine that provides instant savings to its shoppers and high-value traffic for its retail grocery partners (https://www.ziscuit.shop). Like what you hear on the Guerrillapreneur Podcast? You may also like some of my other podcasts, include Career Coaching Xs and Os Podcast (Career Advice for Executives Seeing the Corner Office) and Gigging: Everything and the Sharing Economy Podcast (News and Predictions about the Sharing Economy). You can find Career Coaching Xs and Os on Spreaker at https://www.spreaker.com/show/careercoaching-xs-and-os. You can find Gigging on Spreaker at https://www.spreaker.com/show/gigging-everything-sharing-economy. BECOME A GUERRILLAPRENEUR PATRONPlease support the show by contributing at www.patreon.com/guerrillapreneur. As a patron, you will get Guerrillapreneur merchandise to let everyone know that you are “DISRUPTING” your industry. Check out our new Guerrillapreneur hats and t-shirts. https://www.facebook.com/pg/Guerrillapreneur/shop/?ref=page_internal. If you can't donate, please share, like, and comment on the show or your favorite episode. Join the tribe by subscribing and encourage other like minds to do the same. FOLLOW MY OTHER PODCASTSCareer Coaching Xs and Os – https://www.spreaker.com/show/careercoaching-xs-and-osGigging: Everything & The Sharing Economy - https://www.spreaker.com/show/gigging-everything-sharing-economySupport us by following us on our social media platforms:Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Guerrillapreneur Twitter - https://twitter.com/Guerillapreneur LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/13991093/admin/ Are you an artist/singer/songwriter? Want to feature your new song on my podcast FREE OF CHARGE? Tweet me @guerillapreneur. Remember, we only want "Mavericks!" Non-Mavericks don't have to go home, but they got to get up out of this podcast. Keep fighting, Guerrillapreneurs!!! LAUNCHING A STARTUP? NEED HELP DEVELOPING YOUR PITCH?Check out my online course "How To Develop A Winning Business Pitch" https://ceyero-consulting-eschool.thinkific.com/courses/how-to-develop-a-winning-business-pitch. The course is only $39.00. If you need more help than the course can offer, reach out to us at Ceyero Consulting (www.ceyreo.com)

When you combine an entrepreneurial spirit with a passion for helping others you get something special.  That's exactly what you'll see and hear from our hero Aidan Benkowski. He has a curiosity for some of the most complex problems in industry and loves to find ways to help people solve them.  At Gener8tor he spends his days connecting some of the latest ideas that can help industry connect with manufacturers that could see immediate benefit.  Aidan shared how he began his entrepreneur journey when he started a food cart in college.  After mastering some great recipes he found immediate success and never lost focus of what the customers were asking for.  He said it best when referring to how many different complex problems exist and how solutions do exist.  In his experience you can't fit a square peg in a round hole but as your connections and network of ideas increases all of a sudden if you have 20 pegs you going to find the right one eventually.  That is a great analogy of what Aidan does at gener8tor and has an amazing journey ahead that will make a huge impact on industry.Aidan is an avid rock climber and shared about his passion for that sport.  As a Milwaukee native he touched on some of his favorites in the lightning round.  His why centers on fostering relationships, collaborating and building communities.  There is no limit to what our hero Aidan will be able to accomplish with the bright future that is ahead of him.   Guest: Aidan Benkowski - Assistant Director of Business Development at gener8torHost: Chris GraingerExecutive Producer: Adam SheetsPodcast Editor: Andi Throwergener8torOnRamp Manufacturing Conference Project North

#Q&A Sunday Interview - Mfoniso Ekong. Fredrick interviews Mfoniso Ekong, Director of Social Impact at Gener8tor. They discuss, among other things, what an accelerator program is, how it helps businesses, how businesses can get involved in an accelerator, and the work that is being done by the Gener8tor accelerator to move the needle on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) with their social impact investing model. If you are thinking of starting a business, have business ideas, or have recently launched a business, especially if you are a member of our community, Mfoniso and Gener8tor are who you NEED TO KNOW to give your business the best chance for success! #GetRealWoke #ForTheFree #Q&ASunday #RealWokeCommunity https://fredrickdscott.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/getrealwoke/support

The Startup Visa Series is a series of interviews of thought leaders on startups, entrepreneurship, and immigration from around the world. Hear more about why they argue for the need for a startup visa. Guests include startup founders, venture capitalists, investors, policymakers, and others. This interview series coincides with the launch of the 2nd Edition of my book, The Startup Visa  which is set to launch July 20, 2021!  In this episode of the Startup Visa Series, I speak with Troy Vosseller. Troy is the Co-Founder of gener8tor. Gener8tor is a turnkey platform for the creative economy that connects startup founders, musicians, artists, investors, universities, and corporations. The gener8tor platform includes pre-accelerators, accelerators, corporate programming, conferences, and fellowships. Hope you enjoy listening to this interview as much as I enjoyed interviewing him!  After you listen to this interview, look out for the 2nd edition of The Startup Series book to learn more about this issue and the need for change! The Startup Visa series is produced and edited by Cambria Judd Babbitt. Be sure to follow me on my Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Tahmina-Watson/e/B00ZUXW8LG%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share and, my author website www.tahminawatson.com as well as my usual blog at www.watsonimmigrationlaw.com. Follow us on social media for updates. Instagram: @tahminatalks Twitter @tahminatalksSpecial thanks to our series sponsor, Joorney Business Plans for making these episodes possible. Learn more about their services here https://www.joorney.com/ Also thanks to our episode sponsor, Park Evaluations https://www.parkeval.com/ 

Will the dog eat the dog food? Numbers will prove that. We chat with Troy Vosseller of gener8tor (the company that runs The Brandery) and learn why traction and numbers matter, how gener8tor is consulting and mentoring entrepreneurs & the importance of keeping investment dollars in our own backyard. Follow When Pigs Fly:Facebook, Instagram, TwitterFollow gener8torWebsite

Taralinda and Dale Willis, the Co-Founders of Curate Solutions, prove once again that the opportunities for creative businesses are almost unlimited.  Curate Solutions is a Wisconsin-based startup that makes local government data more accessible through its AI platform. Taralinda, the CEO, joins The Savvy Entrepreneur to share the story of how they came up with the idea, how they found their first clients, and how they basically bootstrapped their way to success.  She offers tips for creating and building a business, finding helpful resources (including a stint with Madison's famed Gener8tor accelerator program).  She also provides incites on pivoting to meet customer needs, scaling a startup business, and generally staying nimble. Her candor is refreshing, and the story of Curate Solutions is a great listen!  Click on the arrow to hear the show, or click here if you'd prefer to read a transcript of our interview!

Charmyse Tillman and Patty Newby are organizing the upcoming Community Growth Summit by gener8tor. They join the show to discuss the gener8tor programs which help build ecosystems across the country and unpack how that approach has shifted in a pandemic.The CommUNITY Growth Summit connects key stakeholders in the economic development space to highlight innovations that are improving communities, the leaders making such innovations possible, and how new technologies and business models will reshape economic development as we know it. Learn more about the summit here.Read more from Mug.News here.

Accelerators have been successful in helping many startups. Finding the right one can mean the difference between success and failure. And accelerators vary in terms of industries served, and the type and quality of support provided. Gener8tor, an accelerator based in Madison, Wisconsin (which has since expanded to several other mid-market cities) has been named one of the top 10 accelerators in the country.  That's no small feat.  Gener8tor is the only accelerator receiving that accolade that's based in the U.S., and only one based in a mid-market city, so you know they're doing some things right! Troy Vosseller is the Co-Founder of Gener8tor, as well as the founder of Sconnie Nation and Sconnie Beer.  He joins The Savvy Entrepreneur Show to talk about how and why Gener8tor was founded, and some of its many innovative programs. He also shares advice on how to find the right accelerator for your business, as well as how to get accepted into that accelerator. Click on the arrow to the left to listen to Gener8tor's story and learn more what's it's like to be part of an accelerator.

with

We discuss her background, her education, accelerators like Bronze Valley and Gener8tor, and more. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We discuss Innovate Birmingham, her background, Bronze Valley, Elon Musk and neuralink, Gener8tor, and other accelerators. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/theoutlet-news-media/support

Aaron Hines is the co-founder of Darbe, a social network for philanthropy. He is also an alumni of the Founder's Institute, the world's largest pre-seed startup accelerator. After graduating from Texas State University with a degree in Economics he joined gener8tor to help grow their gBETA startup accelerator in Houston, TX. Gener8tor is a top tier gold-ranked accelerator and VC firm based in the Midwestern US. You can reach out Aaron @aaron@darbe.co; Volunteer. Donate. Fundraise. www.darbe.co

Eric Martell is a founder at Pear Commerce, which simplifies retail marketing by connecting CPG advertisements directly with retailers. Their mission is to provide complete transparency from the click of an ad to the purchase of a product. Eric is also a Venture Partner at Gener8tor, and was Managing Director of Gener8tor Minnesota until September 2018. Gener8tor is a nationally ranked accelerator, with 76 investments to date. Before Gener8tor, he co-founded EatStreet, a startup that powers the online ordering for 15,000 restaurants nationwide and feeds millions of hungry people. Early in the company, he led product and engineering with Alex Wyler, and spent his last several years leading business intelligence, analytics, and metrics. They have raised $40 million and their team has grown to 150 full time employees. Eric was named Ernst and Young "Entrepreneur of the Year" finalist in 2015 along with Matt Howard and Alex Wyler. Connect with Eric Martell Pear Commerce Facebook LinkedIn eric@pearcommerce.com Some of the Topics Covered by Eric Martell in this Episode What is Pear Commerce and how it got started Evolving an idea into a business The mistake of creating a business in a vacuum How to utilize "learning meetings" Falling in love with the problem instead of the solution How Eric got the idea for and started EatStreet Why they decided to target smaller markets with EatStreet The early growth of EatStreet and mistakes that became learning opportunities How they approached expanding into new markets with EatStreet Winning the University of Wisconsin student business plan competition Becoming Gener8tor's first investment and fundraising for EatStreet Eric's advice for fundraising Leaving EatStreet and starting with Gener8tor The challenge of raising 1.5M in investment capital for Gener8tor Fundraising for Pear Commerce What's next for Pear Commerce Eric's book recommendations Links from the Episode Gener8tor EatStreet Spotted Cow beer Y Combinator pitch deck Techstars pitch deck The Brandery Blitzscaling by Reid Hoffman

Dr. Alex Gee continues his live, virtual conversation with those seeking to learn and take action amidst the racial unrest sparked by recent acts of police violence. In the second part of the conversation, Dr. Gee is asked questions from participants on a variety of topics related to anti-racist work and the experience of African Americans. Join the conversation at the follow up virtual event on July 14 at 7pm. Special thank you to Gener8tor for their generous assistance in hosting this virtual event. alexgee.com patreon.com/blacklikeme

Dr. Alex Gee has a live, virtual conversation with those seeking to learn and take action amidst the racial unrest sparked by recent acts of police violence. In the first part of the conversation, Dan Beltran asks Dr. Gee questions to give perspective on the experience of a Black man in America who has been speaking out on systemic racism for years. Special thank you to Gener8tor for their generous assistance in hosting this virtual event. alexgee.com patreon.com/blacklikeme  

Accelerator programs can have a measurable impact on your business’s growth, but when is your business ready to join one? Tim interviews Kate Evinger of gener8tor Minnesota, and she breaks down what accelerator programs can do for your business and your community, along with how to vet the right program for your business.

In this episode, Collin and Jake sit with Eléonore Cluzel of gener8tor. Eléonore is the Director of gBETA Houston. gBeta is a free, seven-week accelerator The post gener8tor | Eléonore Cluzel on Oil and Gas Startups appeared first on Digital Wildcatters.

In 10 business days, Thor Wood went from a hangover to a business plan for his current Indy-based company SNAPSHYFT. Thor was born in Utah and moved to Indianapolis at the age of 2. After attending college for eight years without graduating, Thor spent time as a private investigator before starting a career in recruiting. After the recession, he found a position in Naples, Florida, where he met his significant other, had a baby, and started his first business. Thor was beginning to lose his passion, partly because he wanted to spend time with his daughter rather than work. Therefore, when he woke up hungover lying on the bathroom floor with an idea to start what is now SNAPSHYFT, he leaped at the opportunity. The tech community and lifestyle brought Thor and Stephanie back to Indianapolis. After extensive market research, including connecting with Scott Wise on Twitter for advice, SNAPSHYFT was created and has qualified for many start-up programs and accelerators over the last 3 years. Tune in to learn about how SNAPSHYFT is filling a significant need for quality staffing for the food & drink and hospitality industries, how accelerators work, and about Indy's supportive tech community. Drink deep of the culture that surrounds you with Thor Wood of SNAPSHYFT. Learn about SNAPSHYFT! Review the episode on iTunes, Twitter, and Facebook! Join our community on Patreon!  Check out our sponsors for this episode: Naptown Fitness - To start your health journey today, visit naptownfitness.com http://naptownfitness.com/ https://www.instagram.com/naptownfitness/ https://www.facebook.com/NapTownFitness FullStack PEO - Turnkey HR for Emerging Companies. https://www.fullstackpeo.com/drnkcltr https://www.linkedin.com/company/27092746/ https://twitter.com/fullstackpeo https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Consulting-Agency/FullStack-PEO-1107694849373703/ Drink Culture Website: https://www.drnkcltr.com Drink Culture Newsletter: https://www.drnkcltr.com/newsletter/ Drink Culture Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/drnkcltr Drink Culture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkculturepodcast/ Drink Culture Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drinkculturepodcast Drink Culture YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvrw7Fqfw4ZORgZMPJKio-A

On Episode 3 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN welcome Sangam Napit, UX researcher at US Bank, on The Tech.MN Podcast to talk about thinking #sangamstyle.   We discuss the single question Sangam gets paid to answer as a UX Researcher at U.S.Bank, being a mentor at Gener8tor, and the balance of fear of failure and continually growing as a person and professional.   Sangam shares the story of writing his book (that’s right, our first published author!), The Experience Manifesto, and the alternative to the passion theory in looking for opportunities, embracing failure, and capitalizing on experiences.   Hype Time Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Sangam gives a shout out to Ryan Broshar of Matchstick Ventures. They just announced some big news. Find it on Tech.MN here: tech.mn/v08ty   Sponsor: Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders.  Visit www.RedpathCPAs.com and find out how you can get your business to the next level.   Socials Tech.MN on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TECHdotMN Kevin McArdle on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kevin_McArdle Jac Stark on Twitter: https://twitter.com/minneapplejac   Links: Sangam’s Website |  https://sangamnapit.com/ Gener8tor | We discuss Mentorship at gener8tor - https://www.gener8tor.com/ Zero to One | Book that Sangam References - https://amzn.to/2n8l7oY 100 Days without Fear (Michelle Poler) | One of the people Sangam interviewed for his book - http://100dayswithoutfear.com/ The Experience Manifesto | Find Sangam’s Book here and leave a review - https://amzn.to/2lzcq6U

Niles Heron is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Popdog, a technology and services company focused on fixing core problems in the esports and live streaming industry. He firmly believes that entrepreneurship is about building good systems (solving problems at scale). Niles left esports in late 2007, and worked for the better part of 10 years across corporate, creative, and entrepreneurial settings helping design and implement systems to drive growth, productivity, and value. This work took him from Detroit to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and back to Detroit with companies in BioTech, Automotive, Aerospace, Technology, and Entertainment. He's been a part of a number of startups — a few exits, a few exciting failures — and has invested heavily in trying to make paths like the one he took more accessible to the under- represented spaces he came from. He's taught and mentored at incubators and accelerators (TechStars, Gener8tor, Detroit's TechTown), spoken across the country at events about the value of entrepreneurship and startups to founders and the communities they live in, and is a respected voice in the Detroit Startup ecosystem. He was honored by Crain's Detroit Business as a 20 in their 20s award winner in 2015. What You Will Learn: How Niles Heron's company, Popdog, is changing the landscape of esports and live streaming The significance of freedom and the ability to control your destiny as an entrepreneur Heron's background as a consultant for startups Fundamental challenges that startups face Doing deals vs. adding value. What's the difference? How the pursuit of authenticity influences Heron's business decisions and personal life The importance of entrepreneurship in transforming disenfranchised communities How to connect with Niles Heron: Website: www.popdog.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nilesheron/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/nilesheron?lang=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nilesheron/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nilesheron/?hl=en

Niles Heron is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Popdog, a technology and services company focused on fixing core problems in the esports and live streaming industry. He firmly believes that entrepreneurship is about building good systems (solving problems at scale). Niles left esports in late 2007, and worked for the better part of 10 years across corporate, creative, and entrepreneurial settings helping design and implement systems to drive growth, productivity, and value. This work took him from Detroit to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and back to Detroit with companies in BioTech, Automotive, Aerospace, Technology, and Entertainment.He’s been a part of a number of startups — a few exits, a few exciting failures — and has invested heavily in trying to make paths like the one he took more accessible to the under- represented spaces he came from. He’s taught and mentored at incubators and accelerators (TechStars, Gener8tor, Detroit’s TechTown), spoken across the country at events about the value of entrepreneurship and startups to founders and the communities they live in, and is a respected voice in the Detroit Startup ecosystem. He was honored by Crain’s Detroit Business as a 20 in their 20s award winner in 2015.What You Will Learn:How Niles Heron’s company, Popdog, is changing the landscape of esports and live streamingThe significance of freedom and the ability to control your destiny as an entrepreneurHeron’s background as a consultant for startupsFundamental challenges that startups faceDoing deals vs. adding value. What’s the difference?How the pursuit of authenticity influences Heron’s business decisions and personal lifeThe importance of entrepreneurship in transforming disenfranchised communitiesHow to connect with Niles Heron:Website: www.popdog.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nilesheron/Twitter: https://twitter.com/nilesheron?lang=enLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nilesheron/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nilesheron/?hl=en See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Interview begins: 05:49Debrief begins: 41:15Joe Kirgues is a co-founder of gener8tor. One of the top companies in its field, gener8tor offers accelerator programs whose missions are to promote local investors and companies investing in their own communities' startups and entrepreneurs. Operating in Milwaukee, Madison, and Minneapolis, gener8tor is known for its unique cohort of five model within its accelerator programs that, since its beginnings in 2012, have seen 75 graduates.  To date, gener8tor has developed nearly a dozen different accelerator programs whose disciplines range from tech and med-device to music and art. The company continues to grow and has expanded to several different cities around the country. Graduates of gener8tor include EatStreat, Swannies, docalytics, Datica, Bright Cellars, and SpeechMED to name a few. We discuss: Ad: Improved methods to sourcing talent and finding new possible colleagues (4:31) Where the idea of gener8tor came from (6:10) Logistics and benefits of running the cohort of five accelerator model (7:46) gener8tor's applicant growth (10:00) Discerning company #5 from company #6 (11:29) Run-through of the different programs offered by gener8tor (16:00) Music and arts focused accelerator programs (25:41) gener8tor's expansion tactics (30:02) gener8tor's success and impact on community (36:42) Learn more about gener8tor: https://www.gener8tor.com/Follow Joe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JKirguesFollow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm--This episode is sponsored by Integrity Power Search, the #1 full stack high growth startup recruiting firm between the coasts. They partner with venture capitalists, private equity groups and CEOs to build amazing teams for the world's most disrupting companies.Learn more about or get in touch with Integrity Power Search: https://upside.fm/integrity

Ariana Vaeth is a Baltimore raised artist focused on contemporary realism through the self-portrait.  Graduate of the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, she fulfilled an exchange program at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Following undergrad, Vaeth completed a studio based Artist in Residence program at her alma mater. She has shown locally at the Portrait Society Gallery, Charles Allis Museum, as well as in Chicago at Woman Made Gallery and the Museum of Science and Industry for ‘Black Creativity.’  Vaeth is a 2017 Mary L Nohl Fellow in the Emerging Artist category, leading to her first museum represented solo exhibition, “Close Contact,” at Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art. Last autumn, Vaeth was selected as an inaugural cohort recipient of Fellowship.art, a visual arts grant modeled on Gener8tor’s nationally recognized entrepreneurial program.  Her work will appear in the Wisconsin Triennial at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art opening October 18th. The book mentioned in the interview was Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel. Dye Party, oil on canvas, 48X72 inches, 2019 PreGame, oil on canvas, 72X48 inches, 2019

Episode 9 of the Empowering Women Podcast Guest: Taralinda Willis, Co-Founder & CEO of Curate Solutions Bio: Taralinda earned her MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a focus on operations and project management. Taralinda has experience in large-scale public project management, overseeing the creation of a $94M multi-use facility for the state of Wisconsin, sales and account management at a performing arts venue, and customized client solutions as the owner of a consulting business. At Curate, Taralinda leads customer acquisition and business operations.   Resources Business Incubator, Gener8tor: https://www.gener8tor.com Women Entrepreneurs Network and Support, Doyenne Group: https://doyennegroup.org Shared space + support for entrepreneurs in Madison, Starting Block: https://www.startingblockmadison.org/   Notable Quotes "If you're trying to get contracts through, they might have a 20% success rate. So when you get to 8 "No"s out of 10, celebrate that - because you know you're getting close. You have to celebrate those and you also have to celebrate the small stuff and the wins. Being comfortable celebrating both sides is really valuable... If 8 people tell me "no", then I will take myself to dinner and have a glass of wine."   "Fundraising is very similar to the sales process. It's all about your follow-ups. It's all about making connections with people and being able to share the vision."   "Building a company takes a village... so many people have had an incredible impact on me personally, as well as the company that have made us successful."   "You have to optimize for both the wins and the losses."  

Adam Choe from Gener8tor stops by to explain start-up generators and to talk about the state of investing in the Upper Midwest.

Paul Riser Jr., the Director of Detroit Urban Solutions for TechTown, joins Seth and Becky to talk about the Motown Musician Accelerator program designed to help launch the careers of Detroit musicians in conjunction with Motown Records, the Motown Museum, Capitol Records, and Gener8tor.

Troy Vosseller is the Co-Founder of gener8tor, A Concierge Startup Accelerator and has run accelerators in partnership with Allianz, American Family Insurance, and more. His first company was a dorm room t-shirt brand, Sconnie Nation (www.sconnie.com). That has since spawned multiple companies including Sconnie Beer (www.sconniebeer.com) and SCONNIEBAR (www.sconniebar.com). On this episode you'll learn: -How does gener8tor's accelerator for musicians measure success? -At what stage does Troy think it's best for a startup to establish a board? -What international market excites Troy the most outside of the US?

Join us today as we speak with Javier Sotto from Gener8tor about health and insurtech innovation.

  “So many discussions across industries are the same discussions, with just a different wrapper.” - Joe Kirgues (click to tweet) Conferences have a routine. You wake up at the hotel, meet for coffee downstairs, network amongst each other on the conference floor, attend a few keynotes,, go out to dinner, and then repeat the motions the next day. But what happens when you put a conference inside a sports stadium? And only make it one day? The answer is in today’s episode of FNO: InsureTech—where we are joined by Joe Kirgues, co-founder of the Milwaukee-based gener8tor program—a startup accelerator with other prongs to its business, one of which is the OnRamp Conference series. The OnRamp Insurance Conference brings together the insurance industry’s leading corporations, investors and startups. The conference highlights innovations disrupting the insurance industry, the leaders making such innovations possible and how new technologies and business models will reinvent the industry. Tune in to this episode to hear Joe’s insights about the insuretech space! “Ideas are much more unique to creativity than to genre.” - Joe Kirgues (click to tweet) The FNO: Tips For social good, create the infrastructure to facilitate the outcome instead of just relying on traditional donation models Corporate venture capital is the informal allocation of funds to startup-type missions The hockey stick growth curve of insuretechs has reached a plateau/saturation point Artificial intelligence-based companies rise to the top of demand at conferences Infuse your personality into your company Fourseventy Claim Management www.470claims.com

If you've never heard of The Commons, it's an insanely cool collaboration that sits between three very important Milwaukee worlds — startup, corporate, and higher education. They aim to keep Milwaukee's innovative minds around for the long haul, and help both startup and corporate businesses alike find great talent right here in the city.Joe Poeschl, the Program Director and Founder, comes on to talk about the program's start, success, and inspiring future. He brought along Joshua Shefner, Founder of Blue Mangoes, a socially-minded dried fruit startup that's been though gener8tor's gBETA program after going through The Commons. Our own Gabe Wichser (better-known as Producer Gabe), a Commons alum, also makes his first podcast appearance on the other side of the mic.

Phil Fonfara started his first business as a teen which he successfully ran for five consecutive summers. This experience led to an opportunity with New North, Inc. where he managed the Fast Forward startup accelerator program & supported investor relations. Most recently Phil worked in commercial banking in the Appleton area before joining the gener8tor team. A Wisconsin native, Phil received degrees in Business Administration and Economics from St. Norbert College. gBETA is a free, six-week accelerator for early-stage companies. Each program is capped at five teams, and requires no fees and no equity. https://www.gbetastartups.com/ gener8tor is a nationally ranked accelerator that invests in high-growth startups. Three times a year we invest up to $90K in each of five startups who receive a concierge experience during our 12-week program. gener8tor supports the growth of these startups through our network of experienced mentors, technologists, corporate partners, angel investors and venture capitalists. https://www.gener8tor.com/ In this episode of Kids In The Tank, we discuss: What is the coolest company your team has worked with at gener8tor? Advantages and disadvantages in running gBETA in Beloit, WI. What types of companies does gener8tor invest in and why? What is the favorite part of your job? What can we expect to see with gener8tor in the next 5-10 years? What was your experience like at New North, Inc.? What is a typical day in the office for a Commercial Credit Analyst? What excites you the most about your potential careers and life after high school or college? What is your take on social media, how do you use it, and where do you see it going in the future? What is your dream? What was the happiest moment of your life? About BizTank Career Exploration Program BizTank provides local Junior and Senior high school students an opportunity to gain exposure to the world of business through a stimulating and interactive program. Consisting of three unique eight-week seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall), meeting once a week on Wednesday nights. Sessions are spent covering a range of topics, such as startups, marketing and on-trend business subjects. In addition, students record, edit and create their own episodes for the Kids in the Tank Podcast. For more information visit us online at https://biztanknonprofit.org/

Produced by Foundersuite.com, "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders who have raised capital. This episode is with Alex Kubicek of Understory Weather, a Wisconsin-based weather analytics company (www.understoryweather.com). Understory recently raised $7.5 million in new funding. The round was led by 4490 Ventures. Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund also joined the round. Other existing investors include Monsanto Growth Ventures and Silicon Valley-based True Ventures. In this episode, Alex talks about the challenges of raising capital for a hardware startup, going through accelerators including Gener8tor and Bolt, why the Midwest is an exciting place to build a startup, why actionable weather data is increasingly valuable, and much more.

Stella Safari is one of Detroit's busiest transplants. She moved to Detroit as a Venture for America fellow, working for Invest Detroit, an early stage funder of businesses. Her interest in startups led her to furniture maker Floyd, where she was director of operations, and to business center Ponyride, where she was executive director. Now she leads the gBETA accelerator, which provides six weeks of free training to fast-growing companies to prepare them for venture funding. It's completed two cohorts. Cohort companies have gone on to raise over $400,000 in capital and include The Lip Bar, Cellular EMT, Bogobrush and Detroit Ento. Links: gBETA: https://www.gbetastartups.com/detroit2/ Support us on Patreon!: www.patreon.com/leannabad

Local News Chat with Kathryn Bracho (0:00)Brian Rasmussen on InDevelopment (9:40)The Takeaway: Do Something, Not Just Anything (19:02)Supporting Startups in Northeast Wisconsin (29:31)Dan DiMicco, former Nucor Steel CEO on Trump Tariffs (1:00:20)The Professors on Tariffs, Trump, and Guns (1:07:25)

Great interview on Troy's background and gener8tor.

Troy Vosseller and Joe Kirgues met while pursuing careers in the field of law and decided that they could fulfill their passions by moving into the world of entrepreneurship. Their company Gener8tor invests its community, capital, expertise, mentorship and network in capable, early-stage entrepreneurs with innovative business models. Gener8tor works with the startups in its portfolio to create successful, scalable companies. The post BUFF 67 | Joe Kirgues & Troy Vosseller Co-Founders Gener8tor | Business Buff Entrepreneurs appeared first on Business Buff Entrepreneurs.

Troy Vosseller is cofounder of gener8tor, an accelerator for startups based in Wisconsin.  They have helped 25+ companies launch and get traction. He also  founded the very popular apparel company Sconnie Nation  and extended the “Sconnie” brand by releasing Sconnie Beer.   Watch full video interview:     http://www.inspiredinsider.com/troy-vosseller-sconnienation-interview/

PODCAST event >> June,24.2013 Banging Techno sets 058 >> 3Phazegenerator // Mark Mayu www.bangingtechnosets.com photo credit by: Danielle Tunstall http://www.facebook.com/danielletunstall ____ 3Phazegenerator As one of the most exciting in a new breed of producers making an impact on the techno industry, 3Phazegenerator draws from a powerful collection of original material and heavyweight remixes. His unique cutting edge sound has created such a demand his music is now used by labels across the globe. His dj sets give a living, pulsing, organic power and have earned him a loyal following beyond even the realms of techno. This 'art form' as he calls it embraces unusual and flowing textures with intricate dark pulsing rhythms that seem to run in their own time yet are at once deeply comforting and hook the dance floor. Hailing from the UK his style has been blasting across Europe for the last 6 years. His presence as a performer has a reputation for inciting crowds, giving a dynamic freshness that is vibrant and memorable. Remixed by Logotech, Electrorites, Audio Injection, Maxx, Real Mother, Hefty, Miriam Marci. Over the last Six Years he has played clubs & festivals across over Europe and South America, in London for Soundsystems including Malfaituers, ES1, KSS, Disjunkt & Arena. Club nites include Atom, Tekno In The City, TekSlaves, Gener8tor, Transitions, I Love Jackin, ReRaveall, Underground Unity & Bahkutta Beat. Plus features on Techno FM, fnoob and Interface. Links Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/3Phazegenerator/150220678345503 Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/3phazegenerator Youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/777Kevsta?feature=mhum Beatport http://www.beatport.com/search?query=3phazegenerator ____ Mark Mayu Markus M. aka Mark Mayu wurde Sept. 1980 in Ludwigshafen am Rhein (RLP) geboren. Die Clubszene in ganz Deutschland konnte damals noch nicht ahnen wer ihnen nicht mal ganz 20 Jahre später mächtig einheizen wird. Ziemlich genau Mitte der 90er trugen das erste Equipment, das Palazzo in Bingen und die Faszination des Musikverschmelzens die Hauptschuld daran, dass eine tolle Musiker-Karriere ihren Lauf nahm. Es dauerte 3-4 Jahre, bis die ersten Clubs und Radiosender auf ihn aufmerksam wurden und er zunächst regional eine Gelegenheit nach der anderen wahrnehmen durfte sein Können an den Decks zu präsentieren. Pünktlich zur Jahrtausendwende gab es auch eine große Wende in seinem bevorzugten Genre. Ein begeisterter Anhänger von progressiven Techno und später HardTechno hatte sich aus dem einst vollblut Trancer entwickelt. Gut Ding will Weile haben sagt der Volksmund und behält damit auch in diesem Fall Recht. Es dauerte weitere 6 Jahre bis Mark die ersten Releases draußen hatte und Clubs wie das Butan (Wuppertal), das Fusion (Münster) oder das Pulp Mansion (Berlin) von ihm beschallt wurden. Zusammen mit DJ Größen wie Arkus P., Boris S., Linda Pearl, oder Viper XXL bringt er noch heute die Crowd immer aufs Neue zur Ekstase, 2008 - 2009 - 2010 -2011 sogar auf der Raketenbasis Pydna des Nature One Festivals. Fortsetzung wird folgen.............. Soundcloud:: http://soundcloud.com/mark-mayu ____ photo credit by: Danielle Tunstall www.danielletunstall.com facebooK: http://www.facebook.com/danielletunstall twitter: http://twitter.com/d_tunstall youtube: http://www.youtube.com/danielletunstall