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When women started curling their hair with bathrobes, Emily Kenison didn't see a silly TikTok trend. She saw the creation of a new market – heatless hair care. This lawyer-turned-inventor decided to capitalize on the craze by designing her own patented line of heatless curling headbands. Will the investors see a big vision in big curls, or is this just another one of those 'lifestyle' businesses investors love to hate? Featuring investors Jillian Manus, Beck Bamberger and Mac Conwell. ... Watch the RobeCurls pitch on YouTube @thepitchshow To invest with the VCs on the show, join our investor community at thepitch.fund Founders can apply to pitch at our next recording event in San Francisco this June. No intro required, just go to pitch.show/apply Superfans can join The Pitch UNCUT and get early access to unedited versions of all ten pitches on season 11. ... *Disclaimer: The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice. No offer to invest is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
After spending a decade as a franchise broker, Kenny Rose decided to break out on his own and start FranShares. An alternative investment platform where anyone can invest in franchises. Now you can own a piece of your local fast food joint, a medspa, even a car wash! But will the investors be able to see big tech returns for a company that sounds like small fries? Featuring investors Jillian Manus, Beck Bamberger and Mac Conwell. ... Watch the FranShares pitch on YouTube @thepitchshow To invest with the VCs on the show, join our investor community at thepitch.fund Founders can apply to pitch at our next recording event in San Francisco this June. No intro required, just go to pitch.show/apply Superfans can join The Pitch UNCUT and get early access to unedited versions of all ten pitches on season 11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Growing up as a pastor's kid, Emmanuel Brown saw what a financial burden church real estate can be. Churches sit empty 70% of the week even though they have commercial kitchens and professional sound systems and oh so much space for activities! So Emmanuel built ChurchSpace, a church rental marketplace. He has faith in his business – but can he convert investors if they believe congregations are shrinking? Featuring investors Jillian Manus, Beck Bamberger and Mac Conwell. ... Watch Emmanuel's pitch on YouTube @thepitchshow To invest with the VCs on the show, join our investor community at thepitch.fund Founders can apply to pitch at our next recording event in San Francisco this June. No intro required, just go to pitch.show/apply Superfans can join The Pitch UNCUT and get early access to unedited versions of all ten pitches on season 11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Online shopping was supposed to make things easier. But with so many options, it's also made our shopping experience more fragmented than ever. Kristine Locker set out to fix that with her social shopping app Locker. However, her target demographic is a couple generations behind most VCs. Can Kristine convince investors she has the solution to a problem they don't experience or will they abandon this startup in the cart? You can also watch the Locker pitch on YouTube. Today's investors are Beck Bamberger, Al Bsharah, Jillian Manus, and Howie Diamond. To learn more about Kristine's retail tech startup and the investors featured on this episode, check out the Locker show page. Enjoying the podcast? Use this link to text a friend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ever stood at the recycling bin wondering, “Is this cup really recyclable?'' Enter Nicole Toole, the founder of ECGO, an AI-powered app designed to tackle this confusion. With ECGO, you snap a photo of any item, and the app will tell you how to properly dispose of it. But as mind-blowingly awesome as this is, the investors wonder how much money can you really make from trash when you're selling to universities. You can also watch the ECGO pitch on YouTube. Today's investors are Elizabeth Yin, Erica Wenger, Jillian Manus, Martin Tobias and Charles Hudson. To learn more about Nicole's recycling startup and the investors featured on this episode, check out the ECGO show page. Enjoying the podcast? Use this link to text a friend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Luke Barkley Young was tired of two things: companies that don't take responsibility for products they put in the world and moldy shower liners. So he created Outlines, a circular subscription for all your home essentials. Their first product is a recyclable shower curtain. But it's a rough environment out there for direct to consumer products. Will the VCs invest in Luke's big vision for replenishables – or would that just be pouring money down the drain? You can also watch the Outlines pitch on YouTube. Today's investors are Beck Bamberger, Al Bsharah, Jillian Manus, and Howie Diamond. If you would like to invest in Outlines, go to pitch.show/outlines To learn more about Luke's replenishment startup and the investors featured on this episode, check out the Outlines show page. Enjoying the podcast? Use this link to text a friend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Cofounding sisters Kinsey and Jessa Lux think they've found the next big opportunity in sports tech, audio lessons for horseback riders. But the equestrian market is way smaller than say, running or cycling. Is a passionate market enough to excite investors, or is Ride iQ too niche to become a billion dollar business? Today's investors are Beck Bamberger, Al Bsharah, Jillian Manus, and Howie Diamond. To learn more about Kinsey and Jessa's equestrian startup and the investors featured on this episode, check out the Ride iQ show page. And for a deep dive on the companies featured on the show, subscribe to The Pitch Insider. Enjoying the podcast? Use this link to text a friend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
When Mariam Braimah led product design at Netflix she struggled to find participants in Africa to test new products. So she started Kimoyo Insights, a research analytics platform that helps companies like Microsoft & Flutterwave gather feedback from African consumers. But Kimoyo doesn't quite fit the venture mold. Can Mariam convince investors to make a bet on user research in the data desert of Africa? Today's investors are Erica Wenger, Jillian Manus, Martin Tobias and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Co-founders Kelvin Johnson and Max Huc know first impressions are everything. That's why they created Brevity, an AI powered software to help craft a persuasive first pitch. But pitching a pitch product to a room full of pitch experts proves to be a bit of a challenge. Which brings up a question: what's more important, the pitch itself or the Q&A? Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The fashion industry is one of the most wasteful and inefficient industries on the planet, and Elias Stahl wants to reinvent it. His company, HILOS, is creating an entirely new supply chain for shoes, made on demand with 3D printed components. But they don't actually design, manufacture or fulfill any of the products. They've just built a platform that connects all the pieces. It sounds like a perfect business… almost too perfect. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, Mark Phillips, Victor Gutwein, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Alex Kosyakov claims to have discovered the holy grail of battery technology, a solid-state battery capable of mass production for electric vehicles. And with the ever increasing demand for EVs, investors are supercharged by this pitch. Can Alex convince them that his solid-state battery tech is better than the competition? Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, Mark Phillips, Victor Gutwein, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Founder Ariana Vargas wants to destigmatize talking about mental health. So she built a social app. No wait, now it's a Slack app for the workplace? This founder is willing to do whatever it takes to secure investment - maybe too willing. Will Ariana build the business she wants, or the one investors want? Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. If you've been enjoying our comeback season, will you share The Pitch with a friend? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jenna Sereni believes the best product recommendations come from family and friends. That's the genesis of her social shopping app, HandsDown. Her pitch starts out like normal - until the investors flip the script and start pitching back, sending HandsDown on an entirely new path. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
When Ali Kaminetsky started her first job out of college, she quickly realized she didn't have a stylish way to pack her lunch every day. So, she created Modern Picnic, a company that makes insulated vegan leather lunch boxes for women. The first two years of the company were a success. But then, in 2020, when Apple released IOS 14, the way D2C companies and VCs spent their money completely changed. Now Ali needs to convince investors she's found a new way to build a billion dollar consumer business. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, Mark Phillips, Victor Gutwein, and Neal Sáles-Griffin If you would like to invest in Dotcal, go to pitch.show/modernpicnic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This tale starts with a problem Kehan Zhou found when trying to buy a hobby farm. Zillow didn't have good search options for land and LandWatch.com was even worse, so Kehan ventured off to combine computer vision technology and satellite imagery to create a new rural property search platform, Terrascope. But the investors wonder if this innovative technology is wasted on the wrong customer. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
There are tons of companies popping up in the scheduling space now that Calendly is valued at 6 billion dollars. Everyone wants to build the next billion dollar calendar app, including Dave Matthews, founder of Dotcal. He thinks he's created a scheduling platform that will take over the space. But will the investors place their bets in Dotcal or is the scheduling race already overbooked? Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Phil Nadel, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. If you would like to invest in Dotcal, go to pitch.show/dotcal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A few years ago, Claire Smith moved back to her family farm, where they practice sustainable farming, and created Teffola. It's granola made with an ancient Ethiopian grain called Teff, which is filled with lots of protein, fiber, iron, and calcium. The only problem is… no one's heard of it. Is it too risky to invest in a business that needs to educate consumers on a rare ancient grain and on sustainable farming practices? Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Phil Nadel, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. To try Teffola yourself, visit pitch.show/granola Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Clothing rental companies get a bad rap in the VC world. It seems like no matter how much money investors sink into them, they always just… fail? But today's founder thinks she found a way to make it work. Capri Wheaton is going after a demographic that always has to be red carpet ready: sorority girls. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. If you're interested in investing in Dressd, visit pitch.show/dressd, and if you'd like to taste the product on next week's episode, go to pitch.show/granola Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
AWSM Sauce founders Carl and Paul have perfected a sustainable way of making sauce. But then, they had another idea – a futuristic way of getting sauce on our plates. Will the investors see this as a two-innovations-in-one deal, or will they get lost in the sauce? Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Phil Nadel, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. Carl and Paul were kind enough to put together a sample pack of what the investors tasted in the room. So if you'd like to try some AWSM sauce yourself, head over to pitch.show/sauce and check out The Pitch Pack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Founder Luis Medina Rivas travels across the world to pitch his big vision on how to solve one of the most important problems of our time - energy. His pitch is close to perfect. However, the VCs worry about the location of his company and come back to him with an easy solution, but it's up to the founder to decide what's right for his company. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. If you are interested in investing in Tether, visit pitch.show/tether and if you'd like to literally taste next week's pitch alongside the investors, go to pitch.show/sauce
The Pitch is back! And a whole lot has changed since buying the show from Gimlet, bringing host Josh Muccio and cofounder Lisa Muccio somewhere they never thought they'd be — pitching in front of the investors…on their own show. But is the host of The Pitch any good at pitching? Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, Mark Phillips, Victor Gutwein and Neal Sáles-Griffin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jillian Manus is managing partner at Structure Capital, an early stage VC firm that focuses on Zero Waste Economy. Jillian has had an amazing journey and is an amazing fireball of energy and purpose. She has a podcast herself called The Pitch. She and I go back to when our kids shared a baseball field together and then discovered a similar passion for media, tech, and supporting the startup ecosystem where our paths crossed again @Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center. Bottom line: She has many great passions and insights and I'm glad she could join The Look Back and share some. Please have a listen.
“It's a cardinal rule - you never want someone to buy your product, you want someone to own your product. And why (!) would they want to own your product?”- Jillian ManusMain talking points: Concept of pausing and why it's something that propels you forward How Jillian structures businesses right now: pause, pivot, propel Jillian's thoughts on mental health and practices that will benefit founders About Jillian:Jillian Manus wrote the third investment check that Uber raised and has now backed a total of about 71 companies. She is an experienced banking and media executive, a technology investor and entrepreneur. She is Managing Partner of an early stage Silicon Valley venture fund, Structure Capital. Structure Capital has invested more than $100 million over the years, focusing on very early stage investing.She has a podcast and it's called The Pitch, produced by Gimlet Media, that is sort of the antithesis of Shark Tank.
One of our most experienced investors gives advice for how a startup can survive in the time of the coronavirus. Jillian Manus says that this is a difficult time, with supply chain disruption and the financial markets uncertain, but there are ways for companies to make it through - and even thrive - when the rest of the economy is on shaky ground. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After a frustrating round of fundraising for her company PopCom, Dawn Dickson decided that VC was broken. She opted to take a different route: an initial coin offering, or ICO. But then her best-laid plans got all mucked up ... by Uncle Sam. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Daniel Gulati, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week, The Pitch is live from The Wharton School at the University of Philadelphia. Three of Philly's most promising young startups take the stage in front of Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus and a packed house for a live pitch competition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Back in 2016, Sudden Coffee founders Joshua Zloof and Kalle Freese tried to sell the investors on their premium instant coffee. Two years later, we checked back in with Joshua and found that Sudden Coffee is still working out some kinks in the business: trying to find the right customers and nailing the flavor. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, Howie Diamond and Jake Chapman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Founder Paul Kesserwani says we're all losing way too much money to fees — credit card fees, bank fees, ATM fees. And he thinks his company, Cushion, has the answer: A friendly bot that will battle those fees for you. Can he convince investors that there's major money to be made in the fee-fighting business? Today's investors are Howie Diamond, Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why should you care about blockchain if you're not a huge cryptocurrency nerd? Bandwagon founder Harold Hughes says it can help you score better seats to see your favorite team — and avoid the risk of walking up to the gate with a fake ticket. Can he convince investors his startup isn't just a part of the blockchain bubble? Today's investors are Howie Diamond, Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Atomos co-founders Vanessa Clark and William Kowalski want to build a nuclear-powered spacecraft for moving satellites around in orbit. Can they capitalize on all the new money flowing into the final frontier — or will their sci-fi ambitions be too much for investors to stomach? Today's investors are Howie Diamond, Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The college dropout rate is high, and schools are paying the price... to the tune of billions of dollars every year. Marquett Burton says his education startup can help solve the problem. Will the investors agree? Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, Nicole Verkindt, Michael Hyatt, and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sophia Dominguez is on the show pitching SVRF, an augmented reality/virtual reality startup. But it can be tough to get investors excited about VR, which has attracted tons of hype—without much payoff. Can Sophia convince investors that VR's time has finally come? Today's investors are Howie Diamond, Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Finnish entrepreneur Topias Soininen says his startup, Playven, will revolutionize the way people book tennis courts. But first, the investors have to figure out exactly what it is he's pitching. Today's investors are Howie Diamond, Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Entrepreneur Julie Roth Novack says her party planning platform is exactly what event professionals have been missing. And it all hinges on a secret ingredient—something Julie calls "marketing gold". Now she just needs investors to fork over some gold of their own. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, Nicole Verkindt, Michael Hyatt, and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Cody Candee believes his company, Bounce, is the key to freeing us from the stuff we lug around all day. But can he convince investors that his temporary storage solution isn't a liability disaster waiting to happen? Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, Nicole Verkindt, Michael Hyatt, and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Amazon is on track to grab nearly HALF of all online retail sales this year. But not if Chelsie Lee's startup Shipsi has a say in the matter. She wants to give online retailers the ability to compete, by helping them offer super speedy shipping. But it might not be easy with the retail Goliath breathing down her neck. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, Nicole Verkindt, Michael Hyatt, and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Stefan Loble wows the room with his near perfect pitch for Bluffworks, a company that makes travel-business attire. But is his compelling story enough to get investors to sign on? Today's investors are Nicole Verkindt, Michael Hyatt, Jillian Manus, and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tina Hedges believes the future of beauty is all-natural, organic products. But the investors aren't sure what to make of her food-grade products for your face. Today's investors are Nicole Verkindt, Michael Hyatt, Jillian Manus, and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Founder David Sarabia's experience with drug addiction inspired him to build an app, called inRecovery. It's meant to help people who are in rehab. But can he get the rehab centers on board? Today's investors are Nicole Verkindt, Michael Hyatt, Jillian Manus, and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Margot Schmorak says half of all vacation rentals aren't listed online—and she sees that as a big opportunity for her startup. But things get messy in the pitch room when Margot reveals that Hostfully comes with a little extra baggage. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Daniel Gulati, Phil Nadel, and Nicole Verkindt. You'll find Margot's AMA hosted on the /r/Entrepreneur subreddit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Max Pouvreau has built gourmet pudding company Petit Pot with his Michelin star background and scrappy customer acquisition. Now he wants VC backing to take it to the next level—and potentially a big acquisition. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, Daniel Gulati, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Max Tuchman is on a roll with Caribu, an app that lets parents and kids read together virtually. But can she convince investors that early success will lead to future returns? Today's investors are Nicole Verkindt, Michael Hyatt, Jillian Manus, and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jared Kugel needs a million dollars to get Tire Agent up and running. But things get tense in the pitch room when investors start questioning the value of his company. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Daniel Gulati, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The U.S. immigration system is a bureaucratic nightmare. And it's only getting worse. Founder Xiao Wang has a plan to solve that with his startup, Boundless. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Daniel Gulati, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When you think of cutting edge technology, it's unlikely vending machines pop to mind. But Dawn Dickson has a plan to change that with her startup, PopCom. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Daniel Gulati, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Craft cocktails are all the rage—but they tend come with high price tags and long wait times. Swig + Swallow founder April Wachtel wants to bring the craft experience out of the bar and into your home. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Daniel Gulati, Phil Nadel, and Nicole Verkindt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When Tye and Courtney Caldwell were having trouble renting space in their salon, they thought: why isn't there an app for this? So they created one. But can they convince investors that their skills will transfer from the barbershop to the boardroom? Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Daniel Gulati, Phil Nadel, and Nicole Verkindt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Facebook is the undisputed king of social networks. But Cesar Kuriyama thinks his app, 1 Second Everyday, could topple the giant. If he's going to do that, he'll need some serious cash. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Daniel Gulati, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Maria Schneider wants to take physical therapy out of the clinic and into the home with the help of a small device. But is her technology the answer patients and doctors have been waiting for? Today's investors are Daniel Gulati, Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus and James Altucher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When scientist Amado Guloy saw an opportunity to combine farm animals and big data, he traded the laboratory for the boardroom and created Rex Animal Health. But can he convince investors he's got what it takes to make it in the business world? Today's investors are Daniel Gulati, Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices