Investor Connect – Flavia de la Fuente of BuildGroup
In this episode, Hall welcomes Flavia de la Fuente of BuildGroup. BuildGroup is an operator-led investment company that provides permanent capital to entrepreneurs building the next generation of technology businesses. Their innovative structure allows them to invest for the long term, so founders can focus on running their companies instead…
How to Tell if You’re Talking to a Pretend-Preneur
The startup world is open to anybody and it seems like everybody comes through it at some time or another. I receive calls daily from entrepreneurs who are seeking to start a business, raise funding, or hire a team member. I can always tell who is the serious entrepreneur and…
Investor Connect – Gene Wang of People Power
In this episode, Hall welcomes Gene Wang, CEO of People Power, a developer of consumer and white-label IoT solutions. Gene is a four-time CEO with a history of successful exits. Gene talks about how People Power uses IoT technology in the clean tech and senior care spaces, among others. He…
Venture Capitalists Engage in Brand Marketing
In the past venture capitalists stood in the shadows of their successful portfolio companies hinting about their contribution using veiled wording in Twitter posts. Today we see VCs stepping up to take more credit for their contribution. There are numerous examples of VCs using successful exits as validation for their…
Investor Connect – Max Brickman of Heartland Ventures
In this episode, Hall welcomes Max Brickman, Managing Director of Heartland Ventures. Max is an entrepreneur and venture capitalist with a passion for expanding technological innovation into smaller, underrepresented Midwestern communities. He founded Heartland Ventures, a $15mm Indiana-based venture fund, to enhance Silicon Valley startups' access to this market. Heartland…
Everyone Talks a Big Game
I love startup stories. In the startup world everyone has a grand idea and big plans to make it happen. It's the venture world so you better have an idea that can be big. The talk around the idea is large and full of hyperbole. The future is going to…
Investor Connect – Ben Jones of Skipcart
In this episode, Hall welcomes Ben Jones of Skipcart. Skipcart is an on-demand last-mile delivery company. Retailers, grocers, and local businesses have the option to give their customers same day delivery by utilizing software and a crowdsourced community of drivers. Ben started out as an entrepreneur working on the service…
Everyone is a VC
When I look through my LinkedIn network these days it appears every fifth contact is a venture capitalist of one kind or another. When I started in the early stage funding world 20 years ago, the VC was a rare breed who had access to venture funding. Most of them were…
Investor Connect – Jef Sharp of Qnect
In this episode, Hall welcomes Jef Sharp CEO of Qnect. Qnect is an intelligent, cloud-based connection app that gives fabricators, detailers, and engineers fast and flexible connections with significant cost and schedule savings. In minutes, users can connect most steel buildings without capital cost and with minimal initial training. Two…
Key Pointers for Startups Raising Funding
Here are some pointers for startups raising funding Launching a startup and growing a business is hard. It's supposed to be hard. You need a complete team to start a business – someone building it and someone selling it. No fair, everyone on the team is building it and no…
