Investor Connect Podcast

In a follow-up to our recent episode featuring Optios’ CEO David Bach, M.D., today Hall welcomes both David and Paul Sajda, Ph.D. professor at Columbia University to discuss the science behind Optios.

Optios is a leader in the rapidly-emerging neuro-­performance industry. Based on more than a decade of work at DARPA, hundreds-of-millions of dollars of proprietary research, and close partnerships with the world’s most elite organizations, Optios’ guiding mission is to build an intellectual framework and platform that supports the next phase in human development. Neuroscience is the next frontier in management. Optimizing leaders’ brains will soon be a critical source of competitive advantage in the business world.

David Bach, M.D. is a Harvard-trained scientist. Prior to founding Optios, David was a serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist, management consultant, scientist, physician, martial artist, and professional cellist. As an entrepreneur, he founded and built three prior companies: Touchstone Health, Empyrean Benefit Solutions, and Leprechaun HCC Management. Each of these became a $200M+ enterprise. His venture capital experience was with TA Associates in Boston. 

After spending a decade maximizing his physical and mental performance, David created Optios to bring scientific rigor to, and create commercial applications in, the rapidly-expanding arena of applied neuroscience.

David attended Harvard College and Harvard Medical School. His scientific training was at The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Paul Sajda, Ph.D. is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Radiology at Columbia University and Director of the Laboratory for Intelligent Imaging and Neural Computing. Prior to joining the faculty at Columbia, Paul was the head of Image and Signal Processing at Sarnoff Corporation in Princeton, NJ. His areas of expertise include computational and experimental neuroscience, neuroimaging, neural engineering, and computational modeling. He has received numerous awards for his research, including an NSF CAREER Award, and has been elected a Fellow of the IEEE, a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineers (AIMBE), and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

You can visit Optios at www.optios.com.   

David can be contacted via email at david@optios.com and Paul can be contacted via email at pauls@optios.com

Direct download: Behind_the_Science_-_Optios_sector_review.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:57am CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Raising a fund is hard.  Aside from sales, this is one of the hardest things to do in a startup.

Here are a few points to remember in your fundraise:

  • Build relationships first and find investors second.
  • Divide your raise into tranches and give yourself a reasonable timeline for each tranche.
  • Investors will critique the business. Consider your business as an operational machine with the investor showing how to make it better. 
  • Perform as much diligence on the investor as they are performing on you.
  • Investors follow a common funding strategy and will run in a herd-like manner. Get a sense of which way it is going with your deal and adjust your approach.
  • Just as you tailor the sale to the customer, so tailor your pitch to the investor. For example, do they appreciate impact deals? Do they want to see strong traction? -- adjust accordingly.
  • Start meetings with those you know and can give you real feedback as this will be useful later with other investors.
  • If your deal is complex or in an unknown sector, then use analogies to help them understand the value of your deal.

It’s a process -- for every 10 prospects you’ll get 8 “Nos”, 1 maybe, and eventually 1 “Yes”.

Keep going ‘til the money is in the bank.  


Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.


Let’s go startup something today.
___________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ 
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ 
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ 
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ 
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For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group  

Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Raising_funding_is_hard.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

If you are pitching to a close friend or family member, you can use an informal approach to ask them for money.

Explain what your startup does in just a sentence or two, and tell the story of how you came up with the idea. Keep it brief.

Describe how your product or service works.

Show how the product or service solves a real problem.

If you have already tested your product or service with initial customers, discuss the details of your startup story by sharing actual customer feedback.

Recount your estimates for how many of these ideal customers exist and how you can reach them.

The more milestones and customer validations you can talk about, the better the pitch will go. 

You want to show the business is beyond the idea stage.

Finish your pitch with some simple estimates of sales revenue, costs, and ongoing expenses needed to run the business.


Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.
___________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
F
or Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ 
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ 
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ 

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group 

Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_how_to_pitch_to_family_friends.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes Kevin Keck, President of J.J. Pfister Distilling Company.

With its headquarters in Sacramento, California, J. J. Pfister is a fast-growing premium craft spirit producer in Sacramento that produces top-quality spirits. The company has been well established and has incredibly effective sales and marketing strategies.

The J.J. Pfister story spans more than 150 years, beginning with a humble knitting company. The J.J. Pfister logo, a combination of a knitting machine and a copper still, marries their past, present, and future as they carry on the tradition of excellence started by J.J. Pfister in the late 1800s. Their master distiller holds two degrees in chemistry and a Master’s degree in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis, the premier program for winemaking. 

The craft spirit space is booming, mirroring the success of craft breweries as consumers seek a more individualized tasting experience. Currently, craft spirits represent a $2.7B market in the U.S. — and the market is slated to grow explosively to $20B by 2023. J.J. Pfister is uniquely positioned for success in this market as the ONLY craft spirit producer in the Greater Sacramento area. 

Kevin has 10 years of experience in the C Suite of two different billion-dollar companies. His leadership transformed one from money-losing to healthy margins. He has degrees in engineering and managed the creation of the distillery from idea to operations in 2 years. He is a Pfister and has the same entrepreneurial zest as his great grandfather, J.J. Pfister.

In this interview, Kevin shares with Hall the company's history, which spans over 170 years. He also discusses the growth rate and some of the challenges in the sector.

You can visit J.J. Pfister Distilling Company at www.jjpfister.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/jj-pfister-distilling-company-llc/about/.    

Kevin can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-keck-b280611a6/, and via email at kevin.keck@jjpfister.com

Direct download: Kevin_Keck_of_JJ_Pfister_Distilling_Company.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes David Bach, MD, CEO and Founder of Optios.

Optios is a leader in the rapidly-emerging neuro-­performance industry. Based on more than a decade of work at DARPA, hundreds-of-millions of dollars of proprietary research, and close partnerships with the world's most elite organizations, Optios' guiding mission is to build an intellectual framework and platform that supports the next phase in human development. Neuroscience is the next frontier in management. Optimizing leaders' brains will soon be a critical source of competitive advantage in the business world.

Today, due to recent neuroscience advances, they (Optios) can rewire the human brain in targeted ways that profoundly enhance human performance, cognition, creative capacity, learning speed, health, and even longevity.

David Bach, MD is a Harvard-trained scientist and Founder and CEO of Optios. Prior to founding Optios, David was a serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist, management consultant, scientist, physician, martial artist, and professional cellist. As an entrepreneur, he founded and built three prior companies: Touchstone Health, Empyrean Benefit Solutions, and Leprechaun HCC Management. Each of these became a $200M+ enterprise. His venture capital experience was with TA Associates in Boston. 

After spending a decade maximizing his physical and mental performance, David created Optios to bring scientific rigor to, and create commercial applications in, the rapidly-expanding arena of applied neuroscience.

David attended Harvard College and Harvard Medical School. His scientific training was at The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

In this interview, David shares with Hall what led him to start working in the neuro-performance space and delves a bit into the science behind Optios. He also advises investors and explains how he sees the industry evolving. 

You can visit Optios at www.optios.com.  

David can be contacted via email at david@optios.com.  

Direct download: David_Bach_of_Optios.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 12:04pm CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

I often see CFOs and board members give the investor pitch instead of the CEO. In an emergency this is okay, but by and large, the CEO should be giving the pitch.

The investors want to size up the CEO and know who is running the business.

I find the CEO stand-ins can deliver the information, but they rarely close the deal.  

As a CEO, you need to give the pitch and deliver the vision with a compelling narrative.  

You need to know your numbers well and how the business model works.

In short, you need to be able to answer all the questions AND sell it.

You can get help from others to build the financial model and put a good design on the pitch deck. 

Team members can also help with identifying investors, developing key metrics, and other support functions. 

But ultimately, there’s no one like the CEO to pitch investors as that is what it will take to close the investment.


Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.
___________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ 
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ 
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ 
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ 
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ 

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group  

Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_The_CEO_Should_Pitch_the_Investor.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes Reagan Rodriguez, Founder & Chief Volunteer Officer at WORTHYdomes.

WORTHYdomes designs and manufactures sustainable long-term dome structures providing near-immediate housing relief in hard-hit areas. The domes are easy-to-assemble dwellings that can be erected in one hour by a team of two unskilled laborers allowing for entire communities to re-stabilize speedily after disaster housing crises.  

Thoughtfully positioned at the intersection of disaster relief and affordable housing, WORTHYdomes comes alongside impoverished communities after natural disasters and war decimate both their landscapes and economies. The WORTHYdome system provides “off the grid” housing where utilities may have been interrupted. The proprietary structural design and building materials feature high-wind stability, bullet-proof walls, solar panels, and water filtration through reverse osmosis ensuring drinking water is 99% clean. 

WORTHYdomes serves communities and individuals – caring for their physical, personal, and spiritual needs, and they seek to see entire communities transformed so that no one is invisible or overlooked. They work in such a way as to help communities prosper by offering solutions that are sustainable for generations. 

Reagan is a futurist and currently works in microfinancing through his crowdfunding portal, WORTHYcrowdfunding. He provides unique, timely, sustainable dome shelter structures to those communities impacted by natural disaster scenes around the world. Inspired to develop cost-effective, but lasting shelter in the wake of the devastation he witnessed in Haiti in 2010, he came up with the idea for WORTHYdomes. His team built more than 100 domes in Haiti, which are still standing 10 years later, even though the country has faced more hurricanes since then. However, WORTHYdomes continued to be a side business for him until Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico in September 2017. When he witnessed the damage and the number of families without shelter, Reagan experienced this significant emotional event that drove him to better perfect the domes and to pursue a FEMA contract for disaster relief. He and his team built a medical clinic there, and as of 2020, there have been 3,000 live births at the clinic. 

Reagan and his wife Abigail split their residences between Miami, Florida, and https://serenbe.com

In this interview, Reagan shares the touching story of what led to the creation of WORTHYdomes. He also advises investors and explains how he sees the industry evolving.

You can visit WORTHYdomes at www.worthydomes.com

Reagan can be contacted via email at reagan@worthydomes.com

Direct download: Reagan_Rodriguez_of_WORTHYdomes.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 12:59pm CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

In pitching an investor, the key presenter is the CEO.  

While board members, CFOs, and others can make the pitch, that’s a second-best choice.

The investor wants to meet the CEO and size them up for their communication skills, passion for the project, and expertise in the domain.

An in-person meeting is a must for most venture investments outside of crowdfunding.

It’s important to bring the CEO and maybe one other person from the team to the pitch.

Do not bring the entire team, this is a distraction that will dilute your efforts. 

The presence of the team leads the investors to wonder about the CEO.

If the team is simply present in the room but not actively engaged, it distracts the investors and undersells the team’s abilities.

In the due diligence phase, the investor will meet the team and more importantly engage with each one to understand better their contribution to the company.


Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.


Let’s go startup something today.
___________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ 
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ 
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ 
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ 

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group  


In this episode, Hall welcomes Adam Weiler, CEO of Sunken Stone.

Headquartered in San Diego, California, Sunken Stone is a turnkey performance-based Amazon marketing solution that handles everything from marketing, to brand launch, content, inventory, and customer service on the platform. 

Sunken Stone’s proven four-pillar process gives sellers the ability to dramatically increase sales and ROI without adding to their workload. Since opening their doors in 2017, Sunken Stone has helped more than 100 7-8 figure brands generate over $100M in sales.

When it comes to Amazon, Adam gets it. He’s always been an entrepreneur and marketer, but it was about 12 years ago when he jumped headfirst into the Amazon game. Since that time, the accomplishments and milestones have piled up. Today his company, Sunken Stone, is a Top-500 Amazon seller, has shipped over 2 million orders on the platform, and now helps over 80 brands successfully grow and scale their business by using the Amazon sales channel.

Adam received both his Bachelor’s in Political Science and MBA from San Diego State University and still volunteers at the University’s Lavin Entrepreneurship Center to help young entrepreneurs launch their ideas and businesses.

When he’s not helping companies expand on Amazon, there’s a good chance you’ll find him at a local coffee shop (pre-COVID), cooking up a favorite dish at home, or hanging with his family at the numerous Seattle dog parks. Unless of course, it’s football season. Then you’ll find him meticulously tracking his Jets and fantasy football team(s)!

In this interview, Adam explains what led him to start working in this sector. He shares his thoughts on how he sees the industry evolving and advises investors in the space.

You can visit Sunken Stone at www.sunkenstone.com.

Adam can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/adamweiler1/, and via email at adam@sunkenstone.com.

Direct download: Adam_Weiler_of_Sunken_Stone.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:37pm CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Most of the work in a standard board meeting are perfunctory duties such as approving minutes and reviewing financials and metrics.

The board also weighs in on key decisions around fundraising, strategy, and other topics.

Board members will discuss whatever you put on the agenda.  

Make sure the agenda items are of strategic importance and are prioritized, as the top items get the most attention while the lower items often get rushed. 

The more preparation you do before the meeting, the better outcome you’ll have. 

It takes time for board members to come up-to-speed on issues, so it’s best to send out background information before the meeting so they have an opportunity to prepare.

Sending the board meeting slides and financials in advance will reduce the number of board members reading through the materials during the meeting.

Calling a few key members beforehand to discuss any concerns or issues will reduce the number of queries in the meeting.

Board members in an effort to “do their duty”, will often ask for information and numbers that require special attention.

To keep this from getting out of control, ask what decisions will be made from it and try and get a follow-up commitment from the board member about their plan for it. 


Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.
___________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ 
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ 
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ 
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ 
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ 

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group 

Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_What_to_Expect.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

This is Investor Perspectives, I’m the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding. In this episode, you’ll hear about a new company in the gifting sector called Gesture.

Our featured guests are Paul Capon, Managing Partner & Portfolio Manager at LunaCap Ventures, as well as Ivan Alo and LaDante McMillon, Managing Partners at New Age Capital, all investors in Gesture, and Ben Labra, Co-Founder & CEO of Gesture.

Gesture is an on-demand gifting platform used to send gifts in a simple way through a mobile application. It is tackling the problem of unreliable delivery, overpriced gifting, and horrible customer service using advanced technology the same way Uber took on the yellow cab industry, and Netflix took over Blockbuster.  

Since January 2019, Gesture has delivered thousands of gifts, grown more than 245%, is now available in more than 35+ cities, launched new products and revenue channels, and helped thousands of people stay connected in these unfortunate times. Gesture is a company that believes in connecting people using emotional tangibility to make the world smaller and more personal again.

Our host today is Ashley Matthysse. I hope you enjoy this episode. 
______________________________________________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
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For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Direct download: Why_I_Invested_in_Gesture_Webinar_TO_IP.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:23pm CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Board members are a key part of a growing startup.

Building out the board is an important step in setting up the company for success.

Here are some characteristics of an ideal board member:

  • They come prepared to the meetings having read the material and done their research.
  • They have an open dialog with the CEO and other board members in between the board meetings.
  • They understand the CEO and adjust their approach accordingly.
  • They make efficient use of time with short and to-the-point questions and discussions.
  • They prioritize and focus on the important things.
  • They encourage others to participate and speak.
  • They follow up after the board meeting to make things happen.
  • Finally, they have experience and steadiness in times of crisis.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.
___________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ 
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ 
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ 
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ 
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ 

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Ideal_Board_Member.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

The board is a key part of the team that makes the startup successful.

When you are in the early stage, using family and friends funding creates an informal advisory board. Try and meet with them monthly in a coffee shop and keep it to three members.

After you launch your product and start raising funding from outside of family and friends, create a formal board with three members, two members from the team and one investor.  

Most of the focus is on the core team and the essentials that must get done by the founder. 

As you grow into a Series A raise in which you seek institutional capital, consider increasing the board to five members, two from the team, two from the investors, and one from the industry that is independent.  

The board expands to include a domain knowledge expert and investors who can help with the growth issues.

As you start to scale and raise Series B funding, expand to seven members with two from the team, three from the investors, and two from the industry. Later-stage investors are putting in large sums and will demand a board seat for their investment.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.
___________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ 
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ 
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ 
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ 
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ 

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group  

Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Who_to_put_on_the_board.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes back Sajol Ghoshal, CEO & President at Advanced TeleSensors/Cardi/o.

Cardi/o is the first-to-market touchless cardiac sensing solution, making in-home health & wellness accessible to over 100 million people. Cardi/o makes everyday  health and wellness monitoring accessible in the home to all ages, independent of any wearable  device. Cardi/o patent protected radar treats the user’s body as their own transmitter, sensing  their cardiac-respiratory signals they automatically emit. Once collected, the data is transmitted  via WiFi to the cloud, then streams data in real-time to the Cardi/o App anywhere, anytime.  Users can realize even more convenience via their Amazon Alexa Cardi/o Skill. Cardi/o is being  shipped to customers starting December 2020. 

Sajol has done multiple startups with successful exits: Level One acquired by Intel in 1999 for $2.2B, Agere acquired by Lucent Technologies in 2001 for $450M, and TAOS acquired by Austria MicroSystems in 2011 for $350M. Most recently he was the Vice President of Emerging Sensor Strategies at ams AG where he developed multi-spectral optical sensors for sensing vital signs. As Vice President of Engineering of Agere he delivered the industry’s first 10Gigabit/s Network Processor and as Director of Engineering at Level One he delivered next-generation networking ICs. Sajol holds an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame and is the author of over 20 patents.

In this interview, Sajol updates Hall on the company's growth since their last interview, explains the core technology of the platform, and advises investors in the space.

You can visit Advanced TeleSensors/Cardi/o at www.cardio.io, via Twitter at www.twitter.com/cardio_io, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/advanced-telesensors

Sajol can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/sajol/, via email at sghoshal@cardio.io, and via his mobile at (916)221-0151.

Direct download: Sajol_Ghoshal_of_Advanced_TeleSensors_Inc.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 11:06am CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

You may want to add independent board members to your board.

The independent board member may add value to your company by bringing domain knowledge and operating expertise.

Look for someone who has run a company of your size and industry in the not-too-distant past.

The independent often brings a new perspective to the company that can be helpful.

Investors often look at independents as a sign of transparency. 

In times of conflict, the independent can bring neutrality to the discussion to help resolve conflicts. 

Check to see if they have time to commit to the board work.

And choose someone who is close to the startup or where the meetings will be held, so it’s not a burden on them.


Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.
___________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ 
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ 
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ 
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ 
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ 

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group  


In this episode, Hall welcomes back William Santana Li, Chairman and CEO of Knightscope.

Knightscope builds Autonomous Security Robots in Silicon Valley (Made in the USA!) and their long-term ambition is to make the United States of America the safest country in the world, changing everything for everyone. Their vision is to develop a technology stack to predict and prevent crime utilizing autonomous robots, analytics, and engagement utilizing a "Hardware + Software + Humans"​ approach. Their solution includes providing an autonomous physical presence, gathering data from the environment in real-time, and pushing anomalies to their user interface - the Knightscope Security Operations Center (KSOC) - providing their clients across the U.S. a 24/7 force multiplier effect.

These robots are patrolling across the country 24/7/365 to secure the places you live, study, work, and visit. With over 16,000 investors and over $70M raised since inception, including $10M+ in lifetime revenue, Knightscope is reimagining public safety at a time when the nation needs it most.

Bill is an American entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience and has a broad and deep range of expertise gained from several global assignments in the automotive sector and a number of startups. 

At Ford Motor Company, Bill held over 12 business and technical positions, focused on 4 continents, cutting across each functional area. These positions ranged from component, systems, and vehicle engineering with Visteon, Mazda, and Lincoln, to business & product strategy on the US youth market, India, and the emerging markets in Asia-Pacific and South America as well as the financial turnaround of Ford of Europe. In addition, he was on the AMAZON team, which established an all-new modular plant in Brazil. Subsequently, he served as Director of Mergers & Acquisitions.

After internally securing $250 million, Bill founded and was COO of GreenLeaf, a Ford subsidiary that became the world’s 2nd largest automotive recycler. Under his leadership, GreenLeaf grew to a 600-employee operation with 20 locations and $150 million in sales. At the age of 28, Bill was the youngest senior executive at Ford worldwide.

Bill was then recruited by SOFTBANK Venture Capital to establish Model E Corporation as its President and CEO, a new car company where the "Subscribe and Drive" philosophy was first pioneered in California. He subsequently co-founded Build-To-Order Inc. (BTO) as its President and CEO, a new car company based on the direct distribution of build-to-order products. Bill also founded Carbon Motors, and as its Chairman and CEO, focused it on developing the world's first purpose-built law enforcement patrol vehicle. He also built a world-class advisory board comprised of senior officials that had worked directly for 3 different U.S. Presidents.

Bill earned a BSEE from Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA from the University of Detroit Mercy.

In this interview, Bill updates Hall on the growth of the company since their last interview, taking into account COVID-19’s specific impact on the company. Bill shares what has surprised him most about the sector and gives use cases for the robots to include fighting crime.

You can visit Knightscope at www.knightscope.com, www.securityrobot.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/knightscope-inc-/.  

Bill can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/williamsantanali/, via Twitter at www.twitter.com/WSantanaLi, via email at wsl@knightscope.com, and via instant messaging on the website.

Direct download: William_Santana_Li_of_Knightscope.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:26pm CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

So, what is a board observer?

In general, the board observer is just that, an observer. Someone who listens to the discussion but doesn’t actively participate unless called on to join in.

Some investors negotiate a ‘board observer’ position as part of their investment so they can monitor the progress of the company.

Most board decisions are perfunctory, such as signing off on the 409A valuation, stock options plans, etc.

The board observer attends your board meetings but does not have voting rights.

They gain access to the board documents but don’t have a legal say in any of the decisions.

They may be asked to leave during discussions of a sensitive nature.

Angel investors, corporate VCs, and others will use this as a means of staying connected.


Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.
___________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ 
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ 
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ 
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ 
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For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group  

Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_What_is_a_board_observer.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

This is Investor Perspectives, I’m the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding. In this episode, you’ll hear about a new company in the gaming sector called acQyr eXchange.

Our featured guests are Mike Lambert and David Sterling, key investors in acQyr eXchange, and Jim Mulford, President and CEO & Founder of acQyr eXchange. 

acQyr eXchange is the first fintech platform to manage in-game consumable digital assets (rewards, tournament winnings, coins, points, etc.). eQX operates in near real-time, providing enhanced gamer satisfaction, which leads to more revenues for game publishers.

Our host today is Ashley Matthysse.

I hope you enjoy this episode.
_______________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
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For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Direct download: Why_I_Invested_in_acQyr_eXchange_webinar_to_IP.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 11:26am CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Board meetings are important for gaining input and advice on how to run the business.

To get the most out of your board meeting, start with an objective for the meeting including agenda and preparation documents such as financials. 

It’s helpful to get feedback from the participants before the meeting so you can adjust the agenda if necessary.  

This type of prep also ensures everyone comes prepared to tackle the objective.

Maintain the time allowed for each topic and create an offline conference call/meeting to handle topics that go over. 

Recruit a board member to help you keep things on track by watching the clock and reminding the group when the time limit is up on a topic.

Watch for tangents and cut the discussion short by taking it offline after the meeting.

Board meetings can be an invaluable resource to the CEO, but only if you manage it well. 


Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.


Let’s go startup something today.
___________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ 
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ 
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ 
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For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group  


In this episode, we welcome Beau Flowers, Chief Executive Officer of Flowtex Energy. 

Flowtex Energy is an Austin, Texas independent oil & gas producer. They maximize the unique tax benefits and tremendous cash-on-cash returns available through private oil & gas production. Utilizing today’s science and technology, they have built a track record of success that their investing partners appreciate and participate in over and over again. Their conservative, environmentally responsible approach has been making them good friends, good neighbors, and profitable partners since 2015.

Beau is a native of Southeast Texas and a graduate of Texas State University. He has over fifteen years experience in the oil and gas industry, and for the last five years has served as Vice President for some of the top oil and gas firms in the United States.

In that capacity, Beau has had the opportunity to work with private investors and investment firms from across the country to assemble and execute numerous successful oil and gas drilling programs.

During the course of his career, he has played a key role in the development and production of over thirty oil and gas joint ventures, similar to the projects currently being offered by Flowtex.

In this interview, Beau introduces Flowtex Energy to the listeners.

You can visit Flowtex Energy at www.flowtexenergy.com.

Beau can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/beau-flowers-39a4178/, and via email at bflowers@flowtexenergy.com.    

Direct download: Beau_Flowers_Intro_to_Flowtex_Interview.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:59am CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Board members can help the company in many ways.

Here’s a list of potential support: 

  • They can help recruit employees for the company as many board members have extensive networks
  • They can help with the fundraise as they know investors
  • They can help with strategy since most will come from the company’s industry
  • They can help with identifying and contacting customers 
  • They can help find service providers for legal, accounting, and others 
  • They can help the CEO with gaps in their knowledge or skillset
  • They can help lead the company through a successful exit

Many have expertise in different areas including sales, marketing, engineering, and more.  

It’s important to identify how best the board can help your company and engage them for it.


Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.


Let’s go startup something today.
____________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ 
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ 
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ 
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ 
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For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_How_board_members_can_help.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

This is Investor Perspectives, I’m the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding. In this episode, you’ll hear about a new company in the software development sector called ping.  

Our featured guests are Ryan Brown, early investor in ping, Barrie Arnold, Co-Founder & CRO of ping, and Garin Toren, CEO & Founder of ping.

Headquartered in New York, ping is a four-time-patented messaging platform that automatically reads your texts, emails, and all other message types out loud when touching your phone is unsafe, illegal, or inconvenient. Deployment is currently through Android and iPhone apps with Alexa already live and Google Home coming in November.

Available via SDK, white label and standalone apps, ping solves 3 critical pain points for smartphone users on the go: productivity, safety, and connectivity. With a founding mission of saving lives, distracted driving is the #1 cause of collisions and road fatalities costing $129 billion a year. 650k Android downloads and 6.7 million YouTube views, no other solution reads all message types out loud on Android, iOS, Alexa, and Google Home – truly cross-platform. ping is the ONLY Alexa skill (& soon Google Home) that allows users to hear and reply to all their messages.

Focused on enterprise partnerships, ping licenses its tech to B2B and B2B2C companies to increase customer value, engagement and revenue for them: insurance, mobile operators, car makers, fleet, gig economy, streaming audio and exercise apps. 

I hope you enjoy this episode.
_______________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
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For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group  

Direct download: Why_I_Invested_in_ping_Webinar_to_IP.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 10:41am CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Startups with product-market fit that are generating revenue should consider installing a board.

The board of directors provides oversight for the company.

Early-stage boards should have an audit and compensation committee.

The audit committee sets the policy regarding the finances including control, expenses, and reviews.

The compensation committee sets pay for the company’s employees and ties the compensation to performance with a view to market standards.

Compensation committees should approve all salaries, raises, options, and equity grants.

Finally, the board performs governance which provides oversight to the company’s operations.  

The board should have a lead director who sets up the meetings and drives the agenda with input from the board members.

Lead directors run the board meetings and manage the CEO review process. 

Finally, there are board observers.  

They represent an investor group who has the right to sit in on the board meetings to gather information for the investors.


Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.


Let’s go startup something today.
___________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ 
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ 
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ 
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For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group  

Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Role_of_the_Board.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

This is Investor Perspectives, I’m the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding. In this episode, you’ll hear about a new company in the software development sector called KiwiTech.  

Our featured guests are Dr. Vipin Agarwal, President & CEO at NorthEast BioLab and KiwiTech investor, Rakesh Gupta, Chairman & CEO of KiwiTech, and Neal Gupta, Co-Founder & CIO of KiwiTech.

Headquartered in New York, KiwiTech is a growing ecosystem of entrepreneurs, investors, and mentors that is leading innovation with a passion. They help early and growth-stage startups build viable products, drive traction, raise capital, and scale their businesses. They are currently home to 1500+ investors and 250+ portfolio companies across 15+ industries undergoing disruption.

I hope you enjoy this episode.
_______________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ 
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ 
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For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group  

Direct download: 10.28.20_Why_I_Invested__KiwiTech_WEBINAR_to_IP.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 7:22am CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

In growing your startup, one of the best assets you can have is a strong and engaged board of directors.

The board should have members who collectively cover a range of skills, network, and experience.

They should be connected to your startup and its industry in some way.

A good board is on the same page as the management team with regards to growth, strategy, and the exit.

Key skills to recruit include domain knowledge - someone who knows the space well. 

Financial skills - someone who knows the financial world and how it works.

CEO Advisor - someone who can work with the CEO to help fill in the gaps.

Exits - someone who knows the market for buying the company and can help facilitate introductions.

Most boards consist of five people for Series A companies - two are from the company, one is an independent, and two are from the investor’s side.

If you already have a board, then analyze the skills currently on the board. 

If your company needs new skills on the board, then consider changing board members or adding new seats.

It’s not unusual to rotate board members every 2-3 years as the needs of the company change. 

Assess the board each year and discuss the needs of the company with the board. 


Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.


Let’s go startup something today.
___________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ 
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ 
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ 
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ 
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For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group  

Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Building_a_board.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

The startup board is typically led by the CEO. Some boards fall into formal roles to tackle specific tasks such as compensation or exit planning.

Many boards see members fall into informal roles.

The most common roles are the domain expert, the advocate, and the critic.

The domain expert looks at everything from the industry perspective and provides basic feedback on the technical execution of the business and compares it to standard business practice. 

The advocate is typically an investor who is close to the team, highlights the positives, and provides encouragement to the team.

The critic is often an investor who is not close to the team and looks critically at the business encouraging solutions.

All three provide valuable feedback, but it’s the critic that draws the most attention. Winning the praise of the critic is the sought after goal.

This creates an interesting dynamic in the board where each one provides value but in a unique way. 

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.
___________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ 
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ 
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For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group  

Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Informal_board_member_.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

This is Investor Perspectives, I’m the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding. In this episode, you’ll hear about a new company in the fintech sector called Lend-Grow.  

Our featured guests are Co-Head of VC at 10X Capital and Investor at Lend-Grow, David Weisburd, and Co-Founder at Lend-Grow, Nish Krishna.

Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Lend-Grow is a complete digital growth platform for local lenders. Lend-Grow aims to connect consumers with 1000+ local lenders that are often harder-to-find online and usually have better deals on loans. Lend-Grow was founded by executives that successfully built multi-billion dollar portfolios at both big banks and credit unions.  

Lend-Grow’s platform consists of (i) RateBunni, a rate aggregator that has information on rate competitiveness and trends from 300+ local lenders, (ii) Lend-Grow marketplace to pre-qualify and route borrowers to local lenders in real-time, and (iii) Ask Lend-Grow recommendation engine to help local lenders take smart, data-driven decisions.

I hope you enjoy this episode.
_______________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
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For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Direct download: Why_I_Invested_Lend-Grow_webinar_to_IP.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 11:32am CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

In running a board, there will be conflicts and bad behavior.

Here are some to watch out for:

  • The board member who disrupts the group and takes the discussion off-track from the agenda.
  • The member who must have it their own way every time.
  • The member who doesn’t know the topic well but must weigh-in as a thought leader nevertheless.
  • The member who rambles and repeats the same topics and questions and cannot move forward.
  • The member who disrespects the group and talks down to others.

You can modify those bad behaviors during or just after the meeting noting the behavior.

For major problems, there may need to be a more substantial discussion outside the meeting. 

It’s important to intervene when you see these behaviors as they will continue.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.
___________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at:
http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ 
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ 
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Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Managing_Conflict.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes Dr. Maria T. Millan, President and CEO of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM).

CIRM is California's stem cell agency. Its mission is to accelerate stem cell treatments to patients with unmet medical needs by funding promising research in California.

California's Stem Cell Agency was created in 2004 when 59% of California voters approved Proposition 71: the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative. That initiative created the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to fund stem cell research in the state. In addition to creating the agency, Prop 71 created a 29-member governing Board composed of researchers, business leaders, and patient advocates.

CIRM realized that if the goal was to generate new therapies, the first steps would need to be getting scientists into stem cell research, giving them space to work and ensuring that young people were entering the field. That’s why the first awards were dedicated to training young scientists, building new facilities, and pulling California researchers into stem cell science. The agency has also funded research and new facilities and has trained high school, undergraduate, and graduate students for careers in stem cell science.

Some therapies that may come out of CIRM-funded research projects involve transplanting the cells themselves. Others will be drugs that were discovered through modeling diseases in a petri dish. Still, others will be diagnostics that allow doctors to diagnose and treat diseases more effectively—or through technologies that open up whole new fields of research. CIRM funding promotes all areas of stem cell research that show promise to accelerating treatments to patients in need.

Dr. Maria Millan is a physician-scientist who has devoted her career to treating and developing innovative solutions for children and adults with debilitating and life-threatening conditions. 

After receiving her undergraduate degree from Duke University where she first entered the arena of immunology research, she returned to her home in New Jersey where she obtained her M.D. and then went on to complete her surgical training and post-doctoral research in Boston at Harvard Medical School – Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.  After a transplant surgery fellowship at Stanford University School of Medicine, she began her academic career with a busy pediatric and adult transplant surgery practice focused on technical advancements and optimization of patient outcomes, including the treatment of rare fatal diseases. 

Please click here to read her full bio.

Dr. Millan tells Hall what excites her in the field of stem cell biology. She advises investors and startups and explains how she sees the industry evolving. She also shares information regarding stem cell research and COVID-19.

You can visit CIRM at www.cirm.ca.gov, and via their LinkedIn page at www.linkedin.com/company/california-institute-for-regenerative-medicine/

Dr. Millan can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/maria-t-millan-m-d-4438b06/, and via email at mmillan@cirm.ca.gov.   

Direct download: Maria_Millan_of_The_California_Institute_for_Regenerative_Medicine.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 11:11am CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

There are several types of board members. 

Each provides a contribution to the board dynamic.

Here are the types you may see in your board room:

  • The Cheerleader. Always optimistic and sees the upside to every proposal or situation.
  • The Pessimist. Always pessimistic and sees the backside to every proposal and situation. 
  • The Analyst. Always analyzing the situation and commenting on the implications.
  • The Skeptic. Always questioning the data and the implications of proposed solutions.

If you have a board that is all cheerleaders, then there may be little scrutiny given to plans.

If you have a board that is all pessimists, then no solution will ever be good enough.

If you have a board that is all analysts, then there will be no decisions taken.

If you have a board that is all skeptics, then there will be no progress.

A healthy mix of all of the above is desired.


Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.


Let’s go startup something today.
___________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ 
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ 
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ 
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For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group 

Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_The_Board_Types.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes Sarah Jennings, Assistant Director of The Cedarville Beyond Angel Network and Yellow Jacket Fund I.

The Cedarville Beyond Angel Network and Fund provides early-stage capital to strong entrepreneurial teams with developed products or services and early customer traction. The investment thesis of the Network and Fund is to invest in for-profit companies, led by a faith-driven founder with a biblical worldview, that will provide market returns to investors in addition to making a Kingdom impact on culture and the marketplace.

The Yellow Jacket Fund I is a sidecar fund capped at $5M with the objective to invest in early-stage companies that have scalable growth, a clear exit strategy, and that are post-revenue. The Yellow Jacket Fund I is the first in a series of Funds, designed to provide access to faith-aligned capital with the faith-driven mission of Christian founders. The Fund is the first of its kind for the rapidly growing faith-driven start-up marketplace. 

As part of the leadership team, Sarah focuses on managing investor relationships and scouting for potential deal flow. Prior to joining the Network, Sarah worked for JP Morgan Chase as an Internal Audit Analyst. Sarah graduated magna cum laude from Cedarville University with a B.S. in Finance. 

Sarah shares how she sees the angel industry evolving, and mentions some of the challenges both investors and entrepreneurs face. She speaks about two companies that fit the Network’s thesis and explains how the Yellow Jacket Fund I works.

You can visit Beyond Angels Network’s Yellow Jacket Fund at www.beyondangelnetwork.com.   

Sarah can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/sarahgjennings and via email at sgjennings@cedarville.edu. 

Direct download: Sarah_Jennings_of_Beyond_Angels_-_Yellow_Jacket_Fund.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:45am CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Board directors can help the company in many ways beyond governance.

Here are some key areas:

  • Provide strategy and direction for the company at a high level.  
  • Make introductions to customers and partners.
  • Provide helpful tips on how to run the business.
  • Help recruit other board members.
  • Put in place proper controls and management of the finances.
  • Make introductions to investors for upcoming fundraises.
  • Coach the CEO in areas that are new to the company.
  • Help drive the company to a successful exit.

Board members have worked in other companies in the industry and can bring those experiences, connections, and leadership to the company.


Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.


Let’s go startup something today.
___________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ 
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ 
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ 
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ 
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ 

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group  

Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Duties_of_the_Director.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

The board leader can make the board meetings more effective.

Here are some points to consider: 

  • Set up meetings that don’t conflict with holidays or heavy travel schedules.
  • Send out the board package in time for review.
  • Focus the agenda on the top issues.
  • Demand the attention of the board members and discourage distractions.
  • Facilitate the discussions to ensure the topic is well covered.
  • Make sure everyone gets their say.
  • Extract an action plan from the meeting so the company can move forward.
  • Board members have a fiduciary duty to the company.
  • They must put the board’s interest above their own.
  • They must act in good faith with no ulterior motives.
  • Finally, the board member must exercise good business judgment.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.
___________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ 
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ 
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ 
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ 
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For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group  

Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Making_the_board_effective.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes Dylan Penebre, CEO and investor of PointOS.

Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, PointOS is a restaurant management platform designed to help restaurants and bars operate more efficiently and profitably. PointOS stands out in the SaaS restaurant POS space by offering its entire platform at one competitive and all-inclusive rate.

The PointOS Platform combines optimized POS, cloud-based restaurant management features, payment processing, and online ordering to offer a complete solution that helps maximize restaurant profits. Their competitive monthly pay options and ultra-competitive processing rates make PointOS the most cost-effective and complete restaurant management platform out there.

Dylan has a background in go-to-market strategy and executive management, specifically focused on customer acquisition and revenue generation. He continues to operate in the payments and fintech space, where he brings this experience to his current role as CEO of PointOS.

Dylan speaks with Hall about how the company was formed, some of the challenges it has overcome, and what investors should know about the company.

You can visit PointOS at www.pointos.com

Dylan can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/dylan-penebre-97b67321/, and via email at management@pointos.com.  

Direct download: Dylan_Penebre_of_PointOS.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:41pm CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

For board meetings, it’s important to prepare properly.

Set the meeting schedule well in advance, such as a year.

Prepare documents far enough in advance so the members have time to read the materials and prepare for the meeting.

Use a standard format for the board package so the members can find things more easily.

Use the board package to give the status updates and focus the meeting on the key decisions to take.

Set up the meeting agenda to cover the most important topics first.

Include the company financials including cash position.

Include a slide deck for the talking points.

In crisis situations, you may need to call additional board meetings such as when the company runs out of cash unexpectedly or gets hit with a lawsuit.     


Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.


Let’s go startup something today.
____________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ 
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ 
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ 
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Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Preparing_for_a_board_meeting.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:27am CDT

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