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Investor Connect Podcast


Investor Connect is for investors interested in learning more about investing in startup and growth stage companies. Experienced investors share their experiences and advice with those who are considering an investment into startups and growth companies. It includes a podcast series of interviews with investors to inform others about the process of funding startups as well as a resource list and a discussion board.  

Topics include sourcing, analyzing, and researching companies. Other topics include valuations, terms Sheets, board of directors, board of advisors, due diligence, syndicates, venture capital, angels, angel networks, family offices, crowdfunding, exits, and more.

Investor Connect is a community program. We welcome your suggestions for speakers and topics which you can send to us through the Contact page. No registration is required to use the resources.  Discussion boards are available to post and answer questions about startups and growth company investing through which registration is required.

Investor Connect is a program under the Texas Open Angel Network which is a 501(c3) non-profit dedicated to the education around startup funding.

Disclaimer: Hall T. Martin is the Director of Investor Connect which is dedicated to the education of investors for early stage funding. All opinions expressed by Hall and podcast guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of Investor Connect. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

Mar 31, 2021

In this episode, Hall welcomes Raleigh Melancon, Founder & CEO of StylizeNOW.

Located in Austin, Texas, Raleigh’s company owns and operates a platform (available on iOS Apple Store, Google Play Store, and a website www.stylizenow.com.) StylizeNOW, their platform provides on-demand mobile hair and nail salon services that cater to customers’ residences. For now, the platform is focused on the central Texas markets but hopes to expand soon. StylizeNow contracts with licensed professionals that agree to provide these services to customers that use the StylizeNow mobile application. 

Similar to other on-demand service providers, the company does not employ these professionals but contracts with individual professionals that provide these services and send them to customers that use the platform. Customers simply go on the platform and select what service, or services, they desire, and the platform will immediately begin to set them up with a stylist and send them to the client’s location.

Raleigh graduated from UT Austin, with a BS in computer science, in 2019 and worked in government for one year. COVID-19 affected him in so many ways. While he was fortunate to avoid the worst fate of the pandemic, the entrepreneur in him kept trying to find ways to help people through lockdowns, shutdowns, and stay-at-home orders. He noticed that many women kept complaining about their hair, nails, and other beauty maintenance issues while realizing that at the same time many of these workers had been without any work or working in a limited capacity. Realizing the potential of bringing these two communities together in a way that both satisfied the pandemic restrictions (avoiding indoor public spaces with dozens or hundreds of people) and allowing for the greatest possible convenience to clients of these and other services, were the initial inspiration for StylizeNOW. 

Since organizing his idea, he has been leading the work on a platform that is providing on-demand salon services to clients' homes. Raleigh leads all aspects of founding and launching the platform to include incorporating, registering, searching, shopping insurance plans, developing the marketing strategy and product rollout. 

Raleigh discusses what led him to start working in this space and some of the challenges he has faced. He also advises investors and entrepreneurs.

You can visit StylizeNOW at www.stylizenow.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/stylizenow/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/NowStylize.  

Raleigh can be contacted at raleighmelancon@nowtechnologiesinc.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/raleigh-melancon-18289b200/.        

Music courtesy of Bensound.