May, 2021

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Why Creativity is Essential for Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs' Organization

Contributed to EO by B. Jeffrey Madoff. When the first case of COVID-19 was diagnosed in the US in January of 2020, the situation demanded a rapid response. A new, highly contagious virus posed an imminent threat to the world. This situation kicked off a chain reaction of events, including: Scientists began experimenting to create vaccines to combat the virus.

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The BEST Answer to ‘How Much Are You Raising?’

Dream It

The ‘How much are you raising?’ question is a common and important component of investor Q&A. Seasoned founders have a particular way of answering this question. In this Dreamit Dose, Managing Director Adam Dakin presents his view on the right way to answer it after hearing hundreds, if not thousands, of founder pitches. Make the specific amount you are raising and corresponding milestones clear at the beginning of the pitch, and do not give a range.

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Finding your brand identity in 4 steps

Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative

By Bryce Kelly. In an era where an endless number of apps, news stories, social media posts, and products are all competing for attention, it can be difficult to distinguish yourself from the crowd. Developing your brand means deciding how you distinguish yourself to your audience, and it determines how many people will interact with your organization and what the world knows you stand for.

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systems change: strategies to engage university stakeholders for ecosystem transformation

Venture Well

Systems change can help university innovation ecosystems address challenges embedded into their structural foundations and shift to more positively impactful models. The post systems change: strategies to engage university stakeholders for ecosystem transformation appeared first on VentureWell.

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15 Modern Use Cases for Enterprise Business Intelligence

Large enterprises face unique challenges in optimizing their Business Intelligence (BI) output due to the sheer scale and complexity of their operations. Unlike smaller organizations, where basic BI features and simple dashboards might suffice, enterprises must manage vast amounts of data from diverse sources. What are the top modern BI use cases for enterprise businesses to help you get a leg up on the competition?

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Decentralized Media

A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC

Back in the early 2000s, it was exciting to blog and use social networks to create our own media and move away from the traditional media outlets. That was the pull that got me into blogging and got me investing in Twitter. It was a powerful feeling. But a decade and a half later, it is obvious that we just replaced one type of media company for another and that we don’t really control our own media yet.

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Freelancer or entrepreneur? Making the mindset shift

Entrepreneurs' Organization

Contributed by Julia L F Goldstein, the founder of JLFG Communications , which helps businesses share their world-changing ideas through clear and concise content. She is also the award-winning author of Material Value: More Sustainable, Less Wasteful Manufacturing of Everything from Cell Phones to Cleaning Products. During an online business workshop in December 2020, the presenter asked me whether our venture was a hobby or a business.

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The Last Gameboard raises $4M to ship its digital tabletop gaming platform

TechCrunch

The tabletop gaming industry has exploded over the last few years as millions discovered or rediscovered its joys, but it too is evolving — and The Last Gameboard hopes to be the venue for that evolution. The digital tabletop platform has progressed from crowdfunding to $4 million seed round, and having partnered with some of the biggest names in the industry, plans to ship by the end of the year.

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5 brand positioning strategies to help set your business apart

Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative

By Jewelle Saunders. There are definite benefits to focusing on your branding efforts for your business or organization. According to HubSpot , “Successful branding yields benefits such as increased customer loyalty, an improved image, and a relatable identity.” Brand positioning is the process of putting your brand in the mind of your customers and organization supporters.

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reimagining chemical engineering education: q&a with Dr. Pedro Arce of Tennessee Tech University

Venture Well

Faculty grantee, Pedro Arce, designed courses that tasked chemical engineering students with developing innovative, nature-inspired solutions to societal challenges. The post reimagining chemical engineering education: q&a with Dr. Pedro Arce of Tennessee Tech University appeared first on VentureWell.

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How Top Tech CFOs Solve Annual Planning’s Biggest Challenges

Gearing up for 2025 annual planning? Our latest eBook from the Operators Guild is your ultimate guide. Discover real-world solutions and best practices shared by top CFOs, drawn directly from discussions within OG’s vibrant online community. Learn from senior executives at high-growth tech startups as they outline financial planning strategies, align CEO and board goals, and coordinate budgets across departments.

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Funding Friday: Pattern Alphabet cards for exploring nature

A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC

Longtime AVC reader Alex Wolf has a Kickstarter project that I think is awesome. She has long been working on a “pattern alphabet” to encode the patterns of nature and life. This project turns this alphabet into cards that can be used by kids in school and at home to learn. I backed the project this morning and I hope and expect she will do great with this Kickstarter project.

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4 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Boost Their Mental Health

StartupNation

Starting and building a business is outrageously difficult. It demands long hours, deep research and analysis, and more blood, sweat and tears than a body should ever be capable of. One moment, you’re riding high on your latest successful breakthrough. The next, you’re plunged into the psychic underworld of failure. StartupNation exclusive discounts and savings on Dell products and accessories: Learn more here.

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Best practices (and pitfalls to avoid) in second-generation businesses

Entrepreneurs' Organization

Contributed by Vincent Finaldi, an EO New Jersey member and vice president of TeleCloud , a second-generation business that provides seamless VoIP communications solutions. Vincent also invests time in his passion project, $econd Generation , a video podcast that addresses second-generation businesses and the unique challenges of growing past the founder, navigating through family dynamics and continuing the family legacy.

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Emotional marketing and an e-mail titan walk into a bar

TechCrunch

My mom cuts to the chase when she is describing my beat to others. In her words, I cover companies like Uber before they become companies like Uber. And honestly? I can’t exactly disagree with the description. The best feeling in tech journalism is telling a story about a startup before it becomes a household name. As an early-stage reporter, I honestly bet a lot on the potential of a savvy edtech founder or creative marketplace play.

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Your Fractional Finance and Accounting Team

Mighty Financial specializes in supporting the financial aspirations of small businesses and entrepreneurs. With our comprehensive bookkeeping and precise accounting expertise with decades of experience across diverse financial roles, our team offers tailor-made services ranging from essential bookkeeping to strategic fractional CFO support, catered specifically to the unique challenges of technology companies, startups, and SMEs.

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How one YLAI Fellow turned her personal journey into a business empowering marginalized girls in Canada

Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative

By Bryce Kelly. Launching your business or nonprofit organization will often be about more than offering a product or a service. It will be about telling your story. Many YLAI Fellows have realized the importance of telling their story by focusing on their brand and communicating what sets them apart. This often means building a relationship with members of your audience, making them feel personally connected to the cause of your organization.

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shooting for the stars: Cal Poly Pomona and NASA’s innovative approach to experiential learning

Venture Well

For National Space Day (May 7), we’re spotlighting Dr. Olukemi Sawyerr and her Faculty Grant-supported work spearheading the launch of the experiential learning program, NASA-CPP. The post shooting for the stars: Cal Poly Pomona and NASA’s innovative approach to experiential learning appeared first on VentureWell.

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In-Person vs On-Screen

A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC

Last week I spent three hours with my six partners in a conference room talking through what we are investing in and why. It was a terrific session and I had more “ahas” in those three hours than I have had in many many months. There really is no substitute for sitting together with your colleagues working things out face to face. This week our team met with a founder in Singapore via Zoom.

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How to Crack Your Life’s Purpose and Unlock Your True Calling

StartupNation

Inspiration is everywhere. The business of personal development coaching and live or virtual events that “transform your life and 10X your revenue” has exploded in the last 10 years or so. But is the proliferation of these events achieving the goal of helping people align with their life’s purpose? My business partner, Patrick Combs, and I run a transformational company called Bliss Champions and recently published a book called “Purpose Code.

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Digitalization: 5 Tech Updates That Will Help You Survive The Recession & Thrive

Lack of digitalization decreases business competitiveness. To thrive, embracing modern solutions becomes essential. The approach to digitalization often aligns with a company's business model. This shift not only boosts productivity but also automates processes and improves security. The tech market offers a wealth of technologies tailored for management, planning, and forecasting, replacing outdated pen-and-paper methods.

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Every storm is a golden opportunity

Entrepreneurs' Organization

Contributed by Matt Bromley , accomplished big-wave surfer, well known for his films Risky Business and Risky Ripples. Every storm has a big wave to ride. I can’t emphasize this enough. As a professional big-wave surfer, I chase storms around the world. I surf some of the scariest and largest waves on the planet. I’ve been out in storms with swell heights the size of a seven-story building, waves reaching almost 25 meters high.

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The motorcycle ride-hailing wars in Nigeria and Uganda is SafeBoda’s to lose

TechCrunch

On April 16, Uganda-based two-wheel ride-hailing platform SafeBoda announced that it had completed 1 million rides in Ibadan, a southwestern city in Nigeria. T his might not seem spectacular from a global perspective because it took the startup a year and two months to achieve but it’s a noteworthy feat in African markets. Ibadan is one of the cities where SafeBoda operates.

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News – Mailchimp Curates Small Business Films To Celebrate Small Business Week

Smart Hustle Magazine

In celebration of Small Business Week, Mailchimp and Oscilloscope Laboratories are announcing a specially curated lineup of films available to stream on Mailchimp Presents , Mailchimp’s global streaming platform. Editor’s Note – Huge props to Mailchimp for always INNOVATING. Via their Mailchimp Presents production studio, Mailchimp continues to innovate and be creative in how they spotlight and showcase creators, entrepreneurs and small business owners.

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Cultivating a Practice of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Ecosystem Building Programs

Ecosystem Builder Hub

Cultivating a culture and practice of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has become a core principle for entrepreneurial ecosystem builders. As part of the Insights from the Field campaign, I wanted to hear from other ecosystem builders in the field about their approaches to DEI, and hopefully identify specific techniques that they’ve incorporated in their communities.

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PE Mastery: CAPTARGET's Playbook for Quality Lead Flow

CAPTARGET presents a masterclass in M&A deal sourcing. Learn to cast a wide net, embracing seller self-identification. Consistency is the linchpin: keep the origination process steady for a reliable flow of opportunities. Diversify your tactics, employing various tools and vendors. Tech matters! Understand DNS settings, domain authority, and brand presence for optimal outreach.

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Half Of All VCs Beat The Stock Market

A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC

There has been this narrative about investing in VC funds that you have to get into the top quartile (25%) or possibly the top decile (10%) in order to generate good returns. I have heard that for as long as I have been in VC and probably have written it here a few times. Well, it turns out that is not right. Half of all venture funds outperform the stock market which is the benchmark most institutions measure VC funds against.

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5 Tips for Aspiring Mom Entrepreneurs to Turn Your Startup Dreams Into Reality

StartupNation

As a mom, your schedule tends to center around your kids more often than not. From school drop-offs and pickups to ballet recitals and lacrosse practices to checking homework and cooking dinner, it can feel as though you’ve lost some of your own interests and aspirations in the hectic shuffle of being a parent. And while you wouldn’t trade motherhood for anything, there’s a spark of ambition inside you that’s begging to be let out.

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The Inflationary Forces in Startupland

Tomasz Tunguz

Over the last ten years, the 75th percentile post-money valuation of a cloud software or infrastructure company has grown 11% annually. In 2021, the post-money valuation has spiked 60% from $48.1m to $77.0m. While not as hyperbolic an inflation rate as copper or lumber, the price trajectory of early stage cloud startups does result from a similar supply demand/imbalance.

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How a bot-fighting test turned into edtech’s most iconic brand, Duolingo

TechCrunch

Luis von Ahn, an entrepreneur who has dedicated his career to scaling free education, has probably annoyed you more than once. In fact, you’ve likely been annoyed by his work dozens and maybe hundreds of times over the years. A decade before he co-founded the whimsical and language-learning app Duolingo , one of the most popular education apps in the world with over 500 million downloads and 40 million active users, he was building the technology that would become CAPTCHA, those human-annoying b

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How to Stay Competitive in the Evolving State of Martech

Marketing technology is essential for B2B marketers to stay competitive in a rapidly changing digital landscape — and with 53% of marketers experiencing legacy technology issues and limitations, they’re researching innovations to expand and refine their technology stacks. To help practitioners keep up with the rapidly evolving martech landscape, this special report will discuss: How practitioners are integrating technologies and systems to encourage information-sharing between departments and pr