American Entrepreneurship

JANUARY 28, 2025

Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz, a leading venture capital firm, says, “The thing that gets me most excited is the founder whos obsessed with solving a problem that matters, and is determined to keep going no matter what.” Do they have a track record that exemplifies these traits of hard-earned achievements?

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pitching investing investment startup 70

This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 14, 2014

Brooklyn Bridge Ventures came in first, with a whopping 61%. Lerer Ventures was second, with just under 20%. Take the most widely used number--that way fewer women are getting venture funding than guys. Most companies don''t ever raise venture capital and they do just fine. Well, it''s gotta mean something, right?

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founder pitching venture capital mix-use 378

Dream It

FEBRUARY 27, 2020

“VCs are looking for a grand slam,” according to Steve Barsh, Managing Partner at Dreamit Ventures. Selling a compelling vision is so critical that some investors weigh it more heavily than the pitch deck itself. Investors want visionary entrepreneurs, not mercenary entrepreneurs,” states Steve Barsh.

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Dream It

SEPTEMBER 25, 2020

Many of these new red flags that occur during virtual pitching are easy to fix. In this Dreamit Dose, Healthtech MD Adam Dakin provides 5 simple rules to avoid giving investors the wrong impression when pitching remotely. We hear startups pitch everyday and far too often founders end up joining the meeting late. Read Part 1.

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Entrepreneurs' Organization

DECEMBER 15, 2021

Maximilian Fleitmann , an Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) member primarily based in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, is the CEO of BaseTemplates and Partner at Richmond View Ventures. We asked him how founders can create the perfect pitch deck for their company. As an entrepreneur, you know your business best.

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This is going to be BIG.

JUNE 26, 2012

In venture capital, you say "no" a lot. I want your pitch to be the one I say yes to--and I want you to solve the inherent problems in your business model. We only fund top entrepreneurs." "We Take pitches? Unfortunately, there's a lot of the "velvet rope" mentality going on in venture. You know how hard it is.

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VC pitching venture capital creativity 371

Dream It

MAY 29, 2019

Startup pitch meetings are pretty predictable. You walk into a venture fund’s conference room or Zoom room (if they’re progressive), pitch the partners, offer to answer their questions, maybe ask them a bland question or two, and then leave the meeting to await a response. Steve Barsh.

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This is going to be BIG.

FEBRUARY 21, 2021

She was pitching for a pre-seed round of $400k. Founders hit the street with their pitch deck, some make it, and some don’t, but nearly all of them ascribe a lot more human influence over the process than there probably is. Or that venture capital is a meritocracy? I’m a female founder. I don’t have a technical co-founder.

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American Entrepreneurship

MARCH 21, 2025

Entrepreneurs and changemakers from across the country will gather in Dallas June 12-14, 2025, for the return of the Good Soil Forum, presented by Wells Fargo. Known for igniting purpose-driven business growth, this years event will feature none other than media icon, philanthropist, and entrepreneur Oprah Winfrey , who will join T.D.

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entrepreneurs mentorship entrepreneurial ecosystem pitching 74

This is going to be BIG.

JUNE 23, 2014

Sugarcoating isn''t helpful to entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs are sending me back notes saying "They turned it down, but I''m not sure why." It doesn''t help them improve their pitch or adjust their model. Venture Capital & Technology' What I never say is "I love what you''re doing, but.".

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Revolution

JANUARY 27, 2025

Reflections on Georgetowns 2025 pitch competition from TedLeonsis Last week, Georgetown Universitys McDonough School of Business once again became a launchpad for the next generation of bold thinkers and doers. At Revolution, Ive seen what backing entrepreneurs with big ideas can breed. startup ecosystem.

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American Entrepreneurship

SEPTEMBER 15, 2024

Startups, early-stage and growth-stage companies present their models to a gathering of angel investors and venture capital firms The Venture Atlanta Conference, set to take place on October 8-9, 2024, at The Woodruff Arts Center and Atlanta Symphony Hall, is one of the most anticipated entrepreneurial events in the southeast U.S.

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Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2016

The other major trend of 2012–2015 was the entrance of “non VCs” into late-stages of venture capital , which mostly consisted of hedge funds, mutual funds, corporate investors, sovereign wealth funds and even LPs doing direct deals. The fact that I still see it referred to in pitch decks is farcical. Non VC Growth Rounds.

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Dream It

DECEMBER 19, 2019

Avoiding 5 Common Cyber Entrepreneur Pitfalls In this #DreamitLive, Ron Gula , president of Gula Tech Ventures , joins Steve Barsh to talk about the 5 most common mistakes cyber entrepreneurs make and how to avoid them. 15:00 - What does you Gula Five Slide Pitch Deck look like? 21:00 - Does the best tech always win?

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entrepreneurs pitching venture capital investing 195

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 1, 2016

I can't think of a single time when a white man came to pitch me and I told him his fundraising plans weren't aggressive enough. Yet, for some reason, the goals for her pitch were incremental--despite being in an extremely hot space. So why are so many diverse entrepreneurs shortchanging themselves? Something else is at play.

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advice founder pitching VC 418

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

Now, I’m pretty on the record that being an entrepreneur is about being great at The Do. Frankly, I think venture capital is that way, too. How does the world in Los Angeles intersect differently with venture capital? Board Meetings. Conferences. I get sucked up in “Do” mode. Startups Are for Doers.

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creativity venture capital entrepreneurs board 400

Dream It

APRIL 12, 2020

In New York, for instance, there are now venture funds with a West Coast mentality and firms with an East Coast mentality; the same is true for firms in San Francisco. Will a financial crisis affect how venture funds deploy capital? The biggest question for a venture firm is whether LPs will fail to make capital calls in a crisis. “It

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Hunter Walk

AUGUST 1, 2022

Some entrepreneurs are born salespeople, others find it more awkward but ultimately realize getting comfortable pitching — to investors, to the team, to potential employees, and so on — is part of the job. But as a venture investor, I hate it. faces of venture capital. Hopefully every startup finds the right investors!

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Paul G. Silva

FEBRUARY 25, 2025

How Iteration Transformed Valley Venture Mentors Before I co-founded Valley Venture Mentors (VVM) and for all of my time there, we experimented with different ways to connect startups with mentors. Startups pitched for 10 minutes each. Mentors and entrepreneurs alike were bored. pitches , back-to-back, with no Q&A.

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Dream It

JULY 31, 2019

The press enhances this misconception around YCombinator demo days, where the 3-day pitch event is perceived like an auction, with investors fighting each other for the best deals. Many programs still put a lot of focus on demo day rehearsals, prep, and on getting the pitch deck just right. It did for me, at least.

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startup accelerator pitching venture capital 334

This is going to be BIG.

JUNE 16, 2014

If all my deals came as intros from trusted connections that I know for years versus at founder pitch events that''s interesting data. If you meet someone at a pitch event, they''ve already got a company and they''re looking to close as quickly as possible. In fact, that''s what I tend to do--at least, what I say that I do.

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Revolution

FEBRUARY 13, 2023

Since the beginning of modern venture capital investing — a relatively nascent asset class — the industry has been biased toward funding what it knows best: founders with familiar demographics (white, male) in familiar geographies (Silicon Valley).

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American Entrepreneurship

DECEMBER 4, 2024

Recognizing this, The Veteran Fund announced the winner of its $100,000 Veteran Pitch Competition and the recent closing of its inaugural oversubscribed investment Fund I. The Veteran Fund was created to harness this potential, empowering veteran entrepreneurs to drive advancements in technology while securing America’s future.”

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American Entrepreneurship

MARCH 5, 2024

Three finalists received training via workshops and coaching from business advisors, fine-tuning their business plans and pitches for the showcase and pitch competition. In addition to its classroom curriculum, NFTE hosts the Founders Forum Pitch Competition.

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pitching founder entrepreneurship education 111

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 17, 2014

Takes an hour or an hour and a half at most and everyone gets the benefit of a public conversation--versus three or four hours of pitches. So many entrepreneurs beg for just a few minutes of my time. Those kinds of requests feel desperate and not only undermine their pitch, but it''s still real time that adds up.

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Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 9, 2014

I often talk about what I’m looking for when I meet with an entrepreneur. Above all else I’m looking for a genuine passion for what the entrepreneur is doing. You can sense when it is a “mission” for this entrepreneur to succeed and she will continue the journey even if success isn’t easy or immediate.

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peer-to-peer VC pitching entrepreneurs 373

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 31, 2014

Even if you haven''t gotten offers yet, your time is valuable and you can''t pitch everyone. You feel like you have a decent shot of successfully raising, so you want to prioritize who to pitch to first. 3) Talk to entrepreneurs they''ve backed before to see who really adds value. How did you pick who to pitch?

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VC pitching venture capital capital 364

This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 11, 2016

Over the weekend, Rent the Runway held an event for its Project Entrepreneur initiative, which brought together over 100 female entrepreneurs looking to get education and advice on how to take their businesses to the next step. I know that white males get a majority of the venture capital funding.

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pitching financing finance entrepreneurship 285

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JUNE 19, 2024

Yet, as most seasoned entrepreneurs will attest, the reality is far more complex and challenging, particularly when you decide to bootstrap your business. Instead, it began with 15 years of hands-on learning in capital markets, working closely with entrepreneurs, investors, and bankers. I also did not have a business partner.

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financing finance entrepreneurship mentorship 255

Entrepreneurs' Organization

OCTOBER 26, 2022

Suddenly, I found myself in a period of my life that so many entrepreneurs know all too well after an exit: I felt unsure of my “place.”. I remember asking myself questions like: Am I still an entrepreneur? Like most entrepreneurs, I started as an underdog, and it remained a key part of company culture as we grew.

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real estate creativity entrepreneurs culture 238

Innovation 2 Enterprise

APRIL 25, 2025

Innovation, drive, and entrepreneurial spirit took center stage at the 2025 Entrepreneurs Cup awards dinner on April 22, marking the culmination of another successful year of Oklahomas premier collegiate business plan competition. Winners were chosen for their compelling business plans, impressive pitches, and real-world potential.

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entrepreneurs pitching innovation communities 52

Smart Hustle Magazine

JUNE 4, 2021

Here’s a list of top sources for funding minority entrepreneurs. The NASE has been around since 1981, providing entrepreneurs and micro-businesses, including those by minority owners with access to grants and educational resources. It is a great resource for minority entrepreneurs with a more specific funding need.

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Revolution

AUGUST 2, 2022

Rise of the Rest also hosted a Northwest Arkansas Startup Community Roundtable to help connect individuals within the regional innovation ecosystem with those visiting for the Heartland Summit to share experiences, challenges, and best practices for supporting entrepreneurs. Where we went: Houston, TX ??

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economic growth innovation communities startup ecosystem 344

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 8, 2014

And there’s none that makes me happier than to announce that Jordan Hudson has been promoted to a Principal at Upfront Ventures. What is a principal at a VC firm and how does it work at Upfront Ventures? And we’ve begun relaunching our “platform services” for entrepreneurs.

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Revolution

FEBRUARY 15, 2024

What we did: The Rise of the Rest team kicked off October with a trip to Chi-Town to catch up with portfolio companies Blueprint , Unreal Estate , and Rheaply and co-investor, Chicago Ventures. Their jam-packed agenda culminated with a gathering of local entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders for happy hour at Siena Tavern.

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Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative

DECEMBER 4, 2019

What advice would you give to entrepreneurs and professionals looking to finance their business? Angel investors or venture capitalists will require that entrepreneurs sell shares (equity) of their companies for investment. Another great route for social entrepreneurs is Kiva , which provides low-interest loans.

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Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2013

And I am often approached by entrepreneurs in cities which don’t have a vibrant VC community. Just ask the people of Portland, Seattle, Boulder, Iowa, Princeton, Dallas or countless other cities that don’t have enough venture capital. Importantly … I would pitch investors in SF, NY, Boston, LA, etc.

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