Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

Tracy built her company, Recycled Media , out of necessity. She hasn’t raised any venture capital. She actually IS the prototypical entrepreneur. But Tracy did what entrepreneurs do. Sam is the managing director of Launchpad LA and we were about to pick our 2012 class of entrepreneurs. More on that later.

Startup 363

Startup Entrepreneur SEO Venture Capital 363

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2022

During my many years of mentoring professionals and entrepreneurs in business, I more often see people focusing on how to get their ideas heard , than how to promote themselves. Take full advantage of every mentoring and coaching opportunity, and network with peers both inside and outside the company.

Tips 121

Tips Social Media Mentor Technical Review 121

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2022

As a partially-retired baby-boomer in business, I’ve spent much of the last few years mentoring aspiring millennial entrepreneurs, and I’m always looking for more insights into how to help them. Build more determination by capitalizing on values. Activate a broader awareness of real-world drivers.

Mentor 134

Mentor Coach Guide Startup 134

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 5, 2023

One of the biggest myths I have found in the entrepreneur community is that every startup needs one or more outside investors for credibility and success, and perhaps is even entitled to at least one. Searching LinkedIn, for example, is a must for contemporary entrepreneurs. But don’t wait for them to contact you.

Statistics 98

Statistics Entrepreneur Funding Social Media 98

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 23, 2015

If an entrepreneur can’t build a culture of excitement and commitment at a startup, the chances of long-term success are negligible. As a mentor to entrepreneurs, I often get asked what you can do to build the right culture. Mentoring and training programs need to be put in place early. Every investor knows this.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Technical Review Mentor Training 102

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2022

As a startup mentor, I’m always amazed that some entrepreneurs seem to be an immediate hit with investors, while others struggle to get any attention at all. Finally I realized that venture capital and angel investors are actually humans, despite some views to the contrary. Exudes integrity, humility, and stability.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 111

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2020

One of the biggest myths I have found in the entrepreneur community is that every startup needs one or more outside investors for credibility and success, and perhaps is even entitled to at least one. Searching LinkedIn, for example, is a must for contemporary entrepreneurs. But don’t wait for them to contact you.

Funding 173

Funding Tips Startup Statistics 173

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 27, 2019

As a partially-retired baby-boomer in business, I’ve spent much of the last few years mentoring aspiring millennial entrepreneurs, and I’m always looking for more insights into how to help them. Build more determination by capitalizing on values. Activate a broader awareness of real-world drivers.

Tips 127

Tips Mentor Coach Guide 127

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2014

As a startup mentor, I’m always amazed that some entrepreneurs seem to be an immediate hit with investors, while others struggle to get any attention at all. Finally I realized that Venture Capital and Angel investors are actually humans, despite some views to the contrary. Exudes integrity, humility, and stability.

Entrepreneur 107

Entrepreneur Angel Social Media Patents 107

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

As more consumers were skipping commercials the idea of authentically integrating brands into media seemed obvious to me and ended up informing a lot of my investments in 2009 and 2010. Media relationships. At every entrepreneur event I through between 2008-2012 I invite Hamet because he was a great mentor for entrepreneurs.

Invest 340

Invest Venture Capital Startup News 340

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2020

As a startup mentor, I’m always amazed that some entrepreneurs seem to be an immediate hit with investors, while others struggle to get any attention at all. Finally I realized that venture capital and angel investors are actually humans, despite some views to the contrary. Exudes integrity, humility, and stability.

Entrepreneur 126

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 126

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 23, 2022

Many of you business leaders I work with, and entrepreneurs I mentor, have a great strategy and an innovative solution , but struggle with building and motivating the team necessary to run your business. Spend time coaching and mentoring team members. In my experience, what a team needs more is your connection and inspiration.

Mentor 108

Mentor Social Media Coach Customer 108

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 8, 2011

We have significant VC commitments (listed below) – every entering company will get $50,000 in funding, mentorship from top VCs and successful entrepreneurs plus free office space. One senior mentor to Launchpad LA recently said, “I got more out of Launchpad LA than I even put in. For the past 2.5

Venture Capital 287

Venture Capital Funding Startup GRP Partners 287

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 19, 2010

chapter of the Media, Entertainment and Technology Alliance (METal) and the voice of KenRadio's World Technology Roundup on CBS Radio, Rutkowski has recruited a roster of mentors to coach entrepreneurs who enroll in the institute's programs in LA. What role do the mentors play? The mentors at the L.A.

Mentor 185

Mentor Class Entertainment Technical Review 185

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2020

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Reverse due diligence on the investor is a comparable process whereby the entrepreneur seeks to validate the track record, operating style, and motivation of every potential partner.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Funding Innocal Offshore 124

SoCal CTO

NOVEMBER 10, 2009

He has a really interesting background as a product manager and now an entrepreneur. On the one hand, an entrepreneur should not be overly paranoid and should know the ropes that VCs and other professional investors generally will not sign NDAs to see the concept or a prototype--and even if they did, it would not provide much protection.

Product 150

Product Entrepreneur Social Media Google 150

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 12, 2020

As an entrepreneur mentor and startup investor, I see with sadness the 50 to 90 percent that fail. With the success of Facebook and Twitter, I still see new social media startups almost every day, with most destined to fail. A smart entrepreneur learns to embrace failure as a badge of learning that provides a competitive edge.

Startup 124

Startup Netflix Social Media Customer 124

From the Venture Trenches

APRIL 30, 2013

The value that is being “added” is often at arms length or via a specialist who interacts with the entrepreneur. Amplify Mentor Panel in full swing. Amplify’s close mentoring is by design. But like a Darwinian experiment, the extent to which these gifts are utilized remains entirely up to each individual entrepreneur.

Web Design 103

Web Design Social Media Seed Funding Design 103

Tech Zulu Event

JULY 21, 2015

Hundreds of founders, speakers, mentors, and students flocked to the University of Southern California on March 28 th , 2015 to be inspired by female entrepreneurs. As a founding partner of SoGal Ventures , Pocket will now influence the next generation of startups and entrepreneurs worldwide, helping many amazing females along the way.

Entrepreneur 40

Entrepreneur Southern California Conference Startup 40

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 7, 2019

In my role as a mentor to many business professionals, I still see some who have no idea how to adapt to the new realities. The simple answer is that we all have to start thinking like entrepreneurs, rather than entitled employees. Assess your intellectual capital and how to increase it. Market your business expertise.

Artificial Inteligence 96

Artificial Inteligence Startup Social Media Training 96

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 18, 2017

Union Square Ventures (USV) has been one of the most successful venture capital firms of the past 10–15 years and continues to be a leader in our industry. This has worked out tremendously well for us as I still have my mentor guiding the firm and he gets to look for deals that can have a massive impact on society and on returns for our LPs.

Venture Capital 161

Venture Capital Funding Capital Startup 161

socalTECH

MAY 2, 2013

Despite a growing technology industry here in Southern California, local investors and entrepreneurs tell us there''s still a shortage of local, venture capital. In particular, funding for companies developing deep technology--software and cloud, as opposed to content and media--seems to be lacking.

Invest 159

Invest Technology Startup Venture Capital 159

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 6, 2020

For example, Lyft and Uber were able to capitalize on the current ride-sharing trend worldwide by tracking statistics that indicated reduced interest in car ownership by millennials, lack of parking spaces, and auto ownership costs moving up rapidly. Spend more time outside the business, looking for trends.

Startup 124

Startup Customer Custom Statistics 124

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 24, 2014

As a result I didn’t write my first venture capital check until March 2009 – exactly 5 years ago. I divided success into the phases of venture capital and 18 months into writing my first check here was my view (details on each in the link above). “I think the best VCs help drive exits alongside their entrepreneurs.

Venture Capital 387

Venture Capital Downey Writing Press 387

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 25, 2013

After all, I am no stranger to the publicly expressing the frustrations of dealing with the downside of this industry as I wrote about in 2006 when I was an entrepreneur. “I don’t know the exact math, but I hear it again and again: the top 2% of firms generate 98% of the returns in venture capital.” But VC is like congress.

Venture Capital 374

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Invest Funding 374

socalTECH

OCTOBER 24, 2011

One of the biggest complaints you hear from both entrepreneurs and investors in Los Angeles, is the lack of a credible, visible startup accelerator in the Los Angeles area. Erik Rannala: MuckerLab is a new startup accelerator, focused on incubation stage Internet, software, services, and media businesses here in LA.

Technical Advisors 176

Technical Advisors Startup Southern California Los Angeles 176

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. It would be easier in terms of getting access to angels, VCs, the media, whatever. Just ask the people of Portland, Seattle, Boulder, Iowa, Princeton, Dallas or countless other cities that don’t have enough venture capital.

Venture Capital 365

Venture Capital Marketing Santa Barbara Startup 365

Tech.Co

JULY 12, 2017

. “The Disney Accelerator has provided The Walt Disney Company incredible opportunities to connect with and be inspired by many talented entrepreneurs from all over the world,” said Michael Abrams, Senior Vice President, Innovation, The Walt Disney Company. Meet the 11 startups for 2017: Ambidio.

Artificial Inteligence 108

Artificial Inteligence Startup Entertainment Press 108

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 8, 2011

My partner & mentor Yves Sisteron ( You can get to know Yves in this YouTube video ) has been active at HDI for years (as has our CFO, Dana Kibler ). Our investments focus heavily on the financial services industry, digital media, mobile applications & infrastructure, SaaS / Cloud and retail innovation. Women Entrepreneurs.

GRP Partners 285

GRP Partners Technical Review Truecar Invest 285

Tech Zulu Event

FEBRUARY 12, 2014

The LA-based accelerator is powered by Techstars and is looking for “technology-based companies focused on transformative media and entertainment experiences.” Applications are being accepted starting today, through April 16, 2014 for early-stage companies with innovative consumer media and entertainment product ideas.

Entertainment 102

Entertainment Santa Monica Ideas Mentor 102

SoCal Tech Calendar

SEPTEMBER 30, 2009

Brought to you by the team who produces Startonomics and Dealmaker LA, this hands-on "workshop-style" event will allow entrepreneurs to drill down on the key issues we face when laying the foundation to build and fund their company.

Rustic Canyon 100

Rustic Canyon MyLife GRP Partners Funding 100

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 7, 2013

Natalia not only wants to increase the number of women in investment, but bring more people in total to help startups and other businesses get the capital they need. We also want to create more capital for women entrepreneurs to increase the chances of being funded and connected to a bigger network.

Mentor 84

Mentor Invest Entrepreneur Startup 84

socalTECH

DECEMBER 10, 2010

It's the source for keeping a pulse on the dynamic world of technology, reaching venture capitalists, angel investors, entrepreneurs, CEOs, social media. Venture capital for innovators. Funding great entrepreneurs. Helping entrepreneurs succeed. to San Diego. experts, developers, and many, many others. learn more.

SoCalTech 127

SoCalTech Advertising Rustic Canyon Glendale 127

InfoChachkie

JUNE 9, 2015

To better understand how the accelerator world has matured beyond Demo Da, I sought out Jason Denenberg, former partner at Angel Capital Group, and current Director of Entrepreneurship at Launch Tennessee (LaunchTN). Savvy entrepreneurs - seek out programs which incorporate these post-graduation activities.

Startup 100

Startup Class LAMP Santa Barbara 100

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 6, 2014

I admit that I haven’t yet read it but I’ve had numerous discussions with Brad over the years about board structure & conduct and consider him a mentor on the topic. When you first start your company and raise initial venture capital your board probably consists of 1-3 founders and 1-2 VCs. In the Early Days.

Startup 325

Startup Sales Technical Review Software Review 325

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Reverse due diligence on the investor is a comparable process whereby the entrepreneur seeks to validate the track record, operating style, and motivation of every potential partner.

Technical Review 103

Technical Review Innocal Offshore Entrepreneur 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 9, 2015

As an entrepreneur mentor and startup investor, I see with sadness the 50 to 90 percent that fail. With the success of Facebook and Twitter, I still see new social media startups almost every day, with most destined to fail. A smart entrepreneur learns to embrace failure as a badge of learning that provides a competitive edge.

Startup 105

Startup Netflix Entrepreneur Social Media 105