Give First
119 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 39 ratingsIn the startup world, Give First means simply trying to help anyone—especially entrepreneurs—with no expectation of getting anything back. It's the pay-it-forward principle that builds strong startup networks. Hosts David Cohen and Brad Feld—Techstars cofounders, lifelong entrepreneurs, and startup investors—talk with mentors and founders about what giving first looks like in action, and how it makes great entrepreneurship possible.
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Episodes
The Sky’s The Limit
February 13, 2024 16:00 - 28 minutes - 142 MBKirill Bigai, Preply CEO and co-founder, launched the company’s first set of values back in 2015, while participating in the Techstars Berlin program. But as the team has changed, so have the values. “It’s an evolution,” said Bigai, who involves his 650+ staff members in their development and incorporates the values into hiring, performance reviews, and operations. David Cohen agrees that fine tuning and articulating values is smart for business and for company culture. In this edition o...
The Perfect Storm with Elizabeth Kraus
October 31, 2023 04:00 - 33 minutes - 169 MBFor 20 years, Elizabeth Kraus was busy being an entrepreneur. So busy and stressed, she wasn’t eating well, had wild energy swings and barely slept despite training for, and tackling long-distance triathlons. A host of other medical challenges led to a thyroid and hormone imbalance diagnosis and medication which she said, “put a band aid solution on all these health issues.” Until the band aid ripped off. “It was the perfect storm of disaster,” said Kraus, the chief investment officer fo...
Using Your Dragonfly Eyes with Charles Conn
September 05, 2023 16:05 - 26 minutes - 61.2 MBCharles Conn is a builder, a creator and an environmentalist. He’s managed to wed those three passions together by investing in the biotech space as the co-founder of Monograph Capital. “The most consistent thing you can do is work in this biology space because when humans have health security, they tend to look after the planet,” said Conn who has also been a member of the Patagonia board for 15 years, and chair for the last few. Patagonia recently transferred all its shares to The Patagon...
Bottoms Up: A Conversation with Bevi CEO Sean Grundy
May 30, 2023 14:34 - 34 minutes - 173 MBSean Grundy, co-founder and CEO of Bevi, wouldn’t budge despite calls from, ironically, David Cohen, the GiveFirst podcast host. Cohen wanted Bevi smart water coolers in more places than just Boston. Grundy wanted to prioritize quality control and customer retention. “We wanted our mechanical engineers and electrical engineers close by so they could personally put their eyes on any errors, see what was going wrong and fix it,” said Grundy. That was back in 2014 just after participating...
Startup Community Builder Chris Heivly and his Newest “Build the Fort” Book
April 25, 2023 14:46 - 28 minutes - 141 MBDescribed as the foremost expert on how to build startup communities, Chris Heivly has written “Build the Fort: The Startup Community Builder's Field Guide.” Listen in as Chris and David talk about what Heivly discovered while writing and practical steps to take for anyone who wants to launch a startup community. From building a pipeline of founders to feeding that funnel continuously and storytelling, Heivly reminds listeners the first step is culture. “Connections are the lifeblood of...
Leading Through Crisis: 96 hours after the fall of SVB
March 16, 2023 14:17 - 49 minutes - 247 MBThe fall of SVB will go down in history as one of those ‘where were you when …’ moments. For David Cohen, he was sitting at a sporting event when his phone began buzzing incessantly. For Brad Feld, he was couch shopping with his wife. Feld is no stranger to crises and his instincts kicked in quickly. “I shifted into problem-solving mode,” says Feld. But then, almost as quickly, the government stepped in and money began flowing. Crisis averted. It was time to reflect. Listen as Feld and C...
MeatoDoor Founders on Startups With Family— But Not A Family Business
January 31, 2023 16:27 - 22 minutes - 116 MBThough many might shy away from working with their spouse, MeatoDoor Founders Ambreen Khan and Rashid Ahmed wouldn’t have it any other way. “We don't see that as a challenge in terms of running the company. We are both totally different individuals; we bring different skills to the table,” says Ambreen, who is also CEO of MeatoDoor. “In fact, we both complement each other so much that almost 60% of the skillset that is crucial for an early-stage company to have growth, we actually satisfy ...
Creator Science Founder on The Value of Creating Content
January 10, 2023 14:43 - 26 minutes - 61.2 MBAs an entrepreneur, Jay Clouse loves to create. After spending time in the product world as both a founder and an employee of another company, he stumbled into the world of content creation, where he could build products on his own timeline. The Creative Science Founder has the #givefirst mentality, providing many free resources through several platforms for founders and creators, including his podcast Creative Elements. “The model in a nutshell is giving first for as long as you can, nev...
Arweave Co-Founder on Building an Archive of History Using Blockchain
December 20, 2022 14:30 - 27 minutes - 63.6 MBDo you have a digital storage problem? As almost everything begins to be stored digitally, customers are often looking for sustainable but secure and permanent storage for their assets. What was once considered science fiction has been created by Arweave. One of the company’s goals is to create a permanent archive of all of humanity’s knowledge through its cryptographically verifiable method. “The simple way of explaining what Arweave is to people that have read 1984 is, well, you know the...
Techstars Director of ESG on Being a Responsible Founder and Investor
October 18, 2022 13:47 - 24 minutes - 56.3 MBWhen a thoughtful founder or investor is thinking about creating or sustaining long-term value and a company that adapts for the future, they are already inherently thinking about environmental, social, and governance issues (ESG). ESG is for ALL companies - not just the ones focused on the environment. Dr. Mairi-Jane Fox, Director of ESG at Techstars, breaks down the creation of ESG, starting from when companies began to think about their corporate social responsibility (CSR), to the sust...
QuickHire Co-Founder & CEO on Raising Capital as a Person of Color
October 04, 2022 16:00 - 20 minutes - 45.9 MBWhen we talk about a startup successfully raising money after being part of a Techstars accelerator, that’s not an unusual story. But did you know that only 0.3% of all venture capital funding goes to black women? For Deborah Gladney, co-founder and CEO of QuickHire, this was a reality every day as she and her sister built their company with not many connections, low-balled valuations, and many more roadblocks. “After we were able to successfully raise, what was so apparent was how rare it...
Endel CEO and Co-Founder on the Future of Sound
September 27, 2022 14:00 - 20 minutes - 47.6 MBImagine always having a soundscape that adapts to what you're doing and what you need to get done without the need to manually select a playlist. This is the future with Endel, an app that utilizes circadian rhythms and the neuroscience study of how sound influences the cognitive state. “It's an ever-present sound that follows you everywhere during the day across all channels and platforms Endel is available on. And it just proactively shifts between different modes, depending on what yo...
David Cohen and Brad Feld Talk Mental Health for Entrepreneurs
September 07, 2022 15:48 - 29 minutes - 68.5 MBIt took decades for Brad Feld to understand his depression and mental health struggles. “There was a period of time, pretty deep into this depressive episode. … Work was fine. Business was fine, but I would describe it looking backward as the complete absence of joy. There was no joy in anything that I was doing in any way I was doing it.” All the while, Brad was the founder of his own company while in his mid-20s, but he felt ashamed as the CEO because “the mantra that got thrown around ...
Ep 70: Recast Capital Co-Founder on Working With Emerging Managers
August 16, 2022 13:11 - 21 minutes - 48.4 MBIf an entrepreneur takes a seed stage investment from a very large brand-name venture fund, they’re unlikely to get very much of the venture fund’s time. However, when it comes to emerging managers, this group often comes up with very specific ways that they believe they can help you, says Recast Capital Co-Founder and Managing Partner Courtney McCrea. “To the extent that you're in the earliest stages of your development of your business, I would think that I would be looking for partners t...
Recast Capital Co-Founder on Working With Emerging Managers
August 16, 2022 13:11 - 21 minutes - 48.4 MBIf an entrepreneur takes a seed stage investment from a very large brand-name venture fund, they’re unlikely to get very much of the venture fund’s time. However, when it comes to emerging managers, this group often comes up with very specific ways that they believe they can help you, says Recast Capital Co-Founder and Managing Partner Courtney McCrea. “To the extent that you're in the earliest stages of your development of your business, I would think that I would be looking for partners t...
Episode 69: ESG Takeover: B Lab Community Engagement Manager and Project Canary COO on What It Means to be a B Corp
July 27, 2022 15:44 - 22 minutes - 52.3 MBIn this final ESG takeover episode, Dr. Mairi-Jane Fox, who helps lead ESG at Techstars, talks with B Lab Senior Manager of Community Engagement and Network Strategy Becca Quirk and Project Canary Co-founder & COO Will Foiles about what it really means when a business gets its B Corp certification and how it creates impactful changes. “Inherently, becoming a B corporation forces a founder to look not just at what we are accomplishing today, but what we are working to accomplish,” says Becca...
ESG Takeover: B Lab Community Engagement Manager and Project Canary COO on What It Means to be a B Corp
July 27, 2022 15:44 - 22 minutes - 52.3 MBIn this final ESG takeover episode, Dr. Mairi-Jane Fox, who helps lead ESG at Techstars, talks with B Lab Senior Manager of Community Engagement and Network Strategy Becca Quirk and Project Canary Co-founder & COO Will Foiles about what it really means when a business gets its B Corp certification and how it creates impactful changes. “Inherently, becoming a B corporation forces a founder to look not just at what we are accomplishing today, but what we are working to accomplish,” says Becca...
Ep 68: ESG Takeover: Soona CEO and UN PRI Head of Private Equity on How to Engage with Investors
July 20, 2022 15:08 - 26 minutes - 61.8 MBIn this second ESG takeover episode, Dr. Mairi-Jane Fox, who helps lead ESG at Techstars, talks with Soona CEO and Co-Founder Liz Giorgi and UN-sponsored Principles for Responsible Investment Head of Private Equity Peter Dunbar about different aspects of engaging with investors, including investor diligence, transparent conversations, and discussing ESG practices. First, Liz Giorgi explains the development of the candor clause, and how it benefits startup founders regardless of their identi...
ESG Takeover: Soona CEO and UN PRI Head of Private Equity on How to Engage with Investors
July 20, 2022 15:08 - 26 minutes - 61.8 MBIn this second ESG takeover episode, Dr. Mairi-Jane Fox, who helps lead ESG at Techstars, talks with Soona CEO and Co-Founder Liz Giorgi and UN-sponsored Principles for Responsible Investment Head of Private Equity Peter Dunbar about different aspects of engaging with investors, including investor diligence, transparent conversations, and discussing ESG practices. First, Liz Giorgi explains the development of the candor clause, and how it benefits startup founders regardless of their identi...
Integrated Capital Strategies Founder Sharon Schneider on Value Integration and Social Entrepreneurship
July 19, 2022 13:29 - 22 minutes - 51.4 MBWe all have a set of principles for how we live our lives. How well are those principles aligned across every facet, though? You might be environmentally conscious but it’s important to ask yourself: Where do you do your banking? Who holds your mortgage? This is the driving point for author Sharon Schneider’s book, Handbook for an Integrated Life: A Practical Guide to Aligning Your Everyday Choices with Your Internal Compass. “If you're just floating along on mainstream American culture, ...
Ep 67: Integrated Capital Strategies Founder Sharon Schneider on Value Integration and Social Entrepreneurship
July 19, 2022 13:29 - 22 minutes - 51.4 MBWe all have a set of principles for how we live our lives. How well are those principles aligned across every facet, though? You might be environmentally conscious but it’s important to ask yourself: Where do you do your banking? Who holds your mortgage? This is the driving point for author Sharon Schneider’s book, Handbook for an Integrated Life: A Practical Guide to Aligning Your Everyday Choices with Your Internal Compass. “If you're just floating along on mainstream American culture, ...
Ep 66: ESG Takeover: Sustaio Founder and SVT Group CEO on Benefits of ESG Measurement for Your Company
July 13, 2022 15:22 - 21 minutes - 49.7 MBIn this first ESG takeover episode, Dr. Mairi-Jane Fox, who helps lead ESG at Techstars, talks with Sustaio founder and CEO Olivia Pedersen and SVT Group CEO Sara Olsen about the benefits and the how-to of measuring ESG impact for early-stage start-ups. “It's a responsible business practice to manage your carbon effectively and make sure that you're taking responsibility for the impact and the externalized cost that your company is creating,” said Olivia Pedersen. Listen as Olivia and Sar...
ESG Takeover: Sustaio Founder and SVT Group CEO on Benefits of ESG Measurement for Your Company
July 13, 2022 15:22 - 21 minutes - 49.7 MBIn this first ESG takeover episode, Dr. Mairi-Jane Fox, who helps lead ESG at Techstars, talks with Sustaio founder and CEO Olivia Pedersen and SVT Group CEO Sara Olsen about the benefits and the how-to of measuring ESG impact for early-stage start-ups. “It's a responsible business practice to manage your carbon effectively and make sure that you're taking responsibility for the impact and the externalized cost that your company is creating,” said Olivia Pedersen. Listen as Olivia and Sar...
Techstars Berlin Managing Director Martin Schilling on Guiding Global Tech Startup Builders
July 05, 2022 14:00 - 29 minutes - 67 MBMartin Schilling said he would never work in finance. However, after two years of scaling N26 Group, a large European fintech company, he left with a wealth of knowledge that he needed to share. So he wrote “The Builder’s Guide to the Tech Galaxy” with several leading tech builders. “It is, in essence, a give-first book because together with my co-founders, we are deep advocates of scaling up the European tech ecosystem. Why? Because as startup builders, we are the pioneers of our times. We...
Ep 65: Techstars Berlin Managing Director Martin Schilling on Guiding Global Tech Startup Builders
July 05, 2022 14:00 - 29 minutes - 67 MBMartin Schilling said he would never work in finance. However, after two years of scaling N26 Group, a large European fintech company, he left with a wealth of knowledge that he needed to share. So he wrote “The Builder’s Guide to the Tech Galaxy” with several leading tech builders. “It is, in essence, a give-first book because together with my co-founders, we are deep advocates of scaling up the European tech ecosystem. Why? Because as startup builders, we are the pioneers of our times. We...
Flikshop CEO Marcus Bullock on Reshaping the Criminal Justice System
June 21, 2022 15:31 - 33 minutes - 77.1 MBAt 15 years old, Marcus Bullock’s life changed forever. He was locked in an adult maximum-security prison for 8 years after carjacking a man. Marcus began to feel hopeless, so his mother began to send photos and letters each day. A few years after his release, his friends in prison asked Marcus for photos and letters of his travels and life. Marcus knew there had to be a better way to share his experiences outside the prison walls, and when he didn’t find an app to do it, he created it hims...
Ep 64: Flikshop CEO Marcus Bullock on Reshaping the Criminal Justice System
June 21, 2022 15:31 - 33 minutes - 77.1 MBAt 15 years old, Marcus Bullock’s life changed forever. He was locked in an adult maximum-security prison for 8 years after carjacking a man. Marcus began to feel hopeless, so his mother began to send photos and letters each day. A few years after his release, his friends in prison asked Marcus for photos and letters of his travels and life. Marcus knew there had to be a better way to share his experiences outside the prison walls, and when he didn’t find an app to do it, he created it hims...
HILOS Founder Elias Stahl on Creating A New Supply Chain
May 10, 2022 15:35 - 25 minutes - 58.6 MBSupply chains are a big nut to crack, and Elias Stahl ran straight for them. He was empowered to start a whole new supply chain and have his company HILOS be at the forefront of creating a different way to manufacture shoes, where it is ground zero for inefficiency and waste. “We saw that opportunity to leverage new technologies like 3D printing and gender design tools to rethink how we make things so that we're no longer building based on volume and cost, but on efficiency and a far more s...
Ep 63: HILOS Founder Elias Stahl on Creating A New Supply Chain
May 10, 2022 15:35 - 25 minutes - 58.6 MBSupply chains are a big nut to crack, and Elias Stahl ran straight for them. He was empowered to start a whole new supply chain and have his company HILOS be at the forefront of creating a different way to manufacture shoes, where it is ground zero for inefficiency and waste. “We saw that opportunity to leverage new technologies like 3D printing and gender design tools to rethink how we make things so that we're no longer building based on volume and cost, but on efficiency and a far more s...
Ep 62: Twelve Labs CEO Jae Lee on Video Search Innovation and Accelerating with Techstars
April 26, 2022 13:08 - 24 minutes - 55.9 MBInnovation is just innovation if no one uses it. This is a lesson Jae Lee, co-founder and CEO of Twelve Labs, learned while building multimodal neural networks and video search AI. Through the Techstars Seattle Accelerator, mentors, and community, the company began to grow its customer base, transforming from a video search prototype to raising $5 million in a seed funding round. Listen as Jae Lee describes how video search is a very intuitive concept but we haven’t seen much of this techno...
Twelve Labs CEO Jae Lee on Video Search Innovation and Accelerating with Techstars
April 26, 2022 13:08 - 24 minutes - 55.9 MBInnovation is just innovation if no one uses it. This is a lesson Jae Lee, co-founder and CEO of Twelve Labs, learned while building multimodal neural networks and video search AI. Through the Techstars Seattle Accelerator, mentors, and community, the company began to grow its customer base, transforming from a video search prototype to raising $5 million in a seed funding round. Listen as Jae Lee describes how video search is a very intuitive concept but we haven’t seen much of this techno...
Ep 61: Authors Mark Achler and Mert Iseri on Exit Strategy and Building Your Legacy
February 16, 2022 15:17 - 26 minutes - 60 MBThere are many business books out there for current and future entrepreneurs: How to start, how to raise money, how to market, and more. However, after selling his business SwipeSense to SC Johnson, Mert Iseri, with his mentor Mark Achler, realized there aren’t as many books imparting wisdom about selling your business from all aspects of the process. “The exit hopefully is a joyous moment in time, but your relationships and your legacy lasts hopefully through the rest of your career,” said...
Authors Mark Achler and Mert Iseri on Exit Strategy and Building Your Legacy
February 16, 2022 15:17 - 26 minutes - 60 MBThere are many business books out there for current and future entrepreneurs: How to start, how to raise money, how to market, and more. However, after selling his business SwipeSense to SC Johnson, Mert Iseri, with his mentor Mark Achler, realized there aren’t as many books imparting wisdom about selling your business from all aspects of the process. “The exit hopefully is a joyous moment in time, but your relationships and your legacy lasts hopefully through the rest of your career,” said...
Stream Founder Thierry Schellenbach on Listening to Customers and Following the Metrics
February 01, 2022 16:58 - 22 minutes - 50.4 MBStream might be a small startup company, but by listening to its customers and their needs, the company decided to launch a second product that helped it scale. “Focusing only on a single product, it was hard to go for larger channels that are not well-targeted, so we needed to have a broader product offering to really scale up,” said founder and CEO Thierry Schellenbach. “I think that’s the one thing in terms of advice for founders, I think you need to look at those metrics and we could h...
Ep 60: Stream Founder Thierry Schellenbach on Listening to Customers and Following the Metrics
February 01, 2022 16:58 - 22 minutes - 50.4 MBStream might be a small startup company, but by listening to its customers and their needs, the company decided to launch a second product that helped it scale. “Focusing only on a single product, it was hard to go for larger channels that are not well-targeted, so we needed to have a broader product offering to really scale up,” said founder and CEO Thierry Schellenbach. “I think that’s the one thing in terms of advice for founders, I think you need to look at those metrics and we could h...
Articulate Persuasion Founder Monique Maley on Delivering Ideas with Conviction
January 11, 2022 17:00 - 27 minutes - 64 MBMonique Maley actually began her career in acting, which has shaped how she became an entrepreneur and mentor. When she transitioned out of the acting industry, she used her skills of communication and body language to help other leaders get out of their own way. “For years I've been saying the thing that attracted me so much to the startup ecosystem and why I get so energized by it is because it's exactly like theater and film. There are so many things about it. There's the energy, the cr...
Ep 59: Articulate Persuasion Founder Monique Maley on Delivering Ideas with Conviction
January 11, 2022 17:00 - 27 minutes - 64 MBMonique Maley actually began her career in acting, which has shaped how she became an entrepreneur and mentor. When she transitioned out of the acting industry, she used her skills of communication and body language to help other leaders get out of their own way. “For years I've been saying the thing that attracted me so much to the startup ecosystem and why I get so energized by it is because it's exactly like theater and film. There are so many things about it. There's the energy, the cr...
Sketchfab Co-Founder on Building Relationships as the Key to Business Immortality
December 14, 2021 14:24 - 21 minutes - 49 MBStarted in France, Alban Denoyel knew that the key to his product, Sketchfab, was its influence in the United States. Now a leading platform for 3D and AR models, Sketchfab got a boost while Alban was part of the Techstars Accelerator program. “I think having gone through Techstars really helped us get the credibility we needed to raise money with VCs as first-time entrepreneurs.” Years later, the key takeaways from Alban’s time in the program still bring success to Sketchfab. Investors won...
Ep 58: Sketchfab Co-Founder on Building Relationships as the Key to Business Immortality
December 14, 2021 14:24 - 21 minutes - 49 MBStarted in France, Alban Denoyel knew that the key to his product, Sketchfab, was its influence in the United States. Now a leading platform for 3D and AR models, Sketchfab got a boost while Alban was part of the Techstars Accelerator program. “I think having gone through Techstars really helped us get the credibility we needed to raise money with VCs as first-time entrepreneurs.” Years later, the key takeaways from Alban’s time in the program still bring success to Sketchfab. Investors won...
Ep 57: Zipline co-founder on how robotics and automation have changed him and the world
November 30, 2021 20:21 - 18 minutes - 42.8 MBWhen Keller Rinaudo started Remotive in 2011 while in a Techstars Accelerator program, he didn’t really know what entrepreneurship was until he read Tony Hsieh's book “Delivering Happiness.” At the time, he was at Harvard University working with DNA and the inner workings of humans, not robots. That all shifted. Keller and his team knew that the world of robotics and automation would change within the next decade, and they wanted to be a part of that transformation. Now, his company Ziplin...
Zipline co-founder on how robotics and automation have changed him and the world
November 30, 2021 20:21 - 18 minutes - 42.8 MBWhen Keller Rinaudo started Remotive in 2011 while in a Techstars Accelerator program, he didn’t really know what entrepreneurship was until he read Tony Hsieh's book “Delivering Happiness.” At the time, he was at Harvard University working with DNA and the inner workings of humans, not robots. That all shifted. Keller and his team knew that the world of robotics and automation would change within the next decade, and they wanted to be a part of that transformation. Now, his company Ziplin...
Goodie Nation's Joey Womack on building community for entrepreneurs from all backgrounds
November 02, 2021 16:00 - 18 minutes - 41.7 MBJoey Womack is a builder, but he’s not in traditional construction. Through creating ecosystems and making connections, he is helping social entrepreneurs and diverse founders build relationships that close the gaps, all through his company Goodie Nation. A relationship gap is the distance between entrepreneurs and key influencers. Often with diverse founders and social entrepreneurs, particularly those not in coastal financial centers, they are less connected to these key influencers than ...
Ep 56: Goodie Nation's Joey Womack on building community for entrepreneurs from all backgrounds
November 02, 2021 16:00 - 18 minutes - 41.7 MBJoey Womack is a builder, but he’s not in traditional construction. Through creating ecosystems and making connections, he is helping social entrepreneurs and diverse founders build relationships that close the gaps, all through his company Goodie Nation. A relationship gap is the distance between entrepreneurs and key influencers. Often with diverse founders and social entrepreneurs, particularly those not in coastal financial centers, they are less connected to these key influencers than ...
Ep 55: MindMaven Founder and CEO Patrick Ewers on achieving true greatness through relationships
October 12, 2021 13:30 - 23 minutes - 53.7 MBPatrick Ewers describes his work as helping people achieve true greatness, or as our host David Cohen calls it, giving people superpowers. But there is a funny thing about the term “true greatness”. “When you look at the word true greatness, I think it's the most subjective term you will ever come across, especially in the world we're working in. For some, it is that they really want to reach the top, they want to become the next Elon Musk. Most people want to just reach the fullest potenti...
MindMaven Founder and CEO Patrick Ewers on achieving true greatness through relationships
October 12, 2021 13:30 - 23 minutes - 53.7 MBPatrick Ewers describes his work as helping people achieve true greatness, or as our host David Cohen calls it, giving people superpowers. But there is a funny thing about the term “true greatness”. “When you look at the word true greatness, I think it's the most subjective term you will ever come across, especially in the world we're working in. For some, it is that they really want to reach the top, they want to become the next Elon Musk. Most people want to just reach the fullest potenti...
Zane Access founder Shila Nieves Burney on accessing networks while building capital
October 07, 2021 15:00 - 22 minutes - 50.8 MBShila Nieves Burney, General Partner at Zane Venture Fund, has spent 20-plus years addressing inequity with capital, first in human capital with institutions and education systems, and then sourcing investors. Along the way, Shila discovered a much-needed resource for entrepreneurs: networks and connections. They can build the capital, but then what? In comes Zane Access capital readiness program. “We teach the technical skills, accessing venture capital, some of the terminology. What did i...
Ep 54: Zane Access founder Shila Nieves Burney on accessing networks while building capital
October 07, 2021 15:00 - 22 minutes - 50.8 MBShila Nieves Burney, General Partner at Zane Venture Fund, has spent 20-plus years addressing inequity with capital, first in human capital with institutions and education systems, and then sourcing investors. Along the way, Shila discovered a much-needed resource for entrepreneurs: networks and connections. They can build the capital, but then what? In comes Zane Access capital readiness program. “We teach the technical skills, accessing venture capital, some of the terminology. What did i...
DivInc’s Preston James on diversity and inclusion in the tech industry
September 28, 2021 13:00 - 16 minutes - 38.5 MBAfter two decades in the corporate world, Preston James was blown away by the innovation of tech startups. Once he got involved as an angel investor, he realized this industry was just like corporate America, where diversity was severely lacking. After digging into the issue by talking to others within his network, Preston saw the need to “build this pipeline of entrepreneurs for the underrepresented community and make the ecosystem more authentically diverse, equitable, and inclusive in cr...
Ep 53: DivInc’s Preston James on diversity and inclusion in the tech industry
September 28, 2021 13:00 - 16 minutes - 38.5 MBAfter two decades in the corporate world, Preston James was blown away by the innovation of tech startups. Once he got involved as an angel investor, he realized this industry was just like corporate America, where diversity was severely lacking. After digging into the issue by talking to others within his network, Preston saw the need to “build this pipeline of entrepreneurs for the underrepresented community and make the ecosystem more authentically diverse, equitable, and inclusive in cr...
Fraudmarc’s Keith Coleman on the Value of Give First as a Founder
September 21, 2021 13:00 - 38 minutes - 87.5 MBIf you’ve ever wondered just where Give First came from, or how it became such a central philosophy at Techstars, this episode is for you. Or if you’ve ever wanted to push back and say: does Give First really work? What’s in it for me? This is also the episode for you. A few months ago, Keith Coleman, Founder of Fraudmarc (Techstars Atlanta 2017) emailed David and Brad with the subject “give first, finish last.” In it, he explained his reservations with Give First. Basically, he asked: Is ...