Subscribe to Smart Business Dealmakers
August 12, 2022
Engineered From Personal Need, Nollapelli Is Ready To Grow
Nollapelli founder Allison Howard talks with the Smart Business Dealmakers Podcast about how she created Nollapelli and prepared the company for early-stage investing. ...
By Dan Pender
August 11, 2022
Archetype Solutions Pursues A Unique Approach To Investing
Archetype Solutions Group CEO Chetan Bagga on launching Archetype Solutions and its unique approach to investing....
By Adam Burroughs
July 29, 2022
Dan German on lessons learned launching Orthobrain
Orthobrain's Dan German on launching Orthobrain, fundraising, and how the lessons he learned growing and selling German Orthodontics are informing his new venture....
By Adam Burroughs
July 22, 2022
Been there, built that
Rextar's Bill Fox on how his earlier experience forming, growing and exiting GoIndustry is informing how he's building and growing Rextar....
By Adam Burroughs
July 22, 2022
When Three Little Pigs Went To Market
Village Gourmet's David Kemp and Gemini Investors' James Goodman on buying Three Little Pigs, growing it into Village Gourmet and taking that company to market....
By Adam Burroughs
July 14, 2022
Ascender Lifts Early-Stage Entrepreneurs
Nadyli Nuñez, executive director, Ascender, has guided hundreds of early-stage entrepreneurs through her incubator, co-working programs, and numerous early-stage investments to position them for add-on capital as part of their growth journey from scale-up to the middle market. She has a detailed, hands-on approach to ensure the success of her clients. ...
By Dan Pender
July 6, 2022
Reasons to be excited, cautious, when launching a business with family
Geneoscopy's Andrew Barnell on launching Geneoscopy, structuring the business and working with family....
By Adam Burroughs
July 6, 2022
Family must earn their way into Archangel's CEO seat
Archangel Protective Services' Ken Thomas on how the company got its start, the importance of getting help along the way, succession planning and the ways he's helping others get their entrepreneurial start. ...
By Adam Burroughs
June 17, 2022
Founders helping founders
Ilana Diamond on launching 412 Ventures, its investment thesis, and how their collective experience as founders might give them an advantage....
By Adam Burroughs
June 2, 2022
It’s All About Partnerships and Pitch Decks for Rambus
Mykolas Rambus is a serial entrepreneur who founded and sold two previous companies, including Wealth-X, where he served as CEO until its 2016 sale for more than $20 million. Most recently, Mykolas raised early-stage rounds of capital in 2021 to build out Hush, a company that offers cybersecurity services. Though the capital raise process went well, Mykolas talks about how better pitch materials would have made for a smoother raise. ...
By Dan Pender
April 28, 2022
Capital alignment and speaking investors' languages
Amicus.io CEO and Co-Founder Cor Hoekstra, talks prior to the company's acquisition by TIFIN about attracting investors, differentiation, and what he sees as the future for the company. ...
By Adam Burroughs
March 24, 2022
When PE goes downstream
North Coast Ventures Managing Director Todd Federman on the deal year for early-stage companies, as well as the trends he's seeing on that end of the M&A spectrum. ...
By Adam Burroughs
March 11, 2022
Raising capital as a startup is about more than money
Rabbu CEO Emir Dukic talks about the process of raising capital and how he went about doing diligence on potential investors....
By Adam Burroughs
March 11, 2022
Even for the best entrepreneurs, raising capital is always harder than it looks
Bloomscape Founder and CEO Justin Mast spoke with Dickinson Wright's Zan Nicolli about his venture and the process of raising capital from investors....
By Adam Burroughs
February 11, 2022
City Shoppe's Ash Cintas on Investors as Coaches
Ash Cintas, founder and CEO of City Shoppe, talks about her experience launching the company, fundraising, and what she looks for in an investor....
By Adam Burroughs
February 11, 2022
When pitching nascent opportunities, explain it so grandma would understand
Play One Up CEO Brandon Pitts talks about the growing esports industry, building Play One Up and how he pitches investors who might not be familiar with the opportunity....
By Adam Burroughs
January 7, 2022
Three mistakes that signal you're unlikely to get funded
Serial entrepreneur Bob Norton talks about what investors really look for in a pitch, the team and the concept, as well as where most entrepreneurial ventures stumble and fail....
By Adam Burroughs
December 2, 2021
How Chris Molaro launched NeuroFlow
NeuroFlow co-founder Chris Molaro on changing the way mental health care is delivered, his most recent M&A deal, and the company’s future. ...
By Adam Burroughs
October 8, 2021
Shane Bigelow on launching CHAMPtitles
CHAMPtitles Shane Bigelow talks about the venture, its recent raise and progress in the market, as well as the challenges of being based in Ohio....
By Adam Burroughs
September 3, 2021
Will Zell sees exuberance in venture capital
Will Zell, founder of Zell Capital and Executive Chairman at Nikola Labs, offers his take on the view from the early stage....
By Adam Burroughs
August 27, 2021
Nat Clarkson on the impact of investor moves downstream
CFV Ventures Managing Partner Nat Clarkson on what he’s seeing at the seed stage, and how firms at his level may look to adjust their strategies if larger firms became a player in the mix....
By Adam Burroughs
August 13, 2021
Feuer Innovation Accelerator Fund Gives UH Leader Power To Promote Ideas From Within
A $2 million gift to University Hospitals by serial entrepreneur Michael Feuer and his wife Ellen aims to enhance the hospital’s ability to spur innovation by giving UH’s CEO the financial and decision-making latitude to back strong ideas. ...
By Adam Burroughs
July 29, 2021
Luke Cooper on how pluck and luck helped him sell Fixt to Assurant
Luke Cooper talks about Fixt’s sale to Assurant, strategies for fundraising as well as an initiative that’s underway to help connect African-American entrepreneurs with Fortune 500 companies....
By Adam Burroughs
July 29, 2021
How Wisr used pressure to distinguish serious investors
John Knific talks about fundraising and Wisr's deal with EAB. ...
By Adam Burroughs
July 9, 2021
Women and the unique challenges they face in their entrepreneurial pursuits
Linda Pringle Evans, CEO and Founder of Pringle Business Consulting, and the Director of Education at Empowering a Billion Women, discusses the state of female entrepreneurship in the U.S. ...
By Adam Burroughs
June 18, 2021
Pivoting during the pandemic saves the year for early-stage SaaS companies
Wendy Jarchow, chief investment officer at River SaaS talk about how early-stage companies fared during the pandemic, what she expects from that segment in 2021 and the factors that could influence their year....
By Adam Burroughs
June 18, 2021
To build your pipeline, write the checks
Marcus Whitney, founding partner, Jumpstart Health Investors on how technology helped him make some 80 investments in his first couple years at Jumpstart Foundry, and his newest fund, Jumpstart Nova....
By Adam Burroughs
June 11, 2021
Ryan Green continually adjusts his model to find success
Gridwise co-founder Ryan Green continues to evolve his business, using customer feedback and adjusting to the market to find success....
By Adam Burroughs
June 4, 2021
Dana Guthrie on the state of startups
Dana Guthrie, managing partner of Gateway Capital Partners, talks about how her firm got its start, how it addresses funding gaps in the market, and her sense of how the startup community is working through the challenges they’ve faced during the pandemic....
By Adam Burroughs
May 21, 2021
Louis Foreman on how IP strategy creates value
Enventys Partners CEO Louis Foreman CEO on where startups struggle, and how they find success....
By Adam Burroughs
April 30, 2021
Carrie Thome on the state of her state’s VC community
Carrie Thome, managing director at NVNG Investment Advisors, talks about the state of the venture world in Wisconsin....
By Adam Burroughs
April 23, 2021
Eric Johnson on staying connected with Nashville’s business community
Nashville seems to have a healthy homegrown ecosystem, but Eric Johnson, Dean of the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt, says there’s always room for improvement....
By Adam Burroughs
April 16, 2021
BlueTree Allied Angels’ Sreekar Gadde urges entrepreneurs to see IP differently
BlueTree Allied Angels’ Sreekar Gadde urges entrepreneurs to stop think about IP only in terms of protection, and instead create a holistic strategy to maximize long-term value....
By Adam Burroughs
March 18, 2021
Capital Midwest’s Dan Einhorn sees value in significant upfront investments
Dan Einhorn, Capital Midwest’s general partner, focuses his focus on the long-term interest of its portfolio companies early on. ...
By Adam Burroughs
March 5, 2021
Stuart Sorkin on why disruption is overrated
Former Affy Tapple CEO Stuart Sorkin talks investment approach and deal criteria, and why disruptors are overrated....
By Adam Burroughs
March 5, 2021
David Brophy says organize the venture world!
David Brophy, Professor of Finance, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, talks about the venture capital ecosystem and what its continued growth means for Michigan, the Detroit region, and the scale-up community that’s looking for growth capital....
By Adam Burroughs
February 12, 2021
Dan Roselli talks COVID vs VCs
Dan Roselli talks about the effect of COVID on early-stage investments fundamentals, the eagerness (or timidity) of capital, and the sectors with early-stage businesses that are attracting the most investor interest....
By Adam Burroughs
January 22, 2021
Raise capital, gain market validation with crowdfunding, says Louis Foreman
Louis Foreman, CEO, Enventys Partners talks about product innovation, raising capital, recent patent activity trends and the commonalities among his 15 clients who appeared on the TV show Shark Tank....
By Adam Burroughs
October 30, 2020
Brock Leonti on the importance of intellectual capital
Perscribe FIT's Brock Leonti on what it’s like to be a startup during a pandemic, and how funders factor in to the company’s success during turbulent times....
By Adam Burroughs
April 24, 2020
Jake Loosararian bets on himself — and Gecko Robotics
Jake Loosararian turned down an offer for Gecko Robotics in 2015 and stuck with the principles of why he started the company. He shares how that decision has paid off....
By Jayne Gest
February 6, 2020
CitySide Ventures’ David Weaver: When Your Plan Doesn’t Work, Be Ready To Pivot To Something New
Longtime dealmaker put more than three decades of diversified management experience to use to help early-stage companies connect with the resources they need to grow their businesses....
By Mark Scott
January 9, 2020
DHL Supply Chain gets proactive with the digital disruption
About three years ago, DHL Supply Chain changed how it considered digitalization, moving from defense to offense and working directly with startups. Sally Miller, CIO North America, shared how the company set up and runs this innovation funnel....
By Jayne Gest
December 19, 2019
Ovid’s Matt Geiger: Focus On Finding Ways To Get The Deal Done
Matt Geiger has experience as both an entrepreneur and an investor. When he’s an entrepreneur, he’s learned the value of letting the investor be the smartest one in the room....
By Mark Scott
December 17, 2019
Jessica Gibson on raising capital from inside a health-tech startup
Pittsburgh’s efforts to grow its regional health-tech and life science startup sector haven’t paid off as much or as quickly as city and business leaders would like. But Ariel Precision Medicine CEO and co-founder Jessica Gibson believes there’s still a path forward with more collaboration....
By Jayne Gest
December 12, 2019
Pre Brands’ Jason Pinter: Build An Investment Thesis That Works For You
Feedback is important as you’re building a business. But you’ve got to do what you think is best, says Pre Brands’ Jason Pinter....
By Mark Scott
December 9, 2019
Innovation Fund NEO Awards $275K To Five Startup Companies
Founded by the Lorain County Community College Foundation, Innovation Fund awards technology-based startups up to $100,000 so they can validate their technologies and business concepts....
By Mark Scott
November 21, 2019
Pitt Ohio spinoff Idelic iterates quickly, including during fundraising
Hayden Cardiff approaches raising capital the same way he approaches building a product — with a lean startup methodology of build, measure and learn. The Idelic CEO discusses the company's growth and how he's applying what he's learned....
By Jayne Gest
November 7, 2019
MedPilot Co-Founders Bring A Methodical Approach To Scaling Their Business
Matt Buder Shapiro and Nathan Spoden have taken a humble yet confident approach to building MedPilot....
By Mark Scott
October 24, 2019
Denise Devine’s tips and traps for capital-raising entrepreneurs
RTM Vital Signs' co-founder Denise Devine explores the stages of capital raising and what entrepreneurs should look for, and look out for, at each....
By Adam Burroughs
October 22, 2019
Fifth Season expands its vertical farming, stays focused on capital efficiency
Vertical farming is capital intensive, which is why Fifth Season co-founder and CEO Austin Webb relies on his financial analyst and investment banking background to help manage the funding for the startup, which has raised over $35 million to date....
By Jayne Gest
