American Entrepreneurship

MAY 21, 2025

Creator Ventures, founded in 2022 by cousins Sasha Kaletsky and Caspar Lee , is uniquely positioned to invest in the next wave of AI-enabled consumer applications, marketplaces, creative tools, and SaaS platforms reshaping the digital landscape. Its Fund I (20222025) already shows 0.3x DPI and 3x MOIC, exceptional for its vintage.

ventures 81

ventures startup SaaS venture capital 81

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 29, 2010

We received so much positive feedback from our This Week in Venture Capital show walking through valuation calculations & term sheets that we decided to do a Q&A show this week to address topics that entrepreneurs want to learn about. In fact, far better if you haven’t raised venture capital. This is minutes 8-11.

venture capital 282

venture capital capital ventures angel investing 282

This is going to be BIG.

JUNE 26, 2012

In venture capital, you say "no" a lot. Just take how most people approach networking events and talks. Unfortunately, there's a lot of the "velvet rope" mentality going on in venture. I'm concerned that some of the newer folks in venture capital haven't been kicked in the stomach enough. It is your default response.

VC 394

VC pitching venture capital creativity 394

Hunter Walk

FEBRUARY 22, 2025

A few years back I helped start Screendoor , a fund that backs new venture firms by hopefully being one of their earliest and largest supporters. Most strategies are some combination of innovation and best practices along the classic five steps of venture investing: See, Pick, Win, Service, Exit. This post is about ‘seeing.’

startup 97

startup VC strategy leadership 97

Dream It

JULY 31, 2019

The most valuable resource the accelerator provides is the network, so use all my time to navigate that network. A HUGE network enhancer. The partners at the program will be willing to introduce you to their network, not only investors but (mainly) potential clients and partners. The plan-sort of worked.

startup 334

startup accelerator pitching venture capital 334

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 3, 2011

On my blog I’ve been hesitant to take the topic head on. But last week I noticed a blog post by a woman, Tara Tiger Brown, that asked the question, “ Why Aren’t More Women Commenting on VC Blog Posts? In it she observes that only 3% of the comments on this blog are from women.

entrepreneurs 341

entrepreneurs entrepreneurship VC pitching 341

This is going to be BIG.

JUNE 16, 2014

I went back across the 21 investments I''ve made both at First Round and at Brooklyn Bridge Ventures --a period that dates back to January 28, 2010, when I closed on Backupify. You might be surprised that I don''t get more inbound deals given all the work that I put into my blog, Twitter, and newsletter. Venture Capital & Technology'

VC 418

VC pitching networking venture capital 418

TechCrunch

SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

But most venture-backed startups are “still overwhelmingly white, male, Ivy-League-educated and based in Silicon Valley,” according to a study conducted by RateMyInvestor and Diversity VC. Venture funding does remain elusive , but here are some tricks for startup founders to hack the system. Funding for Black entrepreneurs in the U.S.

startup ecosystem 129

startup ecosystem ventures founder startup 129

Entrepreneurs' Organization

MARCH 8, 2024

Women still only get about 2% of venture capital investment money, and we want to see that change,” said Cindy Boyd, EO Houston. “By Our membership includes a wide range of skill sets, allowing us to tap into our wider network. and more articles from the EO blog. By working together, we can move the needle.”

education 256

education support entrepreneurs mentorship 256

Innovation 2 Enterprise

NOVEMBER 21, 2024

Since first investing in Oklahoma startups in 1999, i2E, and now its independent Venture Capital Fund management partner, Plains Ventures, have managed numerous early-stage debt and equity investment funds, making 452 investments in more than 250 companies. Alkami , Oklahoma’s first unicorn, was valued at $3.1

ventures 40

ventures investing investment entrepreneurial ecosystem 40

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

She hasn’t raised any venture capital. Tracy is knowledgeable enough to talk tech and swap design & product stories with other founders, but she realized early that networking amongst this group and reading and writing in their journals would not bring her more customers. She did her first tech startup after the age of 30.

peer-to-peer 363

peer-to-peer entrepreneurs startup entrepreneurship 363

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 8, 2014

To interconnect these computers we needed IP-based telecommunications equipment build by the likes of Cisco Systems and Juniper Networks. Changes in the Software World & in Venture Capital. I’ve blogged about this before and provide a lot more details in these posts: 1. And then the world changed. We have invested $17.3

startup 390

startup communities venture capital angel capital 390

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

The frantic pace of technology cycles, the amount of tech news, the blogs, the conferences, the demo days, the announcements, the fundings, the IPOs. Any longtime readers of this blog will know that I often try to simplify complex ideas into a simple parable that is easier to remember to set the tone of one’s behaviors.

peer-to-peer 317

peer-to-peer pitching VC accelerator 317

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 18, 2010

What a pleasure that I got to spend an hour talking with both Om Malik (whom I’ve always respected his views) and Paul Jozefak , a venture capital partner at Neuhaus Partners in Germany (and formerly the head of Europe for SAP Ventures). Paul discussed his perspective having been at SAP Ventures. Read more: PaidContent.

VC 225

VC social gaming venture capital networking 225

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 30, 2011

I've had the privilege of working not only for investors like Josh Kopelman and Fred Wilson, but for an institutional LP that had been invested in venture capital since 1980. 3) Build a peer network and get in the flow of best practices. There are three ways to learn while working: 1) Work for people who are great at what they do.

peer-to-peer 324

peer-to-peer innovation startup frameworks 324

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 18, 2014

We’ve gotten to the point where after the film The Social Network and now with our own ironic HBO drama “Silicon Valley,” (makes it sound like writing a algorithm can easily net you $10 million without trying) one might think starting a company is a bit like the gold rush where riches flow to you with ease.

startup 419

startup peer-to-peer entrepreneurs education 419

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 19, 2011

” There’s a valid concern in here somewhere—that our youth is actually becoming less social—but the cause of this problem isn’t social networking. For many teens, online social networking is both a symptom of and a remedy for their increasingly sheltered lives and limited freedoms provided by parents.

media 348

media networking opportunity technology 348

This is going to be BIG.

JANUARY 9, 2011

I am excited to announce nextNY Fellows--a program that will support four new community leaders in 2011 build on what we already have and make it better, all while building their own skills and network. Monthly small group lunches with leaders in the innovation community--like venture capital firms and successful entrepreneurs. -

leadership 256

leadership communities innovation venture capital 256

This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 11, 2011

Back in 2005, when I was with Union Square Ventures, we changed our brochureware homepage into a blog. A few other VCs had been blogging before, but no one had gone as far as to make the whole front facing effort of their firm into something so interactive. It changed the way we worked with entrepreneurs.

innovation 271

innovation media development technology 271

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JULY 23, 2024

Intrigued and optimistic, I joined with the intent of expanding my business and network. In hindsight, the difference back then was that I lacked a strong network of peers and mentors to call me on my misunderstandings and mistakes. and more articles from the EO blog. The process was uncomfortable at first. Together we grow.

leadership 217

leadership entrepreneurs peer-to-peer board 217

This is going to be BIG.

DECEMBER 11, 2014

I started reading a great blog called Business Pundit in 2004. We used to chat a fair amount via our respective blogs about management and entrepreneurship. Fundraising for the Series A looked like it was going to be difficult--and that''s when Rich Levendov from Avalon Ventures stepped in. Venture Capital & Technology'

board 267

board venture capital creativity entrepreneurship 267

David Teten VC

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

Tim Friedman, CEO, PEStack , and a Venture Partner with Versatile VC , suggests, “E.g., I list the online communities for VCs in general at Reading list for working in private equity/venture capital. Disclosure: David Teten is an Advisor to Bullet Point Network. This was cross-posted on Integrity Research’s blog.

venture capital 126

venture capital capital ventures VC 126

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 8, 2009

I was reading Chris Dixon’s blog tonight. I came across this blog post about getting a computer science degree as the best degree for getting into venture capital or working at a VC-backed start up. on all the computers and established a network using Novell. I had to laugh a bit reading it. What you lose: 4.

VC 337

VC peer-to-peer advice consulting 337

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 13, 2011

The venture capital industry is so heavily skewed to Northern California, which the remains spilled over Boston, New York & Southern California. So it was wonderful to hear from a leading venture capital firm based in Washington DC. We are a venture capital growth equity fund in Washington DC with about $500m invested.

founder 277

founder venture capital media strategy 277

Entrepreneurs' Organization

FEBRUARY 14, 2020

I was excited to start this perfect wedded-working venture together. She is also Champion of MyEO Women of EO, a group of entrepreneurs who are committed to learning together, supporting each other and creating a powerful network of women in business. We would work closely to create the next chapter of our business together.

creativity 292

creativity entrepreneurs support collaboration 292

Entrepreneurs' Organization

DECEMBER 30, 2020

Whether it’s securing investment capital, marketing a concept, recruiting new talent or leaning on peers for support and advice, having a solid network can seriously work to your benefit. Not sure how to network? Build your professional network with resources such as these: Four Cs of Networking . Preparedness.

entrepreneurs 236

entrepreneurs peer-to-peer creativity networking 236

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 18, 2011

I always try hard to make this blog a place where you can learn lessons rather than an advertisement for portfolio companies. I first met the founder of Pose, Dustin Rosen , when he was a junior person with an LA-based venture capital firm called The Mail Room Fund. My first two calls were to True Ventures & Founder Collective.

investing 303

investing investment VC media 303

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 1, 2010

It’s often some combination of the idea not being big enough to sustain a venture exit or the company just not being appropriate for venture financing. My company was not well executed enough to achieve venture capital financing—and that wasn’t the city’s fault, it was mine. I was there, too.

startup 293

startup media ecology entrepreneurs 293

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JUNE 19, 2024

Weren’t entrepreneurs tired of the golden handcuffs of venture capitalists and bankers? I doubled down on my efforts, making more calls, writing more content, and networking tirelessly. and more articles from the EO blog. Yet, the belief that Equifund could bridge a vital gap in the market kept me going.

finance 255

finance financing entrepreneurship mentorship 255

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JULY 19, 2024

It begins with a theoretical premise about your venture, proceeds to developing a minimum viable product (MVP) — the bare minimum that can still offer value — and seeks feedback from real-life scenarios. and more articles from the EO blog. The lean startup approach introduces a more dynamic and resource-efficient strategy.

startup 238

startup strategy collaboration communities 238

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 8, 2010

Greycroft is Alan’s venture capital firm that recently raised its second fund ($130 million) with offices in both New York and LA. I’m going to save that for a future blog post. I’ve been to similar events with First Round Capital and True Ventures. We learned this weekend that it was named after his East Hampton home.

peer-to-peer 279

peer-to-peer advice VC board 279

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 10, 2011

Even the one time blogging platform of choice Wordpress can, without a lot of hassles, can be manipulated to be your entire site's content management system. Plus, there are a ton of in person networking and educational events related to startups that are free or relatively inexpensive. Why isn't it growing its own yet?

incubation 268

incubation peer-to-peer communities finance 268

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 1, 2009

To understand this in great detail see this very important blog post by Henry Blodget on the unemployment rate in the US and its impact on the recovery. So if I am unnecessarily concerned in this blog post (great!) Tags: Pitching VCs Start-up Advice VC Industry startup technology vc venture capital. million – take it.

VC 269

VC startup advice innovation 269

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JULY 5, 2023

To date, Forns and Wiseman have amassed an impressive pipeline of US$155 million worth of projects, securing US$735,000 in funding from angel investors, government grants, and venture capital. Providing mentorship programs, networking opportunities, and access to resources can further nurture the entrepreneurial spirit.

strategy 36

strategy entrepreneurs creativity sustainability 36

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 15, 2010

Next Wednesday we’ll have Dana Settle of Greycroft Partners, a New York / LA early-stage venture capital fund. I first discovered it from Dharmesh Shah’s blog OnStartups. Swipely is a social network orientated around users credit card transaction data. YOu should check it out. OTHER DEALS.

VC 285

VC finance financing capital 285

Entrepreneurs' Organization

MARCH 5, 2020

Venture funds would be crazy not to examine this possibility and in turn, invest heavily in women-led businesses. Greater investment in women-owned businesses will also result in more women in business, and therefore stronger, more powerful social and professional networks.

consulting 242

consulting entrepreneurship leadership mentorship 242

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 10, 2010

In the case of Techmeme, half the job is done when you curate the list of which tech blogs you should be paying attention to. Tags: First Round Capital Venture Capital & Technology. The best content recommendations I’ve ever seen that help me figure out what to pay attention to are ones driven by users—del.icio.us, Techmeme, Digg.

venture capital 281

venture capital entrepreneurship networking capital 281