July, 2020

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How to Manage a Startup Through Troubling Times

Entrepreneurs' Organization

Contributed by Rizwan Virk , author of S tartup Myths and Models: What You Won’t Learn in Business School. The pandemic of 2020 has tested most sectors of the economy. Like the downturns in 2008 and 2001, this has been a very trying time for entrepreneurs running startups. Many entrepreneurs are reliant on outside funding, whether angel investors, venture capitalists or strategic investors , to keep the venture going.

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Startup Funding Explained: How to Raise a Bridge Round

Dream It

When you’re raising a bridge round and pitching investors, their first reaction may be that you’re in trouble. To overcome this, you’ll need to properly address your reason for raising bridge funding. In this #DreamitDose, Managing Partner Steve Barsh gives founders tips on how to frame their bridge round ask, overcome assumptions investors often make, and provides a general way to structure startup bridge round pitches.

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Early Stage Investment Syndication: Key Issues

The Seraf Compass

A very common practice in the investment world is syndication. Syndication allows multiple investors -- whether they be individuals, angel groups, VC funds, etc. -- to join together and provide the funding resources needed by one company. Syndication has been a common practice amongst VC firms for decades.

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The Money Trap: How to Choose Between Money and Passion

Entrepreneurs' Organization

Contributed by Shawn Johal, business growth coach, leadership speaker and co-founder of DALS Lighting, Inc. He is also an active member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization Montreal chapter. . “A wise person should have money in their head, but not in their heart.” –Jonathan Swift. Do you ever wake up wishing you had enough money to stop working and the option to follow your passion without any worries?

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From Curiosity to Competitive Edge: How Mid-Market CEOs Are Using AI to Scale Smarter

Speaker: Lee Andrews, Founder at LJA New Media & Tony Karrer, Founder and CTO at Aggregage

This session will walk you through how one CEO used generative AI, workflow automation, and sales personalization to transform an entire security company—then built the Zero to Strategy framework that other mid-market leaders are now using to unlock 3.5x ROI. As a business executive, you’ll learn how to assess AI opportunities in your business, drive adoption across teams, and overcome internal resource constraints—without hiring a single data scientist.

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The Fundraising Market Two Quarters into COVID

Tomasz Tunguz

It’s been two quarters since the coronavirus has hit Startupland. And you can see the impact of the shutdown in the numbers. We reviewed the data in May and compared it to the effects of the financial crisis in 2008 on startup fundraising. As a reminder, 2008 saw a 40% reduction in venture dollars invested in startups. It took about six to eight quarters to return to normalcy.

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Persistence is the key to this YLAI Fellow’s success in the technology industry in Bolivia

Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative

By Jewelle Saunders. 2017 YLAI Fellow Andrea Puente Salazar has had her share of obstacles on her way to entrepreneurial success. By persisting through those obstacles, building strong relationships with like-minded individuals, and consistently increasing her knowledge, she has founded multiple successful ventures and is inspiring others in Bolivia to do the same.

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Practical Metrics and Methods: ESHIP Goal 5 – Part 2

Ecosystem Builder Hub

Practical Metrics and Methods (Academic Edition): Identify and develop better metrics and methods for ecosystem building. In a nutshell : There are many metrics and methods in use in entrepreneurial ecosystem building, but they are not all widely adopted. In fact, many approaches are still emerging. Identifying effective practices for ecosystem building requires robust data, rigorous analysis, and room for experimentation.

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Working in Corporate Provided the Education She Needed to Become an Entrepreneur

Smart Hustle Magazine

Anika Hobbs is the owner and chief curator of Nubian Hueman , a fashion brand that partners with almost 500 artists and designers, from 6 different continents, and over 25 countries. But Anika didn’t just fall into entrepreneurship — instead, she used her years of working at a large corporate fashion brand to learn everything needed to go off and be successful on her own.

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4 Reasons to Be Optimistic Today

Entrepreneurs' Organization

Contributed by Greg DeLine , president and CEO of DeLine Holdings. COVID-19 was the stealthy rival no one saw coming. As entrepreneurs, we face challenges throughout our careers, but we don’t spend a lot of time planning what we’ll do during and after a global pandemic. Yet here we are. In recent months, small business leaders around the world have faced the toughest decisions of their careers.

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State of AI in Sales & Marketing 2025

AI adoption is reshaping sales and marketing. But is it delivering real results? We surveyed 1,000+ GTM professionals to find out. The data is clear: AI users report 47% higher productivity and an average of 12 hours saved per week. But leaders say mainstream AI tools still fall short on accuracy and business impact. Download the full report today to see how AI is being used — and where go-to-market professionals think there are gaps and opportunities.

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Banner Year for Oklahoma Startups with $29.23M in Funding

Innovation 2 Enterprise

i2E, Inc. had a record-breaking number of investments in FY2020 with $12.89M in closed investments across its 4 venture funds and concept fund. In total, 19 Oklahoma startups received financing and attracted an additional $16.34M from private investors, for a total of $29.23M invested in Oklahoma-based companies. i2E Management Company Inc. (iMCI ) , i2E’s investment arm, invested $12.5M in 12 companies that needed funds to get them to the next phase of their growth such as expanding sales, oper

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#savetheunicorns – a startup campaign by UBI Global

UBI Global

Save the Unicorns! – The new innovation initiative from UBI Global and how to get involved! There has never been a more seismic shift for the innovation community than the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Startups and the business incubators and accelerators nurturing them have experienced some huge unforeseen challenges. Corporations have had to pivot […].

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The Startup Community Way: Evolving an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

Ian Hathaway

After three eventful years , I’m excited to say that my new book— The Startup Community Way: Evolving an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem , with Brad Feld —is officially available to the public today! It’s my first book, so this is a new feeling. It’s hard to put into words just how grateful I am for the experience. I learned so much in the process and developed a large number of meaningful relationships along the way that will last a lifetime.

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Unsung Hero Spotlight: Beth Zimmer

Ecosystem Builder Hub

To you, what is an Ecosystem Builder? To me, an Ecosystem Builder is someone that is a servant leader who is naturally optimistic and focused on solving systemic problems. We appreciate collaboration and work diligently to identify appropriate networks & partners within ecosystems to convene and apply solutions collectively. Ecosystem builders exist in a variety of places, such as communities, organizations, industries, etc.

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15 Modern Use Cases for Enterprise Business Intelligence

Large enterprises face unique challenges in optimizing their Business Intelligence (BI) output due to the sheer scale and complexity of their operations. Unlike smaller organizations, where basic BI features and simple dashboards might suffice, enterprises must manage vast amounts of data from diverse sources. What are the top modern BI use cases for enterprise businesses to help you get a leg up on the competition?

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Reimagining B2B Commerce with Faire

Y Combinator

COVID-19 has accelerated the digitization of commerce globally. In the US, e-commerce penetration increased from 16% at the end of 2019 to 27% in April 2020. While most of the news covering the pandemic’s impact on commerce has highlighted the growth in business to consumer (B2C) e-commerce, little has been said about how business to business (B2B) commerce has changed.

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Creating Jobs and Helping Grow the PA Economy: Ben Franklin Technology Partners Invests in 17 Tech Startups!

Ben Franklin Technology Partners

STATE COLLEGE, PA – Seventeen companies located in central and northern PA recently received an investment from Ben Franklin Technology Partners that will allow them to further develop and commercialize new products, processes, or software applications. The Ben Franklin program, which has been investing in tech startups and small manufacturers for nearly 40 years, recently received additional funding support from the Department of Community and Economic Development to invest in its portfolio cli

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There’s no stopping the flywheel that is Tulsa Innovation Labs

Innovation 2 Enterprise

By Scott Meacham. A flywheel is a heavy and perfectly balanced wheel that collects energy over time and releases it fast. “Flywheel” is a perfect description of the multi-phase, city-wide strategy powered by Tulsa Innovation Labs (TIL) and a $50 million multi-year investment by the George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF). TIL is aimed at making Tulsa a technology hub by building “Tulsa’s tech niche” from the inside out.

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How Mandela Day Can Be Used to Drive Self-Leadership and Positive Change in South Africa

Impact Hub

UN Photo by P.Sudhakaran. “A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world a better place we so passionately dreamt of ”, 18 July was International Nelson Mandela Day and these words are still as valid and important as they were the day Nelson Mandela spoke them aloud. The birthday of Nelson Mandela is celebrated in South Africa on July 18th every year.

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How Top Tech CFOs Solve Annual Planning’s Biggest Challenges

Gearing up for 2025 annual planning? Our latest eBook from the Operators Guild is your ultimate guide. Discover real-world solutions and best practices shared by top CFOs, drawn directly from discussions within OG’s vibrant online community. Learn from senior executives at high-growth tech startups as they outline financial planning strategies, align CEO and board goals, and coordinate budgets across departments.

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The Startup Community Way: Five Lessons for U.S. Policymakers

Ian Hathaway

This article originally published on the Center for American Entrepreneurship Ideas Blog My new book with CAE Advisory Board member Brad Feld published yesterday. The Startup Community Way: Evolving an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem is essential reading for entrepreneurs, community leaders, policymakers, and other key stakeholders looking to entrepreneurship as an engine of innovation and economic growth.

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Unsung Hero Spotlight: Christina Theodoraki

Ecosystem Builder Hub

To you, what is an Ecosystem Builder? An Ecosystem builder is someone that observes or is capable to identify a problem as a system and contributes or provides a solution in a holistic manner. These are persons who discreetly or loudly contribute to build a vibrant ecosystem. (I don’t say that ecosystem builders are people that yell to be heard but they are definitely people who share their experience and connect at the individual and collective level with other to make things happen).

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Entrepreneurship and the Next CARES Act

Forward Cities

This text first appeared on The New Localism and is co-authored by Christopher Gergen, Nic Gunkel, Bruce Katz, and Victor Hwang. As Congress negotiates the next COVID-19 relief package, it is clear that the size and incentives surrounding unemployment benefits will be a major focus of contention between Republicans and Democrats in the Congress. We add another proposal to the mix: use unemployment insurance to encourage entrepreneurship as well as traditional employment.

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Clean Energy Venture Group and E8 Angels Announce Partnership to Boost Innovation in the Climate Tech Sector

Angel Capital Association

By: Sarah Dickey, ACA Membership Director Earlier this week the Clean Energy Venture Group (CEVG) and E8 Angels announced a partnership for national climate tech angel investing with the goal to achieve greater efficiencies and impact. This significant initiative to mitigate the threat of climate change and commitment to innovation is aiming to fill a void in the climate tech sector.

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Your Fractional Finance and Accounting Team

Mighty Financial specializes in supporting the financial aspirations of small businesses and entrepreneurs. With our comprehensive bookkeeping and precise accounting expertise with decades of experience across diverse financial roles, our team offers tailor-made services ranging from essential bookkeeping to strategic fractional CFO support, catered specifically to the unique challenges of technology companies, startups, and SMEs.

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Presbyterian Health Foundation awards $4.6 million in new research grants

Innovation 2 Enterprise

Contact: April Stuart. (405) 319-8260. astuart@phfokc.com. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. OKLAHOMA CITY, July 20, 2020: The Presbyterian Health Foundation has awarded nearly $4.6 million in biomedical research grants to the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF). “We remain steadfastly committed to funding cutting-edge biomedical research on the Oklahoma Health Center campus,” said PHF President Tom R.

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Are you heading toward burnout?

Entrepreneurs' Organization

Contributed by Shawn Johal, business growth coach, leadership speaker and co-founder of DALS Lighting, Inc. He is also an active member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization Montreal chapter. . “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” —Nikola Tesla. Life is busy, and focus is hard to come by.

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weaving environmental innovation into visions of the future: q&a with taryn mead of Western Colorado University

Venture Well

Taryn Mead of Western Colorado University teaches students entrepreneurship concepts through an environmental innovation lens, helping them envision their contribution to a more sustainable future. The post weaving environmental innovation into visions of the future: q&a with taryn mead of Western Colorado University appeared first on VentureWell.

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A New Network for Startup Community Builders

Ecosystem Builder Hub

There’s a new community network emerging to help entrepreneurial ecosystem builders connect, learn, and grow— Startup Communities: The community for entrepreneurial ecosystem builders. Startup Communities: The community for entrepreneurial ecosystem builders to connect, learn, and grow. Launched by Brad Feld in conjunction with his new book The Startup Community Way: Evolving an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem , co-authored by Ian Hathaway , the online network has grown quickly to over 3,500 (as of to

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Digitalization: 5 Tech Updates That Will Help You Survive The Recession & Thrive

Lack of digitalization decreases business competitiveness. To thrive, embracing modern solutions becomes essential. The approach to digitalization often aligns with a company's business model. This shift not only boosts productivity but also automates processes and improves security. The tech market offers a wealth of technologies tailored for management, planning, and forecasting, replacing outdated pen-and-paper methods.