Stuck? Time to Improv! The Startup Launchpad

Free Consults for Startups with Nathaniel Carroll, Volunteer Lawyers & Accountants for the Arts (VLAA) VLAA Pro Bono Services Discussion Mary and Nathaniel discussed Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts (VLAA), which provides pro bono legal and accounting services to artists, creative entrepreneurs, and arts nonprofits in southern Illinois and eastern Missouri. Nathaniel explained th...

Define the Right Problem with Mark Richman from Skeleton Key Defining Problems in Startups Mary and Mark discussed the importance of defining the right problem in startups. Mark explained that many people tend to rush to solutions without properly evaluating whether they are addressing the root cause of the issue or if the problem is worth solving. He emphasized the need to slow down and assess th...

Arch Angels investors with Brian Kinman St. Louis Archangels Investment Network Brian Kinman from St. Louis Archangels explained that the organization is a network of accredited investors in their 23rd year, with about 75 active members who have invested approximately $130 million across 160 different enterprises. The group holds 10 meetings annually where they present three investment opportuniti...

What Investors Want with Jay Goth from Redtail Capital Startup Investor Engagement Discussion Mary welcomed Jay Goth from Redtail Capital to discuss how startups can talk to investors. Jay explained his background as a serial investor who formed Redtail Capital to focus on impact investing, particularly in biotechs, medical technologies, clean energy, and social impact startups. Startup Investment...

Basic Contracts for Startups with Mike LaBozzetta, The Laiderman Law Firm Startup Contract Types Overview Mike discussed various types of contracts that startup businesses need to be aware of, including insurance policies, employment agreements, contractor agreements, licensing deals, investor agreements, and operational agreements like bylaws and partnership agreements. Business Structure and LLC...

Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship with Dr. Ashley Hemmy Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship Overview Ashley Hemmy (she/her) explained that the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) is a global organization celebrating its 40th anniversary that brings entrepreneurship education to young people worldwide, particularly in communities with limited access to such opportunities. The program...

Investor Pitch Practice with David Weaver, Transitions Law Group & AngelLab YouTube Live Stream Planning Meeting Mary and David discussed going live on YouTube, with thGre content being edited before distribution through RSS feed and LinkedIn. They confirmed a link for the event, which was shared in the Zoom chat. Mary prepared to set up the YouTube live stream, ensuring the audio was properly...

Funding Tips for Startups with Allen Kopelman, Nationwide Payment Systems Startup Funding Sources Discussion Mary asked about alternative funding sources for startups beyond banks and friends/family. Allen clarified that their company is in the payments business, not the funding business, and explained that startups typically turn to Stripe and Square for payments processing. He noted that startup...

Alternate Funding for Startups with Greg Roberts, The Roberts Consulting Agency Alternate Funding Business Entry Gregory explained how he entered the alternate funding space while working with a firm that helped launch CPA businesses. He noticed that business owners consistently requested funding as their primary need, but traditional banking options were insufficient as 98% of banks avoid lending...

Pitching to an Investor with Gary Tomchuk from Evolutionary Ventures Startup Investor Discussion Preparation Mary and Gary discussed sharing relevant links and contact information, including Gary's LinkedIn profile, Evolutionary Ventures website, and his role as California representative for Investor Circle. Gary mentioned his work with impact investors and his involvement in a round table discuss...

Insurance Facts for Startups with Pete Shemetulskis from Marquee Benefit Advisors Startup Insurance and Benefits Mary and Pete discussed the importance of insurance for startups, particularly focusing on employee benefits. Pete explained that the need for insurance depends on the industry and organization type, noting that benefits are more crucial for organizations with high employee turnover or...

Use a Book to Showcase Your Expertise with Suzy Prudden from Itty Bitty Publishing Book Marketing for Startups Mary welcomed attendees to Stuck? Time to Improv! and introduced Suzy Prudden from Itty Bitty Publishing as an expert on using books as marketing tools for startups. Business Benefits of Marketing Books Suzy discussed various types of businesses that benefit from creating marketing books,...

What an Investor Needs from a Startup with Randy Berholtz from Mesa Verde Venture Partners Early-Stage Life Sciences Investing Randy discussed his background in investing, explaining that he transitioned from being a lawyer with an MBA to working as a CEO and now invests through Mesa Verde Venture Partners, an early-stage life sciences venture fund in San Diego. He typically invests $500,000 to $1...

Marketing Tips for Startups with Alesha Henley from A Dose of Insight. Startup Marketing Strategy Discussion Mary and Alesha discussed key tips for startups, focusing on the importance of clearly defining the target audience rather than marketing to everyone. Alesha emphasized that social media should be used for personal engagement rather than just transactional purposes, as building trust with p...

Entrepreneurship for Engineers with Richard Bowling, MicroPod Global Engineer Entrepreneur Academy Engineer Entrepreneur Transition Challenges Richard identified the primary challenge for engineers transitioning to entrepreneurship as overthinking the process, particularly struggling with business development, marketing, and validation rather than technical aspects. He noted that engineers must ma...

AEO tips and tricks with Dotty Scott from AskDotty.com AEO Definition and Optimization Dotty Scott explained that AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) refers to optimization within artificial intelligence platforms like Claude, Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Gemini, clarifying that all related acronyms represent the same concept. Answer Engine Optimization Strategies Mary and Dotty Scott discussed answer en...

Social Media Mistakes to Avoid with Heather Havenwood, Haven Media Social Media Mistakes by Startups Heather identified two major social media mistakes startups make: not having a clear spokesperson, especially for larger companies and tech firms, and failing to align their messaging with what resonates with their audience rather than just explaining their technology. Tech Sales Messaging Best Pra...

https://www.impactcfo.net Family Business Challenges with Lowell Mora from Impact CFO Family Business Challenges Discussion Lowell discussed the unique challenges of family businesses, highlighting that the family aspect creates complications regardless of the number of family members involved. He shared his personal experience of being advised against working in family businesses but eventually b...

Networking Tips with Mary Scott, PitchSTL Startup Networking Strategies Discussion Mary discussed the importance of networking and follow-up for startups seeking customers and investors. She emphasized that in-person networking is more effective than Zoom, and highlighted the value of leaving contact information, particularly through LinkedIn. Mary also shared a strategy for introverts to initiate...

https://businessriff.com Dan Lauer from Maryville University talks about Tips for Veteran Startups Veteran Entrepreneur Funding Challenges Mary discussed her podcast "Stuck? Time to Improv" with Dan Lauer from Maryville University, focusing on challenges faced by veteran entrepreneurs. Dan identified early-stage capital as a key challenge, noting that while there are good education and networking...

https://businessriff.com Tina Kadish, From Job to Joy, talks about Entrepreneur Mindset Developing Entrepreneurial Mindset for Startups Mary and Tina discussed the importance of developing an entrepreneurial mindset for startups. Tina explained that transitioning from a corporate career to entrepreneurship requires shifting from following others to taking control of one's life and business. She em...

https://OpenPrairie.com Jim Schultz from Open Prairie talks about Funding AgTech Startups Agricultural Tech Investment Discussion Mary welcomed attendees to the "Stuck Time to Improv" session and introduced Jim Schultz, an investor, as the guest speaker. The discussion focused on the agricultural tech industry, highlighting its potential for startup businesses and the importance of preparation whe...

https://businessriff.com https://tayloredanalytics.com Financial Projections That Are Investor Ready with Kelvin Taylor, Taylored Analytics Financial Projections for Entrepreneurs Mary and Kelvin discussed the components of financial projections for entrepreneurs, particularly focusing on total addressable market (TAM) and its importance to investors. Kelvin explained that investors evaluate busin...

https://businessriff.com Mistakes Tech Startups Make with Stacia Thompson from Radiance Consulting & Coaching Groupe Tech Founder Growth Challenges Mary and Stacia discussed common mistakes made by tech founders, particularly during the dot-com crash when founders excelled at starting companies but lacked experience in running and growing them. Stacia noted that many tech startups failed after...

https://lushin.com Ben Kniffen from LUSHIN talks about How to Set Up a Sales Team Sales Team Development for Startups Mary and Ben discussed the importance of building a sales team for startup scalability. Ben explained that companies typically start with founder-led sales but eventually need to transfer skills and hire team members, as sales roles are particularly challenging to fill. The discuss...