The Fundable Founder

Contrary to popular belief, startups and their boards don't have to butt heads. Bryan Burdick, President and Co-founder of ClearGov, discusses how startups can best develop a collaborative relationship with their boards. Selecting the right investors and board members for cultural fit and shared vision are key. So are transparency, effective communications, strategic planning, and consistency in m...

As an academic entrepreneur, how do you spin out of the university and raise capital to bring your innovation to market? In this episode, Concerto Biosciences CEO and Cofounder Cheri Ackerman tells her story. Ackerman discusses how she and her colleagues transformed their biotech research at MIT into a thriving startup that harnesses the power of microbes to benefit health. Ackerman discusses: How...

What is product-led growth and how can it help you grow your startup? Tom Coburn, Co-founder and CEO at Jebbit explains the power of this model for growth and why his company has chosen it over sales-led growth.

Do you need to file taxes if you experienced a loss? Absolutely! says Scott Goodwin, CPA, of Wolf & Company, P.C. in this episode on Accounting Dos and Don'ts. Goodwin gives topline advice for first-time founders on what to do and what not to do when setting up accounting systems and accounting infrastructure. Getting it right from the start is important for fundraising.

Congratulations, you won a coveted SBIR award! Working with the federal government can have its quirks. In this episode, SBIR expert Stacy Swider walks you through the steps you need to take to access your award as quickly as possible so that you can hit the ground running. She also covers how to manage the money properly for reporting purposes.

Former National Science Foundation SBIR/STTR director Rick Schwerdtfeger offers key insights on how to succeed when applying for an SBIR grant. Learn: What type of innovations spark SBIR interest?, How does the judging work? Are you ready to apply--have you done your homework? What are your chances of getting funded? Why does it take so long?

How do you build your brand as a new #startup? #Marketing and PR expert Bobbie Carlton, who runs Innovation Nights, gives excellent advice on key steps right out of the starting gate. Learn: How to pick a company name that tells customers what you do, How to build your online presence to maximize your visibility, What do you need to do to attract customers and keep them engaged?

VCs invest in teams. As a founder, it's really important that you get your hiring right for senior managers. It will enhance your fundraising efforts and enable you to succeed overall as an organization. Hiring the wrong person can be incredibly costly. In this episode, MassVentures CEO and president Charlie Hipwood gives advice on how to ensure you hire the right senior managers. What questions s...

As a new founder, how do you build a sales organization? Serial entrepreneur Adam Honig, CEO & Co-funder of Spiro. AI makes the pitch that founders themselves should do sales at the start. That way, you appreciate what's involved and understand what/who you need when it comes time to hire. Learn: The fundamental dos and don’ts of sales, good resources to guide first-time founders, how to structure...

What value do strategic investors bring startups and how do you work with them? Davide Marini, CEO of Inkbit, gives excellent advice on navigating the complexities of acquiring and working with strategics, who could be early customers or potential acquirers. Learn: How do you approach strategics who could be competitors? What’s the advantage over traditional VC? Why is it important to engage with...

Are you raising your first institutional seed round, and need some extra non-dilutive dollars? A venture debt loan may fit the bill. Will Kidston, formerly with MassDevelopment and now Chief Investment Officer & Partner at Kenston Capital Partners, gives the fundamentals of venture debt: What is it? How does it differ from traditional debt? What kind of companies are eligible? What are the benefit...

So, you’ve filed a patent and you’ve talked to your university’s licensing office, what’s next? How do you spin out a business from the university? In part 2 of this conversation, entrepreneurial champion Vinit Nijhawah lays out important next steps, from exhausting all the resources your university has to offer, to nailing your proof of concept with non-dilutive, translational funds, to getting y...

What does it take to win a coveted Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to help get your research into the market? SBIR expert Stacy Swider has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs with their proposals. She provides concrete and invaluable advice for putting together a proposal that will stand out in this highly competitive program.

Got a promising innovation you’d like to move into the market? SBIR, the Small Business Innovation Research Program run by the Small Business Association, can help. It’s a “get to commercialization program” that aims to help entrepreneurs convert their lab innovations into small companies and prepare them for raising private capital. In this episode, SBIR expert Stacy Swider overviews the program...

Need advice on your go-to-market strategy? In this episode, startup executive & advisor Mike Volpe, (former CEO Lola.com, now acquired by Capital One) offers invaluable advice. Topics covered include: How do you link your product to customers?, Who are your customers and where do you find them?, How do you set your pricing? How do you integrate sales and marketing with your services?

Anvesh Gurijala, co-founder of Boston Materials, discusses how he grew the startup from a Northeastern University spinout to industrial-scale production, with a 37K foot facility, and customer sales -- all in just 5 years. Gurijala describes key moments on the journey that got him to where he is today. Boston Materials aims to transform and significantly decarbonize both the transportation and ele...

When you're getting your business off the ground, it's easy to make unwitting mistakes that could cost you later. Robert Bishop, partner at Goodwin and board member at The Capital Network gives high-level advice on #Legal Dos and Don'ts for #startups.

You've got investors, and the pressure is on to move fast -- as a new startup. How do you set up robust systems for finance, operations, and human resources that can grow with your business? Investor, CFO/COO, Advisor Michelle Breitman Hipwood, now with Mable, offers best practices, resources, and invaluable advice in this episode.

SYRG co-founder and CEO, Rahkeem Morris, shares his personal story of launching a business and raising capital. "Think of the people you are pitching as your peer."

Tony Liu, founder and CEO of JobGet, talks about how MassChallenge really set him up for success

Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc. cofounders Jason Kelly and Reshma Shetty talk with Charlie Hipwood about their journey from academic #spinout to a nearly $4 billion, publicly-traded company.  Get their top advice, from peer-reviewing your work, to continually running experiments, to "weaponizing #diversity."

Looking for patent advice and don't know where to start? This episode, featuring Hamilton, Brook, Smith & Reynolds, P.C. experts Deirdre Sanders and James Coe, (now with Keurig Dr Pepper Inc.) covers the fundamentals. Learn: 1) How do you know what patent type is right for your #startup?, 2) When is the time right to get patent protection?, 3) What criteria are important to consider in patenting y...

So, you got the meeting with a potential customer. Now what? Try some "foreplay" to make the sale says Brian Sarr, an award-winning account executive at Comcast. Get topline advice on the fundamentals of sales in this episode.

Is your research ready for commercialization? How do you know? Entrepreneurial champion Vinit Nijhawan gives topline advice for university spinouts, including: How do you know when your research is ready?, How do you find your beachhead market?, What are the steps you should take with your TLO office? and the importance of finding an entrepreneurial champion, or business coach.

Need help pitching investors? Want to learn what can sink your presentation---and alternatively, what makes it sing? Get invaluable advice from Jason Allen, an investor with MassMutual Catalyst Fund and former VP of Investments at MassVentures.