Investor Connect Podcast

This is Investor Perspectives, I'm the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding. In this episode, you'll hear about a new company in the software development sector called KiwiTech. Our featured guests are Dr. Vipin Agarwal, President & CEO at NorthEast BioLab and KiwiTech investor, Rakesh Gupta, Chairman & CEO of KiwiTech, and Neal Gupta, Co-Fou...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In growing your startup, one of the best assets you can have is a strong and engaged board of directors. The board should have members who collectively cover a range of skills, network, and experience. They should be connected to your startup and its industry in some way. A good boa...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The startup board is typically led by the CEO. Some boards fall into formal roles to tackle specific tasks such as compensation or exit planning. Many boards see members fall into informal roles. The most common roles are the domain expert, the advocate, and the critic. The domain e...

This is Investor Perspectives, I'm the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding. In this episode, you'll hear about a new company in the fintech sector called Lend-Grow. Our featured guests are Co-Head of VC at 10X Capital and Investor at Lend-Grow, David Weisburd, and Co-Founder at Lend-Grow, Nish Krishna. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Lend...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In running a board, there will be conflicts and bad behavior. Here are some to watch out for: The board member who disrupts the group and takes the discussion off-track from the agenda. The member who must have it their own way every time. The member who doesn't know the topic well...

In this episode, Hall welcomes Dr. Maria T. Millan, President and CEO of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). CIRM is California's stem cell agency. Its mission is to accelerate stem cell treatments to patients with unmet medical needs by funding promising research in California. California's Stem Cell Agency was created in 2004 when 59% of California voters approved Proposit...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are several types of board members. Each provides a contribution to the board dynamic. Here are the types you may see in your board room: The Cheerleader. Always optimistic and sees the upside to every proposal or situation. The Pessimist. Always pessimistic and sees the backs...

In this episode, Hall welcomes Sarah Jennings, Assistant Director of The Cedarville Beyond Angel Network and Yellow Jacket Fund I. The Cedarville Beyond Angel Network and Fund provides early-stage capital to strong entrepreneurial teams with developed products or services and early customer traction. The investment thesis of the Network and Fund is to invest in for-profit companies, led by a faith...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Board directors can help the company in many ways beyond governance. Here are some key areas: Provide strategy and direction for the company at a high level. Make introductions to customers and partners. Provide helpful tips on how to run the business. Help recruit other board membe...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The board leader can make the board meetings more effective. Here are some points to consider: Set up meetings that don't conflict with holidays or heavy travel schedules. Send out the board package in time for review. Focus the agenda on the top issues. Demand the attention of the...

In this episode, Hall welcomes Dylan Penebre, CEO and investor of PointOS. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, PointOS is a restaurant management platform designed to help restaurants and bars operate more efficiently and profitably. PointOS stands out in the SaaS restaurant POS space by offering its entire platform at one competitive and all-inclusive rate. The PointOS Platform combines optim...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. For board meetings, it's important to prepare properly. Set the meeting schedule well in advance, such as a year. Prepare documents far enough in advance so the members have time to read the materials and prepare for the meeting. Use a standard format for the board package so the me...

In this episode, Hall welcomes Nish Krishna, CEO of Lend-Grow. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Lend-Grow is a complete digital growth platform for local lenders. Lend-Grow aims to connect consumers with 1000+ local lenders that are often harder-to-find online and usually have better deals on loans. Lend-Grow was founded by executives that successfully built multi-billion dollar portfolios at bo...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. One of the key roles of a board member is coaching the CEO. Here are some key points to consider: Focus on the team, the financials, and the strategy of the company Avoid the minutiae of day-to-day operations For the team, work on building the company's culture The CEO may need help...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The board can help the company with building the team. Here are some key points to consider in helping with recruiting: Identify candidates to fill the C-level positions that are available Set up a recruiting and hiring process as startups often have ad hoc procedures in place Help...

In this episode, Hall welcomes Monica Brady, Co-Founder of VUniverse. VUniverse is a female and minority-founded company headquartered in New York and is a Delaware corporation. VU by VUniverse provides programming recommendations based on individuality as well as engaging, fun, and insightful features that connect users with every corner of the streaming universe. As a subscription app, VU protec...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In setting up the board for a startup, it's important to set the compensation policy for the directors. While some candidates will join the board for no monetary compensation, most people will require some compensation. Here are some key points to consider when setting the policy: T...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Board members have a fiduciary duty which means they must exercise good business judgment, put the company's interest first, and act in good faith. Board members work in the following areas: They set policy for the company Evaluate the CEO Check the financial resources for sufficien...

In this episode, you'll hear about a new company in the oil and gas sector called Flowtex Energy. Our host today is Ashley Matthysse. Our featured guests are Investor Brent Mathie and President of Flowtex Energy Beau Flowers. Flowtex Energy is an independent oil & gas producer based in Austin, TX and a leading exploration company specializing in the acquisition and development of domestic oil and...

This is Investor Perspectives. I'm the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding. In today's show, you'll hear investor perspectives on COVID-19's impact on education and on startups. COVID-19 has changed the landscape for startups giving us a new normal. During the pandemic, it became clear the need for changes in our education system. We have jo...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Board work brings potential liability for the director. Directors & Officers Insurance protects the board members. Most policies offer $1M to $2M of coverage. Here are some key points to consider in choosing a policy: The policy should indemnify the directors. It should advance expe...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding, the startup will meet with many investors to answer their questions. So, how should the startup answer the investor's questions? First, listen to the question and answer it directly and to the point. If the question requires a number, then give that number. For e...

In this episode, Hall welcomes James (Jim) Mulford, President & CEO of acQyr eXchange. Located in Denver, Colorado, acQyr eXchange (QX) is the first digital asset marketplace that allows gamers to manage, trade, and sell in-game rewards across multiple games for cash. QX helps mobile and online gaming publishers to increase gameplay and grow revenue by providing a more effective model for issuing...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. A common mistake made by startups is launching a company in an industry in which the founders know little or nothing about. I find this happens often in the healthcare and financial industries. The size and growth of those markets make it attractive to pursue but without a deep know...

In today's show, you'll hear investor perspectives on the growing HR tech sector. This is Investor Perspectives, I'm the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding. HR Tech continues to grow and advance based on new technologies. In today's show, you'll hear about a new company in the sector called Upskill. Our featured guests are: Jenny Ervine, Le...