Invisible Ink

In this conversation, Vicki Knott, CEO of Crux OCM, shares her entrepreneurial journey from oil and gas to starting her own company. Vicki describes her background and how she met her co-founder, Roger Shirt, and how they developed the idea for Crux OCM. Tune in to listen to her facscinating journey as she shares her thoughts on: The power of cross-pollinating ideas - origin story of an innovative...

Join us for a fascinating conversation with Kameale C. Terry, Co-founder and CEO of ChargerHelp! In this conversation, Kameale shares her entrepreneurial journey in the electric vehicle (EV) charging sector, detailing her transition from supporting EV drivers to founding her own company focused on enhancing charging reliability. Tune in to find out: How to transform life circumstances into entrepr...

In this episode, Tasneem Dohadwala, a venture capitalist in early-stage medical device investment, shares her insights on navigating the venture capital landscape and the unique challenges within the medical devices space. Check out this information-packed conversation to learn more about: The categories of med-tech ventures, and how they differ Why large markets have outsize importance in med-tec...

In this episode, Brianna McDonald, an experienced early-stage investor, shares key insights from her two-decade journey in the startup world, emphasizing the significance of a well-crafted capitalization strategy for founders. Brianna discusses the importance of not falling in love with the product alone, instead focusing on the executive team's execution and the market potential. She highlights t...

Named one of Inc. Magazines  Top 100 Female Founders of 2020, Colette Courtion is a distinguished and award-winning consumer marketer, inventor (24 issued patents), and business leader steeped in brand building, marketing, strategic planning, and finance with leading consumer product, retail, and medical device companies. She is the founder of Joylux, the leading menopausal intimate health company...

Welcome to the Best of Season 6! In this special episode, we've put together the very best clips from all of our incredible guests for your listening pleasure. Check out the time stamps below to find your favorite clips or do yourself a favor and listen to the whole roll! 00:00:00 - Welcome & Introduction 00:00:09 - Gender Bias in Negotiation Techniques | Angela Lee 00:00:32 - Handling Percept...

In this episode, Madhu Singh, a seasoned legal expert, shares her insights on the importance of preparing for an exit when building a startup. Tune in to find out why founders need to prioritize legal structure, the ins and outs of devising a smart equity compensation structure, how to ace due diligence to avoid common pitfalls, and much more.  Highlights include: Why entity structure matters, and...

Our guest for today is Lynda Weinman. Lynda is a pioneering entrepreneur, educator, and co-founder of lynda.com , a trailblazing online learning platform. Lynda launched her namesake platform in 1995 with her husband, Bruce. Her leadership and vision led  lynda.com to tremendous growth for years before raising its first venture capital funding in 2013. In 2015, she sold the platform to LinkedIn fo...

In this episode, Marcia Dawood, angel investor, Chair Emerita of the Angel Capital Association, and author of the recent bestselling book, "Do Good While Doing Well", discusses her journey into the world of angel investing and the critical lessons she’s learned along the way. Tune in to listen to her accessible and friendly perspectives on:  How to tell if your business is scalable How to develop...

In this insightful episode, Dr. Charu Ramchandran, a pioneering entrepreneur in the life sciences sector, shares her journey from a PhD student to a successful startup founder. Starting with the creation of CardioInsight, a company that developed a groundbreaking noninvasive cardiac diagnostic tool, she recounts the challenges of transitioning from researcher to entrepreneur, including the struggl...

Kerry Rupp is a General Partner at True Wealth Ventures , an early-stage venture capital fund investing in women-led businesses that improve human and/or environmental health. She is a board director for True Wealth Ventures’ portfolio companies Flourish , Partum Health , reHarvest Provisions , Rosy , and VidaFuel and a board observer for BrainCheck and Atlantic Sea Farms .  Tune in to this insigh...

In this episode, Elaine Bolle, an accomplished entrepreneur, corporate leader, and angel investor, shares key insights into achieving early-stage success for founders. Tune in to listen to her takes on curiosity and innovative problem-solving, how to select the right angel groups, the differences between angel investors and venture capitalists, strategic fundraising, and much more. Women founders...

In this riveting episode, Vinita Gupta, the first Indian American woman to start a company and take it public in the United States, shares hard-won lessons from her entrepreneurial journey. From the motivation to start her tech company to the challenges of running and exiting it, she provides a candid look at the highs and lows of her career. She discusses the importance of purpose, the role of le...

In this riveting episode, Jen Baird, a seasoned entrepreneur with seven startups under her belt, shares hard-won lessons from her 20-year journey. From evaluating ideas to crafting a compelling pitch, Jen breaks down the essence of what investors look for and the common pitfalls that derail founders. She reveals the surprising truth about how much time fundraising really takes and the critical imp...

In this thought-provoking episode, Gwen Edwards, angel investor, and Managing Director at Golden Seeds , and an accomplished innovator and entrepreneur herself, address the critical issues founders struggles with and provides crystal-clear, actiomable and encouraging advice including: selecting the right idea for your startup market validation getting your business model right preparing for invest...

In this insightful conversation, Angela Lee, founder of 37 Angels and an experienced angel investor, shares her profound wisdom on funding challenges faced by women entrepreneurs. From deconstructing early-stage funding trends to unveiling the secrets of leveraging networks and negotiating fair valuations, Angela offers a treasure trove of actionable advice. Prepare to be enlightened as she dispel...

How do you mine the kernel of a startup idea from scientific research? How do you bridge the knowledge gap in learning hundreds of new startup and business concepts, while progressing your idea and getting funding all at the same time? How do you piece together every part of a complex business model when you don't know what one is to begin with? In this episode, Dr. Christy Sheehy, co-founder of C...

What's the danger in following online startup advice as a new founder? How can you break the dilemma of not having the cash to hire the good lawyers you need so you can raise cash? If you’re a first time founder, how can you find and leverage the sharpest legal minds you can find to help you nail your raise and beyond? In this episode, Elke Trilla, venture capital transaction and corporate governa...

Summary: What important aspect of your startup has an outsize impact on your fundraising outcomes? Why is it so hard to change vc investment patterns in women-founded startups? What do founders often miss about the investor side of startup funding? In this episode, Julie Castro Abrams, managing partner at How Women Invest, started an ambitious project that addressed the triple whammy of low corpor...

Summary: What does a cutting edge cybersecurity company have in common with the medieval Dutch church? What's the most critical ingredient for ANY company to fulfill a meaningful social purpose? What important aspect of the venture capital model do most founders fail to understand? In this episode, Dr. Melanie Rieback, CEO and Co-founder of Radically Open Security and startup incubator Nonprofit V...

Who are the some of the smartest experts in the innovation ecosystem most entrepreneurs don't even know exist? Why is it fatal to your startup to talk about your big scientific breakthrough too soon? How can you as a founder get the best of both worlds in bringing your discovery or invention to market for great outcomes? In this episode, Laleh Shayesteh, Director of Intellectual Property and Admin...

How does the Inflation Reduction Act impact funding for climate tech and clean tech startups? What’s different for climate tech startups compared to startups in other sectors? How can a climate focused startup improve their funding prospects and accelerate their path to revenue? In this episode, Kristin Wegner Guilfoyle, climate tech and policy specialist, talks about the sectors that stand to ben...

What do you do if your very identity effectively shuts the door on many types of capital as an entrepreneur? How do you get capital for your venture if even the nearest ATM is an hour away? And what can one determined entrepreneur accomplish when all other options simply don’t exist for her, or even her entire community? In this episode, Vanessa Roanhorse, capital innovator, and founder of Roanhor...

Summary What are investors looking for during fundraising due diligence? What one critical fact do most founders miss when thinking about what drives their investors’ funding decision? What is the single biggest mental pivot you need to make as a founder to successfully fundraise? In this episode, Lisa Frusztajer, Investor in Residence at the Capital Network, talks about what founders should prepa...

What does the vc investment process really look like? Why should women founders be wary of VC funds that are earmarked only for women? When fundraising, what hidden risk might scare an investor away that you as a founder may see as a big win? In this episode, Kim Banham, general partner at Connetic Ventures, talks about how the vc process can be moulded to remove bias against women founders, the b...