Seed-Stage Investing

The practice of leading early-stage venture capital rounds for startups, focusing on transformational innovation, founder coaching, and building relationships before companies reach significant revenue milestones.

6 episodes

Ep 47 Karen Rands—The Compassionate Capitalist: Inside Secrets to Angel and Crowdfund Investing

Ep 47 Karen Rands—The Compassionate Capitalist: Inside Secrets to Angel and Crowdfund Investing

Karen Rands, founder of the Compassionate Capitalist movement, discusses her mission to democratize angel and crowdfund investing. She shares her career journey from IBM through angel investing leadership, explains how individuals can build wealth by funding entrepreneurs aligned with their values, and introduces her new book following 'Jane's journey' into accessible startup investing through diversified portfolios including revenue-share models.

Ep25 Lisa Calhoun—Earning Every Win: Grit, Innovation, and Knowing When to Venture!

Ep25 Lisa Calhoun—Earning Every Win: Grit, Innovation, and Knowing When to Venture!

Lisa Calhoun, managing partner of Valor Ventures, discusses her journey from fourth-generation entrepreneur to leading seed-stage venture capital investments across the South. She shares insights on transformational innovation, the venture winter of recent years, and how AI is fundamentally changing software development and startup economics.

Ep22 Bryan Dennstedt—2025 Trends: AI, Venture Capital, and the Future of Work!

Ep22 Bryan Dennstedt—2025 Trends: AI, Venture Capital, and the Future of Work!

Bryan Dennstedt, fractional CTO at Tech CXO and sustainable investing advocate, discusses 2025 technology and business trends with host Todd. They explore venture capital's post-SVB recovery, AI's practical applications and limitations, the evolution of marketing through influencer content and podcasts, and emerging shifts in crypto regulation, intellectual property, and remote work culture.

Ep21 James Rozich— Sales, Marketing, Sumerians and Avoiding Founder's Disease!

Ep21 James Rozich— Sales, Marketing, Sumerians and Avoiding Founder's Disease!

Jim Rozich, founder of Wheels Up Sales and Marketing, discusses helping early-stage startups build effective sales processes and avoid common founder mistakes. He emphasizes value-based messaging over feature lists, proper CRM implementation, and understanding buyer psychology. The conversation covers cold email strategy, multi-channel outreach, AI tools for sales, and the importance of discovery calls that prioritize listening over pitching.

Ep 19 Kathryn O'Day —Triathlons, Startups, and Success: A Playbook for Entrepreneurs

Ep 19 Kathryn O'Day —Triathlons, Startups, and Success: A Playbook for Entrepreneurs

Katherine O'Day, partner at Atlanta Ventures, discusses her journey from employee #9 at Pardot through two successful acquisitions (ExactTarget, then Salesforce) to COO at Rigger (acquired by Splunk, then Cisco). She shares insights on building company culture, bootstrapping versus raising capital, and her current work doing early-stage investing and running a venture studio that co-founds companies with experienced entrepreneurs.

Ep 04 - Mark Flickinger: From Rowing to Venture Capital - Lessons in Teamwork and Growth

Ep 04 - Mark Flickinger: From Rowing to Venture Capital - Lessons in Teamwork and Growth

Mark Flickinger, partner at BIP Ventures, discusses his journey from mechanical engineering and competitive rowing to venture capital. He explains BIP's platform-heavy approach with 50 employees supporting both investors and portfolio companies, their focus on high net worth LPs, and strategies for helping founders navigate the current market environment. Flickinger emphasizes the importance of solving real problems, building strong boards, and maintaining discipline during economic uncertainty.

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