In this episode, we sit down with Coco Brown, founder of Athena Alliance, to discuss her journey of transforming a nonprofit into a venture-backed enterprise and successfully raising $2.5M in funding. Coco shares her experience with the challenging fundraising climate of 2023 and how she navigated countless investor rejections. She talks about the pivotal moment when one investor’s commitment turned things around and how that single yes sparked a wave of support. We explore her strategies for capital efficiency, the importance of community, and the innovative approaches she took to secure funding. Listeners will gain insights into the realities of raising capital, the power of perseverance, and the impact of having a strong network. Coco's story is a testament to the resilience and creativity required to succeed in the startup world.

A lot of entrepreneurs take risks when they're young and have nothing to lose. For others, it's a different story. Maybe they found their dream job, started a family, bought a house, and then something happens that completely throws them off course. Today's guest was one of those people. After an unexpected situation, he decided to take a chance and start a company he saw an opportunity for back at his previous job in AI. It ended up being a good chance to take. Today we're speaking with Brian Raymond, first time founder and CEO of Unstructured IO, a company that's connecting enterprise data to LLMs. And we have to say... his story is wild. In 2 years, Brian's managed to raise $65 million dollars in venture capital across three rounds. The most recent of those being a $40M Series B led by Menlo Ventures. Brians journey into entrepreneurship was unique, but also one I think a lot of you listening will be able to relate to.

When all you've ever known is running a bootstrapped startup... the world of venture capital can feel pretty intimidating. Bootstrapping a company is an extreme sport, and so is going down the path of venture capital - but each path is completely different from one another. You might have been able to build an amazing company that you believe can be huge (with the help of venture dollars), but without understanding how the game of venture capital actually works - you're at a huge disadvantage. Today's guest Analisa Goodin, founder and CEO of Catch+Release knew this and decided to be proactive about it. Way before she went out to raise her first of three successful rounds, she became a relentless networker which over time, led her to conversations with VCs getting her to learn the space. Clearly, something clicked because Catch+Release has now raised over $31M in venture capital. Listen to the full episode to hear more details on her most recent rounds as well as advice she has for up-and-coming founders looking to raise capital.

When life throws you tough times, you only have two options: to give up or find a solution. Today's guest felt slightly differently when they ran into some truly unexpected situations... they decided there was actually only one option: find a solution and move forward. Our guest for this episode is André Ferraz, co-founder and CEO of Incognia, a fast growing leader in the online fraud prevention space. Over the past decade, Incognia has had its fair share of ups, downs and even pivots - ultimately leading them to find the PMF that landed them $45M in venture funding in under 3 years. André's story is wild and super inspiring, and we can't wait for you guys to hear it!

In this episode, we dive into the unpredictable world of startups, where the only constant is change. Joining us is Jennifer Lewis, co-founder and CEO of Lex, a pioneering social app for the LGBTQ community. Jennifer shares her rollercoaster journey through the venture-backed startup landscape, a path filled with highs and lows, trials, and significant growth. Despite the notion that startups should be smooth sailing, Jennifer's experience tells a different story—one of persistence and resilience. She recounts the daunting challenges she faced while raising capital, which paradoxically energized her and her team to secure a substantial $5.6 million seed round. This episode reveals how coming close to failure can unveil a newfound strength and determination. We also take a personal look at Jennifer's background, tracing her unlikely path from her early years to becoming a leader in tech innovation. Her story is a testament to the unexpected turns life can take and the transformative power of embracing them. Tune in to gain insights into the gritty realities of startup life and the pivotal moments that can define a company's success.

What makes someone a successful founder? Is it how much revenue they're able to generate? How well they lead their company and their employees? How many investors they're able to land? Those all play a role ... but the real answer is probably more nuanced and certainly harder to pinpoint. When we look at any successful founder throughout history, it's natural to wonder how they got there. To wonder what made them different from the thousands of others who tried to walk the same path and failed. Today I get to talk to Ian Swanson, 3x venture-backed founder and current CEO of Protect AI. Ian has raised over $82M in venture capital throughout his career with two successful exits . In today's interview, we touch on all three of Ian's companies, sharing the ups, the downs, and the in-betweens of running a venture-backed company. Tune in to uncover the untold stories behind Ian's path to success and discover what sets him apart in the world of entrepreneurship.

Join us on a journey through the winding roads of entrepreneurship with our guest, Nancy Xu, the Founder & CEO of Moonhub. From her early days training for the U.S. math and physics team to her academic journey at Stanford and her stint as a software engineer at Facebook, Nancy seemed destined for academia. However, her passion for impactful ideas steered her towards entrepreneurship, leading her to start Moonhub, the pioneering AI-powered recruiter. With over $10 million raised in just two years, we explore how Nancy's background in AI research and building crucial relationships laid the foundation for Moonhub's success. Join us as we unravel the fascinating story of Nancy Xu raising millions from big named venture capitalists like Google Ventures and Khosla Ventures.

There's a quote from Abraham Lincoln that always really speaks to me: "Give me 6 hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first 4 sharpening my axe." It's become a mantra of sorts for me, especially when it comes to fundraising. I share it with all of the founders I work with because it encapsulates a fundamental truth: the preparation before the task is key. In my experience, the ease of a fundraising journey is directly proportional to the groundwork laid beforehand. Those lightning-fast fundraises? They're not just luck; they're the culmination of years, even decades, of relationship-building and experience. Take today's guest, Scott Kriz. As the co-founder and CEO of SGNL, he raised over $22M in less than 2 years, drawing on a decade of industry know-how. But this success wasn't overnight. Scott had already navigated the fundraising landscape with his previous venture, Bitium, where he secured $15M in VC funding before its acquisition by Google in 2017. Scott's journey underscores the importance of early struggles in paving the way for future triumphs. This episode is filled with knowledge, so make sure to listen till the very end!

Bootstrapping and raising venture capital are two different beasts. Bootstrapping gives you control, but growth is slower. Venture capital speeds things up, but you have to give up some control. There is, however, one thing they both have in common: each requires a leap of faith. Today's guest is pretty unique. She's someone who's gotten to experience building both types of companies - one bootstrapped, one venture backed. That guest is Guta Tolmasquim, founder and CEO of Purple Metrics, which recently closed their first institutional round of capital, a $1.2M pre-seed led by Astella, one of the top venture firms in Brazil! But before Purple Metrics, Guta founded Brand Gym, a company she bootstrapped and built all by herself. As you can imagine, the transition to building a venture backed company was... interesting In this episode, we get to learn about how Guta ended up closing her $1.2M pre-seed round and just how powerful building your network really is.