What Freedom Looks Like

Black women are the fastest-growing-but-still-least-funded segment of the entrepreneur universe. That’s why this Juneteenth, I’ve invited Makisha Boothe, Founder and Head Business Coach of Sistahbiz Global Network, a business accelerator for Black women entrepreneurs, to write this guest post, which I invite you to help amplify. Makisha shares her thoughts on the unique challenges facing …

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The Essential Guide to Startup Boards

The first time many founders see the inside of a board room is when they step in to lead their board. But how do boards work? How should they be structured, managed, and leveraged so that startups can grow, avoid pitfalls, and get the best out of their boards? If you’re looking for answers to …

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The worst email

Today I received an email from a founder who was looking for investment from software/internet investors. That happens every day. This particular email was addressed “TO” me and approximately 25 other investors, many of whom I know personally. Unfortunately, this also happens several times a week. What does this say about the person sending the …

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Practicing—and Perfecting—Your 60-Second Pitch

I recently joined my colleague Saba Karim, Director of Startup Pipeline at Techstars, for a one-hour event where founders did elevator pitches on Twitter Spaces hosted by Adam Soccolich (aka Twitter’s @TheBestOfAdam) and… wow! We heard a variety of pitches from a diverse group of founders from around the world. Some came with experience from …

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Give First… Build First… or Both?

“How is an early-stage founder expected to interpret the Give First philosophy?” That’s the polite way of rewording a question Keith Coleman, Founder of Fraudmarc (Techstars Atlanta 2017), posed to Brad Feld and me in an email a little while back. Keith got our attention with his subject line, “give first, finish last.” His email …

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Guest Blog: A Message on Juneteenth

On today’s blog, I am doing something different, by amplifying the voice of my colleague, Neal Sáles-Griffin, Managing Director, Techstars Chicago. Neal shares his perspective, personal experience and offers reflection and connection on this important holiday of Juneteenth. – David Do you remember how it felt when you first learned about the lockdown restrictions last …

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file under: Startups