Mary Grove’s Post

“Invent and Reinvent Yourself” was the theme of last week's Chicago Innovation panel event that brought together entrepreneurs and innovators who live by it.   Sharing a “say-invent” moment with Norman Jeddeloh (a litigation attorney turned creative writer who published his first must-read romantic thriller: A Boat Named Blind Faith) and Brittany Hizer (a mom, innovator and co-founder of Pluie, reinventing public baby changing table to be self-sanitizing).   At Hellowiz , we are reinventing retirement. If you are considering retirement, stop, re-think, re-start, and join us on www.Hellowiz.com. Together, let’s invent un-retiring!

Starting next month I will begin hosting the Bulletpitch “Industry Dinner Series” in partnership with Fidelity Shoobx. TLDR: I’m hosting monthly dinners for founders and funders. The meal is comped of course! To join a dinner please comment on this post so I can message you the link to sign up. Bonus points if you tag the best founders and funders you know so they can sign up as well. Here’s how it works: 1. Once a month I will be hosting a dinner with 7 founders and 7 VCs in a particular industry (AI, Consumer, Infra, CPG, Deep Tech, etc.) 2. The goal of these dinners are to discuss the industry, connect founders with VCs, and connect founders with other founders! 3. The format will be mostly open conversations with a few curated parts to the evening. 4. We will repeat industries so don’t worry if we do a dinner and you are not invited. All dinners are created equal and there will be more. 5. The first dinner will be in NYC but you can expect dinners in other major hubs including LA, SF, Austin, Bos, Miami, and more. Comment below and I’ll message the form to apply.

📣Last call!    Any later stage founders or investors want to help out with our Founder Pitch Feedback events?    We’ve been overwhelmed with the response to my original post a few weeks back (see below).    We’ve now got 4 events across Manchester, Liverpool, Lancaster and Leeds in October to give early-stage founders genuine no bullsh*t feedback on their pitch decks. This feedback will come from investors and other later stage founders in the ecosystem.     If you want to support, please drop us a note via the form in the comments below so we can match you to the right event. PS. Early stage founders - if you're between £0-500k revenue and want some honest feedback from investors see event links below.  

Ready to #scaleup your business? Well you best check out our Scaleup Programme, powered by Cambridge Judge Business School 👇🏻 This programme will teach you how to: - Build a significant growth plan - Develop a go-to-market strategy - Address key management challenges - Much more Applications are open now - see the below for more info and to apply 👇🏻 #accelerator #growyourbusiness #scaleyourbusiness Nick Bansal Nick Murray Trish McClay Jonathan Errici Nathalie Cutting Alan Duff Daniel Farquhar Ian Barsted Jack Greenwood

The Barclays Eagle Labs #Scaleup Programme, powered by Cambridge Judge Business School is back and open for applications for Season 2. Read more and apply ▶ https://lnkd.in/eakMHzpx 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁? - Gain support to a accelerated business growth plan - Define and articulate the value proposition of your business - Develop a ‘go-to-market’ strategy for your products and services - Provide better support for leadership teams during this growth - Address key management challenges during the growth and scale up phases - Gain exposure to like-minded founding teams and senior managers, to share best practice and business development advice. 𝐖𝐡𝐨’𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫? - Your startup is at the tipping point of scale, in line with setting processes, leadership aspiration and market traction - Your staratup has scaleup potential (annual revenue/sales above £1m) - The business has a positive cashflow and/or is backed by a Venture Capitalist or Angel Investor (raised £1m+) Read more and apply ▶ https://lnkd.in/eakMHzpx #startup #scaleup #businessgrowth #leadership #accelerator #PMF

The culture of 1848 Ventures, backed by Westfield is foundational in all we do. It can be felt in how we talk to each other, collaborate, connect, make decisions, grow, and drive results. One of our behavioral areas "Ask Another Question" ensures that empathy and compassion are always present. We understand that in order to reach high performance and drive business results we must seek to understand through empathy and thoughtful conversations. Working together in this way leads us to new possibilities and unseen solutions. We are productive, appreciative collaborators, building stronger bonds and better solutions with every interaction.

What is an experiment you are running to allocate capital to mission-aligned founders with a long-term view? If this resonates, email me for access to a small group conversation among mission-driven investors this Friday in Austin at Black Future House SxSW: https://lnkd.in/gn5j2FMm We are convening investors who are exploring new models to fill the capital opportunity that is hiding in plain sight. This is not a panel. This is a closed-door roundtable discussion where we can be open and honest about how we're pursuing the opportunity in front of us. Our team at Cinematica Labs is convening this conversation in partnership with Black Future House as well as Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership (IFEL) and New Media Ventures (NMV). I have talked for years with Lauren Washington, Jill Johnson, and Jessica Salinas about the experiments we're running to innovate on the capital stack to build sustainable, futurist entrepreneurial ecosystems that support intersectional founders. We as investors have the opportunity to build new structures and strategies to realize the future that is within our grasp. I have led an AI-powered venture fund, an angel syndicate, an angel network, and most recently a mentorship program with Black Ambition supporting 600+ founders. The common pain point I am experiencing, along with many asset managers I talk to, is that we need to collaborate with other investors while we develop capital stack. After Marcia Chong Rosado, Trivia Edwards and I joined forces with Jennifer S. Roberts of Building Utopia to convene the Cultivating Capital Investor Roundtable at Afrotech bringing together Ansley Carlisle, Monica Dean, Evan Boswell Hamilton, Dominick J. Ard'is, I Nasir C. Qadree and others, we knew we had to run it back. Check out more on Building Utopia's Afrofuturist Toolkit here: https://lnkd.in/gMmb3rqk

As a Questioner myself based on Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies framework, the ethos of 1848 Ventures, backed by Westfield resonates deeply with me 🚀 Curiosity and the quest for knowledge are at our core, embodied in our Culture Catchphrase 'Ask Another Question.' It's not just about asking - it's about understanding and empathy. 🎥 Watch our team share their experiences and insights on how this culture of inquiry shapes everything we do. hashtag #1848Ventures #CultureOfCuriosity #InnovationThroughQuestions #AskAnotherQuestion

I hear from founders all the time that they're working so hard in the business that they don't work on the business. This is a big problem. But, maybe an even bigger problem, is when is the last time they've worked on yourself? Founders need to take the time to rejuvenate and connect with other founders. That's what Emerging Prairie's first ever Summer Founder's Retreat is designed around. Learn more and register here. https://lnkd.in/g2H5NABm

Reflecting on our journey, it's incredible to see how far we've come from our humble beginnings. When we started, we were a fledgling company, still honing our ideals and envisioning what impact we could make on the world. Yet, even in those early days, there was a spark of ambition and a shared belief in our mission. Today, we stand as a testament to the power of perseverance and clarity of purpose. We now know exactly who we are and how we're changing lives, and this realization has transformed us into a magnet for like-minded individuals and businesses seeking partnerships. It's inspiring to witness how we're attracting entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds, spanning all age groups and nationalities. This growing community of visionaries is a testament to the universal appeal of our mission and the value we offer to those who join us. But let me be clear: this is just the beginning. We're on the cusp of even greater achievements, and the opportunities for growth and impact are boundless. If you believe in our vision and know someone who would thrive in an environment fueled by innovation, collaboration, and purpose, I urge you to spread the word about Bridge the Gap Marketing. Let them know about the incredible journey we're on and the unparalleled opportunities we have to offer. Together, we can continue to bridge the gap between dreams and reality, and build a future where success knows no bounds. CLICK TO APPLY: https://lnkd.in/entCZvZc