Stephanie MacConnell’s Post

What do you get when 16 NYS tech founders walk into a restaurant to debrief on TechConnect World Innovation Conference & Expo? One really fun night! Community is crucial for startup founders as it provides a support network of like-minded individuals facing similar challenges. Mentorship within the New York City Innovation Hot Spot community offers invaluable guidance from experienced entrepreneurs, helping founders navigate obstacles and make informed next steps decisions. Additionally, having someone to talk to alleviates the isolation often experienced in the startup journey, ensuring founders maintain well-being and resilience!

How I Judge Early-Stage Startup Pitch Competitions: --- The Problem: Have they convinced us the problem they set out to solve is real - worthy of a business? --- The Solution: Is their solution to the problem sufficiently unique from what's available today or, if not, do they have a distinct point of difference that will attract customers? --- Founder confidence: From a potential investor's perspective - do they have a grasp of the industry, grasp of business, ability to be convincing, ability to lead this startup to success. --- Investible: Likelihood - given all that was shared in the pitch - someone would invest in this startup. Good luck founders! https://lnkd.in/eZtiX4JM

New. How can we help underrepresented groups access new green job opportunities? Gosbert Chagula MBE, Co-Founder & Head of Programmes at the Startup Discovery School suggests we need to re-examine the word ‘green’. Watch the video and let us know what you think in the comments below ⬇️ And for further insights, read the article ‘What will it take for the UK to deliver a Just Transition?’ within our Just Transition hub 🔗 http://spr.ly/6043RXDNt #JustTransition #SustainabilityVoices

New. How can we help underrepresented groups access new green job opportunities? Gosbert Chagula MBE, Co-Founder & Head of Programmes at the Startup Discovery School suggests we need to re-examine the word ‘green’. Watch the video and let us know what you think in the comments below ⬇️ And for further insights, read the article ‘What will it take for the UK to deliver a Just Transition?’ within our Just Transition hub 🔗 http://spr.ly/6043RXDNt #JustTransition #SustainabilityVoices

Team8 Partner, Galia Beer-Gabel, recently moderated the 'Nuts and Bolts of Building a Business' panel during London Tech Week. She was joined on stage by Tom Bohills, Founder at Founders Law, Gerard Grech, Managing Director at Founders at the University of Cambridge, and Chris Woodward-Jones, Co-Founder at VIZZY. The key takeaway of the panel? It's all about the people across the board. Successful startups thrive when co-founders have complementary skills, resilience, synergy, and unwavering trust. Founders should also surround themselves with early employees who are deeply committed to the mission. And when selecting investors, they must align with your purpose and bring strategic value to the table. 💬 What do you think are the essential qualities in a founder or early-stage employee? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

applications are now OPEN for the second annual Pitch HearstLab U event! 🎓 HearstLab: https://lnkd.in/gUmR3Tfr Pitch HearstLab U (https://lnkd.in/gUmR3Tfr)  is a pitch competition for current or recent graduates of universities who founded an early stage, women-led startup in the US. The winner will automatically become a finalist for Pitch HearstLab (held in Atlanta in November) to receive $100k in investment with the opportunity for additional follow on investment. In fact, in less than two years they have already invested $4.2M in startups they have met through their pitch competitions. HearstLab provides cash investment and services to early-stage, women-led startups. To date, HearstLab has invested in 75 startups with a collective valuation of over $2.5B. Following our successful pitch event in NY, we are excited to host our second annual virtual pitch competition, Pitch HearstLabU, focused exclusively on female-founders who are university entrepreneurs or recent graduates. The winner of this event will become an automatic finalist in our upcoming Pitch HearstLab event on November 12th in Atlanta where founders will pitch live for the opportunity to win a $100k in investment. Apply here by May 31. #femalefounders #mitfemalefounders #mitalumni #mitalumna

👀 Delving into Team Insights from our Alumni! Last week, we shared the fantastic news of our startups raising a staggering total of 54 million euros post-competition! Now, it's time to dive deeper into our team statistics, providing our supporters a glimpse into the status of our companies when they stepped onto the stage in Berlin. ✨ 45% Female Founders: We're proud to have a strong representation of female entrepreneurs within our teams, driving innovation and diversity in the startup ecosystem. 💰 €40 Million in Federal Funding: Even before the competition, our startups have been making waves, securing significant federal funding to fuel their growth and development. 🌱 >90% Seeking Pre-Seed and Seed Funding: The hunger for growth is real! The majority of our teams were actively seeking pre-seed and seed funding during or immediately after the competition. Stay tuned as we unveil more insights about our remarkable teams in the coming days! 📈 And keep your eyes peeled for any exciting updates about this year's competition. It's going to be epic! 💥

There are two things I love about attending tech events: the energy and the networking opportunities. But my journey to London Tech Week and the Scotch & Pitches event organised by Foras was anything but smooth. I was super excited to attend, but I almost got lost on my way to the venue. Therefore, I had to rely on my phone's Google Maps, which decided to act up at the worst possible time. When I finally arrived, I couldn't find my name on the registration list. But after a few tense moments, I realised I had registered under a different email. Therefore, I got in just in time for the pitches. The event was buzzing with energy and excitement, but what really stood out were the different pitching styles. Some startups were very technical, therefore focusing on data and metrics. But then, the founder of Generalist World, Milly Tamati took the stage and told an incredible story about her childhood. She shared how people always told her she couldn't be a generalist and be knowledgeable in different areas, therefore inspiring her to start her business. Her story resonated with me because I consider myself a generalist too. But it wasn't just her; many other founders like Janani Prabhakaran, Angela Prentner-Smith (FRSA), Eilidh Mutch used storytelling to connect with the investors, therefore making their pitches memorable. The Foras team Dec McLaughlin, Caro Melendez 🔜 Turing Fest / Slush, known for their work in supporting Scottish startups, outdid themselves with this event. But their dedication to fostering innovation was clear throughout. Therefore, it's no wonder they attracted such a diverse and talented group of founders and investors. Despite the initial hiccups, attending Scotch & Pitches was an inspiring experience. The energy, the innovative ideas, and the powerful stories made it all worthwhile. But wait a minute, I didn’t see Lawal O. and the Econome team at the event. I wonder why? It was great catching up with Calum Purdie and Beena Sharma at the event. Tag someone who was at the event. One last thing: which UK startup has been the most impressive for you? Please share in the comments. Edward Hogg, Onyinye Igbokwe (PMP)®, Pete Preston, SolvedBy.Ai, Neve Learning, ThermaFY Group, #tech #startup #eventmanagement #projectmanagement #programmemanagement #techecosystem #londontechweek

🚨 Last call to apply for the third annual Venture Access Founder Fellowship! The Founder Fellowship is designed to improve access to capital and networks for underrepresented founders across all tech-enabled sectors. Each year, it supports a diverse community of New York City tech #startup founder teams with much-needed access to resources and networks to help them grow their companies. All Fellow teams receive: -Individualized work plans to identify key needs and interests -Cohort convenings to discuss challenges and receive business administration support -Connections to capital providers and potential collaborators -Access to mentors and advisor network As Fêtefully Founder GiGi McDowell shared at our LA #TechWeek office hours for underestimated founders event: “Showing support for underrepresented founders means not only opening up your checkbook, but your address book, and introducing them to the people who have the knowledge and expertise to help them grow their business. Sometimes you really just need that expertise—whether that be legal, financial, go-to-market strategy. We don't know it all, so we need to have access to the people who do." Applications close on December 5, 2023. Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/e_BnbB5f #founders 

Thank you to Rob Tiffany⚡️, Pradnya Desh, Ryan James, PhD, Estelle Giraud, and Joseph Williams for joining us in the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship's Business plan practicum class. A few takeaways: 💜 Really fall in love with the problem first 💜 Solve a problem that's a fire! not just a nice to have 💜The team you build should be based on trust and connections 💜Government has LOTS of opportunities Then specifically for healthcare startups, because of the complexity, connect with others who have successful built a healthcare company. Here's to the future builders!