A week ago we held our late cofounders event… it didn’t go as expected at all. I had selected three speakers from totally different horizons and in completely different companies, expecting a wide range of learnings: ⭐️ Gabrielle Sergent, CTPO Klaro, an early-stage startup on a social mission ⭐️ Philippe Maso y Guell Rivet, CEO Ornikar, a seasoned executive that arrived when KKR put €120m in the company ⭐️ Alban Sayag, CEO Yousign, serial tech entrepreneur building further the European eSignature leader Well, it turned out that they all shared extremely similar feedback! And that was even better. All three of them expressed that: 1️⃣ One of their key impact was driving the team and culture to new heights: more accountability, more structured and cooperative org, more data-driven decisions. 2️⃣ A late cofounder move is successful when the new comer and the historical founders can both show high humility and desire to learn from each other. 3️⃣ If at first, it’s not your company and never will be (you haven’t started it)… it quickly becomes as fulfilling as if you were a founder, and the equity package is a reflection of that, not the cause. I was also surprised by how much this role resonated, how many ultra involved C-levels identified themselves years after as late cofounders, and how many others wished to find such a role. The impact of such late cofounders is absolutely tremendous for the companies that experienced it, and the ecosystem is now beginning to understand it. With Hexa Scale ⚡ we'll capitalise on these learnings for every late cofounder we partner with!
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Startups & VC Community Builder | Co-Founder of A2C | Founder Community at Gold House | YALP'24 | Boston’s Ten Outstanding Young Leaders’23
A2C launch event recap! Thank you to everyone who came to support us and our mission! See below for the full recap & video of the event!
Last week, we hosted our A2C Boston launch event with over 200 founders, investors and ecosystem partners who showed up to support our mission of amplifying underrepresented voices in Greater Boston’s startup ecosystem. A huge thank you to our partners, sponsors, and everyone who came to support us! From the inspiring conversations to the meaningful connections made, this event was a testament to the power of Access to Capital, Community, and Connections in our Boston startup ecosystem! Thank you to our sponsor Silicon Valley Bank and all of our partners: BLCK VC, Visible Hands, Emerging Venture Capitalists Association (EVCA), VCFamilia, Amplify LatinX, Scroobious, MassChallenge, Boston Impact Initiative, the CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center), and the Asian Business Empowerment Council for supporting us! This is just the beginning. Together, we’re building something extraordinary to rewrite the narrative for the next generation of founders. We are just getting started. 📽️ Check out the highlights from our unforgettable night! Video credit: Instagram @phil.d_ 💌 Stay tuned for more events and opportunities to join the A2C community. Apply to join here! https://lnkd.in/ehPiKi4W Founding Team Chareeda R. Marisa Nieves Marvin Lemuel Lim Stanley Rameau Thank you everyone who supported us to make this event happen! Ben Maitland-Lewis, Hani Azzam, Jesse Aranda-Comer, Olizer René Garcia, Takida Wiggins, Vanessa Kuhlor, Jessica Angeles, Qingjian Shi, Katrina Makayan, Javier Grevely, Allison Byers, Lily Macomber, Marcia Chong Rosado, Daniel Acheampong, Hannah Zinn, Roxanna Sarmiento, Kathryn (Kat) Lazell, Samantha Garcia, Tyler Fohrman, Chaya Patel, Sarah Lamont, Aliana Pineiro
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Co-Founder & CPO @ GlüxKind Technologies | Revolutionizing the baby stroller one stroll at a time.
Gratitude Spotlight Series: Part 2 – Techstars, How investor week ended in a hospital stay (the best kind) As we continue our Thanksgiving 🇨🇦 appreciation series, today we want to recognize the impactful experience we had as part of the last Techstars Austin Cohort. Being part of this community was truly transformative for Glüxkind, providing us with the ongoing mentorship, support, and thought provoking conversations we needed to get to our next milestones. Thank you Amos Schwartzfarb, Dani Rose and Caroline T. for bringing us all together, providing the most empathetic mentorship we could have asked for and always aiming to find the best people for us to connect with to solve whatever question we brought up. A huge shoutout to our mentors, who dedicated their time and expertise to us and the startup community to support us on questions ranging from high level strategy down to the nitty gritty of cross boarder accounting. Your inputs were invaluable, and we’re so grateful that you are part of our journey! A special thanks to Kristina Kennedy and Tiffani Lee-Zhang, Michael Morton, Michael Johnstone, Jing-ta Chow, and Marshall Coover for supporting us throughout the program. Thank you to Colin Gardiner for still being the voice in the back of my head that inspires series like this one on LinkedIn. And of course, we couldn’t have asked for a better cohort. “Great things in business are never done by one person; they’re done by a team of people." – Steve Jobs. Our time in Austin with the cohort was intense (not the least because it was 40 degrees Celsius outside). Lots of lifelong memories were made and connections formed that will continue to impact our life as founders. It was inspiring to share the program with such talented and driven founders that push you to do better and run further. Thank you. Timing is something you can’t always control - definitely not when it comes to babies. So thank you to our baby, who was born the first day after investor week, letting his due date pass while Kevin Huang and I made some more connections into the Techstars investor network. Stephanie Daniel Shaina Shiwarski Nelson Chu Sara Filipčić Ellery Kreloff Yazeed Sabri Lauren McCullough Harry Park Sophie English Smith Heidi Hubbeling Leach Kevin Nuest Jake Huber Lara August #techstars #startupcommunity #startuplife #worklifewhat #mentorship #founder #Austin
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15 CEOs attended the Alumni Ventures’ CEO Dinner in Austin last week. Matt Blumberg, CEO of Bolster, and Joshua Baer, CEO of Capital Factory, led a discussion about critical aspects of the CEOs work and life. Here are just three of many takeaways: •Treat your board as an asset by discussing strategic topics rather than spending much time on reporting. • Make sure you’re spending time on self-care – time spent sleeping, exercising, with friends and family, or on hobbies makes you more productive at work. • CEO peer groups are incredibly valuable forums for problem-solving and venting. We’d like to thank Bolster, an executive talent search platform for startups, and Seba Dominguez and Adam Lyons from Builders, a service providing nearshoring developers, for sponsoring the event. The other attendees were: Aneesh Dhawan, CEO of Knit, Anthony Gerardi CEO Insiteflow, Arun Nair, CEO of OpsLab, Ethan Baehrend, CEO of Creative 3D Technologies, Jacob Rosenbloom, CEO of Levee, Jon Carter, CEO of Prado, Monica Landers, CEO of StoryFit, Simon Tankel, CEO of Heading Health, Taylor Chartier, CEO of Modicus Prime, Will Coleman, CEO of Alto, Yash M. Patel, CEO of Legion, and Jin Kim of Alumni Ventures.
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I get it—some venture funds treat their investments like bets, aiming to place as many as possible and leaving it up to the founders to make things work. While I understand that approach, it’s not one I subscribe to. I believe the investors on your cap table should be your biggest champions. What does that look like? It means opening doors through their networks, answering late-night calls when things get tough, inviting you to the big industry events, giving you honest feedback (even when it stings), and standing by your side throughout the journey. Finding these kinds of investors isn’t easy, which is why we created the Founder-First Investor Award. After launching it in NYC, we’re excited to bring it to #Chicago, where founders have nominated local investors who truly go above and beyond for their portfolio companies. A huge congratulations to Desiree Vargas Wrigley, this year’s winner of the Founder-First Investor Award in Chicago! And shoutout to the finalists who were also recognized by founders for their exceptional support: Rebecca Sholiton Kahnweiler, Collin Bhojwani, and Jyothi Vallurupalli 🚀 We’ve also compiled a list of other Chicago-based investors who share this "founder-first" mentality and were nominated by their founders. Founders, consider this your resource for building a pipeline of target investors who will have your back. Link to the blog-post in the comments ⬇
We’re excited to reveal the winner of the #Chicago Founder-First Award, recognizing investors who go beyond just writing checks—they become true partners to founders, offering unwavering support, mentorship, and strategic guidance. This award celebrates investors who prioritize the long-term success of their portfolio companies and act as dedicated champions for founders at every step of their entrepreneurial journey. Congratulations to Desiree Vargas Wrigley of Velocity Catalyst Fund & P33 Chicago! 🚀 Desiree has been a tireless champion for underrepresented founders in Chicago, leveraging her network, insights, and passion to empower entrepreneurs and help them navigate the complex startup ecosystem. Through her work with Velocity Catalyst and P33, Desiree has become a cornerstone of our community, fostering inclusivity, growth, and the next generation of trailblazing founders. We also want to celebrate the incredible contributions of our finalists, all of whom have made a significant impact on Chicago's entrepreneurial landscape: 🌟 Jyothi Vallurupalli at Lightbank 🌟Collin Bhojwani at Allianz 🌟Rebecca Sholiton Kahnweiler at LongJump 💡 Why Founder-First Investors Matter 💡 Having a supportive investor on your cap table can make all the difference. The right investor doesn’t just bring capital—they bring strategic value, industry insights, and a network that can propel a startup to new heights. Founder-First investors are there for the tough times and the wins, connecting founders to opportunities that might have otherwise been out of reach. They are the unsung heroes who believe in the long-term success of the companies they back and, most importantly, the people behind them. 👉 Check out the rest of the finalists https://lnkd.in/ezXuGnpx
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Founder of Calm/Storm / Kauffman Fellow / Investor in Super-Early-Stage / TabooTech / DigitalHealth / purpose driven founders / Husband / Father / Sailor 🇦🇹🇪🇺🇮🇹🇦🇺
Guess what? It’s happening. Storm Days 2025 is just ONE WEEK away! This time, it’s bigger, bolder, and (dare I say it?) even stormier. 🌪️ With over 350 confirmed guests - including more than 100 founders and over 200 investors - all joining us in Vienna, it’s going to be a melting pot of ideas, connections, and those “aha!” moments that make this whole crazy startup world worth it. And yes, this year we've even organised a Viennese Ball—fancy shoes are ready, but sadly, it’s already SOLD OUT. (You snooze, you lose! 🕺💃) Grab the last tickets available for the main event before these are gone too: https://lnkd.in/dgtXakPd This is where founders and investors meet to share, inspire, and - let’s be honest - have a blast while tackling the stormy waters of early venture life! We can’t wait to welcome you to the madness! P.S. Enjoy this throwback from our very first Storm Day - what a journey it’s been! #StormDays #Founders #Investors #LetTheStormBegin
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Co-founder and CEO at WINN.AI | Helping sales teams save time and win more deals | Follow to improve sales focus and win rates
"Founders need to be weird—or at least a little bit weirdos." I just had the privilege of attending an intimate founders' meeting hosted by Primary Venture Partners, with Brian and Tobias leading the conversation. At one point, they dropped that gem on being weird. And honestly? They're right. It’s the quirks, the unconventional thinking, and the willingness to push against the grain that often drive innovation. But beyond the laughs, one key takeaway really stuck with me: Revenue is great, but quality is even better. Maintaining focus on the right ICP, filling the right pipeline, and sticking to what truly matters is the real differentiator in building something sustainable. Big thanks to Guy for facilitating such an inspiring session! #founders #startupgrowth
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Some exciting collabs are occurring with Headway Idea Labs Check them out and stay tuned, you might see a familiar face or two added to their page of incubator and accelerator programs… #incubator #acceleratorprograms #collaborations #startups #hoomaikailima
At Headway, we believe growth happens when startups form genuine, meaningful connections with the communities they aim to impact. Our incubator and accelerator programs are designed to foster these connections, guiding founders to engage, listen, and respond to community needs. By nurturing purpose-driven companies, we help founders build brands that resonate, inspire, and drive real change. Ready to create a startup that truly makes a difference? Join Headway and start building your community-centered legacy today! Learn More: Headway – Making Headway to Purposeful Innovations https://lnkd.in/gSPVb5DM
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Founder @ Social Impact Startup imii – Raising SEIS | Reimagining Immigration for a Brighter Future | Communications Consultant For Change-Makers
We started 2025 with a long talk with each other. My cofounder and I. It was time to really assess what we have done and achieved in 2024 – and what we haven’t. What we did right – and what we failed. Where our focus was – and where it may have not been sufficient. We opened up on a very deep level, too. Shared our inner struggles. Spoke our all our doubts and all the worst things we’d been thinking about each other. And – most importantly – how after all, we’re proud of our tandem and journey together. Because at least 65% of startups fail because of founder conflict. Before meeting Alex, I tried working with three different people. And we’d only known each other for a couple of months before sealing our cofounder relationship. A year into this journey, this leap of faith has turned into our biggest win. Because whatever turns await imii, we’ve proven to be capable of building great things together. Bring it on, 2025 – we have sky-high ambitions for you 🚀 P.S. Alexandra, we really need to take some pictures of us together at some point 😁
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In Fortune's 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 2024: 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, Kentaro Kawamori, CEO of Persefoni, and steve ellis, Managing Partner at TPG, had a candid conversation on how tech startups and growth investors are accelerating change to create lasting positive impact for businesses and the planet. Watch the full interview: https://lnkd.in/eqbbpwx4
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Ex-VC, now building AI workflows / agents @leadspicker.com AI | Sales | Marketing | GTM |
Excited to be highlighted as one of the Top 20 Thought Leaders to follow on LinkedIn in Dr. Andre Retterath DDVC Landscape 2024' 🚀! The 2024 DDVC Landscape is must-read for every VC! In comments👇 - where to find the 2024 DDVC Landscape report - how to support the launch on ProductHunt - how to join the community of 22,000 thought leaders and startup enthusiasts from firms like a16z, Index, Sequoia, and more
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O2 Capital Investment Solutions
8moGreat event and insights thanks Augustin Celier !