Startup Maine’s Post

The Australian Financial Review Entrepreneur summit this week was awesome. I enjoyed the breadth of topics covered; but most of all, I really loved that the speakers on the day were not afraid to share honest perspectives – and to really have a view on things. Highlights on the day included for me: 🌠 The inspirational story of Kristy Chong OAM who built a business as a sole female founder, and sold it for $140m. 💡 The perspective that while Australia may not have as deep capital markets as the US, the “Goldilock effect” of having a smaller population, high GDP per capital, and an oligopolistic economy ripe for disruption makes it a prime place to start a tech business. 🌍 Brilliant Climate Tech Businesses shedding light on the reality of what it takes to build a successful climate tech business, how to raise capital to support the build of such businesses, and how to galvanize and support staff on such a bold mission. On a day where the Climate Tech Samsara Eco $100m capital raise has been announced, the future for our planet seems to look that much brighter. KPMG High Growth Ventures Amanda Price Kylie Little Monte Quittner Arjun Agarwal 🚀 Annabelle O'Donnell

The Family Enterprise Summit focused on the theme "Reimagining Family Businesses for Wealth Regeneration" will address how business families while preserving their values, legacy and social capital could go back to their entrepreneurial roots as skilled founders & builders of organisations to engage and leverage talents of new generations, in ways that lead to wealth regeneration. These include practices and pathways for current and next generations of family to act as (i) founders & owners – rejuvenating existing businesses as well as incubating new ventures and as (ii) investors – backing new ventures that drive commercial, social and environmental impact.It aims to stimulate novel thinking on these issues through an ecosystem approach, with opportunities for frank discussions and knowledge sharing among a diverse set of experienced next-generation families, first-generation founders, investors, professional executives and advisors. We invite members of family businesses to join us for an exclusive experience where we put together plenary sessions led by leading academic experts, fireside chat with distinguished family business practitioners, workshops to facilitate in-depth interactions and exchange applying Chatham house rule. Sign up now: https://lnkd.in/dU2yCGuX Ivy Ng Tatar Sonia Martin Roll Bala Vissa Nathan Furr Ludo VAN DER HEYDEN Claudia Zeisberger Vikas Aggarwal Bala Vissa Musaab Al-Muhaidib Anthony Boukather INSEAD Alumni Association United Arab Emirates INSEAD Alumni Association UK Helen Pitcher OBE Helen Wiseman Christiane Schloderer INSEAD Alumni Association the Netherlands

🎉 Celebrating TAEBC’s 2024 accomplishments 🎉 Executive Director Cortney Piper wrote an article celebrating Tennessee’s leadership in the energy sector and the growing impact of cleantech innovation! ⚡ In the article, she dives into how Tennessee’s advanced energy economy is thriving - from leveraging federal investments to attracting major industry players and fostering a thriving startup ecosystem. She also highlights the role of organizations like TAEBC in ensuring businesses, entrepreneurs, and communities have the support they need to lead in this rapidly evolving landscape. With advanced energy driving economic growth and job creation across the state, now is the time to keep the momentum going. Read the full article here: https://brnw.ch/21wQoo8

Recently, I was honored to serve as a judge for Cleantech Open’s 2024 regional pitches! It was (of course) incredibly inspiring to see impact-focused founders striving to ‘do well, while doing good’ in the climate sector 🌎🚀💪. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 ✨𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 ✨ I’ve operated in the startup & VC arena for a while now, and boy have I seen the "ick" 🤮. The hyper-charismatic-ooze, the slick decks, outlandish claims, and hype-filled storytelling — and it’s never really impressed me. During these pitches, my faith in humanity was restored for 2 reasons: 👉 There are truly some sectors & funding groups, where folks don’t show up with the B.S. 💩 👉 I was elated to see my fellow judges were not seeking to be hypnotized 😵💫 It's natural to root for all the ‘underdogs’, looking for a break to get their start. And many of us expressed a similar sentiment of wanting to see them all win. But we kept ourselves honest: 🔸 We didn’t over-rely on 'gut feels'  🔹 We repeatedly went back to the judging rubric In the end the company that landed on top for us happened to have the worst deck, and was rough-around-the-edges on pitch skills. And that didn't matter. There was a compelling problem, a good solution, demonstrated experience, and communicated vision (and path) for success🔥 Moreover, there was a clear connection to humans.  Not just the customers, but also the humans impacted by their solution — the end-users and communities. ⚠️ Not all funding orgs & accelerators make DEIJ part of the equation (beyond fluffy statements). I could cite all reasons why DEIJ is good for business, good for bottom line, good for teams, has a multiplier effect, to explain why I strive to partner with orgs that already get it. But instead, today I'm just sharing my own selfish perspective  -- that it’s just so 👏 flipping 👏 refreshing 👏 to experience a community of companies, mentors, and funding-givers that actually incorporate DEIJ tenants (for real). 🤩

Reflections on the Funds and Founders Event in Cardiff last night… Last night, I had the privilege of attending the Funds and Founders event in Cardiff with Dan Newman cofounder from BALDILOCKS. It was a fantastic evening filled with inspiring conversations, valuable insights, and an honest look at the opportunities and challenges facing startups in Wales. It was wonderful to reconnect with familiar faces like Joe Wells who is thriving in business, and Paul Tomotas whose exciting product development and factory plans are truly inspiring. Meeting James Campbell and catching up with Richard Lee added to the experience, as did hearing from the knowledgeable panel they hosted, who shared their expertise on creating relationships between investors and founders. One key takeaway was the need to attract more investors to Wales and support Welsh founder companies. The panel highlighted how critical it is to strengthen connections between investors and first-time founders and to encourage those who have exited their first businesses to reinvest their time and expertise back into Wales. However, what struck me most was the underrepresentation of women in the room. The reality is that only 2% of women receive funding from investors in the UK, and last night reflected this stark disparity—there were very few women investors or founders present. This statistic is a call to action. Women in business, we need to collaborate, connect, and showcase the incredible value we bring to teams and businesses. The soft, empathetic, and intuitive qualities women bring to leadership are not just complementary, they’re essential for innovation and success! To all founders and investors, let’s work together to create an ecosystem where diversity thrives and everyone has the opportunity to grow. Wales has so much potential to lead the way in this, by nurturing valuable and aligned relationships, sharing knowledge, and encouraging collaboration, we can create something truly transformative. Thank you to the panel and everyone at the event for your guidance and support. I’m excited to see what’s next for Wales, for BALDILOCKS and for all of us working to make a difference. 🙏 #FundsAndFounders #BusinessGrowth #Collaboration #DiversityInBusiness #WomenInBusiness #InvestingInWales

🌟 Empowering Communities, Building the Future 🌟 At McKenzie Shanahan, we believe in driving growth where it’s needed most. By focusing on underserved regions and industries, we’re not just investing capital—we’re investing in people, innovation, and local communities. Our pipeline of projects, spanning biotech, green energy, technology, and lifestyle ventures, reflects our commitment to bold ideas and transformative solutions. With an emphasis on integrity and innovation, we aim to create lasting value for both our investors and the communities we serve. This year, we’re doubling down on: ✅ Supporting startups that challenge the status quo. ✅ Strengthening underserved regions to fuel economic development. ✅ Building a legacy of sustainable and impactful growth. Together, we’re shaping a brighter future. Whether you're an entrepreneur, a fellow investor, or someone passionate about making a difference, we’d love to connect and explore ways to collaborate. 💬 Let’s work together to turn visions into reality! #VentureCapital #Innovation #CommunityDevelopment #Sustainability #ImpactInvesting

Evergreen's 2023 Impact Report is LIVE! We're excited to share the impactful work by our portfolio companies and give insight into how we → 🌿 Support startups bringing impactful climate technologies into market. 🌿 Make seed investments and provide hands-on support to entrepreneurs. 🌿 Expand access to innovation by cultivating an ecosystem of investors, corporate partners, donors, and collaborators. View the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gPESY-eb Here’s to another year of innovation, entrepreneurialism, and transformational impact as we work together to create a healthier, more sustainable world for all!

"Detroit was recently recognized as one of the fastest growing start up ecosystems.." - Hilary Doe, Chief Growth and Marketing Officer, Michigan Economic Development Corporation Hilary Doe, Chief Growth and Marketing Officer, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, convened with Janett Haas, SVP, Research & Insights, Forbes, to reiterate what Michigan is doing to address the innovation and sustainability gap. Presented by Michigan Economic Development Corporation

My latest Substack, My larger project is to support a paradigm shift from a focus on zero sum political conflict that mostly makes us all worse off to inspire an understanding of how a voluntary, entrepreneurial approach to solving problems can make us all much better off. Especially during an insane electoral season in the US compounded by an epistemological crisis, it may be helpful to take a longer term perspective on how to instill hope for the future by creating a better world for all. My 1st principles approach: 1). Promote entrepreneurial governance; better governance solves almost everything else. 2). Promote entrepreneurial education resulting in new culture creation; developing better subcultures addresses most of the rest. 3). Internalize externalities. https://lnkd.in/gVH-g3bM

I’m so pleased to share with you my new article, "Green Entrepreneurship for Climate Equity." Thank you to Angie Giltner, MSOL for the invitation to submit an article for Flair Magazine. Did you know that there are many – possibly unexpected - ways in which entrepreneurs (and especially female entrepreneurs) can support climate equity? Specifically, I share in this article: 🌳How did I get here? What first seems unconventional makes more sense when you look back at my pathway for the past 25 years, leading me to be a business owner focused on climate equity. 🌳What I’ve learned about nature-based solutions and best practices for helping communities launch climate equity solutions. 🌳5 tangible ways female entrepreneurs can support climate equity today. To read the article: 1) Sign up for the magazine. Don't worry, it's free of charge! [Link in comments]. Flair Magazine is full of “compelling narratives, strategic insights, and thought-provoking perspectives that shape the very fabric of entrepreneurial success.” 2) Check your email. You’ll get a link to the magazine almost immediately. 3) Scroll to Page 18. And let me know what you think of the article! ______________________________ Hi, I'm Elizabeth, founder of a boutique environmental economics consulting firm that helps nonprofits gain clarity and have more impact. Reach out if you want to learn more about our strategic planning packages or how you can get the right kinds of data for your nonprofit.