Minnesota foundations are at the forefront of a national philanthropic paradigm shift toward investing endowment dollars into diverse fund managers and startup founders, thereby marrying mission and market returns. For years, foundations in Minnesota and across the country have granted charitable dollars to organizations that support entrepreneurs on the proven premise that inclusive entrepreneurship is… Continue reading Unleashing The Power Of Foundation Endowments
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An ode to banks that support entrepreneurs
Now that the FDIC has agreed to protect depositors at Silicon Valley Bank and other banks, the startup ecosystem can breathe a sigh of relief. It’s also time to give a shout out and heartfelt thanks to the banks that support early-stage entrepreneurs. These banks – including not just Bay Area stalwarts like First Republic… Continue reading An ode to banks that support entrepreneurs
Basic Startup IP Overview
Your business exists, in part, to create and own valuable intellectual property (“IP”). Here is an overview of the main types of IP that you can hold in your business. How to protect different parts of your company’s intellectual property: A huge part of the value of your business is locked up inside the IP your… Continue reading Basic Startup IP Overview
Choosing Your Company’s Name
Ideally, before you choose a business name (and spend the time and money getting domains, branding, registrations, etc.) you will want to check to see whether anyone else could be using that name. A similar name on a similar product could block your right to own your brand. Luckily, this is totally avoidable. If you… Continue reading Choosing Your Company’s Name
Inviting More LPs To The Table
The 99 Investor Rule is just one example of problematic gatekeeping in venture capital. Here’s what we know. Existing rules keep a lot of people out of investing in venture capital. Why is this a problem? Because venture capital is consistently one of the highest performing asset classes in existence. As a result, people who… Continue reading Inviting More LPs To The Table
A Rare Investment Opportunity Awaits If You Can Hack Your Brain
There’s a huge investment opportunity in front of you. Don’t let your brain make you miss out. It’s 2023. We all know the abysmal statistics around diversity and venture capital. Right? ICYMI: Approximately 97 percent of venture capital dollars are managed by white male fund managers. And approximately 97 percent of venture dollars go to… Continue reading A Rare Investment Opportunity Awaits If You Can Hack Your Brain
5 Startup Funding Strategies For Founders
Paging first-time, early-stage entrepreneurs. It’s time to think strategically about how you want to fund your business. How you bring money into your business affects basically every important aspect of your startup experience: Understanding the universe of funding options gives you more flexibility and control over what happens to you and your company. There are… Continue reading 5 Startup Funding Strategies For Founders
Don’t do everything
Everything can’t be a priority. As the saying goes, if everything is a priority, nothing is a priority. More importantly, though: You will lose your mind if you try. You will operate on a surface level, never quite finding the time to rest, to slow down, to dig in and create something special. You might… Continue reading Don’t do everything
Putting it out there
Are you ever afraid you have nothing new to say or offer? Like … everything has already been said and there is just no point? (*Sheepishly raises hand*) Okay, great, that means you’re normal. And so am I. Sometimes, my brain is just a version of the Nihilist Arby’s Twitter account. Other times, the ideas… Continue reading Putting it out there
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