Building A Regional Entrepreneurial Ecosystem with Michael Basch

As we continue in the Capital Allocator series, Matt sits down with Michael Basch this week, Managing Partner of Atento Capital to explore the world of seed fundraising and the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem that is developing in Northwest Arkansas and Tulsa. They begin the conversation with an overview of the angel investing collaboration between Atento Capital, the George Kaiser Foundation in Tulsa and the Walton Family Foundation in Northwest Arkansas. The goal is to create a group of very active high value angel investors across both regions that are investing in deals especially in the region but also nationally, it is known as the 412 Angel Network. They then dive into the entrepreneurial ecosystem that is growing in Northwest Arkansas and how 412 angels can help with early investment strategy. The podcast closes with a discussion on the robust entrepreneurial ecosystem in Israel that Michael experienced and Michael shares advice for those looking to get into their first business venture.