Speaking of Startups

Greg Brown is the President of Cardinal Finance, LLC, and Administrator at Charlotte Angel Fund.  Mark McDowell is a Partner at RealVentures, Co-Founder at Acta Wireless Capital and Chairman at LaunchLKN. LaunchLKN is a collaborative community of entrepreneurs, mentors, and community leaders dedicated to sharing knowledge and motivating growth in the Lake Norman/Davidson area startup community. Earlier this year, Greg Brown made the decision to host a second monthly meeting of Charlotte Angel Fund up in the Lake Norman area (at The Hurt Hub at Davidson).  This second monthly meeting (which will be the second Tuesday of every month) will host the same three entrepreneurs who will pitch to the Charlotte Angel Fund the following night (the traditional meeting for the Charlotte Angel Fund is the second Wednesday of every month at Packard Place). Mark McDowell and several other Lake Norman area members of the Charlotte Angel Fund were instrumental in getting Greg to take this step.  In today's podcast, we wanted to sit down to talk with both of them about this new step. Listen to our discussion about the differences between the Charlotte and Davidson start-up communities, and the importance of making it about “community and mentoring”.  We also discuss the emerging trends - AI, Cryptocurrency, Property Tech, Impact Investing; What creates a better IRR; Charlotte’s possibilities with the TechStars program; Having a fertile ecosystem; and The importance of getting entrepreneurs to stay and grow in the Charlotte/Davidson markets. Hear about the relationship with Davidson College and their role in the Hurt Hub – a center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship aiming to bring the college’s students together with local business leaders through its co-working, interactive spaces. Mark also discusses the pathways the Liberal Arts school is now creating with start-ups. Enjoy today's podcast.     William Bissett is the owner of and an Investment Advisor Representative of Portus Wealth Advisors, a Registered Investment Adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Opinions expressed on this program do not necessarily reflect those of Portus Wealth Advisors. The topics discussed and opinions given are not intended to address the specific needs of any listener.  Portus Wealth Advisors does not offer legal or tax advice, listeners are encouraged to discuss their financial needs with the appropriate professional regarding your individual circumstance.  Investments described herein may be speculative and may involve a substantial risk of loss. Interests may be offered only to persons who qualify as accredited investors under the Securities Act, and a Qualified Purchaser as defined in Section 2(a)(51)(A) under the Company Act or an eligible employee of the management company. There generally is no public market for the Interests. Prospective investors should particularly note that many factors affect performance, including changes in market conditions and interest rates, and other economic, political or financial developments. Past performance is not, and should not be construed as, indicative of future results.

AJ Ratani grew up in Dubai and came to America to attend college in Arkansas. His first experience in the US was flying in a propeller plane and seeing a lot of green as he landed in Arkansas – something new to someone living in a desert.  After his college years in Arkansas and Florida, he began his career with a company in Virginia, but he was not satisfied. He wanted a position that would offer him opportunity and growth.  In 2005, pursuing a Monster.com lead, he was “lucky” and was offered a job in Charlotte with a start-up firm, Red Ventures.  He started as a software engineer and grew within the organization to run Red Ventures' largest and fastest growing businesses. We discuss the opportunities and challenges in working with a start-up company of 25, growing to a large world-wide corporation of 3,000.   We also discuss what to look for when hiring, changes in the work environment, and the advantages and disadvantages of growth. In 2017, AJ left Red Ventures, and along with his wife and child, embarked on a journey around the world, visiting six continents – a life expanding and changing type of trip.   Traveling with a young infant in tow inspired them to start a blog and eventually write a book to help other families travel with their children– it’s called The 2 Idiots Travel Blog (www.2idiotstravel.com).  It’s a passion project for him now – a very different concept than when he was at Red Ventures. AJ is also actively involved with advisory roles with start-ups and in mentoring programs in the Charlotte area.  He discusses the importance in building relationships with others to connect with the right people for referrals in advisory roles. Listen to today’s episode and hear about AJ’s passion and his desire to always jump on the rocket ship. Local Notes and Thoughts  QC Fintech has Class 10 in the building already.   The Demo Day for Class 10 is set for Tuesday June 11 and culminates in an full day event.  You can register for the full day conference – known as Fintech Generations here (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fintech-generations-tickets-55658964461).  The Demo Day for the Class 10 Cohort follows and is free.  You can register for that event also here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/queen-city-fintech-class-10-demo-day-tickets-58991659642.  Come out and support our local accelerator program and show them the southern hospitality Charlotte is known for. If nothing else, come out to see AvidXchange’s building and growing campus – it’s beautiful too.   William Bissett is the owner of and an Investment Advisor Representative of Portus Wealth Advisors, a Registered Investment Adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Opinions expressed on this program do not necessarily reflect those of Portus Wealth Advisors. The topics discussed and opinions given are not intended to address the specific needs of any listener.  Portus Wealth Advisors does not offer legal or tax advice, listeners are encouraged to discuss their financial needs with the appropriate professional regarding your individual circumstance.  Investments described herein may be speculative and may involve a substantial risk of loss. Interests may be offered only to persons who qualify as accredited investors under the Securities Act, and a Qualified Purchaser as defined in Section 2(a)(51)(A) under the Company Act or an eligible employee of the management company. There generally is no public market for the Interests. Prospective investors should particularly note that many factors affect performance, including changes in market conditions and interest rates, and other economic, political or financial developments. Past performance is not, and should not be construed as, indicative of future results.

Keith Luedeman is the Executive Director for Innovate Charlotte and a name you’ve heard a lot of over the last 12 months (if not before as he also was the founder of GoodMortgage.com). When Keith and I sat down to this interview I told him I had a very simple concept for it. In our interview last spring, he indicated he wanted to take a year to get his feet wet before he committed to making investments or being overly active.  I wanted to cover what the past year has been like now that he has had his chance to get acclimated and also get a sense of where things are heading. The first part of this podcast focuses a lot on Innovate Charlotte and where it is today and turns to look toward the future.  The MIT Mentoring program was launched under Walt Frye and it is having great success.  They are working to match entrepreneurs with mentors to help launch startups.  As we hear, Innovate Charlotte is actively looking for mentors and founders and Keith does an excellent job talking about what they are looking for in both groups of people. The second part of the podcast talk about the future of Charlotte and the future of where Keith where will be.  In this we discuss the BB&T and SunTrust merger, the announcement of a potential medical school and other aspects of where the startup and innovation hubs in Charlotte are going to be. Given Keith’s background as a founder and current role with Innovate Charlotte, he’s got great insight into the future of Charlotte and how it has to merge with old Charlotte.  We weave some of this discussion into a really good podcast exploring Charlotte, startups, and life here in this great city. Local Notes and Thoughts  MapAnything sold this week to Salesforce.  Terms of the deal have not been disclosed yet, but Salesforce Ventures was a lead investor in MapAnything’s Series C round last fall where they raised $42.5 million.  Congrats to all the founders and employees over at MapAnything and for continuing to advance the Charlotte startup ecosystem. QC Fintech has Class 10 in the building already.   The Demo Day for Class 10 is set for Tuesday June 11 and culminates in an full day event.  You can register for the full day conference – known as Fintech Generations here (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fintech-generations-tickets-55658964461).  The Demo Day for the Class 10 Cohort follows and is free.  You can register for that event also here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/queen-city-fintech-class-10-demo-day-tickets-58991659642.  Come out and support our local accelerator program and show them the southern hospitality Charlotte is known for. If nothing else, come out to see AvidXchange’s building and growing campus – it’s beautiful too.   William Bissett is the owner of and an Investment Advisor Representative of Portus Wealth Advisors, a Registered Investment Adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Opinions expressed on this program do not necessarily reflect those of Portus Wealth Advisors. The topics discussed and opinions given are not intended to address the specific needs of any listener.  Portus Wealth Advisors does not offer legal or tax advice, listeners are encouraged to discuss their financial needs with the appropriate professional regarding your individual circumstance.  Investments described herein may be speculative and may involve a substantial risk of loss. Interests may be offered only to persons who qualify as accredited investors under the Securities Act, and a Qualified Purchaser as defined in Section 2(a)(51)(A) under the Company Act or an eligible employee of the management company. There generally is no public market for the Interests. Prospective investors should particularly note that many factors affect performance, including changes in market conditions and interest rates, and other economic, political or financial developments. Past performance is not, and should not be construed as,

Brian Pope is a Managing Direct for Barings Alternative Investments. Barings is a name you have heard more from over the last couple of years here in Charlotte. They have hosted the 1st and 2nd Southeast Fintech Venture Conference on the 26th Floor of the Barings building in downtown Charlotte. They have also been active in the community from a community service perspective. We are also seeing Barings more frequently in the business press as their employees are great resources for the local and national media. Click here to listen. All of that is great for Charlotte and Barings. We are fortunate to have them in Charlotte. Today, though, I sat down with Brian to explore the alternative investment landscape from his perspective. We talk at length about the private equity, venture capital and growth equity markets which is an active private investment space where Brian spends his time. He takes a long-term professional approach on how to invest in these asset classes. Listening to him discuss the nuances of the return potential and risk aspects of early stage investing is very interesting. Surely it’s nice to have a very large portfolio to take a disciplined and calculated approach to managing across these private markets. We took a quick detour to talk about the Charlotte startup scene to hear Brian’s first hand views on the positives in the community relative to the global opportunity set. The momentum and increased local resources are hard to miss these days and is clearly at the top of mind of many people. We also dove into the discussion of why companies are waiting longer to go public and the continued support companies have from private market investors. It was a topic I’ve wanted to discuss with Brian since we booked this interview in late 2018. He didn’t disappoint as it really leads us through the final 30 minutes of the interview – including a look into what else the Charlotte startup community may have to offer in addition to Fintech. Thanks to Brian and his team for everything they do for the Charlotte Startup community. We are fortunate to have them in the community and loved having Brian on the podcast. Local Notes and Thoughts  Dan Roselli and Packard Place are continuing to build their Public House/Keg-Side Chat event. Come join me on Wednesday March 20 as I sit in/drink in for Dan as a guest host and welcome Derek Wang from Stratifyd. Derek and his team have done phenomenal things here in Charlotte and I can’t wait to sit down and discuss some aspects of their growth over the last 4 years. QC Fintech is also in the process of interviewing for their spring class and after speaking with Dan recently they are seeing some really good companies. Be on the lookout for announcements for the spring class and the opportunities you will have to meet them and ultimately support them as they come to Charlotte for 12 weeks to incubate their ideas and companies. Barings Streaming Income is a new podcast which has recently launched on iTunes. Tune in to learn more about their insights. William Bissett is the owner of and an Investment Advisor Representative of Portus Wealth Advisors, a Registered Investment Adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Opinions expressed on this program do not necessarily reflect those of Portus Wealth Advisors. The topics discussed and opinions given are not intended to address the specific needs of any listener.  Portus Wealth Advisors does not offer legal or tax advice, listeners are encouraged to discuss their financial needs with the appropriate professional regarding your individual circumstance.  Investments described herein may be speculative and may involve a substantial risk of loss. Interests may be offered only to persons who qualify as accredited investors under the Securities Act, and a Qualified Purchaser as defined in Section 2(a)(51)(A) under the Company Act or an eligible employee of the management company...

Emir Dukic purchased a home with a detached garage. He wanted a man cave but his wife thought differently. Naturally, the man cave lost and as a result the seed for Rabbu was born. The alternative was to rent it out through Airbnb and it didn't take long for them to realize the power of Airbnb and passive income. The room above their garage was essentially paying their mortgage. Rather than purchasing new properties, they negotiated with existing property owners to rent their property and turn them into Airbnb rentals as well - essentially collecting a rent arbitrage through short-term rentals. Two things became apparent: (1) it was a highly profitable business model and (2) it was taking a lot of work. Having worked with Mac Lackey at Kyck, Emir knew he needed technology to scale the business so he formally brought on his co-founder, James Strong who also worked at Kyck, and the tech and development efforts have gone full steam ahead since then. Fast-forward and they are fresh off raising $1.5 million from investors to ramp up their efforts and quickly grow the business. Today we are fortunate to have both Emir and James on the podcast so we dive into the business, the technology and their backgrounds. From there we leap into what opportunities lie ahead for a company with the wind at its back and plenty of road ahead. Local Note and Thoughts: The Charlotte Angel Connection's next quarterly event is scheduled for February 27 from 5:30pm to 8pm. John Cambier and Lister Delgado from IDEA Fund Partners will be in Charlotte to do an on-stage Partner Pitch (the pitch will be from 6:30 to 7:30pm) with Alex Smereczniak from 2ULaundry. Come see the process of professional investors as they work through a due diligence process with a strong founder. Click here to register and join us for what I hope will become an annual event. Also SeedSpark – a technology and digital solutions company – is going to sponsor our first ever Entrepreneur Date Night Award.  We will have the startups in attendance (demo tables) vote on the entrepreneur they think is most worthy of a $100 gift certificate to a Charlotte area restaurant. It’s a small token to the countless spousal/significant dinners founders must give up as they bring their projects to life. Dan Roselli and Packard Place are continuing to build their Public House/Keg-Side Chat event. They are having Ryan Stone join them on Wednesday February 20. Ryan is the President, a Director, and co-founder of SmartSky Networks, a private-equity backed company that will be the first to provide 4G LTE-based wireless connectivity to business jets and airlines. QC Fintech is also in the process of interviewing for their spring class and after speaking with Dan recently they are seeing some really good companies.  Be on the lookout for announcements for the spring class and the opportunities you will have to meet them and ultimately support them as they come to Charlotte for 12 weeks to incubate their ideas and companies. William Bissett is an Investment Advisor Representative with Secrest Blakey & Associates, a Registered Investment Adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Opinions expressed on this program do not necessarily reflect those of Secrest Blakey & Associates. The topics discussed and opinions given are not intended to address the specific needs of any listener.  Secrest Blakey & Associates does not offer legal or tax advice, listeners are encouraged to discuss their financial needs with the appropriate professional regarding your individual circumstance.  Investments described herein may be speculative and may involve a substantial risk of loss. Interests may be offered only to persons who qualify as accredited investors under the Securities Act, and a Qualified Purchaser as defined in Section 2(a)(51)(A) under the Company Act or an eligible employee of the management company.

Today we share Sam Smith’s story.  Sam came to our first Charlotte Angel Connection event last February (where we first met) and has been back to each one since. She has a thirst to be part of and leading the Charlotte entrepreneurial scene.  It’s led her to start Vishion, Collective Hustle and put on the 1st Seed the South event in January 2019.  All three are great getting great traction and we're excited to see them grow and the impact they will have on Charlotte! Vishion is her startup. It’s the only mobile app that uses a product’s true color data, fashion trend and user preferences to help shoppers find the ideal color. The concept came to her after her own frustrating experience after falling in love with the blackspash in the bar at Kindred on a date night with her husband. Sam’s the type of person who once she latched onto her idea, she just never let go. Collective Hustle is a Charlotte investor and startup coalition looking to improve the Queen City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.  She started it last year with Aru from botSplash.  They host invitation only events with a focus on inclusion and ways to assist female and minority entrepreneurs in Charlotte. Seed the South was last month. It took a huge effort from Sam and her team to get it off the ground and served as Charlotte’s first non-Fintech Demo Day. Check out our podcast with Sam today to hear more about how the last couple of years have shaped who she is.  It’s a great podcast as we sat down and had a couple of Triple C beers one Friday afternoon. Local Note and Thoughts: Stay tuned for Emir and James – co-founders of Rabbu – on the podcast next week.  Rabbu recently wrapped up a $1.5 million funding round and they are ready for the next stage of growth.  Listen in next week to learn how they got here and where they plan to go. Finsiders had their annual awards earlier this week.  Sam Smith won the Dan Roselli Community Organizer award.  Derek Wang, CEO and Founder of Stratifyd won for Best Innovation. Tim Griffin, CEO and Founder of Cloosiv, won for Risk Taker/Fail Fast.  Mark Mahoney, CEO and Founder of Jack Rabbit Technologies won the 2019 Change Champion.  Congrats to all the winners. The Charlotte Angel Connection next quarterly event is in the works – though the date may be changing to accommodate the company. John Cambier and Lister Delgado from IDEA Fund Partners will be in Charlotte to do an on-stage Partner Pitch (the pitch will be from 6:30 to 7:30pm) – which means they are going to go into detail with an entrepreneur about their company as though they are interested in investing – and they may even be.  I hope to have the company named by the podcast for next week.  Stay tune and come see a professional team in due diligence. Also SeedSpark – a technology and digital solutions company – is going to sponsor our first ever Entrepreneur Date Night Award.  We will have the startups in attendance (demo tables) vote on the entrepreneur they think is most worthy of a $100 gift certificate to a Charlotte area restaurant. It’s a small token to the countless spousal/significant dinners founders must give up as they bring their projects to life. QC Fintech is also in the process of interviewing for their spring class and after speaking with Dan recently they are seeing some really good companies.  Be on the lookout for announcements for the spring class and the opportunities you will have to meet them and ultimately support them as they come to Charlotte for 12 weeks to incubate their ideas and companies.       William Bissett is an Investment Advisor Representative with Secrest Blakey & Associates, a Registered Investment Adviser.  Opinions expressed on this program do not necessarily reflect those of Secrest Blakey & Associates. The topics discussed and opinions given are not intended to address the specific needs of any listener.  Secrest Blakey & Associates does not offer legal or tax advice,

Today on the Charlotte Angel Connection, we are fortunate to have Bill D'Alessandro join us. Bill is the founder and CEO of Elements Brands which is a consumer products company he started while he was in Colorado and brought back to Charlotte to grow and evolve. Bill wants to make Elements Brands the home for consumer products companies. By 2025, Elements Brands wants to be in a place where they are doing 12 acquisitions per year. By 2050, they want to be the Proctor and Gamble of consumer product businesses. Those aren't small goals. And Bill isn't going to back down from them. Bill raised money in 2016 when he made the decision to go for it and really work to growing to a large company.  He used a great quote from a friend of his when talking about his decision - "you can only coast downhill."  He raised money from a small group of 5 investors who also serve on his board.  He didn't want to raise institutional capital because of the typical demands that comes with that type of money.  Instead Bill - not surprisingly - was very intentional about how and from whom he raised money.  His investors have a broad array of skills they bring to the company in helping Bill grow to their goal of being the Proctor and Gamble of 2050. Yet Bill has a keen focus on the culture of his company and takes great pride in the fact no employee has voluntarily left the company since Bill brought it back to Charlotte.  They've also been highlighted as a "Best Place to Work" for several years now and I'd be surprised if they don't keep that streak alive for quite some time.  When I asked Bill where the nap room was he had a great response - "People think that culture is ping pong tables but ping pong tables are the result of good culture." The recent acquisition - the Natural Dog Company - will look more familiar to those who follow Elements Brands going forward.  This acquisition brought in 7 employees to the company and became its second largest brand upon acquisition.  Bill has spent nearly 8 years working on the business getting it ready to scale and absorb consumer product companies.  The size and value of future acquisitions will increase as their capacity does but also as founders see what a great place their company can land when they sell to Bill and his team at Elements Brands. Bill stated mid-way through the interview that Elements Brands has a results based culture.  I think those results are going to be pretty dang good in the next 10 to 20 years.  Enjoy today's show and don't forget to share it with your friends and colleagues so they can learn more about Bill and his team too. Local Note and Thoughts: Seed the South - which happened January 9, 2018 - was a big success.  Lots of really good startup companies were there promoting what they are doing.  Sam and her team with Collective Hustle did a fantastic job and I expect we will have another Seed the South and more events like these going forward right here in Charlotte. StartCharlotte is having their annual StartCharlotte Live event on Tuesday January 22. They will have awards for various things such as startup of the year, innovation award, investor of the year and servant leader award.  Please vote for those awards by clicking here.  You can register for the StartCharlotte Live event here. Finsiders is also having their annual awards on Wednesday January 23 (click here to register).  You can vote for their awards by clicking here. QC Fintech is also in the process of interviewing for their spring class and after speaking with Dan recently they are seeing some really good companies.  Be on the lookout for announcements for the spring class and the opportunities you will have to meet them and ultimately support them as they come to Charlotte for 12 weeks to incubate their ideas and companies.   William Bissett is an Investment Advisor Representative with Secrest Blakey & Associates, a Registered Investment Adviser.

While working together at Falfurrias Capital, Rob Cummings and Ben Harrison experienced a need for vertically-focused software for the deal making industry.  What ensued was an 8-year growth story that achieved a significant milestone when DealCloud was sold to Intapp, Inc. in August 2018.  Make no mistake, DealCloud is still growing at a rapid pace and is a critical component to the Intapp growth story.  But for Rob and Ben, getting to an exit event capped an incredible run together from when they started as a 2-man operation inside of a “closet” at Packard Place. Now that the company has been sold – making legends out of Ben and Rob in Charlotte’s still young startup scene – I wanted to sit down and talk with Ben and Rob about their experience.  Sure AvidXchange and Red Ventures and even Lending Tree have made it big but DealCloud signals new times for Charlotte’s entrepreneurs. This feels different.  It was a homegrown team who raised money through multiple rounds and sold the business at life changing terms. Listen to Ben share a few stories of the early days.  How they had to hustle for deals and stay with friends and relatives on trips to Atlanta to save costs. It’s funny to hear Rob talk about where he was when the deal was announced and how that day fell into place.  It all worked out in the end and they are here to tell you more than you’ve probably heard them tell before.  It’s a great episode and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did recording it. Local Notes and thoughts: This is a time of year to be grateful for what we have in our lives.  As a community of people interested in watching Charlotte succeed as a startup hub, 2019 has been a very positive year and something we can all look back on as phenomenal year of growth.  Let’s look back on the positive things to celebrate from 2018 in Charlotte: DealCloud becomes a true exit story (read the story from the Charlotte Observer here). Passport raises $43 million from Bain Capital and is well on its way to being another unicorn startup here in Charlotte (read the story here). Tresata raises $50 million and joins Avid and Red Ventures as recent Charlotte unicorns (read the story here). Venture for America introduces another group of motivated fellows for Charlotte area startups (read the full story here). StartCharlotte and Innovate Charlotte both received $100,000 grants from NC Idea – propelling their growth and cementing their place in Charlotte’s startup ecosystem. Local startups like Skipper and Rabbu – among others raise money locally and from afar. Collective Hustle is founded by four women to make entrepreneurship and investing more accessible in Charlotte. Sam Smith announces the first Seed the South – highlighting Charlotte’s entrepreneurial ecosystem – will be January 9, 2019. Scott Pope launches the NC Health Innovators – which is working to put Charlotte on the map as a healthcare as a business startup ecosystem (read about their latest event here).

Ride the Scooter in the Rain - it's a a core value of Skipper. It also serves to remind CEO/Founder Meggie Williams of where the business started. Early on in the business she took a scooter to walk the dogs. Inevitably some days it rained. It's a way for her to remember who she and who the company is. Skipper is after the trust of the Trust of the clients. It's something you won't question or doubt after listening to Meggie's interview today. Sebastian Williams - or as she refers to her husband, Seb - and Meggie have been on a wild ride since they first met in college. Back then they were working as a team for Senior Class President at UNC Chapel Hill and really haven't stopped working together since then. Their skills complement each other well and they have an ability to put work at the door step before going home every night. Their partnership has taken them from Chapel Hill to NYC, backpacking around the world on a shoe string budget, to Charlotte, down to Austin for the Techstars incubator program (where they roomed with fellow Charlotte startup couple Haley Bohon and her husband - Founders of Skillpop - and Dina Carey, CEO of Milkful, also a local CLT company). Most importantly for Charlotte, though, it has led them to start Skipper (formerly The Waggle Company). They are one of a handful of Charlotte area companies the Charlotte Angel Fund has invested in. They are now in three cities - Charlotte, Austin and Dallas - and will be launching in Atlanta soon. They are very aware of their competition and are quite comfortable at how they are going to be able to win. Before my interview, I had heard many people sing the praises of Meggie and Sebastian. Today I know first hand they are a team that is building something great. Now you get to hear about it too.   A few other local notes and comments: Sam Smith of Vishion (local startup) and Collective Hustle is organizing a fantastic event called Seed the South.  The goal with this effort is to bring investors and entrepreneurs in Charlotte and beyond together to begin to show off what’s here.  The event is going to be on January 9 at the Foundation for the Carolinas and Sam is working on building a terrific list of speakers.  There will be a pitch competition for 4 – 8 startups and other startups will have demo tables there too.  It’s going to be a great way to start 2019 and I hope to see you there. If you are a startup looking to learn more about the Seed the South opportunity, please register for the informational session on December 11 at Hygge.  https://collectivehustle.us/events/participate-seed-the-south/ Thank you to Dan Roselli and his team at Packard Place for our first sponsorship. They have hosted more than 2 dozen of our interviews over the last couple of months and have offered one of their used Yeti’s for us to use with guests when we go offsite. They are a great community supporter for all things startup in Charlotte. Speaking of Packard Place, come out to Packard Place Public House - December 4th  5:30pm - to listen to Dan & Alex, Co-Founders of 2ULaundry.  It's free but please register here: https://www.meetup.com/packardplace/events/jwvczpyxqbzb/       William Bissett is an Investment Advisor Representative with Secrest Blakey & Associates, a Registered Investment Adviser.  Opinions expressed on this program do not necessarily reflect those of Secrest Blakey & Associates. The topics discussed and opinions given are not intended to address the specific needs of any listener.  Secrest Blakey & Associates does not offer legal or tax advice, listeners are encouraged to discuss their financial needs with the appropriate professional regarding your individual circumstance.  Investments described herein may be speculative and may involve a substantial risk of loss. Interests may be offered only to persons who qualify as accredited investors under the Securities Act,

Mac Lackey is a Charlotte kid.  He grew up here, returned after playing soccer in college and professionally to start his career.  He started his first businesses and began raising his family here. Ultimately, he decided to return here after spending several years overseas. He’s returned to a startup ecosystem vastly different than the one he left.  And he is in the middle of it through his work mentoring companies, leading the VentureSouth efforts here in Charlotte and being an active speaker at startup and investor focused events. Listen to our podcast with Mac today as we explore his first startup in the late 90s and expand all the way through his latest venture with Kyck.  We dive deep into Internet Soccer (Mac’s 3rd) startup to explore how he was able to sell an internet company with little money left in the bank to a European company. Listen to which company Mac would like to have back and why.  And found out what some of Mac’s key guidance is to founders as they look to build their own startups here in Charlotte. I found it really interesting to find the lessons within his stories.  He’s got a great comfort around telling who is and what’s he’s done and is trying to accomplish.  He’s sold businesses at fantastic numbers and talk freely about it. But how often do you hear someone admit they lost 90% of their ‘winnings’ in a market downturn. Mac’s has a lot to offer Charlotte entrepreneurs and investors.  Listening to him talk about it in this podcast is a great way to get started.  You can also learn more about Mac and what he is doing at www.maclackey.com. A few other local notes and comments: Sam Smith of Vishion (local startup) and Collective Hustle is organizing a fantastic event called Seed the South.  The goal with this effort is to bring investors and entrepreneurs in Charlotte and beyond together to begin to show off what’s here.  The event is going to be on January 9 at the Foundation for the Carolinas and Sam is working on building a terrific list of speakers.  There will be a pitch competition for 4 – 8 startups and other startups will have demo tables there too.  It’s going to be a great way to start 2019 and I hope to see you there. Dan Roselli and his team at QC Fintech and Packard Place did a fantastic job hosting the 2nd Annual Southeast Fintech Venture Conference yesterday along with the Demo Day for Class 9 from QC Fintech.  There was a great showing of both the Charlotte community AND investors/investor funds there looking at and talking with companies.  Caroline Hudson with the Charlotte Business Journal covered the event well.  She’s doing a great job getting coverage for local startups and events. Thank you to Dan Roselli and his team at Packard Place for our first sponsorship. They have hosted more than 2 dozen of our interviews over the last couple of months and have offered one of their used Yeti’s for us to use with guests when we go offsite. They are a great community supporter for all things startup in Charlotte.   William Bissett is an Investment Advisor Representative with Secrest Blakey & Associates, a Registered Investment Adviser.  Opinions expressed on this program do not necessarily reflect those of Secrest Blakey & Associates. The topics discussed and opinions given are not intended to address the specific needs of any listener.  Secrest Blakey & Associates does not offer legal or tax advice, listeners are encouraged to discuss their financial needs with the appropriate professional regarding your individual circumstance.  Investments described herein may be speculative and may involve a substantial risk of loss. Interests may be offered only to persons who qualify as accredited investors under the Securities Act, and a Qualified Purchaser as defined in Section 2(a)(51)(A) under the Company Act or an eligible employee of the management company. There generally is no public market for the Interests.  Prospective investors should particularly not...