Startup Funding | Learn from Venture Capitalists, Angel Investors and CEOs of Disruptive Companies

Jay experienced entrepreneurial success through real estate and his magazine publication in Florida. But something told him that he could help more people. He started meeting creatives at different conferences and networking events and discovered that many artists, do not have a platform to distribute their craft. So, he became lean. He downsized his home and sold his car so that he could make their dreams come true. Now he's on the verge of launching the RYSE platform globally.

The passion that Jay Jackson brings to his multi-media platform, Ryze is impossible to

ignore. In this discussion with Roshawnna, Jay speaks with pride about the work that

Ryze has done and about what the future holds for the platform.

Jay’s journey has led him on many twists and turns. He discusses how he was able to

turn the bumps in the road in to learning experiences that allowed him to get to where he is today.

A huge proponent of attention for merit, Jay believes that the young people of today should admire the grit, determination and intelligence of entrepreneurs as they do the exploits of athletes. After listening to this frank and insightful conversation between

Roshawnna and Jay, you’ll no doubt be convinced that Jay makes a great point!

Roshawnna and Jay discuss:

[2:00] How Jay got his start as an entrepreneur.

[13:00] How to persevere as an entrepreneur when the odds are against you.

[15:00] How Jay’s platform Ryse allows creative types to realize their visions while getting paid.

[17:00] The value that mentorship has been in Jay’s work and in his life.

[19:00] The importance of seeing the forest for the trees. Jay speaks of an instance in which he took a pay cut in order to work with someone that he could learn from.

[20:30] How a difficult time in Jay’s career becomes a great learning experience.

[25:00] How the ups and downs of Jay’s career have led him to where he is today.

[26:00] Jay outlines the importance of wearing many hats in a startup environment.

[33:30] On making new friends: Jay speaks on the importance of networking for success.

[37:00] Dealing with rejection while raising capital.

[44:30] Some advice for founders that feel that they are ready to begin raising capital.

The passion that Kristina Montague brings to her role as Managing Partner of The JumpFund is immediately evident in her conversation with Roshawnna. The JumpFund is an investment fund that operates within an interesting and necessary niche: it is by women for women.

After recognizing a gap in gender equality within the entrepreneur space, Kristina and her team of partners set out to create a fund that could bring some gender balance to the startup ecosystem. The enormous success that The Jumpfund has played a part in facilitating is evidence of the need that The JumpFund has fulfilled.

As a whip-smart Angel Investor, Kristina outlines a laundry list of helpful tips for entrepreneurs that hope to attract investment. She also dives into the importance of creating programs that foster the growth of female-led companies, which are an unfortunate rarity in our society. Kristina brings a wealth of experiential knowledge to the table in this insightful and thought provoking conversation with Roshawnna!

Roshawnna and Kristina discuss:

• 2:00—Kristina shares her background and the background and ethos of The JumpFund a fund of women investing in women.
• 5:00 – Kristina talks about the types of businesses that JumpFund looks to back.
• 8:00 – How Kristina came to be in the role that she is in now.
• 10:00 –Kristina talks about 36|86, a tech conference that The JumpFund back companies have had great success at.
• 12: 00 – Kristina talks about how her background in education has shaped her role as an Angel Investor.
• 16:00 –Kristina talks about the massive gamble that she took in leaving her secure role at the University of Tennessee to pursue the life of an Angel Investor.
• 21:00 – Kristina talks about what makes The Jumpfund unique.
• 24:00 – Kristina talks about the importance of relationship building in the investor/entrepreneur process.
• 26:00—Kristina details what she looks for in a team to invest in.
• 27:30 – On having the roadmap for the company fully fleshed out before approaching investors.
• 29:00 – Kristina talks about the importance of bringing a co-founder into the fray to bounce ideas off of.
• 32:00 – Kristina discusses founders striking a balance between their full-time work on their startup and maintaining a job for revenue stream as well.
• 34:00 – On the importance of customer discovery in gaining investment funding to create a viable business.
• 36:00 --Kristina talks about some common mistakes that founders make.
• 37:00 – Kristina discusses investment vs. bootstrapping.
• 42:00 – Kristina talks about the importance of striking a life/work balance.

On this EnrichHer edition episode of StartUp Funding hosted by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus we are continuing our quest to highlight the best women led enterprises in the city of Atlanta. Today we have Linda Chatmon the creator of AppDiva and the founder and CEO of Contracts and Grants.

She shares with us her entrepreneurial journey and how she came up with her awesome ideas, she has always wanted to train women to transition from welfare to work. Within 6 months she was able to leave her previous job and create her own company and has never looked back. She also talks about the AppDiva which is a suite of apps designed specifically for business professionals and entrepreneurs. The purpose of AppDiva is to give startups the opportunity to get referrals from their customers.

Linda has successfully helped small businesses with proposal support, business development and she has been able to assist startups, corporations, and organizations, win over $356M in government contracts and grants since 2011. We get to learn on this interview what Linda is most excited about in her business right now including her e-learning system, the Fast Track series and the Q&A where she works with fellow entrepreneurs, showing them how to get government contracts.

We get to learn about the biggest challenge that Linda Chatmon has had to face and surprisingly educating companies to let them know what they need before they need it tops her list. In a city full of entrepreneurs, Linda has been able to make an impact in Atlanta by changing the entrepreneurial ecosystem and help entrepreneurs get to the next level. She has been able to create and develop a system where contracts can be awarded to small businesses based on previous performance or performance on the Fast Track series.

Knowing that we may be interested in getting on her platform Linda shares how we can become a part of her company's story and create our very own entrepreneurial success stories.

Roshawnna Novellus and Linda Chatmon discuss:

[00:51] Linda talks to us about her whole entrepreneurial journey and how she came up with her awesome ideas.

[01:52] She tells us what the AppDiva and her favorite features.

[02:38] Linda tells us how she is able to help small business get over their self-imposed limitations.

[03:55] We get to learn about the spectrum of services and products that are offered by her companies.

[05:01] Having multiple businesses, Linda tells us what is happening right now that has her excited.

[06:29] Linda shared and insight to her learning experience and experiences teaching companies what they need to know.

[08:41] Linda share the process involved for anyone who wants to be a part of what she is up to.

On this EnrichHer edition episode of StartUp Funding hosted by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus we have Donna Burke who tells us how she became an entrepreneur and how she came up with the idea of creating a Barre Studio. Getting most of her entrepreneurial spirit from her parents, Donna decided to follow in their steps.

Donna shares with us the story of how she got the idea for her very own Barre studio in Atlanta. Her story stems from when she started taking Barre, where she noticed her discomfort in boutique fitness settings, being overweight at the time and she began having confidence issues because of that. After identifying the problem, she decided to create a place where women could walk in no matter their fitness levels or looks or background and be able to make friends, learn about healthy living and nutrition. Donna created a Barre studio with emphasis on fun workouts and great music that everyone wants to come back to.

When asked how she is able to keep her Barre studio open to people of all fitness levels, Donna says she started from the fundamentals, addressing issues we all try to work on and talking about them. Her Barre studio also has an open space where you are immediately in the midst of the workout group when you walk in, according to her, this helps create a laid back atmosphere which helps everyone open up a little bit more.

Donna views success in her business as helping people in her Barre class achieve their desired weight goal or gain more confidence and generally be better than when they first came in. She also says she would like to make her success story impact more people. Donna also has an impact on Atlanta with various sporting events and charity programs with a focus on the younger generation.

Being an entrepreneur comes with its obstacles and Donna shares with us an obstacle she has faced as an entrepreneur and how she was able to overcome it. She also shares information on what all viewers and listeners can do to help make sure that the business is successful.

Roshawnna and Donna Burke discuss:

[01:44] Donna tells us more on how she became an entrepreneur and how she came up with the idea of creating a Barre studio.

[02:59] Donna shows us how she is able to keep her studio open to all kinds of people in all fitness levels.

[04:00] Donna shares what success looks like for her in her business.

[04:30] Donna shows us how she is having an impact on Atlanta.

[06:32] Donna shares information on what all viewers and listeners can do to help make sure that the business is successful.

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On this episode of Startup Funding hosted by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus we have Azim Barodawala who is the CEO of Atlanta-based Volantio Inc, a technology based focused on helping industries with highly volatile pricing and availability. This technology particularly applies to the travel industry and increases conversion rates while reducing costs. He is also a graduate of Duke University and completed his MBA in the Walton School along with a Masters in International Affairs from the University of Pennsylvania.

Azim, who has a strong passion for travel, innovation, technology, and strategy, has been able to utilize his significant international experience to solve the problem of last minute airline ticket sales. He talks about his experiences and why he decided to become an entrepreneur in a startup company. Azim explains better what Volantio Inc, actually does and how they are able to solve a major problem in ticket sales.

“Are you really passionate about what you are doing?” According to Azim, passion is a huge part of a successful startup, sharing how his passion for traveling was a huge factor in changing the way Volantio Inc operated in the past. Volantio Inc was already setup before Azim came into the picture and he tells us how he was able to properly integrate and overcome that challenge.

According to Azim, “financial concerns are the ones that can hold some people back” stating that monetary gains or glory shouldn’t be the main focus for startups, instead they should aim to solve a problem, in his case, Azim is trying to change and fundamentally impact how airlines are able to sell their tickets.

We get to hear Azim’s best and worst parts of raising capital including the highlights of the fundraising process for his business. We get to learn network building tips like writing a thank you card to potential investors and leveraging personal connections which will make funding much easier.

Speaking on the best advice he has received, Azim recommends a lecture he once heard on: 10 pieces of advice for a mega-successful career and a fulfilling life. These tips include focusing on objectives and starting your day early for higher effectiveness. The episode ends with Azim giving some words of wisdom to startup founders who want to raise money for their business.

Roshawnna and Azim discuss:

[04:09] Azim talks about himself and why he decided to become an entrepreneur.

[05:25] We get to hear more about the company and what has Azim fired up.

[12:44] Azim talks about how he was able to come into the business.

[16:50] Azim talks about his passion and how it was able to help him in the business.

[20:25] “Tell us about the best and worst parts of raising capital.”

[26:16] We learn what may have held him back from investing in the business.

[34:52] Azim shares a personal habit that contributes to his success.

[50:23] Azim shares words of wisdom for founders who want to raise capital.