Episode 31 - Ben Smock

08/25/23 • 64 min

On episode 31, we're talking with Ben Smock. They're a motivated connector who’s passionate about social enterprise. Ben is the Director Of Development at Canopy Kentucky as well as President at Venture Connectors.

Topics we discuss include the year of the rabbit, the progression of entrepreneurship, the art within startups, startups as more than profit, being a sponge, helpful advice versus relevance, purpose-driven business, joining a business from the jump, startups for societal success, the connective tissue between founders and community, a ‘no-wrong-door’ policy, balance is key, and not being defined by just one thing.

Check out Slingshot Ventures at ventures.yslingshot.com. If you want a look at all our episodes, visit our website's podcast page.

Check out Slingshot Ventures at ventures.yslingshot.com. If you want a look at all our episodes, visit our website's podcast page.

Previous Episode

Episode 30 - Steven Plappert

On episode 30 of the Founders’ Fable, we're talking with Steven Plappert. They're a 2-time Founder and 2-time Techstars Alum. Steven also just completed a fundraising round of $4.5 million!

Topics we discuss include growing up in an entrepreneurial family, taking a crack at it early on, trial by fire and experiential learning, co-founder dynamics, being careful with investor choice, life being bigger than capital and startups, better data access meaning better decisions, the mental toll of failure, decision fatigue, the baggage of a second-time founder, being a founder isn't for everyone, the difficulty of getting product development just right, and the power is in the people.

Check out Slingshot Ventures at ventures.yslingshot.com. If you want a look at all our episodes, visit our website's podcast page.

Next Episode

Episode 32 - Chris Goode

On episode 32, we're talking with Chris Goode from Climavision. They're a strategic growth expert and hands-on leader. Chris has pioneered merging big data, meteorology, and remote sensing for the last 30 years.

In this episode, we’ll discuss small versus large impact, moving from hobby to passion, global versus local impact, new data in an old industry, being a dot-connector, blind spots for founders, living with tech, selling to B2B companies, the difficulty in finding talent, the potential within Kentucky, investment and fund benefits, the ingredient of resiliency, and being ready for the ride.

Check out Slingshot Ventures at ventures.yslingshot.com. If you want a look at all our episodes, visit our website's podcast page.