| Overview of the Investor Fishbowl It was great to see so many new and familiar faces at Monday’s Investor Fishbowl event in Rockville, MD. Special thanks to our partner, Bethesda Green, for helping to make it such a success. Thanks also to George Leventhal, Montgomery County Councilmember-At-Large, and Dan Hoffman, Montgomery County Chief Innovation Officer, for providing your support and access to the beautiful Old Red Brick Courthouse. Investor Fishbowl events are a great opportunity to peek inside the minds of investors, and Monday’s event was no exception. Mentor Capital Network Board Chair, Stefan Friedman, alongside Mike Kenlay from Cultivate Ventures and Max Prilutsky from Changemaker Capital Partners, shared their wealth of business and investment experience with our entrepreneurs and the audience. So what, exactly, are investors looking for when they hear a pitch? Well, it depends on the investor. But while investor priorities may vary, they all want to know the following: What is the company’s core competency and how will they protect it from competitors? What value is the company providing to their customers and can it be scaled? What are the unit economics of the product? Onur Unal presented on his company, Manta Biofuel. Our presenters included: Onur Unal from Manta Biofuel. His company produces renewable and cost competitive crude oil from algae. Mark Kent from Kent BioDiesel. His company recycles used cooking oil from restaurants and hotels, turning into cleaner burner biodiesel. Nadia Robinson from Locals, LLC. Her company is a precision-based farming company that grows organic produce using ecologically sustainable methods. |
| Let’s Learn Together: Company Interviews Over the years we’ve conducted interviews with many of our participating companies to gather their stories and share their successes with our community. Let’s learn together how best to overcome the many challenges facing a social enterprise startup, and better support each other along the way. Take a look, for instance, at a recent interview with Davita Louie from Union Kitchen, a DC-based company that participated in our Spring cohort this year. Or a 2014 interview with Tyler Gage from Runa. Runa participated in the William James Sustainable Business Plan Competition in 2011, and this interview gives some great insight into how far they’d come by 2014. To see our growing list of interviews, visit our website. |
| Join us for our 2016 Annual Gathering Early bird tickets are available through July 15, 2016. During this event, we will hear from many of the top performers of our Sustainable Business Plan Collaboration and the mentors who are helping to support these teams address the world’s biggest challenges. Join us for two days of intimate networking opportunities, focused small-group conversations, and behind-the-scenes views into the minds of investors. |
| Seeking Entrepreneurs Building Mission Driven Companies Apply today to our Sustainable Business Plan Collaboration! The Mentor Capital Network is actively seeking outstanding for-profit social enterprise start-ups and growing companies who are using their mission to drive their financial margin. Are you developing ways to combat the world’s dependence on fossil fuels with Clean Energy projects? Are you changing the way people in your community handle waste? What about finding new ways to meet the problems of food and water scarcity that impacts so much of the planet? Learn more and apply today! Deadline: August 3, 2016 |
| Your donation lets us support others. Mentor Capital Network is a trade name of the William James Foundation, a 501(c)3 Public Charity. By donating today, you are helping us to provide the world’s social entrepreneurs with the support they need bring their innovative ideas to market. The Mentor Capital Network is a trade name of the William James Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 organization. All donations are tax-deductible. Your Contribution Makes a Difference. Please Donate Today! |