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Your Startup Community | Resources, Events, Fundraising, Launches & Wins
🚀 Boost your odds! Fundraising, Events & Founder Resources
⭐️ Who are we? the founder community in NYC. Don’t build a startup alone.
Quick Links:
🏡 Join the community | 📅 Attend an event | ⏰ Book 1:1 mentorship 🗞️ Be featured in the newsletter | 💰 Sponsor an issue | 🙋♀️ Volunteer
Oh, it’s you!!
Is it sweater weather yet?!?! Not quite, but I’ve still given into full “Fall Delulu” (Sippin’ Starbucks Pumpkin Chai while trying not to cry about student loan payments). You too?? Well with #TechWeek this month, it’s the perfect way to restart the founder motivation, make new connections, and start planning for (total world) domination in the new year.
Coming up in this issue…
📸 Funding/Storytelling Coworking Day Recap
💰 Top 10 Fundraising Tips (gleaned from Power to Pitch)
💬 Community discussions
📆 Upcoming TKS Events
🙋♀️ Welcomes, Member Shout outs, asks and wins
🛠️ Resources
🗽 Events across NYC
See you guys soon,
Skylar
📸 Funding & Storytelling Coworking Day 📸
Where did that day go 🤯?
In the blink of an eye, we met, we shared, we lifted, we connected and we let off steam at yesterdays founder #fundraising and #coworking day.
Another massive thank you to Katie Dunn and Kat Weaver of Power To Pitch fame, and the whole team at Primary coworking for hosting oh so seamlessly (Can’t wait for our return trip there for FailFest on Oct 16th).
So many knowledge bombs, but if you missed it, you can check out some of the highlight videos here 🎥!
💰 My Top 10 Fundraising Tips (from Power to Pitch) 💰
1. Your deck is the sidekick, not the hero. You wouldn’t bring it out in the middle of a networking event to show someone, so you have to be prepared to promote yourself without it.
2. Stacking investor calls back to back is bad! How the hell can you incorporate feedback that quickly into your pitch / deck? You’re shooting yourself in the foot.
3. Grants and non-dilutive capital can be your friend, especially early days. Don’t rule them out.
4. Don’t build the deck 😱, until you’ve nailed the story. Otherwise what the hell are you going to put in it? And make sure you have a 60-sec elevator pitch version - investors are busy.
5. Use tools like Paperstreet.VC to structure your investor update. (And ask investors who aren’t ready to commit, if they want to receive them.
6. Investor updates can make you money!! Katie knows a VC who raised a syndicate for a founder after reading one.
7. Practice answering VC questions ahead of time. Shocker - 7minutes rambling is not how (yes that happens!).
Not sure what they’ll ask? The Power to Pitch team very kindly put together this free crib sheet to help you prep.
8. BE ON TIME!! And DON’T STAND THEM UP - WTF???? Why is this even something we have to write?
9. Remember that VC’s are people! Treat them with respect, NOT a cheque book.
10. Make it easy for them to share you. Leave them with a one-liner and nuggets of info that make it easy for them to create excitement amongst their partners and community when they talk about you.
💬 This week’s Community chat 💬
Legal on the mind… AI to help you with trademarks, IP law firm Aura, or file a patent with Alex Knapp. Remember to mention you were referred and the consultation fee may be waived.
Gust vs. Clerky: which is best for the DIY approach to Angel funding
Legal services in exchange for equity. Don’t be afraid to pitch your legal teams, we’ve heard Wilson Sonsini and Cooley Go will consider this partnership.
On Deck Fellowship: a super quick 1 week sprint designed to help founders figure out what company to build and with whom. Reach out if you’ve been a part of ODF!
Slack / WhatsApp fan? Join here
📆 TKS Events 📆
☕️ Coffee Huddles - Oct 13 - Small group sessions focused on support
🤦♀️#FailFest Coworking Day - Oct 16 - Founder Highs, Lows & using them to WIN | NY #TechWeek
📈 #GrowthFest Coworking Day - Oct 19 - Sales & Marketing Coworking Day | NY #TechWeek
🇬🇧 Brits Building Startups in NYC - Oct 27th - Small group session with fellow founders from across the pond. Tea provided (or coffee if you must 😮💨)
SAVE THE DATE: Nov 15th
👑 #BROOKLYN BABY. Our first Coworking day in the borough. May do a sneaky holiday / gifting themed event. Founder of a CPG brand? Reach out.
Photo by Mitchell Trotter on Unsplash
😊 Welcome to the ‘hood 😊
A big 👋 and hello to some of our newer members, including...
Annie Gamez - Hello! I am Annie, I live now in NYC via Peru and London. I am the founder of Cultura Takeover, a platform amplifying Latinx brands through events.
Dani Grant - Hi everyone! I'm Dani, co-founder of Jam, helping product managers unblock engineers with 1 click, dev-friendly bug reports. I'm living in SF but in NYC often for work. Let me know if I can ever be helpful with anything PM, startups, AI, etc.
🙋♀️ Member Shout Outs, Asks & Wins 🙋♀️
🚀 Joa Tudela: Congrats on the recent win with Culturizing Access at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI)'s pitch competition on the entrepreneur track! Celebrate by supporting her non-profit initiative Immigrants Beyond Immigration.
🛠️ Resources 🛠️
📍 Coworking Locations
Looking for coworking space? Our members recommend Get Croissant, Bond Collective, Flexspace, and Nomadworks (TKS members get a free day, reply to this email and we’ll send details).
Where are your favorite coworking locations?
⚖️ Legal Stuff
Free legal templates for fundraising, offer letters, shareholders agreement and more by Cooley Go.
💰 Fundraising
New grant and opportunties alert: Opportunities for WOC entrepreneurs!
52 Grants, Loans and Programs to Benefit Your Small Business
Prepping for VC questions! The Power to Pitch team very kindly put together this free crib sheet to help you 🏆
🌆 Career-building
Free Career Accelerator Program for Asian Americans: a 3 week leadership development program for ambitious, early-career East and Southeast Asian American professionals in New York, designed to take your career beyond the bamboo ceiling.
🗽 NYC-wide Events 🗽
October 4
How to Go From $1M ARR to $10M 10:30am, Join us for an exclusive event featuring a conversation with experts to equip you with the tools to revamp your strategy, redefine your target audience and unlock the weapons for success. RSVP
Clique and Create 6:00pm, If you've ever felt the urge to take your creative skills to a more professional level, to monetize your passion, or simply to be in a space that celebrates creativity at its best – Clique & Create is where you need to be. RSVP
October 5
September Entrepreneurs Reciprocity Circle Meet (NYC), 6:45pm, Leverage the collective wisdom and resources of the group to tackle your personal and professional challenges. RSVP
Hack Manhattan Open House 7:00pm, Bring your latest project and connect with local makers, creators, artists and more and learn about starting your own maker journey! RSVP
October 6
Proof of Community @ NYC 6:30pm, Join us for the inaugural 'Proof of Community' event in NYC by Shardeum, co-hosted with Koala Wallet! 🗽 RSVP
October 7
UX Designers Networking Hangout, 3:00pm, This event is for people who are interested in making new UX Designer friends in the tech industry. RSVP
October 9
Forbes 30 under 30 Summit Virtual, October 9-10, Join the world’s top young leaders, founders and creators for a life-changing four days of connecting, learning, teaching and building. RSVP
Corporate Diversity Training in the Global Age 6:00pm, Your diversity training is the best way to attract, keep and develop international employees and clients. Make sure everybody knows about the difference you make in this global age. RSVP
CryptoMondays NYC, Co-Founder Blockchain Coinvestors Matthew Le Merle, 6:30pm, Are you ready to meet, connect, and have fun with like-minded people who share the same passion for digital currency and blockchain technology? RSVP
October 10
NYC Tech Week hosted by A16Z, October 10-16, There’s an event for everyone - networking, workshops, happy hours, and pitches. RSVP
Transforming Latin America: Startups Revolutionizing Industries, 6:00pm, Explore the changes and opportunities that startups in Latin America are pursuing, and discover the potential for strategic investment with BuenTrip Ventures Managing Partner Fernando Rivera, Deepak Chhugani, CEO of Nuvocargo, and Andrés Perez, CEO of AltScore. RSVP
Entrepreneurs Roundtable 182, 6:30pm, Hear Jessica Peltz Zatulove and Hannah Grey discuss their entrepreneurial journeys and network with other founders. RSVP
October 12
Fundraising Fundamentals 6:00pm, Join us for intense fashion networking and workshops with coffee and light bites. RSVP
Starting and Building a Career in Product Management, 6:00pm, a multi-disciplinary panel discussion that will explore the fastest-rising jobs in tech, including the growth of product management, what skills are most important for success in the field, career paths, and more. RSVP
October 13
TKS Coffee Huddles 9:00am Waitlist only. But happen once a month. Small group sessions focused on founder support and impactful networking. RSVP
October 15
Money Matters with Simran Kaur — Founder of 'Girls That Invest' 12:00pm, fireside chat with the one-and-only New Zealand-based Simran Kaur, founder of Girls That Invest. RSVP
October 16
#FAILFEST. 9:30am, Share highs & lows & then use these learnings to propel you to win. Complete with leadership coaching 1:1’s RSVP
Founder Friends in NYC #TechWeek 6:00pm, Close out #TechWeek by connecting with other founders and hear war stories from a founder who went through the wringer and came out the other side.1:1’s RSVP
Oct 18
LatinoTech Mixer Building in the US and Expanding in Latam 5:00pm, This event is a fantastic opportunity for Latino founders in the USA or considering expanding to the USA to connect, network, and celebrate their entrepreneurial journeys. RSVP
October 19
#GROWTHFEST. 9:30am, Sales and marketing coworking day. Founder Coworking day focussed on all things revenue generation and profitability. RSVP