WHAT?
The Startup Funding Guide. An online event to co-develop a Startup Funding e-book . This e-book will be a crowd sourced, community sponsored e-book event where all participants will be attributed as co-authors, have the opportunity to network with Advisor/Experts and potentially meet future sponsors.
WHY?
1) Because it cannot be done. How will multiple people in different places co-author a book? Each participant will have the opportunity to see how and contribute to its success.
2) Because it hasn’t been done. Be a part of a new process/community of innovation.
3) Because it will be fun. We expect (somewhat) guided chaos. Be a part of the mix.
4) Because you can contribute. We need a variety of perspectives, talents and backgrounds to co-innovate.
5) Because you can learn. This event will be done ‘Hackathon’ style with work sessions in an experiential (learn by doing) setting (for on-premise). Online will have 24hrs a day over the course of the event to contribute.
6) Because you can network. The community will be formed including Participants, Advisors and Sponsors. Be there at the start.
7) Because you can grow. Challenges and games will promote involvement, learning, networking and ability to ‘win’ as part of the team.
In short: Become a co-author, grow your network, develop new skills and have fun in the process.
OUR SOLUTION
Co-create an e-book and online resource will serve as an updatable guide of funding sources for Startups. In addition, this will be the initial project soft launch event of the Collaborative Innovation Community (CIC).
This event is to fund the e-book version, which is also an opportunity to be a founding member of the initial CIC, become a published co-author, practice lean startup techniques and learn by doing, network with like-minded, strategic thinkers and doers and have fun in the process.
There will be short discourses by guest speakers (Advisors) associated with Startups, Funding and related topics.
There will be “Lab Sessions” where teams will get a chance to work together on their own piece of the e-book.
ADVISORS/SPEAKERS
Doreen Bloch (Doreen Bloch is a startup strategy consultant, entrepreneur and author living in New York City (via Silicon Valley)
Author: http://www.cooleststartups.in/
Doreen is the author of the book The Coolest Startups in America, and the co-founder of an early-stage technology startup. She is a graduate of the Haas School of Business undergraduate program at the University of California, Berkeley where she was awarded the Jack Larson Fellowship for Entrepreneurship & Innovation.
Doreen was most recently an Associate for FinTech startup AxialMarket and former Analyst on the Strategy & Marketing team at SecondMarket, where she worked on auctions for private companies' shares, including Facebook Inc.
She is the founder and former publisher and editor of Cal's award-winning and well-recognized fashion publication, BARE magazine. She also formerly served as a Director for the UC Haiti Initiative, a non-profit.
Doreen is a member of the Young Entrepreneur Council. Doreen's work has been featured by The New York Times, Inc.com, Under30CEO, Fox Business, The Huffington Post, Forbes, Forbes Women, Women 2.0, MSN's Business on Main, Feministing, LifeHack, Girls in Tech, The Daily Muse & more.
John Lott (former CFO/COO of Quirky.com)
With more than 20 years of experience in finance and operations, John has a demonstrated record of achieving critical results in high-growth and turnaround environments.
Before leading Quirky’s Finance/Operations team, John was the Senior Vice President, Director of Accounting for Cerberus Capital Management, a leading private equity and investment firm. While at Cerberus, John was responsible for the financial statements of more than 20 investment funds with approximately $23 billion in assets under management.
Previously, John was a Founder and Managing Partner at Oak Valley Advisors, providing advisory and interim management services to corporate boards, creditors, equity holders, and management.
Before that, he served as Chief Financial Officer for The Winter Group, an investment bank specializing in the purchase, sale and securitization of residential mortgages.
John was also a Board Member and former Chief Executive Officer of Global Motorsport Group, Inc., a Cerberus portfolio company. Global is a leading manufacturing and distribution company in the motorcycle and powersports parts and accessories business.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Rutgers University and a Master of Business Administration from Cornell University.