• Fundraising: Demystified! True Stories Direct From Founders

  • By: Jason Kirby
  • Podcast

Fundraising: Demystified! True Stories Direct From Founders

By: Jason Kirby
Listen for free

  • Summary

  • In this podcast, we uncover the untold stories of founders who have weathered the highs and lows of raising capital. We go beyond the headlines and Techcrunch funding news articles to explore the uncharted territories of the fundraising landscape. In each episode, we'll sit down with founders from various industries who have raised venture capital to bring their visions to life. They'll open up about their personal journeys, fundraising tactics & more. If you're a founder, this podcast offers a ton of value & insights you can apply to your fundraising journey. Don't forget to hit subscribe!
    Jason Kirby
    Show more Show less
Economics Leadership
Show more Show less
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2
Episodes
  • EP 64: From Student Housing Startup to Africa’s Largest Platform with DigsConnect's Alexandria Procter

    EP 64: From Student Housing Startup to Africa’s Largest Platform with DigsConnect's Alexandria Procter
    Nov 21 2024
    Raising capital? Get a list of vetted VCs for FREE here: https://web.thunder.vc/list-of-investors-vcs-for-founders Get the latest fundraising insights, news, and tips: https://blog.thunder.vc/funding-101 ----------------------------------------------------- Alexandria Procter takes center stage on this episode of Fundraising Demystified to share how she transformed a local student housing problem into DigsConnect, now Africa's leading accommodation platform. From her early days tackling University of Cape Town's housing crisis to scaling across 400 cities, she opens up about building a tech company that's reshaping student living across the continent. For founders eyeing growth in developing markets, Alexandria delivers actionable insights on three key fronts: securing significant funding while operating from Africa (including details of their groundbreaking seed round), scaling effectively across diverse African markets, and building solid operational foundations with limited resources. She tops it off with fresh perspectives from her new role backing the next generation of African startups. Here's what you'll find in this episode: 00:00 Trailer 00:55 Introduction to Alexandria Procter and DigsConnect's origin story 07:32 Building the first MVP and initial market validation 11:20 Navigating South Africa's startup ecosystem challenges 13:15 Breaking records: Inside their successful seed round 18:31 Scaling across 400 African cities 23:21 Building and retaining top talent on a budget 24:27 Infrastructure challenges and innovative solutions 27:44 The shift from founder to investor 33:22 The Power of Story Telling 40:01 Future of African tech and advice for emerging market founders 48:12 Rapid-fire lessons ABOUT ALEXANDRIA PROCTER Alexandria Procter is the founder of DigsConnect, Africa's largest student housing marketplace, which she launched at age 24 while studying at the University of Cape Town. From building the initial MVP using Python and JavaScript, she's grown the platform to connect over 150,000 landlords and tenants across 400 cities worldwide, listing more than 1.3 million beds and generating tens of millions in lease value. Beyond entrepreneurship, she's made significant impacts in various spheres - from being appointed by President Ramaphosa as the youngest director of the National Youth Development Agency, where she successfully led the One Million for Democracy initiative, to founding House of Pharos, an SDG-aligned venture capital fund. Her achievements include becoming a published author with her national bestseller "Upstart" (2024), and establishing The Aviation Club, where she writes about tech, startups, and development economics. Connect with Alexandria on: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandriaprocter/?originalSubdomain=za Website: https://www.alexandriaprocter.com/ X: https://x.com/alexprocter101 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC01GpaeWH2ab3UQKcQAi5LA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexandriaprocter__/ ABOUT JASON Jason Kirby is the co-founder of Thunder VC. He is a serial entrepreneur with 4 multi-million exits and decades of experience in fundraising and business building. He has coached hundreds of entrepreneurs in his career on fundraising, investing, capital strategy, and business development. You can reach out to Jason through: Email: jason@thunder.vc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrkirby/ ABOUT FUNDRAISING DEMYSTIFIED Our goal is simple: to equip you with the knowledge, inspiration, and guidance to navigate the labyrinthine world of fundraising. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur seeking seed funding or an established founder looking to scale your business, this podcast will provide you with the tools you need to conquer the fundraising landscape. Thank you for being a loyal subscriber to Fundraising Demystified. We appreciate your support and are excited to continue bringing you more inspiring stories from successful founders.
    Show more Show less
    56 mins
  • EP 63: Using Donor-Advised Funds to Power Underrepresented Startups with Patrice King-Brickman

    EP 63: Using Donor-Advised Funds to Power Underrepresented Startups with Patrice King-Brickman
    Nov 14 2024
    Raising capital? Get a list of vetted VCs for FREE here: https://web.thunder.vc/list-of-investors-vcs-for-founders Get the latest fundraising insights, news, and tips: https://blog.thunder.vc/funding-101 —------------------------------------------------ In this episode of Fundraising Demystified, Jason Kirby sits down with Patrice King-Brickman, the founder and CEO of Inspire Access, to discuss how philanthropic capital can empower underrepresented founders and foster diverse entrepreneurship. Patrice shares her journey from running a family business to founding Inspire Access, a platform that channels donor-advised funds (DAFs) into for-profit ventures with a social mission. She delves into the unique challenges and opportunities for founders from underrepresented backgrounds and explains how her organization is revolutionizing capital allocation for these groups. Patrice unpacks the mechanics of donor-advised funds, the need for inclusive funding options, and how mission-driven capital can fuel diverse innovation and drive significant change. She also provides insights on portfolio construction, managing impact-driven funds, and building an inclusive investment ecosystem. Here’s what you’ll find in this episode: 00:00 Introduction to Patrice King-Brickman and Inspire Access 01:31 Overview of donor-advised funds (DAFs) and their potential in venture funding 04:08 Leveraging DAFs to support for-profit companies with social missions 15:18 Unpacking the unconscious biases in traditional venture funding 20:32 How Inspire Access screens for resilient founders and impactful businesses 27:00 Addressing the disparities in capital flow for diverse founders 30:15 The potential for positive impact with new investment models 36:22 Steps for founders to connect with Inspire Access for funding 41:47 Future trends in impact investing and wealth transfer ABOUT PATRICE KING-BRICKMAN Patrice King-Brickman is the Founder and CEO of Inspire Access, a platform dedicated to closing the investment gap for women and people of color by connecting underrepresented founders with philanthropic capital. Through Inspire Access and her venture fund, Inspire Capital LLC, Patrice has pioneered new pathways for mission-driven founders to secure funding. Patrice’s philanthropic efforts focus on poverty, homelessness, the arts, and education, with current board roles at Halcyon, Wolf Trap, and Ascend at the Aspen Institute. She has previously served on boards for the Children’s National Hospital Foundation and the Washington Area Women’s Foundation, among others. Connect with Patrice on: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrice-brickman-2b46637b/ Website: inspireaccess.org ABOUT JASON KIRBY Jason Kirby is the co-founder of Thunder VC. He is a serial entrepreneur with 4 multi-million exits and decades of experience in fundraising and business building. He has coached hundreds of entrepreneurs in his career on fundraising, investing, capital strategy, and business development. You can reach out to Jason through: Email: jason@thunder.vc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrkirby/ ABOUT FUNDRAISING DEMYSTIFIED Our goal is simple: to equip you with the knowledge, inspiration, and guidance to navigate the labyrinthine world of fundraising. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur seeking seed funding or an established founder looking to scale your business, this podcast will provide you with the tools you need to conquer the fundraising landscape. Thank you for being a loyal subscriber to Fundraising Demystified. We appreciate your support and are excited to continue bringing you more inspiring stories from successful founders.
    Show more Show less
    51 mins
  • EP 62: How to Gracefully Exit Your Startup with Simple Closure's Dori Yona

    EP 62: How to Gracefully Exit Your Startup with Simple Closure's Dori Yona
    Nov 7 2024
    Raising capital? Get a list of vetted VCs for FREE here: https://web.thunder.vc/list-of-investors-vcs-for-founders Get the latest fundraising insights, news, and tips: https://blog.thunder.vc/funding-101 ---------------------------------- In this episode of Fundraising Demystified, Jason Kirby talks with Dori Yona, founder of Simple Closure, about the tough but crucial process of shutting down a startup. Dori shares his journey from building companies to facing the challenges that inspired Simple Closure, a service that helps founders close their businesses smoothly. Dori opens up about the emotional and logistical hurdles founders face when shutting down, stressing the importance of having a clear plan to protect relationships and ease the transition. He provides practical advice for founders on preparing for closure and using the experience as a stepping stone to their next venture. Happy watching! Here's what you're in for: 00:00 Trailer 01:07 Introduction to Dori Yona and Simple Closure 02:27 Dori’s entrepreneurial journey and founding Simple Closure 04:00 The challenges founders face when considering a shutdown 07:12 The financial and logistical complexities of winding down 09:31 Why founders need a plan B (and how to create one) 19:38 How Dori’s experience inspired Simple Closure’s unique approach 28:13 How Simple Closure assists with legal and tax requirements 37:45 Common mistakes founders make when shutting down 42:25 The emotional journey of letting go and moving on 45:14 Advice for founders to maintain investor relationships during closure ABOUT DORI YONA Dori Yona is an experienced founder and CEO with a decade of experience in the entrepreneurial world. After successfully building and exiting multiple companies, Dori encountered the hidden complexities of closing down a business, an experience that inspired him to launch Simple Closure. Simple Closure offers founders a streamlined solution to wind down their companies, ensuring they can protect their reputation, maintain investor relationships, and transition smoothly to their next ventures. Dori is passionate about supporting founders through difficult times and providing them with the tools they need to move forward confidently. Connect with Dori on: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dori-yona-b8369877/ X : https://x.com/doriyona Website: https://simpleclosure.com/ Email: dori@simpleclosure.com ABOUT JASON Jason Kirby is the co-founder of Thunder VC. He is a serial entrepreneur with 4 multi-million exits and decades of experience in fundraising and business building. He has coached hundreds of entrepreneurs in his career on fundraising, investing, capital strategy, and business development. You can reach out to Jason through: Email: jason@thunder.vc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrkirby/ ABOUT FUNDRAISING DEMYSTIFIED Our goal is simple: to equip you with the knowledge, inspiration, and guidance to navigate the labyrinthine world of fundraising. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur seeking seed funding or an established founder looking to scale your business, this podcast will provide you with the tools you need to conquer the fundraising landscape. Thank you for being a loyal subscriber to Fundraising Demystified. We appreciate your support and are excited to continue bringing you more inspiring stories from successful founders.
    Show more Show less
    53 mins

What listeners say about Fundraising: Demystified! True Stories Direct From Founders

Average customer ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.com reviews

Amazon reviews
No Reviews are Available