Managing Partner @longchicagoVC & MD @techstars_chi. Founder @getfrank_com (labor organizing) & @bellycard (loyalty). I try to help startup founders.
Chicago
Joined April 2009
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Founders in Michigan, I’m in Detroit and Ann Arbor next week. Come by office hours, tell me what ur building and what you need help with. Open to all early stage founders, whether interested in @Techstars_Chi or not. luma.com/ch76btp0
Often lost in advice to founders about “who you let on cap table” is the assumption of choice. More common to be trying to negotiate w/ 1 bad offer than picking btwn ur top fav tier 1 term sheets. Putting yourself in position of optionality obvio best. Easier said than done.
Hosting office hours for founders at @polskycenter @UChicago @ChicagoBooth this Thurs, 10/8, @ Harper Center. Plus an open session q&a from 6-7pm for anyone that wants to learn more about @Techstars_Chi @longchicagoVC. Join and/or share with founders luma.com/m29tbg8d
Are you a founder in the midwest and want to learn more about @Techstars_Chi? I'm likely in city near you soon. Champaign this week, then Cincy, Madison, Ann Arbor, Detroit, Indy, Pittsburgh. And office hours at Notre Dame, Purdue, UChicago, Northwestern. techstars.com/accelerators/c…
Logan LaHive retweeted
You are far more dangerous to your startup than competitors are. A hundred times more startups die from poor execution by their founders than are killed by competitors.
Our Closing Ceremony for @Techstars_Chi. Sincerely grateful for overwhelming support from community, and to the founders who made my job easy. To see the pitches, learn more about founders, and book meetings --> longchicago.com/closingcerem…
If I missed you on the @Techstars_Chi closing ceremony invites (June 2nd), my bad -- I blame claude and my new crm. It's smaller format, as we've shifted focus from demo days to 1:1 investor mtgs, but the companies aren't to be missed. Msg me to add you luma.com/za5q1ytu
Hardware engineers build important things. Satellites, rockets, Oura rings. Devices that make modern life possible. Yet, they end up spending half their time building software just to connect to their own hardware. Ann founded Plexus to give that time back plexus.company/
And, if you'd like some insight into Ann, and how she's building Plexus, check the site - or, in particular, her "how we work" plexus.company/company
👉 Calling all hardware engineers and intros to hardware engineers - bonus for folks in aerospace or robotics. [email protected] or connect with Ann linkedin.com/in/ann-schulte/
The grid can't keep up- rising electricity prices, blackouts, & constant strain - so Utilities created $59B incentives to shift energy use to cheaper, cleaner times. But there are 3k utilities in US, each w/ own programs, rules, and complexity. Meet Will @ wattshift.com/
An API cuts the complexity. Aggregating utility tariffs, solar export rates, demand response programs, wholesale markets, and carbon intensity to 1 signal. Energy companies devices get smarter, customers save $, they unlock new recurring revenue, & help ease pressure on the grid.
$59B in incentives mostly unclaimed due to complexity. Will is the perfect intersection of why now, large tam, clear pain, and founder-market-fit.
If you are building products in home energy, smart HVAC, EV charging, or solar + storage - ping me or tinyurl.com/5cy8p7yf
On a snowy day at @beincahoots in Ann Arbor, doing office hours w/ startups, next meeting popped up - "Seated With Love". Almost cancelled when I saw "weddings" in bio. 20 min later, as Shawn left the room, I sat back, amused.. "Huh, looks like we're backing a weddings business."
ALT seatedwithlove.com
A huge market, filled w/ venues that run ~100 weddings/yr, each with own processes. The hub for massive events, but little control over the planning stack. Seated With Love enables venues to deliver an exceptional digital planning experience, while keeping more revenue in-house.
They can standardize processes, guide each step of the wedding plan, and open new upsell/partner options to couples.
💒 If you are planning a wedding or own a wedding venue, the founders would love to chat with you -- ping me or [email protected]. linkedin.com/in/shawn-trznad…