First Chair: August 2024
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Welcome back to First Chair š : Your rundown on Vermontās startup scene brought to you by your friends at VCET. Todayās gems: š BIG news! VCET seeks Director, Finance and Investments š Sam wants to give you some advice š A spotlight on climate tech investor David Aronoff š Start Here podcast episode #92 with Alejandro Bergad, Sunsoil |
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WANTED: A Finance and Venture Investments professional to join the VCET team in Burlington, VT. Weāre looking for the right person to help lead our impact-driven non-profit forward by investing in regional startups and scaling firms. Is this you? |
| Learn more here |
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Can I give you some advice? Advising is the backbone of our humble little organization. As our programs and facilities have evolved over the years, business advising has held steadfast. I believe it is our biggest strength and most important contribution to Vermontās entrepreneurial ecosystem. But weāre not for everyone, so I figured it may be helpful to share some details on who we can assist and when. Hopefully this helps YOU find the right resource, even if itās not us! VCET advising is narrowly focused on scalable tech or tech-enabled companies and ideas. For non-tech firms, we recommend the expert advising with our dear pals over at the Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC) or mentorship through SCORE. In the last year alone, our team advised over 350 founders and startup teams on everything from ideation through exit. So as my partner Dave likes to say, āweāve seen a lot of movies.ā While every person we meet is unique and special in their own ways, their challenges are not. Hereās where I think we can be most helpful: Giving solo founders clarity in times of uncertainty i.e. finding a signal in the noiseValidating your idea and informing the customer discovery processClarifying potential capital paths (whether they include venture capital or not)Pitch prep and deck feedbackIdentifying opportunities for growth and scale So, if it sounds like you or someone you know could benefit from working with us, please reach outā¦itās completely free. Just submit the contact form on our website (yes, we check it daily) or email me directly! Come as you are with what youāve got, but the more information you provide up front, the more helpful we can be. Even if you’re in the ideation phase, tell us about your idea and what prompted you to reach out. If youāre farther along, weād love to see your website, pitch deck, one pager, or anything else you have on hand. Just spare us a 40 page business plan š Iām proud to say that advising has led to our most successful investments and some of our most cherished founder relationships. VCET advising is candid, expert driven, and requires no long-term commitment. If one call is all you need, then great! Otherwise, weāre with you until youāre bought or buried! Sam |
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We donāt know who needs to see thisštodayā¦but we sure did. (From the author of The Messy Middle, Scott Belsky) |
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Oh, and this š |
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š©š½āš» Faraday announces the beta release of their latest prediction technology: Recommendations! Learn more here. š„ GPMS is now providing Foresight MX HUMS to the NSW Rural Fire Service for their new Black Hawks! Check it out. š Benchmark announced a strategic partnership with Starlight Engines, developer of a solid metal propellant Hall Effect Thruster. Read all about it. š¤ Rigorous released the newest robot for their palletizing line. Drumroll pleaseā¦.the Box Order Bot aka B.O.B.! š Cannatrol co-founder David Sandelman shares how Cannatrolās VaportrolĀ® technology is setting new standards for cannabis drying and curing in this brand new interview. |
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David Aronoff, a native of Lyndon, Vermont, has been supporting VCETās board since 2008. In this Q&A, he reflects on his pivotal four years at UVM, his experience working at early-stage startups, and passion for venture capital.Story by VCET Marketing Associate, Blaise Siefer |
| Read the Story |
Prefer to listen to stories? Check out our latest Start Here episodes šand donāt forget to follow, rate, review, and subscribe! |
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Listen to the episode |
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Growing high-paying jobs in the state of Vermont is central to VCETās purpose. Check out these sweet gigs with some of our portfolio companies. VCET seeks Director, Finance and Investments! |
GPMS (Waterbury)Customer Success Representative OhMD (Burlington)Chief of StaffCustomer Support Specialist Fluency (Burlington)Account ExecutiveEnterprise Implementation Manager& many more! Rigorous (Williston)Industrial Electrical Engineer |
Are you enjoying First Chair? Do you have a (kindly worded) suggestion for how to make it better? Iām all ears! š sam@vcet.co |
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Special thanks to our strategic partners ā¤ļø Senator Patrick Leahy, the University of Vermont, Middlebury College, Consolidated Communications, the Vermont Technology Council, the State of Vermont, M&T Bank, HUD, & SBA. |
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