Startup Spotlight: GoAnimate Makes Creating Your Next Video a Breeze
Steve Hoffman
by Steve Hoffman, Cofounder of Founders Space
This week’s Startup Spotlight is shining on GoAnimate.
There was a time when it required a professional team and thousands of dollars to create a video for your startup. Those days are gone thanks to GoAnimate. Within minutes, not days or weeks, you can create your own animations and get them live on your site, as well as YouTube and every major social network.
Here’s a video I created for Founders Space…
Mentors: The Key to Funding and Success
Can having the right mentors affect your ability to secure funding and build a successful company? Silicon Valley runs on shared knowledge and the collective experience. Hear from our panel of experts how getting the right advice can provide you with opportunities, funding, ideas and new viewpoints.
Presenters: Don Butler of Thomvest Ventures; Vish Mishra of Clearstone Venture Partners; Carl Showalter of Opus Capital; and Ron Weissman, Silicon Valley venture capitalist and angel.
The discussion will include:
- How to find the right mentors for your startup
- How to approach potential mentors
Is Your Company a Money Magnet? Show Investors How They Will Make Money with Your Startup
Are you getting the traction you need with investors? Discover how to position your startup as a money-making machine.
Presenters: Peter Craddock of Shoreline Venture Management; Bob McDonald of R.A. McDonald Company; and V.K. Rajaram of Band of Angels.
Our panel of experts will discuss:
- Business models that are especially attractive to investors
- The kind of returns investors expect to see on their investment
- Timing expectations of investors
- How to ask for investment based on goals
- How to position your team as the ideal match for solving the problem
Join us at FailCon
Stop being afraid of failure and start embracing it!
FailCon is a one-day conference for technology entrepreneurs, investors, developers, and designers to study their own and others’ failures and prepare for success.
We all have founded, worked for or invested in startups that have failed. We’re smart, we keep up with the latest in technology trends, but sometimes things just don’t go as planned. How can you predict what will work and what won’t? Well, you can’t.
Cyber Threats and New Rules – What Has Changed? Why now?
| Panel Event: TOTAL ACCESS Panel Event: “Cyber Threats and New Rules – What Has Changed? Why Now?” with CloudFlare, Shape Security, BlueBox, and Wells Fargo | ||||||||||
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Guy Kawasaki: The Top 10 Mistakes of Entrepreneurs
Guy Kawasaki speaks at the UC Berkeley Startup Competition (Bplan) at the Haas School of Business.
Guy Kawasaki is the former chief evangelist of Apple and co-founder of Garage Technology Ventures. Here he explains the top ten mistakes that entrepreneurs make. His talk covers all stages of a startup, from inception to exit.
Present Like an Investor: Tailor Your Approach to What Investors Care About
Founders Space Roundtable presents: Are you ready to wow investors at your next pitch event or meeting?
Sign up for Event: http://fssfapr2013.eventbrite.com
Presenters: Joydeep Bhattacharyya of Shasta Ventures; Sean Jacobsohn of Emergence Capital Partners; Richard Mordini of Javelin Venture Partners; and Ali Wasti of Azure Capital.
Find out what venture capitalists care about, and how to present your information to get to yes. Our panel will discuss:
- How to tell your story
- How to present your team
- How to explain the market potential
- Discussing competitors
- Sharing the business model
Investors Hate Risk: Demonstrate You’re A Sure Bet
Founders Space Roundtable presents: Which risk factors are non-starters for investors? How can you minimize risk to look like a sure bet? Even if you have a killer business concept and team, VCs and angels are weighing the risks. There are steps you can take to minimize perceived risk and get the funding you need.
Sign up for Event: http://fssvapr2013.eventbrite.com/
Presenters: John Giddings of Tech Angel Group, Jay Jamison of BlueRun Ventures, and Jon Soberg of Blumberg Capital.
Our expert panel will share knowledge on these questions and more:
- What do investors view as high risk?
Investor Expectations: How to Set, How to Meet (Silicon Valley)
What do investors expect from you and how do you manage those expectations? Developing a successful relationship with an investor, from the first moment of contact through funding and IPO or merger, depends on meeting expectations. What can you do to not only meet the expectations of investors but give yourself breathing room by setting realistic expectations throughout the relationship? Our expert panel will share knowledge on these questions and more:
Sign up for Event: http://fssvmar2013.eventbrite.com/
Speakers: Brian Ascher of Venrock, Leif Langensand of Angels’ Forum, and Blair Silverberg of Draper Fisher Jurvetson share knowledge and ideas.
Startup Candy: How to Be the Startup Everyone Wants to Work For (San Francisco)
The fastest way to kill your startup is with B players. How can you attract–and hold onto–hot talent? Get ideas, real-life stories and advice on increasing your odds of funding, innovation, and success when you add smart, creative people to your team.
Sign up for Event http://fssfmar2013.eventbrite.com/
Speakers: Josh Breinlinger of Sigma West Venture Capital, Max Shapiro of PeopleConnect and John Levy of John Levy Consulting share knowledge and ideas.
Get Plugged In: How to Connect with Investors
Want some tips on establishing a meaningful relationship with investors?
Sign up for Event http://fssvfeb2013.eventbrite.com
Presenters: Steve Goldberg of Venrock, Steve Bernardez of Onset Ventures, andNeal Hansch of Rustic Canyon.
Steve Goldberg of Venrock, Steve Bernardez of Onset Ventures, and Neal Hansch of Rustic Canyon share knowledge and ideas.
Investors want to be found–by startups with great potential. Don’t wait until you need the cash to get relationships in place. Whether you are a serial entrepreneur or a first-time founder, get great tips on how to approach and develop a relationship with multiple investors. Discover:
Startup Goodness: What Excites Investors
How can you excite investors by making a positive impact in your community?
Sign up for the Event http://fssffeb2013.eventbrite.com
Presenters: Chris Gottschalk of Blumberg Capital; Deepak Jeevan Kumar of General Catalyst Partners; and Steve Hoffman of Founders Space.
Chris Gottschalk of Blumberg Capital, Deepak Jeevan Kumar of General Catalyst Partners, and Steve Hoffman of Founders Space share knowledge and ideas.
Investors are attracted to companies that make a positive impact–they know it’s good business. How can you make your startup more appealing to investors, partners, customers and the business community by incorporating goodness? Our panel will discuss:
The Investor Comfort Zone: Unwritten Rules
What are the do’s and dont’s for interacting with investors?
View Event: http://fssvjan2013.eventbrite.com/
Presenters: Cynthia Ringo of DBL Investors, Curtis Mo of DLA Piper, and Sharon Wienbar of Scale Venture Partners.
Cynthia Ringo of DBL Investors, Curtis Mo of DLA Piper and Sharon Wienbar of Scale Venture Partners share knowledge and ideas.
- How to initiate a relationship with an investor.
- What investors find exciting–and what turns them off.
- How to stay in touch with potential investors to keep them interested.
- How to read feedback from investors.
- How investors think–and how to use this knowledge to frame your request for funding.
How to Prep for an Investor Pitch Meeting
How can you wow an investor team in a pitch session?
View Event: http://fssfjan2013.eventbrite.com/
Presenters: Ron Spector of Circini Partners and Dave Feinleib, “VC Dave,” venture capitalist and startup author and blogger.
Ron Spector of Circini Partners and Dave Feinleib, “VC Dave,” venture capitalist and startup author share knowledge and ideas.
- How to prepare ahead of time
- How to focus on your startup’s value promise
- How to prep your team for sharing the stage
You’ll also pick up tips on how to make the most of your personality and story to emotionally connect with investors.
Startup Bash 2013
Join the AngelHack crew, investors, media, and a bunch of your friends, as we throw it down for the biggest startup party of the year. We’ll be inviting over 600 of our closest friends and this place only holds 300, so make sure to come early.
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 9:00 PM
http://angelhackparty.eventbrite.com/
I’m told fire dancers are a no go, but we’ll definitely be stretching the rules. So far, we’ve contacted paratroopers, a sherpa, and Avicii’s road manager (in no particular order). At the least we have a firepit, photographers, and a bad-ass DJ from EDC flying in.
Founders Space Special – 6 Months of Free Web Hosting
That’s right! Founders Space has just secured a special deal from WebFaction.
They offered to give any of our startups 6 months of totally FREE web hosting. All you have to do is mention Founders Space.
Just so that you know, we use WebFaction to host all of our business simulation games. If you want to see how they perform, just try out any of our games: Gazillionaire, Zapitalism and Profitania.
WavePlay’s International Founder ASK Party
What do you need? International founders, are you looking for talent, an introduction, funding, advice? Join WavePlay’s International Founder ASK Party for informal networking, drinks and appetizers with the international Silicon Valley community of investors, domestic and international founders, and experts. International founders, you will have the microphone for one minute to ask for what you need. Those present will hear you and provide ideas and advice. This event is open to the Bay Area/Silicon Valley international community.
View Event: http://wpinternationaljan2013.eventbrite.com
NOTE: International Founders who wish to participate in the ASK at this event must supply WavePlay with their name, company name, email address and one sentence describing their ASK by 24 January.
Making Money With Your Mobile Apps: What’s Working, What Isn’t?
Competition is hot in mobile apps–are you? What does it take to shine a light on your technologies, engage users, attract top talent, and excite investors in the mobile app space? Our experts will share information and stories about the mobile app landscape and provide insight and ideas on the approaches, technologies, creativity and marketing that will help you take your mobile apps to new levels in 2013.
Presenters: David Rangel of Corona Labs, Ron Piovesan of Mozilla, and Zouhair Belkoura of KeepSafe.
PLEASE NOTE – The meeting location is in a secure building. Signups must be processed by Wednesday, December 5th.
2013 Investor Forecast: What’s Hot, What’s Not
Can you shape your startup’s story to attract venture capitalists and angels in 2013? With the right information–the investor’s point of view–you can tighten not only your business plan but the story you tell potential investors in 2013. Join our panel of experts to discover:
Presenters: Jay Eum of Translink Capital, Carol Sands of Angels’ Forum, and Don Butler of Thomvest Ventures.
- The types of startups that are likely to see funding in 2013
- Which startups look too troubled or difficult in the eyes of investors
- Which sectors are likely to heat up or take a dive
TOTAL ACCESS Panel Event: “The Road to Success – The Yammer Story”
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You’re invited to attend Orrick’s complimentary TOTAL ACCESSprogram in San Francisco highlighting the story of Orrick client Yammer and its path from a start up to one of the biggest players in the enterprise space. From Yammer’s launch as the winner of TechCrunch50 in 2008, to the $1.2 billion Microsoft acquisition in 2012, come hear from the individuals that played a critical role in the development of Yammer and learn from their success.
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Crowd Funding, Kickstarter, and Alternative Sources of Funding for Your Startup
Crowd funding a startup is heating up. Do you want the latest information about alternative funding for your startup? Do you know the benefits and drawbacks of new and alternative funding sources? Join us for this Roundtable and find out.
View this Event http://foundersspacesvoct2012.eventbrite.com/
Don Ross of Sand Hill Angels, Ronald Mannak of Yobble, and Roger Royse of Royse Law Firm share knowledge and ideas.
A Founders Space Roundtable is a monthly meeting where founders get together to share knowledge, solve problems and make connections. Each Roundtable tackles a specific subject, such as raising capital, negotiating term sheets, attracting talent, creating marketing plans, and filing patents. The session begins with industry experts providing detailed advice. Then we roll up our sleeves, gather into small groups, and help each other with issues we’re facing.
How to Connect with VCs and the Startup Community
Find out how to connect with VCs and the Startup Community. Join our experts for ideas on building a network that supports you and gets your startup to the next level.
View this Event: http://foundersspacesfoct2012.eventbrite.com/
Adam Levin of Crosslink Capital, Mike Sullivan of Pillsbury, and Lyne Noella of WavePlay.
PLEASE NOTE – The meeting location is in a secure building. Signups must be processed by Monday, October 29th.
FailCon 2012
TIME: October 22nd, 9:00a – 5:30pm
LOCATION: Julia Morgan Ballroom, San Francisco
SIGN UP: Failcon
DISCOUNT: Use the code “founderspace” for 15% off.
Failcon is a one-day conference for 500+ technology entrepreneurs, investors, developers and designers to study their failures and prepare for success.
As an entrepreneur, you will inevitably encounter failure; it is overcoming it that is the biggest challenge. At FailCon, we help you do just that. In intimate, relevant, and personal sessions, you’ll join founders and partners from Gina Bianci, Chip Conley, Ben Huh, Cindy Alvarez, Scott Berkun, Sean Ellis, Danielle Morrill and more as they share advice on how to overcome failure and reach success. For more information, check out http://thefailcon.com
Startup Party San Francisco October 2012
RSVP on EventBrite or Planana to attend the event.
Startup Socials are for entrepreneurs, investors, startups, professionals who meet to network and party in non-formal environment. Startup Social events allow guests a chance to meet new friends and create valuable connections for their current and future startup ventures.
You will meet new people and socialize with like minded entrepreneurs, investors, startups, professionals in non-formal relaxing and fun environment.
NETWORKING shouldn’t be BORING!!!
You can see photos from previous Startup Socials in San Francisco, Moscow, Tel-Aviv, Vilnius on our Facebook page and http://www.startupsocials.com
RSVP with EventBrite: http://socialsfoct2012.eventbrite.com
Google Ventures and Vator’s Startup Sessions, Oct. 16 at Startup Lab
Hosted by Google Ventures and Vator, the newly-launched Startup Sessions is speaker series featuring one keynote speaker who will share his or her startup stories. The three-hour event is designed to be a casual gathering of techies – entrepreneurs, developers, marketers, investors – who want to get the inside scoop about some of the highest-profile tech influencers. Kicking off the series is David Sacks, CEO and founder of Yammer, which was bought by Microsoft for $1.2 billion this past June. Startup Sessions will be held on Oct. 16, from 5 pm to a little after 8 pm at Google Ventures’ Startub Lab in Mountain View. Pizza and beer will be served. Tickets are only $35 and $100 gets you a demo table. Use the code: Foundersspace for a 15% discount. Register here
How to Build a Great Startup Culture
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What You Should Know About Mobile Advertising
- What are the biggest impacts on local mobile advertising
- How can/should performance and success of local-mobile campaigns be measured
- What responsive design means for mobile
- How premium formats help maximize mobile revenue
And much more…
Design for the Digital Age
Sign up for the Event http://siliconvikings.com/events/102/
The session will provide leading-edge perspectives from Nordic and Silicon Valley digital design and user experience experts. Our four panelists—led by Risto Lahdesmaki, (Co-Founder of the Finnish UX design company IDEAN) —will explore the user experience landscape as it stands today, and predict the future!
Including…
- How to design for engaging user experience in an age of mobile devices
- How to design for consistent and transparent user experience across platforms – from your mobile, to a display wall, to a flexible screen
- How firms are using design to gain competitive advantage
Your Track Record – What Investors Really Think about Your Past Experience
Sign up for this Event http://foundersspacesvsept2012.eventbrite.com/
Presenters: Ron Weissman, Silicon Valley venture capitalist and angel investor; Bipul Sinha of Lightspeed Venture Partners; and Lowell Ness of Orrick.
It is no secret that having a solid track record increases your chances of connecting with investors and securing funding for your startup. However, what you consider to be a solid track record as an entrepreneur is oftentimes different than what an investor considers a solid track record for purposes of investment. And, what may be an insufficient track record to one investor may be a solid track record to another.
Creating a Killer Summary and Slide Deck – Do’s and Don’ts
Sign up for this event http://foundersspacesfsept2012.eventbrite.com/
Presenters: Don Reinke of Reed Smith, Dave Samuel of Freestyle Capital and Brian Best of Leader Ventures.
Are your executive summary and slide deck opening doors and attracting investors, talent and opportunities? Do they communicate your value proposition and why your team is the one to make it happen? Creating or updating these marketing tools typically happens over time, based on feedback and your company’s evolution. Join our experts to see what you are doing right–and wrong. Get useful tips on how to communicate your vision with impact.
