Learn When to Raise Venture Capital or Bootstrap

by Alida Miranda-Wolff
February 3, 2016

Register Today

Join Hyde Park Angels at 1871 on Thursday, March 3 from 6:00 pm — 8:00 pm to learn from the seasoned entrepreneurs and investors behind Chicago’s biggest startups, including SkinnyPopdoughcleverbridgeGeofeedia, and others. Hear how these Chicago tech heavyweights started, sold, and scaled their businesses, and how raising venture capital or bootstrapping fundamentally impacted their growth and success. Read on for more information about the program and the panelists participating.

Description: How do you know if you’re ready to raise your first round, or if raising is even your best option? Hear from successful entrepreneurs and investors to learn:

  • The pros and cons of early-stage investment versus bootstrapping
  • What is the right time to raise and when is too early
  • What investors look for in a founder and a business
  • What counts as proof of concept and what doesn’t
  • What investors see as red flags
  • How to move forward if you are ready

Panelists:

Phil Harris, CEO & Founder, Geofeedia 
Phil Harris has a long history of operating high-growth businesses, including his current business, HPA Portfolio Company Geofeedia. He previously worked with one of the largest cable operators, Continental Cablevision (now Time Warner), to develop their Internet broadband strategy and later served on the senior management teams of such ventures as Move.com and Match.com. From 1998 to 2000, Phil was the SVP of Corporate Development at priceline.com (NYSE: PCLN) where he led a variety of strategic initiatives prior to its IPO. He followed this successful tenure as founder and Managing Partner of Alterity Partners, which was acquired by First Horizon (NYSE: FHN). Since then, Phil has invested in many growth ventures and sits on the Boards of Social Growth Technologies and Vertical Health. Phil graduated from Ohio State University in 1991 and received his MBA from Harvard University in 1996.

 

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Pam Netzky, Co-Founder & President, SkinnyPop Popcorn
Pam Netzky, co-founded SkinnyPop Popcorn in 2010 with Andrew Friedman. She served as the President of SkinnyPop Popcorn LLC from 2010–2014. Pam also co-founded Amplify Snack Brands, which includes the SkinnyPop and Paqui Tortilla Chips brands, in 2010 and has been its Senior Advisor and Director since July 2014. Previously, Pam co-founded and served as the Chief Operating Officer of Wells Street Popcorn, LLC, a retail popcorn company. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from DePaul University.

Bill Pescatello, Partner, Lightbank
Bill Pescatello joined Lightbank in 2011 and has been a Partner since 2014. While at Lightbank, Bill led the firm’s investments in Centzy, Locu (acquired by GoDaddy), Ovuline, Hireology, PerBlue, and Contently (co-lead), while also sitting on the boards of Udemy, Snapsheet, Fooda, Lifecrowd and Whoshere. Bill joined the team from NBCUniversal, where he was a Vice President and founding member of the Peacock Equity Fund, a $250m venture arm for NBCUniversal. Prior to joining NBCUniversal, Bill worked at GE Capital where he helped finance leading early stage biotech companies. Bill is a Chartered Financial Analyst, holds a Bachelor Degree from Northwestern University and graduated with honors from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Kristi Ross, Co-CEO & President, dough & tastytrade
Kristi Ross is the co-CEO and President of dough, Inc., which includes tastytrade, the fastest growing online financial network and dough, a highly visual platform that makes investing interactive, educational and mobile. Previously, Kristi was the CFO of thinkorswim where she led numerous mergers, acquisitions and integration. thinkorswim sold to TD Ameritrade for $750M in 2009. Kristi is a certified public accountant and has been in and around the trading business for more than 20 years. As co-CEO and President of dough, Inc., Ms. Ross has been honored as the Illinois Technology Association CityLights’ Prominent Tech Woman, the Moxie Awards’ Woman in Tech, Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, and has been named to Crain’s Chicago’s Tech 50, the Techweek 100 list and Chicago Business Journal’s Women of Influence list.

Craig Vodnik, Co-Founder, cleverbridge
Craig is a co-founder of cleverbridge, the market leading full-service e-commerce platform for software and subscription model businesses. Craig started the business with 3 co-founders in 2005 and bootstrapped the company to profitability in two years. Before cleverbridge, Craig worked at companies in the financial services, e-commerce, banking and publishing industries. Craig has been recognized as a finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, one of the 2015 Techweek 100 and included in the Blue Sky’s Vault, a collection of Chicago’s tech and innovation leaders. Craig is on the Board of Hyde Park Angels and co-chairs of the Digital Media & Technology group.

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