Webinars and Previous Events

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Season 5: Fall 2021

 

B2B Retail Tech Sales

December 2, 2021 

Topics:

• How to target your early customers

• How to sign the critical first pilot customer

• How to convert a pilot into a contract

• Pricing models for B2B companies

• Building and managing the sales pipeline 

• Growth hacking strategies for retail tech and B2B companies

Fireside Chat with Zabe Agha, Founder of Metrical

Missed the event? Find the recording HERE

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Navigating Customer Acquisition Post-iOS 14 Changes

October 28, 2021

Join us to hear how one founder dealt with iOS changes in rethinking marketing strategy including:

• Diversifying marketing channels

• Testing and incorporating new strategies 

• Focusing on more than just top of funnel

• Expanding wholesale

• And more

Fireside Chat with Dave Spandorfer, Co-founder & CEO of Janji

Missed the event? Find the recording HERE

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Physical Retail for DTC Brands

October 14, 2021

Topics:

• When to consider the first step into physical retail

• Pros and cons of various physical retail strategies including popups

• Key criteria for early physical retail locations

• How to measure early success in physical retail

• When a permanent store location make sense 

Fireside Chat with Joy Fan, Founder & CEO of Re/Tell

Missed the event? Find the recording HERE

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Season 4: Fall 2020-Spring 2021

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How I Raised My Seed Round

May 19, 2021 at 1pm ET

Topics:

• Timing of the seed round

• Deciding how much to raise

• Understanding necessary proof of concept/metrics/traction

• Best practices when pitching to investors

• How to run the fundraising process 

• How to find a lead investor

Fireside Chat with Cynthia Plotch, Co-founder, Stix

Missed the event? Find the recording HERE

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Early Stage Fundraising from VCs

April 29, 2021 

Topics:

• Getting ready to fundraise - what you need to be ready with

• How to find the right investors for your business/stage

• Best practices for pitching your business to a VC

• How to be ready for due diligence 

• Tips for virtual pitching/building relationships with investors 

• Current environment for fundraising

• Best timing to start a raise

Fireside Chat with Amanda Herson, Investor, Founder Collective

Missed the event? Find the recording HERE

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Early Stage B2B Pilots, Sales & Pipeline

April 21, 2021 

Topics:

• Targeting enterprise versus SMB customers

• How to get the critical first pilots and customers

• Managing the sales process 

• How to think through pricing for B2B customers

• Building and managing the sales pipeline 

• Growth strategies for retail tech startups

Fireside Chat with Eytan Daniyalzade, Co-founder & CEO, Toolio

Missed this event? Find the recording HERE 

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Launching a DTC Brand 

March 18, 2021

Topics:

• Brand building and testing before launch

• Estimating customer demand and forecasting for launch

• Building pre-launch hype and buzz, email lists, etc.

• Planning launch marketing (especially in a pandemic)

• Thinking ahead to operations, customer service and more

• Fundraising pre-launch

Fireside Chat with Camille Varlet, Founder, Mouth Off Health

Missed this event? Find the recording HERE 

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Building Wholesale Relationships

February 25, 2021 

Topics:

• When offline strategies can make sense for DTC startups

• Creating wholesale relationships with medium and large retailers

• What retailers ask for in typical wholesale relationships - and what to be prepared with

• Key considerations for pricing, margins, packaging, etc. when selling wholesale

• Ensuring your brand message is clear at retail

• Managing wholesale relationships once they've launched

Fireside Chat with Cora Miller, Co-founder & CEO of Young King Hair Care

Missed this event? Find the recording HERE

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Raising a Preseed Round

February 18, 2021

Topics:

• Getting ready to fundraise - what are the key elements you need

• How to find the right investors for your business

• Can early stage companies raise money right now

• What sorts of companies, products, business models are interesting right now to investors

• What is happening in terms of valuation over the next 6-12 months

• Tips for virtual pitching/building relationships with investors 

• Best timing to start a raise

Speakers: Sapna Shah + Jessica Peltz-Zatulove, Founding Partner, Hannah Grey

Missed this event? Find the recording HERE

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Fundraising from Strategic  Investors

December 17, 2020

Topics:

• How to start early stage fundraising conversations with strategics

• Pros and cons of raising from strategic investors at the early stages

• How to put together a round including strategics and other  investors

• Managing a strategic investor after the investment is made

Speakers: Sapna Shah + Alissa Baier-Lentz, Co-founder & COO of Kintra Fibers

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Early Stage B2B Sales

December 3, 2020

Topics:

• How to target your early customers

• How to sign the critical first pilot customer

• How to convert a pilot into a contract

• Various pricing models for B2B companies at the early stages

• Building and managing the sales pipeline 

• Growth hacking strategies for retail tech and B2B companies

Speakers: Sapna Shah + Chelsie Lee, Co-founder & CEO of Shipsi

Missed this event? Find the recording HERE

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Early Stage Financial Modeling for Startups

November 12, 2020

Topics:

Come lean how to build your early stage financial model including:

• How to model revenue assumptions for B2B and DTC startups

• How to accurately model costs

• How seasonality and other retail-specific factors play into a financial model

• Sample excel templates will be provided ahead of the session. Be ready with your laptop!

Speaker:  Sapna Shah, Principal, Red Giraffe Advisors

Missed this event? Find the recording HERE

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Fundraising 101

October 29, 2020

Topics:

• Getting ready to fundraise - what are the key elements you need

• How to find the right investors for your business

• Can preseed/seed companies raise money right now

• What sorts of companies, products, business models are interesting right now to investors

• What is happening in terms of valuation over the next 6-12 months

• Tips for virtual pitching/building relationships with investors 

• Best timing to start a raise

Speakers: Sapna Shah + Erica Duignan Minnihan, Founder & Managing Partner of 1000 Angels & Founder of Reign Ventures

Missed this event? Find the recording HERE

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Building a Curated Marketplace

October 22, 2020

Topics:

• How to build a differentiated offering via curation and exclusives

• How to manage both sides of a marketplace both pre- and post-launch

• Leveraging technology to create unique customer experiences

• Offline strategies/wholesale

Speakers: Sapna Shah + Michelle Reeves, Co-Founder & CEO of The Accessory Junkie

Missed this event? Find the recording HERE 

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Customer Acquisition for Early Stage Brands

October 8, 2020

Topics:

• Building hype before launch

• Channels that work best or customer acquisition at the launch and beyond

• Offline channels like wholesale, press, pop-ups and more

• Finding success in paid channels/social

• Measuring early customer acquisition efforts and scaling them

• Customer acquisition in the current environment

Speakers: Sapna Shah + Heide Iravani, Co-Founder of Piccolina

Missed this event? Find the recording HERE

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A Founder's Perspective on Equity Crowdfunding with Republic

October 1, 2020

 Topics:

• How equity crowdfunding works

• Kobi's experiences with the Republic platform

• Pros and cons of equity crowdfunding

• And more

Speakers: Sapna Shah + Kobi Wu, Founder & CEO, Visuwall

Missed this event? Find the recording HERE 

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Season 3: Fall 2019-Summer 2020

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How to Build a Brand From Scratch

Thursday, July 30, 2020

 Topics:

• How to build your brand and product in the earliest days

• Thinking through naming and early logos, branding, packaging

• Building brand awareness right from the beginning

• Defining a realistic product roadmap

• Targeting early customers and customer acquisition techniques

• Evolving the early successes to scale the brand

Speakers: Sapna Shah +  Rooshy Roy, Founder & CEO, Aavrani

Missed this event? Find the recording HERE 

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Fundraising in the Current Environment

Thursday, July 23, 2020

Topics:

• Can preseed and seed companies raise money right now?

• What sorts of companies, products, business models are interesting right now to VCs?

• What is happening in terms of valuation over the next 6-12 months?

• Tips for virtual pitching/building relationships with investors given that many face to face meetings aren’t happening

• Best timing to start a raise?

• What can companies do now if they can’t raise?

Speakers: Sapna Shah + Aubrie Pagano, Partner at Corigin Ventures

Missed this event? Find the recording HERE

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How to Raise a Preseed Round
June 25, 2020
Topics:

• When do I raise my preseed round?

• What proof of concept/metrics/traction are necessary

• Should I target angels, angel groups, VCs?

• How do I know how much to raise?

• What are the best practices for fundraising? 

• Should I use convertible debt, a SAFE or preferred stock structure?

Speakers: Sapna Shah + Kobi Wu, Founder & CEO of Visuwall

Missed this event? Find the recording HERE

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Virtual: Early Stage DTC Customer Acquisition: Kickstarters & More

June 18, 2020

Topics:

• Channels for customer acquisition at the early stages

• Building a successful Kickstarter campaign

• Leveraging early successes 

Speakers: Sapna Shah + Adrian Solgaard, Founder & CEO of Solgaard

Missed this event? Find the recording HERE

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Virtual: Building Teams: Working with Consultants & Freelancers

May 28, 2020

Topics:

• How to think about hiring employees versus using freelancers

• Best practices in managing consultants and freelancers

• Managing teams of employees and freelancers remotely​

Speakers: Sapna Shah + Claire Humphreys, Co-founder of Wethos

Missed this event? Find the recording HERE

 

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Virtual: Equity Crowdfunding 101

May 21, 2020

Topics:

• How equity crowdfunding works

• What types of businesses make sense for equity crowdfunding

• Does equity crowdfunding make sense in the current environment

Speakers: Sapna Shah &  Nico Leeper, Senior Associate at SeedInvest

Missed this event? Find the recording HERE

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Virtual: Social Media Advertising in Today's Environment

May 14, 2020

Topics:

• What the social media advertising landscape looks like right now

• How early stage first should think about social media advertising

• Do's and don'ts of paid advertising

• Managing social media advertising at the early stages

​Speakers: Sapna Shah & Chris Franco, Founder & CEO of Woodridge Growth

Missed this event? Find the recording HERE

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Virtual: Building & Managing Teams - Even When Remote

May 7, 2020

Topics:

• How to hire your first, most critical hires

• Pros and cons of full-time vs. part-time hires and how to make those choices

• Best practices for managing teams remotely 

• Growing a team while in lockdown​

Format: Sapna Shah & Gertrude Allen, CEO of Pet Plate

Missed this event? Find the recording HERE

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Virtual: Fundraising in an Uncertain Environment 

April 30, 2020
Topics:

• What the fundraising landscape looks like right now

• Who's investing and who might not be

• How to think about creating relationships and pitching virtually

• Which business models may become most attractive to investors

Speakers: Sapna Shah & Nnamdi Okike, Managing Partner, 645 Ventures

Missed this event? Find the recording HERE

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Virtual: How to Build a Beauty Brand (Especially In Uncertain Times) 

April 23, 2020

Topics:

• What makes a beauty brand successful

• Tips on how to build a brand for today's customer

• How beauty brands can be resilient in uncertain times

Speakers: Sapna Shah & Susan Naci (beauty expert, advisor, investor & operator)

Missed this event? Find the recording HERE

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Virtual: Fundraising in an Uncertain Environment 

April 16, 2020
Topics:

• What the fundraising landscape looks like right now

• Who's investing and who might not be

• How to think about creating relationships and pitching virtually

• Which business models may become most attractive to investors

Speakers: Sapna Shah + Robin Li, Principal at GGV Capital

Missed this event? Find the recording HERE

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Virtual: Alternative Sources of Capital for DTC Startups

April 9, 2020
Topics:

• Sources of debt (microlenders, banks, friends & family, others)

• Managing accounts payable/terms to free up cash

• Customers as sources of capital

• And more

Speakers: Sapna Shah & Maria Boustead of Po Campo

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Virtual: Fundraising in an Uncertain Environment 

April 2, 2020
Topics:

• What the fundraising landscape looks like right now

• Who's investing and who might not be

• How to think about creating relationships and pitching virtually

• Which business models may become most attractive to investors

Speakers: Sapna Shah & David Goldberg, General Partner at Corigin Ventures

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Fundraising Tips from Founders

February 26, 2020

Topics:

• Timing of a preseed or seed round

• How much to raise

• Necessary proof of concept/metrics/traction

• Raising from angels, angel groups, VCs, family offices, strategic investors

• Best practices for fundraising and outreach to investors

• Fundraising on convertible debt vs. SAFE vs. preferred stock structure

Speakers:

Aditya Khilnani, Co-founder, Mobley

Reham Fagiri, Co-founder & CEO, AptDeco

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Preparing for Your First Fundraise

January 22, 2020​

Topics:

• Crafting the pitch deck and elevator pitch

• Understanding business model and unit economics

• Showing metrics and traction

• Building a targeted investor outreach list

• Creating a game plan and timeline for the fundraise

Speakers:

Katie Shea, Partner, Kairos

Rachel Stubins Wexler, Investor, New Paradigm Ventures

Del Johnson, Principal, Backstage Capital

 

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Lean Startups: Getting Traction Before You Raise

December 17, 2019

Topics:

• Early stage sources of cash 

• Bootstrapping in creative ways

• Kickstarter, pre-orders, wait lists

• And more

Speakers:

Meha Agrawal, Founder & CEO, Silk + Sonder​

Jacquelyn Ward, Co-founder, Our Story Bridal

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Early Stage Financial Modeling for Startups

November 19, 2019

Topics:

Come learn how to build your early stage financial model including:

• How to model revenue assumptions for B2B and DTC startups

• How to accurately model costs

• How seasonality and other retail-specific factors play into a financial model

• Sample excel templates will be provided ahead of the session. Bring your laptop!

Speakers:

Sapna Shah, Principal, Red Giraffe Advisors

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Getting Your First Pilots/Sales: B2B Selling 

October 24, 2019
Topics:

• How to get the critical first enterprise pilot customer

• How to convert a pilot into a contract

• Various pricing models for B2B software companies at the early stages

• Building and managing the sales pipeline 

• Growth hacking strategies for retail tech and B2B companies

Speakers:

Amanda Patterson, CEO, The Call List

Leigh Sevin, Co-Founder, Endear 

Irene Ryabaya, Co-founder, Warmintro

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Getting Your Early Customers: DTC Acquisition 

September 25, 2019

Topics:

• The best channels for customer acquisition at the early stages

• Building an email list

• Considering offline channels like press, pop-ups and more

• Finding success in paid channels/social

• Measuring early customer acquisition efforts and scaling them

Speakers:

Chris Benedict, Co-Founder, Felix Gray

Meg He, Co-Founder, Aday

Elana Reinholtz, Founder & CEO, Bird + Stone

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Season 2: Fall 2018-Spring 2019

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Fundraising 101: Everything You Need to Know 

May 22, 2019

​Topics:

• When should I raise a pre-seed/seed round? ​

• What proof of concept/metrics/traction are necessary for each?

• How is fundraising different for B2B startups vs. DTC startups?

• Should I target angels, angel groups, VCs, family offices, high net worth individuals? How do I find the right investors?

• How do I know how much to raise? 

• What are the best practices for fundraising? 

• How long will it take?

• Should I use convertible debt, a SAFE or preferred stock structure?

Meghan Cross Breeden, Partner, Amplifyher Ventures

Melanie Elturk, CEO, Haute Hijab

Mona Bijoor, Partner, Kings Circle Capital, former Founder & CEO, Joor

Evan Bienstock, Partner, Fenwick & West

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How to Build Your DTC Brand

April 24, 2019

Topics:

• When does brand building start? How is it different than marketing?

• What activities are critical in building a brand at the early stage?

• Do I need to hire a branding firm?

• How do I build my brand into the culture of my company?

Carolyn Rush, Partner, Worn

Rachel Cohen, Co-founder & Co-CEO, SNOWE

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Offline Strategies for DTC Brands: Pop-ups, Wholesale & More

March 14, 2019 

Topics:

• When do offline strategies make sense for DTC startups?

• What are the pros and cons of pop-ups vs. trunk shows vs. a longer term physical store?

• How do I create wholesale relationships with medium and large retailers?

• What do retailers ask for in a typical wholesale relationship?

• What about all the new offline platforms for DTC brands?

Kirk Keel, Co-founder, Stantt

Victoria Flores, Co-founder, Lux Beauty Club

Lindsay Bressler, VP Finance Strategy & Operations, HATCH Collection

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Straight Talk on Raising Your Seed Round & Capital Strategy

February 27, 2019

Topics:

• What is the “seed gradient?”

• What do VCs look for at the seed/pre-seed stage?

• How do I decide between preferred equity vs. notes vs. SAFEs?

• How should I think about capital structure strategy?

• What is the impact of layered notes/SAFEs on my cap table?

Caitlin Strandberg, Principal, Lerer Hippeau

David Goldberg, General Partner, Corigin Ventures

Geri Kirilova, Principal, Laconia Capital Group

Jonathan Sagot, Counsel, Fenwick & West

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How to Successfully Raise Your Seed Round (From Someone Who's Done It)

Jan 23, 2019 

Topics:

•  When do I raise my seed round? What proof of concept/metrics/traction are necessary?

• Should I target angels, angel groups, VCs, family offices?

• How do I know how much to raise?

• What are the best practices for fundraising? 

• Should I use convertible debt, a SAFE or preferred stock structure?

Guest Speakers:

Lisa Barnett, Co-founder & CMO, Little Spoon

Melanie Travis, Founder & CEO, Andie

Esosa Ighodaro, Co-founder, COSIGN

Eli Curi, Principal, Fenwick & West 

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Retail Experience of the Future: Trends 

Dec 12, 2018

Topics: 

• What is the future of bricks & mortar versus online?

• What in-store and online technologies are trending (e.g, visual search, clienteling, interactive displays)?

• What solutions and technologies are enterprise retailers focused on?

• What areas are startups most focused on?

• What are investors looking to invest in?

Guest Speakers:

Robin Li, Vice President, GGV Capital

Evan Kraut, Head of Growth, Suzy, Co-founder, Milkbox Partners, formerly Managing Director, Grey Adventures

Web Smith, Founder 2PM, formerly Co-founder, Mizzen + Main

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The Hardest Thing About B2B Startups: Selling

Nov 29, 2018

Topics:

• How do I get my first enterprise customer?

• What does the sales pipeline look like? How should I manage it?

• How do I price my first pilot/integration?

• What growth hacking strategies work for retail tech and B2B companies?

• Is investing in PR worthwhile? Or other paid marketing? 

Guest Speakers:

Michelle Bacharach, Co-founder & CEO, Findmine

Kareen Mallet, Founder, Replika Software

Justin Stewart, Co-founder & CEO, Cherrypick

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The Hardest Thing About DTC Startups: Customer Acquisition

Oct 25, 2018

Topics:

• What are the best channels for customer acquisition at the early stages?

• What about social media? Should I build my business on Facebook or Instagram?

• Should I hire growth hackers?

• How should I measure my early customer acquisition efforts?

Guest Speakers:

KJ Miller, Co-founder & CEO, Mented Cosmetics

Polina Veksler, Co-founder & CEO, Universal Standard

Christina Carbonell, Co-founder, Primary.com

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