Powderkeg - Unvalley

Sam Parr retired with over $20 Million by age 31, just a few years after losing his job offer at AirBNB. In this interview, Sam goes deep into his journey to share his biggest lessons learned while creating an impressive career and company. Parr is the founder of The Hustle, a daily newsletter providing an entertaining delivery of the latest news in business and tech. He was born in Missouri, grew up in Tennessee, and moved to San Francisco after graduating from college. His media company The Hustle was acquired by Hubspot in 2021 for a reported $25-30 million dollars. In today’s episode of UNVALLEY with Sam Parr you’ll learn: 7:3014:0528:3042:30 UNVALLEY is the show for tech leaders that want to unlock their full potential and connect with the biggest opportunities in tech beyond Silicon Valley. UNVALLEY is brought to you by Powderkeg — the only private member network focused on supporting tech companies and leaders in fast-growing communities beyond Silicon Valley. Join the community at Powderkeg.com.

Sam Parr retired with over $20 Million by age 31, just a few years after losing his job offer at AirBNB. In this interview, Sam goes deep into his journey to share his biggest lessons learned while creating an impressive career and company. Parr is the founder of The Hustle, a daily newsletter providing an entertaining delivery of the latest news in business and tech. He was born in Missouri, grew up in Tennessee, and moved to San Francisco after graduating from college. His media company The Hustle was acquired by Hubspot in 2021 for a reported $25-30 million dollars. In today’s episode of UNVALLEY with Sam Parr you’ll learn: 7:30 Which Midwest values lay the foundation for Sam’s successful career in tech 14:05 The simple writing technique that helped Sam create enormous opportunities in his career 28:30 How to optimize your career for success, even if you don’t have money or connections 42:30 Why Sam is investing in real estate in Unvalley tech hubs like Austin UNVALLEY is the show for tech leaders that want to unlock their full potential and connect with the biggest opportunities in tech beyond Silicon Valley. UNVALLEY is brought to you by Powderkeg — the only private member network focused on supporting tech companies and leaders in fast-growing communities beyond Silicon Valley. Join the community at Powderkeg.com.

Arlan is the Founder and Managing Partner of Backstage Capital, a venture capital firm dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech by investing in high-potential founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBTQ. Backstage has raised tens of millions of dollars, invested in 200 startups led by underestimated founders, and has been featured in Forbes, Fortune, Wall Street Journal, CNN Money, Inc., Entrepreneur, and Quartz. Arlan also founded Runner, a talent operations startup that connects outstanding operations talent with inclusive companies. She also published It’s About Damn Time, her book detailing her journey from homelessness to venture capital. In today’s episode of Unvalley you’ll hear Arlan’s incredible story and learn some of her best strategies that have helped her succeed in venture capital, startups, and tech, despite enormous challenges.

Arlan is the Founder and Managing Partner of Backstage Capital, a venture capital firm dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech by investing in high-potential founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBTQ. Backstage has raised tens of millions of dollars, invested in 200 startups led by underestimated founders, and has been featured in Forbes, Fortune, Wall Street Journal, CNN Money, Inc., Entrepreneur, and Quartz. Arlan also founded Runner, a talent operations startup that connects outstanding operations talent with inclusive companies. She also published It’s About Damn Time, her book detailing her journey from homelessness to venture capital. In today’s episode of Unvalley you’ll hear Arlan’s incredible story and learn some of her best strategies that have helped her succeed in venture capital, startups, and tech, despite enormous challenges.

Gary Vaynerchuk (Gary Vee) shouldn’t need an introduction. Revered as the king of content, he has an uncanny ability to spot trends in the market and skate to where the puck is going. Gary has his finger on the pulse of consumers and is one of the most forward-thinking voices in business today. He is also a prolific angel investor. His portfolio is bolstered by early positions in Facebook, Uber, Twitter, Coinbase, and his own NFT project VeeFriends. Mickey Cloud is the Executive Director of The Sasha Group. A VaynerX company based in Chattanooga Tennessee. Mickey works with some of the biggest brands around the world helping them turn business objectives into actionable marketing plans. In Episode 1 we hear Gary’s thoughts on the Unvalley and his approach to building a company with a dispersed team.

Six years ago we launched the Powderkeg Podcast Igniting Startups. We were featured in top publications like Entrepreneur and Forbes. Since 2017 we have interviewed over 100 execs at dynamic tech companies beyond Silicon Valley. We are excited to bring this Podcast back in a way that honors both the Powderkeg community and the amazing growth that we have seen in the Unvalley community over the last several years. In Episode 0 we are going to catch you up on what we’ve been up to for the last two years.

Six years ago we launched the Powderkeg Podcast Igniting Startups. We were featured in top publications like Entrepreneur and Forbes. Since 2017 we have interviewed over 100 execs at dynamic tech companies beyond Silicon Valley. We are excited to bring this Podcast back in a way that honors both the Powderkeg community and the amazing growth that we have seen in the Unvalley community over the last several years. In Episode 0 we are going to catch you up on what we’ve been up to for the last two years.

Gary Vaynerchuk (Gary Vee) shouldn’t need an introduction. Revered as the king of content, he has an uncanny ability to spot trends in the market and skate to where the puck is going. Gary has his finger on the pulse of consumers and is one of the most forward-thinking voices in business today. He is also a prolific angel investor. His portfolio is bolstered by early positions in Facebook, Uber, Twitter, Coinbase, and his own NFT project VeeFriends. Mickey Cloud is the Executive Director of The Sasha Group. A VaynerX company based in Chattanooga Tennessee. Mickey works with some of the biggest brands around the world helping them turn business objectives into actionable marketing plans. In Episode 1 we hear Gary’s thoughts on the Unvalley and his approach to building a company with a dispersed team.

The last two years have taught us so much. How to be flexible and adapt quickly to change. A whole new style of doing business in a virtual world. Even how to integrate your work and your life in a healthy way. Today we are hearing startup growth stories from 5 CEOs based in the Circle City. These five Indianapolis-based tech companies are doing incredible things and we are joined by their CEOs to hear some stories and lessons learned over the last two years. One CEO opened a 50-acre innovation community during the first year of the pandemic. She proceeded to lead her organization through the biggest mass-adoption of remote work ever. Another CEO started their company less than a year ago from his home office. One even wrote a book chronicling the whole journey! We are going to hear from; Emily Krueger, President and CEO, 16 Tech Jake Miller, CEO, The Engineered Innovation Group Jim Goldman, CEO, Trava Steve Johns, CEO, OneCause Lindsay Tjepkema, CEO, Casted These 5 CEOs share practice advice and stories that they have learned over the past two years that you can use in your professional career.

Culture, when built correctly can be your key differentiator. When built incorrectly it can be your Achilles' heel. Today we do a deep dive into the founding story of Indianapolis darling startup Lessonly. Lessonly is a market leader in training software and was acquired by San Diego-based Seismic in 2021. We sit down with co-founders Max Yoder and Conner Burt to discuss Lessonly's development over the last decade and why culture has always been a North Star in the companies evolution. Max and Conner both started their professional career by means of the Orr Fellowship, a two-year, Indianapolis-based fellowship focused on developing the next generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs. Max began working on Lessonly after winding down his first startup. Conner was working in sales at ExactTarget (acquired by Salesforce) at the time. The two were roommates and Conner became an early adopter of the original Lessonly platform, where he used it to help train an international sales team of ExactTarget. Learn more about the Lessonly journey and hear the words of wisdom this dynamic duo has about growing a high-performing, venture-backed tech company. If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher.

Have you ever been stuck in a parking garage and couldn't quite figure out how to leave? Well, you're not the only one; according to reports, 85% of "help" calls in a parking garage are due to struggles with understanding the equipment, whereas only 15% of those calls are due to actual equipment failure. That’s why today, you'll hear from a company that saw the need for human interaction within the parking industry and set out to fill it—combining software-as-a-service, hardware, and a 24/7 call center to create personal, high-empathy interactions in the parking industry. On today's episode of the Powderkeg Pitch, you’ll be hearing a 5-minute live startup pitch between an entrepreneur and myself. You’ll be hearing from Brian Wolff, President & CEO at Parker Technology based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Before joining Parker Technology, Brian, in 2006, co-founded Bluelock, Indiana's fastest-growing private company in 2010, with four other Indiana tech entrepreneurs. He has helped fund more than 30 local companies through angel funds Gravity Ventures, xCap Angels, and Momentum Ventures. Brian consulted several other organizations, including Purdue Research Foundation, where he was an Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) at The Foundry. On today's show, Brian will be pitching Parker Technology, a company focused on providing parking facilities with a premium customer service experience platform through software. Brian will have just 5 minutes to pitch Parker and share more on the incredible team they're growing at Parker, and then I will have the opportunity to hit Brian with a few hard-hitting and rapid-fire-q-and-a, sort of shark tank-style questions right after his pitch. Tune in for more! Please enjoy this conversation with Brian Wolff! If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul area may not be as known for tech as San Francisco, but the city has seen huge potential in building a rising tech scene. And when it comes to the Midwest, you couldn't ask for a more tech-friendly city. Minneapolis-St. Paul is home to some of the top accounting firms in the country and overall has a healthy and satisfying tech environment. And with so much untapped potential left for opportunists to unlock...it's hard not to consider becoming a part of the incredible tech ecosystem that's brewing in the Twin Cities. In today’s episode, I speak with two leaders who are focused on investing and nurturing the innovation happening inside the heart of Minnesota Tech. The first guest is Mary Grove, Managing Partner at Bread and Butter Ventures. She brings nearly two decades of leadership experience in technology, early stage investing, and startup ecosystem growth. Mary served as the founding director of Google for Startups, leading the company’s global efforts to support entrepreneurs in over 100 countries. Mary also started a nonprofit called Silicon North Stars, which she now runs, to educate and inspire young Minnesotans from economically underserved backgrounds towards futures in tech. After her 15 year career at Google, Mary worked as an investment partner at Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund where she led dozens of investments in a range of sectors including healthcare, enterprise software, and fintech. Joining Mary today is Brett Brohl, a Managing Partner of Bread and Butter Ventures. He is also the Managing Director of the Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator. Brett is an experienced entrepreneur, investor and mentor, driven to make a difference in the world through helping entrepreneurs succeed. He founded or has been CEO of several companies, leading three to exit and also experiencing failure firsthand. AndI hear he loves leveraging those experiences to help the next generation of startups to be successful. Tune in for More! In this episode with Mary Grove and Brett Brohl, you’ll learn: - How to find the best opportunities in tech during the new normal - Why having a culture is an important stage for startups - Great advice talent looking to break into tech - The most exciting things happening in and around Minnesota tech - Backstage look into the newly created Bread and Butter Ventures Figuring out your next career move doesn’t have to be so stressful. So why not try Powderkeg Matches? By joining Matches, you’re joining a community of thousands of top professionals in the Powderkeg community to get connected with outstanding people at the hottest tech companies between the coasts. Get matched with great employers, land your next major opportunity, and get started today! Please enjoy this conversation with Mary Grove and Brett Brohl! If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast. Check it out at powderkeg.com/itunes.

Every new beginning has its struggles, but getting a business started to call your own can be so fulfilling. Today we dive in with a founder who is ready to risk everything. He gives up his steady 9-to-5 job to chase his passion for the entrepreneurial dream beginning with the simple words "I Quit." On today's episode of the Powderkeg Pitch, we're bringing on Co-founder and BBQ expert of Durham based Mike D’s BBQ, Mike De Los Santos. Mike and his wife Gloria started building a BBQ sauce business with Mike having 'quit' his job. They launched the company back in 2014. And hit their sales goal that year, and have seen strong and steady growth ever since. In 2015, they introduced their Sweet & Spicy rub and, in 2016, had their biggest growth year to date (120%). As if that weren't remarkable enough, Mike is about to be featured on Discovery's Channel's new show called "I Quit," which is a show that will follow six businesses for one year as they are led by hopeful entrepreneurs who leave their steady incomes and retirement plans behind to go all-in on their dreams of launching their own unique business. Tune in to hear more! In this episode with Michael De Los Santos, you’ll learn: --What drew Mike to the path of entrepreneurship --How Mike and Discovery connected to start the show “I Quit” --Building the right sales strategy for your business --Backstage look into the entrepreneurial world of BBQ --Mike’s secrets and tips for barbecue enthusiasts Please enjoy this conversation with Michael De Los Santos! If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast.

How much more impactful could your company's marketing strategy be if you could understand exactly what content to create and the best places to publish it in order to keep up with the present trends? Well in today’s episode, you’ll hear from Shawn Schwegman, Co-founder and CSO of Demandjump. DemandJump focuses on taking the uncertainty out of digital marketing by allowing you to see what your customers and competitors are doing, and what you should be doing next to get out ahead. Shawn had only 5 minutes on the Powderkeg stage to pitch his company DemandJump to a live panel of investors and industry experts from our Marketing Tech in the Roaring 20’s pitch night we hosted this past February before the pandemic featuring some of the most innovative companies scaling in Middle America. The four experts you’ll hear from in this episode include: --Syam Nair | Executive Vice President, Technology, Salesforce Marketing Cloud --Miloni Madan | Private Equity Technology Investor at Warburg Pincus LLC --Aaron Gillum | Senior Vice President at 50 South Capital --Lindsey Groepper | President at BLASTMedia Today’s Presenter, Shawn Schwegman, is a professional Entrepreneur, who has been heavily involved with more than a dozen startup companies over the last two decades, both advising and working in pivotal roles running sales, marketing, technology, strategy and operations for companies in early and high growth stages. Tune in to hear more from Shawn! Figuring out your next career move doesn't have to be so stressful. So why not try Powderkeg Matches? By joining Matches, you’re joining a community of thousands of top professionals in the Powderkeg community to get connected with outstanding people at the hottest tech companies between the coasts. Get matched with great employers, land your next major opportunity, and get started today! Please enjoy this pitch with Shawn Schwegman of Lessonly!

Leaders that are able to build and create a culture of openness and collaboration are able to encourage their team to better self-develop, communicate, and share what they are learning so they can capitalize on the actions they are or could be doing better, and promoting and pushing one another to do the same. But where do we begin in order to create and maintain this idea that we call product culture? In today’s episode, I speak with Marcus Cobb, a technologist, product designer, public speaker, and successful entrepreneur. Marcus is a highly sought-after investor, mentor, and strategist for numerous organizations. He’s also the CEO and co-founder of Jammber, a Nashville-based music technology company that focuses on streamlining the incredibly complicated process of creating a song, sharing it with the world and ultimately getting paid and getting credit for it. Throughout this episode, you’ll get to hear Marcus discuss his role as an entrepreneur, his personal experiences with building an amazing team culture, and his current role as co-founder and CEO of Jammber. Find out more about how Marcus and his team are disrupting the music industry with their platform, Jammber. Tune in for More! In this episode with Marcus Cobb, you’ll learn: - How positive product culture can be a secret ingredient for team success - About the music tech industry and the opportunities available - Marcus’s personal experience and growth as an entrepreneur - How the Jammber platform is impacting the music industry Figuring out your next career move doesn’t have to be so stressful. So why not try Powderkeg Matches? By joining Matches, you’re joining a community of thousands of top professionals in the Powderkeg community to get connected with outstanding people at the hottest tech companies between the coasts. Get matched with great employers, land your next major opportunity, and get started today! Please enjoy this conversation with Marcus Cobb! If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast. Check it out at powderkeg.com/itunes.

Most companies understand the importance of employee training, with the highest priority being the need for creating the right training resources for increasing effectiveness talent training programs. But for most companies, it always seems to come with a struggle of creating the right training tools and applications for company talent. That's why on today's episode of Powderkeg Pitch, we're featuring a company focused on helping teams learn and practice, and do better work. In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Kyle Lacy, Chief Marketing Officer of Lessonly. Lessonly is a simple learning management software that helps teams learn, practice, and do better work. Kyle had only 5 minutes on the Powderkeg stage to pitch his company Lessonly to a live panel of investors and industry experts from our Martech Madness pitch night we hosted in February of last year featuring some of the most innovative companies scaling in the Mighty Middle. The three experts you’ll hear from in this episode include: --Glenda Akers | GM, Messaging of Salesforce Marketing Cloud --Muhammad Yasin | Executive Vice President of Marketing of PERQ --Ryan Grable | VP Demand Generation, Diligent Today’s Presenter, Kyle Lacy, is the Chief Marketing Officer at Lessonly. Kyle brings over ten years of experience in marketing, strategy, and digital operations. Before joining Lessonly, Kyle held senior positions at OpenView Venture Partners, Salesforce and ExactTarget. He has spent the last seven years traveling the world speaking at marketing and technology industry events, including content marketing, digital marketing strategy, demand generation, and B2B marketing. And is an author of three books, Twitter Marketing for Dummies, Branding Yourself, and Social CRM for Dummies. Tune in for more! Figuring out your next career move doesn't have to be so stressful. So why not try Powderkeg Matches? By joining Matches, you’re joining a community of thousands of top professionals in the Powderkeg community to get connected with outstanding people at the hottest tech companies between the coasts. Get matched with great employers, land your next major opportunity, and get started today! Please enjoy this pitch with Kyle Lacy of Lessonly!

In the last decade, the cities of Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, and Nashville have grown Tennesse tech tremendously, attracting skilled talent, founders, and investors from across the country. Today, we talk with a CEO of a public-private partnership with Entrepreneur Centers in seven regions across the state focused on connecting and nurturing innovative startups, and tight-knit communities—mixed with a healthy dose of Southern hospitality—that has become a secret weapon on their journey toward startup success. On today's episode of the Powderkeg Podcast, we're talking with Van Tucker, CEO at Venture Capital Firm, Launch Tennessee. As CEO, Van Tucker supports the mission and vision of making Tennessee the best state in the nation for startups by empowering a network of resources. Before joining LaunchTN in early 2020, Tucker served as founding CEO of the Nashville Fashion Alliance, a trade organization that raised international awareness of its $6B economic impact. Before that, Van was a cofounder of Avenue Bank as Chief Creative Officer, responsible for award-winning brand development. Tune in to hear more! In this episode with Van Tucker, you’ll learn: --- How the Volunteer State is creating the next wave of entrepreneurs --- The best ways to show support for underrepresented founders --- What makes Tennessee Tech special for incoming talent --- More on this year’s 36|86 Festival hosted by Launch Tennessee --- Van’s greatest vision for entrepreneurship and startups in Tennessee Figuring out your next career move doesn’t have to be so stressful. So why not try Powderkeg Matches? By joining Matches, you’re joining a community of thousands of top professionals in the Powderkeg community to get connected with outstanding people at the hottest tech companies between the coasts. Get matched with great employers, land your next major opportunity, and get started today! Please enjoy this conversation with Van Tucker! If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast. Check it out at powderkeg.com/itunes.

Indianapolis Tech is growing at full throttle, but there is still so much untapped potential. From startups to tech giants, high-growth companies have found Indianapolis (Indy) to be an ideal home. The city is outpacing the competition by providing experienced talent, lower cost of living, and a productive environment of innovative founders, investors, and leaders. That’s why Powderkeg teamed up with several Indiana organizations to gain insight into growth and innovation happening in the unique tech community in Indianapolis, IN. Our research results were compiled in the first-ever Indianapolis Tech Census Report and released to the public back in February of 2018. With responses from over 359 tech professionals, entrepreneurs, and investors representing and 138 companies in the Indianapolis area, the census used a combination of hard data and interviews with industry insiders to help paint an accurate picture of the Indy tech ecosystem as it stands today and what it can become. In this episode of Powderkeg Podcast, we feature a few of Indy's most innovative tech entrepreneurs and leaders that helped break down the report and get at the root of what's right and what's not so good about the state of Indianapolis tech. In this discussion, we share behind the scenes secrets behind Indy's rapid tech growth, explore possibilities for bringing more investment capital into the city, and share the best strategies for building more diverse and inclusive teams—in Indianapolis or any tech community across the country. Tune in for more! In this episode with four visionary Indianapolis tech leaders, you’ll learn: Secrets behind the rapid growth of the Indianapolis tech community. What tech communities can do to overcome a shortage of investment capital. Why building relationships in your community is the best way to grow your business. Strategies for finding and developing young professionals to close the tech talent gap. How to drive diversity and inclusivity in your company and the whole tech industry. Figuring out your next career move doesn’t have to be so stressful. So why not try Powderkeg Matches? By joining Matches, you’re joining a community of thousands of top professionals in the Powderkeg community to get connected with outstanding people at the hottest tech companies between the coasts. Get matched with great employers, land your next major opportunity, and get started today! Please enjoy this conversation about the 2018 Indy Tech Census Report with Danielle McDowell, John Qualls, Haley Altman, and Yaw Aning! If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast. Check it out at powderkeg.com/itunes.

Being able to launch a tech product can always be a difficult step for startups. The technical issues in the first product are common, and user feedback during the early days of rollout often more focused on the problems than the product's actual features. This can make it difficult for teams to focus on what's working and what isn't. Luckily, in today's episode of Powderkeg Pitch, we brought on someone focused on eliminating this massive headache for startups. In today’s pitch episode of the Powderkeg Podcast, you’ll hear from Sashank Purighalla, Founder and CEO of BOS Framework. BOS Framework is a product framework for Microsoft developers. It’s easy to use, eliminates repeat work, and enables individual developers to work with the capacity of an entire team and get an MVP to market quickly. Sashank had only 5 minutes on the Powderkeg stage to pitch his company BOS Framework to a live panel of investors and industry experts from our Build Better Software pitch night we hosted last year featuring some of the most innovative companies scaling in the Mighty Middle. The three experts you’ll hear from in this episode include: --Linda Calvin | Vice President of the School of IT at Ivy Tech --Darye Henry | CTO at DeveloperTown Starts --Ting Gootee | Founding Member & Chief Investment Officer at Elevate Ventures Today’s Presenter, Sashank Purighalla, is a technology leader with a strong product development background, a strategic business vision, and a keen entrepreneurial spirit. Over the past 20 years, Sashank has had the opportunity to work with various organizations in North America, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, and India in multiple industries. Using that combined experience and knowledge, he has helped start-ups and enterprises develop the right technology solutions quickly and cost-effectively. In 2011, Sashank developed and founded BOS Framework, a scalable, flexible, and extensible platform that quickly launches technology products. Tune in to hear more! Figuring out your next career move doesn't have to be so stressful. So why not try Powderkeg Matches? By joining Matches, you’re joining a community of thousands of top professionals in the Powderkeg community to get connected with outstanding people at the hottest tech companies between the coasts. Get matched with great employers, land your next major opportunity, and get started today! Please enjoy this pitch with Sashank Purighalla of BOS Framework!

There’s no doubt that companies, big or small, can have a tremendous influence on the community. And in being a founder, CEO, and a leader, it can come with great responsibility. I'll avoid using any more famous superhero references but wanted to share the most important facts I gained from this conversation. Almost 81% of all VC firms don't have a single Black investor. In a sample of 160 firms with more than 2 people, only 5 have at least 2 Black investors. Another study found that Blacks are underrepresented in the executive ranks of startups by almost 82%. This is a major social issue that needs solving. There are so many great ways startups, founders, and venture capitalists in our tech community can use their powers for good and help solve this not only in our industry but in the country as a whole. That's why in today's episode, we're bringing on someone who believes in solving this issue and bringing in the good of our Midwest communities and leaders. On today's episode of the Powderkeg Podcast, we're talking with Mike Asem, Partner at Venture Capital Firm, M25. As a partner at M25, Mike has participated in nearly 100 investments in early-stage companies across the Midwest. Outside of his responsibilities at M25, Mike is a Kauffman Fellow (Class 24) and a board member at BLCK VC, leading initiatives in the Midwest to connect, engage, empower, and advance Black venture investors. Before joining M25, Mike founded The Anvil, a co-working space and startup incubator on Purdue University's campus, where he helped launch the first Purdue startup to be accepted to Y Combinator. Tune in for more! In this episode with Mike Asem, you’ll learn: --- How to find a career in Midwest Tech --- Key advice for tech entrepreneurs seeking to raise capital --- Mike’s thoughts on racism and adversity in tech --- Backstage look into the investment ecosystem in Chicago --- Mike’s greatest hopes for startups in Mighty Middle America. Figuring out your next career move doesn’t have to be so stressful. So why not try Powderkeg Matches? By joining Matches, you’re joining a community of thousands of top professionals in the Powderkeg community to get connected with outstanding people at the hottest tech companies between the coasts. Get matched with great employers, land your next major opportunity, and get started today! Please enjoy this conversation with Mike Asem! If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast. Check it out at powderkeg.com/itunes.