Access and Opportunity

This season on Access & Opportunity, we’re speaking with entrepreneurs who have successfully scaled and sold their companies with a particular focus on their exits. In this episode, we’re joined by Juanita Lott, the founder of the enterprise security firm Bridgestream, Inc.          

Juanita isn’t your typical tech entrepreneur. She didn’t study computer science, she isn’t an engineer, but that doesn’t mean she couldn’t start, scale and sell a company for millions of dollars. Through hard work, late nights and a keen sense of business, Juanita navigated her way through the post-dot com era before selling Bridgestream to Oracle for a reported $30 million.

Today, Juanita tells shares with us how founders can strategically position themselves to retain control of their companies and outlines a few of the unique challenges people of color face when considering an exit. Finally, Juanita offers advice and encouragement to other non-traditional entrepreneurs who are considering starting their own company.

The guest speakers are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and figures contained herein has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information or data contained in this podcast.

This podcast does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.

© 2019 Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Members SIPC.

This season on the Access & Opportunity podcast we’re speaking with entrepreneurs who have successfully scaled and sold their companies with a particular focus on the exit. This episode we are excited to talk to Dug Song, the cofounder of Duo Security.

While working for several other companies in the oughts, Dug noticed that the existing computer security firms were focusing on profits over customers. He set out to fix that with Duo Security. In seven years, the Michigan-based company grew to over 700 employees by staying true to their mission of building easy, effective, trustworthy, and enduring products before being acquired by Cisco for a reported $2.35 billion.

In this episode we talk with Dug about how he ended up working in tech security, the importance of finding leaders to learn from, and why he eventually sold his company. Along the way we’ll hear about his passion for skateboarding, discover the one question he asks every new hire, and discuss how entrepreneurs can operate from a position of power when taking on investors.

Come and join us for the ride. 

The guest speakers are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and figures contained herein has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information or data contained in this podcast. 

This podcast does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it. 

© 2019 Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Members SIPC.

Welcome to season four of Access & Opportunity. Over the course of the season, we’ll be speaking with entrepreneurs who have successfully scaled and sold their companies, with a particular focus on the exit. In this first episode we talk to Lisa Price, the founder of one of the nation’s largest multicultural beauty brands, Carol’s Daughter.

In the late 1980s, Lisa was working in the television industry by day and formulating lotions and balms by night. After 35 years of building her brand, Lisa sold her company to the world’s largest cosmetic company, L’Oreal. We take you on Lisa’s journey to entrepreneurship, the challenges she faced as she scaled her business, how she found investors, and how she managed to successfully exit. We explore the challenges she faced as a woman of color and the backlash she received when she ultimately sold her company. And finally, we discuss how her story is helping to change the narrative of wealth and success in underrepresented communities.

https://www.morganstanley.com/what-we-do/inclusive-innovation-and-opportunity

The guest speakers are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and figures contained herein has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information or data contained in this podcast. 

This podcast does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it. 

© 2019 Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Members SIPC. 

Welcome back to Access & Opportunity, a podcast from Morgan Stanley dedicated to connecting capital and communities. I’m Carla Harris. In just a few weeks, we’ll be back for Season 4 and we’re excited to continue exploring the extraordinary commercial opportunity investors often overlook - investing in women and multiculturally-led businesses. 

In our upcoming season we’ll be speaking with entrepreneurs who successfully scaled and sold their companies. We’ll focus not only on how they got there, but how they got out - and what they wish they had known beforehand.

And for this season, we’re asking for your help. As we speak to these entrepreneurs who have all sold their companies to large corporations, we’ll be asking them listener-submitted questions. So, if you’re interested in how these prosperous founders built their networks, how they managed to secure that initial investor, or how they navigated their way to success, please leave us a voicemail at 3 - 3 - 0 - 8 - ACCESS (222377). That’s 3-3-0-8-2-2-2-3-7-7. Alternatively, feel free to write us an email with your question at [email protected]. If you’re lucky, you might just hear your question in an episode of the upcoming fourth season of Access & Opportunity!

The guest speakers are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and figures contained herein has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information or data contained in this podcast.

This podcast does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.

© 2019 Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Members SIPC.

Silicon Valley venture firm Kapor Capital recently released its annual Impact Report, which clearly demonstrates that they have not sacrificed returns when investing in women- and multiculturally-led businesses. In this episode of Access & Opportunity, we welcome back Dr. Freada Kapor Klein, a founding partner at Kapor Capital and founder and co-chair of the Kapor Center for Social Impact. 

Dr. Kapor Klein talks to us about that report, about the principles that guide Kapor Capital's investment strategy, how a focus on skills instead of pedigrees can be both inclusive and effective, and how a new approach to venture capital might help change the capital-access divide. 

This is the final episode of our third season of Access & Opportunity, where we have been exploring how influential investors, from across various pools of capital, are helping women- and multiculturally-led businesses gain access to capital. After you’ve listened, and while we work on Season 4, check out more of our content on the Morgan Stanley Inclusive Innovation and Opportunity page:

https://www.morganstanley.com/what-we-do/inclusive-innovation-and-opportunity

The guest speakers are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and figures contained herein has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information or data contained in this podcast. 

This podcast does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it. 

© 2019 Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Members SIPC. 

Welcome back to Season 3 of the Access & Opportunity Podcast. This season we are exploring how influential investors from across various pools of capital are helping women- and multicultural-led businesses gain access to capital. In this episode, we speak with Charles Hudson, founder and Managing Partner at Precursor Ventures, a seed-stage venture capital firm that was built on that belief that all entrepreneurs, regardless of background, benefit from having an institutional investor to help them scale and grow their company from the very beginning. 

Charles talks to us about how his experiences as an entrepreneur have shaped his perspective as an investor, why he focuses on pre-seed companies, and how the entire investing landscape needs to change to better incorporate women and people of color at every level.

The guest speakers are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and figures contained herein has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information or data contained in this podcast. 

This podcast does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it. 

© 2019 Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Members SIPC. 

Welcome back for Season 3 of Access and Opportunity. This season, we're exploring how influential investors from across various pools of capital are helping women and multicultural-led businesses gain access to capital. In this episode we'll be talking to the leader of one of the largest black-owned private equity firms in America, JoAnn Price. Twenty-five years ago JoAnn Price created Fairview Capital with her co-founder Larry Morse. As managing partner of Fairview Capital, she has devoted her career to creating opportunities that successfully intermediate capital between institutional investors and underserved markets. 

Today, JoAnn will talk to us about how and why she started Fairview, the principles the firm is founded on, why diversity in the investment landscape matters, and how other people can follow in her footsteps to increase the amount of capital available to underrepresented groups. 

The guest speakers are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and figures contained herein has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information or data contained in this podcast. 

This podcast does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it. 

© 2019 Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Members SIPC. 

Welcome back for Season 3 of Access and Opportunity. This season, we're exploring how influential investors from across various pools of capital are helping women and multicultural-led businesses gain access to capital. In this episode, we’re talking to Monika Mantilla, a champion for emerging managers and a leader in the Hispanic business and finance communities.

As President and CEO of Altura Capital, Ms. Mantilla has played an important role in connecting institutional investors with emerging managers from diverse backgrounds. She is also co-founder and CEO of Small Business Community Capital, an investment fund that helps businesses deliver opportunities for societal transformation. Monika talks to us about how she got her start in finance, why there is a dearth of money managers of color, how she sought to remedy that problem with Altura, and how her work with Small Business Community Capital is enacting social change through impactful investments. Come and join us for the ride!

The guest speakers are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and figures contained herein has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information or data contained in this podcast.

This podcast does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.

© 2019 Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Members SIPC.

Welcome back for Season 3 of Access and Opportunity. This season, we're exploring how influential investors from across various pools of capital are helping women and multicultural-led businesses to gain access to capital. On today's episode we are talking to Dr. Paul Judge, an entrepreneur and investor who is raising the city of Atlanta's profile as a technology hub by investing in multicultural start-ups. 

In addition to being the serial entrepreneur who started hyper-successful tech companies like Purewire, Luma Home and Pindrop, Dr. Paul Judge is the co-founder of Tech Square Labs, a seed-stage venture fund that has a strong history of investing in entrepreneurs of color. Tech Square Labs finds companies in early development and provides them with the capital and the mentorship that they need to succeed. Today, Paul talks to us about how his success as an entrepreneur has impacted his lens on investing, the importance of seeking the best talent from diverse backgrounds, and what he thinks the investment landscape will look like in the near future.

The guest speakers are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and figures contained herein has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information or data contained in this podcast.

This podcast does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.

© 2019 Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Members SIPC.