Pitchology

Steve Distante welcomes Adam Rein, the Co-Founder, President, and Chief Investment Officer of CapShift. The conversation discusses how a family office can help manage a family's wealth as well as other family-related business activities. A family office typically has two core parts: investment management and family planning. Investment management helps decide where to invest the family's money, and family planning helps with things like tax planning, accounting, estate planning, and legal services.

Adam Rein also talks about his expertise in the field of family office and how it has led him to his latest venture, CapShift. He describes how he helps high-net-worth families build purpose-driven investment portfolios.

Who's The Guest? Adam Rein is the Co-Founder, President, and Chief Investment Officer of CapShift, a turnkey impact investment solution for the $1 trillion charitable investment market of donor-advised funds and private foundations. He was also the Managing Director of MissionPoint Partners, which provides growth capital, knowledge, and a broad network of relationships to companies focused on the clean energy, energy efficiency, and environmental finance sectors, where he is still a Strategic Partner now.

Highlights

• Adam Rein's journey to family office expertise
• The benefits and challenges of investing in purpose-driven assets
• Impact of family offices on customized portfolios
• Different types of family offices and what they are looking for in investments
• Types of family office deals
• Why entrepreneurs should start investing in family offices
• Structure in family offices for angel investors and venture capital
• Benefits and risks of impact investing
• How to find family offices for investments
• The pros and cons of raising capital for startups
• How to give an effective VR pitch deck
• Connection and importance of trust in pitching
• Kinds of investors you'll meet when raising capital

Call to Action Join the Early Access List

Episode Resources

• Connect with Steve Distante
• https://pitchology.ai/
• https://joinvanderbilt.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/stevedistanteCEO/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedistante
• https://twitter.com/Sdistante
• https://www.instagram.com/sdistante/
• Connect with Adam Rein
• https://capshift.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamrein

Steve Distante welcomes Franz Hochstrasser of Raise Green to talk about SAFE or the Simple Agreement for Future Equity, which is a security that is often used in early-stage investments. The conversation discusses the rise of private investment through crowdfunding portals, which has been a democratizing force in the securities market. The focus is on mission-driven companies, which have historically struggled to access capital. They also share the challenges that exist in the space, such as companies that take in money and don't pay anything back.

Who's The Guest? Franz Hochstrasser is the CEO and co-founder of Raise Green. He is the former Obama appointee on energy and climate for the White House, the US State Department, and the United States Department of Agriculture. He was also part of the core team that negotiated the Paris Agreement.

Highlights

• How regulation crowdsourcing works
• The regulation crowdfunding rule and its impact on private investment
• The main focus of Raise Green
• Climate tech venture: Water filtering for the developing world
• Crowdfunding options for startups
• What a perfect deal is
• Investing in the clean energy transition
• The future of climate change
• What the future of investing looks like
• The importance of a good team in creating successful business ventures
• How to have a good support system in entrepreneurship
• The power of investing in sustainable solutions

Call to Action Join the Early Access List

Episode Resources

• Connect with Steve Distante
• https://pitchology.ai/
• https://joinvanderbilt.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/stevedistanteCEO/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedistante
• https://twitter.com/Sdistante
• https://www.instagram.com/sdistante/
• Connect with Franz Hochstrasser
• https://www.raisegreen.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/franzhochstrasser
• https://twitter.com/franzish

Oscar discusses how COVID-19 has changed the process of raising capital for companies. In the past, companies would rely on personal relationships to raise capital, but now they are turning to online crowdfunding platforms to reach a larger audience. Oscar believes that this shift will continue even after the pandemic ends, as investors become more comfortable with online investing.

Who's The Guest? Oscar Jofre is one of the top 10 global thought leaders in Equity Crowdfunding, a Top 10 fintech and blockchain influencer, and a Top 50 insure tech influencer. Before co-founding KoreConX, he founded BabelFish Corp, a SaaS-based and multilingual translation portal. He was awarded the Vision 2012 Businessman of the Year by the Toronto Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and is a resource speaker on blockchain, crowdfunding, shareholder management, and finance.

Highlights

• What Core Connects does
• Crowdsourcing as the new way to raise capital
• How crowdsourcing under the JOBS Act works
• The different models of crowdfunding and their implications
• The newest ways to invest
• Impact of regulation A+ on broker dealers
• Different types of broker-dealers in the industry
• Importance of social media in investor acquisition for regulation A+ offerings
• Power of storytelling in entrepreneurship
• Benefits of audited financial statements in regulation A+ crowdfunding
• Crowdfunding vs. Reggae Plus vs. Regulation D: Which is Right for Your Business?
• The different types of regulation D offerings
• Requirements for setting up crowdfunding, reggae plus, or regulation D
• Importance of liquidity
• What the future of investing looks like

Call to Action Join the Early Access List

Episode Resources

• Connect with Steve Distante
• https://pitchology.ai/
• https://joinvanderbilt.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/stevedistanteCEO/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedistante
• https://twitter.com/Sdistante
• https://www.instagram.com/sdistante/
• Connect with Oscar Jofre
• https://www.koreconx.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/oscarjofre/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscarjofre
• https://twitter.com/oscarjofre

Steve Distante welcomes Will Weisman of KittyHawk Ventures, a frontier technology venture capital firm. He discusses how the world has changed in the last year and how businesses have been pushed ahead for 5 to 10 years. He also talked about how the rate of change is accelerating and his belief that we are living in a time of great abundance and opportunity.

Steve and Will differentiate the types of companies that Will's venture firm invests in. They say that the firm focuses on tech-forward companies in areas like quantum computing, machine vision, robotics, AI, med tech, and FinTech. They try to find companies that are just starting to generate revenue, or that are at the idea stage with a lot of potentials.

Who's The Guest? Will Weisman is the former Executive Director at Singularity University and now leads KittyHawk Ventures, an early-stage frontier technology capital firm that invests in networking, AI/ML, space, fintech, computing, and more.

Highlights

• The rate of change and how it has affected the world in the past year
• What the Venture Capital, Kitty Hawk Investments is all about
• Different types of venture capital funds
• What happens when a company goes public?
• The rise of the SPAC and the fall of the Unicorn
• Types of funding rounds
• The Importance of being proximate, passionate, and consistent in Entrepreneurship
• Who is the ideal entrepreneur
• What the importance of company culture is and hiring the right people for the role
• Role of transparency and vulnerability in entrepreneur-investor relationships
• How you can stay real in business relationships

Call to Action Join the Early Access List

Episode Resources

• Connect with Steve Distante
• https://pitchology.ai/
• https://joinvanderbilt.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/stevedistanteCEO/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedistante
• https://twitter.com/Sdistante
• https://www.instagram.com/sdistante/
• Connect with Will Weisman
• https://www.kittyhawk.vc/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/willweisman
• https://twitter.com/wweisman

A new, creative business idea caught your eye? Perhaps you can become an angel investor to look things over. As an angel investor, you'll not only provide support for the budding startup, but you can also have more direct access to a company with high growth potential.

Talking about angel investors, Steve Distante invites David S. Rose as he talks more about his experiences as an entrepreneur and as an angel investor. He recalls how he founded New York Angels and how he helps make the process of angel investing easier for startups and investors.

In this conversation, David Rose discusses his experience as an angel investor, including how he got started in the industry and his work to organize and manage angel investor networks. He also talks about his book on angel investing and his active involvement in answering questions about startups and angel investing online.

Who's The Guest? David S. Rose is an Inc. 500 CEO, real estate developer, financial technology investor, and serial entrepreneur. He founded or funded more than 100 pioneering companies. He has been described by Forbes as "New York's Archangel", by BusinessWeek as a "world conquering entrepreneur", by Crain's New York Business as "the father of angel investing in New York", and by Red Herring magazine as "patriarch of Silicon Alley".

David is the New York Times best-selling author of both Angel Investing: The Gust Guide to Making Money & Having Fun Investing in Startups, and The Startup Checklist: 25 Steps to a Scalable, High-Growth Business.

Highlights

• Other than being the founder of New York Angels, who is David S. Rose?
• Gaining different titles: Godfather of Angel Investing,
• Patriarch of Silicon Valley, and Archangel of New York Angel Investing
• What the future of technology is and its impact on humanity
• Angel investors vs venture capitalists: What's the big difference?
• The different kinds of investors and their motivations
• What are the stages of funding for startups?
• How much money should you raise and what valuation should you expect
• What the JOBS Act 2012 is all about
• The dangers of investing in angel deals
• Pros and cons of crowdfunding for startups
• The reality of crowdfunding for startups
• Essence of a good pitch
• How to learn more about angel investing

Call to Action Join the Early Access List

Episode Resources

• Connect with Steve Distante
• https://pitchology.ai/
• https://joinvanderbilt.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/stevedistanteCEO/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedistante
• https://twitter.com/Sdistante
• https://www.instagram.com/sdistante/
• Connect with David S. Rose
• http://www.davidsrose.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidsrose
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_S._Rose
• https://twitter.com/davidsrose

Steve Distante and Mike Caito discuss Mike's experience as a CEO and going through different crises in business. Mike shares his advice on how to handle a crisis, which is to cut quickly and cut deep, and to panic sooner.

During their conversation, Steve and Mike discuss the importance of having a Plan B, especially for startup entrepreneurs. They emphasize how having a system in place, like MAP, is so important and can help you avoid flying blind.

Who's The Guest? Mike Caito is the owner and CEO of Management Action Programs, Inc. or MAP. As a visionary, nose-to-the-grindstone leader, his entrepreneurial roots go back to the early 1990s when he joined two parties in launching Restaurants on the Run. After 20 years, he scaled the business, which they sold in 2015, valuing at 12x EBITDA, and scaled 10 markets, 600 people, and $40 million in revenue.

Mike is also known as the "metrics guy" as he's pretty big on data and uses it to measure progress and get results. He's been a member of the Entrepreneur's Organization for more than 20 years.

Highlights

• Why should you have a Plan B in business?
• Mike Cairo's journey with MAP: How he came to do what he's doing now
• The importance of a strategic plan and business playbook for growth
• What are the different kinds of systems to implement?
• Big wins and success of the MAP system in business
• How to start building a business system
• The benefits of having a MAP in your business
• Having a good mentality when running a business
• The power of entrepreneurship
• How to start implementing MAP
• Why should you start working with a business coach?
• The importance of leadership and goal-oriented thinking

Call to Action Join the Early Access List

Episode Resources

• Connect with Steve Distante
• https://pitchology.ai/
• https://joinvanderbilt.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/stevedistanteCEO/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedistante
• https://twitter.com/Sdistante
• https://www.instagram.com/sdistante/
• Connect with Mike Caito
• https://www.mapconsulting.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/managementactionprograms/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/map
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcaitomap
• https://www.instagram.com/mapcaito/

A company without a system is a company without a compass in a jungle. Implementing processes and systems within your business can help ensure success and allow for continuous growth.

In this episode, Steve Distante welcomes Verne Harnish to discuss how you can build systems in a business, even for startups. Verne talks about how having a system in place can help businesses scale and grow. He shares his own experiences in scaling successfully. Additionally, he narrates how he founded his companies, the world-renowned Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) and Scaling Up, and how they have progressed over the years.

Who's The Guest? Verne Harnish is a world-leading speaker, author, entrepreneur, and expert in the field of business growth and scaling. He founded the world-renowned Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) and Scaling Up, a global executive education and coaching company with over 180 partners on six continents. With his experience and expertise in high demand, he chairs annual Growth Summits in North America, Europe, and Asia and continues to teach in the MIT-based executive program he founded. He is also a private investor in many scale-ups.

Highlights

• Why systems matters for Verne Harnish
• The Rockefeller Habits: How does it work as a system for entrepreneurs to scale up?
• The three biggest mistakes that startups make
• Power of letting go: How to become redundant and grow the value of your company
• Which can help you scale up: Focusing on the business or working in it?
• The benefits of systems in business
• The challenges of running your own systems
• What is the Process Accountability Chart?
• How you can start systemizing your business processes
• Scaling your business with the EO Platform
• Why should you start tracking the gross margin dollars per employee?
• The benefits of a high revenue per employee ratio
• Implementing metrics in business: How should you start?
• The power of a systematic approach to business growth with Ornish Scaling Up

Call to Action Join the Early Access List

Episode Resources

• Connect with Steve Distante
• https://pitchology.ai/
• https://joinvanderbilt.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/stevedistanteCEO/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedistante
• https://twitter.com/Sdistante
• https://www.instagram.com/sdistante/
• Connect with Verne Harnish
• https://scalingup.com/verne-harnish/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/verneharnish
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verne_Harnish

Is cryptocurrency the future of banking and currency? Why are more and more companies, including big ones like Tesla and Apple, now treating bitcoin as the currency of the future?

In this episode, Steve Distante welcomes bitcoin Expert Don Weidner, the founder of Formidable Ventures, an investment business built upon exponential technologies and aggressive growth. Don talks about how he invests in things that excite him and how cryptocurrency, in particular, helped his career and investments take off. He also shares the benefits of bitcoin for entrepreneurs, and why more and more companies are making the big switch and investments to cryptocurrency.

Who's The Guest? Don Weidner is the founder of Formidable Ventures, an investment business built upon exponential technologies and aggressive growth. He's actively consulting for a $30B financial exchange company and has been asked to speak about cryptocurrency, FinTech, and Bitcoin at different events such as the Global Investors Virtual Summit, World Economic Forum, and Seattle's Columbia Tower Club.

Don has been interviewed about his expertise in the field by the IEEE Spectrum, International Business Times, and Seattle Times to name a few. He has been quoted by Investors Business Daily and appeared in Luxe magazine and Seattle Metropolitan magazine.

Highlights

• How Don Weidner's crypto career started
• Considering himself a crypto expert
• Crypto helping his career and investments take off
• Don's career track and investments in technology
• The impact of technology on the future of work
• What the benefits of bitcoin for entrepreneurs are
• Bitcoin vs Blockchain: What is the difference and which is more stable?
• The best way to invest in bitcoin
• Is bitcoin the future of banking?
• What are the benefits of using cryptocurrency, especially in business?
• Seeing bitcoin as the currency of the future
• The future of bitcoin through an entrepreneur's perspective

Call to Action Join the Early Access List

Episode Resources

• Connect with Steve Distante
• https://pitchology.ai/
• https://joinvanderbilt.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/stevedistanteCEO/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedistante
• https://twitter.com/Sdistante
• https://www.instagram.com/sdistante/
• Connect with Don Weidner
• https://formidable.io/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/donweidner
• https://twitter.com/donweidner

Steve Distante welcomes expert deal-maker, strategist, and attorney Corey Kupfer to discuss the importance of striking deals in the business. Corey talks about the EO 2030, an initiative to help diversify and value people of all backgrounds in business, as well as mastering the CDE in negotiations: Clarity, Detachment, and Equilibrium. Additionally, he explains how deals can help people become more clear-headed in their business dealings and why it is an important skill for entrepreneurs.

Who's The Guest? With over 35 years of experience under his belt, Corey Kupfer is an expert deal-maker, strategist, attorney, and consultant. He runs his own New York-based law firm, Kupfer & Associates, PLLC, and is also the host of the #DealQuest Podcast where he interviews executives, entrepreneurs, and experts to share their stories of making deals.

Corey is also a co-founder and member of the Board of 1+1+1=ONE, an organization committed to using art and civic dialogue for positive social change in race relations and young women's empowerment. He is a published author of the book Authentic Negotiating: Clarity, Detachment & Equilibrium – The Three Keys to True Negotiating Success & How to Achieve Them.

Highlights

• Corey's commitment to diversity in business
• How EO 2030 helped diversify and value people of all backgrounds in business
• The importance of conversation about race
• What is the project on change makers and champions about and how does it promote social impact?
• How you can stay on top of business
• Creating and maintaining a personal brand
• Mastering CDE in negotiations: Clarity, Detachment, and Equilibrium
• The power of being detached in negotiations
• What are Corey's proven negotiation techniques, strategies, and abilities, and how he uses them when dealing with others
• The importance of knowing your "WHY" in business deals
• What is Corey's advice for startups who are seeking funding?
• The different ways to get funded as an entrepreneur
• What psychological preparations should you have during the business sales process?
• The Differentiators of a Successful Entrepreneur
• The importance of risk management for entrepreneurs and business leaders
• Why should you maintain good relationships in business negotiations?
• The power of a positive mindset in business

Call to Action Join the Early Access List

Episode Resources

• Connect with Steve Distante
• https://pitchology.ai/
• https://joinvanderbilt.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/stevedistanteCEO/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedistante
• https://twitter.com/Sdistante
• https://www.instagram.com/sdistante/
• Connect with Corey Kupfer
• https://www.coreykupfer.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/CoreyKupfer/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer
• https://www.instagram.com/coreykupfer
• https://twitter.com/coreykupfer

Jack Lane discusses his experiences as a producer on Broadway and the not-for-profit world. He describes the process of raising money for a show or project and the importance of involving co-producers in the process. He also talks about how he is now involved in bringing capital to Broadway shows, and how his goal is to help people believe in themselves and their stories.

Who's The Guest? Jack Lane is the Co-Founder and Executive Producer of Stages St. Louis. He produced several top-rated shows on Broadway such as The Prom, The Play That Goes Wrong, The Humans, and Fun Home. He also won two Tony Awards for Best Play and Best Musical.

Highlights

• Jack Lane's unique way to raise capital
• The importance of storytelling
• How a broadway show gets funded
• Making money thru broadway investments
• Pros and cons of proms
• Winning the prestigious Tony Awards
• Importance of building relationships in the entertainment industry
• Success of "The Prom"
• The global effect of "The Prom" and raising money from broadways

Call to Action Join the Early Access List

Episode Resources

• Connect with Steve Distante
• https://pitchology.ai/
• https://joinvanderbilt.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/stevedistanteCEO/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedistante
• https://twitter.com/Sdistante
• https://www.instagram.com/sdistante/
• Connect with Jack Lane
• https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/jack-lane-492421
• https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9134796/
• https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Jack-Lane/
• https://www.instagram.com/jackjlane/