The Supportedly Podcast

Zurilma Anuel is the Latino Program Director at Carolina Small Business Development Fund, a non-profit organization that offers business coaching, mentoring and funding for small Latino businesses and entrepreneurs. Their mission is to create economic opportunity for all people. Zurlima is a board member of the Literacy Council of Asheville Buncombe County and a board member of the Minority Enterprise Development Week. She has a bachelor's degree in Commercial and Financial Administration from the Central University of Caracas and holds certifications in Economic Development Finance and Business Credit Analysis.

Lori Garcia-McCammon is the founder of True Ridge Ministries, a non-profit organization that unites the community by educating, inspiring and empowering people to create real change. She has been a Bilingual Client Advocate for Safelight and the Family Justice Centre. Lori graduated from Florida International University with a bachelor's degree in Management Information Systems and a Master's in Business Administration from the Universidad de Oriente.

Zurilma joins me today to share how she got involved in the Latino Business Program. She explains the services and support that are available to help Latino businesses and entrepreneurs through the Carolina Small Business Development Fund as well as education and coaching. I also spoke with Lori to learn more about True Ridge Ministries, how it is working within the Latino community, and how the Latino Business Program has helped her make connections and build relationships that have been crucial to the success of her organization.

"Our mission is to foster the economic development of small Latino businesses by providing access to capital and business education." - Zurilma Anuel

This week on the Supportedly Podcast:

• Zurilma's journey from banking to working with the Carolina Small Business Development Fund and creating the Latino Business Program.
• The mission of the Carolina Small Business Development Fund, and why it has been essential to expand into the Latino business community to break down the language barriers.
• How Latino entrepreneurs can get access to capital when they can't get a business loan from a bank.
• How the Latin Business Program offers coaching and educational opportunities such as how to write a business plan, business finances, and one-on-one coaching.
• The biggest challenge that Latino businesses are encountering.
• Lori's background and what drove her to create her organization and give Latinos a voice.
• How True Ridge got started and the bilingual court advocacy and case management services.
• Why Lori believes Latino business owners should take advantage of the Latino Business Program.
• The advice that Lori would share with entrepreneurs who are just starting their entrepreneurial journey.

"I love the connections and relationships that the Latin Business Program has been vital in introducing." - Lori Garcia-McCammon

Latino Business Programs from the Carolina Small Business Development Fund:

• Latino Business Program
• Carolina Small Business Loan
• Coaching and Educational Opportunities

Resources:

• Business Plan Template
• Fund Projection Template

Connect with Zurilma Anuel:

• Carolina Small Business Development Fund
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: (919) 267-1738

Connect with Lori Garcia-McCammon:

• True Ridge Ministries
• True Ridge on Facebook

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Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of the Supportedly podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest review. Don't forget to visit our website, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and share your favorite episodes on social media!

The Supportedly Podcast is produced by Podcraft. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Podcraft.com

Lou Anne Flanders-Stec is the Executive VP of Entrepreneurship at Launch Greensboro at Greensboro Chamber of Commerce where she develops programs and opportunities that help entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses and connect with mentors and venture capital supporters. Launch Greensboro is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs throughout the Triad region through various programs, workshops, and events such as Co//ab, IdeaLaunch, LaunchLab, and Triad Navigator. Lou Anne has worked with dozens of early-stage startup companies throughout her career. She holds an MBA in Finance from the University of North Texas as well as an undergraduate degree from Ouachita Baptist University in Business Administration and has served on numerous boards of national and community organizations including the Angel Capital Association and Greensboro Children's Museum. She has been recognized as one of the Piedmont Triad's 50 Most Influential People as well as one of the 2013 Top Women in Business in the Triad.

Shawn Gagne is the Founder and CEO of Urban Offsets, a Greensboro, North Carolina-based company focused on helping cities and communities understand the value of urban environments and how they work while building climate resilient communities. The company is building a social media platform for sustainability to help companies and nonprofits locate, invest in, and support natural assets that help protect them from the effects of climate change while managing natural resources and improving sustainability in urban areas.

Lou Anne joins me today to share the programs offered by Launch Greensboro that help entrepreneurs start and grow their business. She highlights how each program is tailored to start-ups at different stages of development, including pitch events, weekend workshops, and in-depth multi-week courses. I also spoke with Shawn to learn more about Urban Offset's urban sustainability efforts and how the programs from Launch Greensboro played a part in the company's success.

"Launch Greensboro's mission is to support entrepreneurs as they start, build, and grow their business. So, from idea pitches to an accelerator program, that is our goal - to help them learn and be skilled so they can begin to build and grow sustainable businesses." - Lou Anne Flanders-Stec

This week on the Supportedly Podcast:

• Lou Anne's journey from a family business working with small business entrepreneurs to her role in the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce.
• How Launch Greensboro is helping entrepreneurs start, build, and grow their business through programs and coworking spaces, from an idea to creation of a sustainable business.
• How the Co//ab coworking space supports entrepreneurs who want to start a business.
• What is IdeaLaunch and how it helps entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas through monthly pitch events, feedback, and pitch coaching?
• How LaunchCamp Tech and LaunchCamp Creative have helped businesses with customer discovery, market testing, and defining their ideal customers.
• The upcoming 2019 LaunchCamp Side-Gig and how it will help entrepreneurs develop a side-gig/side hustle into a business.
• How the LaunchLab 101 and LaunchLab Growth Series accelerator programs help businesses learn the basics from corporate structure to banking and accounting and beyond.
• How the Triad Navigator helps entrepreneurs connect with resources and events in the community.
• How the First Launch Capital Fund is investing in early-stage businesses.
• The annual Capital Connects pitch event and how it helps entrepreneurs raise capital.
• The type of entrepreneurs and startup businesses that are best suited for the programs offered at Launch Greensboro.
• Shawn's background and why he created Urban Offsets.
• How the Launch Greensboro programs have helped Urban Offsets find success.

"With Lou Anne on board, we are finding a gathering of resources and a recognition of patterns in the community and getting success stories in place is the next big step for Greensboro." - Shawn Gagne

The Low-Cost Programs at Greensboro Chamber of Commerce's Launch Greensboro:

• Co//ab
• IdeaLaunch
• LaunchLab
• Triad Navigator
• First Launch Capital Fund
• Capital Connects

Connect with Lou Anne Flanders-Stec:

• Launch Greensboro
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: (336)-387-8300
• LinkedIn

Connect with Shawn Gagne:

• Urban Offsets
• Email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn

Subscribe, Rate & Share

Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of the Supportedly podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest review. Don't forget to visit our website, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and share your favorite episodes on social media!

The Supportedly Podcast is produced by Podcraft. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Podcraft.com

Dan St. Louis is the Executive Director of Manufacturing Solutions Center at Catawba Valley Community College, a non-profit organization that helps entrepreneurs and young businesses develop their products, build their knowledge and skills, and grow through entrepreneurial programs, mentoring, workspace and tools. He has a bachelor's degree in Textile Technology from NC State University and he has previously worked in manufacturing at Collins and Aikman Incorporated and Springs Industries

Abbie Boudreau is the Creator and CEO of Sockabu, a business that produces socks for children that allows them to cover their toes for warmth or uncover them for extra traction. The Sockabu sock is produced and sold in the US. Abbie is a three-time National Emmy Award-winning journalist with CNN as well as ABC's Good Morning America and Nightline.

Dan joins me today to discuss the learning programs and support offered by the Manufacturing Solutions Center. He shares the details of the Entrepreneurs Program and highlights their Business Incubation Program. He shares how the Entrepreneurs Programs helps new entrepreneurs start and grow their manufacturing businesses and the types of entrepreneurs that can benefit the most from their Business Incubation Program. I also spoke with Abbie to learn what inspired her to pivot her career from the journalism industry to founding Sockabu and how the Manufacturing Solutions Center helped her bring her company and products to the market.

"Our mission is to create and maintain jobs here in the US. It's really simple, and everything we do is based on that statement." - Dan St. Louis

This week on the Supportedly Podcast:

• Dan's journey to working with the Manufacturing Solutions Center.
• The setup of MSC, its testing capabilities, and the people that work there.
• How the Entrepreneurs Program gets people ready to work with manufacturers through software training, industrial training, product development, and supply chain management.
• How funding from the Economic Development Administration helped MSC to set up the Business Incubation Program.
• The types of companies and entrepreneurs that benefit the most from the Business Incubation Program.
• How the Business Incubation Program works with MSC to provide entrepreneurs with the support, resources, and guidance they need to be successful in the manufacturing industry.
• What drives Dan to continue to find opportunities and ways to create new jobs.
• Abbie's inspiration and journey from journalism to founding Sockabu.
• What the Sockabu sock is.
• The manufacturing challenges she faced during the early stages of her business.
• How MSC gave Abbie the unique opportunity to talk directly with the people in the factory to bring her product to the market.
• Abbie's perspective on what it's like to work with the Manufacturing Solutions Center.
• Dan's advice to new entrepreneurs.

"Working with MSC has been a dream for me because they go out of their way to help you in any way that they can." - Abbie Boudreau

The Programs available at the Manufacturing Solutions Center:

• Entrepreneurs Program
• Business Incubation Opportunity
• Training Program

Connect with Dan St. Louis:

• Marketing Solutions Center
• Email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn
• Phone: (828) 327-7000

Connect with Abbie Boudreau:

• Sockabu
• com
• com
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

Subscribe, Rate & Share

Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of the Supportedly podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest review. Don't forget to visit our website, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and share your favorite episodes on social media!

The Supportedly Podcast is produced by Podcraft. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Podcraft.com

Juan Garzon is a Messaging Strategist and the Executive Director of PitchBreakfast, a nonprofit event where entrepreneurs and businesses can learn to pitch in a safe environment. Juan is the publisher and founder of Start Charlotte, a publication that supports startups within the region, and an advisor and mentor to several community accelerators such as Queen City Fintech. He has a Bachelor's degree in Marketing from the Johnson and Wales University and has spent more than a decade working in marketing and entrepreneurship.

Sam Smith is the Founder and CEO of Vishion, a new startup that is launching an app for shopping and interior design with a color-centric search. She has a degree in Journalism and Communication from Christopher Newport University and has spent six years working in marketing, sales, and business development. Her roles include the VP of Customer Experience at Virtual StrongBox. Additionally, she is the co-founder of Collective Hustle, a founder and investor network that focus on the inclusion of women, and volunteers as a Big Sister mentor at her local Big Brothers Big Sisters organization.

Juan joins me today to share how PitchBreakfast events work and the skills that entrepreneurs and companies can gain. He reveals why every entrepreneur should be able to pitch, the types of companies and entrepreneurs will benefit most from attending the events, and the benefits of attending a PitchBreakfast event as an audience member. I also spoke with Sam to learn how she discovered the PitchBreakfast event, what inspired her to create Vishion, and what she learned about pitching in her role as a new founder.

"Our hope for the companies that are pitching is for them to walk away with more confidence in their business, confidence in their pitch, and feeling like they are maybe not fully ready but one step closer to be able to pitch to an investor." - Juan Garzon

This week on the Supportedly Podcast:

• Juan's journey including transitioning from the first pitch workshop to the PitchBreakfast event.
• The mission of PitchBreakfast and what types of companies or entrepreneurs will benefit from the event.
• The value and benefit of being in the audience during a PitchBreakfast.
• The feedback and advice that Juan frequently shares with entrepreneurs.
• Why every entrepreneur should be able to pitch.
• The locations and frequency of PitchBreakfast events and how to apply.
• What's next for PitchBreakfast.
• Sam's journey towards creating Vishion.
• An explanation of what Vishion does and how the Vishion app works.
• How Sam discovered PitchBreakfast.
• What she gained during the safe environment of a PitchBreakfast event.
• How to get the beta version of the Vishion app.
• What to work on before you attend a PitchBreakfast event.

"Pitch Breakfast is the perfect opportunity for you to be in a safe environment to start pitching before you go out and fundraise, or in my case, pitch to retailers and interior designers." - Sam Smith

Free PitchBreakdfasy Events:

• Apply to Pitch
• Attend PitchBreakfast

Connect with Juan Garzon:

• PitchBreakfast
• Juan Garzon on LinkedIn
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: (704) 350-5826

Connect with Sam Smith:

• Vishion
• Vishion on LinkedIn
• Vishion App
• Email: [email protected]

This episode is sponsored by Spengler Agans Law Firm

When it comes to all aspects of your business - who you work with matters. Spengler Agans Law is Charlotte's go-to law firm for startup businesses and small to mid-size companies. Spengler Agans specializes in helping entrepreneurs with everything from business formation to key contracts to early-stage funding. Spengler Agans attorneys and associates help clients understand how various strategic business options can increase or reduce risk and how to grow a sustainable company.

Working with a law firm that specializes in providing top legal guidance to startup businesses and entrepreneurial enterprises makes a difference. Learn more about Spengler Agans Law Firm and their services by visiting SpenglerAgansLaw.com

Subscribe, Rate & Share

Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of the Supportedly podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest review. Don't forget to visit our website, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and share your favorite episodes on social media!

The Supportedly Podcast is produced by Podcraft. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Podcraft.com

Jeffrey Kaplan is the Director of Venture Asheville, an organization helping startups throughout Asheville by connecting them with talent, mentors, and investors. Through programs such as The Elevate Program, Asheville Angels Investor Network, and by partnering with local support organizations - like Supportedly - the company has helped startups throughout the community raise over $4-Million in capital. They have been featuredin several print publications including Forbesand The Huffington Post. Beforeworking with Venture Asheville, Jeff instructed in Entrepreneurship at the University of Florida, launched and successfully sold a pet-tech company, and has worked as a Product Owner and Consultant in digital product development at Anthroware.

Nick Moen is the founder of The Bright Angle, a collaborative handmade design studio in Asheville that focuses on bridging the gap between technology, design, and handmade crafts. He is a designer and studio artist with a background in ceramics and a degree from Alfred University with a focus on ceramic design and materials. He is passionate about working in a collaborative environment with highly skilled craftspeople, producing well-designed handcrafted products for customers to enjoy and cherish.

Jeff joins me today to share his journey into entrepreneurship and why he is passionate about helping the entrepreneurial and startup communities. He explains how Venture Asheville helps startups connect and network with mentors, investors, and other entrepreneurs within the community and the support new entrepreneurs can expect from each of their programs. He also explains how to identify when your startup is ready to pitch to investors and shares tips on how to create a well-thought-out pitch. I also spoke with Nick to learn how The Elevate Program has helped him grow and scale his businesses, how he discovered the program, and some of the exciting new projects he has planned on the horizon with his company.

"Entrepreneurship is the most freedom-creating, independence-driving movement of our time. An individual can gain entrepreneurial skills so they can be their owndriver of self-reliance." - Jeffrey Kaplan

This week on the Supportedly Podcast:

• How Jeff began working with Venture Asheville.
• Why he is passionate about helping the entrepreneurial and startup communities.
• How the Elevate Program assists high-growth startups.
• What is the Asheville Angel Investor Network and how it helps entrepreneurs raise capital for their ventures?
• What is the Asheville Entrepreneurship Week?
• The type of entrepreneur that The Elevate Program can help the most.
• The support entrepreneurs can expect from The Elevate Program's mentors and participants.
• How to identify when your startup is ready to pitch to the Asheville Angel Investor Network.
• Advice on creating the perfect pitch for angel investor funding.
• How to get started with Venture Asheville.
• Nick's journey into entrepreneurship and how he started The Bright Angle.
• Interesting and unique projects that have started from the collaborations and connections he's madewith other artists.
• How he became involved with Venture Asheville's Elevate program.
• His experience with participating in the Elevate program.
• How the Elevate program has impacted the growth of The Bright Angle.
• Nick's advice for startup entrepreneurs.
• What every entrepreneur should ask themselves before working with Venture Asheville.

"The mentors I've worked with in Asheville Venture's Elevate program have really helped me refine what we're doing, why we're doing it, and how to move forward." - Nick Moen

Free & Low-Cost Programs at Venture Asheville:

• The Elevate Program
• Asheville Angels Investor Network

Resources Mentioned:

• The Only 10 Slides You Need in a Pitchby Guy Kawasaki

Connect with Jeffrey Kaplan:

• Venture Asheville
• Email: [email protected]

Connect with Nick Moen:

• The Bright Angle
• The Bright Angle on YouTube

Subscribe, Rate & Share

Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of the Supportedly podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest review. Don't forget to visit our website, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and share your favorite episodes on social media!

The Supportedly Podcast is produced by Podcraft. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier

Dr. Cain McClary is the founder and managing director of KdT Ventures, a company that helps entrepreneurs start other businesses through early stage capital funding in the fields of life sciences innovation and technology. Cain has personally made first money investments in firms such as Zymergen, valued at over $1 billion, and Firefly Bioworks, which has since been acquired by AbCam. Cain sits on the advisory board of 8VC and previously on the faculty at Stanford University. Cain has a Doctor of Medicine degree (MD) from Tulane University School of Medicine and a Sc.B. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Brown University.

Robert Quinn is the co-founder and CEO of Patchd, a company formed on the back of the miracle of Robert having a liver transplant and surviving eighteen cases of sepsis. Patchd has developed artificial intelligence that can predict with high levels of accuracy if someone will get sepsis. He has a degree in Mechatronic Engineering and dual degrees in Biomedical Science, from the University of Queensland and the University of Virginia.

Cain joins me today to talk about the types of projects, companies, and entrepreneurs that receive investment and support from KdT Ventures. He discusses how to approach investment pitches and the key things that entrepreneurs should be aware of before attending one. I also spoke with Robert to learn how Cain and KdT Ventures helped him and Patchd receive investment capital to grow his business.

"You can never talk to too many people. The more conversations you have, and the more of an open mind you have during those conversations, the more you will be able to grow and understand the layers of the world." - Dr. Cain McClary

This week on the Supportedly Podcast:

• Cain's Journey from medicine to early-stage investing.
• How he raised venture capital to develop frontier computational technologies, machine learning, and artificial learning to revolutionize medicine, chemicals, agriculture, and biology.
• About KdT and the company's investment thesis.
• The types of projects and entrepreneurs that get investments from KdT.
• Examples of the misalignments that still get investments from KdT.
• How to get in touch and be noticed by institutional venture capitalists.
• The points that entrepreneurs fail to make when pitching for investment.
• The financial metrics, strategies, and competition awareness that entrepreneurs should have before making investment pitches.
• The support and what it is like to be a company invested in by KdT.
• Robert's background, and the miracle that inspired him to found Patchd.
• Developing an AI (artificial intelligence) that can predict sepsis.
• How Patchd got paired up with KdT Ventures.
• What Robert finds so unique and exciting about KdT Ventures.
• The proactive role that Cain and KdT take in helping Robert and Patchd.
• The lessons that Robert would like to pass on to other entrepreneurs.

"Cain will go to the end of the earth to find a solution." - Robert Quinn

Connect with Dr. Cain McClary:

• KdT Ventures
• Cain McClary on LinkedIn
• KdT Ventures on LinkedIn

Connect with Robert Quinn:

• Patchd
• Robert Quinn on LinkedIn
• Patchd on LinkedIn

This episode is sponsored by Spengler Agans Law Firm

When it comes to all aspects of your business - who you work with matters. Spengler Agans Lawis Charlotte's go-to law firm for startup businesses and small to mid-size companies. Spengler Agans specializes in helping entrepreneurs with everything from business formation to key contracts to early-stage funding. Spengler Agans attorneys and associates help clients understand how various strategic business options can increase or reduce risk and how to grow a sustainable company.

Working with a law firm that specializes in providing top legal guidance to startup businesses and entrepreneurial enterprises makes a difference. Learn more about Spengler Agans Law Firm and their services by visiting SpenglerAgansLaw.com

Subscribe, Rate & Share

Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of the Supportedlypodcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on iTunesand leave your honest review. Don't forget to visit our website, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and share your favorite episodes on social media!

The Supportedly Podcast is produced by Podcraft. You can create your own greatpodcast - faster and easier - at Podcraft.com

Dr. Cain McClary is the founder and managing director of KdT Ventures, a company that helps entrepreneurs start other businesses through early stage capital funding in the fields of life sciences innovation and technology. Cain has personally made first money investments in firms such as Zymergen, valued at over $1 billion, and Firefly Bioworks, which has since been acquired by AbCam. Cain sits on the advisory board of 8VC and previously on the faculty at Stanford University. Cain has a Doctor of Medicine degree (MD) from Tulane University School of Medicine and a Sc.B. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Brown University.

Robert Quinn is the co-founder and CEO of Patchd, a company formed on the back of the miracle of Robert having a liver transplant and surviving eighteen cases of sepsis. Patchd has developed artificial intelligence that can predict with high levels of accuracy if someone will get sepsis. He has a degree in Mechatronic Engineering and dual degrees in Biomedical Science, from the University of Queensland and the University of Virginia.

Cain joins me today to talk about the types of projects, companies, and entrepreneurs that receive investment and support from KdT Ventures. He discusses how to approach investment pitches and the key things that entrepreneurs should be aware of before attending one. I also spoke with Robert to learn how Cain and KdT Ventures helped him and Patchd receive investment capital to grow his business.

"You can never talk to too many people. The more conversations you have, and the more of an open mind you have during those conversations, the more you will be able to grow and understand the layers of the world." - Dr. Cain McClary

This week on the Supportedly Podcast:

• Cain's Journey from medicine to early-stage investing.
• How he raised venture capital to develop frontier computational technologies, machine learning, and artificial learning to revolutionize medicine, chemicals, agriculture, and biology.
• About KdT and the company's investment thesis.
• The types of projects and entrepreneurs that get investments from KdT.
• Examples of the misalignments that still get investments from KdT.
• How to get in touch and be noticed by institutional venture capitalists.
• The points that entrepreneurs fail to make when pitching for investment.
• The financial metrics, strategies, and competition awareness that entrepreneurs should have before making investment pitches.
• The support and what it is like to be a company invested in by KdT.
• Robert's background, and the miracle that inspired him to found Patchd.
• Developing an AI (artificial intelligence) that can predict sepsis.
• How Patchd got paired up with KdT Ventures.
• What Robert finds so unique and exciting about KdT Ventures.
• The proactive role that Cain and KdT take in helping Robert and Patchd.
• The lessons that Robert would like to pass on to other entrepreneurs.

"Cain will go to the end of the earth to find a solution." - Robert Quinn

Connect with Dr. Cain McClary:

• KdT Ventures
• Cain McClary on LinkedIn
• KdT Ventures on LinkedIn

Connect with Robert Quinn:

• Patchd
• Robert Quinn on LinkedIn
• Patchd on LinkedIn

This episode is sponsored by Spengler Agans Law Firm

When it comes to all aspects of your business - who you work with matters. Spengler Agans Lawis Charlotte's go-to law firm for startup businesses and small to mid-size companies. Spengler Agans specializes in helping entrepreneurs with everything from business formation to key contracts to early-stage funding. Spengler Agans attorneys and associates help clients understand how various strategic business options can increase or reduce risk and how to grow a sustainable company.

Working with a law firm that specializes in providing top legal guidance to startup businesses and entrepreneurial enterprises makes a difference. Learn more about Spengler Agans Law Firm and their services by visiting SpenglerAgansLaw.com

Subscribe, Rate & Share

Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of the Supportedlypodcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on iTunesand leave your honest review. Don't forget to visit our website, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and share your favorite episodes on social media!

The Supportedly Podcast is produced by Podcraft. You can create your own greatpodcast - faster and easier - at Podcraft.com

Kimberly Hunter is the Entrepreneurship Program Manager of Mountain Bizworks, a Community Development Financial Institution that offers business loans and coaching to entrepreneurs in Western North Carolina. Mountain Bizworks specializes in helping business's unable to access financing from banks and other traditional sources, as well as those on a low income, are a minority, or immigrant entrepreneur. Kimberley is committed to creating greatness together because she is a person who cares.

Susan Dobroski is the Founder and Cheif Play Officer at Toybrary, a toy lending library located in Asheville. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Parks and Recreation/Environmental Education and specializes in Therapeutic Recreation. She has put her academic knowledge, skills as a parent, and teacher into creating Asheville's first toy-lending library.

Kimberly joins me today to share her journey and how she began working with Mountain Bizworks. She discusses how the organization, the programs, and the people behind Mountain Bizworks helps entrepreneurs start and grow their business. I also spoke with Susan to reveal why she created Toybrary and discover how the Foundations Business Planning Class from Mountain Bizworks was fundamental to making her idea a reality.

"It's about celebrating the individual and their ideas and thoughts and how they integrate into any one or multiple regions. We are an intermediary for giving access to capital for businesses and people who are low to moderate income earners." - Kimberly Hunter

This week on the Supportedly Podcast:

• Kimberly's background and how she joined Mountain Bizworks.
• The vision and the big problem that Mountain Bizworks is trying to solve.
• The specific programs offered by Mountain Bizworks.
• How aspiring entrepreneurs and existing businesses can learn comprehensive business skills and develop a business plan through the Foundations Business Planning Class.
• How existing entrepreneurs and past Foundations participants can utilize the Alpine Class and peer-to-peer learning to assess how their business is performing and uncover the right time to upscale their company as a precursor to the ScaleUp WNC Program.
• How businesses with strong growth potential can join the ScaleUp WNC Program and capitalize on tailored services to achieve significant business development milestones.
• How Mountain Bizworks lends money.
• The low to moderate income Scholarship Program.
• How the Test Drive Program brings startup businesses to the forefront.
• How entrepreneurs can get involved with Mountain Bizworks.
• What excites Kimberley about her future work with Mountain Bizworks.
• Susan's background and the creation of Toybrary.
• Her experience with the Test Drive Program and the exposure that it offers.
• What it is like to work with Mountain Bizworks.
• How the advice and mentoring from Mountain Bizworks helped Toybrary.
• The advice that Susan would give to anyone who is getting started.
• How the community can assist Toybrary.

"Mountain Bizworks have a foundations course, and that was the game changer. I had this vision to learn the business aspect, and they gave me the comprehensive tools and support to take an idea and birth it into reality. That was extraordinary." - Susan Dobroski

Free & Low-Cost Programs and Classes at Mountain Bizworks:

• Foundations Business Planning Class
• Alpine Class
• Scaleup WNC
• Test Drive Asheville

Connect with Kimberly Hunter:

• Mountain BizWorks
• Facebook
• Phone: 828 253 2834
• Email: [email protected]

Connect with Susan Dobroski:

• Toybrary
• Facebook
• Phone: 512 765 4174
• Email: [email protected]

Subscribe, Rate & Share

Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of the Supportedly podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest review. Don't forget to visit our website, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and share your favorite episodes on social media!

The Supportedly Podcast is produced by Podcraft. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Podcraft.com

Lindsay Keisler is the President and CEO of the Catawba County Chamber of Commercewhere she focuses on organizational excellence and overall innovation and relevance in the Catawba business community. In 2009, she obtained her bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a major in Marketing from UNC Charlotte. In 2013, she earned her IOM designation from the US Chamber Institute at the University of Georgia for Organization Management. She has been recognizedfor numerous awards including one of Greater Hickory Metro's Top 10 Under 40, a Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scout Peaks to Piedmont Council, and as one of the 2018 Trailblazers by Business North Carolina Magazine. In addition to her work with the Catawba County Chamber, she also serves as the Treasurer for the Carolinas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives and has served on several boards throughout the community.

Carmen Eckard is the Editor-In-Chief of the Foothills Digest. Foothills Digest is a magazine dedicated to sharing stories of the foothills in Hickory, North Carolina through breathtaking photos and captivating articles.

Lindsay joins me today to share her career journey, what led her to start working with the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce, and how the chamber is impacting the local business community. She explains the various programs available for new and veteran entrepreneurs as well as job seekers and military veterans including The Edison Project, the Talent Jam event, and the Tapping Into Talent Symposium as well as the Catawba Military Task Force and Welcome Home, Hickory Metro. I also spoke with Carmen to learn how The Edison Project has helped her take her magazine from a basic idea to creating an actionable business plan to successfully launching her business.

"Something that chambers have traditionally always been good at is providing opportunities just to connect with other individuals that are either like-minded, potential customers, power players, and influencers within our community." - Lindsay Keisler

This week on the Supportedly Podcast:

• Lindsay's career journey and how she began working with the Catawba County Community Chamber of Commerce.
• How she is breaking the chamber out of the "old and pale and stale and male" stereotype within the community.
• How Chambers of Commerce impact the business community and the areas she believes they should focus their attention the most.
• The biggest challenges that Catawba County Chamber of Commerce hopes to solve for businesses and entrepreneurs throughout the county.
• What is the Entrepreneur Consortium and how it helps connect and encourage local support for entrepreneurs to start, grow, and scale their businesses?
• The Edison Project entrepreneurial competitions and how they help entrepreneurs launch successful, viable businesses within the community.
• The type of entrepreneurs that THe Edison Project is most suitable for.
• The chamber's unique partnership with the Small Business Technology Development Center and how this partnership has helped entrepreneurs throughout the community.
• The Tapping Into Talent Symposium and how it helps businesses use unconventional strategies to find and hire talent.
• How the Talent Jam event helps connect job seekers with local opportunities.
• How the Catawba Military Task Force and Welcome Home Hickory Metro events help transitioningmilitary members andtheir families re-enter the civilian workforce.
• What led Carmen to create Foothills Digest.
• What inspired her to focus the magazine's topics on the Hickory Metro foothills.
• How she discovered The Edison Project and her first impression of the program.
• How participating in The Edison Project helped her "fill the gaps" of developing her business.
• The three parts of business development that The Edison Project helps entrepreneurs plan.
• Carmen's advice to new entrepreneurs.
• The best mistake Carmen has made in her career.
• How local entrepreneurs can begin getting involved with the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce and their programs.
• Short-term and Long-term initiatives at Catawba County Chamber of Commerce.
• Lindsay's advice for new entrepreneurs and startups.
• The importance of viewing mistakes and failures as opportunities to learn, grow and improve.
• What every entrepreneur should ask themselves before working with the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce.

"The Catawba County Chamber of Commerce supports the business community by helping us support each other. I think that's the most important thing." Carmen Eckard

Free & Low-Cost Programs at the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce:

• The Edison Project
• Welcome Home, Hickory Metro
• Catawba County Chamber of Commerce Events Calendar
• Catawba County Chamber of Commerce Programs

Connect with Lindsay Keisler:

• Catawba County Chamber of Commerce
• (828) 328-6111
• [email protected]

Connect with Carmen Eckard:

• Foothills Digest

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Jeff Neuville is the Director of the Small Business Center at Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC). CVCC's Small Business Center is one of 58 centers throughout North Carolina focused on helping new and existing entrepreneurs start and grow sustainable businesses. Jeff has served as President and CEO of several multi-million-dollar companies in the textile and distribution industries. He has received several awards including the US Small Business Administration Collaboration Award and the Small Business Center Network Innovation Award for Collaboration and Service. He holds a master's degree from the University of Maryland and a bachelor's degree from UNC-Chapel Hill - both in Business Administration. Additionally, he has a strong background in Marketing and Business Operations.

Cedric Clyburn is the founder of Kitsuma Bar, a natural, performance-based energy bar. He is a high school student currently attending the Challenger Early College High School program at CVCC and has been nationally recognized as the SkillsUSA Entrepreneurship champion. Additionally, he has presented speeches on stages such as TEDxHickory and is passionate about encouraging young entrepreneurs to take risks, follow their dreams, and live life to the fullest.

Jeff joins me today to share his journey and how he began working with CVCC's Small Business Center. He explains the programs, services, and competitions available at the center and how high school and college students - as well as local, existing entrepreneurs - can participate in their programs. I also spoke with Cedric to learn more about how CVCC's Small Business Center has helped him establish his business in the food industry and the valuable lessons he has learned through the center's programs, seminars, and competitions.

"Often, some of the most important work we do is helping people understand the reality of starting a business and understanding the chances for success - before they start writing checks." - Jeff Neuville

This week on the Supportedly Podcast:

• What led Jeff to work with CVCC's Small Business Center.
• The Small Business Center Network and what makes CVCC's center unique.
• Services the center offers to entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the community.
• The biggest challenge that CVCC's Small Business Center hopes to solve within the community.
• Programs and seminars available at CVCC's center to help entrepreneurs start and promote their business.
• What the Students with Attainable Goals program is and how it encourages high school students to consider entrepreneurship as a career path.
• How entrepreneurs can get involved with CVCC's Small Business Center's programs.
• The most exciting short-term and long-term goals for the center.
• What led Cedric to create Kitsuma Bars.
• How being part of the CVCC's Small Business Center's programs as an early college student has empowered Cedric to start his journey as an entrepreneur successfully.
• The Shark Tank program and how it helps students develop a business plan, pitch their idea to local investors and administrative staff, and receive funding for their entrepreneurial venture.
• How the SkillsUSA program helps students learn and improve key trade and manufacturing skills.
• Cedric's experience while attending the Funding Your Business seminar at CVCC's Small Business Center.
• The Challenger Early College program at CVCC and how they help high school students develop 21st-century skills to ensure their success as entrepreneurs.
• What is the Edison Project and how it helps entrepreneurs?
• Jeff's advice to new and existing entrepreneurs.
• What entrepreneurs should ask themselves before working with CVCC's Small Business Center.

"Everybody helping each other in that community is really what it's all about. It was really fun in the Edison Project." - Cedric Clyburn

Free & Low-Cost Programs at CVCC's Small Business Center:

• Manufacturing Solutions Center
• Carolina Textile District
• The Edison Project
• Students with Attainable Goals
• The Shark Tank Competition
• SkillsUSA
• The Challenger Early College Program

Connect with Jeff Neuville:

• CVCC Small Business Center
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: (828) 327-7000

Connect with Cedric Clyburn:

• Kitsuma Bar
• TEDxHickory
• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn

Subscribe, Rate & Share

Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of the Supportedly podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest review. Don't forget to visit our website, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and share your favorite episodes on social media!

The Supportedly Podcast is produced by Podcraft. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Podcraft.com