I’m sure that is what all of you have been asking yourselves lately. She was here one day - gone the next…promised a revamp of her newsletter and nothing.

I understand. And one day, I will tell you the story of what happened. But not today. You’ll have to wait until my book comes out. (You can’t order it now, but I’m in the process of looking for editors, in case anyone happens to know one!)

Here is what I have been working on -

Èkodjayé Video Pitch - Watch Video

If you need a refresher, I am a current student at Arizona State University in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College pursuing a Doctorate of Education (EdD) in Leadership and Innovation.

I tried last spring to be selected to participate in the Venture Devils Demo Day, an investment opportunity at ASU, to pitch real ideas and start-ups in front of people willing to invest in projects.

I was denied. That’s right. Told “no.” And man was that hard.

However, as I tell my children, or as I go through this process of receiving a doctorate…the first go is just that - the first one, and usually, there is a whole lot that can be learned from one experience, that “failure.”

Now about six months later, during the first half of the second year of my doctoral program, I had the opportunity to try again. This time, with the video you watched above, I jumped the hurdle and now have the chance to pitch in front of real people at ASU during the first week of December.

I have received feedback from the judges on what I could do to improve my 5-minute pitch for the real deal. The top items they would like to see include a timeline of events and how the venture will be sustainably funded as we move forward.

Now is where I need some help. Please provide in the comments below (or email me) where you think I could include this information and what I could cut out. Five minutes may seem like a long time, but I assure you, it is not!

On that note, a bit of advice is needed. I do have the option to pitch via Zoom, as I am not located in Arizona. Which one do you think would be better? To pitch in person? Or via Zoom?

I believe I know the right answer to that question, but as a start-up, “free” versus “paying for all travel costs” makes a big difference!

There is much more to come with this newsletter, such as regularity (no FiberOne necessary 🤣). I am excited to share the journey with all of you.

Best wishes as we move forward into the holiday season 🦃

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit debrakouda.substack.com