Prepare 4 VC

Hao He, CFA, MBA remembers fondly I'm sure when I used to haunt the halls of Babson during my blockchain hackathon days with Brian H. Hough -- and then meeting Babson alum Jason Kraus -- this school means a lot to me. I am extremely excited to share that Shweta Agrawal, Co-Director of Boston New Technology and a core leader at The Startup Oasis Network, will be serving as a judge at Babson College's 8th Annual Pitch Competition this Friday, March 7th. Shweta's expertise, enthusiasm, and the amount of hard work she's put into this industry and her own evolution as a leading voice, visionary, and leader will make hers an invaluable voice in this competition, and we can't wait to see her in action. She will be joined by an esteemed panel of judges (super familiar faces): Ben Maitland-Lewis (Director, Startup Banking at Silicon Valley Bank), Hyuk-Jeen Suh (General Partner at SkyRiver Ventures, ven^x), and Brandon Oliver (Principal at BankTech Ventures). A huge thank you to the Babson Acceleration Club for organizing this event and providing a platform for emerging founders to showcase their ideas. We look forward to seeing the energy, creativity, and innovation that will be on display. Best of luck to all the competing teams!

For your Saturday Evening Reading: Jason Kraus and I hope you enjoy! Reimagining PMF (Product Market Fit) — A Moving Target Not A Milestone https://lnkd.in/gQYwsV3Y You Need A Data Room That Delivers For You Right Now s/o to Jessica Lynch and the article I reference which you can find in the comments https://lnkd.in/gm8Ys-RF

Exciting News! Applications for Startup Battlefield 200 are officially OPEN ?? This program brings the top 200 startups from around the world to TechCrunch Disrupt to showcase their new projects. Each startup will receive a pitching opportunity, a demo table, free tickets to the event, extensive pre-event virtual programming, and many more perks ?? 20 of these startups will be selected to compete on the Disrupt Stage for $100,000 equity free and bragging rights as winner of Startup Battlefield ?? What are you waiting for? Apply NOW ??

My conversation an hour ago or so with Anya N. Smith, MBA, MS ?? Smith reinforced what I’ve seen in her journey from Techstars Startup Weekend Boston 2024 to now: She is making real, measurable progress. Her pitch has evolved, her strategy is sharper, and she approaches every challenge with a willingness to learn and improve. More than just having a strong idea, Anya has demonstrated what truly makes a founder backable: relentless execution, a commitment to refining her approach, and the ability to take feedback and turn it into action. Being able to witness this firsthand and in the company of people like Jason Kraus, Shweta Agrawal, Parna Sarkar-Basu, Irina Sychov, Marsh Sutherland and more is a magical thing. What stands out most is her combination of competency, hard work, and a restless pursuit of progress—always with humility and heart. She is one of those rare who won't just speak about working just talk; she does it. That quality, more than anything else, is what separates great founders from those still waiting for the right moment. This is an eternal truth. Anya is creating something real, and she is doing it with intention. The Startup Oasis Network is grateful for founders like her—those who don’t just seek opportunities but actively build toward them. She’s earned every step of her momentum, and it’s only the beginning. If you’re interested in what she’s building, take a moment to check out SelfFull. It’s worth your time.

?? Big News! Sheila Phicil, MPH, MS, PMP, FACHE is Pitching at the BNT HealthTech Showcase This Wednesday! ?? We’re thrilled to announce that Sheila Phicil, Founder of Phicil-itate Change, will be pitching at the BNT HealthTech Showcase this Wednesday, February 26, at 5:00 PM EST at Microsoft NERD, Cambridge! ???? ?? Phicil-itate Change is transforming patient-centered healthcare with AI & blockchain-powered solutions that improve feedback collection and healthcare innovation. Their latest project, Compass, is designed to help early-stage healthtech startups fast-track product-market fit by leveraging real-world patient insights. ?? Why You Should Attend: ? Watch live healthtech startup pitches from top innovators. ? Network with investors, founders, and ecosystem leaders. ? Be part of Boston’s most exciting healthtech event! ?? Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2025 ? Time: 5:00 PM EST ?? Location: Microsoft NERD, Cambridge ?? Reserve Your Spot Now! → https://lnkd.in/emz559MS

Founder Spotlight: Isabella Johnston, CEO of Employers 4 Change, Prepares the Workforce for the Future ?? "Internships aren’t just for students—companies benefit just as much. With the right structure, internships improve employer communication by 97% and enhance organizational processes by 90%." – Isabella Johnston, CEO of Employers 4 Change At Winter Oasis 2024, Isabella Johnston, a graduate of the Prepare 4 VC Breakthrough Program, pitched her company Employers 4 Change (E4C)—a platform that streamlines internal recruitment and workforce development through skills-based hiring, AI-driven matching, and a bias-reducing algorithm. ?? Key Takeaways from Isabella’s Pitch: ? Internships are a two-way street – While students gain experience, companies enhance communication and efficiency through well-structured intern programs. ? Data-backed success – Employers using E4C reported a 97% improvement in employee-intern communication and a 90% increase in process efficiency. ? The future of recruitment is skills-based – E4C removes employer bias by prioritizing competencies like research, time management, and critical thinking. ? Massive market potential – With 34M+ businesses & 15M students in the U.S. workforce pipeline, E4C is poised to disrupt the $100B online recruitment industry. ?? Employers 4 Change is currently expanding its reach and raising funding—if you’re passionate about skills-based hiring and workforce innovation, this is a company to watch! ?? Watch Isabella’s full pitch here! ??

?? Win 2 Free Tickets to Startup Grind Global Conference 2025! ????? Do you know a founder, mentor, or startup leader who has made a meaningful impact in the Boston startup ecosystem? Nominate them for the Startup Impact Award and give them a chance to attend #SGGlobal2025 in Silicon Valley! ?? Nomination Deadline: March 1, 2025 ??? Conference Dates: April 29-30, 2025 ?? Location: Silicon Valley, CA ?? Submit Your Nomination Here: https://lnkd.in/eB9ZUU6i Let’s celebrate those who help make the Boston startup community thrive! ?? #StartupImpactAward #StartupGrindBoston #BostonStartups #MentorshipMatters #SGGlobal2025 Startup Grind Startup Grind Miami Boston New Technology (BNT) Greenberg Traurig, LLP HubSpot For Startups CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center) Prepare 4 VC Techstars Startup Weekend Boston Startup Grind Grand Rapids Mass Technology Leadership Council Startup Boston Better Business Bureau of Eastern Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island & Vermont MGMT Boston

While I'll be overseeing Precision Pitch Practice with Jason Kraus and Shweta Agrawal, there's a great webinar coming up tomorrow hosted by our friends at The Startup Station and ANIMA -- h/t Victoria Yampolsky, Irina Sychov and Jeanne Mariani Sullivan! "Smart Fundraising Strategies for Revenue-Generating Startups." is a one of a kind educational XP for anyone seeking to gain further knowledge, inspiration, and empowerment around: ---Identifying and connecting with the right investors through strategic outreach. ---Crafting an effective investor introduction email that leads to responses and second meetings. ---Building a financial forecast that supports credibility and aligns with fundraising goals. Besides the wellspring of wisdom that Victoria is, Jeanne, a veteran investor with over 30 years of experience and co-founder of a $400M portfolio, will be pouring all the right ingredients for attendees to understand these vital areas of knowledge! This session is designed for startups that are already generating revenue or have an MVP and are preparing to fundraise. The event is produced in partnership with ANIMA, which supports female founders in mastering public speaking and investor relations, and Zant, a platform for coaches and consultants to manage clients and operations efficiently. The first 25 registrants will receive a sample investor outreach template! For more details and to register, see my link in the comments!

?? Exciting News! We’re thrilled to announce that Jerrold Shapiro and Floelle Inc. will be pitching at the BNT HealthTech Showcase on February 26th! ?? Floelle is redefining women’s health with an innovative, non-invasive solution for stress urinary incontinence (SUI), a condition affecting 750M+ women worldwide. Their patented device detects leaks before they happen, providing discreet, effective relief without surgery or medication. ?? Why This Matters: ? Solving a major unmet need in women’s health. ? Bringing real innovation to healthcare with a non-invasive, patient-first approach. ? Positioning Boston as a global leader in healthtech & medtech innovation. ?? Join us LIVE at Microsoft NERD, Cambridge! ?? February 26, 2025 | 5:00 – 8:00 PM EST ?? Get Your Ticket Here- https://lnkd.in/emz559MS ?? Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with healthtech founders, investors, and leaders shaping the future of healthcare innovation.

There’s no coffee cup too big to drink out of, and no goal rough and tough enough that you and I can’t handle it. Today, we don’t need our GPT to tell us that we’re an unwavering beacon. Today we just Get-Shit-Done. Thank you to the ones who support us on our journey - customers, competitors (I’ll get to that in a second), partners and special people in our lives. Today we stop obsessing over our idea — and we start working on and scaling it. Competition— wait we have some? FANTASTIC. Thank you to them for giving us more wind in the sails. We have a rockstar team and partners who would walk through fire for us? GRAZIE (I’m like the Italian Jason Calacanis here). I appreciate you reading my ramble. Now let’s go make that coffee, chai, or energizing beverage of choice! (Kun Yang —- Pricklee perhaps?)