The Fourth Effect

Last week, we had the privilege of speaking at TechDay HQ AI Founders Day to over 60 incredible founders about a crucial yet often overlooked topic: creating and leveraging effective advisory and governing boards. For many founders, the process of strategically sourcing advisors and board directors can feel overwhelming or unclear. The lack of accessible, actionable information often leads to indecision—or worse, misguided choices. During our discussion, we dove into how AI startups can build boards tailored to their unique challenges. The takeaway? Good boards drive great outcomes. While the conversation was focused on AI startups, the principles we discussed are universal. A well-constructed board can be a game-changer for any startup—guiding strategic decisions, unlocking opportunities, and, yes, attracting the right investors. Remember: Strong boards = Stronger businesses. Thank you Walter Charnizon, Gene Murphy and the TechDay HQ team for making space for this conversation. Thank you so much for joining our panel Kristine Lis Kring Simonsen and Jeff Frommer. Your perspectives were invaluable! Great to see some familiar faces in the room Marlen Preyger, CPA, MST Scott Smedresman. Thanks for making the day possible. If you'd like to learn more about advisors and board strategies, join us for our next event on 12/12: Let's Talk About Boards. Link to register in comments. #Startups #AdvisoryBoards #StartupAdvice

What an honor to be invited by KPMG to join them in ringing the closing bell at Nasdaq yesterday to celebrate KPMG’s Tech Innovator competition winner and National Entrepreneur's Day today! Thank you Salvatore A Melilli for including us! #nationalentrepreneursday #entrepreneurship #startups

Authentic alignment drives trust, loyalty, and long-term growth while creating a brand that’s respected and deeply connected to the people it serves. Something every brand should strive to do. Join us on Nov. 20th to learn from Andy Walsh, venture builder and Chief Incubation Officer at Nobody Studios. #companyculture #startups #brandbuilding

In less than an hour... We can't wait for this! Join us! #funding #fundraising #startups

We’ve shared so much about our recent Summit, but one highlight we haven’t covered is the incredible gift bags! A huge thank you to our amazing community of founders who contributed their fantastic products—your support helped make the experience truly memorable for everyone involved! A special THANK YOU to: ?? Blue Dot - Impactful Gifting for the sustainably sourced canvas "I'm a good investment" gift bags! ?? Tiffany A. Yu, MSc for your book "The Anti-Ableist Manifesto", a revelatory examination of disability - how to unpack biases and build an inclusive and accessible world. ?? 2FIT BRANDS for the healthy Brownie Bites. YUM! ?? Shea Yeleen for treating our skin to your rich body cream. ?? ELVY Lab for the fabulous eye cream! ?? and Britney Moss of Cupcake Me! for the delicious chocolate chip cookies! We are grateful ?? #giftbags #femalefounders #exceptionalproducts

We're really looking forward to learning from Charlotte Ketelaar this Thursday! Join us! #startups #fundraising #founders

This Wednesday, Nov. 6th from 12-1pm ET - We are thrilled to be hosting Cindy Skalicky ?? to talk to us about Executive Presence. Ever wonder how others would describe the way you show up in meetings, presentations, or interviews? Do you exude confidence, clarity, and Executive Presence—or do you sometimes feel distracted, second-guessing your words, or worrying about how you're being perceived? When it comes to leading an important meeting or presenting to stakeholders, your presence speaks volumes. It’s not just about knowing your material; it’s about connecting and commanding attention with ease. Imagine what could shift if you mastered that! Join us to learn! Sign in early as you may need to create a FREE account. #executivepresense #ProfessionalDevelopment #Leadership

?? Big News! We’re thrilled to share that our founder, Breen Sullivan, has joined the SXSW Advisory Board! ?? She can't wait to start digging in! First up: helping spread the word about SXSW PITCH 2025! - Dream big. Pitch bigger.??? Take a page from PentoPix's journey: They didn’t just step onto the SXSW stage, they?owned?it. After refining their pitch through personalized coaching, this AI-powered startup turned heads with their innovative 3D storytelling platform—walking away with the Best in Show award.??? ? #FOUNDERS - Now it’s your turn. SXSW isn't just a competition; it’s a launchpad. From connecting with world-class investors to gaining tailored insights to elevate your pitch, this is where big ideas become reality. Your next milestone is one application away.??? Ready to make change in your industry? Apply now and showcase your vision to the world. Application link in comments. #techstartups #sxsw #pitch

?? Congratulations Azul Bio for winning the Pitch Competition at our Annual Summit 2024 last week!!! Not only did you receive incredible feedback from our judges Helena Wasserman Silvia Garcia Codony and Zac Geinzer but you won the hearts and gold coins from our audience. Well done Raul Torres! Azul Bio specializes in Coral Microbiome Boosters: Cheaper, faster, and scalable aquatic restoration solutions to combat climate change, marine diseases, and pollution to improve the health and productivity of ocean environments and industry. Meet the Co-Founder Aleksandr Rikhterman - ?? ABOUT: Aleksandr is an Emmy Award winning documentary filmmaker, video producer, and marketing specialist. He’s worked with international brands and expeditions that have taken him all around the world. Now he is on a mission to combine all his skills and passions to preserving the world’s coral reefs. He is a PADI divemaster and Explorers Club member. ?? MOTIVATION: Aleksandr has seen how important the underwater world is to our entire planet through more than 200 dives. When the opportunity came to make a positive impact on it at scale, he knew it needed to be done. ?? GIVE: An opportunity to be on our advisory board. We will be forming it early next year. ?? GET: Intros to climate focused VC's, corporates, and climate preservation/restoration grant experts. ?? FUN FACT: Motorcycled across Vietnam and climbed Kilimanjaro. ?? DREAM INTRO WISH: Insurance modeling expert - to get advice or insight on how to further model and quantify coral as shorefront protection, erosion mitigation, storm surge reduction and how the implementation of preserving coral reefs can be used as an incentive to reduce property and flood insurance costs for customers. Check out Azul Bio and reach out if you can help or would like to learn more. #climate #marinehealth #oceans

A few weeks ago we had the incredible honor to host Syama Bunten, a long time member and an Equity Member (she's a co-owner of The Fourth Effect ??) to speak with us about how we, as entrepreneurs, can build values-aligned wealth. Syama shared valuable personal experiences and insights on secondary markets, venture capital, angel investing, and portfolio diversification, highlighting the importance of aligning investments with personal values. As a passionate advocate for empowering women to take informed financial risks and drive meaningful change, Syama’s message truly resonated. We couldn’t agree more—thank you, Syama! ?? Check out the recording here: https://lnkd.in/eSF8gE_G #FinancialEmpowerment #DiverseInvestments #WomenInFinance #ImpactInvesting #ValuesBasedInvesting