Podcast Archive - Supporters Fund

Ep. 111 – Julien Smith, Founder and CEO at Practice, Author and Investor

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Ep. 111 - Julien Smith, Founder and CEO at Practice, Author and Investor

00:00 / 1:03:42

In this episode, Jeffery will be taking on the investor who raised the most money out of everyone he had the opportunity to chat with in the podcast. Author of a New York Times Best Seller, Julien Smith shares how he was inspired by his father who was an executive coach to run his own coaching software company today. Julien walks through his story, inspiration and the valuable lessons he learned along the way. Listen as Jeffery hits all the buttons with all the amazing insights he got from Julien. Topics Discussed: Julien as an Author Julien’s introduction into the business world Julien talks about the Arc of Change Building network effects The Power of Storytelling Solopreneurship Julien shares his investment strategies Julien in the VC world Julien’s tips to CEOs for raising funds Julien talks about sales and shares 4 important points Julien as a VC Coach Success story of a company that Julien had worked with About I have spent the past 15 years riding waves of technology as they have grown in importance. This ability to read trends, alongside my ability to express ideas clearly, have allowed me to work with some of the most important names in technology. I have […]

In this episode, Jeffery will be taking on the investor who raised the most money out of everyone he had the opportunity to chat with in the podcast. Author of a New York Times Best Seller, Julien Smi [...]

Brian Odowd2022-04-05T07:21:53-04:00April 7th, 2022|

Ep. 110 – Cam Crowder, Investor, Coach

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Ep. 110 - Cam Crowder, Investor, Coach

00:00 / 47:29

For this episode, Jeffery will be taking on the hockey coach from Canada who is set to make amazing things happen in the VC World. Cam Crowder will walk us through how he translated lessons from hockey into his success as an Business Coach and Angel Investor. More than his expertise in the sport and team handling, Cam shared how the principles and strategies in handling teams can also be applied in business. Aside from that, he talks about how he discovered Angel Investing after leaving Tim Horton’s, and how his competitive nature led him to his success in the Venture Capital world, and eventually in Silicon Valley at Venture University. Topics Discussed: Cam’s employment history Cam as a Hockey Player Cam as a Hockey Coach Life Lessons from Hockey How Cam manages employees: Hiring, KPIs, Statistics Lessons learned from the Franchise Industry at Tim Horton’s: Licensing Working in Venture University Cam as an Angel Investor Success story of a company that Cam had worked with About Cam Crowder is a member of the Equation Angels selection committee, a partner in a family business that operates six Tim Hortons in Essex, and part-owner of the Leamington Flyers. Recently, he joined the Frontier Tech Team – […]

For this episode, Jeffery will be taking on the hockey coach from Canada who is set to make amazing things happen in the VC World. Cam Crowder will walk us through how he translated lessons from hocke [...]

Brian Odowd2022-04-05T07:19:16-04:00April 5th, 2022|

Ep. 109 – Abhinav Pathak & Neel Daftary, Research at Woodstock Fund

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Ep. 109 - Abhinav Pathak & Neel Daftary, Research at Woodstock Fund

00:00 / 48:36

Talk Takeaways Unlike the usual episodes of Ask An Angel, Jeffery takes on two phenomenal men ushering in a young understanding of the new world of tech. Hailing all the way from India, Abhinav and Neel share their knowledge and understanding about Web 3.0, Decentralized Finance, and many more interesting topics that would open doors to opportunities in the startup space. The combination of Neel’s background in Finance and Tech with Abhinav’s interest in research and blockchain, brought their paths together in Woodstock. Our guests will walk us through the spectacle which is Web 3.0, and how this is opening new developments and innovations in the start up space. Topics Discussed: Abhinav and Neel’s Educational and Professional Background Finding themselves in Woodstock What is Web 3.0 Tokenization NFTs in Web 3.0 How NFT is changing the world Web 3.0 in the next 2 – 3 years The Future of the StartUp Space About Abhinav Pathak I am a blockchain, finance, and economics enthusiast, currently working at the intersection of these fields at Woodstock Fund. I am passionate about photography and football, having been involved in them actively for over 10 years now. Neel Daftary Finance, Economics and Business enthusiast with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical […]

Talk Takeaways Unlike the usual episodes of Ask An Angel, Jeffery takes on two phenomenal men ushering in a young understanding of the new world of tech. Hailing all the way from India, Abhinav and Ne [...]

Brian Odowd2022-04-05T07:16:35-04:00April 5th, 2022|

Ep. 108 – Sascha Badelt, Entrepreneur & Business Angel

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Ep. 108 - Sascha Badelt, Entrepreneur & Business Angel

00:00 / 1:04:46

For this week’s episode of Ask An Angel, Sascha Badelt, serial entrepreneur and angel, joins Jeffery Potvin to talk about his academic background in Hamburg, all the way up to all the great things he has accomplished. He shared the pivotal moment in his career. He went from someone who talks about interesting people doing exciting things as a journalist to becoming an interesting person doing exciting things as an entrepreneur. Furthermore, he shared his experience as a Business Consultant in various firms in Germany, Spain, and the UK, including his failure to start a company and his fruitful years as a startup founder in Germany. Topics discussed: Sascha’s educational and employment background Sascha’s experience in the German and Spanish startup space Overcoming startup challenges with a Business Partner Complementing the founder Sascha as a Business Angel Sascha’s approach when mentoring Early Stage Investors Angel Investing as a means of giving back Success story of a founder that Sascha had worked with

For this week’s episode of Ask An Angel, Sascha Badelt, serial entrepreneur and angel, joins Jeffery Potvin to talk about his academic background in Hamburg, all the way up to all the great things he [...]

Brian Odowd2022-02-15T12:02:59-04:00February 24th, 2022|

EP. 107 – Olga Duka, GP at Improve Ventures

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EP. 107 - Olga Duka, GP at Improve Ventures

00:00 / 1:08:56

(JP) Jeffery speaks with Olga Duka, GP at Improve Ventures, on how she makes a relevant impact on the investing world. The guest of today shared her story of moving all over Europe, Asia, and America while starting her career straight after university. Having grown up with her parents urging her to expand her talents and interests, she is obsessed with developing early-stage talent. In this episode, Olga shares how she has succeeded in early-stage financing in emerging markets across almost 50 countries. Topics discussed: Olga’s educational and career background Olga’s passion for early stage talents Lessons learned from being a trader of successful scalable businesses Olga as a founder Lessons learned as a founder Strategies used by Olga to build the Deal Flow up. The Importance of Community Tips when Investing in Early Stage Talents Success story of a founder that Olga had worked with

(JP) Jeffery speaks with Olga Duka, GP at Improve Ventures, on how she makes a relevant impact on the investing world. The guest of today shared her story of moving all over Europe, Asia, and America [...]

Brian Odowd2022-02-15T11:58:56-04:00February 17th, 2022|

Ep. 106 – Jan Christopher, Founding Managing Partner @ Holt Accelerator

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Ep. 106 - Jan Christopher, Founding Managing Partner @ Holt Accelerator

00:00 / 54:28

In this episode, Jeffery Potvin dives into the world of one of Fintech’s finest, Jan Christopher, Founding Managing Partner of Holt Accelerator. Christopher shares the story of how he started out as another finance guy straight from university to establishing the Canadian Fintech sector, and now helping and giving back to the world as an angel investor. This is another episode loaded with valuable insights that will definitely help and inspire the startup community. Topics discussed: Jan’s finance educational background and career history Jan’s expertise from his experience with bus.com Shareholder versus Stakeholder The Technical Founder Jan talks about scaling Jan differentiates CEO, CTO and CFO Structuring a business Success story of a founder that Jan had worked with About Jan is a fintech evangelist, passionate about improving society through finance and technology. He is Managing Partner & cofounder of Holt Accelerator that has currently invested in 20 early stage Canadian and International fintechs, in which those portfolio companies solve our society’s most pressing and emergent issues. Previously, he founded Fintech Cadence, a non-profit that has trained thousands of individuals in fintech, resulting in the creation of +100 fintech projects. Prior to this, he was Head of Finance at Bus.com, helping it from incorporation to […]

In this episode, Jeffery Potvin dives into the world of one of Fintech’s finest, Jan Christopher, Founding Managing Partner of Holt Accelerator. Christopher shares the story of how he started out as a [...]

Brian Odowd2022-01-13T12:38:34-04:00January 27th, 2022|

Ep. 105 – Sheehan Burns, Portfolio Manager – Tactex Asset Management

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Ep. 105 - Sheehan Burns, Portfolio Manager – Tactex Asset Management

00:00 / 1:05:50

Talk Takeaways (JP) Jeffery Potvin takes on an interesting leader and Angel Investor in the person of the Portfolio Manager of Tactex Asset Management, Sheehan Burns. Sheehan gave a comprehensive overview of his background, from school to all he has accomplished as an investor. He talked about his law degree and his first career as a Corporate Governance Research Analyst at Glass Lewis. Sheehan also discussed what he learned from his vast legal and entrepreneurial experience in terms of risk assessment, red and green flags to watch out for, liquidation procedures, trends in the market, and many other topics related to legal and entrepreneurship. It’s a great episode for aspiring entrepreneurs to learn a lot from. Topics discussed: Sheehan’s educational and employment background Sheehan’s perspective on risk assessment Building a board for Early Stage Companies Liquidation Period Sheehan’s Best Practices with Liquidation based on his experience Trends in the market, including Impact Investing Success story of a founder that Sheehan had worked with About We are currently in one of the more dynamic economic environments in recent history. Do you view this as a challenge or an opportunity? Do investors sit on the sidelines? Or bet that markets continue to reach all-time […]

Talk Takeaways (JP) Jeffery Potvin takes on an interesting leader and Angel Investor in the person of the Portfolio Manager of Tactex Asset Management, Sheehan Burns. Sheehan gave a comprehensive over [...]

Brian Odowd2022-01-13T12:33:34-04:00January 20th, 2022|

Ep. 104 – Jonah Midanik, VC, MD @Forum (fka Acceleprise) | Founder, Chair @Limelight

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Ep. 104 - Jonah Midanik, VC, MD @Forum (fka Acceleprise) | Founder, Chair @Limelight

00:00 / 52:52

For this week’s episode, (JP) Jeffery Potvin speaks with the impressive Jonah Midanik, Managing Director and GP for Forum Ventures. Jeffery asked about his humble beginnings, his interesting CV, and how he has grown in the VC world. Jeffery explored the lessons Jonah learned in his journey as a young entrepreneur up to the point of becoming an Angel Investor with high hopes for new aspiring founders in the space. This episode will be helpful for listeners who plan into entering the space as it is packed with different lessons shared in the context of Jonah’s experiences as an entrepreneur as well. Topics discussed: Jonah’s personal, educational and employment background leading up to his success today. Discussed two of Jonah’s successful endeavors, PokerStars and Limelight Platforms. Jonah’s determination to take risks in business Jonah’s 4R Market Fit Importance of a background in entrepreneurship Reason why Jonah went into esports How Jonah handles competition in the entrepreneurial space The impact of an area’s regulations in the operations of a business Importance of finding the right talent for a job How Jonah builds a team of founders as a VCU at early stage with Training and Up Training Changes in the VC environment Success story […]

For this week’s episode, (JP) Jeffery Potvin speaks with the impressive Jonah Midanik, Managing Director and GP for Forum Ventures. Jeffery asked about his humble beginnings, his interesting CV, and h [...]

Brian Odowd2022-01-13T12:24:32-04:00January 13th, 2022|

Ep. 103 – Vishal H. Kewalramani, Investor, Family Office, LP, Entrepreneur

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Ep. 103 - Vishal H. Kewalramani, Investor, Family Office, LP, Entrepreneur

00:00 / 43:34

Vishal H., Investor, Family Office, LP, Entrepreneur, shared his humble beginnings from winning a lottery ticket to founding a single-family office in New York, London, Singapore, and Hong Kong. He talked about his heart for entrepreneurship highlighting the values he learned from his experiences. He also made mentioned impact investing. He specifically shared his concern about consumer-driven problems like fast fashion and how he wanted to see innovation in the aspect of creating solutions for environmental concerns. Aside from this, he also emphasized the need to establish a common vision for a team to create faith in the potential of a business. Finally, he discussed growth capital and how he was more than willing to back startups.

Vishal H., Investor, Family Office, LP, Entrepreneur, shared his humble beginnings from winning a lottery ticket to founding a single-family office in New York, London, Singapore, and Hong Kong. He ta [...]

Brian Odowd2021-12-30T14:03:09-04:00January 6th, 2022|

Ep. 102 – Isaac Souweine, Partner at Real Ventures

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Ep. 102 - Isaac Souweine, Partner at Real Ventures

00:00 / 55:48

Isaac Souweine, Partner at Real Ventures shared how he started in New York, explored Southeast Asia while working with Yahoo, and later on set up a venture capital firm in Ontario. Through his exposure to a broad range of consumers, he further developed his skills in the field of Product Development. He stressed the importance of Product Relevance — putting oneself in the shoes of the audience. In addition, he mentioned that the importance of creating and maintaining a community is essential for startups. Isaac also shared how his company, Real Ventures, had phenomenal resilience and grit to survive through COVID and come out stronger than ever.

Isaac Souweine, Partner at Real Ventures shared how he started in New York, explored Southeast Asia while working with Yahoo, and later on set up a venture capital firm in Ontario. Through his exposur [...]

Brian Odowd2021-12-30T13:46:55-04:00January 4th, 2022|