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Rock River Capital is an early stage venture firm looking to invest in companies — particularly those based in the Midwest and Wisconsin — that are industry disruptors with a viable product and sales.

Co-founders and partners Andy Walker and Chris Eckstrom share the story of how they came together to create the fund.  They share some of the challenges of raising money for a new fund.

Rock River Capital has also formally reviewed more than 800 companies as potential investments.  So they know what they're talking about when they share tips about what works and what doesn't when it comes to pitching for funding.

They share very candid advice for startups seeking funding, especially seed funding.  It's a great listen, and one that every startup looking for seed money should listen to!

Click on the arrow to the left to listen!

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Kyle LaFond joins The Savvy Entrepreneur radio show to share the story of a Midwestern success, American Provenance.

Started on his family's 4th generation farm in Wisconsin, American Provenance makes all-natural grooming products. Kyle shares how he started and grew the company in detail.  Along the way, he offers lots of tips and insights for other startups.

Kyle's enthusiasm and “can do” attitude are positively infectious, and he is a gifted storyteller!  Click on the arrow to the left to listen to his story — you'll be glad you did!

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Matt Cordio has spent a lot of his career focused on how to grow Wisconsin's startup ecosystem.  He's studied other successful startup ecosystems, most notably Silicon Valley, Boston, and Research Triangle.  And he's devoted a lot of time and energy to helping Wisconsin take the steps needed to build the state's startup ecosystem.

Matt joins The Savvy Entrepreneur Show to share his insights on what makes for a thriving startup ecosystem.  We talk about everything from supporting student entrepreneurs, to attracting venture capital, the role of larger companies, and the impact of successful exits.  He talks about why he co-founded the Wisconsin Startup Coalition.  He also talks about his own business, Skills Pipeline, which helps startups find and retain talent.

It's a great listen, and may spark ideas among entrepreneurs and organizations alike on how to improve startup ecosystems everywhere.

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You need a conversation-starting elevator pitch for your business.  You need a way to catch the attention of busy people, whether potential investors, customers, employees, and partners.  Without it, you'll lose the chance to engage them further.  Equally bad, you'll spend a lot of time chatting with people who really aren't a good fit. 

Lots of people focus on the pitch deck, and that's important (take a listen to our podcast with Chris Banakis on pitch decks).  But if you don't have a “hook” — a memorable, conversation-producing elevator pitch, you'll never need a pitch deck.

John Fisher, founder & CEO of Rethinking IT and SCORE Mentor, joins The Savvy Entrepreneur radio show to talk about why you need a good elevator pitch.  He also walks through the elements of building your business elevator pitch and tips for making it memorable.

Click on the arrow to the left to listen!  You can also view a transcript of the interview here.

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VizyPay's Austin Mac Nab is passionate about giving small businesses better credit card processing options.  He joins The Savvy Entrepreneur to share the story of how he founded West Des Moines-based VizyPay.  He talks about how he's rapidly grown the company.  He also talks about some of the challenges he's faced along the journey, and offers advice for other entrepreneurs.

Click on the arrow to take a listen to his story!

 

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