Startup Talk With Millard & Andrew

Dr. Mona Kiani is a math teacher. BORED YET? Her kids at Preuss School UCSD are 100% low-income & will be 1st in their families to go to college. Troubled school, right? Preuss is ranked 54 out of 22,000 U.S. High Schools. She created the Pitch Competition to teach math principles via entrepreneurship. Dr. Kiani … Continue reading "Ep11: Dr. Mona Kiani (BlackDot Education) The Future of Education is….Entrepreneurship?"

As co-founder of hip-hop label, Raptivism Records, in the late 1990’s, Ashok Kamal’s first album “No More Prisons” provided insight, reflection, and socio-political commentary on the national prison system. He went on the start other businesses dealing with social issues. Today, he is Executive Director of Tech Coast Angels – San Diego. Ashok Kamal is … Continue reading "Ep10: Ashok Kamal (Tech Coast Angels) From Indie Hip-Hop Label Founder To Angel Investor Group Director (That’s Tight AF!)"

Amy Vavrunek KILLED IT as 2016 Chair of the John G. Watson Quick Pitch presented by the San Diego Tech Coast Angels, breaking records on attendance, media coverage, and cash prizes awarded to the winning entrepreneurs. Amy Vavrunek is both a serial entrepreneur and investor. Currently, Amy is the Founder & CEO of Jule Golf Couture, President of Artemis … Continue reading "Ep9: Amy Vavrunek (Jule Golf Couture) Startup Convener & Investor MVP"

Authenticity. Teamwork. User/Customer Focus. That’s what Cody Barbo and his Industry co-founders have done to disrupt the networking and hiring process for the service and hospitality industry. Recently raising a $2.3M Seed round will help Industry scale. Also, Cody Barbo is an elevator pitch extraordinaire and a  graduate of the San Diego State University Entrepreneurship … Continue reading "Ep8: Cody Barbo (Industry) San Diego State University Grad Transforming the Service and Hospitality Industry"

Decades before Dean’s venture was acquired by a public company in 2014,  he was a scrappy 2nd yr comp sci major at UCSD. He saw a posting on the job board, asking for students with experience. He applied, saying that he was a programming  expert, would take the job at a fixed price, and would … Continue reading "Ep7: Dean Rosenberg (Venture SD) Started 3 companies, which one exited? Co.X (VC $32M), Co.Y (Angel $4M), or Co.Z (Self-Funded $0.25M)?"

Are you like a deer in headlights when talking to reporters? Well this week on Startup Talk, we turn the tables on the Press. Brittany Meiling of the San Diego business journal gets real, telling us her perspective on the SD startup and biotech scene and gives advice on how best to talk with the Media. … Continue reading "Ep6: Brittany Meiling (San Diego Business Journal) Millennial Reporter Gets Real or “How to be Ready When the Press Calls”"

Sound familiar? Successful serial telecom entrepreneur with an exit becomes angel investor and mentor? More of these please! Tim Rout is the CEO and Founder of Dyno Ventures, which is dedicated to using innovative wireless technologies to bring affordable Internet to the world’s underserved rural areas. He is also on the Board of Directors of … Continue reading "Ep5: Tim Rout (Dyno Ventures) From Successful Entrepreneur to Angel Investor"

So honored that this life sciences three-peater is now located in San Diego and nurturing the next generation of LS entrepreneurs at BioLabs San Diego. BioLabs has been officially open for 5 months and is now home to 20+ early stage life science companies, they have 2 graduating companies and their members are closing on funding, been awarded … Continue reading "Ep4: Susie Harborth (BioLabs) Three-peater! 3x Life Sciences Co-Founder, 3x Exits, the last one for $110 million"

How did Eugene Cho, CEO of Echo Laboratories, raise $2 million in 45 days through the Tech Coast Angels? Eugene Cho is the CEO and founder of Echo Laboratories, which designs, develops, and sells microscopes. Their cornerstone product, the Revolve, combines the functionality of both Upright and Inverted microscopes. Eugene has 15 years of expertise … Continue reading "Ep3: Eugene Cho (Echo Laboratories) The Revolutionary Microscope"

How do a former Shark Tank analyst for Barbara Corcoran at Columbia Business School and an EvoNexus Alum leverage their experiences for the benefit of the San Diego startup ecosystem? Melinda (Mindy) Nguyen is Senior Manager, Business Analytics & Insights at Hologic, which is a large-cap life sciences company. She is also a Volunteer Analyst … Continue reading "Ep2: Mindy Nguyen (Hologic) & Michele Maley (ScoreStream)"

The goal of launching Startup Talk with Millard & Andrew is to give a voice to the countless founders, angel investors, incubators, supporters, and startup events located in San Diego; and to map the ever-changing ecosystem comprising our fragmented San Diego startup scene.