I spent this summer as a CEO leading a startup through Excelerate Labs. We underwent a pretty major pivot during the summer, a pivot that probably saved our business. I think people misunderstand what happens inside this program. They hear its leaders say that entrepreneurs must be “coachable.” And when…
A post from Troy on Convertible Debt and how he thinks we should really be thinking about it… Over the last few years, convertible debt has become a popular vehicle for early stage companies that are raising money. A lot has been written about it from how it affects your cap…
We just posted a new video on the home page and wanted to share it here as well. Julian from Indirap Productions did an amazing job on filming and editing and deserves a ton of credit. Take a look and see if you agree!
“Incubators are to Startups as Steroids are to Baseball. They are not necessary to succeed, but they sure as hell help. In this third installation to Elite Daily’s Incubator Series, we lay out the best startup accelerators for entrepreneurs in the North and Midwest regions of the United States: from…
This was produced as part of the CEO Spotlight series that BuiltInChicago does in conjunction with NBC Chicago each week. It gives a great overview of Excelerate, check it out…
John Pletz and Crain’s Chicago Business did a nice job highlighting some of the back story on Excelerate Labs this week. “The main stage at the House of Blues is 40 by 20 feet, the centerpiece of a dark vaudevillian space that holds 1,300. It’s where you go to cash…
Food Genius entered the crowded market of dish recommendation apps last year, using big data to revolutionize the way people discover restaurants and dishes. At the time, the startup’s focus was on getting (scraping) as much menu-level data as possible, which they parsed by ingredients, preparation methods, spices and other aspects of a…
Excelerate Demo Day 2012 brought over 500 investors, mentors, and entrepreneurs together for a day of pitching and high energy. Check out the highlights here. Tickets are still available for the Community Showcase tomorrow (Tuesday the 18th)! If you want to see this year’s class present their pitches lives, make…