The Power of an Innovation Network - From Incubator to Investment
Ideator News, Networking, Fundraising

The Power of the Network: How One Program and a 30-minute Meeting Led to a $1.5Million Investment

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“I feel naked.”

That’s how Carter Wigell, CEO of Ideator, describes how he feels after graduating from the Salesforce Incubator’s first cohort and moving to his own San Francisco office space with co-founder Charlie Smith. Connecting with his 22-person team, more than half of whom are remote, via video conferencing and messaging apps is a stark contrast to the literal and figurative in-person elbow rubbing the incubator provided.

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Crowdfunding
Fundraising, Entrepreneurship, Starting a Business

Crowdfunding the Safe Way

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Over the last few years, crowdfunding has generated a lot of buzz as an alternative fundraising method for startup companies. However, there’s a lot more to it than just creating a crowdfunding page and hoping people flock to your idea. In fact, crowdfunding is a complex endeavor that takes a lot of upfront planning and ongoing effort. It also requires a good understanding of the legal requirements to protect your business idea and your financial assets.

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Fundraising, Entrepreneurship, Ideas

How a Technology Platform Helps a 12 Year Old Boy Become an Entrepreneur

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Post by Emilie Bard, mother of Emmanuel:

 

At Techcrunch Disrupt San Francisco I met the team at Ideator.

I was at the event in late September working as a security guard. I’m an EMT and a nursing student. I received my college degree 15 years ago from Stanford and I am currently making a career change from nonprofit grant writing to nursing.  I am a single parent to Emmanuel and his brother, and nonprofit salaries are not compatible with single parenting.

My son Emmanuel, who is 12 years old and blind, has had an idea for an app for some time now.  The app would allow visually impaired people to order food at restaurants.

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Finance Your Ideas
Fundraising, Starting a Business

Hone Your Investor Pitch with Ideator Resources

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Are you struggling with the #1 challenge of most startup entrepreneurs?

Yes, we’re talking about raising money to fund your idea and turn it into a viable business. If this rings a bell for you, you’ll be glad to know that Ideator has plenty of resources to help you get started, like the best practices on how to write a business plan or tips on the best ways to pitch potential investors. Altogether, we offer more than 140 different resources on a variety of topics to help kickstart your business idea into high gear.  (more…)

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Fundraising 101
Fundraising

Fundraising 101

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Fundraising 101

So you have an idea – a great idea. You want nothing more than to dedicate yourself to realizing a vision that could make a difference in the world. You’re sure that your business could fly high if you could just get it off the ground. But you don’t have the money to get started, and now you’re mired in the difficult world of fundraising. Don’t despair: it’s a manageable challenge, and there are ways to move forward if you do so skillfully. With a great idea and a lot of hard, smart work, you can find the funding you need to launch your business. (more…)

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Kickstarter vs. RocketHub vs. Indiegogo
Fundraising, Traction

Kickstarter vs. RocketHub vs. Indiegogo

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Kickstarter vs. RocketHub vs. Indiegogo

Crowdfunding has enormous potential to help you get your idea off the ground, but you may be wondering where to start. There are so many sites out there dedicated to funding everything from movies to smartphones. How does your business idea fit in? Keep in mind that there are pros and cons to each crowdfunding platform, so before you settle on the one that could launch your career, make sure it’s in line with the vision you have for your company. Once it’s out there it can take on a life of its own, so it’s a good idea to know what you’re getting into from the get-go. (more…)

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Networking, Fundraising, Entrepreneurship

3 of Richard Branson’s Most Important Insights for Entrepreneurs Just Getting Started

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People with great ideas have the ability to change the world in amazing ways. We believe in the power of Ideators, and Sir Richard Branson, Founder at Virgin Group, agrees:

Budding entrepreneurs with fresh outlooks have the freedom to think quite differently, which is tremendously exciting to potential collaborators.  (Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240497)

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