What an awesome interview! I’ve always been intrigued by Will West and his lifetime of successful ventures. Because Will has raised nearly $300 million for his 4 companies, I thought that it would be fitting to interview him to find out his secrets. Here is his BIO:

(Picture of the founders of Control4 — Will West, Eric Smith, Mark Morgan)

Will has raised more than $280 million in private capital for his 4 ventures. In 1998, he co-founded STSN (now iBAHN), the worldwide leader in broadband services for business travelers. Prior to founding STSN, Will was president, CEO, and co-founder of PHAST Corporation. Under his leadership, PHAST became the leading manufacturer of high-end home automation equipment.

Will serves as chairman of the board of the Utah Capital Investment Corporation (the State of Utah’s “Fund of Funds”). He also serves as chairman of the board for Utah Technology Council (UTC). He was named Utah Valley Entrepreneur of the year in 2004, and is on Utah Business Magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in the state. He was also named the Ernst & Young Master Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2006 in the Utah region.

Enjoy!

 

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It’s been a long time coming. I finally hooked up with John May last week and had a great interview with him. What a great guy!

John has a passion for angel investing. He is the Chairman of the Angel Capital Association and a long-time angel investor. Whether you are an entrepreneur or an angel investor, you’ll want to listen to this podcast!

Here is John’s BIO from his website:

John May is the managing partner of New Vantage Group, a Vienna, VA firm that innovatively mobilizes private equity into early-stage companies and provides advisory services to both funds and private investors. Mr. May’s experience in private equity capital over the last 15 years ranges from venture capital fund management to angel investing.

Mr. May has been at the forefront of the angel investor movement. In 1991, he co-founded the Investors’ Circle, a national non-profit group of 125 family and institutional investors working to grow the social venture capital industry. Additionally in 1996, he co-founded and became executive director of the Private Investors Network, an angel network sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Venture Association, which he led until 2002. John is now Chairman of the newly formed Angel Capital Association (formerly a program of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation), is a lead instructor for their “Power of Angel Investing” seminars, and is co-author of two books, Every Business Needs an Angel, and State of the Art.

Mr. May co-founded The Dinner Club, an investment group of 60 regional angels who collectively invest in regional early stage ventures. A larger private investor pool, the eMedia Club with 75 members, followed it, and in 2000, the Washington Dinner Club with 75 members was started. In 2003, Active Angel Investors, a “pledge” fund was created. New Vantage Group administers all of these groups.

I’d love to get your comments. Who would you like to hear from? What topics would you like discussed?

 

 John May: Angel Fundable: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

It’s finally here! I know that you’ve been waiting for this podcast about raising money from Angels.

OK, sorry this one has taken so long to post…but it is finally here!
This podcast is a MUST LISTEN. It includes great content (with details) on angel investors. Oh yeah…of course, it is hosted by Bill Payne and myself.

Also, stay tuned… John May (Chairman of the Angel Capital Association) will be joining us next week.

Til then…enjoy!

 

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Another podcast from Brock Blake, CEO of FundingUniverse.com, and his Co-host, Bill Payne. Bill Payne is an expert when it comes to angel investing. He is a member of the Tech Coast Angels, the Vegas Valley Angels, Aztec Angel Networks, and the Frontier Angel Fund. He also serves as the entrepreneur-in-residence at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

In this series, Bill and Brock will discuss the difference between debt capital & equity capital.

 

 The Capital Food Chain: Debt vs. Equity: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Brock Blake, CEO of FundingUniverse.com, teams up with his Co-host, Bill Payne.  Bill Payne is an expert when it comes to angel investing.  He is a member of the Tech Coast Angels, the Vegas Valley Angels, Aztec Angel Networks, and the Frontier Angel Fund.  He also serves as the entrepreneur-in-residence at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

In this series, Bill and Brock will provide some tips on how to successfully raise capital from friends and family.  There are some very important issues to take into consideration:

1. How to approach a friend or family member
2. Debt or equity investment?
3. Using a 2-page executive summary

 

 The Capital Food Chain: Raising Capital from Friends & Family: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Over the past month, I have had the pleasure of recording a series of podcasts with angel investor & industry expert Bill Payne. Our series (produced for FundingUniverse.com) will cover an array of topics on starting a new venture and obtaining the capital necessary to succeed. Currently, we are launching a new show on a weekly basis (usually every Monday).

Here are some of the topics that we have covered or will cover over the next few months:

• The Capital Food Chain: Self-Funding, Bootstrapping, Raising $ from Friends & Family, Debt vs. Equity, Raising $ from Angel Investors, Raising $ from VCs, Investment from Public Markets, Using business brokers & consultants to raise money, Using your attorney to Raise $
• Business Plans: Forms & Uses (Elevator Pitch, Executive Summary, PowerPoint Presentation, & Full Business Plan)

As you can see, we aren’t lacking in topics/content to cover. The above list is only the tip of the iceberg. We will also include interviews from successful entrepreneurs and angel investors. In the next few weeks, we’ll release an interview of Will West (CEO of Control4 — has raised over $250M from VCs in his lifetime) and John May (the Chairman of the Board for the Angel Capital Association).

What other topics would you like to see covered? Who else would you like to hear interviewed? Feel free to make suggestions and I’ll do my best to make it happen.

Brock Blake, CEO of FundingUniverse.com, and Bill Payne, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, discuss the details of bootstrapping your early-stage venture. Topics covered:

1. How to Bootstrap
2. Getting cheap or free money to fund your business
3. Using your customers to fund your growth

 

 The Capital Food Chain: Bootstrapping: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Brock Blake, CEO of FundingUniverse.com, and Bill Payne, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, discuss the details of self-funding your early-stage venture.

 

 The Capital Food Chain: Self-Funding: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download