Investors Stories

John Fein

Firebrand Fein: KC needs more audacious startups, ‘crazy ideas’ to attract investors

Kansas City companies need to buck the Midwestern, risk-averse mindset and sell audacious plans to investors, said John Fein. “I would just love to see more crazy ideas, more big game type ideas,” said Fein, founder and managing partner at Firebrand Ventures. “We invest when [the startup] starts to generate revenue, so they have to…

Kyle FitzGerald and Chris Thowe, Life Equals

Get in front of investors: Deadline nearing for InvestMidwest premier venture showcase

InvestMidwest presents more than just an opportunity for startups to pitch to a crowd from outside Kansas City, said Kyle FitzGerald. The event — which spotlights high-growth companies seeking at least $1 million — fosters real investor connections, he added. “It’s the region’s best chance to get in front of a high volume of very qualified…

Tim Fortier, Drawbridge Strategies

Passive investment approach is so 30 years ago, Drawbridge strategist says

Transforming a systematic process into a company built on efficiency has Lee’s Summit-based Drawbridge Strategies ready to disrupt the world of finance, said Tim Fortier. “A product is a means to an end, not the end itself. What is necessary is better investor education on the process behind the product,” said Fortier, Drawbridge Strategies CIO….

Marshall Dougherty, Target Hill Capital

Marshall Dougherty: Don’t forget 4 basic values that drive entrepreneurial success

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Marshall Dougherty is a longtime developer of leaders and teams through his military and investment careers. The local crime report, shady politicians, unscrupulous business people — it’s easy to adopt a cynical view of the world and feel like today’s culture of lying…

Target Hill Capital defusing risk on startups between friends and family, seed funding stages

An opportunity to deliver exponential impact in a community committed to entrepreneurship has resulted in the launch of Target Hill Capital –– an outside-the-box venture capital fund, Marshall Dougherty said.  “When we were involved [with previous startups], we compared notes and surveyed the startup ecosystem in Kansas City,” Dougherty said of the events that led…