Sales and Marketing

On this episode, Elio interviews Ryan Frederick, Founder of AWH. AWH is a software development firm that helps companies build innovative and disruptive products for the web, mobile, and IoT. Ryan discusses his new book The Founder's Manual and the lessons learned building his company and helping entrepreneurs build theirs. Ryan is an active angel investor, mentors, and advises entrepreneurs and startups, as well as corporate innovation leaders.

On this episode, Elio interviews LoLo Smith, Co-Founder of The Urban Accelerator X and The Black Project. LoLo shares her entrepreneurial journey from starting a successful FOREX trading company to watching it fail due to lack of proper legal protections. Not one to let failure stop her, LoLo's passion for helping black entrepreneurs succeed drove her to start The Black Project, a brand firm that helps all entrepreneurs but especially black entrepreneurs launch successful brands. Most recently, she and her co-founders launched The Urban Accelerator X, a support organization for urban businesses that provides education, co-working, and resourced for entrepreneurs of color. This episode is full of energy with plenty of laughs. Enjoy.

By Rodolfo Bellesi, Founder and Principal at Ikove Capital

There can be a lot of volatility within a startup and it is crucial that there is a strong CEO in place who can bring the company stability. As I’ve mentioned in a previous blog post, “The Importance of an Inventor’s Role Within a Startup,” you often have to search for someone to take on the role of CEO, and this can be a challenging process. When I’m searching for a CEO to run a company, I’m looking for someone who has the characteristics of a good salesperson.