Capital Quest: Finding funding and financial opportunities
July 20, 2023
9:00 am
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11:00 am
PST
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PST
July 20, 2023
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Why should you attend?
Why should you watch?
Founders Table is a free Amazon Small Business Academy live event series for early-stage small business owners to learn from experts and peers while building a sense of community. Within each event in the series, we’ll explore a different topic from the unique perspectives of a celebrated business expert, a small business owner, and entrepreneurs like you through fireside chats, live spotlight case studies, expert AMAs (Ask Me Anything), and topic-driven networking sessions. Here at Founders Table, everyone has a seat.
Discover the path to funding and financial opportunities at Founders Table: Capital Quest! Watch the recording from the July 20, 2023 event for an enlightening event designed to help entrepreneurs and small business owners navigate the world of funding and financial opportunities. Prepare to be inspired and empowered as we explore funding routes and strategies for business growth. Our guest speaker, Arlan Hamilton, Founder of Backstage Capital, will share her expertise during an engaging fireside chat. Arlan has bridged the funding gap for underrepresented founders and will shed light on the venture capital landscape, offering tips for securing funding in today's competitive market. In our captivating case study session, small business owners Barbara Kent & Joanna Serra of Birdy Boutique, a thriving small business, will share their journey of securing funding and leveraging financial opportunities, providing firsthand knowledge of strategies used for bank loans, competitions and grants. Engage directly with our experts to refine your funding strategy and overcome challenges during the Ask Me Anything segment. Gain practical insights to apply to your own business, and connect with fellow participants, exchange insights and meaningful conversations through small-group, topic-focused Braindate networking sessions.
Key Takeaways
Carefully curated bite-sized takeaways from our Founders Table event.
Speakers
Arlan Hamilton
Founder of Backstage Capital & Runner, Author, and "Venture Catalyst"
Arlan Hamilton, founder at Backstage Capital and HireRunner.co, is a serial entrepreneur, author, and master multi-tasker. She founded Backstage Capital in 2015 to invest in founders who are people of color, women and/or LGBTQ. Since its founding, Backstage has raised nearly $30 million and invested in 200 startups led by underestimated founders. Arlan is also the founder of HireRunner.co, a startup that connects outstanding employee talent with inclusive companies. Arlan published her book, “It’s About Damn Time,” in 2020, detailing her journey from homelessness to venture capital trailblazer. Arlan also hosts the popular podcast “Your First Million”, and in 2018, was the first non-celebrity Black woman to grace the cover of Fast Company magazine. Arlan is a big proponent of paying it forward and supporting other underestimated people in the tech industry and beyond. She’s a limited partner in 27 funds led by emerging, underestimated managers, and she and her mother, Mrs. Earline Butler-Sims, have established scholarship programs for Black students at Oxford University, HBCU Dillard University, and Harvard Law.
LinkedIn
Barbara Kent
Founder & CFO at Birdy Boutique
Barbara is a retired and service-disabled Army officer and veteran of almost 15 years. She is wife to an active duty Army Engineer, mom to two very busy "almost" teenagers and a very clumsy German Shepherd puppy named Hans. Their family has recently been stationed in Alaska, Hawaii, and Virginia. They currently reside in Germany, her husband's latest duty assignment. Barbara graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1999. She went on to honorably serve in the US Army Military Police Corps for 13 years, after which she was medically retired and disabled by the Department of Veterans Affairs. She is now a service-disabled combat veteran. She loves her sewing machine, traveling, good food and wine. Barbara is an active member of several Army spouses’ clubs which raise scholarship funds for military kids and help the active duty military communities in many other ways.
LinkedIn
Joanna Serra
Founder & COO at Birdy Boutique
A mom of three, Joanna resides on an old farm in Michigan. Joanna graduated from Wayne State University with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education; she also began her Master of Art in Educational Leadership at the University of Michigan. She taught elementary aged children and during this tenure, she earned some of the highest and most distinguished awards in her field at the state level. Her initiative and determination, combined with love for her field, allowed her to be a leader in every working environment she took part in. Joanna loves organizing fundraising events and staying very involved in her local community for the benefit of children. Now retired from education, she utilizes that experience with her army veteran sister and co-founder Barbara Kent, to incorporate education and purpose into the textile products that their company manufactures for various nationwide retailers, schools, and corporations. In addition to being passionate about education and business growth, she is an overly active community planner and volunteer and also enjoys bird watching, gardening, and learning from other inspirational entrepreneurs.
LinkedInHost
Abby Malchow
Manager of Small Business Partnerships at Amazon
Abby Malchow is a Sr. Business Development Manager for Small Business Empowerment at Amazon where she manages partnerships that help drive success for early-stage entrepreneurs and small businesses through delivering programs and investments that support their continued growth. Abby joined Amazon in December 2018 and during her tenure she has remained focused on enabling the success of entrepreneurs, small businesses, and underserved businesses through various roles, programs, and initiatives to include creating the Military Entrepreneurship Program and supporting the launch of Amazon’s Supplier Diversity Program. Prior to joining Amazon, Abby worked at Intel Corporation and is a retired U.S. Navy Chief and combat veteran, serving more than 20 years in the military.
LinkedInSchedule
View each session on the agenda
Welcome and Intro Remarks
Abby Malchow
Manager of Small Business Partnerships at Amazon
Fireside Chat: Finding Funding and Financial Opportunities
Hear from tech innovator, author and Venture Catalyst, Arlan Hamilton, as she speaks to her rise from homelessness to the founder of Backstage Capital, where she is focused on supporting under-funded founders who are LGBTQ+, Black and women-owned. Arlan is also the founder of Runner, a frequent speaker on the financial and investment landscape, and an inspiration to owners and entrepreneurs the world over. Arlan will share insights and practical tips to help you find funding for your small business. Whether you are a small product or hand-crafted company still working out of your garage space, or you are in year 5 of a small-but-mighty service business that’s ready to scale – you’ll discover the types of capital that can help your business grow. Come ready to take notes and serve up questions for the Ask Me Anything segment at the end of the Live Webcast.
Arlan Hamilton
Founder at Backstage Capital
Abby Malchow
Manager of Small Business Partnerships at Amazon
Small Business Spotlight: Birdy Boutique; From Modest to Million
They say timing is everything. That proved to be true when sisters Barbara Kent and Joanna Serra stepped away from their careers in 2013. Barbara was medically discharged from active military duty when she visited Joanna, who was on maternity leave from her teaching career. One clever hand-sewn poncho became the talk of the town, and a year later – they had a custom textile business. Find out how these women, who immigrated to the United States as toddlers, leaned into education and found a way to fund the American Dream. Prepare to delve into the natural exploration of funding – from using your savings, to applying for credit, a bank loan, entering a contest like a mini “Shark Tank,” and even crowd-sourcing funds. From starting small, to growing with a potential angel investor, to the realities of VC funding – we’ll cover it all in Capital Quest!
Barbara Kent
Founder & CFO at Birdy Boutique
Joanna Serra
Founder & COO at Birdy Boutique
Braindate
Connect and debrief with peers on topic-driven discussions and expand your network with meaningful interactions. Share thoughts with founders and entrepreneurs just like you. If something comes up that you want addressed by one of our speakers, bring it with you into the Ask Me Anything session that immediately follows.
Ask Me Anything: Live Q&A
Bring your most pressing business questions around finance, funding and other challenges to our expert panel including all of the day’s speakers: Arlan Hamilton, Barbara Kent, Joanna Serra and our host, Abby Malchow, who works with founders and entrepreneurs every day to support their continued growth.
Arlan Hamilton
Founder at Backstage Capital
Barbara Kent
Founder & CFO at Birdy Boutique
Joanna Serra
Founder & COO at Birdy Boutique
Closing Remarks
Abby Malchow
Manager of Small Business Partnerships at Amazon
How do I contact the Organizer?
For questions about Founders Table events, please contact us at founderstable@amazon.com.
Disclaimer
The information provided is for general educational purposes only. This is not legal advice and should not be construed as such. Moreover, this educational content does not create any attorney-client relationship between you and the contributors or their respective employers. You should not act upon any such information without first seeking qualified professional counsel on your specific matter. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal matter.
Founders Table: Frequently Asked Questions
Founder's Table brings you a rich and diverse range of educational sessions to enhance your small business knowledge:
Explore Small Business Trends to stay informed about industry shifts. Draw inspiration from success stories and entrepreneurial journeys, while receiving practical tips and strategies for your own business. Engage in insightful Fireside Chats with experienced entrepreneurs and industry experts. Get personalized guidance through Expert AMAs (Ask Me Anything) sessions, and dive into Spotlight Case Studies of successful businesses. Founder's Table is your go-to resource for valuable insights and inspiration on your entrepreneurial path.
