Interview With Brad Feld, Co-founder Of Techstars, On His Journey Building Startup Communities Dedicated To Solving Complex Challenges
In episode 66 of the Disruptors for GOOD podcast, I speak with Brad Feld, Co-founder of Techstars and the Foundry Group, on turning his entrepreneurial and venture capital journey into global startup communities dedicated to solving complex challenges.
Brad Feld is co-founder of the Foundry Group, and has been an early stage investor and entrepreneur since 1987. Brad previously co-founded Mobius Venture Capital and Techstars, and prior to that, founded Intensity Ventures. Feld was an early investor in Harmonix, Zynga, MakerBot, and Fitbit.
A writer and speaker on venture capital investing and entrepreneurship, Brad has written a number of books as part of the Startup Revolution series, and writes the blogs Feld Thoughts and Venture Deals. He currently is chair of the National Center for Women & Information Technology and on the boards of Path Forward, the Kauffman Fellows, and Defy Ventures. Brad holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Management Science from MIT and has completed 25 marathons as part of his mission to finish a marathon in each of the 50 U.S. states.
Brad Feld’s new book
The Startup Community Way: Evolving an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem is an explanatory guide for startup communities. Rooted in the theory of complex systems, this book establishes the systemic properties of entrepreneurial ecosystems and explains why their complex nature leads people to make predictable mistakes. The Startup Community Way offers practical advice for entrepreneurs, community builders, government officials, and other stakeholders who want to harness the power of entrepreneurship in their city.
About Techstars: Each year, the company chooses over 500 early-stage companies to join one of their 3-month, mentorship-driven accelerators, investing $120K and providing hands-on mentorship and access to the Techstars network for life.
To date, Techstars has accelerated over 2,000 companies, with total funding eclipsing $9B, with a total market cap of over $26B!
Check out the Techstars Sustainability Accelerator in Partnership with The Nature Conservancy!
About the Foundry Group: The Foundry Group helps entrepreneurs and venture capital fund managers turn promising ideas into market-defining and market-leading businesses. They are committed to spreading the Foundry Group ethos through investment activity as well as in the other ways the team engages with the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
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