#41: Startup Fundraising 101 with Serial Entrepreneur, Investor and Innovation Expert Rachael Qualls

A brief glimpse at Rachael Qualls’ resumé will convince you that she’s a true innovator in the world of venture capital and angel investing. A brief meeting with her at a Powderkeg pitch night in Kansas City, MO, convinced me that I had to invite her on the podcast to share her deep knowledge of fundraising and investing with our community of entrepreneurs. Qualls has a decade of experience building and investing in companies, first among the flourishing tech ecosystem in Nashville, TN, and now in her hometown of Kansas City. She’s seen firsthand how difficult it is for founders to raise money, and she’s passionate about making it easier. Her current company, Venture360, aims to do this through a private equity portfolio management platform that helps entrepreneurs and investors close deals and track investments with fewer hassles. In our interview, Qualls gives in-depth and practical advice on all things fundraising, touching on such topics as researching investors, generating interest, assembling an appealing pitch deck and making a good impression at your first meeting. Qualls is also an expert on innovation, and she provides insight into the latest industry trends—online investing, crowdfunding and ICOs—and how they’re likely to revolutionize investing in the near future. This episode is packed with insider information that should provide valuable context for any founder or investor looking to increase their fundraising IQ. It should also be an enlightening resource for anyone interested in the current state of investing and the exciting places the industry is headed. In this episode with Rachael Qualls, you’ll learn: -- What it takes to scale an innovative tech business -- The biggest obstacles that prevent entrepreneurs from getting funded -- What she’s doing to get more people interested in venture and angel investing -- How the nature of investment is changing in response to tech and government legislation -- Why you should always be raising capital and detailed steps for doing so -- Expert tips for assembling your pitch deck and meeting with investors -- Why ICOs will be huge for the future of digital investing --- This episode of Powderkeg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast.