Lighter Capital CEO BJ Lackland helps judge ServiceNow's CreatorCon Challenge
ServiceNow launched the CreatorCon Challenge to find and fund apps built to solve thorny problems for their global user base. Lighter Capital CEO BJ Lackland—along with Om Malik, founder of GigaOM and partner at True Ventures, and David Webb, CIO of Equifax and former COO of Silicon Valley Bank—judged the contest, picking the winner and two runners up from more than 225 entries from around the world.
Lighter Capital at Lendit USA 2017
Lighter Capital CEO BJ Lackland will be speaking on a panel at Lendit USA 2017, "Taking a Unique Approach to Expand Small Business Lending," along with William Davis of Able Lending and Mark Rockefeller of StreetShares. The panel will be moderated by Jacob Haar of Community Investment Management. Please join us on Monday, March 6th at 2:15pm at the Innovation in Lending section of the Javits Center.
Lighter Capital talks funding at Seattle Startup Week!
Supporting startups and entrepreneurship is at our core, and that's why we’re excited to announce that Lighter Capital will be leading the funding track during Seattle Startup Week 2016. This week is all about coverage of the hottest topics circulating in the startup scene, presented by startup founders, investors, and influencers. Whether you’re mulling over an idea for a new startup, new to the Seattle area, looking for your tribe of entrepreneurs, or are well-established in the Seattle startup scene, this is the perfect week to jump in. Follow the buzz at #SSW2016 with @LighterCapital and @SEAstartupweek.
Three reflections on the future of online lending from LendIt
Last week, three colleagues and I attended LendIt in San Francisco. It was a great way to connect with 4,000 other people working in online lending and fintech across the U.S. and overseas, as well as service providers. It covered all flavors of balance sheet and marketplace lending across the commercial and consumer landscapes from auto to mortgage, and student loans to small business loans.
3 reasons to join us at the SaaStr Annual
Lighter Capital is excited to be a sponsor of the SaaStr Annual conference again this year, and we want you to join us! The conference is February 9-11 in San Francisco, and this year Jason Lemkin and the team are taking things up a notch. It’s going to be three action-packed days of high-quality networking and learning for over 5,000 SaaS entrepreneurs, execs, investors and founders.
See you at Dreamforce 2015!
Are you heading to Saleforce.com’s annual Dreamforce extravaganza in San Francisco this year? If so, the Lighter Capital Team would love to see you there! Once again you will be able to find us in the Partner Zone at the Park Central Hotel on 3rd St and we are co-hosting a couple of great sessions for entrepreneurs. This year, we're excited to be a sponsor of the inaugural Salesforce Startup Summit. We're also co-sponsoring the CodeScience Genius Bash @ B Bar. Read on for more details!
9Mile Labs graduation day: 3 takeaways
Last week, the Lighter Capital attended the graduation of nine startups that went through a 4-month program organized by 9Mile Labs, a Seattle-based high-tech accelerator that specializes in fostering rapid growth of B2B software and cloud technology companies. Participating startups get $35,000 pre-seed funding (in exchange for a 8% equity stake), mentoring and introductions from the 9Mile Labs network of entrepreneurs, a workspace, access to special networking and social events, and the opportunity to pitch to angel investors and VCs.
At graduation, startups of cohort IV gave their final presentation to an audience packed with investors, entrepreneurs, and mentors. Here’s what I learned from this event.Read more
What we learned from the 2015 Spring First Look Forum
At Lighter Capital, we think it’s important to give back to the local entrepreneur community in Seattle. We are proud to be part of this vibrant technology hub and think there's huge potential in the Pacific Northwest. Recently, we became a member of WTIA (Washington Technology Industry Association) and were invited to participate in their 2015 Spring First Look Forum, a coaching program and presentation showcase for early-stage startups.
Webinar recap: an insider guide to comparing funding options for your tech startups
Fundraising for your tech startups can be unpredictable and confusing. There are many funding options available, and you want to make the right choice. Should you choose a VC-backed path or one in which you avoid venture capital? Or is a blended path best? To help make sense of your options, Lighter Capital Director Branden Harper hosted a webinar last Thursday to discuss key considerations for creating a funding strategy for your tech startup. Here are the seven most important takeaways.
Funding breakfast Q&A, featuring BJ Lackland of Lighter Capital and startup lawyer Joe Wallin
Our great friend Joe Wallin, a leading startup lawyer in the Pacific Northwest invited BJ, our CEO to join him for a breakfast Q&A on funding for growing technology companies.
Do you have a big idea for 2015? Are you planning to launch a new product? Got a marketing or sales initiative you want to get off the ground? What about bringing on new hires?
The question is always "how to fund it?"