OUR BETTER ANGELS
Welcome to our first blog post! We call it “Our Better Angels” for two main reasons…
Many in our community are angel investors.
We operate transparently, we treat everyone we encounter with kindness and respect and we’re driven to do the right thing
What You Will See Here In Future Posts
THE PULSE OF THE FOUNDER AND INVESTOR COMMUNITY
- BNC is a community of accredited investors, successful business professionals and startup founders. We’re often first-to-notice trends we’ll share here.
- Plus we proudly coach founders through our Best Practices Investor Pitch Deck Masterclass.
BEST PRACTICES INVESTOR PITCH DECK MASTERCLASS
We host a monthly pitch event called the BNC Venture Forum. We have produced this event, both live and on zoom, for 16 years.
- We require presenters to participate in a highly personalized Masterclass. These sessions are opportunities for the BNC team to share best practices and to ensure the presenter offers a compelling story. We will share these guideposts in blog posts.
- Startup Founders interested to present to our investor audience, can reach out to Loren Minkus at [email protected].
Please let me introduce Business Network Chicago (or BNC) Leadership
THE BNC VENTURE FORUM. Three founders seek capital and present their pitch to investors.
Every month, in preparation to produce a pitch event, your BNC leadership team sifts through a funnel of startups whose founders seek investment capital. We look for companies we believe our investor audience will find appealing as investment opportunities.
- We invite three of the very best (and usually most interesting) founders to participate in our highly personalized masterclass. The class is designed to optimize the founder’s chances to become part of the BNC community and get follow up meetings with interested investors when they pitch at a BNC Venture Forum.
- BNC actively pursues founders, to attend the Masterclass and to present at the Venture Forum, whose demographics are not well represented at pitch events. We welcome applications from everyone without concern for their gender, race, physical abilities, or age.
You can read more about Len Bland, Loren Minkus and me, Ron Shulkin.
BNC is a Loosely Federated Group Of Business Professionals
You Are Welcome To Join Us!
- Our audiences are diverse and come from a broad range of disciplines.
- BNC is comprised of investors, mentors, and founders.
- We act as mentor, speaker, and adviser to founders. Founders apply to our Masterclass and to present.
- We volunteer our time to foster the growth of entrepreneurial activity and the development of mutually beneficial relationships.
- We act as a resource to, and nurture relationships with, investors.
Every BNC Venture Forum attendee participates!
Every month at the BNC Venture Forum, attendees serve as judges, they answer the moderators’ follow up questions (to ensure the presenter knows what’s working in the pitch and what needs to be clarified).
Opportunities to Network
- Before the pitches start, our hosts invite each attendee to introduce themselves and tell their story to the audience.
- These Introductions can be followed by posting contact information in the Zoom chat for those who might want to learn more.
- The last part of every pitch event, the group opt into various breakout rooms. Each breakout room has one of the three founders (and moderators) in attendance. This is an opportunity for attendees to get to know each other, and the founders, better.
TOP EIGHT REASONS TO BECOME PART OF OUR COMMUNITY
- We hang out with a bunch of smart people who check their egos at the door. The community is kind, respectful and cordial.
- The BNC Team is Proud to Host A Community Populated by Diverse Cultures, Demographics, Skills and Experiences
- We Deliver A Modern Environment Where Collaboration and Innovation Thrive
- BNC Pitch Nights provide opportunity to network and interact with investors, founders, and each other
- Attendees each month include investors, founders, mentors, & business community leaders
- Attendees gain access to well-screened investment opportunities
- We all get to hear the great stories behind three founders’ innovations
We attract Founder-Presenters by offering coaching, supported by the collective insight of our investor community, and by consistently delivering dozens of investors to each month’s meeting - These passionate entrepreneurs are screened, selected, & coached during a personalized “BNC Pitch Deck Best-Practices Masterclass”
YOU ARE WELCOME TO JOIN US!
The BNC Venture Forum is populated by smart, congenial people who enjoy playing a role in the entrepreneurial process. We can’t wait to meet you there!
Check Out Our Website
You can find information about upcoming events, review full length past pitch events, and dive deep on investment opportunities on a “Companies Seeking Investment” page.
We are providing best-practices investor pitch deck resources startup founders can use
Thanks, Ron Shulkin