The Download
Add “murse” (as in, a man’s purse) to the list of words that I didn’t expect to see on GrepBeat. Nevertheless, here we are. If you’re looking for more context, then you’ll have to click on this week’s edition of The Download, in which our own Brooks Malone sits down with the well-traveled and well-accessorized Alex Osadzinski, a longtime startup veteran who’s now a venture partner at Cary’s Cofounders Capital. Read the full Q&A here.
On Track(ing)
Disney World is scheduled to re-open next month and other amusement parks will likely return soon as well. Even with sparser crowds at first, that will mean a return of something much less amusing—losing track of your over-excited kids. Raleigh’s TraKid offers a solution with a wearable bracelet for the child that pairs with a tracking app for the parent. TraKid sells the devices to amusement parks, which rent them to patrons. The startup emerged from a class that CEO Brandon Kashani took as an NC State senior in 2017-’18. Read all about it in our story here.
Good Karma
In late April we featured Raleigh-based startup ImpactKarma, which helps you find and support online retailers who rank high on social and environmental responsibility. Now ImpactKarma is announcing two new initiatives: 1) In solidarity with #BlackLivesMatter, during June and July ImpactKarma will donate 100% of its profits from purchases made from Black-owned businesses on its “sustainable marketplace” to the nonprofit Black & Brown Founders. 2) The startup will roll out “KarmaCoins” on its marketplace, which consumers can earn by shopping—the higher a company ranks in social/environmental responsibility, the more KarmaCoins. They are redeemable for discounts, exclusive offers and more.
Hanging In
Cofounders Capital’s David Gardner provides a meaty baker’s dozen of recommendations for startup founders in these difficult times in WRAL TechWire. The tl:dr version—watch your cash, make plans but stay flexible, and don’t be afraid to pull the trigger on tough decisions. But really, it’s worth reading.
Staffing Up
Two weeks ago we featured ArchiveSocial CEO Ray Carey in The Download, if only for a excuse to show him posing with a giant fish. Still flush off the $53M investment last May by PE/growth equity firm Level Equity, ArchiveSocial—which helps public agencies and private companies archive their social media presences—is continuing to build out its management team to fuel growth. Last Friday the startup announced two new hires: Nancy Vodicka as head of marketing and Lyle Henderson as head of finance. TechWire has more details.
Boldface Names
Next Tuesday and Wednesday mornings (June 23-24, 9:15-12:15) NC TECH will hold a virtual Diversity + Inclusion in Tech Summit with a star-studded lineup. The keynote speakers are LCI Tech’s John Samuel (whom we wrote about in December) and Raven Solomon, an expert on multigenerational leadership, while Walk West CEO Donald Thompson is the closing speaker.
Among the panelists, some of the more familiar names to GrepBeaters are Doug Speight (ex-American Underground, current CEO of AnnexTech Partners), Catherine Harrell (CMO of Dude Solutions and a GrepBeat Q&A subject), Jillian Munro (CTO of Spreedly) and Pashara Black (Events & Community Outreach Manager at StrongKey).
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