On October 4th from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm, the Rocky Mountain Venture Capital Association will be hosting a terrific event in Boise called “VC’s Unplugged” in The Hoff Building’s Crystal Ballroom. The afternoon will include a panel of eight out-of-state venture capitalists from the Rocky Mountain region (including VC’s from CO, UT, AZ, MT, […]
Archive for the ‘Intermountain West’ Category
Sep
07
Apr
12
Why Should I Apply To BoomStartup?
Ever heard of BoomStartup? It’s a mentorship-driven startup accelerator in Salt Lake City similar in structure to the renowned TechStars program of David Cohen and Brad Feld. In fact, BoomStartup recently became one of the first members of the newly formed TechStars Network (which essentially means if you’re accepted to BoomStartup, you can gain improved […]
Mar
30
Contribution, Community & Mentorship
Last night, I was reading the article that appeared in TechCrunch about TechStars raising an additional $8 million for its programs and was reflecting on being a part of the TechStars community. As investors who’ve had a front row seat to the TechStars phenomenon for the last few years (and invested in a handful of TechStars […]
Feb
17
Lendio - Our Latest Investment
At Highway 12 Ventures, we believe the customer/bank relationship has changed. This phenomenon first started during the dotcom meltdown in 2001-2003 and again saw radical change in late 2008. Historically, most small businesses went to the bank on the corner. That is no longer the case as we have all read about the difficulties small […]
Jun
10
VCIR Fall 2010 - Call for Presenting Companies
Call for Presenting Companies for VCIR Fall 2010 WHAT Venture Capital in the Rockies Fall is the largest and oldest capital conference in the Rockies region. Now in its 3rd year, Venture Capital in the Rockies showcases the region’s most promising companies for an audience of over 150 venture investors and service professionals from around […]
Apr
13
Our Investment In Goomzee & A Lesson For First-Time Entrepreneurs
Last week, there was a considerable amount of media attention regarding the announcement of our investment in Missoula, MT-based Goomzee. The company has developed a very elegant and innovative mobile marketing platform that helps real estate professionals connect with potential buyers. The platform has applications beyond the real estate market, including retail and auto. Even […]
Apr
08
The RMVCA, Leadership Observations & Opportunity in the Rocky Mountain Region
Yesterday I led my first Rocky Mountain Venture Capital Association board meeting as the new chairman of the organization. I left the meeting excited about the momentum of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region and completely jazzed about the positive energy exhibited by a board that has undergone more than 50% turnover in the last […]
Apr
07
TechStars Visits Boise - April 21
Over the last few years, you’ve probably heard me talk about TechStars or read a post about them in this blog. If you have, it will come as no surprise to you that I believe TechStars is probably the most unique and innovative mentorship program to help foster and support startups that I’ve seen in […]
Oct
05
5 Minutes With Aaron Turner
While there are plenty of high-profile start-ups in the region, there are a growing number of terrific new companies sprouting up off the beaten path as well. RFinity is one of those companies. Based in Idaho Falls near the Montana border, RFinity is setting out to make mobile payments completely secure. With a terrific funding […]
Sep
10
VCIR Fall ’09, Utah, 9/11 and why I believe in angels…
Sitting in my hotel room with a bit of a fuzzy head after I was over-served at VCIR’s traditional poker tournament last, I’ve been reflecting on what a terrific event it was. When we created the RMVCA two years ago, part of that vision was adding a Fall VCIR event that moves around the region […]