Good investors know that they really have to do more than just write a check and wait 5-7 years for the startup to an exit event such as an acquisition or an IPO. If they want a great return, they become part of the team to attract other investors and open the doors of opportunity by using their professional network to help the startup succeed to create revenue through sales and partnerships.

In areas where venture capital is scarce and the entrepreneurs are inexperienced, the term Vulture Capital can be thrown around dangerously. The fear that the investor is going to take more of the company than the dollars are worth and potentially take over the company and push out the founders. This can be prevented if you network within the community and get to know the regional investors BEFORE you begin the company.

When I ran the Blue Ridge Entrepreneurial Council in Asheville, we hosted an annual Carolina Connect conference in 2006 where we once had a beautiful conversation between rock star young entrepreneur Jud Bowman, the wise investor Steve Nelson and one of my early mentors Bob McMahan, who was the Science and Technology Advisor to the Governor of North Carolina who served as the moderator.

In this conversation, we had Jud Bowman talk about his beginning as the founder of PinPoint Networks while he was still in high school at the NC School for Science and Math. Pinpoint Networks eventually merged with another company and formed Motricity which had an IPO. Jud has twice been named “Entrepreneur of the Year” in North Carolina. Jud eventually spun out a new company from Motricity called Appia which was recently acquired for over $100 m. and has a new startup as well. Jud is a serial entrepreneur and now an angel investor, an important part of any startup ecosystem.

Steve Nelson, investor with Wakefield Group Venture Capital fund, talked about the realization he was investing in someone well under the age of 21. Steve has had his own entrepreneurial career including taking Quokka Sports which had an IPO after designing a web site for the Olympics.Steve has also invested in Liquidia Technologies, a very promising drug delivery company in the nanotechnology industry. Steve certainly played the role of the wise mentor to the young entrepreneur who he could see had a VERY bright future.

The conversation helped people understand that Steve the investor was a VERY valuable part of Jud’s Pinpoint team, And how do you know that for a fact even ten years later? Steve has also invested in Jud’s following sequence of startups including Appia and the newest startup Sift Media.

In the 16 years I have been doing entrepreneur development, this simple chat between three powerful people received the most overwhelming positive feedback.

I have tried to recreate this chat several times, but the chemistry has never been quite the same.

On April 12, I will try again in Wilmington with three really powerful and nice people. You see the Raleigh / Durham market is booming, some say the 2nd strongest regional economy is US, and we are a short drive to the coast away. So I have created the phrase the Coastal Corridor, meaning the short 2 hour drive between Raleigh and Wilmington, depending on the weight of your foot on the gas pedal. We know you make business trips to the beach on Thursdays to turn it into a weekend. We are okay with that.

David Gardner is a serial entrepreneur, turned hyper-active angel investor turned Founder of CoFounders Capital ($10 m fund) and has an accelerator in downtown Cary. david may be most famous for being involved in PeopleClick (acquired for over $100m) and investing over $7 million as an angel in the Raleigh / Durham area. David is very bold and direct in his mentorship when he communicates to the startup ecosystem. He goes on sales calls with the companies he is considering investing with. He is also an author with the book The Startup Hats.

Justin Miller is equally as unique as Founder / CEO of WedPics.com. Justin is one of the best follows on Twitter (@IMJustinMiller ) as he jokes about himself and his friends. WedPics is a VERY interesting pivot story which has led to 4 million downloads of his wedding related app and over $12 m dollars raised including capital from David Gardner, mentioned above. Justin also owns a new taco related business. He LOVES tacos and is a fierce defender of the social culture of Raleigh. He is a big tall guy with an equally big personality.

The moderator for this Riverside chat is equally important as he has seen it all. My good friend Merrill Mason has been an active connector in the Raleigh / Durham market for more than 15 years. Merrill is a lawyer with Smith Anderson Law firm and friends with both of the other speakers. (Smith Anderson is also a sponsor of the Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington )

We would welcome you to attend this event on April 12 if you are curious about our startup ecosystem at the beach and the #CoastalCorridor. Or just want a Spring trip.

Register at:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/three-of-highest-profile-execs-of-raleigh-startup-ecosystem-at-nc-coast-april-12-tickets-23114602398

About the author: Jim R. Roberts is a professional connector that has started several entrepreneur support organizations in North Carolina. He is currently the founder of the Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington(NEW) and the Wilmington Angels for Local Entrepreneurs (WALE) in Wilmington, North Carolina. Twitter – RedSpireUSNC