Investor Office Hours w/ Inspire Access & Behind Genius Ventures

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Darrel Frater ✝️
@DarrelFraterOct 11, 2025

The Spaces brought founders and investors together for live office hours simulcast on Chatter Social (video) and X (audio). Host Daryl Freighter (VC) outlined his journey, mission-driven approach, and plans for a fund-of-funds, then featured Ryan Pearce (Inspire Access), who detailed how philanthropic capital—especially donor-advised funds (DAFs)—can be mobilized alongside traditional checks to lower investor risk and unlock new pools of funding for diverse-led founders and fund managers. Ryan shared case studies (e.g., Public Care with UNC’s Carolina Angel Network) and offered pitch guidance: align problem-solution, avoid empty stats, own the origin story, and show revenue paths. He also assessed the tougher fundraising climate, urging a focus on base hits over unicorn narratives. Founders pitched across health, enterprise culture, and social action, while video added richer rapport. In session two, Chinwuba from Behind Genius Ventures (BGV) explained BGV’s “technical storytellers” thesis, small-check strategy, and a recent AI SOX-audit investment sourced via public visibility—underscoring how to be discoverable and compelling. He and Daryl coached pitches on distribution, storytelling, experimentation, and product-led growth. The session closed with next-week investor line-up and community calls-to-action.

Weekly Office Hours Simulcast — Chatter Social + X

Participants and Roles

  • Daryl Freater (Host, VC; advisor to Chatter Social)
  • Ryan Pearce (VC and Program Manager at Inspire Access; co-founder of a syndicate with ShopBlack)
  • Chinwuba (Investor at Behind Genius Ventures)
  • Chatter Social team support: Nelson (Chatter Social), Naz/Nazi (room moderation and tech support)
  • Founders who pitched:
    • Dia Hicks (Swagger Scan)
    • Stev/Steven (“Player 2”)
    • Liben (CareSupport.com)
    • Michael (Execute — connectexecute.com)
    • “GS” (AI ops and compliance for home care agencies)
    • Alan (Trading bot with client-side licensing)
    • Selva (Film/TV producer)
    • Samuel (MindCare for university students)
    • Eric (Swipe Scout — video resumes) [brief mention]

Format and Technical Setup

  • First-time simulcast: video on Chatter Social and audio-only on X; founders on video were prioritized for pitches.
  • Chatter provided a studio-like experience; cross-app audio felt seamless.
  • Daryl’s weekly office hours (running >2.5 years) invite founders to make brief introductions (≈1 minute), followed by Q&A with guest investors.
  • Housekeeping: Founders encouraged to join the “Startup Founders Community” group on Chatter to receive live notifications.

Session 1: Philanthropic Capital Access and Fundraising Clarity (Guest: Ryan Pearce)

Inspire Access — Mission and Vehicle

  • Mandate: Mobilize philanthropic capital (including donor-advised funds, DAFs) for high-performing companies and investment fund managers that are diverse-led or directly support underrepresented communities. Inclusive of all founders as long as their work advances societal good.
  • Vehicle mechanics:
    • Donors (HNWI, family offices, orgs) can invest using charitable dollars (personal funds, public equities, DAFs).
    • Investors receive a tax write-off; this reduces risk and opens new pools of capital.
    • Enables “double-dipping”: investors can participate via traditional checks and charitable allocations in the same round.
  • Market context: ≈$250B sits idle in DAFs; Inspire Access helps founders access these dollars.
  • Beneficiaries: Founders and fund managers (examples include Halcyon, Zeal Capital, Ulu Ventures, Rethink Ventures).
  • Non-dilutive path: Corporate/foundation charitable arms can issue grants through Inspire Access (recent grant facilitated via JPMorgan to a DC-based company).

Founder-Facing Process and Support

  • Founder-friendly onboarding: materials, joint calls to explain the vehicle, and pitch coaching.
  • Pitch refinement: Ryan leverages experience at Wefunder and VC roles to tight-line narratives, decks, and investor communications.
  • Active participation: When founders request, Ryan joins investor calls to reinforce the pitch—especially effective when aligned with his domain expertise (e.g., beauty, CPG).

Case Study Highlights

  • Public Care (MedTech, North Carolina):
    • Inspire Access coordinated a pitch to Carolina Angel Network (UNC’s syndicate).
    • Result: ≈$50k raised; some investors contributed via traditional paths and via charitable funds in the same round.
  • Fund manager example (Halcyon):
    • Collaborated on a round; ≈10–15 investors participated through the philanthropic vehicle.

Current Fundraising Climate and Advice

  • Environment: Harder than ever. Market turbulence, liquidity preference, and tighter risk tolerance.
  • Angels increasingly seek base hits over home-run narratives; prefer clear revenue paths and realistic exits (e.g., potential high 8-figure outcomes) over unicorn promises.
  • AI exception caveat: True platform-scale outcomes likely limited to a few players; most founders should demonstrate practical unit economics and traction.

Common Pitch Pitfalls and Corrections

  • Avoid “empty calories”: e.g., “150 years combined experience” on team slides—investors see through padding.
  • Ensure problem–solution alignment: Don’t mismatch a vague pain point with an unrelated feature/app.
  • Authenticity and founder–market fit: Articulate the origin story and why you are uniquely suited to solve the problem.
  • Demonstrate “skin in the game”: Show pipeline, user acquisition strategy, and clear revenue conversion—answer “If I give you $25k, how soon do you double users or revenue?”

Elevator Introduction Components (for 60 seconds)

  • What you do.
  • Problem you solve and why it exists/how large it is.
  • Traction.
  • Exit path (if defined).

Founder Pitches and Investor Feedback (Session 1)

Swagger Scan (Founder: Dia Hicks)

  • Proposition: World’s first AI-driven dating and gaming platform emphasizing testing and health transparency (e.g., STI screening, genetic trait awareness such as sickle cell).
  • Origin: Deeply personal, faith-rooted story; founded in 2013.
  • Traction: ≈200k social followers without a launched app; MVP built; partnerships include Lab Testing API (global/local testing access since 2019).
  • Team: CDC-affiliated doctor (CPH role); startup veteran Lee Lorenzen as interim CRO.
  • Ask: $150k to complete app (≈$100k dev) and AR/location-based gaming; 4-month build targeting Jan/Feb launch; campus marketing.
  • Feedback (Ryan): Strong impact relevance; high likelihood of philanthropic interest from sexual health/wellness foundations. Inspire Access can start anytime; explore non-dilutive grants (corporate/foundation charities). Flagged $150k might be insufficient for full scope; founder views it as a starter to boost valuation pre-Series A.

Player 2 (Founder: Stev/Steven)

  • Thesis: Most companies suffer “Player 1 syndrome” (overreliance on founder). Player 2 introduces “legacy management systems”—belief infrastructure aligning employees/customers/leaders via SOPs, experiences, campaigns, spatial design.
  • Model: Capture 2% of enterprise Opex (market ≈$4T; addressable ≈$80B); 1% share ≈$800M recurring via multi-year engagements.
  • Raise: $2–3M for pilots, training/certification, core team, delivery platform, case studies.
  • Question: In an AI-driven world, is there room for human-centered work?
  • Feedback (Ryan): Pain point is real; demonstrate both efficiency gains and retention of institutional knowledge (AI often displaces people; retention is strategic). Continue the dialogue offline.

CareSupport.com (Founder: Liben)

  • Product: Peer coordination platform for families/caregivers—unified communication and task management around individual care.
  • Mission context: Aging population; aims to define “family software.”
  • Question: How to find and message to mission-aligned partners/investors/team for long-term infrastructure, not just a SaaS feature?
  • Feedback (Ryan): Timing is strong (boomer retirements). Twofold strategy:
    • Build public presence around values (LinkedIn/X) to attract aligned stakeholders.
    • Embed with target families to absorb needs and build community; trust grows via proximity and utility.

Execute (Founder: Michael; connectexecute.com)

  • Product: Social infrastructure for collective action to close the awareness-to-action gap; B2B2C user acquisition via influencers/orgs; 20 orgs in Chicago expressed interest.
  • Monetization: Behavior-directed advertising/marketplace (concept evolving).
  • Question: Will AI make coordination online more useful instead of just addictive?
  • Feedback (Ryan): Consumers are inundated with AI-driven tools; outcomes depend on platform winners. Anchor with mission-aligned partners who want healthier social engagement. Your solution addresses a strong pain; clarify mutual incentives for B2B partners.

Session 1 Closing

  • Ryan’s follow-up: Connect on LinkedIn; founders and fund managers interested in philanthropic capital can submit via inspireaccess.org partnership form.

Session 2: Behind Genius Ventures — Early-Stage B2B Investing (Guest: Chinwuba)

Background and Operator Empathy

  • Path: Banking during college → founded and sold an e-commerce brand → private equity consulting (e.g., Thoma Bravo diligence) → venture studio EIR → investing at Behind Genius Ventures.
  • Perspective: Operator experience fosters empathy—understands the personal/career tradeoffs, hard conversations, and team dynamics founders face.

Behind Genius Ventures (BGV)

  • Fund size: ≈$8.9M (Fund II); typical checks $150k–$250k (up to $500k).
  • Focus: “Technical storytellers”—founders with deep domain expertise (not necessarily coders) who can communicate simply and compellingly.
  • Portfolio: Predominantly B2B.
  • Team: Page (GP), Andy, and Chinwuba. Page makes final decisions; team’s sourcing/diligence influences outcomes.
  • Engagement style: Founder-led—BGV supports according to founder preference.

Recent Investment Example — “Complify” (SOX Audit AI Agents)

  • Thesis: AI agents that co-pilot or perform parts of SOX audits—beyond dashboard SaaS.
  • Team: Founder from EY (audit domain expertise) + ML co-founder with pre-ChatGPT experience.
  • Traction: Fast enterprise adoption; high contract values (~$200k).
  • Discovery: Sourced from Twitter via accelerator listings (Conviction by Sarah Guo). Page facilitated intro via LinkedIn. Domain fluency enabled targeted diligence questions from the first call.
  • Lesson: Make your company “desirable” at first glance—clarity across name, logo, descriptions, website, and founder profiles creates investor pull. Daryl emphasized optimizing these “first look” touchpoints.

Defining “Technical Storytellers”

  • “Technical”: Deep mastery or rapid learning in the space; knows key players, fragmentation points, and how the solution fits.
  • “Storyteller”: Clear, simple, compelling communication; educates investors on the problem, market, and solution.

1-Minute Intro Guidance (Chinwuba’s version)

  • Problem.
  • Solution.
  • Why you (unique insight/domain competence).
  • Market snapshot.
  • Traction.

Founder Pitches and Investor Feedback (Session 2)

AI Ops & Compliance for Home Care Agencies (Founder: “GS”)

  • Problem: Admins rely on fragmented channels (phone/text/WhatsApp/email). Audits require massive document compilation; errors risk shutdown or lost billing.
  • Solution: “Rebooks on the AI”—query-driven document assembly; centralized messaging; rescheduling; faster audit/billing readiness.
  • Traction: 4 months building; pivot ≈35 days ago; 3 agencies; $975 MRR; current plan points to ≈$11.8k/year; ambition to reach ≈$345k ARR by targeting 10 agencies/mo.
  • Questions: Comparable BGV investments and scaling tactics.
  • Feedback (Chinwuba): A similar compliance company in portfolio failed; growth worked best via industry conferences and distribution hacks (partner with top industry bodies, mags/newsletters, incumbent software vendors). Elevator pitch advice: lead with the WHY (origin), sharpen solution phrasing, add concrete GTM. Founder later shared origin: caregiver co-founder and admin co-founder—good story; use it.

Trading Bot with Client-Side Licensing (Founder: Alan)

  • Journey: Early AI/crypto; built multiple bots; focused on consistent monthly cash flow (vs market-cycle-dependent profits).
  • Product: Bot connects to client’s NinjaTrader account; money never leaves client custody; fully client-side licensing; anonymous crypto purchase possible.
  • Commercials: Risk capital requirement ≈$1.2M; monthly fee ≈$19k; targeted average ≈$40k monthly net profit (examples cited include extreme gains under stress conditions).
  • Question: Why isn’t demand surging—what’s wrong with marketing?
  • Feedback (Chinwuba): Iterate channels and messaging—test YouTube, Reddit, Discord, ads, and sales calls; isolate the “click,” then scale it. Daryl added: lean into product-led growth; collect and publish credible customer success narratives to build trust.

Film/TV Financing and Distribution (Founder: Selva)

  • Need: Financing (equity portion) and distribution; plan to combine state tax credits (e.g., GA, LA, NM) with equity and bank/bridge funding.
  • Feedback (Daryl): Any product (including films) must be demonstrably desirable—focus on quality, trailers, marketing, and team credibility; film investors assess brand, script, team, and business storytelling. Chinwuba concurred.

MindCare for Universities (Founder: Samuel)

  • Solution: Anonymous access to clinical psychologists/psychiatrists/counselors via a web platform; preventive services (awareness campaigns, groups) to reduce mental stress.
  • Model: Institutional partnerships; $1 per student per semester; example: school with 30k students engaged.
  • Note: No specific question posed; time constraints limited feedback. Daryl encouraged asking targeted questions to strengthen relationships.

Swipe Scout — Video Resumes (Founder: Eric)

  • Brief attempt to pitch at close; asked to follow up due to session end.

Session 2 Closing

  • Chinwuba’s follow-up: Connect via LinkedIn; general wellness advice (exercise, hydrate, meditate).
  • Daryl praised BGV’s work and team.

Operational Notes and Announcements

  • Daryl’s background: VC since 2021; invests pre-seed/seed; hosting weekly office hours to scale founder support; launching a “fund of funds” to back fund managers and startups.
  • Chatter Social context: Daryl is an advisor; lauds Nelson and team. Chatter enables video pitches and stage management; positioned as “Clubhouse 2.0” doing prior missteps right.
  • Next week’s guests: Severity Partner Ventures and Full Circle Ventures.

Key Takeaways for Founders

  • New capital route: Donor-advised funds and philanthropic dollars are actionable sources—Inspire Access offers a compliant vehicle to unlock them, sometimes alongside traditional checks and grants.
  • Climate reality: Aim for base hits—clear revenue plans and unit economics beat unicorn talk (especially sub-10k MRR). Show practical exit pathways.
  • Pitch quality: Authentic origin stories + tight problem–solution fit + clear go-to-market + evidence of “skin in the game” = conversion.
  • Desirability at first glance: Optimize the “first look” (company description, website, founder profiles on X/LinkedIn/Chatter) so investors want to lean in.
  • Distribution is strategy: Hack channel access via industry bodies, conferences, newsletters, and incumbent software vendors to avoid slow, one-by-one sales.
  • Community and brand: Speak publicly about your values and customer pain; embed with customers to build trust and refine product.
  • Product-led trust: Publish credible customer outcomes; success stories are the most persuasive marketing.

Action Items and Follow-Ups

  • Founders seeking philanthropic capital: Engage with Inspire Access via LinkedIn (Ryan Pearce) and partnership form at inspireaccess.org.
  • BGV-fit founders: Connect with Chinwuba (LinkedIn); ensure your pitch reflects “technical storyteller” qualities.
  • Chatter Social: Join the “Startup Founders Community” on Chatter to be notified of future video office hours.