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Welcome to the 15th edition of The Good News Newsletter—proudly serving over 3,264 founders! Here, we break down the latest insights from our weekly Investor Office Hours sessions and equip you with tools to help you secure capital, customers, and talent for your business.

Missed the live session? Listen to the recording here.
Want to join the next session? Check out the full list of investors here.
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Office Hours Recap:
We are now partnering with the Startup Community led by @TheBestOfAdam on X to bring our Office Hours to over 149,100 community members!

Session #1 - Sakib Dadi, Partner at Stage 2 Capital

Stage: Seed to Series B

Industry: B2B software, with a focus on companies building sustainable and scalable revenue engines

Check Size: $2M - $4M

How to Apply: Thoughtful direct outreach through stage2.capital or directly to Sakib via LinkedIn if there’s strong alignment.

Key Takeaways from Session:

1. Sales Execution Is the Core: Stage 2 Capital is the first VC fund backed and run by a community of go-to-market executives. They focus on companies where sales motion and revenue generation can be a strategic differentiator.

2. Evidence Over Projections: Sakib emphasized the importance of showing tangible sales progress — not just future forecasts — when raising capital. Demonstrating traction, conversion rates, and repeatability builds investor confidence.

3. Fit the Fund’s Expertise: Founders should approach Stage 2 when they are ready to invest heavily in sales and scale go-to-market strategies. The best fits are companies eager to learn from and collaborate with seasoned sales leaders in Stage 2’s network.

Session #2 - Robert Harary, Investor at Evolution VC Partners

Stage: Pre-Seed to Growth

Industry: Culture Technology, Consumer, Media, Entertainment, and emerging sectors shaping how people live and connect. Strong emphasis on Wild Ideas.

Check Size: $18K - $18M

How to Apply: Founders can reach out via evolutionvcp.com or connect with Robert directly on LinkedIn with a clear and concise pitch.

Key Takeaways from Session:

1. Investing in Culture Shapers: Evolution VC Partners focuses on companies that influence lifestyle, behavior, and consumer engagement at scale. They look for products that can shift culture, not just market share.

2. Brand Is a Moat: Robert stressed that brand equity can be as important as technology or distribution. A strong brand story that resonates with consumers builds defensibility and accelerates growth.

3. Strategic Relationships Matter: Beyond capital, Evolution VC provides access to a network of industry leaders, celebrities, and influencers. Founders who can leverage these relationships to drive growth will be the strongest fits for the portfolio.

Funding Resources:

💰 Resources of the Week:

Distilled Intelligence Pitch Competition - $1M | Deadline: 8/15/2025

Black Tech Saturdays Mass Tech Adoption Challenge - $25K | Deadline: 8/15/2025

Paypal Small Business Impact Awards - $25K | Deadline: 8/15/2025

Greater Sum’s Virtual Incubator - Up to $10K | Deadline: 8/15/2025

Alibaba CoCreate Pitch - Up to $200K | Deadline: 8/15/2025

SemperVirens Accelerator - Deadline: 8/15/2025

VHBOS - $5K | Deadline: 8/22/2025

The SkyDeck Berkeley Acceleration Method - $200K | Deadline: 8/22/2025

Quit & Thrive Challenge - $100K | Deadline: 9/2/20225

AI x New Energy Tech Startup Bootcamp - $100K | Deadline: 9/5/20205

Tulsa Remote - $10K | Rolling

💸 Alternative Funding Sources:

Access up to $2M in non-dilutive debt financing. Request information here.

Raise up to $5M in equity capital through a Community Round. Request information here.

Interested in 1 on 1 support from Darrel? In preparation for launching my own fund, I will be working 1 on 1 with select founders as an advisor. Interested founders can learn more and consider submitting their company here.

🎙️ Podcast of the Week:

Summary:
Shaan Puri sits down with Alex Hormozi who breaks down four simple but powerful math equations that can transform your business’s growth trajectory. He explains how to calculate the true drivers of revenue, customer lifetime value, and acquisition cost, and why small changes in these inputs can produce exponential results. Hormozi uses practical examples to show how founders can identify their most profitable levers, improve margins, and scale strategically. The focus is on clarity — stripping away vanity metrics and focusing on numbers that actually move the needle.

Why I recommend it:
This episode is a goldmine for any entrepreneur who wants to scale with intention. Hormozi doesn’t just give theory — he arms you with formulas you can apply today to see where your business is leaking profit and where it can grow faster. It’s the kind of content that forces you to stop guessing and start measuring, making it essential listening if you want to turn ambition into predictable, repeatable success. You can listen here.

✨ Inspiration

💬 Tweet of the Week

🙏🏽 Scripture of the Week

That’s all for this week’s edition of The Good News Newsletter. We hope you found these insights valuable as you continue your journey to securing funding.

What’s next?

Join us the this Friday for more amazing guests joining us for Office Hours.

​​For session #1 we have Phil Jung, Partner at Sovereign's Capital

​Sovereign's Capital provides capital and strategic partnership to values-driven, category-defining companies to drive returns and cultural impact.

For session #2 we have Andrew Chan, Founder and Managing Partner at Atas VC

​Atas VC invests in the future of traditional industries.

If interested in joining and/or pitching, please register here.

You can see the full list of past and future VCs on this Calendar.

Be on the lookout for our newsletter next week where we’ll bring you more actionable advice, resources, and success stories.

Let’s All, spread ‘The Good News’

Best,
Darrel Frater
Co-Founder
The Frater Family Foundation
Linkedin | Twitter/X | 609-804-5999

P.S. - If you enjoyed this newsletter, forward it to a founder you know who could benefit from these insights!

P.S.S. - Got ideas or suggestions for The Good News? Shoot me an email at [email protected] for us to discuss!

About TFFF: The Frater Family Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the family office of Darrel and Roselly Frater, dedicated to promoting human prosperity through entrepreneurship. To learn more, reach out to Darrel Frater directly.