The Four Pillars That Build Enduring Companies

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Welcome to The Good News Newsletter—proudly serving over 4,067 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 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’re taking things to the next level by hosting Office Hours with video — powered by Chatter Social — making it easier than ever for founders and investors to connect face-to-face, no matter where they are.

Session #1 - Ryan Pierce, Program Manager at Inspire Access

Stage: Pre-Seed to Series A

Industry: Sector-agnostic, with a focus on diverse-led startups and impact-driven fund managers

Check Size: Varies — through philanthropic and donor-advised fund (DAF) capital rather than traditional venture dollars

How to Apply: Founders and fund managers can connect through inspireaccess.org and fill out the partnership form. Ryan also welcomes connections via LinkedIn for collaboration and follow-up discussions.

Key Takeaways from Session:

1. Philanthropy as a Funding Source: Inspire Access mobilizes philanthropic and charitable dollars to fund startups and fund managers through donor-advised funds (DAFs), unlocking new sources of capital while offering investors a tax write-off.

2. Authenticity Beats Perfection: When pitching, avoid fluff like “150 years of combined experience.” Be authentic, align your problem and solution clearly, and ensure your story reflects your lived experience and traction.

3. Refine Your Origin Story: Founders should focus on crafting a clear narrative around why they’re the right person to solve a specific problem. A well-told origin story builds trust with investors, customers, and team members.

Session #2 – Chinwuba Eze-Sike, Investor at Behind Genius Ventures

Stage: Pre-Seed & Seed

Industry: B2B SaaS, AI, and emerging tech, with a focus on founders who are “technical storytellers” — builders who pair deep domain expertise with the ability to clearly communicate their vision.

Check Size: $150K – $500K

How to Apply: Founders can connect with Behind Genius Ventures through their website at behindgeniusventures.com or by reaching out directly via LinkedIn. Warm introductions through community events, accelerators, or mutual connections are encouraged.

Key Takeaways from Session:

1. Empathy Creates Better Investors: Having been a founder himself, Chinwuba emphasized that operating experience brings perspective and humility. Founders appreciate investors who understand the real trade-offs and emotional weight of building from scratch.

2. Be Desirable, Not Just Discoverable: Great founders don’t chase investors — they attract them by building compelling, visible companies. Optimize your public presence (LinkedIn, X, website) so investors want to reach out after discovering your work.

3. Technical Storytelling Wins: Founders must pair expertise with clarity. Being deeply technical is powerful, but being able to explain it simply to others — especially investors — is what makes a company fundable.

Funding Resources:

💰 Resources of the Week:

The Tools Competition - Up To $300K | Deadline: 10/15/2025

The Black Kitchen Initiative - $20K | Deadline: 10/19/2025

The Nasdaq Foundation Grant Program - $75K | Deadline: 10/24/2025

NAACP Powershift Entrepreneur Grant - $25K | Deadline: 11/1/2025

Era Pitchslam - $100K | Deadline: 11/2/2025

Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA) - $150K | Deadline: 11/3/2025

The David Prize - $200K | Deadline: 11/17/2025

Techstars: NYC Accelerator - $220K | Deadline: 11/19/2025

Blue Ridge Labs Robinhood Catalyst Accelerator - $100K | Deadline: 11/21/2025

Strategic Supply Chain Initiative - Up to $5M

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: Episode #51: Three Venture Paths, When Great People Leave, Solo Founders | The Learning Corner by Precursor Ventures

Summary:
Charles Hudson and Mia Farnham discuss three emerging venture capital strategies shaping today’s market — mega-funds chasing scale, founder-first craft funds under pressure, and access-driven high-volume investors betting on luck and reach. They then tackle how founders should process when great team members leave — reframing departures as proof you built a launchpad for talent — and close with a powerful discussion on solo founders, explaining why the rise of AI and no-code tools has made building alone more viable than ever.

Why I recommend it:
This episode captures the emotional and strategic realities of building — whether you’re managing a venture fund or a startup. Charles’ reflections on letting great people go with grace, adapting your model in a shifting market, and embracing the solo-founder era are raw, honest, and deeply relatable. It’s a masterclass in leadership maturity and market awareness for anyone navigating today’s startup ecosystem. You can listen here.

✨ Inspiration

💬 Tweet of the Week

🎵 Song 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?

We are back this Friday with more investors!

​​For session #1 we have Rahul Daryanani, Senior Principal at Cerity Partners Ventures.

Cerity Partners Ventures is the venture arm of Cerity Partners, backing founders building the future of finance, wealth, and enterprise innovation.

For session #2 we have Virginie Raphael, Founder & Managing Partner at FullCircle.

FullCircle is a pre-seed fund focused on the changing composition of the workforce and closing the incentive alignment gap.

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.