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The One Introduction That Changed Everything
Insights from our July 18th Investor Office Hour Sessions
Darrel Frater
July 22, 2025
In partnership with
Welcome to the 12th edition of The Good News Newsletter—proudly serving over 3,109 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.
Help us build Plaza 210! Learn more about this exciting project here.
Support this newsletter by applying to Win $50,000 for your startup. Click below ↓
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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 the over 142,000 community members!
Session #1 - Matt Hickman, Investment Principal at Plains Ventures
Stage: Pre‑Seed to Series A
Industry: Broad; focused on high-growth tech and enterprise across the U.S. heartland
Check Size: $250K–$1M initial investment
How to Apply: Submit a pitch via Plains Ventures’ Contact Page; they begin with intro calls and may refer early-stage ideas to their partner incubator i2E for preparation
Key Takeaways from Session:
Regional Advantage & Founder Support: Plains focuses on founders from non‑coastal regions—especially the Midwest and South—offering tailored guidance, strong investor networks, and strategic support beyond capital.
Flexible Deal Structure, Founder-Centric: Their investment approach adapts to each startup’s specific stage and needs. They prioritize deep diligence, clarity, and transparency before writing checks.
Long-Term Partnership Mentality: Beyond capital, Plains is committed to being an active partner—helping founders refine their pitch, connect with relevant advisors, and open doors across their regional and industry network.
Funding Resources:
💰 Resources of the Week:
AlphaLab provides funding, mentorship, and deep connections to investors, customers, and talent to help founders scale faster. Tracks include Software, Hardware (Gear), Health, and Robotics.
$100K | Deadline: 7/18/2025
Pinnacle Atlanta Innovation Accelerator, powered by gener8tor and sponsored by Pinnacle Financial Partners, invests in up to five companies per year focused on fintech or related industry. Each startup selected for the 12-week program receives a $100,000 investment and a high-touch, concierge accelerator experience.
$100K | Deadline: 7/22/2025
CHASM Grant
A $20K grant from CHASM to help a female founder build something bold. Open to any industry at Pre-Seed or Seed stage.
$20K | Deadline: 7/23/2025
One 60-second video. Five finalists. One winner takes home 50k cash + exposure to millions across the HubSpot Media network.
$50K | Deadline: 7/25/2025
Pitch Your Shelf-Ready Product for a Chance to Land on Walmart & Sam’s Club Shelves
Potential retail partnership with Walmart | Deadline: 7/25/2025
This 12-week Boost Camp accelerator will support 250 entrepreneurs in strengthening operations, planning for growth, and improving financial stability. Of these, 63 will receive a $20,000 grant to invest in tools and strategies to grow their business.
$20K | Deadline: 7/25/2025
The Bronze Valley Investment Accelerator invests up to $100K in high-growth startups.
$100K | Deadline: 7/27/2025
Connects entrepreneurs of color in the Gulf South with clean energy pilot projects in marginalized communities, building on the ACCESS Contractor Bootcamp and backed by Wells Fargo’s Innovation Incubator (IN2).
Industry Access | Deadline: 7/31/2025
An 8-week sprint for Tulsa-based founders with physical products or prototypes, culminating in a live pitch competition with up to $36K in non-dilutive cash prizes. Ideal for companies in Deep Tech, Robotics, CleanTech, Hardware, Consumer Goods, and Wellness.
Up to $20K | Deadline: 8/4/2025
An accelerator to help early-stage companies in healthcare, workforce tech, and insurtech crack the code on distribution.
Deadline: 8/15/2025
🎙️ Podcast of the Week:
Vinod Khosla shares his bold predictions about the future of work, AI, energy, and healthcare. He argues that by 2040-2050, AI will handle 80%+ of most economically valuable work, leading to an era of abundance where people work for fulfillment, not survival. He sees massive disruptions ahead—most Fortune 500 companies as we know them will not survive. Robotics, fusion energy, and AI-driven healthcare will fundamentally reshape society. He emphasizes that the real risks are geopolitical, not just technological, and the West must lead in AI development.
Why I recommend it: This is one of the most expansive and provocative conversations on the future of technology and its implications for business, society, and entrepreneurship. Khosla’s vision challenges conventional thinking and gives founders a valuable lens on where the world is headed—perfect for entrepreneurs thinking long-term. You can listen here.
💸 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.
Need 1 on 1 support in securing capital? I will be working 1 on 1 with select founders to help. Interested founders can learn more and consider submitting their company here.
✨ Inspiration
💬 Tweet of the Week
Get excited about connecting with the person who will connect you to your next opportunity.
One introduction can change everything.
Sometimes we overlook those people because they aren't the ones with the big check or job opportunity.
Everyone has value. Treat them so.
— Darrel Frater ✝️ (@DarrelFrater)
2:05 PM • Jul 16, 2025
🙏🏽 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 Preeti Adhikary, General Partner at Momo VC.
Momo VC is an early stage venture capital fund for underrepresented founders and provides capital & support for technology enabled companies by applying an ecosystem builder approach to venture investing.
For session #2 we have Tim Yau, Associate at Vine Ventures Corporation.
Vine Ventures is an international venture capital platform, investor and corporate advisory service provider focused on impact investments.
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.
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