When you put others first, everyone wins.

Welcome to the 17th edition of The Good News Newsletter—proudly serving over 3,262 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.

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Family isn’t a distraction from your work—it’s fuel for your mission.

Over the past four years, I’ve been a Pre-Seed and Seed investor, navigating the world of venture capital. But the most transformative lessons in that journey didn’t come from cap tables or term sheets—they’ve come from home.

Now, as I step into this new season as Director of Development at the Tulsa Dream Center, building The Center for Faith & Business, and launching Plaza 210, I’m more convinced than ever: when we integrate faith, family, and business, we create impact that outlives us.

Every late-night strategy session with my wife, every prayer over our decisions, and every moment with my daughters reminds me that business isn’t just about profit—it’s about people, community, and legacy.

I say this as a reminder to prioritize family and as a byproduct, your work will flourish.

#BuildWithFaith

Office Hours Recap:
We are now partnering with the Startup Community led by @TheBestOfAdam on X to bring our Office Hours to over 153,000 community members!

Session #1 - Christy Johnson, Partner at Fireroad Ventures

Stage: Pre-Seed

Industry: Applied Technology for Service Sectors and Small Businesses

Check Size: $100K – $250K

How to Apply: ounders can apply through Fireroad’s website at fireroad.io/ventures. All submissions are reviewed directly by Christy, and their promise is to give founders a clear “no” as quickly as possible if it’s not a fit. Warm introductions are also welcome.

Key Takeaways from Session:

1. Human-Centric Businesses Matter More in an AI World: Fireroad’s thesis is that as AI-native tools grow, businesses rooted in empathy, craftsmanship, and trust—especially locally owned service businesses—become even more valuable.

2. Inception-Stage Focus: Fireroad invests at the very beginning, often before revenue, backing domain experts with deep founder–market fit. They look for founders who know their customers’ workflows inside and out.

3. Transparency and Speed in Process: Their diligence approach emphasizes quick alignment. Fireroad aims to reach a decision within 30–45 days, and encourages founders to ask VCs upfront about their process and timelines to level the playing field.

Session #2 - Trey Ikard, Managing Partner at WIV Ventures

Stage: Pre-Seed & Seed

Industry: FinTech (B2B and B2C), with a focus on transaction-based models; selective about crypto but open to regulated, scalable fintech innovations

Check Size: $250K

How to Apply: Founders can apply directly through wiv.vc using the “Submit a Company” form or connect via LinkedIn. Trey emphasized that warm referrals from LPs, other VCs, or trusted founders often carry the most weight.

Key Takeaways from Session:

1. Fundraising Is a Referral Game: Trey stressed that venture is built on networks. Warm intros from LPs or other VCs greatly increase your chances of being seen, as pitches “on the street” are easy to forget without a clear channel.

2. Financial Discipline Is Non-Negotiable: He starts diligence with the financials and expects founders to demonstrate a clear understanding of their numbers. Strong alignment between financial forecasts and the company’s narrative is a key signal.

3. Have an Exit Vision: Beyond product and growth, Trey looks for founders who understand their long-term path to acquisition or IPO. VC money is tied to LP expectations, so companies without a credible exit story are less attractive.

Funding Resources:

💰 Resources of the Week:

Hispanic Heritage Month Pitch Event - Up to $10K | Deadline: 8/27/2025

BGV Pitch Philly Competition - Up to $15K | Deadline: 8/28/2025

AI x New Energy Tech Startup Bootcamp - $100K | Deadline: 8/30/2025

Carolinas Beyond Open Small Business Grant - Up to $150K | Deadline: 8/30/2025

Meet the Drapers Pitch Competition - $1M | Deadline: 8/31/2025

CHASM Grant - Up to $50K | Deadline: 8/31/2025

Mass Tech Adoption Challenge - $25K | Deadline: 8/31/2025

Palantir Startup Fellowship - Deadline: 8/31/2025

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

Camelback Ventures 2026 Fellowship - $40K | Deadline: 9/10/20225

Purina 2026 Pet Care Innovation Prize - $25K | Deadline: 9/21/2025

Poker Power x IFW Small Business Grant - $100K | Deadline: 9/26/2025

DoorDash Local Business Disaster Relief Fund - Up to $15K | Deadline: 9/29/2025

Cornerstone Grant by Square - $10K | Deadline: 9/30/2025

She's Connected by AT&T - Up to $50K | Deadline: 9/30/2025

Catalyst by Beemok - Up to $1M | Deadline: 9/30/2025

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

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:

Uncapped with Jack Altman - From BoxGroup to Benchmark and Back | Greg Rosen, Partner at BoxGroup

Summary:
Greg Rosen shares a rare inside look into BoxGroup’s distinctive “collaborative venture” model. He explains why BoxGroup avoids leading rounds to preserve neutrality (“Switzerland” status), how they scale by increasing deal velocity instead of ownership, and why seeing more deals is more important than chasing perfect “picking.” Greg also outlines the firm’s ethos of helping founders get to a “yes,” their emphasis on avoiding adverse selection, and their obsession with early visibility—believing that if a deal reaches them as a polished deck, it’s already too late .

Why I recommend it:
This conversation is a masterclass in venture humility. Greg dismantles the myth that winning in VC is about being a “better picker,” instead showing that real advantage comes from networks, founder-first collaboration, and relentless deal flow. Founders will find it valuable to understand how BoxGroup thinks about partnerships and timing, while investors can learn why trust, visibility, and time with people—not ideas—are the keys to building enduring portfolios.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 Arturo Piña, Founder & General Partner at AP1 VC.

AP1 VC invests in founders rebuilding the backbone of legacy industries; workflows, internal ops, critical tools.

For session #2 we have Atlas Berry, Founder & General Partner at Mission One Capital (M1C).

​M1C invests in early-stage startups driving breakthroughs in energy, industrial resilience, and frontier 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.