The panelists included: Ji Mi Choi, Associate Vice President of ASU’s Office of Knowledge Enterprise Development, Tom Espinoza, CEO of Raza Development Fund, Koran Hardimon, National Board Member of Seed Spot, Phil Potter, CEO of The Armory, and moderated by Barbara Tripp, Business Banking Market Manager at Chase.
Are Companies Sending the Right Message?
There are plenty of companies and corporations talking about building a diverse and inclusive culture, but what steps are they taking to attract people? Hardimon said that if companies, incubators, or organizations aren’t doing any social modeling, then it’s going to be hard to attract those people. Part of the barrier lies in the messaging and marketing of these opportunities to diverse communities. At SEED SPOT, for any program targeting a certain community, they ensure representation from that community to bring a level of comfort and inclusion to the founders.
Veterans Have Barriers Too
The main barriers to entrepreneurship or senior level leadership for veterans is dealing with the public perception about their mental state when they enter civilian life, and understanding they have skills ripe for startup life. When there are barriers for veterans to overcome, they will approach challenges like a mission, immerse themselves in the task and find resources and people to help them accomplish goals. “If you think about what they do in a uniform and what the entrepreneur deals with – uncertainty, risk, [being] mission-focused and team-focused – they’ve been in lots of situations that maps directly to the entrepreneurship community.”
Find the Bridge
If you are thinking about joining a local program, the panelists suggest reviewing the curriculum, mentors, and partners that will help you bridge networks and build your business. At The Armory, Potter is helping strength the veteran community through partnerships. Read more about the Phoenix startup ecosystem on TechCo “When you have an organization that works with a specific culture, it has to have that trust and build on that trust. [Find out] about the services being offered, the pipeline and referral source, and know what organizations are doing what things to create efficiency,” Choi said. This article is part of a Techstars Startup Week content series brought to you by CHASE for BUSINESS. Techstars Startup Week is celebration of entrepreneurs in cities around the globe. CHASE for BUSINESS is everything a business needs in one place, from expert advice to valuable products and services. Find business news, stories, insights and expert tips all in one place at Chase.com/forbusiness.
