I went to Xerocon expecting to learn about general ledgers, financial reporting, working capital and accounting technology. And I did. I left with pages of notes about Xero, Syft, artificial intelligence, automation, forecasting, advisory services and the future of finance. What I did not expect was to leave thinking about courage, purpose, resilience and audacity. Specifically, the kind of audacity it takes to keep moving when you don't have all of the answers...yet. 1. Buil

A Founder’s Guide To Carrying The Credit Forward Vs. Using The Payroll Tax Election Your startup earned an R&D tax credit. That’s good news. But here’s the question founders should ask: When will your business actually benefit from it? For an early-stage company operating at a loss or with little federal income tax liability, earning a tax credit doesn’t automatically mean an impact on its current cash position. An unused research credit generally becomes part of the general

Q1 2026 Venture Funding Trends for Early Stage Founders At first glance, Q1 2026 appeared to be an extraordinary quarter for venture capital. According to the PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor, U.S. venture capital deal value reached $267.2B in the first quarter of 2026, topping every full-year total except 2021 and 2025. The report also noted that exit value reached $347.3B, setting a quarterly record. For founders who have spent the last few years hearing about a difficult fun

Raising capital is often framed as a storytelling exercise. But in the room, storytelling alone doesn’t close rounds. Founders are told to craft a compelling narrative, build a polished deck, and present a bold vision for the future. And while those elements matter, they only serve one purpose: getting investors to lean in and start asking questions. The real test begins after that. Once investors are engaged, the conversation shifts from vision to viability. They want to und

A pro forma is often one of the first financial tools founders build, yet it is also one of the most misunderstood. At its core, a pro forma is not simply a projection. It is a structured representation of how a business is expected to generate revenue, incur costs, and move toward profitability over time. When built correctly, it serves as both a planning tool and a decision-making framework. However, many early-stage models rely heavily on assumptions that are not grounded

Why Financial Hygiene Is the Difference Between Early Burnout and Long Term Success The dream of entrepreneurship has never been more popular. Every month, talented professionals leave traditional roles by choice or circumstance to build something of their own. Consultancies. AgTech platforms. E commerce brands. Service businesses. But enthusiasm alone does not protect a business from failure. What quietly determines whether a company survives its early years is rarely the id

For many founders, year end financial work feels like administrative cleanup. In reality, it is one of the most strategic moments in the business calendar. Done correctly, a year end financial and tax readiness review can help business owners avoid penalties, reduce taxes, and enter the new year with clarity rather than uncertainty. Before setting new revenue targets or locking in growth plans, every founder should step back and complete a comprehensive financial and tax revi

How Founders Can Use ChatGPT, Syft, and Brixx to Build Smarter Financial Forecasts In today's fast-moving business environment, effective financial management is key to entrepreneurial success. Financial tools like QuickBooks and Xero have transformed how founders manage daily operations, from reconciling bank transactions to generating insightful reports. While software can show where your business has been, predicting future performance requires more. This is where financia

What is an SPV? A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) is a single legal entity (often an LLC) created to pool multiple investors into one line on a startup’s cap table. Founder-led SPVs, also called Founder SPVs, Rollup Vehicles (RUVs), or Cap Table Vehicles , simplify fundraising by aggregating capital from smaller checks while keeping the company’s ownership structure clean. Benefits of using an SPV: Clean cap table: Only the SPV appears as an investor, not dozens of individu

I’m honored to join the board of Change the Tune, an organization transforming the lives of young people by equipping them with the...

What is an Angel Investor? An angel investor is an individual who provides capital to startups or early-stage companies, often in exchange for equity or convertible debt. Angel investing can be a rewarding way to support emerging businesses while potentially earning financial returns. However, to participate in these investments, you often need to meet the accredited investor standards established by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Why Accredited Investor

The Black Angel Forum in Detroit held on July 25 - 26, was amazing! Dawn Batts and her team did an incredible job of curating a...