Entrepreneurs: How to Get Into Top Accelerators and Actually Get Funding with Caroline Winnett + Others (Full Episode)

Richard Gearhart and Elizabeth Gearhart, co-hosts of Passage to Profit Show interview Caroline Winnett from Berkeley SkyDeck, Braydan Young from SlashExperts and Clint Lotz from TrackStar AI.   Want to know why some founders soar while others stall? Caroline Winnett, the powerhouse behind Berkeley SkyDeck - UC Berkeley’s world-renowned startup accelerator, breaks down the traits of winning entrepreneurs, how to stand out to investors, and where innovation and funding are heading next. A must-listen for anyone building big. Read more at: https://skydeck.berkeley.edu/   B2B buyers don’t want another sales pitch — they want the truth from people who’ve been there. Braydan Young is the Co-Founder of SlashExperts, the game-changing platform that lets prospects talk directly to your happiest customers to fast-track trust, boost confidence, and close deals faster. Read more at: https://www.slashexperts.com/   Meet Clint Lotz, the founder shaking up the lending world with TrackStar AI — the platform turning hidden lender data into revenue, smarter approvals, and game-changing credit insights. If you want to see how AI is transforming finance from the inside out, this episode is a must-listen! Read more at: https://trackstar.ai/   Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur, a startup, an inventor, an innovator, a small business or just starting your entrepreneurial journey, tune into Passage to Profit Show for compelling discussions, real-life examples, and expert advice on entrepreneurship, intellectual property, trademarks and more. Visit https://passagetoprofitshow.com/ for the latest updates and episodes. Chapters (00:00:00) - Starting a Business on TV(00:00:28) - Passage to Profit(00:01:51) - What Was the One Rule of Business That You Had to Break to(00:06:27) - Braden Young: The Rule Break(00:08:17) - What You Didn't Know About Credit(00:09:49) - A Law Firm's Rise to the Digital World(00:11:37) - What Makes a Good Entrepreneur?(00:13:53) - Are You Need a Publicist for Your Startups?(00:15:16) - In the Elevator With Steve Jobs(00:15:58) - Quantum Institute's funding focus on AI(00:17:09) - Quantum Innovation at UC Berkeley(00:21:05) - Commercial(00:22:07) - The Cruise Call(00:23:05) - Seeking Innovation: From Planet to Profit(00:23:36) - Where Do You See Investment Going in 2026?(00:24:41) - In the Elevator: Venture Capital's Focus on Robots(00:26:11) - Are VC Funds Open to AI Startups?(00:27:45) - Have You Got the Money to Start a Business?(00:28:40) - Looking for a Fund? Just Type in Your Name(00:29:12) - In the Elevator With Braden Cook(00:30:10) - Berkeley's Skydeck Program(00:31:11) - AI in Business: The Use Cases(00:33:01) - How Is AI Affecting Your Business?(00:33:59) - AI CEO on Revenue Per Employee(00:34:32) - How Trackstar AI is Affecting the Company(00:35:47) - How to Use AI to Predict the Future(00:38:42) - Passive Profits: Car Insurance Hotline(00:41:20) - USPTO to Use AI in the Patent Examination Process(00:44:06) - AI for Business: The End of the Sales Cycle(00:46:11) - Are Your Clients Getting Paid for Their Time?(00:47:18) - How We Launched Our Product 5 Months in(00:50:39) - Startups Tackle the Enterprise Software Problem(00:53:14) - What industries are using Salesforce.com?(00:54:04) - Pipeline: How Experts Are Affecting Sales(00:56:40) - How Credit Monitoring Companies are Advancing the Underdog(01:02:11) - How AI Can Help Fintech Lenders(01:05:51) - Trackstar Financial Intelligence: Banks, Fintechs, Consumer(01:11:22) - Secrets of the Entrepreneurial Mind(01:13:17) - What's the Secret to Starting a Business?(01:16:31) - Richard Gearhart's Secret to Strategic Networking(01:18:06) - Passive to Profit