Reinventing Main Street Capital Through Venture Philanthropy with Jeffrey Kaplan

🌱 Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 78 🌱 What if the future of startup funding isn’t about chasing unicorns, but building stronger local economies? In this episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, Justin Dixon sits down with Jeffrey Kaplan, Director of Venture Asheville and CEO of Optimist Ventures, to discuss how venture philanthropy is creating a new capital model for underserved founders and regional businesses. After Hurricane Helene devastated Asheville’s business community, Jeffrey and his team launched an innovative funding structure combining grants and shared-profit agreements to help entrepreneurs recover, grow, and scale without giving up equity. This episode dives into: 🔹 Why “anti-unicorn” investing may create stronger communities 🔹 How venture philanthropy blends impact with investor returns 🔹 The shared-profit agreement model replacing traditional venture debt 🔹 Why AI and vibe coding are unlocking opportunities for smaller markets 🔹 How founders can scale sustainably without chasing billion-dollar exits 🔹 What regional ecosystems can teach Silicon Valley about resilience Whether you’re a founder, investor, operator, or economic development leader, this conversation challenges traditional assumptions about capital, growth, and what success really looks like. 🔗 Connect with Jeffrey Kaplan: https://www.optimistventures.co/ https://ventureasheville.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffdude/ 🎧 Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major podcast platforms. 👉 Like, subscribe, and comment: Should more communities adopt this “anti-unicorn” funding model?