S5E2: Shay Har-Noy - Empowering Entrepreneurs: Insights from Techstars

Today on the Leeds Business Insights podcast, our host, Claire Stewart, sits down with Shay Har-Noy, the managing director of Techstars Boulder. Shay’s enthusiasm for entrepreneurship is undeniable, and he is responsible for raising the fund, recruiting companies, and working with the world's best founders.Shay and Claire discuss Shay’s path from his education through founding his first company, having it be acquired, leading Uber’s Colorado tech facility, working at Spire through its NYSE listing, and, most recently, joining Techstars to relaunch in Boulder. He explains Techstars’ return after COVID-era consolidation, the renewed, dedicated Boulder fund, and the accelerator model: hundreds of applicants vying for 8–10 slots, a $220,000 investment, a 12-week program, software perks, and access to a global investor network and a 10,000+ founder network. Shay emphasizes how it’s never been easier to start companies with AI, but many businesses shouldn’t be venture-backed, and he describes the types of businesses he sees being successful and how they can best be ready for the challenges. Shay outlines investability and makes a compelling pitch for Techstar’s upcoming in-person cohort, with applications due June 10 for a September start.Leeds Business Insights Podcast is a production of Leeds School of Business and is produced by University FM.EPISODE QUOTES:Why this is the best time to start a company07:09: It's never been easier and more accessible for people who are exceptional founders, who are passionate about their problem space, who understand and empathize with their customers' pain points. There's never been a better time for them to start a company. And so what's interesting now is a lot of the conversations that I have with founders isn't, “Is your company a nice one or not a nice one?” It's, “It can still be something that VCs wouldn't invest in that would still be a great company for you.”Making Colorado the best place in the country to build a company11:57: I think Colorado is a really special place. My goal is to make Colorado, to put it back on the map, and to help contribute to it being on the map, to be the best place in the country to build a company. Okay. There's places with more investors. There's places on the coast with more entrepreneurs. I've lived in both of these places, okay? I think what we have is an amazing ecosystem of business leaders, of mentors, of entrepreneurs, where the culture is such that we are working closely to make these companies successful. And I haven't seen that in many or any other place, where there's just the right density of talent, just the right density of funding, and absolutely the right density of mentorship and support for these companies. And that's unique to where we are now.Techstars Boulder is not just software as a service15:48: Techstars Boulder is not just software as a service, right? It's not just software companies. It's also companies that have solved deep technical problems that are bringing them to market. And so now you're like, "Hey, if you squint really hard, Shay's got three jobs, right? Attract, select, and accelerate," right? One, two, three. And this is how CU can help me with, with the talent pool and with the applicant pool, with the selection, and with the acceleration.SHOW LINKS:Techstars BoulderTechstars Boulder | LinkedInShay Har-Noy | Techstars ProfileShay Har-Noy | LinkedIn