Midcon Markup

Many people think that you are either a natural-born networker or you just aren't cut out for it. David Woods proves that wrong, as he was voted the shyest kid in school and later authored the book "The Art of Networking" after decades of experience as a CEO and executive coach. Tune into our latest episode to learn how to improve your ability to motivate, communicate, and connect with other people!

The equal protection of the justice system is a narrative that brings us comfort, but for Richard Miles and thousands of others, it is a painful myth. Richard served 15 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit, while the prosecutors who withheld exculpatory evidence faced no meaningful consequences. Richard's journey overcoming jadedness and anger to serve as a pioneering nonprofit entrepreneur will inspire all who listen to our latest episode!

Lawyers have a reputation for being merchants of "No" in their desire to help clients minimize risk. Bill Richmond argues that the best lawyers seek to understand their clients' long-term goals and serve as collaborative partners in helping them get to "Yes." Tune into our latest episode to learn how startups can optimize their return on investment from legal representation.

Some communities have a universally respected and beloved behind-the-scenes leader with a Midas Touch for all things impact. If you have lived in Dallas for long, you know that person is Lynn McBee. Tune in to learn how this biochemist Superwoman simultaneously built a successful drug development career while serving as CEO, Chair, or mentor to the most impactful initiatives supporting Greater Dallas from homelessness to the environment to upward mobility.

While college years are associated with in-classroom learning and extracurricular partying, Trevor Gicheru proves it is also the perfect time to start your first startup. Startups require an immense amount of time and community support, but the fire-house learnings can sharpen your spear faster than conventional schooling and employment. Tune in to hear how Trevor has capitalized on his college experience to build a transformational AI ed-tech solution called Nurovant.

A hero's journey is rarely a straight path, but few have winded as abruptly as Rich Rolls'. Overcoming childhood insecurities through competitive swimming, Rich had everything going for him as a D1 Stanford Swimmer. Alcoholism had other ideas, stealing his prime swimming potential, destroying a marriage, and leading him into two DUIs. Rich's redemption story to global ultra-endurance and podcasting stardom teaches everyone how far listening, vulnerability, and conviction can take you.

Most people go through their everyday lives trapped behind their own lens of the world. This lack of empathy is especially palpable when VCs are raising money from LPs and when founders are raising money from VCs, where the temptation to oversell to pick up a check as fast as possible is overwhelming. Oklahoma-based emerging manager VC Kevin Moore shares great wisdom in this episode about learning to be yourself, empathizing with the goals of your counterparty, and building genuine relationships with investors for the long haul.

Medicine is a profession mothers tend to love. High on virtue, prestige, and income, life as a doctor is rewarding and lucrative. Discontinuing a medical school route is common for people with practical life considerations, but for Deborah Moorad, med school was a dense obstacle impeding her inexorable journey to transform patient lives through biotech innovation. Tune in to hear how to blend technical expertise and relationships to shepherd biotech projects from idea to exit!

Moving from Vancouver, British Columbia to Oklahoma City, OK is rare enough, let alone for venture capital. According to Matt Waraich, the geographic arbitrage thesis of non-coastal venture firms is resonating in coastal markets more than Oklahomans realize. Tune in to hear what attracted him to Cortado Ventures, why he made such a large career bet transitioning from Canadian founder to Oklahoma venture capitalist, and how founders can best communicate with him and other VCs.

New research on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) demonstrates an overwhelming negative correlation between the severity/frequency of childhood trauma and lifetime well-being outcomes. Ed Long overcame childhood trauma to pursue a Master's of Public Administration and completed all coursework for a Ph.D. in Political Science. However, instead of following the direct government path, he set his sights on driving broader change. Tune in to hear how Ed leverages his research background to become a social impact pioneer, optimizing sustainable solutions for social problems with economic models that attract public, private, and philanthropic capital.

Tech exit to selling "commoditized" waterbottles on Amazon? Mike Beckham must be crazy! After 9 years of rapid growth with his company Simple Modern, Mike has proved his doubters wrong by leaning in to competion to eliminate market risk. Tune in to hear how Mike leveraged Amazon's customer pipeline, outcompeted 3rd party sellers for water Bottles, created a category for "Drinkware as a Fashion Accessory," and has built a sustainable empire with community contribution at the core.

Trent Smith succeeds at every major endeavor he pursues. He was a Junior Olympic Taekwondo Champion, an All-American national champion football player in college, and a tight-end for numerous NFL franchises. Tune in to learn how he is now leveraging 8 years of experience owning and operating a home health company and a curiosity about LLMs to revolutionize the home healthcare nursing profession.

Most people would move away the second a relationship ends that brought them to a new market. Most people also don't have the resilience, charm, and big heart of Selena Skorman who fell mutually in love with her new home Oklahoma City. Cultivated via nonprofit arts and innovation leadership positions, Selena's community icon status positioned her to be the Oklahoma face of gener8tor, a top national startup accelerator.

At face value, owning and operating car dealerships couldn't be more different than serving as a lead executive of a high-growth tech company. Brad Richardson's incredible career journey proves that relationships and operational excellence translate to any other professional endeavor. From the family car business to overseeing Paycom's the high-growth phase, Brad shares the method to his madness in this insight-packed episode! 

In most U.S. cities, a car is vital to maintaining employment and supporting a family. Unfortunately, millions of Americans are locked out of car ownership because legacy credit data tells an incomplete picture of personal finances. Tune in to hear how serial founder, former banker, and current car dealership owner Brandon Stokes de-risking lending to thin-credit car buyers with his startup is Buyable!

A lifelong passion for cars and entrepreneurship has guided John Habeck's career. He masterfully stacked freelance auto industry experiences, starting with photographing dealership inventory and then providing basic website services. Tune in to hear how he learned his customer's pain points and built a venture-backed product to help them sell more cars.

With expertise in AI, nuclear power, cybersecurity efforts, and risk mitigation, Hart Brown offers a unique perspective on geopolitics. Informed by 20 years of experience in both government and private sectors, Hart now consults with top global entities to future proof their operations and security. You won't want to miss his insight on incorporating AI on personal and organizational levels!

Born, raised, and educated in Tulsa, Oklahoma Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell had a limited perspective but a strong passion for broadening his perspective. In his college years and early career, he learned to prioritize discussion with people of diverse perspectives and life experiences. This habit led him to a career in politics where he is now tasked with maximizing our local resources and governing equally on behalf of all Oklahomans, whether old or young, rural or urban, rich or poor.

Renzi Stone grew up in Tulsa and has built a career in Oklahoma City where he solidified his reputation as a fierce competitor on the court and in the business world. When a short-lived professional basketball career finished, Renzi pivoted - and applied the same lessons learned from the hardwood to the boardroom. Tune in to hear how this seasoned entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in the professional services sector is leaving an indelible mark on the Oklahoma City community and skyline!

Tune in to the 8th episode of #MidconMarkup, where host Cody Merrill has an eye-opening conversation about the good, the bad, & the ugly of the postpartum experience with special guest Dr. Pinkey Patel, CEO and founder of Myri Health. Dr. Patel’s healthcare career as a pharmacist and pre/postnatal trainer has allowed her to see firsthand how the system was failing women. Myri was born out of her passion and the feedback of thousands of moms - but getting male-dominated VCs to buy in? That's been a whole other challenge. Join us as Dr. Patel talks about the startup hustle and how she is on a mission to drive systemic change and make sure no new mom ever feels alone again.

Tune in to hear Cortado portco CEO Martin Lien share about realizing his lifelong dream of being a venture-backed tech founder in the United States and how he leverages his unique background to create sustained organizational success.

It's not every day that you get to hear from a core management team member behind a $2B transaction. Tune in to hear how Cortado Portco CEO Blake Bixler helped drive meteoric growth in midstream energy and why he chose to invest and become the CEO of an AI analytics company poised to disrupt the energy industry and numerous other legacy sectors with a footprint in the Midcontinent.

Investors like when founders have a personal connection with the problem they are solving, but when it comes to women's health, sometimes it can be difficult to share. Watkins-Conti CEO Allison Watkins shares her incredible journey into entrepreneurship that gives new meaning to "necessity is the mother of invention."

While some professionals pursue careers in law or investment banking, others pursue venture capital. One anomaly out there has managed to do all three before the age of 30 with stops at USC and Harvard Law along the way. Tune into our latest MidCon Markup episode with Oklahoma's own Bear Federman to learn the method to his high achieving madness.

Cortado Ventures' Investment Principal Susan Moring shares practical insights instructing founders how to pursue investment from Cortado and other VCs. Hint: It takes a lot of follow-up!

The Dos Equis marketing department misfired when they chose someone else for their Most Interesting Man in World campaign. Coming from a family with humble beginnings and developing a distaste for formal education throughout childhood, Scott Klososky blazed his own trail with entrepreneurship that includes a $115M exit, a unicorn IPO, a joint-venture with the Soviet Union, and an internationally acclaimed speaking and consulting program centered on futurism. You might expect Scott to spend half the year on a yacht in the Mediterranean, but instead, he continues to spend his free time tinkering with the latest AI tools and scheming about pathways to success in the age of automation.

Following its $80M Fund II Close Announcement, Cortado Ventures Managing Partner Nathaniel Harding shares his insights and expertise on raising a venture capital fund. Nathaniel chats about raising funds in an emerging market, and how the Cortado team raised $100M in three years - all while navigating a global pandemic.

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