Activate New Mexico

Transforming Startups in New Mexico

December’s #StartupRetool webinar: When is it time to sell the business?

December 10, 2020 – 11:00 am to Noon (Mountain Time)

RSVP HERE

paper and pen and calculator
Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay

In our last #StartupRetool session, we will hear from two perspectives, an investment banker and an entrepreneur, about when is it time to sell a business. There are many reasons why you might sell your business, but just because you decided you want to sell the business doesn’t always mean there is an opportunity to sell it. We hear there are market conditions needed to be in place in order to sell a business. Is the biz even worth selling or better off just closing down? What is the mindset you need to have in order to make a successful acquisition? How does it feel as a founder to let go and transfer the thing they created? How did they know it was time?

We will hear both an investment banker who helps sell businesses to investors and a startup entrepreneur who has sold their small business in New Mexico. Tips, strategies, and real stories will be presented to help guide local small businesses considering this process if the opportunity arises.

Highlighted Speakers

Kevin McDonald, Partner, McDonald Lehner

 McDonald Lehner is an advisory firm that specializes in mergers and acquisitions of privately-owned companies in North and South America. In the past 20 years, the firm has facilitated more than 35 such transactions.

Alonso Indacochea, Product Manager at Reconnect and Founder at Jogo

 Dedicated, passionate learner. Educator. Project manager. I love building things. Currently building technology to fight incarceration, recidivism, and addiction. 

AGENDA

11:00 am – Welcome and Introductions
11:10 am – Presenters and Q/A
11:55 am – Info about Resource Provider and Call to Action
12:00 pm – Presentations End, Informal Optional Networking After

Highlighted Resource Provider

ingenuity cnm
CNM Ingenuity – Small Business and Startups unit focuses on providing training and resources led by entrepreneurship. ActivateNM is powered by CNM Ingenuity

RSVP FOR THIS EVENT HERE

About this series

The World Has Changed, Time to Retool Your Business

During this period of adjustment to working remotely, ActivateNM powered by CNM Ingenuity is hosting a #StartupRetool series for small businesses and startups in New Mexico to digitize their businesses.

In this series, highlighted local entrepreneurs and resource providers will share strategies and platforms to retool small businesses. If you are a small business or startup, this is an event that will help you learn how to grow and engage with customers online.

These sessions are recorded and uploaded to our YouTube channel. To see previous sessions, check out our Startup Retool playlist.

Any questions or interested in collaborating on an event, please contact us.

Introducing 5 Startups to the NM Startup Ecosystem (November 2020)

ActivateNM is excited to introduce 5 startups to the New Mexico startup ecosystem. They are current members of the community and are at different stages of growth. Join us Wednesday, November 18, 2020 at 1MillionCups ABQ for presentations and feedback breakout rooms.

November Startup Showcase

STEM Boomerang – Match.com like website to connect STEM professionals with STEM companies

Entrepreneur: Monica Sandoval-Johnson

stemboomerang.org

VineOptics – App to help vineyards make better business decisions

Entrepreneur: Michael Dominguez

www.thinkwinesllc.com

Embers – Empowers creatives to build the immersive, dynamic audio experiences of the future

Entrepreneur: Alonso Indacochea

embers.tech

ADYKŌR XR STUDIO – Empowers businesses with XR creative solutions

Entrepreneur: Kyērstin  O’Neal

adykor.com

MS Money Moves – Empowers investors with time saving research solutions and education

Entrepreneur: Zion Miller

https://msmoneymoves.com

Special thanks to FatPipe NM and the Kauffman Foundation for helping put this event on together.

RSVP Required Here

#StartupRetool November Event

How to build a business that you’ll be able to sell (and then sell it)

November 19, 2020 – 11:00 am to Noon (Mountain Time)

RSVP HERE

Image by Capri23auto from Pixabay

In this session, we will learn about what it takes to build a business that is worth buying. When business owners get tired of their business, they might decide to sell it. The challenge is will anyone want to buy it? What do we need to do as entrepreneurs to build a business that we could sell down the road? Are we creating something that will add value to the buyer? Once we have something of value, what are the steps to actually go about selling it? Realistically how much time do I have to get all the steps done?

Finally, we will wrap up the session hearing from community partner South Valley Economic Development Center on how they can help entrepreneurs and small businesses with their resources.

AGENDA

11:00 am – Welcome and Introductions
11:10 am – Presenters and Q/A
11:55 am – Info about Resource Provider and Call to Action
12:00 pm – Presentations End, Informal Optional Networking After

Highlighted Speakers

Barbara Kline
Expert Certified Business Broker | Sell or Buy a Business | Commercial Real Estate Assoc Broker | Retirement Strategies

Barbara Kline is Certified Business Broker and an associate broker with Absolute Investment Realty, a commercial real estate firm in Albuquerque, NM. She was a serial entrepreneur for many years prior to getting her first certification as a business broker. She has founded numerous companies including Breakthru Communications, a public relations firm specializing in promoting technology and technology companies, a day spa, an events center, and a publishing company. She has worked internationally, spending three years in Brussels with Intel and one year as VP of Global Marketing for a Dutch software company.

Barbara is a passionate supporter of business owners. She uses her experience not only for helping owners reap the rewards of their investment in their businesses at the time of sale, but also for speaking to groups such as this about key business practices that will help them achieve maximum profitability now, while building a track record that will make them successful candidates for sale.

Josue Olivares

Executive Director at Rio Grande Community Development Corporation

Experienced Executive Director with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit industry with a focus on economic and community development. A Highly motivated, trustworthy professional, with strong leadership skills. Experienced in fast‐paced environments demanding organizational and fast learning abilities. With a personal standard of always going beyond.

Highlighted Resource Partner

South Valley Economic Development Center

https://www.svedc.org/

RSVP FOR THIS EVENT HERE

About this series

The World Has Changed, Time to Retool Your Business

During this period of adjustment to working remotely, ActivateNM powered by CNM Ingenuity is hosting a #StartupRetool series for small businesses and startups in New Mexico to digitize their businesses.

In this series, highlighted local entrepreneurs and resource providers will share strategies and platforms to retool small businesses. If you are a small business or startup, this is an event that will help you learn how to grow and engage with customers online.

These sessions are recorded and uploaded to our YouTube channel. To see previous sessions, check out our Startup Retool playlist.

Any questions or interested in collaborating on an event, please contact us.

Upcoming Event

December 10, 2020 – Startup Retool for December

Be sure to check out our events calendar for upcoming business training and networking events.

NM Startup Retool October 2020

October 15, 2020 – HOW TO DO PAID ADS (and not waste money)
11:00 am to Noon

RSVP HERE

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

In this session, we will hear from a pair of New Mexican marketing agencies that are great at leveraging paid ads for small business and startup’s digital marketing needs.

We will also hear from community partner Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce on how they can help entrepreneurs and small businesses with their resources.

AGENDA

11:00 am – Intros
11:10 am – Presenter 1 Charles Garrison of X10 Marketing
11:40 am – Q/A
11:50 am – Info about Resource Provider and Call to Action
Noon – END

Highlighted New Mexican Marketing Agency

X10 Marketing

https://x10marketing.com/

An Introduction To Digital Ads

Learn how to leverage digital ads to bring in a steady flow of new customers without wasting buckets of money or time.  CEO, Charles Garrison from X10 Marketing Agency will share tips for effectively running campaigns on Google Search and Facebook.  In just 30 minutes, you will learn a foundational strategy that you can use to start implementing ads right away and boost your bottom line.

Highlighted Resource Partner

Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce

https://www.ahcnm.org/

https://www.ahcnm.org/

RSVP HERE

Upcoming Event

November 19, 2020 – HOW TO SELL MY SMALL BUSINESS (or get acquired)

Be sure to check out our events calendar for upcoming business training and networking events.

About this series

The World Has Changed, Time to Retool Your Business

During this period of adjustment to working remotely, ActivateNM powered by CNM Ingenuity is hosting a #StartupRetool series for small businesses and startups in New Mexico to digitize their businesses.

In this series, highlighted local entrepreneurs and resource providers will share strategies and platforms to retool small businesses. If you are a small business or startup, this is an event that will help you learn how to grow and engage with customers online.

These sessions are recorded and uploaded to our YouTube channel. To see previous sessions, check out our Startup Retool playlist.

Any questions or interested in collaborating on an event, please contact us.

Investor Deck Creation Workshop with Decko

ABQid and Decko are partnering up to help companies put together the best investor pitch decks possible. We’ve seen a lot of good companies falter in fundraising not because of a bad pitch, but because of a bad pitch deck. We’re here to help.

Deck creation crash course: 5 do’s and 5 dont’s of your investor deck

Thursday, September 24 from 10:30am to Noon (mountain time)

In this 90 minute session we’ll cover the do’s and dont’s we’ve seen first hand after 100+ pitches observed.

RSVP HERE

About Workshop Speakers

Robert Harary

https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertharary/

Rob is currently the only Investment Associate at Evolution VC Partners, working closely with 90+ portfolio companies across every stage to support their growth through strategic introductions, analysis, and preparation for future rounds of financing. He is also responsible for deal sourcing and analysis. Rob is a co-founder and Partner at Decko where he works with startups to build badass pitch decks for fundraising sales and more.

Ben Marans

https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminmarans/

Ben is a previous founder and a current angel investor. He is also a SaaS sales expert, with a track record of growing revenue for seed – public companies. Currently, he runs a pitch deck design agency called DECKO which helps startups build their fundraising and sales assets.

Series A Fundraising with YACapital

The Santa Fe Business Incubator, Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, and ActivateNM will be hosting a virtual talk by Peter Formanek, CEO of Young America Capital, on Series A venture fundraising.   Peter has 30+ years of experience advising fund managers, family offices, and companies. He has been involved in over 300 transactions over the course of his career and is also involved in the private equity field providing deal origination, fundraising, operations, and COO/CFO level expertise and guidance.   This virtual talk is targeted towards entrepreneurs who are considering an equity capital raise in the future and it will cover sources of capital, the fundraising timeline, choosing the best partners, the capital raise process, and the investing environment during the COVID crisis.

Please RSVP to ActivateNM Mentor Greg Crowell at greg@yacapital.com to receive a calendar invite.

Schedule

September 1, 2020
12:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)

Sales Readiness Workshop with Virtanza

Our educational partner Virtanza, a leader in training sales professionals, will be co-hosting an informational session with ActivateNM on September 2nd to help small business owners and young professionals about how becoming a Sales Professional can impact small and medium sized business.

Schedule

September 2, 2020
11:00 am to 12:30 pm

11:00 am – Introductions, Why Train in Sales?

11:10 am – Overview of adult-learner-centered sales training and upcoming CNM Ingenuity Course

11:30 – Live training with companies on the call. Instructor-led sample session.

12:00 – Student Testimonials, Q&A

12:30 – END

RSVP for this interactive sales training session

About Virtanza

Virtanza trains sales teams online through partner schools and employers. Our ACE-accredited experiential program, taught by Certified, MBA Instructors, is designed to train professionals to meet the demands of a Global, digital economy. The curriculum features in-depth study of sales technology, sales enablement software, needs assessment and negotiations, CRM, prospecting and outreach, and more in-demand skills. The course culminates in a digital badge for a graduate’s use. The Professional Sales Ready Course is debuting at CNM Ingenuity this Fall.

About ActivateNM

Activate New Mexico (ActivateNM), Powered by CNM Ingenuity helps tech founders build valuable businesses that are going to disrupt a particular market through big visions and innovative, transformative ideas. We love New Mexico, and we believe entrepreneur-led economic development creates opportunities that lead to prosperity. We are committed to nurturing New Mexico’s entrepreneurial community and thus, promoting prosperity in our state.

Like to learn more about the sales training with Virtanza?

Sign up for our info session on September 8th to learn more about the program and how to get it funded for you and/or your staff.

NM Startup Networking September 2020

Virtual Networking provided by Remo.co conference platform

September #StartupRetool Networking by ActivateNM

HOW TO MAKE MONEY WITH YOUR DATA (and still be ethical)

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Time: 10:30 – Noon

RSVP and Setup your Profile for Networking

In this session, we will hear from a few New Mexican startups that all use data to make products and services for their clients. If you are interested in how to use data to make money for your business, we are going to talk about a variety of ways these businesses do it. We will also hear from resources providers on how they can help entrepreneurs and small businesses in New Mexico. Then, we will break out into virtual networking tables where you can connect with other business owners and share opportunities to collaborate to grow your business.

Highlighted New Mexican Startups

RS21

RS21 – A data science and visualization company doing good with data

We help organizations identify and understand the data they need to develop effective solutions. We collaborate with clients to build interactive tools that drive meaningful action. Our platforms are intuitive, insightful, inspiring, and intellectually honest.

Versatile MED Analytics

Versatile Med Analytics – Data analytics and working with medical data

Versatile MED is bringing data-driven solutions to healthcare. We bring Analytics as a Service to Healthcare Organizations in need of management-level Analytic support. We serve as consulting Reporting & Analytic resources and on-call Data SMEs.

TARTLE

TARTLE – Data Brokering and data ownership

TARTLE provides you with the best access to source data and value for your digital identity.

Highlighted Resource Partner

Young Professionals of Albuquerque (YPA) is a community that offers professional development, social, and civic engagement opportunities to help empower Albuquerque’s future leaders.

Upcoming Events

October 15, 2020 – HOW TO DO PAID ADS (and not waste money)

November 19, 2020 – HOW TO SELL MY SMALL BUSINESS (or get acquired)

Be sure to check out our events calendar for upcoming business training and networking events.

About this Networking Series

The World Has Changed, Time to Retool Your Business

During this period of adjustment to working remotely, ActivateNM powered by CNM Ingenuity is hosting a #StartupRetool series for small businesses and startups in New Mexico to digitize their businesses.

In this series, highlighted local entrepreneurs and resource providers will share strategies and platforms to retool small businesses. If you are a small business or startup, this is a networking event that will help you learn how to grow and engage with customers online.

These networking sessions happen virtually on the 3rd Thursday of every month. To see the next session and RSVP, please see below or visit our events calendar.

Event Format

  • 45 mins – Chat with highlighted entrepreneurs, startup founders, and small business resource providers in New Mexico
  • 45 mins – Virtual Networking with Remo.co

Any questions or interested in collaborating on an event, please contact us.

Startup Retool Networking August

The World Has Changed, Time to Retool Your Business

During this period of adjustment to working remotely, ActivateNM powered by CNM Ingenuity is hosting a Startup Retool series for small businesses and startups in New Mexico to digitize their businesses.

In this series, local entrepreneurs and resource providers will share strategies and platforms to retool small businesses. If you are a small business or startup, this is a networking event that will help you learn how to grow and engage with customers online.

These networking sessions on the 3rd Thursday of every month online. See upcoming session and to RSVP, please see below or visit our events calendar.

FINDING A STARTUP CO-FOUNDER (and maintaining a good relationship)

Thursday, August 20, 2020 | 10:30 AM – Noon

In this session, we will hear from business owners Charles Ashley of Cultivating Coders and Mike Silva of Rudeboy Cookies on how they found their startup team and how they continue to grow their connections and collaborations. We will also hear from the African American Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce about resources for small businesses and startups. Then, we will break out into virtual networking tables where people can connect and share opportunities to collaborate on initiatives to grow our economy in New Mexico.

Schedule Format

  • First 45 mins – Chat with highlighted entrepreneurs, startup founders, and small business resource providers in New Mexico
  • Second 45 mins – Virtual Networking with Remo.co

Highlighted Startup Founders

CHARLES ASHLEY, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CULTIVATING CODERS

Charles Ashley III is President & Founder of Cultivating Coders, a New Mexico based company that provides technical training and curriculum in web and mobile application development to K-12 schools in tribal, rural and overlooked urban areas that lack resources in coding and computer science education. Prior to his current role, Charles was a Marketing & Strategy Consultant for several clients including Harmonix Technologies, VARA Wines, and DeVry University. He previously served as Film Liaison & Marketing Manager for Bernalillo County’s Economic Development Department in New Mexico and was Manager of Marketing for CNM’s STEMulus Center. Charles currently sits on the US Eagle Federal Credit Union Advisory Board, Learning Alliance, and has served on a variety of boards such as New Mexico AIDS Services, Albuquerque Youth Basketball League Board, Mayor Berry’s Albuquerque Deep Dive Council for Arts & Culture and Mayor Keller’s Education Transition Team. 

Mike Silva, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, Rudeboy Cookies

Michael M. Silva, Jr. has 30 + years of hospitality & tourism industry
experience. Michael is skilled across several disciplines within the
industry, having worked in hotel sales, food & beverage operations,
destination sales, restaurant management, and not-for-profit
management. In 2007 Michael found his entrepreneurial drive and co-founded, ABQ Trolley Co., now a sub-company of the newly named parent
company, Albuquerque Tourism & Sightseeing Factory. AT&SF is the parent company of four companies. These companies are:

  • ABQ Trolley Co/The LUX
  • Albucreepy Downtown Ghost Walk
  • Duke City Pedaler
  • ABQ In Box

In 2014, Michael founded, Rude Boy Cookies. Rude Boy Cookies is
a sweet shop serving fresh baked cookies, ice cream and milk on tap.
Michael is a fiercely proud Burqueno, a frequent speaker across the
city on entrepreneurship and philanthropy and serves on many
boards, to include:

  • Executive board member/Golden Apple Foundation of New Mexico
  • Board member/UNM Alumni Association/President-Elect
  • Board member/Small Business Regulatory Advisory Committee (Mayor appointment)
  • Foundation Board Member/ ACES TECH Charter School

In 2019, The 20th Annual New Mexico Ethics in Business Awards
named Michael the winner of the award for Individual Excellence in
Ethical Business Practice. Michael holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of New Mexico. In his free time, Michael enjoys Lobo basketball, playing music (saxophone and drums), and spending time
with friends and family. Michael has been married for 16 years, has
one daughter and a dog.

Recording of the session can be found here

Highlighted Resource Provider

The African American Chamber has a purpose to promote economic growth of black-owned businesses with a focus on education, advocacy, mentorship and networking.

Tables are set for virtual networking August 20, 2020 RSVP HERE

Upcoming Events

September 17, 2020 – HOW TO MAKE MONEY WITH YOUR BUSINESS DATA (and be ethical too)

October 15, 2020 – HOW TO DO PAID ADS (and not waste money)

November 19, 2020 – HOW TO SELL MY SMALL BUSINESS (or get acquired)

Be sure to check out our events calendar for upcoming startup training and networking events.

Accepting Applications for Cohort 5

The fifth cohort of Activate New Mexico kicks off in September. Apply Now!

Activate New Mexico (ActivateNM), powered by CNM Ingenuity, is now accepting applications for the next cohort of our 10-week startup accelerator.  The accelerator includes an active mentor and investor network in New Mexico. We are looking for startup founders throughout the state to participate in our next virtual cohort to accelerate their early-stage startup ventures. Priority consideration will be given to applications submitted by August 17, 2020.

This cohort will be conducted remotely, allowing business owners around the state of New Mexico to participate. Business leaders will go through 10 weeks of accelerated development with our growing network of mentors, investors, and pitch coaches (see the curriculum here). This program is a great fit for startup founders looking to be part of a larger community of startup development and investment in New Mexico.

Important Dates for Cohort #5

Dates: September 14, 2020 to November 20, 2020

Times: Wednesdays from 10 am to 3pm, Fridays 10 am to Noon

Applications due on August 17, 2020

Hear how ActivateNM Accelerator helped this startup founder

Fruitstand Technology from cohort #2

Apply Now

If you have reviewed the accelerator page and are ready to apply, tell us about your business by filling out our application form.

Not ready to apply yet? Come to mentor office hours on Fridays.

Connect with world-class mentors who want to help New Mexican entrepreneurs succeed. See our events calendar for upcoming mentor office hours.

In an effort to take all reasonable precautions regarding COVID-19, we are following the CNM response, which can be found at: cnm.edu/covid-19. For those who partner directly with CNMI and have questions not answered by CNM, please see the CNMI Resource Page. Both can be found here. CNMI Resource Page.
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