Flashstarts Intern Blog

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We are at a stage where we are acquiring new customers and improving the product with their help and feedback.

What attracted you to the Flashstarts accelerator?

For us as a company looking to sell to nonprofits, Cleveland was an obvious choice. Besides the location we were impressed with the level of attention and care that Charles and Shannon expressed when evaluating potential teams for the summer. Compared to the other programs we applied to and were accepted to, Flashstarts overall offered the most promising experience when it came to getting the coaching and resources we need to grow and improve as a new company.

Tell us about working and living in Cleveland.

Even though we had some issues finding housing right away we ended up getting a great place to rent in Shaker Heights that put us right near the RTA that we take to work every day. The space in Terminal Tower is great, while it is a little rough at the moment I am sure it will be amazing for next year’s teams. Lots of potential.

What has been the biggest challenge?

Learning how to manage all of the Flashstarts interns. We are a young company with only one full time employee. So learning how to manage up to 9 interns at a time was definitely a learning experience. Whether it was analyzing one's strengths and weaknesses, or just learning their work habits, it was something that we needed to learn in order to build a culture that makes everyone comfortable and challenges them to do their best work.

How do you like working with interns?

For a startup like ours it has been amazing to have the help that the interns are able to provide. We have been very impressed with the quality of the interns we worked with and it will be very dissapointing when the program ends and we no longer get to work with such amazing people.

What is some advice for future interns?

Don’t be afraid to speak up and give your honest feedback to the teams. Yes, the teams will give you a task that you can say “yes, absolutely” to and complete, but the founders of the companies do not know everything, and you will benefit them more by challenging them and providing honest, constructive feedback.

What surprised you about your experience at Flashstarts?

This year has been special for Flashstarts since the program is in the process of moving into a new space. As a team it has been great to be in an environment that is so new and we were pleasantly surprised that we were able to shape a workspace that works for our team and hopefully for teams in the future.

Any parting words?

Where to go for brunch:

• Grumpy’s: Located in the Tremont neighborhood, Grumpy’s is everything you want from a typical greasy spoon diner without the greasy spoon. With a modern yet comfortable interior, Grumpy’s would not be out of place for a casual business breakfast or just meeting up with a friend on the weekend. If you decide to visit on a weekend, arrive early or be prepared for a short wait. It’s that good. Recommended: The Grumpy’s special, the perfect amount of traditional food, no frills attached.   • Flying Fig: The Flying Fig is a small farm-to-table café in Ohio City with an attached grocery. They serve food all day, but I want to highlight their excellent brunch. Brunch is served at 11 am on the weekends – perfect for late risers – and with interesting choices like the BBQ Brisket hash or traditional options like the Kitchen Sink skillet, everyone can find something to love.  Recommended: For those who love breakfast potatoes, look no further than the Loaded Breakfast potatoes, complete with Cheddar, Pork Belly, Scallions, Fresno Chilis.

Where to go for happy hour:

• Barrio: Barrio has 3 locations (two in Cleveland and one in nearby Lakewood), which means that you lack zero excuses for not taking advantage of its delightful happy hour, which lasts from 4-7 pm. Barrio can be considered a much classier Chipotle, where you can build your own tacos with fresh ingredients, order a local beer, and enjoy a dollar off both. Or you can just order the monthly margarita special and eat the complimentary chips and salsa. Your choice.  

Recommended: The vegan stoner and the monthly special taco (recent editions include the duck confit taco and the Chipotle-peanut BBQ taco). • Great Lakes Brewery: The Great Lakes Brewery was the first place I was taken to by a friend I visited in Cleveland and is a popular (maybe most popular or most well-known) brewery in NEO. Happy hour runs from 4-7 pm and is a $1 off Great Lake’s quality beers. For people who’ve studied abroad in Ireland or the UK, they also have the best fish & chips I’ve had in town.  

Recommended: Try one of GLBC’s seasonal brews, you won’t be disappointed. 

Where to go for burgers & sandwiches:

• B-spot: There are a few B-Spot locations in NEO (including one in the casino for those 21+) where you can get a burger grilled to your specifications and taste. B-spot is Michael Symon restaurant, and if you haven’t heard of Michael Symon, you may have seen him on the Food Network. If Food Network endorsements mean something to you, there you go, but I’d personally like to endorse the generous and delicious pickle bar and the Lola fries.  

Recommended: If you go to the B-Spot in Beachwood, after your meal you can play a game of chess on the giant, outdoor chess board. • Melt: Take whatever sandwich you usually like (pulled pork, hot Italian, monte cristo, chicken and waffles, etc.) and add a mountain of cheese and you’ve discovered Melt. Whatever you want on your grilled cheese sandwich, they will deliver. You can also build one of your own from their list of crazy ingredients, and make it vegetarian or vegan (including the cheese).  Their grilled cheese sandwiches will feed you for dinner and lunch the next day, so plan to arrive on an empty stomach. Recommended: I’ve yet to have any sandwich from melt that I didn’t like.  

What to get at West Side Market:

• Falafel stand in West Side Market: If you’ve never had falafel, be a little adventurous and grab some while you are at the West Side Market.  Falafel (/fəˈlɑːfəl/; Arabic: فلافل‎, [fæˈlæːfɪl] is a deep-fried patty made from ground chickpeas, commonly served in a pita, and drizzled with tahini-based sauces.  Then stop at a bakery stand and pick up some baklava for dessert to complete the experience. Baklava (/ˈbɑːkləvɑː/, /bɑːkləˈvɑː/,[1] or /bəˈklɑːvə/;[2] Ottoman Turkish: باقلوا [bɑːklɑvɑː]) is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and sweetened and held together with syrup or honey.

Recommended: Falafel and baklava. That pretty much sums it up. • Czhuchraj’s: Coming from Chicago, having a go-to deli stand is a must. So if you love bacon and all things delicious, you have to stop at Czuchraj’s. They have 5+ varieties of bacon (from maple to Cajun) and the best jerky you’ll ever have. Plus, Chicago-style hot dogs and Polish boys.

Recommended: If they still have Christmas Ale bacon – get it. It’s like Christmas in July. Except with bacon.

Where to go for classy dining:

• Greenhouse Tavern: Greenhouse Tavern doesn’t really need me to recommend it, as the number of awards it has won pretty much speak for themselves. If you’re looking for some stellar food and a cozy atmosphere, definitely come here. It’s located on East 4th street, an easy walk or trolley ride from CSU.

Recommended: Crispy chicken confit chicken wings and pommes frites.  • Fire: Located on the East side, Fire is another great location for a weekend brunch. Let the complimentary valet park your car and enjoy a walk around the square before settling down to eat some tandoor smoked pastrami hash or almond-stuffed French toast.

Recommended: After eating your fill, check out Loganberry Books, the local independent bookstore or take a short hike on the paths at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes.  

Where to go for ice cream:

• Mason’s: People will tell you to get ice cream from Mitchell’s (and by all means do, it is good), but if you want a more authentic, neighborhood-childhood-ice-cream-stand experience go to Mason’s. Mason’s makes small, homemade batches of ice cream, so their flavors rotate regularly, and they are always trying new and interesting flavors. They also serve vegan ice cream (cashew-milk based) for those who want to be a little adventurous in their food lives.

Recommended: They let you taste everything so let that be your guide. • Piccadilly: If you have a car (or a bus pass) and can make it over to Coventry, stop for some fro-yo at Piccadilly. The ingredients are organic and local, and like most fro-yo places, totally customizable. Eat it inside or take it outside and enjoy the hub of Cleveland counter-culture. (I know I already talked about brunch, but I have to mention that the Inn-On-Coventry does have some lemon-ricotta pancakes that are hard to pass up).

Recommended: If you’ve never had mochi before, top your fro-yo with it.

What to visit:

• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Each time I’ve come to Cleveland, I’ve resisted the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with vague objections to its touristy-ness. I’ve since been reformed. When it became my turn to show guests around the city (my parents), I was scrambling for unique things around the city for us to see and do. Knowing my Dad’s love of classic rock, it seemed like the obvious choice. The Rock Hall did not disappoint.  

Recommended: Actually spend some time in the theaters watching the live concert clips – you’ll have a good time finally seeing the names and faces behind all those one-hit wonders you’ve grown up listening to. • Lake View Cemetery:  Some people think visiting a cemetery is a little creepy, but this isn’t your average cemetery (and it’s really not that creepy). Home to several famous grave sites (Rockefeller, President James Garfield, and Elliot Ness to name a few), there is plenty to see. The cemetery was founded in 1869 and was meticulously planned as an urban oasis, so it’s definitely a place to take advantage of on a sunny day, whether to walk, jog, or tour the grounds. I’ve even seen people reading on blankets out there.

Interns in the Flashstarts program are pretty much on equal footing as the founders. Interns are allowed freedom too choose what startups they work for and how they allocate their time between them. An intern’s opinion can help change a startup’s product, whether it is with branding, design, development, or anything off the laundry list of things a startup needs.

What attracted you to the Flashstarts accelerator?

I met Charlie last year when I came up with the concept; it was in the early stages at the time. We kept in touch and I made some traction, got into some hospitals and pilots, and felt the time was right to join the program. I am excited to be here.

Tell us about working and living in Cleveland

Absolutely love it. Cleveland is a great place to be as a healthcare startup. There are five different hospitals in Cleveland alone and many others in Northeast Ohio.

What has been the biggest challenge?

Can’t choose just one…. Parking in downtown? But seriously, the biggest challenge as a healthcare company has been learning to navigate the long sales cycles. The average sales cycle is a year and a half, and my company is a year and a half old.

How do you like working with interns?

It really differs from intern to intern, some interns come in and say, “Hi I am your intern for this week,” and you tell them what needs getting done. They come in and tell you this is my project plan and this is how I will get it done. Then there are some interns who need a bit of hand holding and will get it done. And then there are those where no matter how hard you try... lost effort. Overall, it is what I expected.

What are some things you’ve learned this summer, so far?

I am constantly learning the value of time management, both my own time and that of others. I am productive at very different times than others, but I am forcing myself to be a morning person because most other people are productive during the day.

What surprised you about your experience at Flashstarts?

Being isolated with my own company for the last year and being around other companies. Everybody thinks their own company is the best thing since sliced bread. It is nice being around other companies who think the same thing and getting to learn more about their idea is really fun.

Any parting words?

Getting a chance to do all of this in downtown Cleveland was an opportunity that I relished, because it is a city that I have come to love while exploring and making great friends in my past two years at Case Western.

Now, with more than 8 weeks gone by and only a few left in the program, I’m really glad that I found Flashstarts and decided to work here. I’ve worked on a variety of projects and learned a lot since I started. I’ve had a chance to work on every level of web development (and then some) over the course of the summer so far, ranging from making a real time messaging system on the back end to doing the front end work to launch the first website for one of the startups.

One of the most interesting challenges that I faced early on in my time at Flashstarts was figuring out how to navigate the wide range of technologies that the startups were using. In an effort to get started as quickly as possible, I just jumped in with two feet and I haven’t looked back. I’ve been continually learning and applying what I’ve learned, and I’m now to the point where I can discuss an idea with a team on Monday and then learn the technology and implement the idea by the end of the week. It’s one benefit to the startup environment that I didn’t consider, but it’s something that has become a critical part of what I do every day.

Before coming to Cleveland, Ohio, I had never heard any of these beloved CLE slogans. Honestly, I knew almost nothing about Cleveland before coming out here. I knew they lost LeBron, got LeBron back, and my cousin always raved about some outrageous grilled cheese place near Case Western. What was I getting myself into? As I drove west on I-90 for seven hours from upstate New York, I continued to ask myself this and tried to process that I was moving to Cleveland for the entire summer.

Over the past two months, I have seen why so many people “believe in Cleveland,” with its charming and genuine personality. Personally, I felt the most connected to Cleveland during the 2015 NBA Finals, when the Cavs took on the Golden State Warriors. As expected, Cleveland was considered the underdog, having lost every star player in its first line except LeBron James. The city was alive with excitement, with strangers in the streets, decked out in Cavs gear, calling “ARE YOU ALL IN,” answered with cheers and clapping. You couldn’t escape the frenzy.

I was lucky enough to attend the Game 2 watch party at the Quicken Loans Arena with 20,561 of my closest friends. It was a fairly close game, a back-and-forth between the two teams, until the Cavs took a significant lead in the fourth quarter. In the final minutes of regulation, the Warriors came back to tie it up. Heading into overtime, I could feel the anticipation in the crowd as everyone rose from their seats. Cleveland wanted this. Cleveland needed this. Most surprisingly, as I cheered beside true Clevelanders, I wanted this for Cleveland. We remained standing for the entirety of overtime, clapping and swaying anxiously - attempting to contain our excitement. Could Cleveland win this and tie up the series? If they did, it would be their first ever victory in a single game of the NBA Finals. With seconds left, LeBron James hit the final shot and, when the clock ran out, the place went wild.

In my first week, I was excited and afraid - excited about my internship and all that comes with it, but mostly afraid because I felt isolated. Because I was the only female developer I was afraid that I wasn’t “good enough” or “smart enough” compared to the other developers. I felt really intimidated when they talked about development and I didn’t know what to talk about or who I could talk to without being judged. Honestly, I wanted to quit because I felt dumb and incompetent. Fast forward to week 9. I am still excited about my internship, but I am no longer afraid. I am not afraid to ask questions, and most importantly, I am not afraid to ask for help when needed. I was given the task of creating a website for a team my first week, and it is the project I am most proud of so far this summer. I had complete control of the website. I was able to pick the language I wanted to program with and design most of the website myself. 

While I was working on this project, I learned so many new and valuable things. I wasn’t an expert in the programming language I used, so I did a lot of readings online to help myself self-learn and I also learned a lot from my peers. A few of the great and new things I learned more about for web development are: bootstrap (!!this makes your website look 100x better!!) and developer tools (a feature in most browsers that helps users look at the html and other stuff on a website). I have grown to love my internship, and everything that comes with it - from self-learning a new programming language to shopping for office plants. I’m so glad I didn’t give up my first week because Flashstarts makes me feel some typa way.

 What attracted you to the Flashstarts accelerator?

First, Kevin is a native of Cleveland and is passionate about contributing to the growth of the city. Second, the founders of Flashstarts offer a wealth of knowledge and experience in the technology space and we were excited to be part of the expansion of Flashstarts and Startmart.

 Tell us about working and living in Cleveland

So far, being in Cleveland has been great. The people are friendly, and there are always things to do. It’s also great to be in a city with so much pride.

 What has been the biggest challenge?

The entire experience of building a product and company from the ground up has been quite the challenge. Luckily, our team enjoys challenges and responds well. 

How do you like working with interns?

The interns have been extremely valuable to our team. They are all smart, hardworking, and fun to be around.

 What is some advice for future interns?

With a small company, each team member should always be thinking ahead. It’s key that they take initiative and recognize the multiple roles they will play.

 What surprised you about your experience at Flashstarts?

All of the founders here are friendly and are very open to discussing ideas or providing advice. It has been great to hear about what other teams are working on and what they have learned from past experiences.  

 What are some things you’ve learned this summer, so far?

What has been the biggest challenge?

I come from a very technical background and my biggest challenge has probably been learning more about other aspects of running a business, such as marketing, sales, and even HR.

How do you like working with interns?

They are great.  It feels good to be surrounded by a group of people with such high energy and excitement.

What is some advice for future interns?

Make sure you are clear about what you have to offer, and what it is you want to do. It's important that the interns get to work on things they find interesting in addition to all of the things that just need to be done.

What surprised you about your experience at Flashstarts?

I work on exciting projects for different startup companies every day. In the past week alone I developed the backend for one startup’s web app, installed and styled software for another’s corporate site, and administered a database for Flashstarts itself. I spend a lot of the day moving around the office, meeting with different people about different projects. There’s never a dull moment, because when you’re working on a startup company, you never know what will happen next.

I learn on the job like crazy. My biggest worry going into the program was that I wouldn’t be able to do development fast enough or well enough for the startups, and I definitely spent the first two weeks working my way through a lot of online tutorials! (A great starting place is Michael Hartl’s Rails tutorial at https://www.railstutorial.org/book/, which I think at least half of the developers here have used this summer.) Working on a startup is dynamic and flexible enough that learning on the job is not only expected but encouraged. I had no web development experience at the beginning of this summer, but this week I’m expecting to finish developing a web app that I wrote from the ground up.

Interns have lots of autonomy. Every Sunday, each intern fills out a survey detailing their work over the past week and makes requests for the next week. Generally, if I like a company, I can stay with them, and I can move between companies as needed. How I manage my time is completely up to me, and most companies give me the freedom to choose what technology I want to use or how I want to make some implementation.

The office culture is like no other. In the Flashstarts office, ten different companies and 20+ interns all work at tables within 50 feet of each other. Every moment is an opportunity to learn or get great new advice; some of the best pieces of advice I’ve gotten were from people who overheard me telling someone else about my project. Everything in the office is on wheels, which means that we can set up new workspaces as needed—and that if an occasional chair race or ping pong tournament is necessary, it can happen easily.

So far this summer, I have learned how to develop as part of a team, finished work on several websites, and participated in the formation of a few important and fascinating businesses—and we still have a month to go! I can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer holds.

It means doing meaningful work every day that relates to your career path and at the same time enjoying what you do. The corporate culture at Flashstarts really embraces the work hard, play hard mindset and balance. Everyone here knows how to work hard at their job and when to take a break, have fun, and play some ping-pong. At Flashstarts it's about taking the initiative and knowing how to contribute to the teams you are working with.  I have gained so much knowledge and skills from working here. I often hear interns mention how much they love their jobs here at Flashstarts.

I remember when I received the e-mail in my inbox announcing I was offered an internship from Flashstarts. I was really honored, but I was also extremely conflicted. It was mid-April and I had already bought plane tickets to go home for the summer. I hadn’t seen my family in 2 years and I was completely torn apart as to what to do. I only had 48 hours to decide. I knew that this opportunity from Flashstarts was very valuable and once-in-a-lifetime. I felt it was important to invest in my career so I did eventually cancel my airplane ticket back home. While my family is important and dear to my heart, I do not regret my decision to come to Flashstarts.

It's funny how a few months ago I was reading through the intern blog posts wishing I was in their shoes. And now here I am, writing the intern blog post myself.

Once you see a company being made all you want to do is help make companies because it is such a wonderful experience. Maybe I am a bit weird thinking that building financial models, using Quickbooks, and writing strategy is fun (to each their own right?). The awesome part is that you get to be a part of growing something as simple as an idea into a full-fledged company with revenue, expenses, and (hopefully) profits.

When I was looking at internships, like many college kids I was drawn to New York, San Francisco, and Washington D.C (my home city). Since I didn’t want to live at home for another summer and wanted to get real world experience, I decided to come to Cleveland and join Flashstarts.

Through my experience so far I have incorporated a company, written a proposal, and guided companies on how to become more efficient and when to acquire more capital through projections. So far that means I have played the role of lawyer, consultant, and CFO for some of these companies. I truly cannot think of any other internship that would allow students to take on this much responsibility.

While many other interns are simply making coffee and copies for their bosses, every intern at Flashstarts is able to come into work and help a company actually move closer to a goal. This is exhausting, but is extremely rewarding when you see your work presented to an investor or sent to clients. That is by far one of the best feelings because you know for a fact that the work you are doing is not simply busy work.

I love the immersive nature of this program, especially while being a developer. I never thought that I could personally have such a large impact on a piece of software. As a Computer Science student you are used to doing somewhat meaningless projects in the classroom. While they definitely strengthen your understanding of the core concepts of whatever language or paradigm you’re learning at the time, they often do not leave you as fulfilled as they do relieved (especially when you’ve been up all night). Sure, you can work on side projects throughout the year as well as attend hackathons, but life and school tend to get in the way of those and they often just end up taking up one of your private repos on GitHub. It is completely different here. 

Working on startups gives you the power to have a large impact and really contribute to the development. Everything you do here has a purpose and usually a large one. As a developer, that constitutes my favorite part of working for a startup, or in the case of Flashstarts, multiple startups. You are continuously fighting in the trenches and you will love every minute of it. Every single bug that you have to squash will be incredibly more rewarding at this level. I love how I personally got the opportunity to choose the development stack for some of the startups I was working on, definitely something that set the tone for the previous six weeks and the remaining six.

Amazingly enough, very few interns were familiar with the Cleveland area (shocking, right?). I just assumed that everyone would be from the area and everyone would know the city… not just because we’re supposedly the “mistake” on the lake.

Cleveland is the place I’ve called home for the past 21 years (amazingly). When I was looking for a college, I wanted to stay close to home. When I searched for summer jobs, I wanted to stay close to home. Searching for an internship was a little different. I still wanted to stay in the area (Cleveland is the city), but I also wanted something that would stray from my comfort zone. I applied to Flashstarts thinking it would be like any old internship, but boy was I wrong (that’s a good thing).

I admit, I had no idea what to expect on the first day of Flashstarts. I wondered up to the daunting and slightly creepy second floor of the Terminal Tower and found a few other interns clustered in the middle of a giant empty office space. I thought we had been lied to. What if this was the way they were firing us? Soon enough Taylor showed up and reassured us that this was the place. This was where our summer started. After introducing ourselves, the other interns and I realized we were all in the same situation; we had no clue what this internship was about to grow into.

Flashstarts has become one of the best teams I have ever been a part of. Everyone is here because they want to be, not just to fulfill an internship credit for school. And (thank god) the Cleveland jokes are at an all time low. The city is changing, and the other interns are noticing. Cleveland is finally the place to be, and the city is redeeming itself.

I can’t think of a better way to be spending my summer. Flashstarts is so much more than an internship; it’s a family. And I love it. Watch out, world. Cleveland is here.

So much of scientific research is finding the right fit between scientists and labs, thus our goal at Science United is to minimize the time and effort required in finding this perfect match. By allowing job seekers to upload a 90 second highlight video describing their skill set, goals, and research interests candidates are be able to showcase skill sets not found on traditional CVs and applications, giving employers a deeper, more personalized view into each candidate’s potential. Additionally our team of Ph.D scientists are able to provide a job-specific facilitated screening of candidates- further ensuring that the most qualified scientists find the right home. The biomedical industry accounts for over 7 million jobs in the U.S. and we believe that Science United will be a valuable resource to allow bioscience employers and scientists work together towards perfectly-tailored careers.    

What attracted you to the Flashstarts accelerator?

The Flashstarts accelerator is a very unique opportunity in that it provides startup companies with valuable resources and mentors that are incredibly involved in the company’s growth. From an award winning internship program consisting of bright and motivated interns, and experienced mentors that understand how to build and grow a startup company, we knew that Flashstarts was exactly the program we needed to elevate Science United to the next level.

Tell us about working and living in Cleveland.

We both received our Ph.Ds from Case Western Reserve University here in Cleveland, so we’ve been sold on the merits of this city for  a long time. However, it’s been inspiring to see the entrepreneurial spirit that exists in Cleveland, and we’re excited to be contributing to the social and economic renaissance that’s been brewing in the city for some years now.

What has been the biggest challenge?

Coming from a scientific academic background, we both had a steep learning curving in terms of getting familiar with many of the technical aspects involved in our project. In addition to learning about web development, marketing, sales, and analytics, a big challenge for us was learning that growing a startup company can be a rollercoaster of a journey- but that patience, focus, and belief in your product are essential to continued growth and development.

How do you like working with interns?

I’m sure I speak for all of the Flashstarts teams when I say that the most fun part about the program is the opportunity to work with this group of bright young minds whose diverse skill set and enormous potential are critical to the success of every company. It’s been an exciting to figure out how to maximize each intern’s specialty towards the goals of Science United, and to see them fully invested and excited about our company’s future keeps us inspired and motivated every day.

What is some advice for future interns?

Great advice for future interns is that although you may come in with expertise and be a specialist in one aspect or field, be prepared to learn and get involved on totally different paths. This program will give you the exposure and the opportunity to be involved in multiple facets of building a startup.

What surprised you about your experience at Flashstarts?

The first thing that comes to mind is how pleasantly surprised we’ve been at the collaborative environment that exists here. It’s been great to bounce ideas back and forth with interns as well as team leaders, and by pitching every Monday morning and having weekly meetings with the leadership, we already feel at ease and have a great sense of camaraderie with everyone in the organization.  

What are some things you’ve learned this summer, so far?

One thing that we’ve learnt so far this summer is that good leadership requires a healthy dose of humility, and the ability to admit ignorance is the only way to learn something new and apply it toward your goal. Additionally we’ve learned that being an entrepreneur is a 24 hour job, and you have to be willing to make sacrifices and remain fully committed to your goals in order to convert your vision into a viable product.  

At first, like many hungry college students, I focused more on the “food” part of it. However, after the first few events, the “thought” part actually caught my attention. Often I stopped eating in order to write down all the cool things I learned from them. I got the chance to listen to professionals from a variety of backgrounds: CEO of former portfolio companies, mentor, angel investor, branding agency…