Episode 29: Charlie O'Donnell from Brooklyn Bridge Ventures on misconceptions about angels versus VC, reasons to avoid raising money from friends and family, and who should pitch him for investment
Hey Hey Movers and Shakers,
It’s your host April Wachtel, and I’m so excited to present today’s episode.
But before I introduce today’s guest, I wanted to give a little context. If you’ve listened to previous episodes, you’ll notice there’s a recurring theme around what it takes to bring an idea into the world. I think many of the principles are universal- you have a great idea, you see a need, you find your audience, and so on. However, what I think is not very clear to the average person is how money affects the business you build, how quickly you get started and grow, the culture of your company, and so forth. If you listened to the last episode with Ryan Chethiyawardana, he says at the end that money is NOT the barrier to launching your idea, and I couldn’t agree more. So, in today’s episode, we do a deep dive into financing, and look at some of the questions startup founders may have as they’re trying to launch and grow their businesses.
Today’s guest, Charlie O’Donnell has been an active member of the NY startup community for over 15 years, with a reputation of being the most accessible early stage investor in New York. His fund, Brooklyn Bridge Ventures has made over 60 investments since it was founded, often leading or co-leading investments in a wide variety of startups including The Wing, Petal, Clubhouse, Hungryroot, and Ample Hills Creamery, among others.
In the podcast today we discuss:
Misconceptions about angel investment versus VC
Reasons to avoid raising money from friends and family
Why raising small amounts of capital is as difficult as raising large amounts
Who should pitch him for investment,
And so much more
Charlie is a born educator and a wonderful guest, and I hope you enjoy- and benefit from- this conversation as much as I did.
Without further ado, please enjoy my conversation with Charlie O’Donnell.
Social handles
Find Brooklyn Bridge Ventures
Follow Charlie
At @ceonyc on Twitter and Instagram
Read his blog “This is Going to be Big”
