27. How to Secure An Investor: What You Must Know for a Successful Exit (Part 1 of 2)

What do a billion-dollar VC investor, a serial entrepreneur and an M&A integration specialist have in common? HINT: They invest in people, not businesses. Today we're joined by three expert guests: Sarah Chen Spellings  Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Beyond the Billion, the world’s first and largest global consortium supporting women-founded companies. In under 2 years, the fund has deployed +$638M to 800 female-founded companies, with 11 recognised as unicorns. Simon Berger  Founding Partner of IM2 Group in 2002, Rendezvous Exhibitions in 1994 and Intermedia Exhibitions & Conferences in 1997. Building and selling 26 exhibitions and conferences around the world, Simon Berger continues to invest in creative business opportunities and offers consultancy and M&A services to industry players. Melissa Carson  After 25 years with several high-performing organisations including Accenture, where she supported M&A integration from a people perspective, Melissa founded Canopy Solutions. As Founder, People Strategist and Leadership Advisor she works with clients ranging from small non-profits to scaling technology companies, all with a common goal of ensuring that they have aligned their business and people strategies to drive growth. Join the conversation as we uncover EXACTLY what investors are looking for in 2023, how you can secure funding, and grow your business to exit. We discuss: What investors look for in a business What investors look for in entrepreneurs and leaders The red flags that will lose you the deal The role of People & Culture in securing investment Overcoming bias in the world of business and investment 4 expert tips and a mountain of resources This is part 1 of a 2-part series. Stay tuned! Resources Connect with Sarah Chen-Spellings LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal/ Website: sarah-chen.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahchenglobal/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahChenGlobal Listen to Billion Dollar Moves, our sibling show on the HubSpot Podcast Network: beyondthebillion.com and https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes/ Connect with Simon Berger LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-berger-18b5a34/ Website & Newsletter: makeadifference.events Events: https://madworldsummit.com/ / https://www.watercoolerevent.com/ Twitter: - https://twitter.com/MADSummits / https://twitter.com/watercoolerevnt Connect with Melissa Carson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissaridercarson/ Website: https://canopystrategies.co/ Read More From the News Round-up What is a Hush Trip? https://fortune.com/2023/02/06/what-is-hush-trip-new-workplace-trend/ Amazon Return to the Office: https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/andy-jassy-update-on-amazon-return-to-office Blinkist  Read more at: https://www.blinkist.com/magazine/posts/us-investors-berlin-startup?utm_source=cpp More From Truth, Lies & Workplace Culture Take part in our latest leadership research: https://forms.gle/H654QD4nEgAjd4La9 Listen back to Truth & Lies for more on: The Truth Behind Britain’s Healthiest Workplaces: https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/britains-healthiest-workplace-winners-2022 The Secret to Building Great Teams: https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/psychological-safety Is WFH Dead? https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/work-from-home-cost-of-living-crisis Connect with Al and Leanne Connect with Al on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott/ Connect with Leanne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthlieswork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/truthlieswork Email: [email protected]