Welcome to October! As we kick off this new month, PSL is excited to bring you the latest news, updates, and events in the world of entrepreneurship happening
right here in our ecosystem. This newsletter is released monthly. If you’re interested in seeing more resources and opportunities for entrepreneurs in the region, check out:
Whether you have multiple exits under your belt or are just starting on your entrepreneurial journey, PSL’s goal is to connect, convene and navigate entrepreneurs to resources and a supportive community in their own backyard. If you like what we’re doing, you can support by volunteering or donating.
We hope you enjoy the October edition of our monthly newsletter! 🚀
Featured Events🎟️
Did you know that the Welcome Wagon series is one of our top events? We offer you the perfect opportunity to get
plugged into the Philly startup scene! You can join us on November 1st at Mindspace Wanamaker for the next edition of this vibrant meeting. At PSL we know that as a newcomer to the city or the startup community, it can be challenging to navigate and build a network, and that's why our series is designed to introduce you to the key ecosystems, events, business resources, and new friends in your neighborhood and across the region.
At PSL we know that as a newcomer to the city or the startup community, it can be challenging to navigate and build a network. You don't have to do it alone – register today to
connect with like-minded individuals, grow your network, and make your mark on the Philly startup scene.
PSL Celebrates 15 Years of Fostering Innovation🍾
For the past 15 years, Philly Startup Leaders has been a
key player in advancing entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology by providing resources and connections for founders to grow. To celebrate this achievement, PSL is hosting three exceptional events that will engage, educate, and celebrate the local startup community. In these events, attendees can discuss the future of the ecosystem and the PSL community, learn about building lasting and scaling startups, and commemorate the contributions of ecosystem leaders and founders who paved the way.
All events will focus on community connection, networks, and mentorship.
Kicking off the anniversary festivities is PSL's inaugural Techtoberfest at NextFab. This casual community-uniting event will feature a screening and discussion of
the 2013 docu-series “Developing Philly” by Maurice Gaston and David Dylan Thomas, highlighting the history of the Philly tech scene, its early community leaders’ significant contributions to the ecosystem, and their predictions for the ecosystem’s future. The screening will be followed by community networking, tours of NextFab and their member gallery, and refreshments from James Beard Award finalist Cantina La Martina and USAToday 10Best Award Best New Brewery nominee, Human
Robot.
Do you know what is also back? PSL’s flagship Founder Factory! Founders come together for talks and panels on tactics to build strong foundations
that scale, sharing how they’ve worked through the challenges startups so often face. Founder Factory will feature speakers on organizational development and building resilient team cultures, leveraging technology as a tool for growth, navigating adversity as a founder, developing commercialization strategies which own the market, and extending runway for longevity in uncertain economic environments. The focus of this event will be on overcoming challenges and gearing up for
growth.
Date: 11/6/2023 Time: 1:30-8pm Location: BEX at Brandywine Realty Trust, 2005 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103 Tickets:
$100
PSL’s 15 Year Anniversary celebrations will culminate in the first Glassbreakers Ball. The gala will feature awards for accomplished entrepreneurs and industry experts who have made significant contributions to Philadelphia's startup ecosystem. PSL will celebrate community contributions through
Lifetime Achievement Awards while also reaffirming our commitment to our rising stars and PSL’s forward-looking strategy for another 15 years of growth.
Date: 12/12/2023 Time: 5:30-9pm Location: Science History
Institute, 315 Chestnut St. Admission: $125
In more exciting initiatives, as part of the celebration of its 15 Year Anniversary, Philly Startup Leaders has announced the creation of The Legacy Leaders Council with the goal to honor the early work of leaders in our community and to inform the future of this organization's future
endeavors.
Meet Marshall Darr - the health insurance guru who is revolutionizing employee benefits!
With over a decade of experience in working with SMBs and cracking the ”access” problem in the industry, Marshall is a true champion for startups. He first joined Gusto, the small business payroll services company to lead their insurance product expansion and then at Decent Health, a health insurance startup, where he continued his crusade. Currently, as the co-founder and CEO of StretchDollar, he is taking the industry by storm.
Whether he's out spreading the word about the company’s innovative platform or concocting the next big solution at his whiteboard, you can bet that Marshall’s enthusiasm and passion are contagious.
We're thrilled to share the launch of StretchDollar, a startup that's revolutionizing employee-owned health insurance with the power of pre-tax funding. StretchDollar has hit the ground running, with launches in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Colorado, and big plans to expand with future launches in California, North Carolina, and Texas throughout 2023. By the end of 2024, StretchDollar is set to make waves with a nationwide presence in all fifty states. But that's not all - with a successful pre-seed funding round that
raised an impressive $1.6 million from Precursor Ventures, Elefund, v1vc, Kindergarten Ventures, and Westerly Ventures, StretchDollar is ready to take their innovative platform to new heights.
Congratulations to StretchDollar on the exciting launch and here's to a wonderful journey of success! We can't wait to see all the great things that StretchDollar will achieve in the future and look forward to
celebrating their remarkable story here, in PSL.
We are so proud to have Marion Street Capital as one of our partners! Through its 3 core services: FinOps, DataOps, and RevOps, Marion Street Capital works with innovative early and growth-stage companies to solve their most pressing challenges. MSC sources capital for companies to fund their expansion, builds robust finance functions at organizations of various sizes, implements data analysis processes to track growth and relevant KPIs on a weekly basis, and designs creative initiatives to
accelerate revenue growth.
Their partner VC fund is Addvia Ventures. Addvia invests exclusively in companies with whom MSC has had a successful client relationship. Addvia makes early-stage venture capital investments into innovative high growth companies addressing large end markets.
Featured Investors: Andres
Guevara
👨💻 Andres is a finance professional and management consultant who helps companies achieve their growth goals. He provides client companies support in the areas of financial modeling and forecasting, market research, fundraising, and business development support. Andres is an Associate at Marion Street Capital, where he works with executives and founders to identify solutions to their
growth challenges, design and execute fundraising strategies, and prepare their companies to successfully scale. He is also an analyst at Addvia Ventures, Marion Street Capital’s partner VC fund, which invests in companies and teams with whom Marion Street Capital has had a successful client relationship. Andres immigrated to the U.S. 8 years ago and is passionate about positively impacting companies and communities by sharing his expertise, network, and stories. In his free time, Andres plays
instruments and writes music, runs, travels, makes plans with his friends, and serves on boards of non-profit organizations with the goal of helping them become non-donor dependent.
Thank you for your ongoing support and engagement with Philly Startup Leaders. We're excited
to continue growing and learning together as we navigate the entrepreneurial landscape. Stay tuned for upcoming events and updates, and don't forget to connect with us on social media to stay up to date with the latest news from the Philly startup scene. We appreciate you, our community, and can't wait to see you soon!
