Khay Nguyen

We love seeing founders be able to keep their equity and take advantage of non-dilutive funding sources⚒️. We're excited to collaborate with Stacy Chin, PhD leader of KeepYourEquity.co, who has secured over $15M in SBIR/STTR grants for startups across various sectors. She's written a guest blog post sharing her insights on navigating the competitive landscape of grant funding 💰. Some highlights: ❇️ Understanding SBIR/STTR: A lifeline for startups, offering up to $2 million in non-dilutive funding! ⏺️ Learning how to overcome hurdles and capitalize on the golden opportunity. ❇️ Gaining essential tips on outlining your go-to-market strategy, choosing the right program, and preparing thoroughly. ⏺️ Benefiting from Stacy Chin's 10+ years of grant writing experience and her extensive track record in securing funding for startups. Read More in the blog post linked in the comment below 👇🏾 #SBIR #STTR #GrantFunding #StartupSuccess #SmallBusiness #KeepYourEquityCo #ShayCPA #cpafirm #techaccountants #startupaccountants #techstartup #techcompany #nondilutivefunding

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Join us today for the Thought Leadership Panel on, 'Outage Management in Utility Industry: Innovation, Trends and Challenges' where industry leaders will be discussing innovations and trends in the Utility Industry.

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I had a lot of fun recording a podcast episode with Shiva Singh Sangwan. We discussed the evolution of Humba Ventures & Susa Ventures; tips for raising and building a fund; how to improve investment sourcing & picking; the role of luck in investing, and so on. https://lnkd.in/eiqsStej

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In the latest article, "Bridging Boardroom Divides: Conflict to Consensus," the intricacies of boardroom conflict resolution processes and their significant impact on corporate governance are explored. This piece provides insights into effective boardroom management and how strategic conflict resolution can enhance decision-making and governance. It discusses how transforming inevitable conflicts into constructive dialogue can strengthen board dynamics. Discover more about navigating boardroom challenges and fostering a conducive environment for organizational growth. #CorporateGovernance #BoardroomDynamics #BoardConflict #ConflictResolution

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Every CSO lives at the crossroads of impossible demands. The CEO pushes for bold, ambitious targets to capture opportunities and attract the best talent. The CFO demands compliance, budget efficiency, and measurable returns. It’s a tug-of-war—contradictory on the surface, but it doesn’t have to be. How it comes together: 🔹 Be bold, but only on the material issues that matter most. 🔹 Build a high-performing, small team that’s the best in the field. 🔹 Explore opportunities, but do it with budget discipline. 🔹 Invest in top technologies, but focus on enabling productivity and future success. 🔹 Live your values, but anchor them in strong compliance. The CSO role is about balancing all of this—serving as a strategist, negotiator, and diplomat all at once. Expectations are both incoherent and monumental. As one wise CSO told me, “Great sustainability leaders are professional negotiators.” I couldn’t agree more. Here’s to all the internal diplomats and master balancers out there. 🥂

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All of us at BCV would like to congratulate Rubrik’s founding CEO Bipul Sinha, founding CTO Arvind Nithrakashyap, and their two other original co-founders, Arvind Jain and Soham Mazumdar, along with the rest of the Rubrik team on their initial public offering today. Rubrik has significantly transformed the landscape of digital resilience, expertly transitioning the concept of data protection into a broader, more critical framework of data security. This shift has not only captivated the interest of customers worldwide but has also positioned their solutions as indispensable tools for modern businesses. Transitions are never easy, but as a board member for the past five years, I have seen Rubrik seamlessly navigate this complex process under the visionary leadership of Bipul and Nitro. Today marks another milestone in Rubrik's journey, a testament to the team's hard work, innovation, and the strong direction provided by its leaders. The emphasis on securing data not just from loss, but as a proactive measure against threats, shows Rubrik's commitment to redefining the industry's standards for data security. cc: Bain Capital Ventures Rubrik

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🚀 Let’s Plan for a Profitable 2025 Together I’m excited to be leading a workshop with J&P Consulting Group this Wednesday, December 11th, and I’d love for you to join me. Thank you Felicia Cook for the opportunity!! This isn’t your typical financial workshop focused on statements and theory—this is about what matters most: MONEY. Here’s what we’ll cover: ✔️ How to ‘Pay Yourself First’ – Stop being the last one to benefit from your hard work. ✔️ Proven strategies for building and growing a profitable business. ✔️ How to close out 2024 strong and start 2025 with a clear plan. If you’re ready to take your business to the next level, this is your chance. Let’s build a strategy for success—together. 👉 Register now: https://lnkd.in/g-72aDs5 Let’s make 2025 your most profitable year yet! #BusinessGrowth #ProfitFirst #Entrepreneurship #FinancialPlanning #PGAdvisors

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Few moments feel as good as watching our founders crush it out in the world. Seeing Harshal Chokhawala speak at SynBioBeta about building ZymoChem was one of those times. Our job as investors is to support the entrepreneurs who are ready to change the world. At Breakout Ventures, this means partnering with creative bioscience founders who are determined to overcome the biggest challenges in human and climate health. When Harshal launched ZymoChem to develop bio-based versions of chemicals and materials, he knew the height of the challenge he was taking on. Over the last few years, we’ve seen him grow his team, scale his tech, win strategic partnerships, and gain crucial funding to keep climbing. He’s taken the stage time and again to show the world how biomanufacturing will help us reach a fossil-free future. SynBioBeta reminds us that we are surrounded by people who believe in biotech's potential for solving our planet’s most pressing problems. Playing a role in this community of scientists and innovators is one of the highlights of my work. And - it was awesome to end the week on a enthusiastic and fun panel packed with folks fighting to make the future of synbio bright Taehong Huh (GS Futures),Kelsey Weimer (Synonym), Kristen McCarthy Barton, CFA (Mango Materials), and Richard Kenny (Hawkwood Biotech Partners). You can read more about ZymoChem’s success and how founders can follow in Harshal’s footsteps in our recent Medium article: https://lnkd.in/ggUiiv9k #SynBioBeta2024 #Biomanufacturing #ClimateTech #Biotech #SyntheticBiology #IndustrialBiotech

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Looking forward to diving into the state of the late-stage venture market at TechCrunch Disrupt next week with Karthik Subramanian. With late-stage companies facing tougher paths to exit, we’ll be debating whether the market is actually rebounding, sharing our thoughts on the outlook for future IPOs, and discussing how founders can navigate these shifting dynamics. Hope to see you there! #TCDisrupt #VC

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Customer selection is crucial to balancing growth and margins. It is now mission critical to have accurate and deeply segmented revenue data.

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🌟 SO GLAD 🌟 we've added Saurabh Kumar to our team. I talked to some deeply talented, fascinating people for this role, and Saurabh topped that list. Already only two weeks in, I'm feeling his leadership across our team - driving enhancements to how we think about impact in our investments, and evolving how we track and help grow responsible companies. Welcome, Saurabh! #venturecapital #esg #climatetech #impact #climatechange

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Menlo Ventures annual state of GenAI in the enterprise is quickly becoming the definitive report on the adoption trends in this industry. Impressed at our ability to precisely quantify the levels of traction across departments and vertical industries!

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Check out my latest blog on best practices for building Startup board financial reporting. Part 2 coming next week!

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The Key to Great Board Reporting (1/2) Last week I spoke on a panel hosted by Rillet, an emerging force in SAAS and Usage based ERPs. It was on a sunset boat cruise around the Statue of Liberty and truly an awesome event. The wanted to avoid discussing the tech stack and provide a forum for NYC finance leaders to share best practices and challenges reporting to boards. The questions ranged from reporting metrics for different types of companies, at different stages, to reporting at a venture capital vs private equity backed business. This past week as I reflected on the event, I wanted to add a few more thoughts. ___________________________________________________________________ The key to great board reporting? It’s understanding the “why” behind the numbers and how they change as the business grows or priorities shift. 1. Everyday Capital Allocation Decisions Founders and management teams are the real investors in any business. They make daily capital allocation decisions that shape the company’s future. They’re like portfolio managers allocating resources to the people & projects that offer the highest & best returns. The focus when explaining investment decisions, isn’t just on specific allocation strategies or balance, it’s about choosing the right metrics to measure how well capital is being deployed. 2. An Audience of Problem Solvers and Business Builders In my experience, investors, whether VC, growth equity, or PE, share two traits: they’re problem solvers and business builders. They want to help, but the level of support they realistically can provide depends on their involvement. Investors with many smaller investments may offer less hands on help, pointing you to advisors and specialists. Those with fewer, larger investments tend to be more actively involved. Effective board communication requires balancing the complexity of day-to-day operations with clear, big-picture narratives. Investors who see the potential for outsized returns often thrive on solving business challenges impacting their investments. To engage them effectively, you need to understand your audience, their incentives and motivations. In my experience, the best results come from reporting which frames key challenges in a way that leads to a targeted request for support. When investor interests are aligned properly, and the right mission critical business challenges defined, many times your board can help you get specific resources or advice needed. Missing this opportunity means missing out on their help. When presenting these challenges, keep your explanations focused, precise, and relevant to avoid overwhelming them with unnecessary details.

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I’ve been building and operating #startup #ventures for 20+ years and even when the product, market, or timing is off, a topnotch #team figures out what to change and how to win. A closeup view of how the best founders and execs make the most of their people #talent through our work at Hunt Club: 👉 At every company, only 1 or 2 people truly have the passion, time, and influence to actively develop their existing people and build a strong pipeline of new talent. 👉 For key roles, there's a very long list of 200-300 candidates today (up from 100-150 just 5 years ago. The more senior the position, the more likely that a warm intro through a trusted connection is needed. 👉 Finding the perfect fit is increasingly narrow. If a company has just one profile for a key hire, they either need to get lucky or expand archetypes. Otherwise, the search extends by another 30-80 days. ❓ And a new one - does #AI help or hurt things? With generative AI, there's been an explosion of well-written, but soulless outreach. Companies are combating that with tactics to sift through the noise to bubble up the most promising fits. Looking forward to chatting tonight with Shweta Agrawal, Steve Vilkas & the Born Global Community about #talent, #global #entrepreneurship #community, and why I think #Boston is a magnet for some of the world's most promising #builders, #innovators, and #startups. Hunt Club Atlas, a Hunt Club Company TBD Angels

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How do we harness innovation in energy? Cindy D. Taff knows. This week, we’re thrilled to welcome Cindy Taff to the podcast. From leadership roles in energy giants to forging the future of clean tech, Cindy’s journey is one of impact and inspiration. We explore the challenges and opportunities in energy innovation and how Houston is leading the way. 🎧 Don’t miss this one: https://lnkd.in/g8nujy-K Of course, a big congratulations to Cindy and the entire Sage Geosystems Inc. team for winning the Energy Transition Business category at the 2024 Houston Innovation Awards! 🎉 #EnergyTech #Innovation #FutureOfEnergy

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If you believe that #Diversity and #Inclusion matter, specifically in times like this, join us on October 30th. We will discuss the challenges and success stories of promoting Diversity in 2024. With me you will find industry leaders who were able to pull it off (!) 💥💥💥 Dorit Dor, Hasan Abasi, Vered Raviv Schwarz, Gal Shaul Guesty, Augury, HAAT Delivery, Check Point Software Power in Diversity Glilot Capital Partners Poalim Tech, Meitar | Law Offices, ESOP - Phoenix, Microsoft, Calcalist כלכליסט #nomatterwhat

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Navigating M&A as an early-stage startup can be challenging. Drawing from my experience leading the sale of HumanFirst, sharing three key tips for early-stage leaders: 1. Explore partnerships early and often. 2. You can work with a bank without hiring a bank... 3. But hire strong M&A lawyers. #MergersAndAcquisitions #Startups

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