Written by Lori Williams

“Oklahoma now has a Lieutenant Governor who is also a small business owner,” says Matt Pinnell. “So, naturally, I’m going to be going around the state seeking out opportunities to speak to entrepreneurs.”   Before he was Lieutenant Governor, Matt Pinnell and his wife Lisa launched Binxy Baby, a company that sells baby hammocks that fit into shopping carts. Today the business is thriving and there are plans to launch two new products later this year. But the Lieutenant Governor still remembers what it was like at the beginning. “The attention to detail when you’re building a business is so important,” he says. In an interview ahead of his presentation at the March OVF luncheon, the Lieutenant Governor shares what those details look like. “I want to help entrepreneurs connect with the resources they need,” he says.   “We have the best career tech infrastructure in the country,” says the Lt. Governor. “Many classes are available to help start-ups bolster their businesses.”   The Lieutenant Governor also wants entrepreneurs to tap into the accelerators in the state. “The Thunder Launchpad and OK Innovate are raising money for investment funds. i2E also does a good job in that area. But we need more accelerators.”   “We have one of the best states in the country for philanthropic activity. So we need to get those people much more engaged in investing in business ventures.”   Engagement is key, especially when it involves connecting with the right people and resources. “When Lisa and I decided to launch our business,” recalls the Lieutenant Governor, “it was a slow build process.”   For example, it took time to work through the patent protocol for Lisa’s invention. But that investment, which secured a lockproof patent, means that the Pinnells are able to deal effectively with the legal issues that come with the territory. “It’s very frustrating,” says the Lt. Governor, “to see so many knockoff products on places like Amazon. I want small business owners to realize how important it is to find an attorney who specializes in patent infringement issues.”   “We went to experts in different fields very early in the process of building our business,” he recalls. “We identified a professional vendor in New York who specializes in manufacturing facilities in China. She helped us through that process.”   “It probably took us an extra year to get our product off the ground, but it paid off for us.” Finding customers and making it easy for them to pay for products is another detail that must be carefully considered. “Shopify has made it easy for us to build the e-commerce side of our business,” says the Lt. Governor. “Another thing that has helped us is social media.”   “It is critical for entrepreneurs to quickly find someone who is technology proficient. When social media is done well, it’s a lot easier to grow a business.”   Growing a business, it seems, is a lot like growing Oklahoma. That’s why the newly elected Lt. Governor is seeking occasions to speak to individuals who want to invest in entrepreneurship. “I never turn down an interview,” he says, “and I’m always looking for opportunities to speak to people who care about these issues. Reach out to my office* and let’s talk. Because entrepreneurship is the future of Oklahoma.”   *www.ok.gov/ltgovpinnell/

"Fortune brings in some boats that are not steer’d." Cymbeline, Act 4, Scene

For much of Oklahoma’s history, our economic development has been driven by a turn of nature – the existence of large bodies of oil and natural gas located beneath our soil. And the soil itself, providing food, grain, forage for cattle. Hard work was and is required to wrest value from the land, but fortune has helped us.

But everyone acknowledges that if we can diversify our state’s economy, we will be less susceptible to the vagaries of the price of oil – and entrepreneurship – growing our own businesses here in Oklahoma – is a great way to diversify.

Thus I am very excited that our March main speaker is the newly elected Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell. Matt runs a small business with his wife, Lisa, an entrepreneur and inventor, and we are delighted to have both top officials in Oklahoma - Governor Stitt and Lt. Governor Pinnell - as business owners.

Without making any claims about the effectiveness of running an elected office/administration as a business, it is clear that being an entrepreneur makes one more knowledgeable about what it takes to be an entrepreneur. That is why I really wanted to have our Lt. Governor speak to the Oklahoma Venture Forum.

One of our main goals of the organization is to increase the visibility and, hopefully, the success of our Oklahoma entrepreneurs. And that is made much easier when our government are themselves entrepreneurs. Please be ready to discuss with our Lt. Governor what can be done to improve the business startup environment across the state. The Lt. Governor also oversees our tourism and programs to make Oklahoma a great destination for our visitors.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend this meeting as I have been invited to participate in a Southeast Asia Fellowship through our US Department of State to teach entrepreneurship in Thailand vocational schools. I look forward to filling you in on my experience and appreciate the support and growth that OVF has provided me.
We will also be using the remaining time for a short survey of OVF, our meetings, and what we can do to improve the organization. Please take the time to complete this survey.

I look forward to seeing you – and a guest! – at an upcoming OVF event. Remember that if you have someone you feel should attend one of our events, and you cannot afford to bring them as a guest, tell me and I will make it happen.

Here are some great events you won't want to miss. 

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Host Organization: Metro Tech Downtown Business Campus          

Event title: Microsoft for Executives: Excel 2016, Level 1

Event type: Basic Microsoft Excel course for those new to Excel or those frustrated with trying to learn the basics on their own

Event date: February 13^th, 9 AM – 4 PM                   

Link to registration: http://www.cvent.com/d/06q7z5

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Host Organization: Metro Tech Downtown Business Campus          

Event title: Microsoft for Executives: Excel 2016, Level 2

Event type: Intermediate Microsoft Excel course for professionals who feel they are underutilizing this great software package

Event date: February 27^th, 9 AM – 4 PM                   

Link to registration: http://www.cvent.com/d/b6q72q

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Host Organization: Metro Tech Downtown Business Campus          

Event title: Microsoft for Executives: Excel 2016, Level 3

Event type: Advanced Microsoft Excel course for users wanting to break through to real mastery

Event date: March 13^th, 9 AM – 4 PM                   

Link to registration: http://www.cvent.com/d/56q72d

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If you have questions about events?

Please use the link included in each event. 

Do you have questions about OVF membership?

Please reach out to me, I am always happy to help.

Have an event, class, or workshop to Share?

If you would like to share events, classes or workshops with OVF members please click the Add Me button below and let us know you have something to share.  (Please do not share events, classes or workshops with us until you have received the response email with our preferred submission format)

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OKC Tech Events Calendar: Tech Events

Best regards,
Oklahoma Venture Forum

"Procrastination is opportunity's assassin." Victor Kiam

I have never been one to set New Year’s resolutions, but from my experience many people resolve that this the year they will go on their own and start a business. Being involved with entrepreneurs, I certainly want people to start businesses. But I worry that those who start the year with a resolution with have that resolution end up stacked in the corner of the room with the treadmill and running shoes.

Part of the difficulty is that when setting a resolution we are quickly struck by the difficulty – and time-consumption – of the resolution. Resolving to lose 15 pounds by jogging, we quickly realize this is going to take a while! And while it is relatively easy to go out and buy the shoes (and kind of fun), it does not make it any easier.

Likewise with starting a business. Sure, you do the structural work of hiring a lawyer to set up your LLC, put together a business plan, do market research, but none of those things make it any easier to find a stranger willing to part with money for your product or service.

This year – turn your resolution on its head: start by selling something, and see if it can scale. If not, end it without doing all the structural work. To use my jogging analogy, get out there every morning and walk around the block. If after four weeks you are still walking, increase the pace.

As we get further into 2019, please continue to seek prospective members for the OVF. Our membership is what makes OVF special. In February, for our luncheon, our Main Speaker is Brian Byrnes, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, The OKC Thunder. The OKC Thunder help fund the Thunder Launchpad - an entrepreneurial accelerator which is in the process of gathering its third cohort of startups. I don’t think we will see any of the basketball players at lunch, but we will learn why the OKC Thunder are involved in entrepreneurship.

Our Short Presenter is Leo Clarke​, Paelode Systems​. Paelode System provides IT solutions for Oil & Gas Industry, including lodeX — their flagship, end-to-end, electronic ticketing and data workflow solution. lodeX resolves the problem of managing wastewater disposal generated during the production of oil and natural gas.

I hope you attended and enjoyed our After Hours event on January 23^rd at Vault 405, a Coworking space in downtown Edmond.

I look forward to seeing you – and a guest! – at an upcoming event for OVF.

Steven Brooks is the CEO and President of The Brooks Group, LLC, a business advisory firm that provides business valuation, succession planning, business transaction/mergers & acquisitions (“M&A”) consulting, and an array of other advisory services geared to meet the strategic needs of its clients.  In his role as CEO/President, Steven Brooks brings over 20 years of experience gained working in both the corporate and non-profit worlds, utilizing a wide variety of practical industry experience in the work that he performs at The Brooks Group.  Before founding The Brooks Group, Mr. Brooks was the Associate Director & Legal Counsel for the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), where he worked with the organization’s national and regional officers on a variety of matters and issues, including contract negotiations and operational issues of the organization.  Before his time at ACDA, Mr. Brooks worked both as a Business Analyst and Corporate Attorney for Kaneb Services, Inc., where he was involved in a wide variety of projects, primarily in the areas of corporate development, mergers, and acquisitions.  During his tenure at Kaneb, Mr. Brooks was deeply involved in corporate acquisitions, research, industry analysis, and internal growth initiatives, including the acquisitions of companies such as Ellsworth Associates, Double Eagle Communications and Cabling, and Nybor.  Mr. Brooks worked directly with members of the Kaneb Board of Directors and with the presidents and officers of the company’s operating divisions on a variety of internal development initiatives including strategic business plan development, strategic alliance initiatives, and numerous other internal and external development projects.
Mr. Brooks’ extensive industry experience is coupled with a broad education grounded in the areas of business and law.  Mr. Brooks received both a Bachelor of Business Administration and Juris Doctor from The University of Oklahoma, and an International Master of Business Administration from The University of South Carolina.   Mr. Brooks is also a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) and is accredited through the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA).
Mr. Brooks is a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the District of Columbia Bar Association, The Oklahoma County Bar Association, The Rotary Club of Oklahoma City (Club 29), the Board of Advisors of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, and Leadership Oklahoma City.  Mr. Brooks also serves on the Finance Committee of the Homeless Alliance and is Vice-President/Secretary of the Men’s Dinner Club of Oklahoma City. 

Written by Lori Williams

Is anything bigger than basketball in Oklahoma City? Ask Brian Byrnes, the senior vice president of Sales and Marketing for the Thunder, and the answer might surprise you. “The Thunder has made a community investment play that is beyond basketball,” says Byrnes. “It’s called the Thunder Launchpad.”

Introduced in January of 2018 as part of the Thunder’s 10^th season, The Launchpad is an accelerator program located in OKC’s Midtown district. “We are inspired by the other entities that are driving the future of our state’s economy,” says Byrnes, “and we wanted to use the marketing and media power of the Thunder to elevate Oklahoma City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

To make the Launchpad a reality, the Thunder has teamed up with StitchCrew. This is a company that helps technology minded entrepreneurs launch their ideas and obtain venture capital. So far, 18 have passed through the program; another group is being vetted to begin in the spring of 2019. The participants receive a space in which to work as well as other needed resources. They also are matched with mentors.

“The Thunder certainly has terrific relationships with the business community vis-à-vis all of our corporate partnerships and our business to business relations,” says Byrnes. “In many cases we have the opportunity to invite and encourage and validate the applicants who are mentors. Then StitchCrew matches the applicants, who are called founders, with the mentors and develops a customized business program for each one.”