Acquired Wisdom Fund is an investment fund that focuses on founders, their backgrounds, and their journeys.

Acquired Wisdom Fund

Helping seasoned professionals create scalable technology products

Most marketers that I talk to have a fairly simplistic view of what NIL means - That college athletes can make money off of their Name, Image and Likeness. 

Those who have tapped into NIL so far have largely done so by treating college athletes similar to other micro and macro influencers and asking them to create and post content reflecting their brands.

In key windows - like March Madness and College Football Season, we've started to see the power of big brand dollars and budgets capable of activating college athletes to the same level and extent that pro athletes have historically demanded - with fully integrated campaigns driving the performance of upfront talent and production investments.

And don't get me wrong, that's a great starting point, but the more time I've spent working at the forefront of NIL alongside NOCAP Sports, the limitlessness of what all NIL can actually mean is what I've realized should truly energize and excite marketers. 

Rather than say NIL, we should instead have a term to adequately describe where athletes cannot "NIL" and raise questions about those systemic inequities rather than describe "NIL" as anywhere that they can. 

It should shock us to hear of anywhere that an athlete cannot earn money from their own name, image and likeness. NIL should be possible for all athletes, at all levels of development or professionalism. The standard should be that all athletes can monetize their NIL. 

The reality is that many industry players have a hand in taking their cut from that potential and at times, institutions and legislation strictly prohibit those opportunities. And yet the most rapid and exciting changes in the space right now are happening at an institution and property-level, rather than at a brand one.

As you tune into the Olympics, keep in mind that NIL means opportunities for athletes to monetize their likeness and earning potential every day, not just every 4 years. 

As you follow headlines for legal changes in Florida opening up NIL possibilities for high school and youth sports participants, ask yourself why we were prohibiting those possibilities in the first place. In no other country does the average cost of youth travel soccer cost $30,000/year, so how else can NIL help athletes fund their dreams of reaching the collegiate or professional ranks?

As a marketer, our challenge is not to think within the box when it comes to the narrow definition of NIL today, but rather, to think outside the box creatively and help push NIL to where it should be and always should have been - within reach for all athletes, at all stages of their development and career. 

The winning ideas will bring your product and services to the table, to be informed by ambitious athletes and taken to new heights together. It won't just be about promotion of your brand, it will be about co-creation and shared monetization. 🚀


#sportsmarketing #NIL #athletemarketing #influencermarketing #talentstrategy #sportsbusiness #sportsbiz

Exactly one week ago, I had this life changing moment 🥲: this polite lady with no arms came over to our booth… to try out the Lotus Ring.

If I’m being perfectly honest and vulnerable - I was nervous. What should I say to her?

When I first designed the ring, it was designed to be *theoretically* possible for someone with no arms to use it as well - with their toes. 

But I’d never seen it happen in real life.

All that changed, in this moment. 

.
..
…

Video description: Notice how she picks up the ring with ease at the start with her toes! Then as shown in the captions, she starts using it in seconds! Then describes why it was so easy.

In fact I’m in such disbelief, I ask her to try it *multiple* times to confirm if it is *still* easy to use. Spoiler: No surprise, it was effortless.

I was almost in tears. 🥲

So here’s to our mission at #Lotus: 
Building Tech that anyone can use, 
by optimizing for disability first.

Onwards and upwards. 🚀 

National Council on Independent Living
Greg Olsen Rebecca Preve Regina "Gina" Kline Mike Catania Michael Hughes Ranga Jayaraman Elizabeth Yin Sean Henry Tracy Chadwell Mendel Chuang Paige Finn Doherty Lisa Muccio Josh Muccio Pankaj Kedia Andy Miller Amy Shroads Amelia Hay Elana Berkowitz Bryan Adams Brian Shulman Liv Tomaszewski Jeffrey Gray Mary Furlong

VCs perking back up?

In total, US venture funds and SPVs that use Carta Fund Admin called $7 billion in capital over the first two quarters of 2024.

That's a solid bump up from the $5.4 billion called in the first half of 2023.

As a reminder, capital committed to venture funds doesn't usually sit in the accounts of the general partners. The investors must call the capital from their limited partners in order to then invest into startups.

While some funds call capital on a regular schedule, many will only do so as it is needed. 

Interesting to see the percent of all capital called by SPVs (orange slice of each bar) has rebounded back to early 2022 levels after being much lower in the choppy waters of 2023.

Fingers crossed this gets put into startups soon!

If you need more data on fund behavior and performance, join the waitlist for our very first Fund Performance Report here: https://lnkd.in/gsTxzscb

Especially useful for emerging fund managers and the LPs who invest in them.

Weekend optimism continues 🙏

#cartadata #capitalcalls #venturecapital #VC

I recently had a fascinating conversation with Dhaval Patel founder and CEO of  Lotus (Techstars'23) on the "Pushing Forward with Alycia" disability podcast!

Dhaval is dedicated to creating accessible technology, as demonstrated by his innovative smart home device.

Lotus was born from extensive research and a human-centered design approach, with a mission to build technology that is useful to everyone by optimizing for disability first. LOVE this!

Dhaval shares his journey with disability and how his experiences led him to develop Lotus, a wearable ring that controls home appliances with a simple point, requiring no apps or rewiring.

Quote from Dhaval:

"Our journey over the past year has been incredible. Each story shared, each listener impacted, and every milestone achieved has reinforced our mission to transform challenges into opportunities. Keep pushing forward and never give up."

Join us for this amazing episode! 🎙️🔗 https://lnkd.in/gHQEUyMT

#AssistiveTechnology #Accessibility  #Tech #SmartHomes 
#DisabilityInclusion  #HumanCenteredDesign
#DisabilityPride #InclusiveDesign #UniversalDesign Natalie Shearer, MET, CPACC

We are growing our brand roster at NOCAP Sports and will be recruiting for a whole slate of athlete influencer campaigns this summer, fall, and winter. If you are an agent, talent manager, NIL director, or similar, and are trying to get your athletes into more national brand campaigns, please comment (or DM) your organization name and email below. 

cc Julie Dolak, Sarah Fuller, MBA, and Camryn Hanna, MBA 🤝

Texas Twins and Oregon Track commits, Sam and Nicole Humphries, just inked a deal with @HOKA! 🏃♀️🔥 They’re stepping up to inspire and empower female athletes everywhere. 💪✨

From winning LeadingAge’s Innovation Showcase a year ago, to winning the #LongevityVentureSummit’s $10k business plan now, feels like we’ve come a long way. 

Thank you to Vik Kashyap for all the advice from a year ago! Before either of us really knew where this journey would take us. Seeing how well you’ve flourished inspires me *truly*.

And of course - thank you to LeadingAge and Jeannee Parker Martin - for recognizing us before anyone even knew who we were. Before we knew our own potential.

In the words of MLK Jr.
“Faith is taking the first step
even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

Thank you for believing in Lotus.

Day 1 at the What’s Next #LongevityVenture Summit was nothing short of transformative, filled with insightful sessions and unforgettable moments! A special shoutout to our participant startup, Lotus (Techstars'23), whose innovative ring that controls home objects by pointing, clinched the $10K Business Plan Competition amid fierce competition from six remarkable finalists! 🏆💡

The day's sessions explored deep into the realms of innovation and equity:

📌 Adimika Arthur from HealthTech for Medicaid emphasized the critical need for job inclusivity and data-driven equity in the workforce.
📌 Robert Gerber of 7wire Ventures brought to light the significance of transparent payment models for attracting startup investments.
📌 Stephen Samuels of Volunteers of America shared valuable insights on fostering health equity and the potential for managed care organizations to work in unison.

Reflecting on today’s wealth of knowledge, we're inspired by the powerful strategies discussed, all designed to carve a better future in aging. Stay tuned for even more innovative insights as the summit unfolds! 🌟 

#LongevityVentureSummit2024 #FutureOfAging #InnovateWithUs
Mary Furlong & Associates

So much to celebrate at the What's Next #LongevityVentureSummit, and we are only halfway through!

Lotus (Techstars'23) won the $10k Business Plan Pitch Competition! 🎉  It was an honor to share the stage with fellow (amazing!!) founders:

Ryan Reid (Bream)
Neal K. Shah (CareYaya)
Jimmy Zollo (Joe and Bella)
Shannon Bean (Parrots AI)
Tracey McGillivray (RAYMEX Lift)

Heading into Day 2, I'm excited to continue learning and connecting with all of the incredible folks here. Mary Furlong & Associates, What's Next Longevity Events - you've brought together a community unlike any other through this event. Grateful to be part of it!

AWF

VC:AWF

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