Join Preccelerator U™ for our next workshop: Creating Investor-Ready Pitch Decks & Business Plans for Entrepreneurs

Plan, pitch and raise capital in 2024. Learn the Neuroscience behind investor decision-making. The Plan Writers are proud to present a one-of-a-kind webinar, “Decoding the Deal: The Science of Persuasive Pitches.” This event is specially designed for entrepreneurs eager to master the art of planning pitching and closing deals through the lens of neuroscience.

Speaker bio:

Matthew Khalili began his entrepreneurial journey with pcrush, where he was instrumental in developing one of the first e-commerce shopping cart technologies in the ’90s. His strategic leadership helped elevate the company to the “Internet Retail Top 500 status” status.

After driving nearly five years of sustained double-digit growth, Matthew crafted his first business plan and pitch deck for a fashion tech SaaS platform, Virtual Outfits. The Lloyd Greif Center at USC awarded this plan the “best business” accolade, and it successfully attracted considerable funding.

In 2012, after transitioning from his previous ventures, Matthew established The Plan Writers with the vision of aiding fellow entrepreneurs to succeed. As the key figure of The Plan Writers, he has contributed to considerable success stories, supporting over 5,000 founders in collectively raising over $1 billion under his advisement.

Matthew Khalili holds an MBA from the Marshall School of Business and is a FINRA Series 82 licensed holder.

Preccelerator U™ Workshop
April 9th, 2024
12:00 – 1:30 pm PDT (Zoom)

To register for the Zoom event, click here.

Join Stubbs Alderton & Markiles on March 7, 2024, for our next Investor 360 roundtable interview with Ahmed Mirza of Techstars! There will be ample opportunity for questions at the end of the interview!

To register, click here.

About Ahmend Mizra 

Ahmed is an Investor at Techstars, where he helps run the Los Angeles, Healthcare, and Space programs. At Techstars, Ahmed invests in 48 companies a year across six sectors: B2B SaaS, Retail / E-Commerce, Health & Wellness, Deep-Tech, Prop-Tech, and Climate / Sustainability. Most recently, Ahmed was selected to Business Insider’s Rising Stars list of Venture Capital. Additionally, Ahmed serves as a Faculty Lecturer at the Anderson School of Management at UCLA.

Previously, Ahmed incubated ideas at Wavemaker Labs, Share Ventures, and Pilot44 by helping the teams bring various concepts to market. There, he partnered with internal corporate venture groups at Fortune 100 companies to launch new products and build businesses.

He’s also spent part of his career as an entrepreneur launching multiple ventures — from retail businesses to digital software products. His expertise in early-stage company building has helped him go 0-to-1 seven times in a span of 3 years. Prior to his entrepreneurial endeavors, Ahmed was an investment banker transacting technology mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and partnerships.

About Techstars

Techstars is the most active pre-seed investor in the world having invested through its accelerators in more than 4,000 companies. Founded in 2006, Techstars believes that entrepreneurs create a better future for everyone and great ideas can come from anywhere. Now we are on a mission to invest in an unprecedented number of startups per year enabling more capital to flow to more entrepreneurs around the world. We do this by operating accelerator programs and venture capital funds, as well as by connecting startups, investors, corporations, and cities to help build thriving startup communities.

March 7, 2024
12:00-1:30 PM

In-Person Event:
1316 3rd Street Promenade, Suite 107
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Join Preccelerator U™ for our next workshop: How to Successfully Build Your Personal Brand to Become a Celebrity in Your Industry

Are you ready to become a recognized figure in your field and take your career and endeavors to new heights? Join us for an exciting and informative event that will empower you to build a personal brand that transforms you into a celebrity in what you do. You have the potential to be a celebrity in your field, and this event will show you how to achieve it. Don’t miss out – reserve your seat now! Whether you’re an entrepreneur, influencer, executive of a company or aspiring celebrity in your industry, this event will equip you with the knowledge and strategies needed to make your mark. Gain access to a treasure trove of resources and tools that will help you on your journey to personal branding success.

Speaker bio:

Chirag Sagar is a co-founder of Mission Matters Media – a multimedia brand that reaches several million people per month and has a personal brand accelerator to establish, build, and scale people. Their mission is to amplify the missions of entrepreneurs, experts, and executives through their content. Beyond the media, they have also helped over a thousand people publish books, speak at conferences, launch podcasts and media brands, and coordinate PR efforts. Notable clients include Richard Branson, Barry Sanders, LVMH, McLaren, Bentley, Patek, Marriott Hotels, Baha Mar Hotel and Resorts, and more.

Prior to Mission Matters, Sagar co-founded three other ventures with one successful exit. He was also the inaugural Managing Director for a White House-recognized non-profit that was backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Blackstone, and Chase Giving Foundation, teaching financial education to students in need. He has served on over a dozen boards, including three alumni boards from USC, his alma mater. Formerly, he was a Los Angeles Global Shaper, an initiative of the World Economic Forum. He can be reached at chirag@missionmatters.com.

Preccelerator U™ Workshop
March 26th, 2024
12:00 – 1:30 pm (Zoom)

To register for the Zoom event, click here.

Join Preccelerator U™ for our next workshop: Customer Research and Interviews for Early-Stage Startups

The success of any startup, regardless of its stage, depends on effective customer research.

This crucial element has been integral to the long-term success of tech giants such as Amazon. However, Henry Ford once noted, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” This means that relying solely on customer feedback may not always lead to innovation; sometimes customers don’t know what they want until they see it.

In this brief presentation, we will explore essential customer research frameworks, with the aim of answering the pivotal question: How can startups strike the right balance between thorough customer research and entrepreneurial intuition?

Speaker bio:
With 25 years of experience in various roles, including tech startup founder, product leader, and UX designer, Adriana has worked in startup and corporate settings like Age of Learning and Disney Imagineering. Passionate for how technology can positively shape lives, my recent focus has been on generative AI-powered products, delving into rich discussions surrounding their potential impact.

As a fractional leader, she provides top-tier expertise and direction on a part-time basis, making her a perfect choice for cost-conscious startups seeking product management and design know-how.

Preccelerator U™ Workshop
March 12th, 2024
12:00 – 1:30 pm (Zoom)

To register for the Zoom event, click here.