SEED SPOT

SEED SPOT’s CEO Shannon McGhee joined Phoenix Business Journal Editor in Chief Greg Barr for a fireside chat at the eighth annual Small Business Awards, presented by National Bank of Arizona, and the conversation in that room reflected something worth saying out loud: Arizona’s small business community is one of the strongest in the country. Drawing from SEED SPOT’s experience working alongside more than 4,000 entrepreneurs, Shannon shared what she has seen in the founders who make it: an entrepreneurial spirit, resilience, and a deep belief in their solution, and when that foundation is paired with real community, the right mentor at the right moment, relationships that outlast any single program, and access to capital with support that means a mistake does not have to cost them everything, that is when founders go from building to thriving. Two things SEED SPOT is carrying forward from that conversation: showing up in rooms where Phoenix’s business and civic leaders define excellence builds the credibility that opens doors for founders, and concrete outcomes always communicate what programs alone cannot. Congratulations to this year’s Small Business Award winners: Novle | Multicultural Marketing Agency, Sole Sports Running Zone , and Arizona School of Medical Massage and Wellness. Each of them represents the resilience, persistence, and ingenuity of every founder who has ever bet on themselves and kept building through the hard moments. #PhoenixBusiness #SmallBusinessAwards #SeedSpot #ArizonaFounders

🚨 Nonprofit leaders: Applications are OPEN for UpTide, a virtual accelerator from 92nd Street Y & SEED SPOT for organizations building strong communities. $5K grant, strategic support, a trip to NYC & more funding opportunities. Apply 👉 Join the upcoming Info Session https://luma.com/zfcdk0i4 #NonprofitAccelerator #SocialImpact #CommunityBuilding #GrantOpportunity

TechChicago Week is coming — and it starts with breakfast. ☕ Join SEED SPOT, Midwest House , Endeavor, and TeamWorking by TechNexus for The L(aunch) Stop Breakfast, the unofficial welcome to the week. Whether you're from down the block or across the country, this is where the connections start, plus a first look at what's happening all week at Basecamp by Technexus Coffee, breakfast, and a room full of founders, investors, and ecosystem builders — plus a first look at what's happening all week long. Consider TechNexus your basecamp while you're in town. 🗓️ Tuesday, July 21st · 9:00 - 11:00 AM 📍 TechNexus, 20 N. Upper Wacker Dr., Floor 12, Chicago Open to all — RSVP: https://luma.com/vbrhvncr TechNexus Venture Collaborative

🚨 Applications are OPEN for the UpTide Nonprofit Accelerator. We are looking for leaders building stronger communities. Created by 92nd Street Y Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact, in partnership with SEED SPOT, UpTide supports community-building nonprofits ready to scale their impact. At a time of growing disconnection, this program invests in leaders working to rebuild belonging, connection, and civic life. If you're a U.S.-based nonprofit that: ✅ Serves 500+ people annually ✅ Is tackling the "Crisis of Community" ✅ Has a leader ready to grow a replicable model of impact You could receive: 💸 A $5,000 grant + additional funding opportunities 📈 A 3-year strategic plan 🤝 Expert mentorship + peer connection 🗽 A trip to NYC Apply today — or share with a leader who needs to see this! 👉 https://ow.ly/NS6m50Zlj0p #NonprofitAccelerator #SocialImpact #CommunityBuilding #LeadershipMatters #CrisisOfCommunity #GrantOpportunity

James Corbitt did not start Notsoguilty Inc to build another food company. He started it because he watched obesity and diabetes reshape his family, and he had the bioengineering background, pharmaceutical industry experience, and U.S. Marine Corps discipline to do something about it. Notsoguilty is a better-for-you ice cream, high in protein and low in sugar and calories, built to be accessible in the grocery stores DMV families already shop at. Getting there meant hundreds of in-store demos, relationships built one conversation at a time, and community partners like Old City Market, Greenbelt Co-op, and TPSS Natural Market Co-Op who believed early. That persistence led to Lotte Plaza Market and then to Walmart Open Call, where a buyer told James that Notsoguilty had one of the most brilliant ice cream formulations they had ever tasted. On SEED SPOT, he is direct: entrepreneurship can be isolating, but being surrounded by founders, mentors, and supporters who genuinely want to see one another succeed makes it possible to keep going. Building a company is never a solo journey. Congratulations, James. SEED SPOT is proud to be part of what you are building. Learn more about SEED SPOT's programs: seedspot.org #RoadToOpenCall #SeedSpot #Notsoguilty #FounderSpotlight #DMVFounders

🚨 🗣️ SPEAKER DROP 🎤 🚨 AND WE'RE OFF...with round two of speaker announcements for Midwest House Summit Ohio (July 29–31, Columbus) and we've got some superstars 💫 in this group, y'all. Including: Brian Brackeen — General Partner of the Lightship Capital & Managing Partner of Lightship Anchor Fund, an Ohio based Fund of Funds strategy leveraging diversity to produce exceptional outcomes. Shannon McGhee — CEO of SEED SPOT, the national social impact incubator that has backed 4,600+ founders who've generated $447M in revenue and created 11,000 jobs — and one of the most experienced operators in the country when it comes to scaling support for purpose-driven entrepreneurs. Kris Rockwell — Founder, investor, and innovator running the Kris Rockwell Foundation, with decades of work at the intersection of learning, technology, and entrepreneurship — the kind of person who's usually building three things at once and making all of them matter. Debbie Irwin — Executive Director of Lighthouse Network, building a model for founder development that goes all the way in on the whole person — not just the startup — and walking alongside founders through the messy, non-linear middle. Kamel Greene, MPA — Co-Founder of FibrX, a Columbus-based deep tech company using fiber optics, AI, and digital twin technology to give critical infrastructure the ability to see and understand itself — serving aerospace, defense, energy, and industrial markets. More speakers to come next. Tickets are live: https://luma.com/v1b3ggkg Use code: PARTNEROH25 for $100 off!!! Rev1 Ventures RTRX Ohio Angel Collective Ohio Tech News Columbus Metropolitan Club StartMidwest Purpose Jobs Bamboo Huck Finch™ Physics of Creativity Coya Book+Street Robot Sales Club Colaeb Michigan Capital Network Flying With Founders Google for Startups J.P. Morgan Michael Best Innovatemap FNDRYx Kalamazoo Forward Ventures Cintrifuse Innovation Works The O.H.I.O. Fund Cleveland Tech Week World Business Chicago

For Zach Leverenz, investing in SEED SPOT is not a board commitment. It is a personal one. Zach is a social entrepreneur who has spent his career at the intersection of education, technology, and social impact. When Zach talks about what SEED SPOT means to him, he uses one word: family. Not because it is a comfortable place, but because he deeply believes in the impact entrepreneurship can have when the right support is in place at the right time. That belief is what brought him to the board and keeps him there. Founders who are building ventures that address real problems deserve a community that takes their work as seriously as they do. For Zach, SEED SPOT is that community, and his investment in it reflects what he has spent his entire career building toward. Learn more about SEED SPOT and the community behind it: seedspot.org #SeedSpot #BoardSpotlight #ImpactEntrepreneurs #SocialEntrepreneurship

Ten years ago, sixteen founders walked into SEED SPOT's first DMV cohort. What grew from that start: 653 founders, $29 million in revenue, $16 million in capital raised, and a regional ecosystem that compounds with every new cohort. This month's blog traces that decade through the story of Josh Kligman of Storyraise, whose biggest pivot came from paying close enough attention to what his customers were actually trying to do. This month's newsletter also includes: 👉 A free 32-point National Retail Readiness Self-Assessment for CPG founders who want to know exactly where their brand stands before walking into a buyer conversation. 👉 A workshop recording with Ahriana Edwards, Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and founder of Vela Shoes, walking founders through how to build a buyer pitch and line sheets that convert. 👉 Programs to watch: Made for Retail Chicago has five spots open for Chicago-area CPG founders to pitch live to retail buyers on August 27 for a share of $25,000 in nondilutive grants. Final deadline July 9. The Emerging Brand Accelerator Chicago opens applications on August 3.

You have a product that sells, customers who come back, and a clear sense that retail is the next real move for your brand. What you may not have yet is a clear picture of whether your numbers, your packaging, and your pitch are actually ready for that conversation. That is exactly what Tuesday's session is designed to answer. Chicago-area CPG founders can join a free 60-minute virtual session on June 30 at 10 AM CT that gives you two things before the Made for Retail Chicago application closes on July 2. The first 40 minutes is a practical microclass covering what retail buyers actually evaluate before saying yes, how to assess whether your product, packaging, and numbers are shelf-ready, and what the difference between being in retail and being ready for it looks like in practice. The final 20 minutes is your opportunity to ask the SEED SPOT team directly about the Made for Retail Chicago application, program structure, and what it takes to get selected. Made for Retail Chicago places five founders in front of live retail buyers on August 27 in Chicago, and the top three share $25,000 in nondilutive cash grants with no equity and no strings attached. Thank you to The Hatchery Chivago, ICNC, and Margaret Doherty for sharing this opportunity with your community. Chicago, Cook County, or Collar County CPG founders with at least one year in operation and recurring revenue can register free here: Tuesday, June 30, at 10 AM CT. Virtual. Free. RSVP: https://ow.ly/OIrr50Zhn5w Apply at https://ow.ly/vZG550Zhn5x #MadeForRetailChicago #SeedSpot #TheHatcheryChi #ChicagoFounders #CPGFounders

🛒 👩💻 If you have been building your CPG brand for at least a year, generating recurring revenue, and wondering whether retail is the right next step, this free session was designed for exactly that question. On June 30 from 10 to 11 AM MST, Chicago-area CPG founders can join a free session that combines a practical micro lesson on retail readiness with a live Q&A about Made for Retail Chicago, the program that selects five founders to pitch live to retail buyers on August 27 in Chicago, with the top three sharing $25,000 in nondilutive cash grants. Come and learn: 👉 What retail buyers actually evaluate before saying yes 👉 How to know if your product, packaging, and numbers are shelf-ready 👉 The real difference between being in retail and being ready for it. 👉The final 20 minutes are your opportunity to ask the SEED SPOT team directly about the application process, program structure, and what it takes to get selected. 🎯 Applications close July 2. Register free: https://ow.ly/V7ty50Zcvri #MadeForRetailChicago #SeedSpot #ChicagoFounders #CPGFounders #RetailReady #chicagocpg #Chicagobusiness #cpgchicago #ImpactEntrepreneurs