#14 - There Are No Evil Financial Tools (and Being a Misfit) with Jonathan Bragdon, CEO of Capacity Capital
On today's show, we're joined by Jonathan Bragdon, the CEO of Capacity Capital. With a remarkable track record, Jonathan has started eight companies, invested in over 30 businesses, and been featured in CNN, TechCrunch, BusinessWeek, and Inc.com. He's also a driving force in the Southeast startup community and has founded Capacity, a strategic advisory firm, as well as Capacity Capital, an innovative investment fund supporting over 80% women, minority, or veteran-led founders. In the episode, Jonathan shares his entrepreneurial journey and insights into empowering underestimated founders with a unique approach to funding and strategic advice. He talks about the flaws in most funding approaches that he’s noticed along the way, how Capacity’s structure is different from a typical investment, and tips for building and harnessing a helpful network.
Key Takeaways
[3:34] How Jonathan got intertwined with the British Parliament and the Prince of Denmark.
[4:52] What led him to Capacity Capital.
[9:16] VC is a numbers game.
[10:20] How the redeemable equity structure works.
[14:22] Getting entrepreneurs up to speed on Capacity’s structure.
[16:50] Jonathan’s fundamental belief that different companies need different financing options to grow.
[17:14] A flaw in most funding companies.
[19:10] Who Capacity’s structure works well for, and who it doesn’t.
[21:07] How Jonathan thinks about return targets by deal and portfolio.
[22:44] Jonathan’s fundraising journey to build eight companies.
[25:50] Advice for emerging managers.
[30:44] Raising capital from the Capital Access Lab.
[31:28] The lack of a supportive network in the finance space.
[32:49] Jonathan’s predictions for RBF and alternative capital in the future.
[36:38] Building growth tools.
[39:30] There are no evil financial tools
[39:53] Focusing on the founder and the tools they need.
[41:03] Advice for investors that are aspiring fund managers.
[43:04] Jonathan’s surprise at the lack of recommendations and introductions at the investor level.
[44:55] Innovative finance project with Blueprint Local and Metro Finance Lab.
Resources:
RBF Network
Keith’s Twitter
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