Unshackled Ventures Participates in Rise of the Rest Bus Tour

All across the U.S. there are incredible entrepreneurs building groundbreaking companies and products. Last year, however, 75% of venture capital went to three of our fifty states: California, New York and Massachusetts.

At Unshackled Ventures we know innovation and new ideas aren’t constrained by geography. It’s important to seek out and foster that entrepreneurial spirit, wherever it is.

That’s why I hit the road in Phoenix, Arizona with Steve Case and his team on the Rise of the Rest bus tour. Phoenix is quickly becoming a dynamic, emerging startup region and I was excited to see some of the best entrepreneurial talent here in person: local leaders and doers in business, government, finance, and technology.

We share Rise of the Rest’s aspiration to level the playing field across the United States for entrepreneurs in the other 47 states that haven’t seen the same level of investment as those in a select few coastal cities. The goal of the bus tour is to promote interconnectivity, inclusion and entrepreneurial impact. Now on its fifth round, the bus tour is shining a spotlight on startup talent in Omaha and Lincoln, Denver, Salt Lake City and Provo, Albuquerque, and Phoenix.

On the bus tour, the day began over breakfast with local Phoenix leaders, including Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and ASU President Michael Crow at the Botanical Gardens, where we discussed ways to encourage a vibrant startup ecosystem in the area.

Then we hit the road on a “startup crawl.” We first visited SkySong, the Arizona State University Innovation Center, which is a joint venture among ASU, the ASU Foundation, the City of Scottsdale and the Plaza Companies that brings together technology, research, education and entrepreneurship. After that it was on to Local Motors, an American motor vehicle manufacturing company focused on low-volume manufacturing of open-source motor vehicle designs via 3D printing. We also met the founders of Tuft & Needle, who are revolutionizing the mattress business, and WebPT, a web-based physical therapy software company. The day ended with eight companies pitching for a $100,000 investment from Steve Case, where we participated as one of five judges.

Throughout the day, I was lucky to be on the bus, meeting with and learning from people who are committed to the community and incubating promising, entrepreneurial ideas. This can only be done with investment capital, local leaders who understand the importance of creating a startup friendly environment, as well as university partners like Arizona State University. That’s how we will build a dynamic economy and nurture the technology companies of the future.

Unshackled Venture’s work in Phoenix is not done. We’re going to continue conversations with local leaders and explore ways that we can support the startup community there. Thank you to Steve Case and all those in the Phoenix area for allowing us to be a part of such an exciting day.

Author: Manan Mehta, Unshackled VC - Founding Partner