Helping entrepreneurs locate funding and prepare to ‘pitch’ their business opportunity is one of the areas I’ve really enjoyed over the years. The experience and expertise of every Mentor will vary, yet many will find creative ways to help you through the preparation process.
Most of my personal financial experience has been on the ‘debt side’ of the ledger – working as an Account Manager responsible for the business and personal banking requirements of more than a hundred independent business clients. Having said that, I’ve also had some exposure to those seeking equity from Venture Capitalists and Angel Investors. There have been several wonderful occasions where I’ve helped participants ready themselves to face the demanding panel of judges in various ‘Business Plan’ and ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ competitions! (They can be tough, but remember - it is their money that's being requested! Let your mind go back to some of the past episodes of, “Shark Tank” and “Dragon’s Den”.)
So when Kristina Milke of K-Gar Consulting Inc. introduced herself, mentioned her activities in the funding space, and that she’d heard my presentation at a dinner meeting of Project Managers ... she had my full attention! We both happened to be at one of the Fundica Funding Road Show events and we were both kept very busy – although I’ll admit, Kristina was actually much busier. She was between ‘Pitch Sessions’ - evaluating presentations made by hopeful entrepreneurs trying to attract funding for their new and growing ventures.
While our conversation was brief, it was a starting point, and allow us to get together several weeks later to record a few of her thoughts on some importance aspects of Mentorship.
Background information for Kristina Milke:
Kristina is a Chartered Accountant with a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Alberta whose career has spanned over various industries. In 2012 she completed her role as General Manager of Investopedia where she oversaw all of its operations for 4 years. Kristina originally joined Investopedia in 2008 when it was still under the management of the original co-founders but owned by Forbes out of NY. Six months into her tenure with Investopedia, she accepted the role of general manager and then transitioned the organization towards focused growth. Kristina also assisted with the efforts in the marketing and sale of Investopedia to ValueClick in 2010. Prior to joining Investopedia, Kristina was the Corporate Divisional Controller for Intuit, Canada as well as the Divisional Controller and Ethics Officer for Spar Aerospace.
Most recently, Kristina has set up K-Gar Consulting Inc. - her own consulting practice so that she can focus on helping smaller organizations who need Finance and Business Advisory bench strength but are not yet ready for a full time CFO. She is a member of VA Angels, one of the largest gatherings of business angels in Western Canada where she has invested in several start-ups over the last six years and formally guides the deal intake process for the entire membership.
INTERESTED IN VIEWING OUR VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH KRISTINA MILKE?
In closing, we invite you to consider Pro-Vision Solutions Inc. as a resource partner to assist you and your organizataion in moving forward with Mentorship.
Please add your comments to this post and let us know if we may be able to help with something you require. Let's start that Mentorship journey by having a conversation!
NOTE: For more information on the services provided by Pro-Vision Solutions Inc. and how we can assist ... please visit our Website: www.pvs4u.ca
