Y'ALL READY FOR THIS?😮💨🔥
TroyLabs is a student run organization sponsored by the USC Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies
Stress is in the air, cold brews are being consumed, and every study spot on campus is overcrowded…midterms are officially upon us. So if you’re feeling stressed, what better refresher than the TroyLabs newsletter?
First things first, make sure to come to the Harlem Capital ON CAMPUS event TODAY (FROM 5-6 PM…STARTING IN ONE HOUR) run by USC Marshall School of Business in partnership with TroyLabs, SparkSC, LavaLabs, and EVMA!
Nicole DeTommaso, Senior Associate at Harlem Capital, is coming to campus to demystify VC for founders looking to raise capital & aspiring investors looking to break into the industry!
There will be an amazing presentation, Q&A portion, and overall industry networking (every Marshall student’s favorite activity…jk…not really)! Come with any & all questions you have about VC!
Note: There are limited spots available, so registration does not guarantee an invite. This event is for USC undergraduate & graduate students only. Please use a USC-affiliated email.
Here’s another RSVP link for good measure…😮💨😮💨
BUILD-ING IT UP 🚀
Don’t fret. It’s BUILD UPDATE TIME!!!
Here’s a little reminder of the amazingly exciting companies we’re working with this semester:
Spotlight compares price points for sports & concert tickets on a chrome extension
4085 Productions is a student-run production company elevating the voices of all artists
Flex Together provides virtual respiratory rehab for the 37M lung disease patients in America
Legacy organizes, stores, and preserves everything that makes you, you
Scraps allows artists and producers to monetize their unreleased music
🚨WEEK-BY-WEEK BREAKDOWN ALERT🚨
Here’s the inside scoop on what our companies have been working on for the past couple of weeks! 👀 👀
Week 1: 🧍Company Introductions🧍
Each company gave a 5-minute pitch, introducing themselves to their fellow BUILD cohort and the rest of the TroyLabs BUILD team
INFORMATIVE METER: ✨✨✨✨✨ (5 out of 5 stars)
Week 2: 📈 Product-Market Fit 📈
Our very own Sam Habibi and Ethan Salmeron delivered a presentation to help our BUILD companies assess their product market fit. They talked about skillfully identifying customer needs, developing a customer-centric mindset, action planning, and refining their value proposition.
INFORMATIVE METER: ✨✨✨✨✨ (5 out of 5 stars)
Week 3: 🖼 Marketing, Branding & Design 🖼
Design Director Andy Johnson talked to our BUILD cohort about creating a cohesive brand identity when launching a start-up. He emphasized the importance of creating a brand with intention and honesty.
INFORMATIVE METER: ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ (10 out of 5 stars….some creative team bias may have affected this score 👀)
Week 4: 💰 VC & Raising 💰
Director of INVEST, Yang Zhi Sim, brought insight from his work at not one BUT TWO very big VC firms! He gave tips on how to best pitch to a VC, touching on the importance of having a compelling company story, being transparent about market opportunity, the business model, competitor landscape, the team onboard, and the use of funds.
INFORMATIVE METER: ✨✨✨✨✨ (5 out of 5 stars)
Week 5: 📑 Finance & Legal 📑
Dan Khomusi and Shehroz Khan spoke to the BUILD teams about making the BIG BUCKS. They touched on 83(B) forms, key terms used in start-up finance, operational hiring, Cap Tables, and how to evaluate based on SAFE Note.
INFORMATIVE METER: ✨✨✨✨✨ (5 out of 5 stars)
DEMO??? UM…YES, PLEASE!🥶
DEMO 2023: Entrepreneurship Conference is right around the corner!!
Every year, we bring in the top 50 startups to showcase their startups at DEMO. Along with hosting the largest student-run startup exhibition, we're honored to feature amazing guest speakers! Recent Keynote Speakers include Sean Rad (Founder and former CEO of Tinder), Janice Bryant Howroyd (Founder and CEO of The ActOne Group), and Palmer Luckey (Founder of Oculus VR).
Although applications have closed…EVERYONE is welcome to attend!
If you're interested in attending, reserve your ticket here: DEMO 2023 Eventbrite
All updates for the event will be posted through our Instagram (@troy.labs) and our website (troylabs.vc), so be sure to stay tuned!
IGNITE IT!! 💥
IGNITE is a TroyLabs initiative that focuses on fostering a community of entrepreneurially-minded students with the intention of networking and strengthening the start-up space.
SPEAKER SERIES🗣️
TroyLabs’ first workshop this semester has been rescheduled to Friday, March 24, 2023! If you have ever wondered if now is the right time to turn your billion-dollar idea into a startup… come learn from Professor Paul Orlando!
Make sure to mark your calendars! Location details can be found on our Instagram at a later date!
SPICY TAKE OF THE WEEK 🫣
This week’s take is from [REDACTED]
VC is just gambling because you're placing bets on which company will do well.
Spiciness Rating: 🌶🌶🌶🌶 (moderate….)
Have a BUSINESS HOT TAKE? Let us know, and maybe you can be featured🤭🤭
GET THAT BAG 💸
Looking for an internship? We got you covered! Here are some startups that are actively recruiting!
Ender is on a mission to help every kid build a product portfolio by creating a competition platform where kids can win cash prizes for building apps, games, websites, and other real-world projects. Seed | Backed by GSV Ventures
Location: United States (Remote)
Location: United States (Remote)
Location: United States (Remote)
Apollo is helping sales professionals find their ideal buyers and intelligently automate outreach. Series C | Sequoia Capital
Location: United States (Remote)
Location: United States (Remote)
Ramp is a finance automation platform that helps businesses spend less time and money. Named the most innovative finance company of 2022 by Fast Company, Ramp is continually hiring across all departments. Series C | Backed by Contrary
Software Engineer Internship | Frontend
Location: New York & Miami (Remote)
Marketing Technology & Operations Associate
Location: New York & Miami (Remote)
Product Operations | Spend Management
Location: New York & Miami (Remote)