Three partners from Venture 7 Advisors, Tony Silvanic, Larry Chernicoff and Bryan Ducharme, gave a presentation to members of Spark Saratoga at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs, NY.
Spark Saratoga is a program of the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), to engage area entrepreneurs with established business mentors.
This inaugural event was titled Entrepreneurial Improvisation – Personal experience in eCommerce and Business Operations and the Lessons Learned from Failure and Success.
Through personal examples and lessons learned, the Venture 7 Advisors offered down-to-earth takeaways about the exciting and terrifying startup adventure, building business value, how to create the right team, branding and marketing, managing finances, how to find the right buyer for your business, and more.
Tony, Larry and Bryan told the story of launching, building and selling The Kodiak Group as well as the process of buying it back and selling it a second time. Rather than simply telling the story, however, they solicited the audience for their topics of interest to focus on lessons that were most relevant to the crowd. “It’s important for young entrepreneurs to hear success stories, but the goal of the Spark series is to mentor and coach so, we want to make sure that we frame our experiences in a way that is most relevant to the audience.” Says Saratoga Springs resident and co-speaker Tony Silvanic. “We would much rather interact with fellow entrepreneurs than just tell our story.”
About Spark Saratoga
Spark Saratoga is the culmination of the work by the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), its investor members, and local entrepreneurs. We will continue to grow and expand with the needs of Saratoga County’s startup community and early stage companies.
To inspire innovation and collaboration, SEDC has reached out to technology, creative, and business sectors to bring together a motivated advisory board with a primary goal of building and expanding the environment needed to nurture innovators and startup companies. These leaders, all active community members, are working toward a goal of a thriving business incubator and providing expert-level services.
As a part of the SEDC’s Advance Saratoga Initiative, we have harnessed the experience of established business mentors and the cutting-edge research of local universities to develop an environment where local startups and emerging companies can get support to grow their businesses in Saratoga County and the surrounding region. Your ideas remain confidential and are viewed only by Spark Saratoga staff and our partners at the Shipley Center for Innovation at Clarkson University.
SEDC has 39 years of community engagement and success driving business investment and job growth. But the future is only sustained through talent and innovation. We know that attracting and keeping innovators and early-stage companies are some of the best ways to help Saratoga County enjoy quality of life and community for the future.
About Venture 7 Advisors
Venture 7 Advisors provides M&A advisory and management consulting services to companies in transition - whether they’re seeking outside investment, confronting rapid growth, turning around a struggling business, or planning to sell their company. Venture 7 helps clients to maximize the value of their businesses by providing sound financial guidance, operational support and marketing strategy. When it’s time to sell, Venture 7 Advisors provides a full range of M&A services including valuation, marketing, deal structure and post-closing integration support.