Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
In this month’s Doubleshot Newsletter, you will find:
- Builder Highlight: Oklahoma-based Accelerators
- LP Highlight: Regina Mullennix
- Cortado Updates
- PortCo Updates
- Ecosystem Events
- Happy Holidays from Cortado
Builder Highlight: Oklahoma-based Accelerators
As Oklahoma’s entrepreneurial ecosystem continues to grow and evolve, more opportunities continue to arise for our local founders and founders who are seeking to join the fertile soil that our region has to offer. Current applications include:
StitchCrew’s FemHealth Accelerator: Run in collaboration with FemHealth Founders, this program supports women entrepreneurs building technology-enabled, consumer-centric products and solutions that drastically improve women’s health and wellness. Participants will have the opportunity to refine and scale their approach to bringing women’s health and wellness products to market and will receive a $10,000 non-dilutive grant. Deadline to apply is January 27, 2023
StitchCrew’s Latino Accelerator: This program provides a learning platform for the next generation of Latino-owned businesses in Oklahoma City to develop a path to grow their business to one million dollars in revenue. Alongside StitchCrew and business experts, participants will have the opportunity to refine and scale their approach to build scalable business models and compound revenue. Deadline to apply is February 10, 2023.
gener8tor Oklahoma City: Join the gener8tor Oklahoma City investment accelerator for a 12-week in person, concierge experience for high-growth startups. The accelerator invests in eight high-growth startups per cohort. This is an industry-agnostic and business model-agnostic program. gener8tor accept ALL types of startups across ALL industries and business models. Accepted startups receive $100K and 12 weeks of mentorship-driven programming. Deadline to apply is January 11, 2023.
Build in Tulsa techstars: Based in Tulsa, OK, this accelerator is an in-person, industry agnostic program focused on underrepresented founders. techstars accelerators have one goal: to help entrepreneurs succeed. During each three-month program, techstars surround companies with the best mentors and an unrivaled network of corporate partners, investors, and alumni. techstars provide funding and fundraising opportunities, workshops and curated resources, not to mention countless moments where you can learn from your peers. It’s a proven model that’s helped build thousands of successful companies, all over the world. Deadline to apply is February 1, 2023.
LP Highlight: Regina Mullennix
This month, we are highlighting another Limited Partner, Regina A. Mullennix. She is a native Oklahoman. Her career has included work in both the nonprofit and oil & gas industries, where she specialized in program creation, fundraising, and contract negotiation. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Central Oklahoma and received a Bachelor of Arts in English. Regina has served on several boards in the Tulsa and Oklahoma City areas. She resides in Tulsa and is married to Berry Mullennix, retired CEO of Panther Energy Company, LLC. They have two children.
What motivated you to invest in Cortado?
I have worked with Nathaniel for many years in the oil & gas industry and have always had great admiration for his forward-thinking mindset and work ethic. When he approached me to invest in Cortado, I was immediately impressed with their seasoned leadership team, who have all grown companies in Oklahoma. It was also refreshing to know the fund would focus on businesses in the mid-continent region. I knew Oklahoma had made great strides in recent years to attract new business innovators and keep home-grown talent from leaving. It’s exciting to have the opportunity through Cortado to support those individuals and their companies while growing my financial portfolio.
Cortado Updates
2022 Annual General Meeting
Last month, Cortado hosted our Annual General Meeting with over 100+ LPs, founders and special guests in attendance. We’re so appreciative to all attendees for joining, as well as our sponsors: McAfee & Taft, amshot, First Republic Bank, HoganTaylor and Magellan Executive Partners. Thank you all for being a part of our community!
Holiday Founder Hour with gener8tor and techstars
Last week, we hosted our final Founder Hour for the year, celebrating the holiday season with our friends from The Verge OKC, gener8tor OKC and Build in Tulsa techstars. Hosted about 3-4 times a year, our Founder Hours are an opportunity for founders to gather and connect with each other as well as ecosystem builders from across Oklahoma.
Ribbon Cutting: Bricktown Art Tower Building
On Dec. 6, Cortado Ventures joined our friends from Oklahoma Craft and The Verge OKC for the ribbon cutting celebration for a new mural at our building, created by Oklahoma artist Denise Duong. Celebrate this beautification of the district by coming by Oklahoma Craft and visiting our growing community on Bricktown Canal!
PortCo Updates
Boddle Learning’s Edna Martinson Recognized as Forbes 30 Under 30
In recognition of her work as co-founder of Boddle Learning, an AI-enabled gamified education platform that has helped 3 million registered elementary-age students across the U.S., Edna was named one of Forbes’ 30 under 30 in Education. Congrats, Edna! Check our her story here!
New Investment Alert: Motive
Cortado Ventures is proud to invest in Motive. The Oklahoma-based company has developed a software platform to quickly and easily build websites for auto dealerships. Their website building platform includes multiple modules that a dealer would need (trade appraisal, pre-qualification, vehicle configuration, etc.), and it hosts all those tools in one place which prevents the need for multiple messy third-party integrations. Learn more here.
Ecosystem Events
OKC Entrepreneur Group Monthly Meeting: Dec. 22
Join the OKC Entrepreneur Group for the monthly meeting. Network with other Oklahoma-based entrepreneurs and hear a keynote speaker share their story with Q&A to follow. Learn More
Techlahoma Tulsa Night: Jan. 10
This is a monthly meetup of several of Tulsa’s Techlahoma user groups: Tulsa UX, Tulsa Web Devs, Tulsa Data Science, Code for Tulsa, OWASP Tulsa, and Entrepreneurship + Tech. More info here.
Oklahoma City Innovation District’s Cocktails & Collaboration: Jan. 10
Join Cocktails & Collaboration, the OKC Innovation District’s monthly happy hour event. This month we will be at Kindred Spirits, located in Northeast Oklahoma City. This is a rotational, networking event occurring at venues all over the Innovation District on the second Tuesday of each month. The first 50 in attendance will have their drink put on the Innovation District’s tab More info here.
OVF Power Lunch: Jan. 11
Join the Oklahoma Venture Forum for a lunch and connect with other entrepreneurial leaders. Attendees must register ahead of the event. Register Here.
36degrees North’s popUP sessions: Business Strategies and Legal Business Mistakes to Avoid: Jan. 17
This presentation is led by QK Douglas, an attorney, consultant, and real estate investor who is the owner of QKI Consulting, LLC. A business consulting firm that facilitates creative business solutions and legal structures for entrepreneurs and creatives. As well as business owners who are looking to scale and grow efficiently. Register Here.
Happy Holidays!
The Cortado Ventures team would like to extend warm holiday wishes to you and yours. May this festive season bring joy to us all.
This newsletter is dedicated to sharing news about Cortado Ventures and our growing entrepreneurial ecosystem in Oklahoma and the Midcontinent. In 2023, if you have any news worth sharing you’d like for us to highlight, email us at media@cortado.ventures and it may be featured in the future.