Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
In this newsletter, we wrap up another busy month with some important announcements. Joining us this month is a critical member of our team, Susan Moring, as Associate at Cortado Ventures. With Susan’s considerable experience, Cortado will be able to fully execute our mission to seek, validate, invest in and support the best tech startups in the region. Also this month we announce our next investment with Array, expanding their workflow automation platform that can transform any business into a “tech enabled” business. We also welcome two new advisory board members, Vahid Farzaneh and Daniel Maloney, as well as Judy Hatfield as our Real Estate Strategic Advisor. Co-founder and Venture Partner Mike Moradi shares his insights about Oklahoma’s tech sector, including his article about healthcare tech previously published for the World Economic Forum. Lastly, Erika Lucas and other leaders announce the launch of Vest.
What Lies Ahead
- Susan Moring, Cortado Ventures Associate
- Cortado Announces Next Investment: Array
- Closing Time
- Board Advisors Vahid Farzaneh and Daniel Maloney
- Judy Hatfield, Real Estate Strategic Advisor
- Mike Moradi on Oklahoma’s Tech Sector
- #VESTHer
Susan Moring, Cortado Venture Associate
We are thrilled to welcome our Associate, Susan Moring. In her role, Susan will be responsible for deal management, diligence, and execution; portfolio company support; fund administration; and develop our vision for the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Oklahoma.
Susan has spent the bulk of her career supporting entrepreneurs and contributing to the growth of Oklahoma’s startup ecosystem. Prior to joining the team at Cortado, she served as Director of the Ronnie K. Irani Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth (I-CCEW), an innovation consultancy and economic development organization based out of the University of Oklahoma. There, she managed consulting projects with a variety of early-stage technology and social impact startups. In that role she also launched a social entrepreneurship fellowship program in Oklahoma City and grew the state’s first coding bootcamp.
Susan is a steering committee member for Creative Oklahoma’s Entrepreneur Mentor Program (OKEMP), an organizer for the local 1 Million Cups entrepreneurial meetup, and she works nationally with Techstars as a Facilitator for Startup Weekend. She loves Oklahoma City and is committed to making it a great place to live, which she does in her own beloved neighborhood through board service with the Plaza District Association.
Cortado Announces Next Investment: Array
Cortado Ventures funded Array, an Oklahoma City and Austin-based app for operations and workflow automation, for a variety of use cases and industries. Array is an innovative tech company that concentrates on data gathering, collating and reporting solutions, and automating client data functions to improve their efficiency and productivity.
CEO Matt Doyle said: “Imagine being able to distribute all your hardcopy forms to your team or customers via dedicated mobile and web apps. And having all the received data automatically collated into easy to understand downloadable reports. Array makes this happen.”
The seed investment from Cortado will enable Array to scale its platform to additional clients and service lines, including operations and risk management. Array’s current customer base includes Walmart, BancFirst, and Insurica; the company has plans to continue scaling in the near future. Read more here.
Closing Time
Cortado Ventures will soon close our fundraising. As a Reg D 506(c) fund, we may advertise our fundraising, and investment is available to any accredited investor who can verify as such. Please email investors@cortado.ventures.
Board Advisors Vahid Farzaneh and Daniel Maloney
Join us in welcome Cortado’s two newest members of our Board of Advisors, Vahid Farzaneh and Daniel Maloney. Our BOA brings best practices to Cortado, helps with deal flow, and deepens connections with entrepreneurs and the startup scene throughout the state.
Vahid is Chairman & CEO of Freestyle Creative, as well as an angel investor and entrepreneurial leader, and was named a Journal record Most Admired CEO. He grew up in a family of entrepreneurs. His father immigrated to the United States in the 1970s and founded Home Creations, the largest home building company in Oklahoma. Vahid started Freestyle in 2007, a company focused on helping businesses grow and reach their full potential by telling their stories in a powerful way.
Daniel is the CEO & Co-founder of Tailwind, helping over 400,000 brands, marketers and influencers grow their businesses. Tailwind helps manage marketing on digital platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. His past experiences include rebuilding AOL’s online video business following the Time Warner spin-off, time spent incubating several projects for Google Maps / Local and YouTube, and a stint in management consulting with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and two prior start-ups, including BridesView and another while in college.
Judy Hatfield, Real Estate Strategic Advisor
Cortado adds value to our portfolio companies by opening doors to markets in Oklahoma, and in some cases establishing their headquarters or enabling expansion here. To help us open doors and find perfect corporate homes, we welcome Judy Hatfield as Cortado’s Real Estate Strategic Advisor.
As President and CEO of Equity Realty, Judy will leverage her expertise to guide clients through impactful opportunities in the area. Judy has extensive experience in commercial real estate, specializing in brokerage, leasing, management, development strategic consulting and investment. She has honed these skills with over fifty years of impactful development projects throughout the Oklahoma City community, including the historic Carnegie Centre and OU’s Campus Corner. She additionally shares her expertise and connections with community boards, arts organizations and social initiatives, including City of Oklahoma City’s Redevelopment Authority and Urban Renewal Authority and Trustee of the Oklahoma Arts Council. Cortado Ventures is eager to help its partners benefit from Judy’s entrepreneurial mindset and tireless drive for excellence.
Mike Moradi on Oklahoma’s Tech Sector
Did you know Oklahoma’s tech sector is now old enough to drink? I would totally have a beer with it. Serial biotech entrepreneur and venture capital specialist, Mike Moradi, is Venture Partner at Cortado Ventures. Mike discusses life sciences tech in Oklahoma, including his article for the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
“Tech transfer was illegal in Oklahoma until 1998, when the voters passed State Questions 680 and 681. These minor changes were not that long ago, but were truly transformative for our state. To put it another way, if our tech sector were a person, it is finally old enough to enter a bar!” Read more here.
#VESTHer
Erika Lucas along with other leaders recently launched Vest. Vest is a curated network of C-suite women supporting each other and working together to expedite the pipeline of more women in positions of power and influence. Founding Members include Kathy Taylor, Marie Rocha, Claudia San Pedro, Elizabeth Ellison, and Sue Ann Arnall. Vest convenes monthly and confidentially to provide members the tools, resources and network they need to move up the ladder and bring others along. They also offer middle management training for rising women leaders. Learn more and nominate an influential woman in your network.
Thank you for reading our October newsletter. We’ll send monthly updates about our progress, entrepreneurship, startups, the local economy, and tech in Oklahoma and beyond. Stay in touch with us through social media, or pitch us your idea.
We are accepting more investors in our fund. For accredited investors wanting to learn more, contact investors@cortado.ventures.