Sidecut Ventures

🎙️ New Clip from "Midlife Remix" Podcast 🎙️ In this powerful moment, Mike Ma shares a deep and personal reflection on how his perspective of success has evolved. This clip reminds us that our definitions of success shift as we move through life. It's less about external achievements and more about feeling fulfilled, happy, and at peace with how we’ve lived each day. Tune in next week to hear the entire conversation on "Midlife Remix." Mike’s insights on redefining success are incredibly valuable for anyone navigating midlife transitions. Please subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. #MidlifeRemix #Podcast #Success #Happiness #LifePerspective #PersonalGrowth #CareerEvolution #MikeMa #StevenMiyao

For investors, founders, and people who are generally curious about getting involved in and boosting the local startup ecosystem here in Ohio, check out some events I've helped pull together this month: 🔸Early-Stage Venture Investing with Sidecut Ventures - Wed 16th 5:30pm: Sidecut Ventures GP Mike Ma is in town, along with Parker Graham, one of our portfolio founders of Vestible (who recently signed and IPO'd Ohio's own Baron Browning of the Denver Broncos to their athlete investing platform!). Discover how you can be part of a fund that’s not just investing in companies, but transforming how venture capital is deployed. ➡️ RSVP: https://lu.ma/xuz4ohpo 📽️ "Show Her the Money" Documentary Screening - Thu 17th 4pm: Hosted by my good friend Lynn Buchinsky at the Weston Ideation Lab at Cleveland State University, "Show Her The Money" is a documentary that addresses how women are getting less than 2% of venture capital funding and demystifies what venture capital is. Sidecut Ventures GP Mike Ma is joining us for the panel discussion afterwards! ➡️ RSVP: https://lnkd.in/g3eTpTea 👻 Startup-Themed Halloween Party - Fri 25th 6:30pm: Co-hosted by Shanna Greathouse, MBA, PMP and myself, this party will bring together our startup ecosystem for an evening of networking and Halloween fun. Join us for an unforgettable evening where the tech world’s most iconic characters come to life—or maybe the afterlife. Costumes encouraged! (I'm coming as a red-headed Elizabeth Holmes, but I promise this party is not fraudulent!) ➡️ RSVP: https://lu.ma/3jbz02uz Hope to see you all around! #Cleveland #startups #venturecapital

I love being an emerging GP and hanging out with #emergingmanagers. It’s such a cool community of people who are really willing to put themselves out there — heart, soul, body, and mind. Proof point: Hanging with Raggeria Goddard who invests in mobility, and was totally down for trying to Onewheel at the BLCK VC Summer Soirée. I will say it was early in the night before the cocktails really flowed, but needless to say, she crushed it!

I am a proud investor in Health In Her HUE and I love that Ashlee Wisdom, MPH started an annual tradition of holding court at the US Open (see what I did there?). We even got to share it with my associate Chad, and Ashlee’s partner. I think of it as my own special shareholder meeting and am grateful both professionally and personally. Spending time with amazing founders like Ashlee recharges my batteries in the most profound ways. P.S. I’ve even converted her into a tennis fan and player, I think :)

Thanks Ruben A. Austin for inviting me to speak at the all in all breakfast. Always a pleasure to share the stage with my good friend Mike MacCombie and reconnect with the best startup ecosystem on the planet - NYC! (I am a little biased).

"Create a system for emapthy." "People want to be opened, not closed." These were 2 bits of related advice I gave yesterday at all in all's Fundraising Breakfast yesterday and I got this response today from a cold fundraising email. These days it doesn't take much to show you are a good human and interested in a relationship vs. a transaction. I am sending boiler plate email about my fund bit I try to spend at least 30 seconds in learning about the person, and added a quick note saying how we are both philosophy majors working in financial services. It was such a small investment of time, but it's funny how it can pay dividends, even in this "negative" response. I don't see it that way, I love making connections and who knows where it leads. And why wouldn't you? It's in your best interests. If any one invests in you, it is a years long marriage, so 30 seconds is a very easy investment to make in someone if you really want that relationship. Doesn't matter if you are a founder raising from a fund, or a GP raising from an LP, or any sales person trying to find a new big prospect -- the lesson is the same -- just be a good human. Guarantee it pays off in the long run. In fact, I am banking on it.

Founders: Channel a little Eminem from the movie "8 Mile" when pitching. This was a bit of advice I gave on my last visit on The Feedback Loop that I give often, so I thought I'd share. Just get ahead of all of the issues that investors would probably say about your company and control the narrative in a pitch. (Thanks to Sherveen Mashayekhi for inviting me back as a 3rd time co-host. I hope to get my 5-Time Host jacket one day a la SNL. 😂 )

We had an incredible time in Ohio this past week, connecting with the vibrant startup community across multiple cities. First, our Welcome to Northeast Ohio event at ISSQUARED, Inc. with Neil Singh and T90 Ventures was a great success. A big thank you to the dedicated founders who traveled an hour to pitch and network with us! Your enthusiasm and innovation are truly inspiring. We also joined Manny Larcher of JumpStart Ventures to visit the Weston Ideation Lab at Cleveland State University. Lynn Buchinsky was an outstanding host, and it was fantastic to engage with the founders in their accelerator program. It’s exciting to see Cleveland championing tech and the startup ecosystem in Ohio 🚀 We also headed to Cincinnati for Black Tech Week and met with CincyTech. Supporting under-represented founders is a cause close to our hearts, and it was great to see this action in Ohio. Ohio is making its mark in the startup world, and we’re honored to be part of this journey. Thank you to everyone who made these events possible! #OhioStartups #VentureCapital #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #Cleveland #Cincinnati

Had a fantastic visit with Sarah and Manny Larcher at JumpStart Inc. to the Weston Ideation Lab at Cleveland State University. Lynn was a super host, and it was inspiring to talk with the founders in their accelerator about venture capital. The work being done at the Weston Ideation Lab is a testament to Cleveland’s commitment to championing tech and the startup ecosystem in Ohio.

Our GP Mike Ma is back on The Feedback Loop ! 🚀