News & Events

Marvin Abrinica & Todd Wichmann August 3rd, 2023 Location : 3rd floor of Base110, 110 W. Vine St, Lexington, KY. Time: 6:00pm - 7:30pm. Marvin Abrinica's Topic: Marvin Abrinica will be covering the topic of "Brand Story telling" and how stories sell. Also, Marvin will share a little about his latest crowdfunding platform, Sodalis Health. In addition, Marvin will discuss "how" and "if" a startup should use crowd funding for early capital raises. About Marvin: Marvin is an entrepreneur, investor, a brewer, speaker, and advisor to many companies. He is the CEO of Wunderfund , an equity crowd investing platform that gives people the chance to invest in growing startups. His newest company, Sodalis Health , will bring crowdfunding to the health care space. He is also a co-founder in Esoteric Brewing Co the first Asian & Black owned brewery. Previously, Marvin spent 18 years with Procter & Gamble in Brand Management and Sourcing./ Marvin is a two-time TEDx speaker, and regularly gives talks at Fortune 500 companies, conferences, accelerators & universities on topics of innovation and brand storytelling. About Wunderfund: Wunderfund takes small business startup deals and makes them available to the public in order to raise capital. Wunderfund is a FINRA/SEC regulated funding portal. The first in the Midwest, and only one in Ohio. They have worked with companies ranging from breweries, tech companies, and real estate to help them raise up to $5M per round. Brand Storytelling: How to Sell with a Story: Every startup is a brand with a story to tell. Great Brands (like Apple, Dollar Shave Club, Starbucks, SpaceX, & IBM) engage their customers through great storytelling. Great brands understand the story is not so much about the company, but more about the consumer's journey. More importantly, they realize their role as a brand is to be an inspirational guide for consumers. Learn how to tell a story with your company. Key Takeaways from the event: Learn about the Public Crowdfunding Regs - pros & cons Determine if public fundraising is right for your company Learn how to run and market an online public offering Todd Wichmann's Topic: Venture Capital Investing in the Consumer Packaged Goods Industry: The VC industry is down 50% in investment the first half of 2023 versus last year. Clearly investors want more stability in their portfolios, and are now shifting their focus towards consumer staples that can deliver profit margins and liquidity. Find out how early to mid-stage consumer staples can be a strong alternative in your portfolio. About Todd: As a young brand manager working on the Tide detergent brand, Todd Wichmann learned that his employer, P&G, wanted to divest two of its fledgling brands: Oxydol and Biz. He jumped at the chance to leave his cushy job, leading the largest brand in the world, in favor of acquiring these two brands. He then grew the new company to $56M before exit. He then did it again with the FIT Produce Wash brand. Currently, Todd expects to do it again with his newest venture: INSTAR Brands. About INSTAR BRANDS: INSTAR Brands is a revolutionary new brand management model that acts as the intermediary for international companies looking for a landing zone to get their operations and sales started in the USA. INSTAR currently represents dozens of brands and specialty bulk chemicals in the market by getting their products manufactured by its co-packers and distributed into large retailers like Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, Amazon, Krogers, and many more. This event is designed as a social "meet & greet" with one of our target company founders or featured industry expert. Light refreshments and spirits are provided and a great way to meet founder(s) and industry experts. This gathering is intended for " information only " and not for seeking any investments. If you are unable to make the meeting in person, GEV will provide a zoom link as well, but please indicate below if you will attend via zoom. Please RSVP using the form below: