Hal Schlenger’s Post

In business, people are the bridge between challenges and solutions. After attending Lawrence Gennari’s carefully curated networking roundtable, I can safely say that these inspirational entrepreneurial minds are tackling important problems across the full spectrum. What is more, they are highly passionate and have their hearts in the right place. Together We Can make a difference. And if you are wondering, the food as always with Larry was spectacular 🍴🤗 Great connecting with you Debi Kleiman, Demos Parneros, Amber Weiseth, Jonathan Chen, Ray Kobs, Jason Mackey, Igor Belagorudsky, Vasant Narayan, Lee Perlman, Carole Cafferty, Alex McFerran. 

Grateful to share that just 2 weeks before our event, we're officially sold out. Reflecting on the journey, I remember our first event at Spaces last year. Back then, getting 30 people to register felt like a significant challenge. Fast forward 12 months, and here we are, sold out for our upcoming event, Pitch and Pizza. A few key lessons have made this possible, and I'm humbled to share them: 1. Our Audience, Our Strength: If we had to find new people for every new event, it would be much harder to build something meaningful and and increase the value delivered. By cultivating relationships, maintaining constant communication, and promoting regular events, we are building an active audience. 2. Aligned Partnerships: Collaborating with other great organizations in the community, such as Okanagan Young Professionals (OYP) Collective , Kelowna Innovation Centre , Okanagan KCR Community Resources, Accelerate Okanagan has been a game-changer. It's not just about what we can do alone; it's about the strength that comes from partnerships, aligning audiences and working together to achieve common goals. 3. Listen, Adjust, and Innovate: Keeping the conversation alive and staying receptive to feedback has been crucial. One of the significant innovations we developed was the SMART CONNECT, an AI tool that matches profiles with related interests. This tool was developed because we understood that our audience was looking for new ways to connect and do business. I feel honored to be a part of this incredible community, and I'm looking forward to the exciting stuff we have planned for the rest of the year https://lnkd.in/gvhz6HqQ?

Still buzzing (and exhausted) after our Communicating Your Purpose event on Wednesday at the amazing The Trampery | Certified B Corp. Our one goal was that everyone who attended gained something of value from the event - a key insight or action to takeaway, a new contact or even just a feeling that they are doing the right thing and not alone. Every person I've spoken to so far had said that we achieved that and more, and I'm absolutely delighted. I learned a lot myself too, which is an added bonus. My key takeaways were: 💡 We have an amazing community full of experts and like-minded individuals and businesses. 💡 Saving the planet (and talking about it) doesn't have to be boring. 💡 What you want to say and what your customers need to hear are not always the same thing - you need to find the sweet spot in-between. 💡 Staying true to your values and mission is so important as you grow, but it isn't always easy. You need to learn to say not to things. 💡 Gaining certifications/accreditations doesn't and shouldn't just stop at getting a badge. You need to communicate what it means and why it's important and always be working to improve on what you've achieved. Thanks to everyone who made the event possible. To those asking when the next one is - we have a LOT going on - but we hear you and we'll see what we can do in 2024 😉 #purposedrivenbusiness #community #eventswithpurpose #ingoodcompany

Here's the next in our series of MoFounders events for investors, entrepreneurs and leaders of growth companies. Thanks to me excellent colleague, Steven James!

I think one of the most important things we can do as founders is connect with like minded folk who understand the crazy ups and downs of business life and it’s been a pleasure getting to know other Helm (formerly The Supper Club) members these past few years. PS you can catch a glimpse of me in the clip below!

Do you dream of seeing your food products on shelves at local stores or growing your brand regionally? 🥫🥐🌶️ The all-new Sierra Commons Food Entrepreneur Accelerator course is for you! Take a deep dive with a cohort of like-minded founders and learn the fundamentals of starting and scaling your artisan food business. 👉️https://lnkd.in/g9DuysE3

Last week's dinner co-hosting experience with Builders was a transformative journey, reminding me of the profound impact conversations can have when they evolve into action! Rewind to Pavilion GTM 2023: a serendipitous encounter with Seba Dominguez at a whiskey tasting sparked a strong connection, revealing shared business models, career paths, and personal backgrounds. Fast forward to May in Austin, where Christopher Gannon and Seba's bond strengthened, igniting the idea of hosting a dinner in NYC. When we connected again, the plan came together quickly. Venue Booked ✅ Invites sent ✅ No worries ✅ As someone who had previously only been an attendee of dinners, doubts crept in about orchestrating such an event effectively and efficiently. Yet, Seba's infectious can-do attitude propelled us forward. The evening unfolded seamlessly, with 12 of us gathering at Catch 🐟 to share not only a delicious meal but also candid conversations about our families, favorite restaurants, and the challenges of navigating early start ups. It was everything a dinner should be: effortless and enriching. Three main takeaways for me: 🤝 The Power of Community: Witnessing founders rallying around one another, offering support and encouragement only after just having met, was nothing short of inspiring. 🙌 People Want to Help: By being open and vulnerable, we unearthed unexpected commonalities and discovered innovative solutions to shared challenges. 🌟 Just Dive In: Sometimes, you have to take the leap and trust that the evening will unfold naturally, paving the way for meaningful connections and collaborations. While I regret not capturing the moment with a 📸, I was happy to be fully present. I'm eager to cheer on the incredible individuals I met as they embark on their respective journeys, fueled by the momentum of our shared experience. Amazing to chat with everyone Amy Wu Shannon Wu Jane Tran Kiet Tran, FRM Rom Carmel 🚀 Fernanda Baggio Aaron Surloff Jack Winston Dani Van de Sande Andrew Joseph Sam Schwager Here's to more words evolving into action and forging deeper connections within our entrepreneurial community. #CommunityPower #ActionSpeaksLouder

You won't find connections like these just "anywhere"... Last year I attended my first Nutrition Capital Network event in #NYC and met Scott Hattis, co-founder and CEO of Loisa. His #pitch and passion from the stage captivated my attention. Afterwards, we connected in a way that can only happen at smaller, intimate industry events. I recommended that he take his Loisa pitch to the Naturally New York Specialty Food Association #PitchSlam stage, which he did, and as a result qualified as one of the five finalists to present at the Summer Fancy Food Show. As a board member for Naturally New York, this gave Scott and I the opportunity to work together on his pitch, but the best part for me was making a connection, while supporting the passion, of a fellow New Yorker in the industry, all of which started at #NCN 🚀 These types of #networking opportunities are increasingly rare in our rapidly expanding #naturalproducts industry, which is why I'm returning to the Nutrition Capital Network Spring Investor Meeting in #NewYork April 30-May 1, and I hope to see you there (there's still time to sign up, and if you are a fellow New Yorker.... there's no excuse - meet us at Pier 59): https://lnkd.in/eqkaJzmx First time investor attendees or founders looking to start investing, or service providers, DM NCN Executive Director: Mike Dovbish for details. This is an an outstanding, not-to-miss #networking opportunity to get direct access with #investors and #funds, industry leaders, and to hear from 20+ vetted companies that will take the stage to pitch. 🤩 Even if you aren't pitching or investing, I always say that everyone can learn something from a pitch, and you never know what will happen as a result. - Oh, and Scott's pitch was legit. Loisa products are amazing. I use them all the time now and have fooled friends into believing I know how to cook! Need to impress someone? Even your most culinary skilled contacts will be blown away with a gift from: https://www.loisa.com. Thank you Scott for #ThePitch and I look forward to hearing from this year's presenters! Eric Schnell, Derek Webber and BeyondBrands partners, thank you for the generous invite to NCN this year! I look forward to #MSH with you soon!

We are back on YouTube with our latest podcast this time interviewing 👋 Jonny Edser from We Are Wildgoose ! Running a global tech events business for over 19 years is no easy job, hear Jonny's journey and how he has overcome the many problems that he has faced. #podcast #businesspodcast #eventsindustry

Join Rob Bliss and me next Tuesday, April 30th in Farmers Branch to discuss "Get a Grip: How to Get Everything You Want from Your Entrepreneurial Business" by Gino Wickman and Mike Paton! (If you don't like people, books or business, we'll be serving wine and whiskey as well 🤣) Registration link in the comments 👇 #bookclub #getagrip #eos #growordie #leadersarereaders