Alexis Ohanian Sr.

The latest Studio Stack newsletter dropped on Friday — and in it, I unpack why community is the most underutilized competitive advantage in most organizations but ESPECIALLY in the Venture Studio sphere. 💡 87% of leaders say community is critical to their company’s mission 📈 79% report it’s directly impacting business results Yet most studios still treat it like a side project. In the article, I break down what actually works in 2025: → Build where people already “play” → Force connection (because they won’t do it themselves) → Curate, don’t just collect 'If you’re serious about standing out in a sea of 1,000+ studios, this one’s for you. 📰 Read the full issue — packed with new frameworks, launches, jobs, and insights from Studio builders and thought leaders across the world. 👉 https://lnkd.in/eZ2AtsDy

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🚨 Community Bulletin: Open Opportunities Across the MA Startup Ecosystem 🚨 If you’re a founder, operator, builder, or expert looking to plug in right now, here are some high-signal opportunities worth your attention 👇 💸 MassVentures START Grant Program: MA startups can secure $100K–$500K in non-dilutive funding to move federally funded research from lab to market, plus commercialization support and business guidance. ⏰ Deadline: Feb 23 👉 https://lnkd.in/gbiuZyaK 🛍️ Women Entrepreneurship Bazaar at Babson College on March 7: Women-led businesses are invited to vend at the Babson Women Entrepreneurship Summit on International Women’s Day. 👉 Apply: https://lnkd.in/ge7qYKPi 🌱 Greentown Labs Mentor Pool: Industry experts, operators, and former founders can support early-stage climatetech startups with flexible, high-impact mentorship across GTM, fundraising, product, tech, and leadership. 👉 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eRPzACBV 💻 Demo Your Infrastructure Software to Real Buyers on Feb 24: Infrastructure software founders can demo in front of technical + product leaders, a room full of software engineers, and local VCs — with real feedback from real decision-makers. 👉 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gpMkZHMV 🚀 Techstars Startup Weekend Boston (May 1–3): A hands-on weekend going from idea to execution alongside founders, operators, and builders. 🎟️ Startup Boston community gets 20% off with code STARTUPBOS 👉 https://lnkd.in/gd4gKPNY 🩺 UMassM2D2 $200K Challenge – Women’s Health: Open to early-stage startups, academic teams, and founders tackling unmet clinical needs in women’s health, from diagnosis through treatment. ⏰ Deadline: Feb 15 👉 https://lnkd.in/dPZ6G6EC 🏢 MIT Sloan CIO Symposium Innovation Showcase on May 19: 10 early-stage startups will pitch enterprise-ready solutions at one of the country’s top CIO convenings. Built for founders solving real enterprise IT problems. ⏰ Deadline: March 31 👉 https://lnkd.in/gBQ6VggY ⚕️ MIT Hacking Medicine GrandHack 2026 (March 13–15): An in-person health innovation hackathon bringing together builders, clinicians, engineers, designers, and founders to tackle real healthcare challenges. ⏰ Deadline: Feb 15 👉 https://lnkd.in/geKjUZ2j Got something to amplify? Drop it here: https://lnkd.in/eSZRVc8Y

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Florida women interested in a career in early stage investing, we’re in Miami! Chai Ventures is in Miami for iConnections, and we’re excited to connect with the next generation of women exploring careers in VC and finance. Through Chai Fellows, our global community of 150 women in college and early in their careers, participants gain real exposure to venture, investing, and adjacent industries. Our fellows have: • Presented internationally (including Japan) • Attended Clinton Global to meet world leaders • Met billion-dollar women founders • Engaged with policymakers and senior leaders in intimate settings • Gained weekly access to our VC firm • Attended 100+ VC, startup, family office, and finance events Chai Fellows aren’t just exploring finance, they’re building conviction, access, and community while carving their own path. If you’re based in Miami and curious about venture capital or investing, we’d love to meet you. Reach out directly to find time! Together we rise. 

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I keep hearing that Florida doesn't have a real tech ecosystem. I've spent the last few months actively mapping it through the VC Lab Venture Institute, and here's what I've found: it's small, but it's real, and the people building it are serious. Sarasota and Tampa have a growing bench of early-stage investors like Florida Funders, Rework Capital, and Suncoast Venture Studio. There are accelerators like Tampa Bay Wave and Embarc Collective producing real companies. Groups like Bridge Angel Investors are creating structured ways for local investors to back founders. And there's a wave of founders who chose to build here instead of moving to SF. But there's a gap: true pre-seed capital is pretty rare in this market. Plenty of firms will write a $500K seed check. Few are writing the first $100-150K check to a founder with a prototype and conviction but no revenue. That gap is an opportunity. The founders I've been meeting here are technical, scrappy, and solving real problems in AI, robotics, and advanced materials. They just need someone willing to take the earliest risk. If you're building in these spaces in Florida or anywhere, I want to hear from you! #venturecapital #tampabaytech #sarasotabusiness #VCLab #emergingmanagers #AIinfrastructure

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Come and hear Carrie Levine and Jordan Combs demo the new Planscape Funding Opportunity Report. We're excited to extend Planscape into helping forest collaboratives get more projects funded, and grateful to our partners Blue Forest, The Freshwater Trust, USDA Forest Service and others who have made this possible.

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