Episode 1: Fundraising Secrets with Taran Ghatrora and Traci Costa

ABOUT THE EPISODE

“As we solidified our vision and knew how big it was, we knew how quickly we wanted to move. That prompted us to raise venture funding, because at the end of the day the venture is the fuel to grow faster.” – Taran Ghatrora, Blume

For many entrepreneurs, bootstrapping your business is the norm, but eventually your company will need a boost. Learn about other resources that are available to help take your business from break-even to profitable. Cash is queen in this episode as we dive into the world of fundraising and financing with two entrepreneurs who’ve taken very different approaches to scaling their business. Covering debt financing, venture capital, and going public, Taran Ghatrora and Traci Costa share their fundraising secrets and crucial resources.

In this episode:

Taran dives deep into the process of raising capital
Learn how Blume raised $3.3 million in one month
Traci explains the different ways she accessed capital
Hear Traci’s thought process around why she made Peekaboo Beans public

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“Umm... I Missed That”

Entrepreneurship is a world of its own, which means the some of the lingo used might get lost in translation. Don’t worry, we’ve got your back. Here are a few of the key terms you’ll hear on this episode of The Go-To and what they actually mean.

Bootstrapping: to launch a business with your own money without the support of outside financing.

Non-dilutive financing: a form of financing that does not exchange funding for equity in the company. This is usually debt financing in the form of business loans.

Run-rate: the predicted future financial performance of a company based on current performance.

SAFE notes: stands for simple agreement for future equity; is a convertible security that allows investors to buy shares in future equity rounds.

Seed round: the first official equity funding stage.

Venture capital: financing from investors to start-ups or small business with long-term growth potential.

Meet Our Guests

Taran Ghatrora, Co-Founder & CEO of Blume

Taran Ghatrora is co-founder and CEO of Blume, a venture backed self care company focused on empowering girls, that focuses on clean period and personal care products and sex education. She's driven by her passion for women's health and gender equality. Taran's also a 500 Startups fellow , Top 30 Under 30 and G20 youth delegate for Canada.

Taran’s Go-To Resources:

500 Startups
Y-Combinator Start-Up School
Venture Deals by Brad Feld and Jason A. Mendelson
Futurpreneur Canada
Women’s Enterprise Centre

Find Taran on Instagram at @taran_smiles and Blume at @blume.

Learn more about Blume and check out the amazing things they are doing: blume.com

Traci Costa, Founder & CEO of Peekaboo Beans

On a mission to provide a better alternative to children’s wear, Traci founded Peekaboo Beans in 2006. Traci is fiercely passionate about the benefits of unstructured free play in a world of over scheduling and the growing concern of the endless technological distractions. Peekaboo Beans is now sold through an omni-channel approach, with a focus on e-commerce, utilizing the power of social media and a supportive community of parents across North America who are just as passionate about the product and spreading the important message of the benefits of play for children.

Traci’s Go-To Resources: