Judge: Chris Elmore
Named a “Startup Hero” by NC Business Magazine and a maverick by SouthPark Magazine, Chris an author, college professor and strategic advisor to Kingsmen Software Products and 2ULaundry. Chris helped start AvidXchange in 2000, a business unicorn with a $1.4 billion value and 1400 employees. www.thechriselmore.com
What advice would you give to entrepreneurs?
I give the same advice… don’t concentrate on the “thing” like the app, site, store, service…software. Concentrate more on the journey. It’s the processes of creating and learning how to communicate with your target market and teammates that change and molds your offering into something beyond you. The process is humbling, exciting, educational and sometime hilarious.
What do you think is the best-kept secret in Charlotte?
It’s the best place in the entire world to bootstrap a company. The combination of transpiration, education and low cost of living as well as access to “big business” makes it a great place to grow a company with little to no up-front capital.
What entrepreneurs do you look to for inspiration?
Locally – Mike Praeger the CEO of AvidXchange is the greatest entrepreneur I have ever known. I also am inspired by Louis Foreman and David Jones. Nationally I am inspired by any entrepreneur that is on the podcast, “How I Built This” by NPR.
SEED20 Onstage is on March 25, 2019. Tickets available soon.
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