Midcon Markup

In a world where talent is evenly distributed but venture capital is concentrated in coastal silos, smart startup money is heading for the Midcontinent. The MidCon Markup podcast uncovers the inspiring stories of our visionary tech entrepreneurs and the investors who believe in them. Listen, learn, and make your Midcon Markup! Hosted by Cortado Ventures.

Episodes

Apr 25, 2024

46 min

Tune in to hear Cortado portco CEO Martin Lien share about realizing his lifelong dream of being a venture-backed tech founder in the United States and how he leverages his unique background to create sustained organizational success.

Apr 25, 2024

46 min

Jan 11, 2024

46 min

It's not every day that you get to hear from a core management team member behind a $2B transaction. Tune in to hear how Cortado Portco CEO Blake Bixler helped drive meteoric growth in midstream energy and why he chose to invest and become the CEO of an AI analytics company poised to disrupt the energy industry and numerous other legacy sectors with a footprint in the Midcontinent.

Jan 11, 2024

46 min

Jan 4, 2024

43 min

Investors like when founders have a personal connection with the problem they are solving, but when it comes to women's health, sometimes it can be difficult to share. Watkins-Conti CEO Allison Watkins shares her incredible journey into entrepreneurship that gives new meaning to "necessity is the mother of invention."

Jan 4, 2024

43 min

Dec 12, 2023

26 min

While some professionals pursue careers in law or investment banking, others pursue venture capital. One anomaly out there has managed to do all three before the age of 30 with stops at USC and Harvard Law along the way. Tune into our latest MidCon Markup episode with Oklahoma's own Bear Federman to learn the method to his high achieving madness.

Dec 12, 2023

26 min

Nov 2, 2023

22 min

Cortado Ventures' Investment Principal Susan Moring shares practical insights instructing founders how to pursue investment from Cortado and other VCs. Hint: It takes a lot of follow-up!

Nov 2, 2023

22 min

Oct 18, 2023

58 min

The Dos Equis marketing department misfired when they chose someone else for their Most Interesting Man in World campaign. Coming from a family with humble beginnings and developing a distaste for formal education throughout childhood, Scott Klososky blazed his own trail with entrepreneurship that includes a $115M exit, a unicorn IPO, a joint-venture with the Soviet Union, and an internationally acclaimed speaking and consulting program centered on futurism. You might expect Scott to spend half the year on a yacht in the Mediterranean, but instead, he continues to spend his free time tinkering with the latest AI tools and scheming about pathways to success in the age of automation.

Oct 18, 2023

58 min

Sep 17, 2023

35 min

Following its $80M Fund II Close Announcement, Cortado Ventures Managing Partner Nathaniel Harding shares his insights and expertise on raising a venture capital fund.
Nathaniel chats about raising funds in an emerging market, and how the Cortado team raised $100M in three years - all while navigating a global pandemic.

Sep 17, 2023

35 min

Sep 13, 2023

25 sec

Welcome to the MidCon Markup 

Sep 13, 2023

25 sec

 

 

 

Cortado Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in ambitious, growth-driven companies, backing a new generation of economic prosperity for the Midcontinent region, defined as Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Colorado, Kansas and New Mexico. As one of the largest VC funds in Oklahoma, Cortado’s focus is on tech companies bringing innovative solutions to the energy and logistics, life sciences, and the future of work sectors. For more information, visit cortado.ventures.

Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.

Version: 20241125