June 2025 — Silicon Valley, CA // The Ventures Award, an international program celebrating early-stage startup excellence, is expanding its global presence in 2025 with a new series of investor-led pitch events across 12 cities. Following successful editions in San Francisco, New York, Chicago, London, Buenos Aires, Bali and Tel Aviv, the award will now reach new innovation centers including Tokyo, Miami, Seattle, Singapore, Paris, and Berlin.

Founded in Silicon Valley, The Ventures Award has become a trusted gateway for startups seeking capital, visibility, and strategic partnerships. With support from over 100 venture capital firms and innovation hubs—including Stanford, Plug and Play, and Google—the award is known for surfacing exceptional early-stage companies with global ambition.

Each local event brings together curated founders and active investors for high-intent, no-fluff engagement. Startups are selected based on international criteria that include product readiness, early traction, and the strength of both the team and the underlying technology. Sectors highlighted in 2025 include AI, fintech, robotics, medtech, and cybersecurity.

“The energy at The Ventures in Chicago was unmatched — sharp founders, bold ideas, and real momentum. It’s rare to see this level of early-stage clarity paired with global ambition.” Yash Chaturvedi, Jury Member and Principal TPM at Amazon.

“The San Francisco edition brought together founders tackling some of the most urgent and complex problems in AI and deep tech. I was impressed by both their technological depth and market traction. The Ventures creates a space where real investor–founder trust can form — and that’s what moves ecosystems forward,” Matviy Kruglov, former Investor and Director of Ecosystem & Partnerships at Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, now at AWS.

With a mission to reach 50 global innovation capitals, The Ventures Award is not just a pitch stage — it’s a global network of opportunity. The next events are scheduled for Q2 and Q3 2025.

For partnership inquiries, judging opportunities, or startup applications, visit www.the-ventures.com

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Decide on a Business Structure

Coming up with the perfect company name and writing down a business plan may have gotten you excited about launching your new venture, but you now may be dreading filling out and filing all the legal forms and documents needed to establish yourself as a bona fide business owner. Thankfully, you can find help online to guide you step by step and make the process a lot simpler. 

Forming an LLC is often the most advantageous structure for new small business owners, as it protects your personal assets in case of litigation and also offers significant tax advantages. Keep in mind that the easiest way to form an LLC inexpensively is to work with a formation service. Read reviews first to find an affordable and reliable service.    

Develop a Marketing Strategy

A marketing plan serves as a roadmap, helping to guide the company’s operations and ensure that resources are effectively used. When creating a marketing plan, it is important to analyze and understand the target market, identify effective strategies on how to reach the desired audience, set measurable goals, and consider the financial impact. Furthermore, factors such as competition and current trends should also be assessed in order to give the business a competitive advantage.

New businesses should use content marketing as it provides an effective yet efficient way to reach potential customers and build their brand awareness. It allows them to connect with their audience and create a meaningful, long-term relationship with them while helping to build trust in the business, product or services they are offering. 

If you will have a physical office or storefront, make sure that it also reflects your branding. Use your branded colors and fonts whenever possible, but when you need to go off-brand, go simple and classic. For instance, use high-quality metal letters and numbers for your brick-and-mortar location. This may help people to recognize your business and find your location easily. You can choose from a variety of metals, including brass, bronze, aluminum, copper, and steel. 

Implement IT Solutions

Today’s economy is mostly technology-based, and businesses should expect growth by implementing systems and software such as CRM, ERP, accounting, and payroll, just to name a few. But there are so many options available that it can feel overwhelming for a solopreneur. 

So if you want to avoid spending a fortune on IT solutions that can be overly complex and too extensive for your needs, look for an IT company that will analyze your processes first, then come up with a plan specifically designed for your business. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and headaches if you don’t have to do all the research on your own, and by only buying the services and technology you really need, you’ll also save a lot of money that can be invested elsewhere.

SaaS (Software as a Service) is an incredibly powerful tool that all businesses should consider. It provides an excellent, cost-effective way of accessing the most up-to-date software applications and services without requiring large upfront payments or long setup times.

Finding Funding for Your Startup

Depending on the nature of your business, you may be able to self-fund your new venture, at least partially. You may also have to ask family and friends if they want to pitch in to get you started. 

But if you need to invest in expensive equipment and supplies, you may have to look for investors willing to bet their money on your success. And with the high odds of small businesses failing within the first four years of their existence, convincing banks and investors that yours will make it to year five and beyond is a tall order for a new entrepreneur. But a solid business plan and financial projections showing steady progress can help you attract financiers and partners. 

Additionally, think about applying for grants and having the government help with your funding efforts. Crowdfunding is also becoming increasingly popular, but make sure you research what kinds of fees and regulations are in place before selecting a website or platform to work with. If you’re planning on taking out a loan, one of the main factors in getting approved or rejected is your credit report. Therefore, it’s important to check your credit periodically and stay vigilant about improving it if needed.  

Complete the Essentials

Setting your business up for success sometimes means dealing with less-than-appealing tasks. Asking for funding, setting up hardware and software, and choosing a business structure may not be what you envisioned doing as a business owner, but it’s part of the deal. Thankfully, there are experts who can help you along the way, so save yourself time and money by contacting the right professionals. 

The post Dealing with the Less Glamorous Parts of Starting Your Own Business appeared first on CEO Medium.

Get a New Place

Anyone who has ever bought a house knows that the process can be time-consuming and stressful. But for those who are also running a business from home, the stakes are even higher. Not only do you need to find a property that meets your business needs, but you also need to make sure that it is in a good location and within your budget.

The Economic Development Collaborative suggests writing down some realistic goals and what you need to achieve them; for instance, if your business is based on handmade items, you’ll need a safe, possibly climate-controlled space to store materials and inventory. Working with a realtor who is familiar with businesses can be a huge help in the search for the perfect property. They will know what to look for in terms of zoning. They can also provide helpful advice on financing and negotiating the purchase price. 

Get Legit

Home-based entrepreneurs often face several challenges as they’re trying to get their business up and running, including conveying credibility to their customers. One simple way to add legitimacy to your ideas and give your customers peace of mind is to form a limited liability company (LLC), which is a widely-accepted business structure that provides tax benefits and flexibility. Not only that, it creates less paperwork for you than a corporation would, meaning you can stay organized as you make the move to a new home. The rules for formation are different from state to state, so read up on how to create an LLC for your state and use a formation service to file the forms in order to save money.

Prepare for Your Move

Forming an LLC is a great way to structure your business and get paperwork organized, but when it comes to the move itself, you’ll want to ensure that your home is also in good shape. Once you’ve started the search for the right house–in the right neighborhood–and are pre-approved for a loan, create a plan for moving day preparations that will help you get through the process as smoothly as possible. Then make a list of essential tasks to perform, such as setting up wi-fi and cable service, and gather all your resources to get them in one place. These might include phone numbers, websites, passwords, and addresses that you’ll need to access before, during, and after the move. 

Since you will already be juggling a lot, outsource at least some of your moving process. First, decide if you want to pack up your home and office yourself or if you’d like the movers to handle that task. Then, look online for “best moving companies near me” and read through the reviews. Once you’ve found a few Los Angeles companies that come highly recommended, ask them for an on-site written quote. Phone quotes are never as accurate, plus having a representative from the company will help you to judge their professionalism and customer service, which are both important when trying to reduce your stress around the move.

Get Some Insight

One major aspect of both a move and a startup is figuring out financial details, and gaining some insight into your spending is a crucial element in the early days. Keeping track of how much capital you have and where it’s going can actually make or break your business. Fortunately, there is software available that will give you information on 24 months worth of transactions. It will even allow you to receive real-time updates so you always know where your money is going and when it’ll get there. Whether you need to lay out cash for marketing tools or equipment, you’ll have peace of mind about your financial state at all times.

Get a Marketing Strategy

You’ve found the perfect location for both living and working, and you have your financials sorted out. What’s the next step? Marketing a home-based business can be challenging, even if you already have an online following, so finding different strategies for drawing in customers is a major priority. FreshSparks notes that the right branding methods can go a long way, so think about a logo that will separate you from similar businesses while making it clear what you stand for. Gone are the days when small business owners had to lay out a lot of cash for design services. Simply generate a logo online through a platform that provides a template so you can use your preferred colors, fonts, and images. 

Moving and starting a business at the same time can be a grueling process if you’re unprepared, but a good plan can go a long way toward helping you make both of these major life changes as successful as possible. Hire help for the moving process to reduce your stress, and focus on the logistics of getting your business and home back up and running smoothly. There will likely be a few bumps in the road, but there’s nothing a motivated entrepreneur can’t handle.

Are you looking for inspiration, but don’t know where to look? Visit CEO Medium. We provide resources designed to help inspire entrepreneurs and influencers. Take a look to see how you can be inspired today!

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What is your entrepreneur’s story? How did you come about building your business?

I always wanted to be an entrepreneur and started SelfieMark right after having my second child, I was in a dressing room and had no idea what to wear or what looked good on me after having a baby and it was hard to know what shapes or styles look good because my body completely changed. Then it just clicked and I decided to start an app where shoppers could decide in a comparison what to wear and get feedback from a pro or their friends and family. I always loved empowering women and I feel there is a big disconnect in stores and online where shoppers need a lot more help and salespeople won’t provide unbiased advice.

What is your business model — how were you able to grow so fast?

Our consumer app SelfieMark is FREE for shoppers. Now we just launched 6 months ago our b2b with e-commerce solutions that help retailers sell and engage more and we charge them in a subscription model based on how big they are.

https://www.selfiemarkbiz.com/compare-plans/

Can you give me an overview of who you are, what is your educational or overall background? What are some of your achievements?

Finished college degree in Marketing and Advertising. I also had a store for many years in San Francisco at the Westfield Mall with a high-end line of handbags and accessories designed by me and my sister.

What have you learned through your experiences as an entrepreneur that can be used by aspiring business individuals?

Never stop pushing even small milestones will contribute to a bigger goal. And don’t listen to others, people will try to stop you from reaching your dreams so just stop listening to people and get surrounded with mentors who can help you achieve those goals.

What makes your business so unique and successful?

We help shoppers decide when undecided. Last year 76% of shoppers online and also in stores dropped their shopping carts of left the store because they didn’t know what to buy. With our solutions, we are helping both shoppers and retailers get those missing sales. We have no competitors who do exactly what we do and we have 2 patents pending to protect our concept.

What have you learned through your journey as an entrepreneur?

That is never too late to start. Believing in your dream if you don’t believe in it nobody will.

What skills and attributes make you as successful as you are?

Being independent, stubborn, and not afraid about what others will say or think about you.

Why is online business, marketing, etc important?

Nowadays the way people shop online and in stores have changed. New generations don’t like to be sold out and they need a better approach to make purchase decisions. We can help with that.

SelfieMark

Read more about SelfieMark including Market Opportunity, Business Model, Unique Advantage, Growth Roadmap, Investment…www.fundable.com

Social Media :

Facebook: www.facebook.com/selfiemarkapp/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/selfiemarkapp/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/paulaestewart/

Business Website: http://www.selfiemarkbiz.com/

The post Meet Paula Stewart a Latina Mom that Created a Startup to Help Shoppers Decide appeared first on CEO Medium.