Small Business Breakthroughs: Building, Growing, Funding with Rick Coplin

About this Event:

Join the Ohio Small Business Development Center at Columbus State Community College in partnership with the Dublin Entrepreneurial Center for a podcast style Q&A designed to dig into the topics that are impacting your business and keeping you up at night.

Each edition of “Small Business Breakthroughs” will feature a timely discussion on trends, economic environment impacts in business, or business management tips and advice and more.

In this edition of “Small Business Breakthroughs” we will be discussing the private equity process and pitching investors with Rick Coplin.

What We Will Discuss

• Rick's experiences working for a venture-backed tech startup in Columbus.

• What does it take to pitch investors for funding successfully?

• What does it really mean to scale a company?

• What is the difference between being an owner in a new or early-stage business and an owner in an existing, growing business?

• What is the difference between the CEO/owner of a successful private company and the CEO of a public company?

• What responsibilities do high-impact business owners have beyond the business's bottom line?

• And, of course, we will answer your questions.

Featured Guest: Rick Coplin

Rick advises business owners exclusively, helping them become the leaders their companies, work teams, and families deserve. His typical clients have been in business for over a decade and seek his advise on driving growth through communicating vision, driving culture, enhancing employee growth, and fostering innovation. Rick also leads the Entrepreneurship and Consulting Programs at Denison University and is an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at The Ohio State University.

Rick has helped start, scale, and exit a tech startup in Columbus. Following his startup experience, Rick worked with Rev1 Ventures, advising entrepreneurs, helping them design business models, pitch their opportunities, connect with essential resources, and raise funds to fuel growth. During his time with Rev1 Ventures, Rick collaborated with regional and local economic development professionals on various entrepreneurial initiatives. His work included attraction/retention incentives for startups. Rick contributed to the conception and development of several entrepreneurial centers in the Central Ohio region, including the Dublin Entrepreneurial Center (DEC), where he played a key role in its development and growth. The DEC is one of the most successful entrepreneurial centers in the United States, housing over 140 companies with 163 graduates, of which 142 are still operating.

Moderator: Michael Bowers, CBA - Director, Ohio SBDC at Columbus State Community College

Michael is a Business Advisor and Director for the Ohio Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Columbus State Community College. The primary focus of the SBDC is to support prospective and existing entrepreneurs as they seek to start and grow businesses in Central Ohio.

Michael holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Finance from the University of North Alabama and a Master’s in Public Administration from The Ohio State University. Michael is currently pursuing a Doctoral degree in Public Administration from Liberty University.

Michael has worked with entrepreneurs and small business owners for over 30 years, 20 of which have been in Columbus leading the SBDC. He has a diverse business skill set with experience in banking, private equity, strategic planning, leadership, and public sector management.

Michael is the lead instructor for the Basis of A Successful Enterprise (B.A.S.E) business startup training, as well as the host of the Small Business Breakthroughs YouTube series.