Author: Jeffrey Donenfeld

  • Spacecraft Power System Development Startup Amplified Space Pitches at Angel Capital Summit

    Spacecraft Power System Development Startup Amplified Space Pitches at Angel Capital Summit

    This week, spacecraft power system development startup Amplified Space‘s CEO Jerome Hittle pitched the company at the Rockies Venture Club Angel Capital Summit, as part of the Rockies Space Fund Aerospace Track. I’ve been working with Jerome and the team as a mentor and coach for the last couple of weeks, and was proud that…

  • Rockies Space Fund Aerospace Panel Notes – Rockies Venture Club Angel Capital Summit

    Rockies Space Fund Aerospace Panel Notes – Rockies Venture Club Angel Capital Summit

    The blog post discusses a panel on aerospace investing at the Rockies Venture Club Angel Capital Summit, focusing on the shift towards more commercial opportunities in aerospace, despite traditional perceptions of it being government-centric. Experts highlighted the importance of strategic partnerships, debunked misconceptions deterring investment, and emphasized the role of non-dilutive funding like SBIR. They…

  • Starship IFT3 Lifts Off

    Starship IFT3 Lifts Off

    SpaceX’s latest Starship test marked another significant stride, despite not meeting all objectives. The launch showcased improvements with all 33 Raptor engines maintaining function, a successful stage separation, and the booster executing a flip maneuver. However, the booster’s landing ended explosively over the Gulf of Mexico. The second stage reached orbital speeds and performed a…

  • Visiting the Baikonur Cosmodrome with Roscosmos

    Visiting the Baikonur Cosmodrome with Roscosmos

    Thanks to management at Roscosmos for providing incredibly access to me and team to the facilities at Baikonur Cosmodrome, and for hosting us during our short stay in June, 2019. The Legacy of Baikonur Cosmodrome: Gateway to the Cosmos At the heart of human space exploration lies the Baikonur Cosmodrome, a place of both historical…

  • The NASA Handheld Universal Lunar Camera (HULC) will be a modded Nikon Z9

    The NASA Handheld Universal Lunar Camera (HULC) will be a modded Nikon Z9

    NASA has partnered with Nikon to create the “Handheld Universal Lunar Camera” (HULC) for moon missions, based on the Nikon Z9. This mirrorless camera, with a possibly updated sensor, will withstand moon’s radiation. It’s a nod to Apollo’s Hasselblad cameras, which captured the groundbreaking lunar imagery of 1969.

  • Teaching the IREX Young Leaders of the Americas VC Funding Seminar

    Teaching the IREX Young Leaders of the Americas VC Funding Seminar

    Today I served as the principal VC educator for a seminar with Blue Mesa Ventures, guiding 120 Central and South American entrepreneurs. The seminar, part of a U.S. Department of State-funded IREX fellowship, covered U.S. venture positioning, engagement strategies with VC firms, typical investor inquiries, and business differentiation.

  • Why I Fly – Ignite Denver 39

    Why I Fly – Ignite Denver 39

    At Ignite Denver 39, a speaker shared insights into solo flying single-engine aircraft, emphasizing unexpected reasons behind this choice. The fast-paced presentation involved a 5-minute slot, 20 automatically advancing slides, and gratitude expressed to the production team and fellow speakers.

  • LG NOVA Webinar Series: Innovation 2023 – Digital Health

    LG NOVA Webinar Series: Innovation 2023 – Digital Health

    At a healthcare innovation session, experts Singh and Sabo from LG Nova Digital Health discussed challenges and opportunities in digital health, including interoperability, privacy, and infrastructure. They explored AI’s role in streamlining patient care, such as through elective surgery backlog reduction, robotic surgery, and operations management. The webinar emphasized using digital advancements to improve care…

  • Teaching the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative Startup Investor Pitch Workshop

    Teaching the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative Startup Investor Pitch Workshop

    Today, I led a Startup Investor Pitch Workshop for the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative alongside entrepreneurs Don Novak and Danny Effron. During a three-hour session, we coached 12 entrepreneurs from the Americas on their pitches, covering topics like storytelling, value proposition, and handling rejection. The workshop included interactive individual and group sessions, culminating…

  • Judging the Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative Fellowship Program Eastern European Startup Pitches

    Judging the Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative Fellowship Program Eastern European Startup Pitches

    This week I served as a lead judge at the US State Department’s YTILI Fellowship Program Eastern European startup pitch event. I observed impressive pitches by entrepreneurs from 36 countries. The program provides intensive entrepreneurship and leadership training. Ukrainian startup Uff, led by Alona Prenkovska, won, advancing to the next round in Washington DC. Supporting…

  • NextUp Ventures Demo Day – A fresh batch of SportsTech Investments…

    NextUp Ventures Demo Day – A fresh batch of SportsTech Investments…

    Thanks to NextUp Ventures for an engaging demo day, full of interesting pitches from emerging SportsTech Startups! A few topics covered on today’s demo day included: Athletic Turf technologies Sustainable football gear Off-field athelete/creator fund monitization Name & Likeness management and optimization Looking forward to more solid investments from the NextUp Team. How does AI feel…

  • Exploring Generative AI with ChatGPT and Bard…

    Exploring Generative AI with ChatGPT and Bard…

    As humans, I believe we’re now at the dawn of a new revolution in technology, information, understanding, and inteligence with the rise of Generative Artificial Intelligences that are becoming good enough for true productivity. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be taking a dive into Generative AI, and exploring the possitilbiites of using it for…

  • Private Pilot

    Private Pilot

    I got my private pilots license (PPL) flying a Cessna 172S. I primarily trained with Aspen Flying Club at Centennial Airport (KAPA), in addition to a number of training flights originating from Western Air Flight Academy at Rocky Mountain Metro Airport KBJC. My solo cross country training flights were from Centennial KAPA down to Pueblo…

  • The Acid Lounge – Ongoing Playlist

    The Acid Lounge – Ongoing Playlist

    Dance, groove, travel, work, repeat. The master playlist for The Acid Lounge, by Jeffrey Donenfeld. The Acid Lounge was originally a weekly radio show aired on Radio1190 KVCU Boulder from 2000>2005. It was created/hosted by Jeffrey Donenfeld @Jeffzilla . Now, The Acid Lounge exists as a growing playlist on Spotify….

  • Teaching Global Innovation Catalyst’s iX Online October Program Fundraising and Ownership Workshop

    Teaching Global Innovation Catalyst’s iX Online October Program Fundraising and Ownership Workshop

    Recently, I was honored to teach the Global Innovation Catalyst’s iX Online October 2021 Program Fundraising and Ownership Workshop for a great group of global entrepreneurs: Webinar 11: Fundraising and Ownership | GIC iX Online October 2021 Program – January 13, 2022 The Global Innovation Catalyst (GIC) Innovation Execution (iX) Program takes participants through the…

  • How To Pack For A Galapagos Cruise Adventure

    How To Pack For A Galapagos Cruise Adventure

    Last week, I spent time with a few very wonderful friends aboard a small expedititon cruise ship in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Throughout the trip, I was proud to show off my meticulously selected gear. Here’s a general summary of what I brought…

  • Speaking on Entrepreneurship with the Russian CIEE Russia Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship Virtual Exchange Program

    Speaking on Entrepreneurship with the Russian CIEE Russia Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship Virtual Exchange Program

    Thanks to the Russian CIEE Russia Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship Virtual Exchange Program for having me speak with them about startup investing and entrepreneurship. Looking forward to hearing the business pitches at the end of the program. Russia Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship Virtual Exchange Program Program description This virtual exchange program for Russian and American…

  • The World’s Best Startup Innovators and Entrepreneurs

    The World’s Best Startup Innovators and Entrepreneurs

    Entrepreneurship and innovation are everywhere, in every country, across all people, around the globe. During my time working with Boomtown Accelerators on finding, selecting, and supporting seed-stage entrepreneurs, I’ve had the opportunity to get involved with innovation around the world – interviewing founders who have applied for a Boomtown program, discussing emerging technology and investment…

  • Speaking with Terawatt career coaching about the power of the entrepreneur and venture investing

    Speaking with Terawatt career coaching about the power of the entrepreneur and venture investing

    This month, I had the opportunity to speak with career coaching firm Terawatt founder Francie Jain about my views on venture investing and the future of technology and entrepreneurship. It was a pleasure speaking with Francie, and I’m honored to join the team of business leaders profiled on the site. Read the full interview on…

  • Judging Denver Startup Week Elevator Pitches.. in an Elevator!

    Judging Denver Startup Week Elevator Pitches.. in an Elevator!

    Going up? We sure were at the Denver Startup Week Elevator Pitch Event. I stood in an elevator in downtown Denver and listened to short 1 minute pitches from emerging startups.. super fast, super fun. I also had a chance to introduce Boomtown, and speak a bit about how we work with founders. GAN, a…

  • Reverse Pitching Boomtown at Denver Startup Week

    Reverse Pitching Boomtown at Denver Startup Week

    This week, I was happy to pitch Boomtown Accelerators at the Denver Startup Week Reverse Accelerator Pitch Session. Thanks GAN for hosting, and for all of the great questions from the audience. GAN is a highly-curated community of accelerators, partners, and investors who all share a collective purpose of creating opportunities for startups around the…

  • Mentoring German Marshall Fund YTLI Fellows

    Mentoring German Marshall Fund YTLI Fellows

    This week, I was proud to spend a bit of time working with a group of international entrepreneurs participating in the German Marshall Fund of the United States Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative Fellowship, supported by the U.S. Department of State. We discussed: The quick expansion of the Denver/Boulder area entrepreneurship landscape and opportunities for…

  • Leading the Montreal StartupFest 2019 “Startup Accelerator Communities” Roundtable Discussion

    Leading the Montreal StartupFest 2019 “Startup Accelerator Communities” Roundtable Discussion

    At Montreal StartupFest 2019, I led a roundtable discussion on Building Startup Accelerator Communities, accompanied by industry colleague Tariq Haddadin of Techstars. Thanks to the StartupFest team for putting on a solid event! Discussion Notes: Montreal StartupFest 2019 – Building Startup Accelerator Communities Roundtable Discussion Led by Jeffrey Donenfeld of Boomtown Accelerators and Tariq Haddadin…

  • Guiding discussion on Startup Network Building at Montreal StartupFest

    Guiding discussion on Startup Network Building at Montreal StartupFest

    This year at Montreal StartupFest, I hosted a discussion with startup accelerator and venture investment leaders on startup network building, alumni services, and dealflow community. Thanks to Montreal StartupFest for a solid event. Startupfest is the leading startup event in Canada. Founded in 2011, it has become the annual gathering at which entrepreneurs, investors, makers,…