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November 8, 2022 @ 9:30 am - 10:30 am PST
FreeFrom Sports to VC: My Journey to Becoming a Founder with Mike Cotton
As a venture capitalist, Mike Cotton learned to identify a successful startup founder. So, when the Gamelancer Media president launched his own companies in esports, he knew what it takes to succeed as a startup founder.
Prior to joining Gamelancer, Cotton founded Rumble Gaming and Wondr Gaming. But, before that, he ran a VC firm in Toronto.
“Specifically, I ran the sports and media division. We ran about 220 portfolio companies,” he said. “That was what taught me what to so and what not to do, because I had a front row seat to watch these companies raise billions of dollars. Some exited, and some went to zero.”
He made this transition during a massive shift in the world of marketing. With the explosion of social media networks, advertising evolved from an exposure-based enterprise to one reliant on TikTok and Instagram.
On Nov. 8, Cotton will host a webinar for Founders Network members where he’ll discuss his journey to becoming a founder and what he’s learned as social media revolutionized marketing.
In his webinar, Cotton will also discuss:
- Background and Professional Experience
- Venture Capital: how I built our portfolio and evaluate companies in which I invest;
- How to catch investor attention in decks, presentation materials, and data rooms;
- How I became a founder and why;
- Gamelancer Media and emerging trends in media and entertainment
About the Speaker:
Mike Cotton is President & Chief Operating Officer of Gamelancer Media Corp, the largest global social media network for Gen Zs and Millennials. Mike was previously Founder & CEO of Rumble Gaming, an global esports and gaming talent agency and media network, and former Managing Director, Sports & Media at Ryerson Futures, a venture capital accelerator that focuses on investments in early-stage technology.
Mike also has experience consulting and creating hockey analytics reports for multiple National Hockey League hockey operations departments and has worked for the New York Mets, SportsNet New York, and Major League Soccer. Before entering the sports industry, Mike was an economist for former Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
About Gamelancer:
Gamelancer Media Corp is the largest gaming social media network for GenZ and Millennials. The Toronto-based site gets more than one billion monthly views and has more than 32 million followers on TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat.
Gamelancer sells direct and programmatic media across its network to the world’s largest brands. With advanced user data analytics, Gamelancer provides its audience curated content relevant to the GenZ & Millennial gaming community, which allows brands unparalleled access to the largest media inventory in gaming across TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. Gamelancer also monetizes across its variety of Snapchat Discover channels with monthly recurring revenue in partnership with Snapchat.
Complimentary Ticket:
Are you a full-time tech founder? Be our guest! During COVID, we’re making our events available to tech founders everywhere. Enjoy a complimentary ticket to come learn from fellow tech founders, partners and investors. Already used your complimentary guest pass? Request an invite to see if you qualify for membership.
About Founders Network:
Founded in 2011, Founders Network offers lifelong peer mentorship to over 600 tech startup founders globally. Our platform, programs and high-touch service facilitate authentic experience sharing, warm introductions and long-term professional relationships. Additional benefits include over $500k in startup discounts and promotion to 2,000 newsletter readers. Members are located in San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Toronto, London and other tech hubs. Each month our Membership Committee admits a new cohort of full-time tech founders who are nominated by an existing member. Learn more about us here
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All information shared within Founders Network is strictly confidential. We are built on a foundation of trust, and the community takes confidentiality seriously. Investors, members, and staff all share experiences and opinions off the record. In this roundtable forum, we continue to model our fnValues of Reciprocity, Humility, Authenticity and Inclusivity. Read more about our Privacy Policy here.
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