Shelley Iocona

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07 Mar 2019

When Giving is Easy, Everyone Wins

When you hear the term “social good,” what does that mean to you? If you’re thinking about something that benefits a large number of people in a meaningful way, you’re right. The concept of social good can be traced back to philosophers in Ancient Greece and provides the basis for charity or philanthropic work. One of the greatest examples of social good is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, whose mission is to help solve some of the world’s most pressing problems leveraging Bill and Melinda’s wealth to do this important work. While I personally find what they are doing to better our world inspiring, important and innovative, there are countless others committed to giving back that are not in the global public eye. Motivated by the desire to give back, Kelly O’Connell, Founder and CEO of the non-profit organization, Start Giving Local, created a model that empowers everyone to…

14 Feb 2019

3 Take-aways from Startup Grind 2019

Hailed as one of the best startup conferences on the planet, Startup Grind’s Global Conference 2019 did not disappoint. The company boasts 600 chapters in more than 120 countries and hosts conferences around the world with Redwood City, California, being selected four years in a row. What stood out to make this year’s event worthwhile? Beyond meeting clients, partners, old friends and making some new ones, here are three take-aways from the ON ITS AXIS team.   1. Simple Metrics + Benchmarking Matters Most to VC’s When a witty and successful Partner at a top VC firm presents on The Four Vital Signs of SaaS, we listen. While 90% of companies are not a fit for venture funding, it’s clear those that are need to focus. Rory explained how measuring too many things means measuring nothing so look at simple metrics: revenue growth, sales efficiency, revenue churn and cash burn. Once you…

11 Oct 2018

Ascent Tech Conference

Last week we had the honor of exhibiting at the Ascent Tech Conference in New York City. The conference boasted 1000 meetings, 200 demos, 70 roundtables, and 50 talks curated for VC's and founders in a unique setting at Pier 36. While we were busy sharing what we do with attendees and fellow exhibitors, we also participated in lively discussions about product validation, pitching, securing funding, attracting talent and efficient scaling techniques. Attendees collaborated with each other throughout the two days on big topics impacting technology startups today such as innovation, social good and ethics. It was by far one of the more inspiring events I've attended and also shed light into where the industry is focused. Perhaps one of my biggest takeaways from the event is the maturity of the tech community today. I recall in years past getting a lot of quizzical looks explaining what we do. Today, the…