Selling a Startup, Buying It Back, and Changing How Founders Raise: A Founder's Story

Selling a Startup, Buying It Back, and Changing How Founders Raise: A Founder's Story

Author: Burkland June 30, 2026 Duration: 20:56
In this episode of Startup Success, we sit down with Jaclyn Johnson, founder of Create & Cultivate and co-founder of the angel investing platform Cherub, for a conversation about scaling a business, navigating an exit, and the future of early-stage investing. 

Jaclyn shares how she built Create & Cultivate into a multi-million-dollar, bootstrapped company, why she made the difficult decision to sell, and what prompted her to buy back the company a few years later. She offers an honest look at the tradeoffs of private equity and the factors that can make or break a deal.

Between the exit and the buyback, her work as an angel investor and mentor to early-stage founders led her to co-found Cherub, a platform that connects founders with angel investors they'd never reach otherwise.We discuss:
  • The realities of selling to private equity — and what founders often overlook
  • What founders need in place before they start raising capital
  • How the fundraising landscape for early-stage founders is changing
If you're building your first company, preparing to raise capital, or thinking about an exit, this episode offers hard-earned lessons from a founder who has been on both sides of the table.

----Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn! 

🔗 Learn more about Create and Cultivate at https://www.createcultivate.com/

Learn more about Cherub at https://www.investwithcherub.com/



This episode is produced by:

Brenda Hernández Jaimes: Podcast Producer & Talent Coordinator, Ellas Media


Angela R. Chong: Audio Editor & Post-Production Producer, Amplify Podcasts

Tuning into Startup Success: A Podcast for Founders & Investors feels less like attending a formal lecture and more like pulling up a chair in a room full of people who have actually built and funded companies. Hosted by the team at Burkland, the conversations here move beyond theory to focus on the tangible, often messy, realities of scaling a business. You’ll find episodes that feel timely, addressing the specific challenges and opportunities that founders and investors are navigating right now. The dialogue is driven by guests who have lived it-founders recounting pivotal moments from their journey and investors explaining the nuances behind their decisions. This isn't about generic advice; it's about the operational details that make or break growth. Each discussion naturally narrows in on a single, critical pressure point, whether that's untangling a complex financing round, refining a go-to-market strategy, or building a culture that can withstand rapid hiring. The value of this podcast lies in its specificity and the credibility of the voices featured. It serves as a practical resource for anyone actively involved in the lifecycle of a startup, offering perspectives that are immediately applicable to your own work. By focusing on real stories and current trends, the series provides a grounded, actionable look at what genuine progress requires from both sides of the founder-investor relationship.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Startup Success: A Podcast for Founders & Investors
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