Strategies for Startups Outside Silicon Valley

Strategies for Startups Outside Silicon Valley

Author: Burkland April 8, 2025 Duration: 24:30
Finding startup success outside of Silicon Valley is possible – it just requires some ingenuity.
We couldn’t think of anyone who knows more about this topic than Rick Turoczy.

With three decades of experience supporting founders, Rick Turoczy, GM and Co-founder of PIE (Portland Incubator Experiment), is the ultimate connector and an expert at helping startups turn ideas into reality. In this episode, we sit down with Rick to explore how startups outside of the Bay Area can find support in their community and he gives us an inside look at the fundraising landscape beyond the Valley.

We discuss:

  • Creative fundraising strategies outside of Silicon Valley
  • Tactics for leveraging local resources to help scale your startup
  • How to pick the right accelerator for your startup
  • Why the lack of easily accessible capital combined with the proliferation of AI could be a perfect storm for innovation

If you're a founder looking to find startup success in your own community, this episode is a must-listen!

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

To learn more about PIE visit https://www.piepdx.com/

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: 100

Startup Success: A Podcast for Founders & Investors
Podcast Episodes
Why Founders Need “Scalers” on Their Early Teams [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:05
Casey Woo, CEO & Founder of Operators Guild and GP & Founder of FOG Ventures, joins us on Startup Success to discuss how scaling a startup has changed and why founders need “horizontal generalists,” or scalers, on their…
Q1 2026 Snapshot: The Startup Ecosystem [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:47
What does the startup landscape look like right now—and what to expect in Q2?In this episode of Startup Success, Steve Lord, Chief Knowledge Officer and COO at Burkland, returns for his quarterly breakdown of the venture…
The New Startup Go-To-Market Playbook [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:50
In this episode of Startup Success, Kate sits down with Marlena Sarunac, co-founder and fractional CMO at The Company Advice, a marketing firm for startups. They help startups clarify their category, sharpen their messag…
Venture Debt: The Essential Guide for Founders [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:47
In this episode of Startup Success, Kate sits down with Marshall Hawks, author of Venture Debt Deals and a venture lending leader with two decades of experience, including 16 years at Silicon Valley Bank, helping founder…
Profitability Before Funding: How One Startup Did It [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:50
In this episode of Startup Success, Kate sits down with Joseph Rutakangwa, Co-Founder and CEO of Rwazi, a decision AI platform that helps enterprise teams drive growth. Joseph shares his remarkable journey—from growing u…
A Case Study on How to Build a Mission-Driven Startup [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:38
In this episode of Startup Success, Kate talks with Tanya Van Court, Founder and CEO of Goalsetter, an award-winning financial education platform transforming how people learn about money.Inspired by a personal financial…
Venture Capital, Reimagined: A Conversation with Mike Collins [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:09
VC pioneer Mike Collins built his firm around his passionate belief that venture capital investing shouldn’t be limited to a select few. In this episode of Startup Success, host Kate sits down with Mike Collins, Founder…
2026 Outlook: The Startup Ecosystem [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:17
We’re kicking off 2026 with a returning favorite: Steve Lord, Burkland's COO and Head of Knowledge Share. He joins us to unpack what really happened in 2025—and what founders should be paying attention to now for 2026.In…
How to Build Product-Market Fit Without Sacrificing Culture [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:18
From power washing in Kansas to translating 30 languages in real time—Kevin Turpin’s entrepreneurial journey is anything but ordinary.In this episode of Startup Success, we welcome Kevin Turpin, CEO and founder of Weavix…
Purpose-Led Growth: How this Startup Built Revenue & Social Impact [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:37
Where innovation meets purpose—HOPE Hydration is proving that sustainability can be both smart and scalable. In this episode of Startup Success, host Kate sits down with HOPE Hydration co-founders Jorge Richardson and Cr…