First, I must thank Brent Beshore for allowing Joe Kaiser (Mercato Partners) and me (Redbud VC) to add the Venture & Startup Track to Main Street Summit. He didn't hesitate when I pitched him the idea of teaming up. That said, WOW, what an incredible event. Of course, we knew it would be because Clayton Dorge has the best event team I know (cc Laurie Oberweather and James Bachman).
Columbia, MO might not be the easiest destination to travel to or the headline place to hold an event, but it sure feels authentic when there are over a thousand people from across the country enjoying the finer details of my hometown. What I love about Capital Camp and MSS is how the event is anti-conference style, holding intimate sessions in places all across downtown (e.g., bookstores, coffee shops, pottery rooms, etc.) and hosting large groups in the historical Missouri Theatre. Before Jabbok Schlacks went on stage to talk about building the top 25 Y Combinator company EquipmentShare, he was pointing at the ceiling telling me how, a couple of decades ago, he painted the beautiful ceilings of the Missouri Theatre - it's hard to find this heritage elsewhere.
I enjoyed the most seeing all the people I invited to speak or attend, as well as the founders and investors who just showed up because of a post, newsletter, or curiosity about what we are building in Columbia.
Also, I had fun doing a panel on early-stage VC markets with Falon Donohue, Ian Hathaway, and Allison Lechnir and a panel on the partnership between LPs and GPs with Jennifer Johnson, Grady Buchanan, and Chris Keller, CFA - all incredibly smart investors.
I can't wait to host more people in Columbia, MO, next year!
Special thanks to our sponsors for making this happen: Kirkland & Ellis, University of Missouri Health Care, The Arcade District, Full Scale
