Written by Hope Seasholes
VENTURE MADNESS PITCH WINNER : DAMILARE FAGBEMI
Damilare Fagbemi, founder of Resilient Software Security came to Venture Cafe looking to connect with the startup community in Phoenix. He participated in the Open Mic programming which features community members sharing what they’re working on, ideas they have, or opportunities they’ve identified – and how we can help them. Just a few weeks later Damilare was one of five entrepreneurs selected for the Venture Madness Fast Pitch event where he pitched and WON! Damilare is a driven entrepreneur, an inspiring member of the Venture Cafe Phoenix community and a wonderful person.
How did you hear about Venture Cafe?
Your partner, the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA)! I was discussing with ACA’s SVP of Entrepreneurship and Venture Development, Mark Moeremans, about offering free software security webinars and workshops for SaaS/ AI/ Blockchain startups and he mentioned that a great place for tech content is Venture Cafe.
What is Resilient Software Security?
At Resilient Software Security, we’re a group of software security ninjas who are uniquely skilled at making SaaS/ AI/ Blockchain startups secure by design and harder to hack. Our co-founders have led software security at large tech companies like Intel, Cisco, Autodesk, and McAfee. And our prior experience in running and acquiring startups helped us see the huge gap in software security capabilities between big tech companies and startups. Our services are especially useful for: (A) Making SaaS startups resilient to cyberattacks, (B) Accelerating SaaS security compliance certifications to aid sales, and (C) Efficiently addressing customer queries about security, also to aid sales.
What was it like to participate in Open Mic?
As silly as it may sound, some nerves at first. Interestingly, I once heard a communication coach teach that as the wait for the spotlight builds even in the most casual roundtable intros, there’s an instinctive anxiety that kicks in for most people.On a more serious note though, it’s been a great vehicle for stepping into the “give-help and ask-for-help” mindset of Venture Cafe. I know I can count on the Open Mic when I have a problem I need input on and at the very same Open Mic I can share offers, resources, and insights to benefit the community. The Open Mic is also a great, non-salesy publicity tool that has deepened my network at Venture Cafe.
How was your experience with Venture Pitch and the Fast Pitch competition?
It was a wonderful learning opportunity! On the housekeeping side, it gave me the perfect chance to update my company’s pitch deck and executive summary, refine my short pitch, and practice pitching my company in front of a live audience. I also received valuable feedback, from the affirmation of a key part of my company’s story that I sometimes underplay, to the recommendation of a very promising partner channel that I had never thought about, and even improvement areas for my pitch deck.
What are the next steps for you?
My company ResilientSoftwareSecurity.com was created to empower SaaS/ AI/ Blockchain startups to make their platforms harder to hack. We just launched our 1st security webinar series for SaaS startups, which we’ll be running every month or every other month: https://resilientsoftwaresecurity.com/webinar. We’ve also just begun exploring how we can partner with Cyber insurance vendors to 1) add value to them by helping to calculate a startup’s cybersecurity risk score, and 2) offer a combined solution (with Cyber insurance vendors) for startups looking to secure their software with some breach insurance backing <— this idea came out of the Fast Pitch competition. Lastly, we’re in the middle of revamping our web branding and pricing to build on key learnings about our customer’s pain points that were discovered in our 1st year of business.
What does Venture Cafe Phoenix mean to you?
I always find so much value in small group gatherings at my local church. Venture Cafe Phoenix has become one of my favorite small group business gatherings. It’s a place of authentic connection. People are real, down-to-earth, ready to give, ready to help, ready to share.
Have you had any memorable connections at Venture Cafe Phoenix?
Many!! Startup and investor community directors, startup founders, business consultants, and wellness group facilitators. I feel like I must give some examples! CEI’s Patti Dubois, InvestU’s Louise Hardman, Canyon Angel’s Tim Kelley, Venture Madness’s Karen Katzorke and Hamid Shoajee, SeedScout’s Mat Sherman, Mark Dean of Legal Breeze, Lucas Petty of StartupTemplates, Michael Goodman of Revenue Kinetics, Roy Bell of Roy Bell coaching, Christoper Perry III of Pretty Fluid Technologies, Kathleen Gomez of Kyvius, and the list goes on…
Any final thoughts on Venture Cafe Phoenix?
Thank you for being so welcoming, and for paying such attention to the experience we receive… from free parking, name tags with our number of visits so that we’re able to identify and welcome newcomers, free drinks, and a speaking slot that’s always available for anyone –> the Open Mic!
Learn more about Damilare and Resilient Software Security, here.
Join the movement of innovators building the center of gravity here in the Valley. Join us every Thursday and meet people like Damilare Fagbemi, 5-7 PM, free to attend, free parking,
two free drinks.
Check out our upcoming programming and register here.
