Small Business Breakthroughs: Building, Growing, Funding with Rick Coplin

Join the Ohio Small Business Development Center at Columbus State Community College in partnership with the Dublin Entrepreneurial Center for a podcast style Q&A designed to dig into the topics that are impacting your business and keeping you up at night.

Each edition of “Small Business Breakthroughs” will feature a timely discussion on trends, economic environment impacts in business, or business management tips and advice and more.

In this edition of “Small Business Breakthroughs” we will be discussing the private equity process and pitching investors with Rick Coplin.

What We Will Discuss

• Rick’s experiences working for a venture-backed tech startup in Columbus.
• What does it take to pitch investors for funding successfully?
• What does it really mean to scale a company?
• What is the difference between being an owner in a new or early-stage business and an owner in an existing, growing business?
• What is the difference between the CEO/owner of a successful private company and the CEO of a public company?
• What responsibilities do high-impact business owners have beyond the business’s bottom line?
• And, of course, we will answer your questions.

Moderator: Michael Bowers, CBA – Director, Ohio SBDC at Columbus State Community College

Michael is a Business Advisor and Director for the Ohio Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Columbus State Community College. The primary focus of the SBDC is to support prospective and existing entrepreneurs as they seek to start and grow businesses in Central Ohio.

Michael holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Finance from the University of North Alabama and a Master’s in Public Administration from The Ohio State University. Michael is currently pursuing a Doctoral degree in Public Administration from Liberty University.

Michael has worked with entrepreneurs and small business owners for over 30 years, 20 of which have been in Columbus leading the SBDC. He has a diverse business skill set with experience in banking, private equity, strategic planning, leadership, and public sector management.

Michael is the lead instructor for the Basis of A Successful Enterprise (B.A.S.E) business startup training, as well as the host of the Small Business Breakthroughs YouTube series.