Pitch Mixers
Are you a Mill Valley Entrepreneur seeking an investment or business advice for your idea?
Mill Valley Labs is hosting events to bring together Mill Valley Entrepreneurs and Investors.
To apply for consideration, submit an overview of yourself and your business. If selected, you'll be invited to present to MVL members for feedback, advice and introductions.
Mill Valley residents tend to be a modest bunch, and are hesitant to tell you what they do for a living or what they have accomplished. So, we will say it for them: the talent level in our town is amazing, and expanding. MVL helps entrepreneurs tap into that talent pool with networking opportunities.
Who needs Silicon Valley? We are Mill Valley!
A Few of Our Recent Presenters
"It was a pleasure presenting to MVL - very engaged and thoughtful group, with great questions, feedback, and a ton of patience. Many thanks to a great group of people!" -- Mill Valley Entrepreneur Adam Lupa, Xpressivo
Indicates a Mill Valley Labs Member has made an investment in the company.
We created NewRetirement because our own parents needed affordable retirement advice. Existing resources were too expensive, confusing and they only helped with investments.
Now over 10 million people have planned retirement using our easy, unbiased and comprehensive tools.
Find the Answers You Need...
For all of your retirement questions, this powerful tool provides the answers. The system does thousands of calculations for you and illustrates your information with easy to read charts.
YES CACAO COINED THE TERM “BOTANICAL CHOCOLATE” BUT WE’RE NOT THE FIRST TO DO IT. MORE THAN 500 YEARS AGO, BEFORE CHOCOLATE WAS INTRODUCED TO EUROPE, CACAO WAS USED RITUALISTICALLY IN CEREMONY, AND AS A DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR HERBS AND MEDICINE.
We invite you into the ritual of chocolate.
MAKE A WISH & TAKE A BITE
The Almanac Beer Company was founded in 2010 by Jesse Friedman and Damian Fagan.
Farm-to-barrel brewing is about selecting the best in locally sourced fruit and blending it into beers inspired by the great brewing traditions of the world. We aim to create something special and uniquely Northern Californian. Jesse and Damian collaborated to found the Almanac Beer Company—a brewery dedicated to producing seasonal artisan ales, brewed specifically to complement local cuisine sourced and prepared with the same great care and craft.
CADDIS IS A NEW CORRECTIVE EYEWEAR BRAND THAT WILL PROVIDE DISCERNING INDIVIDUALS WITH READING GLASSES. YEP, WE’RE GOING TO UNSTUCK READING GLASSES AND MAKE IT ALL O.K. FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. 90%* OF PEOPLE OVER 40 YEARS OF AGE DEVELOP PRESBYOPIA, WHICH LIKE SHIT…IT HAPPENS. READING BECOMES DIFFICULT AT CLOSE DISTANCE, SCREENS BECOME FUZZY, AND IT’S A PAIN IN THE ASS…BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE. THE SOLUTION FOR PRESBYOPIA IS SIMPLE: SELF PRESCRIBED MAGNIFIED CORRECTIVE EYEWEAR. *NOT A TYPO ITS A SIMPLE SOLUTION TO A REAL BIG PROBLEM
Our app provides a FREE easy-to-use platform for homeowners to capture all the important information about their homes. With just the snap of a photo, Centriq automatically brings the homeowner: • User manuals • Common spare parts (with link to purchase in amazon.com) • How to videos (e.g. how to replace a filter) • Maintenance notifications • Product recall notifications • and much more Homeowners can add additional information like contact info for service providers, photos of construction work, video notes (like how to program the sprinkler or the location and operation of the gas shutoff) and even paint colors and the types of lightbulbs in the home. While they live in the home, they use this information to efficiently manage it and, eventually, to transfer it to a buyer. Centriq helps reduce buyer anxiety and provides valuable information about the home so it isn't lost every time the home changes hands.
We're your one-stop shop to help you navigate the daily challenge of kids and media. Staying on top of what kids watch, play and share is time-consuming and difficult, which leads to hours of mindless screen time, and even exposure to harmful content.
We created SmartFeed to make it easy for you to manage screen time with customized media options to inspire, educate and entertain every kind of kid. www.thesmartfeed.com
Introducing the first check in app made by and for event and meeting planners. Make your registration logistics totally easy and seamless, so you can put the focus on your attendees when it really matters - the moment you greet them. An experienced event planner designed our on-site check in tablet and web-based software to be so easy to use, you wouldn't waste a single minute trying to figure it out. Whether you're managing a large corporate event or a small gathering, our subscription service gives you the flexibility to choose any size event, for the same price. LASSO40 works well with any of our existing technology such as CRMs and .csv compatible software like Excel, Google Sheets, and more. You can also link your device to other team members for real-time event stats and updates.
Blockchain Capital is a pioneer and the premier venture capital firm investing in Blockchain enabled technology companies. Our initial fund was the first VC Fund dedicated to the Bitcoin/Blockchain ecosystem, launched in the Fall of 2013, and was also the first fund to accept capital calls in Bitcoin. Based in San Francisco, Blockchain Capital invests in the best entrepreneurs who are fostering innovation in the Blockchain economy. The three co-founders of the firm are experienced and accomplished entrepreneurs and venture capital investors. Bart Stephens has a background in financial technology starting at E*TRADE and running a Silicon Valley technology hedge fund before Blockchain Capital. Brock Pierce is a serial entrepreneur, digital currency visionary, and is Chairman of the Bitcoin Foundation. Brad Stephens has a Wall Street background focused on Internet security and cryptography while working for Credit Suisse and Fidelity
All together, we’ve spent more than 70 years at the world’s largest investment firms, so we understand that financial-speak can seem confusing and overwhelming. The thing is, investing isn’t that complicated. With the right tools and a little support, we know everyone can save more and invest in their future. We founded Dobot to create those tools and that support. By linking your goals with your income and spending habits, Dobot makes it easier for you to save and invest for the things that matter to you. Our tools grow to keep up with you and your life, as will the Dobot community-people like you who want to plan for their future while living in the present.
Social Starts is a $60M+ venture capital partnership that invests in the moment-of-inception and Series A financing rounds of companies that leverage social and mobile technologies to drive generational changes in consumer and business behavior. We call this The Social Construct and believe it represents an innovation and disruption opportunity on par with the Industrial Revolution. We invest in 4 primary areas: content, analytics, work platforms and Internet of Things software. Across these areas we focus on mobile commerce, data security and health care technology. Our team has developed dominant media, research and tech companies in the 3 modern tech revolutions – PC, Internet and Social. Our portfolio companies benefit from the resulting rich perspective and world-class connections, a mutually supportive community of more than 170 fellow startups, and support from our LPs, who include leading figures in software development, marketing and media from 3 continents.
Dabba is inspired by a beloved restaurant known as Avatar's, an institution in Marin County, California. Brother and sister owners Ashok and Kala have been delighting loyal fans with their bold, fresh "Marin-dian" cooking and "trust me, you'll love it" adventurous spirit since opening their doors in 1989.
It was one of those loyal fans, a social entrepreneur named Andy Mercy, who came up with the idea of sharing their unique crave-worthy and good-for-you cooking with people outside of Marin. With the Avatar team on board, Andy enlisted the talents of Michelin-rated Chef Walter Abrams (formerly of the French Laundry and Spruce), branded a food truck with a surfing elephant, and set about nourishing and enriching the world with ridiculously good and healthy food. Their first location will open its doors in April at 71 Stevenson St. in San Francisco.
Laughing Glass Cocktails was founded by two Northern California friends, who had a passion for entertaining and were driven to create a ready-to-serve margarita that contained only the freshest and highest quality ingredients. Hand-crafted with the ladies’ own recipe of small batch, artisan tequila, pure, natural ingredients, and a touch of organic agave nectar—their low calorie margaritas never compromise on ingredients or taste. Laughing Glass Original Margarita, and the new, bold and tangy Pomegranate Margarita, are available in California and Nevada in Whole Foods, select Safeways, Nugget Markets, Bristol Farms, Total Wine and BevMo, and will launch in Vons, Albertsons and Ralph’s in early 2016.
Epic Sky reinvents the way tween girls engage with brands by providing an e-commerce platform that offers fun fashion, inspiring media content, and girl co-creation. The company’s experienced product designers and editors collaborate and co-create with real girl designers, writers and content creators – ¬with the goal of inspiring girls everywhere to discover and express themselves. Epic Sky is a brand for real girls, by real girls.
Contact Marian Kwon or Monika Rose for more information.
Worklete brings the best movement and mechanics principles from physical therapy, sports medicine and athletics to the workplace. Delivered through technology and old fashioned physical training, our SwS (software with service) solution is solving the huge problem (both monetary and human) of overexertion injuries. We not only impact enterprises' bottom lines, but simultaneously help hard working folks in physically demanding jobs stay healthy, so they can enjoy their lives outside of work. Contact: Ben Kanner, CEO bkanner@psrsafety.com
Proof Loyalty is a mobile app that redefines how wineries connect and interact with club members and fans. Contact CEO Chris Barnes. www.proofloyalty.com
Thanks to Michael Manzagol at Couteau Wines for presenting at our March Pitch Mixer. Best dinner conversation yet! “With each vintage, Couteau Wines seeks to release the promise that exists in every unique terroir. Like our kindred spirit, the chef, whose primary tool is his knife (couteau de cuisine), we make our wines by hand with both patience and inspiration.”
Remodelista is a one-stop sourcebook for the considered home, guiding readers through the design and renovation process with features such as Steal This Look, 10 Easy Pieces, and Architect Visits. Remodelista counts architects, design professionals, and style-conscious consumers among its daily audience. The Remodelista aesthetic favors classic and livable over trendy and transient, well-edited interiors over cluttered environments, and thoughtfully designed products over mass-market, disposable goods. Remodelista and it's sister website, Gardenista, are read by over 1.5MM people each month. www.remodelista.com
DeepFlight, backed by a seasoned team of designers and engineers, develops a fundamentally new type of personal submarine that is a combination submersible and high performance aircraft. By completely redesigning the concept of a submarine and applying the principles and dynamics of flight, DeepFlight craft are faster, lighter, inherently safer, and have a more inspiring design than any recreational submersible ever conceived. The underwater world, which has been inaccessible for so long, can finally be opened up to private exploration and recreation at significant scale.
Watch Sarah Present on Shark Tank December 4th 2015. 9PM PST ABC! Go Sarah!
sarah oliver handbags is an American accessories company with a twist: every exquisite bag is hand knit by our fabulous team of senior knitters, a.k.a. The Purlettes +1. As a mission driven company, we are leading a movement to re-engage seniors in the American economy and empower them with a new found sense of purpose and passion.
Shoot: Capture your favorite photos or select them from the Camera Roll.
Speak: Record background audio in the moment or use your own voice to tell the story.
Share: Send to your friends using your favorite social site.
To learn more, contact Dawn Davis, CEO. Or, download the App!
Schiller was founded on the daring belief that a blue planet is meant for biking. We want to give people of all athletic abilities the most exhilarating and dynamic cycling experience riding the world’s most advanced water bike. Our commitment to design, technology, safety and engineering, matched with a passion for all things aquatic, is what guides us each and every day. With nearly one billion bikes around the globe built for land, our eyes are singularly focused on the trailblazing voyages, weekend expeditions and incredible sunset pins on a new aquatic terrain. Schiller Bikes is headquartered in Mill Valley, California. The ride doesn’t end at the water’s edge.
2200 Sound will be member-based music center featuring recording studios, rehearsal spaces, classrooms and offices.The purpose of this business is to provide both aspiring and professional musicians with the resources they need to succeed. We will offer private lessons, group classes, and workshops for musicians at every skill level. We will provide our members access to rehearsal and recording studios that fit the specific needs of their projects. 2200 Sound also incorporates an artist services department to bring its member’s recorded music to market and help its members to book shows and build a local fan base. Contact Chase Mcdonald
Xpressivo is making single-serve espresso accessible to Americans everywhere, by giving away free premium machines and delivering fresh shipments of gourmet coffee capsules. And with over 40M single serve machine projected to enter the US market over the next few years, the timing of our launch is advantageous. Xpressivo has completed seed round to fund a "pilot launch", currently underway and yielding impressive metrics. We'll be looking for a larger Series "A" round in Q3 of this year - to learn more, please contact Adam Lupa at adam@xpressivo.com.
Healium produces highly intuitive, cutting-edge productivity tools for healthcare providers, allowing their attention to stay focused where it belongs–on patients. We leverage advanced UI design running on next-generation wearable and mobile tech, augmented reality, voice interaction, speech-to-text, clinical language understanding, and "Google Now"-like features to provide an effortless and compelling user experience. Contact Carl Spitzer, CEO
KitchenNetwork empowers cooks everywhere to publish, discover and share their love of food. Contact Doug Collister, CEO