2-min read

In addition to being the Managing Director of the Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator, Brett Brohl is the Founder of The Syndicate Fund, an early stage venture capital fund. He is an experienced entrepreneur, investor, and mentor. He honed his start-up skills as the CEO of multiple companies, leading three to exit. Brett publishes his tips and best practices for founders and investors on his YouTube channel, Brett’s Brain.

01. What are you looking for in startups for the Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator?

Great teams. Ideas change, and I want to work with the teams that come through our program for the entirety of their entrepreneurial careers. More specifically, we are looking for founders that want to disrupt the food system from on farm to supply chain to industrial tech to restaurants and retail.

02. What are some of the biggest learnings from your career and entrepreneurial journey that you bring to being a Techstars MD?

You can’t do everything yourself. The people you put around you are the biggest driver in your success or failure. Nothing starts in this world until something is sold. Make sure you are always talking to customers. There are a lot of ways to make money in this world. We may as well do what we love. Entrepreneurship tends to be a roller coaster but I am passionate about it. I live and breathe it. If you are a good person, a great founder, and working on something interesting, I want to help you. I am still learning every day but also try to share some of my favorite learnings here.

03. What do our partners, Cargill and Ecolab, bring to the accelerator?

Mentorship. They are incredibly engaged and have helped companies with everything from advice and R&D help to POCs and investment. All we can promise is that they have incredibly smart, driven mentors that are excited to lean in with the companies that come through our program.

Learn more about how Techstars mentors work: read the Techstars Mentor Manifesto.

04. Why is supporting entrepreneurship and innovation around agtech and food important to you?

Entrepreneurs get me fired up. There is nothing more energizing than working with people who are passionate about what they are doing. Food tech and AgTech entrepreneurs exude that passion. Not only do I get to work with passionate entrepreneurs but the problems they are solving will make the food system more efficient.

05. Describe a situation with a startup founder or team where you felt like you made a difference.

At the end of the day the success of our founders is what matters. I would tell anyone interested in our program to get in touch with one of the companies that has been a part of our program and talk to them about what it is like to work with the Farm to Fork team.

Learn more about Techstars accelerators and see which ones are accepting applications now.

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