DO GOOD X Podcast

ENCORE: Devin Baptiste on Scaling Startups, Overcoming Entrepreneurial Hurdles, and Empowering the Underrepresented Entrepreneur

• Devin Baptiste, Kimberly R Daniel & Stephen Lewis

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Welcome back to the DO GOOD X podcast. As we celebrate the holiday season, we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes with Devin Baptiste, a serial entrepreneur, investor, and co-founder/CEO of GroupRaise. GroupRaise is a marketplace that facilitates large group charitable bookings at restaurants, with over 10,000 restaurant clients in 500+ cities. In this episode, Devin opens up about his entrepreneurial journey, the growth of GroupRaise, and the importance of validating ideas quickly. He shares valuable lessons learned from both his successes and unresolved challenges. The conversation dives into the unique hurdles underrepresented founders face in securing funding, effective mentorship, and how mentees can grow from their mistakes. Tune in for insights on technology, wellness, faith, and legacy to reflect upon as we wrap up 2024. 

IN THIS EPISODE:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:46) Meet Devin, who discusses his upbringing and why he started GroupRaise, and he is transparent about entrepreneurship

(12:27) The steps Devin took to position his business for growth and the overnight growth he experienced

(18:48) Effective tactics to assist underrepresented founders in securing funding and principles he has learned and what qualities represent good candidates

(29:37) Discussion of mentees learning from their mistakes and the mentor/mentee relationship

(34:48) Devin discusses technology, wellness, faith and legacy

(41:53) Stephen shares the technology he has found effective in his work, and Kimberly shares her favorite financial tracking system

Key TAKEAWAYS: 

  • Being an entrepreneur takes work. You need to have done your homework. Know that there is a reward, but there is also hard work involved
  • Expansion and growth can be good things, but they also require a lot of revenue up front, and the yield takes time. Fast growth can be exciting but strenuous.
  • There are some principles that are tried and true for a startup, but they may not translate to underrepresented communities because they face hurdles that others don’t

RESOURCES:  

DO GOOD X - Website
DO GOOD X - Podcast
DO GOOD X - LinkedIn
DO GOOD X - YouTube
DO GOOD X - Spotify
DO GOOD X -  Instagram
Devin Baptiste - LinkedIn
GroupRaise - Website

GUEST BIO: 

Devin Baptiste is a serial entrepreneur and investor who is the co-founder/CEO of GroupRaise, a marketplace for large group charitable bookings at restaurants, active in over 500 cities with 10,000+ restaurant clients. He has raised venture capital and investment from investors such as Techstars Ventures, Magma Partners, Kapor Capital and various top-tier angels. As an advisor, Devin has translated the lessons he’s learned to help founders raise just over $50 million for their companies. The vast majority of these have been underrepresented, and emerging market founders are getting their first and second checks. Devin speaks from his experience attempting to raise money three times unsuccessfully and then the lessons he learned raising money six times successfully. Devin is passionate about supporting the startup ecosystem and helping underrepresented and emerging market founders get unfair advantages in bringing their impact and visions to life. He lives in San Juan with his wife and four children.

Narrator: [00:00:00] Welcome to the do good X podcast, a sanctuary from the entrepreneur grind host Kimberly, Danielle, and Steven Lewis advocates for impactful entrepreneurship guide you on the path where purpose meets business. Join us to slow down, reconnect, and explore the challenges of under resourced entrepreneurs, uncovering the unique journey of building businesses that make a difference.
Now you're hosts.
Kimberly R. Daniel: Hello everyone and welcome to the do you get X podcast? My name is Kimberly Danielle and I am a community builder, a communication strategist and a coach who comes from generations of faith driven entrepreneurs and leaders who believe that our purpose should drive us to contribute to the common good.
I cannot believe that we are over halfway [00:01:00] through this season and it's been an incredible journey so far working with you, Steven, as a co host and having so many amazing guests and I am excited. To chat with who we have today. 
Stephen Lewis: Well, Kimberly, it's good to be with you. My name is Stephen Lewis and I am a catalyst for positive change in communities and business for over two decades.
I've been working with many leaders. Of faith and entrepreneurship to live and to work on purpose. And so, um, with intention, faith and a commitment to their own well being and their purpose in life. And so I am delighted to be here with you. Um, listeners and I'm excited Kimberly for our guest today, who is none other than Devin Baptiste, he is a serial entrepreneur and an investor who is the co founder and CEO of group of group [00:02:00] raise a marketplace for large group charitable bookings at restaurants, active over.
In over 500 cities with more than 10, 000 plus restaurant clients. He has a raised a venture capital and investment from investors, such as tech stars, ventures, magma partners, Kapoor capital, and various top tier angels. And as an advisor. Devin has translated the lessons that he has learned to help founders raise just over 50 million for, million dollars for their companies, and the vast majority of which have been underrepresented and emerging market founders getting their first and second checks.
Devin speaks from his experience attempting to raise money three times unsuccessfully, and then the lessons that he has learned raising money six times successfully. Devin is passionate about supporting the startup [00:03:00] ecosystem and helping underrepresented and emerging market founders get unfair advantages of bringing their impact and their visions to life.
So Devin, welcome. 
Devin Baptiste: Co-Founder & CEO, GroupRaise: Well, thank you guys so much for having me. It's an honor to be here. Um, yeah, it's a joy to, to get to talk to folks about my faith as well as my entrepreneurial journey. Those things don't always coalesce, uh, in the ecosystem. So really it's a joy to be here. 
Kimberly R. Daniel: And we are so grateful to not just have you on this podcast, but also to have you as a do good X mentor.
And so really looking forward to diving into your story and your insights and expertise, be able to share with a wider audience today. 
Stephen Lewis: It's a pleasure. But Devin, let's go ahead and get started. How did the idea for group raise come about and what was the problem that you was trying to solve? 
Devin Baptiste: Co-Founder & CEO, GroupRaise: Yeah, so, you know, back [00:04:00] in the day, I, I always like to start my story, well there's two ways I can start my story, one is I usually start my story with my mom, because my mother really formed me and she, she was the very first black woman in her parish to, um, integrate into schools, and so when she, in Louisiana, and so when she went I'll say the original late Graham happened.
They looked at her hair. They weren't sure my mom is fairly light skin, but then they looked at her hair. They're like, I don't know. And the clan showed up and burned across in her front yard. And we, uh, they eventually left Louisiana, my parents and moved to Texas. And, um, and so I grew up in kind of typical, um, mostly African American and Hispanic community that was very, a lot of crime, a lot of gangs, all this good stuff in the neighborhood.
But then I went to school. In, um, a very affluent, the most diverse, um, uh, county in the country. And so I loved bringing my friends from school to [00:05:00] my neighborhood and taking kids from my neighborhood to meet friends from my school and seeing these intersections, I was an Eagle scout. I, I, I fundraised, I did all these kinds of like local civic activities.
And so that like, first, like finding intersections in unsurprising places is what made me into a marketplace entrepreneur. I've been doing that since I was very young. And then, um, I'm an Eagle Scout, I fundraise, I did all these types of things, so I was looking at how local businesses were growing by giving back.
And, um, when I was in college, I was in a band, and I played, uh, keyboard, and I sang in this band, and so I played at different restaurants and bars around the city, and I was talking, and it became, I was talking to one of the owners, who was like my friend, and he was wondering how he could get people from the community to come in, and I said, Ah, I think I know.
Some organizations who might be interested. And, and so I called up, um, my actually my high school band director and I said, Hey, you know, there's this, there's a spot that would be willing to give some money back if you guys came. Um, and I think the owner thought [00:06:00] maybe 30 people would come and 200 people came.
And I remember just seeing this business owner delighted, like this was the most successful marketing thing I've ever done. And I saw a lot of people just eating, enjoying, having fun. Um, and I kind of stored it in the back of my mind. I wonder how many communities look like this where you have, you know, these businesses who want to get exposure and get back and you have these places that are constantly looking for the next place they're going to go or ways to raise funds.
And so, uh, when, when I could, I thought this would be an interesting thing to build, um, a product around to make it really easy for people to discover and find. Uh, those types of opportunities. And so, yeah, that's a little bit of the origin story of, uh, proofreaders. 
Kimberly R. Daniel: Yeah. How much time did it, did it take between recognizing the need and developing the prototype?
Devin Baptiste: Co-Founder & CEO, GroupRaise: Yeah, so I would say recognizing the need. I did that probably in my early, like when I was a freshman or sophomore in college, and then I launched the product, um, my senior year in [00:07:00] college. So it was about 2 years kind of, kind of going back and forth and thinking about this. And I'd run kind of like the 4th company I'd done.
I was always launching little companies. I was growing up and, um, ran some different firms. And so. Okay. I knew most of my companies were locally, like regionally focused. So I worked with them. The city of Houston on a program, uh, called Houston hope to like, uh, fund, um, houses and under, um, in communities across, uh, the city and these kind of 6 areas.
And so I. I just done a lot of businesses that were focused on the city of Houston. So I wanted to do something that I thought. Could work at a very small scale, but then if it worked, it would work. Everywhere you could find that use case all across the US, at least. And so. Um, that was, that was kind of my switch and it took about two years, I guess, you know, from the time I thought about it to when I actually built the team around it and kind of did the first launch.[00:08:00] 
Kimberly R. Daniel: And I asked that question specifically because I know of a lot of entrepreneurs who have an idea. And linger with that idea for years and years. And then the idea becomes, you know, not relevant maybe because of the shifts and changes in society and the field that they currently in, or they get stuck in their own heads.
And don't really move it forward. And so that, that's what really sparked that question. So two years to be able to build a team and develop that prototype. That's, that's wonderful. And obviously you were able to move forward in a way that you didn't allow yourself to block yourself from moving forward.
Devin Baptiste: Co-Founder & CEO, GroupRaise: Yeah. I mean, you know, I I'll, I'll be, I always try to be transparent about entrepreneurship these days. So I say like, I like to communicate entrepreneurship as the desert. Right. So, um, you can find water in a desert, like you definitely can. And you have to go out and [00:09:00] you learn how to do it. And it takes a very specific, um, tribe to go extract water.
Now, I think it's an amazing tool. If you have some way you want to push on the world to push on the world, right. You can build large human organizations. You can touch, you can, you can get a massive vision out there. Um, but sometimes I feel though, as entrepreneurship is sold as, you know, Like self actualization or some, you know, some form of, of, um, uh, I mentor a lot of companies and a lot of people thought they were getting into one thing and then they got into something completely, completely different in her entrepreneurial journey.
So I think one is, is, is kind of like you're saying, so finding ways to validate your idea fast so that you can get that feedback to know whether it's going to work or not, or whether. This is for you or not is good. And I think, I think we tend to, when we do that, we want to find the positive information always.
Like we're, we're trying to get that motivation, but actually negative information is really great. And [00:10:00] sometimes it's important to like, listen to the signals and get onto the next experiment. Um, and then I would say like, you know, um, if you, so there's like two parts of my mind. So if you want to launch, you always just have to find your ways.
Right. And I used to say like stuff, just like really simple stuff, like, Making your idea come into the world, like printing a business card or making these days, like making a really fast site on something like card, which is like 19 a year to get your idea to exist on the internet. Right? Like take some action to just see what you want to see in the world exists.
And then that will give you energy to then take the next step. And very often, like you just have to take, you just have to take a step and then that will give you energy to take the next. And then the first kind of compliment you get will give you energy to take the next. And then The first dollar you get is like, you're really hooked.
So I always think that like, that's the way to path in is just to take these really small steps and build momentum. Um, but then at the same time, like, [00:11:00] understand that, you know, um, being a founder is really chewing glass and staring into the abyss will take you to the edge of, you know, you want to be called into this, you want to be, uh, you want to have a great dialogue.
You know, with, with God, um, in particular about this calling, because it is, uh, it is a, you know, I always say it's like with my team, my team has essentially taken a, uh, a nice car ride in a big van and they're inside the van in the back seat. My experience is sitting on top of the van trying to drive it with two pieces of string, you know, feeling all the bugs and everything hit my face as we, as we go down the highway.
Right. So know that like, it's, you know, the fruits can be beautiful and there are really great things, but there's, there's, there's not all glamor this way. 
Stephen Lewis: Well, we appreciate you keeping it [00:12:00] real as it relates to entrepreneurship. And it sounds like you've also have taken many steps because you have really grown group wise to, you know, become active in over 500 cities and you've had more than 10, 000 plus restaurant clientele.
And so I'm curious about what were the steps that you took to position your business for this kind of growth? 
Devin Baptiste: Co-Founder & CEO, GroupRaise: You know, so, I mean, my whole story is filled with grace, but, you know, a lot of it was just providential moments, right. Of, you know, they, they say luck is opportunity needs preparation, but I, in my case, literally my first enterprise customer, her name was grace.
Um, she ran, uh, uh, Jason's deli. So Jason's deli was one of our early customers. I remember we got 17 Houston locations, uh, for Jason's deli to do fundraising. Um, and we were able to kind of leverage that [00:13:00] relationship. And she was the regional manager for Jason's always kind of marketing and sales. It's a woman named Gracie Persanson, who was like, but many years of food on my table and, um, and she got promoted to become the national director of sales.
Um, while we were working with her and. I, uh, I called her and I asked if she would take us with her. Yeah. Right. So she would, she would expand not just from Houston and it's all of her markets. And we went from being in one city to like 30 overnight, um, with that expansion. And, um, looking back, like I was, it was a really big transition to go from being a regional player to then being not only in another city, like we thought we were going to go from city to city.
Kind of launching cities and expanding, um, and it didn't look like that. We went from one city to, to probably 40 cities, 30 states, you know, [00:14:00] probably more cities than that, at least 30 states overnight. And so then figuring out, like, how to maintain a national network. How to, it was a big, it was a big skill up moment, right?
To build a marketing organization that could now, uh, run national campaign campaigns instead of regional campaigns to increase the vetting. We got a lot more users both on the, on both sides of the marketplace. We've got a lot more business users who have a lot more demands, which put a lot more strain on the product and the product organization we built, I say product organization, like my CTO, Paul, like a guy, um, you know, uh, with how we would.
Be able to do that. And, um, and so that was a very stretching moment, right? Um, I, I, in retrospect, I, as much as a, In retrospect, I wish we had, we had, we'd grown slower, which is kind of funny to say, but, but, I mean, I wouldn't change it at all. I mean, I [00:15:00] got so many lessons from the experience, but it was a definitely a ripping experience to, because yeah, yeah.
Stephen Lewis: So what was the biggest challenge that you face in? Growing overnight exponentially to a regional to now global, like what, what was keeping you up at night or what was the, the challenge that you were really trying to work at in terms of preparing for this type of overnight growth? 
Devin Baptiste: Co-Founder & CEO, GroupRaise: I think the nice thing about movies, for example, is, is that there's like a challenge.
There's like the moment. And so you get to watch a character face, like, Hey, I'm getting, I'm in Rocky and I got to fight and I'm going to fight this one creature. This one being who's my nemesis. In that case, it was more that. The fire spread, right? So it's just what was one thing. No, if it was one thing, that would have been, that would have been great, right?
You can really marshal resources, you can go find support, and you can go tackle a thing. It's really the intersection of problems that [00:16:00] became the stressor, right? Became that the product was breaking and needed to be expanded. It became the marketing needed to move. We had been bootstrapped and we were bootstrapped to that point.
But the thing that like, you don't realize when you think about it is that growth is expensive, right? So typically when you go acquire new customers, you have to pay money up front and then you get a yield of revenue from those customers over time. And so it's lumpy, right? Like we, we, we pay a big cap and then we recoup.
Our investment over time. And so when you, when you get a lot of customers all at once, you get a lot of acquisition costs that all come at one time, which then pushes you into cash crunch, right? Where you both want to take advantage of the fact that you growing, and there's a lot of growth opportunity, you're being pulled into the market, but then your balance sheet is, is, is getting brutalized, right?
By that experience. And so, um, There's like almost nothing that feels worse than failing than growing really quickly. [00:17:00] Like, like, you know, it's like one of these things people want. And then when you get it, anybody who's really ever got it is like, Oh, it feels like somebody just hit you in the face really hard.
And, you know, it's a kind of problem when you tell your friends about it. They're like, Oh, but your company's doing really well. It's like, no, like, yes. But, you know, it's like, actually it's harder. The, the, the level of difficulty has gone up. Um, so. Yeah. 
Kimberly R. Daniel: Yeah. I don't know if people think about that. They get really excited about the opportunity for scaling and growth, but then to your point, when it comes, there's a lot that's coming at you.
It makes me think about, so you mentioned Rocky. I think about martial arts and a lot of, um, I do Muay Thai and when somebody is preparing for, for a fight, a professional fight, we go through rounds where they have. 10 rounds with 10 different people, 10 to 12 typically, um, with, with different people, uh, to, to [00:18:00] really get adjusted and to different styles of fighting, um, and it tests their endurance.
So in a similar way, They're all these types of challenges coming your way, and they all may be different. And really, you have to have that resilience or endurance to to work through those challenges for your business. So thank you for sharing that particular perspective. That's really good. Now, you also have quite a track record with helping Other founders to raise money for their business and particularly underrepresented founders and those who are new to the market.
What specific strategies or tactics have you found to be effective with helping these founders secure funding? 
Devin Baptiste: Co-Founder & CEO, GroupRaise: Um, a lot of things, but I, I think, I think at first it's just like, I was really blessed to get some key insights. So I, [00:19:00] I have this thing in my mind where I remember everything I learned and when I learned it and who taught it to me.
So I remember what I used to think about topics and especially like when I thought a series of things that turned out to not be true, And I try to keep a good log of the audit of my history of thought on any particular topic and what I had to adjust in my own mentality in order to get from where I was to the next level, right?
Uh, we're, and there's always a next level result in here. I wouldn't like, and I specifically like. And so 1 of the stages of my process is after I think I've learned something, like, I observed myself and I changed it for me to really put it in the file of it's true. It's something that's like, it's, you know, I, I'm a science nerd.
So I like to think about science is anything that's replicable in the universe. Right? So. Anything that is, so, like, for it to truly be true, it can't just be true for [00:20:00] me. It has to also be true for someone else. And so teaching for me is this mechanism. Where I take a lesson that I think I learned and I teach it to someone else and I had this hypothesis.
If I knew this that I know now earlier in my journey, I would have gotten over this hurdle much, much faster with much less stress and with much more speed. Right? And so, um, mentoring founders is this kind of, you know, uh, exercise for me. To really create validated learning and to, like, also validate that, that this is, um, in the learned bucket and I have a big bucket of unlearned, like, unsolved problems.
So, uh, you know, and I think everybody, I don't think that will ever go away in my life. I definitely don't have it all figured out. Um, but I have, you know, I think learn some things and then I found that I, when I taught those things, it didn't matter the race, the gender, the religion, the location. You know, that these things tended to be [00:21:00] true about the nature of startups.
Um, and particularly that I found that a lot of the advice that was given was true for the individual who gave it, but it didn't translate well to underrepresented communities. They hadn't added that layer on top of it to think through, you know, the kind of demons that come into your head when you are in a room and you face a lot of rejection and maybe you're a person of color or maybe you're a woman or maybe you have all these things that you're unsure about.
And so. I felt like there, there needed to be an additional translation layer on top of a lot of the traditional advice for running startups, because running startups traditionally have not always been run by people who look like myself. And so I spent a lot of time thinking about distilling those things down.
And so now I try to, when I work with founders, find out where they are in their own set of belief and journey and build. And then give them some feedback and give them, you know, um, in some cases, word for word tactics and other cases, [00:22:00] just like frameworks to get a different perspective on, you know, people, the first thing I always start is that people won't give you money because you need it.
That's like the 1st principle, like, yes, I know you need money. Just like nobody will date you because you're lonely. It's not a reason. He has like that may be your catalyst to go to the market Right to find a partner, but that is like we got to talk about a hobby. We got to talk about faith We got to talk about some shared interests.
We have to talk about how we form and create co create value That is what gives you these enduring relationships Not your sense of lack. And so so many, you know, it's like, it's not as though you can't talk about that business is hard because you don't have money or what, but that's like something, you know, you talk about with a co founder or with a fellow entrepreneur, you know, it's like, or if you're lonely, tell that to your friend, don't tell that on your date.
Right. So just really like helping people sort, you know, what are [00:23:00] dating conversations that we can have with investors and capital providers. And what are our emotional support conversations we need to have with ecosystem players, co founders, other players, and we must, we cannot, those, those worlds can't merge if you're going to go get capital because, you know, I always say is that, like, capitalism is for better, for worse, the two core driving emotions behind capitalism are fear and greed.
Right? So, Individuals who are afraid I'm missing out an opportunity and see something that's going to be very large and want to participate. Right? Those are the 2 underlying mechanisms. So, anything else that doesn't drive that human emotion of greater fear. Tends to not be a useful mechanism in capital allocation.
And so, um, it's a very simple idea when you, when you get it. So, when I look at decks. Every slide I look at is, is, is, does it create? Some fear of somebody missing this opportunity or some, [00:24:00] some potential chance that this is going to be very large and, um, uh, that they don't, they don't want to miss that. So, so, you know, it's just, it's just helping founders get, get oriented.
To think about what they're going into and then to think about their opportunity. Like there's a big difference between whether a business is good for you as a founder to run and operate, to fund your lifestyle and your needs, and whether your business is a product. For an investor to be able to purchase to see that in the future, they're going to be able to make more money than, than they give you today.
Right. And so, um, very simple ideas in the end, like once you get that, once you can really understand that you're communicating why you as a founder and the company you're working on are the right individual and the right opportunity to. You know, really reach a scale that, um, is an attractive product, right.
For investors. Uh, so that, that, that's kind of, I don't know if that answers your question, but that's, [00:25:00] those are first principles of how I think about this and what I try to teach founders about. Going to the market to raise capital. 
Kimberly R. Daniel: No, that's good. And I, that also, uh, leads over to our next segment where we'll explore insights, uh, from entrepreneurs and seasoned guides about the impact that mentorship can have.
And so, like I mentioned earlier, Devin recently joined the community as a mentor. He's been out here mentoring other founders. And helping them to navigate the world of fundraising, specifically underrepresented founders. And so definitely want to dive more into the wisdom that you have around this, which you've already started to share.
And so my first question here is what are the key qualities or skills that you look for in founders who are your mentees that you believe position them for success? 
Devin Baptiste: Co-Founder & CEO, GroupRaise: Yeah, so it's a good question. So my, the place I am in my journey [00:26:00] is I am not a, on the tourism board for entrepreneurship. I said this a little bit earlier.
So meaning it's important to know what you're getting into and actually how difficult it is like that. She like, um, one of my favorite founders I work with, uh, her name is Jade and she runs a company called she matters. And she matters is focused on teaching health care professionals, how to help, um, particularly African American women in hospital environments who typically have a, um, Morbidity in the black communities, five times higher than any other community in the U.
S. And so there are very specific health markers and things to check for. Um, uh, when you go into the hospital, and so they created a certification to really train medical professionals on what to look for when they're serving, particularly black moms when they come to deliver their babies and, um, she's, she's now.
Uh, successfully raised [00:27:00] venture and she's growing that program massively. Um, but, you know, when she came to me, she had never raised money and, um, working with the founder who is pushing on the world in that way gives me so much joy, right? To, to help her, right? Bring these patient outcomes to bear into the world and to help professionals.
Become more mindful and it's like folks like that who have some sort of impact, but then they're also like the reason why she wants that business to be a venture scale is because she wants that problem to have a venture scale solution, right? To be able to be solved. Not only regionally or in a specific hospital, but in every hospital in America, right?
Or every hospital in the world, really? And so, um, that is that's a hard journey. Like, and she's faced a lot of challenges and I respect her a ton for the challenges, but it's also a worthwhile payoff, right? Where, you know, it's, it's beyond. So I like, um, so for me, I [00:28:00] love how those founders who are finding problems that are important problems that are maybe in the too hard to pick up pile for other types of founders, but are really passionate about that.
Those are the founders who I love to give unfair advantages when they go. Uh, to get capital to go help them tell their stories to help them navigate the entrepreneur life. What it takes to do that. I typically like to work with founders who built something to you. Maybe you've, um, you you've gone out and you hit your head against the wall because I have a hard time with founders who think that they know all the answers and haven't built anything yet.
And so. I'm like, you know, life is hard enough. I don't really need to be hard on you. Like this game is a hard enough game. So you have to have played the game a little bit. Um, I think in order for kind of my advice and insight to, to, to resonate because, you know, until you hit a problem, you don't know how to solve.
It's, um, it's all theory. [00:29:00] And so I, you know, kind of post theory founders who are working on impact are my, That's my, my sweet spot, but you know, um, any, anyone who wants to endeavor to create a life or push on the world through entrepreneurship, I'm, I'm really passionate about helping, but, but that's just kind of a, a flavor of who, who I like to get up and do and help.
Stephen Lewis: Let me ask you this. How do you balance giving support and guidance with allowing your mentees to make decisions and also learning from their mistakes? 
Devin Baptiste: Co-Founder & CEO, GroupRaise: Yeah, I mean, I, I think, um, in the end of the day, I don't really tell you what to do. Um, that's not my goal. I think, I think my objective is to give you how I would think about a problem and you can mesh that with how you want to think and approach about that problem.
So my statement [00:30:00] is and I, I, I always talk about David and Goliath. So when originally, um, King Saul gave David the armor, his armor, it didn't fit. He wasn't used to that sword. He wasn't used to that clothing. He wasn't, so he couldn't use it. So he had to take off that armor and then find his five smooth stones and go kill Goliath in the way that he could, he could do that.
And so I, I encourage founders. Like, don't wear my armor, like my armor won't fit you, but what I can do is I can help you maybe get some insight about the problem or get you get you to see maybe something you're not seeing in in the, the space and then you can go off and make your own decision about how you want to move forward.
So, you know, um, that's my, that's my kind of approach to mentorship, uh, is, is, is, is that unless. Uh, being prescriptive right now, if [00:31:00] you, if you do want tactical support, I, I can provide, like, very specific tackle support, but, but it's more, I prefer to give you a framework that then you, that becomes a part of your, your arsenal so that you can go and.
You know, solve it yourself. 
Kimberly R. Daniel: So for listeners who might be looking for a mentor, what do you think that they should specifically look for in a mentor, in a mentor mentee relationship? 
Devin Baptiste: Co-Founder & CEO, GroupRaise: Um, I guess the first thing that comes to mind is. It's fun to mentor people who are facing hard problems, either problems that they faced in the past or, or, um, so like, like you want to be.
In the exchange of mentee and mentor, there is, uh, there's joy to distill, um, from a life experience to then help someone get through [00:32:00] a challenge. So you've got to be in a situation that, um, requires specialized support. And so I think that oftentimes when we're in those situations, we shy away from, we have this tendency to hide, lots of founders hide.
Right. When you're in your truest, hardest problems, we try to not take those two people. And I think that those are the problems that are interestingly, probably most exciting and interesting for some mentors to support. So, um, I say like. One is, is, um, have something in specific that you want to discuss or some, something that you're, you're focused on, even if it's broad.
Two is like, go do something, even if it's not what the mentor suggested, but you take some action on what that is and then report back, even positive or negative, right? Oh, hey, this is what, what I did and this is, this is how it happened. And then. Those that, like that loop, that feedback loop is a very [00:33:00] enjoyable feedback loop to be involved in, because, you know, as a mentor, you want, you want the information you give to be useful.
And so you want folks who can go and that speed of from the time that you give that feedback to the time that they don't get a learning an insight. You know, like, there's a big difference between an idea and an insight. So an idea is, is something that's like an untested. Perspective on the world and insight is a, um, is a response, right?
To some action taken, right? And then as a reflection, and so you can start with ideas, but the faster that you get into like an insight feedback loop with a mentor, that's where you can, I think you can create a lot of, um, enduring kind of. Bi directional enjoyment.
Kimberly R. Daniel: Well, if you're tuning in and you feel inspired by listening to this episode today and listening in to Devin's [00:34:00] insights, don't let your inspiration go away, turn your vision for your business for good into reality with the resources at do get x. org connect with inspiring change makers with our LinkedIn community and explore other resources to help you on your journey.
Stephen Lewis: But now we're going to turn to our segment called off the cuff and we have a series of questions that we have not shared with Devin today and that we're going to ask you Devin in kind of a rapid pace, kind of fast pace, you know, you just want to answer what comes off the top of your head. And here we want to think about, you know, what comes to mind that is uncensored.
Um, in this regard. So with that being said, you ready? Let's do it. What is one piece of technology that has been a game changer for your business? 
Devin Baptiste: Co-Founder & CEO, GroupRaise: Oh, for my business. Um, I don't know. The first thing that [00:35:00] comes to mind is my phone. That's 
Stephen Lewis: it. 
Devin Baptiste: Co-Founder & CEO, GroupRaise: That's, that's, there's so many, so many things that I do with my phone for the company.
And other people's, so that's the first thing that comes to mind. 
Kimberly R. Daniel: What is one daily, weekly, or monthly practice that sets you up for success as an entrepreneur? So I 
Devin Baptiste: Co-Founder & CEO, GroupRaise: take a Sabbath. So I don't work from, um, 7 30 on Saturday to 7 30 on Sunday every week. So that's the time that I use to recharge, refresh. I don't check my email.
I don't look at numbers. I don't look at my bank account. I don't even, I try not to even think about business. I try to just focus on faith and family, um, as this time period. And that kind of gives me this anticipation to return to work and plan my week on Sunday night and, uh, It also gives me just like a rhythm of rest, which, um, I think is one of the reasons [00:36:00] why I've been able to go so long.
Stephen Lewis: What has been the greatest lesson so far on your entrepreneurial journey? 
Devin Baptiste: Co-Founder & CEO, GroupRaise: You know, so for me, being an entrepreneur is just really an opportunity to see God move in the world, right. And to be a participant of that. So, uh, probably one of the most interesting moments in my life was we were, we were, um, we needed.
About 250, 000, and I was in the middle of a negotiation to get it, and I was working very late in an office at the time we had in Houston, and I remember, I said to, there were two guys who were in the office, and they were, it was like midnight, and they were the only people who were left, and they saw me, and they asked me, and I, my, my statement was, is that, um, God does fireworks, and all I do is clap, and so, Um, and that's been a lot of my entrepreneurial journey.
And literally, as I said that to Minute Maid Park, my office had a view [00:37:00] of Minute Maid Park, fireworks started over that park and I got the signed doc for, for 250, 000. And it was one of those very, just like prescient, like moments in your life where you recognize that you're working before the king and, um, and there are just so many places.
In times in my journey. So as much as I love to learn about the physics of startups and, you know, what are the lessons that you can take? There's so many moments that are really just an opportunity to see God move in the world, um, as a founder of faith. So, yeah. 
Kimberly R. Daniel: Wow. How much of your success do you attribute to your faith versus your own grit, will and hustle?
Devin Baptiste: Co-Founder & CEO, GroupRaise: You know, my, my whole perspective, like, so that's like a moment. I just told you, we, we, we also got, um, we did a program called 43 North, which, um, uh, is based in Buffalo. And, [00:38:00] and, uh, that was like, I don't know, we competed with. Thousands of companies around the, around the country. And it was a time where we had been running the business, um, with a lot of skill, I'll say we, we had 50, it was like a, the time where we had a week of cash for 52 weeks, it was a really painful, like you're every second, every minute was around managing cash and closing the next deal to just survive.
And, um, We, I gotten a bunch of money committed into a fundraising round that we're going to close and I really was like, I don't know if I want to get this Buffalo thing. And I remember that, um, right at the end, I decided to. To, um, take the Buffalo investment. And the next, the very next day was coded. And our business, which was eating out at restaurants was.
Just demolished and, um, like, [00:39:00] but we were okay because we got this funding, right, that came even before I had a chance to even think about how I was going to spend the money. It was going to be there. And so, um, it's this odd, it's this odd dual track. You kind of, it's kind of like a predestination and free will, right?
Like, they are, um. They are two tracks. You read the Bible, you can find a case for predestination and good gosh, you can find a case for free. Well, um, I, I, I'm, I've got to give faith the overall win because there's just so many moments where we wouldn't exist without the providence of God. But then, um, through this experience, you know, I definitely haven't had smooth, smooth seas and have gotten some skills along the way, 
Stephen Lewis: complete this sentence for me because of my entrepreneurial.
Endeavors communities or my customers will be more able to do. 
Devin Baptiste: Co-Founder & CEO, GroupRaise: [00:40:00] Because of my entrepreneurial endeavors communities or customer will be more able to, um, in my company, I would say connect. We, we bring a lot of people who wouldn't find each other together. Um, and we bring a lot of deals and opportunities to very small organizations to.
Get access to unrestricted funds that they can use to do the things that they want to do to do the good, you know, that they're trying to do. So that's a lot of joy. Um, and then I would say like for my entrepreneurial work, uh, it's also probably connect, right? Which is again, helping founders who wouldn't traditionally get access to capital connect in a way that makes capital providers excited to allocate to them, not obligated, which I think is most important.
Kimberly R. Daniel: You look like you want to say something, Steven. Go ahead. 
Stephen Lewis: No, I was just going to say, uh, Devin, this has been truly a wonderful, uh, conversation with you. I really appreciate it. Uh, you [00:41:00] are definitely a, a wise, uh, colleague on the journey. And I think our listeners will benefit from so many jewels that you have dropped in our conversation today.
So I just want to say thank you for taking time out of your schedule to be with us. 
Kimberly R. Daniel: Yeah. Thank you. 
Devin Baptiste: Co-Founder & CEO, GroupRaise: Joy. It's a pleasure. No, thanks for having me guys. I hope it's helpful to at least one founder out there who's, who's there. And, um, yeah, uh, Hard moments require prayer and learning. So yes. 
Kimberly R. Daniel: Oh, thank you so much.
All right. So we always ask a guest, a related question, but I want to ask you, Steven, what is a piece of technology that you find effective and useful for your work? 
Stephen Lewis: You know what? I have really been using different versions of AI. [00:42:00] In my search communication research protocols, and so I've really have been kind of digging the way in which I'd be able to engage it in a conversation like I'm engaging you and to ask frequent conversations to clarify to get sources to help me rethink or reimagine something.
So I've really found that a really important. Uh, tool as I continue in the work that I'm doing with entrepreneurs and the larger body of work that I'm doing in supporting 
Kimberly R. Daniel: look, Jim and I, it's like a conversation partner for me. Yeah, so I'm, I'm definitely with you on on that. So, yeah, um, I would, I would add to.
Well, for me, because I am not only a part of Duke X, but I'm also a consultant. And as a solopreneur [00:43:00] in that way, um, I find wave super helpful, which is good for accounting is good for invoicing, tracking my expenses, uploading receipts, so that when it gets time to those quarterly taxes and for you, so entrepreneurs out there who are new to it, make sure you're doing your quarterly taxes.
It is easy and seamless, and I know it has other integrations too, and it integrates with my business, bank accounts, all of that, just to make things easy for me. And that's top of mind because toward the end of every month, I'm reviewing my expenses and my income and thinking about the month ahead. So that's like top of mind.
So that's definitely a piece of technology that I find helpful. In addition to my wonderful conversation, conversation partner, Jim. I'll just say GEM for short, G E M for Gemini, dropping additional GEMs. 
Stephen Lewis: Indeed, indeed. You [00:44:00] know, another good one I've found particularly, I think for entrepreneurs is looking at something like QuickBooks.
Um, so I know ways is 1, but QuickBooks is another, um, piece that really kind of does all the things that wave does with regards to your expenses, uh, bill pay, uh, processes and also preparing you for when you might need to do an audit. Um, or has someone look at your finances on a, on an angle base as well.
So that's good. That's another good resource. 
Kimberly R. Daniel: That is a good resource. And I will say for those of you who are just starting out, you have a small, like it's a small team, like one or two people. You might find QuickBooks a little bit expensive, but when you're growing, You definitely should be investing in QuickBooks.
Definitely should make that investment. So I know there are tons more pieces of technology out there and there's constantly things emerging all the [00:45:00] time. Um, and so I love to continue to learn about what those pieces of technology are in different areas that we might leverage for our work. So, you know.
If you have something to share, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and enlighten me because they might be ones that I want to try out or share with you, Steven, that you might find helpful. Better 
Stephen Lewis: yet, join our LinkedIn group and drop those insights there. Cause you know what? Because yes, spread the knowledge.
So we all might win. 
Kimberly R. Daniel: Absolutely. Absolutely. So thank you for joining us today and we look forward to you joining us again in the last half of our first season of the do good X podcast.
Narrator: Thank you for listening to the do good X podcast to continue the conversation or access our resources. Visit [00:46:00] www. dogoodx. org. Join us again for conversations that will nourish your soul, ignite your dreams, and empower you to build an impactful business, one intentional step at a time until then keep striving, thriving, and doing good.