Elizabeth Brigham

I GIVE BLCK because the future deserves a surge of Black Wealth Transfer events, the future requires Black Fund Managers, and the future needs Black Founders supported by Black investors. We’re raising $100k to keep BLCK VC going. Chip in to something that is shifting the odds in our favor with capital management. #BVI #BVIMAFIA #BVI2 #GIVEBLCK

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How do you build meaningful partnerships as a founder? I know I've been guilty of sending partnership agreements in hopes of the best In this episode of How I'm Building This podcast, Alex Witcpalek, the founder of Continuum AI, shares his unconventional path from playing football at the University of Louisville to working in commercial real estate and eventually joining the tech industry. Here are some sound bites from our conversation: ✔️"I'm going to build something on my own and I'm going to build it so that not only do I have a better life, but there's families that don't have to go through what we're going through." ✔️"We have so much pipeline that if we close this, I need to build a team to be able to go deliver it." ✔️"You need to be very upfront and transparent with your partner and have a plan together to cross pollinate your go-to-market motions." ✔️"We became thought leaders and our content now drive sour partner channel." ✔️"I don't think you can silo outbound partner and marketing, because we do a lot of partner marketing together too." ‍ Listen now: Youtube: https://lnkd.in/g5P3nkWZ Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gXUYA_ZF Other episodes as they release: https://lnkd.in/gkxQsmwH #startup #entrepreneurship

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Women building tech — Here is a database of 1,208 investor resources with 545 supporting women and underrepresented founders! ➡️ Type: fund, accelerator, angel, etc ➡️ Filter by Women focused ➡️ Categorize by industry or vertical ➡️ Direct link to their website In my mission to bringing access to women building tech, cutting down time and money for them to find these resources is really critical. 💰Funds - are you missing from this list? Let me know so I can add you! 🔗 GET THE LIST in comments!! — Hi, I'm Nomiki, Founder & CEO of PDS Lab, a tech accelerator for women. I am on a mission to bring access to women building their first tech solutions through product training, education, resources, and community. Follow my journey as I disrupt the tech ecosystem by bringing ACCESS to women building tech.

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Nikki Carney and I are beyond excited to share that The Missing Piece App has been selected to join Cohort II of Latimer House! 🎉 In October, we’ll be heading to Baltimore, ready to embark on this transformative journey with some of the brightest minds in the industry. We’ve faced setbacks—missing out on another accelerator, losing key members of our team, and even having to pause development. 2024 has been full of incredible highs and really tough lows, but the mission remains clear : get 1,000,000 families who have children on the autism spectrum the resources they need. Starting on October 1st, we’re ready to dive in and push our startup to new heights with the support of this incredible program. A big thank you to Latimer Ventures Luke Cooper , Microsoft for Startups Kaiser Permanente , Abell Foundation Inc and the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) for making this opportunity possible. And if you are a parent or autism service provider that would like to be on our platform, work with us for our upcoming Autism Mom’s night out in Miami , or participate in a questionnaire please comment here or message me. We’re looking forward to the journey ahead and can’t wait to see what’s next. Let’s make it happen! To God be the glory. #blacktech #blackintech #blacktechfounders #techfounders #saas #womenownedbusiness #womenintech #changingtheworld #techforchange #revolutionary #autism

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Running a successful business in today’s economic climate isn’t easy. Rising costs, unstable markets, and unpredictability of consumer behavior make entrepreneurship a challenge. However, in a recent interview on DTC OfficialGh, Isaac Sesi, founder of Sesi Technologies, shared timeless strategies for building a resilient business. Read more below… https://lnkd.in/eRsv8QMN #dtcofficialgh #businessblogger #storiesthatmatter #entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #startuptips #entrepreneurmindset

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🌟 30 Days of Startup Gratitude: Honoring David Cohen - Day 12 🌟 Today, I want to shine a spotlight on David Cohen cofounder of Techstars, and express my heartfelt gratitude for his incredible generosity and leadership. Techstars is built on the motto "Give First," and David exemplifies how this is not just a slogan but a way of life—a principle that drives real action and meaningful impact. Through the amazing ParentPreneur Foundation’s relationship with Techstars I had the opportunity to reach out to David for advice. As a founder, asking for help can be daunting, but David’s response was a testament to the "Give First" philosophy. He didn’t just read my email—he took the time to understand my mission with the LEGACY! Card Game and offered to help spread the word. David encouraged me to send him a flyer and a quick summary of my startup, and he shared it within his network. True to Techstars’ ethos, he turned an ordinary request into extraordinary results. His support opened the door to our very first corporate sponsor, who not only purchased the LEGACY! Card Game for their team but also invited me to speak about my journey—building generational wealth, navigating financial struggles as a Black woman, and how this game helps empower families to build their financial legacies. I’ll share more about that incredible sponsor tomorrow, but today is all about giving flowers to David Cohen. As someone who started with “zero” connections in the startup or financial world, I’ve had to learn how to build a network from scratch. It’s been a challenging journey, but people like David make all the difference. His actions reflect the true spirit of "Give First"—helping others without expecting anything in return, simply because it’s the right thing to do. This generosity is what builds stronger communities and fuels the success of founders like me. 🌺 David, thank you for showing the world that ‘Give First’ is more than a motto—it’s a movement. Your willingness to use your platform to uplift others inspires me to keep pushing forward and pay it forward whenever I can. 🌺 #Gratitude #StartupJourney #GenerationalWealth #LEGACYCardGame #Techstars #GiveFirst #DavidCohen #ParentPreneurFoundation #StartupSupport Learn more about Financial Joy School & LEGACY! Card Game visit https://lnkd.in/en8VGMzM

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As an ERG lead and nonprofit leader with over a decade of experience, I’ve recently been struck by the subtle but pervasive racism and lack of transparency in Atlanta’s large Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs). In seeking potential collaboration, I asked these VSOs what I thought were straightforward, data-driven questions—focused on measurable impact and accountability, basic standards for any mission-driven organization. To my surprise, many struggled to provide answers. Beyond emotional marketing and narratives, there was often little data backing up impact claims. This lack of transparency was particularly troubling in conversations with executives who should be deeply informed. I also noticed another major issue: the lack of diversity in VSO leadership. These organizations, meant to serve a diverse veteran community, lacked representation. Coming from a family of veterans of all backgrounds, it was disappointing to rarely see leadership reflecting our diversity. This exclusivity is concerning, especially in a sector that should model inclusivity, unity, and equality. This experience revealed not isolated gaps but a deeper, systemic problem. These large VSOs publicly champion support for veterans while operating with an unspoken bias, leaving out the very groups they claim to serve. If they represent all veterans, why does their leadership and strategy reflect such a narrow demographic? Equally troubling is the lack of data-driven accountability. I hoped to see evidence-based impact behind their programs, but instead often found a reliance on stories over metrics. When asked for measurable results, responses were often evasive or redirected. This reluctance to answer questions underscored that these organizations may be unprepared to meet the evolving needs of today’s veterans. Large VSOs in Atlanta need to understand that claiming to support veterans means little if leadership lacks diversity and if there’s no transparency around real impact. Moving forward, they must be held to the same standards they expect of veterans: accountability, integrity, and a commitment to inclusivity. A sector dedicated to service should prioritize transparency, reflect our community’s diversity, and demonstrate real, measurable outcomes. Our veterans deserve nothing less.

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🚀 Incredibly honored to have been part of Cohort 8 of the Black Venture Institute (BVI)! These past weeks have been transformative, learning alongside 60+ brilliant Black professionals from tech, healthcare, finance, consulting, and legal sectors. What makes BVI truly special is the remarkable leadership behind it. Co-founded by Berkeley Professor Toby Stuart, Leyla D. Seka, Jackson Cummings, and Frederik Groce, this program combines academic rigor with real-world venture capital expertise. Having Professor Stuart at the helm of our curriculum has been invaluable. The caliber of speakers was absolutely phenomenal. We had the privilege of learning from industry giants like Bonita Stewart, Charles Hudson (Precursor Ventures), JoAnn Price (Fairview Capital), Scott Kupor and Megan Holston-Alexander (Andreessen Horowitz), Mike Smith (Footwork), Lo Toney (Plexo Capital), Jewel Burks Solomon, Barry Givens, moaz ゼ H., and among many others. 🎓 Through the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business, we dove deep into venture capital fundamentals - from deal structuring to board participation. The program is more than just education; it's about building a powerful network of Black investors who are reshaping the future of VC. 💫 The impact is real: BVI has already catalyzed the formation of two angel groups, launched over a dozen scouts into the ecosystem, and sparked three new funds. This is what changing the face of venture capital looks like in action. Together, we're ensuring the next generation of venture investors truly reflects the diversity of our world. #VentureCapital #Diversity #BlackInVC #Leadership #Innovation #BVI

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Jason Dorsey's keynote at the ICMA Annual Conference emphasized the importance of understanding generational differences in the workplace, highlighting the unique characteristics of Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers, and advocating for inclusive strategies to manage a multi-generational workforce. Key Takeaways • Parenting, technology, and geography are the top three factors shaping generations. • Gen Z prioritizes stability, timely benefits, and purpose in their work, and a lack of retirement planning makes them less likely to work overtime. • Millennials show a divide between those thriving and those still achieving traditional adulthood milestones, and they are tech-dependent rather than tech-savvy. • Gen X is described as skeptical and juggling multiple responsibilities, facing career crossroads in the next few years. • Baby Boomers, despite the stereotype, are still highly valuable in the workforce due to their extensive experience. • All generations are equally valuable, and understanding them through research is crucial for inclusive workplace strategies. • Dorsey emphasized the importance of having a Gen Z recruiting strategy.

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I'm honestly sick. For way too long, I've been saying that black founders are getting less than 2% of VC dollars, which is crazy enough...it's actually less than .5%....If you're an investor of any kind that should make you sick. Technology/Companies/Products are built with the values of their creator embedded into the fabric of them, and it's obvious we're only valuing one set of values. This shouldn't be left to specific 'diversity funds'. Do better. #blackbuilders #blackentrepreneurs #venturecapital https://lnkd.in/gevtp6sT

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✨ Empowering Leaders, Transforming Impact ✨ I’m thrilled to announce the release of the Wharton Executive Education 2024 Annual Report—a celebration of our milestones, innovations, and the impact we’ve made this year. At Wharton Executive Education, we don’t just educate—we build bridges between the classroom and the boardroom, equipping executives and leaders with real-time, actionable insights that create immediate and lasting change. 🌍 Highlights from this year: 🔹 Empowering Organizations in the Age of AI: Our programs provide a catalyst for leaders to explore and evolve their business innovation models, operational frameworks, and talent strategies in response to the rapidly shifting landscape of AI. By drawing on Wharton faculty’s wisdom and by fostering a learning community, our programs inspire leaders to tackle their organizations’ challenges with renewed perspective and confidence. 🔹 Global Reach: This year saw us enhance our footprint, creating transformative learning experiences for leaders across industries and geographies. 🔹 Commitment to Lifelong Learning: Whether it’s empowering individuals to advance their careers or designing programs that strengthen organizations, our dedication to impactful, ongoing education remains unwavering. I’m deeply proud to be part of a community that’s shaping the future of business and leadership. A huge thank you to our incredible faculty, staff, clients, and participants for your continued trust and partnership. Let’s keep driving innovation, collaboration, and meaningful change together! 📖: https://bit.ly/4fSZoXi #LeadershipDevelopment #WhartonExecEd #AgeofAI

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Day 3: The 83(b) Election – Critical Steps to Stay on Track 🕒 Welcome back to Day 3 of #100DaysofTaxes! Today, we’re digging deeper into the 83(b) election, a powerful tool for startup founders, employees, and anyone receiving equity compensation. Let’s break down the steps and key requirements to make sure you’re fully prepared. When Does the 30-Day Clock Start? ⏳ The 30 days begin when you pay for your stock, not when it’s granted or issued. Timing is everything—waiting too long to act could cost you significant tax benefits. Filing Requirements – Get It Right the First Time 📨 The IRS has specific rules for filing an 83(b) election. Follow these steps carefully to ensure your election is processed correctly: 1️⃣ Complete Form 15620: Use the IRS’s new form to simplify the filing process. 2️⃣ Wet Sign the Forms: No electronic signatures allowed—use a pen to sign the document. 3️⃣ Mail via Certified Mail: Always use certified mail for proof of delivery. 4️⃣ Include 2 Copies: Send two copies of the completed form to the IRS. 5️⃣ Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope: Include an envelope for the IRS to return a stamped copy to you as confirmation. 6️⃣ Distribute Copies: To Your Company: Provide your employer with a copy of the 83(b) election. For Your Records: Keep copies of the election for as long as you own the stock. Why This Matters 💡 Taking these steps ensures your 83(b) election is valid and protects you from potential tax complications down the road. It’s also essential for accurate record-keeping, especially if you’re aiming for tax benefits like Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS), which we’ll discuss tomorrow. Key Takeaways 📋 Act Fast: The 30-day clock starts from the time you pay for the stock. Follow the Process: Wet signatures, certified mail, and multiple copies are non-negotiable. Stay Organized: Provide copies to your company and keep detailed records for the long term. Properly filing your 83(b) election isn’t just about taxes—it’s about setting yourself up for financial success. Tomorrow, we’ll show how this decision ties into the potential for tax-free gains with QSBS benefits. Stay tuned! 🚀 #100DaysofTaxes #83bElection #EquityCompensation #StartupTaxes #TaxPlanning #QSBS #IRS

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Last week the NCSU Entrepreneurship and the Triangle startup communities lost one of our smartest, funniest, most generous, talented and curious founders/professors/public-speakers/authors - Marshall Brain. I've known Marshall since 1990, let's call it 34 years. I thought a lot about if and what to post about Marshall. And where I've landed is I want to tell you a story that involves Marshall and it impacted me hugely when I was 22yrs old and is a part of who I am today and I think back to this story often. It's a long one, so going to have to make a 🧵 which is always a challenge here on LI. 1990 - Raleigh, NC - NCSU main campus (no centennial yet folks) Marshall was working on his Masters in CS and I was working on EECE. Back then CS was in the Math dept and EECE engineering, but word got out pretty quickly in the post-grad NCSU world that "you have to meet this guy Marshall Brain." I think I met him in the hall or Tom Miller introduced us because we were both interested in entrepreneurship, but I didn't really get a chance to interact with him. Fortunately fate intervened, in my last year I took a class in Neural Networks, and so did Marshall. My memory is the professor was one of those types that wants to run the class on a schedule, LOTS TO COVER, and you take notes as he blasts through them. Back then Neural Networks were kind of weird, and I found them somewhat confounding and not useful. But when you are in the final stretch of your MS degree, getting a job, you go along to get the grade and 'hasta la vista'. Well... Marshall was having none of that. 🙋‍♂️ Are NNs similar to the human brain? 🙋‍♂️ What if we could scale these up to billions, what would happen? Finally: Professor, umm, I don't understand this 'magic number' that makes these NNs work - how did we discover that, where did it come from? 🙋‍♂️ <discussion, discussion, heated discussion VERY HEATED DISCUSSION> Professor: "The -number is just the number, just use it." Marshall: "Well it seems like complete bullshit to me." My memory (and I'll freely admit I could have ret-conned it - if someone from that class wants to chime in, it but you have to remember, this was VERY unusual and it has stuck with me for 34yrs) is that the Professor yelled: "Get out!" and Marshall obliged with a parting comment along the lines of: "My pleasure and if I'm ever a professor, I won't teach like this!".

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🚨My newest #ForbesTalks interview: The new Bonhoeffer movie asks a 🔑 question: What does it mean to have the faith and courage to act with conviction? (Open thread) ✝️✡️☪️ In my latest #ForbesTalks interview, I am joined by acclaimed director Todd Komarnicki as we explore the story behind his powerful new film - Bonhoeffer, (distributed by the team at Angel Studios). The story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer—a theologian whose unwavering conviction led him to stand against Nazi tyranny, even at the ultimate cost—is one that challenges us to reflect on our own faith and courage. 💡Here’s a question: In today’s complex world, how do we remain steadfast in our beliefs while navigating the demands of leadership, business, and community? 📺 Watch the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/eFT2dbS6 👉 I’d love to hear your thoughts: What does Bonhoeffer’s story teach us about living boldly in faith? How does his example inspire us in our work and daily lives? (And also, what leaders, authors and creators should we speak to next?) #ForbesImpactLab #FaithForwardBusiness #FaithInAction #ChristianLeadership #FaithAndBusiness #AppliedOptimism

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I've long been captivated by the startup world. As a young marketer in Atlanta, weekends often included walks on the Beltline, listening to Marie Forleo and Tim Ferriss interview thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers. I love big ideas, testing and learning, and tales of innovation, grit, and triumph. More so, I admire stories of perseverance through failure—and who contends with more failure than startup founders? That’s why I’m excited about the Startup Mountain Summit. For the FoundersForge community, this event is one of our most impactful, bringing together inspirational founders to learn from each other against the beautiful backdrop of Fall in Appalachia. I’m thrilled about our speaker lineup, and here’s why you should be, too. Asia Orangio, founder and CEO of DemandMaven, Inc, was a crowd favorite last year. She shares actionable tools to help founders go from 0 to their first 100 customers. I’m eager for attendees to leave her workshop with tangible insights for their startup journeys. Steve Carse, who co-founded King of Pops after being laid off in 2009, has turned the brand into a Southeast favorite. Now, with a book coming out next year, Steve champions the idea that Work is Fun. Founding several successful companies and authoring The Turnaround Series, it’s safe to say that Jeff Hilimire knows a thing or two about what makes a company prosper. His latest venture - Purpose Group - is built on the notion that business should be a force for good in the world. William Warren, founder and CEO of The Sketch Effect, transformed a creative endeavor into a thriving business. The Appalachian Highlands region is brimming with talented creatives, and I’m excited for our community to hear William’s story. With a degree in aerospace engineering and experiences at Twitter, Yahoo, BrightRoll, and the consulting world, Guy Yalif’s expertise is varied and fascinating. But I also admire how he built Intellimize with two old friends while prioritizing a company culture that celebrates family. Lauren Glass Mullins is the founder of Personality Pool and the first recipient of InvestTN funding in all of Tennessee. She’s a driven entrepreneur building her innovative company right here in the Tri-Cities. If you want to learn how to get your products and services built as a technical or nontechnical founder, FoundersForge Executive Director David Nelson's talk is for you. And Noah Kagan, #30 at Facebook, #4 at Mint.com, CEO of AppSumo and author of Million Dollar Weekend, will inspire you to validate and launch your business in a weekend. If you need motivation, tools to grow, or inspiration for the kind of company you want to build, you’ll find it at the Startup Mountain Summit. Whether you're a seasoned founder or just starting out, get fresh inspiration and take your startup journey to new heights! Tickets & Info: https://lnkd.in/g7KPWkQV

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I was honored to be featured in an article by Canvas Rebel, an online magazine for creatives, artists, and entrepreneurs. More importantly, I'm so thankful that created an Ideas section on the importance of parents titles "Appreciating what your parents did right" where I got to speak to the impact my parents had on the way that I choose to live my life. For the tldr: *Show up* Show up for what's important. Know what your priorities are. Create boundaries to protect them, and show up for what matters most to you. Thanks to Canvas Rebel for the opportunity. Here's a link to the article. The link in the comments section shows on the main page the full section they have on the importance of parents. I think it's worth a read. https://lnkd.in/gdcz-tVR ___________________________________________________________________👋🏻 Hi, I'm Gina, and I specialize in insights and intentionality. 🎯 I help teams get insights on and from their target audience to help grow their businesses. 📕 I wrote the book Hard Stop: Live with Intention and without Regret. It’s about how to get granular about your priorities and put boundaries around them to help you live your best life.  Available on Amazon by searching title and my name. Reach out if you want to connect!

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Last week I wrapped up the revised 8-week CCO School hosted by Pavilion. 261 executives participated in the program and we got outstanding feedback (100 NPS!).  I agreed to be Dean of CCO school because Customer Success is going through the most significant transformation since its “founding” about 20 years ago.  Companies need CS leaders that are up for the task and drive the required change.   No longer just a ‘service’ function, CS is driving revenue, creating competitive differentiation and at the forefront of improving gross margins.  Despite the chatter, CS is not dead and is also not shrinking.  In fact, CS departments are expanding.  Growth companies understand that retention, customer growth, customer outcomes and customer experience are critical to survival.  Here are a few of the learnings from CCO school: 💰 Figure out how to drive/influence revenue or find yourself quickly becoming irrelevant - there are so many sources for revenue: retention, upsell/cross-sell, CQLs, recurring premium services etc etc.  Stop shying away from it and own it! 📈 Determine your impact on gross margin and have a plan to contribute to improving it.  Typically support is considered COGs and with direct impact to gross margin.  CSMs and Onboarding can be either part of COGs or CAC.  Figure out how finance is accounting for your teams and how you can impact these metrics ⚒ Your work best friend is the head of product.  So often I hear about alignment with sales as a CS leader's biggest concern - of course sales to CS handoffs are important but if you really want to drive transformational change, align with R&D and be the invaluable source of information about what customers need to be loyal to your brand 🔻 Think in funnels - CS has funnels for onboarding, adoption, retention, upsell, case management and more.  Know your funnel metrics and what you are doing to remove bottlenecks 🏆 You are the champion for the customer experience even if you can’t single-handedly address it.  You are the person in the company who needs to represent the customer with all important decisions.  Speak up for the customer often.  Show the rest of the company the importance of creating customer value and ensure incentives across the company are aligned to supporting that value creation This is just a small sample of the rich conversations we had.  Huge thank you to the team of instructors who made this happen: Mike Lemire, Sydney Strader, John Gleeson, Allison Tiscornia, Allison Pickens, Sean Ilenrey, Seth Wylie If you are in CS and want to take your career to the next level or if you are in sales and want to better understand the post-sales world,  we are running the program again in the fall. Become a Pavilion member today to get access to their community, learning programs like CCO School, and events: https://lnkd.in/eMFHrSqv

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I'm excited to share that I've been busy helping grow Pickle, as their Director of Operations! Pickle is using the power of technology to make high-quality fashion more accessible, affordable, and circular, and it’s been rapidly scaling across the US (hence this very delayed post 😅). Just like Airbnb opened up and connected our homes, Pickle is doing the same for our closets: you can rent a Retrofète dress or Prada handbag from someone else’s enviable closet uptown for the weekend and, on the flip side, list an item you already own, making yourself a nice little side hustle by renting it between wears (check out TechCrunch's feature for more: https://lnkd.in/gFEC8zq6). So far this year, I've personally rented Cult Gaia and Alemais dresses for a beach vacation, a (faux!) fur coat for a themed dinner, a Reiss dress for a work event, and another Alemais stunner for a birthday celebration, to name a few. I have 11 (!!) weddings this year, so I'm looking forward to being able to save $$ without compromising on style. At Uber, we were laser focused on creating magical experiences (get ride with a click of a button?!), and it's a similar mindset that's led to Pickle taking off so quickly. The access to incredible pieces at affordable prices - with same day delivery (!!) in our core cities has created nothing short of magic. 👉 To my friends in the US - with summer vacations and wedding season picking up, it's a perfect opportunity to try out Pickle. I'd love to hear what you think! I've added a (free ☺️) download link to the thread ⬇️ PS - We're also hiring! If you know any NYC-based (or willing to relocate) Senior Engineers with founder or early-stage experience, DM me! It's an incredible opportunity to work on a transformational product with the best team. JD in the thread.

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