Driving innovation by removing barriers to partnership

among diverse founders, investors, and providers.

Hi there,

More than ever, we need to see - and treat - both ourselves and the people we encounter in our daily lives with humanity, empathy, and understanding. Try to connect with each other on a personal level, starting from a place of curiosity. The key is that you have to actually try to connect first before deciding, judging, or alienating.

I built this community of founders, investors, and service providers on this principle. It’s a big part of why Scroobious - both as a community and a business - continues to grow. While we still have so much opportunity to capture, I’m incredibly proud that a business model grounded in authenticity and equitable treatment for all really works.

That said, I can't help but think about the uncertainty so many of us are feeling right now. These challenges are most directly impacting Americans, but I know the international community feels it too. Many of us are grappling with difficult questions about the future - concerns about our businesses, our families, and the broader societal shifts at play on a global scale.

Recently, one of our sponsorship partners shared something with me that I hadn’t fully realized. He said that the community looks to me and to Scroobious as a beacon of light and hope. I take that role seriously - it’s a big part of why I built this business - but it’s also why I'm scared too. I shared more about my challenges processing this moment in this post.

Most of us have never lived through a time when the very fabric of our democracy feels at risk. But here’s the thing: we’ve already shown the strength in our community, and the way I see it, we can, and will, navigate this together.

What keeps me motivated through the uncertainty and fear is focusing on what I can control: the work we do at Scroobious. We're accelerating our growth with new hires in Marketing and Product Design, and we're doubling down on the mission that drives us:

helping founders win, because when founders win, everyone wins.

(I'm also taking time to recharge and be present with my family, and I encourage all of you to do the same. It's okay not to have all the answers right now. Times of uncertainty are often the best times to rest, find joy in your life, and give yourself space to open up to new ideas.)

As we head into this season of Thanksgiving, I encourage you to focus on what you can control, to bring your talents to those who need them most, and to surround yourself with people who energize you. The work we do together in this startup community - innovating, advising, investing, and supporting each other - gives me energy. This is where I'm putting my focus, and it's what keeps me moving forward each day.

Be on the lookout for something special in your inbox this Cyber Monday. It’s a fun and impactful way to energize yourself and support others!

Congratulations to the published Scroobious members in the newest Launch Lab X and C10 Labs cohorts!

If you're an accredited investor, check out Launch Lab X cohort members Stephanie Joseph, Kura, and Ethan Pierce, Adaptive Reader and C10 Labs cohort member Cecilia Hermawan, PreLovedGuru to our platform. (Links go to their pitches.)

Female and Non-Binary Founders Panel Event: Join Foley & Lardner and Scroobious on Dec 5th, 12pm - 2pm ET for an exclusive lunch of networking and knowledge-sharing. Learn top strategies from a variety of ecosystem perspectives on how to build meaningful relationships with investors and how to effectively leverage your network. Register here.

Above 2% Photoshoot: Scroobious has proudly partnered with At the Table, HQ and the Mass Cultural Council on a new initiative called Above 2%. This photography exhibit will celebrate the achievements of female entrepreneurs in New England to inspire and foster inclusivity. Each woman who participates will receive a free professional headshot and be featured in an exhibit that will travel around New England.

There are two photoshoots in Boston: Dec 6th & 13th.  Click here to book a time! You can also nominate other female founders here.

Virtual Workshop: Join Ries McQuillian from Baker Tilly on Tuesday 12/10 from 2-3 pm ET for a workshop on the three key things for founders to consider for year-end tax planning. Register here.

Applications cohort III is now open for VHNYC, a hybrid founder fellowship for underrepresented founders building high-growth, tech, and tech-enabled businesses based in NYC. The fellowship provides $10K in non-dilutive funding to 15 founders from the 5 NYC boroughs to elevate the city to higher levels of opportunity and success. Applications due Dec 6th.

The Catalyst Fund grants between $2.5k - $15k to anyone with an early-stage idea or project addressing pressing global challenges. Applications are rolling.

Gold House Ventures has partnered with the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) to debut its 2025 Founder Fellowship for 15 diverse-led tech startups to participate in a 14-week immersive program including weekly masterclasses to turbocharge brand equity, product-market fit, and more. Applications are due Dec 6th.

As a founder, year-end tax planning presents an important opportunity to optimize your startup’s financial health. This is especially true for venture-backed startups, where strategic tax planning can yield significant cash flow benefits. Here’s a breakdown of the three
critical areas to focus on before closing out the year, courtesy of Baker Tilly.

1. For venture-backed startups, the Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) exclusion can be a massive tax-saving opportunity. If your company is structured properly and the holding period met, QSBS allows founders and investors to potentially exclude up to $10 million or 10 times the adjusted basis of their shares in capital gains from federal taxes when they sell their shares.

2. The Research and Development (R&D) tax credit remains one of the most impactful tools for venture-backed startups, especially those that invest heavily in innovation and product development. This tax credit directly reduces your tax liability and applies to a broad range of activities, from software development to improving manufacturing processes.

3. For startups that aren’t yet profitable, the R&D tax credit’s payroll tax offset provision is a crucial tool. Introduced by the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015, this provision allows startups to apply their R&D credit to payroll taxes, providing immediate cash relief.

More Questions? Reach out to Ries McQuillian at Baker Tilly!

Scroobious members can read an in-depth breakdown of these topics in the Resources section of their account.

Karen Kelly is the founder of Purposely Social, a mobile app that syncs availability and interests to schedules with friends, creates customized social plans, and meets new people, all at your own pace.  

Their solution integrates effortlessly into users' existing behaviors, using personal calendars and locations to create low-key meet-ups quickly. By making it easy to build deeper relationships in real life, they hope to reduce risks of depression, anxiety, diabetes, and early death by up to 50% while saving billions in healthcare costs and lost productivity.

"After starting a grassroots movement to solve my town's after-school care problem, I uncovered a more profound issue - parents are in a self-care crisis. With 79% of parents looking for a way to connect outside the house, and 66% feeling isolated as caregivers, the market for connective tools for busy, stressed parents is ripe."

- Karen

• Adaptive Reader, founded by Ethan Pierce, is one of 7 semifinalists in North America for the Global Edtech Startup Awards and received its trademark. Adaptive Reader empowers diverse learners with print and digital leveled, adaptable, bilingual texts and a reduced screen.
  

• ThriveIEP, founded by Elizabeth McWhorter, has been accepted into the Milestone Circles program at the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center.
  

• Najam Tariq, founder of ParaAI, is competing in the finals of the Center on Rural Innovation's "Small Towns, Big Ideas" Pitch Event.
  

• Renavest, founded by Stan Rameau, has been accepted into the LvlUp Ventures Next Up program.
  

• Joanna Shu, founder of FreezeNit, won NEMIC's Healthtech Pitch Night.

• Connor Harbison, founder of Atlas Urban Farms, won the Excellence in Agriculture award for our IoT achievements at the AgriNext Conference in Dubai.

• Anastacia Yefimenko, founder of Elcove, was nominated for Green Matters’ “Best Zero-Waste Cleaning Product Brands.

• Chau Saenz, founder of CS & Company, was featured in British Vogue. 

• DANNCE.AI, co-founded by Rob Baldoni, raised a $2.6 million pre-seed round.

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