Dispatches from the Road: Q4 2022

We spent the tail end of 2022 experiencing the entrepreneurial enthusiasm in every pocket of America for ourselves. With plenty of destinations on our 2023 itinerary, here are just a handful of highlights from the last 20K+ miles traveled.

Where we went: San Antonio, TX 📍

What we did: We headed to Mission City for San Antonio Startup Week, where Chairman and CEO Steve Case took the main stage to discuss the entrepreneurial momentum building in south-central Texas and the factors that make rising cities an ideal HQ for groundbreaking startups.

Where to go: Stroll along the River Walk for 15 miles worth of sightseeing, shopping, public art, and dining, head to the San Antonio Museum of Art to check out its renowned Latin American Popular Art collection, and refuel after an eventful day at Alamo BBQ Co., where there’s no shortage of Texas-style smoked meats and homemade sides.

Where we went: Durham, NC📍

What we did: Revolution Ventures Managing Partner Tige Savage joined Bull City Venture Partners’ Jason Caplain onstage at American Underground for a fireside chat on the region’s growing startup ecosystem and the evolving venture investment landscape. Catch insights from their conversation in the Triangle Business Journal.

Where to go: Wander around Duke’s campus to take in the Gothic and Georgian-style architecture and pristine grounds, head to Beyu Café for coffee, lunch, or live music, and don’t leave before trying the Chicken Hut’s fried-to-order chicken that Eater deemed among the best in the country.

Where we went: Detroit, MI📍

What we did: The team made its way to Detroit to meet with the leaders, founders, entrepreneurs, and creators gathered for the 2022 Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit. Highlights from the agenda: Rise of the Rest-backed StockX Co-founder and COO Greg Schwartz’s conversation with Kristin Stoller about brand and community building, and Chairman and CEO Steve Case’s conversation with Randall Lane on bridging the country’s divides through entrepreneurship. Revolution Ventures Managing Partner Tige Savage and Associate Carl Leacock also went west to Motor City to catch up with the team at Renaissance Venture Capital.

Where to go: Walk down Woodward Ave to take in Detroit’s iconic Art Deco skyline, tour the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant to see where the Model T was created, shop the Shinola (a Revolution Growth-backed startup) flagship store in Midtown for heirloom-worthy, Detroit-made souvenirs, and head to Buddy’s Pizza on Conant for the OG Detroit slice.

Where we went: Atlanta, GA📍

What we did: Rise of the Rest Principal Mahati Sridhar flew south to join 1,300 attendees representing 350 funds at one of the nation’s largest venture capital conferences, Venture Atlanta. There, she caught up with Rise of the Rest portfolio company Harness Giving and exited company Stackfolio (now Jack Henry™).

Where to go: Head to the High Museum to check out more than 18,000 works of photography, folk, modern, and contemporary art (with an emphasis on pieces from the American South), follow that up with a bite from Krog Street Market (we highly recommend Yalla), and round out your afternoon with a brew or two at Sweetwater Brewery.

Where we went: Philadelphia, PA📍

What we did: Revolution Ventures Partner Clara Sieg and VP Graham Ober visited the City of Brotherly Love to meet with the GoodBuy Gear team and check out their Malvern facility — the re-commerce marketplace’s first foray into the East Coast (an expansion that now includes Brooklyn and D.C.).

Where to go: Walk Old City’s cobblestone streets for a mix of 18th-century landmarks and boutiques, restaurants, and galleries, get a sampling of the local Philadelphian fare under one roof at The Bourse, and head to the Yards Brewing Company to try a few of the local institution’s many craft beers.

Where we went: San Juan, PR📍

What we did: Rise of the Rest Senior Director of Strategy Jamie Rodota flew down to the Puerto Rican capital city for Parallel18’s Gen X Demo Day and Ventures Summit, where he gathered with investors and entrepreneurs to hear from a 100% LatinX cohort representing industries from agtech to fintech to proptech to insurtech. Jamie also caught up with Rise of the Rest portfolio company and ROTR 8.0 Puerto Rico winner Abartys Health.

Where to go: Spiga for something to snack on while exploring Old San Juan, Calle Loíza for vintage shopping and people-watching, and, of course, La Factoria for a cocktail or two.

Where we went: Louisville, KY 📍

What we did: The team touched down in Derby City to host a policy roundtable. The action-packed visit included a session at Louisville’s Entrepreneurship Summit, where Chairman and CEO Steve Case took the stage with Jonathan Webb and KY Innovation Executive Director Monique Quarterman. Catch highlights from their conversation in KY Inno.

Where to go: Stroll down Whiskey Row to check out the cast-iron storefronts that once housed the local bourbon industry, get a taste of Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail at one of the city’s many tasting rooms, check out the world’s biggest baseball bat at the Louisville Slugger Museum, and head to KFC Yum! Center to catch a U of L basketball game.

Where we went: Las Vegas, NV📍

What we did: Revolution Growth VP Nancy Hilliker and Revolution Ventures VP Graham Ober headed west to meet with the folks shaping the future of fintech at Money 20/20. Revolution Growth Associate Fifi Young followed closely behind, touching down in the Silver State to catch some of the 3,200+ exhibitors unveiling tech’s latest innovations at CES. Gadget sightings included Bugatti’s electric scooter, Aeolus’s Autonomous Humanoid Robot, and Lotte’s Caliverse.

Where to go: Head to CUT at The Palazzo for the best steak on Las Vegas Boulevard, snag a ticket to The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil at The Mirage for an acrobatic act set to classic tunes, and venture beyond the Strip to Valley of Fire State Park for hiking among a stunning landscape of red sandstone.

Where we went: Colorado Springs, CO📍

What we did: Rise of the Rest Managing Partner, David Hall, caught up with the Rise of the Rest-backed Underline team for a board meeting and to check out the progress they’ve made on the open-access fiber network they’re piloting in central Colorado.

Where to go: Grab your beverage of choice from Switchback Coffee Roasters and start your day with a stroll around Prospect Lake at Memorial Park, walk among the red rocks at the Garden of the Gods, and end the evening at the Rabbit Hole for subterranean late-night bites.

Where we went: Morgantown, WV📍

What we did: Rise of the Rest Vice President James Barlia and Senior Director of Strategy Jamie Rodota arrived in the Mountain State to check out the magic happening on West Virginia University’s campus and catch up with local startups and investors. The itinerary included meeting with WVU’s Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative team on their plans to grow the state’s economy through outdoor recreation and hearing from WVU President and American treasure Gordon Gee.

Where to go: Cooper’s Rock for a hike with epic views, Table 9 for seasonal dishes along the Monongahela River, and a Mountaineers tailgate to round out a wild and wonderful trip to Morgantown.