🎉 RSVP NOW FOR SF AND LA TECH WEEK EVENTS!

• On Oct 11, we're hosting an AMA panel + mixer with early stage VCs along with our friends at Brex and Notion for SF Tech Week.

• On Oct 15, we're hosting an AMA panel + mixer with post-exit founders along with Techstars for LA Tech Week.

⭐ Highlights from Jorge’s AMA
(edited for clarity)

What are you building at Linker?

We provide mobile and online banking solutions for community banks, which often lack tech staff. Our value prop is offering a premium digital banking experience that’s easy to integrate with existing systems. We enable seamless activation of integrations and make the platform highly configurable. Right now, we’re focused on community banks and business banking.

Why community banks?

We initially targeted fintech customers looking to launch digital banks. However, as we progressed, we saw challenges in the direct-to-consumer fintech space, like difficulty in distribution and funding. Banks wanted references and core provider integrations, which we lacked with fintech clients. By December, we pivoted to focus solely on community banks, closing our first deal and refining our niche.

What were some of the main challenges you faced as an immigrant founder?

Being an immigrant is tough, especially with no network. It took years to build one. I read Super Connector and found groups aligned with my goals—tech in LA, FinTech, and Latino networks like the Latino Business Action Network. Initially, I hid being Honduran due to imposter syndrome, but I learned to own my story. Your background is key—tell it proudly. Craft a trailer of your life that shows you're serious and capable.

You just closed a $3.7M seed round. How was your experience fundraising?

Fundraising is tough, especially now. A key lesson is that it’s a process about finding the right investor who truly connects with you. I started by contacting just 10 investors, not blasting all 130 at once. It helped validate my deck and gather questions. Investor density matters—we eventually had five meetings a day. It all clicked when interest came from multiple investors at once, creating momentum.

How did you deal with rejection in fundraising?

Fundraising is an emotional process, much like sales. You face many no's before understanding what matters and eventually getting yes's. Some no's offer valuable insights, while others can be disheartening. A fund may reject you not because of your pitch, but because they lack money. I started prioritizing funds that had invested recently in pre-seed or seed rounds within our B2B, SaaS, and fintech segments.

How did you meet your co-founders?

I consider myself very lucky. My co-founders and I had a history together. My wife, Claudia, and I have been married for 20 years and worked together for over 12. Alejandro has been my business partner in past ventures. Founding a company is like a marriage—you need transparency and trust. This extended to our first hire, who came from Capital One. I couldn’t pay his worth upfront, but offered options, and he accepted because of the honesty in our conversation.

For the full AMA, click here.

📅 Upcoming AMAs

• Sep 24 at 10am PST: Adam Lebovitz, Investor at BAM Ventures

  • ​BAM Ventures is a Los Angeles-based fund of experienced operators investing in disruptive consumer companies like The Honest Company, LegalZoom, and ShoeDazzle, offering capital, expertise, and connections to help founders build iconic brands.

📺 Past AMAs

Missed any of our previous AMAs? No worries! You can catch up on all the guests here.

• Will Drewery, Founder and CEO at Diagon (AI-powered procurement platform)

• Gaurav Seth, Founder and CEO at PierSight Space (maritime surveillance using satellites)

• Tejes Srivalsan, Founder and CEO at Poppin (event-based social media)

• Christie Marchese, Founder and CEO at Kinema (film distribution platform)

• Michael Kapps, Founder and CEO at Sanii (longevity and lifestyle for the elderly)

• Ahmed Mirza, Investor at Techstars Los Angeles (leading startup accelerator)

• Clara Hong, Founder and CEO at Smore (B2B form building platform)

• Luiza Justus, Founder and CCO at Supersocial (gaming for the metaverse)

• Mark Linao, General Partner at Progression Fund (early stage consumer VC)

• David Yi, General Partner at Ethos Fund (early stage VC in Vietnam and the US)

• Fay Wells, Angel Investor and VC in Residence at Techstars

• Christian Dorffer, General Partner at Defiance Capital (early stage VC fund in AI)

• Brent Murri, Partner at M13 (leading consumer VC fund)

👋 Want to be an AMA guest?

Startup founders, investors, and leaders—join our AMA series as a guest! Reply with your details, and let’s chat!

📬 Contact Us

Have suggestions for future guests, feedback on the sessions, or just want to say hi? We’d love to hear from you! Reply directly to this email or send us a note here.

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