Founders and investors are always looking to unlock new pathways for growth. Accomplishing this requires access to the right mix of capital and banking solutions to scale their businesses. 

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At Summerfest Tech 2025 in Milwaukee, I moderated a discussion with leaders from all three corners of the capital ecosystem (startup, venture capital, commercial banking) who shared their insights:  

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  Darren Webb, CEO, Mindset  

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  Priscilla Guevara, General Partner, Science Inc.  

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  Derek Garland, Head of Business Transition Advisory Group, BMO  

They discussed optimizing cash flow, enhancing operational efficiency and preparing for successful exits—all in the context of how maintaining strategic partnerships with capital investors and commercial banks can help create sustainable growth and mitigate risks. 

Following is a summary of the event. 

As a venture studio, Science Inc. partners with mission-driven startup founders as lifecycle investors—essentially functioning as another co-founder for the companies it invests in. Science provided early-stage funding for Mindset, largely because of the compelling story behind the company. Webb founded Mindset after the difficulty one of his loved ones faced in securing Social Security disability benefits. 

“One thing that stood out to us was Darren and his connection to his personal story,” Guevara said. "He really knew he would make that difference and that impact across the world. Thinking about Darren specifically as a founder and what he brought to the table was something that we valued. We spent months with him and his team ideating. Seeing that involvement and just how dedicated he was to this mission was profound.” 

Similarly, for Webb, the relationship with Science was about more than securing financing. "Starting off, I was the head of HR, head of marketing, head of sales, head of everything,” he said. “Being able to delegate some of that to a partner and a VC fund is really special. Having multiple partners that I can call on at any time to ask questions—they all have different strengths, which allows us to tap into that knowledge. You can't find that everywhere, and I can say that now in retrospect. They’ve got an entire team prepared to be your third co-founder.” 

For most founders, maintaining sufficient cash is always top-of-mind. For Webb, the key to staying ahead is constant reassessment of Mindset’s cash flow.  

"Every month I spend two days reforecasting,” he said. “Based on revenue that came in the previous month, based on the amount of leads that have come in, we know what that's going to equal in the future. We are in a space where we don't get compensated from the government for a very long time, so the entire thing is forecasting.” 

As businesses start to mature, strategic considerations become more complex. That’s why commercial banks prefer to be involved as early as possible when it comes to having discussions about a business's growth plans.  

"It’s thinking about governance, thinking about defining roles within the board, getting comfortable with delegation and understanding as a founder where your value truly lies as far as your strategic vision for this company,” Garland said. “And at the same time, thinking about yourself personally. Understanding how you're going to live and survive and thrive as you're growing this business, but also as you’re preparing for an exit. No founder is doing this for nothing. How do you prepare today so that you can have a tax-efficient exit? The final piece is thinking about next steps. Have a framework for as the business evolves, you as an individual have to evolve and you need to be a step ahead of the game.” 

We’re in a volatile market and macroeconomic environment, and that’s created challenges for capital providers and their portfolio companies. For Science, it’s been a double-edged sword. 

“In terms of the current administration, it seems quite favorable toward venture capital, innovation, artificial intelligence and tech,” Guevara said. “On the flip side, it does cause us to be a lot more cautious. For our model, we are not looking to push things just to exit. We are patient capital, which means understanding how we can use the resources that we have internally to help fund companies, help get them the resources that they need and help them stay afloat. And in these uncertain times, if we're not seeing exits happen as frequently as we want, that has ripple effects across fundraisers—not only for our portfolio companies but broadly across the entire market.” 

Even in this uncertain market, capital is available for the right company. Having a credit facility in place with your commercial bank can give companies a leg up. As Garland explained, it’s a matter of standing out in a crowded field as a company with stability and structure. 

“It pays off to be the diamond in the rough in any environment,” Garland said. “The earlier you have structure, that you have strategy, that you have your story in place, the easier it is when you present yourself to a potential investor. Ultimately, that structure can carry a long way in an M&A market where the valuations might be down. But everybody is seeking that diamond in the rough. They're seeking that differentiated example that you have good governance, a great legal structure, a management team around the table, and that's what allows you to be able to pull that lever when others can't pull that lever. Even when you're thinking it might be too early to think about all this structure and organization, it can pay real dividends as the environment develops.”