#0039 - Funding Strategies with Dawn Dickson-Akpoghene of PopCom

<div>On this episode of the Startup of the Year podcast, we talk with Dawn Dickson-Akpoghene, the Founder & CEO of <a href= "https://www.popcom.shop/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener noreferrer">PopCom</a>, which has developed software to make kiosks and vending machines intelligent through data and analytics at the point of purchase. PopCom uses facial recognition, A.I, and blockchain technology to help retailers collect valuable customer insights. We first met Dawn when she participated in the Startup of the Year program with a company called <a href= "https://www.flatoutofheels.com/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener noreferrer">Flat Out of Heels</a>.</div> <div> </div> <div>We also hear some segments from some of our Established Team members. Rich Maloy of Established Ventures provides some tips for our startup founder listeners during the “VC Minute.” Also, our Director of Partnerships, Jacqui Dietrich, provides an update about our Partner Programs and specifically discusses the following:</div> <div> </div> <ul> <li>AFWERX SBIR Open Topics - Contracts worth up to $50K <a href="http://afwerxlearning.com/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener noreferrer">http://afwerxlearning.com/</a></li> <li>Centrepolis - Industry 4.0 Accelerator Program <a href= "https://www.centrepolisaccelerator.com/Programs/Industry-4-0-Accelerator" target="_blank" rel= "noopener noreferrer">https://www.centrepolisaccelerator.com/Programs/Industry-4-0-Accelerator</a></li> <li>MassChallenge - Applications Open - <a href= "https://masschallenge.org/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener noreferrer">https://masschallenge.org/</a></li> </ul> <div> </div> <div>As mentioned in the episode, please join us for our upcoming 8th Annual Startup of the Year Summit which will be held online on November 16-18. The Summit is a curated experience for emerging founders, seasoned entrepreneurs, corporate innovation leads, accelerators, and investors to build relationships that fuel success. Summit is also the culmination of the 2020 Startup of the Year competition, and