Capital Conversations

Episode Summary

In this episode of Capital Conversations, Erik Nelson introduces the core principles of due diligence and explains how professional investors evaluate investment opportunities before committing capital.

Using FINRA Regulatory Notice 10-22 as a guide, Erik discusses management evaluations, background investigations, financial statement analysis, market research, competitive analysis, and common warning signs that inves...

Crafting an Investor Presentation That Gets Attention

Hosts: Karen Rands & Erik Nelson

Raising capital starts long before an investor writes a check.

It starts with a story.

Not a story about your product. Not a story about your technology. And not a story about how hard you've worked to get where you are today.

It starts with a story that answers one simple question every investor is asking:

"How am I going to make money?"

In this ep...

Angel Investing Fundamentals: Inside Secrets to Angel Investing

Hosts: Karen Rands & Erik Nelson

Angel investing remains one of the most misunderstood forms of investing—even though it has helped build many of the world's most successful companies.

In this episode of Capital Conversations, Karen Rands takes listeners behind the scenes of her bestselling book, Inside Secrets to Angel Investing, sharing the lessons she learned...

After nine episodes covering everything from IPOs and Reg A+ offerings to angel investing and due diligence, it's time to connect the dots.

In this milestone tenth episode of Capital Conversations, Karen Rands and Erik Nelson step back to look at the bigger picture: how companies actually move through the capital-raising ecosystem as they grow. From founder capital and friends-and-family funding to angel investors, venture capital, ...

In this episode of Capital Conversations, Karen Rands and Erik Nelson kick off their angel investing series with a look at one of the most influential investors in the Southeast: Sig Mosley. Often called the "Godfather of Angel Investing" in Atlanta, Sig has spent decades helping entrepreneurs turn ideas into companies, companies into exits, and exits into generational wealth.

The conversation explores what angel investing actually...

In this episode of Capital Conversations, Karen Rands and Erik Nelson are joined by veteran securities attorney Michael Littman for a practical discussion about the legal realities behind Regulation A+ offerings and public company capital raises. With nearly five decades of securities law experience and more than 100 companies guided into the public markets, Michael brings a perspective few professionals can match.

The conversation ...

In this episode of Capital Conversations, Karen Rands and Erik Nelson move beyond theory and into real-world examples of companies that used Regulation A+ and crowdfunding to raise capital, go public, and create liquidity for investors—with very different outcomes afterward.

They break down the explosive rise of Newsmax following its Reg A+ offering, why investor enthusiasm matters, and how audience loyalty can dramatically im...

In this episode of Capital Conversations, Karen Rands and Erik Nelson take a deep dive into Regulation A+ offerings and why they’ve become one of the most important capital raising tools for companies caught in the middle—too large for angel funding, too small for private equity, or simply outside the narrow lane venture capital firms typically pursue.

They break down how Reg A+ works, why it matters, and how it changed ...

Episode Summary

In this episode of Capital Conversations, Karen Rands and Erik Nelson take a deeper dive into IPO preparedness—what companies actually need in place before approaching investment bankers or entering the public markets.

They break down the legal, financial, and operational components required to be taken seriously in the IPO process, including corporate structure, proper stock issuance, audited financials, govern...

Episode Summary

In this episode of Capital Conversations, Karen Rands and Erik Nelson are joined by Richard Krieger, CEO of Moody Capital Solutions, for a deep, tactical conversation on capital raising strategies that most companies overlook.

Richard breaks down how rights offerings work, why they’re often misunderstood, and how they can be used to raise capital while strengthening—not harming—existing shareholder r...

Episode Summary

In this episode of Capital Conversations, Karen Rands and Erik Nelson shift into their first “Hot Topics” discussion, breaking down recent market activity and what it means for investors and companies. They analyze the recent pullback in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, explore how market corrections impact IPO activity and valuations, and highlight opportunities that arise during volatility.

The conversa...

Episode Summary

In this episode of Capital Conversations, Karen Rands and Erik Nelson break down one of the most important milestones in business growth: going public. They walk through what an Initial Public Offering (IPO) actually is, why companies pursue it, and how today’s market differs from decades past.

The conversation expands into alternative paths to the public markets, including direct listings, reverse mergers, and ...

This is where it starts.

In this first episode of Capital Conversations, Karen Rands and Erik Nelson get into why they created the show—and what most people are getting wrong about raising capital. This isn’t a polished, textbook explanation of the markets. It’s a real conversation between two people who’ve spent decades inside it, talking through what actually happens behind the scenes.

They break down h...