Startups face many challenges, including product development, obtaining funding, and the interrelationships among founders. But possibly the most serious obstacle faced by startups is overcoming the founders own mind-blocks, including the founders innate senses of fear, self-defeating though patterns, self-consciousness, anxiety about approaching funders and networking with others, and other negative thinking.

Because of these fears and mind-blocks, many startups never get off the ground. They fail to launch or even ignite because their founders lack the necessary self-confidence to commit to the idea, champion its advancement, and relentlessly pursue success. This Meetup will feature a group of panelists that will help overcome these mind-blocking issues that may keep you from succeeding. Issues to be discussed include the following:

- Overcoming Fear of Failure

- Improving networking skills

- Overcoming approach anxiety

- Ignoring the naysayers that are pulling you down

- Replacing negative thinking by positive thinking

Richie Hecker

Richie Hecker is an entrepreneur and investor. He started his first company, ClickZen Worldwide, in the early days of the Internet, when we he was just fifteen years old. He has since founded and managed numerous profitable direct marketing and online advertising companies in both the US and India. Recently, he led the acquisition of Bebo, one of the largest social networks in the world with 100MM users, out of AOL and lead the company to be cash flow positive in six months. Prior to Bebo, he built his network by producing major conferences and private events for the venture capital, digital media industries. Currently, he is Chairman of inSparq, a lead social commerce technology company and is the Chief Catalyst at Traction + Scale where he helps great entrepreneurs soar.

Serena Walker - Founder of My Freedom Formula Serena is a business strategist, speaker, mentor, philanthropist, and outdoor adventurer.

MyFreedomFormula.com is built upon the Entrepreneur Success Triangle, which was created based upon 3 characteristics that all successful business owners possess. At the top of the triangle is a focus on continual education, not only for themselves, but also for those around them. The left corner of the triangle is having amazing mentors and building mutually beneficial relationships. And the right corner of the triangle is having a supportive peer group. My Freedom Formula provides a systematic and a creative approach to developing formulas and strategies that are specific to our clients needs and personality along with that of their business. Using these formulas ensures that our clients build successful businesses strategically.

David Klein, panelist

David is a technology lawyer with the national law firm Foley & Lardner. His practice covers technology transactions of every type and he has worked with many startups. He was a programmer earlier in his career, so he speaks tech as well as lawyer. He has counseled thousands of clients througout his career, and has seen what makes some clients successful, and other unsuccessful. David is in the process of writing a book entitled "Unlock Your Brain, Unlock Your Business."