Prota Monthly Newsletter:: November 2021
Welcome to the Prota Monthly Newsletter for November! 👋
Look for new issues of this newsletter on the 3rd Thursday of every month.
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At Prota, we believe in human flourishing; in the power of the human spirit to build companies and grow value for communities.
Our core values and beliefs can be summarized by G.E.E.K.:
- Generosity
- Empathy
- Excellence
- Kindness
Our purpose is to promote human flourishing by investing holistically in entrepreneurs.
👏🏻 In the Spirit of Giving
This month, in the Spirit of Giving we are highlighting people in the Prota network who embody our ethos of Human Flourishing. Scott and Shandel Sutherland are Managing Directors here at Prota and had the recent opportunity to help their hometown community in the face of danger and destruction when they found themselves in the midst of the Dixie Fire, one of the largest fires in California's history.
While checking in on Shandel’s mother working at the fire evacuee center, Scott noticed an elderly man shuffling down the street with a small satchel looking downcast. When asked if he needed help, the man simply said “I just watched everything burn. This is all I have left.” Scott and Shandel knew they had to do something as the need was too much for this small town. In Reno, they rallied family, friends, & their church to help those affected by the devastation. They filled a rented U-Haul and their SUV with tents, sleeping bags, stoves, butane, tarps, camp chairs, towels, blankets, and pillows. They made two more trips purchasing even more supplies and asking others to help.
They are so grateful to have such a supportive family and community of friends, clients and church. Many of the funds that were used were provided by their non-profit organization jfactorkids.org that helps single parents and children. In the midst of such devastation, Shandel said it was a joy and privilege to see so many people rally to support and help their community in their most desperate time of need. Although horrifying to watch, it was so fulfilling to be a part of the solution.
Human Flourishing isn’t just about success or wealth. It is about humanity and having the basic things we need to survive. If you would like to help them to “refill their cup” please donate to jfactorkids.org today. Thank you, Shandel and Scott, we are grateful for you and your kindness!
📃Founder Update
Our own Bird Buddy was presented with the CES 2022 Innovation Award for Digital Imaging & Photography, Smart Home, Software & Mobile Apps! See Bird Buddy's Innovation Award here! Thank you, CES! Keep an eye out for an exciting announcement from Bird Buddy coming soon.
🎙️Check out our new podcast
Episode #18: Our guest, Jen Cates, Head of People (H.o.P), shares how she uses her own life experiences to ensure that the Prota ecosystem is a place that encourages people to flourish.
Episode #17: Our guest,Kyle Buzzard, shares his passion for design and how he sees accessible design as a way to promote human flourishing.
Episode 16: Our guest, Perry Azevedo, shares with us how a love of guitar led to a passion for design and how his faith keeps him grounded as he works to cultivate the Prota ecosystem.
Episode #15: Our guest, David Parrott talks about his time at Amazon, autonomy, and how working at Prota has changed his life.
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Search for “The Prota Podcast” in your favorite podcast app and it should show up (if not, let us know). We certainly welcome any reviews to help us get off the ground. Thanks!
📆Prota Weekly Call Highlights
November 16, 2021 We were joined by Camilo Giraldo and Kathy Silva from TAINR, a plastic-free bulk food dispenser that simultaneously eliminates single-use packaging and streamlines grocery store operations.The Prota Contact for this Venture is Jen Cates. If you are interested in learning more, helping out or have any questions, please contact Jen.
November 9, 2021 We were joined by Joel Fariss who will introduce us to Arbo. “5% of the global carbon footprint is in commercial office interiors. 35% of this carbon footprint exists solely in interior walls. With our innovative mass timber modular wall system made of renewable materials, we can invert this carbon footprint and change an industry to be better for the planet and for people.” The Prota Contact for this Venture is Will Little. If you are interested in learning more, helping out or have any questions, please contact Will.
November 2, 2021 We were joined by Josh Haas from Bubble. A "no-code" web application development platform that empowers people without programming skills to design, develop, and launch their own apps, tech products, or tools for solving their business problems. Bubble offers a powerful point-and-click web editor and cloud hosting platform that allows users to build fully customizable web applications and workflows, ranging from simple prototypes to complex marketplaces, SaaS products, and more. Over 1 million users are building and launching businesses on Bubble - many have gone on to participate in top accelerator programs, such as Y Combinator, or raise $365M in venture funding. Bubble is more than just a product. We are a strong community of builders and entrepreneurs that are united by the belief that everyone should be able to create technology. Earlier this fall, Will Little had the opportunity to sit down with Josh for Episode 63 of his Ventures Podcast, check it out!
October 26, 2021 we were joined by Justin Moore from Civili. Civili is a new social media platform dedicated to promoting integrity, honesty, and respect. By requiring categorization and intent of posts, Civili reduces the ambiguity and miscommunication that can lead to toxic behavior. Civili is the first platform designed and dedicated to rewarding civility, something that 93% of Americans believe is lacking in society today! “We buy products from Amazon based on the sellers rating, but we don’t have a rating for how people behave on social media, until now!” Sol Cates and Yasser Said are the Prota Contacts on this venture. Please reach out to Sol or Yasser if you have any questions, would like to be connected or would like to help.
Are you interested in helping with any of these projects? Please reach out to the contact mentioned for more information.
✈️ Prota Events
On October 25th the road trip continued. Sol Cates and Will Little visited members of the Prota Network- 3 cities in 3 days! Day 1 was spent in St. Louis, where our hosts John Knicely and Brian Lunt brought together a great group of local founders, investors, and connectors. We also got a chance to visit the founders of “BioFit” which compacts your workout to 10-15 minutes every 4-5 days! Day 2 was spent in Chicago, where we were able to get together with Prota Managing Directors, Founders, Investors and Talent for a happy hour. Day 3 we landed in Detroit for a Web3 summit with a dozen experts, founders, and developers. We learned many things and shared some great opportunities that the network can realize together. Very exciting to learn about others' visions of Web3 and it’s promise for humanity.
The road trip went by so fast. We want to get back out there soon and spend much more time with the ever expanding and strong Prota Network. Keep an eye out for a Prota Event near you!
💰Help Wanted
During this exciting season of growth, our founders are in need of quality people to help them grow their business. Keep an eye out for recruiting emails with new opportunities coming your way. Join the #Asks-and-Announcements on the Slack channel.
We are looking for an Industrial Design Director for Prota Studios. Interested in learning more? Send an email to recruiting@protastudios.com with the job title in the subject line.
We are looking for a Product Lead for Prota Studios. Interested in learning more? Send an email to recruiting@protastudios.com with the job title in the subject line.
Bird Buddy is looking for a Chief Operating Officer. Interested in learning more? Send an email to recruiting@protastudios.com with the job title in the subject line.
We are currently looking for a Social Media Producer and Social Media Manager with an emphasis on Youtube algorithms. Interested in learning more? Send an email to Jameeleh@protalabs.com with the job title in the subject line.
Check out the career opportunities at Stix Golf! https://stix.golf/pages/careers
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🛍Founders Corner
Need help designing your home? Look no further than your phone. Check out Realize in the app store Today!
Are you looking to bring your wellness routine on the road? Chariot is here to help! Click here to shop today!
Are you in need of a laugh after the year we’ve had? Technology and Comedians?! Socially Inept is just a click away, Click here to check them out!
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📧We’d love to hear from you!
Looking to get more involved in Prota? Do you want to share a story of human flourishing? Do you have content you would like to contribute to future newsletters? Would you like to nominate a colleague who is walking the walk? Contact us below!
Managing Director, Office of Organizational Development
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