It’s the goal of so many startups to attract the attention and support of significant investors. A well-timed influx of capital can ensure the success of a young enterprise, and you never know when a golden opportunity might cross your path. It’s always in the interest of the entrepreneur to be ready for whenever such an opportunity might present itself. For Andy Bobowski, co-founder of Backrs, his preparedness and dedication paid off this spring.

Thanks to Hatch’s dynamic ecosystem of entrepreneurs and investors, Andy had a chance to connect with Lauren Pierce Flickinger, the head manager of the Pisgah Fund. This spring, their connection, and the Backrs Team’s  paid off in a big way with the thrilling announcement of a $250,000 investment propelling Backrs’s success in Western North Carolina.

Backrs

When it comes to networking and professional preparedness, the Backrs team are experts– literally.

Backrs is a visionary social mobility app that wants to close the gap between the professional world and the education system. Their mission is to seek out and support those many young learners who are driven and passionate about their education yet lack resources. Backrs partners with schools to identify promising students and connects them with employers eager to generate a hiring base. Mentors through Backrs provide life-planning advice, and a monthly stipend

Though they operate nationwide, Andy Bobowski and some of his team work out of Hatch right here in Asheville, North Carolina, and many of their active partnerships are with employers and schools in WNC.

“Absolute game changer for me personally and professionally.” Andy shared about his experience as an entrepreneur since joining Hatch and attending events by the Innovation Hub. “The number of mutually beneficial partnerships has exponentially grown since I’ve been here.”

It was through a presentation at Hatch Innovation Hub that Andy and Backrs first gained the attention of Lauren from the Pisgah Fund. When Andy presented at 1 Million Cups, Jay Mixter, veteran entrepreneur and a fixture in the Hatch Innovation Hub’s pool of mentors, was in the crowd. Immediately, the compatibility between Backrs’s and the Pisgah Fund’s missions revealed itself to him, and soon, Jay reached out to Lauren with the suggestion for an investment opportunity.

The Pisgah Fund

As a fund concerned with supporting healthcare related businesses in Western North Carolina, the connection between Backrs, an app oriented toward the education industry,  and the Pisgah Fund might seem vague at first. We asked Lauren to fill us in on what about Backrs made it an exciting opportunity. “Many people are familiar with the labor shortage in healthcare” she said, “Nurses and PAs have to get trained. That training takes time and investment in education.”

By supporting businesses like Backrs, the Pisgah Fund hopes to move upstream and inspire students toward a profession in medicine. By investing in students, they’re investing in the future of hospitals, and the health of our regional community at large.

Community support to material gains

For Andy and the Backrs team, as well as the folks at the Pisgah Fund, their $250,000 investment represents a pivotal step toward the realization of their mutual goals, but connections like these don’t just materialize out of thin air. Our Communications Chair had this to say about Hatch and our community: “Hatch is a hub in it’s truest sense– a gathering place for work, events, and community, where happy collisions happen every day that connect founders with the support they need.”

The collision between the Pisgah Fund and Backrs is one such golden moment of connection and opportunity.

As for advice for how to capitalize on these moments, Andy contributed this advice for other entrepreneurs seeking support: “Take most meetings. […] Very few of them will come to anything, but each time you do it, you will understand what needs to be communicated more clearly.”