This ecosystem leader wants founders to ‘make time for serendipity'
Clair, a Prince George's County, Maryland native who now lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia, is the first full-time hire at DC Startup and Tech Week as the director of programs and community— which he describes as 'the South by Southwest of the East Coast.' Through his role there, he launched an autonomous tech-focused meetup, accelerator and lab called LaunchT — and started hosting programming for it earlier this summer.
'There is a community here,' Clair told Technical.ly. 'There are folks building here. If you look all around us, even across the country, autonomous technology is taking over. How do we support that from the district?'
His advice for founders in autonomous tech or otherwise? Be strategic, but authentic.
'Obviously, everyone does have an agenda and something that they want to get done, but figure out how you can give and support and be reciprocal in relationships,' he said. 'That goes a long way.'
For the latest installment of How I Got Here, Technical.ly caught up with Clair about LaunchT, his previous roles at major firms like Techstars and WeWork, a passion for venture capital and his love for the DMV.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Where did your career start?
In commercial banking, and then in personal finance.
At one point in time, while running my personal finance career, I was operating three businesses at the same time. One was an event planning business. I also ran a franchise with two other friends, and then I was running my financial practice.
That's where it all started. Nothing was wildly successful, but that was always in the ethos of the work that I did.
But at some point, I realized I wasn't necessarily fulfilled in some of the personal finance work that I was doing, and then life started to happen. I've made some transitions, and that led me to start working more with small businesses and figuring out how I could support them.
Ultimately, that vein for wanting to support small businesses and support entrepreneurs led me to begin working at WeWork, and that's where I got exposure to the venture capital ecosystem.
How I grew up, I didn't have access or awareness of all the different methods of investing, and so I didn't know anything about venture capital. That was where the floodgates started to open up — just being in the atmosphere around more entrepreneurs and startups.
How did working at WeWork propel you forward?
Even if it doesn't yield you anything in the moment, the seeds that you plant can bear fruit in the future.
Darius Clair
WeWork is where I started to really hone my community-building skills, supporting the startups and small businesses locally. I was fortunate enough to start supporting them nationally, and then globally, under WeWork's corporate umbrella.
That introduced me to the folks at DC Startup and Tech Week. Because of the work that I was doing there, it allowed me to start working on the [conference's] early-stage track.
I still had my first business, but because of the exposure with venture capital, I decided to pivot. Deals ultimately became D.E.A.L.S. Venture Group. That's where I wanted to become a venture investor.
You also worked at Techstars. What was that experience like?
I knew that I needed to be in the atmosphere where I could be more closely aligned with venture capital because of the challenges that I was facing with D.E.A.L.S. Venture Group.
To be able to come into Techstars and be a part of a venture capital firm, that was really a strategic opportunity and pivot for me.
I was fortunate enough to support over 60 deals into portfolio companies over 18 months while working there.
What inspired your new project, LaunchT?
LaunchT is an initiative of DC Startup and Tech Week. My transition from Techstars naturally ended up becoming a full circle in joining DC Startup and Tech Week as the director of programs and community.
After doing work with them for four years as their early-stage content lead, I was their first full-time hire. The reason they wanted to bring me on is to support DC Startup and Tech Week more broadly.
But then also, how do we roll out new opportunities and initiatives to engage the DC Startup and Tech Week community more consistently, year-round? Part of that was LaunchT.
What's your day-to-day like?
I wear two hats. All things with DC Startup and Tech Week, right now we're ramping up in preparation for the actual week [this fall]. Solidifying venues, confirming the different tracks and the new tracks that we'll unveil this year. It's the 10-year anniversary.
We want to go bigger and bolder this year and be more intentional about how we support the region and startups, and really providing the impact that we believe they need.
That's one hat, and then the second hat is LaunchT — and building out the infrastructure of that.
We started programming. We've created the Autonomous Tech DMV meetup. That'll be a monthly opportunity just to convene folks in the autonomous tech space, to be able to come together, to be able to connect, to be able to share resources, build relationships.
We're also doing a virtual series every month. The virtual series is to engage a broader audience across the country to attract more talent to the DMV region.
What advice do you have for entrepreneurs?
One really good piece of advice that I've gotten and that I've learned over the years is, before you build something, make sure that there's a need for it.
Without a doubt, you want to build something that you're passionate about, that you're convicted about, or that you have conviction around. But sometimes that doesn't always line up with what people need.
The other thing I would say is: Be willing to build strategic relationships and genuine relationships. Make time for serendipity as you're going out and meeting people.
A lot of times, we see founders are always looking for something or asking for something. But figure out how you can also provide value. Figure out how you can align motives and initiatives and value propositions with some of the different stakeholders that you have to engage with in the ecosystem.
Even if it doesn't yield you anything in the moment, the seeds that you plant can bear fruit in the future.
What's next for you? What are your future goals?
Specifically for DC Startup and Tech Week, now that I'm a part of the team full-time, I want to add value. I want to see how we can really supercharge with the work that we've been doing.
One thing I've been really passionate about is figuring out how we can build a more cohesive ecosystem in our region. Oftentimes, it does feel siloed and fragmented. Folks that come into this ecosystem don't really know where to go, and they've got to bump around until they meet the right people.
There are so many times where we're hosting events, and there're multiple events on the same day. How do we become more efficient with that?
Then, becoming more of an investor in startups. My work with District Angels lends to that as well, and supporting them from an investor relations perspective on the volunteer side. [I want to be] leaning into that so that I can continue to build my investor muscle, to start putting money where my mouth is.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Technical.ly
18-07-2025
- Technical.ly
Pittsburgh weekly roundup: Skild opens San Francisco office; Ansys acquisition complete; Forge AI Pitch Challenge
This week in Pittsburgh, the data center gold rush, advice from angel investors on raising capital and more. Read on for weekly roundup of top news in the region. 📰 News Incubator: What else to know • What happens when a data center comes to town? PA's Dorrance Township doesn't want to find out. With real estate developers sniffing around for potential, this rural community is setting up protections before applications start rolling in. [ ] • Skild AI is expanding to San Francisco, a controversial move in the Pittsburgh startup scene. When Abridge announced its intention for a similar move in March, it sparked a debate about why the local talent scene isn't enough for these hypergrowth firms. [ Pittsburgh Biz Times / ] • Synopsys finally completed its $35 billion acquisition of Cannonsburg-based Ansys, after more than a year checking all the legal boxes. [ Synopsys / ] • Protestors surrounded the Energy and Innovation Summit, as Pittsburghers spoke up against Carnegie Mellon University's decision to host President Donald Trump and the impact of AI development on climate change. [ / Pittsburgh City Paper / WESA] • Apply by Aug. 8 for a chance to be recognized as one of the region's top AI startups — and win $50,000 — at the Forge AI Pitch Challenge. [ AI Horizons ] • People aren't moving for jobs, but instead to places they want to live and then finding jobs there, Chris Wink writes in his latest column. In Pittsburgh, telling its unique stories of relative cost of living and quirky culture can be the thing that pulls talent in. [ ] • It just got easier for union workers to report employer violations. Allegheny County launched the confidential Right to Organize Incident Report Form to document the errs, but you should still file a formal complaint, too. [ Allegheny County ] • ICYMI: Catch up on the top takeaways from local startup CEOs Shiv Rao, John Thornton, Jake Loosararian and more at the AI Horizons kickoff event earlier this week. [ Pittsburgh Slack channel ] • If your startup exit strategies rely on M&A, start by finding the right advisor to guide you through it. Here are 10 tips to sift through the candidates. [ ] 🗓️ On the Calendar • Fix your gaming keyboard and get back to gameplay at a $25 electronics repair class hosted by Hackers Guild PGH on July 19. [ Sign up ] • Get access to 3D printers at Prototype PGH at a training session for beginners on July 19. The event costs $10 to attend, but no one will be turned away due to lack of funds. [ Register ] • Level up your woodworking skills at HackPGH's picture frame design class. The July 20 event costs $185 and is recommended for folks with beginner woodworking knowledge. [ Attend ] • Head to the University of Pittsburgh for JuliaCon from July 22 to 25. Prices vary, but for an additional fee, you can attend a Pirates game with fellow enthusiasts of the coding language. [ Get tickets ] • Learn how to access your Bitcoin on the Solana blockchain, followed by a Federal Galley hangout, with BitDevs Pittsburgh on July 23. [ More info ] • Brush up on your sketching skills and meet new people at Ascender's Pictionary Happy Hour on July 24. [ Details here ] • Procrastinate on your latest project by catching up with friends or finally make time for that deadline you've been putting off at Avenu: Meyran's coworking summer Fridays on July 25. [ Learn more ]
Technical.ly
18-07-2025
- Technical.ly
DC accrues $514.6M of VC in Q2 — a drop from the start of 2025
Venture capital investment in the DC region slowed in the second quarter of the year, and the White House's lack of clarity on regulation and policy could be to blame. Companies nabbed $514.6 million across 64 deals in the DMV, according to the latest Venture Monitor report released quarterly by PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association. That's a sharp decline from the first quarter of the year, with its reported $1.3 billion across 60 deals — meaning this most recent quarter saw lower deal values. The region isn't alone in venture capitalists writing smaller checks, per the Venture Monitor report. This is part of a broader, 'more cautious investment climate' across the nation, said Tahira Dosani, cofounder and managing partner at ResilienceVC. 'We're no longer in this 'growth at all cost' mentality,' Dosani, who announced a new $56 million fund earlier this year, told 'We're in an era where there's a focus on capital efficiency, on sustainable pathways to profitability and the broader tightening of fewer companies successfully raising rounds because investors are being more selective.' This has been the mindset for the last couple of years, per Dosani. DC has had a handful of blowout quarters, but they're often led by major raises from established companies. Rockville nuclear power company X Energy nabbed about half of the funds at the beginning of the year, as did the e-cigarette giant Juul to close 2024. This is why looking at data quarter-to-quarter can be difficult, explained Les Alexander, a professor at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. In 2024, companies in the DMV collectively raised $4.3 billion — the highest amount since 2021. 'I often find that in some markets like the DMV, quarter to quarter activity can be impacted by a few larger deals,' Alexander wrote in a statement to 'so you need to be careful to not draw broad conclusions without longer data trends.' Unstable regulations could lead to lower activity ResilienceVC's Dosani noted that uncertainty around policies like tariffs are making investors more cautious. There's generally a tendency toward deregulation under the Trump administration, which can benefit business, but there needs to be clarity, she said. 'Regulatory uncertainty always makes it harder to make decisions,' she said. Because of this precariousness, it's more difficult for investors to vet startups adequately, said Elena Loutskina, a professor at the Darden School of Business. 'The global economic uncertainty, including one about tariffs, hampers VCs' ability to properly evaluate the prospects of given startups,' Loutskina wrote to in an email. 'This makes investments exceptionally risky and unattractive.' Alexander agrees. Inconsistent trade policy is causing investors to be wary, he said. The economic picture also depends on industry, he noted. He's already seen climate technology companies nab less funding because of policy changes. 'On the other hand, defense tech and cybersecurity, which are attractive investment areas for companies and investors in the DMV region, is seeing increased deal activity with the favorable support from policymakers,' he said. What startups — and investors — should know Securing investments will continue to be challenging for startups, especially for those in early stages, Alexander said. But AI companies will likely continue to see funding, he said. Fundraising for the capital to invest is slowing, too, Alexander said. That's because limited partners aren't getting liquidity back from prior funds they've invested in and a lack of exits, ResilienceVC's Dosani explained. Because of all of this, founders need to be capital-efficient, she said. They also need to demonstrate clear traction to investors and show profitability. 'It's not necessarily a bad thing,' Dosani said. 'It just is the reality of this market, and I think what it will translate into is that … the best founders are the ones getting the cap[ital].' This constriction also requires investors to be more supportive of founders outside the money, she said. That means being more hands-on in business strategies, for example. 'Founders have to think about how they tell their story, how they execute and operate their businesses,' Dosani said, 'and I think investors have to do the same.'
Technical.ly
15-07-2025
- Technical.ly
A DC tech incubator worked in the past. It will work again.
This is a guest post by Matt Caywood, the CEO and cofounder of Actionfigure, a DC-based company developing intelligent transportation software and AI analytics to help people move around cities. There is a mistaken perception that startups struggle to succeed in the District of Columbia. The premature closure of 1776 didn't help that reputation. 1776, the district's homegrown startup incubator, supported hundreds of startups from 2013 to 2017. It then shuttered largely because of overly aggressive real estate expansion and competition from heavily investor-subsidized WeWork — not because it failed to nurture quality startups. When 1776 wrapped up, the companies it housed were still very young, and it was hard to tell how successful they would become. Fast forward to today, and it's clear 1776 was a highly successful incubator. For companies that sell to large business and government customers — the sweet spot for 1776 startups — it takes 10 years to grow an idea to significant scale. Over that timeframe, and with a small investment of $200,000 from the DC government, 1776 startups generated almost $1 billion in enterprise value. That's a staggering return, on top of the hundreds of high-paying jobs these companies created. As an economic development win for DC, it's on par with Nationals Park. This proves that the district is ripe for innovation and company growth. These companies are helping to fill DC office spaces today, and the next generation of startups will fill future DC office spaces. The DC tech scene has a huge advantage in its close proximity and access to policymakers, experts and federal procurement. 1776 was wisely designed to exploit that advantage with its mission of growing tech startups in DC and focusing on life-critical sectors like education, health, transportation and energy. 1776 rapidly became the center for startups and emerging companies in the district, and many bright young innovators started their careers there. It offered classes, mentoring, after-hours events and meetups, and networking. Countless political figures, including President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of Australia, toured the space and met with startups. Perhaps more important, decision-makers like former GSA administrator Dan Tangherlini and Seattle DOT director Scott Kubly met one-on-one with early-stage ventures. The company I cofounded, Actionfigure, was based at 1776. We solve transportation problems in cities by working with real estate owners and large employers to provide software that helps people travel more easily and sustainably. One of our first TransitScreen displays (showing real-time information about every transportation option) was installed in the lobby, creating great visibility for our product. But what benefited us most was mentoring and exposure to larger startups further along their journey. One early conversation with 1776 cofounder Evan Burfield made a huge impact on me. He pointed to our revenue and customer growth rate and coached me on what that meant for the future of the company — and my role in it. This helped me grow from a software hobbyist to a software CEO and changed the trajectory of the company. Now, Actionfigure is deploying mobile, screen and web applications to help move employees of some of the world's largest companies and attendees of global sports championships. Through all of this, we're using machine learning and generative AI to accelerate transportation planning processes. Actionfigure wasn't the only 1776 success story. Morning Consult, a decision intelligence company-turned-tech unicorn valued at over $1 billion, began there and is now headquartered in downtown DC. Social Tables, an event planning startup, also shared the campus, opened a downtown headquarters, and then was acquired for over $100 million by Tysons-based Cvent. Then there's MPOWER Financing, which has raised over $350 million to deploy loans to international students. The tech community 1776 created flourished up through the pandemic, and many of these companies are still in DC or the DMV. Unfortunately, the pandemic disrupted the meetups and in-person connectivity that startups require, and without a nucleus like 1776, the next wave of startups is struggling to form connections and find a home. Fortunately, there have been important steps to rebuild a nurturing tech support system. The DC Tech & Venture Coalition, launched two years ago, attracts many of the region's leading startups and investors and runs a revitalized DC Tech Meetup. The District is home to DC Startup and Tech Week, which has its 10th anniversary this October. But the city needs another incubator to provide what 1776 offered — community and mutual learning in a physical space — for innovators building in the heart of the world's most innovative democracy. And the tech sector could be the answer to the city's dismal office occupancy rate. Small tech companies, including startups, attract a base of young employees who often live closer to the office and have fewer barriers to office attendance. Both these companies and their employees benefit from collaboration across a network of similar companies. That's how they learn about emerging technologies and connect with customers, vendors, partners and investors. DC must support new and growing startups with a physical hub that provides 'critical mass' and incubator services, and Station DC is taking the initiative by opening in Union Market. But it will be critical for Station DC's backers, including the District, to support a high level of programming and business services to attract new entrepreneurs and experienced advisors, investors, and connectors. But companies need space to grow, and the District needs to consider how to support the core of DC between downtown and Dupont, which hosts most of the existing tech companies and available office space. The world is grappling with big policy problems that need tech solutions, from transportation and education to artificial intelligence, climate change and public safety. If DC supports our innovative startups, no city is better positioned to solve them.
