Why do Comic-Con attendees provide better market research than focus groups, and how can trade shows become your product development laboratory?

Crowdfunding isn't just about money—it's about community validation and smart risk-taking. In this episode of B2B Breakthrough, host Ciara Cristo chats with Nathan Nalevanko (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-nalevanko-29014133), Senior Design and Tech Outreach Lead at Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/), about what makes for a successful campaign. Learn how to validate product-market fit through live community feedback, build lasting relationships with passionate backers, and navigate the challenges of bringing physical products to market. Whether you're testing your first idea or scaling your third product launch, Nathan breaks down the strategies that turn side hustles into million-dollar businesses.

Tune in to learn:

• (00:00) Introduction: Crowdfunding as Community Validation and Smart Risk-Taking
• (02:17) Case Study: Christian Reed's $1.2M Recon Tools Success Story
• (08:06) Understanding the Passionate Backer Community and Customer Loyalty
• (15:59) Managing Product Evolution and Setting Expectations
• (21:10) Capital Requirements and Supply Chain Challenges
• (25:22) Post-Campaign Growth and Second Launch Success
• (28:01) Common Pitfalls and Product Development Requirements
• (33:06) Resources and Getting Started on Kickstarter

Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• Scaling a Purpose-Driven Brand: Inside HoneyBug's Growth Journey
  (https://b2b-breakthrough-podcast.castos.com/episodes/scaling-a-purpose-driven-brand-inside-honeybugs-growth-journey)
• How Mid-Day Squares Disrupted Snacking Through Storytelling (https://b2b-breakthrough-podcast.castos.com/episodes/not-final-audio-how-mid-day-squares-disrupted-snacking-through-storytelling)
• Disrupt or Be Disrupted: Future-proofing your Supply Chain with Kerim Kfuri
  (https://b2b-breakthrough-podcast.castos.com/episodes/disrupt-or...

• (00:00:00) - B2B Breakthrough: Crowdfunding
• (00:00:46) - Crowdfunding for Design: B2B Breakthrough
• (00:02:14) - Kickstarter Success Story: Recon Tools
• (00:05:03) - How to Marketing Your Kickstarter Campaign
• (00:07:33) - What Kind of Unifying Features Do You Find in the Backer
• (00:09:18) - What Would You Say About Long Term Customers on Kickstarter?
• (00:11:29) - The Role of Backers on Kickstarter
• (00:17:21) - Kickstarter Creators on the Supply Chain
• (00:20:55) - Crowdfunding 101: The Challenges Creators Face
• (00:23:58) - Kickstarter and Retail: Where Do Projects Live Post-Kickstarter
• (00:25:05) - What's Their Take on Round 2 of a Kickstarter Campaign?
• (00:27:27) - What are the Biggest Pitfalls on Kickstarter?
• (00:32:25) - Kickstarter: How to Start a Campaign on the Internet

Why do Comic-Con attendees provide better market research than focus groups, and how can trade shows become your product development laboratory?

Building a toy business that sparks imagination while navigating supply chain challenges requires persistence, creativity, and direct customer feedback. In this episode of B2B Breakthrough, host Ciara Cristo chats with Jeff Lawber (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jefflawber/), the creative force behind Marmals (https://www.marmals.com/), an adorable modular magnetic toy fostering imaginative play. Jeff shares his path from industrial designer to toy entrepreneur, revealing how he's built lasting relationships with over two dozen suppliers through Alibaba.com while maintaining his vision as a solopreneur. Learn how trade shows became his testing ground for innovation, why direct customer feedback drives product development, and how he weathered tariff challenges through creative problem-solving and domestic innovation.

Tune in to learn:

• (00:00) Welcome and Marmal Origin Story
• (08:00) Solopreneur Challenges and Manufacturing Relationships
• (14:06) Trade Shows as Product Development Laboratory
• (20:22) Dual Market Demographics and Modular Design
• (22:09) Supply Chain Challenges and Tariff Navigation
• (26:42) Upcoming Product Launches and Comic-Con Circuit
• (30:35) Building Community and Future Vision

Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• Scaling a Purpose-Driven Brand: Inside HoneyBug's Growth Journey
  (https://b2b-breakthrough-podcast.castos.com/episodes/scaling-a-purpose-driven-brand-inside-honeybugs-growth-journey)
• How Mid-Day Squares Disrupted Snacking Through Storytelling (https://b2b-breakthrough-podcast.castos.com/episodes/not-final-audio-how-mid-day-squares-disrupted-snacking-through-storytelling)

Disrupt or Be Disrupted: Future-proofing your Supply Chain with Kerim Kfuri
(https://b2b-breakthrough-podcast.castos.com/episodes/disrupt-or-be-disrupted-future-proofing-your-supply-chain)

• (00:00:00) - B2B Breakthrough Podcast
• (00:00:40) - Meet the Toy Maker
• (00:01:14) - Marmal's Magnetic Art Toys: Where Everything Clicks
• (00:04:07) - The Making of 'Magnus'
• (00:05:25) - The Toy Maker's Collaboration With Suppliers
• (00:09:22) - Marmalades: Five Years in the Business
• (00:11:22) - Jeff Lauber on Will Meets Way
• (00:13:07) - Bob Ley on the Toy Trade Show
• (00:14:33) - Have You Received a Feedback Letter From a Customer?
• (00:15:43) - The Toy Line's Marketing
• (00:17:19) - What Do You Need To Know About Prototyping?
• (00:18:49) - How To Market Your Fidget Toy
• (00:20:30) - Challenging the Supply Chain
• (00:23:06) - What does balance look like for a solopreneur?
• (00:24:14) - The 3-D Animation of Kids
• (00:25:29) - Marvel's Chris Jones on Moving Forward
• (00:26:15) - Comic Cons: A Community
• (00:28:23) - Minimals: When Can we Expect to See Them?
• (00:29:02) - B2B Breakthrough: Comic Con 2017

Why are founders who avoid buzzwords and rhetorical questions 10x more likely to secure follow-up meetings with investors?

The difference isn't having the most innovative product or the slickest presentation—it's understanding the psychology behind investor decision-making and communicating with the confidence that comes from genuine preparation. In this episode of B2B Breakthrough, host Ciara Cristo chats with Kat Weaver (https://www.linkedin.com/in/katweaver/), founder of Power to Pitch (https://powertopitch.com), about mastering the art of fundraising through clear communication and confident pitching. From winning 22 of 23 pitches to helping founders raise over $50 million in grants and venture capital, Kat shares the psychology behind successful funding conversations and reveals why less than 2% of venture capital goes to US businesses, with only 2.9% of that reaching female founders. Learn how to overcome imposter syndrome, avoid common pitch mistakes, and navigate the challenging landscape of fundraising while building authentic investor relationships that extend far beyond the initial meeting.

Tune in to learn:

• (00:00) From Accidental Entrepreneur to Pitch Coach
• (03:08) Gender Bias in Fundraising: Real Stories and Strategic Responses
• (08:49) The Preparation and Psychology Behind Successful Pitching
• (15:44) Hook Strategies: Avoiding Buzzwords and Rhetorical Questions
• (23:06) Pitching Without Visual Aids and Building Clear Narratives
• (28:30) Competition vs Investment Pitching: Tailoring Your Approach
• (33:26) Mastering the Close: Memorable Endings That Drive Action
• (38:13) Follow-Up Protocols and LinkedIn Networking for Long-Term Success

Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• Scaling a Purpose-Driven Brand: Inside HoneyBug's Growth Journey
  (https://b2b-breakthrough-podcast.castos.com/episodes/scaling-a-purpose-driven-brand-inside-honeybugs-growth-journey)
• How Mid-Day Squares Disrupted Snacking Through Storytelling (https://b2b-breakthrough-podcast.castos.com/episodes/not-final-audio-how-mid-day-squares-disrupted-snacking-through-storytelling)
• Finding OEM-Friendly Factories: Expert Tips from Serial Inventor Brian Fried
  

• (00:00:00) - How to Build a Business Breakthrough Podcast
• (00:00:33) - Power to Pitch With Kat Weaver
• (00:01:03) - Power to Pitch: How to Get Funded
• (00:02:56) - Have Female Founders Got What They Needed?
• (00:03:35) - The Bias Female Founders Experience While Trying To Get Funding
• (00:08:14) - How To Pitch Your Investor
• (00:11:15) - How to Pitch With Less Confidence
• (00:14:50) - How To Make A Fundment Pitch
• (00:18:56) - AI Sourcing: The Ultimate Search Engine
• (00:19:50) - How To Make an Investment Pitch
• (00:22:25) - How To Write a Good Pitch Deck
• (00:24:40) - The Next Meeting: An Investor Pitch vs. Competition Pitch
• (00:28:48) - How To Manage the End of Your Pitch
• (00:31:03) - Next Steps: Avoid Cliches and Over-Polished Language
• (00:33:38) - How To Write A Memorable Closing Pitch
• (00:37:05) - How to Prepare Your Pitch
• (00:38:42) - B2B Breakthrough: Accelerating Business Growth