We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Howard Freeman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Howard below.
Howard, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump into the story of starting your own firm – what should we know?
I started my firm out of necessity.
I’d helped start a venture-backed company in 2021, and even though I found the first three investors, whose money launched us — including that of my own mother — after 15 months as the #2 person on the team, the company “decided to go in a different direction” and my contract was terminated. The “team meeting” on the day after Labor Day 2022 was my dismissal videocall. The founder, my friend since high school, couldn’t even stay on video the whole time for some reason. He wouldn’t look at me.
I was devastated. It was easily the lowest point in my career. So I had to find something to support my family. I was 59 years old.
I decided to take my wife up on all her years of saying, “Monetize your relationships!”
So I started a fundraising consultancy helping other early-stage founders like myself find outside venture capital.
I had known I’d be off the team at some point, but I didn’t expect it so soon. Since then, the company has thrived, and I’ve never stopped being grateful for their stewardship of investor money.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My goal is to create lasting value across every sphere I touch—clients, colleagues, and community alike.
Now in my third decade of fundraising, I specialize in forging connections between those who have resources and those who can deploy them to bring shared visions to life. Together with a trusted network of deal partners, I have advised more than two dozen startups since 2023 — from Pre-seed to Series B — and have supported nonprofit initiatives, collectively raising more than $250 million to tackle some of the world’s most urgent challenges. I also work with VC firms, helping them raise new funds (finding LPs) and I do have one nonprofit client that, among other things, helps legally resettled refugees in Dallas and new immigrants launch businesses and help their families to flourish. I love their work.
I am proud to have co-founded Team Wildfire, a climate-tech hardware company that harnesses patent-pending jet-engine technology to combat wildfires and mitigate their devastating effects. It was an honor to be the second employee and lead fundraising for the first two rounds of financing, including a pre-seed investment from Draper Associates (Tim Draper).
Since late 2022, my team and I have helped founders in a variety of industries, providing the guidance, strategy, and partnerships needed to catalyze growth and impact.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
My pricing model has been a very effective strategy for client acquisition and retention, and repeat business.
I require a retainer, but I also offer a 90-day “guarantee”: If by Day 90 I haven’t secured 50x in term sheets what the first month’s retainer is, I give a clawback to the client of that first month. My retainer for months 2-6 (I ask for at least a 3-month engagement) is 50% of that first month, so in effect the clawback guarantee “de-risks” the client’s outlay of cash, and it lets them know I have real skin in the game.
But the most effective “strategy” is actually my years of experience in my field. It’s no sign of immodesty to say that experienced applied well is wisdom, and what I bring to clients is life experience, deep fundraising industry knowledge and a “truffle hog’s” sense of knowing where to find cash. Inevitably, I also serve as a champion, a cheerleader and a “consigliere” for founder-clients.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
LinkedIn/Sales Navigator is great, but the best source is when people find ME. My most successful client outcome came after a VC firm found me because I was both a fundraiser and also had close ties to their main client, which is a university-based angel network.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lenoxhillpartners.com/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-freeman/
- Twitter: https://x.com/LenoxHillPrtnrs
