The First $500K: What It Actually Takes to Close Your Pre-Seed in the Mid-South

What does it really take to raise your first outside money in the Mid-South? Launch Tennessee CEO Lindsey Cox and Endeavor Louisville founding managing director Jackson Andrews share what they've seen from years of supporting founders across Tennessee and Kentucky: the readiness signals investors look for, the intros that actually convert, and the mistakes that cost founders months. No theory, just what works here. Walk away with a fundraising-readiness checklist you can use Monday morning.