Demetrius Bethea’s journey is a true tale of entrepreneurial resilience and success. From his early days as a web services enthusiast, Demetrius climbed the corporate ladder at Vanguard and GoDaddy before venturing into his first business at just 21 years old. This initial venture, a healthcare technology staffing agency, gave him invaluable insights into workplace dynamics and employer challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n After selling his company to a larger staffing agency, Demetrius decided to pivot back to technology. Dozens of iterations finally came to fruition in the form of Marro Technologies – bridging the gaps and inefficiencies he had observed in his staffing agency days.<\/span><\/p>\n Quoting Demetrius<\/span><\/i>, \u201c We wanted to help businesses run better, faster and leaner, and that\u2019s what we\u2019ve been able to do with our software at Marro Technologies now.\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n \u00a0We wanted to help businesses run better, faster and leaner, and that\u2019s what we\u2019ve been able to do with our software at Marro Technologies now.\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Demetrius’s vision for Marro was clear – help businesses run better, faster, and leaner. His focus initially was on small businesses who are paying for several software packages yet not using or underutilizing several of those.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Marro identifies relevant software for various processes for its clients and recommends to get rid of redundant or underused software.<\/span><\/p>\n Demetrius saw some initial success in this segment but the rate of growth was far from what he was looking for.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Hoping to achieve accelerated growth, Demetrius joined a state-wide business accelerator program run by Arizona\u2019s economic agency. The virtual accelerator was powered by StartupWind Innovation & Mentoring platform.<\/p>\n Using the accelerator program Demetrius went deeper with customer discovery, spoke to mentors using StartupWind platform and identified the market segment that would value the technology immensely \u2013 the private equity-backed companies in the midst of restructuring proved to be a the right market for Marro.<\/p>\n Sure enough, the Virtual Accelerator did wonders for Marro Technologies. Some of the biggest takeaways from the StartupWind program for Demetrius were:<\/p>\n Demetrius used the StartupWind platform for the first time to apply for pitch competitions. He immediately noticed how easy and simplified the process was with StartupWind compared to the long application processes with other platforms.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n He spent a lot of his time during the accelerator, utilizing StartupWind tools for ideation, business model canvas, business planning and mentoring. He extensively used StartupWind platform for managing deliverables and connecting with experienced mentors and coaches.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cStartupWind does an amazing job at connecting aspiring entrepreneurs to the people and resources they need to accelerate their growth\u201d, <\/i><\/b>says Demetrius.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n \u201cStartupWind does an amazing job at connecting aspiring entrepreneurs to the people and resources they need to accelerate their growth\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Demetrius appreciated the centralization of information as the StartupWind platform provided him a single place to hold all his business info in an organized and confidential place for future reference.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n With the newfound connections and the right market segment to target, Demetrius feels confident about the year to come, knowing they can onboard customers and expand their team.<\/p>\n StartupWind\u2019s Customer Discovery module was a key feature for Demetrius. At the start of the program, Marro Technologies was utilizing a monthly SaaS subscription model, but after receiving the guidance from the mentors and doing deeper customer discovery, he found out that most customers preferred a quarterly or annually payable model over a monthly payment.<\/span><\/p>\n StartupWind\u2019s Customer Discovery Module helped Demetrius to organize crucial information at one place that is editable, accessible and private.<\/span> He also benefited using StartupWind\u2019s Business Model Canvas tool to develop the economic story of his business which he found very user-friendly and easy to use.<\/span><\/p>\n According to Demetrius, one of the best parts of StartupWind platform was reaching out directly to mentors. Scheduling meetings was very easy and frictionless and the mentor connections had a profound impact on Marro\u2019s trajectory.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cStartupWind’s Idea Canvas and Business Model Canvas provided me with a single place where I could reference customer interviews, the business model canvas, and other essential business information. The customer discovery and business model canvas tools are user-friendly and relevant. The insights and connections acquired through the Accelerator run on StartupWind Platform played a pivotal role in our accelerated growth, ultimately leading us to pivot toward private equity-owned start-ups and securing $1.1 million in signed contracts<\/i><\/b>\u201d, as quoted by Demetrius.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n \u201cStartupWind’s Idea Canvas and Business Model Canvas provided me with a single place where I could reference customer interviews, the business model canvas, and other essential business information. The customer discovery and business model canvas tools are user-friendly and relevant. The insights and connections acquired through the Accelerator run on StartupWind Platform played a pivotal role in our accelerated growth, ultimately leading us to pivot toward private equity-owned start-ups and securing $1.1 million in signed contracts<\/i><\/b>\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n What\u2019s Next for Demetrius and Marro Technologies?<\/b><\/p>\n Marro Technologies has been recently selected as one of five start-ups to join the University of Arizona\u2019s inaugural Arizona FORGE Accelerator. The program is an accelerated course designed for swiftly growing companies. It refines strategies and prepares entrepreneurs to pitch effectively to investors and secure funding necessary for accelerated growth.<\/p>\n Looking ahead, Marro Technologies is gearing up for an epic growth spurt.<\/p>\nHow Arizona\u2019s State-wide Accelerator Empowered Demetrius<\/b><\/h2>\n
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StartupWind\u2019s role in the state-wide accelerator\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
How StartupWind’s Mentoring & Customer Discovery helped Demetrius?<\/b><\/h2>\n