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Member Testimonial: FreshTracks Capital

photo of the FreshTracks Capital team accompanied by their business logo

Founded in 2000, and a Chamber member since its inception, FreshTracks Capital is a Vermont-focused investment fund based in Shelburne that uses venture capital to create positive economic community impacts. The firm’s Managing Directors are Cairn Cross, Lee Bouyea and T.J. Whalen, who are actively investing as the General Partners out of its most recent fund, FreshTracks Capital IV. Across its four funds, which total greater than $47 million, FreshTracks has invested in more than 30 Vermont-based companies, including Social Sentinel, Ello, Faraday, EatingWell, SunCommon, Ogee, Vermont Teddy Bear, Drink Maple, Critical Process Systems & ThinkMD.

photos of business bikers during Road Pitch

 

FreshTracks leverages its expertise, networks and capital to support innovative businesses in partnering with entrepreneurs through multiple rounds of financing and stages of growth. FreshTracks is active with a number of entrepreneurship-focused organizations in Vermont, including the founding and annual hosting of Peak Pitch, the elevator pitch on a chairlift event held at Sugarbush, and Road Pitch, the gang of business bikers who traverse the roadways of Vermont in search of the best ideas and entrepreneurs across the state.

photo of skiiers on a chair lift during Peak Pitch

FreshTracks has been a member of the Lake Champlain Chamber since its founding 18 years ago, during which three of FreshTracks’ Partners, Charlie Kireker, Lee Bouyea and Cairn Cross have served on the Chamber board of directors. The firm has also been intimately involved since the inception of LaunchVT, the business accelerator powered by the Chamber, with several FreshTracks Partners serving on the Advisory Board, as Coaches to the teams and as Judges for the final competition during the past five years. FreshTracks is also the proud recipient of the Chamber’s 2014 Business of the Year Award.

FreshTracks Capital accepting LCRCC's Business of the Year Award in 2014

Learn more about FreshTracks Capital at www.freshtrackscap.com & FreshTracks on LinkedIn.

Here’s what they had to say about Chamber membership…

“FreshTracks is committed to LCRCC membership for three primary reasons: First is LCRCC’s support of Vermont’s entrepreneurial ecosystem through the founding and ongiong management of the LaunchVT accelerator program. FreshTracks’ partners have served as Advisory Board members and Team Coaches at LaunchVT since its inception. Second is the LCRCC’s commitment to the Leadership Champlain program where FreshTracks partner Lee Bouyea is a proud alumnus. Third is the LCRCC’s critical work and advocacy for sound public business policy in Montpelier. When LCRCC makes a call requesting testimony, the FreshTracks partners frequently answer by making the trip down to Montpelier to testify to the legislature, because we know how vital it is for the local business community’s voice to be heard in the statehouse.”
-Cairn G. Cross
Co-Founder and Managing Director, FreshTracks Capital I, II, III & IV