Dave Barcos
Startup Advisor & Venture Strategist | Community Catalyst | Founder of North Bank Innovations | Helped 120+ Founders Raise $14M+
- Role
- Chapter President at Applied Ai Association Aaia
- Location
- Vancouver, WA, US
- LinkedIn followers
- 500 followers
About Dave Barcos
How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself?\" — EpictetusI help founders in Southwest Washington turn napkin scribbles into companies investors fight to back.After 25 years running creative for Nike, Intel, Microsoft, ESPN, and the Portland Trail Blazers, I left the big agency world and built something more interesting. Today I run North Bank Innovations — the region\'s hub for high-growth startups. Over 1,250 founders strong, with programs that have helped teams raise $14M+ in early-stage capital.My edge: I speak both \"big vision\" and \"ship it.\" Not a developer, but I translate complex tech into clear roadmaps that designers, engineers, and investors can actually execute on. We built a 15-minute gut-check framework that shows founders exactly where their product, marketing, team, finances, sales, and ops need work — then hands them two or three actions to own each week. Simple. Brutal. Effective.Things I\'m proud of- Helped Pan\'s Mushroom Jerky grow from early-stage importer to trade-show darling to a Shark Tank deal and seven-figure revenue- Helped over 30 startups form, find co-founders, and build out products ito enter the market- Built \"Startup Conversations in the Couve\" community from 0 to 1,400+ fans and monthly attendees- Co-founded 5+ startups, one successful exit- Advised 120+ founders- Reviewed 500+ startups for SXSW Pitch- Helped founders raise $14M+ in seed and Series A capitalIf you\'re a founder tired of polite nods and want blunt, actionable feedback — let\'s talk.What I offer- Incubator intake for venture-ready teams- Go-to-Market & AI Readiness Audits — surface hidden growth levers- Fractional Strategic Leadership — paid advisor, not babysitter
Experience
Chapter President
Nov 2025 — Present
Education
Getting S*#@ Done
Advanced, Getting S*#@ Done
Skills
- Entrepreneurship
- Start-Up Consulting
- Early-Stage Startups
- Brand Development
- Branding & Identity
- Brand Development Strategy
- Corporate Branding
- Creative Strategy
- Marketing Strategy
- Strategy
- Lean Startup
- Startup Marketing
- Graphic Design
- User Interface Design
- Interactive Advertising
- Creative Direction
- Art Direction
- Logo Design
- Social Media Marketing
- Marketing
- Corporate Identity
- Collateral
- Brochures
- Copywriting
- Advertising
- Branding
- Start-Ups
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