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S3 E97 - Unlocking the Power of RegCF Investors
Interview with Joey Hayes
Everyone talks about helping startups raise capital, but far less attention is paid to what happens after the raise. At thru., we believe the biggest untapped resource for entrepreneurs is their community: investors, advisors, operators, and supporters who are often willing to help, but rarely know how. The problem is not a lack of goodwill, but a lack of infrastructure.
We help founders understand and segment the network behind their capital, identify the right people for specific business needs, create personalized asks, and track the outcomes. That could mean investor-powered referrals, customer introductions, reviews, hiring leads, partnerships, market expansion support, or future funding opportunities.
thru. is building the first network activation infrastructure to make getting help the easiest part of building a business. We help founders better understand, communicate with, and activate their communities for growth; turning passive capital into active support.
Originally from New York and now based in Amsterdam, Joey Hayes brings 20 years of experience across hospitality and technology, including 11+ years at Booking.com across Global Accounts and Technology Partnerships. He has also studied at East Carolina University, New York University, and Cornell.
In 2021, while working full-time, Joey opened his first business: a restaurant concept called Mac Shack. The business ultimately failed after two years, leaving him with a difficult but defining insight: one of the hardest parts of entrepreneurship is the cost of isolation.
While looking for his next project, Joey noticed the same pattern across his 65+ portfolio companies. Fundraising created community, energy, and momentum, but once the raise ended, that support often faded. Founders were left with valuable human capital around them, but no easy way to understand, engage, or activate those relationships.
That realization led Joey to work closely with startups, particularly in the equity crowdfunding space, on “network activation.” The potential was clear, but so was the friction: founders often have people willing to help, yet asking for and organizing that help is still inefficient, awkward, and reactive.
Now, Joey is building thru. to make getting help the easiest part of building a business — and to make the entrepreneurial journey less lonely, more supported, and more human.
