By Becca Downs, Spoke City Writing
When Jennie Moser began applying for auditions as an opera singer, she soon saw room for improvement when it came to streamlining the process of growing a network and sharing an artistic portfolio. As a result, the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music alumna founded a platform for artists to showcase their work and network without the mess of mixing personal and professional social media outlets.
Now, IU Ventures is shining the spotlight on Moser’s growing success with her company, called Stagetime. The platform allows artists to customize their online portfolios and manage their networks in a professional manner more suitable for the industry.
Earlier this year, Stagetime received an investment from the IU Angel Network and has since achieved significant success and growth. In the last month alone, Stagetime earned second place in the Innovation Showcase put on by Venture Club of Indiana. Shortly after, Stagetime won first place in the Crossroads Pitch Competition hosted by The Mill, where the company got its start.
“The competitions were a fantastic opportunity to tell the Stagetime story in its entirety and to broaden the network of those cheering us on,” Moser said. “It’s a tough time for the performing arts, so it was very inspiring to receive such strong support from those at the Innovation Showcase and Crossroads, and to affirm that our work is important and exciting to those beyond our team.”
Jason Whitney, associate vice president of IU Ventures and executive director of the IU Angel Network, sees great potential for Stagetime.
“We knew from the tremendous response Stagetime garnered from our angels that there were big things on the horizon,” Whitney said. “These results provide affirmation that everyone else sees value in what Jennie and her team are working on as well.”
The 12th annual Innovation Showcase, organized by the Venture Club of Indiana, opened doors for Moser when Stagetime placed second in the competition. To win second-place honors, Moser created a three-minute video pitching Stagetime to be judged against a competitive field of 30 other startups. The Innovation Showcase awarded Moser $4,000 in prize money.
The fifth annual Crossroads Pitch Competition, where Stagetime took first prize, aims to guide promising Indiana-based startups on a path to success. The Mill, a coworking and entrepreneurial space located in Bloomington, hosted the event. Moser recorded a 10-minute video pitch for the first round of pitches, then virtually pitched to a live audience and panel of judges during the finals.
For her first-place win, Moser received $5,000 in prize money, an opportunity to pitch at the Elevate Nexus pitch competition for $80,000 on Oct. 29 and the opportunity to pitch to the Flywheel Fund for $25,000. The company also has access to an in-kind sponsorship from FullStack, which includes payroll, human resources and benefits services.
Moving forward, Moser has set high goals for her company.
“Since the investment in August, we’ve finished user testing and have been able to put the personnel infrastructure in place to scale to meet demand,” Moser said.
As she looks ahead, Moser wants to make sure Stagetime suits the changing needs of the industry during these uncertain times.
“We have entered into key partnerships with notable organizations, such as The Dallas Opera, to ensure that Stagetime evolves alongside the necessary innovation occurring in the live performing arts in the face of the pandemic,” Moser said.
