Dreamore, Grow More: Welcome!

An online community garden for founders, investors, and business leaders

Welcome to our first edition!

Dreamore, Grow More isn’t just a newsletter…it’s an online community garden.

This is a shared space for you to learn and grow with other founders, leaders, investors, and creators throughout the global startup ecosystem.

We ALSO have a physical garden on 10 acres in Coastal California, where we host events and are breaking ground for construction next year. Keep scrolling to find out more!

As a company, we believe in the intersection of Commerce, Community, and Creativity. Our purpose is to help startups grow, nurture valuable relationships, and spread joy.

If you have similar goals, you’re in the right place.

Dreamore is a purpose-driven recruiting and advisory firm, women/diversity led. We’ve built 1000s of startups over the last 30 years and have been featured in Forbes, MSNBC, CNBC, Bloomberg, LA Times, LA Business Journal, Founders in LA, Malibu, & more.

Davina, Annemarie, & Lydia

Table of Contents

🌍 Connect More

We’ve hosted events in Los Angeles since the 90s as a means of real connection.

We are enthusiastic supporters of other purposeful community builders. If you want to promote an event in future publications, let us know!

Dreamore Hike & Picnic is a monthly event on our 10 acres in Malibu/Topanga, bringing together founders/leaders/investors/creators in a parklike setting.

Our next event: August 18, 2024, 4pm to sunset.

It’s our LAUNCH PARTY for 3 reasons: FounderSuccess; Dreamore, Grow More; and coastal approval (after five years!) to break ground for construction. We’ve been working so hard! It’s time to celebrate!

Bring a picnic and RSVP here.

Other Happenings in the Los Angeles Area

💬 Share More

This Week's Founder Spotlight: Annemarie Penny

Each week we will highlight an inspiring founder with a story to tell. So let’s start with our fearless leader - and let us know if you’d like to be featured.

“We’re on a mission to help as many purpose-driven startups as we can, grow sustainably and improve the odds of success… and create more joy in all we do”

Annemarie Penny

Ten words to describe your business? "Purpose-driven recruiting/advisory firm, featuring FounderSuccess, uplifting women and diversity"

What’s a pivotal point that’s defined you? "I think my biggest pivots have been geographical. I lived in Jerusalem as a teenager and learned so much about diversity and history. Then I moved to California to build my life here after college; I started with $200 and a brown car - look at me now! And definitely the biggest pivot was the Woolsey fire, losing a home and sense of identity, feeling more pain and loss than I ever had, but coming through it like a phoenix.”

What's your challenge? "Being an overachiever with a lot of scarcity mentality. I’m finally learning that I have abundance, especially with all of the amazing people in my life now! But I still wrestle with scarcity feelings, and probably always will."

Why are you doing what you are doing? "Purpose is our why, so I love this question. After the fire and pandemic, I felt sad beyond imagination. I finally realized the problem: I had lost my purpose. It almost didn’t matter what I chose, so long as I picked SOMETHING and got back on track. And thus, Dreamore was born - the company, the land, and this “growth mindset” way of thinking. Find Your Why is magic! I recommend everyone read this book and apply it."

More from Annemarie: "I've always had an entrepreneurial spirit, even as a shy child. It’s important to embrace who you are, and accept your limitations but don’t let them stop you. Sending encouragement to founders everywhere, no matter where you’ve come from or what challenges you’re facing: You Got This. Don’t Give Up.”

Read more about Annemarie here!

📚 Learn More

This is our Knowledge and Advice column, where we’ll introduce valuable tools and insights to help you thrive. We won’t get TOO granular but intend to share information you can’t find just anywhere.

Contributions welcome - this is our featured guest writer spot. We would be thrilled to attract some of the brightest minds in our sector here.

Topics? Questions? Let us know what you’d like to learn more about.

Introducing FounderSuccess™

Applying new science to predict and improve the odds of startup success

Why do some founders succeed - Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, Sarah Blakely - when 90% of all startups fail?

To answer this question, a group of scientists spent 14 years studying 21,000 founders and startups. They used Crunchbase data and scraped social media. They had groundbreaking AI & ML tools to apply data science beyond our past capabilities - and SPECIFICALLY for startup environments.

What they discovered was pretty interesting:

  • Entrepreneurs are wired differently than “regular people” in a clearly measurable way.

  • Startup success is predictable based on specific combinations of SIX types of entrepreneurs.

  • For a startup team to succeed, it requires individuals motivated as individuals, not as the group - this is very different from a hierarchical, corporate structure.

So what can we do with all of this information?

That’s exactly why Dreamore, in collaboration with SageSpring Associates, LLC, has launched FounderSuccess™, to:

  • reveal crucial gaps in your founder/leadership team,

  • hire and/or develop your team with less uncertainty,

  • uncover blind spots so you can actually address them,

  • right-size tasks, levels, and responsibilities,

  • enhance individual motivation based on inherent type,

  • and get you WHAT YOU REALLY WANT:

    A CLEAR PATH WITH BETTER ODDS OF SUCCESS.

We’ll talk more in future editions about 4 entrepreneurial traits, 6 entrepreneurial types and how specific combinations will predictably improve the odds of success by 8%, 20%, or even more! Click Here to Learn More.

Using our AI powers for good! and never forgetting the human element.

😂 Giggle More

Laughter is the best medicine! Here’s a meme to brighten your day and keep the positive vibes flowing. We are not professional comedians 😄 Everyone please share your favorite humor, and you’ll get a special shout-out if we like yours best!

🏡 Build More

Dreamore is our company, and it’s also a physical place that we are developing on 10 acres of California coastal land.

We’ve always integrated home with business in a purposeful way. We invite you to follow this story, which is VERY much like building another startup.

Except possibly crazier, because the story involves fire, and more permits than you can count, and supply chain issues, but also much JOY.

Our latest EXCITING update is that the California Coastal Commission hearing is finally scheduled on August 8 and the project is deemed COMPLETE! This has been 5 years in the making, so it is a significant milestone achieved.

There is an opportunity here for real estate investment. If that interests you, click Build More for access to our business & architectural plans.

rough sketch of the exterior

we’re making our own super bloom

uninterrupted ocean views!

🤝 Support More

We're dedicated to supporting founders from diverse backgrounds, including Female Founders, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ communities. One of our own is also a founder of Element Apothec, a brand at the forefront of the evolution of consumer health and well-being.  Click to save 20%!

If you are a purpose-driven business particularly female/diversity led and would like to sponsor/be featured here in future publications, let us know!

Remember: it’s Dreamore, not fear more!
Annemarie Penny
dreamore.io