Dan Moyers
where thought meets action
I'm driven to lead, manage, and work on teams solving important problems with innovative solutions. I do this by combining strategic thought with disciplined action.
After 25+ years as an operator at early-stage companies I transitioned to venture in 2023. I made this strategic transition because it allows me to back the next generation of entrepreneurs with impactful capital and provide them value-add support by drawing on my operating experience and network as they pursue their vision and dreams.
After 25+ years as an operator at early-stage companies I transitioned to venture in 2023. I made this strategic transition because it allows me to back the next generation of entrepreneurs with impactful capital and provide them value-add support by drawing on my operating experience and network as they pursue their vision and dreams.
Work
At present I am the Associate Director at Purdue Innovates Ventures and my CV/Bio/Resume provides a complete overview of my work experience.
Startups
As an active participant within Indiana's entrepreneurial ecosystem (and a side hustle entrepreneur myself) I am deeply committed to helping founders who are building companies that are solving problems with innovative solutions. I do this through two organizations that I co-founded and founded respectively as well as pursuing my own side hustle startups in the fly fishing industry.
I have also helped several founders go from the idea stage to creating and bringing their products to market, and I also mentor early-stage startups through several pre-accelerator and accelerators such as Gener8tor's gBeta, The Heritage Group's Hardtech Accelerator, and Techstars.
- zWORKS entrepreneurial and coworking center is a nonprofit that I co-founded in 2015 and has become the Zionsville area's leading organization for supporting and catalyzing entrepreneurship. zWORKS has become a truly "notable node" in the Indiana entrepreneurial ecosystem as to date 28 startups have incubated and grown through zWORKS and collectively raised $75M+ in angel and venture capital.
- Stryde Ventures is my personal venture platform spanning strategic services, investing, and also housing my side hustle companies.
- Catchflo is a fishing-themed casual footwear company I founded in 2021. It is a fun and rewarding side hustle that is a quadruple intersection of my passions for fly fishing, business, product design...and yes, the expressive fun of footwear.
- Catcha was a first of its kind fly fishing knowledge marketplace company that I founded in 2018. It was another fun and rewarding side hustle that was a triple intersection of my passion for fly fishing, recurring revenue digital businesses, and digital products.
I have also helped several founders go from the idea stage to creating and bringing their products to market, and I also mentor early-stage startups through several pre-accelerator and accelerators such as Gener8tor's gBeta, The Heritage Group's Hardtech Accelerator, and Techstars.
Investing
Supporting founders and their startups through seed investing is a passion and strategic business pursuit for me. I do this through Stryde Ventures and an investment partnership I founded with a co-investing partner. To date I've experienced three (3) exits from my four (4) investments and the fourth startup continues its growth and journey.
Additionally, along with my co-investing partner, I am an LP in M25 Ventures' Fund III as part of our diversified strategy to invest throughout the Midwest in promising seed phase companies.
Additionally, along with my co-investing partner, I am an LP in M25 Ventures' Fund III as part of our diversified strategy to invest throughout the Midwest in promising seed phase companies.