Turning VISION into TRACTION

From uncertainty to unstoppable—InPaceline powers founders with coaching, capital, and strategy.

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About InPaceline

At InPaceline, we believe founders shouldn’t have to go it alone. Just like a paceline in cycling—where riders draft off each other to go further, faster—we help entrepreneurs gain momentum by working in formation.

Our mission is simple: turn founder uncertainty into unstoppable progress.

We equip founders with the coaching, tools, and playbooks to:

Go to Market Faster → launch MVPs, test channels, refine messaging, and validate ideas.
Build Stronger Products → from Amazon store setups to product-market fit experiments.
Scale Smarter → streamline operations, optimize marketing, and grow sustainably.
Access Capital → when the time is right, we help you build investor-ready systems.

Whether you’re venture-backed or bootstrapped, early idea stage or scaling fast, InPaceline is built to help you move with clarity, confidence, and speed—always with a network drafting behind you.

The Paceline Advantage

Storytelling & Brand Positioning

We help brands articulate their unique value through authentic storytelling and effective positioning. By framing your product or service as a transformation, we ensure that your brand resonates with its audience and stands out in competitive markets.
Capital Raising Guidance

As experienced investors, we provide actionable advice for securing funding. From pitch deck creation and financial modeling to investor relations and term negotiations, we ensure you present your vision compellingly to the right stakeholders.
Product Development & Go-to-Market Strategy

Leveraging expertise in manufacturing, design, and product-market fit, we guide founders in turning concepts into market-ready products. Our approach includes hands-on operational support, user experience mapping, and scalable go-to-market strategies.
Enterprise Value Creation

We focus on building scalable and sustainable business models by identifying key performance indicators, optimizing revenue streams, and enhancing margins. Our frameworks help establish a clear North Star for tracking and measuring success.
Strategic Planning for Exits

Whether you're preparing for an acquisition or a public offering, we provide strategic guidance to maximize enterprise value and ensure a smooth, high-return exit process.

What Our Clients Say

Working with Sarah, Clay and The Elevated Pitch team last year was a game-changer for our brand. They helped refine our messaging and materials, making our story clearer and more compelling. Beyond that, Clay has been incredibly generous in opening his network, connecting me with key players in manufacturing, investment, and engineering. Not only are they experts at what they do, but they’re also genuinely great people to work with.

Greg Prosser
CEO- Hansel Medical
When I came to Founders Circle I was going through a period where my team was beginning to unravel. Going through the program helped me re-establish my original vision, define a product, provided me insight on how investors look at companies and gave me the confidence to pursue my complete vision. Without FC, I don't know that I would be where I'm at today!

Nick Smith
CEO -Hauska.io
I just wanted to reach out and thank you for your mentorship and support! As you know, I've very much a technically-minded person over a business-mined person. Without your guidance, I think the presentation in Chicago would've been significantly lacking the business elements needed to succeed. I'm sure a lot of the things I've learned from you will go on to help me significantly in the coming years.

Anthony Beckett
CEO Markify
Clay Banks has been instrumental in transforming Prettythaibrand.com by building a robust online direct-to-consumer channel and revamping our Amazon storefront, which now significantly contributes to our annual revenue. His strategic insights and expertise have also enhanced our product presentation to grocery retailers, boosting our market presence. We highly value Clay's contributions and recommend him for strategic growth and operations.

Robert Strong
CEO Pretty Thai
Working with Clay Banks has been a game-changer for Curb Cover. His expertise in investment strategy and brand development has not only strengthened our financial footing but also transformed our online presence on web and social. Thanks to Clay's guidance in the early days of our company, we were able to raise investment, build a new brand and set our company up for future success.

Matt Kyser
CEO Curb Cover
Founders Circle is the place to get tactical information about clarifying and communicating your vision. Practicing and learning alongside a group of founders going through the same thing provides the motivation, inspiration, and comradery all founders dream of.

Brooke Sherwood
CEO- New Wave Ventures
I've been a member of a lot of different business groups, think tanks and brainstorming sessions, but none has really brought me so much value in such a small window of time as the Founder's Circle. More than being a small business course with expert leadership, this is also a group of business owners and founders who are interested in supporting each other and enhancing our shared experience

Hannah Thiessen Howard
Founder - Slow Knitting
Founder's circle was an excellent way to begin to understand the foundational steps of starting a company. If you're unclear where to begin or how to turn your idea into reality, founder's circle is a great place to start!

Robert Patterson

Our Client’s Success

Hansel Medical

Designed to meet the specific tracking & management needs of surgical and nonsurgical assets
[Investment Strategy] [Pitch Deck] [Elevated Pitch]

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GloriLight

Bible verses projected on your child’s ceiling
[Product Development] [Branding] [Investor] [Go-to-market] [E-commerce]

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TinkRWorks

Hands-on learning that engages every student
[Investment Strategy] [Pitch Deck] [The Elevated Pitch] [Business Model]

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Meet the Team

Clay Banks

FOUNDER
An 8x startup founder featured on Shark Tank™, Forbes, and TechCrunch, Clay has over 23 years of experience in building companies across hardware and software. He guides brands through product development, fundraising, and scaling with a proven track record of unlocking growth.
Micah Haynes

Creative & Social Media Lead
Micha brings brands to life online. With a keen eye for design and storytelling, she builds engaging content and social strategies that connect with audiences and spark growth.
Nima Aref

Product & AI Development
Nima brings deep experience in software and app development, AI-driven solutions, and rapid prototyping. He specializes in transforming complex ideas into functional, scalable products that push innovation forward.
Joel Sankey

Amazon Sales Consultant

Joel is our e-commerce strategist, specializing in scaling brands on Amazon. He leverages deep expertise in listings, advertising, and data-driven growth to maximize visibility and sales performance.

Join The Paceline

Book a Meeting + Free Toolkit

Fill out a short form to unlock our Founder’s Toolkit (playbooks, resources, and guides) and schedule a call with us.

Start Here
Inpaceline Weekly Substack

Go deeper with exclusive playbooks, growth experiments, and founder insights designed to help you launch faster, test smarter, and scale stronger.

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The Founder's Round

Our new Founder’s Round fosters innovation in consumer electronics and software. By applying, entrepreneurs gain access to:
Tailored investment opportunities
Hands-on coaching in product, branding, and scaling
Strategic resources to refine your model and accelerate growth

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Putting the “Performance” in KPI.

We take pride in the journey, putting in the reps and overcoming big challenges.

72

Startups coached and achieved Product Market Fit

321%

Average annual revenue growth

21

Products invented and launched in market

533

Startups coached

76%

of brands go from $0 to $1M in 18 months

92%

of founders raise capital with InPaceline

The Founders Round

Coaching and Investment for Game-Changing Brands

Our newly launched Founders round is designed to foster innovation in consumer electronics and software. By applying to the studio, entrepreneurs gain access to: