The Monthly Blend: Recent Episodes
Anthony Millin and Tien Wong
The Monthly Blend Podcast is a monthly podcast for people vested in the DMV startup ecosystem. Each show will be a perfect combination of inspiring guests (who will highlight and discuss their experiences, lessons learned, and vision for the region), research-driven discussions on the different facets of the ecosystem designed to educate and challenge thinking, and opportunities to drive collaboration among a broad spectrum of participants in the DMV startup community.
The Monthly Blend co-hosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong sat down with DC Startup & Tech Week (Formerly DC Startup Week) Founders/Organizers Rachel Koretsky and Seema Alexander to hear all about the exciting rebrand, all the incredible tracks of content being offered this year including AI and of course, all the fantastic speakers and community leaders that will be there!
Check back with the legendary Kathie Callahan Brady, CEO of Frederick Innovative Technology Center (FITCI), to learn about all the recent changes going on with the new facilities, specialized programming, and the fast growing entrepreneurial ecosystem it represents.
Tune in for a DMV cyber update with key players Maurice Boissiere of DataTribe, Brian Gallagher of CodeLock, and Larry Letow of CyberCX, and hear more about how our region is leading innovation in the cybersecurity field in both public and private sectors.
Checking back with leaders in the life sciences startup ecosystem, The Monthly Blend co-hosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong speak to the CEO of MD Tech Council Kelly Schulz, Founder of Ecphora Capital Deborah Hemingway, and Founder of Solaxa Christian Walker to get an update on why this region is still a powerhouse in life sciences and biotech. Hear from these leaders, how venture capital, startups, and critical associations are ensuring the DMV region continues to lead the country in these areas.
Checking back with the startup ecosystem in Baltimore to hear how the region has grown and is hotter than ever! Join The Monthly Blend to speak to veteran Baltimore founders, funders, and connectors – Jeff Cherry, Christopher College, Andrea Pais, and Sherrod Davis - to hear how Baltimore is joining the DMV as a startup stronghold.
Join The Monthly Blend as they kick off 2024 with an episode focusing on female founders in the DMV. Cohosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong have the pleasure of discussing the progress made for female entrepreneurs with Springboard Enterprises CEO Natalie Buford-Young, Citrine Angels Cofounder Lisa Friedlander, Sky Squad founder Julie Melnick and Veza Innovations Founder Karen Maschi. But why are we still at 2% everyone asks? Why does less than 2% of all venture capital dollars go to female founders and why has this number not changed in decades?
Join The Monthly Blend cohosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong as they discuss 2023 the year in review. Anthony and Tien look at the fundraising market and pace of this past year, valuations, growth in the DMV region, bold initiatives, the value of what NEXT, NEXT RAISE and Connectpreneur bring to our ecosystem, and what to expect for 2024.
DC Startup Week 2023 will kick off on Monday, October 16th and lots of exciting programs, speakers and networking happy hours are in store. Listen in as Rachel Koretsky, Founder DCSW/CEO Upace, Seema Alexander, Co-Chair DCSW/Founder Disruptive CEO Advisory, and DMV rock star entrepreneur Mariam Nusrat, CEO Grid/Breshna tell The Monthly Blend all the great things, and a few surprises, that await attendees. Sign up Now https://www.dcstartupweek.org/
The DMV is climbing the ranks as a top entrepreneurial ecosystem! Listen in to what 3 rock star entrepreneurs have experienced in their journey as Xiaonao Liu, PhD, CEO of Nanobiofab, Denise G. Tayloe, CEO of PRIVO, and Otha Smith III, CEO of Tetragram talk to The Monthly Blend. Co-hosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong dig into how our region has changed, what is the current funding landscape, and how our community continues to grow.
Listen now to this critical and informative discussion of how AI is already impacting our world, with a particular focus on the healthcare industry. Join co-hosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong as they speak to Dr. Moira Schieke, Founder of Cubismi, a new decision-based AI technology revolutionizing healthcare, and global AI expert, ex-Microsoft leader and author, Tom Lawry. This is an episode not to be missed.
What do you know about SBIR funding? Is it right for your startup? No better place to learn the basics as well as the ins and outs of SBIR grants than with our two experts in this month’s The Monthly Blend. Listen in when Dr. Diane Hickey, SBIR Consultant & Founder, Diamond Chameleon Group, and Commander Christopher Steele PhD, US Navy Physiologist, talk to co-hosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong about the SBIR process inside and outside the federal government and how it can accelerate your startup into full growth mode.
Founder of DCA Live, one of the DMV’s top ecosystem builders, Doug Anderson brings along 3 of this year’s 2023 Red Hot Entrepreneurs – Shavini Fernando (OxiWear), Laura Randa (Toivoa) and Vishal Chintawar (Givhero) – to join The Monthly Blend co-hosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong for this new episode. Listen in and hear the incredible stories of these “red hot” startups as well as Doug’s own history of supporting and building the tech community in our region.
The Monthly Blend co-hosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong had the exciting opportunity to sit down with George Thomas, Chief Innovation Officer at Connected DMV, Jim Cook, Former VP, Strategic Engagement and Partnerships at MITRE Corporation, John ‘Jay’ Lowell, Principal Senior Technical Fellow, Disruptive Computing & Networks at Boeing and Kaniah Konkoly-Thege, Chief Legal Officer at Quantiniuum to understand how cross-sector quantum innovation is occurring in our ecosystem. How are we accelerating opportunities and competition for quantum and what are the perspectives from the industry and current research?
Back in 2021, The Monthly Blend talked to DMV Accelerators who play an integral role in our startup ecosystem. We are back in 2023 with an update from Halcyon, Conscious Venture Labs and Techstars. What’s the latest and what’s to come and how do they work hand in hand with founders and funders to nurture and de-risk startups. Check out their insights and efforts with Anthony and Tien!
Techstars is playing big in the DMV with 2 programs in Washington, DC and 1 in Baltimore. Partnering with JP Morgan and Upsurge, Techstars is bringing its secret sauce to our region enabling startups to launch, grow and scale with precision and success – creating “dragons” and unicorns.
Seth Goldman is a DMV legend as a prolific, serial entrepreneur, social impact leader and industry pioneer. Seth has literally put his money where his mouth is in everything he does and tells The Monthly Blend he is just getting started.
The Quantum World Congress, coming to DC on Nov 29th through Dec 1st, is the first-ever gathering of its kind. QWC will connect the world’s quantum ecosystem, including the brightest researchers, innovators, technology developers, legislators, and industry experts. Its mission is to accelerate the value of the growing quantum industry. The Monthly Blend welcomes the organizers of QWC Connected DMV Leaders George Thomas, Sarah Bauder, and Matt Erskine.
September 12th – 16th is DC Startup Week this year and it is back in person! Our region’s premier event for entrepreneurs and investors provides a full week of 100+ events and 250+ speakers. Cohosts of The Monthly Blend, Anthony Millin and Tien Wong, sit down with DCSW Founders and Organizers to learn what’s in store for this year!
Networking for growth is an integral part of any successful business and there are hundreds of organizations that exist to assist. The Monthly Blend cohosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong discuss two of our region’s top networking groups - Cadre and Association for Enterprise Growth - with their respective founders Derek Coburn and Mark Haas.
Join The Monthly Blend for a critical discussion of the state of small business in the DMV region, specifically MD and DC. Hosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong sat down with Carl Brown, Executive Director of DC Small Business Development Center (SBDC), and Jennifer Smith Funn, Regional Director Baltimore City/County SBDC to learn how these crucial organizations are changing the landscape of small business in our region.
Listen in when two pillars of the DMV tech media community – Sara Gilgore, Reporter at the Washington Business Journal and Editor of DC Inno, and Christopher Wink, Founder and CEO of Technical.ly – speak to The Monthly Blend about how they see our region’s strengths and weaknesses, what stories are important to the growth of our ecosystem, and what the future holds for the DMV region.
Jeff Grass, a DMV native and serial entrepreneur and now Founder/CEO of Hungry, speaks with The Monthly Blend for our May episode. Jeff, Tien and Anthony discuss Hungry, the marketplace that connects businesses to top area chefs for all their catering needs, the impact of the pandemic on Hungry and how he pivoted successfully and what keeps him up at night.
Listen in to this episode of The Monthly Blend when the CEOs of Maryland Tech Council and Northern Virginia Tech Council, Marty Rosendale and Jennifer Taylor, talk to co-hosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong about the challenges faced by the DMV region, their key initiatives for 2022 and how both organizations will strive to grow individually and collectively to meet the demands of our tech community.
Listen in when The Monthly Blend hosts speak to Melissa Bradley, Managing Partner of 1863 Ventures, CoFounder of Ureeka, Georgetown University Professor, and so much more. Melissa is in a class by herself as a trailblazer for underrepresented founders and cultivating our ecosystem of talented entrepreneurs and investors.
Sally Allain, Head of JLABS @ Washington, DC, and Dr. Kurt Newman, Pres/CEO of Children’s National Hospital sit down with Tien and Anthony to discuss how JLABS and Children’s National are impacting pediatric healthcare in our region and nationally, and why they partnered to create a research and innovation campus at the old Walter Reed Army base.
After a year of talking to the leaders of the DMV region, let’s hear from our hosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong. Learn about their backgrounds as founders of various startups, their experiences, and what led them each to their current roles as builders of our entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Make sure to catch the first part of this discussion in Ep.14! Want to find out what to expect from our region’s growth in 2022? Tune in as The Monthly Blend speaks to the DMV’s economic development leaders Victor Hoskins, Pres/CEO of Fairfax County Economic Development, Jack McDougle, Pres/CEO of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, and Ben Wu, Pres/CEO of Montgomery County Economic Development Corp, to discuss how we recover from COVID19, the importance of Amazon’s arrival, and how sector collaboration is the key to sustained growth.
Want to find out what to expect from our region’s growth in 2022? Tune in as The Monthly Blend speaks to the DMV’s economic development leaders Victor Hoskins, Pres/CEO of Fairfax County Economic Development, Jack McDougle, Pres/CEO of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, and Ben Wu, Pres/CEO of Montgomery County Economic Development Corp, to discuss how we recover from COVID19, the importance of Amazon’s arrival, and how sector collaboration is the key to sustained growth. Make sure to stay tuned for Part 2 of this conversation!
Hear how DataTribe – the Cyber Startup Foundry – is leading our region to build cyber giants that change the world – including one of their Challenge Winners SightGain. Listen as co-hosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong speak to Tony Surak, Chief Marketing Officer & Partner at DataTribe, Maurice Boissiere, Chief Customer Officer at DataTribe, and CEO of SightGain Christian Sorenson all discuss the future of cybersecurity in the DMV and globally.
DC Startup Week 2021 is bigger and better than ever. Co-hosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong talk to DCSW Founder and Organizers to discuss the startup ecosystem in the DMV, what DCSW is doing to help entrepreneurs of all stages, industries and backgrounds and what surprises are in store for a great week!
Join four of our region’s leading proponents and changemakers urging more access to capital for female and underrepresented founders to discuss what their organizations are doing, the progress that has been made and just how far we still have to go.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic our region was leading the country in the life sciences and biotech arena. Since the pandemic, however, with companies like Adaptive Phage Therapeutics and Novavax leading the way with industry support from groups like MD Tech Council the DMV is poised to lead the country in these areas.
The startup ecosystem in Baltimore is hotter than ever and about to grow even stronger with the arrival of Techstars Equitech and UpSurge! Join The Monthly Blend to speak to veteran Baltimore founders, funders and connectors – Deb Tillett, Christopher College and David Warschawski - to hear how Baltimore is joining the DMV as a startup stronghold.
The Monthly Blend finishes their conversation with Connected DMV Leaders Stu Solomon, Sarah Bauder, Matt Erskine, and George Thomas as they describe their simple but grand mission: One Region. One Team. One Plan. One Result. One Stronger DMV
Please make sure to listen to the first part of this conversation in episode 7 before checking out this episode!
The Monthly Blend talks to Connected DMV Leaders Stu Solomon, Sarah Bauder, Matt Erskine, and George Thomas as they describe their simple but grand mission: One Region. One Team. One Plan. One Result. One Stronger DMV
Hear from MD Business Innovation Challenge Corporate Leaders John Joaquin of IBM, Emily Durfee or Healthworx, and Pritpal Kalsi of SC&H Group, as they describe the mission and vision of the Challenge: to provide a deliberate mechanism for corporations to leverage the Maryland innovation ecosystem, to advance their competitive advantage while creating mutual benefits for all and creating an ecosystem in which innovation thrives.
Ever wonder what it’s like to be an entrepreneur in the DMV and how our ecosystem has developed and grown over the last several years? Check out the good, bad and the multitude of ways we can still progress and better our startup community with the Entrepreneur Episode on The Monthly Blend.
Accelerator programs play an integral role in any startup ecosystem. The DMV is no exception and is extremely fortunate to house a plethora of great accelerators. The Monthly Blend talks to the leaders of our area’s premier accelerators to understand how they work hand in hand with founders and funders to nurture and de-risk startups. Check out their insights and efforts with Anthony and Tien!
Top University Leaders (Georgetown, GWU, AU, UMD, Marymount and Howard) talk to The Monthly Blend about how best to spur innovation and entrepreneurship in the DMV and what role they believe they play in uniting the ecosystem and helping founders de-risk the startup journey to build for success.
True to The Monthly Blend’s mission of catalyzing regional collaboration, in this Episode, we bring together the brand new CEOs of both TEDCO and CIT, mirror organizations in their respective states of MD and VA. Troy Stovall and Bob Stolle meet for the first time and share their visions for their organizations. Topics include investment, stimulating economic development, areas of focus, and diversity & inclusion. You may be surprised to hear what these leaders have to say about what’s coming for MD and VA!
Listen to Anna Mason Partner Rise of the Rest and Ollen Douglass Managing Partner of The Motley Fool as they discuss, with Co-hosts Tien Wong and Anthony Millin, the state of Venture Capital in DMV including where it is now and where it could be in the future and the importance of inclusion and diversity.
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Show Notes Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Volutpat maecenas volutpat blandit aliquam etiam erat velit scelerisque. Turpis massa tincidunt dui ut ornare lectus. Pretium viverra suspendisse potenti nullam ac. Cursus in hac habitasse platea dictumst. Enim ut tellus elementum sagittis vitae et leo duis. Nisi est sit amet facilisis magna etiam tempor. Enim sed faucibus turpis in eu mi.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Volutpat maecenas volutpat blandit aliquam etiam erat velit scelerisque. Turpis massa tincidunt dui ut ornare lectus. Pretium viverra suspendisse potenti nullam ac. Cursus in hac habitasse platea dictumst. Enim ut tellus elementum sagittis vitae et leo duis. Nisi est sit amet facilisis magna etiam tempor. Enim sed faucibus turpis in eu mi.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Volutpat maecenas volutpat blandit aliquam etiam erat velit scelerisque. Turpis massa tincidunt dui ut ornare lectus. Pretium viverra suspendisse potenti nullam ac. Cursus in hac habitasse platea dictumst. Enim ut tellus elementum sagittis vitae et leo duis. Nisi est sit amet facilisis magna etiam tempor. Enim sed faucibus turpis in eu mi.