Found In The Rockies: Recent Episodes
Les Craig
Do you want to hear about when the idea hit the founder? When they took the leap? What keeps them going when what they are doing seems impossible? Join Next Frontier Capital as they interviews founders, funders, and contributors molding the startup landscape. Found in the Rockies is on a mission to build a strong, connected community in the Rocky Mountain region (Montana, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado)
In today’s episode, Les sits down with Will Pearce and Brad Palm from Dreadnode, one of the nation’s most advanced offensive AI and cybersecurity companies. Based in the Rocky Mountain West, Dreadnode is redefining how we think about digital defense — by taking the offensive. Will and Brad share their experiences leading red teams at Microsoft, NVIDIA, and within the U.S. Marine Corps, and how those lessons now shape their mission to secure the future of artificial intelligence.
From battlefield drones and AI-enabled cyberattacks to the regulatory frameworks that will define the next era of warfare, this conversation explores what happens when AI becomes both a weapon and a shield.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
From Red Teams to Founders
- Will Pearce, former leader of AI Red Teams at Microsoft and NVIDIA, discusses his journey from penetration testing and consulting to building Dreadnode.
- Describes how the offensive use of AI is a natural extension of red teaming — “offense leads defense.”
Brad Palm’s Path from the Battlefield
- Brad Palm, a Marine Corps veteran and former red team leader, shares how military principles of mobility, attack, and defense translate into cyber warfare.
- Offensive cyber as a transformational moment — comparing AI’s impact to the leap from muskets to machine guns.
The Rise of Offensive AI
- Will breaks down the offensive AI landscape, from code scanning and model manipulation to adversarial attacks on computer vision systems.
- How more “eyes,” even artificial ones, find more vulnerabilities — accelerating both innovation and exposure.
Building a Platform for Cyber ML Ops
- Dreadnode’s platform enables organizations to build, evaluate, and deploy AI models and agents with security in mind.
- Unlike “AI-in-a-box” startups, their approach mirrors ML Ops infrastructure — prioritizing transparency, testing, and adaptability.
- Their mission: help clients build their own capabilities, rather than just buy black-box solutions.
A Collaborative Cybersecurity Community
- Will and Brad note that in AI security, collaboration beats competition.
- “If you have confidence in your abilities, you don’t need to hide anything.”
- Despite growing investment and consolidation, the founders believe the industry is still expanding rapidly — with room for innovation and partnership.
Human + AI: The Future of the Battlefield
- Brad connects his defense background to current AI developments, pointing to autonomous drones in Ukraine as examples of real-time AI-driven warfare.
- Raises ethical and practical questions about “human-in-the-loop” systems and the urgency of explainable, auditable AI in combat environments.
- Will expands on how regulatory frameworks and rules of engagement must evolve to keep pace with privately developed AI systems.
Offensive AI Conference & What’s Next
- Hosting Offensive AI Con in San Diego — the first of its kind dedicated to offensive AI research and community building.
- The team continues to release state-of-the-art research drops, collaborating with cyber threat intel groups and enterprise partners.
- Above all, the founders share a deep appreciation for their team culture: detail-oriented, relentlessly curious, and dedicated to “winning every day.”
Resources:
Website: https://dreadnode.io/
Will Pearce - https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-pearce-a62331135/
Brad Palm - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradpalm/
Dreadnode LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dreadnode
In today’s episode, Les Craig speaks with Jim Lose, a Marine Corps veteran, longtime recruiter, and CEO of The Military Veteran (The MilVet). With over 25 years of experience helping thousands of service members transition into successful private sector roles, Jim shares his mission to place more veterans in executive leadership across high-growth, early-stage companies. Jim’s passion for service shines through as he talks about the importance of community, coaching, and aligning veterans with roles where they can have lasting impact. From his time in military intelligence to becoming the go-to resource for elite veteran talent, Jim’s journey is rooted in purpose, resilience, and servant leadership.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
A Career Built on Service
- Grew up in rural Pennsylvania; early influences of service from family (teacher, minister, Marine).
- Commissioned into the Marine Corps, became an intelligence officer and Scout Sniper Platoon Commander.
- Served under leaders like General Mattis and General Neller before they were well known.
- Left active duty after 8 years and entered the recruiting world to continue serving—this time by supporting fellow veterans.
20+ Years Recruiting and Championing Veterans
- Began his recruiting career at Lucas Group during the late 1990s.
- Helped place over 3,000 veterans and transitioned to Korn Ferry after an acquisition in 2021.
- Known for a long-term, relationship-based approach: “Today’s candidate is tomorrow’s client.”
- Shifted focus to post-transition executive placements, filling a gap in veteran recruiting not served by other organizations.
Leading The MilVet
- Joined The MilVet in 2023 to scale a mission-led, veteran-centric recruiting firm.
- Focus: place veterans in executive roles in VC/PE-backed and early-stage companies.
- Differentiators: customized search playbooks, interview scorecard development, and strategic advisory for clients.
- Firm belief: “The best indicator that a company will hire a veteran is having a veteran in the C-suite.”
The Broader Vision & Future Impact
- Identifies high-opportunity sectors for veterans: defense tech, private equity operations, and AI-resistant industries like home services.
- Emphasizes “finding a tribe” and community-building through networking dinners, events, and office hours.
- Coaching is the next frontier for The MilVet—launching an executive coaching offering in 2026.
- Jim’s long-term vision: a national movement to elevate veterans into positions of influence and impact.
Resources:
Website: https://www.themilvet.org/
Jim’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslose/
The MilVet LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/themilvet/
Summary:
In today’s episode, Les speaks with Chris Peterson, co-founder and CEO of Radicl, and a pioneer in cybersecurity innovation. Chris shares his inspiring journey from early days at Price Waterhouse to co-founding LogRhythm, and now leading Radicl - a company on a mission to bring military-grade cybersecurity to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), especially those in the defense industrial base (DIB). With humility, vision, and deep industry experience, Chris talks about the challenges of cybersecurity for SMBs, the promise of AI in threat detection, and the principles that drive Radicl’s product and culture.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
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Chris’s Cybersecurity Roots
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Grew up curious and mischievous - early hacking instincts emerged from pushing boundaries.
- First tech job at Price Waterhouse, where he was inspired by early internet penetration testing.
- Mentored by pioneers like George Kurtz (founder of CrowdStrike) and Ron Gula.
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Early work included database security assessments and automated audit tools.
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Building LogRhythm
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Co-founded LogRhythm after stints at Counterpane and Tenable.
- Bootstrapped early development by selling his home and self-funding the venture.
- Partnered with Phil Villella (nuclear physicist) and Andy Grolnick (CEO) to scale the company.
- Lessons from early days: founder commitment, frugality, focus on product-market fit.
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LogRhythm grew to 500 employees before exiting via private equity in 2018.
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The Genesis of Radicl
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Founded Radicl to address cybersecurity gaps in SMBs within the defense supply chain.
- Inspired by the SolarWinds hack and national security threats.
- Assembled a founding team including his brother Matt and a former fighter pilot.
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Mission: protect under-defended SMBs in DIB against industrial espionage.
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The Opportunity and Market Need
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DIB SMBs are often unable to afford or operate traditional cybersecurity solutions.
- Barriers include tight margins, complex compliance (e.g. CMMC), and lack of in-house talent.
- Advances in cloud, automation, and AI now make affordable, scalable solutions viable.
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Radicl addresses both compliance operations and 24/7 security operations via software + human hybrid model.
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Radicl’s Product and Platform
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Delivers “virtual SOC” capabilities—blending human expertise with AI and automation.
- Handles CMMC readiness, threat detection, incident response, and vulnerability management.
- Designed for transparency: customers can engage with Radicl’s ops team in-platform.
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AI-driven agents are increasingly being introduced to reduce cost and improve response times.
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Looking Ahead
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Preparing for a Series A raise in the next 4–6 months to accelerate R&D investment.
- Focused on doubling down on AI innovation and expanding platform features.
- Vision: democratize advanced cybersecurity for SMBs while delivering elite protection to the DIB.
- Chris aims to balance company building with family, health, and meditation—striving for better life integration as a second-time founder.
Resources:
Website:
- RADICL
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/radicl-defense/
- https://radicl.com/
- Chris Peterson
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrispetersen1/
- https://radicl.com/bio-chris-petersen
In this episode of Found in the Rockies, Les Craig sits down with Arthur Karell, Partner at First In, a venture firm investing at the intersection of cybersecurity, defense tech, and data intelligence. Arthur shares his unconventional journey from international law to the Marine Corps to scaling startups and leading M&A at Anduril, before transitioning to early-stage investing. He unpacks the realities of venture returns in defense tech, the difference between strategic and tactical problems, and why First In aims to build enduring companies—not just chase flashy innovations. With sharp insight and mission-driven conviction, Arthur offers a candid, inspiring look at what it means to empower entrepreneurs who secure national freedom.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
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Arthur’s Career Journey
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Grew up in Arlington, VA; studied at Harvard and earned a law degree from UVA.
- International corporate law with a focus on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
- Service in the Marine Corps post-9/11.
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Transitioned to startups, joining FiscalNote post-seed as one of the first employees.
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Lessons from Operating and M&A
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Helped scale FiscalNote through aggressive M&A strategy—tucking in niche data companies.
- Applied similar playbook at Anduril, crafting their corporate development team and deals.
- How defense tech M&A must align with procurement timelines and gate reviews.
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Why successful acquisitions hinge on founder-engineer-product fit and integration.
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Investment Philosophy at First In
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The focus on being truly “first in” to high-potential, early-stage defense tech startups.
- Strategic problems vs. tactical ones, to drive high-leverage outcomes.
- The importance of stage specificity and clear risk-reward underwriting.
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Is venture capital for every founder?
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Industry Insights & Emerging Themes
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Tailwinds in AI applications and industrial automation across defense sectors.
- Momentum in cybersecurity as go-to-market talent shifts to early stage.
- DoD’s structural challenges—startups must work with the system, not against it.
- Arthur’s belief that the U.S. has latent industrial capacity—what’s needed is political and contracting will.
Resources:
Website: https://wearefirstin.com/
Arthur LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthurkarell/
FirstIn LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-in/
In this episode of Found in the Rockies, Les Craig sits down with Logan Selby and Kevin Larrabee of Datashapes AI—two veterans turned tech innovators who are redefining how artificial intelligence is applied to the electromagnetic spectrum. From battlefield-tested insights to real-world commercial applications, the conversation dives into drone detection, spectrum awareness, and what it means to build a dual-use defense tech company. With 21 patents and a mission-first mentality, Datashapes is arming the next generation of warfighters—and industries—with actionable signal intelligence.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Founders’ Backgrounds: Logan Selby and Kevin Larrabee share their journeys from military intelligence and operations research to leading a cutting-edge defense tech startup.
- Mission-Driven Innovation: Datashapes AI is revolutionizing how AI is applied to the electromagnetic spectrum, particularly in electronic warfare and signal intelligence.
- Unique AI Approach: Unlike traditional LLMs, Datashapes uses a proprietary, vector-based AI system focused on real-time waveform analysis—not text prediction.
- Dual-Use Technology: While rooted in defense, the company is expanding its signal detection and analysis tools into commercial sectors like public safety, sports venues, and infrastructure.
- Drone Detection & Threat Mitigation: The conversation explores the growing problem of drone-based threats and how Datashapes is providing early warning solutions through spectrum analysis.
- Product Evolution: The team explains their transition from software-only to launching Sentinel, a hardware solution designed for field use and rapid deployment.
- Iterative Development with End-Users: Engineers work side-by-side with warfighters during exercises to rapidly integrate user feedback into the product roadmap.
- Bridging the Government-Startup Gap: Insights on building trust with military users and navigating the challenge of defense procurement as a tech startup.
- Company Strategy & Culture: The team emphasizes their mission-first culture, recent HQ move to Charlottesville, and focus on real-world impact over Silicon Valley hype.
- Trust and Transparency: Emphasis on auditable AI decisions to foster user confidence, especially in high-stakes defense environments.
Resources:
Website: https://www.datashapesai.com/
Kevin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-larrabee/
Logan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/logan-d-selby-phd-a433ab35/
Datashapes LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/datashapesai/
FoundInTheRockies #NextFrontierCapital #DefenseTech #AIInnovation #GovTech #Datashapes
In today’s episode, Les is joined by John and Levi, the co-founders of 4th State Communications, a Wyoming-based defense technology company. They delve into their backgrounds in the Marine Corps, experiences in the Warfighting Lab, and the inspiration behind their startup. The conversation explores the critical challenges of military communications in denied and austere environments and how their company is developing innovative solutions to improve battlefield connectivity. John and Levi emphasize the significance of dual-use technology, leveraging both military and commercial applications. They introduce "virtual satellite" technology, which allows for long-range, infrastructure-independent communication by manipulating the atmosphere—a capability that has potential benefits for both defense operations and the financial sector.
Resources:
Website: https://www.4thstatecomm.com/
John’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmedwardsii/
Levi’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levi-kunkel-997b0a56/
4th State LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fourth-state-communications/
In today’s episode, Les sits down with Sean Leahy and John Price from HighGround. the conversation delves into the founders’ unique backgrounds—from military service and government intelligence to data science and entrepreneurial ventures—and how these experiences inform their ambitious vision. HighGround seeks to create a centralized platform, similar to Bloomberg for equities, providing comprehensive market intelligence for defense and national security sectors. The episode highlights the challenges of navigating complex government systems, the evolving defense tech landscape, and the founders’ commitment to simplifying access to public data for transformative impact. Their mission underscores the potential for democratizing information to drive innovation and improve outcomes for both government and private entities.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- John Price shares his background, including his upbringing in Colorado, his father's career on Wall Street, and his early fascination with technology.
- Sean Leahy shares his upbringing in Northern Virginia, his experience at the Pentagon after 9/11, and his career as a government contractor.
- Sean and John discuss the early days of HighGround, including their initial 12-slide pitch deck and their commitment to the venture.
- High Ground's Vision and Market Transformation
- Impact on Emerging Defense Tech Companies and Investors
- Broader impact of High Ground on the defense industry, including potential reinvigoration and innovation in technology development.
- Thoughts on dual-use technology, the future of the defense industry, and the potential impact of High Ground.
Resources:
Sean Leahy LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/seanleahyctg
John Price LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-a-p-b8a376b/
In today’s episode, Les talks with Kenny Scott, the founder of Paramify. Kenny shares his journey from initially disliking compliance and GRC work to eventually building a successful SaaS company that automates and streamlines these processes. He discusses his background in consulting and cybersecurity, his brief stint running a hedge fund, and the pivotal moment when he decided to create a solution to the pain points he experienced in the GRC space. Throughout the conversation, Kenny emphasizes the importance of relationships, prioritizing family, and leveraging technology to enable security professionals to focus on more strategic initiatives. Kenny talks about the importance of balancing work and family and predicts a future where AI will play a crucial role in enhancing cybersecurity.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Kenny’s background, mentioning his initial interest in finance and his transition to programming.
- Kenny discusses his career progression, including roles at Google, American Express, and Adobe, where he worked on organizational risk management.
- Kenny reflects on the challenges and rewards of his career, emphasizing the importance of solving real problems.
- Kenny’s thoughts on the significance of governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) and the growing demand for security services.
- Kenny dives into the complexities of FedRAMP, explaining its purpose and the rigorous process involved.
- Kenny talks about the early days of Paramify, including the search for talented developers and the initial success with small startups.
- Kenny highlights the importance of relationships and the support from early clients like Palo Alto Networks.
- Kenny provides an update on Paramify's current status, including their FedRAMP High audit and the growth of their client base.
Resources:
Website: https://www.paramify.com/
Kenny LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenny-g-scott/
Paramify LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/paramify/
Kenny Twitter: https://x.com/kenny_g_scott
In today’s episode, Les talks with Orlando Zambrano, a West Point graduate and former infantry officer, who discusses his journey from serving in the 1/73 Airborne Brigade to working at the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). DIU, established in 2015, aims to integrate commercial technology into defense solutions. Orlando highlights DIU's three phases: 1.0 focused on building Silicon Valley links, 2.0 on rapid prototyping, and 3.0 on strategic impact at scale. Orlando discusses DIU's role in leveraging private investment and AI to enhance military capabilities, aiming for rapid adaptation in response to evolving threats.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Origins and Background of Orlando Zambrano
- Orlando recounts his upbringing in Florida and Venezuela, influenced by his parents' immigrant backgrounds and his early interest in service and leadership.
- Military Service and Early Career
- Orlando’s years in management consulting at McKinsey before transitioning to roles in the startup ecosystem, focusing on autonomy companies.
- Orlando’s decision to join the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) as a contractor, driven by the desire to contribute to national security and defense innovation.
- The importance of DIU's dual-fluency team members who can engage effectively with both the DoD and the commercial technology sector.
- DIU's history and mission, and the importance of harnessing commercial technology to solve warfighter problems.
- Examples of DIU Projects and Successes
- The role of DIU in creating pathways for private investment and supporting the growth of defense tech companies.
- Future of Autonomy and AI in Defense
- Orlando shares his admiration for the talented and patriotic people he works with at DIU, who are committed to maintaining the U.S. technological edge.
Resources:
DIU Website: https://www.diu.mil/
Orlando LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orzambrano/
DIU LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diux/
In today’s episode, Garrett Smith, CEO of Reveal Technologies, discussed his journey from the Marine Corps to founding a defense tech startup in Bozeman, Montana. Garrett, a linguistics graduate with a background in Mandarin, transitioned from government service to Silicon Valley, where he focused on drone technology. Reveal Technologies developed Farsight, a software that creates 3D maps from drone video in real-time, enhancing situational awareness for warfighters.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Garrett Smith's Background and Early Life
- Enlistment in the Marine Corps post-9/11 and his decision to pursue higher education at Stanford University.
- Garrett explains his undergraduate degree in linguistics with an emphasis on Mandarin, which he learned while serving as a Mormon missionary in Taiwan.
- Transition to Silicon Valley and Early Career
- Garrett discusses the decision to leave government for the tech startup world, influenced by the potential for greater impact and ownership in tech startups.
- Inspiration for Reveal Technologies
- Garrett explains the concept of photogrammetry and how Reveal Technologies' software, Farsight, uses it to create 3D maps from drone video in real-time.
- Future of Defense Technology and Reveal's Vision
- Garrett reflects on the broader implications of defense technology innovation, drawing parallels to the Cold War era and the current geopolitical landscape.
- Community Building and Future of Tech Hubs
- Les and Garrett discuss the future of defense technology and the potential for Reveal Technologies to continue innovating in the space.
Resources:
Website: https://www.revealtech.ai/
Garrett LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wgarrettsmith/
Reveal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reveal-technology/posts/?feedView=all
TITLE: France Hoang (Boodle.ai) \ From the White House to the BattlefieldSummary:In today’s episode of Found in the Rockies, Les spoke with France Hoang, co-founder of BoodleAI. France and Les shared their experiences and insights on optimizing AI models for efficient use in Boodle, an AI-powered chatbot. Les and France shared their experiences in the military and government, highlighting the differences in their paths and the lessons they learned about service, sacrifice, and debt. They also share their insights on entrepreneurship and investment, emphasizing the importance of culture, trust, and finding the right fit in the investment process.Here’s a closer look at the episode:France Wong shares his origin story and unique career path, from humble beginnings to co-founding Bucha Box.ai.France’s Military service before and after 9/11, including deployment to Bosnia and White House experience.France shares insights on entrepreneurship, highlighting the importance of a strong team and effective execution.France emphasized culture as a hiring advantage, interviewing candidates on why they wouldn't join the company.Entrepreneurship, fear of failure, and overcoming setbacks.Bootstrapping an aviation company, raising investment.Entrepreneurship, fundraising, and AI technology.Using AI for investment analysis, with emphasis on personalization and goal-oriented approach.AI language models and their applications in higher education.Resources:Website: https://boodle.ai/ France LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franceqhoang/ France Twitter: https://x.com/fqhoang
Matt Puopolo (StageDotO) & Travis Hawkes (Capital Eleven) \ Idaho Investing and Seed to Growth ConferenceSummary:In today’s episode, Les talks with Matt Puopolo from StageDotO and Travis Hawkes from Capital Eleven about the startup community in Idaho as well as the Seed to Growth Conference coming up in September. They discussed the growth and potential of Boise's startup ecosystem, highlighting favorable conditions such as a talented workforce and increased acceptance of distributed workforce. They emphasized the importance of supporting local founders and investing in the region to drive growth and innovation. They discuss the challenges faced by founders in accessing capital and building scalable businesses, and the need for founders to prioritize capital efficiency and pathway to profitability. Finally, they emphasized the importance of authentic networking in nurturing startup ecosystems, citing in-person events like the Seed to Growth conference as valuable opportunities for founders and investors to form meaningful connections.Resources:Matt Puopolo - StageDotOhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpuopolo/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/stagedoto/ https://www.stagedoto.com/ Travis Hawkes - Capital Elevenhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-b-hawkes-76a8a13/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/capital-eleven/ https://capitaleleven.com/ Seed to Growth Conferencehttps://seedtogrowthconference.com/
In today’s episode, of Found in the Rockies, Les Craig sits down with a dynamic guest from the Rocky Mountain region, Maggie Rodney, a principal at Massive Capital Partners. They dive into the unique and innovative investment strategies employed by Massive Capital, focusing on deep tech and climate tech ventures. Maggie shares her compelling journey from a finance career to joining the Peace Corps in Rwanda and ultimately transitioning into the venture capital world. Listeners will gain insights into Massive Capital's distinctive model, the importance of personal interactions in investment, and the exciting future of technology and innovation.Here’s a closer look at the episode:Career evolution: Peace Corps, litigation, to venture capital.Peace Corps in Rwanda.Understanding industry fundamentals and principles, despite differences in size and structure between firms.Hydros Ventures FellowshipUnique investment model with SPVs and pre-committed index fund.Benefits of the Massive model for founders, including reduced complexity and the potential for interaction with investors before the investment closes.Investment strategies and sectors, including climate tech and verticals with potential impact on the world.Climate tech and deep tech investments, including energy transformation, circular economy, and space technology. Colorado's lifestyle and people, finding them unique and engaging.Resources:Website: https://www.massive.vc/ Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggie-rodney/Massive LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/massive-vc/
In today’s episode, Les talks with Gabriel Wyner, the creator of the most funded app in Kickstarter history - Fluent Forever. Gabe details his fascinating journey from a science-focused student pursuing dual degrees in music and engineering, to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the language learning space. He shared experiences learning languages through immersion programs that led him to dream in foreign tongues. His story provides inspiration for those seeking to unlock their potential and open up new possibilities through perseverance.Here’s a closer look at the episode:Gabe’s dual passions for engineering and singing, with a focus on the Renaissance scholar prize and language learning for operaLanguage immersion programs and dreams in foreign languages. Cheating on a language test to gain admission to a program. Defining the pain point and the ways that resources were lackingLanguage learning and teaching methods.Gabe’s book that was deemed terrible by an editor, leading to financial struggles and a new perspective on writing.Memory retention and the effectiveness of spaced repetition.Gabe shares his story of overcoming self-doubt and pursuing his passion for language learning.Resources:Website: https://fluent-forever.com/ Gabriel LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriel-wyner/ Fluent Forever LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fluent-forever/ Fluent Forever Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FluentForeverApp/ Fluent Forever Twitter: https://x.com/Fluent_Forever Fluent Forever Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fluentforeverapp/
In today’s episode, Les talks with Quique Nagle, the founder and CEO of Advisr - a sales operating system that helps organizations maximize existing resources to increase revenue and market share. Quique shares his journey with Advisr, discussing the challenges and innovations in risk management technology. He emphasizes the importance of adapting to change and leveraging new tools to enhance decision-making and efficiency. Quique also reflects on the serendipitous moments that have influenced his career path, underscoring the unpredictable yet significant impact of chance encounters. The discussion highlights how technological advancements can transform traditional industries and personal trajectories.Here’s a closer look at the episode:Quique shares his experience growing up in a small town in upstate New York and how it influenced his decision to move to Bozeman.Career path in media and advertising industry. Quique talks about his luck and serendipity in getting a job in the ad industry without prior knowledge or experience.The evolution of the advertising industry, from traditional formats to digital platforms.Digital ad products and their impact on sales organizations.Creating an algorithm to help salespeople make better product recommendations. Entrepreneurship, risk-taking, and early stages of a startup.Lessons learned from early stage company growth. Remote work and funding challenges during COVID-19 pandemic.Leadership principles and cultural values with a tech CEO. Resources:Website: https://www.advisr.com/Quique LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quique-nagle-a609401/ Advisr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/advisrio/
In today’s episode, Les talks with Blair Simpson, a Principal at Frontier Venture Capital. Blaire shares his journey from being a musician to entering the venture capital world, emphasizing non-traditional paths into VC and the music industry's influence on his career. Les and Blair talk about the impact of AI on creative fields, Blair's advice for aspiring VCs, and Blair's musical inspirations and how they relate to his work in venture capital.Here’s a closer look at the episode:Entrepreneurship and venture capital path.Music inspirations and teaching methods. Entrepreneurship, music, and technology.Non-traditional path to venture capital, with a music industry background. Networking, authentic connections, and personal branding.Early-stage B2B software investments in the US, ecosystem growth, and exit strategies. AI investment, creativity, and uncertainty. Investing, entrepreneurship, and personal growth Resources:Website: https://frontiervc.com/ Blair’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jblairsimpson/ Frontier Venture Capital LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dfj-frontier/
TITLE: Travis Lowry (Vinyl VC) \ Entrepreneurship, motivation, and investing in startups.Summary:In today’s episode, Les talks with Travis Lowry, General Partner at Vinyl Capital. Travis shares his early background in Texas as the child of an entrepreneur and how that impacted his own decision to jump into the startup scene. Travis talks about his time in Syria, and how that impacted his world view. Travis shares how he transitioned from entrepreneur to investor. His path illustrates the power of adaptability, strategic thinking, and the impact of a global perspective in the entrepreneurial world.Here’s a closer look at the episode:Travis Lowry shares his background, growing up in a household where his mother was an entrepreneur and his father was a salesman.Moving to Syria in 2010 and his startup in Syria using his Arabic language skills.Startup mistakes and lessons learned.Founding and working at a restaurant reservation platform.Entrepreneurship, venture capital, and business growth.Acquisitions, and company culture. Travis’s VC journey and approach with early-stage VC.Montana culture, travel, and entrepreneurship. Resources:Vinyl Captial Website: https://vinyl.vc/ Travis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-kirk-lowry-b00b8850/Vinyl Capital LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vinyl-capital/
TITLE: Pete Roos (Bridger Photonics) \ Revolutionizing Methane DetectionSummary:In today’s episode, Les speaks with Pete Roos, CEO of Bridger Photonics, discussing the company's journey and its photonics technology used for precise methane emission detection and topographic mapping. The discussion covers Pete's background, the founding of Bridger Photonics, its early challenges, and the evolution of its technology from topographic to gas mapping LiDAR. Les and Pete also touch on the environmental impact of BP’s work, the oil and gas industry's response to their technology, and future opportunities for growth and expansion.Here’s a closer look at the episode:Pete Roos, CEO of Bridger Photonics, shares his background and academic path leading to his role in the Bozeman-based company.Pete Gallatin County, where Bozeman and MSU are located, has the most photonics companies per capita in the US.Career path and entrepreneurship in the field of photonics. Australia as a transformative time for Pete.Laser technology and its applications in topographic LiDAR.The split of the company and its subsequent success. Successful entrepreneurship and innovation in the energy industry.How Bridger Photonics uses proprietary sensors to detect leaks in natural gas infrastructure.Methane detection and emission reduction in the oil and gas industry. Why Pete thinks being based in Bozeman helps with his company mission and culture.Resources:Website: https://www.bridgerphotonics.com/ Pete LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-roos-66526510/ Bridger Photonics LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bridger-photonics-inc/ Bridger Phtonics Twitter: https://twitter.com/BridgerPhotonic
In today’s episode, Les talks with John Cordier, the co-founder and CEO of Epistemix. They discuss Epistemix's unique approach to simulation, and how it could be seen as a blend of SimCity, Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point, and The Matrix. John shares his background, including his geospatial experiences, university choices, and his journey through public health, leading to co-founding Epistemic X. The discussion covers the company's simulation technology, its applications in public health, decision-making, and business, particularly in predictive modeling versus traditional analytics. They also explore the broader impact of simulation technology on society and public health.Here’s a closer look at the episode:John combines his geospatial experience from childhood with simulation and AI.Founding a company, simulation vs predictive analytics.Using simulations to model human behavior and predict outcomes.Using AI to predict population behavior. Using AI to analyze healthcare data and predict outcomes.Creating a new category of analytics with agent-based modeling.Using data simulations to tell better stories and connect with people.Personal side projects and education experience.Life paths and connections with a surprise twist.Where to find out more about John and EpistemixResources:Website: https://www.epistemix.com/John LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncordier/ Epistemix LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/epistemix/
In today’s episode, Les speaks with Jonathan Meyers, Co-Founder & CEO of DoneOps - which “designs, builds, secures, and maintains infrastructure so your devs don't have to.” Jonathan talks about his approach to balancing work and travel, his experiences in different countries, and his perspective on cultural diversity. He shares insights on adapting to various work environments as a digital nomad and the importance of flexibility and resilience in this lifestyle. Additionally, Jonathan discusses the evolution of his company, DoneOps, highlighting the challenges and successes in growing a business that supports digital infrastructure.Here’s a closer look at the episode:Jonathan’s experiences growing up in San Antonio, Texas and attending the United States Military Academy at West Point.Jonathan studied Information Technology at a school that was one of the first to offer a degree in the field, and they were heavily focused on computer networks and cybersecurity.Jonathan entering a hackathon in South Korea, winning it, and spending the next 6 months trying to raise money to start a business.Moving to Hawaii after Forcepoint acquired Red Owl Analytics, seeking a better work-life balance.What digital nomadism is, especially post-COVID.Jonathan describes their experience as a digital nomad, working from co-working spaces in various locations around the world, including Bali.Minimalism and digital nomadism. Challenges and adaptations of a digital nomad lifestyle.Connecting with old friends worldwide.Using SaaS apps (started by digital nomads) to find places with good WiFi to work.Traveling and working remotely with family.Cultural differences and meaningful connections created by living a nomadic lifestyle.Starting DoneOps and how it helps people to work and run their businesses from anywhere.Resources:Website: https://www.doneops.com/ Jonathan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanmeyers1/ DoneOps LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/doneops/
In today’s episode, Les talks with David Lopez who is the Co-Founder and CEO of Gritly. David talks about his journey from a challenging childhood in an underserved Colorado community to a successful entrepreneur is remarkable. His mother played a pivotal role in his achievements, including being the first in his family to finish high school. David's entrepreneurial spirit manifested early, leading him to co-found Gritly while studying at CU Boulder. Gritly evolved from a tech sales bootcamp to a comprehensive data-driven platform, aiming to empower marginalized communities with tech skills and job opportunities. Despite facing hurdles like fundraising and business pivots, David's resilience and adaptability shone through. His dedication to social impact extends beyond business, as evident in his active participation in volunteer activities, including serving on the board of A Precious Child.Here’s a closer look at the episode:Overcoming challenges and finding success through hustle and determination. 0:09Growing up in a low-income, single-parent household and overcoming challenges through determination and support from family members.David’s entrepreneurial endeavor in high school set path for college and career goals.Entrepreneurship, grit, and family influenceCreating a tech sales bootcamp for underrepresented groups. Tech sales certification program and its impact on job placement. Developing a platform for upskilling and hiring. Entrepreneurship, fundraising, and product development. Fundraising challenges and lessons learned as a first-time founder. Workforce development and job placement. Entrepreneurship, grit, and perseverance. Resources:Website: https://www.gritly.us/David LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-g-lopez/Gritly LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gritlyhq/
In today’s episode, Les talks with Patsy Landaveri, the founder and CEO of Impacto - an enterprise risk management solution to the oil and gas industry. The discussion focuses on Patsy's personal and professional journey, including her background, education, career progression, and her motivation to start Impacto.Patsy shares her story of moving from Peru to the United States for higher education and how her experiences shaped her career choices. She discusses her initial work in the energy sector, her involvement in community and business organizations, and her decision to start Impacto and develop the analytics platform called Lillico, designed to help oil and gas companies reduce regulatory complexities, lower costs, and provide powerful analytics for better decision-making. Here’s a closer look at the episode:The decision to move from Peru to the US.Patsy’s experience growing up without reliable energy and how it shaped her perspective on energy access.Patsy discussed her interest in energy management and her decision to pursue a master's degree in Global Energy Management at CU, which led to a career in oil and gas with Noble Energy and later Chevron.Being named one of the top women in energy by the Denver Business Journal in 2017.Les and Patsy discuss their passion for innovation and community involvement, with Patsy highlighting their mother's influence on their philanthropic values.The importance of taking risks and trying new things, even if it means failing.Starting your own business after life in the corporate world.Focusing on creating product-market fit through customer feedback and resourcefulness.Upcoming regulations in the industry and how they will be expensive and complex for companies to meet, affecting many industries beyond oil and gas.Patsy emphasizes the interconnectedness of economic factors and their impact on business decisions.Resources:Website: https://www.impactostrategy.com/ Patsy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patsylandaveri/Impacto LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impactostrategy/
In today’s episode, Les talks with Brad Paz - the co-founder and CEO of Zoptic. The podcast episode features a conversation with Brad Paz, the co-founder and CEO of Zoptic, a sports tech and data analytics company. Brad discusses his personal journey, originating from a family with Mexican heritage in Nebraska, and his passion for sports, which led him to play junior college basketball in California. The focus then shifts to his professional endeavors, particularly the founding and development of Zoptic. Throughout the conversation, Brad sheds light on the intersection of sports, technology, and data analytics, highlighting the significance of these elements in enhancing athletic performance and the sports industry as a whole. The dialogue underscores the importance of innovation and technology in sports, while also reflecting on Brad's unique experiences and the impact of his cultural and athletic background on his career and business achievements.Here’s a closer look at the episode:Brad Pas, co-founder and CEO of Zoptic, grew up in Nebraska and played sports in high school before attending the University of Denver.The inspiration for Zoptic was sparked by the desire to help children in sports by creating a video recording device, which was originally intended for Brad's daughter's basketball games.Brad developed a wearable tag for athletes to track their movements, which was initially intended for consumer use but later pivoted to a B2B product for team sports.Brad explains how the company's technology can provide data-driven insights for coaches, parents, and athletes to improve performance and reduce injury risk.Co-founder Tanya's diverse background and experience bring credibility and valuable insights to the company.Brad shares that the company is pursuing military and first responder applications for their technology.“We're a software company, not a hardware one, but we have a great hardware partner.”Brad: Integrating with other wearables like Whoop, Apple Watch, and Fitbit is an excellent idea for data aggregation and privacy protection.Resources:Website: https://www.getzoptic.comBrad LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradpaz/ Zoptic Twitter: https://twitter.com/getzoptic
In today’s episode, Les interviews Danielle Shoots, who is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of the New Community Transformation Fund, focusing on investments as a tool for economic equity.Here’s a closer look at the episode:Pivoting from corporate finance to starting a, with a focus on consumer behavior and financial discipline.Danielle has extensive experience in finance and strategy, having worked in various industries and held leadership roles at Comcast and the Colorado Trust.Danielle launched her own fund, Daily Boss Up, after recognizing a gap in the market for financial services tailored to young professionals and entrepreneurs.Les and Danielle discuss the potential for AI in scaling businesses, with Danielle sharing their personal experience as a TEDx speaker on leadership.Investing in BIPOC founders with a focus on the US market.Danielle launched a new fund, the Domestic Emerging Market Investment Fund, to invest in early-stage companies in the United States, with a focus on underleveraged groups and long-term growth.Danielle emphasizes the importance of valuation and growth, rather than just focusing on valuation for the sake of it.The fragility of the current venture capital (VC) model, which has not been diversified over time and is centered around a singular, non-diversified approach.Institutions must prioritize diversity and derisking in investment strategies to support founders and build healthy businesses.The importance of solving real-world problems and impacting people's lives, rather than just focusing on making money.The importance of self-awareness and accepting one's limitations to navigate feedback and criticism effectively.Feeling bored and how it can be an Achilles heel, leading to imposter syndrome and burnout.Resources:Website: https://www.demifund.com/ Danielle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-shoots/ Danielle Twitter: https://twitter.com/danielleshoots?lang=enNew Community Transformation Fund LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/new-community-transformation-fund/
Trent Mano (Convoi Ventures) \ First to find and fund Utah's next breakout founders and startupsIn today’s episode, I talk with Trent Mano. Trent is a General Partner at Utah-based Convoi Ventures. We dive into the Utah startup community, Convoi’s specific approach, and the growth of AI startups.Here’s a closer look at the episode:Growing up in the Bay Area and serving as a financial advisor to startup founders.Convoi’s Utah-focused venture capital fund and its unique approach.Why they want to be the first check.Diversifying investments across FinTech, consumer tech, and Utah-based companies, with a focus on early-stage companies and value-add beyond check writing.Investor-founder relationships and the importance of vulnerability.Founders struggle with fear of failure and loss of identity after shutting down their businesses.AI-powered pitch competition at Utah Startup Week. AI startups and their potential for success. Early-stage funding challenges in the current market. Fundraising environment and founder traits for successful startups. Authenticity and community in investing and life. Resources:Website: https://www.convoiventures.com/ Trent’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trentmano/ Trent Twitter: https://twitter.com/TrentMano Convoi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/convoi-ventures/
In today’s episode, I'm super excited to welcome my friend Russell Sprole, who is the Founder and Managing Partner of Virta Ventures, which is an early stage, climate tech venture capital firm.Here’s a closer look at the episode:Russell Sproul shares his journey as a founder and venture capitalist in the climate tech industry.Career pivot from sports TV to climate tech investing . 1:30Russell’s Emmy Awards, including three for Sunday Night Football and the Beijing Olympics.Reducing food waste in the agriculture industry. Investing in startups during the pandemic. Venture capital investing strategies and advice. Technology and innovation for environmental preservation. Resources:Website: https://www.virtaventures.co/Russell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russellsprole/Russell Twitter: https://twitter.com/RussellSproleVirta LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/virta-ventures/
Jason O’Neil and Sharayah Clancy (Sidecar) \ Building a tightly-knit community of entrepreneurs, creators, doers, and innovators.Summary:In today’s episode, we are excited to feature Jason O'Neill, founder and CEO, and Sharayah Clancy, the COO - dynamic duo of Sidecar, which is a co-working community with not one, not two, but three locations in Montana.Here’s a closer look at the episode:What brought Jason and Sharayah to MontanaThe first location in Helena - lessons learnedThe first location in Missoula.Finding a location in Bozeman. Importance of the look and feel of the space Evolution of remote work in general and the future of co-working in bozeman and Helena.Who is good for remote work? What is the future of co-working? Resources:Website: https://www.thesidecar.club/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasononeilmt/ Sharayah LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharayahclancy/ Sidecar LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-sidecar/ Sidecar Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sidecarclubmt Sidecar Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesidecarmt/
Leah Pagnozzi (RugDoc.IO) \ Identifying and avoiding potential scams through audits and reviews of various crypto projects.Summary:In today’s episode, we have Leah Pagnozzi who is the founder and CEO of RugDoc. RugDoc is is a website and platform that focuses on providing information and analysis about cryptocurrency projects, particularly within the decentralized finance (DeFi) space. The term rug in the name refers to a type of scam in the crypto world, often associated with rug pulls, where a project's creators abandon the project after accumulating funds from investors. In these cases, investors are left with worthless or nearly worthless tokens.Here’s a closer look at the episode:Leah’s early career in biomedical engineeringJoining the militaryMicro mechanics of heart valve disease.The path to becoming a patent attorney.What home renovation taught LeahHow Leah got into crypto.Teaching herself to understand the crypto code.Founding RugDoc.ioThe intersection between crypto and real estate, and how people are using crypto to diversify in the opposite direction.Leah’s advice for young professionals.Resources:Website: https://rugdoc.io/ Leah LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahpagnozzi/ RugDoc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rugdoc-io/ RugDoc Twitter: https://twitter.com/RugDocIO RugDoc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rugdocio/?hl=en
In today’s episode, we have Leah Pagozzi who is the founder and CEO of RugDoc. RugDoc is is a website and platform that focuses on providing information and analysis about cryptocurrency projects, particularly within the decentralized finance (DeFi) space. The term "rug" in the name refers to a type of scam in the crypto world, often associated with "rug pulls," where a project's creators abandon the project after accumulating funds from investors. In these cases, investors are left with worthless or nearly worthless tokens.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Leah’s early career in biomedical engineering
- Joining the military
- Micro mechanics of heart valve disease.
- The path to becoming a patent attorney.
- What home renovation taught Leah
- How Leah got into crypto.
- Teaching herself to understand the crypto code.
- Founding RugDoc.io
- The intersection between crypto and real estate, and how people are using crypto to diversify in the opposite direction.
- Leah’s advice for young professionals.
Resources:
Website: https://rugdoc.io/
Leah LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahpagnozzi/
RugDoc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rugdoc-io/
RugDoc Twitter: https://twitter.com/RugDocIO
RugDoc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rugdocio/?hl=en
In today’s episode, we have Caroline Lewis from Rogue Women’s Fund. Caroline is sharing with us what got her into investing, why she thinks investing in women is so important, and what is unique about a venture fund from the Pacific Northwest.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Caroline’s early days teaching English in South Korea for a year and traveling around southeast asia for another year.
- How did you Caroline
- Starting in Angel Investing
- Investing in women in healthcare.
- The importance of family and work balance.
- The role of the Pacific Northwest
- Starting Rogue Women’s Fund
- How do you build an enduring firm?
- Venture firm culture and succession planning.
- The importance of executive coaching and executive coaching.
- How to find more diverse founders
Resources:
Website: https://roguewmn.com/
Caroline LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinejlewis/
Caroline Twitter: https://twitter.com/carolinejlewis?lang=en
Rouge Women VC Twitter: https://twitter.com/roguewomenvc
In today’s episode, we have a pioneer in change management. Kate DeGon is the founder and CEO of ChangeSync which is a platform working to enable companies to to make strategic decisions and improve change management practices. This practice will allow companies to see internally how they are dealing with changes, and help manage changes in th future.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Kate shares her background and how she found her way to Phoenix from Madison, Wisconsin.
- What she learned from her time as a PI that she applied to being a founder.
- The importance of asking why five times to get to the root of a problem.
- What is change management.
- What is change fatigue.
- What Kate learned from working with American Family Insurance.
- The pandemic had a silver lining in the change industry, because everyone experienced a massive amount of change.
- The need for enterprise reporting capabilities.
- AI’s impact on the change management industry.
- The pandemic and how it helped focus the product.
- Bootstrapping to success.
- Status of raising their first round of financing.
- How the Phoenix ecosystem is growing.
- The patience she has had in her journey to build something great over an entire career of experience.
Resources:
Website: https://changesync.com/
Kate LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-tripalin-degon-bbb64046/
ChangeSync LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/changesync/
ChangeSync Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/changesync
In today’s episode, we have an incredible founder who is trying to change the way we think about meetings. And most importantly, how we make sure that everyone not only has a seat at the table, but a voice as well. Andres Sigcha, who is the CEO and founder of Tariy has build a way to tackle this problem.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Andres growing up in Ecuador and leaving to come to the U.S.
- Working/growing/learning at Pepsi.
- The ceiling that Andres believes kept him in middle-level management at Pepsi.
- Working in industrial sales.
- Working for a German company in Connecticut.
- The pivotal decision to move to Phoenix.
- Attending Thunderbird School of Global Management
- Running a successful food truck business.
- Brainstorming a new venture with a friend from graduate school.
- Identifying meetings as the main cause of employee burnout.
- Founding and naming Tariy.
- Only 15% of managers know how to run a meeting.
- How to train people to change what is inherently wrong.
- The four step approach to Tariy.
- Pivoting from meeting efficiency to meeting inclusion.
- Meetings as a solution to diversity and inclusion.
- How Andres maintains balance in his life.
Resources:
Website: https://www.tariy.ai/
Andres LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetingequity/
Tariy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/trytariy/
Tariy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trytariy
In today’s episode, we have a story that is one of the most incredible trailblazing journeys, you will hear. Meet Lauren Fitzpatrick Shanks, who is the founder and CEO of KeepWOL, which is a gamified learning platform for teams that enables employee engagement and retention insights for employers.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Growing up in Kansas and Missouri
- Getting out of Kansas City to get to Maryland and work for Boeing
- First black woman to win the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Design competition
- What got Lauren into aerospace engineering
- Advice to other entrepreneurs in a similar situation, breaking odds against diversity.
- Transition from aerospace to tech.
- What is behavioral management and why is it important
- How maternity leave lead to KeepWOL
- Creating human relationships with people during the pandemic.
- Building a digital platform for relationships.
- 2022 as the Year of Discovery
- Providing actionable insight and people analytics
- Early pilot results proving the concept.
- Getting into TechStars
- Growing the KeepWOL team
- What is exciting right now
- The KeepWOL facilitation training program
- What does the future look like for millennials in the job market?
- How KeepWOL relates to DEI initiatives
- Advice for other founders and moms.
Resources:
Website: https://www.keepwol.com/
Lauren’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-fitzpatrick-shanks-pmp-csm-mba/
KeepWOL LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/keepwol/
KeepWOL Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlayKeepWOL
KeepWOL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playkeepwol/
In today’s episode, we have a whole different kid of tech. Dave McCarson is on the show. Dave is the founder of Alpine Greenhouses, which is a very unique company using proprietary technology to build greenhouses for extreme climates. We get into not only the science of his greenhouses, but the benefits of growing your own food.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Dave’s background and goals for a healthy lifestyle
- Tomato Dave
- Moving to Montana
- Founding Alpine Organic Farms
- The evolution of Alpine Greenhouses.
- The difference between growing food and building greenhouses in Montana.
- Dave traveling the Rockies building greenhouses
- Alpine Growing Institute and indoor growing skills
- Passive solar technology in the greenhouse industry.
- Why growing food is important to Dave.
- When did the American diet go south?
- The Nova system and processed foods.
- Dave’s coolest projects.
- What Dave is working on now.
- What families should grow in their greenhouses.
Resources:
Website: https://alpinegh.com/
Dave LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-david-mccarson-7a346216/
Company Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alpinegreenhouses/
In today’s episode, we're talking all about the coming wave of IDTech. And we're so excited to welcome a founder with Montana family roots, who grew up in Idaho, and now lives in Utah, talk about the epitome of a rocky mountain founder, Riley Hughes, who is the co-founder and CEO of Trinsic. He is going to tell us how Trinsic can help enable you to use your identity to get access to all kinds of different products and services you wouldn't otherwise have been able to get.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs.
- How Riley became interested in tech.
- Making his mark at Sovrin Foundation
- The mission of Sovrin Foundation
- The notion of identity in the United States
- Quick learning in the Blockchain space.
- Meeting another co-founder - Tomislav
- Using blockchain as a tool.
- What is a self-sovereign identity platform?
- Why don’t we all already have self-sovereign identities
- Riley’s journey as a founder in the Rockies.
- What excites Riley about IDtech.
- What Riley would be doing if he wasn’t the founder of Trinsic
Resources:
Trinsic Website: https://trinsic.id/
Riley LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rileyparkerhughes/
Riley’s Podcast: https://trinsic.id/podcast/
Riley’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/rileyphughes
Trinsic LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/trinsic-id/
Trinsic Twitter: https://twitter.com/trinsic_id
In today’s episode, we're gonna get empathetic. We are welcoming Dr. Grin Lord, CEO and founder of mpathic, and Brian Williams, who is the VP of Engineering and mpathic. Grin and Brian are going to talk about how they are working to bring empathy into the world of AI throught their unique API.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Brian’s background and history with startups.
- Grin’s early life growing up in the midwest and ending up in Seattle.
- How Grin’s work in a trauma center inspired the idea for mpathic.
- The magic door in psychology.
- How chatbots can be trained to be more empathetic.
- Brian joining mpathic.
- Empathy rocks, the training game for therapists.
- The science of empathy.
- AI assisted fidelity monitoring to replace human doctors.
- Understanding how empathy works in the sales cycle.
- What excites Brian the most from the technology perspective.
- How mpathic is different from ChatGPT
- Looking forward to challenge ahead.
- What is something in the future that is exciting
- A vision for the future of empathy.
Resources:
Mpathic website: Mpathic.ai
Grin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grinlord/
Brain LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briw/
Mpathic LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mpathic-ai/
In today’s episode, we have Matt Hyde, who is a partner and the co-founder of Catalyst Law Group, which is a Colorado based venture and technology law firm. Matt is going to go through the ins-and-outs of being a lawyer working with startup founders as well as venture capital firms.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Matt’s Naval Academy and law school background.
- The challenge of starting over in law.
- Moving his family to Hong Kong
- Moving back to Colorado to work directly with founders
- The impetus to start a law firm.
- When is the right time for a founder to engage a lawyer.
- Structural reasons why Delaware C Corp is the gold standard for startups.
- Things to plan for or decide early on.
- What to do before you start taking money from investors.
- SAFE, Convertible Notes, and priced rounds
- The danger in raising multiple SAFE rounds
- Side Letters as part of a deal
- The importance of having a good, organized data room.
- Why Matt thinks giving back is important.
Resources:
Catalyst: https://www.catalyst.law/
Matt LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-hyde-bb79564/
Catalyst LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/catalyst-law-group-llp/
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In today’s episode, we have Rebecca Clyde who is the founder and CEO of Botco.ai. Rebecca is going to share with us her journey to creating the fully-automated, AI-powered marketing chat solution that is a HIPAA-compliant platform enabling meaningful and intelligent conversations between providers and consumers.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Growing up in Central and South America.
- Landing a job at Intel right out of college.
- Growing up in an Intel environment.
- Getting her MBA while working at Intel.
- How she got started as a consultant.
- Meeting Anu Shukla and Chris Maeda.
- Landing their first customer.
- From consumer engagement to healthcare.
- How is this different from platforms like ChatGPT.
- Where does Rebecca think AI is going.
- What’s the downside to open AI
- What is next for the Botco team?
- Rebecca’s thoughts on the future of healthcare.
- Advice for other women/founders in the region.
- The welcoming culture in the Arizona startup community.
Resources:
Website: https://botco.ai/
Rebecca Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccaclyde/
Rebecca Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceorebeccaclyde/?hl=en
Botco LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/botco.ai/
Botco Twitter: https://twitter.com/botcoai
In today’s episode, I am very excited to welcome a fellow investor and friend here in the Intermountain West, Serene Papenfus, who is a Principal at Kickstart Fund in Salt Lake City, Utah. Kickstart is a venture capital firm on a mission to help build great companies in the Wild West.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Growing up in Tokyo, Japan. And comparing the skiing in each.
- Transitioning from management consulting to Venture Capital.
- What brought Serene back to Utah.
- Kickstart Fund NOT Kickstarter
- The Kickstart mission and 6th Fund
- What does Serene think about the macro environment in the Rocky Mountains?
- Why VC is the wrong product for most founders? - Bryce Roberts article
- The difference between growth equity and VC.
- What impact the current banking environment may have on startups.
- What’s in store for the future of Kickstart and Fund 6.
- What has Serene learned from being a VC.
Resources:
Website: https://kickstartfund.com/
Serene LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/serenepapenfuss/
Kickstart LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kickstartfund/
Serene Twitter: https://twitter.com/serenepapenfuss
Kickstart Twitter: https://twitter.com/KickstartFund
In today’s episode, we explore a critical and relevant topic for all founders, optimizing personal and professional performance through coaching. We have Scott Walgren who is the founder and CEO of Credo Performance Coaching. He coaches founders and entrepreneurs through goal setting and through the startup process. And we also have Matt Maasdam, who is going to help us provide a founder perspective on coaching and on this subject. And Matt is an entrepreneur, who is the co-founder at PECOS Outdoor.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Matt’s background and introduction.
- What is coaching and what does it mean?
- How is a coach different from a mentor?
- The importance of self awareness as a startup founder.
- How and when to find a coach?
- What to expect from a coach.
- How to break down the sticker shock.
- What to expect in a coaching session.
- How Matt has benefited from coaching.
- Coaching and mental health.
- A call to action for finding a coach.
Resources:
Scott LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottwalgren/
Matt LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-maasdam-b994ab6/
Credo Performance Coaching LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/credo-performance-coaching/
PECOS Outdoor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pecosoutdoor/
PECOS Outdoor website: https://pecosoutdoor.com/
In today’s episode, we are joined by Dr. Elliot Justin, who is the founder and CEO of FirmTech. FirmTech is a company whose slogan is think smarter, get harder and the main product is a wearable tech device for improving sexual health and performance for all men, not just those with erectile dysfunction.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Elliot’s life growing up in an Army family.
- Elliot’s experience in medical school.
- Why Elliot moved his family to Bozeman.
- Pegasus Emergency Group
- How an injury led Elliot back to aphrodisiacs.
- How did you become interested in neuromodulation?
- Erectile dysfunction and performance anxiety statistics.
- What Is penis leak syndrome?
- Nocturnal erections and sleep.
- How do you measure sexual health?
- Why has this not been done before?
- What the data is showing.
- Where to find Elliot online?
Resources:
FirmTech Website: https://myfirmtech.com/
Elliot Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliot-justin-md/
FirmTech LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/myfirmtech/
FirmTech Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myfirmtech/
On today's episode, we are excited to share a powerful story of two founders who are on a bold mission to dent the universe by pioneering housing as an employment benefit. Jerryck Murrey and Aly Hollewijn, who are the co-founders of Annum.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Aly’s early experience watching her parents as entrepreneurs.
- Jerryck’s early entrepreneurial aspirations growing up.
- Learning the world of real estate and development.
- How Jerryck and Aly met.
- Identifying the connection between affordable housing and employee retention - especially during COVID.
- The value of having a partner that loves the process of building a company.
- From friends to partners.
- What is Annum?
- How does this work in practice.
- The difference between housing and other industries.
- Friction around new benefits.
- How the feelings of different generations have an impact on housing needs.
- What does the Annum universe look like?
- Leveling up society by meeting basic needs.
- How Aly and Jerryck would describe each other.
Resources:
Annum website: https://www.annumhousing.com/
Aly LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyh-shrmcp/
Jerryck LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerryck-owens-murrey/
Annum LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/annumhousing/
In today’s episode, have one of Next Frontier Capital's portfolio company founders on the podcast - Jeff Gibson, who is the CTO of MonetizeNow. Jeff and his co-founder Sandeep are revolutionizing billing systems and streamlining the process.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Jeff’s early days in Missoula, MT.
- Jeff’s start in tech with Advanced Technology Group.
- The transition from Montana to San Francisco.
- Learning data engineering on the fly at Atlassian.
- The challenges of building a product-lead growth platform.
- The problem with tech debt and tech debt.
- Deciding to team up with Sandeep to solve this problem.
- Definition of Quote to Cash.
- Deciding to leave Atlassian and start MonetizeNow.
- Raising capital
- The hiring process for the first hires - finding engineers who will do well in a startup
- Exploring use cases for larger companies.
- Keeping ties to Montana.
- How Jeff met the team at Next Frontier.
- Jeff’s advice for a young software engineer from a small town.
Resources:
MonetizeNow Website: https://www.monetizenow.io/
Jeff LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffgibsonsf/
Jeff Twitter: https://twitter.com/gibbymt
MonetizeNow Twitter: https://twitter.com/MonetizeNowIo
In today’s episode, we have a self described “Startup Addict” - Joseph Haecker. Joseph is using his vast experience in entrepreneurship to mentor new startups, and work to create a vibrant community in the startup ecosystem of Denver, Colorado.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Joseph the Startup Addict.
- Losing $283K on his first venture.
- The big mistake founders make early on.
- Turning your customer into your marketer.
- Why Joseph doesn’t believe in formal mentorship.
- Three feet from gold.
- How Joseph ended up in Denver?
- How Tech Alley got started.
- Tech Alley is one of the most meaningful startup events.
- Free resources for startups.
- Where do you go to learn more about the startup ecosystem?
- Joseph’s prediction for the Colorado startup ecosystem.
Resources:
Website: https://www.techalleydenver.org/
Joseph LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephhaecker/
Tech Alley LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-alley-denver/
Tech Alley Twitter: https://twitter.com/TechAlleyDenver
Tech Alley Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/techalleydenver/?hl=en
Tech Alley Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TechAlleyDenver
In today’s episode, we're headed for the first time to the Grand Canyon State. Last year in 2022, Arizona saw over 140 companies raise upwards of $1.1 billion, putting Arizona on the National Venture map as a strong emerging venture ecosystem. Here to tell us all about the Arizona venture scene is my friend David Paul, who is the CEO and founding member of DWP Capital.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- David’s background and how he got into VC.
- What motivated David to start his own firm.
- DWP’s SPV strategy.
- What advice are you giving to founders in your portfolio?
- Thesis and strategy of DWP.
- The power of the quick decision.
- What is unique about the Arizona Tech environment.
- What does the future hold for the ecosystem?
- The startup community in Arizona.
- What’s the future of venture in Arizona?
- Major themes or industries in Arizona.
- What if you weren’t a VC? What would you do with your time?
Resources:
DWP Capital Website: https://dwpcapital.com/
David LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpaulvc/
DWP Capital LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dwp-capital/
The Capital Stack Podcast: https://www.capitalstackpodcast.com/
In today’s episode, we are featuring an experienced startup founder who is on a mission to revolutionize communication and quality of life for families who are engaged with the entire continuum of senior care - Katherine Wells, who is the CEO and founder of Serenity.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Growing up in Colorado Springs.
- Working at Hewlett-Packard in California.
- Working with the “father of the help desk industry” - Ron Muns
- What was it like to be in a startup during the dot.com bust?
- The emotions of laying off employees.
- Getting acquired by larger companies.
- Katherine’s superpower
- Moving to Denver.
- Starting a company with her husband about co-parenting.
- Serena’s journey into startup land.
- Starting work in AI
- Working on AI with Rolls Royce
- Katherine’s mother’s Alzheimer's diagnosis
- Moving her parents into care facilities
- The problem of communication across caregivers
- Katherine’s husband Rob building her a prototype
- Deciding to fundraise so Rob could focus on the business
- The cow in the ditch
- Post COVID growth
- Mavericks of Senior Living video podcast
- Top Entrepreneur Finalist Colorado in 2022
- Partnership with World Cinema and the Thrive Innovation Center
- Katherine’s advice to people who are dealing with the challenges of family needing senior care.
Resources:
Website: https://serenityconnect.com/
Katherine LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathwells/
Serenity LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/serenityconnect/
Company Twitter: https://twitter.com/serenityengage
Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/serenityengage
In today’s episode, we have someone who has done it all founder, funder, and now contributor to our startup ecosystem. Excited to have Elle Bruno who is the managing director of TechStars Boulder.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Elle’s early days as an entrepreneur
- Why Elle focuses her angel investing on female founders.
- What’s changed in the world of investing in female founders.
- Elle’s advice to founders that are struggling with challenges/disadvantages.
- Eliminate emotion and use data.
- The importance of the founder/VC relationship
- The quintessential element of investment is spending time with the founders.
- Power dynamic shift with founders and funders.
- Why investors and founders both need to do diligence.
- What brought Elle to TechStars and the imposter syndrome.
- The difficulty in choosing the companies for the cohorts.
- How TechStars has grown.
- What the TechStars Boulder program entails.
- Advice to founders thinking about applying to TechStars.
- What’s unique about being a founder in Colorado
- Why do TechStars as a founder.
- What are you looking forward to on the personal front?
Resources:
TechStars Boulder Website: https://www.techstars.com/accelerators/boulder
Elle Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellebruno/
Techstars LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/techstars/
Techstars Twitter: https://twitter.com/techstars
Techstars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/techstars/
Techstars Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/techstars
Techstars YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/techstarstv
In today’s episode, we have Sam Fonoimoana Sam is the founder and CEO of Datajoin, which is a b2b SaaS company based in Salt Lake City, Utah, that allows enterprise customers to connect their customer behavioral data across their marketing platforms to enable truly full funnel personalization, with Datajoin’s proprietary micro integrations.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Growing up in a Polynesian family in Hawaii.
- Moving to Salt Lake City
- The path that led him down solving data problems.
- What is mico-integration.
- Top of funnel focus.
- Customer data activation and marketing data activation is where the company is now.
- How Sam’s previous jobs highlighted the problem.
- Launching a social media marketing agency with Adobe.
- Moving from a service to a product.
- When COVID dried up the pipeline.
- How the network is needed to get the round done.
- Always take the potential investor meeting.
- Advice about being a trailblazer in your region.
- Sam’s message for investors in the region.
- Exciting things on the horizon.
Resources:
Datajoin Website: https://www.datajoin.com/
Sam Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-fonoimoana/
Sam Twitter: https://twitter.com/samfonoimoana
Datajoin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/datajoin/
Datajoin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DatajoinHQ
In today’s episode, we have Wesley Eames, CEO and founder of after.com. Wesley is working to fix what is an antiquated and broken funeral system and he has the entrepreneur chops to do it.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Wesley’s early start in entrepreneurship at 12.
- Wesley’s background in business.
- Trace.com - genealogy - Wesley’s first VC backed company
- Diving into dating apps by buying another startup - MeetMindful
- Founding Tales.com with his wife
- The importance of memorializing stories.
- Why death tech?
- The death of big funeral - https://youtu.be/0hU1-kIGhJo
- No one has tried this before. Why is that?
- The environmental impact
- How death traditions have changed
- Finding a co-founder.
- The pre-planning services
- What are the locations?
- Adding the death insurance component
- Wesley’s thoughts on the future of the industry.
- Wesley’s thoughts on legacy
Resources:
Website: https://www.after.com/
Wes Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weames/
Wes Twitter: https://twitter.com/WesleyEames
After LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/after-com/
In today’s episode, we welcome back the original host of Found in the Rockies - Stef Sample. Stef now has a new company, FUNDID, which is empowering business owners on their growth journeys by simplifying business finance & access to capital
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Growing up in Billings, MT
- Moving to Missoula to study Chinese
- The Insight Studio and supporting other entrepreneurs
- How The Insight Studio helped inspire FUNDID.
- Raising her Seed round.
- Thinking of fundraising like a competitive sport
- The importance of having a good marketing plan in an ecosystem.
- If you ask for advice, you get money. If you don’t ask for money you get advice.
- How the VC world is broken.
- Closing the seed round.
- Getting business funding to small businesses - which account for 98% of all women owned businesses
- Launching a business charge card direct to those who need it.
- A move to Salt Lake to grow FUNDID
- Family Balance
Resources:
Website: https://www.getfundid.com/
Stef LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefaniesample/
FUNDID LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fundid/
In today’s episode, I speak with Zach Smith, who is the founder of the FinTech company, Align Tech, and also on a professional mission to improve financial literacy for young people. Zach's journey is underscored by his persistent commitment to create value respect and lead people from all backgrounds and walks of life.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Zach’s story and how it all began.
- Men of Tomorrow
- Growing up in Florida and having mentorship.
- How Zach’s life changed after he left the University of Florida and went to Nantucket.
- How did Zach end up in the Rockies
- The endless beach vs. the humbling mountains of entrepreneurship.
- Working with Uber - creating Mobile Auto and Diesel
- Relationship with Lincoln Tech
- What was the inspiration for Best Mobile?
- Why you have to be humble enough to recognize your own expertise.
- Developing AlignTech
- Zack’s background in crypto trading and crypto mining.
- Zach’s thoughts on entrepreneurship as a solo quest versus a family quest.
- Finding your purpose.
- What is next for Zach and his growth.
Resources:
Website: aligntech.io
Zach LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharey-smith-itilv4-0aa014123/
In today’s episode, we have an incredible team, building data driven solutions to power Diversity, Equity and Inclusion change. It's practical, real and focused. This is going to be a great episode, I'm pleased to welcome Jason Thompson, and Justus Thompson co-founders of CAPE inclusion.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Introducing Jason Thompson and Justice Thompson.
- Jason’s career in diversity and inclusion.
- The Olympic and Paralympic teams.
- Justus’s start building diversity programs.
- Working at TechStars.
- Jason’s book: Diversity and Inclusion Matters
- CAPE Inclusion: Collect, Analyze, Plan, and Execute
- The disconnect between the data and the people who use it.
- Why companies don’t focus on diversity inclusion and/or cut the programs
- The first MVP.
- What TechStars taught Justus about being a founder
- The partnership with Javier as an angel investor
- What is exciting Justus about the business right now
- Diversity is constrained by who leaves and who stays.
- Don’t try to “boil the ocean”
- What’s the right data? What are the metrics?
- Understanding blind spots
- Diversity training is tailored to the actual problem.
- Why you need to be serious about diversity in your investments.
Resources:
Website: https://www.capeinclusion.com/
Justus LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justus-thompson-he-him-his-02ab64101/
Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thompso4/
CAPE Inclusion LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/capeinclusion/
CAPE Inclusion Twitter: https://twitter.com/capeinclusion
CAPE Inclusion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/capeinclusion
CAPE Inclusion Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/capeinclusion/
In today’s episode, we have another incredible story that takes us from Idaho, to the great State of Utah. I am excited to welcome Rilee Butters, who is the co-founder and CEO of Dónde the travel as a benefit company that is taking PTO to the next level.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Rilee’s childhood in Idaho and looking for a place to belong
- How a trip to India started her love of travel
- From a collegiate athlete to BYU Advertising Program
- Film producing
- How Rilee’s experiences prepared her for Dónde
- Leaving advertising to chase her dream
- Why a travel company?
- How much PTO goes unused each year
- Empowered-PTO
- What is “good PTO” and how does it drive ROI?
- How Dónde works
- The value of travel in workplace culture
- The first year and challenges of COVID
- Optimizing the time during COVID to focus on the tech
- Raising money - while pregnant
- Advice to other women/mothers who are entrepreneurs
- Importance of confidence
- What’s coming up in the next few months?
Resources:
Website: godonde.com
Rilee Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rbuttars/?hl=en
Dónde LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/d%C3%B3nde/
Dónde Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/go_donde/
In today’s episode, we have NFC’s very own. Kirsten Suddath. Kirsten is a General Partner at Next Frontier Capital. For the first episode of Season 3 are doing a crash course in Venture Capital - a “VC 101”. We are breaking down all the Alphabet soup of VC terms, the different positions in a Venture Capital firm, where the money comes from, and what kind of companies/founders are right for Venture Capital investment.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Kirsten’s background and what got her into VC
- What is Venture Capital?
- Venture Capital Firms
- Venture Capital Funds - where does the money come from
- Types of Limited Partners
- Positions in a VC Firm - General Partner, Managing Director, Analyst, Associate, Principal, Head of Platform, Operations, CFO
- Role of LPs in investment decisions - LPAC
- How VC funds are raised - when do they get the money
- Investment period of a fund
- Management Fee of a fund
- How does the VC firm make money off of investments?
- Company exits
- Fund Carry
- Venture Capital vs. Private Equity
- What control do VCs have in the companies they invest in
- Venture Deals - Jason Mendelson and Brad Feld
- The role of a Board of Directors
- When should founders raise capital?
- Which entrepreneurs shouldn’t raise capital
- What makes a good founder investable?
- Super Founders by Ali Tamaseb
Resources:
NFC Website: www.nextfrontiercapital.com
NFC LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-frontier-caiptal/
Kirsten Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suddath/
Kirsten Twitter: https://twitter.com/KirstenSuddath
Join us for Season 3 of Found In The Rockies. Join Les Craig, from Next Frontier Capital, as he speaks with the dynamic and fascinating members of the Rocky Mountain startup community. We dive into it all from all sides, with founders, funders, and contributors. These are people in the Rockies, these are people in the arena.
In today’s episode, Abby Schlatter joins us, who is the CEO and co-founder of Bozeman based commonFont. CommonFont is a tech company that partners with the world's top companies to establish, evolve and optimize experience management solutions.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Abby’s start in Central Illinois, Harvard, Stanford Business School, Google, UNICEF
- The decision to come to Bozeman
- Life in Bozeman in 2013
- Starting to hire and grow the team
- The name commonFont and how it relates to the company mission
- Experience Management Technology
- Having too many tools that don’t work well together
- Opening an office in Rhode Island
- Who we choose to hire - commitment, heart, and grit
- How commonFont culture has been built
- Community Involvement - support of HRDC
- Challenges and overcoming them
- Thoughts on achieving success
- Pushing through tough times
- The “winning mindset” - rigor, discipline, and accountability
- commonFont Confluence event
Resources:
Website: https://www.commonfont.com/
Abby Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbyschlatter/
commonFont LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/commonfont/
commonFont Twitter: https://twitter.com/commonFont
commonFont Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commonFont/
Summary:
In today’s episode, we have an Timeri Tolnay, who is the CEO and founder of EdCuration. Timeri is an Edupreneur, who has built a company focused on connecting educators to the right curriculum and instructional resources to help their students succeed.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Timeri’s early career in education in California
- Moving to Colorado
- Understanding how schools purchase curriculum
- Developing and selling a curriculum company
- The problem Timeri was trying to solve
- Launch in 2018
- Early advice from Traction
- Raising a Friends and Family round
- Support from the state of Colorado
- First customers
- How they defined the business model
- Growing the team during COVID
- Challenges of raising capital
- What is exciting in the works
- The future of education
Resources:
EdCuration Website: https://edcuration.com/
Timeri Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timeri-tolnay-1586591a/
EdCuration LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/edcuration/
EdCuration Twitter: https://twitter.com/ed_curation
EdCuration Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edcuration/
EdCuration Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EdCuration
Summary:
In today’s episode, Natty Zola, who is a TechStars founder travel startup EverLater. He's the former managing director of TechStars Boulder and now is an investor and partner at Matchstick Ventures.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- From Colorado to Maryland for a bad track team
- Leaving Finance to develop Everlater
- How travel inspired Everlater
- The early help with Everlater and the “give first” mindset of Colorado
- Access to capital in the early days
- Getting acquired by MapQuest
- Joining TechStars as the managing director
- How Natty’s entrepreneur journey helped him succeed at TechStars
- What Natty loves most about being an investor
- The decision to leave TechStars and become a full time investor
- The Matchstick investment strategy
- Importance of collaborative investing
- The things Natty looks for in an investment
- Importance of diversity in founders
- How companies can be attractive for Series A and coastal capital
- Natty’s advice during these economic times
Resources:
Natty’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nattyzola/
Natty’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/NattyZ
Matchstick website: https://www.matchstick.vc/
Matchstick LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/matchstickventures/
In today’s episode, I talk with co-founders who deliberately relocated their early stage startup to the great State of Colorado. They are on a mission to curate learning paths for all of your interests. No more Google searches or expensive online courses. The co-founders of INDX - Susie Lira-Gonzalez & Thomas Cotter, are helping experts and tastemakers curate the best articles, podcasts and newsletters to help you quickly level up your interests and knowledge.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Early days and how Susie and Thomas met
- From big tech to the startup world
- Creative bootstrapping strategies during COVID
- Notre Dame to Denver
- The original vision
- How INDX is different from traditional ways to learn
- Value in curated content
- Who were the early adopters
- Early mistakes - what didn’t work
- Challenges for an early-stage startup
- Hitting the pain point
- Getting creative with limited resources
- Thinking about how to raise money
- What makes them a winning team
- Importance of trust
- Learning Paths
- Calling all curators
- Why curated content is so valuable
- What is on Susie and Thomas’s INDXs
Resources:
Website: getINDX.com
Susie LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susielira/
Susie Twitter: https://twitter.com/susiestartup?lang=en
Susie TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@susiestartup
Thomas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tcotter1/
Thomas Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/cottertmc
INDX LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/getindx/
INDX Twitter: https://twitter.com/getindx
INDX Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getindx/
INDX Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/INDXSoftware
**And on today's show, we have Harley Blakeman, who is the CEO of Honest Jobs. He is sharing with us one of the most authentic and powerful stories of inspiration you will hear anywhere. Harley founded Honest Jobs, to help people impacted by the criminal justice system. find meaningful employment. He is going to tell us his story, what circumstances landed him in jail, and where his passion came from to start Honest Jobs.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:**
- Harley’s early life in Texas, Arkansas, and Florida
- Tragedy that lead to drug use and drug dealing
- Incarceration and turning the corner
- The struggle with finding a job
- Understanding the pain point and finding first customers
- Mistakes made building the platform
- Educating companies about statistics around employment people with a criminal record
- Harley’s own hiring practices
- Company culture and camaraderie
- Raising capital - first Angel investment
- TechStars
- Finding a engineer turned CTO
- Advice to other founders in the early stages of their company
- The importance of legal advice early on
- Protecting your equity
- Changes in 2022
- Startup Island
Resources:
Honest Jobs: https://www.honestjobs.co/ Harley's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harley-blakeman/ Honest Jobs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/honestjobsco/ Honest Jobs Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/honestjobsHQ Harley's Twitter: https://twitter.com/harley_blakeman Honest Jobs Twitter: https://twitter.com/honestjobsco Honest Jobs YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD0oJUUcgmb42A5ORs-RlKQ
In today’s episode, we have Heather Shoemaker, who is the CEO and co-founder of LanguageI/O. She’s a linguist, but she doesn't just speak multiple languages. She also speaks programming languages. As a matter of fact, she wrote the first version of her company's enterprise software, the epitome of a technical founder and CEO, meet one of Wyoming's most accomplished startup founders,
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Heather’s love of language and communication
- From linguistics to Java programming
- Working as a globalization engineer on software globalization
- Learning from experience at eCollege during the acquisition by Pearson Education
- The importance of understanding the corporate world and cultures
- The connection between coding and languages
- Jumping off the entrepreneur cliff
- Building the translation solution
- Licensing the solution to other companies
- Going from FAQ translation to real-time translation for email and chat
- Solving the problems of nuances in different languages
- From solving the problem to becoming LanguageI/O
- Committed to staying in Cheyenne
- Going from Angel funding to VC funding
- The unique journey as a woman fundraising in tech
- What is coming up for LanguageI/O
- The future of tech in Wyoming
- Advice for founders
Resources:
Language I/O Website: https://languageio.com/
Heather's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathermorganshoemaker/
Heather's Twitter: https://twitter.com/heathersh
Language I/O Twitter: https://twitter.com/languageio
Language I/O LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/languageio/
Language I/O Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LanguageIO
In today’s episode, we are joined by Josh Nielsen, a founder who launched his tech career as a Hackstar in Boulder. He then traveled all over the world, only to return to the Rockies to build and grow something new and very exciting, Zencastr. Josh is here today to talk to us about the trajectory of the podcasting industry, what podcasters need and how his platform is innovating, modern recording tools for quality conscious podcasters
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- What brought Josh to the Rockies
- From Mechanical Engineering to Computer Engineering
- Early days at Mahalo
- TechStars Hackstar program
- Hackathon music production platform
- Moving to Australia
- Fast-tracking creating a new company
- How a quilting business comes into the story
- Why a podcasting platform?
- The problem with the available platforms
- Getting the first 100 users
- Moving to Thailand
- Making money while you sleep
- Josh’s return to the Rockies
- Solving more podcasting headaches
- What is unique about Zencastr
- Raising capital
- Bringing on a co-founder
- What’s next for Zencastr
Resources:
Zencastr Website: www.zencastr.com
Josh Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshnielsen/
Zencastr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zencastr/
Josh Twitter: https://twitter.com/joshontheweb
Zencastr Twitter: https://twitter.com/zencastr
In today’s episode, we have Amelia Wilcox, CEO and founder of Nivati. She is a founder who created a high growth mental health platform that provides the easiest way for employers to understand and manage employee mental well being. The app provides HIPAA compliant real time employee data to companies and on-demand holistic mental health solutions for employees. Amelia is here today to tell us all about her journey as a lifelong entrepreneur, the ups and downs that it entails and the exciting path she is on as a b2b SaaS founder based in Utah.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Early entrepreneurship in Kansas City
- Moving to Salt Lake City
- Lightbulb moment - the freedom in entrepreneurship
- Selling sporting goods out of her garage
- Massage business not in a traditional spa
- Learning to hire virtually before it was common
- The COVID effect
- Hitting the bottom
- The pivot and fighting back by offering new services
- Current offerings and business model
- The first official VC fundraise
- The importance of vulnerability and consistency
- Networking
- Family first
Resources:
Nivati’s Website: https://nivati.com/ Amelia’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ameliamwilcox/ Nivati’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nivati_Co Nivati’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NivatiCo Nivati’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nivati_co/ Nivati’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nivati-co/
In today’s episode, I speak with Mike Myer, who is the founder and CEO of Quiq, which is helping redefine the ways that customers are communicating with companies. Mike talks to us about the history of his involvement in the Bozeman tech community, the origin story of Quiq and what he thinks may be in store for the future of conversational AI. We also talk about the future of tech in the Rockies, and Mike gives some good advice to other founders.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Mike’s love for computer science and engineering
- Right Now Technologies based in Bozeman, MT
- Moving on to Dataminr
- How Mike’s communication style created a “light-bulb moment”
- Working with CradlePoint
- Building Quiq
- Quick adoption and growth
- Why text messaging with customer service is more efficient
- Acquiring Snaps! and the importance of conversational AI
- What’s going to happen to the phone? Is it going away?
- The future of Quiq
- Mike’s advice to founders in the Rockies
Resources:
Website: https://quiq.com/
Mike’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemyer/
Quiq LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/quiq-messaging/
Quiq Twitter: https://twitter.com/goquiq
Quiq Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quiqsters/
Quiq Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quiq_messaging/
In today’s episode, I talk with Jared Stack, the founder of Breakthrough 307, and the founder and CEO of Casper-based FlowState Solutions. We talk about Jerad’s deep family history in Wyoming, his early years as an entrepreneur, and moving to Silicon Valley when his company was acquired. We talk about what brought him back to WY, how he created Breakthrough 307 and what his unique perspective is being both a founder and an angel investor.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Jerad’s family history in Wyoming.
- First tech startup - Firehold Technologies
- Wyoming kids in San Francisco
- Early days of sourcing capital in Wyoming
- The growth of tech and venture in Wyoming
- The summer of Jerad
- Steamboat the bronco
- Breakthrough 307 and angel investing in Wyoming
- What do Wyoming founders need
- The struggle of follow-on funding
- Founding FlowState
- FlowState plans for 2022
- Why Wyoming is great for entrepreneurs
- Jared’s advice for Wyoming founders
Resources:
Jerad Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeradstack/
Breakthrough 307: https://www.breakthrough307.com/
Flowstate Solutions: https://flowstatesolutions.ai/
Flowstate Solutions LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flowstate-solutions/
In today’s episode, I talk with Dan DeCloss. He is the Founder and CEO of PlexTrac - PlexTrac is a revolutionary, yet simple, Cybersecurity platform that centralizes all security assessments, penetration test reports, bug bounty submissions, audit findings and vulnerabilities into a single location. He is going to share with us how he got started in cybersecurity, and his journey as the founder of PlexTrac. He’s going to tell us what Purple Teaming is and what his advice is for founders going after their dream.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Dan’s dream of entrepreneurship
- Naval Postgraduate School
- Department of Defense cybersecurity
- How report automating sparked the idea for PlexTrac
- The Red Team vs. the Blue Team in cybersecurity
- The importance of validation
- Deciding to commit full-time
- Why timing was right
- Unanticipated challenges as PlexTrac has grown
- The COVID impact and lessons learned
- How things changed after fundraising
- The relationship with Insight Partners
- Importance of leadership development
- What’s coming up for PlexTrac
- Dan’s advice for other founders
Resources:
Website: https://plextrac.com/
Dan’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ddecloss/
Dan’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/wh33lhouse
PlexTrac Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlexTrac
PlexTrac LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plextrac/
PlexTrac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plextrac
In today’s episode, I am talking with Clay Gordon about a VC fund who is going outside their own firm, and hosting conferences and job fairs to help startups and job seekers in underrepresented regions of the country. Clay talks about how he got started in Venture Investing, what he sees in not only Colorado, but all areas of the country, and even in Canada. We get into what is going on with venture in Arizona. Clay highlights the UNMET Conferences and all the great connections they facilitate for founders and investors.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Clay’s background and time on the East Coast
- How their approach to investing is unique
- How not being a previous founder influenced Stout Street’s early days
- Going outside Colorado to make investments
- The history behind the Stout Street name
- Clay highlights 65 investments spanning 25 states and two countries
- The importance of reputation
- The growth of VC in Arizona
- The beginnings of the UNMET Conferences
- The goals of UNMET to expedite fundraising for founders
- What Clay thinks lies in the future in the Rockies
Resources:
Website: https://www.stoutstreetcapital.com/
Clay’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clay-gordon-1380ab54/
Clay’s Email: clay@stoutstreetcapital.com
Stout Street LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stout-street-capital/about/
Stout Street Twitter: https://twitter.com/StoutStreetVC
UNMET Conferences: https://unmetconference.com/
UNMET Twitter: https://twitter.com/UNMETConference
In today’s episode, I talk with Allison Kent Smith. Alison is the co-founder and CEO of Giide, which is a platform for creators and businesses to make and share interactive audio content, for learning, marketing, communications, and much more. Allison talks about her founder story, what got her started. She shares advice for aspiring entrepreneurs in the region. We talk about her ideas around funding in the early days. We take an in-depth look into Giide and how it works. We discuss the trends in the creator economy. Allison gives some insight on the future of Giide and where it’s headed.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Allison’s background
- Louisiana to Boulder
- Guides to Giides
- The six minute pitch
- How to leverage your network
- Organizing your “Ask”
- How Giide works
- Entreprise opportunities with Giide
- The future of Giide
- General trends in the creator economy
- Highlights of content created using Giide
- Insight on what’s coming up this year
- Final thoughts for founders in the Rockies
Resources:
Website: https://www.giide.com/
Alllison’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonlkent/
Allison’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliksmith
Giide’s Twitter:https://twitter.com/giide
Giide’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giideme/
In today’s episode, I talk with John Temte. He is a general partner with Temte Capital and the co-founder and chair of Wyoming's Governor's Global Technology Partnership. John talks about his background and how he turned from entrepreneur to investor. We discuss what Boulder was like in the mid 2000s. He shares with us a little bit about the Wyoming Tech Partnership, how it got started. He talks about Wyoming’s ecosystem and what’s unique about it. He talks about the current trends and the energy industry. John makes predictions on the future of tech in Wyoming.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Entrepreneur turned investor
- Boulder in mid-2000s
- The importance of networking
- From Boulder to Wyoming
- The Governor's Global Technology Summit
- Wyoming's ecosystem
- Trends and the energy industry
- Crypto and Wyoming
- Future of tech and entrepreneurship in Wyoming
Resources:
Website: http://www.jacksonholetechpartnership.org/
2022 Global Summit: http://www.jacksonholetechpartnership.org/wyomingglobaltechsummit
John’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-d-temte-5864231
In today’s episode, I talk with Kate Beardsley and Chris Calder from the Rocky Mountain Venture Capital Association, an organization who represents entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and the service providers who support them in the Rocky Mountain region. We talk about what exactly the RMVCA is, how it got started, and what the association's goals are. They talk about the benefits of the membership. We discuss the linking tissue that connects entrepreneurs to investment. We talk about their various fun events like the Ski-Doggle, the Food for Thought Series, and the Adventure-Doggle. We talk about the major themes, strengths and challenges. They share their predictions about the future of the region and the RMVCA.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- What is RMVCA and what they do
- History of the org and how it started
- Benefits of the membership
- The tissue that connects entrepreneurs to investment
- The Ski-Doggle
- The virtual member happy hour
- The food for thought series
- How can an entrepreneur get involved
- What are the states that we want see more membership
- Major themes, strength and challenges
- What’s next in the Rocky Mountain Region
Resources:
Website: https://www.rockymountainvca.com/
Kate’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kshillo/
Chris’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophercalder/
In today’s episode, I talk with Liz Giorgi, the CEO and co-founder of soona. We talk about how Liz 's journey began with a bootstrap company that works in content creation for large companies, and a pivot to a venture backed startup that created a novel and revolutionary solution for entrepreneurs and small businesses. We talk about the TechStars program. Liz shares her company’s growth from starting without even having a company name, to Demo Day, to her post-TechStars journey. We also talk about why Liz created the Candor Clause. And what Liz thinks the next steps are to help close the gender gap in access to venture capital. Liz also shares some tips for founders and concrete things that investors can do to make progress in the right direction. Finally, she gives us some exciting things to look forward to this year for soona.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Background and origin story
- Soona's founding moment
- The prequel to TechStars
- TechStars Program
- Growth from Demo day
- Post-TechStars journey
- Did COVID affect the company's direction?
- Anything you would do differently going back?
- The Candor Clause
- Concrete things that investors can do to make progress in the right direction
- People that motivated Liz
- Tips for founders
- What's next for soona
Resources:
Website: https://soona.co/
Liz’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/lizgiorgi
Liz’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethgiorgi/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soonastudios
Twitter: https://twitter.com/soonastudios
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soonastudios/
Candor Clause: https://soona.co/candor-clause/
In today’s episode, I talk with Vanessa Otero, the CEO and founder of Ad Fontes Media. We talk about her background and how she transitioned from being a patent lawyer to a founder. We discuss news media bias, and how Vanessa is using the Media Bias Chart and Ad Fontes Media to help us all become better media consumers. We discuss her raising capital and crowdfunding. Vanessa shares why it is vital to have a news rating system and how it works. She gives us tips and advice for founders. She shares the vision for Ad Fontes and what’s next.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Background and origin story
- All Generalizations Are False blog
- From part time to full time
- Raising capital
- Origin of the name Ad Fontes
- How does it work?
- The current journalism industry
- Advice and tips for founders
- Where are you today?
- Their types of clients
- Topic of the week
- What's next and Vanessa's vision
Resources:
Website: https://adfontesmedia.com/
Vanessa’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/vlotero
Vanessa’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessaotero/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/adfontesmedia
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/adfontesmedia/
In today’s episode, I talk with Baylie Evans, . She shares her background and how she got into the VC world. We talk about the growth of Wyoming's ecosystem. We discuss the generator’s program and its benefits. We dive into the local Cheyenne ecosystem. Bailey shares some advice on joining the gBETA program. We talk about mentors and how to find them. We briefly discuss crypto and Wyoming. We talk about the current new trends and gBETA’s future.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Baylie's background and origin story
- Going into the VC world
- The growth of Wyoming's ecosystem
- Generator's program benefits
- Local Cheyenne ecosystem
- Advice to join the gBETA accelerator
- Mentors and where you can find them
- Crypto and Wyoming
- New trends and company examples
- gBETA's Future
Resources:
Website: https://www.gbetastartups.com/cheyenne
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gener8tor/
Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/gener8tor/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/baylieevans/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gener8tor/
In today's episode, I wrap up the year by highlighting the topic of hearing “no” as a founder. I highlight some interesting stories of “no” by talking about the anti-portfolio for some funds. Finally, I wrap up with some perspective on why hearing no may not be the worst thing, and how founders can handle the nos and move forward.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- The word Les hates saying the most.
- The human aspect of having a dream.
- Bessemer Venture Partners and the idea of an anti-portfolio.
- Some other fascinating stories of companies that ended in the anti-portfolio.
- Why it is ok to sometimes hear no and why it might be for the best.
- Smiling with every No.
Resources:
Les’s video for founders: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L41HqRnhplI
Anti-portfolios:
https://www.bvp.com/anti-portfolio
https://versionone.vc/the-version-one-anti-portfolio-the-opportunities-we-missed/
https://www.cbinsights.com/research/vc-missed-opportunities/
http://markbivens.com/m/antiportfolio
In today's episode, I talk with Mo Parikh, the CEO and founder of Bandwango. He shares his background, going to biomedical engineering school, joining a PhD program to start his company. We talk about his journey and bootstrapping his first few years. We discuss some of the challenges that he faced, running and scaling the business.
We talk about how as a travel company they manage to triple their revenue during the pandemic.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Mo talks about his background and his start in biomedical engineering
- "Cutting his teeth" in the startup world right out of college
- Building entrepreneurship training programs as part of his PhD program.
- How his PhD program taught him about what makes a successful entrepreneur, and ignited his passion.
- The origin story - lift ticket discounts to the evolution of Bandwango
- Early fundraising
- Bootstrapping in the first few years
- Developing a product around user needs and problems
- Mo's Superpowers
- Importance of understanding all parts of the business, humility, and rolling up your sleeves
- How Bandwango has grown
- What is unique about Bandwango in the tourism industry.
- The pivot point in 2019
- Tripling customers during COVID
- Focusing on and working to support local communities
- Success stories during COVID
- How are you managing the growth now?
- What advice can you give to entrepreneurs?
- The importance of trust in your team
- What's next for Bandwango.
Resources:
Website: https://bandwango.com/
Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/monirparikh/https://www.linkedin.com/company/bandwango/
Contact: mo@bandwango.com
In today’s episode, I talk with Shea Gerhardt, the founder and CEO of Buderflys Tech. She shares her story and why she started Buderflys. We talk about the current industry solution and technology. We discuss brand positioning and the reason behind the name. What is the future and will people will wear them 24/7? We talk about its potential to replace the cellphone. We talk about Denver startup week, and events like it. She shares some of the challenges, and how she gets inspired. We talk about Buderfly’s vision and future products.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Her background and origin story
- The current industry solution and tech
- Did you always want to be an entrepreneur?
- Brand positioning
- The reason behind the name
- Do you think we’ll wear them 24/7 in the future?
- Replacing the cellphone
- The earbud’s design
- Denver startup week - Meeting people and networking
- What are some of the challenges?
- How does she get the inspiration?
- How Shea stays committed
- Future products and vision
Resources:
Website: https://buderflys.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/buderflys.earbuds/
Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/company/buderflys-technologies-inc/https://www.linkedin.com/in/shea-gerhardt-21a4b45/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buderflys.earbuds/
**In today’s episode, I talk with Doug Mandic and Dave Harris from the Rockies Venture Club. We talk about RVC’s history and both of their backgrounds. They give us the inside scoop on Angel Investing, and how it is different from traditional Venture Capital investing. We talk about the evolution of the entity. We dive into what it's like for new angel investors. They share with us the three pillars of RVC Academy. Doug talks about his experience as a mentor. We discuss finding investors and companies and the current trends. They share some things to consider for founders. We discuss the future of early stage venture in Colorado as well as RVC’s future.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:**
- Rockies Venture Club history
- Dave’s background
- Doug’s background and path
- RVC’s mission
- How does it work for an entrepreneur
- What is it like for new angel investors
- The three pillars of RVC Academy
- Doug’s experience as a mentor
- RVC’s Events
- Finding investors and sourcing angel investors
- Finding companies
- Trends in the types of entrepreneurs / companies
- What’s winning in Colorado
- Things to consider for founders
- The future of early state venture in Colorado
- What is the future of RVC
**Resources:
Website: https://rockiesventureclub.wildapricot.org/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/rockiesvc Linkedin:*https://www.linkedin.com/company/rockies-venture-club/https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmandic/*https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveharris5280/
In today’s episode, I talk to Brian and Elyse from Access Venture Partners. We talk about the origin story of the fund and how it all started. We discuss the role of a Head of Platform in a venture fund. We talk about the history and evolution of the firm from the late 90’s to today. Elyse shares her experience as a woman in a venture in Colorado. We talk about what’s unique about the founders in their portfolio. Brain talks about the Code of the West. We discuss where and how Access finds deals. We talk about Colorado's role in their firm’s success. We discuss the post-COVID era and what has changed. We wrap up by discussing the future of the fund.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- The origin story of Access Venture Partners
- What is a Head of Platform in a Venture fund
- What is the evolution of Access from the late 90’s to today
- Elyse’s experience as a woman in venture in Colorado
- What’s unique about the founders on their portfolio
- The Code of the West
- Where and how does Access find deals?
- Looking back, what did they miss?
- What role has Colorado had in the firm’s success?
- Are any out of region companies trying to raise the competition?
- What has changed post-COVID in Colorado?
- Where do you see Access Venture Partners going in the future?
Resources:
Website: https://accessvp.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/accessvp
Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/company/access-venture-partners/https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianwallace2/https://www.linkedin.com/in/elysekent/
In today’s episode, I talk to two of the visionaries behind the Global Accelerator Network and GAN ventures, Pat Riley and Reilly Flynn. We talk about the founders that they are funding, and the emerging venture ecosystem. We start by talking about what GAN is, and how it ended up in Colorado. We discuss how accelerators changed since 2005. We talk about the 4 traits they look for in founders they want to invest in. We discuss some interesting data on where to find ideas to invest in. We talk about the future of Venture in the Northern Rockies. We discuss some of the challenges that they face, as well as the founders they invest in. And we finally discuss GAN’s future and vision.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- What is GAN?
- How did it end up in Colorado?
- How accelerators changed since 2005
- The 4 traits they look for in founders
- Interesting data on where to find ideas to invest in
- The future of Venture in the Northern Rockies
- What are some of the challenges
- What is GAN vision for the future?
Resources:
Websites:https://www.gan.co/blog/https://www.gan.co/
Twitter:https://twitter.com/ganconnect
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/GANConnect
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/ganconnect/https://www.linkedin.com/in/reillyflynn/https://www.linkedin.com/in/rileypat/
In today’s episode, I talk with Jenni Graff, the executive director of Early Stage Montana, an accelerator program, helping tech entrepreneurs grow faster, and creating jobs to diversify and grow Montana's economy. We dive into Jenni’s background and Montana’s community. We talk about what exactly an accelerator is, and what is unique about Early Stage Montana. We talk about the evolution of entrepreneurship in Montana over the past decade. We discuss how they find mentors for their programs. Jenni shares with us the vision of Early Stage Montana.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Jenni’s background
- What is bringing people to and keeping them in Montana?
- How did Montana evolve for entrepreneurs in the past decade?
- What is an accelerator program?
- What’s unique about Montana’s accelerator program?
- How is this NOT like SharkTank?
- How do you find and match-make mentors and the entrepreneurs?
- Where is Early Stage Montana?
- ESMT regional showcases
- Statewide Showcase on October 20th (tickets)
- The SBA's Growth Accelerator Fund Prize
- The future of Early Stage Montana
- The future for tech startups in Montana
Resources:
Website:https://www.earlystagemt.org/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/early-stage-montana/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennigraff/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/EarlyStageMT Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/earlystagemt/
In today’s episode, I talk with Michelle Huie. Michelle is the founder of VIM & VIGR. She also has another exciting new project in the works that we discuss. We talk about her startup journey, what got her started and where things are headed. We discuss her background and what led her to start her company. We talk about her transition from a side hustle to the main hustle. Michelle shares her takeaways from her journey. We discuss what’s next for VIM & VIGR and Michelle’s vision. We also discuss her second company ShopDot, and how she is taking her past experience to solve the problem in the retail space. We talk about bootstrapping vs fundraising for ShopDot.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Background
- How the company started
- From a side hustle to the main hustle
- Takeaways from Michelle’s journey
- What’s next for VIM & VIGR
- What’s ShopDot
- Taking her past experience to solve the problem in the retail space
- Bootstrapping VS fundraising for ShopDot
Resources:
Websites:
ShopDot: https://shopdotapp.com/ VIM & VIGR: https://vimvigr.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-huie/
Summary:
In today’s episode, I talk with Corey Finney, Marc Nager, and Jamie Finney, who are the magic behind the Greater Colorado Venture Fund, a firm that invests only in companies based in rural Colorado. We get into why it’s important to fund startups in areas outside of the major metropolitan areas. Corey, Jamie, and Marc share their unique perspective on what startups to fund and why. We get into some of the unique challenges of founders who live in unsuspected (but awesome!) places located outside the mainstream of venture capital prospecting. They share with us what they think the future holds for not only their fund, but also the rural startup ecosystem in Colorado.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- What is the Greater Colorado Venture Fund?
- Making Venture Capital work in rural communities.
- Why focus on rural communities?
- What impact has COVID had?
- Can this model be replicated in other places?
- Advice they would give to founders looking for capital.
- Why lifestyle and values are driving factors.
- What types of companies GCVF invests in.
- What is different about the founders in rural areas?
- How to find the right partners and why it’s important.
- Strengths, weaknesses, challenges and unique things across their market
- What role has the state of Colorado played in their success?
- What are they looking for in founders to invest in?
- The vision for 2021 and beyond
Resources:
Website: https://www.greatercolorado.vc/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nager/https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-finney-761a3055/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiefinney/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greater_colorado_venture_fund/
Summary:
In today’s episode, I talk with Hanna Wu who is the Cofounder & CEO of Amplify, a life insurance company that allows its users to build wealth with their policy. Hannah tells us her family’s inspiring story of immigrating to the United States and how her upbringing inspired her to an amazing path as a start-up founder. Hanna shares her challenges and the biggest lessons she has learned over the past two years fundraising and growing Amplify. She provides perspective, advice and encouragement for founders of all rocky mountain backgrounds and stages.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- What is Amplify? Why a Life Insurance company?
- How investing with your life insurance policy is different.
- How they handled proof of concept.
- How COVID has changed how they do business and how they fundraise.
- Fundraising tips for first-round founders.
- How her life at home has impacted the path of Amplify
- Personal vision as a motivating factor.
- Developing your network.
- Growth as a leader
- Where is Amplify going?
Resources:
Website:https://beamplify.com/
Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/hanna-wu-a6b094155/
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/beamplify/
Twitter:https://twitter.com/beamplify
Join us for Season 2 of Found in the Rockies. Our new host, Les Craig, will explore the Rocky Mountain startup community through conversations with founders, funders, and contributors.
Summary:
In today’s episode, I talk with Jermey from From Street Capital. He explains the three things that the company does. We discuss the factors that they look into when they decide to invest in companies. Jeremy talks about the philosophy behind long term investing. We dive into the 6 guiding principles of Front Street capital. We talk about how those principles came about and the company’s history. Jeremy shares his background and his 6 years working for Front street.
Jeremy explains the strategy behind long term investment and how the ROI works. We then talk about what companies are currently in the company’s portfolio.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- What is Front Street Capital
- The 3 things that Front Street do
- What are the things that Front Street Capital look into in the companies they invest in
- Investing for the long term
- The 6 Front Street investment principles
- The employee empowerment
- The origin of those principles and the history of the company
- Jeremy’s background and his 6 years in Front Street Capital
- ROI on long term investment and how it works
- What Front Street is investing in
Resources:
Website:https://frontstreetcapitalnc.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/front-street-capital-llc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontstreetcapital/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FrontStreetCap
Summary:
In today’s episode, I talk with Yasmin Khan, the founder of Khalm, a skincare company. She talks about what is Khalm and the primary ingredient Oud. Yasmin shares her background and journey. She talks about what inspired her to start her company. She shares how she went back to school and earned two master degrees. We talk about her funding choices and why she chose those. Yasmin shares her perspective on launching. She dives into her company products and her three released products so far. We talk about Yasmin’s vision and what’s next for Khalm.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- What is Khalm
- Yasmine’s background and journey
- What inspired Yasmine to start her company
- Going back to school and launching the brand
- Yasmin’s funding choices
- Yamin’s perspective on launch
- The three released products
- Yasmin’s vision and what’s next for Khalm
Resources:
Website: https://khalmskincare.com/
Yasmin’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasmin-khan-a5aa1316a/
Khalm Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/khalmskincare/?hl=en
Summary:
In today’s episode, I talk with Jeff Batton, the founder of HomeStake Venture Partners. We talk about what is HomeStake. We talk about how many companies are in their portfolio. Jeff discusses how and why he got into it. Jeff talks about the company and team members including Bill his business partner. We discuss what would investors expect and the return possibilities. We talk about what it looks like from the entrepreneur perspective and why Jeff believes in their unique model. We discuss what’s next from HomeStake and Jeff’s vision.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- What is HomeStake
- How many companies are in the portfolio
- How and why Jeff get into it.
- Bill, Jeff’s business partner
- What would investors expect out of it
- The founder’s fund
- What does Jeff’s day to day looks like
- From the entrepreneurs perspective
- Why Jeff believes in their unique model
- What’s next for HomeStake
Resources:
Website: https://homestakeventurepartners.com/
Jeff’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-batton-04188/
Company’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/homestakeventurepartners/
Summary:
In today’s episode, I talk with Alli DePuy and Kathleen Dent, and how they partnered to co-own Inspired Classroom. We talk about what is Inspired Classroom and how it brings learning to life. We discuss their mentor inspired software and service to connect students, educators and experts.
We talk about how they met and their background. Kathleen and Alli talk about what keep them going and the unintended positive impacts. They explain the driving force behind Mentoric. They dive into the types of content and the dynamic vs static. They talk about different uses of the software and how it can track student engagement and development. We discuss the future of Inspired Classroom, and how they are trying to raise funds for the first time.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- How Alli and Kathleen met
- Alli and Kathleen’s Background
- The unintended impacts and consequences
- What is Mentoric
- The driving force behind Mentoric
- The dynamic content vs static
- Tracking student engagement and development
- The future of inspired classroom
- Raising funds for the first time
Resources:
Website: https://www.inspiredclassroom.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inspiredclassroom/
Twitter:https://twitter.com/InspiredClasses
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InspiredClassroom/
MentroIC: https://icchallenge.org/
Summary:
In today’s episode, I talk with Les Craig, a partner at Next Frontier Capital. We discuss the five things that Venture Capitalists do. We talk about raising funds and how they closed their most recent fund. We dive into the challenges for VCs. We talk about some fund analysis and measuring how well the fund is performing. Les discusses the evolution of the fund and its thesis. We talk about the fund strategy and approach. Les gives us a glimpse into who they are funding and who they typically look for. We talk about some tips for the pitch decks. And finally, Les shares his story and background.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- The 5 things that Venture Capitalists do
- Raising funds and Closing Fund 3
- Challenges for VCs
- Measuring how well the fund is performing
- The evolution of the fund and its thesis
- The fund strategy
- Who are they funding and who they are looking for
- Tips for pitch decks
- Les background
Resources:
Website: https://www.nextfrontiercapital.com/
Les’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/MontanaVC
Company’s contact: investment@nextfrontiercapital.com
Company’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/nextfrontiercap
Summary:
In today’s episode, I talk with Ken Fichtler, the founder of Gaize. We discuss how the company is trying to solve the DUI testing for cannabis. Ken talks about his background and what let him to start Gaize. We talk about the current cannabis impairment testing and challenges that come with the current model. We discuss Ken’s solution and how he combined VR technology with machine learning to develop his product. We discuss Ken’s early vision, and the potential use cases beyond law enforcement. We dive into the questions around the cannabis testing in companies. We talk about the legalization politics and what’s next for the cannabis industry.
We dive into the clinical research and the challenges around it. We discuss the future Gaze and Ken’s vision.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Solving cannabis DUIs
- Ken’s background and his time with the state government
- His last year as an appointed official during the pandemic
- What led Ken to start Gaze and the idea behind the product
- Cannabis impairment testing
- Challenges with cannabis testing
- Ken’s solution, the VR Headset and machine learning
- Ken’s early vision
- Use cases beyond law enforcement
- Questions around the cannabis testing in companies
- From the consumer’s perspective
- Legalization politics and what’s next
- The future of Gaize
- An inside look into clinical research
Resources:
Website: https://www.gaize.ai/
Ken’s email: ken@gaize.ai
Summary:
In today’s episode, I talk with Nicole Montoya, the founder of Cheddar Up. We talk about what is Cheddar Up. We dive into Nicole’s background as a consultant and the problem she is trying to solve with Cheddar Up. We talk about her AHA moment and the early days of Cheddar Up. We talk about raising funds and joining the accelerator. We talk about the first year and the challenges she faced with raising funds and being compared to Venmo. We also talk about Nicole’s support system and the skills that helped her along the way. We talk how the audience of Cheddar Up grew from direct sellers, corporate to becoming a group organizer platform. We also talk about the future of Cheddar Up and Nicole’s vision.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- What is Cheddar Up
- Nicole’s background and how she started Cheddar Up
- The issues Nicole saw and decided to solve
- The AHA moment
- Joining the Accelerator
- The first year
- The challenges with raising capital
- The support system and skills that helped Nicole
- The forks in the road of Cheddar Up
- From direct sellers, corporate to a group organizer platform
- The future of Cheddar Up
Resources:
Website: https://www.cheddarup.com/
Nicole's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholemontoya/
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cheddar-up/id1141129202
Google Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cheddarup.CheddarUp&hl=en≷=U
Summary:
In today’s episode, I have the pleasure of talking with Erica Mackey. We talk about her company My Village. We discuss the country’s childcare system and Erica shares very interesting statistics about the system. We talk about the problem that Erica saw and what motivated her to start My Village. We discuss the challenges in the childcare system especially during the pandemic. She talks about her membership model. She tells the story of the co-founder and how they met. We dive into raising funds for her company and finding the right VCs. We discuss the future of My Village and Erica’s vision.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- What is my village
- What led Erica to start the company
- The challenges and problems in the childcare system
- Scaling quality in home base environment
- The challenges and opportunities during the pandemic
- The membership model
- The story of the co-founder
- Finding the right VCs
- The future of My Village
Resources:
Website: https://www.myvillage.com/
Vangst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myvillagecommunity/
MyVillage’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/myvyllage/
MyVillage email: info@myvillage.com
Summary:
In today’s episode, I have the pleasure of talking with Karson Humiston. We talk about the cannabis industry, and what her company Vangst does. We talk about how they went from a recruiting agency to a full on platform connecting the cannabis industry together. We discussed the early stages of her involvement in recruiting for the cannabis industry. We talk about how she started recruiting fresh grads and interns to what Vangst is today. We dive into what happened in the cannabis industry over the past few years. We discuss how she didn’t start with any funding, and did extremely well in her seed round, and becoming a Series A rapidly. We talk about what the future looks like for Vangst.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- What is Vangst
- The cannabis industry in the early days
- Challenges in hiring in the cannabis industry
- How did the recruitment company start
- From Graduana to Vangst
- Raising outside capital
- Raising Series A in 2019
- The Cannasession in 2020
Resources:
Website: https://vangst.com/
Vangst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vangsttalent/
Vangst Twitter:https://twitter.com/vangsttalent
Karson’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/khumiston
Karson’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karson-humiston-64572b97/
In today’s episode, I have the pleasure of talking with Keaton Brown. We talk about the farming industry and what their company does. We had a conversation about the selling process and differences within the farming industry. We also talk about the generational transition of the farming industry, the traditional ways and the tech infused ways. We discuss the roadmap of Farmstack. We talk about the different approaches in marketing when it comes to the farming industry. We circled back to when the founders met and the story of starting the company.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
● Why did they found the company
● An insight on the selling process
● The generational transition of the farming industry
● The roadmap of Farmstack
● Different approaches in marketing
● The story how the founders met
Resources:
Website: https://farmstack.ag/
Keaton’s email: Keaton@farmstack.ag
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/farmstack.ag/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farmstack/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/farmstackag
In today’s episode, I have the pleasure of talking with Liz Marchi. We dive into the history of venture capital. We talk about how Liz got into it, and her background. We discuss the differences between equity-backed companies and financially back companies. We took a closer look into the closing of their first fund in 06. We discuss angel investors, angel portfolios, and the difference between angel and VCs. We talked about investing in the biotech industry. We then dive into what starting her fund looked like, and the risks she took. We talk about what is fundable today, and the schools of thought around venture.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Background on VC
- How Liz got into it
- Equity-backed companies vs financially backed companies
- Angel investors
- Closing their first fund in 06
- Angel portfolios
- Angel vs VC
- Investing in Venture
- Investing in Biotech
- What starting her fund looked like
- What is fundable today
- The school of thoughts around venture
- 5 things they did starting fund 1
Resources:
Website: https://twobearcapital.com/
Company’s email: info@twobearcapital.com
Liz’s email: liz.marchi@twobearcapital.com
In today’s episode, I have a conversation with Karen about her company Makeena. She talks about her journey and her background in coding, and how she went from being a practicing lawyer to founding makeena. She goes into details about her journey and what led her to create Makeena. We also talk about how Makeena incentivizes consumers to buy better, no matter where they shop so they can buy better at different places like the Target store, Thrive Market, Amazon and others. Makeena provides healthy and eco friendly brands, data and insights that they need to grow.
We also dive in the challenges when it comes to funding, and the challenges that she faced. She talks about how it is more challenging to be a woman founder and raising funds. She gives examples of women such as Melanie Perkins, founder and CEO of Canva and Whitney Wolfe, founder and CEO of Bumble.
We discuss the next steps for Makeena and Karen is looking forward to launching the Makeena TikTok campaign. And lastly, we talk about Karen’s personal favorite things to do, what books she reads, what TV shows she watches etc..
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- What is Makeena
- Karen’s background and her family’s background
- What led her to start Makeena
- When she made the jump, quit her job and her side gigs
- Challenges in Makeena’s journey
- Progress and challenges as a female founder
- When she got on the list
- Next steps for Makeena
- Karen’s favorite things to do
Resources:
Makeena Website: https://makeena.com/
Makeena on the App Store: Makeena: Healthy Savings on the App Store
Makeena on Google Play: Makeena: Healthy Savings - Apps on Google Play
Karen Frame email: karen.frame@makeena.com
Karen’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karensframe/
In today’s episode, I talk with Chris Bowler, the founder of Creminelli . His company produces a wide variety of charcuterie grade snacks. We talk about his background starting from Stanford, and being in tech, to becoming an entrepreneur. We talk about his “checkered” career as he described it, from government, to non-profit, to a tech startup. We also talk about the time he moved to italy, how he ended up meeting the co-founder of Creminelli. We dive deep into the journey of Creminelli, how they started in a basement, to where they are now. We touched on the changes of the food consumer habits and how it played a role in making Creminelli what it is today.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- Stanford and the tech startups in the 90s
- Chris’s background and journey
- How Chris went from Government, to Non profit to Tech to Entrepreneurship
- Chris’s time in Italy
- The shift in the food industry
- What is Creminelli and how did it start
- The rise of Creminelli across the US food market
Resources:
Creminelli Website: https://www.creminelli.com/
Creminelli on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Creminelli/
Chris Bowler’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-bowler-5962b6/
In today’s episode, I talk with Kristin the founder of GoodBuyGear. Her company’s mission is to reduce consumerism and save families time and money. She talks about her own challenges as a parent and what led her to create GoodBuyGear. She dives deeper into why this is the future of shopping for our children. How her business model shifted from being an app to a marketplace. She also talks about her company’s journey and the tech that they created in-house. We had a conversation on how the pandemic affected her company, and how they have survived it. We took a closer look into what problem she is trying to solve and what is her motivation behind it.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- What is GoodbuyGear
- What inspired Kristin to create GoodbuyGear
- Kristin’s background in the product.
- Venture Vs Bootstrapping
- How the company survived the pandemic
- The company’s tech created in house
- A closer look into Kristin’s motivations and drive
Resources:
GoodBuyGear Website: https://goodbuygear.com/
Kristin’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmcclement/
Kristin’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/kmcclement
Kristin’s email: Kristin@goodbuygear.com
In today’s episode, I have a conversation with Kimberly about her company Fenix Verify which creates safe environments for customers and employees in a COVID world. She talks about the changes in consumer habits and how the pandemic has changed the way people shop. She dives deeper into why these changes are here to stay. She discusses her journey as an entrepreneur and a brief background on the businesses she created prior to Fenix Verify.
She discusses the Fenix process, and how it helps companies have better relationships with their employees as well as their customers. We discussed how she and the co-founder Jeff met, and the idea became what it is today.
Here’s a closer look at the episode:
- What is Fenix Verify
- What inspired Kimberly to create Fenix Verify
- Kimberly’s background and prior businesses
- The changes influenced by the pandemic in customer habits
- How companies benefit from the Fenix process
- How employees benefit from the Fenix process
- Why is trust the new shopping currency
- A closer look into Kimberly’s habits and hobbies
Resources:
Fenix Verify: https://fenixverify.com/
Fenix Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fenixverify/
Fenix Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FenixVerify/
Kimberly’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/KimberlyAtFenix
Kimberly’s Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/kimberlynasief
From The Insight Studio, this is Found In the Rockies where we explore the startup ecosystem of Utah, Colorado, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. We'll get the stories of what's going on from founders, funders, and contributors.