Build Tech Stack Equity: Recent Episodes
Darius Gant
This podcast is for the tech entrepreneur. We highlight the journeys of inspiring underrepresented tech founder and share strategic insights on how to move from idea to traction and beyond. Wealth generation, freedom, and tech leadership are all par for the course in our discussions.
Episode Description:
In this episode of the Build Tech Stack Equity podcast, host Darius Gant sits down with Austin Clements, Managing Partner at Slauson & Co., an LA-based early-stage venture capital firm rooted in economic inclusion. Austin shares his journey from building websites as a teen in South LA to managing multimillion-dollar venture funds designed to empower underrepresented founders.
He discusses how Slauson & Co. was born from a vision to democratize access to capital, what it really takes to raise a first fund, and the lessons learned along the way, including how timing, persistence, and purpose shaped their $75M debut fund. Austin also explores the evolving venture landscape, founder-market fit, and why authentic storytelling is now critical for entrepreneurs.
Later in the episode, he dives into Slauson's Friends & Family Accelerator, a six-month program investing $300K in early founders with bold ideas shaping the future of human experience.
If you're interested in venture capital, founder stories, or building inclusive pathways to tech innovation, this episode offers both wisdom and inspiration.
Founder Bio: Austin Clements is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Slauson & Co., a Los Angeles–based early-stage venture capital firm committed to driving economic inclusion by investing in technology that empowers small business owners and overlooked founders. At Slauson, Austin leads investments across sectors where innovation meets accessibility, bridging opportunity gaps and redefining what success in venture capital looks like.
Prior to launching Slauson & Co., Austin honed his investment acumen at TenOneTen Ventures, where he supported some of LA's most promising early-stage startups, and began his career in investment management at AllianceBernstein. He also founded Pi Digital Media, a web and mobile development firm serving small businesses nationwide, an experience that deeply informs his perspective on entrepreneurship and technology.
Beyond venture, Austin has long been an advocate for equity in tech and entrepreneurship. He was the founding Chair of PledgeLA, a groundbreaking collaboration between the Annenberg Foundation and the Los Angeles Mayor's Office designed to increase diversity, equity, and community engagement within LA's tech ecosystem. He currently serves as a Trustee for the Knight Foundation, where he helps shape investments in media innovation and community development, and has served on the boards of Library Foundation of Los Angeles and HBCUvc, contributing to pathways for underrepresented professionals in venture capital.
A Kauffman Fellow, Austin earned his MBA from NYU Stern School of Business and his BA in Business Administration from Morehouse College. His career reflects a deep belief that inclusive investing not only fuels innovation but strengthens communities and builds generational wealth.
Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction: From South LA to Venture Capital 01:10 – Early Passion for Technology and Web Development 03:07 – Discovering Venture Capital Through Self-Education 05:20 – Partnering with AJ and Building the Vision for Slauson & Co. 06:00 – The Reality of Raising a First Fund 08:00 – Turning Points: COVID, George Floyd, and Industry Shifts 09:00 – Exceeding Expectations: From $15M Goal to $75M Fund 11:00 – The "Enroll, Don't Convince" Philosophy for Fundraising 13:00 – Lessons from 300 LP Calls and Building Credibility 14:00 – Slauson's Investment Thesis: Small Business Tech & Human Experience 16:00 – Founder-Market Fit and the Power of Lived Experience 17:00 – The Pattern Breakers Framework: Inflection, Insight, Idea 19:00 – How Founder Storytelling Has Changed in the AI Era 21:00 – Authenticity and Identity in Brand Building 23:00 – AI's Role in Startups and Investing: Finding the Right Layer 25:00 – The Case for Purpose-Built AI (Abby, the AI Therapy App) 29:00 – AI's Societal Impacts and the Future of Work 33:00 – One-Person Startups and the Limits of Context 37:00 – Launching the Friends & Family Accelerator 39:00 – Building Bridges for Underrepresented Founders 41:00 – Application Details and Call to Action
Resources Follow Darius Gant LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-darius-gant-cpa-44650aa/ Company – www.tesoroai.com
Slauson & Co. Website – https://slauson.co LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/slausonandco/
Austin Clements LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/austinclements/
In this episode of the Build Tech Stack Equity Podcast, host Darius Gant interviews DeShuna Spencer, founder of Kweli TV, a streaming service dedicated to showcasing Black stories from around the world. DeShuna shares her journey from journalism to creating a tech platform, discussing her experiences with covering crime stories, the lack of diverse narratives in mainstream media, and her mission to provide authentic, impactful Black content. Kweli TV offers a wide range of content, including documentaries, dramas, comedies, and children's programming, aiming to celebrate and connect the global Black community. DeShuna also delves into the technical challenges she faced, including early funding struggles and platform development, and shares future plans for immersive content and gaming.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
DeShuna Elisa Spencer is the Founder & CEO of kweliTV. She’s a former radio host and producer of emPower Hour, a show that examined social justice issues affecting people of color, on Washington, DC’s. Spencer graduated from Jackson State University where she studied communications and journalism. She has written for The Clarion-Ledger, The Oakland Tribune and the Crisis Magazine. She is a Halcyon Incubator Fellow, a Voqal Fellow and a Google NexGen Policy Leader. Spencer was first place winner of the 2017 Harvard Business School African Business Conference Pitch Competition. She is featured in the book, “How We Fight White Supremacy” as one of the more than 60+ black leading organizers, artists, journalists, entrepreneurs, etc., combating white supremacy through their work. In 2019, the Digital Diversity Network named Spencer the Innovation & Inclusion Social Entrepreneur of the Year. She’s an advisory board member of Full Color Future and the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association.
Time Stamps:
00:34 From Journalism to Entrepreneurship
04:52 A Shift in Perspective: Empowering Through Storytelling
10:36 The Birth of Kweli TV: A Global Black Streaming Service
19:54 Content and Representation on Kweli TV
21:45 Acquiring Authentic Content for Kweli TV
23:32 The Birth of a Streaming Platform
24:04 Early Challenges and Learning Curves
27:17 The Developer Disappears
28:53 Releasing the Beta Version
30:27 Finding New Developers
34:06 Pitch Competitions and New Beginnings
38:37 Working with Third-Party Vendors
42:11 Future Plans and Innovations
43:34 How to Connect and Final Thoughts
Resources
Follow Darius Gant
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-darius-gant-cpa-44650aa/
Company Website - www.tesoroai.com
Subscribe on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/4uDVNgsK3iNeu7yU4Inu2n
Subscribe on Apple Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/the-darius-gant-show/id1527996104
Company website: https://www.kweli.tv/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kwelitv-inc-/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/deshuna/
X (Twitter): https://x.com/kwelitv
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kwelitv/
In this episode, we interview Christina Campero, an entrepreneurial force behind Prosperia, a tech startup focused on AI in healthcare. Christina discusses her professional journey, moving from a background in bioscience and healthcare consulting to co-founding Prosperia. The startup uses AI to scan retina images for early detection of diabetic retinopathy and other eye diseases, a crucial service in Mexico due to a high prevalence of diabetes and limited access to ophthalmologists. The conversation covers the development process of their AI model, partnerships with primary healthcare touchpoints, and the advantages of operating in Mexico. They also explore the challenges and breakthroughs in fundraising for a Latin American AI healthcare startup, including securing a seed round from a Swedish fund. The episode ends with a look at Prosperia’s future goals, including expanding their AI applications to detect other health conditions.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Cristina Campero graduated from the Faculty of Chemistry of the UNAM with a Master's Degree in Bioscience Enterprise from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. She has dedicated her professional career to the transformation of ideas into commercial products with an impact on health, starting in her career as a consultant at McKinsey & Company and in start-ups, first as an Associate in business development and strategy at Wren Therapeutics (in Cambridge UK ) where she was in charge of portfolio prioritization and funding (£18M Series A in Dec. 2018), and now as CEO of PROSPERiA.
Time Stamps:
00:36 Christina's Professional Journey
04:00 Founding Prosperia and Developing Retinia
05:43 Addressing Diabetic Retinopathy with AI
07:10 Challenges in Diabetic Retinopathy Detection
09:32 AI's Role in Early Detection and Screening
13:33 How does the Retinia software diagnosis work
15:20 The role of AI versus human doctors
20:43 Building and Training AI Models
24:31 Balance between engineers and health care professionals
26:14 Creating a customer base that trusts AI diagnosis
32:53 Fundraising and Growth Strategies
40:45 Advantages of Fundraising in Latin America Compared to the U.S.
44:01 Future Plans and Innovations
Resources
Follow Darius Gant
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-darius-gant-cpa-44650aa/
Company Website - www.tesoroai.com
Subscribe on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/4uDVNgsK3iNeu7yU4Inu2n
Subscribe on Apple Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/the-darius-gant-show/id1527996104
Company website: https://www.prosperia.health/es
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/prosperia/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristina-campero-peredo-a87a15115/
In this episode of the Build Tech Stack Equity Podcast, we sit with Claudio Barahona, a venture capitalist with Alaya Capital, to explore his journey from an eSports entrepreneur to a prominent VC in Latin America. Claudio shares his background, including growing up in Germany and Chile, building a successful eSports company, and transitioning to the venture capital scene. He reflects on the unique challenges and opportunities in the Latin American startup ecosystem, emphasizing the importance of having an upside in one's career. Claudio discusses Alaya Capital’s investment thesis, focusing on digital startups with proven market fit in Latin America. The episode also highlights trends and success factors for startups in the region, the importance of U.S. education and connections, as well as practical advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Claudio founded his first startup at 18 years old, which he sold six years later. He is a Civil Industrial Engineer from the Universidad de Chile and has devoted a large part of his career to promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in Chile. In addition, he was director of the Chilean Venture Capital Association from 2018 to 2019. Diario Financiero, one of the main business media in his country, recognized him as one of the "Young Influencers 2017" for his outstanding career in the national innovation ecosystem. From 2011 to 2019 he was the Open Innovation Manager of Movistar Chile and leader of Wayra, the initiative of Telefónica that connects the company with startups and innovation ecosystems and invests as corporate venture capital in innovative technology companies with global scalability. In 2019 he founded the initiative Corporate Venturing Latam, which seeks to map and incentivize CVC in LatAm. In 2021 he founded ComoLevantarCapital.com to teach founders how to fundraise VC. He is currently a Managing Partner of Alaya Capital, a Latin American Venture Capital fund, and dedicates some of his time to promoting and teaching Venture Capital in LatAm and making angel investments in startups.
Time Stamps:
00:25 Claudio's Early Life and Career
06:06 Transition to Angel Investing and Corporate Venture Capital
08:38 Corporate Venture Capital Journey
13:53 Difference between the two types of VCs
15:58 Joining Alaya Capital
20:45 Alaya Investment Philosophy and Criteria
24:49 Fund Sizes and Investment Strategies
27:15 Advantages of Delaware C Corps for Latin American Startups
30:00 Opportunities in the Latin American Market
33:36 Successful Business Models in Latin America
39:14 Challenges and Success Profiles of Latin American Founders
46:09 Challenges and Opportunities for New Founders
49:31 Encouragement and Final Thoughts
Resources
Follow Darius Gant
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-darius-gant-cpa-44650aa/
Company Website - www.tesoroai.com
Subscribe on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/4uDVNgsK3iNeu7yU4Inu2n
Subscribe on Apple Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/the-darius-gant-show/id1527996104
Company website: https://alaya-capital.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/alaya-capital/
Twitter (X): https://x.com/AlayaCapital
In this episode of the Build Tech Stack Equity Podcast, Eduardo Kupper, the founder of Airborne Ventures, shares his unique professional journey from an Air Force pilot in Brazil to a Wharton MBA graduate and successful venture capitalist. The conversation delves into his diverse experiences in management consulting at McKinsey, tech entrepreneurship through Rocket Internet, and leading a venture capital arm in one of Brazil's biggest banks. Eduardo outlines the challenges and strategies in raising a $5 million fund in Brazil, emphasizing the importance of adding value to others. He discusses the focus of his first fund and plans for raising a $10 million second fund, highlighting the importance of investing in FinTech, healthcare, and B2B companies in Brazil. Eduardo also elaborates on the VC landscape in Brazil, the significance of productivity and efficiency, and the potential for Brazilian startups to compete on a global scale. Finally, Eduardo provides valuable insights for potential LPs and founders on navigating the Brasilian venture capital market.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Eduardo is a seasoned VC with 17+ years of experience across various industries and sectors, including entrepreneurship, venture capital, management consulting, private equity, and investment banking. Previously, he served as the Head of VC at Bradesco Venture Capital arm, where he successfully managed two funds totaling R$ 800mm of invested capital and R$ 1.7 billion AUM. As an experienced VC investor, he has made 70+ deals across several stages and industries over the last decade, with successful exits, including a +1bi BRL sale and a Nasdaq IPO, and sat on the boards of several companies in different sectors and stages. As an entrepreneur, he founded and co-founded a few companies, including Remessa Online, Finpass, MAR Ventures, and the Wharton Alumni Angels. As an investor with a track record of successful deals, he has made marquee investments in companies including Beep Saúde, D1, Conexa, Jeitto, Asaas, and Skyone. Highly connected and well-networked within the venture capital industry, with close relationships and co-investments with several VC funds, angel investors, and internet & tech startups. He brings a wealth of expertise and strategic guidance and an eye for promising opportunities, helping to identify and invest in promising startups and drive returns for our investors on ESG-compliant/target companies, reflecting his commitment to responsible and sustainable investing.
Time Stamps:
00:49 Eduardo's Unconventional Path to Venture Capital
05:44 Insights on Venture Building and Finding Founders
08:21 Corporate Venture Capital Experience
10:00 Launching Airborne Ventures
14:06 Investment Strategies and Fund Management
17:34 Reflections on Fund Performance
24:08 Navigating Investment Strategies
26:04 Investment Stages and Requirements
28:21 Leading vs. Following in Investments
30:07 Investment Structures in Brasil
34:18 B2B vs. B2C in Brasil
41:08 Challenges and Strategies for B2B Startups
47:15 Looking Ahead to 2025
Resources
Follow Darius Gant
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-darius-gant-cpa-44650aa/
Company Website - www.tesoroai.com
Subscribe on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/4uDVNgsK3iNeu7yU4Inu2n
Subscribe on Apple Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/the-darius-gant-show/id1527996104
Company website: https://airborne.ventures/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/airborne-ventures
In this episode, Adrian Mendoza, co-founder of Mendoza Ventures, shares his journey from getting started in web design in the early 90s, to founding startups, and eventually transitioning into venture capital. He details his career progression, his experiences in the tech and design intersection, and his work at companies like Disney and startups during the dot-com boom. Adrian delves into the firm's focus on AI, fintech, and cybersecurity, emphasizing the importance of investing in sectors they know well. He also touches on the challenges and strategies of raising a fund, the importance of a strong network, thematic focus, and the unique approach of supporting diverse and underrepresented founders. Additionally, they discuss the current and future landscape of AI startups, focusing on the challenges and opportunities in the sector. Adrian provides insights into how Mendoza Ventures supports both founders and LPs, fostering a community of investors and innovators.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Adrian is the founder and General Partner at Mendoza Ventures which is both Latinx and woman-owned and the first Latinx-founded VC fund on the East Coast based in Boston. With 20 years of experience in building technology products and teams, Adrian is an experienced entrepreneur, operator, and veteran of the Boston startup ecosystem. Adrian founded Mendoza Ventures to take an in-depth-focused approach to venture capital, looking for founders who demonstrate domain expertise in one of his three focus areas across fintech, AI, and cybersecurity. Adrian prides himself on being a hands-on investor by setting up companies for success beyond just writing a check, creating strong funding syndicates, making customer introductions, and assisting with partnership conversations.
His firm Mendoza Ventures focuses on investments in Fintech, AI, and Cybersecurity, with diversity playing an important role in their investment decisions—about 90% of their portfolio consists of startups led by people of color, and women. Since its founding seven years ago, Mendoza Ventures has raised two funds and had four successful exits. The firm is currently raising its third fund, a $100M fintech fund anchored by Bank of America.
Time Stamps:
00:38 Adrian's Early Career and First Ventures
06:18 Transition from Founder to Investor
10:13 Investment Strategy and Success Stories
13:31 Engaging with Founders and Investors
18:21 Raising Fund 3 and Engaging LPs
28:36 Fund Size Considerations: Building and Managing a Fund
32:45 Challenges and Lessons in Fund Management
34:59 Understanding Pro Rata Rights
36:47 Investment Strategies at Mendoza Ventures
38:37 Scaling and Institutionalizing Startups
42:34 The Role of AI in Venture Capital
50:40 Distinction between AI native Startup and not Native AI Startups
54:31 Connecting with Mendoza Ventures
Resources
Company website: https://mendoza-ventures.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mendoza-ventures/
Twitter: https://x.com/MendozaVentures
Follow Darius Gant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-darius-gant-cpa-44650aa/
Company Website: www.tesoroai.com
In a rapidly evolving tech landscape, securing enterprise contracts can be a game-changer for startups and tech firms alike. The journey to winning over Fortune 1000 clients requires strategic planning, tailored communication, and a deep understanding of the enterprise world. Drawing insights from venture capital experts, we explore the nuances of navigating enterprise sales and building successful relationships with top-tier clients.
In this episode, we sit with Theo Williams, the founder of Third Vector and an expert in venture capital specializing in the space technology industry. Theo shares his journey from a finance background to diving into the tech world, highlighting the challenges and opportunities he encountered along the way. He delves into the importance of investing in the space technology industry and how it can drive significant global impact.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Theo Williams is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in venture capital, strategic partnerships, and business development. As the Founder and Managing Partner at Third Vector, he spearheads an early-stage VC firm specializing in investments at the intersection of Space Tech and Big Data. Prior to founding Third Vector, Theo served as a Senior Portfolio Development Manager at Salesforce Ventures, where he played a key role in fortifying the enterprise ecosystem through strategic partnerships and investments. Before his tenure at Salesforce Ventures, Theo held positions in sales and investor relations at Cadre and in product development at Nuveen, a TIAA company. Throughout his career, Theo has demonstrated a commitment to driving growth and innovation in various sectors, leveraging his expertise in investment strategy and relationship management.
Theo holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Rice Business - Jones Graduate School of Business, where he was recognized as a Robert Toigo Foundation Fellow. He also earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from Louisiana State University, where he demonstrated leadership as part of the Tiger Twelve Senior Recognition Class of 2012 and in various student government roles.
Time Stamps:
02:49: Theo’s journey from finance to tech
06:33 Understanding alternative investments
09:08 Transitioning to tech and angel investing
14:15 The birth of a space tech VC firm
21:37 Investment focus: Space data and infrastructure
24:22 Navigating the fundraising process
26:34 Aligning with founders and managing risk
31:43 Enterprise sales strategies for founders
37:49 Building for Enterprise vs. SMB
42:22 What’s coming new in 2024, and how to get in contact with the team
Resources
Email: Theo@thirdvector.ventures
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/third-vector/
Theo’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theowilliams3/
In this episode we speak with Marlon Nichols, co-founder of Mac Ventures, who discusses his diverse career path from starting as an early employee at an enterprise software company, moving into consulting, and ultimately venturing into the world of venture capital. He explains the founding and growth of Mac Ventures, sharing insights into their investment thesis, sector focus, and the types of companies they seek to partner with. Marlon also provides invaluable advice for new fund managers and entrepreneurs, touching on the current fundraising landscape, strategies for success, and the importance of aligning with a firm's culture and team dynamics
Mac Ventures is a seed-stage venture firm that invests primarily in North America, with a focus on California. While the firm does not have a specific sector focus, it considers itself a generalist firm run by sector experts. Marlon explains that the common thread among their investments is a focus on popular culture and future trends. The firm seeks to identify emerging behaviors and trends early on and invest in companies that align with these shifts. This approach allows Mac Ventures to invest in a wide range of sectors, including fintech, B2B SaaS, digital health, and space and defense.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Marlon Nichols is the founding managing partner at MaC Venture Capital, a seed-stage venture capital firm that invests in visionary founders building the future that the world wants to see. Marlon is a Kauffman Fellow who also serves on the Board of Directors. Prior to MaC Venture Capital, Marlon was founder of Cross Culture Ventures and served as Investment Director at Intel Capital. Marlon has an extensive background in technology, private equity, media and entertainment.
Marlon is the recipient of MVMT50’s SXSW 2018 Innovator of the Year award, Digital Diversity’s Innovation & Inclusion Change Agent award and was a TechWeek 100 winner. He was named Pitchbook’s 25 Black Founders and VCs to Watch in 2018, 2019 and 2020, and one of Silicon Republic’s 26 VC professionals spearheading change. He’s been featured on TechCrunch, Fortune, Cheddar, MSNBC, Blavity and NBC, and is adjunct faculty in entrepreneurship and venture capital at the SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University.
Time Stamps:
02:57 Michael's journey from early operator to VC founder
08:55 Venture capital as a path to diversity and strategic engagement
12:14 Mac ventures investment thesis and strategies
16:25 Fundraising challenges and advice for new founders
21:04 Strategies for First-Time fund managers targeting LPs
23:25 Fundraising realities for new VC managers
26:18 The multifaceted role of a founding general partner
28:56 Strategies for startups targeting successful exits
31:42 Evaluating seed stage investments
34:03 Venture capital’s shift to sustainable investment strategies
38:25 The impact of AI on business
41:40 What is coming up in 2024 and how to get in contact with Mac Ventures team
Resources
Company website: https://macventurecapital.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/macventurecap/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mac-venture-capital/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaCVentureCap
In this episode we speak with Brandon Thorpe, a trailblazer in technology and entrepreneurship. From his early programming days to pivotal roles at Google AI and Apple, Brandon has redefined innovation in the tech world. Beyond his technological achievements, discover how his musical collaborations with Grammy winner Dallas Austin and the launch of his groundbreaking album 'Unicorn' showcase his diverse talents. Co-founder of Formless, Brandon is revolutionizing the internet through shared technology and smart contracts.
Learn about his vision for an equitable digital landscape, the origins of his passion for tech, and the challenges and successes he faced while raising funds for Formless. Explore the multifaceted world of a creative technologist committed to inspiring others and reshaping the future of digital communities.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Brandon Thorpe was a Staff engineer at Google AI, Senior engineer at Apple, self-taught programmer at 13 years old, featured in national media such as Forbes and WSJ, signed with Grammy Award winner Dallas Austin to release album "Unicorn", creator of Multi-Dream Theory with the idea that humans are capable of achieving excellence in multiple fields in parallel, co-founded Formless in 2022 aiming to illuminate true human purpose through technology by revolutionizing the internet with SHARE technology empowering common property ownership with smart contracts. Creative technologist with millions of streams and views across internet platforms. Formless was selected as one of around 30 companies from a pool of 8,000 to receive investment from a16z's CSX accelerator in 2023 and has since raised a multi-million dollar pre-seed round.
Time Stamps:
03:11 Brandon's journey from tech to music and back
12:52 Exploring the intersection of music, technology, and blockchain
15:27 Pain point that led to creating Formless
18:58 Redefining music distribution through blockchain
20:18 Blockchain as a nongovernment global computer.
23:02 Challenges and opportunities of music and blockchain
25:47 Redefining artist monetization and community building
30:52 Expanding Formless Beyond Music
34:04 Starting points and essential skills for building blockchain
38:31 Navigating the blockchain insights and opportunities
43:12 Engaging with the Formless Platform
45:08 Fundraising journey: strategies and lessons learned
51:56 What is coming up in 2024 and how to get in contact with the formless team
Resources
Company website: https://formless.xyz/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/formlessxyz/ Twitter: https://x.com/formless_xyzLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/formlessxyz/
In this episode, we sit with Kevin Moore, the fund manager at Serac Ventures. Kevin shares his unconventional journey to venture capital. Starting with a degree in civil engineering, Kevin transitioned through roles as a financial advisor, a regulatory worker at the Federal Reserve Bank, and eventually into the VC world. He emphasizes the importance of diverse experiences and a curious mindset for sourcing and evaluating investment opportunities. He discusses his methodology for investment selection and the significance of a disciplined approach across various investment mediums.
Kevin provides insights into the venture capital industry, highlighting the importance of understanding both the finance aspects and the operational challenges of startups, he also delves into the specifics of fundraising, offering advice on engaging with different types of investors, including foundations, endowments, family offices, and high net worth individuals. Furthermore, Kevin outlines the strategic focus of Serac Ventures on fintech, B2B SaaS, and commerce enablement solutions, emphasizing the fund's commitment to diversity and hands-on support for portfolio companies.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Kevin Moore is the Founder and Managing Partner at Serac Ventures. Kevin has over 18 years' experience in public and private markets investing having worked at Spur Capital Partners (VC FoF), i2E (VC Fund), Morgan Stanley, The Federal Reserve Bank, and Northwestern Mutual. Kevin is also the author of Starting Your Investment Fund: A How to Guide and he has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Oklahoma State University and an MBA from the University of Central Oklahoma.
Time Stamps:
02:52 Kevin Moore’s unconventional paths to VC success 08:03 First steps into venture capital and the importance of background diversity 11:25 Embracing your role for personal and professional growth 13:08 Navigating the investment landscape: from LP to VC fund manager 18:33 Strategies for investment managers to engage with endowments 26:36 Challenges and strategies in fundraising for successive funds 28:06 Strategizing fund size for investment success 30:34 Financing GP commitments through fund distributions 32:33 Investment criteria and strategies at Serac Ventures 36:28 VC leverage expert networks for founders 38:24 Investment trends and predictions for 2024 and beyond 41:51 Dry powder and investment strategy in fund management 46:32 What is coming up for Serac Ventures
Resources
Company website: https://www.seracventures.vc/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SeracVentures LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/serac-ventures-vcfund/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/seracventures
In this episode, we have a conversation with Justis Mendez, who is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of OneSixOne Ventures. Justis shares his journey from the tough streets of Cleveland to becoming a leading figure in the venture capital world. From experiencing the harsh realities of gang violence and incarceration to founding Qu Parking, an innovative startup that revolutionizes residential parking. We also delve into Justis's transition into the venture capital sphere and his role in building a robust tech ecosystem, tracing his path from his initial introduction to VC at OneSixOne Ventures.
During our conversation with Justis, he highlights the significance of making a positive impact through venture capital and offers valuable advice for aspiring founders. He emphasizes the importance of being authentic and having technical expertise. Justis also discusses the challenges of raising capital in Florida and their mission to support local founders and keep them in the state. Building a strong community and providing value to founders beyond just capital is also a key point that he talks about, sharing insights into their investment strategy, focusing on early-stage startups in the enterprise software and AI infrastructure space.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Justis was born and raised on the west side of Cleveland. He grew up around gang violence, drug traffickers, and drive-by shootings happening as often as one could imagine. Many of his childhood friends have been either gunned down or locked up in prison. His best friend even ended up on First 48 after being involved in the murder of a high-profile gang member they knew. Justis founded Qu Parking, an "Airbnb for residential parking" startup, and led business development for Pinata, a fintech startup based in NYC helping tenants earn rewards for paying rent. OneSixOne Ventures is a leading pre-seed venture capital firm in the Southeast that identifies and invests in enterprise software and government tech startups that are developing breakthrough dual-use technologies.
Time Stamps:
03:13 Justis Mendez’s background and introduction to VC 12:41 Building a tech ecosystem: The genesis of OneSixOne Ventures 17:05 Launching a virtual accelerator during the pandemic 19:12 Launching their fund after realizing the need for monetization 22:15 Making a positive impact through venture capital 24:24 The strategic focus on enterprise software and AI 26:56 Investing in pre-seed and seed stages with small checks 30:05 Joining the fund’s ecosystem and warm referrals as ways to connect with OneSixOne 34:20 Current state of the VC space and capital deployment 38:57 Plans and predictions for 2024 40:52 Advice for founders: Authenticity and technical expertise 44:06 Considerations when outsourcing technical development for AI 46:17 Upcoming events for 2024 and how to get in contact with the OneSixOne group
Resources
Company website: https://www.onesixone.ventures/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onesixoneventures/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onesixonegroup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/onesixone-ventures/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/161ventures
When it comes to fundraising, storytelling is a crucial element that can make or break a founder’s success. It goes beyond presenting information and numbers; it’s about creating a narrative that captivates investors and showcases the potential of the opportunity. Black founders should leverage their unique experiences and perspectives to craft a powerful story that resonates with investors, highlighting their journey, the problem they’re solving, and the impact they can make can help differentiate them in a crowded market.
In this episode we sit with James Norman, co-founder Black Ops, who shares valuable insights on building successful tech companies and raising venture capital as a black founder. He emphasizes the importance of storytelling and the power of a compelling narrative when pitching to investors. James also offers advice on navigating the fundraising process and highlights the need for black founders to focus on building a strong network and finding mentors who can provide guidance and support. Overall, he provides valuable advice for black founders looking to succeed in the tech industry.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
James Norman is a serial entrepreneur who built his first company at the age of 16, an aftermarket automotive e-commerce site called MJH Sound.com. While previously he may have been known as a visionary in automotive product planning, over the past 7 years in the media and entertainment industry he has become a thought leader in over-the-top media and consumer video consumption behaviors. His latest venture is Pilotly, a consumer insights platform that enables content creators to get feedback from audiences at scale.
Time Stamps:
02:25 Introduction and background of James Norman
10:02 Hiring the right engineer to build a product
13:46 The continuous learning process in technology
15:09 Funding challenges for non-profit organizations
17:27 How Black Ops program born out of the experience of founder support
21:13 Shifting power dynamics when fundraising as a founder
24:39 Building a Strong VC Network
26:11 Articulating the unique value and experience of the fund
30:38 Considerations for fund size and raising a first fund
33:19 Financial modeling and decision-making for portfolio construction
35:05 Importance of having a term sheet to raise a Series A
36:21 The power of storytelling in convincing investors and supporters
41:25 Addressing Gaps in Accelerators for Black Founders
46:21 What is coming up in the 2024
Resources
Company website: https://www.blackopsvc.com/Twitter: https://www.linkedin.com/company/black-ops-vc/ LinkedIn: https://twitter.com/BlackOpsVC
Today we sit with Roberto Ibarra, co-founder and CTO of Expediente Azul. Roberto shares how he transitioned from a software development company to building a product-focused business, driven by the need to solve a specific problem in the financial sector. Expediente Azul streamlines the loan onboarding process by automating the collection and verification of documents and data. As the platform evolves, it focuses on extracting data directly from reliable sources and creating documentation from that data. The ultimate vision is to create a digital marketplace for lenders to share opportunities and data, fostering trust and speeding up loan processes globally.
As Expediente Azul gained traction and more customers, the team realized that the real value lay not in the documents themselves, but in the data they contained. Financial institutions didn’t want the documents; they wanted the data for analysis. This realization led to a shift in focus from gathering documents to extracting and utilizing the data within them. The platform began integrating with third-party tools that connected to tax authorities’ databases, allowing for the extraction of accurate and up-to-date income data directly from the source. This eliminated the need for customers to provide physical or scanned copies of their tax records. Instead, the platform automatically retrieved the necessary data, ensuring its accuracy and reducing the risk of fraud
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Roberto Carlos Ibarra Rabadán entered the world of computing over 25 years ago assembling and selling personal computers. He went on to start a software development services company called Innox, being the 9th company in Mexico with a CMMI 4 quality rating (military/medical grade) with over 70 employees which was sold in 2013. Later, Roberto developed various apps with millions of downloads, two of them nominated the best in the world during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. During his sabbatical year, Roberto created the podcast Vidaentrepeneur.com where he interviewed over 290 Latin American inspiring entrepreneurs. Today he is the founder of the Fintech company Expediente Azul or Blue File in English, a software platform that simplifies the document-gathering process for large loans and other KYC processes currently operating in Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Perú, the Caribbean, and South East Asia. Roberto was educated by the Tec de Monterrey, IPADE Business School, Harvard, and Oxford and was nominated by CNN as one of Mexico’s 30 promises as well as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
Time Stamps:
03:07 Introduction and background of Roberto Ibarra 05:37 Transition from software development to a product Company 08:14 Finding a Problem worth solving 13:55 Scaling loan brokerage business with automation 18:07 Product evolution from document gathering to data sharing 26:27 Countries Expediente Azul operating today 27:46 Bringing in the right talent to build the initial version 30:38 Investing in sales over tech 33:32 The importance of thinking beyond the happy path 37:04 Building a lean and efficient tech team 42:02 Building a multilingual platform 44:23 Funding journey and resourcefulness 49:21 How to get in contact with the Expediente Azul team
Resources
Company website: https://bluefile.expedienteazul.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xpazul/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xpAzul] Twitter: https://twitter.com/AzulExpediente Email: ribarra@expedienteazul.com
Chandler Malone is a startup founder and entrepreneur in the technology space. He has a background in venture capital and has worked at various firms, including iSelect Fund and Atento Capital. Chandler co-founded the software company Boot Up, which focuses on workforce development and upskilling retail workers for technical roles. He recently launched a new company called Path AI with his partner Chris Gray, which aims to provide AI-powered career mentorship and job search tools.
In this episode, we interview Chandler Malone, a startup founder and entrepreneur in the technology space. Chandler shares his background and journey, from his early entrepreneurial experiences in college to his work in venture capital and the launch of his own companies. He discusses his latest venture, Path AI, which focuses on providing AI-powered career mentorship and job search tools. Chandler also shares insights and tips for founders, including fundraising strategies and the importance of metrics and communication skills.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development. Founder Bio:
Chandler has been focused on helping people reach their economic potential throughout his entire career via his work at Bootup and The Family. In Chandler’s 3 years as the CEO of Bootup, the company helped thousands of people get their first jobs in tech for over $200M in annualized salaries at companies like JP Morgan Chase, Home Depot, Mailchimp, Cerner, and more. Chandler is also founder of The Family, a venture studio focused on Black and Brown founders. Over the past 4 years, The Family has invested in 10 Black and Brown founders with an estimated market cap of over $300M.
Time Stamps:
02:43 Introduction and background of Chandler Malone 06:23 Challenges of startup fundraising 08:49 Transition from working at Tinto Capital and Launching Boot Up 11:29 Introduction to Path AI and the need for AI tools in the hiring process 15:37 Advantage of AI advisors for specific industries 18:44 Advantages of sourcing talent from South America 23:22 Incorporation of AI into the product using OpenAI, Anthropic, and Llama2 25:24 Importance of delivering value and creating awareness for customers 26:46 Looking for people who care about helping others and economic mobility 29:30 Funding journey: self-funded, upcoming funding round 32:53 Finding investors with expertise in the relevant industry 33:55 Selecting the most compelling and honest metrics for investors 35:15 Communication with partners, associates, and analysts in the funding process 38:13 How to get in contact with Path AI team and whats coming new in 2024
Resources
Company website: https://yourpath.ai/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourpathai/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourpath.ai/ Other: https://www.thefamily.studio/
In this episode, we interview Stacy Spikes, the founder of MoviePass, about his background in the entertainment industry and the journey of building a successful tech company. Spikes shares his experience in the music and film sectors, his motivation for creating MoviePass, and the challenges he faced in the movie industry. He explains how MoviePass works as a subscription-based service that allows moviegoers to save money on tickets and provides insights into the technology behind the platform. Spikes also discusses his passion for supporting underrepresented filmmakers and the impact of MoviePass on the movie industry.
Unlike streaming services that dominate the entertainment industry, MoviePass focuses solely on the physical movie theater experience. By offering a subscription service, MoviePass aims to eliminate the need for studios to constantly reacquire customers through advertising, ultimately doubling the size of the movie industry. The platform provides customers with a virtual card in the app, which they can use to purchase tickets either online or in person. This flexibility allows moviegoers to choose from a wide range of theaters and enjoy significant savings on their movie tickets.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Stacy Spikes is an award-winning entrepreneur and inventor who USA Today named one of the 21 most influential Blacks in technology. He holds several technology patents and is the co-founder and CEO of the nation’s first theatrical subscription service, MoviePass. In addition, Spikes is the founder of Urbanworld, the largest international festival dedicated to nurturing Women and BIPOC filmmakers. Spikes is the author of a business memoir titled Black Founder, The Hidden Power of Being an Outsider on Kensington Press.
Time Stamps:
03:00 Introduction and background of Stacy Spikes
04:50 Solving the pain point of movie exposure
06:45 Revolutionizing moviegoing experience with subscription services
09:17 Flexible movie ticket credits with MoviePass
12:15 Building a technology platform: from concept to execution
15:17 Finding the right tech hubs
19:55 The evolution of Dev shops
24:06 Getting the word out and acquiring new customers
26:29 Overcoming barriers to entry in the movie theater industry
28:20 Creating an innovative OTT platform
31:54 Stages of fundraising and how to find demand for your product
34:38 Stacy's new Book: The Hidden Power of Being an Outsider
36:37 What coming new and how to get in contact with the MoviePass team
Resources
Company website: https://www.moviepass.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/moviepass
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moviepass-inc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moviepass
Today we sit with Luis Suarez, the founder of Sanarai, a startup focused on increasing access to high-quality mental health resources for the Spanish-speaking community. Originally from Mexico City, Luis moved to the US to pursue his MBA at Duke University. After struggling to find mental health support in Spanish during the COVID-19 pandemic, Luis recognized the need for better resources for the Latino community. With Sanarai, he aims to bridge the gap and provide culturally sensitive mental health services to Spanish speakers.
Luis shares his personal journey and the inspiration behind starting Sanarai. He highlights the significant gap in mental health services for the Latino population, with only 5% of mental health professionals speaking Spanish despite 13% of the population being Spanish speakers. He shares how they have built a two-sided marketplace connecting patients with mental health providers, focusing on relationship issues, anxiety, depression, and more. The team has leveraged resources like Google for Startups to grow their platform and ensure the highest quality of care for their users.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Luis Emilio Suarez pursued his education at Colegio Vista Hermosa, and later attended Universidad Politécnica de Madrid from 2006 to 2011, where he obtained a degree in Mining and Energy Engineering. He then went on to study at Duke University - The Fuqua School of Business from 2015 to 2017, and received a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.).
Luis has an extensive work history starting from 2010, when he worked as a Project Engineer at Soletanche Bachy. He worked as a Contract Manager at SENER from 2012 to 2016, and in 2016 he became an MBA Summer Intern at Kearney. He was later promoted to Management Consultant in 2017. Most recently, in 2020, he founded Sanarai and became its CEO.
Time Stamps:
02:51 Introduction and background of Luis Suarez 06:40 Challenges of serving the Latino market and expanding to Central and South America 09:46 Sanarai as a two-sided marketplace for mental health services 11:04 B2B2C model and partnerships with companies and community organizations 12:00 Strategy for creating and filling demand for therapists 14:20 Matching patients with therapists based on specialties 16:37 Building the technology for the platform started with an MVP. 18:54 How proven interest from therapists and clients led to building a customized platform. 20:20 Focusing on quality of mental health providers rather than the technology. 23:00 What does the Sanarai team look like today 26:32 How does Sanarai’s work mode work 29:27 Explaining 1871 as an incubator and shared space for startups 30:52 Sanarai experience with Google for Startups program 33:03 Funding and resources offered by Google for Startups 35:24 How to get in contact with the Sanarai team
Resources
Company website: https://www.sanarai.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sanaraizen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sanaraizen/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sanaraizen/
In this episode we sit with Veronica Crisafuli, the founder and CEO of Mo Technologies. Veronica shares her journey from a career in consulting to becoming an entrepreneur in the fintech industry. She discusses the problem she identified in the financial ecosystem - the lack of access to formal credit for a large portion of the global population. Veronica explains how she bridged the gap between her consulting background and the fintech industry by leveraging her knowledge of technology and her passion for financial inclusion. She introduces Mo Technologies, a fintech company that offers a credit core platform to enable clients to launch, operate, and scale their credit products. Veronica also highlights the importance of data and artificial intelligence in the underwriting process and discusses the competitive landscape in the fintech industry, including traditional banks and other fintech startups.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Veronica Crisafuli is the CEO and Co-founder at MO Technologies. A creative mind that focuses on innovation in the digital space and financial inclusion. She worked as a strategic consultant for more than 15 years for important consulting companies dedicated to TMT and financial services, such as Bain & Company, Delta Partners, and Mastercard Advisor, where she led projects in South Africa, Argentina, United Kingdom, Brazil, Turkey, Czech Republic, Spain, and Colombia. Veronica started her entrepreneurial path on 2016, when she co-founded MO Technologies, a fintech that developed a patent-pending proprietary credit scoring technology based on machine learning, artificial intelligence and all cloud-based with a dream to democratize access to credit all around the world. As of July 27th, 2021, Veronica was appointed CEO at fintech MO. Additionally, from 2020 she co-founded KEO World: a fintech in the pure lending space. She has been named one of the 10 Most Successful Businesswoman to Watch 2020 by CIOlook, and recently highlighted as one of the 10 Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making a Difference, 2021. Beyond Exclamation also named her one of the 10 Most Successful Women Renewing the Future in Technology, 2021.
Time Stamps: 03:15 Introduction and background of Veronica Crisafuli 06:47 Identifying the pain point in the financial ecosystem 09:35 Developing the software-based solution for credit issuance 12:32 Business model: Charging based on the amount of credit offered 15:46 Modular platform allowing customization for clients 18:55 Facing competition from both large financial institutions and fintech startups. 22:15 Collaborative models between big institutions and fintechs accelerate the adoption of new technologies. 25:30 Scalling the product, focusing on the Latin America Market 27:07 Incorporating AI and machine learning in underwriting and data analysis. 28:47 Criteria for hiring technical roles 33:28 Remote work and finding tech talent in Latin America 38:46 Challenges in fundraising and adapting to market conditions 41:40 Changing fundraising strategies for a sustainable business 43:32 How to get in contact with the Mo Technologies Team Resources
Company website: https://www.wearemo.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MoTecnologias LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearemo/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mo.cmp/
In this episode we sit with David Silva, a Colombian entrepreneur and community builder. David shares his background growing up in Cali, Colombia, surrounded by a vibrant community of artists, politicians, and intellectuals. He discusses his journey from studying software engineering to becoming a software engineer and eventually transitioning into the startup world. David also talks about the importance of community and how he founded Techqueria, a community for Latino individuals interested in tech. The conversation then shifts to David's current venture, AWSM (“Awesome”), a venture studio focused on launching 100 startups in five years. David explains the need for more Latino leaders in the tech industry and the importance of funding and supporting underrepresented founders. He also discusses the challenges faced by Latino entrepreneurs and the need for mentorship and support networks. Throughout the episode, David emphasizes the importance of collaboration, community, and empowering each other. He shares his vision for creating a strong network of Latino leaders and supporting startups in highly regulated industries such as finance and healthcare. David also highlights the potential of Latin American talent and the need for international collaboration in the tech ecosystem. If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio: David Silva is a multi-faceted professional with a rich history of tech and business community contributions. David's diverse career is marked by innovation and leadership. He currently serves as the founder of Calima which is a dynamic executive community that fosters international business collaboration. Calima provides a unique platform that connects Latin American executives in the US and abroad both online and in physical spaces. In addition, To his work at Calima. David holds the position of CTO at AWSM awesome. His role involves deploying complex teams of business owners to efficiently launch innovative ideas with a particular focus on the accelerator community: community engagement, FinTech, and healthcare. David's commitment to creating inclusive and supportive communities extends to his role as the founder of the tech area. Time Stamps: 00:00 Introduction and background of David Silva 03:50 Getting into startups and learning new skills 06:47 Importance of learning management skills for engineers 09:21 Building the TechArea community 11:44 Empowering members to create their own events 13:14 Different key positions in the tech ecosystem 14:33 Disparity in funding opportunities for Latino and Black communities 17:38 Need to create more mentors and support networks 19:56 Working on launching 100 startups in five years 22:24 Different types of startup studios and incubators 25:10 International expansion without geographic restrictions 27:37 Attractiveness of living and working in Latin America 31:10 Introduction of a secret executive community for events and networking 34:14 Introduction of the Calima community with cultural significance 38:00 How to get in contact with the AWSM team
Resources Company website: https://awsm.vc/; https://caliman.org/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/awsmvc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/awsmvc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awsmvc/
In today's fast-paced world, technology is constantly evolving, and consumers are always on the lookout for the latest gadgets. However, this obsession with newness has led to a significant amount of electronic waste, as people discard their old devices in favor of the latest models. ZeluCash recognized this wasteful trend and saw an opportunity to create a more sustainable and cost-effective solution. Today we sit with Lucas Keen, the founder of ZeluCash, an Argentinean startup that specializes in the recommerce industry. With an MBA in Argentina and a background in startups, Lucas has extensive experience in the e-commerce and technology sectors. He launched ZeluCash in 2015 to address the wastage of valuable technology, such as smartphones, by creating a trading program where customers can trade in their old devices for new ones. Lucas is passionate about the circular economy and believes in giving products a second life. Keen discusses the growth of the recommerce industry in Latin America and the impact of his company's trading program. He explains how ZeluCash allows customers to trade in their old smartphones for new ones, providing a more affordable option and reducing electronic waste. Lucas also highlights the importance of trust and transparency in the recommerce market and the role of technology in facilitating the buying and selling process. He shares his plans for expanding into Mexico and Chile and the potential for growth in the region. If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio: Lucas Keen has 16 years of experience managing digital business in Latam. He performed as a Sales Manager for 6 years at DineroMail (acquired by PayU in 2012) From 2011 to 2014 he was Country manager and investor at Ticketbis, European ticket exchange platform sold to eBay. He earned his MBA from IAE (Business school of Austral University) in Argentina. Time Stamps: 02:57 Introduction and background of Lucas Keen 07:50 Initial challenges faced by ZeluCash 10:45 Expansion of ZeluCash product offerings 12:57 Zelu Cash’s impact on the market in Argentina 14:10 Embracing the circular economy concept 16:48 Using own and third-party technologies for flexibility and efficiency. 19:44 Finding the right developers to build out the product 22:00 Using a recruiting agency to improve the quality of talent and freelancers for projects. 24:50 Buying, pricing and selling based on daily market scans and phone conditions. 29:42 Leveraging retail companies for marketing on the buying side. 32:09 Implementing cost-saving processes with technology 34:08 Ensuring trust through software verification and customer reviews 36:11 Potential growth in the recommerce market in Latin America 39:26 How to get in contact with the ZeluCash team
Resources Company website: https://zelucash.com/home Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZELUCASH LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zelucashlatam/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zelucash/
Today, we have the pleasure of introducing Camille Padilla, the co-founder of Vodium, a groundbreaking platform that has introduced the world's first virtual teleprompter. Based in Chicago, Illinois, Vodium operates as a transparent app seamlessly integrated into video conferences, enhancing the virtual communication experience. With Vodium, Camille and her team aim to bring back the sense of genuine human connection in the digital realm by helping users maintain eye contact and communicate with confidence.
Before her entrepreneurial venture with Vodium, Camille served as the vice president at a top boutique political media firm based in Los Angeles. In this role, she demonstrated exceptional skills as an operator and creative thinker, managing operations and budgets for multimillion-dollar ad campaigns. Her commitment to diversity and inclusion is evident in her leadership style, actively advocating for employees from diverse backgrounds and ensuring an inclusive and empowering workplace.
In this thought leadership article, we will explore Camille's innovative journey with Vodium, her experience in the political media landscape, and her commitment to fostering diversity and creativity in the workplace. We will delve into the main themes discussed in the podcast and analyze their implications and potential impact on the future of virtual communication.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Before launching VODIUM, Camille was Vice President at one of the top boutique political media firms. She likes to say she’s a conundrum because she’s a skilled operator and creative. Camille ran all the operations and budgets for multi-million-dollar ad campaigns. But she also wrote, directed, and produced national TV commercials. The idea of VODIUM came to her while she was conducting a video shoot over Zoom, and the first person she had to call was her best friend and roommate, Mary Mellor. Now VODIUM has been operational for three years. Time Stamps: 03:02 Camille's Journey and the Birth of Vodium 09:18 Importance of Eye Contact in Virtual Communication 13:03 Challenges and Triumphs of Building Vodium 17:11 The Role of AI in Vodium 23:01 The Importance of Soft Skills in Virtual Communication 25:49 The Challenges of Building a Tech Startup 29:05 Securing Initial Investment and Finding a Development Firm 31:46 The Trade-off Between Hiring Developers vs. Software Development Shop 35:20 Navigating the Enterprise Market 38:12 The Decision to Partner with Avanade 45:38 The Journey to Raising 2 Million in Funding 50:34 How to get in contact with the Vodium team, future Plans and Final Thoughts
Resources
Company website: https://vodium.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vodium_com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vodium-com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/vodium_com
In this episode, we interview Aaron Samuels, the Managing Partner, and Co-Founder of Collide Capital, a venture capital fund that invests primarily in black, Latin, and female founders. He has a diverse background, having worked as a spoken word artist, strategy consultant, product manager, and co-founder of Blavity, a media company focused on black culture and news.
Aaron Samuels shares his journey from being a spoken word artist to becoming a fund manager at Collide Capital. He discusses the structural obstacles faced by underrepresented founders in the tech industry and how his experiences at Blavity led him to start a venture capital fund. He emphasizes the importance of collaboration, passion, and the ability to build teams when evaluating startups. He also explains Collide Capital's investment focus on software, including enterprise, SaaS, fintech infrastructure, supply chain, and gen Z productivity. Aaron highlights the value-add services provided by Collide Capital, including their willingness to go the extra mile for their founders. He also shares insights on raising a fund, the importance of finding the right investors, and the need for a well-researched approach when pitching to LPs.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Aaron Samuels is Founder and Managing Partner of Collide Capital. Prior to Collide Capital, Aaron began his career as a spoken word artist before working at Bain & Co. as a strategy consultant and TeleSign as a Product Manager. Combining his love for storytelling, strategy, and technology, Aaron co-founded and served as COO at Blavity, the largest global Black Media company, and AfroTech, the largest Black Tech conference in the world.
Time Stamps:
02:48 Background of Aaron and Collide Capital
04:43 Realization of structural barriers for underrepresented founders
08:44 Creating Collide Capital to invest in underrepresented founders
10:41 Blending operational and investment expertise at Collide Capital
12:28 Valuing collaboration and teamwork in founders
14:48 Founding companies out of passion, not logic or reason.
17:04 Seed stage investments focus on scaling existing solutions.
19:01 Chek size that best fit for new founders
20:57 Focusing on software, enterprise, SaaS, fintech, supply chain, and Gen Z productivity.
23:13 Value-added service is the founders' support and involvement.
25:05 Journey and comparison in raising funds to raise as a startup
28:31 Researching potential investors, convincing them that you're the best person for the job.
31:45 Considering fund size and track record when raising fund one
33:56 Looking for positive signs of success when investing in seed
35:25 How to get in contact with the Collide Capital team
Resources
Company website: https://www.collidecap.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CollideCapital
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/collidecapital/about/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collidecapital/
In this episode, we sit down with Shani Dowell, the founder of Possip, a groundbreaking platform that bridges the gap between parents and schools to enhance student outcomes. Dowell takes us on her inspiring journey, from her background in consulting to her passion for education and the founding of Possip in 2016.
Join us as Dowell discusses the challenges faced in improving student outcomes and explores the vital role parents and teachers play in achieving this goal. We delve into the future of education and the profound impact technology has on the industry. Dowell also shares insights on fundraising and emphasizes the significance of finding the right investors for long-term success.
Discover how Possip empowers parents by providing a platform for valuable feedback to schools. With its inclusive approach, more than half of the feedback received is in languages other than English, ensuring accessibility for non-English speaking parents. Through open-ended sentiment questions, parents can express praise, seek answers to questions, or voice concerns. The technology organizes this qualitative data into subcategories, offering quantitative insights without sacrificing the richness of feedback. The collected data facilitates decision-making at the district level, and schools receive tailored recommendations based on the feedback.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Shani Dowell is a visionary entrepreneur and leader in technology and education. As the founder of Possip, her work helps revolutionize how schools and districts engage with their families, students and staff. A former middle school Math teacher, Shani started her career as a consultant at Bain & Co. and helped launch the Boston office of the Posse Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works to increase student retention and engagement on college campuses. Shani has also worked for education organizations across the country - seeking to create the strongest school possible for students, families, staff, and the broader community. Shani earned her BA at Howard University in Washington, DC, and her MBA at Stanford University.
Time Stamps:
03:08 Introduction to Shani Dowell's background
07:34 Paint point that led to the idea for Possip
09:21 The challenges of improving student outcomes
12:41 The role of technology in education
14:59 Use of text prompts and web links for parent engagement
16:56 Importance of building something you understand
19:56 Finding the right tech developer
21:16 Leveraging strengths in tech
24:08 Getting customers and understanding the education market
25:58 Finding the right price point for Possip
27:59 Business model and pricing
32:52 Fundraising journey and the importance of finding the right investors
35:40 Best fit investors for Possip
37:57 What’s coming next for Possip
39:56 How to get in contact with the Possip team
Resources:
Company website: https://possip.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/possipit
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/possipit/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PossipIt/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/possip/
In this episode, we delve into the inspiring journey of Mariana, a Peruvian entrepreneur, and her mission to promote diversity and create opportunities in the world of technology. Join us as we explore the origins of Laboratoria, a tech-based education and job placement company founded by Mariana and her partner. After returning to Peru to marry and start a business, Mariana's passion for merging technology and social impact led to the birth of Laboratoria. Discover how Laboratoria's goal to provide tech education, job placement, and mentorship for underprivileged youth has transformed the lives of disadvantaged young people, fostering inclusion and diversity in the tech sector.
As Laboratoria's web shop thrived, Mariana and her partner faced a significant challenge in building a diverse team of software developers. Recognizing the scarcity of such talent and the lack of diversity in the field, they seized the opportunity to empower women in tech. Hear Mariana's firsthand experiences of attending male-dominated tech meetups and the inspiration behind creating Labia, a boot camp designed to equip women with the skills needed to embark on successful careers in software development.
Join us as Mariana reflects on the changing landscape of software engineering in Peru and the positive impact that Laboratoria and Labia have had in bridging the gender gap. Learn how they have shattered stereotypes and inspired thousands of women to pursue careers in tech, creating a more inclusive and vibrant future.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Mariana is the co-founder and President at Laboratoria, an organization empowering women who dream of a better future to start and grow careers in technology. Running bootcamp programs for women across Latin America, Laboratoria is helping shape a more diverse, inclusive, and competitive digital economy in the Region that can create opportunities for every woman to develop her potential. For her work as a social entrepreneur Mariana has received multiple recognitions, including being named one of Peru's leading innovators by the MIT, and one of the world’s most influential women by the BBC. She holds a BSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics and a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Columbia University in New York.
Time Stamps:
03:06 Mariana’s background and professional journey
05:17 Starting a web shop and discovering the world of software development
07:57 Exploring the need for diverse tech talent in Peru
10:58 Software development: the immersive boot camp program
14:33 Benefits of the women in tech program bootcamp
17:15 Types of customers and companies hiring Laboratoria alumni
18:39 Laboratoria business model for job placement boot camps
22:33 Laboratoria metrics and use of technology
24:10 Using technology to educate women in tech and incorporating it into business
28:12 Challenges of attracting tech talent for nonprofit education services company
30:26 Laboratoria upcoming plans for 2023
32:27 Skilling up women in AI and data science
34:25 How to get in contact with the Laboratoria team
Resources:
Company website: https://www.laboratoria.la/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laboratoriala/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/laboratoria/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Laboratoriala
In this episode we sit with Kerry Schrader, the co-founder of Mixtroz, a former HR executive with extensive experience in people management, who shares her journey of creating Mixtroz alongside her daughter, to address the challenge of making authentic connections at events. Kerry explores the origins of Mixtroz and the inspiration behind their innovative concept of "mixed introduction." She discuss the common issues faced by individuals at events, both before and during the pandemic, where making genuine connections with strangers seemed daunting. She also sheds light on how her passion for social engagement led her to create Mixtroz, events designed to foster meaningful conversations and connections.
The conversation takes an exciting turn as Kerry delves into the importance of meaningful connections in today's society, whether in-person or in virtual settings. Kerry shares the premise of Mixtroz and how their technology-driven platform aids individuals in making these connections effortlessly. She emphasizes that attending an event is only the first step while building relationships and having meaningful conversations is the other half of the equation. Kerry reveals how Mixtroz helps bridge this gap, allowing people to connect with those who truly matter.
As the discussion continues, Kerry highlights the prevalent tendency of individuals to stick to familiar faces at events, neglecting the opportunity to meet new people. Kerry elaborates on the idea behind launching Mixtures, a software platform specifically designed to assist event leaders in facilitating meaningful engagement. She emphasizes that while Mixtures isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, it serves as a valuable tool to help individuals forge deeper connections and foster a sense of community.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Kerry Schrader BBA, MBA, is the co-founder/CEO of Mixtroz. She is the 37th Black Female to ever raise over $1M in pre-seed funding. Kerry has more than 25 years of experience positively impacting the human assets of large companies including Ford, Alcoa, and Sears Holdings Corporation. Mrs. Schrader is a former board member of Creative Startups, Birmingham’s Inaugural Mayor’s Small Business Council, and UAB’s O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Advisory Board. She is currently a board member of the Forge Breast Cancer Survivor Center. In addition to being included in Inc. Magazine’s 2022 100 Female Founders list, Kerry and her daughter were named “Powerful Women” by Entrepreneur Magazine on their inaugural list and Kerry has been included in Forbes Next 1000. Most importantly, however, KERRY is a breast cancer survivor!
Time Stamps:
03:13 Kerry’s background and professional journey
05:34 Pain point on live events that led to creating Mixtroz
09:00 Maximizing engagement at events
11:10 Mixtroz technology for event organizers
13:24 Utilizing Mixtroz data to increase engagement
16:10 Event Planning and Targeting Customers
18:53 Power of Meaningful Social Connectivity in Mental Health Awareness
20:52 Enhancing Engagement in Virtual Events with Mixtroz Platform
24:41 Building an Engaging Event Platform
27:16 Journey of Bootstrapping and Fundraising for a Startup
32:58 Barriers to Raise Capital as a Black Female Founder
36:55 Overcoming Challenges to Launch a Tech Startup
41:32 Conversation on Supporting Black Companies and Female Founders
44:48 How to get in contact with the Mixtroz team
Resources:
Company website: https://www.mixtroz.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mixtroz/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mixtroz/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mixtroz
In this episode, we sit with Sheridan Claybourne, an entrepreneur whose journey began at the age of 15 with a passion for startups and a knack for making profits. Discover how Sheridan's early success in acquiring and selling sneakers led him to launch his own company, Lendtable, and embark on a remarkable entrepreneurial career. Sheridan shares his experiences working in the finance industry, including stints at renowned firms like JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs. Tune in as he discusses his decision to leave these prestigious positions behind in pursuit of creating startups that could address the flaws he observed in the existing financial landscape. Learn how he identified opportunities to generate outside returns and provide non-accredited investors access to private equity funds through his FinTech ventures.
Explore Sheridan's diverse background, from working at a credit-boosting startup to becoming a machine learning product manager at Dropbox. Find out why he ultimately decided to forge his own path and how his varied experiences equipped him with the necessary skills to launch Lendtable. Discover how this platform is revolutionizing the way small and medium-sized businesses access financial services.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Sheridan is Co-Founder & CEO of Lendtable - the first platform for providing "wealth-building loans". Born in Chicago, Sheridan was the youngest African-American to ever get into Northwestern at age 15. Since enrolling in school, he built his first business (Snatcher - automatically buying and selling limited edition items/tickets) to $10million+ in revenue in 3 years. During which, he spent time working at Goldman and J.P. Morgan in their Special Situations Group. This ignited his passion for fintech and creating financial equality for all people. In its first 3 months, Lendtable raised $1million+.
Time Stamps:
03:13 Sheridan’s background and professional journey
07:41 Exploring the possibilities of fintech to create a positive impact
10:59 Exploring wealth-building loans for 401k match and employee benefits
12:26 Benefits of debt financing for wealth building
14:35 Exploring guaranteed returns and artificial intelligence in financial platforms
16:46 Collecting data and leveraging third-party vendors
18:54 Direct-to-consumer 401k matching services
20:08 Significance of user interface and user experience in consumer-facing technology
21:21 Collaboration between co-founders to create a fintech business
25:43 Team makeup, fundraising journey, and learnings raising capital for a start-up
29:44 Seed and pre-seed round investment considerations for a startup
30:03 Identifying the best investors for a startup
32:13 Generating wealth through referrals and word of mouth
34:51 What’s next for the Lendtable team
35:54 How to get in contact with the Lendtable team
Resources:
Company website: https://www.lendtable.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lendtable/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lendtable/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lendtable
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lendtable
In this episode we sit with Harold Hughes, the founder & CEO of Bandwagon, Harold shares his journey from being a first-generation American in South Carolina to becoming a tech entrepreneur in Austin, Texas. Inspired by his experiences at Radio Shack and driven by a passion for uniting people, Harold founded Bandwagon — a technology-based solution to break down barriers and foster community through the love of sports.
We delve into the concept of affinity groups and community building, exploring how technology can be harnessed to create meaningful connections among people from diverse backgrounds. Their platform allows fans to access exclusive content, join fan clubs, and celebrate their favorite teams, regardless of geographical limitations. Discover how Harold's vision bridges gaps and builds a stronger community, empowering individuals to engage, support, and understand one another better.
In addition to Bandwagon, Harold discusses his latest innovation, Poet (Proof of Experience Token). Poet allows artists and athletes to invite their fans to submit content directly to their pages, with commercial rights belonging to the creators themselves. This innovative approach empowers entertainers and athletes to control their brand while enabling fans to share their experiences and build deeper connections with their favorite icons.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Harold Hughes is the founder & CEO of Bandwagon, a South Carolina-based live experience technology company. Under his leadership, Bandwagon has raised more than $3M in venture capital and successfully acquired IdealSeat, Inc. in 2020. Their customers include Fortune 50 brands, entertainers, as well as professional and collegiate athletes. As a first-generation American, Harold prioritized education, receiving two bachelor's degrees (Economics and Political Science) from Clemson University and later received his MBA from Clemson while he led business development at a Fortune 1000 company based in Greenville, South Carolina. As a web3 builder and community leader, Harold published "A Kids Book About Blockchain" to help educate people "from 6 to 60" about the revolutionary technology that Bandwagon specializes in. To that end, Harold is also an active angel investor, primarily investing in women, people of color, and Black founder-led companies. Most notably, he has invested in Partake Foods, the Jay-Z-backed CPG company making allergy-friendly snacks, and companies like Goodr, Chipper, Athletic Greens, Republic, Stix, and the National Cycling League.
Time Stamps:
03:18 Harold’s background and professional journey
05:31 Exploring the pain point behind Bandwagon fan club
08:05 Benefits of poet and fan club for artists and fans
11:50 Exploring the benefits of using Poet for content creation and monetization
14:47 Benefits of connecting fans and artists through data
17:55 Leveraging blockchain technology to build value in an ecosystem
22:06 Building a blockchain platform
24:47 Recruiting and go-to-market strategy for blockchain-based platform
28:19 Value propositions and benefits of token access for artists and entertainment brands
31:03 Data analysis and funding for expansion of the brand
32:29 Leveraging social capital for successful fundraising
36:19 Potential of proof of experience technology
38:18 Discussing Bandwagon's product roadmap and connecting with fans
39:37 How to get in contact with the Bandwagon team
Resources:
Company website: https://bandwagonfanclub.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/builtxbandwagon/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/builtxbandwagon
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bandwagon-fan-club/
In this episode, we delve into the fascinating world of AI-driven drug discovery and its potential to revolutionize the field of structural biology. Our guest, Raphael Townshend, the founder of Atomic AI, shares his journey from engineering to AI and his profound interest in the structural biology space. Raphael discusses his background in engineering and how his focus on AI, particularly computer vision, led him to pursue a Ph.D. in AI with a keen interest in structural biology. He explains how he discovered the relatively unexplored area of structural biology and recognized its potential for AI algorithms to make a significant impact.
The conversation takes a deeper dive into the potential impacts of AI on drug discovery, with a particular focus on its application in finding cures for diseases with no known remedy, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, various cancers, and infectious diseases. Raphael explains how AI has already demonstrated remarkable success in folding molecules, an achievement that once required extensive time and resources. By leveraging AI algorithms, researchers can now significantly reduce the time and cost involved in the drug discovery process.
Discover how AI algorithms are reshaping the landscape of drug discovery and paving the way for more efficient and cost-effective treatments. Tune in to this episode to explore the future possibilities of AI in structural biology and its potential to transform healthcare and improve countless lives.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development. Founder Bio:
Raphael Townshend is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Atomic AI, a biotechnology company using artificial intelligence to enable the next generation of RNA drug discovery. Prior to founding Atomic AI, Raphael studied for his Ph.D. at Stanford University, where he wrote his thesis on Geometric Learning of Biomolecular Structure and taught in Stanford’s machine learning and computational biology programs. He has been recognized in Forbes 30 Under 30, and his work has been featured on the cover of Science, recognized by the Best Paper award at NeurIPS, and published in other top venues such as Nature, Cell, and ICLR. During his Ph.D. program, Raphael also held positions at DeepMind and Google on their artificial intelligence and software engineering teams and founded the inaugural workshop on machine learning and structural biology.
Time Stamps:
02:53 Raphael’s background and professional journey in AI
05:36 What are structural biology and the rational design of molecules
08:02 Impact of AI on drug discovery and medical research
09:18 Molecule design for undruggable diseases with AI-guided drug discovery
13:39 Designing RNA molecules for disease treatment using ai algorithms
15:30 Collecting data for AI model training
17:44 Exploring data generation for AI-powered RNA analysis
18:56 Complementing biological and AI scientists for AI model training
20:44 Predicting 3-dimensional protein shapes using machine learning
22:58 Exploring the Pharmaceutical and biotech industry
25:53 Structuring deals for startups in the biotech industry
27:55 Building a biotech company: found raising journey
30:49 Techbio investing and business modeling
34:06 Benefits of partnering models in Biotech and AI product usability
37:53 Progress in RNA drug discovery and AI-powered research
39:04 How to get in contact with the Atomic AI team
In this episode, we interview Barbara, a technical founder who has significantly impacted the tech industry. Barbara is the creator of a Clubhouse group called Let's Imagine Life with Ladies at It, which helps women learn to code and expand their knowledge and skills in tech. With over 3000 members, the group celebrates women in tech and encourages men to bring more women onto their teams. She is also passionate about helping other women reach their potential and make a difference in the tech industry. Recently, she launched an initiative with a nonprofit and an organization in Angola to get 100 Portuguese-speaking African women coding. She has already hired one of them as a QA analyst for her company.
During the interview, Barbara shares her entrepreneurial journey, including how she started in tech and her experience with hackathons. She also talks about her successful software company that is used in over 4000 stores in the US, Canada, and Japan, and her experience creating algorithms for gift receipts and point-of-sale systems.
Additionally, Barbara shares insights into the value of equity versus raises, and how she used her experience with a previous startup to start her own business, Freeing Returns. She explains how her team won a hackathon sponsored by WorldPay and ended up receiving $75,000 in cash and prizes for their solution to fix returns. This success led to WorldPay becoming one of the first customers of Freeing Returns, and the CTO of WorldPay becoming a mentor to Barbara, opening many doors for her in the tech industry.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Barbara Jones is the founder/CEO of Lillii RNB Inc which is doing business as Freeing Returns. Barbara has been in the Retail Technology sector for over 20 years and has been on the founding teams of 2 Retail Technology startups that both exited for close to $100M. Barbara has created Retail Tech Software that is running in over 4000 stores throughout the US, Canada, and Japan. She has been in the POS Architect and Solutions Architect roles for The Home Depot, LL Bean, PepBoys, and many more solving multi-million dollar issues for them. Her newest venture has been to transition Lillii RNB Inc from a System Integration consulting company to an Enterprise Solutions company with their Returns Management and Profit Optimization platform, Freeing Returns™ - which helps retailers find the Fraud and Shrink that's HIDING in their Data. We have successfully closed our Seed round, led by Serena Williams' venture fund and Aperture Venture Capital - bringing our total investments to over $4M.Barbara lives in Lithonia, GA with her husband of 2 years, but is from Austin, TX. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. She is a Gulf War Veteran, an Avid supporter of Women in STEM, and hires and trains minorities in the space of Retail Technology.
Time Stamps:
03:17 Barbara’s background and professional journey with Freeing Returns
08:00 Benefits of starting a career in tech
12:48 Exploring the growing issue of retail fraud with Freeing Returns
16:15 How Freeing Returns solve the problem: E-commerce loss prevention
18:49 Identifying areas of loss and solutions for improvement
22:10 Defining the ideal customer and exploring solutions for retailers
25:20 Company target and experience with the product
28:18 Difference between building tech for an enterprise and an SMB
30:32 Potential of data science and AI for real-time alerts and predictive capabilities
33:58 Raising $4 million for a startup company
38:48 Validation through hard work: building resilience and preparing for the next funding round.
41:37 Raising a pre-series round for retail technology platform to support growth and scale
43:57 How to get in contact with the Freeing Returns team
Resources:
Company website: https://freeingreturns.com/
LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/freeingreturns/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/freeingreturns
In this episode, we speak with Manuel Jimenez, a Spanish professional who moved to Colombia to take a high-responsibility position with the Bank of Falabella and ended up creating his own company to tackle the issue of financial exclusion in the country. He shares his experience of moving to Colombia with his family and realizing that the country was not as dangerous as he had initially thought. He talks about his desire to create something with social impact and how he identified the problem of financial exclusion in Colombia.
Manuel discusses the differences between access to credit and financing in the United States and Spain, and how these resources are more difficult to access in Colombia. He then introduces his company, Aflore, which aims to bridge the gap in the market by providing people with the tools to fulfill their financial roles more effectively. Manuel explains how his research uncovered an informal market in which people lend money to each other, and how Aflore is designed to make people aware of their role in this market and give them the tools to do it more efficiently. He also talks about his partnership with PolyMath Ventures, a venture studio, which generates ideas to become businesses and provides initial funding. He describes how he and his co-founder set out to solve the problem of lack of trust in the financial sector by analyzing how people solve their financial needs without the formal system.
Finally, Manuel shares his vision for the future of Aflore and his plans to expand the company's reach in Colombia and beyond. This episode offers a unique perspective on the issue of financial exclusion in emerging markets and the role that technology can play in addressing this problem.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Manuel is the COO/CPO and co-founder of Aflore, a Fintech company that distributes financial products through a community of Informal Advisors. Manuel was previously Vice President of Banco Falabella Colombia, Head of Sales Channels, where he led areas including branch networks, remote channels (internet/mobile, contact centers, and ATM networks), and customer service. Manuel has more than 20 years of experience in international financial institutions, including roles in Finance, O&T, Business Analysis, Credit Scoring, Product Management, Business Development, and Sales and Distribution. He holds an Executive MBA from IE Business School, a BS in Business Administration from UNED, and a Computer Science degree from Universidad de Valladolid (Spain).
Time Stamps:
03:05 Manuel's background and professional journey
05:17 Taking the decision to move to Colombia and start a company
07:33 A problem to be solved: access to fair credit and building assets
12:51 Exploring the informal financial market
15:06 Business model of a financial services provider
18:02 Serving the informal advisor market in Latin America
19:39 Making a digital transformation: where is tech involved
25:43 Leveraging technology to provide financial products to consumers
27:28 Combining technology and support to create trust with clients
29:06 Benefits of software and human interaction in business success
32:03 Utilizing technology and informal advisors to improve efficiency and manage risk
35:54 Raising equity and debt for track record creation
39:57 Raising capital for Latin American companies
43:46 Reorganizing team and developing channel strategy for growth and profitability
46:41 How to get in contact with the Aquabyte team
Resources:
Company website: https://www.aflore.co/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afloreco
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aflore_co/
LinkedIn: https://co.linkedin.com/company/aflore
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfloreCo
In this episode, we sit down with Alexandra, Co-founder of Eight Sleep, a health and wellness company focused on sleep fitness. Alexandra discusses her background in marketing and communication and how she acquired her skills through hands-on experience. She then delves into the inspiration behind Eight Sleep, which was founded to address the lack of technology available to help people understand and improve their sleep.
Alexandra explains how the company's flagship product, the Pod, was created to bridge the gap between bad sleep and good sleep. The Pod uses sensors to monitor sleep and health biometrics and adjusts the temperature in real-time to create the perfect sleeping environment for each individual's needs in every sleep phase. The conversation also touches on the attention Eight Sleep has received from high-profile fans like Elon Musk, and Alexandra's excitement about the amazing team she has built at the company.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Alexandra Zatarain is the Co-founder and VP of Brand and Marketing of Eight Sleep, the world's first sleep fitness company. Eight Sleep has raised over $165M in venture funding and has helped hundreds of thousands of people get sleep fit with its hardware and digital products. In 2017, Alexandra was named by Forbes to the 30 Under 30 list in Consumer Technology, and in 2020 she was named by INC as one of the top 100 Female Founders. Alexandra is also an angel investor in female-founded companies. She was raised in Tijuana, Mexico, and now lives in Miami.
Time Stamps:
02:59 Alexandra’s background and professional journey with Eight Sleep
06:04 Benefits of technology for sleep optimization with Eight Sleep
08:45 What is Eight Sleep technology
10:41 Solving environmental issues through temperature control technology
13:01 Benefits of learning from experts, thinkers, and customers for entrepreneurship
15:39 Conversation on sleep and the evolving role of marketing in business
19:45 Benefits of early-stage brand marketing and technology infrastructure
21:32 Technology behind the most extraordinary sleep experience
24:42 Building a dev team: hiring strategies and expertise needed
27:11 Company hiring and retaining talent in a small company
33:25 Crowdfunding process and successful campaigns
36:31 The value of validation and networking
40:04 Finding the right investors for a hardware company
41:43 Value-added services provided by investors
44:31 Discussing board partners, reference checks, and product roadmap
45:32 What’s coming for Eight Sleep in 2023
47:01 How to get in contact with the Eight Sleep team
Resources:
Company website: https://www.eightsleep.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eightsleep/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@eight_sleep
Twitter: https://twitter.com/eightsleep
In this episode, investment professional Taj Ahmad Eldridge reveals the need for a more informed approach to venture capital investing. He discusses the importance of diversity, both in terms of demographics and geography, in maximizing financial returns. He explores the role of fund of funds, which bridge the gap between large institutions and smaller venture funds, and shares insights into their structure and purpose. Taj sheds light on the importance of diversity in venture capital, going beyond gender and racial diversity and highlighting the significance of geographic diversity. He argues that investing in underserved and undervalued markets, especially those with lower living costs can yield higher financial returns for investors. By taking on the role of a limited partner in LP himself, Taj aims to address this issue and empower more founders to succeed.
Our conversation delves into the reasons and benefits of running a fund of funds that focuses on investing in underrepresented markets, including women and people of color. Fund of funds serve as conduits for larger institutions that cannot invest directly in smaller venture funds, which typically have an average size of $50 million. Furthermore, we explore the role of fund of funds as capital funds that invest in venture capital firms. Taj reveals that fund of funds typically receives a 1% management fee and a 7% carry, enabling them to share in the profits made by these venture capital firms. This approach ensures that fund managers choose effective strategies and invest in firms that can generate favorable returns.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Taj Ahmad Eldridge is a 25+ year investment professional whose career has included high-level executive roles in banking, asset management, alternative investments, and entrepreneurship. Taj serves as Managing Director of Climate Innovations at JFF.
As General Partner of Include Venture Partners and former Senior Director of Investments at the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), Eldridge has built a longstanding career with expertise in the fields of fintech, media, energy, transportation, and the circular economy. He is also one of the 70 Black Investors in Bevy.com - a $325 million virtual conference platform as noted in AfroTech. At LACI, he established both the LACI Impact Fund I (LIF I) and the LACI Debt Fund to allow cleantech companies to grow with diverse capital. These funds utilize an equity impact lens to encourage invested companies to have environmental, economic, and social impact - particularly on increasing the number of underrepresented voices in the cleantech industry. In addition, Eldridge created programs such as LACI Investor Talks (LIT), the LACI Investor in Residence program, and the Player to CEO Athlete-Investor Impact Summit Series with JP Morgan Chase. He has been named one of the 53 Investors to Watch in 2021 by Pitchbook & 101 Black Titans in Tech while nurturing and building a team of investment activists.
Time Stamps:
03:00 Taj's background and professional journey
05:24 Venture risk capital and diversifying investment strategies
07:20 Fund of funds and geographic diversity in venture capital
10:47 Venture capital investment criteria with include ventures
15:49 Role of fund managers in artist funding and progress for emerging fund managers
18:37 Value of grants for underrepresented climate funds
21:60 A program to help minority underrepresented founders become venture investors
25:34 Key considerations for setting up a venture capital fund
27:21 Fund manager's secret sauce for success
30:14 Exploring diversity in venture capital
32:52 Staying in business and raising funds: tips for fund managers
35:00 Benefits of smaller fund sizes in venture capital
36:09 Evaluating fund managers and investment processes +
38:39 Fundraising strategies and climate initiatives +
40:33 Climate change: a public health, economic, and social justice issue
45:42 How to get in contact with the Include Ventures team
Resources:
Company website: https://www.includeventures.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/include-ventures
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IncludeVentures
In this episode, we speak with Amy Jarczynski, founder and CEO of Kiss & Tell, a wedding and group travel booking platform that aims to revolutionize the way guests communicate and book events. Amy shares her background and how her experiences working in consumer tech inspired her to create a platform that solves the pain points of booking and managing group travel. Amy talks about how Kiss & Tell was created in response to the dissatisfaction of guests with the current personal wedding website model, and how her previous work at the Knot in travel and international partnerships gave her the insight to know that the key to getting everyone to a wedding or gathering was tying everyone together in a social conversation.
We also discuss how Kiss & Tell is making a difference for the Latino community, with the company being nominated by angel investors for the first-ever Google for Startups Latino Founders Fund and winning. This partnership has led to Kiss & Tell becoming a perk for all of Google's 300,000 plus employees, offering a free engagement trip if they book their wedding with Kiss & Tell.
Amy shares her experiences as a Latina and a female in tech, and how it has influenced the company's mission to include underrepresented folks in the products and pain points they are solving. She also talks about Kiss & Tell's solutions, which include building and booking event venues, packages, and group stays, as well as communication tools such as segmented group conversations like WhatsApp. Lastly, we get some insights on how she finds diverse talent, and how long-standing networks exist for different demographics.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Amy Jarczynski is the Founder & CEO of Kiss & Tell, an award-winning wedding and group travel booking platform that ties everyone together in a streamlined conversation. She is an industry expert who for over a decade witnessed booking and deal flow problems impacting consumers and the industry while she spent 13 years growing and scaling The Knot’s (www.theknot.com) global presence. Kiss & Tell enjoys broad industry support, high user conversion rates of wedding guests to future event hosts and the recognition of winning both Google For Startups Latino Founders Fund in 2022 (post-revenue) and Capital Factory’s $100K Challenge in 2017 (pre-product). Amy is passionate about travel and bringing people together with loved ones around the world, while always finding joy in the journey. A problem solver at heart, she's deeply committed to creating a robust and lasting solution, helping people gather globally. When not traveling or working, Amy loves spending time with friends and family, people watching or lingering over good wine and food.
Time Stamps:
02:45 Amy’s background and professional journey with Kiss & Tell
06:43 Leveraging Google for startups and supporting underrepresented folks
09:18 Exploring the benefits of Kiss & Tell
13:30 What does it look like to engage with Kiss & Tell
16:57 Building the platform from a technical perspective
21:12 Rebuilding a platform during covid-19
23:59 Hiring talent to build a platform
27:52 Onboarding event venues and hotels building trust and improving user experience
29:49 Investigating a payment glitch during site rollout
33:35 Partnerships and strategies for growing destination wedding awareness
36:57 How to get in contact with the Kiss & Tell team
Resources:
Company website: https://kissandtell.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doyoukissandtell/
Pinterest: https://co.pinterest.com/DoYouKissAndTell/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DoYouKissNTell
In this episode of the podcast, we sit down with Melvin Hines, a professor, mentor, and entrepreneur who is passionate about leveling the playing field for students from smaller towns. Melvin shares his journey, from growing up in South Georgia and being inspired to help his classmates succeed, to working with the CIA and founding his own EdTech business, Upswing. Melvin discusses the challenges faced by students in smaller towns, including limited access to resources like tutors, advisors, and mentors, and how the Upswing platform was created to bridge this gap by connecting students with mentors from larger cities and providing access to campus resources and third-party networks.
Melvin also shares how Upswing has evolved to address other barriers to student success, including mental health resources, and how their virtual assistant helps students stay on track with reminders and check-ins on how technology can be used to support students and level the playing field for those from smaller towns.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Melvin is the co-founder and CEO of Upswing, an organization that uses engagement software to help keep online students and adult learners on the path toward graduation. Today, Upswing supports nearly 1 million students in nearly 70 colleges. Melvin grew up in south Georgia, where he was one of only 68 students to graduate out of a class of 250. This ignited his passion for finding a way to empower students to take their futures into their own hands through higher education. After graduating from the University of Georgia, Melvin received a JD/MBA from Duke University where he started a law forum for educational equality. Afterward, he became a professor at North Carolina Central University, where he supported first-year student success.
Time Stamps:
02:45 Melvin's professional journey and background
05:45 Leveraging technology to level the playing field in small-town America +
10:19 Leveraging technology to create connections and opportunities for smaller communities
13:31 Upswing's proactive approach to student mental health and financial AID support
17:35 Scaling human intervention with AI technology
21:34 Exploring the impact of Chat GPT on human interaction
24:19 Benefits and challenges of utilizing technology to support vulnerable communities
26:35 Pricing model for student retention services
30:45 Joining forces in an accelerator program
33:36 Equity considerations for co-founders and external investors
39:47 Discussion on equity splitting and liquidation preferences in venture capital funding
42:32 How to get in contact with the Upswing team
Resources:
Company website: https://upswing.io/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upswing.io/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/upswing-io/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/upswing
In this episode, we sit down with Sydney, an experienced investor in the venture capital world who has recently launched her own fund, Impressionism Capital. Sydney shares her journey from working in the public sector to discovering her passion for fintech and digital health in venture capital. She also discusses the different stages of venture capital, from pre-revenue to private equity, and the importance of understanding the right type of capital needed to start a company. Sydney provides valuable insights into the fundraising process and shares her experience of raising a fund for Impressionism. She talks about the challenges of raising capital and how it is similar to launching a company. We also touch on the Kaufman Fellows program and the importance of creating a space for vulnerability and honesty within the venture capital industry.
Finally, she stresses the importance of education when it comes to venture capital and the different types of capital available to entrepreneurs. She emphasizes the need to be clear on what one wants to build and what they want to do with their life, as this will help determine the type of business to build.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Sydney is the Founder and General Partner of Impressionism Capital - a venture capital firm that invests in companies making life better for the 99%. The launch of her fund was recently covered by TechCrunch. She has focused on this thesis for the past 6 years and has created a distributed network invested in this space by founding a podcast where she profiles these companies, launching a newsletter where she writes about these companies, and hosting events where she organizes people who care deeply about the impact these companies can have on our society. She participates in several extracurricular activities to increase diversity in tech and level the playing field more broadly. She is on the strategy committee of BLCK VC, on the Board of Colorwave, and on the Advisory Board of Invanti – a startup generator in the Midwest. This work awarded her a Black VC’s Making an Impact designation and an article in Marie Claire. She is deeply involved in her community in Oakland. In 2020, she was honored to receive the Champion of Justice Award from Esq. Apprentice, an Oakland-based nonprofit she supports that creates alternative pathways to a legal career. She was also appointed by the mayor to serve as a Commissioner for the City of Oakland’s Public Safety and Services Commission.
Time Stamps:
03:08 Sydney background in venture capital
05:34 Venture capital, growth equity, and private equity with Impressionism investor
09:28 Benefits of building a company from scratch
11:14 Understanding the right capital for starting your own company
13:18 Discussion on Venture Capital Investment Outcomes
16:10 The importance of timeline when working with venture capital firms
17:63 Evaluating investment opportunities in digital health and fintech
21:22 Exploring the commitment of founders to solving problems
23:47 Different ways to make a living while building something exciting
28:15 Fintech and digital health investment opportunities with Impressionism ventures
31:61 Building relationships to find diverse founders in the digital health and fintech
34:30 Supporting founders through investment and value-add strategies
37:15 How to get in contact with the Impressionism team
Resources:
Company website: https://www.impressionismcapital.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydneypthomas/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sydneypaige10
In this podcast episode, we sit down with Tomás Uribe, a composer from Colombia who moved to New York to pursue his dreams of creativity and entrepreneurship. We learn about his background in business and how he came to start his company, Mavity, which helps creative freelancers find ways to monetize their passions. Tomás shares his journey to entrepreneurship, which began with difficult competition in the music industry. He had no exposure to business classes or the concept of entrepreneurship, but he had always been an artist and creator. After deciding to pursue an entrepreneurial lifestyle, he began to explore how to solve problems in the creative industry, which led to the creation of Mavity.
We discuss the idea of monetizing passion and how Mavity provides an alternative to the traditional gig economy. Through its platform, creative freelancers can collaborate with others and earn money doing what they love. The company has made it. Its mission is to help people make a living from their passions and realize their full potential.
Tomás also explains that Mavity focuses on two verticals: design and audiovisual. The pool of creatives is global, with most of them coming from Colombia due to the founders' backgrounds. We also discuss the rise of creativity in Latin America, with companies like Netflix and gaming companies entering the market.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Tomás Uribe is an entrepreneur, Co-founder, and CEO at Mavity, the collaboration marketplace for cloud-based creative teams. Tomás has been featured in INC. Magazine, Forbes, and an invited speaker at several conferences and events. Mavity is backed by Pharrell Williams, Techstars, Google, and L'Attitude Ventures, among other investors. Prior to Mavity, Tomás worked with global brands including Qualcomm, United Nations, and Leica Camera, and was a touring musician and composer. He has been recognized in the Forbes Next 1000 list, as well as by the Colombian Government Trade Agency - ProColombia.
Time Stamps:
03:03 Conversation with Tomas Uribe: Background
05:09 Mavity market pain point 07:17 Benefits of the gig economy for creative professionals
08:29 Monetizing passion through creativity
12:53 Understanding the buyer profile of a creative marketplace platform
14:32 Leveraging freelancers for creative projects
18:14 Benefits of high-frequency communication in creative teams
19:44 Mavity's unique project management services
23:53 Waiving fees for creators on Mavity platform and creative ops subscription for clients
25:26 conversation on the scope of work and internal team dynamics
28:12 Exploring a new model for offshore software development
30:32 Hiring processes and team dynamics
32:15 Fundraising journey for a startup, VC funding for underrepresented founders
37:45 Benefits of TechStars network and generative AI tools
39:23 Exploring the benefits of ai-driven tools for creators
43:57 How to get in contact with the Mavity team
Resources:
Company website: https://www.mavity.co/home
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mavity.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mavity/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MavityCo
In this episode, we sit with Chrissa McFarlane, the creator of Patientory. Chrissa joins the show to discuss the backstory behind her patient care app. With a background in emergent health, including managing a telemedicine company and consulting for pharma and EMRs, Chrissa was driven to create Patientory from the pain point of building the insurance side of the telemedicine company, as there was not a lot of consumer focus when it came to patient records. Patientory was born from the need for an easier, more organized system for patient records, and it revolutionized the healthcare industry by connecting patients with doctors over an app.
The conversation also delves into the need for consumer-friendly access to medical records, highlighting the difficulty that parents faced when trying to access their child's medical records through traditional methods. Patientory solves this problem by providing a digital health data wallet that allows users to access and manage their medical records from anywhere, making it easier for patients to keep track of their health data and stay on top of their healthcare needs.
What sets Patientory apart is its incorporation of blockchain and cryptocurrency, which allows patients to have control over their health data and potentially monetize it through a marketplace ecosystem. Additionally, Patientory provides rewards for users who take steps to improve their health, such as walking a certain number of steps. These rewards can come in the form of a crypto token, NFTs, or other forms of incentives, incentivizing users to stay active and engaged in their healthcare.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Named one of the top women “leaving their mark on the MedTech field in Health IT,” by Becker’s Hospital Review as the Founder and CEO of Patientory, Inc. Chrissa McFarlane publishes international healthcare research articles and actively writes for Forbes on emerging healthcare technological advances. In 2019, McFarlane authored her first book titled Future Women: Minority Female Entrepreneurship and the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the Era of Blockchain and Cryptocurrency. Devoted to fostering digital innovation in the healthcare industry, McFarlane served as co-chair of the Inaugural HIMSS18 Blockchain Workgroup, a member of the; HIMSS Interoperability & Health Information Exchange Committee, Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur Access Network and the World Economic Forum as a Technology Pioneer. With an array of professional experiences in the healthcare industry, specializing in technology transformation, delivering cost-efficient services and products for corporate 500 enterprises/ startups achieving prestigious awards, McFarlane serves as an Influencer for the Inaugural Class of the Metro Atlanta Chamber's Choose ATL campaign and Digital Influencer for HIMSS.
Time Stamps:
00:00 Chrissa McFarlane: Patientory and her background in emergent health
02:35 Challenges of accessing medical records
04:52 Benefits of Patientory for managing medical records and health data
08:31 Benefits of Blockchain and crypto in Healthcare
11:39 Leveraging dev shops and educating teams for a successful blockchain product launch
15:26 Patientory partnership-based approach to attracting users in the US
17:23 Raising capital for repository
22:31 Benefits of joining an accelerator for early-stage startups
25:02 conversation on regulatory compliance for blockchain and crypto companies
29:09 Exploring the blockchain development landscape
31:05 Managing time zone differences when hiring remote talent from Europe
33:41 How to get in contact with the Patientory team
Resources:
Company website: https://patientory.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patientory_inc/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/patientory/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/patientory
In this episode, we sit down with Cheryl Potts, the Founder, and CEO of Cleerkut Inc. and Crystal Clear Music, a firm that specializes in providing copyright and royalty administration services to record labels and music publishers. With her extensive experience as a software engineer, Cheryl has developed expertise in automating royalty accounting and ensuring accurate payments to artists. She explains the difficulties involved in documenting and categorizing royalties for multiple songs and artists, often with non-uniform data that contains errors. Cheryl emphasizes the importance of accurate royalty accounting to avoid legal issues and ensure that artists and labels receive the payments they are due.
Cheryl also highlights the ways in which artists can be short-changed, including through misunderstandings of their agreements and clauses that reduce royalty rates. She shares her experience in helping numerous record labels reach RIAA status and developing Licenseyoursong.com, a platform that enables independent music creators to issue their own mechanical licenses.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Cheryl M. Potts is the Founder and CEO of Cleerkut, Inc. & Crystal Clear Music. She has been a copyright and royalty administrator for independent record labels and music publishers for over 17 years. When one of her clients obtained major label distribution, she needed to automate her royalty accounting process. After looking in the market, she could not find a suitable solution for her needs. She decided to develop a system herself and automate many of her administrative tasks, which led to the creation of Cleerkut Royalty. Cheryl was selected by the U.S. Copyright Office to participate in the music licensing study to provide her views on behalf of independent music creators regarding possible changes to the U.S. Compulsory License. Her comments were included in the final music licensing study conducted by the U.S. Copyright Office. Ms. Potts was a senior software engineer building enterprise software for companies. With her two backgrounds merged together, she designed and built Cleerkut Royalty.
Time Stamps:
03:11 Cheryl’s background and music industry experience
05:12 Automating administration tasks in the music publishing industry
07:04 Understanding the process of recording and publishing royalties
10:00 Royalty accounting and unique identifiers for records
14:50 Benefits of Cleerkut royalty for record labels and music publishers
18:16 Analyzing music sales with analytics and licensing solutions
23:22 Developing the platform and scaling up the team
27:10 Software development and ownership of source code
30:00 Offshore development and royalty accounting
32:20 Reaching out to publishers and labels for product market entry
34:26 Clear music administration services
35:44 Found rising journey at Cleerkut
40:32 Conversation on AI and Copyright law in music publishing
42:20 Deep dive music publishing masterclass
44:03 How to get in contact with the Cleerkut team
Resources
Company website: https://cleerkutroyalty.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleerkutroyalty/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cleerkutroyalty
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cleerkutroyalty
Join us in this episode as we speak with Jasmine Jones, the founder and CEO of Cherry Blossom Intimates, a company that provides breast cancer survivors with fully customizable, insurance-billable prosthetic breasts. Jasmine shares her inspiring story of entrepreneurship, from starting her own business as a teenager to founding Cherry Blossom Intimates instruments in honor of her grandmother. We explore the challenges she faced as a young entrepreneur, from bootstrapping her business to navigating the world of venture capital. We also learn about the importance of self-funding and the power of winning a global pitch competition.
Jasmine's passion and dedication to her mission are truly inspiring, and we discuss the impact her company is having on the lives of breast cancer survivors. We delve into topics such as software implementation in the physical product industry, leveraging tech talent, and exploring business models. We also explore the benefits of AI for business scalability, raising venture capital for business growth, and drawing comparisons to established companies when raising capital.
If your company is looking to hire top dev and/ or AI engineers, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in recruiting the best of the best software developers, machine learning engineers, and data scientists.
Founder Bio:
Jasmine Jones is the founder and CEO of Cherry Blossom Intimates with a seed round of $1.25 million. She is one of the few black women in the world to close over 1 million in venture funding. Jasmine is a Fashion Institute of Technology award-winning lingerie designer, a Tory Burch Fellow, and a Forbes Under 30 list maker.
Time Stamps:
03:25 - Jasmine's background journey: from thrift store reselling to healthcare company CEO
07:41 - Exploring the challenges of bootstrapping a physical product company
10:02 - Maya's customizable breast prosthetics and fit experience
12:15 - Software implementation in the physical product industry
14:25 - How innovative solutions enabled business growth
16:57 - Finding the right tech team for a pivoting business
20:55 - Leveraging tech talent and exploring business models
24:13 - Exploring automation for business growth
26:32 - Exploring the benefits of AI for business scalability
28:36 - Raising venture capital for business growth
29:52 - Raising over $7 million in funding for a startup
33:31 - Benefits of drawing comparisons to established companies when raising capital
36:23 - Benefits of explaining breast prosthetics to a variety of audiences
38:24 - Revolutionizing the breast cancer prosthetics experience
39:10 - How to get in contact with the Cherry Blossom Intimates team
Resources:
Company website: https://cherryblossomintimates.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherryblossomintimates/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cherryblossomintimates/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CBIntimates
Every year, an increasing number of healthcare practices struggle with administrative complexities, reimbursements, and cash flow needed to run viable practices. Revenues have dropped and costs have risen, leading to an unprecedented decline in privately-owned practices.
In this episode, we speak with Emmanuel Akintayo, the Co-founder and CTO of Gentem, an AI software company that automates billing workflows for healthcare organizations. Manny shares his fascinating background, originally hailing from Nigeria and moving to the US at the age of 13, where his parents encouraged him to study electrical engineering. However, he pursued his interest in software engineering and started a business building website.
Gentem transforms the reimbursement experience by handling the end-to-end billing and revenue cycle processes. Leveraging automation, data science and the latest financial technologies, Gentem is able to increase cash flow while drastically reducing account receivable days and uncovering opportunities to increase revenue. In just a few short years, they has raised over $14 million and serves specialties such as behavioral health, primary care, and pain across the entire country. Tune in to hear more about Manny's journey to becoming a founder and the mission behind Gentem to simplify the reimbursement process and elevate the patient financial experience in healthcare.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Emmanuel Antikayo earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering and his Master’s degree in quality and manufacturing management from Penn State University. After completing his education, Manny launched his career as an operations and systems engineer at QBC Diagnostics. Over the last decade, Manny has held analyst and software engineer roles at JP Morgan Chase & Co, Accenture and OfferUp. With his experience in the mobile consumer-to-consumer (C2C) space, he joined Facebook in 2018 to help develop the emerging Facebook Marketplace platform. In 2019, Manny left Facebook to join forces with Gentem Co-Founder/CEO Fisayo Ositelu, MD. Fisayo had been searching for a co-founder with engineering expertise and entrepreneurial drive.
Time Stamps:
00:00 Manny Akintayo background and journey from Nigeria to tech entrepreneur
06:22 Exploring the pain point in healthcare software, benefits and challenges
10:10 Benefits of automation and AI in healthcare claims processing
15:06 Go-to-market strategies for healthcare startups
18:52 Building strategic partnerships for mutual benefits
22:17 Building a team for a healthcare technology company
26:52 Discussion on building a tech team and selecting a code language
29:21 Optimizing for the best engineering talent, remote teams and job market considerations
31:52 Raising capital: a journey from seed to series A
34:20 fundraising strategies for startups: a conversation with an entrepreneur
35:44 Raising capital for a software company
40:30 How to get in contact with the team
Resources:
Company website: https://gentem.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GentemHealth/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gentemhealth/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gentemhealth
As business circumstances shift, workplaces must also adapt, necessitating new types of leaders with the appropriate skills and mindset. Due to its significant impact on competitiveness and profitability, companies seeking to safeguard their business's future must prioritize leadership development.
In this episode, we speak with Alex West Steinman, the founder, CEO, and partner of The Coven. The Coven is a premier workspace and community for women, non-binary individuals, and trans folks in Minneapolis St. Paul. Alex also reflects on her personal journey of transitioning from a freelancer to an entrepreneur and co-founding The Coven with a group of friends in 2016. Their vision was to establish a secure and empowering workspace that would benefit their demographic. Furthermore, Alex emphasizes the advantages of creating a women-centric workplace environment and integrating technology into their business.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Alex West Steinman is co-founder of The Coven, one of the world’s premier community and workspaces with two locations in Minneapolis St. Paul, a thriving online community and new franchise model to tap into the collective wisdom of entrepreneurs across the country to open more inclusive spaces for radical leaders.
Before she became an entrepreneur herself, Alex served as a communications director for both global brands and local politicians and is a powerhouse when it comes to PR. But beyond what she can do, is why she does it: Alex has a genuine enjoyment of people, a dedication to the economic empowerment and advancement of women, and a passion for telling the stories of underestimated communities.
In no particular order, Alex loves her two kids, husband, Oprah, and Beyonce. You can find her giving weight to exciting topics and holding space for the community.
02:38 Alex West professional background before The Coven
04:30 making the leap from freelancer to entrepreneur
07:21 Designing a safe and brave space for women, non-binary, and transgender folks
11:12 Exploring the benefits of a women-centric workplace environment
14:35 Benefits of coworking and incorporating software into the business
17:53 Coworking space digital community development during the pandemic
21:21 Value of digital community platforms for coworking spaces
24:34 Opening and raising capital for coworking space
28:27 Crowdfunding challenges for B2B products
30:28 raising funds for a preceding round
33:03 The process of fundraising for a startup
37:37 conversation on raising funds for a co-working space
41:08 How to get in contact with The Coven team
Resources
Company website: https://www.thecoven.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecoven.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thecovenco/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecovenco
Latin America is ripe for social and economic transformation. With its rapidly growing and digitizing middle class, we are facing a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring our empathy, ingenuity, and grit to design and scale vibrant solutions for this traditionally underserved demographic. A growing and empowered middle class is the foundation of a more equal, stable, and prosperous society.
In this episode, we speak with Wenyi Cai, the successful entrepreneur Co-founder, and CEO of Polymath Ventures. Wenyi shares her insights on the challenges of raising funds for startups and her solution to the problem: hiring top software development talent from Latin America. She also shares her experiences working in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and other emerging markets during the mid-2000s. She discusses the transformative technology in these regions and how, with the right technology and distribution models, it can generate profitable and exponential growth, as well as better jobs and income for the entire value chain.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Wenyi Cai is the Founder & CEO of Polymath Ventures, a venture studio that builds digital platforms to empower the middle class of Latin America. Prior to founding Polymath, Wenyi was an entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. As the COO of Milo.com, a consumer internet startup that sold to eBay in 2010, Wenyi led business development efforts with major technology companies like Microsoft and eBay and oversaw the product and engineering teams. Earlier in her career, Wenyi was a consultant with McKinsey & Company in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. Preceding her business career, Wenyi helped build a quantitative trading hedge fund and was a published researcher in applied physics. Wenyi graduated cum laude from Harvard College and studied philosophy and physics. Wenyi was born in China and grew up between China and the United States.
02:57 Wenyi Cai Background and professional experience
06:28 Exploring the Transformative Power of Technology in Emerging Markets
08:23 Summary of the professional journey from McKinsey to Silicon Valley and beyond
10:37 Benefits of doing business in Colombia
14:05 The untapped potential of Colombia’s talent pool
16:43 Polymath venture studio model and investment strategy
19:19 Discussion on business designers and the transition to the founder role
22:16 Benefits of a venture studio model for business model innovation
24:17 Conversation on the entrepreneurial drive and business models in Latin America
29:14 Enterprise SAAS in China and Latin America talent pool
33:45 Benefits of the venture studio model with Polymath ventures
36:43 Process of fundraising for Polymath Venture.
38:51 Benefits of being multilingual in the Latin American startup ecosystem
43:04 How to get in contact with the Polymath Venture team
Resources
Company website: https://polymathv.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/polymathventures/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/polymath-ventures/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/polymathdigital
Explore the cutting edge of healthcare delivery and innovation with Derek Miles, founder and CEO of CourMed and chairman of TMB Equity Partners. Derek shares his journey from discouraged entrepreneur to successful leader in the healthcare industry, offering valuable insights on fundraising, global expansion, and partnerships for sourcing skilled healthcare professionals.
Discover the benefits of CourMed's concierge healthcare services, including prescription delivery, medical services, infusion therapies, vaccines, and advanced testing. With a world-class team of medical practitioners, CourMed is dedicated to providing exceptional healthcare and wellness solutions to consumers wherever they are.
Don't miss this exciting episode featuring Derek Miles, as he discusses the future of healthcare and the challenges of scaling a healthcare business.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Derrick is Founder/Chief Executive Officer at CourMed. In addition, Mr. Miles is Chairman + Founder of TMB Equity Partners (executive team are former healthcare executives with 15+ years of experience); a boutique firm focused on investing/developing innovative healthcare solutions that achieve a liquidity event within five years. Derrick is also a multiple patented inventor, he received both an MSHA (#1 Program in the country) and MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He also holds a BS in Medical Technology (minor in Chemistry) from Bethune-Cookman University. Derrick is married with two sons; his family lives in Collin County, TX, and Dade County, FL.
Show Notes:
02:47 Derrick Miles background to Healthcare Executive
06:13 Encouraging people through innovative healthcare delivery platforms
09:22 Investing in health care company to serve high net worth clients
14:34 CourMed health and wellness service models
17:14 Becoming national provider of concierge health and wellness for the NBA
19:16 Benefits of CourMed concierge health care platform and wellness services
26:04 Tech features for scalability in the concierge business
28:34 Building a tech stack for CourMed with a fractional CTO
35:22 Leveraging partnerships to source high-skilled healthcare professionals
38:37 Exploring the challenges of expanding a healthcare business globally
40:18 Journey of raising funds for a startup and understanding the investment process
42:58 Understanding the difference between investment and found less sponsorship
45:50 What’s next for CourMed in 2023
46:40 How to get in contact with the Bardeen team
Resources:
Company website: https://www.courmed.com/about-us/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courmed/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/courmed/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CourMed
Currently, black women are starting businesses at 6 times the national average but are not seeing the same receipts as other founders. There are 3 major areas where women of color require support: access to capital, access to influential networks, and the ability to hire employees. The lack of access to capital for women is becoming a more prevalent part of the entrepreneurial conversation however solutions to solve the issue are still evolving. Black Girl Ventures is specifically focused on creating access to capital for women. All programming is centered on addressing this issue head-on.
In this episode of the podcast, we sit down with Omi Bell, an entrepreneur and founder of Black Girl Ventures, to discuss her journey to success and the challenges faced by black women in the startup world. Omi shares her story of pursuing her entrepreneurial dreams after a difficult breakup and job loss, and how she founded Black Girl Ventures to provide resources and funding for black women interested in launching their own startups. We learn how her organization has funded over 300 women founders, generating about 10 million in revenue and creating over 3,000 jobs, and how talent is the biggest culprit behind why startups fail.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Omi Bell is the Founder/CEO of Black Girl Ventures, the host of The Omi Show on SiriusXM Urban View, and the creative director of Omi’s World Media. She has been named one of the top 100 most powerful women in business by Entrepreneur Magazine, Entrepreneur of the Year by Technically DC, and a Rising Brand Star by Adweek. She has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, Inc Magazine, Yahoo Finance, and Refinery29; also been seen on Good Morning America, Vice TV, Cheddar, Bloomberg, Fox Business, Nike billboards and ads. Her work with entrepreneurs has been revered and honored by two murals in Washington, DC. Under her leadership, Black Girl Ventures has funded over 300 women founders representing about $10MM in revenue and creating over 3000 jobs for the US economy. Omi’s story and efforts have directly impacted over 20,000 people across 64 countries through training, mentoring, and speaking.
Show Notes:
03:28 Omi Bell's background in computer science
06:06 reflection on teaching computer science to a diverse classroom
08:30 Combining creative and analytical thinking to create Black Girl Ventures (BGV)
11:45 Exploring access to capital for black entrepreneurs
14:14 BGV pitch, fellowship program, and emerging leaders program overview
16:31 Leadership, business, and equity in the tech industry
19:12 Industry agnostic and focused on specific verticals
21:37 Investment opportunities and donor-advised fund
25:30 Investment strategies for women-led companies at the million-dollar mark
30:29 Positioning a company for sale or merger
33:58 Advice for founders seeking investment
37:10 Preparing for enterprise sales: what you need to know
40:42 Omi Bell's new book context
46:47 How to get in contact with the BGV team
Resources:
Company website: https://www.blackgirlventures.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackgirlventures/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blackgirlventures/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BGirlVentures
Many healthcare organizations are required to conduct time studies to document the time their practitioners spend on contracted activities. The resulting data is crucial for financial and cost reporting, as well as operational efficiency and workforce effectiveness initiatives. However, the discontinuous data reporting schedules and inefficient data collection workflows associated with traditional time studies can make them a burden for practitioners and result in low response rates.
On today's episode, we're joined by Kishau Rogers, CEO and founder of TimeStudy, to discuss how her AI-powered platform is improving productivity and creating competitive advantages for healthcare organizations. By leveraging machine learning and natural language processing, TimeStudy streamlines the time study process, making it less burdensome for practitioners and increasing response rates.
In addition to discussing the benefits of TimeStudy, Kishau shares her journey as a tech entrepreneur, her fundraising experience, team-building strategies, and advice for engaging with customers and minimizing investment risks. We also explore the use cases for time analysis in healthcare finance.
Join us for an insightful conversation on the future of time studies and their impact on healthcare organizations.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Kishau Rogers is a technology entrepreneur using computer science, systems thinking, and common sense to create intelligent human-centered solutions. As the Founder and CEO of Time Study, Kishau is one of the first Black women in the state of Virginia to raise millions in venture capital to scale her tech startup. Headquartered in New York City, Time Study is a platform that uses artificial intelligence to help enterprises understand the impact of how their employees spend their time. Time Study serves many of the largest health organizations in the US. Kishau’s work has been featured in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, and Black Enterprise. She holds a Computer Science degree and has over 25 years of technology and entrepreneurial leadership experience.
Show Notes:
02:38 Becoming a tech entrepreneur background
06:33 Leveraging relationships to start a business
08:48 Understanding the role of a founder in building a solution
10:38 Discussion on services business vs. start-up mindset for software development
14:11 Working hand in hand with initial customers
18:12 Benefits of machine learning, clustering, and natural language processing
20:03 Exploring the benefits of speed, contextualization, and standardization
23:26 Use cases for time analysis and predictions in healthcare finance
26:15 Benefits of healthcare ai for financial operations and workforce effectiveness
27:42 Team building strategies at time study
31:22 Fundraising and capital funding journey for time study
42:00 Strategies for de-risking investment and engaging with customers
44:56 How to get in contact with the Time study team
Resources:
Company website: https://timestudy.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/timestudycom/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timestudycom
Twitter: https://twitter.com/timestudy
Cybersecurity is at the forefront of today's news as the frequency of cyber-attacks continues to escalate alarmingly. Statistics reveal that the number of global cyber-attacks rose by a significant 28% during Q3 of 2022, compared to the previous year. The shift towards remote work, the rapid pace of digital transformation, and the emergence of highly sophisticated threat actors have made ensuring the safety of sensitive information a crucial concern for all companies.
In this episode, we discuss Corey's background as a cybersecurity expert, the benefits of combining software and services for cybersecurity solutions, and the go-to-market strategies for such solutions. Corey also touches on affordable pricing options for small-medium sized businesses and the benefits of services-based business models for tech startups. His company offers incident response and managed services solutions, combining both product and service to provide comprehensive protection for businesses.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
As a transformative, servant leader, Corey is a proven entrepreneur focused on innovating and creating new paradigms in the security industry and life. His leadership style is focused on an employee first approach because of the positive impact of happy employees on their customer relationships. Corey has chosen to take a people centric approach to life and to let all outcomes be driven by that philosophy. Twenty-five years of experience in the security industry has seasoned him to create the next exponential evolution. As Founder and Chief Experience Officer, Corey has created Cyvatar.ai to enable vendor partners to deliver reliable, repeatable, and measurable business outcomes to clients through an outstanding customer experience. This also allows the partner to engineer out complexity, improve renewal/upsell/cross-sell opportunities, and increase their customer satisfaction and referrals.
Show Notes:
03:03 Background of cybersecurity expert Corey White.
06:18 Cybersecurity incident response and managed services solutions.
09:52 Combining product and service to protect businesses.
11:32 Building a cybersecurity solution with the right team and partnerships.
13:30 Benefits of combining software and services for cybersecurity solutions.
17:10 How everything started from a product perspective.
19:26 Leveraging proprietary technology to create fastest outcomes in the industry.
24:14 Go-to-market strategies for cybersecurity solutions.
28:16 Cybersecurity solutions for startups and small-medium-sized businesses.
30:14 Affordable pricing and direct to customer solutions for small businesses.
35:54 External partners to build a company faster
39:14 Revenue-based financing as an alternative funding model for startups
44:47 Benefits of services-based business models for tech startups
Resources
Company website: https://cyvatar.ai/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cyvatar-ai/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyvatar.ai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cyvatar
Millions of pounds of food are wasted every year in the United States and millions of people go without meals. Bridging that gap has been challenging, but now there are solutions using technology to help solve this problem. Our guest today is at the forefront of this movement to end hunger.
Jasmine Crowe is the CEO and Founder of Goodr, and she’s working specifically on this food waste problem. Goodr’s mission is to feed more and waste less using their technology platform that connects those with excess food to the people who need it most. In this episode, Jasmine talks in depth about how Goodr started and the challenges she’s faced growing the company.
Founder Bio
Jasmine Crowe is an award-winning social entrepreneur, children’s book author, TED Speaker, and leader who is working to make the world a better place one cause at a time. Jasmine’s goal is to foster change and create awareness about the leading socioeconomic issues of today, including climate change, food waste, and hunger. In 2017, after years of feeding people experiencing homelessness from her own kitchen, Jasmine launched Goodr, a sustainable waste management company that leverages technology to combat hunger and reduce food waste. She has been featured on CNBC, Oprah Magazine, Inc., Forbes, Fast Co., NY Times, and named by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top 100 influential female founders.
Under Jasmine’s leadership, Goodr has redirected over 20 million pounds of surplus food from event centers, airports, and businesses to people that are food insecure. Goodr has also launched a grocery delivery program that provides free weekly groceries to thousands of senior citizens and students. Most recently, the company implemented its first no-cost, grocery store for a Title 1 school. Goodr clients include Turner Broadcasting, Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson Airport, Atlanta Hawks, NBA, Capital One, Six Flags Over Georgia, and many more.
Timestamps
03:26 - How Jasmine’s consultancy led to starting Goodr
06:59 - The tax benefits companies receive from using Goodr’s platform
7:37 - The challenges of being a solo founder and how Jasmine built her team
11:00 - Dealing with potential investors’ concerns if you don’t have a team
14:30 - How Jasmine utilized advice for mentors early on to help grow her team
17:48 - The importance of delegating to the team to be able to actively raise money
20:00 - How Goodr used technology to solve the waste management problem by making the ecosystem more efficient
21:26 - The way Goodr manages the relationships with each stakeholder
24:26 - How Goodr’s platform makes it easy for drivers to pick up and deliver the food
25:44 - How Goodr gained traction in her early days
28:13 - Using a customer acquisition strategy that includes direct outreach, partnerships, referrals and more
30:00 - Jasmine explains the fundraising journey for Goodr and the type of investors that are a best fit
32:10 How to get in contact with the Goodr team
Resources
Company website: https://goodr.coLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/goodrco/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodrCo/Twitter: https://twitter.com/thegoodrco
The auto-industry has embraced artificial intelligence as a key tool in achieving autonomous driving. However, we've also got innovative startups tapping into AI to further improve the safety and quality of the driver experience.
In this episode, we sit with Rashid Galadanci, the CEO, and co-founder of Driver Technologies, an AI-based mobility tech startup that delivers a safer driving experience. He co-founded the company in 2019 based on his inspiration to share the benefits of advanced vehicle technologies without barriers to access, while also improving safety - forever.
The app transforms a driver's phone into a mobile driving assistance system and dash cam designed to make connected mobility technology more accessible. It has users in over 170 countries.
Founder Bio
Rashid Galadanci is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Driver Technologies. He serves as Board Member at Pigeonly as well as a Venture Partner at The Social Entrepreneurs Fund. He has a background in emerging market economic development, technology, energy, and management consulting. Before joining TSEF, he was an Associate at Armonia LLC, an impact investing-focused family office. Previously, he managed global initiatives and operational policy at FINCA International, a leading microfinance institution with 1.7 million clients in 23 countries.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
2:40 - Rashid's Background and the inspiration behind launching Driver Technologies
6:56 – Transitioning from investor to tech entrepreneur
12:09 – Overview of Driver Technologies team and how the company was launched
16:43 – How Driver Technologies is positioned in the car safety industry
19:11 – Navigating complex driving conditions in varied geograpic regions
23:00 – Defining the user experience
25:48 - Everyday user qualitative perception and reviews of the app.
27:42 – Who created the first version of the app and how was the process.
29:48 – How was the fundraising journey?
36:42 – How things changed moving from a seed stage to series A.
37:44 – Seed extension pros and cons.
39:56 – What’s next for Driver Technologies.
40:50 – Where to learn more about Driver Technology, download the app, and test the product.
https://drivertechnologies.com/
Financial literacy is important for all ages but particularly for children and young adults. This issue is heightened for minority consumers who work hard but may not have the tools and information needed to ensure they’re making the best choices with their money.
Daricus Releford is the CEO and Founder of Store Cash, and he’s working specifically on this financial literacy problem. StoreCash is a fintech company that gives users up to 15% cashback on their everyday shopping, and helps young consumers receive vital lessons on financial literacy.
Founder Bio
Daricus is a serial entrepreneur that started his first business at the age of 12. After college Daricus started an online Berry business called Twiggy's Berries, and with no funding, he strategized free ways to market the business and ultimately made appearances in Kiplinger magazine.
Daricus was also a guest on the Steve Harvey Show, several other news outlets and almost landed his own reality show on TLC. Seeking funding and expansion of the business, Daricus drove from Pennsylvania to Silicon valley where he landed jobs at Apple, Facebook and Google. He then ultimately founded the company that we'll talk about today, StoreCash.
Timestamps
02:30 - Daricus’ childhood and teenage experiences with entrepreneurship
04:45 - The chocolate covered strawberry business that got them on the Steve Harvey Show
06:12 - How Daricus broke into the tech industry and landed jobs at some of the biggest tech companies in Silicon Valley
08:22 - The catalyst for starting StoreCash
11:05 - Breaking down the StoreCash product and the importance of early financial literacy education
15:10 - How they utilize the debit card as a core fintech product and financial literacy tool
16:55 - How do users interact with the platform
18:04 - How they approached building the technology behind StoreCash
19:58 - Best practices for working with offshore developer teams
23:58 - How Daricus met his co-founders and the pros and cons of solo entrepreneurship
30:15 - Darius and Daricus discuss maneuvering through the fundraising process
34:22 Managing team members, growing as a leader, and how to recruit great talent to your business
38:38 - How to get in contact with Daricus and the StoreCash team
Many small businesses are cash strapped operations that need access to working capital to take care of everyday needs like payroll and inventory. Sadly, many loan vehicles for small business owners and particularly, minority owned small businesses, do not serve this large and necessary demographic of entrepreneurs.
Today, I sit with Kenny Salas,Co-founder and COO of Camino financial, an AI powered community development, financial institution, or CDFI. This FinTech platform fuels generational wealth for America's overlooked entrepreneurs.
Kenny along with his brother, Sean, Co-founder and CEO of Camino Financial, have built a team of 130 plus associates across the United States and Latin America to fulfill their vision. Since its inception in 2014, the company has financed over $150 million in micro loans funding over 7,000 small businesses resulting in over $100 million in fees and interest saved.
Founder Bio
Before starting Camino Financial with his brother, Sean, Kenny worked at the private equity firm, Palladium Equity Partners. His responsibilities included investing into middle-sized businesses, managing five portfolio companies and serving on the board of directors for Wise Foods. He also collaborated with his portfolio brands to formulate strategic and financial planning.
Before Palladium, Kenny began his career as a financial analyst for Barclays capital. He holds an MBA from Harvard business school and a bachelor's in political economy from the University of California, Berkeley.
03:23 - Kenny’s professional journey and how him and twin brother grew up pre-Camino Financial
07:16 - How his mom and family’s entrepreneurial journey influenced his life and career
11:13 - The pain point for small business owners that became the catalyst for Camino Financial
13:30 - The first demographic of small business owners they went after and the initial insights they got from the first iteration of the loan service
17:32 - How they’re utilizing data on their borrowers to automate the loan process and build AI solutions within their platform
22:19 - The importance of being culturally aligned with their customer base and how that’s influenced them to build an office in Mexico City
24:09 - How they approached building a digital first platform with little coding experience
28:28 - How they approach team building in Mexico and South America
34:53 - Kenny’s fundraising strategy for Camino Financial and how it changed in different funding rounds
39:48 - Kenny’s advice on preparing for the Seed round vs Series B
43:21 - Camino’s potential to expand into other international markets
45:29 - How to get in contact with the Camino Financial team
As commerce becomes more digitized, businesses have both the opportunity and responsibility to create improved experiences for their customers. This can be as simple as shortening the turnaround time on answering a customer’s question to making the customer feel like she or he is having a tailored experience with that business.
Today, I sit with Charles Ifedi of Ebanqo, who has built a solution that helps businesses and customers better communicate with one another, and simplify a world with multiple messaging platforms by bringing them together under one roof.
Charles is a serial entrepreneur and fintech unicorn builder who has a thoughtful approach to building products that are supremely influenced by the core needs of its users. He shares with us his entrepreneurial journey, approach to product development, working with offshore developers and team building over his multi-decade career.
If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.
Founder Bio:
Charles Ifedi is the founder and CEO of Ebanqo, an omnichannel customer engagement startup that helps businesses aggregate their messaging channels, including webchat, Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp. By bundling these channels they help businesses build stronger customer relationships, offer their services on the web, and multiple messaging apps.
Prior to launching Ebanqo, Charles was the pioneer CEO of Verb, Africa’s leading payment card brand. He was also the co-founder of a fintech company, named Inner Switch that was valued at over a billion dollars after receiving an investment from Visa. He’s also worked with American Express, PWC, and Accenture across Africa, Europe and the US. Charles has a doctorate in Business Administration from Georgia State University, an MBA from Cranfield University, and a bachelor’s of science with a specialization in computer science from University of Lauren.
3:08 - Charles’s early career and entrepreneurial ventures in Fintech
4:00 - How Nigeria and the African continent quickly grew into an internationally relevant tech hub and first mover in popular technology trends like payments and instant transfer
9:20 - Origins of Ebanqo
12:38 - How Ebanqo’s core product works and how it helps businesses better serve their customers
14:59 - Understanding how and when to use AI within Ebanqo’s customer experience, and knowing that a human element is still needed when serving customers
19:37 - How focusing on solving the need of the customer changed his goal of building a fintech business to creating a platform that serves any type of B2C business 21:25 - How Charles learned to sell into industries that he didn’t have previous experience in
23:06 - Building the Ebanqo product and partnering with a dev shop for the MVP
26:01 -The most important thing to think about when building a product
27:03 - How to successfully work with a dev shop
33:01 - Building the Ebanqo Team
35:43 - How Charles approached fundraising for Ebanqo
37:56 - How does Charles and the team differentiate Ebanqo from other players in the market
As business culture evolves, so will the process of developing the next generation of business leaders. Companies that want to be at the forefront of this next generation will do so by investing in their talent.
Today, I sit with Stephen Bailey, Co-founder and CEO of ExecOnline. ExecOnline is a pioneer in online leadership development for enterprises. Stephen oversees the organization's strategic vision and broader efforts to engage with corporations to create a more diverse pool of future business leaders .
Since its inception in 2012, Stephen has raised nearly $90 million, building the company into a leadership development powerhouse that works with Fortune 500 and Global 2000 companies, as well as NGOs and government agencies. Under his leadership, ExecOnline has grown to now include partnerships with 12 of the world's leading business schools and is named as a “Top Tech Company to Watch” by Forbes.
Founder Bio
Stephen is a seasoned lawyer and operator, and was the CEO of Frontier Strategy Group, a global market intelligence company, before founding ExecOnline. He is an impassioned advocate for the development of more inclusive corporate environments and better development pathways for all leaders.
Timestamps
02:45 - Stephen’s background and career experiences that lead to him starting ExecOnline
07:49 - The current state of ExecOnline and how they partner with top business schools to train and develop the next generation of leaders
09:44 - Understanding how the ExecOnline platform works
12:28 - Stephen’s thoughts on the current state of leadership development and how it’s shifting
16:11 - Organizations that are most excited about this space and see leadership development as a necessary strategic initiative
20:15 - Understanding how organizations and users engage with the platform
25:32 - How they’ve engaged both business organizations and universities within their business model to ensure that all parties are getting value.
29:36 - Breaking down the ExecOnline product strategy
32:30 - Breaking down the ExecOnline fundraising strategy and thoughts on managing equity with subsequent rounds of funding
38:56 - How to get in touch with Stephen and ExecOnline
There isn’t a single business owner or individual who hasn’t felt the friction created around the tax preparation process. Even accounting and tax professional get a bit of a headache when thinking about managing tax data. Today, I sit with Matt Parker of Modern Tax, who is on a mission to automate many of that data intensive processes around tax planning and preparation.
Matt is a former Division 1 basketball player who discovered a passion for entrepreneurship given his knack for creativity and high-performance personality. He shares with us his journey – from stumbling through corporate America to finding his footing as a tech founder.
Founder Bio:
Matt Park is the founder and CEO of Modern Tax, a startup building a suite of API and no-code solutions that provide a better way to engage with tax data for financial institutions and FinTech platforms. Each product allows businesses to verify income, report and confirm income with the IRS, automate tax service switching and form population, verify identity, and decrease fraudulent income reporting.
Most recently, Matt is running ModernTax, in which he has raised over $3M in venture capital to date. He lives in San Francisco with his wife Whitney and his newborn son Cain.
2:55 How basketball shaped Matt’s early days and his future as an entrepreneur
7:39 How Matt chose his next career path post hoop dreams
9:58 Launching his first entrepreneurial endeavor empowering athletes
13:08 Origins of Modern Tax
15:40 What is Modern Tax and what is the core problem it’s solving?
19:00 Why tax automation software and tax experts work better together
23:15 The value of finding a co-founder with a complimentary skillset
25:36 Building an engineering organization and finding the right talent
28:28 The importance of resilience in a startups workforce
30:31 Approaching Series A | Matt’s thoughts on fundraising
35:24 What is the best type of investor for Modern Tax?
Prior to the pandemic, the term essential professional was virtually unused. We quickly discovered just how important certain professions are to our existence. While essential professionals may not have received any special benefits because of their efforts, startups like Landed are working to ensure that they do see some economic benefit.
Today, I sit with Alex Lofton, who leads Landed’s effort to create wealth for essential professionals through the home buying process. His team has created an innovative fintech product that provides the financing required to buy a home.
Founder Bio:
Alex Lofton is the Co-Founder and President of Landed. He is a proud product of Bellevue Public Schools in his native Washington state. Alex previously worked as a member of Barack Obama’s field team in 2007 and 2008, managing hundreds of paid staff who organized thousands of volunteers for the then-Senator’s successful presidential primary and general election campaigns.
Alex then served as a Founding Regional Director of Organizing for America – the political mobilization wing of the Democratic National Committee – until 2010.
Alex has since served in leadership positions at numerous social enterprises and technology start-ups in D.C., London, and San Francisco. Alex got his start in real estate at developer Forest City, and he holds a B.A. from Northwestern University and an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.
Timestamps:
2:41 From Seattle to Chicago | Alex’s early career in politics with Barack Obama’s early campaign
6:52 Building brand awareness for the Barack Obama and his Presidential campaign
10:21 How Alex found his footing in the startup ecosystem
13:58 How Landed is helping essential workers build wealth via home buying
17:21 Business Model | The Xs and Os of how Landed helps acquire a home using innovative finance
20:03 Automating data-driven financing decisions
26:30 Organizing the team to deliver the first version of a data driven product
28:46 The job of a startup President and “Chief Enroller”
30:29 The evolution of Landed’s go-to-market strategy
37:20 Why essential professionals became the ideal customer/partner
41:20 Adding to the 70+ person team after closing Series B
43:56 The value in finding investment partners with a stake in the constituency you serve
47:15 The differences between raising a seed round and raising a Series B
While tech startups are winning the headlines and press attention, it’s the everyday small business that continues to drive our economy. Today, we sit with Carolyn Rodz (Founder, Hello Alice), who has built a platform to support the growth of these small businesses.
Carolyn shares her journey from investment banker to successful entrepreneur. More importantly, she shares her experience and learning lessons from launching 2 failed business. In just a few short years, Carolyn when from high earning banker to $25/hr contract work. It’s clear that she has returned to her status as a rockstar, but we are fortunate that she was very willing to share a very candid recount of the journey.
Founder’s Bio:
An investment banker turned three-time award winning Latina entrepreneur from Bolivia, Carolyn Rodz serves as the Founder and CEO of Hello Alice. A free multi-channel platform powered by AI technology, Hello Alice guides business owners by providing access to funding, networks and services. Through a network of nearly half a million companies in all 50 states and across the globe.
During her time at Hello Alice, Carolyn was recognized as a “17 Women to Watch,” by Inc. Magazine, in 2020 was named Hispanic CEO of the year by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, has testified before the U.S. Congressional House Small Business Committee, and was featured in a U.S. Senate report by Senator Shaheen titled, “Tackling the Gender Gap: What Women Entrepreneurs Need to Thrive.” She was selected by Mayor Turner of Houston to co-chair the Women and Minority Small Business Task Force in 2019.
Prior to Hello Alice, Carolyn launched the world’s first completely virtual accelerator, supporting over 300 women from across the United States and internationally and helped them raise over $76 million in investments. Fast Company highlighted the accelerator as the “most innovative and fastest growing for women.”
Timestamps:
3:13 Growing up as a Bolivian-American | Raised in Houston, TX
4:46 Early career as an investment banker in JPMorgan’s M&A group
6:45 Leaving banking at 25 to “jump blindly” into launching a business in retail
11:00 A humble recovery from a public failure as a first first-time entrepreneur
17:27 Launching and exiting a digital marketing company
22:18 Introducing Hello Alice | A community that helps 600K small businesses succeed
25:40 How entrepreneurs can tap into grants to launch and/or grow their small business
28:54 Landing Dell as an corporate partner as a very early stage startup
34:51 Creating an trustworthy and effective marketplace revenue model
40:13 Hello Alice’s funding journey from grants to venture capital
44:00 From Seed to Series B | Key metrics investors focus on with marketplaces
48:44 The benefit of moving from in-office (Houston & San Francisco) to fully-remote
52:00 Check out Hello Alice at helloalice.com for free
Since 2011, when Bobby Bryant watched IBM Watson play and win against the two winningest players in Jeopardy history, he’s been obsessed and intrigued by the possibilities when it comes to voice activated intelligent assistants. That same year(2011), APPLE introduced the world to Siri. It was at that moment he envisioned a multi-model and mobile-first experience for consumers on the go for all of their real estate needs. The ability to list, search, and service any home in the country at the edge of your fingertips and/or voice.
Company Overview:
Bobby Bryant is the Co-Founder and CEO of Doss. A Google-backed startup, DOSS is a voice-activated intelligent assistant designed exclusively for the real estate industry. Their objective is to empower people to speak, text, or type any question about any property in the country to get accurate, easy, and instant answers. Architecturally built on an Intelligent User Interface(IUI), DOSS leverages everything that Artificial Intelligence(AI) has to offer to better centralize, democratize, and humanize BIG DATA in a more intuitive and meaningful way
Timestamps:
2:12 Houston – a budding tech hub
3:44 The early days | Military kid, elite athlete
5:10 From school teacher to real estate millionaire
8:30 How losing it all in the real estate collapse led to tech entrepreneurship
11:30 Working with IBM to build an intelligent assistant
13:53 Bobby’s approach to building tech as a non-technical founder
16:48 Building the initial team + selling the vision and creating proper incentives
22:49 What is DOSS? How does it impact the real estate industry?
29.20 Test out DOSS for free at www.askdoss.com
30:44 Bobby’s approach to building out an effective marketplace product and business model
36:39 DOSS traction to date + managing server costs and user growth
44:20 What’s up next for Doss? + fundraising goals
There could not be a better time to discuss building a global workforce and optimizing a remote work teams. Companies like Slack, Zoom, and other platforms have taken off given how they reduce friction for the future of work. YAC has recently joined that class of tools.
Our guest, Jordan Walker, experienced the challenges of managing a global workforce while running a software development shop prior to founding YAC. He sits with us today to discuss how communication is the critical pain point that needs to be solved for businesses to execute on their strategic goals. YAC, and asynchronous communication platform, was born from that idea.
Founder Bio:
Jordan Walker is one of the three co-founders of Yac as well as a board member and angel investor. To date Yac has raised $10M+ in funding from GGV Capital, Slack, and Arlan Hamilton, Anthony Pompliano, and more. You can find him in the news on TechCrunch, WSJ, Business Insider, Fast Company, and Protocol.
Timestamps:
2:26 Jordan’s background and early days as an athlete
5:41 Taking on the startup journey as a college student + meeting cofounders
7:03 Launching a product out of a software development shop
10:11 Challenges and best practices to leverage when working with a development shop/offshore talent
15:41 Solving the communication problems inherent in managing remote teams
19:31 The value of asynchronous communication and how YAC takes the experience to the next level
22:30 How YAC took off on Product Hunt + a DM that led to funding from VC mogul Adam Draper
27:01 YAC’s motivation for raising venture funding vs bootstrapping
34:01 Taking investment from corporate venture capital: Slack
36:11 How YAC’s founders decided what roles to take in the startup
38:41 Going global with VC firm GGV + how investor provide resources to startups
40:47 YAC’s inbound/outbound go-to-market strategy
42:51 Never assume a VC deal is done until the money is in your bank account
46:11 YAC raises $7.5mm Series A – What’s next and how will they spend it?
It’s always exciting to discover software that can improve the quality of human lives, and in this case – save them. Our guest, Shanel Fields, is a prime example of why it is important to support underrepresented founders, as she’s set out to build a startup that reduces the number of dead on arrival cases. This is a scenario that occurs all too often in underserved communities. Founder Bio:
Shanel Fields is the Founder and CEO of MD Ally - a 911 telehealth company that enables virtual patient care for public safety systems. As the child of a volunteer EMT, Shanel’s always had a deep appreciation for first responders and brings a unique perspective to public safety technology. She started the company while at Wharton Business School after learning that low-income communities experienced higher rates of “dead on arrivals,” because of their longer ambulance wait times. She decided to do something about it by launching a company that integrates telehealth into 911 and improves healthcare outcomes.
After successfully raising over $1M in seed funding this year, Shanel is one of the too few venture-backed, black, female CEOs with a seat at the table of what has traditionally been a male-dominated space. She continues to break barriers as a thought-leader that's been featured on the front page of The New York Times Business section, interviewed on Good Morning America and, most recently, appointed to Techstars Board of Directors.
Timestamps:
2:40 Shanel’s background: New York, Atlanta, Philly
5:50 Early career at AT&T, Athena Health, and Wharton MBA
8:51 MD Ally Origins: A 911 telehealth company
11:33 How Shanel’s background in sales impacts her perspective on entrepreneurship
17:11 Enterprise Sales at a startup vs. large company
20:13 Shanel’s keys to generating customer conversations at an early phase
24:59 Prioritizing customers in the midst of an endless “to do” list
30:12 MD Ally and how it contributes life saving tech for low income and indigent communities?
33:11 Building tech products in the 911 market
39:56 MD Ally’s funding journey + learning lessons
Virtually every business owner hates tax season. It’s surprisingly common for owners to push off tax obligations, which unfortunately results in stiff penalties from the IRS. Shiloh Johnson, an Inglewood, California native, has arrived with a tax application built to relieve businesses of their tax related stresses.
Shiloh is an open book. She shares her journey as a mother, business owner, and risk-taking tech entrepreneur. We talk about everything from mental health to building the first version of your product!
Founder Bio:
Shiloh Johnson is a long-time accountant and founder of ComplYant, a technology platform offering business owners and entrepreneurs a simple way to manage tax rules and requirements. Rooted in the firm belief that complex tax laws and nuanced regulations often create barriers for small or underrepresented business owners, her company’s mission is to ensure that organizations of all colors, shapes, and sizes have access to accurate fiscal guidance.
Recently, Shiloh Johnson was awarded a startup grant by the Annenberg Foundation and Pledge LA, along with capital from MuckerLab and Slauson & Co. She has participated in Grid110 and Techstars LA accelerators. She has written course content for the National Association of Tax Professionals, and is a member of the Institute for Professionals in Taxation, American Institute of CPAs, and the National Association of Black Accountants
She fights for the undeserved. She believes that the color of your skin should not impact your likelihood of success. Everyone deserves complete and accurate fiscal guidance and financial success.
Shiloh holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting, a master’s degree in taxation, and Certified Public Accounting licenser (*inactive).
Timestamps:
2:40 Shiloh’s upbringing in Inglewood, CA
6:33 Life as a mother, accounting major, and tax accountant
8:38 How Shiloh launched her own accounting firm
17:23 Selling the accounting services firm to jumpstart her startup ambitions
20:05 The case for running a standalone startup versus build a product inside of services firm
22:33 The inspiration behind launching ComplYant
25:59 Shiloh’s process for maintain the mental health needed to balance life as a mother and founder
29:16 A unique skillset is a source of confidence as a parent/entrepreneur shooting for the stars
32:24 The Product: What is ComplYant App?
35:29 Building the first version of the product | A focus on adoption
37:53 Lessons learned finding talent to build initial product
43:21 Integrating AI to automate inefficient internal processes
46:35 Shiloh’s funding journey | Understanding when it makes sense to raise outside funding
51:15 Why it made sense for ComplYant to raise venture funding
53:59 The decision to build as a solo founder
Most entrepreneurs approach building a tech startup by starting from scratch, but there is another path…acquisition. Our guest, Wayne Lopez, saw an exciting opportunity to acquire a services company and leverage his product expertise to build a scalable tech platform that solves pain points for existing customers.
In this podcast, Wayne shares how he stumbled upon this opportunity to become an entrepreneur through acquisition. We also discuss why software, and data-driven platforms are creating extraordinary value and amplifying business outcomes.
Founder Bio:
Wayne Lopez is a technology and product executive with 20 years’ experience in leveraging technology to solve real business problems in the CRM, BI and analytics space. This includes startup, Big 5 consulting and mid-market experience. Wayne is currently Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Vertify, where he is responsible for the product roadmap, strategy and delivery of the Vertify Revenue Operations Intelligence platform.
Outside of his startup and tech life, Wayne spends a considerable amount of time providing mentorship to underrepresented tech entrepreneurs. Although Wayne is a native New Orleanian through and through, he now calls Austin, TX home with his wife and 2 kids.
2:35 New Orleans born and bred + early career
5:30 Deciding on building a career in tech
7:21 Why tech valuations are more aggressive than other industries
11:17 Getting a taste of startup journey at TrendKite
12:21 How Vertifi got started – building a product out of a services business
13:58 The value in having a co-founder with a complimentary skillset
15:15 Tech entrepreneurship through acquisition
20:00 What is Vertifi?
24:30 The emergence of RevOps (revenue operations)
27:57 Driving business value/ROI by leveraging data to align sales and marketing
30:35 Establishing the business case for developing AI-driven capabilities
32:20 Is the AI hype real?
37:45 New Product: Predictive Opportunity Analytics
40:00 Vertifi’s funding journey and perspectives on fundraising
48:20 What Wayne wishes he knew in his early days as a Founder
In any given second, tech Founders have several decisions they could be making. Building everything from scratch multiplies the complexity of our daily activity, so solutions that simplify what we need to learn and produce are a godsend. For that reason, our guest Sherisse Hawkins (Founder and CEO of Pagedip) advocates for no-code solutions – even as a technical founder with experience managing complex software development project.
Founder Bio:
Sherisse Hawkins is the Founder and CEO of Pagedip. She is a creative minded CEO with a strong engineering background. She thrives on meeting impossible deadlines, delighting customers, and re-imagining how things can be done. Sherisse believes that anything is possible in the digital world.
As an engineer and technologist, she has a passion for driving the evolution of digital narrative content, which is why she believes she has the best job ever as the Founder of Pagedip.
Sherisse is an award-winning business wonder and accomplished speaker, internationally. She has appeared in Vanity Fair as well as ABC’s Shark Tank. Sherisse’s background includes working as a Walt Disney Imagineer building theme parks around the globe. She also served as Vice President of Software Development at Time Warner Cable.
Timestamps:
2:57 How Sherisse’s love for STEM led to a career as a Walt Disney Imagineer building theme parks
5:00 How family and children influenced a career change
7:15 Making the jump into entrepreneurship | When is the right time?
10:00 How Sherisse planned her entrepreneurial leap as a Mother and Wife
13:00 The evolution of Pagedip | What is it and how has it evolved?
15:44 Leveraging no-code solutions to scale faster and more efficiently
18:04 Will no-code solutions replace developers?
22:24 Building the first version/MVP of Pagedip
24:19 Making decision on tech stack
26:06 How Pagedip allows customers to re-imagine content for better engagement
31:33 Strategy for taking a new product to market
37:05 Fundraising
39:40 Determining which new product features to prioritize
41:33 The importance of access to a community
A Founder’s greatest quality is to move forward from failure – because there will be many. Pierre Laguerre is an excellent example of “losing it all” and rebuilding an empire from scratch, on several occasions. Born in Haiti, Pierre struggled to adjust to life in East Flatbush, NYC when he moved to the US at age 14. These struggles empowered him to become a community leader and successful entrepreneur.
In this podcast, Pierre will share how his journey as a truck driver for over a decade enabled him to build a rapidly growing fleet management marketplace. He talks about how a life threatening carjacking inspired him to build a platform that supports underresourced and formerly incarcerated populations in gaining economic opportunities.
Founder Bio:
Pierre Laguerre is an entrepreneur in transportation logistics who has over 17 years of experience in the space. While generating more than $5M in revenue through his transportation ventures, Pierre has successfully mentored young men who have gone on to earn their commercial drivers licenses. He has also facilitated growth in his peers who now own their own trucking and dispatch operations.
As a Haitian-born migrant, Pierre found his entrepreneurial passion in trucking. He started his journey as a truck driver. Since then, he’s earned the honor of becoming the first Black man to max out an SEC approved equity crowdfunding campaign. After excelling in the Quake Capital startup accelerator, Pierre has gone on to win pitch competitions with Harvard University, Chamillionaire, and Damon John, all while being a calm collected head-of-household for his three young children.
TimeStamps:
2:26 Born and raised in Haiti. Migrating to Brooklyn as a teenager
5:00 Every day life in Haiti
7:21 Arriving in New York City and overcoming bullying as a Haitian kid in East Flatbush
11:57 Leveraging street smarts to thrive in a life beyond the streets
16:15 How a desire to leave the hood inspired Pierre’s early career as a truck driver
18:30 How Pierre moved from truck driver to entrepreneur with billion dollar aspirations
22:42 Losing everything | How Pierre rebuilt his business after a car accident destroyed it all
24:23 Coming up with business ideas to make money as an entrepreneur 31:23
31:31 How Pierre bootstrapped a business to $2.5mm in 18 months
38:00 Discovering tech as a tool to scale the management of a trucking fleet
41:30 How a special needs child and a life threatening car jacking inspired the start of Fleeting
48:41 Pitching Fleeting to investors with zero experience and straight out of the hospital
52:14 The Product | What is Fleeting?
55:08 The importance in listening to the market to determine best product approach
56:40 Solving truck drivers’ biggest pain point
59:32 Closing a $500K seed round with Kyrie Irving of the New Jersey Nets and Lockstep Ventures
1:03:30 Find and support Pierre
Many Founders dream about taking their company public on the NYSE. For Augie Fabela, this became a reality at the age of 25.
What do you do after making enough money to retire at such a young age? Augie decided he’d turn his attention toward making an impact in the community. The son of Colombian and Mexican parents, he leveraged his diverse background to serve the community as a law enforcement officer.
Augie is the epitome of a Renaissance Man. You’ll certainly want to tune into this serial entrepreneur’s journey as he is on his 6th business, focused on leveraging AI to help small businesses better engage with customers via social platforms.
Founder Bio:
Augie Fabella is the Co-Founder and CEO of FastForward.ai, a Silicon Valley start-up, with a mission to bring digital services and mobile payments to the 5.5 billion customer mobile operator market by leveraging their vast $1 trillion payments infrastructure and increasing their digital market share.
Augie co-founded VEON at the age of 25, now the world’s 7th largest mobile network operator with 220 million subscribers—more than AT&T and Verizon. In 1996 he did an IPO of VEON and became the youngest Chairman on the NYSE, reaching a peak valuation of $44 billion, with 60,000 employees globally.
After graduating from Stanford University with a M.A. and B.A. in four years, Augie spent two years working in Tokyo for Japan’s largest media conglomerate, Fujisankei Group. He returned to the United States with a goal of starting his own business, ultimately founding six companies.
In 2010, as part of his contribution back to society, Augie became a police officer in Chicago, his birthplace, graduating from the police academy at the age of 44. He continues to contribute his time, talent and touch, actively serving at Chicago Cook County Sheriff’s Office, with the rank of Chief, serves as a SWAT Operator and is the author of DECIDE: Tactical Crisis Decision Making for Law Enforcement.
Augie is a civic contributor, philanthropist and business policy innovator. He served as a member of the World Economic Forum (Davos) for 15 years and a Founding Member of its Global Chairman Community. He and his wife founded the Fabela Family Foundation, that supports Christian initiatives, education and law enforcement programs. He also serves on the Zimin Foundation and Zimin Institute for Engineering Solutions Advancing Better Lives.
Timestamps:
3:30 Building a multi-billion dollar public company, in Russia
9:10 The value of local partnerships when starting a business in another country
11:06 Augie’s roots | Learning entrepreneurship for Father, moving all over the US, early career
13:30 Lessons learned from managing talent from different countries and different cultures
15:50 Joining the police academy, becoming a SWAT Commander and becoming a Chief
21:20 The origins for FastForward.ai and how it works
27:28 The decision to implement AI into the platform
31:09 Building the MVP with a remote outsourced team
35:26 Strategies for creating culture in a remote work environment
37:16 First steps in building an AI product
41:44 Deciding on a go-to-market strategy in the early days of the startup
43:54 Augie has authored 2 books: “Decide” and “The Impatience Economy”
Very…Very few tech companies generate revenue the day the product is built. For that reason, many would-be tech entrepreneurs find the jump from a steady paycheck and/or name brand employer to full-time entrepreneur.
One way to bridge this divide is by creating a services business. Like an employee, you are still trading hours for dollars, but the benefit is the opportunity to test your idea in the market by using your expertise to solve a customer pain point.
Today’s guest, Jasmine Shells, worked at a Big 4 accounting firm (Ernst & Young) before moving into non-profit where she began testing her business idea as a “side-hustle”. By launching a networking and events business, she understood where value was created in this space and began to build a reputation that inspired potential corporate customers to request her services. Armed with the learning lessons from running her services business, Jasmine built tech that would allow her to serve her soon-to-be corporate customers at scale.
Founder Bio:
Jasmine is the Co-Founder & CEO of Five to Nine – a virtual event management and evaluation software for program leaders at companies. A few of Five to Nine's customers include DoorDash, MasterClass, and Verizon Media, among others.
Jasmine was recently named Forbes’ 30 Under 30 for enterprise technology, a Google for Startups Recipient, and a US Department of State Fellow for teaching entrepreneurship in emerging markets. Jasmine graduated from the University of Notre Dame and is pursuing her MBA at the University of Chicago where she was named an Entrepreneurial Scholar.
Jasmine served on Notre Dame’s Black Alumni Board, is a P33 Chicago Advisor, and teaches entrepreneurship to companies, universities and non-profits globally. She’s been featured in Vice, Forbes, Business Insider, TEDx, Black Enterprise, Yahoo Finance, and Marketwatch.
Timestamps:
2:45 Born and raised in the Midwest – from Toledo, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois
5:23 Launching her career at a Big 4 Accounting firm
7:10 Leaving a cushy corporate job to setting foundation to start a business
11:11 Launching a networking community as a springboard to building a tech platform
14:36 What is FiveToNine? Evolving from a services business to a tech company
17:13 Building the first version of the product
18:30 Establishing an initial team to build out tech
24:45 Lessons learned in selling into enterprise customers as a startup
31:18 Sales and implementation consideration when pursuing enterprise vs SMB customers
34:27 Creating value through data driven insights
38:19 Defining business objectives where AI creates tangible ROI
42:25 Fundraising history: Leveraging grants, accelerators, and then seed round ($1mm+)
43:35 Lessons learned from fundraising
When faced with an existential crisis in business, tech founders are left with three basic but tough decisions: maintain the status quo, change markets, or shut down the business. Prior to the pandemic, our guest, Fatima Dicko had launched a rapidly growing business which served as the “Craigslist” for college campuses. When universities shut down, she found herself pondering which of the three decisions she would make.
Today, Fatima is leading the charge as an innovator in proptech. Her team at Sugar is closing on a $2.5mm funding round to enable their mission to bring connectivity to residential living. In this episode, Fatima gives a live sample of her investor pitch. It was completely unplanned, and she nailed it! Make sure you tune in!
Founder Bio:
Fatima Dicko is the Founder & CEO of Sugar. Sugar makes residential properties feel like home by fostering community among residents and integrating deeply with the technology stack that powers modern buildings. The company has raised VC funding from some of the top investors in the PropTech sector. Before Sugar, she worked as the youngest senior engineer on a product innovation team at Procter & Gamble, receiving several awards such as ‘Most Transformative Product Research’ and the P&G ‘Global Innovation Seed Fund Grant’. Fatima came to the U.S. from Mali at a young age and grew up in New York City, receiving her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University and MBA from Stanford Business School. Fatima is a frequent mentor and volunteer for organizations such as Built By Girls, Black Girls Code and MLT.
Timestamps:
2:36 What Fatima and her family moved from Mali, Africa to New York City
5:26 The decision to study chemical engineering at Columbia Univ.
6:45 Developing products 3-5 years from going to market (at P&G)
11:10 Getting started as an entrepreneur + Uncomfortable conversations with parents
14:00 Humble beginnings and overcoming failure on the path to entrepreneurial success
19:20 Pivoting: Launching Sugar as a “hyper-local Craigslist” on college campuses
21:15 Should I shutdown? How Fatima decided what to do after COVID shutdown college campuses
27:28 Fatima’s approach to raising a $2.5mm VC round
32:51 The little known secret to interacting with investors
36:57 Fatima’s experience building an MVP and the VERY interesting way she found her CTO
Latino sports fans are known to be passionate and die hard. Though sports is the one industry that unifies people across the globe, culture and geography play a key role in how we prefer to get our sports fix. Our guest, Marcos Araujo, grew up a huge fan of the popular US sports content curator, Bleacher Report. That exposure, combined with his Brazilian roots, led him to question why there wasn’t a similar content curation platform for Latinos – so he built one.
Founder Bio:
Marcos is the CEO and founder of Esportudo, a leading digital sports content provider in Latin America that is creating new ways for fans to engage with their favorite teams and sports. Esportudo now reaches over 40 million Latino sports fans a month and helps brands engage this growing demographic. Before founding Esportudo, Marcos was a key driver in launching HubSpot Inc. in LatAm. Winner of Latino 30 under 30, 25 Most Influential People of Color and other awards.
Timestamps:
2:13 Marcos’s roots in rural Brazil. Humble beginnings in the suburbs of Boston
4:43 Thoughts on co-founding a company with family
9:19 How being a child of immigrants and facing economic hardships influenced entrepreneurship
12:03 Launching a career at Hubspot and leading expansion into LATAM
16:08 Hubspots 3 reasons for building a team in Colombia
19:49 The competitive advantage in leveraging LATAM talent
25:24 The genesis of Esportudo | Curating sports content for Latino sports fans
30:29 Bootstrapping the first 2 years in business, before joining Techstars
32:18 Serving the often forgotten but quickly growing and strong Latino market
36:12 Using an US agency to build MVP + the strategy behind building a dev team in Brazil
40:48 Selecting the first dev hire in Brazil
49:18 The value in leveraging artificial intelligence to hyper-personalize content consumption
Authenticity is a common term discussed when we think about branding and how entrepreneurs should present to customers. It’s also a challenge many minorities work through when navigating homogenous environments. For Amanda, a Jewish and Brazilian background created some questions about identity in her early years. Her passion for education empowered her to answer those questions, which has ultimately helped her to understand her place in the world as a tech entrepreneur.
Amanda is transforming education by creating social learning environment for AP students, outside of the traditional education system. She’s a non-technical founder whose voracious appetite for learning has allowed her to quickly acquire the business acumen and tech wisdom to launch a growing tech company.
Founder Bio:
Amanda DoAmaral is an educator, activist, and co-founder of Fiveable - a social learning network for students. She spent a half a decade teaching high school history in Oakland, CA, where her passion for creating equitable educational opportunities was ignited. Amanda has been a vocal advocate for inclusive history curriculum and is active within the Milwaukee tech community.
Timestamps:
2:11 Growing up as a “history nerd” and the inspiration for becoming a teacher
4:14 How Amanda found her lane within the education industry
6:31 Finding her identity as a biracial youth and how being a Teacher empowered her authenticity
11:27 How a toxic work environment in education led to a career as an activist
15:55 The origins of Fiveable | How former students pulled Amanda into entrepreneurship
18:30 Becoming a first time founder without business experience
20:50 Hacking together a no-code solution as a non-technical founder
22:38 When and how Amanda decided to bring in a technical co-founder to build the platform
25:50 Joining an accelerator and the decision to share equity
29:45 The benefit of building a tech company outside of tech epicenter cities
34:22 Why Amanda rented a home in Philadelphia to house her entire team
36:44 What is Fiveable and the magic behind social learning?
40:45 Fiveable has grown from serving a handful of students to serving over 600,000 students
42:00 Using content as a demand gen strategy
45:30 Establishing the pricing model at Fiveable
Imagine posting up in Silicon Valley for a year to soak up the entrepreneurial ecosystem while while waiting for inspiration for a startup idea. Sounds artsy, but from a business perspective it can be incredibly helpful to sort through various uses of technology and the business modes that get them to market. Fresh off a career in private equity and a short stint studying medicine, Chris Bennett took this exact approach. With a passion for using technology to improve the quality of human life, he has built Wonderschool to improve the quality and access to childcare.
Founder Bio:
Chris Bennett is a Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur and early childhood education advocate passionate about the power of the Internet and using it for social good.
Chris is the co-founder and CEO of Wonderschool, an all-in-one online platform that helps families seeking childcare and microschools to find available options near them and supports those who provide that care and education. Born out of Chris’s realization that early childhood education is what enabled him to be the first member of his family to go to college.
Since its start in 2016, Wonderschool has expanded its offerings and partnerships, pivoting to meet the unique needs of today’s families and providers. Recognized by Fast Company as one of the most innovative companies, Wonderschool has been funded by Andreessen Horowitz, First Round Capital, Imaginable Futures, Cross Culture Ventures, Uncork Capital, Rethink Education, Edelweiss, Lerer Ventures, 500 Startups, FundersClub, and others.
Timestamps:
1:54 How his uncle’s experience as a black doctor in Honduras influenced a passion for entrepreneurship
7:24 Life at Wharton (Undergrad) | Struggling as a student, but thriving as an entrepreneur
10:00 Exploring the right early career fit – private equity, medicine, and then to Silicon Valley
11:55 The origins of Wonderschool
15:18 Strategy for validating market demand before building tech
17:56 Raising $2mm to build engineering team to build product
18:30 Wonderschool described – platform, functionality, and value prop within childcare
22:40 Matching supply and demand in a marketplace
27:30 Chris receiving his first investment via NewMe accelerator (and 500 Startups)
30:30 Benefits of joining and accelerator
34:33 What help investors can provide…not including funding
38:35 Taking the team remote and moving to a global talent strategy
Long before here exciting life as a proptech founder, Vanessa Alvarez was debating whether college was right for her after poor grades forced her out of school in her Sophomore year. A not so gentle nudge from loved ones and a starter career in tech as an analyst changed her entire life. Vanessa has emerged as a leader in blue chip tech companies like Amazon and Microsoft. She is the perfect “anything is possible” example and is joining us talk more about her life, from a small Latino town in Rhode Island to the mecca of tech in Silicon Valley
In this episode, we really dive into Vanessa’s story as a first-generation child whose parents immigrated to Rhode Island from El Salvador. She describes her early struggles with school and lack of visions and how love and tech changed her life. We also dig into her experience in startups and big tech, as well as her decision to keep her job while launching a company. So many gems to pull from this conversation!
Founder Bio:
Vanessa Alvarez is the co-founder of Seattle based startup, Nexme, Inc, an on demand real estate platform that instantly connects homebuyers and sellers with access to homes. Launched in May 2020, Nexme is available in the greater Seattle and greater Boston areas.
She spent time at a number of startups in the Bay Area before joining Amazon Web Services and most recently Microsoft, where she is a Sr. Program Manager. She's fluent in Spanish and is a mentor to young Latinos looking to enter the technology industry. You can find her on Twitter: @vanessaalvarez1.
As a Grammy award winning producer and songwriter, Devo Harris has made a career of turning ideas into inspiring experiences. Insight into what moves people has driven the success of previous ventures, such as founding GOOD music alongside business partner (and cousin) Kanye West. Devo is a visionary armed with a skill for organizing the right technical talent to bring game changing ideas to life. Recognizing the incredible potential brought on by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Devo has built an interactive video platform that enables companies to provide their customers with a more dynamic and real-life buying experience.
Founder Bio:
Devo Harris is a serial media executive who merges world class creative, cutting edge technology and business strategy. Devo started his career in strategy at PwC before joining Kanye West to found GOOD Music. At GOOD, Devo won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song (Kanye West’s “Diamonds (from Sierra Leone)”) while producing and writing for artists from Britney Spears to Jay-Z & more. He also discovered and signed EGOT Winner John Legend to GOOD Music while leading national product launches across several consumer categories. Devo hacked YouTube to pioneer interactive web video in 2010 followed by time leading video player product at streaming giant Vimeo as Senior Product Manager. Devo is a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia Business School.
Timestamps:
1:28 Teaming up with Kanye West & John Legend| Devo’s beginnings as a music exec
4:56 Reinventing his career – from media exec to tech mogul
10:40 Introducing Adventr.io | Creating smart video at scale
13:13 How companies can use interactive video
15:35 Building a prototype as a founder without an deep engineering experience
18:25 Validating market demand with prototype via A/B testing
21:17 Getting the right talent onboard to develop a marketable solution
23:25 How Devo raised a Friends & Family round
29:09 Latest development at Adventr
32:00 Earned media | Creating demand and driving inbound product interest
38:37 Why Devo believes AI is the future and how it’s being incorporated in Adventr
41:34 How non-technical founders can leverage other skillset as a competitive advantage
45:40 Learn more about Adventr.io and connect with Devo (@springsteezy)
Darius joins Kimmiko James, Host of the Black Enterprise Network podcast, to discuss artificial intelligence and why it’s critical underrepresented tech founders get involved in it’s development. They dive into it’s impact in business and the real world as well as strategies to get educated and up-to-speed on the technology.
Check out Kimmiko’s podcast at: https://www.blackenterprisenetwork.fm/
For more content, subscribe to the Build Tech Stack Equity Podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
Don’t sleep on Latin America! In fact, for tech entrepreneurs it deserves several moments of your undivided attention. Whether we’re talking about markets for product expansion or hubs for top tech talent, LATAM is a bright spot for tech innovation.
Forward thinking tech entrepreneurs and executives have already begun thinking through the best strategy for participating in the growth of LATAM. Today, we sit with Colombian trailblazer, Fernando Gutierrez who is the head of a cutting edge AI startup focused on Oil & Gas. Fernando launched his career in the US and quickly gained experience as a sales leader in the Middle East and various LATAM markets. He has returned to his home country to begin shaping the future of his firm as a tech leader across the Americas.
Guest Bio:
Fernando is Chief Executive Officer of Tachyus. As CEO of Tachyus, Fernando is responsible for leading the Company to continued success.
Prior to Tachyus, Fernando, held several consulting, sales and management roles across many countries. He started at Schlumberger and worked at other oil and gas services companies for over 16 years, with focus on reservoir/production engineering integrated solutions in the digital transformation space of the industry.
Fernando holds a MSc. in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M, USA and a Bs. in Geological Engineering from Escuela de Ingenieros, Colombia.
2:47 From Medellin, Colombia to Texas A&M University to Australia to England
4:35 Building a career in oil and gas technology | Learning English on the fly
6:48 Developing unique insight into product as the liaison between software devs and sales
12:15 CEO of Tachyus | How an expertise in sales enabled a leadership position at a high growth startup
16:43 What Fernando saw in artificial intelligence that inspired his desire to participate
19:03 Keys to selling AI/deep tech to non-technical customers
24:07 Selling in Latin America versus selling in North America
26:50 The untapped opportunity in building tech in and for LATAM
31:31 Leveraging LATAM as a resource for tech talent
36:35 Keys to identifying the ideal customer to target and accelerating the buying cycle
40:35 Fernando’s favorite tech tool: Slack
42:05 Who inspires Fernando
In sports, it’s a given that perfecting your craft requires consistent coaching. Is there an industry more important than education that this same concept should apply? Athletes receive coaching on a daily basis, but unfortunately teachers aren’t yet afforded those same growth opportunities, relying on quarterly assessments rather than consistent feedback. Technology is changing the game. Like in sports, teachers are now able to watch their own game film and learn from industry experts how to take their game to the next level.
In this episode, I sit with Will Morris, Founder and CEO of edConnective. His team is leveraging technology to provide consistent professional development opportunities.
Founder Bio:
Will received his Master of Education from the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education. There he researched instructional coaching as a promising lever of teacher quality. Before UPenn, Will spent a year working with a cohort of 30 African American freshmen as an Urban Prep Fellow in a Chicago Charter School. During his year in Chicago, Will became a Starting Bloc Social Innovation Fellow and participated in a social entrepreneurship institute that sparked his desire to create systemic impact through social innovation.
Timestamps:
1:59 The genesis of edConnective | Solving systems level issues in education
4:13 On the ground experience | Working at Urban Prep in Chicago
5:04 How Will used grad school to incubate his idea for a startup
6:19 Why teacher performance is the linchpin for driving educational outcomes
9:13 Why the traditional form of teacher coaching/evaluation is flawed
12:29 The edConnective product and how coaches are coached
15:54 Finding the best coaches to help teachers develop professionally
20:49 Leveraging technology to create predictable process behind coaching strategy
24:32 Tough lessons learned as a solo founder and the value in teaming up with a technical partner
28:33 Testing the business hypothesis as a service before scaling up with tech/software
31:38 The journey to getting traction and generating revenue “Wandering in startup wilderness”
34:20 Keeping the startup dream alive while waiting to get traction
37:12 The Founder’s most important job is to validate demand
38:57 In a marketplace business model, which side of the marketplace do you validate first
41:54 Where to find Will and edConnective
Total Addressable Market is a key metric that VCs use to determine whether an idea is investable and one that some tech founders use to determine whether they’re solving a large enough problem. This begs the questions “how can you accurately assess the magnitude of a problem without having actually experienced the problem yourself?”. This gap in problem awareness has created an incredible opportunity for underrepresented founders to build solutions that speak to the unique needs and build valuable solutions that improve the lives of overlooked populations.
In this episode, we sit with Maria Burns Ortiz, Co-Founder and CEO of 7 Generation Games. Her team is building video games that close the math skills gap found in underrepresented communities.
Founder Bio:
Maria Burns Ortiz is co-founder and CEO of 7 Generation Games, a video game studio making immersive educational games and interactive apps with a mission of breaking down barriers to success, one math problem at a time. Previously, Maria was a multimedia journalist and NY Times best-selling author. For her work at 7 Generation Games, she was an invited speaker at the 2016 White House: State of Women Summit, received the National Latina Business Women Association-Los Angeles’ Rising Star in 2017 and named one of Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal's 40 Under 40 in 2021.
1:15 The many interesting facts about Maria Burns Ortiz’s life
4:011 An atypical path to tech entrepreneurship |A career as an ESPN reporter
6:02 Reinventing your career| From reporter to video game developer
10:02 Operating as a cofounding team in the early days
11:29 What is 7 Generation Games and what problem it is solving?
14:22 The extraordinary value in serving underserved communities
15:45 The process of video game development
20:02 The importance of engagement UI/UX vs the tech itself
24:02 Building the first version of a gaming product
28:32 Testing your product with real world customers and getting traction
31:02 Finding the ideal customer for the product and communicating ROI to schools
35:02 How solving a problem in a niche creates a reputation of success
36:10 The promise of AI in EdTech | The personalization of the learning experience
40:13 Continue following 7GG at 7generationgames.com
Many non-technical aspiring entrepreneurs are held back from launching tech companies for fear of not knowing how to code. Tye & Courtney Caldwell had big dreams matched by the drive to manifest their vision for keeping salon chairs filled and beauticians/barbers earning money. Strapped with expertise in the beauty salon industry, this dynamic duo made relationships the gasoline that powered their knack for getting answers to their most pressing questions at the right time.
Founder Bio:
Dr. Tye Caldwell:
Dr. Tye Caldwell is the Cofounder & CEO of ShearShare, the first on-demand salon and barbershop space rental app. A 26-year industry veteran, master barber-stylist, and salon and barbershop owner, Dr. Tye is recognized as a tech visionary and industry pioneer. His mission is to help beauty and barbering professionals around the world maximize their earnings potential.
Mrs. Courtney Caldwell:
Courtney Caldwell is the Cofounder & COO of beauty-tech startup, ShearShare, the first mobile app that lets stylists quickly find affordable salon and barbershop space to lease near them. Named an Inc. magazine 2019 Female Founders 100 and the 2017 L’Oreal Women in Digital NEXT Generation Award winner, Courtney’s mission is to empower industry professionals and help keep our small businesses open.
Joint Bio:
Dr. Tye and Courtney Caldwell are the cofounders of ShearShare, the first on-demand salon and barbershop space rental app. Recognized as tech visionaries and industry pioneers, the Caldwells’ mission is to help fellow beauty and barbering professionals around the world maximize their earnings potential.
ShearShare is the first Texas startup to win Google Demo Day, L’Oreal’s Women in Digital NEXT Generation Award, and Tech. Co’s Startup of the Year. The Caldwells’ work has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Fast Company, Forbes, Black Enterprise, Modern Salon, and Salon Today. They are alums of YC Fellowship and 500 Startups, two world-renowned programs for creating top-end entrepreneurs.
The Caldwells live in McKinney, Texas, and are proud parents to son Trey, a second-year cadet and football player at the United States Air Force Academy.
1:56 Why don’t more couples start companies together?
2:43 Making the entrepreneurial leap | The origin of ShearShare
5:50 Listen to your customers problems. They will give you product ideas
8:22 How services businesses can be a great precursor to a highly scalable tech company
11:28 Participating in the Google for Startups Accelerator for black founders
14:39 Preparing ShearShare for an AI future and creating hyper-personalization for barbers and stylists
19:42 Getting to an MVP | Building a tech platform/app as non-technical founders
22:59 Identifying and acquiring technical talent to build the first version of the application
24:49 “You’re saying we should drain the what? The 401k”… Betting on yourself as a founder
27:20 Moving from contractors to full-time engineers
29:50 Learning lessons building a marketplace | Solving the chicken and egg problem
34:00 Establishing a pricing model
35:34 Building traction via word-of-mouth
38:24 The entrepreneurial mindset | Confidence, risk, generational wealth, betting on yourself
44:36 May 2021 – Exciting news coming from ShearShare
Never before has there been such a push to enable the dreams of underrepresented tech entrepreneurs. From a growth in grants to increased investment interest to community purchasing support, underrepresented founders have not been in a better position to start tech companies. This podcast exists to highlight these founders’ journey while also providing strategic advice (fundraising, go-to-market, hiring, tech development) to those who aspire to make the leap. There are many different flavors of tech entrepreneurship and the beauty of being a founder is your ability to create and execute a vision that fits your unique needs and preferences.
This episode outlines what we intend to accomplish with the Build Tech Stack Equity podcast. Since we will be spending much more time together, I share a bit more about my journey and what drove me to launch this podcast. I also share what you should expect from the podcast as it relates to episode cadence and topics.
You can find the full podcast at www.dariusgant.com.