Boston Speaks Up

Diana DiZoglio has played a pivotal role in public service throughout her career, serving as an advocate, legislator, and now, Auditor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In her role, DiZoglio is committed to increasing transparency and accountability in state government, ensuring that all residents receive equitable treatment, regardless of their background, financial status, or zip code. Her work as Auditor underscores her dedication to fostering a fair and inclusive government for all. Being born and raised in Methuen, MA, Auditor DiZoglio is a product of Massachusetts public schools. After graduating from Methuen High School, DiZoglio attended Middlesex Community College before earning a financial scholarship to Wellesley College. Her career in public service began as an aide in the State Legislature and as Chief of Staff for the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts. After years of working with local nonprofits and community organizations, she successfully ran for public office in 2012, serving three terms as State Representative for the 14th Essex District. In 2018, she was elected State Senator for the 1st Essex District, where she served two terms. DiZoglio's decade-long service on Beacon Hill has equipped her with the fortitude to collaborate with elected officials, labor organizations, community advocates, and residents across the Commonwealth. Her humble beginnings and extensive experience in nonprofits and labor have enabled her to build strong relationships with a diverse array of people, amplifying their voices in government. Throughout her career, DiZoglio has remained driven by a profound commitment to equity and public service. In a recent CommonWealth Beacon article, DiZoglio stated, “These are gaps in the system that we can help to identify. We can raise that to legislators. We can let them know about where these challenges exist for the purposes of improving the system and helping the Legislature to work better for those it's meant to serve.” Through her work as Auditor, she is dedicated to creating a more inclusive and accountable government for all. Prior to recording this episode, Auditor DiZoglio embarked (and completed) a 141-mile walk across Massachusetts to raise awareness for ballot Question 1, which would give the state auditor the authority to audit the Legislature. In August, DiZoglio told The Boston Globe, “Government is not supposed to operate the way the Massachusetts Legislature is operating right now.” If passed, the state auditor would be given the express authorization to audit the Massachusetts Legislature. In this episode, we'll discuss her journey to this point, her walk across the Commonwealth, and take a deep dive into the importance of Question 1.

Yvonne Hao, Secretary of the Executive Office of Economic Development for Massachusetts, joins the Boston Speaks Up podcast live on stage at Startup Boston Week 2024.

Hack.Diversity CEO Michelle De La Isla joins the Boston Speaks Up podcast live on stage at Startup Boston Week 2024.

In this special episode of "Boston Speaks Up," host Zach Servideo, founder of Value Creation Labs and a former doorman at the iconic Pour House, teams up with Lee Stabert from "Explain Boston to Me" to explore the ever-changing landscape of Boston's dive bar culture. This conversation takes listeners deep into the heart of the city, reflecting on how these gritty, beloved spaces have managed to survive—and even thrive—amid Boston's ongoing transformation. The episode dives into some fascinating themes, from the history of Boston's dive bars as community hubs to their role in the face of gentrification. Servideo and Stabert discuss the unique vibe of these establishments, reminiscing about their own experiences and the colorful characters that frequent these spots. They also explore the cultural and economic pressures that threaten the existence of these cherished institutions and speculate on what the future holds for Boston's dive bar scene. Listeners can expect a lively discussion filled with personal anecdotes, insightful commentary, and a genuine love for Boston's hidden gems. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of culture, history, and community in one of America's most dynamic cities. And as a bonus, don't miss out on the chance to see "Boston Speaks Up" live on stage at Startup Boston Week. Catch Zach Servideo in action on the live podcast stage on September 10th, where he'll bring more of these engaging conversations to a live audience.

Guest Mike Farber has played many roles throughout his career, serving as a brand builder, mentor, advisor, partner, and now, co-founder. In his latest career move, Farber has the world's best interests in mind by co-founding GreenStory, an agency focused entirely on elevating the stories of organizations addressing the climate crisis. Farber is also an advisor at Greentown Labs, the country's biggest climate tech accelerator based in Somerville, Massachusetts. Before launching GreenStory, Farber began his career at Schwartz Communications, where he launched scores of companies, guided four clients through successful IPOs and helped many others become acquired. His experience spanned across multiple types of technologies, ranging from consumer to enterprise software to clean energy (which he has always magnetized towards). Farber helped lead the growth of Schwartz's San Francisco office in the late 1990s, before moving back to Boston in 1999. At Schwartz, he worked alongside peers who became the founders of LaunchSquad, which was the next stop on Farber's journey. In 2010, he joined LaunchSquad as a partner where he founded LaunchSquad's Boston office and helped high-growth companies tell their stories to the world. Following LaunchSquad, Farber took a sabbatical, de-accelerated, spent time with family and friends, guest lectured at Middlebury College and ideated on the next innovative step he might take. During that time, he wrote on LinkedIn, “One through line I keep re-visiting – as governments become increasingly dysfunctional, businesses and NGOs must take a bigger role in driving positive change. I'm not exactly sure what that means for my next step, but… I'll be working that out.” In this episode, we explore how Farber worked it all out, why he believes every part of the economy is changing for the better because of climate, how Massachusetts rocks in climate, the legacy he wants to leave on this planet, and so much more.

Guest Kyle Wallack is an artist-entrepreneur and the founder of Refined Graffiti, and you can learn more about his work at his digital gallery The KW Gallery. After graduating from Endicott College in Beverly, MA, he lived in New York City for several years where his career took off before recently relocating to the Tampa Bay, Florida area. Wallack, inspired by the likes of Banksy and Basquiat among others, has now done work for global phenoms Missy Elliot and Cardi B. His work has inspired millions across the world. Before becoming the esteemed American contemporary artist we know today, Wallack's journey was struck with hardship. In 2018, and at just 23 years old, Wallack was diagnosed with cancer of the parotid gland, which required intensive surgery to remove the cancer from his face. After a successful surgery leaving him with more than 600 stitches, Wallack was walking to his apartment when he stumbled across an easel. Wallack of course picked it up, brought it back to his apartment, and the rest was history. Due to the nature of his surgery, Wallack was informed by his doctors that the blue light produced by phones and TVs were extremely harmful to his health. With no access to electronics for more than a year, and a newfound easel and paint, Wallack's journey as an artist began. Once Wallack picked up his newly found paintbrush and graffiti can, he never put them down. Painting became Wallack's outlet, and as a wide-eyed, young, 23 year-old trying to figure it all out, painting allowed him to produce positively during this time of adversity. Before Wallack had his surgery, he had never dabbled in art in an international way. Afterwards, everywhere he looked inspired him to create. Fast forward to the present day, Wallack has now dedicated his full-time career to being an artist. Through years of repetition, hard work, and grinding, Wallack is now represented by Quidley & Co, a well-respected, full-service gallery that has been representing artists for 30+ years. In this episode, we explore Wallack's impact that transcends the graffiti and traditional fine art communities, how he perseveres through all the hardships life throws at him, what he's creating now, and what he wants his legacy to be.

Guest Nick Cicero is an analyst, entrepreneur and growth expert operating at the intersection of digital media and advertising. He made a name for himself in the 2010s when he founded Delmondo, a social video analytics company. Founded in 2014, Cicero quickly established Delmondo alongside established media measurement companies by introducing numerous industry firsts, including the first enterprise analytics solutions for Snapchat, Instagram Stories, and Facebook Live used by clients such as ABC News, the NFL, WWE, Fox, UEFA, Paramount and more. He and Delmondo also co-produced the first Snapchat Branded Long-Form Ad Series with Marriott Rewards. Raising only a single angel investment round, Cicero steered Delmondo into a profitable startup that garnered millions in revenue, hundreds of loyal customers; and set new industry standards culminating in its acquisition by Conviva in 2018. During his time building Delmondo, Cicero was also a cofounder of TVREV, an analyst business reporting on the convergence of TV and digital media. He partnered on TVREV with a who's who list of media executives that all participated in Conviva's angel investment round – Gary Vaynerchuk (VaynerMedia), Jesse Redniss (former WarnerMedia, current founder at Qonsent) and David Beck (current Brightcove COO) – who collectively operated as BRaVe Ventures. Cicero stayed on at Conviva for several years to lead Conviva's social intelligence business in a VP of Strategy role. At Conviva, Cicero focused on extending their portfolio of measurement products that enable video publishers, sports teams, leagues, and streaming TV providers to get a 360-degree understanding of the viewer journey and grow viewership, engagement, and revenue. He departed Conviva in 2022 to pursue consulting opportunities and explore new entrepreneurial endeavors. He joined the ranks of consulting firm Value Creation Labs (VCL) in 2023, establishing himself in a GTM Lead role for VCL and its partners such as Vevo, Precise TV, PadSquad and T-Mobile. Cicero is a regular speaker at industry trade shows, and is an expert commenter on industry trends such as his analysis of the $5 billion Netflix-WWE deal featured in The Drum. He also has a passion for mentoring the next generation of media entrepreneurs. He's an adjunct faculty member at his alma mater, the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, where he recently announced the formation of the inaugural Emerging Leaders Alumni Board of which he plays a lead role. We explore Cicero's impact on the media innovation community, what he's up to at VCL, and much more in this latest ‘Boston Speaks Up' episode.

Guest Kristen Craft is the new Vice President & Business Partner Manager at Fidelity for Startups, one of the largest brokerage firms in the United States, headquartered here in Boston. She's a major catalyst supporting Fidelity in its efforts to help fill the startup banking void in Boston. Craft is working closely with the team at Shoobx, a Cambridge-based fintech Fidelity acquired in January 2023. Shoobx helps companies with equity and board management, storing and sharing important business information, and bringing together startup leaders, lawyers, and investors in a single collaborative hub. Similar to her previous roles, Craft's role at Fidelity entails her helping startups navigate the financial moments that matter most: fundraising, cap table management, access to investors; alongside all of the other financial expertise and services that Fidelity has long been known for. Craft is a proven entrepreneur with more than 15 years of experience in enterprise software and digital marketing. With a passion for entrepreneurship, she's become well known around the Boston startup community for her passionate support of founders and VCs. In her role evangelizing the Boston-area startup community, Craft also recently supported the production of a 2024 AI report from Value Creation Labs – Boston Startups Put AI and Data to Work in Vertical Industries and Enterprises. Craft is also a previous guest of Boston Speaks Up, and folks can learn more about her previous career journey in the episode from 2022. Her past experience includes leadership roles at Animalz, Tettra, Ovia Health Wistia, and Transparent Language, as well as launching her own start-up, Brown Box Storage. In her return to the Boston Speaks Up show, she is eager to share best practices on go-to-market strategy, fundraising, and other vital aspects of the startup journey. Drawing from her decades of experience as a startup operator and angel investor, she's gathered a great deal of wisdom and is enthusiastic about making the startup journey smoother for others.

Barbara Fortier is the CEO of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEMA) where she has over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Before assuming this role, she served as Chief Operations Officer at GSEMA for an impressive 17 years. Fortier's influence extends beyond her impressive tenure at GSEMA. She is a specialist in volunteer management, fundraising, and female empowerment, making her a sought-after expert in her field. As the CEO of the largest girl-serving organization in Massachusetts and the 10th largest Girl Scout council in the nation, Fortier's mission is to create girls of courage, confidence, and character who contribute positively to the world. Her impact isn't limited to her professional role; it resonates within the Greater Boston community. Fortier is deeply passionate about spreading leadership opportunities to women of all ages and backgrounds. Her commitment to female empowerment shines through every facet of her career and personal life. Fortier recently penned an op-ed in the Boston Business Journal about how Girl Scouts addresses the youth mental health crisis. We explore this topic and much more in this latest ‘Boston Speaks Up' episode.

Guest Alice Pomponio is the Managing Director at BrightEdge, the venture capital and impact investment arm of the American Cancer Society, where her work is making waves in the fight against cancer. With a passion for economic and health equity, she has built a strong track record of bringing groundbreaking ideas to life, developing cutting-edge technologies, shaping markets, and creating value within these ecosystems. Pomponio's journey through the biopharma industry has tracked alongside many of the industry's defining moments, earning her the playful title of the ‘Forrest Gump' of biotech. Through the many ups and downs of the economic cycle, Pomponio has persevered as many professionals would, but for her this is much more than a career path. For Pomponio, this mission is deeply personal. Having lost her mother to cancer and witnessed her family's 14 battles against seven different types of cancer, she is committed to the fight against this deadly disease, all while making health equity a central focus of her work. In her current role as Managing Director at BrightEdge, Pomponio spearheads efforts to fuel the fight against cancer through impact venture capital and patient-centric innovation. BrightEdge was founded by the American Cancer Society in 2019, and is a beacon of hope for the fight against cancer. Pomponio's work at BrightEdge is a testament to the idea that philanthropy can ‘supercharge' donations. By investing in healthcare startups that blend financial growth with cancer-fighting innovations, Pomponio and her team ensure that every dollar donated has the potential to multiply through the investment process. This not only accelerates the development of life-saving technologies but also supports startups that might otherwise struggle to secure seed funding. On top of her work at BrightEdge, Pomponio is also Vice President of Innovation and Impact Investing at the American Cancer Society, and also serves as faculty at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, further contributing to the advancement of healthcare and innovation. Pomponio's commitment to her mission is further exemplified by her roles as Board Observer at healthcare-focused companies such as Naveris and Vincere Health. It was an honor to sit down with Pomponio and discuss her inspiring journey and groundbreaking work at BrightEdge, and most importantly, her unwavering dedication to the fight against cancer and health equity.

Senofer Mendoza is the Founder and General Partner at Mendoza Ventures, a woman-owned and the first Latinx-founded VC fund on the east coast. In the ever-evolving landscape of venture capital, Mendoza stands as an innovation economy trailblazer and an advocate for diversity and inclusion. Mendoza has a creative background having previously worked as an interior designer for Parker Torres Design. During her stint at the design house, Mendoza was able to work on some exciting projects, most notable would be her design work for Boston's beloved Fairmont Copley Plaza. Although Mendoza took pride in her creative abilities, she quickly realized to reach her full potential she needed to take fuel from her passion of bringing equity to women in VC and underrepresented founders around the world. Through Mendoza Ventures, she and her team focus 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 immigrants, people of color, and women. Since its founding seven years ago, Mendoza Ventures has raised two funds and had two successful exits. Bank of America Corp. is an anchor investor for the new $100 million fund managed by Mendoza Ventures, announced in January 2023. Mendoza's outstanding contributions have been alluring attention from the Boston community, and beyond. In 2022, Axios Magazine recognized her as one of the five most influential people in Boston. Shortly after, the LA Times honored her firm as a DEI visionary as one of California's most prominent game-changers and thought leaders in the business world today. Currently, she sits on the NACIE, the National Advisory Committee for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Mendoza's remarkable journey, from an advocate for diversity to the founder of the groundbreaking Mendoza Ventures, exemplifies her unwavering commitment to driving positive change in the VC landscape. As an influential figure and pioneer, she continues to pave the way for underrepresented voices in entrepreneurship. We were fortunate to sit down with Senofer at Startup Boston Week to discuss her career journey and her vision for a more equitable future for the startup community.

Stanley Rameau is the Founder and CEO of Renavest, a financial education community for investors and individuals to connect, share and build wealth. He is poised to make an even greater impact with the imminent release of the Renavest app on both the App Store and Google Play Store this fall (Join the waitlist). When Rameau isn't guiding individuals from all walks of life along their journey to wealth building, he can be found building and growing his Boston-based fashion brand, Paul Rameau. Rameau's journey is defined by a mosaic of diverse work experiences that have molded him into the inspiring figure he is today. His early career involved roles in design and marketing within the fashion industry, where he fine-tuned his creative talents. Later, he ventured into entrepreneurship, growing multiple successful startups. Rameau's career path showcases his versatility and a relentless drive to make a meaningful impact. In 2019, Rameau launched Paul Rameau in honor of his father's passing to myeloma. The fashion brand is making waves in the Greater Boston Area, as covered in this article from The Boston Globe. Rameau's unique creativity is deeply rooted in his commitment to unlocking his own untapped potential, a commitment that reverberates throughout his remarkable career. His wellspring of creativity flows from a profound commitment to unlocking his untapped potential. In all his endeavors, he strives to encourage others to embrace risks and embark on their personal journey of doing the same. We were grateful to sit down with Rameau at Startup Boston Week to discuss his passion to help individuals take calculated risks and transform their lives.

Guest Gabriela Serret-Campos is the Global Head of People Strategy and Talent at Chronosphere, a cloud company that raised $200 million on a $1+ billion valuation in 2021. She is a seasoned professional with a rich background in shaping organizational strategies and fostering talent to drive success. As the modern workplace changes, Serret-Campos is an expert navigator of the evolving shifts and new challenges in recruiting and culture building. She possesses invaluable insights into how venture-backed companies can quickly scale a team with an emphasis on employee retention. Prior to Chronosphere, Serret-Campos served as the SVP of People Operations at Drizly, where she played a pivotal role leading up to the company's acquisition by Uber for $1.1 billion in 2021. Adjacent to her roles, she founded Lead by Design, an advisory consultancy specializing in leadership development, strategic planning, and DEI initiatives. Serret-Campos is a founding member of the POPS Advisory Board, championing a people-first approach and promoting the idea that employees deserve care and investment. She's also a member of the Underscore VC Core Community. Her earlier experience included running boutique leadership development firm Intelligent.ly, which was focused on partnering with hyper growth tech companies to help them align their people to purpose to drive productivity. She did similar work at Infusionsoft and EDMC-OHE, highlighting her consistent dedication to fostering leadership development. She designed innovative programs and initiatives that helped emerging leaders thrive and succeed. We were honored to sit down with Serret-Campos at Startup Boston Week to discuss all of her experiences and how they have shaped her ability to navigate the future of work.

Guest Stephanie Roulic is the founder and CEO of Startup Boston where she's become a driving force behind Boston's startup ecosystem. Through Startup Boston, Roulic is on a mission to bring networking opportunities that bridge connections between people from different industries and companies from all stages. She leads a team of dedicated volunteers who are all aligned in fulfilling Startup Boston's vision to establish a more connected Boston business ecosystem. Since co-founding the martech company nDash in 2016, she recognized the need for meaningful connections in the local startup community. This led her to also launch Startup Boston Week in 2017, an annual event that brings together thousands of attendees and hundreds of speakers, including industry luminaries such as Brian Halligan and Jules Pieri. Throughout her journey, Roulic's leadership and passion have shone brightly. From being the first non-engineering hire and employee number 11 at Goldcast, she built out and managed customer success and support teams. She's played an instrumental role at MassChallenge and nDash as well, demonstrating her expertise in community-building and client support. Her accomplishments extend to education where she advises Suffolk University's Management & Entrepreneurship Career Community Advisory Group. In 2022, her efforts with Startup Boston were recognized by the Boston Business Journal as she was named one of BBJ's 2022 40 Under 40 Honorees; and prior to that was named to BBJ's Power 50 for 2020. Her strategic prowess is evident in securing sponsorships, developing onboarding strategies, and creating year-round initiatives and events. With a commitment to diversity, her leadership has resulted in Startup Boston Week drawing a majority representation of women and people of color among speakers. Roulic's journey began with a Bachelor's degree in Communication and Media Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her dedication to her craft and community led her to embrace roles at Geek Girl, where she served as Program Coordinator as a dedicated volunteer. From nDash's inception to the birth of Startup Boston, Stephanie Roulic's profound impact on Boston's startup ecosystem is truly commendable.

Dr. Jeff Sutherland is the Founder and Chairman of Scrum Inc. He is credited with being one of the creators of Scrum, which is celebrating its 30 year anniversary in 2023, and is a framework for enabling business agility at scale across an entire organization. Sutherland's mission has always been to spread Scrum around the world to free people from what he calls “the incredible life-draining system they're working under.” His teachings consistently expose the archaic systems that hinder productivity, and he's at the forefront helping the world's biggest organizations make the transition to Agile. To further his efforts, Sutherland is also a co-creator of The Agile Education Program powered by Scrum Inc., a training suite providing the curriculum and educational standards that give individuals and organizations a clear path to implementing Scrum in a way that drives immediate business results. A graduate of West Point, Sutherland served as a fighter pilot during the Vietnam War and later spent time conducting cancer research before immersing himself in the world of software development. With his expertise, Jeff has held the role of Chief Technology Officer at eleven different software companies, bringing a wealth of experience to each endeavor. In 1993, Jeff pioneered the concept of Scrum by launching the first Scrum team. While things have changed a lot since then (spoiler alert: those original month-long sprints were far too long), he has continued to play a pivotal role in expanding Scrum's ability to drive Agile transformation at organizations across industries including government, finance, healthcare, higher education, and telecom. Recognizing the transformative power of Scrum, Sutherland co-authored the bestselling book Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time, and later published A Scrum Book: The Spirit of the Game. Through his books and extensive knowledge sharing, he has become a respected figure in the Agile community. His passion for fostering energy, focus, clarity, and transparency in project planning and implementation has made scrum a highly sought-after approach for organizations seeking efficient and effective project management. We had a chance to sit down with Sutherland as he reflects on 30 years of Scrum, the new Scrum QuickStart offering and what the future holds for Scrum's biggest possible impact on the world.

Devan Sood is the Co-Founder of Orca, a membership-based network of furnished month-to-month accommodations in dream destinations around the world. As working a 9-5 increasingly no longer requires a long commute to a 5' x 5' cubicle, Orca is designed for digital nomads who travel freely and work remotely around the globe. A digital nomad himself, Sood is currently traveling the world helping inspire others to ditch their 12-month lease and live in a myriad of their dream destinations, without breaking the bank. Sood grew up in Los Angeles and jumped into his first venture at the ripe age of 14 when he started Unlimited Ltd. Clothing. Within less than 3 years, Unlimited Ltd. was being sold in multiple countries, endorsed by top celebrities, and working with charities across the globe. I had a chance to meet Sood when he was at Babson College where he was racing to graduate early and build more startups. He graduated in less than 3 years and moved back to LA to launch a marketing consulting firm specializing in creative growth strategies to market to Millennials and Generation Z. That venture evolved into 96-LA, Sood's growth agency focused on helping early-stage consumer-facing tech startups with product-led growth and acquisition experimentation. With 96-LA still growing, Sood is leveraging his consulting skills to fuel the growth of Orca, while he travels the world living the experiences he is pitching to fellow digital nomads. We talk about all of this, Sood's advocating for “teen-preneurship” and much more.

George Deveney is the Chief Advancement Officer at Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island, headquartered in Boston, MA. Make-A-Wish is a non-profit organization on a mission to create life-changing wish experiences for children with critical illnesses. In 2023, Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island celebrate 40 years of providing life changing experiences to kids and families who deserve it the most. Deveney has dedicated his life to helping others and he has no plans of taking his foot off the gas. Prior to joining Make-A-Wish, Deveney spent the majority of his career at City Year, an education-focused non-profit organization that unites young people from diverse backgrounds for a year of full-time service to keep students in school and on track to high school graduation. At City Year, Deveney led development of the organization and successfully launched regional teams in more than 10 cities including London, Denver and Orlando. As a Dorchester native, the return to the Greater Boston area to serve this community he once called home was inevitable. For Deveney, getting the opportunity to lead development for Make-A-Wish, one of the most well-recognized non-profit organizations in the nation, is his own dream come true. And as one could imagine, growing up in the area has left Deveney with strong family ties to Boston and surrounding neighborhoods. This has allowed Deveney to stay in tune with local culture, and more importantly makes this role that much more important to him. In his role, Deveney is responsible for driving the organization's growth in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. We unpack his specific efforts to do so in this episode as we also explore Deveney's career journey, what he finds so special about Boston that brought him back, his passion for helping others through non-profit organizations, and much more.

Guest Kerty Levy is the Managing Director of Techstars Boston, the successful startup accelerator tied to a global network of Techstars programs. (Techstars Boston applications are open now and will close June 7, 2023. Don't miss out!) Levy replaced Greg Raiz, who stepped down as managing director at the end of October 2022. She brings a global perspective to her role having grown up all over the world. Born in Japan, Levy spent time in the Philippines, Belgium, Switzerland and Sweden before settling in the United States. Levy is also the managing director of recently launched Techstars Crypto Boston, a crypto-focused accelerator in Boston. This program, run in partnership with Algorand and the Algorand Foundation, is designed for startups globally that focus on innovative and fast-growing web3 development solutions that cut across Decentralized Finance (DeFi), Gaming, Creator Economy, and many more. Techstars Crypto Boston kicked off in January 2023 and just held DemoDay on April 6, 2023. Levy has been with Techstars since 2019. Before her move to Boston, she served as managing director of Techstars Iowa. Prior to that, the long-time business advisor and coach spent time at the Iowa AgriTech Accelerator where she was a trusted member of Iowa's startup community and expert on the Des Moines entrepreneurial ecosystem. Levy is a lifelong learner. After graduating from the Stevenson School, she went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the University of California, Davis. She then earned her MBA from Harvard Business School. In this episode, our host Zach Servideo discusses with Levy her career journey, what she loves about Boston, the startup sectors that most intrigue her, the future of crypto/blockchain, and much more.

Guest Alex Kantrowitz is the founder of Big Technology, a combo newsletter-podcast news operation analyzing the systems in the tech world that drive what we see in the headlines. He launched Big Technology on the back of his wildly successful book Always Day One, which gives a behind-the-scenes view into how Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft have “stayed on top” by operating in Day One: Instead of hunkering down and protecting core advantages, they reinvent constantly. Kantrowitz most recently served as senior technology reporter at Buzzfeed, and he regularly appears on CNBC to break down the news surrounding the tech giants. He penned the Tech Giant Update newsletter at BuzzFeed. In that role, he fell in love with the back and forth with readers, and found that the live replies with his audience were incredibly heartfelt and informative. It then comes as no surprise that he's now made a newsletter his de facto journalism format. Prior to Buzzfeed, Kantrowitz spent time writing for Forbes and Ad Age. He reported on marketing technology at Ad Age, which gives him a really interesting perspective at the intersection of technology disruption with advertising and commerce. He studied at Cornell University where he wrote for the Cornell Daily Sun and co-hosted WVBR's Weekend Pulse. His radio background shines in his Big Technology podcast and furthermore when he appears as a guest on shows such as his appearance here on Boston Speaks Up. In this episode, we discuss with Kantrowitz his journey to starting Big Technology, his modern media business monetization model, recent news such as the spiral of Silicon Valley Bank, his time in Seattle working on Always Day One, the impact of AI, the future of Big Tech, and much more.

Guest Chris Cardoza is the Founder & Director of Doza Visuals, a Boston-based media production company with experience filming and photographing across the globe. You may be familiar with Cardoza's work locally via the artist documentaries he produces for ICA Boston. Cardoza's entrepreneurial journey was preceded by a childhood culminating as a multi-sport athlete in high school. Sports were everything to him, until injuries crept into his life and ripped away his first passion. This is when he discovered a new calling in photography and video and he brought that same energy, determination and dedication to his new craft. Although playing sports came to a halt, in this episode we learned that his relationship with sports found a way to blossom in a creative way. For the past decade, Doza has been shooting stills and videos for some of the most recognizable brands and publications in the world. He's worked with companies such as Reebok, ESPN, TB12 Sports, VICE and many more. When he's not behind the lens pointing his camera at athletes such as Olympic Gold Medalist Aly Raisman or NFL Superstar JJ Watt, you can find Doza traveling to countries such as Rwanda and documenting how sports are affecting the world. Outside of his work, Cardoza spends his time watching documentaries, flying drones, trail running and spending time with his newborn twins. On this episode of Boston Speaks Up, we chat with Cardoza about juggling parenthood with running a startup, traveling in Rwanda with renowned Boston sports journalist Jackie MacMullan, what it's like working with star athletes, and what it takes to start your own business.

Guest Tucker Cohen is the Founder & CEO of Smoov, an app that makes it easy for couples to split their expenses automatically before they have a shared bank account. Smoov has enjoyed a popular beta period in Boston for its ability to save people time, money and headaches. Cohen is an entrepreneur with a range of experience on the west and east coasts, and grew to become a very active member of the Boston startup community in recent years. He is also an Web3 maxi as an early investor in Acala and Polkadot, as well spending time as a VC Scout for SHL Capital. Prior to Smoov, Cohen spent time in various sales and growth roles helping early stage startups build and scale their sales processes and teams. He also served as a Sales Core Leader at Underscore VC. Of note, he built and scaled the go-to-market team at Breezeway as the Head of Sales. In May 2021 Cohen started Smoov for the same reason most people start any venture – he had a deep desire to fix a problem that he was experiencing personally. It all started when he and his fiancé were sitting down after a month abroad in Madrid. During the trip they were spending time with family and going out to dinners and most meals. Once back in Boston, they were reviewing their various credit cards and expenses, using a spreadsheet to tally up the damage of who paid for what over the past month, and sending Venmo's to each other to settle up. As they were going through this tedious process, naturally they were chatting and came to the conclusion that “this sucks... and there must be a better way.” The impetus for Smoov was born. On this episode of Boston Speaks Up, we chat with Cohen about his past experiences, his recent move from Boston to LA and his plans to grow Smoov as it emerges from beta.

Guest Lily Lyman is a General Partner at Underscore VC, a leading Boston venture capital firm known for its Underscore Core Community of proven business builders helping each other succeed. She is also a Board Director for the New England Venture Capital Association, MIT Sandbox Funding Board, and is a leader of the Boston All Raise chapter. Lyman has a background as a founder, investor, and operator. She came to Underscore VC from Facebook, where she worked in product strategy focused on the international growth of core products including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. Prior to Facebook, Lyman held a variety of strategy, operational, and entrepreneurial roles. Through it all, she has gained a truly global perspective, having lived and worked in more than 75 countries. At Underscore VC, Lyman leads investments on Future of Work, AI/ML, Insuretech, Commerce, and more. With experience that spans the globe, she spends her time identifying investment opportunities and guiding startups that will define new digital categories, reshape industries, and change the world. On this episode of Boston Speaks Up, we chat with Lyman about her lessons from the past, her bets today and her predictions for the future.

Miranda Perez is a cross-topic multimedia journalist on a mission to highlight and elevate marginalized voices. Evolving beyond the newsroom, she recently joined the team at HBCU Founders Initiative, a nonprofit organization that is engaging rising HBCU students and alumni interested in pursuing entrepreneurship. For those unfamiliar with the term HBCU, it refers to any historically black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans. Perez is playing a critical role supporting entrepreneurs participating in HBCU Founder Initiative's Pre-Accelerator, an 8-week program for early-stage founders who are past the ideation stage and ready to validate a problem and build a minimum viable product. Beyond her role at HBCUFI, Perez still writes about business, tech, politics, social issues, fashion, and entertainment, among other topics. She also consults with businesses navigating societal and technological change. She grew up as an inner-city kid in Chicago. She describes school “as an escape for a lot of the hardships I faced growing up.” She pushed herself academically and became the first person in her family to graduate from college, earning a Mass Media Arts degree from Clark Atlanta University, a top 25 nationally ranked HBCU and Black Ivy League school. During college, Miranda served as the Editor-In-Chief of CAU's campus newspaper, The Panther, and as the President/Editor-In-Chief of CAU's online magazine, Her Campus. During that time, Miranda had her first national byline in The Nation as a sophomore in college. These accomplishments won the attention of editors across the country, and Perez earned and held editor/reporter roles at BostInno, Insider and BuiltIn upon graduation. She's also appeared on programs such as MSNBC discussing education equity for Hispanic Americans. In this episode, we speak with Perez about the challenges she's overcome in life, and her evolution from a cross-topic multimedia journalist into a dynamic branding and storytelling consultant.

Guest Scott Ernst is an entrepreneur who's been at the intersection of market research, commerce and technology for three decades. He was building startups on Newbury Street in Boston long before this recent wave of VCs and startups began moving into the Back Bay area. After stints at multiple startups in the 1990s, Ernst was a founding management team member of Compete in the 2000s and helped the company grow to a $100 million revenue business resulting in the 2008 acquisition by MIllward Brown Digital/WPP's Kantar. In June 2022, he made headlines for his appointment as CEO of Boston-based Drift, a marketing technology trailblazer best known for single-handedly introducing conversational marketing to the market. Ernst joined his friend, company co-founder and long-time CEO, David Cancel, who stepped into the role of Executive Chairman. Ernst most recently served as CEO of Tubular Labs, a social video analytics company headquartered in San Francisco. Prior to that, he was the CEO of Macromill, a Tokyo-based global marketing research business, which he took through an IPO with an enterprise value of over $1 billion. In this episode, Ernst discusses the future of Drift, OG Boston tech, his time in Japan, taking a company from early stage to IPO, how San Francisco and Boston compare, the future of marketing and much more.

Guest Kristen Craft is a proven entrepreneur with more than 15 years of experience in enterprise software and digital marketing. In her role as Director of Early-Stage Startups at Silicon Valley Bank, she's become well known around the Boston startup community for her passionate support of founders. Craft has helped build several prominent brands in Boston and is committed to supporting companies with excellent cultures and strong values. Her past experience includes leadership roles at Animalz, Tettra, Ovia Health Wistia, and Transparent Language, as well as launching her own start-up, Brown Box Storage. A life-long learner, Craft earned her BA from Brown University, and earned a Masters of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Upon graduation, Craft decided she wasn't ready to leave the classroom just yet, so she went on to MIT's Sloan School of Management to earn her MBA. In this episode, Craft discusses the various challenges entrepreneurs face when first building their startups (and how you can avoid them) and the importance of following the proper steps when starting a business. We also explore her Harvard, MA roots, her early jobs as a teenager and our mutual passion for reading with our children.

*Bonus Episode* Boston Speaks Up host Zach Servideo joins Deirdre Sartorelli on The Repivot Project podcast, which explores the art and science of change. Zach discusses: how Value Creation Labs is navigating the current economic downturn; how to select the right people to collaborate with; the value in consulting with different customer archetypes; his company's unique approach to brand development; and his silver linings playbook coming off his achilles tendon tear/surgery this year.

Yvonne Castaneda is a licensed mental health professional and part-time faculty member at Boston College School of Social Work where she teaches courses such as Basic Skills in Clinical Social Work and Social Welfare Systems. Born in Los Angeles, Castaneda spent much of her childhood in Miami. Her parents were immigrants to the United States – her father from Cuba and her mother from Mexico. Her parents never had formal schooling, but they emphasized the importance of education and work ethic. Castaneda has never shied away from the challenge of a new job. Throughout her life, she has worked as a waitress, bartender, schoolteacher, operations manager, personal trainer, fitness center manager, linguist and translator for the Department of Justice and DHS (DEA, USCIS and FBI), social worker, yoga teacher, and life coach. In 2005, Castaneda began her career in fitness with Equinox Fitness in Miami Beach and within a few years, Castaneda was promoted to Personal Training Manager. In 2010, she took a leadership role with The Sports Club/LA, which ultimately brought her to New England to be the General Manager of the SCLA in Boston, one of the more high-end gyms in the city. She has also worked as a General Manager for Healthworks Fitness. Castaneda dealt with mental challenges throughout her young adult life, and thought often about how to embrace her vulnerabilities to help others. She describes her challenges as “severe mental health issues, addiction and an eating disorder for roughly twenty years,” all of which ultimately became the driving force that brought her to the field of mental health. In addition to her role at Boston College, Castaneda is a licensed clinician (LICSW), and the author of the book, Pork Belly Tacos with a Side of Anxiety, which chronicles the struggles she had throughout her life. She wrote this book for young adults, specifically children of immigrants who struggle with the identity conflict found at the intersection of cultural norms and white American societal expectations. In this episode, Castaneda dives headfirst into her story, inspiration for writing her book, the many lessons she's learned across her wide range of experiences throughout her life, and so much more. Her willingness to open up and embrace vulnerability was jaw-dropping and we are so honored to have her on the show.

Sara Mraish-Demeter is an artist, educator, mother of three, and founder/CEO of Art Resource Collaborative for Kids (ARCK), a nonprofit delivering creative programs with social justice themes in Boston Public Schools since 2012. Born in Jordan to Palestinian refugee parents, she came to the United States at age 15 and Boston was where she first experienced real support and opportunity. In Boston, Mraish-Demeter quickly learned that none of her schooling transferred from Jordan, so she had to go back to school and get her GED. It was through this incredibly low point in her life that put her in an environment to realize that the lack of arts in school prohibited kids from expressing herself. What first seemed like a nightmare, led to her calling. She has now made it her life's mission to promote cross-cultural inclusion and understanding among Boston's children. She is passionate about using art as a vehicle to reimagine education and unlock each child's full potential. With ARCK, she has forged many partnerships with schools, businesses, institutions, and artists to bring youth voices to the wider community through projects such as “I Am, We Are,” a collaborative public art mural, and “Walls that Speak,” a showcase of immigrant students' stories. Internationally, during the summers of 2013-14, she led art workshops for Syrian refugee children in Jordan. Mraish-Demeter was named a 2016 EXTRAOrdinary Woman of Boston by Mayor Walsh's Office of Women's Advancement and selected for the Power Launch inaugural Social Change Fellows cohort. She is an active member of the Beacon Hill Circle for Charity, which supports Boston children and women, and a former board member at the Center for Arabic Culture. She holds a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in French and completed the Nonprofit Management and Leadership program at Boston University. In this episode, Mraish-Demeter dives into her story, inspiration for founding ARCK, the many lessons she's learned across her wide range of experiences throughout her life, and so much more.

Guest Frank Sinton is an entrepreneur, investor and innovator from Concord, Massachusetts. A Tufts University graduate, Sinton is a life-long learner and engineer by trade with several patents under his belt. He has a growing interest in adapting his deep technology background and CEO experience to actively nurture the next generation of companies working to solve important challenges facing the world today. Sinton made a name for himself in the entertainment industry helping legacy businesses through digital transformation. He spent the early 2000s in Los Angeles leading innovation and technology at Sony Pictures as the studio's strategy shifted to digital. In 2007, Sinton founded Beachfront Media, a premium video ad tech company that he built into the leading convergent TV advertising platform delivering more than 1 billion video ad impressions per month. In late 2017, he sold a majority stake to Penny Pritzker's PSP Capital and he now sits in a board of directors role. For the past several years, Sinton has been investing in startups through several angel groups including TBD Angels in Boston. He also serves as a Board Member to several companies. Additionally, he sits on the board of AdLedger, a nonprofit consortium working to build rules and standards for the application of blockchain and cryptography to media and advertising. Among his many roles, Sinton also currently serves in an advisor role as Head of Innovation at Value Creation Labs where he's helping scale next generation technology companies. Sinton's interests include Web3 (NFT and Crypto), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Climate Tech, just to name a few. We get into all of that on the podcast.

Guest Zach Servideo is an entrepreneur and the founder of Value Creation Labs® (VCL), a brand studio-growth accelerator. The 15-year consulting veteran has spent time in Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Known for his boundless energy and storytelling prowess, Servideo is a sought out chief brand officer of sorts for companies looking to elevate their public presence and stoke growth. In 2021, he created VCL as a means to one day realize his vision to own and operate a venture studio. He's currently building toward that goal helping provide flexible consulting services to a range of companies. He also has an investor network betting on those same companies. Servideo nurtures a dynamic VCL talent consortium ranging from artists and writers to patent attorneys and bankers. He's currently working with a group of Boston-based tech journalists on a series of custom analyst reports for Silicon Valley Bank, New England Venture Capital Association, Glasswing Ventures and Accomplice. With Servideo serving as publisher, the reports shed light on innovations from Boston that are hiding in plain sight and yet driving global economic growth. VCL recently released its latest report on cybersecurity. Of course, he's also the founder and host of Boston Speaks Up (BSU), an innovation podcast visiting with inspiring people from all walks of life that is sponsored by Silicon Valley Bank. Founded in 2018, BSU helped catapult Servideo back into the Boston innovation community he spent much of the 2000s and early 2010s in, before a five year stint in Los Angeles. He began his career at Schwartz Communications in the mid 2000s before transitioning to a role at fama PR in 2009 which found him embedded in the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) community at One Broadway, Kendall Square. It was at fama/CIC where Servideo began honing the craft of developing brands and taking startups to market – Opower (acquired by Oracle in 2016), Suniva, TweetMyJobs, CloudLock, to name a few. By 2012, he took the entrepreneurial plunge, created his first LLC and developed a business plan to bring his abilities to Los Angeles at a time when ‘Silicon Beach' was just taking off. He spent 5 years between LA and San Francisco bringing companies to market and helping them reach successful exits – Klutch to eBay (2015), Epoxy to Vemba (2016), Watchwith to Comcast (2017), Beachfront Media to PSP Capital (2017), Whosay to Viacom (2018), Downstream to Jungle Scout/Summit Partners (2021) along with several more. For those listeners less familiar with Servideo's work behind the scenes, he's an active business development specialist working on an array of initiatives to support first time founders. For example, he serves as entrepreneur-in-residence at Endicott College's Angle Center for Entrepreneurship where he's a major catalyst behind the school's startup incubator and annual Spark Tank startup competition. He somehow manages to play soccer a couple times a week, coach his daughter's youth soccer team and train/compete in triathlons (with one 70.3 Ironman under his belt).

Guest Bridget Hunter-Jones is the co-founder and CEO of Impact Biosystems, a venture-backed startup in the Boston area developing adaptive hardware and software solutions in the health and fitness space. Hunter-Jones leads a small, passionate, cross-functional team that wants to create a new personalized recovery market to support the at-home fitness phenomenon that accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Impact Biosystems' goal is to make athletes of all varieties prevent injuries, perform at their peak, and uniquely live and feel better. The company's soon-to-launch Pact, which aims to compete with the likes of Theragun and other at-home massage products, promises to be the world's first full-feedback interactive percussive massager that provides a personalized recovery solution with muscle scanning technology. The Pact measures people's muscle tightness and provides personalized recovery guidance, creating an experience that adapts to them. An engineer at heart, Hunter-Jones got her first patent at age 16, and went on to MIT to get a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Her career began at SONOS, where she started in product development and then moved into project management. It wasn't until starting Impact Biosystems for Hunter-Jones to finally get the chance to combine her skills in engineering, product vision, and management with her passions for running, yoga, and overall health and wellness. Family is at the root of what drives Hunter-Jones. She gave birth to her son nine days before closing the company's latest round of funding (they've closed $6.5 million to date). On the podcast, we discuss Hunter-Jones' devotion to her family and her business, as well as her relationship with her father Ian Hunter, a PhD and the Hatsopoulos Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT. He also serves as Chief Inventor of Impact Biosystems. Hunter-Jones describes her father's lab at the barn of her childhood home as “Tony Stark's lab” where she and her father would work on inventions together throughout her childhood. The barn now serves as the headquarters for Impact Biosystems.

Allison Byers is the founder and CEO of Scroobious, which is increasing diversity in the startup ecosystem by affordably helping founders create compelling pitch material and a platform to help investors easily find those founders. Her earlier career includes over a decade of startup and tech operator roles. Prior to founding Scroobious, Byers launched and co-ran a medical device company spun out of MIT where she raised nearly $10 million and experienced first-hand the challenges that come with fundraising as a female founder. Byers is also an angel investor, frequent startup mentor and advisor, speaker, and works with dozens of diversity-focused accelerators, non-profit organizations, and university programs. She received her MBA from Boston University, is a mom of two young children, and is a vocal proponent of parent entrepreneurs.

Guest Dan Rossignol is an entrepreneur, investor and lifelong learner with a proven track record as a technology generalist who can drive revenue across business verticals. He currently serves as the Chief Growth Officer at Stonehenge Technology Labs, doing business as STOPWATCH, a Bentonville, Arkansas-based unified commerce software startup that provides real-time supply chain management for global CPG brands. Rossignol is also a scout investor for Bonfire Ventures, a seed stage venture capital firm that leads Seed rounds for business software solutions company founders. Prior to his current roles at STOPWATCH and Bonfire Ventures, Rossignol was in multiple leadership positions from co-founding Ad On Feet, an experiential guerilla marketing company, to serving as the Head of Partnerships at UserTesting ($USER), where he built and ran the company's first channel sales and strategic partnership playbook across all of their strategic consulting and digital agency partnership networks. Having led business development, product marketing, and operation teams across the globe, Rossignol has a unique humanity-first approach to operating and investing. From startups to scale ups, he leverages several years of operating experiences to help underestimated teams build a better future for tomorrow, today.

Guest Gina Deschamps currently serves as the Director of the Angle Center for Entrepreneurship at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts. She's in a fascinating position with a role focused on embedding entrepreneurship into the DNA of a college campus. Previously, Deschamps enjoyed a successful career as a senior sales and marketing leader while always remaining closely aligned with higher education. In 2020, she was the recipient of the Salem State University Alumni Association's Elizabeth Williams Wade award for her years of dedicated service to her alma mater. She has also served in leadership roles with organizations such as Montserrat College of Art Board of Trustees, AIGA Boston, Girls, Inc. of Lynn, and the Printing and Publishing Council of New England. A life-long learner, Deschamps is currently working to complete a Professional Development program in Entrepreneurial Studies at Stanford University.

Guest Raghav “Rags” Gupta is an entrepreneur, operator, investor and author of the bestselling One to Ten: Finding Your Way from Startup to Scaleup. He currently serves as President of Butlr, a wireless motion sensing platform that generates privacy-compliant, anonymous data for physical space management. Corporate real estate, senior living and wellness facilities, and retail spaces use Butlr to detect occupancy, headcount and activity, and generate accurate, real-time and historical spatial insights. Gupta is also a venture partner at Hyperplane.vc, and board member at Dvinci, in addition to being an active angel investor with TBD Angels. Prior to Butlr, Gupta worked with dozens of VC-backed companies which achieved multiple exits. He was part of the founding management team at Brightcove, helping it grow to IPO; Chief Commercial Officer at Videoplaza, acquired by Telstra; GM EMEA at Ooyala; and COO at Humatics, the breakthrough microlocation startup. Readers with seed or pre-seed startups are encouraged to reach out to Gupta at rags@hyperplane.vc.

Guest Rick Grinnell is the Founder and Managing Partner of Glasswing Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in pre-seed and seed-stage companies in AI and frontier software technologies. Grinnell is one of the most reputed cybersecurity investors in venture capital land. For the last 21 years, he's been investing in the various evolutions of security, storage, and SaaS-based startups out of his home base in the Boston area. He's become such a local staple in the Boston innovation ecosystem that if you're in venture capital and ever make your way to Boston, it's an absolute must that you meet him--not simply out of business reasons but out of the plain fact that he's one of the most interesting, multifaceted characters you could ever meet in venture capital. Grinnell is someone who defies categorization. If you get to know him a little more, you'll learn that he's a phenom on the pipe organ and skilled at enough instruments to form a one-man band if he really wanted. Check out his LinkedIn page, and you'll see not just the standard listing of past roles and accomplishments, but a bio populated with his current music playlist: Twenty One Pilots, Alan Walker, Michael Franti, Sharon Jones, and the Dap-Kings. In fact, it was his passion for music--specifically a fascination with the creation of digital sounds through electronics--that prompted him to study electrical engineering and computer science at MIT. While Grinnell is a venture capitalist by title and reputation nowadays, he very much remains the same essential spirit as before: a lover of great music, a self-described tech “nerd” and a gravitational center for those around him.

Guest Russell Follansbee leads Silicon Valley Bank's (SVB) enterprise software team in New England, which counts roughly 60 percent of VC-backed startups in the Greater Boston region as clients. He and his team help enterprise software companies, typically post-series A funding, to more efficiently achieve scale. While his experience ranges across industries, Follansbee specializes in the cybersecurity industry, a technology cluster in Boston that is driving global innovation. Since joining SVB in 2009, Follansbee has worked with high-growth innovators at all life stages, from pre-seed startups to billion dollar juggernauts. This experience has afforded him deep insights into patterns of success and failure, making him a valuable resource to founders and C-level executives. Follansbee lives in Boston with his wife and two kids. In his free time, he serves on the Rising Leaders board of BUILD Greater Boston, an organization that calls on the tenets of entrepreneurship to help youth in underserved communities succeed in high school, college and beyond.

Michael Caron is the founder and CEO of Get Burly, which organizes and creates custom fitness programs and team building retreats. WIth more than 40 seasons of coaching under his belt, Caron fosters a team of elite level coaches that push individuals and groups to overcome adversity. Caron is an elite coach in every sense of the concept. He is a Spartan SGX certified coach. He earned the Navy Seal Inspired Sealfit Basic Training Certification. He is also a certified Unbeatable Mind Coach and through performance coaching services is able to collaborate with individuals from all walks of life in the process of overcoming obstacles in pursuit of their goals and missions. Caron has also traveled extensively. He traveled the world through the Semester at Sea Program, following that up by participating in Teach For America in Houston, Texas. While strongly identifying with the struggles and hardships he witnessed, he decided to continue his passion for learning and education by attaining a Masters Degree in Education. Combining his experiences, education and certifications, Michael has developed a transformative and integrated approach to developing strength in mind, body, and spirit with Get Burly, which has worked with an impressive list of organizations, including SealFit, Ben Greenfield Fitness Systems, Yancy Camp, Spartan DekaFit, the Army National Guard, Spartan Race, SWAT Academy leadership and many more.

Guest Jordan Staab is the CEO of SmarterTravel, an industry leader in online travel with a travel media portfolio including Airfarewatchdog, BookingBuddy, Family Vacation Critic, Oyster, SmarterTravel, and WhatToPack. As the story goes with most entrepreneurial ventures, Staab's journey in building SmarterTravel endured various pivots, twists and turns to get to where it is today. The company is flourishing but Staab will be the first to tell you that this was not always the case. With Staab at the helm, SmarterTravel empowers 7 million unique travelers each month through engaging content, innovative technology, and strategic partnerships to help them find the right trip at the right price. The company's success was rewarded in September 2021 with a $9.5 million series B funding round co-led by Link Ventures and Second Alpha. Staab was previously the VP of Revenue at Cognius, and later became CRO when it spun out of Link Ventures' incubator CogoLabs. When Jordan saw that Cognius was able to predict patterns in travel consumer behavior, Staab co-founded Hopjump. That company started out in 2018 as a digital marketing agency that focused on partnering with brands to develop user acquisition campaigns. Staab and his team went on to launch their first product in January 2020 and saw 60,000 members join in the first few months. Staab was on a joyride that seemingly had no end, then the COVID-19 global pandemic took the world by storm and brought so much momentum, potential, and belief to an immediate halt. Staab, along with the entire population, had one option, and one option only, PIVOT. Hopjump paused their travel product and focused on content. Staab then learned through industry contacts that TripAdvisor was looking to sell a number of their travel properties, many of which he was familiar with. He saw this as an immense opportunity for Hopjump, and purchased all of the properties, one of which was SmarterTravel. Since that name closely aligned with Hopjump's purpose and goals, the company adopted that name and in September of 2021, announced funding and Staab's bump to CEO. A global pandemic was nowhere to be found in Staab's playbook, but rest assured staying agile and nimble to whatever life throws at him, surely was. Find out how Staab not only stayed afloat, but flourished in one of the most challenging times the industry has ever seen in this week's episode.

Guest Cam Brown is the founder and CEO of KingFish, a Boston-based marketing agency set to celebrate its 20-year anniversary in November 2021. Brown has developed a hybrid agency model which combines a full-time staff of strategists, account executives and designers with a database of hundreds of subject matter experts (SMEs) to create custom content solutions for its clients. Perhaps most impressively, Brown personally oversees the relationships with the majority of KingFish SMEs. He brings over 30 years of marketing, digital, video, virtual & live events and advertising experience with industry leaders such as Ziff Davis Media, Arnold Advertising (Havas) and The Robb Report. While at Ziff Davis, Brown founded and headed their launch custom media business unit at the company. Brown also serves as a volunteer with the Cummings Foundation Sustaining Grant division, working to understand the issues local communities are facing, identifying the most promising and effective nonprofits to fund, and strengthening relationships with beneficiaries. He is also on the Advisory Board of Give Us Your Poor, an organization that brings together the latest research, multimedia, celebrities, citizens, homeless people, and partner organizations to help end homelessness. And recently, Brown was elected onto the Topsfield Select Board for a three year term. Brown is also a sought out strategic advisor to the investment and venture capital community, advising emerging companies on their business models and communications strategies.

Guest Guy Hudson is a marketing programs manager in the Boston office of ZoomInfo (NASDAQ: ZI), a global go-to-market enterprise SaaS leader. Hudson caught our attention on LinkedIn where he's posted several inspiring messages, including an official ZoomInfo corporate video he recorded for Juneteenth. Unsurprisingly, ZoomInfo CEO Henry Schuck recently came in at number eight on Business Insider's list of the best CEOs of large companies ranked by BIPOC employees. Hudson's story is fascinating, and his journey is a worldly one. He was born in Liberia, and at the age of 7, he moved to Methuen, MA where he spent the remainder of his childhood. At Methuen High School, Hudson was a soccer player and star track athlete, eventually earning a track scholarship to attend the University of Memphis where he graduated with a degree in Sports Management. He has matured into an example of a modern marketer that is both a wide-ranging generalist and savvy specialist. Thanks to the digital marketing skills he acquired early in his career at Boston-based Acquia, Hudson secured a job with the Phoenix Suns. It was with the Suns that Hudson honed his craft, helping bring the NBA franchise into the digital marketing age. Hudson oversaw the Suns' embrace of a CRM and then led the team's deployment of email marketing and database management programs. His story only gets more interesting the more you hear. The Servideo brothers had the honor of jointly interviewing Hudson, and in the process, we learned so much more about our friend from Methuen. On the podcast, you'll hear him share a story about living in Liberia amidst a civil war, and being scared for his life with soldiers outside his home. You'll hear his honest thoughts on people needing to “walk the walk” instead of just “talking the talk” when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion. You're in for a real treat.

Guest Aisha Chottani is a former McKinsey consultant turned thriving entrepreneur. After a stint at Harvard Business School, and amidst a pandemic, Chottani founded her company Moment, a natural botanical and adaptogen beverage that aims to bottle the feeling of meditation in a can. Chottani is a heart-driven leader on a mission to help people more easily achieve mindfulness. At no additional cost to consumers, Moment provides content and interactive programming to help people meditate more, gain mindfulness, and ultimately, improve their overall wellness. Moment also donates one percent of revenue to help at-risk youth. We had an opportunity to speak with Chottani as she was preparing to celebrate Moment's one year anniversary.

Guest Mike Salguero is the founder and CEO of ButcherBox, a Boston-based meat brand that delivers high quality, humanely raised meat to consumers across the country. He founded ButcherBox in 2015 as a hobby, but quickly solved the need to increase access to high-quality, humanely raised protein. Prior to ButcherBox, Salguero founded CustomMade, a marketplace for consumers to commission custom made items such as furniture and jewelry. His serial entrepreneurship gives him an interesting perspective to share on the different financing options for startups. For example, CustomMade was VC-backed whereas ButcherBox was bootstrapped and still has taken no outside capital. ButcherBox also became B Corp certified in 2020, and Salguero is focused on making his company a force for good. On the podcast, we chat about how he's built a supply chain that considers the animal, the farmer, and the planet in all decisions – a unique approach for the meat industry.

Guest Jennifer Neundorfer is cofounder and managing partner at January Ventures, an investment firm that is trying to address the unique challenges and biases faced by entrepreneurs often under-represented in business, including women and people of color. Neundorfer believes the next generation of startup investment returns will be driven by a much broader and more diverse set of founders, and she co-founded January Ventures to be the fund of choice for these traditionally underrepresented founders at the earliest stage. An operator turned investor, Neundorfer has been investing in early-stage startups for the last decade. And as a Latina GP, she is also committed to making the venture career path accessible to a more diverse group of potential GPs. Previously, Neundorfer was a Partner and Cofounder of Flashstarts, a startup accelerator and micro-VC fund focused on software startups in the Midwest. As an operator, she launched and scaled media and advertising businesses at 21st Century Fox and YouTube. She brings commercialization and business development expertise to her portfolio as she focuses on go to market strategy and tactics. She earned an MBA from Stanford and a BA from Harvard.

Guest Ryan Durkin is a serial entrepreneur, operator and product guy who’s interwoven himself into the fabric of Boston’s elite tech talent. Following his latest successful stint serving as head of product at Drizly (sold to Uber for 1.1B), Durkin is now busy building a sports agency for tech professionals in Boston -- The Operators. Durkin’s goal is to represent the top percent of tech talent, and offer them everything that agents provide to professional athletes -- from opening doors and closing deals to creative contracts and fan ownership. Durkin negotiates on their behalf much like a sports agent would, and helps The Operators and founders build strong companies. Durkin is no stranger to startups. He previously founded Wayfund, HeadstoneHub, and OneGoodMeal. Additionally, he was the cofounder of Dailybreak (acquired by Connelly Partners) and was a product manager at Wayfair (pre- and through IPO). We got a chance to catch up with Durkin before he hit the road on his motorcycle for a six-month journey around the country. Enjoy.

Guest Dominique Aubry is the founder of Aubry, an influencer-driven shopping app that uses computer vision, augmented reality and AI to help women build personalized wardrobes. This isn’t Aubry’s first foray into retail innovation. She previously founded All Yoga Pants to give curvy women better clothing options. With more than 15 years of experience working within the government, non-profit, for-profit, and startup community, Aubry has enjoyed a fascinating journey from Philadelphia to Boston. She began her career working for the Mayor's Office of Philadelphia and Teach for America. Aubry went on to become a Lean trainer for the Techstars company Lean Startup Machine where she trained more than 3,000 entrepreneurs, companies, non-profits, and government agencies on lean methodology. This led her to becoming the Managing Director of Impact Hub Philadelphia, an innovation campus focused on supporting entrepreneurs creating social change. When Aubry isn't working on her business, she mentors tech companies from Techstars, Harvard ilab, StartED, MassChallenge and others.

Guest TJ Douglas is the founder and CEO of The Urban Grape, a wine store in Boston’s South End neighborhood known for its proprietary Progressive Scale - a system of sorting wine by its body, instead of by varietal or region. Douglas has led The Urban Grape to becoming one of the most successful independently-owned wine stores in the country as a result. Douglas’ list of accomplishments is nothing short of astonishing. The Urban Grape has won multiple accolades as Boston’s Best Wine store from both Boston Magazine and The Improper Bostonian, as well as a Small Business of the Year Award from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce in 2020. In 2018, Vinepair named The Urban Grape the top retail store in the North East, and Beverage Dynamics named the store a Top 100 Wine Retail Store in America in both 2019 and 2020. The store has also been nationally profiled in Food & Wine magazine, The New York Times, NPR, and Wine Enthusiast. He’s also a seven-time returning Sommelier for the Nantucket Wine Festival. Douglas also spends time teaching classes on drinking progressively at local places such as the Boston Center for Adult Education, Boston University, the Boston Wine Expo and for companies like Converse, Google, and Wellington. He’s also the co-author of The Urban Grape’s best selling wine education book Drink Progressively, and the resident wine expert on the New England lifestyle show, “Home, Life, and Design.” He co-founded and runs The Urban Grape with his wife Hadley Douglas. Together, they are also the co-founders of The Urban Grape Wine Studies Award for Students of Color, in partnership with Boston University. They are dedicated to increasing diversity in the wine industry through this program and provide mentorship to other people of color in the hospitality industry. The Douglas’ live in Boston with their two sons.

Enjoy this bonus episode of Boston Speaks Up host Zach Servideo appearing on the Fuel Your Fire podcast from Endicott College's Angle Center for Entrepreneurship where Zach is a visiting Entrepreneur-in-Residence. In this episode, Zach speaks on the future of tech and innovation, tells his story of packing up and moving out west to LA and "Silicon Beach", and shares the heartwarming legacy he wants to leave behind for his daughter.

Guest Cara Shortsleeve is the CEO at The Leadership Consortium (TLC), a leadership development platform designed to accelerate high potential and diverse leaders. Shortsleeve joined TLC in 2018 to launch and scale the business which has since forged relationships with Google, IBM, HubSpot, P&G, WPP and dozens more. Under Shortleeve’s leadership, TLC has enabled more than 2,000 executives to lead stronger teams and bring broader strategic mindsets to their business. Prior to joining TLC, Shortsleeve spent more than a decade in various leadership roles at Google and YouTube. Most recently, she served as a Global Director for GTM and commercialization at YouTube, focusing on product and commercial strategy. She was initially hired in 2007 to help launch and scale Google’s east coast, mid-market sales presence, after which she led the North American mid market sales teams for both Financial Services and Healthcare. Before Google, Shortsleeve managed the US running apparel business at New Balance, served as a Sales Director for Hind/Saucony, and spent three years with Morgan Stanley's Investment Banking Division.

Guest David Chang is an entrepreneur and angel investor who has held product, marketing and operating roles at six startups and invested in 60 companies. He was most recently the CEO at student loan startup Gradifi, which was acquired by E*TRADE in December 2019. Previously, he was Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Harvard Business School and Director of the Babson Summer Venture Program. Chang has a successful track record in hands-on roles at both direct-to-consumer and enterprise companies, six of which were acquired or IPO’d. He previously led the PayPal Boston office and co-founded the Start Tank innovation space and the Where Angel Fund. Before WHERE’s acquisition by PayPal in April 2011, he held the role of VP of Product. Earlier in his career, on the consumer side, Chang was Director of New Products at TripAdvisor. Additionally, he was VP of Marketing and Co-founder of SnapMyLife. On the enterprise side, he was Director of Product Marketing at m-Qube, a pioneer in the mobile content space. He also served as Senior Product Manager at edocs and was a VP of Technology at Goldman Sachs. As a leader in the entrepreneurship community, Chang holds several advisor/board memberships. He is on the board at MITX, an advisor at Harvard Ventures, Nanigans, CO Everywhere, OpenFrame, and Linkwell Health. He has made 60 angel investments in startups such as Crashlytics, clypd, Amino, Logz, Cuseum, CarePort Health, Dashfire, Mogul, Uncharted Play, as well as through the Where Angel Fund and TBD Angels. We’re grateful to share our interview with Chang as he’s one of the most sought out speakers on the topics of startups, fundraising, and the Boston tech ecosystem, and he actively mentors countless students and founders.

Guest Carly Chase is an Entrepreneur in Residence at the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship. Her work is wide in scope and includes serving as the Founding Managing Director of the MIT NYC Startup Studio (part of the MIT delta v accelerator), running the StartMIT entrepreneurship bootcamp, overseeing the Trust Center’s Membership Program for Organizations and New Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Symposium, coaching students, in addition to serving as a Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. Chase has enjoyed an exciting and wide-ranging entrepreneurial journey. After beginning her career at Goldman Sachs, she joined the New York City Economic Development Corporation under Mayor Michael Bloomberg where she launched and ran a number of programmatic initiatives aimed at making NYC a friendlier city for entrepreneurs to start and grow their companies. At the end of the Bloomberg administration, Chase left to launch and run Boulder based startup PivotDesk’s NYC office until the company was acquired at the end of 2016. Since then, she has worked within a number of startups in various product development, marketing, and business development capacities. Additionally, Chase is the co-founder of Crabwalk, an education and coaching company that builds career agility and is based on one simple principle: you don’t have to walk in a straight line to move forward in your career. We’re delighted to spend time exploring the non-linear path Chase has enjoyed in her career.