Build Tech Stack Equity

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 Capital, 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 Capital, 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 Capital 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 Capital 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 co-founder and managing general 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 has an extensive background in technology, private equity, media and entertainment. His unique eye for global and cultural trends, along with shifts in consumer behavior, has helped him uplift and accelerate entrepreneurs and companies that are on the verge of their breakthrough moment. Some of his current and previous portfolio companies include Blavity, Faze Clan, FINESSE, Gimlet Media, LIT Videobooks, Mansa, MongoDB, Pipe, PureStream, Ryff, Solo Funds, Spill, Thrive Market, Wonderschool and others. Thanks to his background as a professional athlete, Marlon utilizes sports leadership philosophy when working closely with CEOs to build the ventures of tomorrow. His diverse network of media and entertainment industry leaders, tech entrepreneurs, Fortune 500 executives and sports professionals helps him develop strategic partnerships and promote brand expansions for his portfolio companies.Marlon serves on the board of directors for the Kauffman Fellows program, where he has been instrumental in growing the representation of underrepresented minorities. He also serves on the advisory board for Los Angeles Mayor's office's PledgeLA. Marlon has been honored on the LA500 in 2022, 2023 and 2024, and ranked among top early stage investors on Business Insider's Seed 100 for three consecutive years. He was also named Pitchbook's 25 Black Founders and VCs to Watch for the last six years. Marlon has been featured in Axios, CNBC, Cheddar, The Information, Crunchbase News, Fortune, Yahoo! Finance and more. Prior to MaC Venture Capital, Marlon was co-founder of Cross Culture Ventures. He eventually enacted the merger with Adrian Fenty's M Ventures that resulted in MaC Venture Capital as it stands today. Prior to Cross Culture Ventures, he served as an Investment Director at Intel Capital and earned hands-on experience as an operator himself. Marlon earned his Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems from Northeastern University and an MBA from the SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University, where he was also adjunct faculty in entrepreneurship and venture capital.   Time Stamps:   02:57 Marlon's journey from early operator to VC founder 08:55 Venture capital as a path to diversity and strategic engagement 12:14 MaC ventures Capital 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 Capital 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 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 Verve, 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 Ilorin.    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