If Not Now Wen

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest Andrea Nicholas, a seasoned corporate leader with over 25 years of experience known for launching award-winning SaaS products and guiding Fortune 1000 companies' growth strategies. Her unique approach, "culture salt hunt," combines coaching and consulting to help high achievers think bigger and lead differently. Andrea shares about her upbringing in a small Midwestern farming community and her involvement in 4-H, where she learned life skills and leadership from a mentor. Her mentor's ethos, "It may as well be me," left a lasting impression, shaping Andrea's proactive approach to seizing opportunities and making a difference. Andrea's career journey includes leaving her small town for Texas at 20, focusing on education, and then rising through corporate America's ranks. She transitioned from a leadership role in a publicly traded company to founding a management consulting firm in 2005 and later pivoted to a product company, demonstrating resilience and adaptability in the face of challenges like the 2008 financial crisis. Andrea's transition from business ownership to coaching and consulting was driven by her passion for supporting executives in expanding their influence and impact. She blends her consulting background with traditional coaching, focusing on helping executives clarify their goals, align with their values, and navigate leadership challenges effectively. In this episode we talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest Amos Schwartzfarb, a seasoned entrepreneur and former managing director of TechStars in Austin, Texas. He is known for his ventures in companies like hotjobs.com and MySpoonful, and he has expertise in product-market fit and early sales. Amos has supported over 100 early-stage companies in securing investment during his tenure at TechStars. The challenges of unwinding from a demanding job like TechStars, which operated at 100% capacity constantly, are highlighted. He shares insights into the difficulty of finding space for contemplation amid the hectic schedule and responsibilities to the portfolio companies. In this episode, we discuss the importance of setting boundaries and prioritizing meaningful engagements, and we know that you'll find many of these takeaways beneficial in your own endeavors. In this episode we talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest, Michael Dalley, the Chief Revenue Officer at Aerial Vantage. Despite a challenging upbringing, including the loss of his mother at a young age, Dalley pursued a path of self-improvement and growth. He joined the United States Air Force to expand his horizons and later pursued higher education while working in various jobs, including selling software. Throughout his career, Dalley learned important lessons about authenticity, leadership, and resilience. He emphasizes the importance of failing fast, forgiving oneself quickly, and maintaining authenticity in all interactions. Dalley's leadership style revolves around genuinely caring for his team and creating an environment where they can thrive. He believes in the power of intimate relationships with both customers and team members, fostering genuine connections and lasting value. In this episode we talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with guest Lourdes Graciela Zuniga, who shares her remarkable journey from Lima, Peru, to the United States with a big dream of making a difference despite facing numerous challenges. Born and raised in Lima, Peru, Lourdes moved to the United States over two decades ago with a journalist visa and a burning desire to explore opportunities beyond her homeland's limitations. She is the founder and executive director of Financial Health Pathways, and on the podcast episode today, Lourdes shares her struggles, her triumphs, and the impact she's making locally in Austin as well as globally. She candidly recounts her initial struggles, from menial jobs in the hospitality industry to the humbling realization of being a 'nobody' in a foreign land, determined to make it despite the odds. Lourdes discovered her passion for philanthropy and social impact, transitioning from the hospitality sector to championing financial education and reforming the criminal justice system to empower marginalized communities. In this episode we talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest Steve Schaffer, a seasoned entrepreneur and investor, as he shares his entrepreneurial journey, starting from his early days in the magic business to venturing into Silicon Valley's tech scene. With a focus on continuous improvement, Steve reflects on the lessons learned from his ventures like mysterynet.com and offers.com, emphasizing the importance of metrics-driven decision-making and strategic adaptation in the dynamic world of business. Through anecdotes and insights, Steve's passion for entrepreneurship shines, offering practical wisdom and inspiration for both aspiring and established entrepreneurs. Our conversation delves into the significance of understanding key metrics in business, such as contribution margin, and how we drive sustainable growth. Steve shares insights from his own experiences, including a pivotal moment where a marketing campaign failure led to a re-evaluation of metrics and experimentation processes within his company. Steve reminds us of the transformative power of perseverance, adaptability, and strategic thinking in navigating the ever-evolving landscape of entrepreneurship. With a renewed sense of empowerment, you'll be inspired to embark on your own entrepreneurial journey with confidence and purpose. In this episode we talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest Christian Drapeau. Christian is a stem cell scientist, author and creator of the first stem cell supplement. He holds a graduate degree in Neurophysiology and has been involved in medical research for 30+ years, the last 20 specifically dedicated to stem cell research.   The author of 5 books, including the best-selling "Cracking the Stem Cell Code,” Christian has published dozens of scientific papers on brain research and a biological process he coined called “Endogenous Stem Cell Mobilization”. Having lectured in 50+ countries on stem cell research, he is known by scientists, physicians and biohackers alike as an expert and pioneer of his field.   Christian is a scientific advisor to many companies and is currently the CEO and Founder of Kalyagen where he developed the most potent stem cell mobilizer, STEMREGEN.   In this episode we talk about:

In this episode of If Not Now Wen, we are so excited to welcome special guest, Grant Newlin. Grant is a founder and general partner of Newlin Ventures, investing at Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A across both North and South America.   Grant began his career as a process improvement / strategy Consultant for Ernst & Young where he aided the nation's largest financial institutions in the post-financial crisis, Dodd-Frank world. He then worked in M&A sell-side and buy-side transactions for Waller Helms Advisors in Chicago, leading middle-market deals often as the sole junior banker. During the merger of Kraft Foods and Heinz, Grant worked with 3G Capital as the Lead, Senior Finance Manager to spearhead the finance and operations post-merger integration; he reported directly to the CFO and President of the US. And before Newlin Ventures, Grant was Head of Dealflow at New Stack Ventures, leading inbound and outbound dealflow strategies, owning all phases of diligence, and supporting LP engagement.   Grant is also a staunch supporter of non-profit Surge for Water where he manages the US endowment. He was Chair of the Minnesota chapter and has served on both the Governing and Associate Boards. Grant also plays Advisor / Mentor to Techstars, Gener8tor, the University of Virgina iLab, and several other leading innovation hubs across the country.   In this episode we talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest Josh Chodniewicz. Not just an entrepreneur, but a leading expert in regulations in crowdfunding, entrepreneurship and investing in startups, Josh has consistently been at the forefront of industry evolution.   From humble beginnings selling chicken eggs in his neighborhood to navigating the complexities of the digital art world, every step has been marked by perseverance, vision, and an innate entrepreneurial drive.   Today Josh is the founder of Fundify, democratizing startup investing and empowering both accredited and non-accredited investors, allowing investments starting from just $1. Fundify embodies Josh's unwavering commitment to innovation and his ambition to empower every potential entrepreneur and investor.   In this episode we talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest Lucas Mitchell. Lucas is the founder and managing partner of Infinite Ranges, a company that drives digital adoption by connecting the global integrator and resellers with the outcomes and people needed to deliver solutions. They help clients activate, deploy, and optimize their software securely. Lucas has over 25 years in the tech sector with expertise ranging from cybersecurity, devops, app modernization, and human capacity scalability. He also serves as an advisory council member at VMware Tanzu, where his teams collaborate with senior executives from channel partner organizations to explore and validate Tanzu's vision and direction. Lucas is passionate about creating outcomes that matter and empowering teams to achieve their goals, vision, and direction. In this episode we talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest Rima Chakrabarti. Rima is a partner at KdT Ventures, the standard for early-stage frontier science investing, where she partners with scientific founders engineering the world at the molecular level. Rima studied biology and neuroscience at Brown University and earned her MD from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. While in medical school, she was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) research fellow in the lab of Dr. Helen Hobbs, where she created bio-tools for measuring lipid activity in the body. She attended the University of Pennsylvania for her clinical residency in neurology, after which she jumped to the Fannin Innovation Studio, a human-health focused venture creation firm in Houston, TX, where she directed the development of a portfolio of preclinical assets, three of which are now in clinical trials. Since joining KdT in 2020, Rima's investments to date span the fields of material science, cell immunotherapy, cancer metabolism, and surgical robotics. She currently sits on the boards of Dimension Inx, Cypris Materials, and Modulus Therapeutics. Rima is truly an inspiring example and model for technical founders who are on a path and looking for a way to change the world, and she is doing amazing things on this planet. I know you are going to love this episode as much as I do and get so many amazing takeaways. We talk about:

Our special guest in today's episode of If Not Now Wen is Ash Maurya. Ash is the author of two bestselling books “Running Lean” and “Scaling Lean” and is also the creator of the highly popular one-page business modeling tool “Lean Canvas”. Ash is praised for offering some of the best and most practical advice for entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs all over the world. Driven by the search for better and faster ways for building successful products, Ash has developed a continuous innovation framework that synthesizes concepts from Lean Startup, business model design, jobs-to-be-done, and design thinking. A leading business blogger, Ash's posts and advice have been featured in Inc. Magazine, Forbes, and Fortune. He regularly hosts sold out workshops around the world and serves as a mentor to several accelerators including TechStars, MaRS, Capital Factory, and guest lecturers at several universities including MIT, Harvard, and UT Austin. Ash serves on the advisory board of a number of startups and has consulted to new and established companies. Ash is passionate about giving back and sharing his knowledge to serve the entrepreneurial ecosystem and create more successful entrepreneurs. He is such an inspiration, and I know you are going to love this episode and get so many amazing takeaways. We talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest Valerie Ward. Valerie recently completed her MBA at UT Austin's McComb's School of Business, where she is concentrated in Strategy and Innovation with a special focus on Social Enterprise and Social Impact, and she'll be joining Strategy&'s Customer Transformation practice in early 2024. Valerie was the co-founder of Sweet Ritual vegan ice cream shop and non-profit Good Work Austin. She is a mentor at Capital Factory in Austin and is dedicated to increasing access to entrepreneurship. She has taught, directed, and performed improvised theatre for over 20 years, touring internationally with her troupe Parallelogramophonograph. An authentic people leader, Valerie is passionate about connecting with others and building a community. She is such an inspiration, and I know you are going to love this episode as much as I do.  We talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're so excited to talk with special guest Jake O'Shea. Jake is a professional match-maker and superconnector. He currently works as the Director of Portfolio Operations at Foundation Capital, building tools and systems to operationalize the firm's network and leading the 30yo firm's Platform and Portfolio Support functions. Prior to Foundation Capital, Jake was Director of Platform at Capital Factory, where he was responsible for managing and developing the firm's value-add initiatives for portfolio companies. Jake is a co-organizer of AITX, a local Austin AI community. He is also cofounder of Serend.ai, a GPT-powered network management tool, and creator of ShowerThoughts, allowing you to turn your unstructured brain dump into a short summary with highlights and action items that are delivered directly to your inbox. In this episode Jake gives an inside look into the venture capital business model and has an incredible way of demystifying the investment process in a way that is very clear and refreshing. He is an open book and gives clear steps and game-changing advice for founders. We talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest Ron Green. Ron is Chief Technology Officer at KUNGFU.AI's. A serial tech entrepreneur and expert in machine learning, he has built several successful companies in telecom, biotech, e-commerce, social media, and healthcare. Ron was most recently CEO and founder of Thrive Technologies (acquired by CLOUD), a mobile healthcare startup. Prior to Thrive, he ran software development at Ziften Technologies, Powered (acquired by Dachis Group), and Visible Genetics (acquired by Bayer). Ron is such a humble leader with an incredible journey to share. I know you're going to love this episode and get so many amazing takeaways. We talk about:

My special guest in today's episode of If Not Now Wen is Megan Gallagher. Megan is a 2x TEDx speaker, 4x Amazon best seller, TV Host and mental health advocate. While growing up Megan experienced chronic anxiety and panic attacks. She grew inspiration from reaching rock bottom at 16. She decided to ask for help, and that started her on the journey of understanding herself. She became motivated by her struggles and has been on a mission to change the public school system for the past 10 years. She is dedicated to ending the stigma and inspiring young adults by giving them the tools they need to live a high quality life. Megan currently speaks at Colleges and Fortune 500 companies about mental health, avoiding burnout and wellness in the workplace. She is an incredibly talented speaker, author, blogger, TV Host, freelance model and fitness lover. In this episode we talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest Lyn Graft. Lyn is the Chief Story Officer at Shār Snacks, founder of Storytelling for Entrepreneurs, and author of the best-selling book, Start With Story. He has filmed over 1,000 entrepreneurs including the founders of Starbucks, Whole Foods, TOMS, and LinkedIn. He co-created and produced CNBC's first primetime TV series ‘American Made' and has produced 1,200 videos for entities such as Entrepreneur Magazine, Microsoft, Dell, and Nestle. Lyn founded 8 companies and has raised $10.0M in venture funding and serves or has served on advisory boards for SXSW, Dell, and Empowering a Billion Women. Lyn has given over 50 keynote presentations on entrepreneurial and business storytelling at entities such as HP, Dell, EY, EO, SXSW, Wharton School of Business, and the University of Texas. He also is a mentor at the SKU Consumer Packaged Goods Accelerator, Founding Institute Startup Accelerator, and EBW Women Executive Accelerator. Lyn is passionate about sharing what he has learned and channeling his gifts and experience to help other entrepreneurs. Lyn has so much incredible wisdom to share, and I know you're going to love this episode and get so many amazing takeaways. We talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're so excited to talk with special guest Jennifer Sethre. Jennifer is currently founder and CEO of Intry and AntiBias Tech, a revolutionary HR tech startup. She is a builder of businesses to her core and is re market savvy, technically sharp and an astute leader with a history of building and exiting successful start-ups. She has also run two public companies in China and the US. Highly skilled in creating strategic partnership, Jennifer has collaborated with big names such as Apple, the Gates Foundation, Goodwill, Care Innovations, and Foxconn and has been featured on CNBC, NBC, Yahoo Finance, Austin Statesman, Austin's 50 Tech Companies to Watch, Silicon Valley Review, MN Monthly, Awarded 40 Under 40, Stevie Award, and is part of Forbes Women. Jennifer's mantra in life is “no fear”, and she is always moving forward with tenacity and courage with the growth mindset to figure things out and make things happen. She is a true warrior and has such an inspiring story to share. We talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest and dear friend Ruben Arias. Ruben is a founder and Chief Executive Officer at Beereaders. He is a seasoned edtech entrepreneur with over 12 years of experience. Hailing from Santiago, Chile, he overcame a challenging upbringing in a low-income household to become the first in his family to pursue higher education. Motivated by his own journey, Ruben has dedicated himself to transforming education and empowering students. His edtech ventures have positively impacted the lives of over half a million K-12 Spanish-speaking students across Latin America and the United States, generating substantial revenue and securing more than $9M in venture capital. Ruben is continuously seeking new ways to improve learning outcomes and bridge educational gaps and is passionate about empowering students of the world to have the opportunity to seek out their own potential. He has such an authentic and impactful story to share, and I know you will love it as much as I do. We talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest Jimmy Ramirez. Jimmy is Managing Partner for Prometheus Growth Partners (PGP) and BhavaMar Development (BhavaMar). Jimmy oversees the legal, land, construction development, investor relations, cost management, real estate project valuation and private equity investments. Jimmy began his professional career while attending UTSA with a national commercial general contractor in Houston, TX working at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (NASA) building 21. He quickly moved up within the company and became a lead field engineer within the first 6 months. He then pursued his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Houston Law Center and focused on real estate development and mergers and acquisitions. After gaining experience in the legal in house and public sector, Jimmy switched over to the private sector where he worked on real estate transactions and general business and commercial transactions. Incorporating two drastically different careers throughout his journey, Jimmy is a visionary who is able to see something from nothing, and he has a grounded, intentional approach to life and business. He shows up with positivity and authenticity and is passionate about giving back, helping others, and giving people the opportunity to follow their dreams. I know you will love his story as much as I do. We talk about:

My special guest in today's episode of If Not Now Wen is Matthew Mussenden. Matthew is Managing Partner for Prometheus Growth Partners (PGP), a private investment firm that focuses on supporting founders who are extremely passionate about their business and helps them from the ground up. He is also a partner for BhavaMar Development, a Texas-based residential and commercial development company. Matthew oversees investor relations, cost management, real estate project valuation and private company investments. Matthew has experience in a variety of roles across business including audit, FP&A, sales and trading, investment banking and private equity and has professional experience at 3M, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Goldman Sachs, Guggenheim Securities, and Stone Point Capital. Additionally, he currently helps manage a $250 million fintech ventures fund for Huntington Corporate Ventures. Matthew does not give up. No matter what the universe tells him, he moves forward and hustles every step of the way. He is so authentic and transparent, and I know you will love his beautiful story as much as I do. We talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest Vincent Hsieh. Vince brings 25 years of relevant entrepreneurial and operating experience in the software and services sectors, including launching and growing two successful software start-ups. Today he is a partner at Cypress Growth Capital where he participates in all facets of Cypress' investment process and actively supports portfolio companies. Prior to joining Cypress, Vince spent 16 years starting, building and scaling two SaaS companies, Atlas RFID and Geoforce. As CFO and COO of Geoforce, Vince's responsibilities spanned finance, operations, marketing, human resources and legal. He also led numerous debt and equity raises, international expansions, and acquisitions. He currently serves on the Boards of both Geoforce and Atlas RFID and is a frequent speaker and panelist on the topics of entrepreneurship, growth company operations, and capital strategy. Vince is a CFA charter holder, is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, and holds an MBA from Duke University and BS in Economics from UC Berkeley. Vince is an authentic people leader who is passionate about helping and supporting others. He is such an inspiration and has so much insight to share. I know you're going to love this episode and get so many amazing takeaways. We talk about:

My special guest in today's episode of If Not Now Wen is Kevin Parakkattu. Kevin is a Partner at Plug and Play Ventures, where he leads the firm's Commerce, Media, and Consumer investments. Throughout his 5 years of investing at PNP, Kevin has led seed and early-stage investments in over 30 companies including companies like BigID, MANSCAPED (filed for $1b SPAC), Madison Reed, Naadam, ZigZag Global (acq'd Global Blue) and others. He also sits on the Innovation Advisory Board at the National Retail Federation. Prior to PNP, Kevin was an investment analyst at Centripetal Capital and a cofounder of a pure-play customer apparel business. Kevin is such a sincere and grounded person who leads with kindness and a genuine desire to connect with the people around him. He strives to become a facilitator of opportunity and growth for others. Kevin is such an inspiration, and I know you will love this episode as much as I do. We talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're honored and excited to talk with special guest Brad Bentz, a partner at ATX Venture Partners. Brad spent ten years as a field archaeologist working on research projects in Pakistan, Syria, Bulgaria, and the U.S. before establishing a second career as a software developer and team lead. After business school, Brad joined a boutique private equity firm and participated in over a dozen transactions involving more than $72M in equity capital. More recently, he worked at IDC and Boston Consulting Group before joining the investment team at ATX Venture Partners. Brad is passionate about working with and supporting founders who are bringing innovation to the market, making people's lives better, and trying to make a dent in the universe. In this episode we talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest and dear friend Nick Spiller. Nick is a veteran of the Texas startup ecosystem and one of the biggest startup supporters, personally providing advice and mentoring many amazing founders. Nick spends most of his days helping entrepreneurs through raising capital. He works at the most active seed stage venture capital fund in Texas, Capital Factory, where they have helped their 750+ portfolio companies raise billions in venture capital plus over half a billion in non-dilutive funding from defense and government innovation groups. Nick is a humble leader who is passionate about creating an inclusive startup ecosystem in Austin, TX and helping the people around him to grow. We talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest Andra Vomir. Andra is a co-founder of Efficient App, a lifestyle business that helps teams find and integrate their software stack and streamline and map their operational processes to the software. Also known as “The Efficient Girl”, Andra is passionate about helping businesses save dozens of hours a day with automation. Andra is also a partner at Efficient VC where she angel invests in the B2B SaaS products that she's found to be game-changing for herself and her clients. Andra believes in optimizing life for the enjoyment of each and every day. She is such a sincere and kind person with a beautiful presence, and I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I do. We talk about:

My special guest in today's episode of If Not Now Wen is Alex Bass. Alex is a founder and investor who is obsessed with product, automation, and integration. Over a decade ago, Alex Bass founded Efficient App with the goal of helping teams find and integrate their perfect software stack. From seeing first-hand the time savings these tools resulted in, he knew he wanted to get involved on a deeper level. What started as a healthy obsession in product feedback, evolved into a budding career in angel investing. In July 2021, his first investment was put into Motion. Over the 12 months that followed, an additional 18 startups were added to his portfolio, all with a primary focus in efficiency B2B SaaS. Alex is passionate about creating relationships, and he creates impact through a desire to help and provide support. Alex has a transparency and authenticity that is so refreshing. He is such an inspiration, and I know you will love this episode as much as I do. We talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest Eric Engineer. Eric is a partner of S3 Ventures where he supports portfolio companies as a board member and advisor for strategic growth. Eric was previously CEO at Invodo, an S3 Ventures portfolio company, which was acquired by CoCreativ in early 2018. Prior to Invodo, Eric was a Partner at Sevin Rosen Funds in Dallas, where he helped lead the firm's investment in Invodo. He also worked at Microsoft, where he held a variety of roles in product management, product planning, and enterprise sales across several business units. Eric began his career as a Sales Engineer at Trilogy Software in Austin, TX. He has an MBA from Harvard Business School as well as an MCS in Distributed Systems and a BA in Computer Science from Rice University in Houston. Eric has the rare career experience that includes corporate, start-up, and VC. He has graduated into a recession – twice – and navigated two of the biggest bubbles in recent history. Eric is a humble and compassionate leader who strives to help others. He is such an inspiration, and I hope you enjoy his story as much as I do. In this episode we talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest Cara McCarty. Cara is the Founder & CEO at Betterleave, the leading platform built to support organizations and families as they navigate grief and loss. Prior to Betterleave, Cara co-founded Code Pilot, one of the fastest growing training & recruitment platforms for developers. Code Pilot was acquired by AngelList in 2020, the second largest talent marketplace in the world. Cara loves to partner with founders and leaders to support complex organizational and high-growth people initiatives for successful outcomes -- including WorldFirst, Acquisition and RetailMeNot, IPO. Cara is also an Advisor for the Founder Institute, Partner at The Fund Austin, and a member of the Forbes HR Council. In this episode we talk about:

The name Wen actually means “rainbow in the sky” in Chinese. I was born and raised in a tiny mountain village in the southeast part of China. Where I grew up is a beautiful town where people are born there, live there, and die there happily. But I never saw that for myself and always dreamed that one day I would go and see the world. Now, here I am in Austin, Texas running a global accelerator INNW Institute where our goal and our mission is to support entrepreneurs from all over the world to tell the right story to get a YES. As a young girl, I never could have even imagined that I would be where I am today. In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, I'm sharing an interview that I did with fellow entrepreneur Wendy Shew from when we first met at the Business Capital and Exit Strategy Summit. We discuss my journey from China and my thoughts on business and life. I hope you enjoy it! We talk about:

My special guest in today's episode of If Not Now Wen is Justin Siegel. Justin is an entrepreneur and investor, and he is the co-founder and CEO of two successful mobile entertainment companies. The first company, JSmart Technologies, was a pioneer in mobile games. It was acquired by the SK Group in 2004. The second company, JNJ Mobile, backed by General Catalyst Partners and Softbank Capital, built one of the first mobile social networks. Today it is one of Android's top-grossing social applications and a leading mobile platform for HTML5 games. Justin is the founder and Managing Partner of ATX Angel, LLC, which invests in early-stage companies. He is also a Techstars mentor and advisor to Boston Seed Capital. Justin has always known that he wanted to live a life of adventure, and he has chosen paths and ideas that he finds interesting and exciting. Justin has gone from being a French teacher and journalist to becoming an entrepreneur, investor, and mentor. He is such an inspiration, and I hope you enjoy his story as much as I do. We talk about:

Today we're celebrating the 100th episode of If Not Now Wen. Thank you to all the listeners. Your support truly means the world to me. In this episode we're switching things up a bit, and I'm passing the mic to my dear friend Wendy Shew. People often ask to hear more about my story, so I thought it would be fun to have a conversation and dive more into my journey. You may already know that I am the founder of the INNW Institute, a global accelerator supporting entrepreneurs from all over the world and helping them to articulate their story and their vision to get YES. We have served over 300 entrepreneurs globally. Our entrepreneurs have gone on to do amazing things and have raised over 10 million C capitals this year. Additionally, our institute is now raising a 40 million dollar VC fund to support and back those dreamers. Thank you for allowing me to share my story and journey. I hope you enjoy today's episode. We talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest Jason Scharf. Jason is a bio strategy leader and active early-stage investor in the life science and digital health sectors. He has built and led teams in strategic planning, market intelligence, and innovation at large biopharma, genomics, and medtech companies. In addition to his roles within the corporate environment, Jason has served as a co-fund manager of the San Diego Angel Conference, an investor with NuFund Venture Group, and a mentor with both the NexCubed Digital Health Accelerator and the Illumina Accelerator. He invests in startups at the intersection of the technology, biology, and the consumerization of health. Jason is the creator and co-host of the Austin Next Podcast, an exploration of Austin's transformation into the next great innovation powerhouse, and he serves on the Board of Directors for BioAustinCTX. In this episode we talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest Wendy Shew. As a first generation Asian American, Wendy experienced firsthand how education can ultimately become the equalizer in anyone's life. At an early age, she experienced the tragedy of losing her mother, which has become her catalyst for 25 years in social impact work. Determined to break through gender barriers, Wendy studied aviation, learned to fly single engine prop planes, and worked in the international aviation business as a jet engine specialist. After volunteering in 2014 at a girl's orphanage in India, she quit her job four months later and sold all her things. She left the country to travel the world all across Asia, Europe, and Africa for six years, where she spent much of her time as a volunteer and mentor to young girls. Three months after an earthquake hit Nepal in 2015, damaging 9,000 schools, Wendy traveled to Nepal to support in earthquake disaster relief. From there, she founded Building Education in 2017 with the vision to help others transform tragedy to purpose in rising out of poverty. Wendy truly embodies what it means to become the change you want to see in this world, and she has such a beautiful journey to share with us today. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. We talk about:

My special guest in today's episode of If Not Now Wen is Igor Vainshtein, a serial entrepreneur from Australia. Igor started his entrepreneurial journey at age 16 building websites in 1996, when most people didn't even know what a website was. When Igor was a child, his parents migrated from former USSR (Moldova/Ukraine) to Australia in search of a brighter future. Following in his father's steps, Igor became passionate about tech and built a successful career in IT, later becoming CTO for several companies in the healthcare sector. Just over a decade ago, Igor got hooked on golf and became an accidental entrepreneur and co-owner of a virtual golf company in Melbourne, Australia. Eventually, that evolved into an e-commerce business that now has warehouses in Australia, Europe, and the United States. 24/7 Golf sells affordable golf simulator solutions for people's homes, offices, garages, or barns that are self-assembly in just 15 minutes. Igor also developed GolfTrak, a golf simulator app which allows people to play virtual golf using the cameras on their phones. He recently moved to Dallas, Texas to expand his business and democratize golf simulation. Igor has had such an amazing and inspiring journey, and I know you will enjoy his story as much as I do! In this episode we talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest Marc Nathan. Marc is an experienced leader in the technology startup community with a talent for connecting entrepreneurial business owners to customers, employees, investors, and partners. Marc is the Vice President of Client Strategy of a law firm based in Austin, Texas where he helps his clients discover appropriate capital sources, and he founded T-Squared Agency to support selected clients with a comprehensive growth strategy and funding sources. Throughout his career, Marc has assisted early-stage companies with business strategy, capital acquisition, digital and mobile marketing, customer development, strategic partnerships, and product development. Today, he publishes the weekly must-read Texas-Squared Startup Newsletter that offers news, opinions, and events across the entire startup ecosystem in Texas. Marc is passionate about connecting people, and he continues to create impact through service and leadership. In this episode we talk about:

My special guest in today's episode of If Not Now Wen is Deanna Brown. Deanna is an early-stage innovation specialist and start-up strategist. She is recognized for delivering extraordinary growth and innovation for some of the world's most influential brands such as Yahoo and AOL. Today Deanna is a managing partner for PMC Venture, a venture fund based in Austin, TX. Deanna is passionate about supporting diverse teams and mission driven founders. She believes that it's time for more diversity in business and leadership and is excited about the opportunities that are becoming available for women. Deanna's ability to pay attention, ask the right questions, and listen well has helped her to become the leader she is today. Deanna is such an inspiration. I know you will love her story as much as I do! In this episode we discuss:

My special guest in today's episode of If Not Now Wen is my friend and mentor, Satish Kambalimath. Satish is a serial entrepreneur who has over 25 years of experience in a vast array of leadership roles at IBM, AT&T Bell Labs, Lucent, Cadence and Niksun. Satish has held senior leadership positions at Fortune 500 companies as well as startups, and he has a proven track record in taking emerging technologies from inception to market validation, customer acquisition and revenue growth. He is currently on his fourth startup venture as the Founder & CEO of Predecir, The Last Mile in Actionable Predictive Analytics to identify and eliminate waste and optimize cloud spend. Satish defines himself as a technologist who likes to apply technology to real world problems and find solutions. He has an amazing sense of humor, humbleness, curiosity and authenticity that truly makes him special. Satish is such an inspiration, and I hope you enjoy his story as much as I do! In this episode we talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest Heather Emerson. Heather is a founder of Prep To Your Door, a food business serving Austin, TX and beyond organic, farm-to-table meals in zero-waste packaging. Heather is passionate about the impact food has on human health as well as on the environment. Her mission is to change food through strengthening local food systems so that everybody wins: the community, our health, our planet. In this episode we discuss:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest and serial entrepreneur Daran Herrman. Daran is the founder and CEO of Goboto, a full-service marketing firm that brings efficiency to the online real estate marketplace. He is the host of the Establishing Your Empire show which is a podcast that inspires entrepreneurs, creatives, and future business owners to pursue their passions, grow their organization, and build their empire. Daran is a natural leader and visionary. He is such an inspiration, and I know you will love this episode as much as I do! In this episode we talk about:

My special guest in today's episode of If Not Now Wen is Brian Beck. Brian is the Managing Partner and co-founder of Sabio Tech Partners, an Austin-based technology advisory firm focused on helping middle market private equity firms achieve greater investment valuation with reduced risk. Sabio has developed an innovative approach and toolset, called “Quality of Technology”, specifically designed to enable private equity firms to conduct robust and rapid technology diligence of their potential acquisitions. Though Brian has worked and traveled extensively in Canada, Europe, India and Asia Pacific, he has called Austin home for the past 20 years and is passionate about the Austin food scene, its new professional soccer club (Austin FC), and grilling on his back porch. Brian always likes to be learning, solving problems, investigating, and figuring things out. His desire and courage to embrace new and different challenges and experiences has helped him become the leader he is today. Brian is such an inspiration, and I hope you enjoy his story as much as I do! In today's episode we talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're excited to talk with special guest Joshua Lee. Joshua is a serial entrepreneur who has built 16 companies throughout his career. Today he is an expert on LinkedIn and is proud to have earned the nickname “The Dopamine Dealer of LinkedIn”. Joshua is the founder and CEO of StandOut Authority where he works with entrepreneurs to help humanize professional or company brands on LinkedIn using authentic, inspirational engagement with your clients or audience. Joshua believes that there is no B2B or B2C, just Human to human connections, and one of the most important things anyone can do in their business is to truly build long term and lasting relationships that flourish. In this episode we talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now wen, we're talking with special guest Shawn Flynn. Shawn started his life as a business owner founding and growing a successful company in Beijing China before returning to the US to work with companies ranging from fast growing Silicon Valley startups to established overseas public companies. He brings his international experience working with all stages and sectors of businesses to his role as Principal at a premier middle market investment bank with expertise in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, financial restructuring, and valuation. Shawn holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from UCSD. He speaks Mandarin and Spanish, which he learned by immersing himself in local communities and cultures while he lived abroad for almost 8 years. He is also the host of the award-winning Podcast "The Silicon Valley Podcast". Shawn has welcomed one challenge after another to become the amazing global leader he is today. Shawn has such an interesting journey, and his story is so inspiring! In this episode we talk about:

My special guest in today's episode of If Not Now Wen is Rajesh Gopi. Rajesh is the co-founder at TWO12, an Austin-based FinTech SaaS company providing equity management and fund administration solutions. Rajesh is passionate about supporting founders to build great companies by sharing valuable lessons learned from his experience being part of multiple successful startups. In this episode we discuss:

Welcome to today's episode of If Not Now Wen. We are talking with special guest and serial entrepreneur Henrik Johansson. Henrik co-founded and built the product company Boundless into a $100M company. Currently he is the co-founder and CEO of Gembah, a product development platform and marketplace with a vision to democratize product innovation. Henrik specializes in technology-enabled services, marketplaces, and software as a service. He is an expert on scaling startups, building world-class teams, culture, and scalable processes and infrastructure and has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Austin Business Journal, and was named Counselor's 2017 Person of the Year. Henrik believes that we are born to create and that it is innately and uniquely human to want to create things. His mission is to democratize product creation and bring the ability for anyone who has an idea for a product to be able to create it. Henrik has such a big heart and a desire to make a difference by connecting the world and empowering everybody to create and make their dream come true. I hope you enjoy his inspiring story as much as I do! In this episode we'll talk about:

We're so excited to be talking with special guest Jaclynn Brennan in today's episode of If Not Now Wen. Jaclynn is a creative executive and expert on connecting between business and branding. She has over a decade of experience as a creative director for a variety of luxury fashion brands. Jaclynn has helped lead twenty-two major corporations in executing their branding strategies, and she is also the authority on taking brands, organizations, and entrepreneurs on to the next level of their success. Today Jaclynn is the CEO and co-founder of Fyli, a female mastermind membership community that focuses on educational masterclasses, accountability, peer to peer mentorship, leadership advancement, and founding opportunities for early-stage female founders. Jaclynn has such a clear vision, determination, and passion to create a sustainable change and impact in the world. She is a global leader and super connector, creating such a beautiful community with thoughtfulness and love. In today's episode we talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're talking with special guest Joel Trammell. Joel is a serial entrepreneur and lifelong learner who is super passionate about building great organizations. His leadership has led to multiple successful exits and exceptional investor returns over his 30-year career. Joel is the owner of Texas CEO Magazine, which reaches more than 10,000 CEOs across the state. He is a pioneer in the field of CEO education and training. After discovering there might be some gaps for business leaders who are struggling to build great businesses, Joel launched American CEO to provide educational resources for chief executives. He is also the author of The CEO Tight Rope, a comprehensive guide featuring proven techniques and approaches for overcoming the unique challenges of being a CEO. As a leading CEO educator, Joel regularly speaks at conferences and events nationwide. He has contributed to Entrepreneur, Forbes and Inc.com, sharing his experienced-based insight on business leadership topics. He has served on the boards of public, private and non-profit organizations. He was named Chairman Emeritus of the Austin Technology Council and regularly teaches a course for Austin CEOs. Joel is the ultimate chief educator to chief executives. He believes that great CEOs make great jobs, and great jobs and great success in business drives success for a country. He is passionate about helping others make their organizations as successful as possible. In this episode we'll talk about:

Today we're talking with special guest and serial entrepreneur Christine Prydatko. Christine is a founding partner in Simple Vodka, a fully sustainable product with a social impact model. She is the co-publisher and SVP of business development at James Lane Post, a media company and publication on the East End of Long Island, New York. She has also joined Ethereal Global which is a web3, blockchain, & NFT consulting firm, and is also producing the first ever Hamptons Tech Week. Christine also spends her time giving back and advising to many noted organizations. She is currently a member of the Summit community, as well as the prominent female mastermind known as Fyli. Christine is a creator and a visionary who sees entrepreneurship as a journey and adventure. She is passionate about making an impact and creating positive support for the community. Christine is such an inspiration, and I hope you love her story as much as I do! In this episode we'll talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're talking with special guest Juan Ignacio. Juan was born and raised in his beautiful country, Costa Rica. He has extensive experience in country development strategy, as well as in the investment, wealth management, and real estate development sectors, where he has served as a general manager and director of expansion and marketing for Central America and consultant for renowned national and international firms. He earned his bachelor's degree from Cornell and MBA from Wharton. Juan is passionate in his efforts to try to contribute to his country's growth and development, to generate the best jobs, and to try to raise the quality of life and standard of living for Costa Ricans. Juan is such a visionary with heart and passion for country development and a strategic mind to connect the dots between international knowledge and his local ecosystem. In this episode we'll talk about:

My special guest in today's episode of If Not Now When is Rena Pacheco-Theard. Rena is the CEO of Boutiq, which is building a trusted vacation rental brand and real estate investment engine. At Boutiq they use data science to acquire and manage luxury vacation rentals. They believe that time is precious, and special memories will last a lifetime. Prior to launching Boutiq, Rena came from a corporate as well as a startup world. She earned her MBA from MIT, Master of Public Affairs from University of Texas, and bachelor's degree from Georgetown University. Rena's desire to make a difference has been a driving force during her entrepreneurial and life's journey. She is such and inspiring super leader who brings a lot of courage, integrity, and intelligence to her endeavors. In this episode we talk about:

In today's episode of If Not Now Wen, we're talking with our special guest Chris Fronda. Chris comes from a corporate background with years of experience in software development. Today he is a chief logic officer at Logictry where they are helping organizations overcome knowledge transfer and software development challenges and streamline their business for success. Chris loves continuous learning and helping other people learn complex topics. His current passion project aims to provide better democratized access to expertise and expert thinking into the world that will unlock better economic opportunities for everyone. Today we're talking about Chris's stirring vision, story, and insight. This is such an inspiring episode I know you're going to love to hear! In today's episode we'll talk about how:

My special guest in today's episode is Brooke Bains. Brooke has over 20 years in sales, go-to-market operations, and consulting for businesses, whether publicly traded, privately held, or venture-backed companies. She is passionate about the customer experience and believes that this is where the journey to creating valuable partnerships ultimately begins. Brooke founded the company Bombshell, simplifying business travel for women. She is currently the Chief Commercial Officer with Thinktiv, a value creation consultancy. Today she is also an Entrepreneur in Residence with Techstars in Austin, as well as sitting on multiple advisory boards for other startup businesses to help and support them on their growth journey. Brooke shares her wisdom and insight on the entrepreneurial spirit and the power of embracing your humanity in order to thrive in your environment and business. On the podcast, we discuss: