Podcasts about mixtroz

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    

After attending conferences where they felt like they didn't make any meaningful connections, today's guest and her mother decided to launch Mixtroz. Their app collects meaningful data at either live or virtual events and the algorithm helps you identify who you should connect with.

After attending conferences where they felt like they didn't make any meaningful connections, today's guest and her mother decided to launch Mixtroz. Their app collects meaningful data at either live or virtual events and the algorithm helps you identify who you should connect with.

For the month of February, we are publishing flashback clips from some of our wonderful past episodes. Please a take some time enjoy (again) the full episodes from these founders.Season 4 of Founders Unfound starts in March!Ashlee Ammons is the Co-Founder of Mixtroz, a company that creates serendipity at live and virtual events using real-time surveying along with their unique algorithm.Original Episode: No.30, April 2021foundersunfound.com/mixtroz-black-founder-profile-podcastMORE ON ASHLEE AND MIXTROZAshlee:linkedin.com/in/ashleeanneammonsinstagram.com/shemixalot87 Mixtroz:mixtroz.comtwitter.com/Mixtrozinstagram.com/mixtrozFollow Founders Unfound: Like and share - help us grow!#blackfounders #founderstories #foundersafricandescent #bhm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After attending conferences where they felt like they didn't make any meaningful connections, today's guest and her mother decided to launch Mixtroz. Their app collects meaningful data at either live or virtual events and the algorithm helps you identify who you should connect with.

Kerry Schrader is the CEO and co-founder of Mixtroz, a mobile app boosting event engagement by helping attendees make virtual and in-person connections. Kerry is the 37th black female founder to ever raise $1M+ in a venture-backed pre-seed round. We talk about what Mixtroz is, how it works and how event organizers can use it to boost their gathering's engagement. Kerry details the inner workings of the app, and how it can be customized to fit different scenarios and use cases.Kerry shares an amazing backstory behind Mixtroz, and how the idea for the app was born over a phone conversation with her daughter Ashley (now her co-founder). We dig deeper into how Kerry, as a non-technical co-founder, has found developers to carry out her vision for the product.Kerry also shares interesting insights about the startup ecosystem in Birmingham, Alabama, and discusses her many experiences with fundraising for Mixtroz, winning a couple of pitching competitions, and getting into a startup accelerator. We talk about the fundraising landscape for female founders of color and why certain things get more funded than others.

Being viewed as a “minority” can be exhausting and frustrating, especially when you're up against a trifecta of bias.Our guest, the Fierce Female Founder Kerry Schrader, was not going to let the triple plied bounty of bias stop her from reaching her dreams as a successful founder.In 2015 Kerry teamed up with her daughter, Ashlee Ammons, and they founded Mixtroz, a tech startup that helps meeting attendees easily mix, meet and mingle with one another; all while helping the event organizer learn more about attendees based on their in-app responses to customized questions.This dynamic Mother/Daughter team went on to close a $1 million round of funding, making them the 37th and 38th Black Female Founders to ever close a $1M+ round of funding. A breast cancer survivor and a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Kerry has more than 25 years' experience positively impacting the human assets of large companies, including Ford, Alcoa, and Sears Holdings Corporation.To learn more about Mixtroz, please visit: https://www.mixtroz.com/Watch this fun video to learn how Mixtroz works: https://youtu.be/XE8xseZYN-EConnect with Kerry and Mixtroz via these social channels:Twitter: https://twitter.com/mixtroz and https://twitter.com/themillplusInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mixtroz/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mixtroz/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerryschrader/Thank you for carving out time to improve your Founder Game - when you do better, your business will do better - cheers!Ande ♥http://andelyons.comCONNECT WITH ME ONLINE: https://andelyons.com https://twitter.com/AndeLyonshttps://www.facebook.com/StartupLifew... https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/ https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/ https://www.pinterest.com/andelyons/ https://angel.co/andelyons TikTok: @andelyonsANDELICIOUS ANNOUNCEMENTSBlack Girl Ventures Pitch Program – Apply to pitch at https://bit.ly/bgvpitch by July 1stArlan's Academy: https://arlansacademy.com/Visible Hands Latinx Founders Fellowship: https://vhlx.visiblehands.vc/Scroobious here: https://www.scroobious.com/Think In Color: https://thnk.cc/3rDdzrBANDELICIOUS RESOURCES:JOIN STARTUP LIFE LIVE MEETUP GROUPGet an alert whenever I post a new show!https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVEAGORAPULSEMy favorite digital marketing dashboard is AGORAPULSE – it's the best platform to manage your social media posts and presence! Learn more here: http://www.agorapulse.com?via=ande17STARTUP DOX Do you need attorney reviewed legal documents for your startup? I'm a proud community partner of Startup Dox, a new service provided by Selvarajah Law PC which helps you draw out all the essential paperwork needed to kickstart your business in a super cost-effective way. All the legal you're looking for… only without confusion or frustration. EVERY filing and document comes with an attorney review. You will never do it alone. Visit https://www.thestartupdox.com/ and use my discount code ANDE10 to receive 10% off your order.SPONSORSHIPIf you resonate with the show's mission of amplifying diverse founder voices while serving first-time founders around the world, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Startup Life LIVE Show! ande@andelyons.com.STREAMYARD OVERLAYS AND GRAPHIC DESIGNNicky Pasquierhttps://www.virtuosoassistant.co.uk/Visit Nicky's CANVA Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhUDgDHkkma3YhOf7uy8TAbt7HdkXhSjO00:00 - Andelicious Announcements06:50 - Meet Fierce Female Founder Kerry Schrader09:00 - Mixtroz launch story - Human First, Technology Second13:00 - how Mixtroz found the ideal product development team21:00 - Mixtroz website tour32:00 - Kerry was shocked at the high-level of discrimination she faced when she raised her first round of capital35:00 - being scrappy can only work for so long - you need money, not more mentorship48:00 - how Mixtroz pivoted to virtual engagement during the pandemic50:45 - Kerry learns she has breast cancer right after they raised a family and friends round

After attending conferences where they felt like they didn't make any meaningful connections, today's guest and her mother decided to launch Mixtroz. Their app collects meaningful data at either live or virtual events and the algorithm helps you identify who you should connect with.

This week we are thrilled to feature Ashlee Ammons on our podcast. Ashlee Ammons is the Co-Founder and the President of Mixtroz. She is the 38th Black Female to raise over $1M in pre-seed funding. Prior to co-founding Mixtroz with her mother, Kerry Schrader, Ashlee established a career as an Events Producer working with an impressive list of A-listers including Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jay-Z, as well as legacy brands like Moët Hennessy and Coca-Cola. Ashlee serves on the Executive Board of Tech Birmingham and is an Advisor to the Nashville Entrepreneur Center following her time on the NEC's Board. Ashlee is a 2019 Birmingham Business Journal 40 Under 40 recipient as well as Birmingham 40 Under 40 of the decade and Business Journals National Rising Star. Ashlee and her mother were named “Powerful Women” by Entrepreneur Magazine on their inaugural list in November 2019.  Tune into this week's episode to learn more about overcoming failures.

Ashlee Ammons is the 38th Black Female to raise over $1M in pre-seed funding. Prior to co-founding Mixtroz with her mother, Kerry Schrader, Ashlee established a career as an Events Producer working with an impressive list of A-listers including Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jay-Z, as well as legacy brands like Hennessy and Coca-Cola. Ashlee has many accolades, one of which was being named, with her mother, as one of the most “Powerful Women” by Entrepreneur Magazine on their inaugural list in November 2019. Mixtroz services events, meetings, trainings, orientations, weddings, you name it where 25 or more are gathered. They use technology to make human connection simpler, better and more satisfying increasing engagement and collecting data. Website: www.mixtroz.com

Ashlee Ammons and Co-Founder Kerry Schrader are putting human interaction first to help build a better software. Their company, Mixtroz,  is helping events with 50 or more attendees have a better interaction in connecting wherever your people gather. "They help YOUR people find THEIR people."Ashlee and Kerry have no fear of failing as the continue to build their company, and make the appropriate hire to scale their business. Being an entrepreneur will push you to your mental limits and beyond, but being humble has afforded Ashlee the drive and will to win. She also draws strength from her mother, Kerry, and tackling the unknown together allows them to build a company to help others stay connected while networking. Please listen in as Ashlee draws from her expertise, and ventures into the unknown world of entrepreneurship. Making it seem effortless and scaling with ease, Ashlee will be the first to tell you it's not an easy task but one she faces head-on. 

OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE: AfriBlocksThe global pan-African freelance marketplace and collaboration platform.Tell them "Dan sent you" for 10% off your first order. More at afriblocks.comCascadia Cleantech Acceleratorpowered by VertueLab and CleanTech AllianceThis 15-week program delivers mentorship, connections, funding opportunities, and more.For early-stage cleantech startups looking to launch and scale their businesses. Checkout at cascadiacleantech.orgIn this episode Ashlee and Dan discussed:Interning for LeBron JamesHow an awkward networking event gave birth to MixtrozWorking alongside her mom as Co-FounderThe journey from Cleveland to NY to Nashville to BirminghamWhere to find the best rollercoasters in the worldAshlee Ammons is the Co-Founder of Mixtroz, a company that creates serendipity at live and virtual events using real-time surveying along with their unique algorithm. Ashlee has an amazing journey - from Ohio to New York, Tennessee, and eventually to Alabama. She’s gone from interning with Lebron James to becoming one of the first few African American Women to raise over $1M in venture funding. She's also been named as Entrepreneur Magazine's "100 Powerful Women" of 2019. To top it all off, Ashlee has known her co-founder literally her whole life (spoiler alert, they're related!).Make sure to listen to her incredible story.MORE on ASHLEE and MIXTROZAshlee:linkedin.com/in/ashleeanneammonsinstagram.com/shemixalot87Mixtroz:mixtroz.comtwitter.com/Mixtrozinstagram.com/mixtrozFollow Founders Unfound : Like and share - help us grow!PODCAST TRANSCRIPT#blackfounders #blackentrepreneurs #founderstory #underrepresented #underestimated #founderAfricandescent #eventtech See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If nothing else, Ashlee Ammons knows how to power her way through life’s pivots and over hurdles. Consider this:Despite zero technology experience, Ashlee and her mother Kerry Schrader successfully launched startup Mixtroz, an event software company. They raised more than $1 million in pre-seed funding, joining the prestigious list of top Black females raising funds.Even as they were launching Mixtroz, Ashlee and her mother overcame mental health and physical health challenges.They persevered even as the COVID-19 pandemic decimated the event industry by pivoting to a virtual-only business model.On this episode, Ashlee joins Jennifer Malcolm to discuss entrepreneurship, taking risks, making change, and overcoming the odds.

When you think about powerful and influential women, think of Ashlee Ammons.  Ashlee was named Entrepreneur Magazine’s “100 Powerful Women” in 2019. She and her mother Kerry Schrader are the owners of the Mixtrox company.  At Mixtrox they help to increase engagement and collect data at in person and online events, through the use of their networking software. Join me as we talk about the story behind their business and success.  We will dig deep into the struggles and sacrifices that they both had to make in order to create this successful company. To learn more about Mixtroz and Ashlee, visit the following links: Mixtroz Website Mixtroz Instagram Ashlee Ammons Instagram   Visit my photography site at: https://alishacrossleyphotography.com Amazon Favorites List: http://www.amazon.com/shop/alishacrossleyphotography Photography IG: https://www.instagram.com/alishacrossleyphotography/ Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/imperfectlypolishedpodcast/ Don’t forget to leave a review and subscribe. Have an amazing day!

We are excited to have mother daughter duo & Co-Founders of Mixtroz, Kerry Schrader & Ashlee Ammons, on our podcast! Ashlee & Kerry were the 37th and 38th black female founders to close a venture round of more than $1 million or more. Their HQ is in Birmingham, AL where Delia grew up & where Alison lives. They came to Birmingham for the Velocity Accelerator at Innovation Depot where they won the Birmingham Rise of the Rest competition (This was started by AOL Founder, Steve Case. Mixtroz is the only business from Alabama to win the competition) and ended up moving the headquarters to Birmingham. Kerry is an honoree of the 2019 CEO Awards from the Birmingham Business Journal, and they have won many other awards as well. http://mixtroz.com  Here is a link to Alison & Kerry's discussion on the joys & frustrations of aging: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEoJO_NOvjI&feature=emb_logo --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/delia-folk8/support

This month our focus is Resilience! Our guest for our six month anniversary is Ashlee Ammons founder of Mixtros. Mixtroz is a SaaS company providing CaaS "Community-as-a-Service" driving attendees from phone to face-to-face in real time while capturing custom data. Users download the app, complete a virtual name tag and survey customized by organizer. Named to Entrepreneur Magazine’s inaugural list of “100 Powerful Women” in 2019; Kerry Schrader and Ashlee Ammons are a dynamic Mother/Daughter duo in the new wave of entrepreneurs creating services to make work and play simpler and more satisfying. Without formal tech backgrounds, they’ve blazed trails in the male-dominated tech startup space with their company Mixtroz, which increases engagement and collects data at gatherings. Following remarkable progress in 2017, Team Mixtroz kicked off 2018 by joining Alabama’s prestigious Velocity Accelerator and starring on an episode of A+E ‘s series “Rooster & Butch.” In May 2018, the duo was selected to pitch to AOL Co-Founder Steve Case during the Rise of the Rest tour stop in Birmingham, AL and secured a $100,000 investment from Cases’ Revolution Fund. The team went on to close a $1M round of funding, making them the 37th and 38th black females to ever close a $1M+ round of funding.

Today Drew and Kellie sitdown with Kerry Schrader, CEO and Co-Founder of Mixtroz. Mixtroz is an innovative software that makes business networking, team building, and event engagement easy. In this episode, Kerry discusses her journey to create the startup alongside her co-founder and daughter, Ashlee Ammons. She also talks about the challenges she’s faced as a black woman in the industry.

Today, we are joined by Ashlee Ammons, president and co-founder of Mixtroz. She talks with us about the hard work of building a business and the importance of personal health along the way. Mixtroz started in Nashville as a software that analyzes personality and other characteristics to make a more meaningful and engaging online connection. Mixtroz complements platforms like Zoom to prevent users from getting lost in the world of virtual connection. Ashlee, who was financially independent from early on, gives us some tips on how to manage money and get by as you are starting out on your own: - Live off of the simple things just so you can make it work - Know exactly what you need and don't be afraid to tell your boss your worth - Remember your value when you get paid When she started her company, she quickly learned that no one is passionate about your company except for you and your cofounder, so when someone helps you, cherish those connections and opportunities. Her mother ingrained in her mind from a very young age to be grateful and be conscious in decisions with money. Stayed tuned to listen to how to purchase Mixtroz and where the company is going in the future! Visit their website here! To learn more about the Wealth Edit, visit our website and take our quiz! We post fun updates and tips on our Instagram, @wealthedit, and YouTube, so make sure to come see us! Check out the podcast on Spotify! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Combining the "Best Piece of Advice" from 11 episodes of "3, 2, 1, iRelaunch," you'll hear from guests including our very own Shannon Amspacher whose podcast was on what the next generation of career breaks look like, Kerry Schrader on her Mixtroz entrepreneurial venture after a 25 year career in HR, Mike Montague on sales training, Chris Donovan on his journey from telephone repairman to luxury shoe designer, Laura Persky on the career switch into academia, Leah Vickers Marincovich on relaunching in media sales, Stewart Friedman on parenting and relaunching, Lisa Damour on managing families at home during Covid, Judaline Cassidy on relaunching in the trades, Wendy Durica on relaunching in software development, and Mary Beth Barrett-Newman on job searching during Covid. Be sure to listen to the full podcast content from each of these special guests in previous episodes.

Winning $100k investment from Steve Case and being named one of "100 Powerful Women" by Entrepreneur Magazine didn’t come easy for Ashlee Ammons. She left her great job and income to be an entrepreneur, fought self-doubt, rejection, and the challenges of not looking like a typical tech founder when pitching and meeting with investors. In this interview she talks about all of that and how she and her mother and co-founder raised their first $1M with smarts and determination. 1:00 Ashlee & her tech startup Mixtroz are in Birmingham, AL - discussion about the special tech & investor ecosystem there. 2:40 Nashville was great but the opportunity in Birmingham was greater for what they needed to accomplish as a company. 3:40 In 2017, Ashlee and her co-founder (her mother, Kerry Schrader) went to Collision Conference in New Orleans. They wore matching t-shirts, "Black Female Founder, Fund Me - Got Seed?". 4:40 The t-shirts caused a stir, but the event yielded three big connections - an article in Forbes, an invite to Creative Startups pitch competition in New Mexico (which they won), then to Copenhagen (won there also), and most importantly, met the future executive director of Velocity Accelerator in Birmingham. 7:20 In 2018, won Steve Case’s Rise of the Rest $100,000 competition in 2018. Went on to raise more than $1M but it was hard. Fundraising is brutal, it takes invaluable time and energy away from your startup. It can also be soul crushing, similar to the superficialness of a beauty contest. 8:50 White males seem to raise six figures in about 3 months on average. White women maybe 4-5 months, women founders of color, at least 6 months. 9:30 Ashlee talks about how her and her mom had to be mindful of their appearance when they were raising money. Ashlee talks about how she keeps her hair in braids-dreads because (a) it’s ridiculously hot in the south, (b) it’s low cost and (c) it’s low maintenance - smart for a bootstrapped entrepreneur. 10:50 Allen asks Ashlee her secret to public speaking on big stages. She says it’s preparation, memorization, and practice, practice, practice. 14:00 What if you don’t look like a typical tech founder? Ashlee and her mother are non-technical black women founders building a tech product startup - none of that is typical. 17:50 Ashlee suggests founders find a partner over the age of 40, especially a woman - especially one like her mom that had a successful executive business career. 19:40 Women over 40 are often highly energized, motivated, and an invaluable source of experience and determination. 22:00 Ashlee and her Mom took personality assessment tests that identified their strengths and weaknesses, helped them with roles and responsibilities. 23:20 SPONSOR: SecureStartup (https://www.securestartup.com) - Secure and easy way for startups to share documents with investors. 26:20 Ashlee was determined to be successful since a child. Her parents worked hard to set her up with opportunity. Her grandparents did the same for her mom. 30:00 Through a connection, Ashlee became LeBron Jame’s first intern. This demonstrates the power of relationships and networking. 33:20 Then with the help of LeBron’s connections, she became an event planner in New York. She went there to do all the grunt work she could get, to learn and build relationships. 38:10 Then one day she had a lackluster experience at a conference - networking disaster. She called her Mom that night and funny enough, her mom had just had a similar experience. What could solve this problem? Mixtroz! 42:40 So she made the leap, moved to Nashville, moved-in with her mom, loss of independence and income. 45:00 Ashley says that “comparison is the thief of joy.” Startup depression is real - self-doubt, isolation, and professional loneliness. 47:00 Friends and family don’t always understand, can be non-supportive (you’re going to fail) and some envious (you’re going to succeed). Ashlee says the anxiety is real and feels like a rollercoaster. 49:00 Ashlee and her Mom bootstrapped - put in their own money, then small investments from friends and family - another advantage of having an over-40 partner, her mom’s connections had more investable capital. Mom would not allow large investments from friends and family. 55:10 Is entrepreneurship a 'sport for the elite'? Access to capital, connections, and generational wealth is a big hidden success factor. 59:00 Ashlee and her Mom have had to fight to get their place at the table - even when they had to pull up their own chair. 1:03:00 Are women founders (and founders of color generally) over-mentored and under-funded? Yes. And Ashlee explains that women founders and male founders of color, it feels like they'll only get one shot. 1:07:00 Ashlee closes by talking about the opportunities and adjustments during COVID-19, their current growth capital raise, and the exciting road ahead for Mixtroz. Mixtroz: https://www.mixtroz.comPlan Your Start: https://www.planyourstart.com

Being an entrepreneur can be extremely stressful. So how can you keep your emotions in check, especially when things get tough? In this episode, Ashlee Ammons, Cofounder/COO of Mixtroz, shares the ups and downs of building a business and the challenges of working with family. She also shares some the risks and key decisions she made that led to her ultimate success. Ashlee holds a BA in Mass Communications and Public Relations from Baldwin Wallace University. She is the 38th Black Female to raise over $1M in pre-seed funding. Prior to co-founding Mixtroz with her mother, Kerry Schrader, Ashlee established a career as an Events Producer working with an impressive list of A-listers including Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jay-Z, as well as legacy brands like Moet Hennessy and Coca-Cola. Ashlee serves on the boards of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center and Tech Birmingham, is a 2019 Birmingham Business Journal 40 Under 40 recipient as well as Birmingham 40 Under 40 of the decade and Business Journals National Rising Star. In addition, Ashlee is a proud member of Delta Zeta Sorority where she was named to their first-ever 35 Under 35 in 2018. Here’s a few things we talked about: Ashlee shares more about Mixtroz and how it can help entrepreneurs The early rejection and frustrations Ashlee faced at the beginning of her career How you can present yourself and your credentials so that people listen Ashlee gives her best advice for getting ready to speak with investor Why finding your champions is so important in the early stages of business The most devastating rejection Ashlee experiences that shaped who she is today The big no that left Ashlee crying on a public bathroom floor, and how everything turned around just a week later How to stop letting outside factors control you What you can do to keep your entrepreneurial emotions in check How Ashlee and her mother have been able to work together successfully without any major issues and how to separate business and family Ashlee shares what she would tell her younger self   If you’re ready to face the challenges of entrepreneurship head on, this episode is for you. Special thanks to Ashlee for taking the time to chat!   Connect with Ashlee and Mixtroz: Website  Mixtroz Instagram  Ashlee’s Instagram  Mixtroz Twitter  Enjoy, and thank you for tuning into Success Unfiltered! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share Success Unfiltered on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn  To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Music produced by Deejay-O  www.iamdeejayo.com

No matter how you approach it, networking is always inevitable, particularly for entrepreneurs. And the number one issue when it comes to a lot of networking events is that they don’t deliver the results they always promise. But attendees aren’t the only ones who suffer from poorly coordinated and awkward networking events. Event hosts and sponsors lose out on the opportunities to collect valuable data about their attendees that can be used to determine audience demographics and adjust marketing and planning for all future events. So who is tackling this opportunity to help event hosts collect valuable data to host a successful event? In today’s episode of the Powderkeg Podcast, you’ll hear from Ashlee Ammons, President and Co-founder of Mixtroz, a mobile application that allows event attendees to mix, meet and collaborate together through an online platform. Ashlee had just 5 minutes on the Powderkeg stage to pitch her company Mixtroz to a live panel of investors and industry experts recently at our first-ever all virtual pitch event featuring some of the most innovative companies scaling in the United States. The three experts you’ll hear from in this episode include: - Mandy Hasket, Leadership Consultant at ADVISA - Phil Powell, Associate Dean of Academic Programs at Kelley School of Business, Indiana University - J. Kelly Hoey, Angel Investor, Author, Speaker, and Podcast Host of BUILD YOUR DREAM NETWORK Ashlee Ammons is the President and Co-Founder of Mixtroz. She is the 38th Black Female to raise over $1M in pre-seed funding. Ashlee also serves on the boards of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center and Tech Birmingham. She was a 2019 Birmingham Business Journal 40 Under 40 recipient as well as Birmingham 40 Under 40 of the decade and Business Journals National Rising Star. Tune in to hear more! Figuring out your next career move doesn't have to be so stressful. So why not try Powderkeg Matches? By joining Matches, you’re joining a community of thousands of top professionals in the Powderkeg community to get connected with outstanding people at the hottest tech companies between the coasts. Get matched with great employers, land your next major opportunity, and get started today! Please enjoy this pitch with Ashlee Ammons of Mixtroz! If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast.

On this episode of Trust Me I’m a Doctor Podcast I sit down with Ashlee Ammons is the 38th Black Female to raise over $1M in pre-seed funding. Prior to co-founding Mixtroz with her mother, Kerry Schrader, Ashlee established a career as an Events Producer working with an impressive list of A-listers including Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jay-Z, as well as legacy brands like Moet Hennessy and Coca-Cola. Ashley shares all the tea on how she built an amazing tech business without having a tech background! Follow Dr. Tammira Lucas on Instagram @thebusinessdr (http://www.instagram.com/thebusinessdr) , Twitter @thebusinessdr1 (http://www.twitter.com/thebusinessdr1) and visit www.tammiralucas.com (http://www.tammiralucas.com/) (http://www.tammiralucas.com/)

Join PuffCuff Inventor, Founder and CEO, Ceata and Garrett Lash tonight as they talk with the Co-Founder and President of Mixtroz, Ashlee Ammons about how her app is revolutionizing how we meet people at events.

Ashlee Ammons & Kerry Schrader, co-founders of Mixtroz, discuss the pain points in attending networking events, building an app from a non-technical / non-entrepreneurial background, and share some of their personal challenges along the way. Mixtroz (https://www.mixtroz.com/) The Third Wave (https://amzn.to/2vjDY4z)- Steve Case Ashlee on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/shemixalot87/) Kerry on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/themillennialplus/) See open positions (https://goo.gl/AAazrT) at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Giant Robots!

After 25 years steeped in the HR arena, Kerry Schrader took a step out of the field for a much-needed sabbatical to spend time with her family and reflect on her future. Together with her daughter, Ashlee Ammons she did a total 360 and founded Mixtroz, an entrepreneurial adventure raising over 1 million dollars to “strengthen social networks." Find out more at Mixtroz.com

Interview with Ashlee Ammons: Co-Founder of Mixtroz a data collection and integration company that increases engagement and collects data at gatherings. Mixtroz services dozens of industries including education, enterprise, and events. Mixtroz.com This podcast series is hosted by Patricia Kathleen and Wilde Agency Media. The series interviews women (& women-identified & non-binary) entrepreneurs, founders, and gurus across all industries to investigate those voices in business today. Both the platform and discussion are designed to further the global conversation in regards to the changing climate in entrepreneurial and founding roles.

Another week, another exciting tech talk - and this time around, we'll be diving deep into Mixtroz. So, as you already know, the Event Tech Podcast is here to bring you the latest news in event tech. And, of course, the most interesting and groundbreaking tools that you can have available at your event. This is why we're giving you the breakdown of one of the most appealing event software out there - Mixtroz! If networking is your thing, then this episode will certainly excite you. In order to provide you with the freshest and most complete information, we have the honor to introduce Ashlee Ammons. Ashlee is the co-founder of Mixtroz, so she can tell you everything you need to know. And joining her is none other than our amazing host, Brandt Krueger. Together, the two will dive deep into the background of Mixtroz, how it came to be, and why it is something you will definitely want to implement at your next event. Are you ready for this? Press play, we're getting techy!

"We may not have been the best startup that day, but we were the most prepared. They knew I didn't come to play." Ashlee Ammons joins Whitney on the podcast to share how she and her mom, fellow business partner, Kerry Schrader became two of the first black women to raise $1 million in a pitch competition for their company, Mixtroz.

In 2014, mother/daughter duo Kerry Schrader and Ashlee Ammons realized there was something ineffective about the way we network at events. Out of their frustrations, the pair came up with the idea for Mixtroz, a highly customizable tool for that increases attendee engagement and collects data for event hosts and sponsors. In less than five years, Mixtroz has revolutionized the way companies and individuals approach & execute networking at events.  Because of Mixtroz, Ashlee and Kerry were invited to join Alabama’s prestigious Velocity Accelerator, won the Birmingham Rise of the Rest pitch competition led by AOL Co-Founder Steve Case, and even starred in an episode of A+E’s “Rooster and Butch.” In 2018, Ashlee and Kerry became just the 37th and 38th black women to ever close a million dollar round of funding. The company has also been featured by Forbes, Inc., The New York Times, Business Insider and more.  In this episode, Kerry and Ashlee break down how Mixtroz works, where it is today and where they hope it’s going (3:25). Since people often tend to focus on their mother-daughter relationship, they explain how they’ve made their partnership work and how having family in your business can be a helpful asset (10:12). Though they recognize that entrepreneurship tends to be a sport for the elite — a fact which they see as a major problem — they also know what it’s like to have to live off of your savings while trying to grow a business, and they share some relatable stories about making financial sacrifices along the way (12:10).  Before starting Mixtroz, Kerry and Ashlee both built successful careers that they then left behind to start their company (18:00). Ashlee shares how her mom went from working at McDonald’s to doing HR for large companies, and she describes how growing up with a hardworking mom shaped her own life in significant ways (24:23). The pair also offers practical advice about how they make time to give back to the community and still live life fully outside of Mixtroz (46:03). Ashlee and Kerry have both had their share of difficulties since starting their company, and they open up about dealing with depression, learning to avoid comparison and battling breast cancer all while building a business (50:48).

On upside, failure hasn't really been the default. Most initiatives have come naturally and been met with, at worst, mildly positive reception. For the last few months, Jay and I have been struggling to find to an appropriate way to commemorate one year. We planned a multi-week festival of podcasts. Too much. We reached out to Steve Case. Nothing. We interviewed each other. That felt wrong. Today, we're going to try something different. I'm going to speak to you host to listener, one to one, on my takeaways from one year of upside and what I see in the future.Monique Villa changed my perspective of the podcast when she said that, to her, “founders are like books.” This podcast - therefore - is a growing, curated library.Growing up, I was fascinated by libraries. Being surrounded by books is one of the two environments in which I feel a sense of complete belonging. The ability to disappear into a rack of books or simply peruse the aisles puts me in a state of awe. The output of thousands of human brains sitting on racks of dead trees waiting for your undivided attention. But when you choose a book and you read a book, that's where the magic happens. Mrs. Wilder, our grade school librarian, used to let me sneak into the library on bathroom breaks to read a few extra pages of the books I burrowed about the shelves, out of the sights of the Dewey decimal system and curious classmates. We had a book limit of 5 books per week, causing those with prominent shelving to incite a stampede during library time. When i could, I read those. When I couldn't I read rest of the library - the undervalued titles that didn't get the shelf space they deserved, the books with ugly covers, or boring titles on something like insect species.Great books make you feel by teaching you something you already know in a way that's different from what you know. When you read a great book, you aren't being lectured, you're having a dialogue. They say to never judge a book by its cover, and it's my belief that you can't truly judge a book until you've finished it.  I've found parallels between traits of great books and traits of great founders. First, they weave a thread through every chapter, through every answer. Sometimes unintelligible at first but always present. The history of the word “mantra” stems from Hindi and the act that ceremonializes and ratifies a ritual. To great founders, this ritual is their life's work. They can't answer a question about their business without hinting at the bigger vision. Nick Potts, the CEO of Scriptdrop, can hardly go 20 minutes without talking about his goal of helping one billion patients. Second, they embrace their abnormality. Every great founder we've met is odd. They're different. They don't fit in. They don't fit a mold. They turn down lucrative job offers to live on couches because of a beautiful excel template. They start sports media companies in Nebraska. They fly to China to buy factories because the contractors aren't getting Spot's eyes right. These people aren't typical. They use that difference it in three steps: they identify it, they call it out, and they extort it. Ashlee Ammon from Mixtroz literally made shirts to wear to a conference that said “Black Female Founder Fund Me” because she recognized she didn't fit the model. Then she became the 37th black female founder to raise $1M in VC. Great founders don't conform, they make their nonconformities shine and build a competitive advantage around it. Third, they come highly recommended. Early on, Jay and I learned to use scarcity in our asks. We rarely ask for intros to more than 2-3 companies in an ecosystem and give very specific guidelines for what we are looking for. Usually, the same founder or two will emerge. In the Ross Baird / Village Capital model, founders know real founders. The local tech darling isn't usually the best company.Ezra Galston is a fantastic example of this. We asked for the best early stage venture capitalist in Chicago and three separate people recommended Ezra. In a world where your reputation matters, and matters a lot, those kind of people are who we aspire to talk to and who we aspire to be. My favorite song by The Head and the Heart is called Library Magic. It's a song about being inspired by those who live the lyrics they create. It's a song about living your lyrics. In this last year, Jay and I have created a library of over 60 episodes of founders, venture capitalists, and community builders who eat, sleep, and breathe their mission. It's inspiring. It's eye-opening, And, it's humbling that they spend time away from their mission with us. We constantly feel the warm embrace of Library Magic whispering through the dusty aisles.On a note looking towards the future, Nassim Nicholas Taleb says that the unread books in a library are more valuable than the read books. Those unread books present opportunity, potential growth, and new learning. I cannot wait to find new books and pull them into our ever growing upside library. Thank you to everyone who has listened thus far, our fortitude would be immensely challenged without you. Thank you to our first sponsor, Taft, who took a gamble on us and a crazy non-traditional idea for sponsorship. Thank you to Nathan, without whom we would be still be podcast tadpoles. And, finally but most importantly, thank you to everyone who has been on the show - featured guests, insight guests, guest hosts - you have helped us in ways untold. Looking forward to another year of Library Magic. Follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm

Ashlee Ammons, who is the co-founder of Mixtroz, along with her mother Kerry Schrader, who is also a co-founder of the company, each became one of 40 black female founders ever to raise $1M or more in investor capital. According to Forbes, less than 6% of venture capital goes to women founders.   And if you haven't listened to my interview with Ashlee, I would highly recommend you check it out. It's Episode 2 of Season 1. Ashlee has a very interesting story, including being the first intern to Lebron James, then later working with many other celebrities including Leonardo Dicaprio, Oprah, and Jay-Z, among others, prior to co-founding Mixtroz with her mom in 2014.     You can listen to episodes of the show in your favorite podcast app or at http://thestoriespodcast.com

Ashlee Ammons is the cofounder and COO of Mixtroz. previously, Ashlee began in a career as an Events Producer working with an impressive list of people  including Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jay-Z and large brands like Moët Hennessy and Coca-Cola.//the Mixtroz mobile app makes meeting at live events easier, more effective, and efficient. Mixtroz is the 2018 Rise of the Rest Birmingham champion and based in Birmingham, AL.learn more about Mixtroz: https://www.mixtroz.com/follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm

My guest for Season 2 of Rising Stories Podcast episode #95 is Ashlee Ammons. Ashlee is the Cofounder/COO of Mixtroz. She was hired as the 1st intern to NBA Star LeBron James and quickly established herself as an Event Producer working with A-Listers including Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jay-Z.  Together with her mom, Kerry Schrader, Ashlee cofounded Mixtoz, a technology app that connects real people in real time at any large event. Without formal tech background, this mother & daughter duo has been blazing trails in the male-dominated tech startup space.  Ashlee also serves on the Board of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center and is passionate about encouraging other entrepreneurs. You will hear her passion in this interview.   In this interview we talk about all things entrepreneur and she shares her Rising Story! Ashlee's favorite Nashville place: Big Shakes Videos about Mixtroz and how it all works.  Mixtroz x A+E's   Connect with Corine   Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest    Show Notes  Facebook Group   Music is by Ben Sound Sponsor: Audible Get your free 30 day trial and download from Audible Here.  

In this season, I take a trip down to Nashville to learn about the city's vibrant startup and entrepreneur culture.  In each episode, I speak in depth with someone who founded a company there. My goal is to learn about their story and how that led them to starting their company. Ashlee Ammons is the co-founder and COO of Mixtroz, a mobile app that event hosts use to help event attendees meet and network with one another at their event. In the interview, Ashlee discusses her very interesting career journey and how that ultimately led to her to start Mixtroz with her mom. And just a quick disclaimer before we jump in. We talk about breast cancer screenings and physical health during the interview. And I'd like to be clear that I am not a medical professional and have not received any formal medical training, nor has Ashlee. Any type of information I provide (or Ashlee provides) is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. So if you're seeking medical advice, please consult your doctor.  That being said, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, "adult women of all ages are encouraged to perform breast self-exams at least once a month." So women, even young women, don't wait until it's too late. Get your breasts checked. I pasted a link in the show notes to breast self exam instructions on the National Breast Cancer Foundation's website.  You can find the show notes for this episode on the Stories website, which is thestoriespodcast.com.