Podcasts about nc idea

What happens when a state's startup scene has a strategist at the helm?In Part One of our conversation with Thom Ruhe—CEO and Founder of NC IDEA and a lifelong champion for entrepreneurs—we unpack what it really takes to build an ecosystem where businesses don't just survive but scale with purpose. Thom joins David and Gary to explore the heart of economic development, why good ideas still need good infrastructure, and bold bets and the hard truth about what founders actually need.LINKS:NC IDEA Site___________________________________ Submit Your Questions to: hello@thebigpixel.net OR comment on our YouTube videos! - Big Pixel, LLC - YouTube Our Hosts David Baxter - CEO of Big Pixel Gary Voigt - Creative Director at Big Pixel The Podcast David Baxter has been designing, building, and advising startups and businesses for over ten years. His passion, knowledge, and brutal honesty have helped dozens of companies get their start. In Biz/Dev, David and award-winning Creative Director Gary Voigt talk about current events and how they affect the world of startups, entrepreneurship, software development, and culture. Contact Us hello@thebigpixel.net 919-275-0646 www.thebigpixel.net FB | IG | LI | TW | TT : @bigpixelNC Big Pixel 1772 Heritage Center Dr Suite 201 Wake Forest, NC 27587 Music by: BLXRR

Warning: Alexa owners might want to be careful watching this week's episode, especially around 13-15 minutes into the show, when GrepBeat Godfather Joe Colopy may or may not instruct your Alexa device to play a specific song. Fortunately, guest Nate Branscomb popped in shortly after that to get this episode of The Friday Nooner—sponsored by Whitley Recruiting—back on track. Nate is the Co-Founder of Cary-based BCombs, which is a CRM (customer relationship management) software platform designed for nonprofits, especially those that mentor youth. BCombs has won both a MICRO ($10K) and SEED ($50K) grant from NC IDEA. We first profiled the startup in December, 2022.

Entrepreneur Exchange hosts Jeff Neuville and Gary Muller crack open the mailbag to answer emails from listeners about all things start-up…funding, marketing, branding, support resources, and…cannabis? Gary also gets to have his own Lightning Round, plus they share some businesses you should be checking out on this month's Small Business of the Month feature. It's all here on this month's Entrepreneur Exchange!Helpful links: Manufacturing Solutions Center, NC IDEA, Catawba County Chamber of Commerce Small Businesses of the Month mentioned in this episode: J Corwin Pottery, DTFI, Weyeze See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Joe may be back down to one Vespa after selling his yellow scooter this week, but The Friday Noonermust go on. Fortunately the gang was joined by a great guest: Bernard Worthy, the CEO and Co-Founder of Durham-based fintech LoanWell, a 2022 GrepBeat Startups To Watch selection. Bernard discussed how LoanWell—which bills itself as the “Squarespace for lenders”—pivoted from its B2C roots to its current B2B SaaS solution for community-based lenders; how the startup has benefited from the support of NC IDEA and other ecosystem members; and whether he might buy GrepBeat gear from the ForeverGrep store as a birthday gift for his daughter, who is turning four tomorrow. (Spoiler: he was decidedly non-committal on that last point.) You can watch the full live episode on LinkedIn here or Facebook here.

Tina Tang has made a lot of noise recently in the Triangle (Raleigh / Durham NC) startup community, having secured funding from well-known local investors NC IDEA, the Triangle Tweener Fund, and Primordial. Here's how she did it.---Tina Tang is is the co-founder and CEO of Bristles, a startup that's developed a mobile app to help design home DIY projects.Hosted by Trevor Schmidt, Founder Shares is brought to you by Hutchison PLLC and is edited and produced by Earfluence.

  Today we welcome Dr. Margaret Kocherga to the podcast. Margaret is the founder and CEO of Margik, a hardware tech company looking to make organic-based lighting mainstream. A self-described ‘accidental entrepreneur', Margaret started Margik while earning her PhD in Nanoscale Science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. After founding the company, Margaret was awarded a NC IDEA grant, completed the Department of Energy's Chain Reaction Innovation program, and even appeared on Amazon Prime's Unicorn Hunters television series. We cover many topics in this episode, including how Margaret… Immigrated from Kyiv, Ukraine to Charlotte, NC at the age of 15 Recovered from an ACL tear that prematurely ended her ballet career Discovered her passion for science out of necessity Navigated different funding sources and grants to finance Margik Knocked on doors in Silicon Valley to land Margik's first commercial pilot …as well as how Charlotte can stop losing hardware tech startups to places like Silicon Valley, and more! Please enjoy this conversation with Margaret Kocherga.   William Bissett is the owner of and an Investment Advisor Representative of Portus Wealth Advisors, a Registered Investment Adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Opinions expressed on this program do not necessarily reflect those of Portus Wealth Advisors. The topics discussed and opinions given are not intended to address the specific needs of any listener.    Portus Wealth Advisors does not offer legal or tax advice, listeners are encouraged to discuss their financial needs with the appropriate professional regarding your individual circumstance.   Investments described herein may be speculative and may involve a substantial risk of loss. Interests may be offered only to persons who qualify as accredited investors under applicable state and federal regulation or an eligible employee of the management company. There generally is no public market for the Interests. Prospective investors should particularly note that many factors affect performance, including changes in market conditions and interest rates, and other economic, political or financial developments. Past performance is not, and should not be construed as, indicative of future results. 

NC IDEA Senior Director Amy Bastian chatted with the folks at GrepBeat last Friday. (Minus Jackie because she was sick.) Through their powerful combination of competitive grants and programs, and a network of strategic partners, NC IDEA is committed to supporting entrepreneurial ambition and economic empowerment in North Carolina. Amy leads the organization's grant programs for entrepreneurs, including SEED ($50K), MICRO ($10K). She also serves as an advisor and coach for startups. Prior to her role, Amy worked at The Nature Conservancy.

This month on the Entrepreneur Exchange podcast…Thom Ruhe, President, and CEO of NC IDEA; joins co-hosts Jeff Neuville and Gary Muller to discuss how NC IDEA is working to strengthen the North Carolina economy and support entrepreneurship throughout the state. Thom shares his entrepreneurial background and the importance of having an entrepreneurial mindset--and gives away his favorite vacation spots on this month's Lighting Round! Plus, it's good eats and easy travel in this month's Small Business of the Month feature. It's all here on the Entrepreneur Exchange!Small Businesses of the Month: B-52s Bar and Grill & NapawayHelpful links: Manufacturing Solutions Center, Catawba Valley Community College, Ecosystem Summit 2022See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Should the government cancel some student loan debt? That's been a hot topic since President Biden announced his proposal to forgive up to $20,000 for people who meet certain criteria. UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz says something needs to be done, but there are many unanswered questions. Other topics include: inflation and how universities balance a diversity of viewpoints. Panelists: Sarah House, Senior Economist, Wells Fargo Terik Tidwell, Director of Inclusive Innovation, VentureWell, NC IDEA's Black Entrepreneurship Council

"All the stars aligned" for BEAM Dynamics Co-Founder and CEO David Kaszycki when deciding to bring the startup to Winston-Salem during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The award-winning company has received numerous accolades, including the PILOT Innovation Award from the National Association of Broadcasters and funding from NC Idea and the WSPR Fund. BEAM helps film and broadcast productions manage, maintain, and grow their technology infrastructure with access to a rich set of critical data to keep projects on air, on time, and on budget.

Allstacks Co-Founder & CEO Hersh Tapadia is chatting LIVE with the folks of GrepBeat. Based in Raleigh, Allstacks is a predictive analytics platform for software organizations. The company is an NC IDEA award recipient and was a part of Techstars Austin 2018. Before Allstacks, Hersh co-founded CertiRx Corporation, which develops and commercializes platform technology for authenticating and verifying high-value products and documents.

This week we catch up with John Canter, our Venture Asheville Honors 2021 Mentor of the Year!John helps companies unlock scalability for businesses within their business models and position them to make money. Particularly, he has an exceptional track record of guiding businesses through the NC IDEA grant process. Most recently, he's been working with Darë Vegan Cheese and Devil's Foot Beverage Co. - both previous podcast guests!Currently, John is serving as Managing CFO with AVL Growth Partners, but he has nearly 20 years of experience in leadership and mentorship across Finance, Investor Relations, Operations, and much more. In this episode, we talk about John's track record, what he looks for in a mentee and how his approach differs based on the business.Talking 'Ship is hosted by Jeffrey Kaplan, the Director of Venture Asheville, a program of the Asheville-Buncombe Economic Development Coalition and the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce.

How does a start-up get traction with a new product and a way that changes how a retail category does business? Join this month's Entrepreneur Exchange to see how entrepreneurs Steph and Brandon Prime are working to change the greeting card business with their start-up, Cardstalk, working with artists, retailers, and customers to provide unique greeting cards using in-store kiosks…and saving retailers valuable shelf space. They also discuss partners and resources such as NC IDEA and Venture Asheville which have helped them on their journey. Plus co-hosts Jeff Neuville and Gary Muller share small businesses of the month on this edition of the Entrepreneur Exchange!Thank you to MakoRx for their partnership and for their support of Entrepreneur Exchange!CVCC Small Business CenterResources: NC IDEA, Venture AshevilleSmall Businesses of the Month: The Factory, Maria's Pink Box , The Sports BraSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jim Roberts has been helping cities develop and grow entrepreneur ecosystems to help entrepreneurs create a more diverse economy and grow better jobs for their citizens. Jim has 20 years of experience within North Carolina from an independent non-profit to economic development to university-based programs with success. Jim's personal Contributions to the Wilmington startup ecosystem since 2013: - Opened UNCW CIE Incubator, the first coworking space - started the Coastal Connect, the annual venture capital conference - started High Tide Breakfast, the predecessor to 1 Million Cups (same thing) - Brought NC IDEA to Wilmington as part of the statewide tour about the grant program - Brought NC Technology Association to host events (NEVER received a PENNY of support for work below from city, county, or state) Started the Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington for monthly startup events to bring investors to the beach - 2nd highest attendance of any monthly startup event in All of North Carolina - Landed TWO NC IDEA Ecosystem Grants and Engage grants Started the Wilmington Angels for Local Entrepreneurs (WALE Angel Network) - Over $1 million invested in 16 startups Started the Wilmington Bunker Labs Chapter by raising $25,000 - North Carolina named Chapter of the Year two years in a row Brought First Flight Venture Center to Wilmington for SBIR grant training - This work helped OPIAID win a $275,000 NIH grant and helped them get match grant from state Started the Three Sips of Advice Podcast, one of the first business podcasts at beach Brought a new focus on media attention to the startup ecosystem with out of region coverage from Raleigh / Charleston / Nashville and Atlanta - 2nd most read article in Atlanta based Hypepotamus in 2021 - Top ten most-read articles in GrepBeat in 2020 and 2019 Brought a Michigan-based PBS TV show to film FIVE episodes in Wilmington for national media coverage. Advocate for Wilmington startups on statewide committees with NC IDEA, NCTA, and CED to help Wilmington win more grants, win more awards, and win more high-profile stage time at investor conferences. Helped recruit the EXPANSION of SUZY to Wilmington for the highest paying jobs at the coast in the MOST EXPENSIVE office / real estate in downtown. And now Wilmington is the 3rd best ecosystem in NCarolina and a globally ranked EMERGING ecosystem by Startup Genome for two years in a row. Jim Roberts LinkedIn Profile:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-roberts-78b24b/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-roberts-78b24b/) Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington (NEW) website:  https://newilm.com/ (https://newilm.com/) NEW Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/NEWilm/ (https://www.facebook.com/NEWilm/)

In this episode, Jeff talks with NC IDEA CEO Thom Ruhe & Senior Director Amy Bastian about the steps the foundation is taking to support North Carolina's entrepreneurs achieve their potential through grants and programs.Learn more about NC IDEA here: https://ncidea.org/Venture Asheville: https://ventureasheville.com/

Adam Smith is the co-founder of Wrangle.io, which was recently awarded a $50,000 grant from NC IDEA - and is on its way to being a game changing technology. Adam has had an interesting entrepreneurial path, especially to sports and fantasy sports fans out there.Today on the show, Adam and Tim talk about Adam's new venture and hearing “no” from investors almost a hundred times, the responsibility of a founder to truly know when the money will run out and when they will need more money, and what entrepreneurs need to be looking for in their first hires - and what investors should want from them too.First Check is hosted by Cofounders Capital partner Tim McLoughlin, and is a production of Earfluence.

As the CEO of NC IDEA, Thom Ruhe is on a mission to strengthen North Carolina's economy through grants and programs for our state's entrepreneurs with a commitment that no less than 50% of their total time, treasure and talent will support underserved communities, defined as minority, female or rural—and obviously any combination thereof.Recently, the organization has created the North Carolina Black Entrepreneurship Council with a commitment that 100% of all funds and programs designated exclusively serve Black founders. In this episode, Donald and Thom are talking about being a supportive leader and making meaningful change.The Donald Thompson Podcast is hosted by Walk West CEO, The Diversity Movement CEO, mentor, investor, and Diversity and Inclusion Consultant Donald Thompson.Music for this episode provided by Jensen Reed from his song, “You Can't Stop Me”.The Donald Thompson Podcast is edited and produced by Earfluence. For more on how to engage your community or build your personal brand through podcasting, visit Earfluence.com. High Octane Leadership is hosted by The Diversity Movement CEO and executive coach Donald Thompson and is a production of Earfluence. Order UNDERESTIMATED: A CEO'S UNLIKELY PATH TO SUCCESS, by Donald Thompson.

DEI Navigator offers access to our award-winning team of proven business leaders and certified diversity executives, along with expert curated content, how-to guides, specialized training, and a community of peers sharing their ideas and lessons learned — all at a fraction of the cost of hiring a full-service DEI consultancy.As the CEO of NC IDEA, Thom Ruhe is on a mission to strengthen North Carolina's economy through grants and programs for our state's entrepreneurs with a commitment that no less than 50% of their total time, treasure and talent will support underserved communities, defined as minority, female or rural—and obviously any combination thereof.Recently, the organization has created the North Carolina Black Entrepreneurship Council with a commitment that 100% of all funds and programs designated exclusively serve Black founders. In this episode, Donald and Thom are talking about being a supportive leader and making meaningful change.The Donald Thompson Podcast is hosted by Walk West CEO, The Diversity Movement CEO, mentor, investor, and Diversity and Inclusion Consultant Donald Thompson.Music for this episode provided by Jensen Reed from his song, “You Can't Stop Me”.The Donald Thompson Podcast is edited and produced by Earfluence. For more on how to engage your community or build your personal brand through podcasting, visit Earfluence.com.

Host Duncan Smith is joined by Daisy Magnus-Aryitey of NC IDEA, an organization dedicated to strengthening North Carolina’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Their conversation focuses on why libraries are perfectly poised to support economic development in their communities and how they must be intentional when developing services for entrepreneurs.Learn how EBSCO’s Entrepreneurial Mindset Training Course can support library programming for entrepreneurs.

One of our favorite things to do is spotlight the incredible innovators located right here in our backyard of Charlotte, NC. This episode features Terik Tidwell, Director of the STEM Innovation Initiative and Executive Director of the Smith – Tech Innovation Center at Johnson C Smith University.  Learn about the work Terik and his team have done to boost innovation and entrepreneurship in the community and the unique role a University plays in the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem. A little more about Terik: He's a multi-industry innovator himself, with experience developing and managing projects intersecting with higher-education, economic development, international affairs, and more. Through the U.S. Department of State, Terik has served in several roles such as US-China Entrepreneurship and Innovation Fellow, Global Innovation Fellow, Young Leaders of Americas Fellow, and an Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Fellow. A member of Harvard Business Review's Advisory Council, Terik also focuses his energies by supporting organizations like VentureWell and the Greenlight Fund, as well as local organizations like NC Idea, Startup Weekend, and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation. On Twitter:Terik TidwellA Sherpa's Guide to InnovationBen TingeyJay GerhartHealth Podcast NetworkSupport the show (https://healthpodcastnetwork.com/)

  This week we welcome Desmond Wiggan, a co-founder and CEO BatteryXchange to the podcast.  Like many entrepreneurs Desmond’s business model was disrupted as a result of Covid19.  As an African American entrepreneur, he also engaged in the community promoting equality for minority founders and changing the narrative for minorities in technology.  He’s also a new father. You’ll quickly learn that tackling all these things is just what Desmond does – he’s a fantastic person with great drive and self-awareness. Desmond was kind enough to talk through his journey with us.  In many regards, it started out with him running track in college.  Through his track team, he was able to learn how to be a leader.  He took that leadership and the know-how of doing what has to be done to win to the corporate world.  After spending time with Pepsi, Desmond took the opportunity to travel to China for his MBA. In the Spring of 2018 – just before leaving China - Aubrey Yeboah and Desmond developed the concept for BatteryXchange out of convenience of needing a charged battery for their cell phone. BatteryXchange is an IoT technology company that connects people, businesses, and communities to things that matter to each entity the most. On our podcast, Desmond discusses their business model pre-Covid and how they had to pivot to focus on businesses in the essential worker spaces including healthcare and public transportation.  He talks about crowd funding and shares his story of the hurdles of starting a new business as a black man.  We also discuss Desmond’s involvement with the Black Entrepreneurship Council, a new program initiated this summer through NC IDEA. It’s a great podcast, listen to the importance being a part of a community, globalization, and their core mission, to keep people connected. For those wanting to learn more about BatteryXchange and Desmond, register for an opportunity to meet the team, learn more about their products and understand their investment opportunity.  Registration can be found here – www.bxesummit.com/summit2020   William Bissett is the owner of and an Investment Advisor Representative of Portus Wealth Advisors, a Registered Investment Adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Opinions expressed on this program do not necessarily reflect those of Portus Wealth Advisors. The topics discussed and opinions given are not intended to address the specific needs of any listener.   Portus Wealth Advisors does not offer legal or tax advice, listeners are encouraged to discuss their financial needs with the appropriate professional regarding your individual circumstance.  Investments described herein may be speculative and may involve a substantial risk of loss. Interests may be offered only to persons who qualify as accredited investors under applicable state and federal regulation or an eligible employee of the management company. There generally is no public market for the Interests. Prospective investors should particularly note that many factors affect performance, including changes in market conditions and interest rates, and other economic, political or financial developments. Past performance is not, and should not be construed as, indicative of future results.

In this episode of GrepBeat's "Pete Meets..." web series, we welcome Thom Ruhe, the co-President & CEO of NC IDEA, thanks to our sponsor TriNet. GrepBeat's Pete McEntegart moderates. (Thus the "Pete Meets...")

Leslie Boney, Director of the Institute for Emerging Issues, hosts a series of virtual conversations discussing the impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19) and some of the ways our state is responding. Join us on this episode of the series with guests Thom Ruhe (President and CEO, NC IDEA), Noah Wilson (Program Director of Growing Outdoors Partnership, Mountain BizWorks), and Donald Thompson (CEO, Walk West) as they discuss entrepreneurship in the time of COVID-19.

Drew gives Dan a quiz on how much money can be saved by eliminating phantom power and then Dan lets us all know his true feeling about printers.  Bob Haegele from the Frugal Fellow drops into give a breakdown on the best and worst side hustles to make money in your spare time.  Then Dan and Drew talk about all the exciting things happening with Weekly including launching out of BETA and winning a $10K micro grant from NC Idea.

Drew gives Dan a quiz on how much money can be saved by eliminating phantom power and then Dan lets us all know his true feeling about printers.  Bob Haegele from the Frugal Fellow drops into give a breakdown on the best and worst side hustles to make money in your spare time.  Then Dan and Drew talk about all the exciting things happening with Weekly including launching out of BETA and winning a $10K micro grant from NC Idea.

How to Get the 2019 NC IDEA Grants~ They are now open. There are three grants, the largest one is $50,000. It's one is focused on crowdfunding. Listen to the podcast then go to http://www.ncidea.org to apply. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/get-crowdfunded-now/message

Myxx makes mom’s lives easier through creating a frictionless experience for shopping and eating healthier meals with families. Joining Janet Kennedy on the podcast are COO Dede Houston and CEO Monica Wood, Co-Founders of Myxx. Announcer:                      00:02                   You're listening to Trade Show Live! On the Road featuring conversations with the people who bring trade shows to life, including attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, and trade show, industry thought leaders. We attend trade shows around the country in a wide variety of industries, from healthcare to consumer products and everything in between. The podcast is a production of The Trade Show Manager, a trade show consulting firm, and now let's go on the road with Trade Show Live! Janet:                                00:30                   Welcome to Trade Show Live! On the Road. This podcast is a production of The Trade Show Manager and features an in depth look at the people, companies, and organizations that bring trade shows to life. In January 2019, we are headed to CES, the Consumer Electronics Show with an amazing group of startups and business leaders will be in Eureka Park and displaying some of the best new ideas coming from the startup community in North Carolina. With me today is the team that has co-founded Myxx. Myxx is spelled m y, x, x, and it is a platform designed to help you shop so much more intelligently so that you are getting healthy foods into your basket, designed to match up with recipes so you actually know what you're cooking when you get home. I think that is a brilliant idea. I'd like to welcome Dede Houston, who is the Co-Founder and COO and Monica Wood is the Co-Founder and CEO to the podcast. Welcome ladies. Dede:                                01:29                   Thanks Janet. Monica:                            01:31                   Yes, thanks Janet. We're excited to be here today. Janet:                                01:34                   I love your platform and for folks who aren't aware of what Myxx is, this is a new and exciting thing. We have another podcast episode where we get deep into the details of what makes is all about and how it works. However, I would really like you guys to give us the high level. How do you describe Myxx in your elevator pitch? Monica:                            01:55                   What Myxx is, we like to say, when you come to our site, it seems like a recipe sites, but we're nacho average recipe site. I will definitely not a comedian as a trained data scientists, but what we really do is we help you understand what items match to the recipes at your local store. You don't need to wait a week and have something delivered in a box for a recipe. You can do that using recipes you cook with today and product you love at your local grocery store. Janet:                                02:29                   Oh, that sounds so easy. There's gotta be a challenge here. Like for instance, I'm a terrible cook. Dede:                                02:38                   If I can do it, anybody can do it. Janet:                                02:41                   All right. Is that what? What made you start Myxx? Monica:                            02:46                   So if I go back to bed and I worked together at another startup and we always wanted to work together again and we really got along well and that was an exciting startup that we grew really, really bad and we worked with CPG brand manufacturer, so the product sold in grocery stores and marketing efforts, so digital ads. That was kind of our background. It always. We always thought about what we would do together and I had moved on to another startup out of Washington DC and I was flying there four days a week and I have three kids at home and I would call home and I would say, hey guys, would you have for dinner? And they would say, oh mom, it's so great. It's like Bojangles or burgers or pizza, and every time I called him I just felt like I failed. Janet:                                03:31                   I mentally have a picture of you just cringing because you want to be supportive of your partner, but on the other hand you're like, why are you feeding them that? Monica:                            03:39                   Absolutely, and I was calling home and really just feeling like I was failing them and that's really because eating healthy was something core to me in court to my belief because 14 years ago I lost 100 pounds and I did that through learning how to cook and cook by recipe and understanding what I needed to put into my body in order to be healthy. Before that I ate a lot of fast food and I didn't really understand the ramifications of that. On my health and I didn't want my children to ever have to face that because losing 100 pounds is not easy. It's hard and that's when I started with my crazy travel schedule that I am unable to feed my kids healthy food anymore. And Grocery shopping just seems like such a chore. Janet:                                04:27                   I do have friends that will on Sunday meal prep for the whole week. And while that sounds really cool, that actually sounds like three or four hours gone on a Sunday that I wish I were doing something else. Monica:                            04:40                   Yes. And that was my life too. I was spending a lot of time with meal planning and then going to the store and then you know, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and I was already traveling so often that I really wanted to have more quality time on the weekends and being in technology as I have conversations we started having one talks about how could we make this better because you're both single moms. The grocery challenge and one of those things was we already spent enough time doing chores and doing everything else around the house. How can we make this easier using technology and that's when we realized that wow, grocery, just moving digital and this is our opportunity to make our lives easier by taking away those hours of meal planning and making it like just minutes and just a few clicks. You can have all of these great recipes planned at your local store and it's such a relief knowing that you have a plan of what's for dinner tonight. I love to hear Dede talking about how she hates to hear that Dede:                                05:43                   Monica, when she first approached me and it was about, you know, she wanted her kids to really understand the health and, and really eat more nutritiously and I just needed to feed my kids. I was like, I got tired of home and then being like, mom, what's for dinner? I'm like, I have no clue. What did you fix? You know, it was, it was kind of a pain point of like, you, you've got to feed your kids. And it's. I just wasn't comfortable. It wasn't that comfortable in the kitchen and I'm not a trained chef and all I could do to feed them anything, so this has been really a fantastic solution of being able to find recipes that actually fit my cooking style, but always now having an answer when my kids are like, Hey, what's for dinner? I know what's for dinner because it's not about spending, you know, hours of meal prepping on Sunday, at least not for me, but it's about just being planned out of like I know on Tuesdays that we're going to have tacos or whatever it is and I have all of the stuff ready to roll and I'm good. I know I have 30 minutes on Tuesday. I know I have an hour on Thursday so that I can even plan which type of meals accordingly based on our schedule. So it's been a real life saver for us. Janet:                                07:00                   One of the cool things about your platform is that not only will it give you all the ingredients that you need for however long you're planning your meals, it won't duplicate things, which I think is really cool, but it will also tell you where it is in the aisle and now I'm envisioning that the all the partners out there that are like, I don't know, I can't shop. You do it so much better than me. Oh, no excuses dude. Yeah, it's Isle B. Go get it. Monica:                            07:29                   Actually, I actually texted my boyfriend the list that we have, the print version of our list and you can print it and then you can text the URL so it tells you the quantity. That brand shopping, Janet:                                07:45                   I think you should call this the no excuses. Monica:                            07:51                   I love that. That's awesome. Janet:                                07:53                   So it's great that you met in a startup and decided that you wanted to work together, but what you think's going to happen, it doesn't always work out. So what have you found is each other's strengths and weaknesses in working together as a team? Dede:                                08:08                   That's a great question and I think every day we're blown away. We worked so closely, we spend so much time together and we still love and care about each other, both personally and professionally, so we have a really amazing relationship. So we're very happy about that. But I think really what it was is that when we both knew that we wanted to do this and we had backgrounds in being startups, so we understood first off of what we wanted from a consumer perspective. Second of all, we understood what it meant to be in a startup. We knew that it was roll your sleeves up. It is getting down dirty and in the trenches and really making this work and I think we both have that passion, that curiosity drive and determination that it worked out really well for us. I mean, we're definitely understanding where our gangs and gangs are, where we fit together, but we fit together so perfectly and understand when each of us have, you know, that section that we're taking off with Monica is very much entrenched in our fundraising and our business development and, and really getting out there and being the face of our, of our company, but also coming from a data perspective on the product perspective, which is great because that's not my background. Dede:                                09:29                   My background comes from, you know, being in startups and understanding the operations, the marketing side. And so it really. We really do make this, you know, powerful team together to learn thorns. But ... Monica:                            09:44                   I agree. And every day I am so thankful that I had such a talented co-founder. I'm just extremely driven and motivated and positive and fun to be around hard. But it's also exciting and fun when you have a lot of other people to have joined us that we've worked with in the past. So we've been very fortunate in lots of different areas. But what I countered, we don't always agree in fact a lot of problems from different angles. And I feel like that has really given us a lot of strength because we can come up with the right solution instead of the fastest or the most superficial solution. We can come up with the solution moving forward and we respect one another and we don't really try to take any of what's happening personally, but we do support each other and not just each other, but I feel like our entire team feels that as well. We have a very small team. We're very proud of what we've been able to accomplish with just a few people and it really showcases the technical ability of the team. So we are just going over 10 people to over the next year we're going to double or triple that number. We've already started that hiring process for what we've been able to accomplish in a few years with just a few people. It's pretty amazing. I'm in awe of all of the people that work with us. Janet:                                11:25                   I assume you're not doing the programming side yourselves? Monica:                            11:29                   We are not. We actually have programs that we've worked with in the past that past that have joined us, which is great because we've worked together. You kind of know each other's ins and outs and you can move forward and make progress a lot better and you understand and trust one another. Trust is so big, especially in a small startup, being able to trust that someone's going to not only get work done, but understand the quality of work and where people's strengths and weaknesses are so you can come in and kind of help fill in the gaps where needed. Janet:                                12:01                   Now you came to us through a partnership with NC IDEA, which is also a partner of North Carolina Startup Pavilion and in Las Vegas at CES. And I understand you've actually done some mentoring with them. What's your background and experience with NC IDEA? Monica:                            12:19                   Oh Wow. We're so blessed and fortunate to be apart of the North Carolina startup community and it's really across the board. NC IDEA idea has been such a phenomenal organization and invited us to be a part of a program last year for building strong leaders in North Carolina. And I had the great fortune of being able to be a part of that program and collaborate with other leaders that are growing out of this area and the triangle and that was just such a wonderful experience where we got to understand new leadership and work collaboratively with one another. So that was our first experience with NC IDEA and since then we have done other programs through them and through others, mentoring upcoming startup people with ideas, how to formulate their business plans and write their pitches all the way down to being a part of a coaching and mentoring at classes out of UNC Chapel Hill and Duke. And it's just such a wonderfully collaborative community here that's really looking to support startups and growth in technology. Wasn't a genuine really appreciation for one another and I haven't seen that anywhere else and our travels and in my career to be a part of such a great team and community. Again, I hate to keep saying community, but it's the only word for it is it is a true community because we are supporting one another and we are all out for the greater good. Of what right and how can we do this together versus compete. Janet:                                13:51                   Dede, what's your experience been like with NC IDEA? Dede:                                13:54                   So we loved being engaged with them and doing stuff with them. They've been, as Monica mentioned, they've been such a great community, such a great support to us. It's nice being able to have people that you can reach out to get feedback, be able to share your ideas, be inspired by them and also hopefully inspire them as well. So it's just been a great group of people and it's something that, you know, I'm thankful that we have that ability to connect with these people that are kind of in here and all kind of rooting for each other to succeed and, and helping each other to succeed. So it's been all positive and we're very fortunate and excited about that. Janet:                                14:36                   I had a great conversation with Thom Ruhe who is the executive director of NC IDEA and it is amazing how often he also brought up the word community that, that he is very, very engaged and very, very about this interpersonal relationships. And, and he mentioned something about alumni events where even if you've been in a program wants, it's not like it's over, that there is this community of alumni that have been through one of the NC IDEA of programs where they continue to pay it forward and give back. Monica:                            15:15                   That's a great point. It is not just one program and we actually even have a Slack group where we can get on and exchange ideas and who's hiring for what, ask for contractor recommendations. It's really truly amazing what they have created. Janet:                                15:34                   Now you're going to be attending CES and taking out to the public. Now you don't have a display there, but you are going to get to experience what it's like to be at CES through the NC startup pavilion. We're going to be in Eureka Park in the Sands. Eureka Park is 800 booths, all of brand new startups. And it is a high energy, fascinating place. And it, it really feels like the UN because the majority of the companies in Eureka Park are actually not from the United States. So just by being there, you're going to get a very interesting experience with a lot of different countries as a matter of fact, we're doing air quotes across the street from Singapore, so this is going to be a great event. But what do you hope to get out of CES for Myxx? Dede:                                16:22                   I'm excited to one, just share that word of mouth and let everybody know what we're doing, what we've been up to you and, and just that were, that were around, but I'm so excited also to kind of look and see what else is going on and how can we again, I'm going to go back to that being inspired by, you know, all these other great ideas and these other great companies and great people. I'm just excited about seeing the future of technology and what's going on that consumer world and, and being able to be a part of that. I think that would, that's what makes me so excited. I'm such a curious person. So I like to see you know, what's going on and hopefully that helps spur and inspire some of our future opportunities are our features. And our roadmap for Myxx. Monica:                            17:13                   Absolutely. And you know, taking that one step further again, just want to talk about how excited we are to release this to consumers this year. 2019 is going to be a big consumer focus for us. It hasn't really been a focus over the past couple of years while we are building our platform and our technology. So we're looking forward to really shouting it from the mountain tops or the showroom floor, I guess it's no longer a great idea. It's a possibility where you can actually shop and meal plan all in one spot for free for consumers. And it's. But what we also want to do is we want to be able to meet with our partners so we're meeting with a bunch of partners that were there that were going to be announcing these relationships over the next year as well as really engaging with what is new in our space, what is upcoming and how can we bridge new partnerships and new ideas to create in 2019 and 2020 and the future. So I really am excited for my first visit to CES and hopefully many more to come. Do you have any advice for us for us at CES that you think we should do since it's our first? Janet:                                18:28                   Absolutely. Well first off know that it takes a lot longer to get from point a to point B, so plan a lot of travel time and then we tell the folks at our booth, so you probably would be wise to make sure you stash a few snacks and a water bottle in your bag because just whether it's food or suDedeenly you're starving and you seem to be about three miles from food. It's really helpful to have some of those things to rely on. Monica:                            18:56                   Great advice! Have food and water water in my bag. Check. Janet:                                19:03                   And the other upside to our booth is we're actually right near the food court and we're also near the elevators and the bathrooms. So we scored a great place in this booth, in this area. I would be remiss if I didn't actually allow you to tell people how they sign up for Myxx. Is it a free program and can they sign up right now? Monica:                            19:30                   Go ahead, Dede. Dede:                                19:31                   Yeah, you can go to Myxxed recipes.com. That's m y, x, x recipes.com. It is completely free. You just go on there, put in your eye, your email to create an account and you're off to the races. You're good. You can go in and select your retailers. You can connect your cart, so you're already set up as far as eCommerce retailers that you want to send your list over. Start searching. We welcome any feedback. We welcome if you have certain recipes you want to send us, but very free, easy, check it out today. Janet:                                20:11                   I appreciate the fact that it's free and that's the way it is for consumers. You know, we don't want to pay for anything until we've tried it out and made sure it's important to us. But what is your monetization strategy? Monica:                            20:21                   So we work with the brands that are on the site. So any of the food brands that sell into grocery stores, we work with them to help them activate their marketing spend. So we create landing pages that ensure that they have the product. So a lot of brands say, run digital advertisement for recipes and when you click on those recipes you can come to a landing page and that recipe is activated at a local grocery store for a consumer, so immediately that recipe as context and passed to the point of purchase with that product listed as the default item and then everything else that they need to make that as well. And then we capture the data and the analytics behind the decisions on that page and people purchase it. Did they purchase all of the items? Did they adjust the serving size? Did they change the retailer? Did they change out for dietary restriction? So there's a lot of rich analytics that happens behind the scenes, but no worries in the privacy area, we definitely protect consumer privacy and we do not share individual information with with brands. We do try to gather the trends so that we can better serve the brand and the consumers of the future. Janet:                                21:36                   I am already signed up so I will test it. So by the time we get to CES and about two weeks, I will have some very good questions for you. So get ready. Monica:                            21:46                   We are ready for your questions and we are excited for all of the people listening to sign up again with Myxxrecipes.com. And that's Myxx. Janet:                                21:58                   All right everybody, we will see you at CES or if you're not going to CES, you can follow all the action in social media. Just pull up the Hashtag #CES19NC and all the folks who are going to be in the North Carolina Startup Pavilion will be using that Hashtag so you can kind of catch just our action along with the regular Hashtag. Janet:                                22:24                   You've been listening to Trade Show Live! On the Road. This podcast is production of The Trade Show Manager and features an in depth look at the people, companies, and organizations that ring trade shows to life. In January 19. We're headed to CES and we have a lot more episodes for you to listen to. Featuring somebody great ideas coming from the startup community in North Carolina. Thanks for listening.  

Announcer:                      00:01                   You're listening to Trade Show Live! On the Road featuring conversations with the people who bring trade shows to life, including attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, and trade show industry thought leaders. We attend trade shows around the country in a wide variety of industries from healthcare to consumer products and everything in between. The podcast is a production of The Trade Show Manager, a trade show, consulting firm, and now let's go on the road with Trade Show Live!. Janet:                                00:29                   Welcome to Trade Show Live! On the Road. This podcast is a production of The Trade Show Manager and features an in depth look at the people, companies, and organizations that bring trade shows to life. In January 2019, we're going to CES the Consumer Electronics Show with an amazing group of startups and business leaders will be in Eureka Park and displaying some of the best new ideas coming from the startup community in North Carolina. One of our featured guests is sponsoring a couple of scholarships for members of our North Carolina Startup pavilion is the team from NC IDEA. NC IDEA empowers entrepreneurs to reach their full potential by offering support when they need it most. With me on the podcast is the president and CEO of NC IDEA. Thom, welcome Thom. Thom:                               01:18                   Thank you, Janet. It's a real pleasure to be here with you. Janet:                                01:21                   You have had an entrepreneurial mindset for many, many years. Thom:                               01:27                   Yes, I have. I like to say tongue in cheek. I spent the first 20 years of my career starting and growing companies and then I've spent the last 15 years helping others acquire that gene mutation. So that has really given me quite a career of advantage and great pleasure, because it really is a privilege to do the work that we do. Janet:                                01:50                   You know, you make me wonder about the age old question. Is it nature or nurture? Can you make an entrepreneur or are you born with that mindset? Thom:                               02:01                   yeah. I, I appreciate this question. I love debunking it every chance I get because I think it's an insidious inference. That you have to be born with entrepreneurial DNA, so to speak. it's my firm belief that we're all hardwired to be entrepreneurial, but what isn't equally distributed are the resources, the encouragement, the environment, the assets to realize or accentuate or pronounce that innate ability that we all have now, and for some people it's just they just never get a chance to express it, but if you give them that opportunity, that encouragement, that support, everybody's got the potential to be quite entrepreneurial. Janet:                                02:46                   I think of it a very essentially is the ability to be creative and to problem solve. And sometimes that's to make money for yourself. Sometimes that's to make money for your business and sometimes it's to figure out what to do when you burn the cake. Thom:                               03:02                   It's a way of thinking. We refer to the vernacular that's very common now is calling it the mindset, right? We define that as the underlying beliefs and assumptions that drive successful behavior. So what is it intrinsically that motivates you, that drives your locus of control to say, I'm dissatisfied with my current state of existence. I want something better. I want to be something better. And I can express that I can achieve that goal by providing value to others and that value is manifest in either a product or a service or a performance that I do for, you know, an existing employer. But somehow I bring value to others and for that, you know, I have economic stability in my life. And then all the rest is a question of scale. So you can do that for more people in, at a higher scale than your economic reward for that is greater. But that's the essence of really what drives what we do. Janet:                                04:04                   Thom, I'm dying to ask you this question. It's about the hustle mentality and there's a lot of really strong debate on both sides going on online between those Internet entrepreneurs that have gone out there and said, hustle, hustle, hustle, work seven days a week, put it all in. And then ultimately you're going to get rich. And let's face it, the get rich part is going to be probably a single digit percentage of folks out there. The "make a good life, make a good living" part is much greater. But the hustle mentality that you, you are not a good entrepreneur if you're not working, you know, 16 hours a day, seven days a week. Thom:                               04:47                   Yeah. I think that's again, one of those wonderful myths or cliches. Probably a better way to state it, of entrepreneurship, right? That you have to deplete yourself and sacrifice sleep and relationships and everything else in furtherance of your entrepreneurial pursuit. To me that's just silly, right? A ton of effort without direction is meaningless. There are certainly times when you're going to have to burn the candle on both ends, right? Product launch, you know, large, large event. You got to prep for the CES show for example. But yeah, you're going to have to have a couple of weekends who are going to go sleep deprived and you got to burn the midnight oil. But if you are doing that as a sustaining a status quo without understanding why, then you should really be questioning what you're doing. And I think the smarter play or, or let's just say that more balanced play is if you get to some sort of self defined equilibrium, you know, I need to financially achieve x, Y, or Z, or I need to have a company that allows me to control or the flexibility to work when I choose to work, whatever that is, that's different for different people, right? Thom:                               06:05                   But if you can "know thyself," so to speak and work a plan that achieves that, then I think you've accomplished something. And if that means you can do that 20 hours a week, you know, God bless you, that's great. If you have to do 60 hours a week to attain that, well, and that's what you have to do. And then at some point you need to decide does that work for you? But, but understand why it is you're doing what you're doing. I didn't give you the red meat answer to that. Thom:                               06:34                   Really what it says. I think it's just a stupid argument and people really delude themselves on, and I've seen this where people are unsuccessful and then they throw their hands up in the air and go, how can I be unsuccessful? "I've been working 16 hours a day." If you've been doing 16 hours a day of the wrong stuff, it doesn't matter that you're doing 16 hours a day. If you were doing six hours a day of the right things to do, you might be wildly successful. Right? So this notion that I have to suffer for my craft, that's part of the process. That's just, again, that's movies, this the stuff of lore and legend, not reality, Janet:                                07:14                   Right. Well, and we all get sold a bill of goods because what we're looking at is the online influencers, public persona. We have no idea what happens when he gets home to talk to the wife or the kids and a lot of the other things. We're only seeing the story that is the way they choose to portray. Thom:                               07:36                   It's crafted. Everybody has a perfect life on Instagram and Facebook, Speaker 2:                        07:40                   Entrepreneurial mindset. I think I've had it my whole life. I just never quite saw how to put it into action and I understand that part of what NC IDEA is doing is actually creating facilitators to help people think through that process. Thom:                               07:59                   We are absolutely helping facilitators and others help other people get that orientation towards action. You know, we find, and I have found doing the work I do literally all over the world in services, some great organizations like the World Economic Forum, not to mention Kaufman and others that people can get to that exciting excitement stage. Like I've got the idea or I've got a notion of an opportunity, you know, I get this antsiness like I really want to do something about it and that's where it stops, right? Because they get home and the kids are driving them crazy and there's a good movie starting tonight or I jump on facebook and three hours later, you know, I'm not getting anything done. So we really want to help people understand that it's a bit of a self awareness. When am I failing to do anything beyond just getting excited? Because there again, right? Excitement and energy without action is a very little value. Thom:                               09:08                   The law of diminishing returns, a accelerates very quickly there. So what we try to do is say, you know, recognize that in yourself when you're at that stage and say, okay, for those that can then you know, and maybe it could be the epiphany of, oh, this is going to be harder than I thought and I'm not going to do it. Then great. At least you can stop deluding yourself that, you know, "I coulda been somebody". Obviously I'm being tongue in cheek with that, but, but more to the, our hope is that people will go, oh, okay, now I understand. I, I have to now do small tests, right? I have to see, okay, how viable is this idea and how do I start getting some feedback and how do I just for me and the team here is probably tired of hearing me say it. Thom:                               09:53                   I call it. It's a game of forward momentum entrepreneurship. Unfortunately in public it looks like these giant strides, right? It went huge. I sold it and made a ton of money. In reality, it's really more about just moving forward. Some days you're going to move forward by an inch. Some days it's going to be by a mile, right? But as long as you're moving forward, you have forward momentum. You're, you're doing all right and you should be happy with yourself that you're doing all right because that will, as long as you're moving forward, you'll have something to react to that you didn't have to react to yesterday because the market will tell you something, potential customers, we're telling you something. Suppliers will tell you something. Employer employees will tell you something. You'll be learning and then making decisions that are informed by the goal at the end, Janet:                                10:43                   You're doing such a great job with myth busting. I want to throw another one at you and that is one of the things that I have heard is your business, your entrepreneurial ideas never going anywhere unless you are 100 percent all in in essence, basically saying, if you haven't saved up enough money to quit your job, you know too bad, you're not going to be a success. If you're not all-in, what do you think about that? Thom:                               11:11                   I think that this notion that you have to be all-in in order to be successful is nuanced and again, I think it distracts from more relevant questions, but I'll. I'll bite and give you a reaction to it. It's this notion, right? When an explorer hits the foreign shore, they burn their boats because they know now going back is not an option and the theory is that that somehow puts you in this mindset that you'll work harder, you'll work longer. It feeds this narrative of the suffering entrepreneur and that's why I'm not very keen on this notion. That being said, there is plenty of data that says, Hey, if you're still keeping your day job right, which is presumably 45 hours a week and you're trying this other thing, you probably don't have enough hours in the day to apply to your entrepreneurial startup. That's where this starts, this are you all in or not. Thom:                               12:13                   That's when the narrative starts becoming way more nuanced. That means maybe your company is going to grow slower than it might otherwise if you were full time, 50 hours a week on it, you know, like you are at your job and those, those aren't wrong or right answers. Those are just certain realities of time utilization and applying it towards things that need to get done. And so when people try to cast this notion like, well, we can't like that because you haven't quit your job to do this yet. Would just say statistically I have a bias against potential the potential for that from a pay standpoint. But if you can show me how, what time you can apply to it is adequate for the progression, the forward momentum, as I alluded to earlier for the business, then I'm fine with that. Janet:                                13:05                   All right, that makes sense. I'd love for you to compare and contrast the US entrepreneurial mindset or ecosystem with your experience in the World Economic Forum as you've worked with, I assume, countries around the world. What's different and what's the same? Thom:                               13:25                   Thank you. That's an interesting question. I have worked with and for NGOs, universities, foreign governments, and quite literally, I like it because of the alliteration, but literally from Brazil to Bangladesh and have seen every slice of entrepreneurial humanity that the world has to offer. And there's a couple of observations I have from this first and foremost, and this goes into public perception and myth busting right? I think in the US there's this notion that we are the world leader in entrepreneurship. And again, spoiler alert, we're not. What has been the kind of the, American secret of entrepreneurship that is been unleashed around the world and the rest of the world is awakening to what had been historically a US competitive advantage. So thank Israel, for example. Israel on multiple ways that you might measure is probably the world leader right now in entrepreneurship and early stage activities. Thom:                               14:31                   They've put billions of dollars into funding startup early stage type of things. They've invested heavily in technology transfer and commercialization from universities. They had great corporate partnerships. They reach internationally, they go anywhere in the world where if there's a piece of technology that advances something. So there's that reality of our observation. The other observation I've had is I'm the kind of learning and teaching front of entrepreneurship. In the US, what dominates a lot of curricular or training programs or on entrepreneurship or what I refer to loosely as the silicon valley narrative, which is a plan and pitch type of entrepreneurship curriculum, namely I have to come up with a big idea. I write a plan around it. I shopped that plan to some folks to fund it. I grow something very quickly and I exit and you've heard that a thousand times over, right? Thom:                               15:29                   That dominates, especially in academia, in higher ed. That dominates many of the programs. And that's really, I think it's problematic in a couple of ways. First of all, and most importantly it presupposes or it begins with an individual that has already identified as being entrepreneurial. So like if I'm a student now I'm opting in to major in entrepreneurship. As silly as that is of a notion I've already self selected. Right? So I've been activated. So what higher ed and academia is missing is that broader, much larger swath of the population that has entrepreneurial potential. They just haven't been activated yet. They haven't been exposed to something that flips that switch, so to speak, and that's the difference internationally. So there. Then I use the example of the Ice House curriculum that I we talked about earlier when we were deploying that curriculum at my time in Kauffman. We were deploying it in the US and we're deploying it internationally and I'm happy to say that that program is actually being taught on five continents right now and it's been translated into other languages like Spanish and Portuguese. And what the rest of the world has understood is that if you go earlier stage and you focus on the mindset, we can mobilize more people working towards something entrepreneurial and whereas nobody can predict, you know, the winners and losers. It's still is a numbers game and if you can fill the top of the funnel, you know much faster with more numbers, you're going to have better outcomes on the bottom and adoption of that program. And, and deployment of that program. Is actually growing faster outside the US than it is inside the US. Janet:                                17:19                   Now Your Ice House entrepreneurship program, you are talking to community colleges, four year universities, small business centers. I contend you're in the wrong place. You need to be in elementary school. Thom:                               17:31                   Well, we're certainly already in a middle schools and high schools. So you're absolutely right. You know, and this is the work of Ted Dinter Smith and Tony Wagner and others that are working on kind of a innovation narrative much earlier and there's been studies on this too, right? We beat creativity out of kids going through the, you know, the public school and public education process. So I couldn't agree with you more, you know, and, and even in a very unsophisticated way, I just look at my own kids. I have three children and they're adults now, but they were all entrepreneurs growing up because they've lived in a house with a crazy dad who started and sold a company every three to five years. And you know, for them that was kind of the water that they swam in. So, you know, all three of them graduating college. No student debt, you know, my son just bought his first starter home, didn't need me to co-sign. That's because they had been starting and growing companies and my, my youngest daughter was I think started the earliest at nine, but they all were running businesses and they just saw entrepreneurship as a way to get what you want from life, right. That we have to make a more common experience for as many people as possible. Janet:                                18:48                   Right. Well, I remember seeing a story in social media about the young man who had the hot dog stand and somebody called to complain about him and for once government did the right thing. They worked with this kid to get a health license. They got him the things that he needed to make sure he was testing the heat of the water, and they made him a more successful entrepreneur than shutting him down. And when I hear about people calling the cops on lemonade stands, I'm like 'Really?' that's not in the right mindset. Thom:                               19:22                   Wouldn't it be wonderful if there were more of those types of examples? There was one of the stories I'm most enamored with I had the good fortune several years ago to meet the founders of a company called Missouri Star Quilt Company in the Missouri Star Quilt Company is in Hamilton, Missouri, a population I think like 2,400. So this is small town USA, you know, anywhere in the country, the abandoned main street. From what I understand it is the birthplace of JC Penney, long since gone. And there was this family, it was a family with seven children that really out of a notion to give their mother or something to do or their mother, Jenny Doan was very much into quilting. Quilting was her passion, her hobby. So they bought. I'm giving you the very abbreviated story. There's tons of videos on this and I encourage you highly to google it, but they basically bought her a piece of equipment so that she could start doing some quilting activity. Thom:                               20:29                   And they thought, well, you know, maybe we could put a little small business around this, what we would call a side hustle today. Right? And then they use tools that are out there, they taught themselves things like youtube as a broadcast channel. And what can we do? Jenny has very, the camera just loves her. She's got this just genial style to her teaching. Quilting comes natural to her and pretty soon, you know, they had 500 followers. They had 5,000, they had 50,000. They now have followers on their channels that are seven figures in the. Fast forward to the present. Missouri Star Quilt Company is a very large company. It's the largest employer within a 50 mile radius. They processed 2,000 orders a day, right? And this is supplying the quilting industry. This isn't an APP that whatever cracks your DNA for you. this isn't a biotech life science, you know, bionic, you know, artificial limbs, better solar powered. Thom:                               21:32                   This is quilting fabric and patterns and colors. And, and, and to say nothing of how they've revitalized the whole downtown. So the company is pretty much bought up all of main street and it's a destination. It's a Disneyland for quilters and they have B&B's. Now there they have multiple themed storefronts, so there's seven or eight, so they have one Missouri Star Quilt Company and it's all things fourth of July, they have one that's all things Halloween. One thing that's all things Christmas and it's a destination and it's revitalized this town and it's not high tech and any of that stuff. Right? That just demonstrates that the potential to transform especially large parts of our rural communities that it becomes so economically disenfranchised. Entrepreneurship has the power to turn that around. Thom:                               22:26                   I love this story so much because it is the power of a few people building something amazing. And recently Raleigh has been in a situation where we've been competing to bring a very, very large presence, both apple and Amazon to our town. And I see that as kind of the exact opposite, but I'm not sure that the upside of something that large is very good. Thom:                               22:56                   So, you know, I'd like to say tongue in cheek that we won both hq two and the apple by not winning. And I think that's true for a lot of the communities. We're, we have the good fortune in the triangle here that we are flush with resources, so we probably could have afforded or accommodated whatever exorbitant financial incentives package was given to them, but certainly many of the communities, that pitched for these opportunities could ill afford it and if they had won, it would have been financially catastrophic. Beyond that, what's more perverse to that process than trying to bribe large established companies that have the kind of cash reservoirs at both of those companies have, beyond that, what's perverse about that is the missed opportunity to think if we have the collective political will and are willing to allocate the resources we going to throw at these companies, why don't we invest in ourselves? Speaker 3:                        24:02                   Why can't we see a way forward to, to draft policy and programs that put money into economic gardening so that we plant the seeds and build the next Amazon, the next 10. Amazon's as opposed to trying to buy them or bribe them. Right? This is a challenge. This, this smokestack chasing as an economic development practice, needs to die a swift and ugly death because it is flawed in its thinking. If you want to see an example of how that might look, you only have to look to my home state or at least used to be home state because now I'm proudly as citizen of North Carolina, but Ohio passed several years ago. This initiative called the third frontier initiative and it passed by voters. It was a referendum that went to the ballot and it passed twice. So there was the initial $900MM allocation and then another I think $400MM or $500MM bond issuance. So Ohio through popular vote that sustained and survived transitioning from an R to a D and back to an R. So it wasn't a partisan football, right? They both parties had enough sense not to kill the golden goose and that what it did was it it pumped, it injected, you know, close to one and a half billion dollars into early stage entrepreneurial support activities and it has paid multiples multiples on returns. Thom:                               25:40                   This is the kind of thinking I would love to see come to North Carolina. I don't know in the current political environment if there's the political will because it, it seems nowadays that an idea is measured by who had it versus the merit of it and I'm hopeful that there's going to be some political winds of change coming so that we can start once again arguing about the potential of ideas and not based upon who had them Janet:                                26:10                   Exactly. As you referenced, the Gardening Motif. We need to be planting seeds and seeing what grows and creating a fertile environment to make that happen. If you just try to bring in a fully grown pumpkin and plop it down, ultimately it's going to kill what's under it and ultimately it's going to decay and I don't see a big, big move like that. If they were talking 3000 jobs, maybe that would have been much healthier, but 10,000 has got to canibalize what's going on in our current community. Thom:                               26:46                   I couldn't agree more and I think if you need evidence of that, read very closely. A lot of the public narrative around that and see if you can pick out what's absent from a lot of that public narrative and what I am now. I'll lead the witness here. What's absent is very a heartfelt, genuine support from the large corporate community and who would blame them, right? Every large corporation that's been a great tenant and steward in North Carolina has been growing without handouts, right? Without incentives. Just quietly going about doing their thing and being loyal to the state. They are all. Everybody's competing for talent right now and there's a great shortage and now you're going to say, oh, here's this great big thing that's going to be the sexy new that's going to be competing for the people. You can't find it as it is, and we're going to pop that right in your backyard right now. It's hard to get excited about that. Yeah, yeah. They're going to be good citizens. They'll give some perfunctory statement, but I know people that work at these organizations and they have many of them told me privately, yeah, we're not going to shed a tear if they go elsewhere. Janet:                                28:05                   So that's the biggest of the big. Now let's talk about the smallest of the smallest briefly. One of the things that I love about NC IDEA is what you call your family and that people who've been through one of the NC IDEA programs, processes, grant awards, they're very vested in that aren't they? Thom:                               28:28                   Yeah, I mean we really think and know through our own experience. We have the privilege to work with our folks at a discrete moment in time, a discrete point in their adventure, their journey of entrepreneurship. You know, we want them to know that for the time we were officially together, which might be defined by the term of the grant period, we're vested in their success and, and forward momentum, but well beyond. We want them to know that we're here for them and a resource to go forward because, you know, this is this critical mass feeds the ecosystem and where we can have more and more people getting involved and having these peer to peer relationships. This virtuous cycle starts from it. So for example, we host, with, with relative frequency, a, what we call kind of tongue and cheek, alumni events. Thom:                               29:24                   We bring folks, we invite people. We have a newsletter that we publish lucidly just to alumni. We have a slack channel just for them. And so every other month or so we say, okay, you know, I'll, I'll pick up the beer tab and we'll have some hors d'oeuvres thrown out there, but you know, if you want to come by and catch up and talk to others, you know, feel free to do. And we are always humbled by the number of people that want to come in. And they just, they say, listen, thank you. We appreciate this because it's kind of, you know, that designated time to stop and take a breath and get our batteries recharged. They just tell us the most flattering things that warms your heart and you realize, oh yeah, that's right. That's why we do what we do, right? Because we're helping these people and when they're wildly successful, then we've been very specific and deliberate about this particular. Thom:                               30:18                   Next point I'm about to make is we say, hey, listen, remember to pay it forward. At some point you're going to get, you're going to be successful and you're going to be in a capacity of not begging for resources and help and other things, but you actually going to be in a position to offer resources and help. And so please consider and remember us when, when that happens, we had it was, this was several of our labs cycles ago. one of the folks going through the labs program was just so enamored [with the program]. He came into my office, he snagged a piece of stationary. We have these cards that have our logo on the top and he grabbed it, grabbed a pen and a scribbled out I o n c idea $1,000,000. And he signed it. He said, I have no idea what I'm going to make good on this, but I will someday and I hope you'll be here and you'll have this when I can come in with that check. And obviously I don't expect that, but, metaphorically, the sentiment of what he is saying is what we're striving for, where everybody feels that they're part of something bigger because at some point a critical mass that again, that virtuous cycle kicks in. Janet:                                31:29                   That is awesome. And I very, very much look forward to having some of the scholarship recipients that you guys are going to be awarding attending CES with us this year. I think that is such a cool idea. Thom:                               31:44                   It'd be my pleasure and I'm expecting great things from them. Janet, thank you so much for helping make that happen. It's going to be very cool to see North Carolina has such a coordinated effort and, and frankly something that's going to make North Carolina look even better than it already does. Janet:                                32:00                   Absolutely. Well, thanks for being here, Thom. Thom:                               32:03                   It's my absolute pleasure. Janet:                                32:05                   You've been listening to Trade Show Live! On the Road, a podcast that's production of The Trade Show Manager and features an in depth look at the people, companies, organizations that bring trade shows to life.  

While working together at Falfurrias Capital, Rob Cummings and Ben Harrison experienced a need for vertically-focused software for the deal making industry.  What ensued was an 8-year growth story that achieved a significant milestone when DealCloud was sold to Intapp, Inc. in August 2018.  Make no mistake, DealCloud is still growing at a rapid pace and is a critical component to the Intapp growth story.  But for Rob and Ben, getting to an exit event capped an incredible run together from when they started as a 2-man operation inside of a “closet” at Packard Place. Now that the company has been sold – making legends out of Ben and Rob in Charlotte’s still young startup scene – I wanted to sit down and talk with Ben and Rob about their experience.  Sure AvidXchange and Red Ventures and even Lending Tree have made it big but DealCloud signals new times for Charlotte’s entrepreneurs. This feels different.  It was a homegrown team who raised money through multiple rounds and sold the business at life changing terms. Listen to Ben share a few stories of the early days.  How they had to hustle for deals and stay with friends and relatives on trips to Atlanta to save costs. It’s funny to hear Rob talk about where he was when the deal was announced and how that day fell into place.  It all worked out in the end and they are here to tell you more than you’ve probably heard them tell before.  It’s a great episode and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did recording it. Local Notes and thoughts: This is a time of year to be grateful for what we have in our lives.  As a community of people interested in watching Charlotte succeed as a startup hub, 2019 has been a very positive year and something we can all look back on as phenomenal year of growth.  Let’s look back on the positive things to celebrate from 2018 in Charlotte: DealCloud becomes a true exit story (read the story from the Charlotte Observer here). Passport raises $43 million from Bain Capital and is well on its way to being another unicorn startup here in Charlotte (read the story here). Tresata raises $50 million and joins Avid and Red Ventures as recent Charlotte unicorns (read the story here). Venture for America introduces another group of motivated fellows for Charlotte area startups (read the full story here). StartCharlotte and Innovate Charlotte both received $100,000 grants from NC Idea – propelling their growth and cementing their place in Charlotte’s startup ecosystem. Local startups like Skipper and Rabbu – among others raise money locally and from afar. Collective Hustle is founded by four women to make entrepreneurship and investing more accessible in Charlotte. Sam Smith announces the first Seed the South – highlighting Charlotte’s entrepreneurial ecosystem – will be January 9, 2019. Scott Pope launches the NC Health Innovators – which is working to put Charlotte on the map as a healthcare as a business startup ecosystem (read about their latest event here).

QC Fintech Class 9 is getting ready for its demo day which coincides with the Southeast Fintech Venture Conference on November 14.  In preparation, we had the opportunity to talk with three different founders companies who are part of Class 9: iTrust – (www.itrustinc.com) -  Trevor Horwitz Mimble (www.mimble.co) – Chad Huber AMUS (www.askmyunclesam.com) – Busayo Ogunsanya After getting to know each of the companies and their founders on the podcast, we dive into the topic of what allows them to come back to Charlotte in 5 years and celebrate their success as entrepreneurs.  After all, every startup city is littered with great ideas which never gained traction, found investors or made it through the difficult path of success. We also dive into the discussion of investors.  What’s it like to talk with investors as young companies and how soon is too soon to start the discussion. One interesting topic we discuss is what success means for each founder. Is an IPO the only way to go for these founders or is there something before? Local notes and thoughts: Thank you to Dan Roselli and his team at Packard Place for our first sponsorship. They have hosted more than 2 dozen of our interviews over the last couple of months and have offered one of their used Yeti’s for us to use with guests when we go offsite. They are a great community supporter for all things startup in Charlotte. NC IDEA recently issued two $100,000 grants to Charlotte entities – StartCharlotte (led by Juan Garzon) and Innovate Charlotte (with Keith Luedeman currently serving as interim leader of the organization). It should be very exciting for the Charlotte Startup community that both of these local organizations have some fresh capital to continue serving the ecosystem? Go support high school area entrepreneurs at the Techstars Startup Weekend Charlotte Youth. It starts on Friday November 2 with the demo day on Sunday afternoon at Johnson C. Smith University (Stem Hall).  Buy Demo tickets here - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/techstars-startup-weekend-charlotte-youth-november-2018-tickets-50613935644 Don’t forget to register for the Southeast Fintech Venture Conference on November 14 (click here). If you don’t have the time, or the money, to come to the full day event please come support the QC Fintech Class 9 companies at the end of the day.  It’s FREE and starts at 5pm (click here). Collective Hustle is an investor and startup coalition looking to improve the Queen City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. They meet monthly and their next event is coming up on November 7 – you can register by clicking here.  It’s a great panel discussion with the topic of “How to land a meeting with an investor.”     William Bissett is an Investment Advisor Representative with Secrest Blakey & Associates, a Registered Investment Adviser.  Opinions expressed on this program do not necessarily reflect those of Secrest Blakey & Associates. The topics discussed and opinions given are not intended to address the specific needs of any listener.  Secrest Blakey & Associates does not offer legal or tax advice, listeners are encouraged to discuss their financial needs with the appropriate professional regarding your individual circumstance.  Investments described herein may be speculative and may involve a substantial risk of loss. Interests may be offered only to persons who qualify as accredited investors under the Securities Act, and a Qualified Purchaser as defined in Section 2(a)(51)(A) under the Company Act or an eligible employee of the management company. There generally is no public market for the Interests.  Prospective investors should particularly note that many factors affect performance, including changes in market conditions and interest rates, and other economic, political or financial developments. Past performance is not, and should not be construed as, indicative of future results.

Today on the Charlotte Angel Connection, we welcome back Thom Ruhe - the CEO and President of NC IDEA for the second part of our interview. Thom has been at NC IDEA since February 2016 and has already made great strides into continuing to develop and enhance entrepreneurship in North Carolina. Again this is a longer discussion but a worthwhile one for us to exceed our typical time limit. Today we start off the interview talking about Thom’s first impression of Charlotte after taking the job and what it takes to move the startup needle further in Charlotte.  Thom talks about the KeyBank giving $24 million to JumpStart – a similar organization to NC IDEA in Cleveland – but there is still a lack of support among the corporations in Charlotte. We talk about human capital – how the big corporations are allowing employee’s volunteer time to support efforts like QC Fintech – and how that is different from financial capital.  Finally, Thom touches on the intellectual capital as well. Thom also talks about how banks can be the first customer to many of these Fintech companies and how the ‘first customer’ issue many startups face could be lowered if the banks opened up a little more.  As he talks about it though, he mentions how this process could be messy and ‘chunky’ and not a panacea.  However, it could be just as important for startups to have the banks serve as first customers as it would be to have them be early stage investors. Thom and I further discuss how early stage capital is developing in Charlotte.  We now have the Charlotte Angel Fund, VentureSouth, IDEA Fund, Wolfpack Investment Network (WIN), Duke Angel Network (DAN), and Carolina Angel Network (CAN).  The North Carolina Venture Capital Multiplier Fund run by Hatteras Venture Partners also has a sidecar fund that will co-invest along with WIN, DAN, and CAN.  Ideally, Thom would like to see this network of university led investor networks expand into Charlotte through Davidson and UNCC. Thom continues to go back to the three different types of capital in Charlotte.  How do we further develop the talent in Charlotte as we don’t have a ton of serial entrepreneurs? I asked Thom about the perception that NC IDEA doesn’t support the Charlotte startup scene.  His response is eye opening and should continue to light a fire under Charlotte entrepreneurs. We talk about how Charlotte still has a ‘cool club’ feel to the startup ecosystem and Thom tosses out some thoughts on that as well. We wrap up with Thom’s thoughts on HQ2 and the bidding process that has taken place. Stay tuned for next week when we release our first of two podcasts with Alan Fitzpatrick Co-Founder of Open Broadband.  Alan’s long-term involvement in the Charlotte startup scene makes him a very well respected person but his startup is the main topic of our conversation.  Join us to learn more about how they are doing!  

Today on the Charlotte Angel Connection, we welcome Thom Ruhe - the CEO and President of NC IDEA for the first of a two part interview.  Thom has been at NC IDEA since February 2016 and has already made great strides into continuing to develop and enhance entrepreneurship in North Carolina. Many in Charlotte see a favoritism to the Triangle from NC IDEA so I wanted to talk with Thom to figure out who he was, what NC IDEA is doing and how it impacts Charlotte.  What ended up happening was a great discussion on all things start in North Carolina and Charlotte in a very open and candid conversation. Thom wants to see success here in Charlotte's startup scene - I have no question about that.  Thom also believes NC IDEA can help in several ways.  Today's discussion dove into the following questions: 1) What are the four programs currently offered by NC IDEA and what do they do? 2) What did Thom bring from the Kauffman Foundation to NC IDEA? 3) What has best equipped Thom over the years as an entrepreneur, investor, mentor, advisor and volunteer to lead NC IDEA? 4) Can NC IDEA effectively support the entire state of NC? 5) Charlotte doesn't have the benefit of a large research institution, medical school or other attributes typical for many startup areas.  What is the future of startups in Charlotte? Listen to Part I and then wait for Part II where we dig deeper into what Thom thinks can make Charlotte more successful in the startup scene, Charlotte's perception of being slighted by NC IDEA and the state, Amazon HQ2, and Greg's Brown welcoming to the NC IDEA Board.

Today we have the second part of the two part series with three companies from Class 7 of QC Fintech.   Sheena Allen from Capway, James Safran from Qbrics, and Christian Zimmerman and Nate Washington from Qoins joined us to discuss their startups and life inside of Class 7. If you want to see the companies after they have wrapped up you can come to the Southeast Fintech Venture Conference on November 20th (an all day event at Barings new headquarters in Charlotte) or just come out to listen to Class 7 at their Demo Day.  Check out our recent podcast with Dan Roselli and Sarah Smith to learn more about the upcoming Venture Conference. In today’s interview, I wanted to focus on the companies a little more and their experiences.  As such, we dig into the following questions: What’s been their biggest failure (or challenge) to date? How do reach out to the partner companies? In essence, they all have to work with large financial companies in some way.  How do they reach out and start the conversations to gain ‘traction’. Have they hard startup experience in the past and if so what did they learn from those previous experiences that is helping them today? What is the camaraderie like in the class? Is there fighting within the program or do they support and help each other? What is success for each company? Are they raising money? Stick around for next week as we have our first part of a two part series with Thom Ruhe – the President and CEO of NC IDEA. Thom has ton of experience in the startup world and developing/nurturing the ecosystems supporting them.  As such we dive into the role of NC IDEA, what programs they run, more about Tom’s history and what brought him here. We also dig into the thorny questions about what’s missing in Charlotte from a startup perspective, why Charlotte feels slighted from NC IDEA, should we want HQ2 and much, much more.  Check back next week for another episode of the Charlotte Angel Connection.

  Today we welcome back Dan Roselli, Co-Founder and Managing Director of QC Fintech, and Sarah Smith, Program Manager for QC Fintech and a 2016 Venture for America Fellow. Dan, Sarah and the rest of the team at QC Fintech are bringing Charlotte its’ first venture conference - the Southeast Fintech Venture Conference on November 20, 2017.  The event will be hosted at Barings brand new global headquarters which is right across the street from Packard Place - home of QC Fintech. Our conversation covers a wide array of topics mainly centered on what is the Southeast Fintech Venture Conference and how it can and will impact Charlotte’s startup ecosystem moving forward.  As such we cover the following and more: Why do a Fintech Venture Conference in the first place? What’s it been like for the QC Fintech accelerator to expand from 1 class to 2 classes this year? What has it taken to develop and host a Fintech Venture Conference in Charlotte? What is the next mountain to climb for Dan, Sarah and the rest of QC Fintech? Speaking of mountains, listen to the 2011 launch of Packard Place and how it jumpstarted Charlotte’s startup scene. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1HFGhHdo7M Is there a missing component in the Charlotte startup scene right now? How important has it been to have Barings be the sponsor of the Southeast Fintech Venture Conference? Is QC Fintech and the Southeast Fintech Venture Conference an economic development recruitment tool for Charlotte? How can Charlotte compete against London and New York as a Fintech hub? Next week, we have the first part of a two part interview with the founders of Qbrics, Qoins, and Capway and then have a Thom Ruhe from NC IDEA.  So stay tuned for a number of great interview on the horizon for the Charlotte Angel Connection. For more information on the companies presenting at the Southeast Fintech Venture Conference, please see the list below: · Honeyfi · uBack · Ceterus · VITAL4DATA · Medxoom · Trust Stamp · WalletFi · Yellow Card Financial · Accelerator Partner The Venture Center: Monotto & LumoXchange · Accelerator Partner SixThirty: Cheddar & Painless1099 · Accelerator Partner MACH37: ThreatSwitch & NormShield · Catapult · MyLumper · Payzer And the list of fantastic companies in QC Fintech Class 7 is: · CapWay · QBRICS · Veriphy Analytics · Hardbacon · Speakalytics · Qoins · Tookitaki · Remotize · Quarule

Ep 131 Jon Colgan of CellBreaker.com joins Nathan. Jon Colgan is founder of www.CellBreaker.com , an NC IDEA grant recipient (2013) and 500 Startups accelerant (2015). Fun fact: To talk about CellBreaker, Jon was the last scheduled interviewee with Diane Sawyer before she retired as ABC World News nightly anchor in 2014. Funner fact: Jon hasn’t brushed his hair since the 7th grade. As a lifelong entrepreneur and former UNC ethics debate captain, Jon’s mission is simple: give consumers confidence to veto bills they don’t owe. YOUR $100: Remember to subscribe to the show on itunes then text the word "nathan" to 33444 to confirm that you've done it to enter to win $100 every Monday on the show. Do this now. Stop reading this and do it! Click here to join the top tribe and instantly learn how Nathan made his first $10k at 19 years old: http://nathanlatka.com/startertribelive 3 Key Points: Play the strength of your hand, not your bank account. Large companies can’t keep up with the changes they make to their own contracts. Justice as a Service businesses are growing and growing rapidly. Episode Notes:  01:00 – Nathan’s introduction to today’s show 01:39 – Jon Colgan joins the podcast 02:20 – What CellBreaker means 02:40 – Helps people OUT of cell phone contracts they don’t want 03:15 – The Cell Breaker revenue model 03:40 – A real-life sample of how Cell Breaker works 04:40 – Cell Breaker is a REALLY efficient way to enforce the contract as written 05:50 – In August of 2015, Cell Breaker say 13,000 customers pass through 07:00 – Determinants for fulfillment 07:20 – The fall rate for Cell Breaker 07:45 – Cell Breaker’s success rate is 100%–They’ve never lost a case 08:15 – The highest density of hatred for any carrier is tied between Verizon and Sprint 09:15 – Prior to 2011, state consumer protection laws allowed people to band together and forge class action lawsuits against consumer goods providers 10:45 – As a business, Cell Breaker is all about efficiency 11:16 – Cell Breaker’s competition?—“Justice as a Service” businesses 12:40 — @JonColgan or FredoParedo.com 13:00 – The Cell Breaker Team 14:08 – Cell Breaker is hoping to raise $1.5M in equity 15:38 – Famous Five Resources Mentioned: Growth Geeks – The way Nathan hires growth hackers on a per project basis for things like info graphics, blog posts, and other growth projects @JonColgan – Jon Colgan’s Twitter handle Fredo Pareto – Jon’s blog Zero to One – Jon’s favorite business book Gyazo – Jon’s favorite online tool Famous 5 Favorite Book?— Zero to One What CEO do you follow?— Sylvain Dufour What is your favorite online tool?— Gyazo Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?— Play the strength of your hand, not the strength of your bank account.     Listen to The Top if you want to hear from the worlds TOP entrepreneurs on how much they sold last month, how they are selling it, and what they are selling - 7 days a week in 20 minute interviews! Join the Top Tribe at http://NathanLatka.com/TheTop The Top is FOR YOU if you are: A STUDENT who wants to become the CEO of a $10m company in under 24 months (episode #4) STUCK in the CORPORATE grind and looking to create a $10k/mo side business so you can quit (episode #7) An influencer or BLOGGER who wants to make $27k/mo in monthly RECURRING revenue to have the life you want and full CONTROL (episode #1) The Software as a Service (SaaS) entrepreneur who wants to grow to a $100m+ valuation (episode #14). Your host, Nathan Latka is a 25 year old software entrepreneur who has driven over $4.5 million in revenue and built a 25 person team as he dropped out of school, raised $2.5million from a Forbes Billionaire, and attracted over 10,000 paying customers from 160+ different countries.   Oprah gets 60 minutes or more to make her guests comfortable to then ask tough questions. Nathan does it all in less than 15 minutes in this daily podcast that's like an audio version of Pat Flynn's monthly income report. Join the Top Tribe at http://NathanLatka.com/TheTop