Shows
upsideRevisiting "Test City, USA" // now streaming online for free! [JE022]When we filmed Test City, USA in the summer of 2019 about the startup ecosystem in Columbus, Ohio, we knew the timing was special. Little did we know how good that timing was! Columbus has continued to gain momentum over the last two years. Here's a sample of the changes for companies and individuals featured in this film:Beam Dental - Raised $55M (2019) + $80M (March 2021) Mobikit - Acquired by Azuga (March 2021)Root - IPO raising $724.4M at $27/share (Oct. 2020) - valued at $6BRapchat - Raised $2.3M (May 2020)PopCom - $1.3M from crowdfunding (June 2020)ScriptDrop - $15M Series A...2021-06-1416 minupsideIntroducing When Pigs Fly [JE021]This week we’re excited to introduce you to the first new show on the upside podcast network: When Pigs Fly.Hosted by Allie Martin and Patrick Bailey, When Pigs Fly is a podcast that uncovers Cincinnati's rich business history from the 1800s to today.We talk to companies to learn the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, what it takes to grow a successful business and to simply prost to future innovation.When Pigs Fly will air every Tuesday beginning February 2 on the upside po...2021-02-0309 minupsideCraftom // making it easy for companies to ship customized gifts, office equipment, and more [UP081]Interview begins: 5:01Debrief: 40:42Caleb Musser is the founder and CEO of Craftom. Craftom is a B2B gifting and shipping platform that makes it easy to send hyper-designed corporate gifts, products and office equipment to anyone, whether they’re working from home, in the office, or somewhere else entirely.It started with a cigar box and a tough sales job. In 2013, Craftom founder Caleb Musser was searching for a unique way to stand out with business owners while selling printers and copiers door-to-door. So he...2021-01-2756 minupsideLandon Ainge of Assure Syndicates // matchmaking founders with the right venture investors [CC068]Interview begins: 6:02Debrief: 42.:02Landon Ainge is the Managing Director of Assure Syndicates.Assure Syndicates is a division of Assure. Assure is the pioneering leader in providing comprehensive structuring and administrative management services (specifically Special Purpose Vehicles) to the private investment ecosystem. Assure Syndicates’ mission is to connect the right investors with the right businesses.Assure Syndicates is a one-of-a-kind hybrid that aligns with fellow investors while advocating for the founder. We provide fundraising guidance to founders, then commit our own...2021-01-2050 minupsideBetween Two Hedges // building companies with one foot in and one foot outside Silicon Valley [CC067]Trent and Travis Hedge are brothers from Columbus, OH, who left for Silicon Valley. But since that time, both have continued to visit and advocate for Ohio and other parts of the country.Travis Hedge is the co-founder of Vouch Insurance (YC S19). Vouch Insurance is an insurance company designed for startups. It was developed by founders for founders and redesigned everything about business insurance from scratch. The company offers a platform that works with clients to manage, mitigate, and avoid risks. Vouch Insurance was founded in 2016 and has its offices in San Francisco...2021-01-131h 00upsideIntroducing Lay of the Land [JE019]This week we're excited to introduce you to the first new show on the upside podcast network: Lay of The Land.Jeffrey Stern is a New York City transplant building companies in Cleveland. And TheTagan is an Atlanta-born strategist with a passion for creating content to amplify voices.We love learning about the Cleveland ecosystem and, if you're listening to this podcast, we bet you do to. We both moved here to work at startups, and we've had our fair share of ups and downs. We use those experiences to have REAL conversations about both...2020-11-1804 minupsideHealium // self-management of stress using biofeedback and virtual reality [UP081]Interview begins: 7:01Debrief: 45:09Sarah Hill is the CEO and Chief Storyteller of Healium.Healium is a virtual and augmented reality tool for the self-management of stress powered by the user's own brainwaves and heart rate. Healium is the world’s first biometrically-powered VR/AR immersive media channel controlled by the user's brainwaves and heart rate via consumer wearables. Hill's XR experiences are clinically validated in 3 peer-reviewed journals and have been viewed more than 7 million times.After 20 years as a TV reporter cov...2020-11-041h 02upsideSuperRare // creating a tokenized digital art marketplace [UP080]Interview begins: 6:56Debrief: 54:04John Crain is the Founder and CEO of SuperRare.SuperRare is a marketplace to collect and trade unique, single-edition digital artworks. Each artwork is authentically created by an artist in the network, and tokenized as a crypto-collectible digital item that you can own and trade.Each artwork on SuperRare is a digital collectible– a digital object secured by cryptography and tracked on the blockchain. That’s just a fancy way of saying they’re provably scarce items that can be collected, and that hold v...2020-10-281h 08upsideNexme // an on demand real estate platform [UP079]Interview begins: 6:34Debrief: 51:42Vanessa is the Co-Founder and COO of Nexme.Nexme is an on demand real estate platform that delivers instant access to homes and full-service, professional real estate agents. All at the click of a button.Nexme charges buyers and sellers a 1.5% commission fee — roughly half of the traditional rate. It connects the site’s users with licensed real estate agents who have at least two years experience and done 10 transactions. Through the agents, it provides home sellers with services including staging, photography and open...2020-10-211h 05upsideRob Eloff of Lateral Capital // the history and future of venture capital in Africa [CC066]Interview begins: 7:18Debrief: 59:34Rob Eloff has spent his career investing, living, and working in developing markets. Prior to co-founding Lateral Capital he was a Venture Partner with Conversion Capital and established Frontier Dawn Partners, an evergreen vehicle for capital deployment to early-stage, technology-enabled founding teams in sub-Saharan Africa. Rob started his career in capital markets at JP Morgan, Johannesburg, became an Executive Director at Goldman Sachs and Investment Director at ACI. He spent ten years based in Johannesburg, Moscow, and London transitioning across hedge fund coverage and private equity buyout advisory i...2020-10-141h 06upsideJohn Fein and Chris Marks of Firebrand Ventures // why two venture firms merged to become one [CC065]Interview begins: 8:54Debrief: 45:54John Fein and Chris Marks are the managing partners of Firebrand Ventures.John started Firebrand Ventures in 2016, and we interviewed him in 2018.Prior to founding Firebrand, John served as Managing Director for Techstars, a leading startup accelerator with over 40 programs around the world. While at Techstars he ran three accelerator programs in Kansas City and invested in 30 startups. Companies that have gone through Techstars programs have raised a total of over $9 billion in funding and have a collective market cap of over $25 billion.2020-10-0753 minupsideNathan McDonald of Keiretsu Forum // a global community of angel investors with 53 chapters across four continents [CC064]Interview begins: 8:37Debrief: 58:58Nathan McDonald is the CEO and Managing Partner of Keiretsu Capital as well as the Chairman of the Keiretsu Forum Northwest.Keiretsu Forum is a global investment community of accredited private equity angel investors, venture capitalists, and corporate/institutional investors. Keiretsu Forum is a worldwide network of capital, resources, and deal flow with 53 chapters on 4 continents. Keiretsu Forum members invest in high-quality, diverse investment opportunities. Keiretsu Forum and Keiretsu Capital (the exclusive worldwide fund partner of Keiretsu Forum) are ranked as the most active venture investors in the...2020-09-301h 06upsideMary Grove of Bread & Butter Ventures // from Google and Rise of the Rest to Minneapolis [CC063]Interview begins: 10:30Debrief: 45:38Mary Grove is Managing Partner of Bread and Butter Ventures. She brings nearly two decades of leadership experience in technology, early-stage investing, and startup ecosystem growth. She began her career working on the Google IPO, and went on to lead new business development partnerships, negotiating early-stage product and technology deals worldwide. Mary then served as the founding director of Google for Startups, leading the company’s global efforts to support entrepreneurs in over 100 countries. After her 15 year career at Google, Mary worked as an investment partner at Revolution’s Ris...2020-09-2354 minupsideDocumo // Fax and document management for highly-regulated industries [UP078]Interview begins: 11:02Debrief: 53:06Matt Valeo is the founder and CEO of Documo. Documo creates document workflow solutions that make working with documents easy, more secure, and better for the planet. Their product suite includes mSign, mFax, and mDrive.Documo was founded in 2017 and based in Las Vegas, Nevada.Key points: Poker as a profession 11:21Moving to San Diego 17:41What keeps faxing around 22:17Rebranding 26:39Documo and Bootstrapping 28:05Documo's Niche 30;29What does Documo offer 35:22Documo culture 45:13Learn more about Documo: https://www.documo.com/ 2020-09-161h 03upsideAshley Flucas of Flucas Ventures // turning 100 angel investments into an AngelList syndicate [CC062]Interview begins: 8:44Debrief: 51:53Ashley Flucas is an angel investor and syndicate lead with Flucas Ventures.By day, Ashley is a general counsel/partner at a real estate finance fund (infrastructure, sports arenas and large-scale condo, apartment and commercial buildings) with approx $3B AUM (LPs are overseas HNWIs).By night, she is an active angel investor who has participated in more than 100 deals through AngelList and direct investment.Flucas Ventures is sector and geography agnostic primarily focused on pre-seed to series A-stage...2020-09-0956 minupsideEinar Vollset of TinySeed // lessons from the first cohort of the accelerator for bootstrappers [CC061]Interview begins: 9:28Debrief: 35:09Einar Vollset is a General Partner at TinySeed.TinySeed is a year-long, remote accelerator designed for early-stage SaaS founders.He is also a YC-alum, former Cornell CS Professor, and the founder of Discretion Capital, a tech-focused M&A investment bank. He sold his first startup to Google in 2010 and exited his most recent in 2016.Know more about Einar Vollset: https://tinyseed.com/people TinySeed Website: https://tinyseed.com/ Listen to our interview with Rob Wa...2020-09-0241 minupsideSLP Toolkit // Helping Speech Language Pathologists manage their caseloads [UP077]Interview begins: 8:54Debrief: 1:02:09SLP Toolkit™ is a web-based app with built in assessments and tools that give a school-based Speech Language Pathologist the confidence s/he needs to take charge of her busy caseload. The software is designed to help SLPs collect data to determine communication strengths and needs, as well as monitor progress over time. Features include built-in present level assessments, progress monitoring tools, daily data, strategies for teachers/parents, a therapy scheduler, and a customizable goal bank.Lisa Kathman and Sar...2020-08-261h 12upsideRootine // Personalized daily health using DNA, blood levels, and lifestyle data [UP076]Interview begins: 6:52Debrief: 44:32Rachel Sanders is the co-founder and CEO of Rootine.Rootine was founded in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2018 and creates custom daily vitamins based on your DNA, lifestyle, and blood level data.Follow Rachel Sanders: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-soper-sanders/Website: https://rootine.co/Key Points:The genius behind Rootine 8:53Fads and the underlying truth 9:55What makes Rootine? 11:52Rootine personalizing your vitamins 16:53Results with Rootine 20:20Rootine earning as a business 21:14Commercializing Rootine 26:51Raising capital for Rootine 27:44Data...2020-08-191h 01upside.CLUB // exclusive rights to sell a generic top level domain name [UP075]Interview begins: 7:12Debrief: 48:41Colin Campbell is the founder and chairman of.CLUB Domains, a domain registry that owns the generic top-level domain rights to .club domains. Colin took two internet company's public in the heat of the 1990s and is a wealth of knowledge on all things internet. Domains are released by ICANN irregularly with the last offering in 2012, and Colin was able to secure the rights to.CLUB..CLUB Domains was founded in 2011 and based in Ft...2020-08-121h 03upsideXendoo // personalized bookkeeping for small businesses [UP074]Interview begins: 6:03Debrief: 48:54Lillian (Lil) Roberts is the founder and CEO of Xendoo.Xendoo is a cloud-based bookkeeping and accounting service focused on small business owners. By harnessing technology we give our accounting teams more time to work directly with clients and their individual business needs. Xendoo offers a low, flat monthly rate with unprecedented service and response.Xendoo was founded in 2016 and based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.Key Points:Discovering entrepreneurship 9:33Getting interested to sales 12:06...2020-08-051h 00upsideDave Sachse // investing in venture funds and startups as a family office [CC060]Interview begins: 6:49Debrief: 35:17Today we're talking with Dave Sachse, the founder, and managing partner of the Sachse Family Fund.The Sachse Family Fund is a family office venture capital fund based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.In today’s episode, we’re finally exploring the family office investing model!Key Points:Family office beginnings - 5:46Family offices and VCs - 8:33Branding for family offices - 13:02Pros and cons - 15:38Collaboration between family offices - 22:57Follow Dave...2020-07-2941 minupsideWill Price of Next Frontier Capital // bringing venture capital to the rocky mountain region [CC059]Interview begins: 6:36Debrief: 48:89Today we're talking with Will Price the Founder and General Partner of Next Frontier Capital. Will founded Next Frontier Capital to partner with mission-driven, talented entrepreneurs to build Montana technology companies of impact, utility, value. Will’s career spans venture capital investing as well as operational, transactional, and advisory roles at both public and private companies. They focus on leading seed to early-stage Series A financings in the Rocky Mountains, with a preference to invest in rounds of $2-4m.2020-07-2259 minupsidePeter Livingston of Unpopular Ventures // early stage investing through a syndicate [CC058]Interview begins: 5:16Debrief: 43:55Unpopular Ventures is led by Peter Livingston, whose experience is almost entirely in startups - as both an operator and investor. He was the first engineer at iRhythm (IPO 2016) and was the founder/CEO at Lifesquare (backed by Kleiner Perkins).He has been angel investing since 2013, made >150 investments to date, and has produced investment returns well within the top decile of VC industry performance.Peter founded Unpopular Ventures to keep investing in startups - but with a bigger family, bigger checks, and bigger...2020-07-1554 minupsideCC057: Saurabh Sharma of Jump Capital // Series A and B capital for cloud infrastructure and enterprise softwareInterview begins: 6:08Debrief begins: 37:58Today we are talking with Saurabh Sharma He is a partner at Jump Capital, a thesis led sector-focused and operating centric venture capital firm specializing in series A and B in growth-stage investments, Jump Capital invest in data-driven technology companies within the FinTech, B2B SaaS, IT data infrastructure and media sectors.Saurabh has a diverse background in investing, operations & product management and leads Jump's efforts in Enterprise Software and IT Infrastructure, his career as a High-Performance Computing researcher at French National Institute...2020-07-0842 minupsideCC056: Chetan Parekh of P&G Ventures // identifying and developing the next generation of billion-dollar brandsInterview begins: 6:08Debrief begins: 42:55Today our guest is Chetan Parekh. Chetan is the Senior Brand Director & Innovation Portfolio Leader at P&G Ventures. He leads a multi-disciplinary team in charge of creating new businesses and building partnerships to serve the aging consumer and their caregiving ecosystem. His portfolio focuses on building brands behind innovative technologies and business models to shape the rapidly emerging at-home aging space. In this episode, we’re talking about the Startup Studio within Procter & Gamble Ventures. Chetan has been on the leadership team at P&G V...2020-07-0150 minupsideUP073: Pear Commerce // creating a win-win-win for consumers, brands, and retailersInterview begins: 8:38Debrief begins: 51:03Today we’re talking with Eric Martell, the founder of Pear Commerce. Pear Commerce enables CPG companies to drive real transactions from existing national ads and retailers to build their online channel with new customers and repeat purchases. Pear Commerce is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Eric is a venture partner at Generator. He was the managing director of Generator Minnesota until September 2018. Eric’s foray into startups happened in 2009 when he co-founded EatStreet with Alex Wyler. Eric collaborated with A...2020-06-241h 02upsideCC055: Jason Illian of Koch Disruptive Technologies // investing in emerging technologies for one of the world’s largest private companiesInterview begins: 8:46Debrief begins: 44:36This week we're speaking with Jason Illian, Managing Director of Koch Disruptive Technologies.Jason was the founder and CEO of BookShout, the world's leading B2B e-book company. He has presented at the Goldman Sachs Technology & Internet Conference, the Credit Suisse Global Media and Communications Convergence Conference, and hundreds of other organizations. He has been featured on ABC, in The New York Times, and numerous radio interviews.As the mid-to-late stage venture arm of Koch Industries, KDT invests in technology...2020-06-1752 minupsideCC054: Patrick McKenna of One America Works // helping coastal companies open new offices in the heartlandInterview begins: 7:40Debrief begins: 45:20In this episode, we are discussing the challenges and opportunities of economic growth outside Silicon Valley with Patrick Mckenna, Managing Partner and founder of One America Works; a non-profit focused on addressing the geographic, economic divide across the country. Patrick started as a technology officer for the Army, then continued his career as a mergers and acquisitions banker on Wall Street. After he started his own company, he began his journey, trying to create a unique vision of the world and the ways companies access t...2020-06-1052 minupsideCC053: Andrew D'Souza of Clearbanc // revenue-based financing and the 20-minute term sheetInterview Begins: 7:11Debrief Begins: 42:31In this episode, we'll be talking with Andrew D'Souza, the co-founder and CEO of Clearbanc. Along with his partners, he has raised hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital. At the same time, they help entrepreneurs to grow their businesses exponentially. He started as a management consultant for a couple of years and then spent the last ten years building a few tech companies leading their sales marketing efforts and leading their fundraising efforts. Clearbanc defines itself as a revenue share agreement, and it’...2020-05-2749 minupsideCC052: Nick Cooney of Lever VC // investing in alternative protein startupsInterview begins: 5:50Debrief begins: 39:35Nick Cooney is the Founder and Managing Director of Lever VC.Lever VC is a new fund focused in alternative animal products, including alternative proteins, meats, and plant-based dairy products. Their portfolio includes some of the biggest brands in alternative animal products, including Beyond Meat and Impossible Burgers.Nick Cooney has been heavily involved in the alternative animal product industry over the past fifteen years. Today, he teaches us the three common ways alternative proteins are created, his opinions...2020-05-2046 minupsideCC051: Grady Buchanan of OmniValley // connecting startup investors between the coastsInterview begins: 6:11Debrief begins: 43:23Grady Buchanan is the founder and CEO of OmniValley.OmniValley is an exclusive online investor network focused on helping you create connections anywhere in the world.They work to showcase and foster under-ventured and emerging entrepreneurial ecosystems by connecting, matching, and introducing all relevant and participatory investor organizations. That includes institutional investors, venture capital firms, accelerators, and ecosystem supporters.Interview begins: 6:16Debrief begins: 43:27We discuss:Ad: Finding experienced employees for your new business with Integrity Power Search (5:08)Grady's background...2020-05-1351 minupsideUP072: Muxy // powering viewer engagement for live streamingInterview begins: 6:29Debrief begins: 51:16Jared Steffes is the co-founder and COO of Muxy.Founded in 2014 and based in Austin, Texas, Muxy is an online service that develops interactive features for gaming and streaming platforms. Though optimized for Twitch, Muxy's extensions can be used for multiple streaming and video uses. To date, they have had over 120 million interactions through Twitch and are regularly creating new experiences for streamers. Jared has worked in the game design field for the past decade, having before worked for some prominent companies such as...2020-05-061h 08upsideUP071: BackpackEMR // electronic medical records for mobile clinics in remote locationsInterview begins: 7:50Debrief begins: 51:01Lori Most is the founder and CEO of BackpackEMR.Based in Bloomington, Minnesota, BackpackEMR is a medical EMR software designed for mobile clinics in rural, low-income markets. BackpackEMR is the sustainable, portable, non-internet dependent solution for electronic data recording in internationally underserved areas.Lori Most has been in technology, coding, and design before coding was cool, having worked for prominent companies such as Target and United Health Group. Her pivotal decision to found a startup and create an EMR...2020-04-291h 05upsideJE017: "Test City, USA" official releaseWe've been waiting for today for a long, long time.Last summer, we filmed and produced a full-length documentary about the startup ecosystem in Columbus, Ohio. The film is called Test City, USA and is now available for you to watch online.The film premiered at Film Festival of Columbus in September 2019, and was the subject of our third issue of The Update. The film took home "Best Ohio Feature" at that festival, and we began throwing our hat in for other festivals.With festivals going virtual, we are pulling back. We participated...2020-04-2711 minupsideUP070: Xena Workwear // stylish steel-toe shoes designed for womenInterview begins: 7:50Debrief begins: 43:06Anastasia Kraft is the founder and CEO of Xena Workwear.Xena Workwear is a footwear and soon-to-be apparel company dedicated to designing stylish and safe apparel for women in STEM. Based in Milwuakee, Xena Workwear's first products launched less than a year ago, and since then, they already have impressive supporters and plan to soon expand their apparel to include other items.Originally from Kazhakstan and Germany, Anastasia first realized her business idea while working in project management manufacturing...2020-04-221h 00upsideCC050: Matt Hunckler of Powderkeg // connecting talent to startups in the MidwestInterview begins: 6:10Debrief begins: 45:00Matt Hunckler is the founder and CEO of Powderkeg.Powderkeg is a platform connecting tech talent in the middle of the country to the Midwest companies they're searching for. Founded in 2017 after emerging from Verge, one of Matt's earlier companies, Powderkeg has more than 10,000 active members, all with the goal of staying connected to startup communities outside of Silicon Valley.An Orr Fellow from Indiana University, Matt has had a hand in a number of startups. He's been passionate...2020-04-1552 minupsideCC049: Alex Lazarow // why the Silicon Valley playbook is outdatedInterview begins: 7:32Debrief begins: 50:16Alex Lazarow is the author or "Out-Innovate: How Global Entrepreneurs from Delhi to Detroit Are Rewriting the Rules of Silicon Valley."Alexandre (Alex) Lazarow has spent his career working at the intersection of investing, innovation, and economic development in the private, public, and social sectors. He is a venture capitalist with Cathay Innovation, a global firm that invests across Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. Alex is an adjunct professor specializing in impact investment and entrepreneurship at the Middlebury Institute of I...2020-04-0856 minupsideCC048: Mike Duda of Bullish // the strategic creative and capital partner behind brands like Casper, Birchbox, Peloton, and moreInterview starts: 6:20Debrief starts: 1:02:12Mike Duda is a Managing Partner at Bullish.Bullish is a marketing operating partner focused on the growth business and has helped develop companies like Birchbox, Peloton, Casper, and Harry's. Through both investment and creative services, Bullish helps early-stage companies progress in their market.Mike has extensive experience in marketing and advertising, having served in numerous director positions at Deutsch. Our conversation today dives heavily into marketing and advertising strategies as well as some of the methods Bullish uses...2020-04-011h 09upsideUP069: Relish // relationship coaching in the comfort of your own homeInterview starts: 6:15Debrief begins: 49:25Lesley Eccles is the founder and CEO of Relish, an app developed to help guild couples create healthy relationship skills and conversations.Originally from Scotland, Lesley is also known as a cofounder of the sports fantasy service, FanDuel. Just three months after leaving FanDuel, Lesley founded her own startup, Relish, with the hopes of giving back to others and exploring how technology can improve and preserve relationships.Today, Relish is considered one of the top relationship training apps, using guidance from therapists, counselors, and academics. In our talk...2020-03-251h 03upsideCC047: Elias Torres of Drift // opening offices outside of silicon valley (live from Embarc Collective’s grand opening)Interview begins: 5:29Elias Torres is the co-founder and CTO of Drift.Jay recently had the chance to talk to with Elias Torres at Embarc Collective in Tampa Bay. Having worked in software all his life, Elias has been a part of impressive businesses, including IBM and Hubspot, and has founded two software based companies.A Nicaraguan native, Elias discusses his story of immigrating to America and the opportunity he commits to in other LatinX founders and in his home town, Tampa Bay. With his extensive experience, he leaves us with valuable tips in...2020-03-1839 minupsideUP068: Fiveable // live-streaming test prep for AP classesInterview begins: 7:02Debrief begins: 51:37Amanda DoAmaral is the founder and CEO of Fiveable.Fiveable is an online streaming and content platform helping high school students study and master their AP exams. Started just two years ago, Fiveable offers live and pre-recorded videos, study guides, as well as community building resources.After teaching in Oakland for several years with Teach for America, Amanda DoAmaral began Fiveable as a way to help her old students who needed guidance in studying for their AP exams. In only a couple years, Fiveable has grown to include...2020-03-111h 11upsideCC046: Lakshmi Sarah // Storytelling in Virtual and Augmented Reality (live from CES 2020)Interview starts: 6:05Debrief starts:m 33:22Lakshmi Sarah is the co-founder of Tiny World Productions. An educator and journalist, Lakshmi covers the intersection between VR/AR and storytelling, and she recently co-wrote a book titled 'Crafting Stories for Virtual Reality.' Much of Lakshmi's work includes stories on refugees or immigrants, with the intention of creating empathy and shifting prospective for individuals through this medium.Tiny World Productions create their own 360-view experiences as well as help and workshop others' work in immersive technology. Some of their work includes 'Homelessness in San Francisco' and 'The...2020-03-0439 minupsideCC045: Elizabeth Galbut of SoGal Ventures // the first female-led millennial venture capital firm (from CES 2020)Interview starts: 6:10Debrief starts: 43:34Elizabeth Galbut is the Founding and Managing Partner of SoGal Ventures.SoGal Ventures is the first female-led millennial venture firm, and they are leading the way in investing in diverse founding teams and products across the USA and Asia. Their focus includes companies working on female sexual health and wellness, aging, and death-related decisions.A Forbes 30 Under 30, Elizabeth is incredibly knowledgeable and experienced in the fields in which she invests. In today's episode, she walks us through some of the issues she and SoGal Ventures are tackling through...2020-02-2649 minupsideCC044: Doug Clinton of Loup Ventures // exploring frontier technologies (from CES 2020)Interview starts: 6:38Debrief starts: 32:46Doug Clinton is the managing partner of Loup Ventures. A Midwest-based venture firm, Loup Ventures was founded in 2017, and to date, they have made exciting investments focusing on frontier tech. Their latest concentrations include neuro-tech and BCI, as well as anti-aging companies. In today's interview, Doug maps out the scene of frontier tech and gives us his thoughts on the consequences such technologies may have in the future.We discuss:AD: Finding experienced employees for your new business with Integrity Power Search (5:27)About Loup (6:47, 11:00)"Deciding" the next big technology (7:52...2020-02-2438 minupsideCC043: James O’Connor of the Pittsburgh Knights // operating a professional esports team (from CES 2020)Interview starts: 6:09Debrief starts: 39:07James O'Connor is the cofounder and president of the Pittsburgh Knights, a global esports team of 30+ players and streamers, headquartered in one of the most well-branded sports cities in the country. With his knowledge of management, program development, economic development, veteran affairs, data-analysis, and strategic planning, his 10+ years of professional gaming experience, and his desire to bolster his hometown, he is driving the Pittsburgh Knights to become one of the most esteemed esports teams in the world.In 2018, the Knights announced their partnership with six-time Super Bowl Champions, the Pittsburgh...2020-02-1948 minupsideUP067: eFuse // connecting gamers to professional opportunities & esports scholarshipsInterview starts: 7:22Debrief starts: 45:18Matthew Benson is the founder and CEO of eFuse, a new platform used to connect anyone in or interested in the gaming world to other opportunities, talent, and people in the Esports community. Sort of like a LinkedIn for gamers, eFuse allows members to compile their stats into one portfolio and create connections as they search for professional and collegiate gaming possibilities.Prior to founding eFuse, Matthew worked for the Ohio Innovation Fund shortly after college. He had the idea for eFuse while in school and is now celebrating the...2020-02-191h 00upsideCC042: Jordan Davis of Smart Columbus // Looking into the future of smart cities (from CES 2020)Interview starts: 6:24Debrief starts: 58:09Jordan Davis is the Director of Smart Columbus for the Columbus Partnership, leading strategy and public-private partnerships for the Central Ohio region’s $550 million smart cities initiative. She was instrumental in Columbus becoming the sole winner of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Smart Cities Challenge in 2016 and since has managed the upstart of a new joint venture for the region focused on realizing a connected, autonomous, shared, and electric transportation ecosystem that improves people’s lives. Jordan facilitates collaboration between the public and private sector, secures new pr...2020-02-121h 03upsideCC041: Bryan Darr of Ookla // demystifying the 5G revolution (from CES 2020)Interview starts: 7:25Debrief starts: 38:48Bryan Darr is the Executive Vice President of Smart Cities at Ookla, the company behind Speedtest.net.Bryan began his career in wireless communication back in 1985 selling car phones. Through his sales, he gathered information and began writing roaming guides. These guides ultimately led him to start his own business, American Roamer, eventually known as Mosaik, and now owned by Ookla. Today, along with providing internet speed tests, Ookla tracks cellular coverage all over the world.We discuss:Ad: Finding experienced employees for your new business with...2020-02-1045 minupsideUP066: Locomation // commercializing autonomous trucking with convoy technology (from CES 2020)Interview begins: 5:25Debrief begins: 46:38Tekin Meriçli is the cofounder and CTO of Locomation, a company focused on developing autonomous trucking. Founded in 2018, Locomation hopes to implement autonomous driving technology into freight trucks to create convoys of semi-autonomous, highway-travelling trucks.Tekin became interested in computer technology from a young age while growing up in Istanbul. An alumni of UT Austin, Bogaziçi, and Carnegie Mellon, he has a multitude of engineering experience in the field, which he brings to Locomation.We discuss:Ad: Finding experienced employees for your new business with In...2020-02-0557 minupsideCC040: Recapping CES 2020 with fellow Media Trailblazers Hayden Field (Entrepreneur) and Lindsay Bjerregaard (Aviation Week)Interview begins: 4:02This episode begins our coverage of CES 2020.Lindsay Bjerregaard is a Digital Editorial Producer with Aviation Week and Hayden Field is an Associate Editor at Entrepreneur. Lindsay and Hayden, along with us, were brought to CES through its Media Trailblazer Program, which aims to recruit journalists to the tech-inspired convention. It was the second year of CES for each of us, so together we discuss our thoughts on the different products showcased, the highlights of the show, and the future of the conference.We discuss:AD: Finding experienced...2020-02-0353 minupsideCC039: Catharine Dockery of Vice Ventures // investing in good companies operating in “bad” industriesInterview starts: 5:40Debrief starts: 32:25Catharine Dockery is the founding partner of Vice Ventures, an NY-based early stage venture firm focusing on companies working in "vice" industries such as cannabis, alcohol, sex techs, psychedelics, harm reduction drugs, and online gambling. Founded in 2019, Vice Ventures aims to challenge conventional investing and works specifically with companies normally excluded form investments due to vice clauses.A neuroscience and finance double major from NYU , Catharine has an impressive finance background, including experience working at the New York stock exchange and Citigroup, contracting at a PR firm for hedge funds...2020-01-2941 minupsideUP065: Renewlogy // Turning plastic waste into fuel through chemical recyclingInterview begins: 7:00Debrief begins: 47:40Priyanka Bakaya is the founder and CEO of Renewlogy. Founded in 2011, Renewlogy has the technology to break down plastics into its basic molecular form, where it can then be reused for other products or as fuel. In the last year, Priyanka has used the Renewlogy technology to begin Renew Oceans, a non-profit currently working in India to capture and recycle ocean plastics.Priyanka has been well recognized and awarded for her efforts in plastics recycling. Still, plenty of hurdles exist in Renewology's, and she discusses the challenges caused by poor...2020-01-221h 00upsideCC038: Casey Allen // building the Twin Cities enterprise SaaS communityInterview starts: 7:15Debrief starts: 54:23Casey Allen is the founder of Enterprise Rising, a Minneapolis-based conference specific to SaaS startup topics. 2020 will be Enterprise Rising's fifth year, and they pride themselves on focusing on under-discussed or taboo topics related to founding a startup.Casey himself has started five companies as well as a B2B SaaS accelerator and discusses his personal experience going from one to the next. This year, he will also be launching a boot camp called SeedMN for first-time angel investors with the hopes of teaching successful founders how to give back...2020-01-151h 01upsideUP064: Fitt // curating health and wellness recommendations for your cityInterview starts: 6:25Debrief starts: 49:00Anthony Vennare is the cofounder and CEO of Fitt, a discovery platform that broadcasts different health and wellness opportunities and locations in different cities. Fitt functions similar to Yelp or Eater for fitness, with the ultimate goal of connecting communities and fitness enthusiasts to health events and people in their cities. Alongside his company, Anthony also runs a fitness newsletter branded as Fitt Insider.After opening and growing a gym business with his brother in the Pittsburgh area, the two began Fitt in 2017. In today’s episode, Anthony discusses their ex...2020-01-081h 04upsideUP063: Visible // powering communication for founders and investorsInterview starts: 7:45Debrief starts: 49:27Mike Preuss is the co-founder and CEO of Visible, an investor reporting platform for startups. Beginning in 2014, Visible is a completely remote company used by over 2,000 businesses. They help founders update their investors on their business and maintain accountability and trust throughout growth.An Orr Fellow from Indiana University, Mike Preuss was the Business Development Manager for Formspring before Visible.We discuss:AD: Finding experienced employees for your new business with Integrity Power Search (5:23)Mike's background and entrepreneurship experience (7:56)Orr Fellowship (11:17)Managing a remote culture, different time...2020-01-011h 03upsideJE016: 12 episodes of ChristmasHappy Holidays from the upside team!Last year, we shared an episode called: JE006: eight crazy months of upside. This year, we're back and sharing the 12 episodes of Christmas — 12 exceptionally notable episodes we recommend listening to again.The episodes mentioned, in order:CC033: Alex Rubalcava of Stage Venture Partners // investing in early-stage enterprise softwareUP050: opendorse // helping athletes share more content (feat. Braxton Miller of the Philadelphia Eagles)CC007: the rise of platform in venture capital // a Coffee Chat with Stephanie Manning (Lerer Hippeau)CC032: Kate Shillo Beardsley of Upslope Ventures // scaling early stage investments ac...2019-12-2526 minupsideCC037: Neal Bloom of Fresh Brewed Tech // uncovering the past and building the future of San DiegoInterview starts: 5:50Debrief starts: 47:39Neal Bloom is the founder of Fresh Brewed Tech and the host of the podcast, Tacos & Tech.Fresh Brewed Tech is a media company dedicated to raising awareness of local tech ecosystems in local areas through storytelling. Having started as a way to connect tech-focused San Diegans, Fresh Brewed Tech is currently expanding and starting to aid other regions by creating local unified tech ecosystems. His podcast, Tacos & Tech, has the same goal as the Fresh Brewed Tech brand.Neal began his entrepreneurial work with Portfolium. He also...2019-12-1856 minupsideUP062: Mainvest // helping anyone invest in Main Street businessesInterview starts: 6:07Debrief starts: 49:30Nick Mathews is the CEO and cofounder of Mainvest.Based in Salem, Massachusetts, Mainvest began in 2018 with the incentive to provide investment opportunities to smaller community markets through local investors. In just a little over a year, the company has an 85% success rate, helping fund fifteen different companies with another fifteen live right now.A Massachusetts native, Nick helped launch Uber in Boston during the company's expansion period and worked with the company for over six years. In today's episode, he discusses a bit of his experience at...2019-12-111h 02upsideCC036: Matt Cordio of Skills Pipeline // Getting a lay of the land in Startup MilwaukeeInterview starts: 6:32Debrief starts: 38:33Matt Cordio is the founder and president of Startup Milwaukee.Startup Milwaukee is a community dedicated to encouraging and growing Milwaukee's startup environment. They offer events and programs focused on helping tech startups find mentorship, talent, capital, and a network.Originally from Milwaukee himself, Matt Cordio started his entrepreneurial experience making and selling furniture. In addition to Startup Milwaukee, he is the founder and president of Skills Pipeline and the co-founder of 5 Lakes Forum.We discuss:Ad: Improved methods to sourcing talent and finding new...2019-12-0444 minupsideJE015: Thanksgiving 2019 // strikes, turkeys, and three things we're thankful forThis Turkey Day, we want to take the time to express our gratitude. We are so thankful for you, our listeners, for the startup movement happening between the coasts, and for the success that this podcast has had. As a gentle reminder, please check out the listener survey if you have a few minutes to spare. Enjoy your Thanksgivings, and see you next week!Follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefmTake our listener survey: https://upside.fm/surveyAdvertise with an upside classified: https://upside.fm/classifieds2019-11-2710 minupsideCC035: Kim Jefferson and Lydia Beechler of BLASTmedia // building a holistic PR strategy for startupsInterview starts: 6:00Debriefs starts: 44:11Kim Jefferson is the Senior Vice President and Lydia Beechler is the Director of Accounts at BLASTmedia.BLASTmedia is a nationally recognized PR agency that concentrates on B2B SaaS media relations. With 15 years in the industry, BLAST works with different staged companies and focuses on more than just news, often including thought leadership content into the media as well.Kim Jefferson and Lydia Beechler, who both have a background in writing, discuss the deliberate process that make successful relations and the different factors that lead to good...2019-11-2052 minupsideUP061: The Bee Corp // using infrared to measure colony size to support beekeepers and growersInterview begins: 6:49Debrief begins: 47:27Ellie Symes is the co-founder and CEO of The Bee Corp.The Bee Corp is a startup focusing on improving and creating sustainable methods for commercial bee pollination. Based in Indianapolis, The Bee Corp offers commercial beekeepers and growers a technical application called Verifli that tracks beekeeping strategies at a quick and cost-effective rate.Ellie and her co-founder began the idea for the company after starting a beekeeping club in college. They have since received two grants to continue their passion for creating sustainable solutions for the environment.2019-11-131h 03upsideCC034: Greg Robinson of 4490 Ventures // leading Series A/B rounds in underserved marketsInterview starts: 6:38Debrief starts: 43:48Greg Robinson is the Managing Director of 4490 Ventures.4490 Ventures is an early stage venture fund based in Madison Wisconsin that invests in Midwest, tech based companies. Founded in 2014, 4490 Ventures aims $5-8 million per investment, and their portfolio includes companies such as EatStreet, Abodo, and SwervePay.Before 4490 Ventures, Greg served as the Managing Director at Peninsula Ventures and also co-founded Cogent Technologies, an enterprise software company. In today's episode, he shares with us his insights into working in different areas of the country and how these various landscapes change...2019-11-0651 minupsideUP060: Perceive // using spatial recognition to measure consumer behavior in the real worldInterview begins: 6:15Debrief begins: 47:49Everett Berry is the CEO and founder of Perceive, an experience-analysis computer vision software designed to give companies an automated method for analyzing business in a physical space.Everett began forming his idea for Perceive six years ago during his freshman year in college when he would peruse the campus's video feeds. Having since received several grants for his company, Everett currently runs Perceive out of Indianapolis and hopes to expand his team in the near future.Everett discusses his insights on the recent changes in the events...2019-10-301h 02upsideCC033: Alex Rubalcava of Stage Venture Partners // investing in early-stage enterprise softwareInterview starts: 6:23Debrief beings: 48:05Alex Rubalcava is a General Partner and Co-Founder of Stage Venture Partners, an L.A.-based VC firm that invests in upcoming software technologies.Alex began his investing career with Anthem Venture Partners in Los Angeles before switching to public market investing. He founded Stage Venture Partners in 2015 with his co-founder, and the company has since worked with startups including Balto, Sightline, and Iris.TV.Well-versed in venture capital and investing, Alex shares with us some valuable insights into the investing world, including his experiences in both private...2019-10-2357 minupsideUP059: WorkHound // workforce retention via direct feedback from the frontlineInterview begins: 6:13Debrief begins: 52:10Max Farrell and Andrew Kirpalani are the co-founders of WorkHound.WorkHound is a platform that allows frontline workers to provide feedback to the companies for whom they work. Max and Andrew began WorkHound in the hopes of eliminating a barrier that exists between the workers and the companies, with the ultimate goal of increasing worker retention rates and thus the success of the companies. Originally designed for truck drivers, WorkHound has since expanded to other professions such as technicians, mechanics, construction workers, and visiting healthcare providers.We discuss:2019-10-161h 05upsideCC032: Kate Shillo Beardsley of Upslope Ventures // scaling early stage investments across the countryInterview begins: 7:10Debrief begins: 44:55Kate Shillo Beardsley is the Managing Partner of Upslope Ventures.Formerly known as Galvanize Ventures, Upslope Ventures is committed to investing in early stage startups. Located in Denver, they look for startups throughout the country and currently have a hand in ten U.S. markets.Having unknowingly entered venture capital in the late 2010s, Kate Shillo Beardsley has been instrumental in some major investments done in the late 2000s and early 2010s. She discusses her passion for early stage investing and how the landscape has changed since she...2019-10-0952 minupsideUP058: Audience Awards // creating opportunity for filmmakers through contests, festivals, and distributionInterview begins: 7:35Debrief begins: 48:15Paige Williams is the founder and CEO of Audience Awards.Audience Awards is an online platform that organizes contests and film festivals in hopes of providing more opportunity and exposure to independent filmmakers. Operating in Montana, Audience Awards opens submissions to anyone who has a story to share while offering prizes such as camera equipment and mentorship with industry regulars.Audience Awards now hosts 65,000 filmmakers and covers an audience of 200,000 viewers. Paige, an experienced filmmaker herself, shares her thoughts in hoping to grow those numbers and offers insight...2019-10-021h 06upsideCC031: building a network of generous entrepreneurs in the Midwest // a coffee chat with Joni Cobb (Pipeline Entrepreneurs)Interview begins: 5:20Debrief begins: 43:15Joni Cobb is the founding President and CEO of Pipeline Entrepreneurs.Pipeline is a network of high-performing entrepreneurs who call the Midwest home. Their entrepreneurs and experts give generously of their time, talent and capital so that they can build global businesses from wherever they choose.Pipeline takes zero equity in their Member companies, focusing on the entrepreneur first.Companies led by Pipeline entrepreneurs have generated over $1.39B in revenues, raised over $608M in outside capital, are conducting business in over 85 countries and have created...2019-09-3053 minupsideJE014: the update issue three // Test City, USA previewA short episode this week discussing our latest issue of the update. The update is a quarterly publication that usually features editorials, trends, and stories happening outside of Silicon Valley.We had big plans for this issue of the update, namely sharing our documentary, "Test City, USA" with you. But, complications arose and timelines changed, so the update issue three is a "skinny" version of itself.Tune into the episode to hear more and read the update issue three for a full behind-the-scenes look at how we produced a documentary in less than four months...2019-09-2508 minupsideUP057: OROS Apparel // making outerwear obsolete with NASA-inspired technologyInterview begins: 6:05Debrief begins: 45:15Michael Markesbery is the co-founder and CEO of OROS apparel, an outdoor and sportswear company that has revolutionized the technology in outdoor clothing.Founded in Cincinnati and now based in Portland, Oregon, OROS makes outdoor apparel using their own NASA-inspired aerogel technology called SolarCore. An online, direct-to-consumer brand, OROS offers several products with the aim of making outwear less bulky and, perhaps one day, eliminating the need for outwear at all.Michael recounts his inspiration for the product and for the company, and how he and his partner...2019-09-181h 03upsideCC030: investing in socially responsible, high-growth companies // a coffee chat with Rose Maizner (RenewableTech Ventures)Interview begins: 5:30Debrief begins: 44:38Rose Maizner is a partner at RenewableTech Ventures and a co-founder of Womenpreneurs.RenewableTech Ventures is a Salt Lake City based venture capital fund focused in cleantech. An impact investment fund, Renewable Tech Ventures has helped a number of green energy startups find stamina in the venture market. Rose discusses her journey from nonprofiteer to becoming a partner in a venture capital fund and Renewable Tech Ventures's current outlook on funding.Rose is also a co-founder of Womenprenuers, an all-women network focused on empowering and educating women in...2019-09-1650 minupsideUP056: Kush.com // a budding B2B marketplace for legal hemp and cannabis transactionsInterview begins: 5:30Debrief begins: 48:09Chase Nobles is a co-founder and co-CEO of Kush.com.Seattle-based company Kush.com is a platform that allows entities within the hemp and cannabis industries to interact and buy and sell product. Kush.com has become one of the principal sites in the trading of cannabis and hemp goods and continues to strive to lead these markets.Chase tells us how Kush.com has progressed from a tourism and media business to the platform it is today. He walks us through how he and his team have...2019-09-111h 05upsideCC029: providing equal access to the Triangle startup community // a coffee chat with Molly Demarest (American Underground)Interview begins: 6:30Debrief begins: 47:37Molly Demarest is the General Manager of American Underground.The American Underground is based in the Durham-Raleigh area in North Carolina and focuses on connecting startups and founders in the region with the different resources needed to help their companies flourish. A Durham native herself, Molly discusses the development of the American Underground since its start six years ago and how the American Underground has in turn helped develop its community.The American Underground prides itself on their intention to help women and minority founders find their places...2019-09-0951 minupsideJE013: Happy Labor Day // don’t work too hardWe want to wish all of the listeners a happy Labor Day and thank you all for their continued support. Thanks to all of the support to date, the upside podcast will have some exciting updates in the coming months, so be sure to tune into the coming content, and if you like what you hear, a friendly review in the iTunes store is always appreciated!Follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm 2019-09-0402 minupsideCC028: building turnkey programs for entrepreneurs and creatives // a coffee chat with Joe Kirgues (gener8tor)Interview begins: 05:49Debrief begins: 41:15Joe Kirgues is a co-founder of gener8tor. One of the top companies in its field, gener8tor offers accelerator programs whose missions are to promote local investors and companies investing in their own communities’ startups and entrepreneurs. Operating in Milwaukee, Madison, and Minneapolis, gener8tor is known for its unique cohort of five model within its accelerator programs that, since its beginnings in 2012, have seen 75 graduates. To date, gener8tor has developed nearly a dozen different accelerator programs whose disciplines range from tech and med-device to musi...2019-09-0250 minupsideJE012: the fourfront // four trends we are watching developOn today's episode, we analyze four predominant themes we've encountered lately in the startup and investing arena. Our four on the fore includes:1.) hiring talent2.) the growing trend of remote work3.) frustrations with information inaccessibility4.) and our takes on specialized fundingWe discuss:Transitioning the podcast planning to Airtable (00:25)Talent: the importance of hiring talent from the get-go and the challenge of hiring talent as companies grow (02:57)Remote work: the mullet strategy and full distribution model of teams (05:54)Information accessibility: the plethora yet inconstancy of available information and some of...2019-08-2823 minupsideUP055: Hurry Home // enabling renters to become owners of affordable homesInterview begins: 07:16Debrief begins: 47:49Jada McLean is the co-founder and CEO of Hurry Home.Hurry Home finances houses through shared ownership, enabling renters to become homeowners and offering a streamlined investment opportunity. Despite there being 3 million houses for sale in the bottom tier real estate market at any given time, banks are unable to profitably originate mortgages for these properties. Hurry Home uses capital from investors to offer a new financial product that enables buyers to earn equity in their home while paying close to or less than what rent would b...2019-08-211h 04upsideCC027: raising an opportunity fund for a mission driven accelerator // a coffee chat with Barbara Bickham (WIF AX)Interview begins: 06:02Debrief begins: 39:50Barbara Bickham is the co-founder and Managing Director of WIF AX. WIF AX (Women’s Innovation Fund Accelerator) is a Qualified Opportunity Fund building women-balanced and environmentally-sustainable organizations within QOZ’s nationwide. They plan to use a mix of incubation, shared workspace, and business finance while requiring participants to have a C-suite made up of at least 50% women, and operational plans which contain environmental sustainability considerations.WIF AX was founded in 2019 and based in Los Angeles, CA.Learn more about WIF AX: https://wifaxvc.com/--2019-08-1944 minupsideUP054: AdAdapted // serving smarter ads for CPG companiesInterview begins: 07:15Debrief begins: 55:46Michael Pedersen and Molly McFarland are the co-founders of AdAdapted.AdAdapted is a digital engagement and insights platform for CPG brands and agencies. The AdAdapted platform offers CPG brands the ability to directly target their primary consumers in the apps they use to plan and shop. The AdAdapted platform offers CPG brands the ability to reach an active audience focused exclusively on their product, activate that audience with proprietary add-to-list and keyword intercept tools, and discover unique and valuable insights as to who their consumers are and h...2019-08-141h 11upsideCC026: matching top talent with startups between the coasts // a coffee chat with Kaleb Dumot (Integrity Power Search)Interview begins: 07:06Debrief begins: 43:11Kaleb Dumot is the founder and CEO of Integrity Power Search.Integrity Power Search (IPS) is a recruiting agency focused on connecting amazing people to world class technology companies in the middle of the country. Since 2012, they have conducted 600+ searches for 84 portfolio companies, which have raised a collective $2.5B in venture capital financing.IPS was founded in 2012 and based in Ohio.Email Kaleb: kaleb@integritypowersearch.comLearn more about Integrity Power Search: https://integritypowersearch.com--Follow upside on Twitter: https...2019-08-1251 minupsideUP053: emocha // improving medication adherence through remote video observationInterview begins: 08:26 Debrief begins: 49:12Sebastian Seiguer is the Co-Founder and CEO of emocha Mobile Health. emocha is a mobile health platform that saves lives by connecting remote patients to health care providers. They improve medication adherence using video technology and human engagement. emocha leverages a CDC-endorsed model called Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) where healthcare workers watch patients take every dose of medication, monitor side effects, and provide critical support. Their technology is currently used across four continents in 10 countries.emocha was founded in 2014 and based in Baltimore, Mary...2019-08-071h 01upsideUP052: Seek // augmented reality on the web for eCommerceInterview begins: 04:40Debrief begins: 1:11:09Jon Cheney is the founder and CEO of Seek.Seek is Augmented Reality on the web for eCommerce. SeekView allows a consumer to visualize a product in their life before they buy it. Seek has an advanced and powerful system to provide a scalable solution for AR in e-commerce on the web.Prior to founding Seek, where Jon currently resides as CEO and founder, he provided 12 years of management over several organizations. Jon is passionate about building strong teams and inspiring them to lead their industry. He sees...2019-07-311h 26upsideUP051: UbiQD // making low-hazard quantum dotsInterview begins: 08:48Debrief begins: 1:05:44Hunter McDaniel is the founder and CEO of UbiQD.UbiQD is a cleantech materials company that manufactures low-hazard quantum dots (QDs) and nanocomposites. The company focuses on applications that utilize its nanomaterials to manipulate sunlight, enabling solar windows and spectrum-controlled greenhouses. Spun out of technology developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Washington, and Western Washington University, UbiQD envisions a future where quantum dots are ubiquitous in a wide spectrum of applications.UbiQD was founded in 2014 and based in Los...2019-07-241h 22upsideUP050: opendorse // helping athletes share more content (feat. Braxton Miller of the Philadelphia Eagles)Interview begins: 09:02Insight begins: 58:13Debrief begins: 1:01:59Blake Lawrence is the founder and CEO of opendorse.opendorse is the athlete-marketing platform that helps the biggest brands in sports share content on social. Founded by two former major college athletes, opendorse was built seeking to make it easy for athletes and their partners to work together to engage their fans. Today, more than 7,000 athletes use opendorse to share content with their 1.4b social media followers. Top sports properties including the PGA TOUR, LPGA, NFLPA, WTA, and New Jersey Devils, and college properties including M...2019-07-171h 20upsideUP049: Zive // freeing you from the browser with desktop applicationsInterview begins: 08:39Debrief begins: 48:25Eric Shashoua is the founder and CEO of Zive, makers of the app, Kiwi for Gmail.Kiwi for Gmail turns native Gmail into a full desktop application, dramatically upgrading the entire user experience, & adding features like default email client, multiple accounts, multiple windows, etc. We discuss:Ad: How to fully utilize the state and gift tax? (07:24)How CEO Eric Shashoua learned from VC’s about backing a company. (11:48)Starting on Zive’s product: Kiwi for Gmail. (20:38)Recommendations for Kickstarters pre-marketing a business (26:55)How Kiwi can make money...2019-07-101h 02upsideCC025: impact investing and reversing demographic trends // a Coffee Chat with Robert Zulkoski (Vermont Works)Interview begins: 06:34Debrief begins: 49:48Robert Zulkoski is the Chairman and Managing Partner of Vermont Works. Vermont Works is an Independent Alternative Investment Firm Supporting Vermont’s Job & Economic Development.Vermont Works was founded in 2016 and based in Burlington, Vermont.We discuss:Social impact investing (8:54)Why should one live in Vermont? (16:06)How is Vermont Works different from other investing firms? (20:40)Experiencing Vermont (32:52)Young people needed in Vermont (41:11)Vermont’s measures of success (44:32)Learn more about Vermont Works: https://www.vermontworks.co/Follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsi...2019-07-081h 00upsideJE011: happy July 4th // the update issue twoHappy US Independence Day from the upside team!Per our holiday tradition, we're keeping it short and sweet this week so we don't take you away from what really matters.So we don't have an interview this week, we just have a conversation between the two of us recapping the update issue two, which was released on June 4, 2019.The update is a quarterly publication featuring editorials, trends, and stories happening outside of Silicon Valley. Our second issue focuses on the future of work.Featured Articles:innovation hub cycles and the...2019-07-0306 minupsideCC024: investing in the picks and shovels of esports and gaming // a Coffee Chat with Josh Chapman (Konvoy Ventures)Interview begins: 05:19Debrief begins: 55:13Josh Chapman is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Konvoy Ventures.Konvoy is an early-stage venture fund focused exclusively on esports & video gaming. They are dedicated to partnering with and supporting founders in this industry at the earliest stages.Konvoy was founded in 2017 and based in Denver, Colorado.We discuss:Gaming in social context (12:03)Women in gaming (17:04)The difference between Esports and gaming (18:47)Esports on the collegiate league (20:27)Streamers rising to the challenge ( 24:29)Twitch vs. YouTube (27:46)About Konvoy (45:35)Three ways to invest in Esports (58:27)...2019-07-011h 04upsideUP048: Balto // selling sales software to salesmen (feat. David Geiger of TeamDynamix)Interview begins: 07:44 Insight begins: 54:30Debrief begins: 1:06:20Marc Bernstein is the CEO of Balto. Balto helps sales, service, and accounts receivable reps win as much revenue as possible from every phone call. Teams use Balto's artificial intelligence software to analyze phone calls in real time - live while the call is still happening - and instantly provides reps recommendations on how to communicate as effectively as possible before it's too late.Here’s a preview on what’s in store for you on this episode:Ad: Knowing the right tools for raising capital. (07:06)The r...2019-06-261h 24upsideCC023: connecting recent college grads to startups // a Coffee Chat with Amy Nelson (Venture for America)Interview begins: 06:33 Debrief begins: 51:26Amy Nelson is the CEO of Venture For America (VFA). VFA is a two-year fellowship program for recent grads who want to work at a startup and create jobs in American cities. Fellows learn important startup skills at our month-long Training Camp, apply for jobs within our vetted company network, and work for two years as full-time, salaried employees in one of 14 cities. About VFA (03:25)Is going to business school still necessary? (13:30)Discussing the challenges in starting a business? (15:27)What does it take to be part of VFA? (29:19)Getting to...2019-06-2458 minupsideUP047: Momentous // supplements used by professional athletes and available to you (feat. Tenika Seitz)Interview begins: 09:33 Insight begins: 1:00:43 Debrief begins: 1:08:09Matt Wan is the founder and CEO of Momentous.Momentous is a nutritional supplement company driven by science, consumed by transparency, and grounded in experience. With products designed by NFL, NBA, and NHL human performance experts, Momentous has leveraged the best knowledge in sports in order to deliver innovative products that only use high quality ingredients, absolutely no fillers, are certified safe, and taste phenomenal. Momentous was founded in 2016 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.Momentous CEO's humble beginnings (9:51 & 23:12)The target market (23:39)Do professional athl...2019-06-191h 26upsideCC022: connecting the coasts to the heartland // a Coffee Chat from the Comeback Cities TourInterview starts: 06:15This conversation took place on the third Comeback Cities tour on May 15, 2019, aimed at connecting venture capitalists from the East and West Coasts with investment opportunities in the heartland. It also had stops in Columbus, Pittsburgh, and Youngstown.This conversation includes:Ashley Brasier and Janou Gordon from Lightspeed Ventures Partners, a Bay Area VC firm focusing on early stage investments in the enterprise technology and consumer space.Learn more about Lightspeed: https://lsvp.com/Courtney Buie Lipkin from First Round Capital, a Bay Area and...2019-06-1742 minupsideLibrary Magic Pt. 2 // Jay's one year reflectionHey guys, welcome to part two of Library magic.Eric and I are celebrating one year of upside, and as he mentioned last week in part one, we were particularly struck by Monique Villa’s comment in our fifth Coffee Chat:“It’s sort of like novelists, whenever you read a book, you’re getting the benefit of someone’s life’s work that they’ve put into book form. And I really think of founders that way. Anytime I meet a founder, I’m absorbing something that they’ve been working on...2019-05-0808 minupsideCC019: take two // a surprise Coffee Chat with Nathan Todhunter (editor)We've had a lot of success in our first year of upside.Or at least it seems that way, through the magic of post-production!A few weeks ago, our editor + audio engineer Nathan told us he had a surprise for us. Soon after, we had an episode in our Dropbox we weren't expecting -- a collection of bloopers from the past year.Nathan is "the man behind the curtain" who makes Eric and I sound like we know what we're talking about. If you heard the episodes in the form that he hears...2019-05-0604 minupsideLibrary Magic Pt. 1 // Eric's one year reflectionOn upside, failure hasn’t really been the default. Most initiatives have come naturally and been met with, at worst, mildly positive reception. For the last few months, Jay and I have been struggling to find to an appropriate way to commemorate one year. We planned a multi-week festival of podcasts. Too much. We reached out to Steve Case. Nothing. We interviewed each other. That felt wrong. Today, we’re going to try something different. I’m going to speak to you host to listener, one to one, on my takeaways from one year of up...2019-05-0107 minupsideCC018: building the front door to #StartupCincy // a Coffee Chat with Eric Weissman (Cintrifuse) (Live from Cincinnati Podcast Festival 2018)This episode comes from the Cincinnati Podcast Festival on November 1, 2018.Eric Weissman is the Vice President of Communications, Community & Economic Inclusion at Cintrifuse.Cintrifuse has one clear mission: to make Greater Cincinnati the #1 tech startup hub in the midwest and among the most attractive innovation hubs in the nation. It creates jobs, brings talent, attracts investment, and unlocks our region’s potential to lead innovation in a wide range of industries.Eric was part of the founding team of Cintrifuse. Responsible for establishing the strategy, messaging, branding and positioning for th...2019-04-2936 minupsideJE007: why we created the update, issue oneLast Friday, March 1, we released issue one of the update. In this week's episode, we explain why and go behind the scenes of how it came together.At upside, we focus on startups, startup communities, and startup investing outside of Silicon Valley. We have our ears to the ground, arms wide open, and platform ready to tell the stories of amazing founders, venture capitalists, and community builders from across the country who are tackling problems in their own unique way.From the outside, it seems that our communities aren’t being understood.So we...2019-03-0619 minupsideJE005: happy Thanksgiving from upsideHappy Thanksgiving! Jay and Eric spend some time talking about what we are thankful for this year, and share a preview of what is to come in 2019.Sign up to receive the update: https://upside.fm/updateFollow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm2018-11-2111 minupsideUP015: Mixtroz // putting connection back into "networking"Ashlee Ammons is the cofounder and COO of Mixtroz. previously, Ashlee began in a career as an Events Producer working with an impressive list of people including Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jay-Z and large brands like Moët Hennessy and Coca-Cola.//the Mixtroz mobile app makes meeting at live events easier, more effective, and efficient. Mixtroz is the 2018 Rise of the Rest Birmingham champion and based in Birmingham, AL.learn more about Mixtroz: https://www.mixtroz.com/follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm2018-08-081h 39