Designing Successful Startups

Anton Bogdanov

Bio

Anton Bogdanov is the founder and CEO of veryfair, an AI platform that brings modern valuation to specialty assets like paintings, gemstones, aircraft, and patents. He spent nearly two decades in the arts and collectibles world, handled over half a billion dollars in transactions, and his market insights have been featured on Nasdaq, CBS, and USA Today. Anton also spends a lot of time thinking about founders themselves. He has worn many hats inside venture ecosystems and has advised a growing number of ArtTech startups. That's given him a front row seat...

Joshua Waldron

Bio

Joshua Waldron is the founder of SilencerCo, the company he built from a garage and less than five thousand dollars into the largest manufacturer in its industry, doubling revenue every year for a decade. He has held executive roles at Vista Outdoor and served as interim CEO of Ball and Buck, and he advises mid-market companies as an embedded operator.

He was paralyzed at 15. He destroyed the wheelchair anyway and has been walking ever since, on forearm crutches and leg braces that have become as ordinary to him as shoes...

Gregory Shepard

Bio

Gregory Shepard, known as The Startup Architect., is a Fulbright Scholar, co-founder of the Fulbright Entrepreneurship Initiative, speaker at the United Nations, and one of MSN’s top 10 Visionaries in Entrepreneurship. Greg has built and sold 12 tech companies and won 4 Private Equity awards for transactions between $250 million and $1 billion. He is the founder of StartupScience.io — a platform serving more than 100,000 founders worldwide — and the published writer of The Startup Lifecycle.

Intro

Gregory Shepard's extensive research reveals that nearly half of all founders fail within the first 18 months, predom...

Shawn Loiseau

Bio

Shawn Loiseau is a former NFL player, record-setting collegiate athlete, and high-performing sales leader known for building winning teams and delivering exceptional results. After his football career, he became one of the nation’s top solar sales professionals, recognized for leadership, recruiting, and consistent top-tier performance. Shawn is passionate about personal growth, faith, mentorship, investing, and helping others reach their full potential. His mission is to create a lasting legacy through leadership, family, and making a meaningful impact on the people around him.

Intro

The conversation with Shawn Lo...

Alex Porter

From Birth Doula to the Pentagon—Alex Porter on the Nonlinear Path to AI Infrastructure

Bio

Alex Porter is the CEO of Mod Tech Labs, providing the control plane for secure AI orchestration across critical infrastructure. Operating beneath the application layer, Alex builds the engines that automate compute and simplify legacy integration for the Defense Industrial Base and media titans like Paramount and Sony. As a dual-use innovation partner for OEMs like NVIDIA, Intel, and AMD, she navigates the high-stakes intersection of hardware and compliant intelligence. A recognized innovator and leader in...

Melanie Nabar

Bio

As Principal at Volition Capital, an award-winning growth equity firm recognized as 'Top Growth Equity Firm of 2024', Melanie Nabar brings nearly a decade of expertise in high-growth SaaS to the investment landscape. Volition Capital, actively investing since 2010 with a $675M fund, is known for its selective investment approach, partnering with a small number of founder-owned, capital-efficient businesses. Melanie has a proven track record of leading and supporting transactions totaling approximately $160M of the fund, instrumental in driving success across a diverse portfolio.

Melanie's portfolio includes standout high-growth SaaS companies...

April Lemay's journey from a successful 17-year tenure as a partner at Deloitte to a maple sugar farmer in the remote expanse of Vermont serves as an inspiring narrative of transformation and resilience. In this podcast, I engage April in a comprehensive discussion about the remarkable transition she undertook, which was sparked by a simple dinner conversation that ignited her passion for honoring her family's legacy through the creation of April's Maple. As we delve into her experiences, she elucidates how the foundational skills acquired during her corporate career have been instrumental in establishing her flourishing business amidst the...

Aaron Alpeter

Bio

Aaron Alpeter is the Founder and CEO of Izba Group, a supply chain platform built on a single mission: help founders start, scale, and exit businesses worth buying. After five years at Unilever, Aaron left to work directly with founders and built Izba Group into a portfolio of three operating companies — Izba (consulting & operations), Sourcify (global product sourcing), and Slotted (a fulfillment RFP evaluation platform) — supported by two podcasts, Ecommerce on Tap and Build a Business Worth Buying, and a suite of newsletters including Assembly Required, plus dedicated publications for Izba, Sourcify, Slot...

Abby Gates

Bio

Abby Gates is the CEO and Founder of Sproutwise. She brings over 20 years of HR leadership experience and four successful startup exits to her work, helping early-stage companies build strong, scalable people operations. Digital Revolution has recognized Abby as a “2025 and 2026 CHRO to Watch” for her leadership and impact in the evolving HR landscape. She lives with her husband, 2 girls, and energetic Vizsla Murphy, in Franklin, MI.

Intro

The principal theme of this discourse centers on the critical notion that a founder's most significant competitive advantage may very well...

Jeff Majka

Bio

Jeff Majka is the founder of The Security Bulldog, a cybersecurity platform that reduces the time and cost required for enterprise teams to remediate vulnerabilities. Its proprietary AI-driven natural language processing engine transforms complex threat intelligence into clear, actionable insights, reducing cognitive load and accelerating decision-making. Jeff has more than 20 years of entrepreneurial experience and is also CEO of Honeycomb Consulting, a firm helping B2B and B2G companies align business development, branding, and marketing automation. He has led successful marketing initiatives for organizations including Cisco, Microsoft, and British Telecom, and...

Eric Ries

Bio

Over the last two decades, Eric Ries’s ideas about continuous innovation, long-term thinking, governance, and market reform have reshaped company building and management practices. He is the creator of the Lean Startup method, and the author of the New York Times bestseller The Lean Startup; The Leader’s Guide; and The Startup Way.

As a founder, he has put his own ideas into practice with The Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE); Answer.AI, an AI R&D lab; the Lean Startup Co, which teaches and supports the implementation of Lean Star...

Michael Krause

Bio

Michael Krause is a technology founder, CEO, and Enterprise /Federal AI strategist with over 25 years of experience spanning military intelligence, Big Tech platforms, and high-growth SaaS companies.

Michael’s career began in the U.S. Navy intelligence domain, where he worked at the intersection of mission systems, analysis, and national security. That early educational experience shaped a career-long focus on secure, scalable platforms and decision-critical technology across the defense and intelligence landscape.

Following his military service, Michael became a design engineer at Microsoft, helping build and ship core co...

Amy Briggs

Bio

Amy Briggs is the founder and CEO of Aviva, an AI-powered scheduling app designed specifically for parents to lighten the mental load and free up time for more joy and connection in parenthood. Amy is a licensed and certified speech and language pathologist, and has spent her career supporting parents and children.

Intro

Amy Briggs, a speech pathologist by profession, embarked on an audacious journey to create an AI-powered application, despite possessing no formal background in technology. Her insights into the pervasive mental load faced by modern parents...

Jermaine Ee

Bio

Short Bio: Jermaine Ee is a founder and storyteller obsessed with how we spend our time, the work we do, and what we leave behind. He’s currently building HeirLight, a simple & smart will maker that turns avoided conversations about family, money, and legacy into a calm, 30‑minute guided experience.

Longer Bio: Jermaine Ee is a founder and storyteller interested in three things: how we spend our time, the work we do, and what we leave behind. His career has zigzagged across ed‑tech, logistics, toys, political campaigns, executive search, and im...

Victoria Vaughan

Bio

Victoria Vaughan is an award-winning business leader and communication strategist. She is the founder of B612, a New York–based PR agency serving high-growth technology companies. B612 clients are featured in top-tier media outlets such as Bloomberg, NYT, WSJ, TechCrunch, Fortune and have secured over $100m in funding in 2025. With over a decade in tech communications, Victoria has previously served as CEO of a top-tier media company, directly managing media strategy and operations. She was named a Best Business Owner by NYX awards’25.

Intro

Victoria Vaughan, the founder of B...

Bradley Heilman

Bio

Bradley Heilman has helped design curriculum delivery platforms and K–12 digital curricula for the past 30 years. Bradley is currently the designer, co-founder, and COO of Exploros, an educational platform for device-enabled classrooms. Exploros is a teacher-guided, social platform that helps all students engage and contribute to collaborative learning experiences. Prior to Exploros, Brad was a co-founder and chief designer of Pangea Tools, a cloud-based curriculum authoring system that was purchased by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH). Brad was also the chief instructional designer for Science Fusion K–8, HMH’s core, best-selling science curriculum in the...

Barak Glanz

Bio

Barak Glanz is a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of coddy.tech - a platform dedicated to turning coding education into a daily habit. Before building Coddy, Barak launched and ran several ventures spanning different niches, giving him broad experience in product development, business models, and user engagement. With a background in computer science and a passion for making coding accessible and fun, he now combines technical insight with a growth mindset. On the podcast, Barak will share what it takes to go from multiple early-stage startups to a mission-driven education company, and...

Samuel Thimothy

Bio

Samuel Thimothy is a knowledgeable expert in online marketing, demand generation and sales with over 15 years of experience. He helps businesses develop and execute marketing strategies that improve their lead generation efforts and drive business growth. Samuel is dedicated to helping clients achieve their goals and continually set the bar higher.

Currently, he serves as the Chief Growth Officer for OneIMS, an inbound marketing agency. He has also co-founded Clickx, the digital marketing intelligence platform that eliminates blind spots for brand marketers and agencies.

Intro

The...

Talin Andonians

Bio

Talin Andonians is a seasoned executive and transformational leader with a track record of guiding high-growth companies across diverse industries and company sizes. She is known for her ability to navigate complex business challenges, scale organizations, drive operational excellence, and inspire teams to achieve ambitious goals.

Talin currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at Purpose Legal, a rapidly growing global company delivering innovative legal and eDiscovery solutions. In this role, she oversees operations, technology strategy, and process optimization, helping the company scale efficiently while leveraging cutting-edge technology to deliver data-driven...

Jill Heinze

Bio

Jill Heinze helps startups turn AI risks into competitive advantages. A former academic librarian turned AI strategist, she founded Saddle-Stitch Consulting after spending two decades in market research, competitive intelligence, and digital strategy. As former Research Director at a major consultancy, she built responsible AI frameworks for Fortune 500 clients and founded the firm's first executive AI governance committee. Her superpower? Using research methods to uncover real risks before they become expensive problems. She hosts Responsible Tech Talks on LinkedIn Live and serves as Responsible AI Program Director for the American College's Cary...

Emily Smith

Bio

Emily Smith founded Side Nerd Apps to make building a custom, accurate, integrated chatbot as simple as creating a website. Drawing on her analytics background and years of volunteer work, she helps small and midsize businesses deliver software that’s accessible and user-friendly, even for people who want nothing to do with traditional tech.

Intro

The focal point of our discussion in this episode revolves around the essential truth that the technological frameworks underpinning our society—specifically applications and websites—often alienate significant segments of the population. My esteem...

Luis Derechin

Bio

Luis Derechin is a serial entrepreneur, global talent strategist, and author of "The Nearshore Edge: How Smart Companies Scale With Latin American Talent." As the founder and CEO of Nir-Yu, Luis created the REMOTE Intelligence framework, helping ambitious startups and mid-market enterprises access top talent while cutting costs by up to 70%.

Intro

The salient point of today's discussion is that a staggering 73% of offshore or nearshore projects culminate in failure, a statistic that underscores the critical need for a paradigm shift in hiring practices for startups. I, Jothy...

Lubna Hameed

Bio

Lubna Hameed is a fractional design leader who helps early-stage startups go from blank brief to product market fit without accumulating creative debt. As the co-founder of The Company Advice, she leads design across product and web in partnership with marketing from day one—keeping the message and the experience in sync.

Her work spans user flows, information architecture, UX writing, and polished UI—all grounded in fast learning, intentional structure, and measurable impact. Previously Director of Design at Particle Health, Lubna built the design function from zero to one and...

Richard Sides

Bio

Richard Sides is Founder and CEO of Adroit North America and Adroit Hardware Solutions. Adroit North America was recently named to the Inc5000 at #1026 representing annual growth in excess of 40%. Rich is a driven entrepreneur that has founded and exited multiple ventures, some more successful than others including lawn care, systems consulting, an E-Commerce based chocolate truffles business, foreign language translations, supply chain software, ERP systems reseller, and plant floor computing hardware and integration.  He has a passion for the food and beverage industry having started his career at Kraft Foods in 1990 a...

Shan Nair

Bio

Dr. Shan Nair is an entrepreneur and consultant on international expansion. He was the first to spot and develop the niche market of International Expansion Services (IES) which was previously fragmented. In the process he has worked with many companies in their early stages who have since become household names such as Tesla Motors, FaceTime and Sonus Networks. His role is to promote the services offered by Nucleus and to work with the management team to ensure a high level of technical excellence and client care is maintained at all times.

Jean Serra

Bio

Jean Serra is Founder and CEO of V2 Communications, an award-winning Boston-based communications strategy firm specializing in AI, B2B, healthcare and climate technologies. Since launching V2 in 2006, her firm has created high-impact programs for organizations including UiPath, Cloudera, AlphaSense, Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Instride Health. A pioneer in communications, PR/AR, social media, content marketing, and brand visibility in the AI era, Jean is known for developing programs that shift market perception, fuel growth and deliver measurable business impact. Learn more at www.v2comms.com.

Intro

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Kae Kronthaler-Williams

Bio

Kae Williams is a global software marketing executive on a mission to empower women in their careers through her work and her forthcoming book, Not Made For You. She raises awareness about bias and hostile work cultures so every woman feels supported, respected, and enabled to achieve her full potential. She champions this cause through writing, speaking, coaching, and nonprofit work because when barriers are removed for women, everyone benefits.

Intro

The conversation with Kae Kronthaler-Williams delves into the nuanced challenges faced by women in the realm of...

Kathleen Lucente

Bio

As the founder and CEO of Red Fan Communications, Kathleen partners with B2B tech companies navigating their most critical inflection points—from seed stage to Series C, product launches to market repositioning, and everything in between. Her integrated team of senior communications experts has guided companies through transformational moments including Hyliion's SPAC/IPO, Q2 Holdings' IPO and subsequent M&A growth strategy, and CSI's take-private transaction and ongoing acquisition communications. Red Fan's work has earned industry recognition including the Bulldog Award for Best B2B Agency in the country.

Be...

Steinn Gustafsson

Bio

Steinn Gustafsson is the founder of Chevin Technology, a leading IP developer of accelerated security and data protocols and compute engines for defence, aerospace, and scientific markets. With over 25 years of expertise in FPGA technology, he has pioneered solutions for communication systems, ASIC design, signal processing, and digital security, earning multiple patents. Steinn leads a team of skilled engineers, fostering innovation and collaboration to deliver secure, high-performance, low-latency solutions. Passionate about both technical excellence and personal growth, he builds strategic partnerships that drive mutual success in tackling complex industry challenges

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Paul Dorney

Bio

Paul Dorney is a founder/CTO originally from Cork, Ireland, now living in Charleston. He’s built and scaled companies across fintech, sports tech, and prop tech—including the largest gig-economy platform for sports officials in the US—before moving into ed tech. Today he’s applying AI to transform higher education and fundraising at Gravyty, helping mission-driven organizations connect, grow, and thrive in entirely new ways.

Summary

Paul Dorney has significantly transformed the landscape of several industries through his entrepreneurial endeavors, particularly as the co-founder of Silbo, a platfo...

Ollie James

Bio

Ollie James is a serial startup operator and CEO of Adttribution, a US-based programmatic data company helping brands and platforms unlock the true impact of their media spend through attribution-first audience targeting. With a deep background in programmatic media, identity resolution, and customer success, Ollie has held leadership roles at Roqad, AKQA, and WPP agencies. His work focuses on connecting media spend to measurable outcomes using privacy-compliant data products across CTV, retail, and digital platforms. 

When not decoding adtech’s most complex problems, Ollie is wrangling his 2 kids and two dog...

Andrew McGee

Bio

I'm a full-time property investor with a diverse background in business, fitness, and media. My property portfolio is currently valued at over $2.3 million, generating around $20,000 per month in passive income. I take a boots-on-the-ground approach every day to secure and grow the right deals.

I specialize in Buy-To-Let, BRRR, Flips, Serviced Accommodation, and portfolio building, and I also work across media, education, consultancy, and mentorship to help others achieve success in property. Outside of real estate, I’ve built, operated, and sold several businesses in the leisure and education sectors.

Solomon Thimothy

Bio

Solomon Thimothy is a serial entrepreneur, growth strategist and CEO of five growth-driven companies, OneIMS, ClickX, IMS, Lingostarts, and LeadX AI — all built with one mission: to help businesses grow smarter, faster and more sustainably.

With nearly 20 years of hands-on experience, Solomon has helped hundreds of B2B companies escape flatlined growth by implementing systems that scale. He’s the creator of the 10X Framework, a proven methodology that empowers businesses to double leads, revenue, and results, without burnout or constant guesswork.

Solomon’s journey began when he launch...

Kendrick Wong

Bio

Kendrick Wong is the Founder and CEO of Kasagi Labo, an anime venture studio bringing authentic Japanese anime to global audiences. A seasoned entrepreneur and investor with successful exits across Asia and Europe, he was named a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree in 2019. Under his leadership, Kasagi Labo has raised $20M to drive innovation in anime licensing, distribution, merchandising, and original productions.

Kendrick Wong was named a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree in 2019. Link here: https://www.forbes.com/profile/kendrick-wong/

Intro

Kendrick Wong's groundbreaking endeavors in the anime industry...

Joel Benge

Bio

Joel Benge is the principal nerd that talks good at MessageSpecs Consulting and helps other nerds talk good too. Working with companies from Nickelodeon to NASA, Joel has mastered the art of communicating complicated ideas and tech to audiences and teams. His card deck, MessageDeck, gamifies the process to help developers communicate their ideas and discover their credibility builders and hooks for their messaging.

Intro

The salient point of our discussion with Joel Benge revolves around the profound impact of effective communication in the realm of technology and...

Ben Wiener

Bio

Ben Wiener is a venture capitalist and managing partner at Jumpspeed Ventures. He has invested in dozens of startups and is a lecturer on startup presentation and strategy. Author of fiction thriller Murder at First Principles, Ben brings business strategy concepts and principles to life through storytelling and makes investment education both enlightening and entertaining. Learn more at https://www.benwiener.net.

Intro

Ben Wiener elucidates the transformative framework he developed, known as the H E A R T methodology, which serves as an essential guide for crafting...

Fabricio Costa

Bio

Fabricio F. Costa, PhD, MBA is a GenAI, AI/ML, and Data Science expert with over 18 years of global leadership experience across technology, healthcare, and life sciences. He has held senior roles at Apple, Amazon, and Accenture, co-founded and exited two AI-driven startups, and led large-scale programs generating over U$100M in client revenue. At Apple, he managed 200+ professionals and delivered 300+ Apps, tripling market share in key regions. As CEO of a startup named Datagenno, he helped build a platform for rare disease diagnosis that generated U$20M+ in revenue and was...

Pablo Martell

Bio

Pablo Martell is a Fort Lauderdale–based CPA and the founder and CEO of Alpine Mar, a tax strategy firm that focuses on using technology and experience to deliver industry-leading results, service, and guidance to individuals and businesses of all sizes. With experience at global powerhouses like EY and Goldman Sachs, Pablo set out to redefine the accounting industry, bringing Big Four–level expertise with the personalized service of a boutique firm. Pablo is also a real estate investor and host of the Roads & Riches podcast, where he explores the future of busin...

Andrew Skafel

Bio

Andrew Skafel is a recognized leader in wireless and next-generation Wi-Fi, driving innovation as President and CEO of Edgewater Wireless. Under his leadership, the company has pioneered Wi-Fi Spectrum Slicing, revolutionizing high-density wireless performance. With over two decades in telecom and technology, Andrew has led product development, strategy, and key industry partnerships. His customer-focused vision ensures Edgewater’s patented solutions address real-world connectivity challenges. A sought-after expert on Wi-Fi innovation, Andrew continues to shape the future of wireless communications, positioning Edgewater Wireless as a global leader in scalable, high-performance networking solutions. Mr. Sk...

Aryan Mohindra

Bio

Aryan Mohindra is an incoming third-year at the University of California, San Diego. He is the founder of Mind & Body Mastery, focused on leveraging a location independent approach to get executives in excellent physical shape. Aryan is also the host of The Apex Perspective, a podcast where he interviews elite entrepreneurs, executives, and investors worldwide to uncover timeless principles of success. Aryan's journey truly started with his weight loss of 70+LBS, where he learned the power of having a strong "why" in any pursuit of success, a principle discussed in his Ted Tal...