Triangle Tweener Talks

In Part 2 of our conversation with Eric Boduch, Pendo co-founder and CEO of Revcast, we explore the world of venture studios. Having left Pendo to pursue his vision of parallel entrepreneurship, Eric shares how his studio, 24 and Up, identifies, builds, and funds new companies.

This episode unravels the unique model of a venture studio, differentiating it from accelerators, incubators, and traditional venture capital. Eric also offers a candid assessment of the Triangle's startup ecosystem, highlighting its strengths and identifying key areas for growth.

Tune in to hear:

From co-founding one of the Triangle's most successful tech companies, Pendo, to quietly building a new venture studio, Eric Boduch has a deep well of entrepreneurial experience. In this first of a two-part series, Eric sits down with Scot to reflect on his journey, the lessons learned from the dot-com bust, and the evolution of product management.

Eric gets into his early days, his path to co-founding Pendo, and the strategic decisions that helped shape its unique brand and culture. 

If you've ever wondered about the behind-the-scenes of building a high-growth startup a...

What happens when a seasoned entrepreneur spots a gap in the market and decides to take a risk on something entirely new? For Jason Widen, it’s led him from founding Raleigh Founded, a cornerstone of the Triangle’s startup ecosystem, to creating Blue Co. – a flexible warehouse solution designed for service-based businesses.

In this episode, Jason shares his journey of building community-driven businesses, from his early days working at a ski resort to launching Raleigh Founded and now expanding his vision with Blueco. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to pivot, scale, and truly make an...

Chris Heivly’s journey through the tech world is one for the books, literally - thanks to his deep-rooted love of maps. From his early days studying geography and computer mapping to shaping the future of internet navigation with MapQuest, Chris shares an inspiring story of innovation, risk, and community-building.

In this episode, we explore Chris’s entrepreneurial journey, discussing everything from his time building map systems for the U.S. State Department to his pivot into founding one of the Triangle’s first startup accelerators, the Triangle Startup Factory.

Tune in to hear:

If you ask someone what’s at the heart of a successful engineering team, the answer might involve tools, talent, or tech. But Hersh Tapadia, CEO and co-founder of Allstacks, believes it all starts with one thing: measurable productivity. While we all know engineering teams face unique challenges, Allstacks is tackling the toughest one—how to measure and improve engineering productivity at scale.

In today’s episode, we talk to Hersh about his journey, from growing up in Raleigh to leading a company that's reshaping the way engineering teams operate. Hersh shares how Allstacks went from a consul...

If you ask anyone about the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Triangle, one name that keeps coming up is Dr. Tom Miller. Known as the champion of engineering entrepreneurship at NC State, Tom has been pivotal in shaping the region’s startup culture for over 40 years. From his early days in eastern North Carolina to founding the Engineering Entrepreneurs Program, his influence is felt across generations of entrepreneurs.

Today, we sit down with Dr. Miller to hear his journey, the creation of the Engineering Entrepreneurs Program, his work with students like Bill Nussey and Chris Evans, and his th...

Who will be crowned champion of Tweener Madness and take home the $25K investment from the Triangle Tweener Fund?

The championship features two radically different approaches to innovation:

ZW (Robert Fu)

Who’s Advancing from the Fabulous Four - CivicReach or InviteJet?

Welcome back to Triangle Tweener Madness, the high-stakes startup tournament where eight companies go head-to-head for a $25,000 investment from the Triangle Tweener Fund!

We’re down to the Fabulous Four, and this week’s semifinal is a clash between a calendar-powered marketing platform and a voice AI company transforming local government services. Two bold visions. One coveted spot in the finals.

Let’s meet the contenders.

 🔹 InviteJet (Paul Davis & Brian Watson) – A marketing platform that lets brands send ca...

What if the most powerful tool for success as an entrepreneur isn’t the latest strategy or tech hack—but the way you perceive and process every challenge you face?

In this episode of Triangle Tweener Talks, guest host Rebecca Ross sits down with Katherine Krupka, a leadership strategist and executive coach, to dive into the powerful connection between leadership, perception, and decision-making. Katherine has worked with leaders around the world, from embassies to startups, helping them unlock deeper levels of wisdom and navigate uncertainty. She’s bringing all of her expertise to Raleigh Durham Startup Week as a k...

Who’s Advancing from the Fabulous Four - Moxie or ZW?

Welcome back to Triangle Tweener Madness, where four startups remain in the race for a $25K investment from the Triangle Tweener Fund!

In this week’s matchup, we’ve got two very different companies: one’s building AI to protect the integrity of academic research, and the other’s helping manufacturers optimize glass and ceramics production with deep tech. The stakes are higher than ever—only one will move on to the championship round.

The Contenders

🔹 Moxie (Jessica Parker) – An AI...

Welcome back to Triangle Tweener Madness, where 8 startups go head-to-head for a $25K investment from the Triangle Tweener Fund! 

This week, it’s a battle between a logistics platform built for scrappy e-commerce sellers and a surprising new marketing tool using your calendar.

Only one can move on to the next round. Let’s meet the contenders.

The Contenders

🔹 Deliveri (Jason Brown) – A full-service logistics tech stack for small e-commerce businesses shipping across the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. Deliveri helps brands compare rates, insure shipments, automate duties and taxes, and create...

Guest host Rebecca Ross sits down with Phil Dixon, CEO of the Oxford Brain Institute and expert on neuroscience in leadership. With years of experience working with top companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook, Phil is bringing his insights to Raleigh Durham Startup Week as a keynote speaker.

You’ll hear Phil discuss:

If you’re an entrepreneur or just interested in the fasc...

Welcome back to Triangle Tweener Madness, where 8 startups go head-to-head for a $25K investment from the Triangle Tweener Fund! This week, it’s a clash of categories—govtech vs. asset tech—as two AI-powered platforms pitch their visions for transforming outdated systems. One startup is helping local governments serve residents more efficiently. The other is helping estate sale pros and collectors reclaim time and value in the secondary market.

Let’s meet the contenders.

🔹 CivicReach (Chip Kennedy) – A voice-based AI platform that helps cities and counties improve the customer experience of government services—think tax appeals, pothol...

Bootstrapped vertical SaaS software company, Inn-Flow, raised $45m from Mainsail.  In this exclusive interview we hear from CEO and co-founder John Erhart the history of Inn-Flow, how they got the deal done and what this means going foraward.

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Triangle Tweener Talks is sponsored by:

Who’s Moving On in the Battle of EdTech?

Welcome back to Triangle Tweener Madness, where 8 startups go head-to-head for a $25K investment from the Triangle Tweener Fund! This week, two edtech startups take the stage in a battle of AI-driven learning solutions—but only one will move on to the next round.

The Contenders

🔹 Moxie (Jessica Parker) – An AI-powered research writing platform that helps graduate students, faculty, and researchers streamline the writing and revision process while maintaining academic integrity. With a growing user base and institutional partnerships, Moxie is poised to...

Welcome to the first-ever Triangle Tweener Madness, where 8 startups compete for a $25K investment from the Triangle Tweener Fund! 

We kick off the competition with two promising startups going head-to-head: John Starke from MyMatR and Robert Fu from ZW LLC. With a distinguished selection committee featuring David Jones (Bull City Venture Partners), Anil Chawla (Entrepreneur and Angel Investor), and Nikin Shah (Front Porch Ventures), the stakes are high as these founders pitch their innovative solutions.

The Contenders

🔹 MyMatR (John Starke) – Tackling the massive waste management problem, MyMatR has developed an automatic sorting waste contai...

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund.

Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize.

About Tweener Madness: https://www.tweenermadness.com

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Triangle Tweener Talks is hosted by Scot Wingo, presented by Triangle Tweener Fund, and produced by Walk West.

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund.

Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize.

Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people making the tough calls.

Where to Find Michael Jones:

About Tweener Madness: https://www.tweenermadness...

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund.

Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize.

Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people making the tough calls.

Where to Find Anthony Rotoli:

About Tweener Madness: https://www.tweenermadness.com<...

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund.

Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize.

Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people making the tough calls.

Where to Find Anil Chawla:

About Tweener Madness: https://www.tweenermadness.com

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Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund.

Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize.

Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people making the tough calls.

Where to Find Dave Neal:

About Tweener Madness...

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund.

Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize.

Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people making the tough calls.

Where to Find Jason Caplain:

About Tweener Madness...

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund.

Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize.

Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people making the tough calls.

Where to Find Tobi Walter:

About Tweener Madness: https://www...

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund.

Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize.

Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people making the tough calls.

Where to Find Randy Myer:

...

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund.

Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize.

Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people making the tough calls.

Where to Find Kevin Mosley:

About Tweener Madness: https://www.tweenermadness...

In this special edition of Triangle Tweener Talks, we’re breaking some big news: Walk West has acquired Earfluence! Jason Gillikin, founder of Earfluence (which produces this podcast), and Greg Boone, the incoming CEO of Walk West, join host Scot Wingo to discuss the details of the deal, what it means for the future of both companies, and how this acquisition will reshape the digital marketing and podcasting landscape in the Triangle.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

In this episode, Keebler founder, Isaac Park, shares some great best practices for how to get a seed raise done in the current environment.

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Triangle Tweener Talks is sponsored by:

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund.

Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize.

Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people making the tough calls.

Where to Find Jenn Summe:

About Tweener Madness: https://www.tweenermadness.com<...

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund.

Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize.

Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people making the tough calls.

Where to Find Lister Delgado:

About Tweener Madness: https...

In this episode we reveal the Tweener Madness "Exceptional Eight" - our eight triangle high-tech startups that 'made the cut' to move forward.  Each company's founder was able to make it and comes on the show to tell us a bit about themselves and their customer.

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Triangle Tweener Talks is sponsored by:

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund.

Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize.

Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people making the tough calls.

Where to Find Robbie Hardy:

About Tweener Madness: https...

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund.

Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize.

Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people making the tough calls.

Where to Find David Jones:

About Tweener Madness...

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund.

Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize.

Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people making the tough calls.

Where to Find Mahati Sridhar:

About Tweener...

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund.

Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize.

Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people making the tough calls.

Where to Find Evan Shear:

About Tweener Madness...

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund.

Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize.

Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people making the tough calls.

Where to Find Nikin Shah:

About Tweener...

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund.

Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize.

Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people making the tough calls.

Where to Find Zakiya Alta Lee:

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund.

Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize.

Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people making the tough calls.

Where to Find David Gardner:

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund.

Each round, 3 members of the selection committee will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize.

Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people making the tough calls.

Where to Find Mitch Mumma:

About Tweener Madness: https...

Welcome to Tweener Madness, the high stakes startup showdown where 8 promising companies go head to head for a $25,000 investment prize from the Triangle Tweener Fund.

Each round, three judges will vote on which startups advance leading up to the finals in early April where one company will take home the top prize from the judges.

Before the competition kicks off, let's meet the people making the tough calls, the judges.

First up, Jan Davis.

Where to Find Jan Davis:

If you ask Alexa who invented Alexa, she'll tell you it was Amazon.com.  While that's kinda true, the Alexa foundation was developed by Igor Jablokov and his team at Yap, which was acquired by Amazon in 2011.

Today, we talk to Igor and get the entire story - from a childhood in a Greek cave to pioneering AI advancements that shape the way we interact with technology today. As the founder of Pryon and an early force behind Amazon Alexa, Igor has been at the forefront of AI for over two decades. That's right, two decades in A...