Interview Begins: 8:51 Debrief Begins: 51:07 A.J. Damiano is the co-founder and CEO of Powerspike. Powerspike is the easiest way to sponsor influencers in the esports & gaming space. Powerspike helps you create campaigns, connect with Twitch influencers and teams at scale, without all the …
What’s coming next for the team at upside [JE021]
This week, we’re sharing a quick update about what’s coming up for the feed for the rest of the year. Due to some competing life priorities, we need to take a short break from recording new interviews. But our feed isn’t going dark – each …
Foodnerd // making nutrient-dense superfoods more accessible through the process of sprouting [UP093]
Interview Begins 8:35 Debrief Begins 42:37 Sharon Cryan is the founder and CEO of Foodnerd. Foodnerd specializes in 100% plant-based superfood products that are designed to increase the world’s understanding or accessibility of truly nutrient-dense foods. They use raw, sprouted, organic ingredients that are GMO-free …
Sam German of SPMB // recruiting upper management and board members to startups across the country [CC082]
Interview Begins 5:05 Debrief Begins 25:39 Samantha (Sam) German is a Client Partner in SPMB’s Emerging Markets Practice. SPMB is one of the fastest-growing retained executive search firms in the country, closing hundreds of C-level searches every year. For over 40 years, SPMB has specialized …
[REWIND] Firebrand Ventures // Closing a new $40M for the merged fund [RE007]
John 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 …
Republic // helping anyone invest in private companies [CC081]
Interview Begins 8:02 Debrief 50:00 Kendrick (Ken) Nguyen is the co-founder and CEO of Republic. Republic empowers everyone to invest in the future they believe in by providing access to startups, real estate, crypto, and video game investments. Focused on creating a diverse, sustainable, connected …
SavvyCal // taking the awkwardness out of scheduling and making it easy [UP092]
Interview Begins 8:16 Debrief 54:58 Derrick Reimer is the founder and CEO of SavvyCal. SavvyCal wants to take the friction and awkwardness out of scheduling time with people. They’re an indie SaaS company with a little bit of financial backing from TinySeed and a few …
Vint // invest in equity shares of wine collections [UP091]
Interview Begins: 7:25 Debrief Begins: 46:24 Nick King is the co-founder and CEO of Vint. Vint is the first fully transparent platform for anyone to invest in fine wine and spirits. They democratize this high-returning asset class with SEC-qualified collections. Fine wine has returned over …
Victor Gutwein of M25 // A conversation 200 episodes in the making [CC080]
Interview Begins: 9:01 Debrief: 59:30 Victor Gutwein is the Founder and Managing Partner of M25 M25 is an early-stage venture firm based in Chicago, investing solely in tech startups headquartered in the Midwest. Since they launched in 2015, they’ve become the most active investor in …
AireXpert // Keeping planes in the air with real-time synchronization for maintenance, tech ops, and flight crews [UP090]
Andy Hakes is the founder and CEO of AirExpert. AireXpert offers maintenance control, quality assurance, base, line, and vendor maintenance, enabling users to experience reduced repair times, decreased delays, and lowered time costs, while mitigating the risk of FAA compliance. Andy has been an aircraft …
Jack Greco of Buffalo Bridge // the co-founder of Buffalo’s first unicorn on giving back to build the ecosystem [CC079]
Interview Begins : 7:37 Debrief: 45:43 Jack Greco is the co-founder of ACV auctions. ACV auctions is an online marketplace for used cars. As of November 2019, the company was valued at more than $1.5 billion. Jack has built a reputation for supporting other …
Karla Gallardo of Viwala // providing revenue-based loans for women entrepreneurs in Mexico [CC078]
Interview Begins : 6:57 Debrief: 37:08 Karla Gallardo is the CEO of Viwala. Viwala provides loans for women entrepreneurs who have high-impact businesses as well as a network of mentors and entrepreneurs who aim to reduce the gender gap in Mexican businesses. We discuss: …
Reclaim // a smart calendar assistant helping find time for your real priorities [UP089]
Interview Begins 6:53 Debrief 52:25 Patrick Lightbody is the co-founder of Reclaim. Reclaim is a smart calendar assistant that can save you up to 40% of your workweek. Reclaim aligns your priorities to the time you spend every week, empowering you to rapidly rebalance your …
John Gannon of GoingVC // helping people break into venture capital [CC077]
Interview begins: 6:28 Debrief: 41:25 John Gannon is the co-founder and general partner of GoingVC. John has mentored thousands of current and aspiring VCs through his VC Careers blog and email list, which counts VCs from top firms like Sequoia, KPCB, and Bessemer as subscribers. …
Ginger Rothrock of HG Ventures // corporate venture capital investing in heavy construction and materials, environmental services, and specialty chemicals [CC076]
Interview begins: 7:16 Debrief: 43:38 Ginger Rothrock is a Senior Director at HG Ventures. HG Ventures supports innovation and growth across The Heritage Group by investing and partnering with private companies developing new technologies and approaches in both our core and adjacent markets. We …
Tom Cottingham of Flyover Future // building a news organization covering innovation in 20+ cities across the midwest. [CC075]
Interview begins: 7:00 Debrief: 38:33 Tom Cottingham is the founder and CEO of Flyover Future. Flyover Future is a digital newsletter covering innovation and start-ups in the heartland. They cover the investors, the innovators and the ecosystems that help innovation thrive. We help our readers …
William Hsu of Mucker Capital // an accelerator committed to getting to you to your next round of funding [CC073]
Interview begins: 7:07 Debrief: 38:45 William Hsu is a founding partner at Mucker Capital. He started his career as a founder, creating BuildPoint, a provider of workflow management solutions for the commercial construction industry not long after graduating from Stanford. Based in Los Angeles, Mucker …
Rally // buying & selling equity shares in ultra-rare, collectible assets [UP088]
Interview begins: 5:59 Debrief: 50:11 Rob Petrozzo is the co-founder and Chief Product Officer for Rally. Rally is a liquid financial marketplace for buying & selling equity shares in ultra-rare assets the same way you buy & sell stocks. Together, we Rally to make investing …
Venture Capital 101 with Scott Shane of Comeback Capital [When Pigs Fly #10]
Interview begins: 6:23 Debrief: 50:32 This week we’re hosting an upside feed takeover from When Pigs Fly! When Pigs Fly is a podcast covering the Cincinnati business ecosystem on the upside podcast network. And in this episode, they talk to Scott Shane, the Managing Director …
Michael Cohn and Sean O’Brien of Overline // leading seed stage deals in Atlanta and the southeast [CC072]
Interview Begins: 6:16 Debrief: 37:03 Michael Cohn and Sean O’Brien are the Managing Directors of Overline. Overline is an Atlanta-based, founder-operator led venture capital firm focused on investing in seed-stage businesses, primarily in Atlanta and the Southeast region of the United States. We partner …
Best Shot // a digital companion for fertility patients [UP087]
Interview begins: 5:49 Debrief: 51:25 Abby Mercado is the co-founder and CEO of Best Shot. Best Shot is a patient’s companion in fertility treatments, providing medication management & education, streamlining the pharmaceutical ordering experience and enabling safe, supportive micro-communities led by experts. Abby is a …
Jackie DiMonte of Chicago Ventures // ascending the venture career ladder and opening an office in Austin [CC071]
Interview begins: 7:15 Debrief: 55:14 Jackie DiMonte is a partner at Chicago Ventures. Prior to joining Chicago Ventures, Jackie was a principal at Hyde Park Venture Partners, working with portfolio companies such as RoadSync, Podchaser, Fixer, FactoryFix, and PartySlate. Before that, she worked at …
Jessica Peltz-Zatulove of Hannah Grey // a first check venture fund investing in founders reimagining everyday experiences [CC070]
Interview Begins: 7:12 Debrief Begins: 55:03 Jessica Peltz-Zatulove is a Founding Partner at Hannah Grey, a first check venture capital firm investing in customer-centric founders reimagining everyday experiences to improve work and life. She is also the co-founder of Global Women in VC, the …
Protoball // building a first-person sports shooter indie game [UP086]
Interview Begins: 8:19 Debrief 46:25 Zachary Spradlin is a co-creator of Protoball, a futuristic first-person sports game merging basketball, soccer, and high tech style. Players athletically jump, slide, run, and dash around the arena trying to pass the Protoball through the opponents goal. We discuss: …
Chris Bergman // building Gylee Games and The Fund Midwest [CC069]
Interview begins: 7:58 Debrief: 47:33 Chris Bergman is the founder and CEO of Gylee Games and a General Partner at The Fund Midwest. Gylee Games believes in building big worlds. They believe in games that can be enjoyed in smaller chunks, not requiring hundreds of …
The Launch Company // building the world’s first multi-user, mobile launch site for this planet and beyond [UP085]
Interview begins: 6:51 Debrief: 53:55 Ben Kellie is the Founder and CEO of The Launch Company The Launch Company is building the world’s first multi-user, mobile launch site for this planet and beyond. They develop standardized hardware, ground support equipment, and processes. Ben has a …
[REWIND] SuperRare // creating a tokenized digital art marketplace [RE006]
John 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. …
Splash Financial // helping people refinance their student loans [Lay of The Land #9]
This week we’re hosting an upside feed takeover from Lay of The Land! Lay of The Land is a podcast covering the Cleveland business ecosystem on the upside podcast network. And in this episode, Jeff talks with Steve Muszynski, the founder and CEO of Splash …
Tribevest // making it easy for individuals to pool their capital and invest together [UP084]
Interview begins: 5:22 Debrief: 41:15 Travis Smith is the founder and CEO of Tribevest. Tribevest makes it easy to launch an investor entity, pool capital, and experience wealth-building with friends, family, and people you trust. Tribevest’s all-in-one-platform helps you assemble your tribe, align on your …
Huckabuy // improving your search results with a technology-based approach to SEO [UP083]
Interview begins: 6:33 Debrief: 46:48 Geoff Atkinson is the founder and CEO of Huckabuy. Huckabuy’s Software improves your search results, drives more organic traffic, and makes your website faster. Their software creates Google’s Perfect World on your website to queue up the perfect conversation with …
Passiv // transforming your brokerage account into a portfolio management tool [UP082]
Interview begins: 5:52 Debrief: 34:02 Nick McCullum is the Director of Growth for Passiv. Passiv turns your brokerage account into a modern portfolio management tool. Passiv allows you to set a target portfolio and get email notifications when your portfolio drifts from that target. …
Introducing 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. …
Craftom // making it easy for companies to ship customized gifts, office equipment, and more [UP081]
Interview begins: 5:01 Debrief: 40:42 Caleb 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 …
Landon Ainge of Assure Syndicates // matchmaking founders with the right venture investors [CC068]
Interview begins: 6:02 Debrief: 42.:02 Landon 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 …
Between 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 …
[REWIND] Intrinio // affordable, real-time financial data [RE005]
Today is the final episode in our “Rewind” Series. Rachel Carpenter is the co-founder and CEO of Intrinio. Intrinio is a financial data company on a mission to power fintech innovation by providing affordable, high-quality data to developers and engineers from fintech companies, large institutions, …
[REWIND] Fiveable // social learning for AP students [RE004]
Today is the fourth episode in our December series called “Rewind.” Amanda DoAmaral is the founder and CEO of Fiveable, which is based in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Fiveable is an online streaming and content platform helping high school students study and master their AP exams. Started …
[REWIND] FreshFry // extending the life of frying oil [RE003]
Today is the third episode in our December series called “Rewind.” Jeremiah Chapman is the founder and CEO of FreshFry. We first talked with Jeremiah back in July 2018 in episode 12 of this show. FreshFry, located in Louisville, Kentucky, creates plant-based product that …
[REWIND] Opendorse // pioneering athlete-driven marketing [RE002]
Today is the second episode in our December series called “Rewind.” Blake Lawrence is the founder and CEO of Opendorse. We first talked with Blake back in April 2019, and our episode aired on July 17, 2019. Since that time, Opendorse has grown a lot. …
[REWIND] Balto // AI for contact centers [RE001]
Today we are introducing our December series called “Rewind.” In this series, we will introduce one of the companies we’ve had on the show, give a quick update, and replay that episode in its entirety. We think this will be a really fascinating look back …
Things we’re actually thankful for in 2020 [JE020]
This year has been unlike any other. And this Thanksgiving is likely to be unlikely any other, too. With the difficulties that 2020 has brought everyone – founders, investors, and communities – there are still some bright spots to celebrate. In today’s short episode, …
Introducing 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 …
Lay of The Land
Your guide to the business community of Cleveland, Ohio📍 Your guide to the business community of Cleveland, Ohio 📍 Subscribe in your favorite playerListen to the trailerListen to the trailerAbout the showAbout the showJeffrey Stern is a New York City transplant building companies in Cleveland. He loves …
Coming soon: the upside podcast network [JE018]
We’re excited to share with you a major project that we’ve been working on behind the scenes! Starting in 2021, the upside podcast network will be launching a growing number of localized business podcasts. The upside podcast network helps local teams to produce high-quality shows …
Healium // self-management of stress using biofeedback and virtual reality [UP081]
Interview begins: 7:01 Debrief: 45:09 Sarah 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 …
SuperRare // creating a tokenized digital art marketplace [UP080]
Interview begins: 6:56 Debrief: 54:04 John 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 …
Nexme // an on demand real estate platform [UP079]
Interview begins: 6:34 Debrief: 51:42 Vanessa 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 …
Rob Eloff of Lateral Capital // the history and future of venture capital in Africa [CC066]
Interview begins: 7:18 Debrief: 59:34 Rob 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 …
John Fein and Chris Marks of Firebrand Ventures // why two venture firms merged to become one [CC065]
Interview begins: 8:54 Debrief: 45:54 John 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 …
Nathan McDonald of Keiretsu Forum // a global community of angel investors with 53 chapters across four continents [CC064]
Interview begins: 8:37 Debrief: 58:58 Nathan 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. …
Mary Grove of Bread & Butter Ventures // from Google and Rise of the Rest to Minneapolis [CC063]
Interview begins: 10:30 Debrief: 45:38 Mary 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 …
Documo // Fax and document management for highly-regulated industries [UP078]
Interview begins: 11:02 Debrief: 53:06 Matt 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 …
Ashley Flucas of Flucas Ventures // turning 100 angel investments into an AngelList syndicate [CC062]
Interview begins: 8:44 Debrief: 51:53 Ashley 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 …
Einar Vollset of TinySeed // lessons from the first cohort of the accelerator for bootstrappers [CC061]
Interview begins: 9:28 Debrief: 35:09 Einar 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 …
SLP Toolkit // Helping Speech Language Pathologists manage their caseloads [UP077]
Interview begins: 8:54 Debrief: 1:02:09 SLP 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 …
Rootine // Personalized daily health using DNA, blood levels, and lifestyle data [UP076]
Interview begins: 6:52 Debrief: 44:32 Rachel 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 …
Xendoo // personalized bookkeeping for small businesses [UP074]
Interview begins: 6:03 Debrief: 48:54 Lillian (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 …
Dave Sachse // investing in venture funds and startups as a family office [CC060]
Interview begins: 6:49 Debrief: 35:17 Today 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 …
Will Price of Next Frontier Capital // bringing venture capital to the rocky mountain region [CC059]
Interview begins: 6:36 Debrief: 48:89 Today 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 …
Peter Livingston of Unpopular Ventures // early stage investing through a syndicate [CC058]
Interview begins: 5:16 Debrief: 43:55 Unpopular 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 …
CC057: Saurabh Sharma of Jump Capital // Series A and B capital for cloud infrastructure and enterprise software
Interview begins: 6:08 Debrief begins: 37:58 Today 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 …
CC056: Chetan Parekh of P&G Ventures // identifying and developing the next generation of billion-dollar brands
Interview begins: 6:08 Debrief begins: 42:55 Today 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 …
UP073: Pear Commerce // creating a win-win-win for consumers, brands, and retailers
Interview begins: 8:38 Debrief begins: 51:03 Today 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 …
CC055: Jason Illian of Koch Disruptive Technologies // investing in emerging technologies for one of the world’s largest private companies
Interview begins: 8:46 Debrief begins: 44:36 This 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, …
CC054: Patrick McKenna of One America Works // helping coastal companies open new offices in the heartland
Interview begins: 7:40 Debrief begins: 45:20 Today we are speaking with Patrick McKenna of One America Works. Patrick is an experienced entrepreneur, investor and business leader. He has co-founded, operated as a senior executive and invested in several highly successful technology companies with …
CC053: Andrew D’Souza of Clearbanc // revenue-based financing and the 20-minute term sheet
Interview Begins: 7:11 Debrief Begins: 42:31 In 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 …
CC052: Nick Cooney of Lever VC // investing in alternative protein startups
Interview begins: 5:50 Debrief begins: 39:35 Nick 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 …
CC051: Grady Buchanan of OmniValley // connecting startup investors between the coasts
Interview begins: 6:11 Debrief begins: 43:23 Grady 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, …
UP072: Muxy // powering viewer engagement for live streaming
Interview begins: 6:29 Bebrief begins: 51:16 Jared 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 …
UP071: BackpackEMR // electronic medical records for mobile clinics in remote locations
Interview begins: 7:50 Debrief begins: 51:01 Lori 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 …
JE017: “Test City, USA” official release
We’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 …
UP070: Xena Workwear // stylish steel-toe shoes designed for women
Interview begins: 7:50 Debrief begins: 43:06 Anastasia 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 …
CC050: Matt Hunckler of Powderkeg // connecting talent to startups in the Midwest
Interview begins: 6:10 Debrief begins: 45:00 Matt 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 …
CC049: Alex Lazarow // why the Silicon Valley playbook is outdated
Interview begins: 7:32 Debrief begins: 50:16 Alex 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 …
CC048: Mike Duda of Bullish // the strategic creative and capital partner behind brands like Casper, Birchbox, Peloton, and more
Interview starts: 6:20 Debrief starts: 1:02:12 Mike 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 …
UP069: Relish // relationship coaching in the comfort of your own home
Interview starts: 6:15 Debrief begins: 49:25 Lesley 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 …
CC047: Elias Torres of Drift // opening offices outside of silicon valley (live from Embarc Collective’s grand opening)
Interview begins: 5:29 Elias 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, …
UP068: Fiveable // live-streaming test prep for AP classes
Interview begins: 7:02 Debrief begins: 51:37 Amanda 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 …
CC046: Lakshmi Sarah // Storytelling in Virtual and Augmented Reality (live from CES 2020)
Interview starts: 6:05 Debrief starts:m 33:22 Lakshmi 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 …
CC045: Elizabeth Galbut of SoGal Ventures // the first female-led millennial venture capital firm (from CES 2020)
Interview starts: 6:10 Debrief starts: 43:34 Elizabeth 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. …
CC044: Doug Clinton of Loup Ventures // exploring frontier technologies (from CES 2020)
Interview starts: 6:38 Debrief starts: 32:46 Doug 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 …
UP067: eFuse // connecting gamers to professional opportunities & esports scholarships (from CES 2020)
Interview starts: 7:22 Debrief starts: 45:18 Matthew 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 …
CC043: James O’Connor of the Pittsburgh Knights // operating a professional esports team (from CES 2020)
Interview starts: 6:09 Debrief starts: 39:07 James 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, …
CC042: Jordan Davis of Smart Columbus // Looking into the future of smart cities (from CES 2020)
Interview starts: 6:24 Debrief starts: 58:09 Jordan 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 …
CC041: Bryan Darr of Ookla // demystifying the 5G revolution (from CES 2020)
Interview starts: 7:25 Debrief starts: 38:48 Bryan 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. …
UP066: Locomation // commercializing autonomous trucking with convoy technology (from CES 2020)
Interview begins: 5:25 Debrief begins: 46:38 Tekin 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 …
CC040: Recapping CES 2020 with fellow Media Trailblazers Hayden Field (Entrepreneur) and Lindsay Bjerregaard (Aviation Week)
Interview begins: 4:02 This 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, …
CC039: Catharine Dockery of Vice Ventures // investing in good companies operating in “bad” industries
Interview starts: 5:40 Debrief starts: 32:25 Catharine 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 …
UP065: Renewlogy // Turning plastic waste into fuel through chemical recycling
Interview begins: 7:00 Debrief begins: 47:40 Priyanka 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 …
CC038: Casey Allen // building the Twin Cities enterprise SaaS community
Interview starts: 7:15 Debrief starts: 54:23 Casey 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. …
UP064: Fitt // curating health and wellness recommendations for your city
Interview starts: 6:25 Debrief starts: 49:00 Anthony 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 …
UP063: Visible // powering communication for founders and investors
Interview starts: 7:45 Debrief starts: 49:27 Mike 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 …
JE016: 12 episodes of Christmas
Happy 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: …
CC037: Neal Bloom of Fresh Brewed Tech // uncovering the past and building the future of San Diego
Interview starts: 5:50 Debrief starts: 47:39 Neal 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 …
UP062: Mainvest // helping anyone invest in Main Street businesses
Interview starts: 6:07 Debrief starts: 49:30 Nick 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 …
CC036: Matt Cordio of Skills Pipeline // Getting a lay of the land in Startup Milwaukee
Interview starts: 6:32 Debrief starts: 38:33 Matt 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 …
JE015: Thanksgiving 2019 // strikes, turkeys, and three things we’re thankful for
This 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 …
CC035: Kim Jefferson and Lydia Beechler of BLASTmedia // building a holistic PR strategy for startups
Interview starts: 6:00 Debriefs starts: 44:11 Kim 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 …
UP061: The Bee Corp // using infrared to measure colony size to support beekeepers and growers
Interview begins: 6:49 Debrief begins: 47:27 Ellie 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 …