Episodes

Taylor Crane is the Founder of Fractional Jobs. Fractional Jobs is the job board for startups to reach and recruit fractional talent. These are part-time leaders embedded into startups to help them scale Before Fractional Jobs, Taylor founded Clubs Poker, which he started in 2020 and sold in 2023. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to turn a problem into a business The pros and cons of taking Venture Capital How to cost-effectively grow through acquisition How taking on invest...

Paul Monasterio is the CEO and Co-Founder of Kalepa. Kalepa's AI-powered Copilot workbench empowers underwriters to write more profitable business faster. Kalepa was recognized as one of the most innovative insurtechs in the world as part of FinTech Global’s Insurtech 100 in 2022 and 2023. Before founding Kalepa, Paul was an executive at Facebook, Mastercard, and Applied Predictive Technologies. Paul also graduated with a PhD in Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT. In this episode, you’...

Alex Frommeyer is the co-founder and CEO of Beam Benefits, a digitally-led employee benefits company that offers dental, vision, life, disability, and supplemental health coverage. The company simplifies and modernizes the $100+ billion ancillary benefits industry through its intuitive online platform, self-service tools, AI-powered underwriting, and thoughtful coverage for improved overall wellness. Beam has raised over $200 million in funding and is available in 44 states across the U.S. Le...

Sam Rose is the Founder and CEO of Mvnifest, a full-stack product agency and 3PL. Before Mvnifest, Sam founded the award-winning kitchenware brand GIR, which she led as CEO until its acquisition by Pattern Brands in 2021. In this episode, you’ll learn: The power of storytelling The Best Day Ever Problem What a boundaryless life looks like How to work with friends and family The benefits of working at an early-stage company Follow Sam on LinkedIn Connect Follow Callan on...

Joe Emison is the Co-Founder and CTO of Branch Insurance. Branch is an insurance carrier that makes it simple to bundle home and auto insurance. Branch was listed on GlassDoor’s Best Places to Work in 2022 and 2023. Before Branch, Joe founded BuildFax (acquired by Verisk), Spaceful (acquired by DMGT), and BluePrince (acquired by Harris Computer). Joe is also an author and released his new book "Serverless as a Game Changer: How to Get the Most out of the Cloud" In this episode, you’ll lear...

Omid Bakhshandeh is the Co-Founder of Verneek. Verneek’s mission is to build the most helpful AI, enabling anyone to interact with any environment using intelligent conversational interfaces with deep domain expertise. Omid has two decades of experience in the research and development of AI systems, having founded and successfully led various AI teams. He received his Ph.D. in AI with a focus on Natural Language Understanding and Dialogue Systems and is a published author in multiple major AI...

Sam Jacobs is the Founder and CEO of Pavilion, the essential community-powered learning platform for CEOs, GTM leaders, and their teams. Today, over 10,000 people are paid subscribers to the Pavilion community. Before Pavilion, Sam spent 15 years as a senior revenue leader at VC-backed companies in the New York area, including Gerson Lehrman Group, Axial, Livestream/Vimeo, The Muse, and Behavox. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to manage hypergrowth The importance of recogni...

Jason Molnar is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Infinity Labs. Infinity Labs is a technology company that delivers innovative solutions in various domains. Jason is a decorated U.S. Army combat veteran. He serves on the board of directors of Operation Socrates, a non-profit organization that supports veterans and their families, and on the board of directors for the Ohio Veterans Collaborative, whose mission is to help Ohio Veterans find success outside of the uniform. In this...

Robin Dimond is the Founder and CEO of Fifth & Cor. Fifth & Cor is at the intersection of strategy, innovation, and creativity. They’re an Innovation and Immersive Marketing company harnessing the best tools to support brands, consumers, and communities. Robin brings over 18 years of marketing experience. She also aspires to uplift communities by sitting on multiple school boards and actively participating in various charitable initiatives. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to put on ...

Dan Manges is the Co-Founder of RWX. RWX develops software engineering tools that optimize build and test performance, reliability, and developer experience. Its flagship product, Mint, is a generation newer Continuous Integration platform that gives engineers unparalleled capabilities to optimize their builds. Dan was previously the CTO of Root, a technology-powered car insurance carrier, which he co-founded in 2015 and took public via an IPO in 2020. Before Root, Dan was the CTO of Braintre...

Rachel is the Founder & CEO of Geosite. Geosite is a Y Combinator-backed start-up working to build the geospatial marketplace. Their platform sources, visualizes, and analyzes the relevant geospatial data so their customers can make informed business decisions. Rachel is also completing her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford and was listed on the Forbes Top 30 under 30 list. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to prototype your life How to find your strengths The pros and...

Amy Volas is the Founder and CEO of Avenue Talent Partners, where they help grow early-stage startups through some of their most valuable assets, executive revenue leaders. Amy is a titan in the sales community. She's sold more than 100 million in revenue throughout her sales career. She's a LinkedIn insider and top sales voice, founder, strategic advisor, and LP at Stage 2 Capital. In this episode, you’ll learn: The power of self-belief What bad recruiting looks like How to evaluate your n...

Travis is the Co-founder and CRO of Vouch. Vouch is the insurance company for the technology industry. Since 2019, Vouch has underwritten billions in risk on behalf of over 4,000 clients, backed by A-rated reinsurers and $165M from Ribbit, YC, Redpoint, and others. Previously, he helped Nationwide Insurance launch Nationwide Ventures before joining Silicon Valley Bank’s Venture Capital group, where he raised over $1B from institutional investors to invest in fintech and digital health startup...

Devin Bostick is the founder and former CEO of LuckyTruck. LuckyTruck makes commercial insurance easy for trucking companies to buy and manage commercial trucking insurance through an all-in-one digital platform. Devin is also an active pre-seed investor through his investment fund, Paracosm Ventures, and teaches entrepreneurial design at the University of Colorado Boulder. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to validate an idea The benefits of founder sales Tips for building an i...

Lissy Alden is the Founder of MYNDY, a research-based mental fitness platform that offers a practical approach to mental fitness which is simple, self-directed, and focused on helping professionals get unstuck, make progress, and feel more focused and energized - daily. Before building MYNDY, Lissy partnered with some of the world’s largest corporations, including JPMorgan, American Express, Charles River Laboratories, and the NYT. She also spent time in the startup world as a founding member...

Matt Farrell is the COO at Niobium Microsystems, a trusted hardware design company developing high-performance microelectronic components to enable the secure collection, processing, and distribution of critical data. Matt is a multi-time founder and early-stage executive. Before the startup world, Matt was a coach for the University of Dayton Men’s basketball team and later the Assistant Athletic Director at the University of Dayton. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to create work/l...

Suresh Rachuri is the Founder of Maven. Maven is an IT Solutions and Consulting business based in Columbus, Ohio. Maven has been solving business challenges through technology and people since 2010. Suresh immigrated from India to Columbus, Ohio, at the age of 4 with his parents and younger brother. Suresh is an avid community leader and has spent the last 17 years volunteering as a big brother with the Big Brothers Big Sisters. He also serves on the board of the Columbus Early Learning Cente...

Joe Apgar is the President of PELOTONIA, which was established in 2008 to fund lifesaving cancer research and is a rapidly growing non-profit today. Before PELOTONIA, Joe worked eight years at Rockbridge Capital. He was named to the 40 Under 40 Class of 2020 by Columbus Business First and the Future 50 Class of 2021 by Columbus CEO Magazine. In 2022, he was selected as a member of the Young American Leaders Program at Harvard Business School. In this episode, you’ll learn: The healing ...

Mary Wiegand is the CEO and Founder of Boon LLC. Founded in 2017 and run by women, Boon LLC is a hands-on demand planning consultancy. They believe all product-based businesses, regardless of size, deserve access to exceptional merchandise planners. Mary brings over 16 years of demand planning experience across many retail product types and selling channels. Before Boon, Mary worked for industry leaders such as Target and Victoria's Secret. In this episode, you'll learn: How to win wit...

Nick Sadler is the CEO of DOmedia. DOmedia is the out-of-home advertising industry’s largest marketplace platform for planning, buying, and selling media. The world’s leading ad agencies and media companies rely on DOmedia’s enterprise solutions, while small businesses use http://www.BillboardsIn.com to plan and execute OOH campaigns online. Before joining DOmedia, Nick handled IT Process Improvement for Nationwide Insurance. While earning his M.B.A. in entrepreneurship at Capital University,...

Jill Koziol is the co-founder and CEO of Motherly. Motherly is a wellbeing destination empowering mothers to thrive. An Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Company and a Parity.org Best Company for Women to Advance, Motherly is built for mothers, by mothers. Engaging an audience of 40 million+ readers and viewers a month, Motherly offers on-demand parent education classes, Webby-award winning videos, The Motherly Podcast, essays and articles, and a highly-engaged social media community. Jill...

Ryan is the Founder and CEO of SHARE Mobility. SHARE Mobility empowers businesses, municipalities, and mobility organizations with software and solutions that equip workforces and communities with reliable transportation options. Ryan is a two-time founder. Before starting SHARE Mobility, he founded ContentVia to help tech startups with all things marketing. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to rebuild an existing company The different types of entrepreneurs How to upskill as a ...

Julia Regan is the Co-Founder and CEO of RxLightning. RxLightning digitizes, automates, and streamlines the historically manual specialty medication onboarding process. Julia has over 15 years of experience delivering innovative healthcare solutions that disrupt the status quo and remove friction for patients, providers, payers, and pharmaceutical manufacturers. She is an Endeavor Entrepreneur, listed on the Bizwomen 100 list, the 2023 Healthcare Hero list, and EY Entrepreneur of the Year ...

Jeff Graley is the Co-Founder and President of Mile 2. Mile 2 builds custom software for a range of diverse clients, including startups, Fortune 500 companies, and the US government. Jeff is a veteran and serial entrepreneur. His 13 years with the Air Force reinforced his strengths as a problem solver and communicator, allowing him to turn existing projects around or lead new projects to success. At Mile 2, he continues to push the envelope on new technologies in domains such as human-mach...