614Startups

On this episode, Elio interviews Michelle Murcia, Founder and CEO of Book+Street. Book+Street provides comprehensive finance and administration services for private and pre-IPO companies, and also designs and administers equity-based compensation plans that make it easy for startups to start off right, right from the start. Michelle defines equity, breaks down the types of equity and the pros and cons of each, and why engaging a professional can save you a lot of headaches when hiring and firing, raising capital, and exiting your business. Enjoy!

On this episode, Elio interviews Dan Rockwell, CEO and Co-Founder of Big Kitty Labs. Big Kitty Labs is a software development agency focusing on software development for web, enterprise, and mobile applications. Big Kitty Labs has worked with a long list of Columbus startups and don't be surprised if you a fan of a platform they helped develop. Dan shares his wealth of knowledge gained from working with diverse founders building solutions for diverse industries. For the first time ever on the show, Dan goes metaphysical and we explore his tagline, Ready, Set, Manifest. Enjoy!

This week we return to in-person sessions as Elio interviews LoLo Smith and George "Ski" Zarebski of the Urban Business Development Center. The U as it is commonly known envisions a world where systematic oppression is not an obstacle for Black and Brown businesses. The U fulfills this vision by bridging the access gap ensuring awareness of resources, providing culturally competent education, facilitating impactful collaboration and engagement for Owner-Operated, Lifestyle businesses and start-ups run by People of Color. Ski and LoLo share the origin story of The U, how the survived the pandemic, and the importance of creating a sense of belonging when launching and scaling companies started by People of Color.

On this episode, Elio interviews Todd Federman, Managing Director of North Coast Ventures. North Coast invests in early-stage entrepreneurs and connects them with on-demand access to intellectual capital through their member network and deep links to corporate decision-makers, leading to game-changing opportunities. Todd discusses how North Coast came to be, the power of focus for VC funds and entrepreneurs, and how exits by portfolio companies like Able, and new two new funds raised in 2021 position them to expand beyond Ohio to build their network of startups, investors and potential customers for their portfolio companies. Enjoy!

You can find Todd Federman and North Coast Ventures at:

https://northcoast.vc/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddfederman/

You can find Elio Harmon and 614Startups at:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elio-harmon-ba4a8747/

https://www.instagram.com/elioharmon/ https://www.614startups.com/

www.twitter.com/614startups

https://www.linkedin.com/company/614startups/?viewAsMember=true

https://www.instagram.com/614startups/

https://www.facebook.com/614startups/

On this episode, Elio interviews Travis Smith, Founder and CEO of Tribevest. Tribevest makes it easy to invest with your friends, family, and other like-minded individuals. The company has coined the term tribevesting which is the process by which friends and family become business partners and invest together. Travis returns to the podcast after 3 years to share how he has grown as a founder, his experience going through the MuckerLab accelerator and nailing their customer acquisition strategy, and how their recent $3 million seed round positions them for success going forward.

Fun fact: Ryan Leslie, the founder of SuperPhone and a Grammy-nominated recording artist, led a group of investors including Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings from The Earn Your Leisure Podcast in using Tribevest's platform to participate in Tribevest's seed round.

You can find Travis Smith and Tribevest at:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/travissmithmovethechannel/

https://www.tribevest.com/features-and-pricing?utm_source=614startup&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=elio&utm_id=podcast

You can find Elio Harmon and 614Startups at:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elio-harmon-ba4a8747/

https://www.instagram.com/elioharmon/ https://www.614startups.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/614startups/?viewAsMember=true

https://twitter.com/614startups

https://www.instagram.com/614startups/

https://www.facebook.com/614startups/

On this episode, Elio interviews Mike Popadak, CEO of iVueit. iVueit provides facility managers with on-demand visual validation and compliance verification on the properties they manage nationwide. iVueit accomplishes this by leveraging Vuers who earn extra cash by completing interior/exterior site inspections (Vues) at nearby properties. Mike shares how the idea for iVueit came about, solving the chicken or the egg problem of getting properties vs. getting vuers, the state of the gig economy, and what's next for iVueit. Enjoy.

You can find Mike Popadak and iVueit at:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-popadak-891a8b4/

https://ivueit.com/

You can find Elio Harmon and 614Startups at:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elio-harmon-ba4a8747/

https://www.instagram.com/elioharmon/

https://www.614startups.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/614startups/?viewAsMember=true

https://twitter.com/614startups

https://www.instagram.com/614startups/

https://www.facebook.com/614startups/

On this episode, Elio interviews Elspeth "Elle" Paige-Sack, Founder of Hunter Marketing. Hunter Marketing is a marketing communications firm that helps businesses large and small create and execute marketing strategies that work. Elle describes herself as a sales and marketing expert and former pizza pimp who decided to take the leap and start her own business. True to her values, Hunter Marketing "leads with our hearts and acts with our brains for clients with common values. In an era of increased commoditization, we exhibit unwavering integrity and compassion, both internally and externally." Elle shares her thoughts on all things sales, marketing, and branding for startups and small businesses. Enjoy.  

On this episode, Elio interviews Dan Keough, CEO of Holmes Murphy and Co-CEO of BrokerTech Ventures. Holmes Murphy is an independent insurance brokerage firm specializing in property-casualty insurance and employee benefits strategy. BrokerTech Ventures leverages partnerships with brokerage firms, carrier networks, and access to early-stage investment capital to identify and scale disruptive technologies in the insurance industry.

Dan shares how Holmes Murphy's commitment to being a trusted advisor for their clients, their people-first approach, and commitment to innovation has helped the 90-year-old company serve clients in every industry and of almost every size with the ultimate goal of providing thoughtful expertise and exceptional service. With the launch of BrokerTech Ventures, Dan is focused on turning client problems into companies through the BrokerTech Accelerator which has grown valuations for participating companies $586 million. BrokerTech Ventures is also looking to invest in insurtech companies across the globe and with Columbus being the insurtech capital of the world, it wouldn't be a surprise if we see an investment in a Columbus startup soon. Enjoy! 

On this episode, Elio interviews Sahil Shah, Co-Founder of MESH. MESH is a cloud-based SaaS platform designed for manufacturers to streamline their sourcing and quality processes into one centralized, easy-to-use online platform. As complex and integrated as the global supply chain is, much of sourcing and quality assurance processes lack digitization. 

Sahil uncovered this problem during a Sourcing and Supply Chain internship in China for his father's company MES. Sahil discusses how the team at MESH is helping manufacturers improve their procurement processes by giving them insight into supplier quality and inventory around the globe thereby speeding up the acquisition process and diversifying their supplier base all while maintaining quality standards. 

To learn more about MESH 

Visit https://globalsourcing.com/

To learn more about Sahil Shah

Visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahil-shah-98b677b1/

To learn more about 614Startups 

Visit www.614startups.com 

To learn more about Elio Harmon

Visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/elio-harmon-ba4a8747/

In this episode, Elio interviews Kristy Campbell, Chief Operating Officer of Rev1 Ventures. Rev1 Ventures provides seed-stage venture capital funding in Columbus, Ohio along with startup services, space, mentoring, and connections. Kristy leads operations for Rev1 Ventures, the investor startup studio providing strategic services and capital to help startups scale and corporates innovate. She supports cross-team delivery of client services – including talent programs, corporate partnerships, infrastructure (via Rev1 Labs’ innovation center), and access to investment capital. Kristy also leads Rev1’s Inclusive Entrepreneurship efforts, focused on reducing bias and improving access to resources and capital for women, minority and underrepresented inventors and entrepreneurs.

Kristy provides insights into Rev1's model for engaging and supporting founders, how the organization measures success, and her prediction that startups that succeed going forward will have DE&I embedded in their business plan from day one. She also discusses highlights from the 2022 State of Startups in Ohio report including the fact that Ohio's startup ecosystem has created nearly 11,000 jobs with an average salary of over $90,000. Enjoy!

To connect with Rev1 Ventures visit www.rev1ventures.com. 

Additional Information about Kristy: 

Prior to joining Rev1, Kristy spent her career working within multiple high-growth, venture-backed startups, helping to build their brands, organize effective teams, grow revenue and scale. She held leadership positions at Manta Media – where she helped to grow the company into one of the largest, most trafficked websites in the U.S. – and Saama Technologies, a global leader in Big Data and analytics.