Build Tech Stack Equity

In this episode, investment professional Taj Ahmad Eldridge reveals the need for a more informed approach to venture capital investing. He discusses the importance of diversity, both in terms of demographics and geography, in maximizing financial returns. He explores the role of fund of funds, which bridge the gap between large institutions and smaller venture funds, and shares insights into their structure and purpose. Taj sheds light on the importance of diversity in venture capital, going beyond gender and racial diversity and highlighting the significance of geographic diversity. He argues that investing in underserved and undervalued markets, especially those with lower living costs can yield higher financial returns for investors. By taking on the role of a limited partner in LP himself, Taj aims to address this issue and empower more founders to succeed.

Our conversation delves into the reasons and benefits of running a fund of funds that focuses on investing in underrepresented markets, including women and people of color. Fund of funds serve as conduits for larger institutions that cannot invest directly in smaller venture funds, which typically have an average size of $50 million. Furthermore, we explore the role of fund of funds as capital funds that invest in venture capital firms. Taj reveals that fund of funds typically receives a 1% management fee and a 7% carry, enabling them to share in the profits made by these venture capital firms. This approach ensures that fund managers choose effective strategies and invest in firms that can generate favorable returns.

If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.

Founder Bio:

Taj Ahmad Eldridge is a 25+ year investment professional whose career has included high-level executive roles in banking, asset management, alternative investments, and entrepreneurship. Taj serves as Managing Director of Climate Innovations at JFF.

As General Partner of Include Venture Partners and former Senior Director of Investments at the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), Eldridge has built a longstanding career with expertise in the fields of fintech, media, energy, transportation, and the circular economy. He is also one of the 70 Black Investors in Bevy.com - a $325 million virtual conference platform as noted in AfroTech. At LACI, he established both the LACI Impact Fund I (LIF I) and the LACI Debt Fund to allow cleantech companies to grow with diverse capital. These funds utilize an equity impact lens to encourage invested companies to have environmental, economic, and social impact - particularly on increasing the number of underrepresented voices in the cleantech industry. In addition, Eldridge created programs such as LACI Investor Talks (LIT), the LACI Investor in Residence program, and the Player to CEO Athlete-Investor Impact Summit Series with JP Morgan Chase. He has been named one of the 53 Investors to Watch in 2021 by Pitchbook & 101 Black Titans in Tech while nurturing and building a team of investment activists.

Time Stamps:

03:00 Taj's background and professional journey

05:24 Venture risk capital and diversifying investment strategies

07:20 Fund of funds and geographic diversity in venture capital

10:47 Venture capital investment criteria with include ventures

15:49 Role of fund managers in artist funding and progress for emerging fund managers

18:37 Value of grants for underrepresented climate funds

21:60 A program to help minority underrepresented founders become venture investors

25:34 Key considerations for setting up a venture capital fund

27:21 Fund manager's secret sauce for success

30:14 Exploring diversity in venture capital

32:52 Staying in business and raising funds: tips for fund managers

35:00 Benefits of smaller fund sizes in venture capital

36:09 Evaluating fund managers and investment processes +

38:39 Fundraising strategies and climate initiatives +

40:33 Climate change: a public health, economic, and social justice issue

45:42 How to get in contact with the Include Ventures team

Resources:

Company website: https://www.includeventures.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/include-ventures

Twitter: https://twitter.com/IncludeVentures

In this episode, we speak with Amy Jarczynski, founder and CEO of Kiss & Tell, a wedding and group travel booking platform that aims to revolutionize the way guests communicate and book events. Amy shares her background and how her experiences working in consumer tech inspired her to create a platform that solves the pain points of booking and managing group travel. Amy talks about how Kiss & Tell was created in response to the dissatisfaction of guests with the current personal wedding website model, and how her previous work at the Knot in travel and international partnerships gave her the insight to know that the key to getting everyone to a wedding or gathering was tying everyone together in a social conversation.

We also discuss how Kiss & Tell is making a difference for the Latino community, with the company being nominated by angel investors for the first-ever Google for Startups Latino Founders Fund and winning. This partnership has led to Kiss & Tell becoming a perk for all of Google's 300,000 plus employees, offering a free engagement trip if they book their wedding with Kiss & Tell.

Amy shares her experiences as a Latina and a female in tech, and how it has influenced the company's mission to include underrepresented folks in the products and pain points they are solving. She also talks about Kiss & Tell's solutions, which include building and booking event venues, packages, and group stays, as well as communication tools such as segmented group conversations like WhatsApp. Lastly, we get some insights on how she finds diverse talent, and how long-standing networks exist for different demographics.

If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.

Founder Bio:

Amy Jarczynski is the Founder & CEO of Kiss & Tell, an award-winning wedding and group travel booking platform that ties everyone together in a streamlined conversation. She is an industry expert who for over a decade witnessed booking and deal flow problems impacting consumers and the industry while she spent 13 years growing and scaling The Knot's (www.theknot.com) global presence. Kiss & Tell enjoys broad industry support, high user conversion rates of wedding guests to future event hosts and the recognition of winning both Google For Startups Latino Founders Fund in 2022 (post-revenue) and Capital Factory's $100K Challenge in 2017 (pre-product). Amy is passionate about travel and bringing people together with loved ones around the world, while always finding joy in the journey. A problem solver at heart, she's deeply committed to creating a robust and lasting solution, helping people gather globally. When not traveling or working, Amy loves spending time with friends and family, people watching or lingering over good wine and food.

Time Stamps:

02:45 Amy's background and professional journey with Kiss & Tell

06:43 Leveraging Google for startups and supporting underrepresented folks

09:18 Exploring the benefits of Kiss & Tell

13:30 What does it look like to engage with Kiss & Tell

16:57 Building the platform from a technical perspective

21:12 Rebuilding a platform during covid-19

23:59 Hiring talent to build a platform

27:52 Onboarding event venues and hotels building trust and improving user experience

29:49 Investigating a payment glitch during site rollout

33:35 Partnerships and strategies for growing destination wedding awareness

36:57 How to get in contact with the Kiss & Tell team

Resources:

Company website: https://kissandtell.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doyoukissandtell/

Pinterest: https://co.pinterest.com/DoYouKissAndTell/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DoYouKissNTell

In this episode of the podcast, we sit down with Melvin Hines, a professor, mentor, and entrepreneur who is passionate about leveling the playing field for students from smaller towns. Melvin shares his journey, from growing up in South Georgia and being inspired to help his classmates succeed, to working with the CIA and founding his own EdTech business, Upswing. Melvin discusses the challenges faced by students in smaller towns, including limited access to resources like tutors, advisors, and mentors, and how the Upswing platform was created to bridge this gap by connecting students with mentors from larger cities and providing access to campus resources and third-party networks.

Melvin also shares how Upswing has evolved to address other barriers to student success, including mental health resources, and how their virtual assistant helps students stay on track with reminders and check-ins on how technology can be used to support students and level the playing field for those from smaller towns.

If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.

Founder Bio:

Melvin is the co-founder and CEO of Upswing, an organization that uses engagement software to help keep online students and adult learners on the path toward graduation. Today, Upswing supports nearly 1 million students in nearly 70 colleges. Melvin grew up in south Georgia, where he was one of only 68 students to graduate out of a class of 250. This ignited his passion for finding a way to empower students to take their futures into their own hands through higher education. After graduating from the University of Georgia, Melvin received a JD/MBA from Duke University where he started a law forum for educational equality. Afterward, he became a professor at North Carolina Central University, where he supported first-year student success.

Time Stamps:

02:45 Melvin's professional journey and background

05:45 Leveraging technology to level the playing field in small-town America +

10:19 Leveraging technology to create connections and opportunities for smaller communities

13:31 Upswing's proactive approach to student mental health and financial AID support

17:35 Scaling human intervention with AI technology

21:34 Exploring the impact of Chat GPT on human interaction

24:19 Benefits and challenges of utilizing technology to support vulnerable communities

26:35 Pricing model for student retention services

30:45 Joining forces in an accelerator program

33:36 Equity considerations for co-founders and external investors

39:47 Discussion on equity splitting and liquidation preferences in venture capital funding

42:32 How to get in contact with the Upswing team

Resources:

Company website: https://upswing.io/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upswing.io/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/upswing-io/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/upswing

In this episode, we sit down with Sydney, an experienced investor in the venture capital world who has recently launched her own fund, Impressionism Capital. Sydney shares her journey from working in the public sector to discovering her passion for fintech and digital health in venture capital. She also discusses the different stages of venture capital, from pre-revenue to private equity, and the importance of understanding the right type of capital needed to start a company. Sydney provides valuable insights into the fundraising process and shares her experience of raising a fund for Impressionism. She talks about the challenges of raising capital and how it is similar to launching a company. We also touch on the Kaufman Fellows program and the importance of creating a space for vulnerability and honesty within the venture capital industry.

Finally, she stresses the importance of education when it comes to venture capital and the different types of capital available to entrepreneurs. She emphasizes the need to be clear on what one wants to build and what they want to do with their life, as this will help determine the type of business to build.

If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.

Founder Bio:

Sydney is the Founder and General Partner of Impressionism Capital - a venture capital firm that invests in companies making life better for the 99%. The launch of her fund was recently covered by TechCrunch. She has focused on this thesis for the past 6 years and has created a distributed network invested in this space by founding a podcast where she profiles these companies, launching a newsletter where she writes about these companies, and hosting events where she organizes people who care deeply about the impact these companies can have on our society. She participates in several extracurricular activities to increase diversity in tech and level the playing field more broadly. She is on the strategy committee of BLCK VC, on the Board of Colorwave, and on the Advisory Board of Invanti – a startup generator in the Midwest. This work awarded her a Black VC's Making an Impact designation and an article in Marie Claire. She is deeply involved in her community in Oakland. In 2020, she was honored to receive the Champion of Justice Award from Esq. Apprentice, an Oakland-based nonprofit she supports that creates alternative pathways to a legal career. She was also appointed by the mayor to serve as a Commissioner for the City of Oakland's Public Safety and Services Commission.

Time Stamps:

03:08 Sydney background in venture capital

05:34 Venture capital, growth equity, and private equity with Impressionism investor

09:28 Benefits of building a company from scratch

11:14 Understanding the right capital for starting your own company

13:18 Discussion on Venture Capital Investment Outcomes

16:10 The importance of timeline when working with venture capital firms

17:63 Evaluating investment opportunities in digital health and fintech

21:22 Exploring the commitment of founders to solving problems

23:47 Different ways to make a living while building something exciting

28:15 Fintech and digital health investment opportunities with Impressionism ventures

31:61 Building relationships to find diverse founders in the digital health and fintech

34:30 Supporting founders through investment and value-add strategies

37:15 How to get in contact with the Impressionism team

Resources:

Company website: https://www.impressionismcapital.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydneypthomas/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sydneypaige10

In this podcast episode, we sit down with Tomás Uribe, a composer from Colombia who moved to New York to pursue his dreams of creativity and entrepreneurship. We learn about his background in business and how he came to start his company, Mavity, which helps creative freelancers find ways to monetize their passions. Tomás shares his journey to entrepreneurship, which began with difficult competition in the music industry. He had no exposure to business classes or the concept of entrepreneurship, but he had always been an artist and creator. After deciding to pursue an entrepreneurial lifestyle, he began to explore how to solve problems in the creative industry, which led to the creation of Mavity.

We discuss the idea of monetizing passion and how Mavity provides an alternative to the traditional gig economy. Through its platform, creative freelancers can collaborate with others and earn money doing what they love. The company has made it. Its mission is to help people make a living from their passions and realize their full potential.

Tomás also explains that Mavity focuses on two verticals: design and audiovisual. The pool of creatives is global, with most of them coming from Colombia due to the founders' backgrounds. We also discuss the rise of creativity in Latin America, with companies like Netflix and gaming companies entering the market.

If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.

Founder Bio:

Tomás Uribe is an entrepreneur, Co-founder, and CEO at Mavity, the collaboration marketplace for cloud-based creative teams. Tomás has been featured in INC. Magazine, Forbes, and an invited speaker at several conferences and events. Mavity is backed by Pharrell Williams, Techstars, Google, and L'Attitude Ventures, among other investors. Prior to Mavity, Tomás worked with global brands including Qualcomm, United Nations, and Leica Camera, and was a touring musician and composer. He has been recognized in the Forbes Next 1000 list, as well as by the Colombian Government Trade Agency - ProColombia.

Time Stamps:

03:03 Conversation with Tomas Uribe: Background

05:09 Mavity market pain point 07:17 Benefits of the gig economy for creative professionals

08:29 Monetizing passion through creativity

12:53 Understanding the buyer profile of a creative marketplace platform

14:32 Leveraging freelancers for creative projects

18:14 Benefits of high-frequency communication in creative teams

19:44 Mavity's unique project management services

23:53 Waiving fees for creators on Mavity platform and creative ops subscription for clients

25:26 conversation on the scope of work and internal team dynamics

28:12 Exploring a new model for offshore software development

30:32 Hiring processes and team dynamics

32:15 Fundraising journey for a startup, VC funding for underrepresented founders

37:45 Benefits of TechStars network and generative AI tools

39:23 Exploring the benefits of ai-driven tools for creators

43:57 How to get in contact with the Mavity team

Resources:

Company website: https://www.mavity.co/home

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mavity.co/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mavity/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MavityCo

In this episode, we sit with Chrissa McFarlane, the creator of Patientory. Chrissa joins the show to discuss the backstory behind her patient care app. With a background in emergent health, including managing a telemedicine company and consulting for pharma and EMRs, Chrissa was driven to create Patientory from the pain point of building the insurance side of the telemedicine company, as there was not a lot of consumer focus when it came to patient records. Patientory was born from the need for an easier, more organized system for patient records, and it revolutionized the healthcare industry by connecting patients with doctors over an app.

The conversation also delves into the need for consumer-friendly access to medical records, highlighting the difficulty that parents faced when trying to access their child's medical records through traditional methods. Patientory solves this problem by providing a digital health data wallet that allows users to access and manage their medical records from anywhere, making it easier for patients to keep track of their health data and stay on top of their healthcare needs.

What sets Patientory apart is its incorporation of blockchain and cryptocurrency, which allows patients to have control over their health data and potentially monetize it through a marketplace ecosystem. Additionally, Patientory provides rewards for users who take steps to improve their health, such as walking a certain number of steps. These rewards can come in the form of a crypto token, NFTs, or other forms of incentives, incentivizing users to stay active and engaged in their healthcare.

If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.

Founder Bio:

Named one of the top women "leaving their mark on the MedTech field in Health IT," by Becker's Hospital Review as the Founder and CEO of Patientory, Inc. Chrissa McFarlane publishes international healthcare research articles and actively writes for Forbes on emerging healthcare technological advances. In 2019, McFarlane authored her first book titled Future Women: Minority Female Entrepreneurship and the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the Era of Blockchain and Cryptocurrency. Devoted to fostering digital innovation in the healthcare industry, McFarlane served as co-chair of the Inaugural HIMSS18 Blockchain Workgroup, a member of the; HIMSS Interoperability & Health Information Exchange Committee, Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur Access Network and the World Economic Forum as a Technology Pioneer. With an array of professional experiences in the healthcare industry, specializing in technology transformation, delivering cost-efficient services and products for corporate 500 enterprises/ startups achieving prestigious awards, McFarlane serves as an Influencer for the Inaugural Class of the Metro Atlanta Chamber's Choose ATL campaign and Digital Influencer for HIMSS.

Time Stamps:

00:00 Chrissa McFarlane: Patientory and her background in emergent health

02:35 Challenges of accessing medical records

04:52 Benefits of Patientory for managing medical records and health data

08:31 Benefits of Blockchain and crypto in Healthcare

11:39 Leveraging dev shops and educating teams for a successful blockchain product launch

15:26 Patientory partnership-based approach to attracting users in the US

17:23 Raising capital for repository

22:31 Benefits of joining an accelerator for early-stage startups

25:02 conversation on regulatory compliance for blockchain and crypto companies

29:09 Exploring the blockchain development landscape

31:05 Managing time zone differences when hiring remote talent from Europe

33:41 How to get in contact with the Patientory team

Resources:

Company website: https://patientory.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patientory_inc/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/patientory/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/patientory

In this episode, we sit down with Cheryl Potts, the Founder, and CEO of Cleerkut Inc. and Crystal Clear Music, a firm that specializes in providing copyright and royalty administration services to record labels and music publishers. With her extensive experience as a software engineer, Cheryl has developed expertise in automating royalty accounting and ensuring accurate payments to artists. She explains the difficulties involved in documenting and categorizing royalties for multiple songs and artists, often with non-uniform data that contains errors. Cheryl emphasizes the importance of accurate royalty accounting to avoid legal issues and ensure that artists and labels receive the payments they are due.

Cheryl also highlights the ways in which artists can be short-changed, including through misunderstandings of their agreements and clauses that reduce royalty rates. She shares her experience in helping numerous record labels reach RIAA status and developing Licenseyoursong.com, a platform that enables independent music creators to issue their own mechanical licenses.

If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.

Founder Bio:

Cheryl M. Potts is the Founder and CEO of Cleerkut, Inc. & Crystal Clear Music. She has been a copyright and royalty administrator for independent record labels and music publishers for over 17 years. When one of her clients obtained major label distribution, she needed to automate her royalty accounting process. After looking in the market, she could not find a suitable solution for her needs. She decided to develop a system herself and automate many of her administrative tasks, which led to the creation of Cleerkut Royalty. Cheryl was selected by the U.S. Copyright Office to participate in the music licensing study to provide her views on behalf of independent music creators regarding possible changes to the U.S. Compulsory License. Her comments were included in the final music licensing study conducted by the U.S. Copyright Office. Ms. Potts was a senior software engineer building enterprise software for companies. With her two backgrounds merged together, she designed and built Cleerkut Royalty.

Time Stamps:

03:11 Cheryl's background and music industry experience

05:12 Automating administration tasks in the music publishing industry

07:04 Understanding the process of recording and publishing royalties

10:00 Royalty accounting and unique identifiers for records

14:50 Benefits of Cleerkut royalty for record labels and music publishers

18:16 Analyzing music sales with analytics and licensing solutions

23:22 Developing the platform and scaling up the team

27:10 Software development and ownership of source code

30:00 Offshore development and royalty accounting

32:20 Reaching out to publishers and labels for product market entry

34:26 Clear music administration services

35:44 Found rising journey at Cleerkut

40:32 Conversation on AI and Copyright law in music publishing

42:20 Deep dive music publishing masterclass

44:03 How to get in contact with the Cleerkut team

Resources

Company website: https://cleerkutroyalty.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleerkutroyalty/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cleerkutroyalty

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cleerkutroyalty

Join us in this episode as we speak with Jasmine Jones, the founder and CEO of Cherry Blossom Intimates, a company that provides breast cancer survivors with fully customizable, insurance-billable prosthetic breasts. Jasmine shares her inspiring story of entrepreneurship, from starting her own business as a teenager to founding Cherry Blossom Intimates instruments in honor of her grandmother. We explore the challenges she faced as a young entrepreneur, from bootstrapping her business to navigating the world of venture capital. We also learn about the importance of self-funding and the power of winning a global pitch competition.

Jasmine's passion and dedication to her mission are truly inspiring, and we discuss the impact her company is having on the lives of breast cancer survivors. We delve into topics such as software implementation in the physical product industry, leveraging tech talent, and exploring business models. We also explore the benefits of AI for business scalability, raising venture capital for business growth, and drawing comparisons to established companies when raising capital.

If your company is looking to hire top dev and/ or AI engineers, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in recruiting the best of the best software developers, machine learning engineers, and data scientists.

Founder Bio:

Jasmine Jones is the founder and CEO of Cherry Blossom Intimates with a seed round of $1.25 million. She is one of the few black women in the world to close over 1 million in venture funding. Jasmine is a Fashion Institute of Technology award-winning lingerie designer, a Tory Burch Fellow, and a Forbes Under 30 list maker.

Time Stamps:

03:25 - Jasmine's background journey: from thrift store reselling to healthcare company CEO

07:41 - Exploring the challenges of bootstrapping a physical product company

10:02 - Maya's customizable breast prosthetics and fit experience

12:15 - Software implementation in the physical product industry

14:25 - How innovative solutions enabled business growth

16:57 - Finding the right tech team for a pivoting business

20:55 - Leveraging tech talent and exploring business models

24:13 - Exploring automation for business growth

26:32 - Exploring the benefits of AI for business scalability

28:36 - Raising venture capital for business growth

29:52 - Raising over $7 million in funding for a startup

33:31 - Benefits of drawing comparisons to established companies when raising capital

36:23 - Benefits of explaining breast prosthetics to a variety of audiences

38:24 - Revolutionizing the breast cancer prosthetics experience

39:10 - How to get in contact with the Cherry Blossom Intimates team

Resources:

Company website: https://cherryblossomintimates.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherryblossomintimates/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cherryblossomintimates/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CBIntimates

Every year, an increasing number of healthcare practices struggle with administrative complexities, reimbursements, and cash flow needed to run viable practices. Revenues have dropped and costs have risen, leading to an unprecedented decline in privately-owned practices.

In this episode, we speak with Emmanuel Akintayo, the Co-founder and CTO of Gentem, an AI software company that automates billing workflows for healthcare organizations. Manny shares his fascinating background, originally hailing from Nigeria and moving to the US at the age of 13, where his parents encouraged him to study electrical engineering. However, he pursued his interest in software engineering and started a business building website.

Gentem transforms the reimbursement experience by handling the end-to-end billing and revenue cycle processes. Leveraging automation, data science and the latest financial technologies, Gentem is able to increase cash flow while drastically reducing account receivable days and uncovering opportunities to increase revenue. In just a few short years, they has raised over $14 million and serves specialties such as behavioral health, primary care, and pain across the entire country. Tune in to hear more about Manny's journey to becoming a founder and the mission behind Gentem to simplify the reimbursement process and elevate the patient financial experience in healthcare.

If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.

Founder Bio:

Emmanuel Antikayo earned his bachelor's degree in electrical and electronics engineering and his Master's degree in quality and manufacturing management from Penn State University. After completing his education, Manny launched his career as an operations and systems engineer at QBC Diagnostics. Over the last decade, Manny has held analyst and software engineer roles at JP Morgan Chase & Co, Accenture and OfferUp. With his experience in the mobile consumer-to-consumer (C2C) space, he joined Facebook in 2018 to help develop the emerging Facebook Marketplace platform. In 2019, Manny left Facebook to join forces with Gentem Co-Founder/CEO Fisayo Ositelu, MD. Fisayo had been searching for a co-founder with engineering expertise and entrepreneurial drive.

Time Stamps:

00:00 Manny Akintayo background and journey from Nigeria to tech entrepreneur

06:22 Exploring the pain point in healthcare software, benefits and challenges

10:10 Benefits of automation and AI in healthcare claims processing

15:06 Go-to-market strategies for healthcare startups

18:52 Building strategic partnerships for mutual benefits

22:17 Building a team for a healthcare technology company

26:52 Discussion on building a tech team and selecting a code language

29:21 Optimizing for the best engineering talent, remote teams and job market considerations

31:52 Raising capital: a journey from seed to series A

34:20 fundraising strategies for startups: a conversation with an entrepreneur

35:44 Raising capital for a software company

40:30 How to get in contact with the team

Resources:

Company website: https://gentem.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GentemHealth/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gentemhealth/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gentemhealth

As business circumstances shift, workplaces must also adapt, necessitating new types of leaders with the appropriate skills and mindset. Due to its significant impact on competitiveness and profitability, companies seeking to safeguard their business's future must prioritize leadership development.

In this episode, we speak with Alex West Steinman, the founder, CEO, and partner of The Coven. The Coven is a premier workspace and community for women, non-binary individuals, and trans folks in Minneapolis St. Paul. Alex also reflects on her personal journey of transitioning from a freelancer to an entrepreneur and co-founding The Coven with a group of friends in 2016. Their vision was to establish a secure and empowering workspace that would benefit their demographic. Furthermore, Alex emphasizes the advantages of creating a women-centric workplace environment and integrating technology into their business.

If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.

Founder Bio:

Alex West Steinman is co-founder of The Coven, one of the world's premier community and workspaces with two locations in Minneapolis St. Paul, a thriving online community and new franchise model to tap into the collective wisdom of entrepreneurs across the country to open more inclusive spaces for radical leaders.

Before she became an entrepreneur herself, Alex served as a communications director for both global brands and local politicians and is a powerhouse when it comes to PR. But beyond what she can do, is why she does it: Alex has a genuine enjoyment of people, a dedication to the economic empowerment and advancement of women, and a passion for telling the stories of underestimated communities.

In no particular order, Alex loves her two kids, husband, Oprah, and Beyonce. You can find her giving weight to exciting topics and holding space for the community.

02:38 Alex West professional background before The Coven

04:30 making the leap from freelancer to entrepreneur

07:21 Designing a safe and brave space for women, non-binary, and transgender folks

11:12 Exploring the benefits of a women-centric workplace environment

14:35 Benefits of coworking and incorporating software into the business

17:53 Coworking space digital community development during the pandemic

21:21 Value of digital community platforms for coworking spaces

24:34 Opening and raising capital for coworking space

28:27 Crowdfunding challenges for B2B products

30:28 raising funds for a preceding round

33:03 The process of fundraising for a startup

37:37 conversation on raising funds for a co-working space

41:08 How to get in contact with The Coven team

Resources

Company website: https://www.thecoven.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecoven.co/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thecovenco/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecovenco