Built in Ohio

Tim Porter is a Manager within Pease & Associates Risk Advisory Services and in our latest podcast episode we talk security at startups and young companies.

Tim has dedicated his entire career to Risk Advisory Services where he provides clients with auditory reports that focus on an organization’s internal controls. Tim specializes in advising businesses on how to leverage their controls to generate efficiencies and maintain compliance with regulatory and audit requirements. As a Manager in the Risk Advisory Services Group, Tim focuses on providing tailored solutions and recommendations to service organizations.

Tim has worked extensively with clients located around the world and ranging from pre revenue start-ups to over $5 billion in annual revenue. As a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Common Security Framework Practitioner (CCSFP), and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), he understands how to audit many types of systems and operations. Tim leverages his interest in technology and process automation to achieve this in the most efficient way possible. Tim has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a co-major in Business Analytics from Miami University.

Connect with Tim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-porter-cpa-ccsfp-cisa-32360b7b/

Learn more about the work at Pease CPAs: www.peasecpa.com

Steven Muszynski  is the Founder and CEO of Splash Financial, a Cleveland-based leading digital lending platform that helps borrowers easily shop and compare financial products from a Splash-powered network of credit union and bank partners. In this episode, we talk with Steven about building a FinTech company in Cleveland, business pivots, and scaling a company.

Recently named among the top 250 private FinTech companies in the world by CB Insights, Splash’s unique hybrid marketplace model and automated underwriting platform has helped the average person refinancing their student loans save thousands.

For more information on Splash, please visit: www.splashfinancial.com

To see career opportunities at Splash, please visit: https://jobs.lever.co/splashfinancial

Connect with Steven on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-muszynski-16341b2b/

Tracy Ruberg is the Founder/President of T6 Group and Executive Director of The Circuit, a non-profit IT association in Southwest Ohio. In this episode, we talk with Tracy about aligning strategic business objectives with digital transformation initiatives, the tech ecosystem in Southwest Ohio, and creating tech education opportunities. 

Throughout her career, Tracy has had the opportunity to work for organizations including E&Y, HP, Dell, EMC, CBTS and others.  Tracy loves working with clients and uses her ability to “stand in the shoes” of the client’s employees at all levels to deliver solid results. She believes in gaining clarity on the end result, and that project success hinges on continuous, strategic, and transparent company-wide communication.

When she is not busy working, she can be found doing activities with her family, reading, or planning the next beach vacation.  Tracy has a Quantitative Business Analysis and Marketing degree from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

Learn more about The Circuit: www.thecircuit.net

Learn more about T6 Group: www.t6-group.com

Connect with Tracy on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tracyruberg

Rob Moyer is the Co-Founder and President of Agility Partners, LLC an IT recruiting and consulting company headquartered in Columbus. In this episode, we talk with Rob about his path to tech, building a new business, and taking risk for greater upside. 

 Founded in 2017 in his spare bedroom, Rob (and his partner Alan) self-funded AP and immediately began to disrupt the industry by building a greenfield, referral-based technology platform called Connect. In 2020, Agility Partners formally stood up its automation consulting division, Impower.ai.  Over those four years, AP has grown to 100+ employees in several states and has been recognized by the community and the industry for their innovation, diversity, and culture.

Rob lives in Grandview Heights, is a member of the Information Systems Advisory Board at Ohio University where he graduated, and is intimately involved in the tech community in Columbus and beyond.  In his free time, Rob invests, travels, acts like he golfs, and enjoys a stiff, smoked Old Fashioned at No Soliciting.

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robmoyer/

For more information on Agility Partners, please visit: https://agilitypartners.io/

Alex Frommeyer is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Beam Dental. In this episode we talk with Fro about disrupting the dental insurance industry, the golden age for building tech in the midwest, and why Ohio became home.

Beam Dental is a digital-first dental benefits provider that incorporates dental hygiene behavior into policy pricing, combining an easy-to-use online insurance platform, AI-powered underwriting, and the connected Beam Toothbrush for better overall wellness.

Beam has raised over $160 million in venture capital funding and is the only digital-first company within the $75 billion dental insurance industry. Beam also offers vision insurance and group term life coverage for employers of all sizes. Beam is available in 41 states around the U.S. and is accepted at over 400,000 access points nationwide. 

Fro has done an amazing job driving Beam’s continued success and expansion, and has also led the organization through multiple capital raises, most recently a Series E of $80M.

Follow Fro on Twitter: @AlexFrommeyer

Learn more about Beam Dental: www.beam.dental

Cal Al-Dhubaib is the CEO of Pandata and in this episode we talk with Cal about ethical AI and how we can grow Ohio's data science industry.

Pandata designs and develops human-centered AI and ML solutions. Their deep expertise in human behavior is why they shine at working with innovative teams, including navigating the complexities of regulated and protected data sources to mitigate risk and protect the most priceless asset they own – their reputation.

Cal is a data scientist, entrepreneur, and professional speaker on AI. He founded Pandata on the core values of "Approachability and Ethics". Empowering organizations to design and develop AI solutions that grow their bottom line, Pandata has overseen 80+ transformative projects with leading global brands including Parker Hannifin, the Cleveland Museum of Art, FirstEnergy, and Penn State University.

Cal is especially passionate about the ethics of AI and how organizations can orchestrate the right talent to support AI initiatives. Cal has been recognized as a Notable Immigrant Entrepreneur, Crain's Cleveland 20 in their 20s, and two-time Cleveland Smart 50 recipient. In addition to becoming the first data science graduate from Case Western Reserve University, Cal is also known for his role in advocating for careers and educational pathways in Data Science through workforce development initiatives.

Connect with Cal on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dhubaib

Learn more about Pandata: www.pandata.co

Max Brickman is the Managing Director of Heartland Ventures, a venture capital firm that connects high-growth startups with new customers in the Midwest. In this episode we talk with Max about why he brought his Venture firm to Ohio, the opportunities that come from connecting Midwest industries and leading tech companies, and scaling businesses.  

Max is a forward-thinking venture capitalist with a passion for expanding technological innovation into smaller, underrepresented Heartland communities. In line with this passion and commitment, Max founded Heartland Ventures to enhance Silicon Valley startups’ access to this market. 

With offices in San Francisco, Ohio, and Indiana, Heartland Ventures connects coastal startups to their largest customers within the recently flourishing and often overlooked Heartland market.  Max serves on several regional boards designed to increase per capita income and entrepreneurial activity.

Learn more about Heartland Ventures: www.heartlandvc.com

Chris Berry is the CEO and Founder of Echelle Resources, Inc., and a board member of Per Scholas. In this podcast, we talk with Chris about growing businesses while keeping mission focus, how a napkin led to a new company, and breaking down the digital divide.

Chris has spent the last two years growing Echelle Resources into a competitive information technology company with automotive and telemedicine lines of business. Before founding Echelle Resources, Chris spent time in central Ohio as a Solution Architect. He resides in the central Ohio area with his family.

Connect with Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisberry

For more information on Echelle Resources, Inc., please visit: www.echelleresources.com

Shawn Leitner is Vice President and Senior Product Manager at KeyBank, and Chief Technology Officer at Sway Mobility. In this podcast, we talk with Shawn about the growing role of product management and how he built a community of product managers in Northeast Ohio.

Shawn has spent two decades building products, being innovative, and solving problems using technology, working in various tech roles in both the public sector and private sector. He is also an avid networker, creating the Cleveland Product networking group in 2017 to support Cleveland's Product community.

Connect with Shawn on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/shawnleitner

Learn more about Sway Mobility: www.swaymobility.com

Jeffrey Stern is a co-founder and product manager at Axuall, a venture-backed company in Cleveland, and is also the host of the Lay of The Land Podcast which tells the stories of entrepreneurship in Cleveland. In this podcast, we talk with Jeffrey about his decision to move to Cleveland in order to start a tech career and the catalyst for launching his podcast.

At Axuall, Jeffrey and his team are focused on streamlining the sharing of verified digital credentials between clinicians and healthcare organizations to eliminate onboarding delays while empowering clinicians with ownership of their own data.

Prior to Axuall, Jeffrey was the first employee at Votem, working to restore and bolster trust, access, and transparency in elections with a core focus on developing secure and verifiable voting systems. Jeffrey is also an alumni of Venture for America.

Connect with Jeffrey on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern

Learn about Axuall: www.axuall.com

More on Lay of the Land: https://upside.fm/shows/lay-of-the-land/