DARE is excited to share our conversation with ⁠JB Benjamin⁠, a visionary technologist focused on privacy and equity. JB is the CEO of the ⁠Akuma Engineering Group,⁠ an innovative team working in post-quantum encryption, AI-driven communications, and 3D spatial scanning. Akuma's teams have created the world's first post-quantum encrypted messenger ⁠(Vox Messenger⁠), in addition to the new group transaction crypto wallet, ⁠Vox Crypto⁠. In our conversation, JB shares his relentless passion for digital equity and comments on the recent arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov.

DARE is happy to talk with Jeremy Parker, founder of Swag.com. Jeremy has founded several promotional product groups, including ecommerce platforms and Swag.com (acquired by Custom Ink). He's positioned the company as the premier destination for businesses looking to purchase and distribute quality promotional products. Swag.com boasts an extensive clientele, including major players like Facebook, Google, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Spotify, and TikTok.

Rob Cohen is the CEO of Livara Health. Prior to joining Livara, Rob was the CEO at Bamboo Health, where he led the company’s national expansion. Rob has also served in leadership roles at Evolent Health, Healthways, Wellpoint, The Walt Disney Company, and McKinsey & Company. 

He is a firm believer in the power of healthcare as a catalyst for positive change and is committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

DARE speaks with Julie Sandler, Managing Director at Pioneer Square Labs and co-founding general partner of PSL's venture capital firm, PSL Ventures. The firm invests in companies all over the Pacific Northwest region. Julie has a long-standing interest in digital solutions serving women and underserved communities. Prior to PSL, Julie was a partner at Madrona Venture Group and managed digital marketing for Amazon’s ebook business worldwide.

Julie was named a “Power 100” influencer in the Puget Sound Business Journal, voted “Geek of the Year” by GeekWire, named an AdWeek “Brand Star” for her work with underrepresented entrepreneurs, voted GeekWire’s “Hire of the Year."

Bob Bowdon is the founder and CEO of VidaFair, a pay-per-stream video platform. He is also the founder and former Executive Director of Choice Media, the leading School Choice media group. He has been a television producer, reporter and commentator for PBS, Bloomberg Television.

Collin Graves is the visionary leader and CEO of North Labs, a leading fractional cloud data analytics firm empowering growing companies with data-driven strategies. Under his leadership, Collin has propelled over 1,000 organizations towards transformative success. Before founding North Labs, he served with distinction in NATO Special Operations during his tenure with the US Air Force.

Ernesto Cullari and Barbara Wardell deliver 5,000 satellite-verified in-store customers to laundromat owners nationwide each month. They employ customized maps on smartphones to guide the public directly to your door. Through geofencing, when a potential customer sees an ad and visits a store, GPS satellites accurately record the visit, showcasing the true power of this disruptive innovative technology.

Benjamin Johnson is a serial technical co-founder with a track record of success and hands-on open-source programming experience. He is the CEO & Founder of Particle41, a dev firm founded by industry veterans that aims to help companies accelerate their initiatives through Software Development, DevOps, and Data Science.

Hailing from Atlanta Georgia, Robert manages the  Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) at Georgia Tech FinTech program, providing acceleration opportunities to portfolio companies, fostering their development and growth. He also manages ATDC relationships with investors, prospective business partners, CEOs, and community technology leaders to promote market outreach and business development in the FinTech ecosystem. Robert is also Founder and Chief Comedy Officer of Standups & Startups which produces comedy events for the startup and small business community.

DARE welcomes Alan Versteeg, the Chief Revenue Officer at Growth Matters. We discuss sales processes and share insights on why sales happen or don't happen, and emphasize the importance of treating sales as a profession and taking ownership of one's career by constantly practicing and learning. Alan stresses the importance of creating environments that support sales professionals and constantly refining practices through coaching and measurement.