Founded in Tech

Landing a major retail account can feel like the finish line. But for fast-growing CPG and consumer brands, the real challenge often starts after the product ships.

In this episode of E-Suite Interviews, Jordan Ghaffari of Withum sits down with Matt Holden, Head of Partnerships at Glimpse, to talk about what founders and finance leaders need to understand before scaling into retail.

Matt breaks down how cash flow, capital strategy, trade spend, retail media, retailer deductions and brand positioning can make or break growth. From knowing the true cost of a national launch to understanding why consumers choose one product over another, this conversation gets into the operational and financial details that often separate sustainable growth from expensive momentum.

In this episode of Founded in Tech, Breea Boylan, Tax Manager in Withum's State and Local Tax Group, sits down with Tax Partner Daniel Vukosa to unpack one of the most overlooked risks facing SaaS companies: tax classification. What begins as a straightforward software offering can evolve into something tax authorities view very differently as analytics, benchmarking tools, AI-driven insights, reporting capabilities, and data services are added over time.

Breea and Danny discuss why SaaS taxability is rarely a one-time determination, how the same product can be classified differently across states, and why home rule jurisdictions such as Chicago create unique compliance challenges independent of state tax rules. They also explore how auditors evaluate software companies today and why seemingly harmless updates to websites, contracts, invoices, marketing materials, and product descriptions can have significant tax implications.

Sales tax used to be simple. Then came Wayfair.

In this episode of E-Suites Interviews, Breea Boylan and Courtney Easterday of Withum sit down with Andrew Bharat, Senior Director of Accounting and Controller at MM LaFleur, to break down what sales tax compliance really looks like for a growing e-commerce and multi-channel retail brand.

Valuation in Digital Health is not like valuing any other tech company. In this episode, tax partner Luca Panarelli sits down with Taylor Burns, a healthcare valuation expert with over 14 years of experience, to break down exactly what drives, distorts, and determines value in this highly regulated sector.

From FDA clearance and payer reimbursement to MSO/PC structures and intangible assets like proprietary algorithms and patient data, this conversation gives founders, CFOs, and operators the full picture of how digital health companies are actually valued and what you cannot afford to get wrong.

Sales tax might be the most overlooked compliance risk quietly threatening digital health startups. In this episode, tax partner Luca Panarelli and sales tax specialist Breea Boylan break down exactly why sales and use tax is such a complex landmine for digital health companies, and what founders and operators
need to know before they scale.

Withum's Courtney Easterday and Breea Boylan, of the State & Local Tax Services Team, sit down with Steven Chapman, VP of Accounting at Bird Buddy, an AI-powered smart bird feeder that notifies you of feathered visitors, captures their photos and organizes them for you. They examine how to deal with economic nexus and compliance, the role of technology in sales tax compliance, the challenges and mistakes in sales tax management and staying informed on sales tax changes. They end the conversation by providing some advice to e-commerce businesses facing sales tax complexities and issues.

What does e-commerce actually look like heading into 2026? In this episode, Lonnie Bloom, Partner and Co-Lead of Withum's E-Commerce Sector, sits down with Eric Bellomo from PitchBook to break down the private market data and consumer trends shaping the year ahead.

From capital concentration and the wellness brand explosion to tariff pressure, AI attribution challenges, and the rise of agentic shopping, this conversation covers the full picture for operators, investors, and brand builders in the e-commerce space. Whether you are a brand founder, e-commerce operator, investor, or platform builder, this episode delivers the data and perspective you need to plan for 2026.

In this conversation, Jason Berwanger, CEO and co-founder of Hubifi, discusses the challenges faced by e-commerce businesses in financial automation and revenue recognition. He explains how Hubifi addresses these issues through its innovative platform, which integrates with various payment processors and accounting systems. The discussion also touches on the impact of AI on financial processes, the importance of accurate data for decision-making, and how businesses are adapting to current economic uncertainties, including tariffs. Jason shares insights on the future developments for Hubifi and the evolving landscape of e-commerce.

Withum Partner and E-Commerce Practice Co-Leader, Lonnie Bloom, and ShipPlug Founder & CEO, Nick DiNatale, discuss challenges with third-party carriers, negotiating better shipping rates, understanding shipping costs and ShipPlug’s expertise in recovering losses from damaged goods and late shipments. The two also delve into optimizing the supply chain for cost savings as well as some other ways E-Commerce businesses can cut costs.

In this episode of E-Suite Interviews, Withum Partner and E-Commerce Practice Co-Leader, Lonnie Bloom speaks with Warren Brown, Head of Product at Settle, about current challenges faced by E-Commerce companies, including inventory management and accounting. They also discuss best practices for Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) and Landed Cost, automation vs. headcount in accounting and the importance of timely accounting when it comes to growth.