In this episode of Founders, Future, host Laura Skinner sits down with Dan Locke, the co-founder and CEO of Giv, a platform that integrates charitable giving into sales and marketing efforts. Dan shares the inspiring story of how Giv was born—starting from a casual conversation at a Red Sox game with his best friend and co-founder, Jeremy Funk, to the realization that donations can be a powerful incentive in business interactions.
Dan explains how Giv helps sales teams build authentic relationships by offering charitable donations in exchange for engagement, leveraging AI-driven personalization to enhance outreach efforts. He discusses the company's go-to-market challenges, the importance of testing different donation strategies, and how their platform seamlessly integrates with major sales tools like HubSpot, Salesloft, and Outreach.
Laura and Dan also dive into Giv's lead generation strategy, covering cold outreach, LinkedIn engagement, SEO, and the potential for paid advertising. Dan emphasizes the importance of assembling the right team, sharing his experience in bringing on a seasoned CRO and a fractional CMO to refine sales and marketing execution.
As the conversation wraps up, Dan highlights a key lesson for entrepreneurs: don’t do it alone—find the right people to complement your strengths and create a fun, purpose-driven work environment. He envisions a future where every business interaction leads to a charitable donation, making a positive impact on both companies and communities.