FutureWork Playbook

Biomilq is empowering parents with a new option for supplemental feeding—one that’s as close to breastmilk as possible and cultivated under safe conditions using their first-of-its-kind technology. Frame Fertility is a digital fertility advisor that enables the early detection of underlying fertility conditions. 

In this episode, Natalie talks with the two founders of these companies, Michelle Egger from Biomilq and Jessica Bell van der Wal from Frame Fertility. Michelle and Jessica discuss the motivation behind forming their companies and the challenges faced as they bring their companies to market.

What we discussed:

• Michelle and Jessica identify the biggest challenges for women as it relates to fertility and breastfeeding and how their companies are tackling these challenges.
• Jessica shares her journey to motherhood and how difficult it was for her to conceive.
• Michelle talks about what Biomilq is doing and why it took so long for existing technology to be used to solve the problem.
• Michelle shares how, when raising capital for Biomilq, they were able to be selective with who they partnered with, what criteria they used, and why they chose to do so.
• Michelle describes her experience raising a finance round on a woman’s health issue, and the challenges that she’s encountered along the way.
• Jessica shares some of the challenges she faced bringing Frame Fertility to market and why early fertility analysis is so important.
• Michelle discusses the science behind cultured breast milk and how it could be a game changer for mothers all around the world.
• Michelle shares her rationale behind being open and honest with her investors and why it’s so important to building strong relationships.
• Jessica and Michelle talk about some of the challenges around scaling their companies.
• What the future looks like for both Biomilq & Frame Fertility.
• Jessica and Michelle share some tips around starting out as a founder.

Helpful Links:

Biomilq Website: www.biomilq.com

Frame Fertility Website: www.framefertility.com

Michelle Egger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleegger/

Jessica Bell van der Wal on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbellvanderwal/

Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/gunderson-dettmer

Twitter: www.twitter.com/GundersonLaw

Gunderson Dettmer Website: www.gunder.com

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be construed as legal advice specific to your circumstances. If you need help with any legal matter, be sure to consult with an attorney regarding your specific needs.

Verily Life Sciences is at the convergence of healthcare, tech, and science, combining disciplines to modernize healthcare for patients, providers, and payers. They use leading technology, including AI and data science, to personalize care and improve chronic condition management.

In this episode Natalie talks with the President and head of health platforms for Verily Life Sciences, Dr. Vivian Lee, and her colleague, Global Employment Counsel for Verily, Christine Kurek, about their projects. These include helping employers and employees return to work after the COVID-19 pandemic, and the future of AI in healthcare and human capital.

What we Discussed:

• Dr. Lee talks about Project Baseline, which provides testing for COVID-19 research
• Dr. Lee’s thoughts on the White House vaccine mandate
• Christine talks about how to keep businesses safe as they return to work post COVID-19, and Healthy@Work
• New technology around remote telemedical care for people with diabetes and high blood pressure
• Verily’s acquisition of SignalPath, and what that means for the future of portfolio transactions
• The future of healthcare, and how life sciences will play a role, such as the need for a Spanish language platform
• How smartphones could be used to help identify depression
• Business lessons they have learned along the way
• Dr. Lee discusses her latest book, “The Long Fix"

Helpful Links:

Verily Life Sciences Website: www.verily.com

Dr. Vivian Lee's Website: www.vivianleemd.com

Dr. Vivian Lee on Twitter: www.twitter.com/vivianleemd

Dr. Vivian Lee on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/vivian-s-lee

The Long Fix by Dr. Vivian Lee: https://www.amazon.com/Long-Fix-Americas-Strategies-Everyone-ebook/dp/B07ZTSBH7V

Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/gunderson-dettmer

Twitter: www.twitter.com/GundersonLaw

Gunderson Dettmer Website: www.gunder.com

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be construed as legal advice specific to your circumstances. If you need help with any legal matter, be sure to consult with an attorney regarding your specific needs.

The pain of repetitive operational tasks can be optional! As robotic technology continues to evolve from industrial factory arms to robots with human-like capabilities, more and more companies are embracing this technology in the workplace to streamline logistics, increase automation, and ease the strain of repetition.

On this episode, we’re taking a closer look at how robots can be used to support and power human capabilities with Dr. Samir Menon, Founder and CEO of Dexterity, a company engineering intelligent robots with human-like dexterous manipulation skills.

Dexterity is a developer of robotic systems designed to serve the logistics and supply chain companies. The company's robotic system helps customers to unlock the maximum value of their workforce by automating repetitive pick-pack tasks, and deliver full-stack, end-to-end systems for kitting, picking, packing, counting, sorting, palletizing, and order fulfillment, and also excel at handling packaged foods, consumer packaged goods, industrial and automotive parts, parcels, and boxes, enabling clients to unleash human potential by delegating repetition to robots

What We Discussed in This Episode:

• How packaged bread helped Dexterity and Samir gain early experience
• How humans and robots vary in the way they approach tasks and challenges
• How the pandemic enabled Dexterity to accelerate its growth, especially given the importance of the assistance of robots in industries with supply chain challenges
• Dexterity’s company values that set it apart from the competition
• Why Samir chose to operate his startup in stealth mode for two years and the benefits of his decision
• What changes Samir hopes to see in the robotics space going forward
• One key to establishing and growing a successful startup
• Samir’s best advice for startup founders

Contact Information:

Dexterity website

Samir’s LinkedIn profile 

Thank you for listening! Don’t forget to FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player.

If you enjoyed this episode, please help us get the word out about this podcast. Share this podcast on your favorite podcast player, including on:

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Google Podcasts

or Spotify

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LinkedIn

Twitter

Gunderson Dettmer Website

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be construed as legal advice specific to your circumstances. If you need help with any legal matter, be sure to consult with an attorney regarding your specific needs.

According to a recent study, Hour by Hour: Attracting and Retaining Hourly Employees and Their Managers, 59% of employees cited scheduling issues as reasons they would quit a job, while 39% would leave their current jobs for poor communication with their employers.

On this episode, we’re talking about how to use AI and machine learning to be more efficient in scheduling employees, control costs, and make employees happier!

Many employers are finding it challenging to find workers during the pandemic. As the traditional employer-employee model goes through what many believe to be a long overdue transformation, employers are left wondering what they need to do to attract and retain hourly employees. On this episode, we’re taking a look at a company that provides a platform with gig-like flexibility to help employers attract and retain employees by optimizing labor efficiency while simultaneously offering an enhanced employee experience.

Joining the podcast is Sanish Mondkar – Founder and CEO of Legion Technologies, an AI-powered workforce management company redefining how enterprise companies optimize their labor costs and empower frontline workers and their managers.

Sanish has more than 20 years of strategic experience in products, technology, and cloud ops. He was Chief Product Officer at SAP and Ariba. In his role at SAP, he was responsible for all Procurement and Business Network products and technology, which represented over $1B of annual revenue. Sanish holds a Bachelors of Computer Engineering from Pune University and a Masters of Computer Science from Cornell University.

What We Discussed in this Episode:

• How Legion was able to have explosive growth during the middle of a global pandemic.
• How Sanish transitioned from his role as an Executive at SAP to launching his own successful tech company.
• How hopeful entrepreneurs can identify challenges and opportunities in any given market.
• How Legion was able to handle scalability and changes in demands brought about by the pandemic.
• How the job market and flexibility for employees has changed over the past couple of years and the impact this has had on businesses.
• The types of scheduling and operational issues that exist in labor intensive businesses and how they can be overcome with technology.
• How automation and algorithms can integrate into business operations to provide a more efficient and improved employee experience.
• Three things employers can do to empower their employees and maintain high retention rates.
• Foundational lessons Sanish learned while growing Legion over the past 5 years.
• Why empathy is a characteristic every entrepreneur should cultivate.
• Internal challenges that leaders may expect to face, no matter the size of the company and how to overcome them.
• How to decrease stress for your hourly workers by having proper communication tools.
• Additional attractive benefits that employers can offer their hourly employees to increase retention.

Contact Information:

Legion’s website 

Sanish’s LinkedIn profile

Thank you for listening! Don’t forget to FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player.

If you enjoyed this episode, please help us get the word out about this podcast. Share this podcast on your favorite podcast player, including on:

Apple Podcasts

Amazon Music

Google Podcasts

or Spotify

Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:

LinkedIn

Twitter

Gunderson Dettmer Website

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be construed as legal advice specific to your circumstances. If you need help with any legal matter, be sure to consult with an attorney regarding your specific needs.

Companies are becoming increasingly aware of the need to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces. Research shows that companies who prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion have better retention, more satisfied employees, more innovation, and better financial returns. This episode is an excellent opportunity for company leaders to learn how organizations can optimize their DE&I efforts upon return to the workplace.

Joining the podcast is Mandy Price, Co-Founder and CEO of Kanarys. Mandy Price has beat the odds to become one of the less than 1 percent of Black women founders receiving VC funds. She is extremely passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace, which led to the creation of Kanarys – a technology platform that is transforming diversity, equity, and inclusion work by providing the tools organizations need to create long-term systemic change around DEI challenges.

What We Discussed in This Episode:

• What inspired Mandy to co-found Kanarys?
• How can we be more intentional with our DEI efforts?
• How did Mandy’s background of practicing law help her successfully co-found Kanarys?
• Post pandemic, will businesses be more likely to invest in DE&I initiatives?
• What impact did the pandemic have on DE&I initiatives?
• The rise of the Chief Diversity Officer – the fastest growing C-suite title in 2020
• In recent surveys, 83% of Zen G are saying companies’ DEI commitment is one of the most important aspects to choosing an employer. What type of DEI initiatives help to attract these job seekers?
• Only 1% of funding goes to Black founders. What systemic changes can be made to improve ratio and funding gaps in the venture capital ecosystem? How did Mandy overcome this significant challenge?
• What specific biases or inequities did Mandy discover while going through the VC process? How did Mandy address this?
• What new initiative helped Mandy make her own company more inclusive?
• How can company leaders embrace artificial intelligence and use technology advantageously?
• How will DE&I initiatives continue to evolve in the future?

Contact Information:

Kanarys - https://www.kanarys.com/

Mandy’s LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandysprice/

Thank you for listening! Don’t forget to FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player.

If you enjoyed this episode, please help us get the word out about this podcast. Share this podcast on your favorite podcast player, including on:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/futurework-playbook/id1568361184

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Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gunderson-dettmer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GundersonLaw 

Gunderson Dettmer Website: http://www.gunder.com

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be construed as legal advice specific to your circumstances. If you need help with any legal matter, be sure to consult with an attorney regarding your specific needs.

Is there a better way to create and execute contracts? Would answering one simple question – “Can I sign this?” - help businesses run faster and more efficiently, especially as many remain remote and distributed? In this episode, we’re exploring one company’s mission to revolutionize the legal world through innovative contract technology.

Joining the podcast is the CEO and Co-Founder of LawGeex, Noory Bechor. LawGeex is the first Artificial Intelligence company to receive a license to practice law.  They use artificial intelligence to transform legal operations by helping businesses automate the review and approval of contracts.

What We Discussed in This Episode:

• How LawGeex became the first AI company to receive a license to practice law
• What does the process to obtain a license to practice law as a company entail?
• Are people more open to adopting technology in a post-pandemic workplace?
• Why making space for peace and quiet is fundamental for the development of company founders
• Advice for overcoming personal challenges while growing a company
• Why investing in and nurturing a relationship with valuable clients pays off in the long run even if you “lose money” in the short term
• How to determine the best route for growth for your company
• How to prepare for the long sales cycles often found in the legal industry

Contact Information:

Noory Bechor’s LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/noory-bechor/?originalSubdomain=il

LawGeex - https://www.lawgeex.com/

Thank you for listening! Don’t forget to FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player.

If you enjoyed this episode, please help us get the word out about this podcast. Share this podcast on your favorite podcast player, including on:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/futurework-playbook/id1568361184

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or Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3mlLZIHozG0JaoOdarKNW2?si=N4vqfquiTk2W4JBux6GXdA&dl_branch=1

Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gunderson-dettmer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GundersonLaw 

Gunderson Dettmer Website: http://www.gunder.com

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be construed as legal advice specific to your circumstances. If you need help with any legal matter, be sure to consult with an attorney regarding your specific needs.

While working from home and distance learning taught us that working and learning from our homes is possible, for 80% of the global workforce that are considered “deskless,” sitting behind a computer all day to perform their duties is not necessary. This presents a great challenge and opportunity for employers looking to provide critical skills and education to these “deskless workers.” In order to provide the necessary on-the-job education and training for frontline workers, employers must turn to other effective means of training.  

In this episode, we’re focusing on an old way of communication - text messaging -  that is being leveraged as a completely new way of training our frontline workers to drive education, training and growth at work.

Joining Natalie in this episode is Rachael Nemeth, Founder and CEO of Opus Training, a digital platform that delivers text message courses. Rachael led restaurant operations, facilities, and people for over a decade in the hospitality industry. She comes from a family of restaurant veterans and is also an alum of Union Square Hospitality Group and Hot Bread Kitchen.  Rachael is a certified English as Second Language (ESL) instructor and is dedicated to inclusive training practices.

What We Discussed in This Episode:

• What does Opus Training help employers train and educate their employees ?
• What has been the greatest challenge for employers when it comes to text message training?
• How did Rachael overcome her personal challenge of dealing with imposter syndrome and how can other founders do the same?
• What are top tips for properly onboarding clients and humanizing the process?
• How can human resource leaders and small business owners use Opus Training to stay ahead of the training technology curve?
• What lies ahead for the education industry and what opportunities exist in this space?
• What is “situation-based” training?
• Rachael’s practical tips for other founders and leaders in the technology sector

Resources Mentioned:

Superhuman - https://superhuman.com/ 

Founding Sales: The Early Stage Go-to-Market Handbook by Peter R. Kazanjy - https://www.amazon.com/Founding-Sales-Go-Market-Handbook-ebook/dp/B08PMK17Z1

Contact Information:

Opus Training website - https://www.opus.so/ 

Thank you for listening! Don’t forget to FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player.

If you enjoyed this episode, please help us get the word out about this podcast. Share this podcast on your favorite podcast player, including on:

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Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gunderson-dettmer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GundersonLaw 

Gunderson Dettmer Website: http://www.gunder.com

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be construed as legal advice specific to your circumstances. If you need help with any legal matter, be sure to consult with an attorney regarding your specific needs.

Welcome to the inaugural episode of the FutureWork Playbook podcast! Thank you for listening.

In this first season, we will be exploring how Americans are “Returning to the Workplace,” as the global economy comes out of an unparalleled time in history.

In our first episode, host Natalie Pierce is joined by Dan Robinson, Co-Founder and CEO of Red6, a revolutionary air combat training system that employs augmented reality. Natalie and Dan explore how the military and businesses alike can prepare to move ahead with new training protocols and training modules using Augmented Reality technology. We’re also examining how Red6 is nurturing a safe workplace that supports remote work while setting the standard for innovative training practices.

What We Discussed in This Episode:

• How Dan’s experience as a fighter pilot instructor led him to found Red6
• What does Red6 do and how did the name Red6 come about?
• What is the difference between Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality?
• What challenges did Covid-19 present and how did Dan and Red6 overcome them?
• Why it was important for Dan to articulate the company’s mission as a means of overcoming any issues that arose during the pandemic
• Is failure an option?
• How can AR technology be used to assist remote work?
• How is Red6’s technology being used to support the men and women of the Armed Forces?
• Why is it important for business owners to employ clear and unambiguous leadership?

Contact Information:

Red6’s website: www.red6ar.com

Thank you for listening! Don’t forget to FOLLOW to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player.

If you enjoyed this episode, please help us get the word out about this podcast. Share this podcast on your favorite podcast player, including on:

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gunderson-dettmer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GundersonLaw 

Gunderson Dettmer Website: http://www.gunder.com

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be construed as legal advice specific to your circumstances. If you need help with any legal matter, be sure to consult with an attorney regarding your specific needs.