inTheir20s

Thomas Knoll started building online communities back in 1996. He was the Community Architect at Zappos.com. He built 5 startups but only sold 2 of them. He has been an advisor for a dozen of my friend’s companies and mentors hundreds of founders through 500Startups, TechStars, and local communities. While he has a technical background, he prefer to speak in gardening and architecture metaphors and is inspired by storytelling, psychology, evangelism, architectural theory, social economics, game mechanics, cultural anthropology, and compassion.

This episode was sponsored by Unstoppable Wallet, which is a investor-oriented asset management tool with a focus on privacy, open economy, and decentralization. In a complex world of crypto, Unstoppable Wallet tries to make crypto easier and more accessible. Launched in 2019, Unstoppable has over 20,000 downloads, and the youngest wallet to be recommended by Bitcoin.org. The wallet currently supports all major crypto currencies and specifically designed for DeFi ecosystem. Learn more at unstoppable.money

Anthony Tamras and Drake Roberts are the twenty-something founders of DeoBlock: a reusable deodorizer that will take over the market. DeoBlock was created to solve bad odors once and for all. DeoBlocks deodorize spaces with the use of a plant-based refill pod infused with essential oils that lasts for 30 days. After you have a DeoBlock, all you need are the refills.

Their journey to create this product began when they were seniors in high school. As active individuals, they realized that there were no  solutions to odor emitting equipment and gym bags. They were tired of using products that only masked odors with other “good” scents. So, they set out to create a product that actually deodorizes bad odors at the source. Over the last 5 years, they worked diligently to create a product they are proud to stand behind.

DeoBlocks can also be customized with any logo which makes it a great giveaway or resale opportunity for gyms, colleges and corporations.

Laurence Capone is a seasoned financial executive with a wealth of experience of over 25 years in operational finance, accounting and leadership roles. Founded in 2010, Pipedrive is the first CRM platform developed from the salesperson's point of view. Today, Pipedrive is used by sales teams at more than 95,000 companies worldwide. Before joining Pipedrive, Capone worked in ADP where she served as CFO across multiple business units and functions over the last 20 years. Her roles included CFO of the Global Enterprise Organization, CFO of Worldwide Sales and Marketing and CFO of Small Businesses Services.

This episode was sponsored by Unstoppable Wallet, which is a investor-oriented asset management tool with a focus on privacy, open economy, and decentralization. In a complex world of crypto, Unstoppable Wallet tries to make crypto easier and more accessible. Launched in 2019, Unstoppable has over 20,000 downloads, and the youngest wallet to be recommended by Bitcoin.org. The wallet currently supports all major crypto currencies and specifically designed for DeFi ecosystem. Learn more at unstoppable.money

Tony Brown is the Chief Executive Officer of Breakr. Tony comes from the financial services background, having worked as a principal at Acumen Fund and both J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs. MusicBreakr is a new and exciting company that connects artists & creators to break new music through compelling content. The company has fostered collaborations with about 50,000 creators across 133 countries. MusicBreakr recently raised $4 million in seed money, with an impressive group of investors including hip-hop artist Nas, Salesforce Founder Marc Benioff, retired NBA All-Star Baron Davis, and TikTok Star Josh Richards. 

Today's episode is sponsored by Glew.ee, which is the first free to use exclusive marketplace for Brands and social media Creators to connect, collaborate, and execute campaigns all in one platform. Brands can apply for an account in the Glewee Brand Community at www.glew.ee to access hundreds of industry leading pre-vetted Creators.

Eric Bahn is a Co-Founder and General Partner at Hustle Fund, an early-stage venture capital firm based in San Francisco. Hustle Fund invests in software startups at the pre-seed and seed stages, backing founders who exhibit great execution and high velocity (aka, hustle). A child of immigrants, Eric’s family settled in the Midwest, where he was raised. He ventured West where he attended Stanford University receiving his BA in Political Science and MA in Sociology. As a college student, Eric thought seriously about attending law school, but abandoned that idea after learning more about the profession through speaking with various lawyers.

Upon graduation, Eric opted for a product role at Intuit and aspired for an MBA. He self-studied for the GMAT and in the process created a social network of fellow future MBAers that turned out to be an international hit. Eric turned this community into a company called Beat the GMAT. Eric later sold the company – and after nine months as a world traveler, headed to Facebook