Anders Jones, co-founder and CEO of Facet Wealth, joins the show with Scott Kitun. Facet Wealth is a fintech company offering personalized financial advice and wealth management services. Today, Facet announced a $100 million  Series C round led by Durable Capital Partners LP  to fuel its growth with users, team and tech suite. Through a combination of proprietary tech and access to CFP (Certified Financial Planner) professionals, Facet wants to serve an underserved market of 40 million American households with an affordable subscription model (as opposed to AUM-based fees). Anders talks to Scott about securing the Series C and how he and his cofounders came up with the idea helping their mothers he likes to call "The Tale of the Three Mothers". Scott and Anders talk about changing the standards of financial literacy in the US, changing public perceptions around debt (it CAN be a tool) and offering more sophisticated financial advice than retail investors are privy to through apps like Acorns. They also touch on the rise of meme stocks, the future of retail investing and why fintech companies like Facet have the opportunity to serve underserved populations differently. 

Matt Massucci, co-founder and CEO of Hirewell, joins the show with Scott Kitun. Hirewell is a recruiting platform that connects employers with prospective talent nationwide.  The company just received a $21 million strategic investment from  global investment firm Pyrtek. Matt shares some of the details and how Hirewell is focusing on tech, growth, and acquiring an Israeli software startup ICV. Scott and Matt talk about the state of recruiting two years into the pandemic, the hot, Hot HOT job market (for tech professionals especially) and how companies can find a better way to stand out to prospects in a candidate's market. Matt also talks about about the  20-year journey he's been on since founding Hirewell, how tech went from a small niche in recruiting to the mainstream, and why he feels the company is in the spot he always envisioned. 

Joe Reinke, founder and CEO of FitBUX, joins the show with Scott Kitun. Joe gives the the pitch on FitBUX, an automated software solution to financial planning. From student loans to stocks, FitBUX measures your financial data and provides easy-to -understand analysis for you to make money decisions. Scott and Joe talk about the future of investing, the growth of retail investing and why financial planning is due for sizable disruption. Joe shares how FitBUX combines automation with a human connection, providing coaching to users to best use the software and harness results from the data. FitBUX is currently raising a round in the crowd on Republic. 

Gabby Cazeau, Principal at Harlem Capital, joins the show with Scott Kitun.  Harlem Capital is a venture capital firm with a core mission to invest in a  thousand diverse founders (including Chicago's very own CASHDROP) over 20 years and  change the faces of entrepreneurship. Gabby shares her journey from intern to Principal at Harlem Capital and how she's been supported to follow her interests finding solutions to inequalities and strengthening communities. Scott and Gabby dig into the state of venture capital today, helping founders pass by bad investors, and creating a broader understanding for what a diverse tech ecosystem looks like. Gabby is currently interested in companies dealing in ecommerce, fintech and software.

Leore Avidar, founder and CEO of Alt, joins the show with Scott Kitun.  As cryptocurrencies have exploded in popularity so has the rise of other forms of alternative assets like NFTs, wine and sports cards. Alt is one of the platforms leading the charge in making trading cards an investable commodity, with the idea of making everything investable a liquid asset. Leore talks about the origin story for Alt when he tried to get a bank loan against his cards (spoiler: the bank didn't accept) and set him on a course to legitimize cards as currency for longtime fans and retail investors alike. Scott and Leore get into the future of cards, liquid auctions, how to make banks fun and thinking through the customer experience from beginning to end. 

Pek Pongpaet, founder of impekable and longtime Technori alum, joins the show with Scott Kitun. impekable provides UX design services to tech companies, including work with  Adobe and Twilio  among many others. Pek talks about his journey from Chicago to the Bay Area (and back again), how design has been mainstreamed into tech, comparing the talent landscapes between Chicago and Silicon Valley and how much the vibe in Chicago is changing. 

Will Glaser, founder and CEO of Grabango, joins the show with Scott Kitun. Prior to founding Grabango, a check-out free technology for grocery stores and convenience stores, was the co-founder of Pandora, one of the pioneers in digital music streaming. As the son of a college professor and a psychoanalyst, Will has had a lifelong tug of war between the left and right side of his brain. He attributes this tug of war to his main interest starting companies at the intersection of technology, consumer impact and business. Will talks about how focusing on this trifecta gives him a business model blueprint for developing startups, how it links Pandora and Grabango and solving consumer pain points. Scott and Will share their thoughts on best hiring practices and why founders should be prepared to step aside (eventually) from their companies in order to sustain its development. Will also dives into Grabango's shopping experience, how it compares to Amazon Go and why checkout-free technology is poised to take over mainstream brick and mortar shopping experiences. 

Pete Wilkins, Managing Director at Hyde Park Angels and author of Purpose + First Entrepreneur, joins the show with Scott Kitun.  Over the course of his career, Pete has worked with all kinds of business leaders, young founders and everyone in between. One of the main drivers of success (and failures) he's observed in his own life and others is working each day with the idea of purpose. The goal for Pete is simple: help more people love who they are and what they do. With the framework of purpose laid out in the book (and accompanying workbook), Pete creates a path for others to find clarity in their work objectives, personal wellness and unlock your highest performance. On the show, Scott and Pete talk about their their own trials and tribulations, how to take care of yourself and how Pete put together the Purpose First structure over the last decade. You can find the Purpose First book here. 

Anthony Zhang, co-founder and CEO of Vinovest, a wine investing platform, joins the show with Scott Kitun. The age of retail investing and collecting is upon us and never before have so many people been able to invest in everything from baseball cards to NFTs. Why not fine wines? Anthony answers resoundingly how a long-time collector's item - wine - is a natural  fit as an alternate asset in anyone's portfolio. In a thoughtful conversation, Anthony and Scott walk through the  appeal for wine as an asset class and how Vinovest acts as your marketplace, portfolio, education center and wine cellar. Anthony also shares his journey as a repeat founder and how he googled "what do rich people invest in" when he first started to personally invest and eventually that started spurred the idea for Vinovest. Anthony and Scott also talk about the similarities to buying/storing cards  like Alt. Anthony recommends what wines anyone should start with and how to on the platform based on when you want the best ROI. You can follow Anthony on his Twitter for wine info and advice. 

David Cheng, Principal at DCM Ventures, joins the pod with Scott Kitun. The role of VC isn't the same as your father's, or even your grandfather's VC anymore. No longer is venture capital only about getting a check once and being hands off otherwise. As we've started to see with a16z and rolling funds, DCM's methodology is to play a hands on role with founders in clear, specific niches to grow an idea into a full grown business. David and Scott talk about the changes in VC and why there is an increased expectation on a firm and its associates to earn a board seat by playing an active role in the company, providing resources, strategy almost like a fellow co-founder. David shares his experiences working with companies (primarily in fintech and health tech), how the future of investing is starting to turn into full incubation, "pre-idea" stage by essentially recruiting entrepreneurs to start companies and build businesses from the ground up. Scott and David also dive into emerging tech, role of crypto, where to start with web3 and more.