In this episode of the Phoenix Founders Podcast, we sit down with Trevor Larson, Co-Founder and CEO of Nectar, to explore how employee recognition fuels engagement and retention in companies of all sizes. From humble entrepreneurial beginnings to leading one of the fastest-growing HR tech platforms, Trevor shares his insights on building a scalable business, navigating pivots, and recruiting top talent.

Trevor walks us through his early side hustles, from painting citrus trees to eBay arbitrage, and how those experiences shaped his ability to sell—a critical skill for any founder. He reflects on his journey from a pre-dental student at Utah Valley University to launching and evolving Nectar into a leading culture-building platform.

We dive into key topics, including:

• The role of sales in every aspect of a founder’s journey—from fundraising to hiring top talent.
• How persistence and resilience helped Trevor navigate early challenges and startup pivots.
• The lessons learned from early customer churn and how Nectar repositioned itself into a high-growth SaaS business.
• Scaling a team with top-tier talent—including how Trevor personally recruits executives and key hires.
• The importance of optionality in fundraising and why finding the right investment partners matters more than valuation alone.

Trevor also shares invaluable insights on how companies can intentionally design their culture operating system to drive engagement, retention, and long-term success. Whether you're an early-stage founder or scaling a high-growth startup, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways.

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In this episode of the Phoenix Founders Podcast, we sit down with Anita Grantham, Head of HR at BambooHR, to explore the critical role of culture in high-growth companies. With a career dedicated to building and sustaining company culture, Anita shares invaluable insights into how businesses can scale while maintaining their mission, values, and people-first mindset.

Anita takes us through her unexpected journey into HR, from planning corporate events and working on a cruise ship to becoming a strategic leader in culture-building. She recounts her early experiences at Jokake Companies, where she learned the importance of putting people at the heart of an organization, and how that shaped her approach at Infusionsoft, Pluralsight, and now BambooHR.

We dive into key topics, including:

• The difference between compliance-driven and culture-driven HR.
• How founders can intentionally design their company’s purpose, mission, and values.
• The importance of strategic hiring, especially in executive roles, and how the best founders recruit top talent.
• Navigating company transitions—going from founder-led to CEO-led, private ownership to private equity, and beyond.
• How to build strong employee engagement, even in hybrid and remote work environments.

Anita also shares powerful stories of how companies can integrate employees' families into the culture, reinforcing a deep sense of belonging and commitment. Whether you're an early-stage founder or a seasoned entrepreneur, this episode is packed with actionable advice on leading with purpose, attracting the right people, and fostering a culture that stands the test of time.

Don't miss this insightful conversation on the future of workplace culture and what it takes to build companies that thrive!

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In this episode of the Phoenix Founders Podcast, we sat down with Cayden Phipps and Kieran O’Brien, co-founders of ShopGenie, to discuss their journey of building an innovative SaaS company in the auto repair industry. ShopGenie is an all-in-one CRM platform that streamlines operations for independent auto repair shops through automated text reminders, online scheduling, digital marketing services, and more.

Cayden and Kieran share their entrepreneurial backgrounds, from flipping sneakers and starting a wedding videography business to launching a barbecue cleaning service and a marketing agency. They recount their serendipitous meeting, driven by a cold email and a mutual passion for cars, and their evolution from marketing partners to building ShopGenie.

The duo dives into their decision to transition from white-labeled software to developing a purpose-built solution, fueled by customer feedback and a passion for solving inefficiencies in the auto repair industry. They also highlight their high-growth journey, bootstrapping early stages, and achieving 6.6 million ARR in just over a year while maintaining an obsessive focus on customer service.

Learn about the unique dynamics of their co-founder relationship, the power of healthy organizational tension, and how they've tackled challenges like scaling customer success, simplifying pricing, and balancing personal and professional priorities.

Here’s what we dig into:

• How their upbringing shaped their entrepreneurial spirit.
• The transition from marketing services to SaaS product development.
• Key growth milestones, including their early guerrilla marketing strategies and scaling through customer-centric service.
• Insights into fostering a productive co-founder relationship and building a team that prioritizes customer obsession.

Don't miss this inspiring episode filled with actionable insights for aspiring founders and seasoned entrepreneurs alike.

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In this episode of the Phoenix Founders Podcast, we sat down with Kentaro Kawamori, CEO of Persefoni to discuss his entrepreneurial journey and the impressive development of his company. Persefoni is an enterprise SaaS company focused on climate management and accounting, helping companies calculate and manage their carbon footprints. 

Kentaro shares his background, including his experience as CIO at Chesapeake Energy, where he discovered the need for better carbon accounting solutions. He discusses raising $175 million in funding, including a $100 million Series B round, and emphasizes the company's focus on R&D, investing 50-60% of resources into product development. Kentaro also highlights Persefoni's unique position in the market, serving almost 900 companies globally, with 60% of customers new to carbon accounting. 

Learn the various aspects of building a successful SaaS company, including the importance of maintaining founder control over product development and avoiding traditional corporate management practices.

Introduction to Persefoni and Company Overview

Kentaro introduced Persefoni as an enterprise SaaS company with a climate management and accounting platform, helping companies calculate their carbon footprints and manage climate strategies. The company serves almost 900 clients globally, with 60% in North America, 20% in Europe, and 20% in APEC.

Kentaro's Background and Early Influences

Kentaro shared his upbringing in Germany, playing competitive soccer, and his early career in IT and consulting, leading to his role as CIO at Chesapeake Energy, where he discovered the need for better carbon accounting solutions.

Company Formation and Early Development

Kentaro discussed founding Persefoni in 2020 after a brief venture investing experience. He emphasized the company's focus on R&D, investing 50-60% of resources into product development, and maintaining a direct sales enterprise SaaS model.

Funding Journey and Investor Strategy

Kentaro detailed the company's funding journey, starting with seed investment from Rice Investment Group, followed by Series A with NGP, and Series B with Prelude Ventures and TPG, raising a total of $175 million to date.

Product Development and AI Integration

Kentaro discussed the launch of Persefoni Copilot, an AI-powered support tool, and the decision to include it in the base subscription. He emphasized the company's focus on building a system of record for carbon accounting and their plans to leverage AI capabilities as the data set scales.

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Before Phoenix became one of the fastest growing tech markets in the country, we had a handful of visionary, ambitious founders building software companies. One of them is Clate Mask. He co-founded Infustionsoft, now Keap, at a time when no one was paying attention to the needs of small businesses, much less championing them. 

Keap is now one of the most prominent software companies in the Valley, serves thousands of customers all over the world, and Clate is one of the most experienced founders in our ecosystem. 

The best thing about Clate is his love for helping other founders. He freely shares advice, mentorship, and encouragement with everyone brave enough to start a software company. He's seen it all, and experienced every founder challenge (a few times over). He's even written a book about it, which he's recently updated and re-released. 

Gregg sat down with Clate to talk about his journey, and hear about his evolution to the kind of leader he is today. 

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When Rachel started working on a solution to the headache that is patient payments in healthcare, she knew she had a tall mountain to climb. And climbing is always easier when you have a partner on the adventure, which is why she sought out a co-founder for the journey. It wasn't long until she met Elizabeth, and the two of them make a great team. Together, they're taking on one of the biggest problems in healthcare.

In this interview, Gregg uncovers how this dynamic duo met, how they're overcoming all the startup challenges with humor and grace, and how they've built a company that's scaling FAST.

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Few things can prepare someone for being a founder. But poker might be one of the exceptions. In this interview with Bryce Deeney, founder and CEO of Equipifi, Gregg learned that paying millions of hands (yes, millions) is a great way to learn how to safely take risks and weigh odds. And learned about Bryce's humble beginnings that ignited his entrepreneurial spirit.

This interview is full of insights on when to go fast, when to overthink before making a move, and when to fold your hand.

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When we think about the worst epidemics in this country, “loneliness” doesn’t usually top the list. But it should. 44 million Americans struggle with loneliness. And not just older Americans. For the first time in history, it's highest among young adults. Loneliness is a condition we all need to take seriously. And we need founders like Cindy Jordan, who have made it their life’s purpose to address this epidemic head on.

Cindy's tackling a problem that impacts all of us, because we all know someone who suffers from loneliness. 

This interview touches on mental health, so if you’re struggling, please take care while listening. And if you're interested in receiving help, we’ve put information on Pyx Health in the show notes.

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Anthony Kennada tells us his story of learning how to be resilient. He got bit by the startup bug early in his career, working for some of the fastest growing tech companies in Silicon Valley. Then decided that Phoenix was the best place to start his company, AudiencePlus.

In this interview, we learn about what shaped Anthony into the founder he is today, what keeps him motivated, and why he has unprecedented ambition.

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We kick off Season 2 of the PHX Founders Podcast with one of the most successful founders in Arizona, Matthew Pitinsky, CEO of Parchment.

Matthew found tremendous success with his first ed tech venture, Blackboard, where he was the founder and CEO. After going public, and exiting the company, Matthew couldn't shake another idea he had to enhance the student experience, which led him to Parchment.

In this episode, we'll hear how Professor Pittinsky started his journey as an entrepreneur, and how he struck lightening twice.

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