Startup Grind

Today we have the co-founder and CEO of FiscalNote Tim Hwang. Fiscal Note is a legal software that uses open data and artificial intelligence to allow industries and governments to better predict and analyze the regulatory system to create a more transparent legal environment. 

To date FiscalNote has raised over 18 million dollars from Mark Cuban, Jerry Yang, Steve Case, NEA and chinese company Renren. Tim previously founded and headed the National Youth Association and won ernst and youngs.  Entrepreneur of the Year award. 

Tim discusses the disruptive nature of FiscalNote through the method the company has developed in creating all of their own language, software and more to help normalize the legal system. 

Thus, industries such as car sharing to financial services can use FiscalNote as a streamlined software service to keep track of the regulatory nature of their respective industry.

Tim is interviewed in DC by Startup Grind's DC chapter director Brian Park. 

Today we have the co-founder and CEO of Houzz Adi Tatarko.

Houzz is the leading platform for remodeling homes and sourcing designs. It brings together both professionals and homeowners alike. Adi and her cofounder husband Alon Cohen, started Houzz out of the challenges they faced during their own home remodel. Today Houzz connects homeowners to a network of over 600,000 professionals in over 197 countries. 

Adi provides some wisdom to any company regarding the importance of building your product and listening to your community. By waiting to monetize, you can receive direct feedback and then do it organically according to your customers needs. 

Adi is interviewed by Zenefits COO David Sacks at startup grind’s global conference. Get your 2 for 1 code at startup grind.com/conference. 

Hope you enjoy the interview. 

Today we have the CEO of Founder Suite, Nathan Beckford. foundersuite is a company aiming to create a unified software layer for the startup ecosystem that allows startups to streamline corporate tasks and fundraising management. 

 Prior to Startup life Nathan worked in finance and as an investment banker and was involved in three technology IPO’s and numerous acquisitions. He has worked with early stage Internet, B2B software, mobile, and consumer product startups, and has skills in launching and growing in platforms such as crowdfuding companies like Kickstarter and Appbackr. 

Nathan provides some great advice on the importance of a relationship between co-founders and the various assets they each bring.  from the business co-founder to the tech one and why they both need one another.

Nathan is interview by Startup Grinds Tampa Bay chapter director Joy Randels

Today we have the co-founder and ceo of Gyft. have you 

 Gyft is a digital gift card platform that lets you manage your gift cards and allows businesses to offer customers rewards and loyalty programs. 

Vinny Lingham is one of South Africa’s most well known technology entrepreneurs.  

Having founded his first company, Cilcks2Customers, in 2003 at the age of 24, along with incuBeta, he has since broadened his horizons and rebased himself in Silicon Valley and co-founded Yola.com& Gyft (which was recently acquired by First Data Corporation - the world leader in payments). 

He co-founded the non-profit organization, Silicon Cape Initiative, which aims to build a high-tech cluster in South Africa. 

This interview provides insightful information on how Gyft has disrupted the gift card market by changing the market from plastic to digital. Lingham discusses the potential of BIT coin and how many have overestimated it’s short term success and underestimated it’s long term potential. 

Vinny Lingham is interviewed in Cape Town by chapter director Guillaume De Smedt, 

This interview provides insightful information on how Gyft has disrupted the gift card market by changing it from plastic to digital. Lingham discusses the potential of BIT coin and how many have overestimated it’s short term success and underestimated it’s long term potential. 

I’m really excited about this episode today as we have Scott Kupor, the COO of Andreessen Horowitz. prior to Andreessen, Kupor was the VP and general manager of international operations at Opsware inc and then general manager of HP’s SaaS business following their acquisition. his background is deeply rooted in the startup world beginning in the dot com boom and feels he got where he is today through building meaningful relationships. 

In the interview Kupor highlights the importance of Stanfords presence in the silicon valley in turning it into the powerhouse it is today and hopes that universities across the nation will help build their local ecosystems. 

lets listen to this great interview with scott kupor, interviewed by our Startup Grind Boise chapter director jessica whiting. 

Today we have the CTO  and co-founder of Gilt Group Michael Bryzek.  Gilt is an innovative online shopping destination offering its members special access to the most inspiring merchandise, culinary offerings, and experiences every day, many at insider prices. 

Michael has built Gilt's technology platform to support massive bursts of traffic as sales start every day at noon. He holds a BSc and Masters in computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Another really cool thing about Gilt is that they use a voluntary adoption program where they give their employees the option to try new things such as letting managers attend different meetings and letting engineers experiment with new programming languages. They feel that allowing your team lots of options in choosing a system will be shown in how much they commit to it down the line. 

Michael Bryzek is interviewed in New York City by Startup Grind COO and DC chapter director Brian Park.