Trailblazers by Erica Wenger

This week we’re talking all about Bootstrapping vs. Raising VC Money for a start-up with our host, Erica Wenger! 

Having established three successful start-up businesses of her own and now entering the world of venture capital, Erica offers an inside scoop into the world of raising money for start-up businesses. While there are several different routes concerning this topic, Erica is here to share her tips, tricks, advice, and solutions with us this week! 

In this episode, Erica shares her experience with bootstrapping as an aid in her own start-up companies and her take on this method. While reflecting on the benefits of bootstrapping, Erica compares pros and cons to the raising venture capital method. Not only does Erica emphasize the importance of the weight that borrowed money holds, but she offers insight into the brainstorming that comes with venture capital investments. Conversation on smart profit investments, building and learning over time, and establishing the right to borrow money.

Twentysomethings, if you’re starting a business and navigating bootstrapping vs. raising venture capital funds to build your business, this is the episode for you! Featuring our host, Erica Wenger!

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Erica Wenger: @erica_wenger

Dear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething

This week we chat with the ambitious, Yasmin Moaven!

Yasmin is the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Pipe, one of the fastest growing fintech's in history. Leading all marketing, communications, partnerships, and investor-relation efforts, Yasmin builds and establishes recurring revenue as a new asset class.

In this episode, Yas shares her decade of experience managing and running marketing, communications and investor relations for both publicly traded and emerging private technology companies. Prior to joining Pipe, she was one of the first employees at Fair.com, the car subscription app, spearheading investor relations, communications, and marketing, and raising over $1.4 billion in debt and $500 million in equity. Conversations on daily stoicism, University of California (USC) experiences, and her journey towards the CMO title are just the beginning.

Twentysomethings, listen now for an hour with the inspiring, Yasmin Moaven!

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Yasmin Moaven: @yas_moaven

Pipe: @pipe (website here)

Erica Wenger: @erica_wenger

Dear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething

This week we’re talking all about Angel & Limited Partnership (LP) Investments with our host, Erica Wenger! 

Having worked on several successful start-up businesses of her own and now entering the world of venture capital, Erica has experienced both sides of the coin and is here to talk all about it. If you’re curious about investing your money in any capacity, this is the episode for you! 

In this episode, Erica breaks down the similarities and the differences between Angel (start-up business) Investing and Limited Partnership (funding) Investing. Why invest at all? How to invest? Which investments are right for you? Erica is here to answer all of these questions and more while also including us in on some tips and tricks of the trade this week.

Twentysomethings, if you’re curious about financial investments and ready to have a new experince with money, listen in for an episode that has all the answers with our host, Erica Wenger!

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Erica Wenger: @erica_wenger

Dear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething

This week we chat with the ambitious, Siff Haider!

Siff is an entrepreneur, host of Dear Media's The Dream Bigger Podcast and Co-Founder + CEO of Arrae, a holistic wellness brand that features 100% Naturopathic Doctor-formulated Bloat + Calm Alchemy Capsules, designed to supercharge your digestion and relax your mind. Prior to launching Arrae in March 2020, Siff spent her time in the publishing industry working for ELLE Canada, and then moved on to launch a successful blog titled Icing & Glitter, which she launched in 2016.

Siff founded Arrae after struggling with many different health issues for years and found that natural remedies were able to cure many of her day-to-day issues. With that intention of bridging the gap between finding natural, organic, high-quality supplements that solved targeted problems, Siff created and expertly-formulated Arrae Bloat + Calm capsules. Arrae is the only bloat pill that has undergone 3rd party clinical trials and is beloved by celebs and influencers, such as Hailey Bieber, Melissa Wood Health, Hannah Bronfman, and more!

Originally from Bangladesh, but grew up in Toronto and Dhaka, Siff graduated from the University of Toronto in 2013 and Conde Nast College in 2014. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband and Arrae co-founder Nish Samantray, where they spend their free time cooking, reading, and traveling the globe together.

Twentysomethings, get ready for our first interview of season three with the inspiring Siff Haider!

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Siff Haider: @siffhaider

Arrae: @arrae.co

Erica Wenger: @erica_wenger

Dear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething

Twentysomethings, we are so excited to have you back for a third season and what better way to get started than with a solo episode with our host, Erica Wenger!

In this episode, Erica reflects back throughout the seasons and touches on bits of progress and the personal growth that has been achieved since then. There is a lot of hard work going on behind the scenes, and the countdown for Erica's big announcement regarding her next business venture has begun...

Dear Twentysomething is an experience-sharing platform at its core, we want to thank our listeners who have been with us on this journey from the start and also offer a warm welcome to all of our new listeners as well! We are so happy to have you guys here, listen in now for a sneak peek into Season 3 and stay tuned for new episodes every Tuesday!

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Erica Wenger: @erica_wenger

Dear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething

This week we’re wrapping up season 2 of your favorite podcast; bringing you a finale of reflection and excitement with our host, Erica Wenger! 

Highlighting some of the best moments of season 2, Erica reflects on explained episodes, special guest interviews, and her own personal growth looking back on this season! Listen in for a sneak peek on what's to come as she ventures into season 3...

Twentysomethings, it's been quite the season! Be sure to follow us on Instagram for updates as we count down to Season 3 where we'll be bringing you more episodes that we hope continue to inspire and educate you as they have for us! We can't wait to have you back soon, and a special thanks to our host, Erica Wenger!

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Erica Wenger: @erica_wenger

Dear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething

This week we chat with the remarkable Ashley Sumner.

Ashley is the CEO & Founder of Quilt, a social platform for meaningful friendships. Ashley’s startup career started 12 years ago in NYC at a matchmaking company. With an intuitive ability to bring people together, she turned her passion into a career as a community developer for brands such as Wanderlust and Breakout, which ultimately led to the creation of Quilt.Quilt is not your typical wellness company... but rather a social network for supportive conversations and spontaneity.

On this episode, the two start at the beginning of Ashley's journey to entrepreneurship in the theatrical scene. Between studying, dancing, acting, and interviews, Ashley learned the value of hard work and persistence early on but upon moving to LA she realized the struggle of burnout is real. Seeking to heal and treat her mind and body, Ashley now lives in Los Angeles, like every other New Yorker. And then was the start of Quilt. Conversations on mindfulness, dinner series, and bi-coastal living are just the beginning.

Twentysomethings, get ready for an hour with the mindful and inspirational Ashley Summer!

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Ashley Summer: @ashleyjsummer

Quilt: @wearequilt

Erica Wenger: @erica_wenger

Dear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething

This week, we're stating the new year off right with an episode from our host, Erica Wenger!

Let's take an hour to reflect back on this last year together... Erica recalls her personal and professional accomplishments along with the lessons learned along the way.

How can we use last years' experiences as a foundation for the goals we want to set and achieve this year? Erica is here to break this down and covers it all in this weeks episode.

Twentysomethings, we're so happy to have you here for the first episode of 2023, get ready for an episode with our favorite host, Erica Wenger!

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Erica Wenger: @erica_wenger

Dear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething

This week we chat with Shivana Siroya!

Shivani Siroya is the founder and CEO of Tala, the leading financial technology company in emerging markets. Prior to founding Tala, Shivani held a variety of positions in global health and micro-finance and investment banking. Millions of people have borrowed through Tala's smartphone app, which provides instant personalized credit to under-served customers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Tala is backed by leading venture and impact investors, including PayPal, Revolution, IVP, and more... Earlier this year, Forbes named Tala as one of the top-50 tech companies in the world Tala's work has been highlighted by the New York Times, Financial Times, and Wall Street Journal among many others.

In this episode, the pair start from the beginning of Shivani's journey where she discovered a key eye for problem solving. Applying solution to a problem seems to be the underlying thread in Shivani's experiences guiding her through college where she received an MBA from Columbia, and later then into the workforce. Conversations on the difference between comprehension and experience, the advantages of alumni networking, and the passion to serve underpopulated regions is just the start!

Twentysomethings, get ready for an hour with the problem-solver of our generation, Shivani Siroya!

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Shivani Siroya: @shivsiroya

Tala: @talamobile (and website here)

Erica Wenger: @erica_wenger

Dear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething

This week we chat with the expert on all things Personal Finance, Maia Monell. 

Founder, Maia Monell, is shaking up the financial technology space (industry defined as fintech) through Nav.it. Founded in 2018, Nav.it provides personalized financial coaching to create lasting behavioral change around financial habits. Through daily check-ins, insights, and community conversations empower users to live financially well. Maia is devoted to closing wealth gaps perpetuated by a system not built for the majority of America and believes that financial wellbeing is an integral part of creating a healthier and more equitable society. 

Through her work as a founding team member at BridgeAthletic, a performance technology using prescriptive AI for fitness coaching, training, and reporting, Maia saw firsthand the detrimental effects poor financial and mental health could have on one’s physical performance. Maia took her overall health and wellness obsession and aimed to tackle financial fitness. Maia reveals her passion for changing the narrative around money to be inclusive, positive, and practical in its experience. Pioneering a new way to serve customers in the fintech space, Maia’s strength is in building competitive brands in the start-up space through brand strategy and community management. Under her expertise, Nav.it has grown over 150% in the last year and launched two new distribution channels.

In this explained episode, the pair bridge Maia’s journey from an English degree, to a fitness company, to her venture into the Fintech space as she now stands as the Chief Growth Officer of her company, Nav.it. Breaking down the basics of personal finance and comparing large-scale company tactics to everyday-language, Maia offers an inside scoop into better money habits for us all. Conversations on changing your mind, anti-procrastination, and a fascination with money are just the beginning...

Twentysomethings, get ready for an hour that will change the trajectory of your financial journey with the expert herself, Maia Monell!

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Maia Monell: @maiamonell (and LinkedIn here)

Nav.it: @letsnavit (and website here)

Erica Wenger: @erica_wenger

Dear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething