The following is a conversation with Maria Luke a national-level player turned founder who loves chasing Goals.

She is the co-founder and CEO at Uelzpay. They help companies adapt your pricing to any billing scenario in seconds. If billing is not your core, you should talk to Maria!

In this episode, we talk about.

🏋️‍♂️ From Athlete to Entrepreneur

Maria's journey from sports to entrepreneurship showcases the resilience and adaptability needed for success in startup ventures.

💡 Identifying Market Gaps

Uelz highlights the importance of recognizing market needs, as she identified gaps in wellness services.

🔄 Pivoting Amidst Challenges

Demonstrating the agility essential for navigating unforeseen obstacles.

🚀 Foundational Growth Strategies

Uelz's success lies in its strategic focus on leveraging partnerships and prioritizing market fit over rapid scaling

🛠️ Building Strong Foundations

Emphasis is on the significance of hiring technical expertise and maintaining investor relationships.

The following is a conversation with Craig Savage. Data scientist turned tech entrepreneur.

He is on his biggest challenge yet as the CEO and founder. at Fero Payment Science. He was head of data science payments at MasterCard.

Fero is building products designed to improve checkout conversion by tailoring payment methods to each shopper. They want their customers to forget about cart abandonment and checkout every time.

In this episode, we talk about:

🚀 - Craig's journey from a non-tech background to leading a tech startup.

💡 - The impact of startup decisions on personal life.

🛒 - Fero's mission to enhance checkout conversion.

🔍 - Identifying & understanding the ideal customer profile (ICP).

👔 - Discussing the diverse responsibilities of a startup CEO.

🌍 - Team building and international expansion.

🏢 - The nuanced approach to sales in the enterprise sector.

❤️ - Leadership joys, challenges, and planning for personal time.

📊 - Treating sales as a data science problem.

📚 - Continuous learning from mistakes and investor support.

⚖️ - Balancing innovation with realistic product offerings.

And more.

Links:

Fero

https://www.fero.com/

SparkToro shows who your audience is, what they talk about, and where to reach them.

https://sparktoro.com/

Do you need a boost to your networking game?

(Before the conference season hits full swing!)

The following is a conversation with the one and only Professional Wing Woman.

Shaena Harrisson, creator of Tjena, the ultimate Wing Woman service. Shaena learned early on the power of connecting people with transformative experiences. Her career has spanned roles at some pretty impressive companies like Ticketmaster, TEDx, and LinkedIn, always with a focus on fostering authentic relationships.

Now, as a Professional Wing Woman, Shaena transforms networking into an art form, guiding clients to meaningful connections and opportunities. With over two decades of experience, she's a force in both the B2B and B2C spaces. Shaena's mission is clear: to connect people in new and exciting ways, making every interaction count.

In this episode, we talk about:

0:00 - Introduction

0:21 - The creation of Tjena

0:51 - Shaena's approach to transforming networking into an art form

1:18 - The story of meeting our meeting and the value of SuperConnectors events

6:01 - Shared experiences as a powerful bonding tool at events

7:24 - What it means to be a professional wing woman in networking

10:07 - The LinkedIn Game

11:24 - Identifying the need for a wing person and the benefits they bring

13:41 - Managing multiple clients

16:02 - Past roles and experiences contributing to the wing woman role

18:49 - The ROI of investing in events and the role of a wingperson

21:52 - The benefits of cross introductions and the role of a wing person at events

23:19 - Potential for a conference matchmaking service to enhance networking

24:01 - Techniques for introducing strangers and facilitating business relationships

29:12 - Lessons learned as a solopreneur and the role of ChatGPT in business

32:49 - Pivoting to networking coaching and upcoming opportunities in 2024

34:27 - Recommendations for conferences and the importance of choosing wisely

37:32 - The goal of the podcast and the community it aims to build

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Link to the full video episode in the comments.

#sxsw #networking #leadership #sales

The following is a conversation with CEO, Maria Azofra and CTO Lucia Clifford the two co-founders from Sharpei.

Both have had multiple startups under their belt. Sharpei is a SaaS platform that enables retailers and manufacturers to provide circular consumption options such as try-before-you-buy, subscriptions, and second-hand reselling through their checkout process.

You can find the full episode wherever you listen to your podcast and YouTube.

In this episode, we talk about:

- Sharpei's Business Model and Services

- Choosing New York for Business

- Company Incorporation and International Expansion

- Acquiring the First Customers

- Challenges and Market Education

- Team Dynamics and Hiring Strategies

- Personal Goals and Aspirations of the Founders

- Perspective on AI and Its Role in Sharpei

The following is a conversation with Teenie Fung, CEO & co-founder at Hypertype integrates your company data from different sources, and creates knowledge from a sea of data, and retrieves and drafts emails with the best relevant answers.

René Haas is the CEO & Co-founder at NeoCarbon's. He comes from an industrial engineering background. René is also an active part of the Berlin startup ecosystem. Before NeoCarbon, he was Head of Business Development at Tink, a fast-growing Berlin startup in the field of smart home devices. There, he advised and supported a founder in growing the team, led the fundraising strategy, and successfully raised over $50m, scaling the company to over 100 people.

NeoCarbon is a climate-tech company based in Berlin, with the goal of combating climate change through carbon capture technology. Our innovative and scalable approach utilizes Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology to capture CO2 directly from ambient air. Using industrial waste heat and innovative reactor design, we cut costs and boost scalability. Partnering with different businesses, we supply CO2 or generate carbon credits. 

I am really excited to share this episode where we talk about how NeoCarbon is looking to make a dent in the fight against climate change.

He goes over:

1. Their innovative approach to capturing CO2.

2. Overcoming the cost challenges in carbon capture.

3. Real world application potential of the carbon capture technology.

4. His entrepreneurial journey and challenges.

5. How other entrepreneurs can get involved in the climate space?