upside

Interview begins: 5:30 Debrief begins: 44:38 Rose Maizner is a partner at RenewableTech Ventures and a co-founder of Womenpreneurs. RenewableTech Ventures is a Salt Lake City based venture capital fund focused in cleantech. An impact investment fund, Renewable Tech Ventures has helped a number of green energy startups find stamina in the venture market. Rose discusses her journey from nonprofiteer to becoming a partner in a venture capital fund and Renewable Tech Ventures's current outlook on funding. Rose is also a co-founder of Womenprenuers, an all-women network focused on empowering and educating women in entrepreneurship and venture capital. She talks about the need for these communities and how she came to lead one. We discuss: - Ad: Improved methods to sourcing talent and finding new possible colleagues (4:20) - Rose's background in nonprofits and coming to venture capital (5:40) - RTV's work in Utah (13:19) - RTV's funding (17:39) - Boom and bust of cleantech investment in the 2000s (19:55) - Current companies with RTV (22:55) - The start of Womenpreneurs and it's model (30:45) - How men can help women in venture capital (39:22) RenewableTech Ventures was founded 2010 and based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Learn more about RenewableTech Ventures: http://www.renewablevc.com/ Learn more about Womenpreneurs: http://www.womenpreneursutah.com/ Follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm -- This episode is sponsored by Integrity Power Search, the #1 full stack high growth startup recruiting firm between the coasts. They partner with venture capitalists, private equity groups and CEOs to build amazing teams for the world’s most disrupting companies. Learn more about or get in touch with Integrity Power Search: https://upside.fm/integrity

Interview begins: 5:30 Debrief begins: 48:09 Chase Nobles is a co-founder and co-CEO of Kush.com. Seattle-based company Kush.com is a platform that allows entities within the hemp and cannabis industries to interact and buy and sell product. Kush.com has become one of the principal sites in the trading of cannabis and hemp goods and continues to strive to lead these markets. Chase tells us how Kush.com has progressed from a tourism and media business to the platform it is today. He walks us through how he and his team have built a thriving network based in quality relationships and legal product, as well as some of their focuses for the future. We discuss: - Chase's experience at the Air Force Academy and how this brought him to Seattle (5:40) - The start of Kush as Kush Tourism (10:13) - Kush's transition from tourism and media to marketplace (16:20) - The Kush.com domain (18:00) - The evolution of Kush.com as a marketplace (21:00) - Maintaining trust and quality relationships within the marketplace (22:45) - Transactions made on Kush.com (25:28) - Regulating products and onboarding new customers in different market locations (28:00) - Kush.com finances and fees, and finding marketplace balance (31:28) Kush.com was founded in 2016 and based in Seattle. Learn more about Kush.com: https://kush.com Follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm

Interview begins: 6:30 Debrief begins: 47:37 Molly Demarest is the General Manager of American Underground. The American Underground is based in the Durham-Raleigh area in North Carolina and focuses on connecting startups and founders in the region with the different resources needed to help their companies flourish. A Durham native herself, Molly discusses the development of the American Underground since its start six years ago and how the American Underground has in turn helped develop its community. The American Underground prides itself on their intention to help women and minority founders find their places in the startup landscape. Companies they work with include Bee Downtown, DaVinci Ed, LoanWell, and IdeaBlock. We discuss: - Ad: Improved methods to sourcing talent and finding new possible colleagues (5:07) - Molly's transition from accounting to community-based work (8:05) - Initial foundation of the American Underground (13:05) - Describing the American Underground today, including it's investment approach and model (15:50) - What is the Research Triangle? (21:15) - Types of companies a part of the American Underground (24:50) - What is means to be a Google for Startups Tech Hub (27:13) - Women and minority focus and the pipeline issue (29:22) - Companies of the AU to watch (39:30) American Underground was founded 2010 and based in the Triangle of North Carolina. Learn more about American Underground: https://www.americanunderground.com/ Follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm -- This episode is sponsored by Integrity Power Search, the #1 full stack high growth startup recruiting firm between the coasts. They partner with venture capitalists, private equity groups and CEOs to build amazing teams for the world’s most disrupting companies. Learn more about or get in touch with Integrity Power Search: https://upside.fm/integrity

We want to wish all of the listeners a happy Labor Day and thank you all for their continued support. Thanks to all of the support to date, the upside podcast will have some exciting updates in the coming months, so be sure to tune into the coming content, and if you like what you hear, a friendly review in the iTunes store is always appreciated! Follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm

Interview begins: 05:49 Debrief begins: 41:15 Joe Kirgues is a co-founder of gener8tor. One of the top companies in its field, gener8tor offers accelerator programs whose missions are to promote local investors and companies investing in their own communities’ startups and entrepreneurs. Operating in Milwaukee, Madison, and Minneapolis, gener8tor is known for its unique cohort of five model within its accelerator programs that, since its beginnings in 2012, have seen 75 graduates. To date, gener8tor has developed nearly a dozen different accelerator programs whose disciplines range from tech and med-device to music and art. The company continues to grow and has expanded to several different cities around the country. Graduates of gener8tor include EatStreat, Swannies, docalytics, Datica, Bright Cellars, and SpeechMED to name a few. We discuss: - Ad: Improved methods to sourcing talent and finding new possible colleagues (4:31) - Where the idea of gener8tor came from (6:10) - Logistics and benefits of running the cohort of five accelerator model (7:46) - gener8tor’s applicant growth (10:00) - Discerning company #5 from company #6 (11:29) - Run-through of the different programs offered by gener8tor (16:00) - Music and arts focused accelerator programs (25:41) - gener8tor’s expansion tactics (30:02) - gener8tor’s success and impact on community (36:42) Learn more about gener8tor: https://www.gener8tor.com/ Follow Joe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JKirgues Follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm -- This episode is sponsored by Integrity Power Search, the #1 full stack high growth startup recruiting firm between the coasts. They partner with venture capitalists, private equity groups and CEOs to build amazing teams for the world’s most disrupting companies. Learn more about or get in touch with Integrity Power Search: https://upside.fm/integrity

On today's episode, we analyze four predominant themes we've encountered lately in the startup and investing arena. Our four on the fore includes: 1.) hiring talent 2.) the growing trend of remote work 3.) frustrations with information inaccessibility 4.) and our takes on specialized funding. We discuss: - Transitioning the podcast planning to Airtable (00:25) - Talent: the importance of hiring talent from the get-go and the challenge of hiring talent as companies grow (02:57) - Remote work: the mullet strategy and full distribution model of teams (05:54) - Information accessibility: the plethora yet inconstancy of available information and some of the available search engines (11:07) - Foreshadowing of our new project that compiles lists of venture capital firms (13:37) - Specialized funding: different types of specialized funding and potential interests and harms (16:48) Follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm

Interview begins: 07:16 Debrief begins: 47:49 Jada McLean is the co-founder and CEO of Hurry Home. Hurry Home finances houses through shared ownership, enabling renters to become homeowners and offering a streamlined investment opportunity. Despite there being 3 million houses for sale in the bottom tier real estate market at any given time, banks are unable to profitably originate mortgages for these properties. Hurry Home uses capital from investors to offer a new financial product that enables buyers to earn equity in their home while paying close to or less than what rent would be for the same property, and investors reap a competitive return. Hurry Home was founded in 2018 and based in South Bend, Indiana. Learn more about Hurry Home: https://www.hurryhome.io/ Follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm Vote for upside for the 2020 SXSW Panel Picker: https://upside.fm/vote

Interview begins: 06:02 Debrief begins: 39:50 Barbara Bickham is the co-founder and Managing Director of WIF AX. WIF AX (Women’s Innovation Fund Accelerator) is a Qualified Opportunity Fund building women-balanced and environmentally-sustainable organizations within QOZ’s nationwide. They plan to use a mix of incubation, shared workspace, and business finance while requiring participants to have a C-suite made up of at least 50% women, and operational plans which contain environmental sustainability considerations. WIF AX was founded in 2019 and based in Los Angeles, CA. Learn more about WIF AX: https://wifaxvc.com/ -- Follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm Vote for upside for the 2020 SXSW Panel Picker: https://upside.fm/vote

Interview begins: 07:15 Debrief begins: 55:46 Michael Pedersen and Molly McFarland are the co-founders of AdAdapted. AdAdapted is a digital engagement and insights platform for CPG brands and agencies. The AdAdapted platform offers CPG brands the ability to directly target their primary consumers in the apps they use to plan and shop. The AdAdapted platform offers CPG brands the ability to reach an active audience focused exclusively on their product, activate that audience with proprietary add-to-list and keyword intercept tools, and discover unique and valuable insights as to who their consumers are and how they interact with your ads. AdAdapted was founded in 2012 and based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Learn more about AdAdapted: https://adadapted.com Follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm Vote for upside for the 2020 SXSW Panel Picker: https://upside.fm/vote

Interview begins: 07:06 Debrief begins: 43:11 Kaleb Dumot is the founder and CEO of Integrity Power Search. Integrity Power Search (IPS) is a recruiting agency focused on connecting amazing people to world class technology companies in the middle of the country. Since 2012, they have conducted 600+ searches for 84 portfolio companies, which have raised a collective $2.5B in venture capital financing. IPS was founded in 2012 and based in Ohio. Email Kaleb: kaleb@integritypowersearch.com Learn more about Integrity Power Search: https://integritypowersearch.com -- Follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm Jay's editorial on talent from the update issue two: https://upside.fm/help-wanted-were-short-on-more-than-just-engineers/ Vote for upside for the 2020 SXSW Panel Picker: https://upside.fm/vote

Interview begins: 08:26 Debrief begins: 49:12 Sebastian Seiguer is the Co-Founder and CEO of emocha Mobile Health. emocha is a mobile health platform that saves lives by connecting remote patients to health care providers. They improve medication adherence using video technology and human engagement. emocha leverages a CDC-endorsed model called Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) where healthcare workers watch patients take every dose of medication, monitor side effects, and provide critical support. Their technology is currently used across four continents in 10 countries. emocha was founded in 2014 and based in Baltimore, Maryland. Learn more about emocha: https://www.emocha.com/ Follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm Vote for upside for the 2020 SXSW Panel Picker: https://upside.fm/vote

Interview begins: 04:40 Debrief begins: 1:11:09 Jon Cheney is the founder and CEO of Seek. Seek is Augmented Reality on the web for eCommerce. SeekView allows a consumer to visualize a product in their life before they buy it. Seek has an advanced and powerful system to provide a scalable solution for AR in e-commerce on the web. Prior to founding Seek, where Jon currently resides as CEO and founder, he provided 12 years of management over several organizations. Jon is passionate about building strong teams and inspiring them to lead their industry. He sees the potential in everyone around him and doesn't accept anything less than greatness. He is driven forward by his faith and desire to serve others. Seek was founded in 2016 and based in Lehi, Utah. Try it at: https://seekxr.com Follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm

Interview begins: 08:48 Debrief begins: 1:05:44 Hunter McDaniel is the founder and CEO of UbiQD. UbiQD is a cleantech materials company that manufactures low-hazard quantum dots (QDs) and nanocomposites. The company focuses on applications that utilize its nanomaterials to manipulate sunlight, enabling solar windows and spectrum-controlled greenhouses. Spun out of technology developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Washington, and Western Washington University, UbiQD envisions a future where quantum dots are ubiquitous in a wide spectrum of applications. UbiQD was founded in 2014 and based in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Learn more about UbiQD: https://ubiqd.com/ -- This episode is sponsored by Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, a full-service law firm known for assisting entrepreneurs across the Heartland. Learn more about or get in touch with Taft: https://www.taftlaw.com/ Follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm

Interview begins: 09:02 Insight begins: 58:13 Debrief begins: 1:01:59 Blake Lawrence is the founder and CEO of opendorse. opendorse is the athlete-marketing platform that helps the biggest brands in sports share content on social. Founded by two former major college athletes, opendorse was built seeking to make it easy for athletes and their partners to work together to engage their fans. Today, more than 7,000 athletes use opendorse to share content with their 1.4b social media followers. Top sports properties including the PGA TOUR, LPGA, NFLPA, WTA, and New Jersey Devils, and college properties including Michigan, Clemson, and Nebraska Athletics partner with opendorse to send content to athletes to share through their social media channels. More than 1,500 brands also use opendorse to engage professional athletes and their audience. We discuss: Ad: What are the most important terms for an entrepreneur to be aware of when raising capital? (7:56) Blake's turning point on being in the social media business (11:26) A throwback: running a social media agency way back 2010 (14:50) How does opendorse maintain the authenticity of the content being shared? (20:35) Blake Lawrence advocacy in running opendorse full time (25:08) How opendorse helps in advertising (29:11) opendorse saves the athletes maintain a balance in the busy schedules (30:56) What happens to Opendorse years from now? (55:29) Day in the life of Braxton Miller (58:33) opendorse was founded in 2012 and based in Lincoln, Nebraska. Learn more about opendorse: https://opendorse.com/ Follow Blake on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Blake_Lawrence -- This episode is sponsored by Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, a full-service law firm known for assisting entrepreneurs across the Heartland. Learn more about or get in touch with Taft: https://www.taftlaw.com/ Follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm

Interview begins: 08:39 Debrief begins: 48:25 Eric Shashoua is the founder and CEO of Zive, makers of the app, Kiwi for Gmail. Kiwi for Gmail turns native Gmail into a full desktop application, dramatically upgrading the entire user experience, & adding features like default email client, multiple accounts, multiple windows, etc. We discuss: Ad: How to fully utilize the state and gift tax? (07:24) How CEO Eric Shashoua learned from VC’s about backing a company. (11:48) Starting on Zive’s product: Kiwi for Gmail. (20:38) Recommendations for Kickstarters pre-marketing a business (26:55) How Kiwi can make money (30:13) Kiwi for Gmail’s marketing strategy (43:20) Zive was founded in 2013 and based in New York City, New York. Learn more about Kiwi for Gmail: https://www.kiwiforgmail.com/ -- This episode is sponsored by Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, a full-service law firm known for assisting entrepreneurs across the Heartland. Learn more about or get in touch with Taft: https://www.taftlaw.com/ Follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm