Duos The Co-Founders Podcast

In this episode we sit down with Jason Goodman and Travis Talmadge, co-founders of Bathhouse, a new Brooklyn based wellness space that combines the vibrant, social elements of bathhouses from around the world alongside an array of treatments for the modern athlete and lifestyle enthusiast. Jason and Travis walk us through their early years first meeting in Montauk, the ups and downs of transforming the old Dr. Brown’s Soda Factory into a spectacular oasis of lively calm and why finding their north Star and vision from the get go has allowed them to navigate and thrive during these trying Covid times. Bathhouse Travis Talmadge was born and raised in the greater New York area. Prior to co-founding Bathhouse, Travis founded Triplet Acquisitions, a real estate investment sales company based in Manhattan, which he still actively manages. In addition to his background in real estate, Travis actively invests in a variety of spaces including technology, men’s grooming, wellness and cannabis. He resides with his family in Tribeca and can usually be found on the golf course when he’s not working or spending time with his family. Jason Goodman is an entrepreneur living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with his family. Prior to co-founding Bathhouse, Jason operated companies in the hospitality, real estate and education sectors. Jason was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia and has a deep passion for fitness and nutrition.

In this episode we sit down with Joe Du Bey and Kyle Wilkinson, co-founders of Eden, the all-in-one workplace management platform that makes it easier for companies to run their offices. Joe and Kyle walk us through their early years launching out of Y Combinator in 2015, the challenges they faced when they decided to pivot to a completely different customer base and business model, and how in the midst of Covid-19, they launched their new SaaS suite that empowers office teams to safely return to work and streamline their operations. Eden Founded in March 2015 by Joe Du Bey and Kyle Wilkinson, Eden’s the all-in-one workplace management platform that makes it easier for today’s most innovative companies to run their offices. The company’s best-in-class Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) suite empowers workplace teams to safely return to work and streamline their operations through its COVID Team Safety, visitor management, modern ticketing, room booking, facilities management software, as well as facilities services marketplace. Based in San Francisco, Eden’s investors include Y Combinator, Bessemer Venture Partners, Fifth Wall, S28, Reshape & JLL. Eden’s mission is to create a better place to work, for everyone. To learn more, visit eden.io.

In this episode we sit down with Adam Small and Jake Moses of My Music Music Masterclass, a global web-based platform that features videos, lesson packs and detailed advice from some of the best musicians in the world. Adam and Jake walk us through meeting on a session in Los Angeles, how they conceived, bootstrapped and coded the platform from scratch and what it feels like each day to give back to the music community that has given them so much, especially in these trying times for the creative arts amid Covid-19. My Music Masterclass, Inc. Founded in 2012, My Music Masterclass, Inc. (MMMC) is a Los Angeles and New York based company created by professional musician Adam Small. It was conceived in order to help “hungry” musicians get the advice, tips and tricks of the world’s top professionals without the high cost of private lessons. MMMC’s model consists of giving its artists the majority of the sales revenue, which is why so many world-class musicians are passionately involved with the website. My Music Masterclass is very committed to supporting the professional music community and providing a much-needed service to musicians around the globe.

In this episode we sit down with music producer/songwriter/engineer, Steve DeAcutis as well as world class singer/songwriter/guitarist, Doug Henthorn. These two longtime friends and frequent collaborators walk us through meeting in the mid 90’s when their band POD was signed to Sony records by John Kalodner, how they each picked up the pieces carving out successful careers in the music business writing, creating and touring after their record deal unfortunately went south, and how the loss of Steve’s mom inspired the writing of his new album, Torn From the Pages, which features Doug and legendary Living Colour vocalist, Corey Glover. Stephen DeAcutis Stephen DeAcutis has been working professionally as a mixer, producer, engineer, writer, and performer since the early 1980’s, having honed his skills and training under such studio heavyweights as Andy Wallace (Rage Against the Machine, Nirvana), Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith), and Max Norman (Ozzy Osbourne) amassing credits that include such acts as Vanilla Fudge, Gladys Knight, Travers and Appice, Corey Glover, and Cyndi Lauper, to name a few. He has been contracted by Sony, Interscope, LaFace, Miramax, Columbia, MTV, The Speed Channel, ESPN, Discovery, and numerous others. From hard hitting rock and pop to death metal and country, you’ll find few more experienced and musically intuitive than Stephen DeAcutis. The achievements of mixing and production specialist Stephen DeAcutis have spanned decades, taken on several roles, and manifested into a diverse number musical genres. But the common thread throughout these accomplishments has been the artist-friendly attention to detail and dedication of the man collaborators affectionately call “Stevie D.” As the founder and operator of Sound Spa Productions, Stephen has applied his craft as a mixer, producer, engineer, composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist to help guide and realize the visions of some of the industry’s most elite artists and musicians. He has always told his clients that his goal as a mixer/producer is to take the vision of the artist and bring it to its highest musical and emotional levels – to serve the integrity of that vision and not impose his own. “It is my purpose in this lifetime,” says Stephen, “I love the work, and it doesn’t feel at all like work.” While it may not “feel” like work to him, that doesn’t change the fact that Stephen has worked hard for more than three decades lending his expertise to a countless number of ambitious projects – and in the meantime building a tremendous skill set, not to mention a collection of gear that rivals that of any studio on the planet. Doug Henthorn

In this episode we chat with Steven Rosenblatt, Josh Rahn & Glenn Handler, Co-Founders and General Partners at Oceans, a new kind of venture capital firm helmed by a team of early stage investors and mentors focused on giving start-ups the hands on support they need to succeed. These NYC tech legends take us through their collective experiences at Apple, Facebook and Google, where they saw a deficiency in the standard VC ecosystem and how their unique people first approach has already put them far ahead of the curve. Oceans Steven RosenblattCo-founder, General Partner With more than 20 years of experience scaling startups and building technology companies in the digital and mobile ecosystem, Steven Rosenblatt co-founded Oceans, a new kind of venture capital firm, in 2018 where he currently serves as General Partner. Steven has been passionate about building early stage companies and has finally fulfilled his life long goal of starting his own company. Prior to Oceans, Steven was President of Foursquare. During his six-year tenure at the location intelligence company, he was responsible for transitioning the company from a purely consumer-facing location platform into an enterprise business, building a multi-product strategy and growing revenue by more than 70x. This entailed overseeing all aspects of strategy and implementation of the company’s revenue streams along with overseeing its biggest customers. During his time, Foursquare won numerous awards, including being named in CNBC’s Disruptor 50 list as one of the most disruptive tech companies in the world, Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 as one of the fastest growing technology companies in North America, and won Ad Age’s Best Places to work. Steven worked closely with his investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Union Square Ventures, DFJ, and Spark Capital, and has spoken at nearly 100 events. Before joining Foursquare, Steven launched iAd, Apple’s advertising platform for brands and developers, where he managed sales, agency relations, and the creative and strategy team. Steven led the opening of Apple’s New York office and worked closely with leadership teams to build a presence in New York. Prior to this, Steven served as Senior Vice President of Advertising Sales at Quattro Wireless until it was acquired by Apple in January 2010. He is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan. You can also find Steven playing sports with his two sons Aidan and Nate, listening to U2 and Pearl Jam, or on the beach with his wife Loren. Joshua RahnCo-founder, General Partner

In this episode we sit down with Tim Jackson and David Kahn, Co-Founders of Jackson Kahn Design, a premier golf course design firm who have worked on world renowned projects including Scottsdale National GC and Monterey Peninsula CC. These fellow mid-westerners walk us through their foundational years working together in the field, designing and moving dirt under Tom Fazio, the challenges they faced starting their company in the middle of the 2008 recession and what it’s like to have their childhood passions become reality where “the work” doesn’t feel like work at all. Jackson Kahn Design Tim Jackson and David Kahn cofounded Jackson Kahn Design in 2009. Our educational backgrounds in Agronomy and Landscape Architecture, coupled with over $600,000,000 in completed project experience, and a direct hand in many award winning designs allows us to bring a confident ability to excel on projects both large and small. Having completed $100,000 remodels to $35,000,000 new constructions, and worked in nearly every type of varied environment and condition, Jackson Kahn has brought a wide range of projects from conception to completion. Our focus on the needs of the client drives our philosophy and directs our efforts. Our abilities in communicating design concepts coupled with our passion for refining and improving those ideas in the dirt has been the core of our success at JKD. In the ten years since our founding, we have been blessed, fortunate, and grateful to be a part of many extraordinary projects.

In this episode we sit down with Nick Romito and Ryan Masiello co-founders of VTS, commercial real estate’s leading leasing and asset management platform that brings landlords, brokers, and tenants together to make deals happen. These life-long friends, surfers and New Jersey Natives walk us through their early years hustling in the hyper competitive NYC real estate market, how their first run at building a video product sparked the idea for the VTS platform, and what it feels like to disrupt a legacy industry that by all accounts could not and would not ever change. VTS Nick Romito, Co-founder and CEO, VTS Nick Romito is the co-founder and CEO of VTS, commercial real estate’s leading leasing and asset management platform. Under Nick’s leadership, VTS has grown to manage more than 11 billion square feet of office, retail, and industrial assets across 35 countries by 700+ landlords and brokerage firms including Blackstone, LaSalle Investment Management, Hines, Boston Properties, JLL and CBRE. Prior to VTS, Nick was a tenant rep and landlord broker at Murray Hill Properties. From there he went on to oversee a 3-million square-foot office and retail portfolio at AM Properties before co-founding VTS in 2012. Nick has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Entrepreneur Magazine, and was recently named EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2019. He is a regular speaker at conferences around the world, including RealComm, MIPIM, and ULI. He is actively involved with STOKED, a community of mentors that helps underserved youth reach their full potential through action sports. In his spare time, Nick can be found surfing, boxing, or cooking dinner for his family and friends. Ryan Masiello, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, VTS Ryan Masiello is the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of VTS. He brings more than 12 years of experience in Midtown Manhattan commercial real estate – the world’s most competitive office market – to the table and is charged with leading VTS’ international expansion. Ryan started his career at Cushman & Wakefield, before getting recruited by JLL to help lead the firm’s business development efforts in New York. During his seven years at JLL, Ryan became Senior Vice President and brokered over 2 million square feet of office deals with Fortune 500 and high-growth technology companies, earning him honors as a four-time global top-producer. Ryan frequently advised on corporate technology and growth strategies for JLL. Ryan has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine and the Commercial Observer. When he’s not in the office, he can be found surfing,

In this episode we sit down with Anthony Collias and Jacob Wedderburn-Day, co-founders of Stasher, the world’s first luggage storage network. Stasher’s on-demand booking platform connects global travelers with hotels and stores that can keep your luggage safe in secure storage rooms while you enjoy your time in a city.   Jacob and Anthony walk us through meeting at Oxford University, how and why their first start-up idea failed and how a strategic product pivot allowed them to expand to 250+ cities around the globe while building key partnerships with firms including booking.com, hotels.com, Premier Inn and Accor Hotels. Stasher Anthony Collias Jacob Wedderburn-Day

In this episode, we sit down with James McGoff, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of TemperPack, a materials engineering and packaging company disrupting the cold chain shipping industry. James takes us through the highs and lows of being a first time founder, what it was like landing their first major client and how he, along with fellow co-founders Brian Powers and Charles Vincent, are on a mission to solve the worlds’ packaging problems by building revolutionary insulation products that have zero environmental impact. James McGoff James McGoff is an entrepreneur from the Washington D.C. area. He currently serves as the president and cofounder of TemperPack, a quickly growing packaging start-up dedicated to helping the world waste less. Prior to TemperPack, James worked in the Advanced Material Analysis group at Boeing Defense. Armed with a formal education in materials engineering and a few ideas about how packaging could be improved, James ventured out with two friends in early 2015 to start TemperPack. Since then, TemperPack has grown tremendously due to great timing, a great team, hard work, lots of coffee, and an exceptional product / market fit.

In this episode, we sit down with Stefani Greenfield, Co-Founder of MY NEXT ACT, a global consulting agency focused on the creation, ideation and “storytelling” of brands. This creative legend takes us through her early years as a latchkey kid, navigating the NYC streets and dance clubs, what it was like working on the ground floor at DKNY and Esprit and how those experiences lead her to co-found the internationally acclaimed SCOOP NYC stores, which she is credited for pioneering a new way for consumers to shop at retail with her trailblazing merchandising concept – “The Ultimate Closet”. Stefani Greenfield Stefani Greenfield co-founded the internationally acclaimed SCOOP NYC stores and is credited for pioneering a new way for consumers to shop at retail with her trailblazing merchandising concept – “The Ultimate Closet”. After selling SCOOP in 2008, Greenfield created and still currently hosts the first ever fashion/lifestyle show on HSN – “Curations Caravan”. Greenfield was a judge on Bravo’s “Launch My Line”, appeared in a monthly segment, “Fashion Roadmap” on TODAY and hosted “Unracked with Gilt Groupe”, an innovative web series of interviews with fashion luminaries and legends. Greenfield served as the Chief Creative Officer of The Jones Group for 2 years, leading design, merchandising and marketing of their portfolio of brands. In 2013 she founded MY NEXT ACT, a global consulting agency focused on the creation, ideation and “storytelling” of brands. With Project Runway creator Desiree Gruber, Greenfield launched the accessory brand Theodora & Callum. Greenfield was the Creative Brand Director on the E! docu-series “House of DVF”. Greenfield is a Co-founder of Love Heals – The Alison Gertz Foundation for AIDS Education and a Board Member of GOOD+ Foundation and ACRIA.

In this episode, we sit down with Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, Co-Founders of the world class golf architecture design firm, Coore & Crenshaw. These golf legends, take us through the journey of their 34 year partnership and friendship, what it’s like envisioning and designing golf courses like Sand Hills, Friar’s Head and Kapalua Plantation from scratch and how their unique approach to working with the land as it exists has led to their continued success around the globe. Coore & Crenshaw Bill Coore Like his partner, Bill Coore was exposed to traditional golf architecture during his formative years. A native North Carolinian, Coore played much of his early golf at the Donald Ross courses of Pinehurst and the Perry Maxwell designed Old Town Club in Winston-Salem. A 1968 graduate of Wake Forest University, Coore began his professional design and construction career in 1972 with the firm of Pete Dye and Associates. Under the Dyes’ guidance, Coore was introduced to the elements of creative design and physical construction. It was also the Dyes that first introduced Coore to the written classics of golf architecture– the same books that Crenshaw was then collecting and studying. The information within these books was to later form the foundation for the Coore and Crenshaw partnership. During the succeeding ten years, Coore was involved in the design, construction and maintenance of golf courses in Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Canada, and Texas. Coore formed his own design company in 1982. Thereafter, he completed courses at Rockport Country Club in Rockport, Texas (featured in the 1986 issue of the U.S.G.A. Golf Journal), Kings Crossing Golf and Country Club in Corpus Christi, Texas and Golf du Medoc in Bordeaux, France (named one of the ten best courses in France and one of the top fifty courses in Europe). Bill Coore and his wife, Sue, reside in Scottsdale, Arizona. Ben Crenshaw Ben Crenshaw has long been recognized as a historian and traditionalist. Since seeing The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts at age sixteen, he has held a fascination with golf architecture. His is an appreciation of the game’s subtleties gained from years of study and the experience of a successful playing career spanning over three decades and nineteen P.G.A. Tour victories including the 1984 and 1995 Masters. Competition has taken Crenshaw to many of the world’s most renowned golf courses where he has spent considerable time analyzing their design and construction techniques. His entry into the golf architecture business brought closer a life long goal of creating quality golf courses in the classical style. Prior to the formation of Coore & Crenshaw, Inc., Crenshaw served as a player consultant on the design and construction of the TPC Course at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas, site of the annual Byron Nelson Classic. Crenshaw, a native Texan, attended the University of Texas and still resides in Austin with his wife, Julie, and daughters Katherine, Claire, and Anna Riley.

In this episode we sit down with Porter Braswell and Ryan Williams, cofounders of Jopwell, the leading career advancement platform and end-to-end solution for companies committed to diversity and inclusion. Jopwell helps companies authentically engage and connect with Black, Latinx and Native American candidates, striving to build more representative and inclusive workforces. Jopwell The idea for Jopwell was born when cofounders Porter Braswell and Ryan Williams were working on Wall Street and got called upon to recruit other candidates who looked like them. They knew there had to be a better way to attract top talent at scale, while building a diverse professional community. So in 2015, they left finance to launch Jopwell. Under Porter and Ryan’s leadership, Jopwell has developed more than 150 partnerships with America’s leading companies and facilitated tens of thousands of connections between its community and partner companies. Company partners include Spotify, Peloton, UBS, and the PGA, among others (https://www.jopwell.com/partners). Jopwell’s mission is twofold: make a substantial, measurable impact on increasing Black, Latinx, and Native American representation and facilitate a national dialogue about diversity in the workplace. Jopwell has been named to Vanity Fair’s Future Innovators Index, Net Guru’s 10 Hottest New York City Startups to Watch, and Forbes 30 Under 30 as one of the most innovative ideas to impact the next century. Porter and Ryan were also named to Business Insider’s 30 Under 30 Innovators in Tech and Crain’s 40 Under 40. Jopwell participated in Y Combinator’s summer 2015 class and has raised a total of $12 million in Series A funding. Investors to date include Cue Ball Capital, Y Combinator, Omidyar Network, Kapor Capital, Blue Ivy Ventures, Teneo Ventures, Magic Johnson Enterprises, Andreessen Horowitz, Joe Montana, and the San Francisco 49ers, among others.

In this episode we sit down with Mike and Ryan Alfred, brothers and Co-Founders of Digital Assets Data, a fintech and data company building enterprise-grade software and data feeds for crypto hedge funds and other market participants. These Harvard and Stanford alums take us through the rise and successful exit of their first company BrightScope, what it’s like working with multiple siblings for a second time in a high-growth startup and why the need for higher quality information and more sophisticated tools to track and manage investments, conduct due diligence, and make trading decisions is paramount for the digital asset space to succeed. Digital Assets Data Mike Alfred, CEO and Co-Founder of Digital Assets Data Mike is co-founder and CEO of Digital Assets Data. He is a persistent and driven business leader, previously holding the position of Co-founder and CEO of Brightscope, Inc., which was acquired by Strategic Insight in 2016. He received his bachelor’s degree in History from Stanford University. He lives in Denver, CO with his family and enjoys participating in local ultramarathons. Ryan Alfred, President and Co-Founder of Digital Assets Data Ryan is President of Digital Assets Data. He is also a co-founder of Distributed Global, where he holds a seat on the Investment Committee. Previously, he was Co-founder, President and COO of Brightscope, Inc. He has been included in Forbes’ “Top 30 under 30” in Finance, and the Smart Money “Power 30”. Ryan received his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Harvard University.

In this episode Michael and Justin sit down with Chef’s Cut Real Jerky Co.® Co-Founder Dennis Riedel. Dennis takes them through the early days, when he was caddying alongside fellow co-founder and chef Blair Swiler, who shared his homemade jerky and the inspiration for Chef’s Cut Real Jerky was born. From selling their first batches of products in plastic baggies at New Jersey’s Bayonne Golf Club & Callusa Pines Golf Club, to being named the 58th fastest-growing privately owned U.S. company and the 4th fastest-growing in Food and Beverage on the 2017 Inc. 5000 list, their success is nothing short of legendary. Chef’s Cut Jerky Co.® Blair Swiler needed a break from the kitchen. He was caddying alongside co-founder Dennis Riedel and shared his homemade jerky with him. Real cuts of premium beef, right there on the golf course, was all Dennis needed. And with some convincing, Chef Blair shared his recipe and the pair began smoking and selling Chef’s Cut Real Jerky Co® to golf and country clubs across the U.S. Dennis Riedel, Co-Founder of Chef’s Cut Jerky Co.® Blair Swiler, Co-Founder of Chef’s Cut Jerky Co.®

In our Season 2 opener, Michael and Justin along with Justin’s 7-year old son Logan, sit down with the one and only, legendary broadcaster Bob Costas. Bob shares his early passion for baseball, what it was like to meet and interview his heroes including Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams, as well as working the booth with Mets Hall of Famer, Tom Seaver. We also touch on some controversial topics including the concussion rate in the NFL as well as meeting with the infamous OJ Simpson when he was first incarcerated following the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Twenty-eight-time Emmy Award winner and Hall of Fame award-winning broadcaster Bob Costas is a host and announcer for MLB Network, serving as host of the documentary series MLB Network Presents and the lead play-by-play announcer on MLB Network Showcase. Costas also appears on the Emmy Award-winning flagship studio show MLB Tonight and MLB Network’s special event coverage throughout the year. Regarded as one of the best interviewers in broadcasting, Costas has spoken with the biggest names in baseball and beyond for MLB Network, including Clayton Kershaw and Mike Trout; Hall of Famers Yogi Berra, Bob Feller, Bob Gibson, Reggie Jackson, Ferguson Jenkins, Tony La Russa, Don Larsen, Juan Marichal, Tom Seaver and Joe Torre; Hall of Fame Award-winning broadcaster Ernie Harwell; and President Barack Obama at the 2009 All-Star Game. In 2018, Costas was honored with the Ford C. Frick Award for major contributions to baseball, voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, and awarded during the National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cooperstown, New York. In 2011, Costas co-hosted with Tom Verducci MLB Network’s landmark series MLB’s 20 Greatest Games, which ranked the top-20 games of the previous 50 seasons. The series featured interviews with key players, managers and broadcasters from each game, including Jack Morris and John Smoltz discussing Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, the No. 2-ranked game, and Hall of Famer Johnny Bench, 1975 MVP and Rookie of the Year Fred Lynn, Pete Rose, Bernie Carbo, Dwight Evans, Pat Darcy and Denny Doyle talking about Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, which was ranked by MLB Network as the No. 1 greatest game of the previous 50 seasons. Costas also contributes to MLB Network’s breaking news coverage throughout the year. In January 2010, Costas conducted the exclusive first television interview with Mark McGwire following his admission of steroid use during his playing career. Costas also secured the first interview with Sports Illustrated writer Selena Roberts after she broke the news in February 2009 of Alex Rodriguez’s use of performance enhancing drugs. Throughout his career, Costas has hosted coverage of many significant baseball events, covering the American League Championship Series in 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999 and 2000. Costas covered the NLCS in 1999, and called the 1995, 1997 and 1999 World Series and the 2000 All-Star Game. From 1982 to 1989, Costas was the play-by-play announcer on NBC’s Baseball Game of the Week telecasts. Costas is the author of Fair Ball: A Fan’s Case for Baseball, which received excellent reviews and made the New York Times Best Seller list in 2002. The book’s net proceeds were donated to B.A.T. (Baseball Assistance Team), a charity providing financial assistance to those in need in the baseball family. Outside of MLB Network, Costas served as NBC’s primetime host for a U.S.-television record 11 Olympic Games – every Olympics on NBC since 1992, including the 2012 London Games, which is the most-watched television event in U.S. history, reaching 217 million viewers – before passing the torch to Mike Tirico in February 2017. From 2006 to 2016, Costas served as the host of the critically acclaimed and most-watched weekly studio show ...