Nick Hughes is joined by Rey Mungai, who is Cofounder and Chief product officer of Lukhu from Nairobi, Kenya, and who also has qualified for the Founder Live Prime Time Africa event taking place in late 2021. Lukhu is an African peer-to-peer marketplace for second-hand clothing. Nick and Rey jump into a fun and informational conversation around the dynamics of creating a startup in the retail clothing space. We first hear about his experience with Founders Live, pitching at Founders Live Nairobi and then winning the Prime Time Africa region in Q1 to go on and be included in the larger event later in 2021. He shares his pitching tips to other founders who might be interested in pitching at an event. We then hear more about Rey's vision of a more sustainable and equitable retail clothing experience, not just in Kenya but across Africa and beyond. Rey and his team see a big future to power the logistics and fulfilment to help people find great 2nd hand clothing and help others drive revenue by selling the clothes they don't need anymore. This is a very fun conversation with many tips and lessons learned and hope it helps you today on your journey.
https://lukhu.co.ke/
This was recorded as a live Founders Live Conversations session.
We interviewed Sean and Carrie Beth McGarry to get an in depth look at both of their journeys as entrepreneurs and life partners, how they created and build his their gallery, survived and thrived through the pandemic, how they approach working together in their business as well as a couple, and talk about how to create unique environments for creativity and exploration of our own greatness plus many more tips for early stage entrepreneurs. This was a group discussion so you will hear some audience members ask questions as well.
https://9thegallery.com/
This was a Founders Live Conversations we held online. We interviewed David and Dawei from Aloa in a general discussion on outsourcing, when you know you are ready to bring on a development partner, how to find the best talent possible and the most affordable pricing, how to work with outsourcing companies and what to expect from the entire experience and much more! This was a live group discussion so you hear a few questions from the audience.
https://aloa.co/founders-live
Nick Hughes is joined by Alexandra Reynolds, who is the CMO and cofounder of Metrolla, from Seattle, WA. Metrolla brings new voice and vision to LiDAR technologies to help achieve automation. Nick and Alexandra jump into a fun and lively conversation that starts with her experience pitching and winning a recent Founders Live Seattle event, along with some prep and practice tips for founders thinking about pitching. She tells us how the Founders Live experience has influenced her to go out and pitch at other events and participate in other talks. We then get into her path to join as a founding member of Metrolla, and the vision of what they are bringing to market in the automation and LiDAR industry. Lastly, we hear a few founder tips and lessons learned and Alexandra's thoughts on he female founder experience thus far . This is a very fun conversation with many tips and lessons learned and hope it helps you today on your journey.
https://www.metrolla.com
Nick Hughes is joined by Anthony Torres, CEO and Cofounder of BitHippie from New York. Reusability fuels innovation, BitHippie is a tech startup offering Authorization as a Service to those building software for themselves or others. Nick and Anthony start their conversation by talking about Founders Live NYC and Anthony's experience pitching and winning the event. Then they dive into Anthony's story and journey to create BitHippie, what problem did he see in the world that needed to be solved, where he thinks the automation and authorization industry is headed, and where he thinks he can take the company. Lastly, we hear a few founder tips and lessons learned from Anthony. This is an enjoyable conversation with many tips and lessons learned and hope it helps you today on your journey.
https://www.bithippie.com/
Nick Hughes is joined by Joe Altieri, President and Founder of FlexScreen from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. FlexScreen is the world's first and only flexible window screen. Their patented, simple, problem-solving design is turning heads in the industry, earning multiple awards, and selling millions. A paradigm-shifting product, FlexScreen is revolutionizing the window industry. Nick and Joe jump into a fun and wide-ranging conversation starting with his background and how he got into entrepreneurship in the first place. As Nick usually points out, it starts with a problem and in this case we hear how Joe discovered an unmet need in the window screen niche market. We then hear about Joe's Shark Tank experience, what it was like to prepare and pitch in the studio and how the resulting deal goes down. Lastly, Joe shares his quick tips for early stage entrepreneurs on how to stay focused and in the game. This is an great conversation with many tips and lessons learned from a veteran founder, and we hope it helps you today on your journey.
https://flexscreen.com/
Nick Hughes is joined by Cooper Wechkin, Founder & CEO of RyeStrategy from Seattle, WA. RyeStrategy is Accurate Carbon Footprinting, Simplified. Supported by a strong network of industry professionals, we offer carbon neutrality solutions tailored specifically for companies within the software and professional services sectors. Our services include annual carbon statements, mitigation strategies, custom offset portfolios, and advice on leveraging carbon neutrality for optimal business outcomes. Nick and Cooper have a really engaging and truthful conversation about the status of the world's climate and the immense challenges we are facing with the rising CO2 levels and the resulting effects. They start with a bit of background on Cooper, how and why he started RyeStrategy as a college student, and what the vision is for the company. We learn more about what they services they are offering as well as the Software & Professional Services Carbon Neutrality Pledge, one in which Nick and Founders Live have signed and are encouraging other startups take a stance on this issue as well. This is an incredible conversation with many facts and aspects which will make you think twice, and we hope it helps you today on your journey.
https://www.ryestrategy.com/
Software & Professional Services Carbon Neutrality Pledge
https://www.ryestrategy.com/neutrality-pledge
Nick Hughes is joined by Jason Cavness, who is CEO and Founder of CavnessHR in Seattle, WA and also a very early Founders Live member who Nick refers to him as a Founders Live OG. "At CavnessHR, our goal is to help small business owners save both time and money. We offer different solutions based on the number of workers." Nick and Jason jump into a interesting and exciting conversation starting with how they met and Jason's early memories of Founders Live when it was still called Feature Friday in a small basement in Seattle. Nick learns this was the place where his advice to Jason led to him starting his startup and naming it CavnessHR. We then hear more about Jason's past in the military and the lessons he learned during his service which influence him as a professional, then into how and why he started his HR company. The conversation ends with some tips and lessons for other early stage entrepreneurs. This is a very interesting conversation and we hope it helps you today on your journey.
https://cavnesshr.com/
Nick Hughes is joined by Gianender Khanna of Brain Racers from Toronto, Canada who was also a Founders Live Prime Time Global Finalist back in 2020. GK is the CEO of Brain Racers - The world's first massive multiplayer cognitive race - their goal is to create a platform to celebrate brain athletes, like we do physical athletes in the world. Nick and GK have another fun conversation (their first conversation you can find earlier in the podcast episodes when GK was a Global Prime Time Finalist) that starts with GK's background, upbringing and youth lessons which have influenced his approach to entrepreneurship today. They then dive into Brain Racers and how GK sees a new world of brain competitions similar to how we celebrate athletic competitions, and how these challenges will help people of all ages improve their intelligence and stay sharp. Nick and GK really get into what this could mean for the future of learning, intelligence and cognitive abilities as we continue in a tech advanced world. So much good stuff in this podcast, this is a very interesting conversation and we hope it helps you today.
https://brainracers.gg/
Nick Hughes is joined by Ty Stiklorius, the Founder and CEO of Friends At Work, a management, entertainment and social impact company that partners with leading creators, influencers and brands to elevate important voices and help their vision thrive. Ty manages world class artists such as John Legend, Lindsey Stirling, and Raphael Saadiq among many others who have influenced her unique view identifying and amplifying emerging talent and creativity around the world. Nick and Ty take a deep dive into her entrepreneurial journey, evaluate how to identify talent, how she uniquely sees creativity, her thoughts on the evolution of entertainment industry, the importance of core values and how to lead a purposeful company, and we hear more on how both are working to advance entrepreneurial equality around the world. This conversation was recorded live on Facebook in front of a live audience.
Ty Stiklorius is the Founder and CEO of Friends At Work, a management, entertainment and social impact company that partners with leading creators, influencers and brands to elevate important voices and help their vision thrive. Ty manages world class artists such as John Legend, Lindsey Stirling, and Raphael Saadiq among many others who have influenced her unique view identifying and amplifying emerging talent and creativity around the world.
Nick Hughes is CEO of Founders Live, the global startup marketplace connecting talented and emerging entrepreneurs to the people, resources, capital and global exposure they need for success. His keen ability to inspire greatness and positive change in people is reverberating around the world and poised to impact millions of new creative entrepreneurs.
About Ty Stiklorius and Friends at Work
Ty Stiklorius is the Founder and CEO of Friends At Work, a management, entertainment and social impact company that partners with leading creators, influencers and brands to elevate important voices and help their vision thrive. Founded in 2015, LA-based Friends At Work supports the careers of artists including John Legend, Lindsey Stirling, and Raphael Saadiq among others. Friends At Work also partners with corporations and individuals on social impact strategy, business development, and creative storytelling and production. Ty’s work with John Legend began in 2006 with JL Ventures, where she created and developed artist-focused strategies for content innovation and social impact. Ty is a principal alongside John Legend in the Get Lifted Film Co. production company. She served as Executive Producer on the Oscar-winning film La La Land, WGN’s hit series Underground, A Legendary Christmas with John and Chrissy and most recently won an Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) for Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert on NBC. Ty and Legend have started multiple non-profit partnerships including the Show Me Campaign and #FREEAMERICA to influence the national conversation regarding mass incarceration and prosecutor integrity. Their work strives to tackle many issues within the criminal justice system, specifically advocating to end the practice of life without parole for children, amplifying the voices of those impacted by the criminal justice system, and breaking down stereotypes to end the era of mass incarceration in America. In 2017, Fast Company included Ty on their Most Creative People list and Billboard named her as one of the most powerful women in music. Ty earned an MBA from The Wharton School and a BA from The University of Pennsylvania. She serves various non-profit and private company boards, including Penn Law's Advisory Board for the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice, LIFT-Los Angeles, and Americans for the Arts.
Friends At Work
https://friendsatwork.com/
Nick Hughes is joined by Nick McCullum, Director of Growth at Passiv and resides in Canada. "Autopilot for your Portfolio, Passiv turns your brokerage account into a modern portfolio management tool. Build your own personalized index, invest and rebalance with the click of a button, and seamlessly manage multiple accounts." Nick and Nick M jump into a great conversation that first starts with a bit of background on himself and how Passiv was started. They then go into much more detail on what Nick McCullum does for the company as Director of Growth, what he's learned along the way, and growth and marketing lessons, such as treating all things as experiments, and the only failure is when you don't learn from your failures and unsuccessful experiments. Lastly, they get into more detail about fintech, and how Passiv helps retail investors better auto-manage a portfolio - and we even learn more about the GameStop saga and why that might be important for the future of investing. This is a fun and interesting conversation around finance, marketing, and growth, and we hope it helps you today!
https://passiv.com/
Nick Hughes is joined by Christina Brennan, a Communication Consultant & Coach from Seattle, WA. Christina helps entrepreneurs communicate their value and build key relationships by improving their messaging development, storytelling, and presentation skills. You can learn in her Patreon community: Soft Skills That Go Hard. She is also the first real pitch coach Founders Live had and greatly influenced how we view preparing our Founders who pitch at Founders Live events. Nick and Christina have a really engaging and wide-ranging conversation, which starts by learning more about Christina and them rehashing the early days of Founders Live when Christina was brought in to help prepare the Seattle founders who were to pitch at the upcoming events. We hear her biggest tips and lessons for entrepreneurs who are preparing not only for a Founders Live event, but other pitching and presentation experiences - especially now virtually. The conversation then moves to what Christina is doing now and how she expects to evolve her own business, and then ends with Nick and Christina chatting about remote working and the amazing experience of traveling the world and building your business at the same time. This is a really great conversation between two people who really just hope to help and improve people's lives. We hope it helps you today!
https://linktr.ee/_cbrennan
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brennanchristina/
We interviewed David Plunkett of BugSplat in front of a live audience online to get an in depth look at his journey as an entrepreneur, how he built his company BugSplat, as well as talk about how to grow a unique and impactful brand to stand out in a crowded market. We also took many questions from the viewers on topics such as fundraising strategies, finding cofounders, how to delegate, how to build the team, and many more. We hope this help you today!
https://www.bugsplat.com/
Nick Hughes is joined by Melissa Reaves of Story Fruition, founder and Executive Storytelling Coach from Seattle, WA. "Storytelling is an essential business skill. Humans are storytelling creatures. Stories drive, define, and inspire us. The best salespeople, executives, and leaders tell impactful, compelling stories. Do you?" Nick and Melissa dive into an incredibly entertaining but also touching conversation that covers many topics, including pitch coaching in Seattle, her tips for a proper 99-second pitch, as well as her projects Story Fruition and Melanin Stories Matter. We start by hearing a bit more about Melissa's background, how she discovered her acting and improv interests, and then her path into the business world. It was here she noticed successful executives and businesses all were able to use words, messages and emotions to move people to take action. That is what she now helps others do! The conversation then shifts to her new project Melanin Stories Matter, which is elevating BIPOC voices & magnifying their stories. This is an anti-racist movement that time has come, so let's listen up. We all have melanin, so let it unite us! This is a very inspiring, emotional and educational episode with a great coach and even better person. We hope it helps you today!
https://storyfruition.com/
Storytelling is an essential business skill
https://melaninstoriesmatter.com/
Elevating BIPOC Voices & Magnifying Their Stories
Nick Hughes is joined by Thane Marcus Ringler, a Development Coach from Denver, Colorado. "Are you stuck, in a transition, or wanting to level-up? Thane Marcus is dedicated to helping us: take ownership and never settle through coaching, online courses, blogs, books, and podcasts, Thane Marcus has the resources you need to live and work better." Nick and Thane jump into a great conversation starting with Thane's athletic career which took him to the professional levels of Golf, where although he enjoyed the sport, he discovered he wasn't fully utilizing his talents and gifts. Then then move into talking about struggles and taking ownership and never settling which he applied to his own life to find his next career path in coaching and speaking. Thane shares is insights and wisdom around how to identify and discover the greatness we all have within us, as well as using some solid frameworks to drive actionable results. They end touching upon the resources, courses, books and coaching Thane offers. This is a very helpful and inspiring story of someone who made a significant shift in his life, and shows how you can too!
https://www.thanemarcus.com/
Book - From Here To There - https://www.thanemarcus.com/book
Nick Hughes is joined by Marcus Smith, cofounder of Axon Collective, and host of the podcast Founders Forge from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Axon Collective is an idea sounding board + full-stack development teams for entrepreneurs and startups. Whether integrating tech solutions or curating partnerships, Axon empowers entrepreneurs & innovators to actualize their vision. Nick and Marcus jump into a really interesting and educational conversation around podcasting. They start by chatting a bit about Marcus and Axon Collective but then get deep into why podcasting is such a great experience for entrepreneurs and founders. They talk about how to approach setting one up, what resources and tools Marcus chose to use to get it started, how to flow into conversation with their guests, what they both find is challenging but also the rewards of running a podcast, and an all around fun convo between two podcast hosts. We hope it helps you on your journey and maybe is just what you need to get your podcast launched!
Nick Hughes is joined by Emmanuel Chukwuebuka of CEO Softwork from Lagos, Nigeria. Softwork is an educational learning platform that delivers tutorials in audio-visual format for courses offered by students in Nigeria universities. Nick and Emmanuel start this conversation by talking about Emmanuels experience and thoughts about pitching at Founders Live Lagos in late 2020 and his quick tips and lessons on the 99 second pitch. Then they get into how he used his own challenges in university and college learning to develop a new solution for online video and audio learning. They end with a few stories about how the team came together and Emmanuel's advice to early entrepreneurs. This conversation is a great conversation with an up and coming leader in Africa and we hope it helps you on your journey.
Softwork Twitter
https://twitter.com/Softworkng
Softwork pitch video
https://www.youtube.com/embed/LDuYV3-heXQ
This interview was filmed as a Founders Live Conversations video.
Nick Hughes sits down with Ash Bhoopathy of Lab Ventures and FriendlyFace to talk about his journey as an entrepreneur, how they originally met, Ash's thoughts on creating an innovation Labs/Studio and when to pivot. We also hear about their newest project FriendlyFace, which is a personalized mask people can from a selfie they upload so you can sport a more friendly face as you wear a mask. We hope this is a helpful conversation for you in your own entrepreneurial journey.
https://www.friendlyface.com/
Nick Hughes is joined by Paola Ortega from Mexico City, Mexico who is the Founders Live Prime Time 2020 Global winner and cofounder of Air. They provide employee-centered decisions in Real time and an AI tool to assist transformation within your company based on your employee characteristics. Nick and Paola have a great conversation that starts back where Paola grew up in Mexico, her early education and her path into entrepreneurship. We then her a bit more about her Founders Live Experience 0 from Mexico City, to Prime Time Latin American and then onto Founders Livefest 2020 and winning the final event. They end the conversation touching on various thoughts and Paola's lessons learned. This is a very inspiring conversation and it's an opportunity to get to know more about one of the most promising startups and talented founders coming out of Founders Live today. Check it out!
https://airesearch.global/
Nick Hughes is joined by Emily Cheng, CEO and cofounder of MedVenture from Seattle. MedVenture is a mobile app designed to unite all traveling healthcare professionals. Nick and Emily have an incredibly touching and real conversation around Emily's history and her experience in the pandemic as a traveling nurse. She shares very real and painful perspective of what health care professionals are experiencing on the front lines of the Covid-19 health pandemic. They then get into why her and her cofounder created MedVenture, what problems and challenges they are solving, and what she envisions as the future of the community. They end with tips and lessons learned from an early founder who is still working a profession as she and her cofounder start their company. This conversation is incredibly inspiring and at the same time a very real glimpse into the life of a healthcare professional, so we hope it helps you on your journey.
https://www.medventurefortravelers.com/
