Fast Frontiers
118 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 55 ratingsAn exploration of how innovation frontiers are emerging in surprising places.
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Episodes
S6 Ep. 7 — James Norman: Black Operator Ventures
November 01, 2022 08:00 - 40 minutes - 37.2 MBToday on Fast Frontiers host Tim Schigel speaks with James Norman, a general partner at Black Operator Ventures, a venture fund that specifically empowers the entrepreneurship of people of color. James takes listeners on a deep dive of his growth and trajectory from Hollywood to venture capital, lessons learned in leadership, and how important networking and nurturing relationships are to customer acquisition. Key Takeaways: [00:09 - 00:58] Intro to James Norman and his venture projects ...
S6 Ep. 6 — Tim Kight: CEO of Focus 3
October 18, 2022 07:30 - 37 minutes - 34.7 MBOn today's show, Tim Kight, CEO of Focus 3, stops by Fast Frontiers to talk to host Tim Schigel about growth mindsets, characteristics of people with fortitude, and all about his framework, E+R=O. Key takeaways: [01:51 - 04:23] Mistakes are feedback, and a sign of innovating [04:28 - 06:23] Silicon Valley and failing fast, an opportunity to try again with greater insight [06:23 - 08:19] Defining leadership, understanding cause and effect, and coaching for success [08:53 - 13:50] The rol...
S6 Ep. 5 — Inside Refinery: Bernadette Butler, StoryTap
October 13, 2022 07:30 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBBernadette Butler of Storytap sits down with Fast Frontiers host Tim Schigel to discuss the power of storytelling and connection. Bernadette is the CEO and Co-Founder of Storytap, and in this conversation discusses her path to creating the company, it's goals working with clients to help them gather stories from customers, and what her experience of bootstrapping the company has been like. Key takeaways: [00:56 - 05:49] Benadette's background [05:50 - 07:09] The origin of StoryTap [07:1...
S6 Ep. 4 — Upal Basu: General Partner at Ngp Capital
October 11, 2022 11:01 - 31 minutes - 28.5 MBToday on Fast Frontiers, Upal Basu of ngp capital stops by to talk to host Tim Schigel about what Upal has learned as an investor, and about current events in SaaS, software, and edge computing. Upal is the a general partner at ngp capital, and in this role manages more than a billion and a half dollars in assets. He'll also talk today about lessons learned throughout his career as an investor. Key Takeaways [01:34 - 03:36] About NGP Capital [03:36 - 05:06] Upal's background [05:24 - 07...
S6 Ep. 3 — Dave Mawhinney: The Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship
September 27, 2022 07:30 - 32 minutes - 29.6 MBDave Mawhinney joins host Tim Schigel to talk about a history of entrepreneurship and what the transition was like entering into academia at Carnegie Mellon. Dave is the Executive Director of the The Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, and in his role he connects with brilliant minds about developing their innovative and creative solutions. In today's conversation, Dave and Tim offer advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, and discuss the technology output and scene around Carnegie Mellon. Key Ta...
S6 Ep. 2 — Inside Refinery: Mike Kadin, CEO of RedCircle
September 15, 2022 05:30 - 42 minutes - 38.7 MBOn today's episode of Fast Frontiers, host Tim Schigel sits down to speak with Mike Kadin, the CEO of RedCircle. The two discuss strategies for managing high-growth companies, lessons learned in hiring and how Mike met his co-founder Jeremy Lermitte. Key Takeaways: [01:55] Meet Mike Kadin of RedCircle [05:56] Experiences unique to RedCircle's growth and lessons in high-growth [09:55] How far out was RedCircle planning their growth strategy [11:10] Hiring takeaways and lessons [16:38] ...
S6 Ep. 1 — Gokul Rajaram: Investor and Company Helper
September 13, 2022 10:30 - 38 minutes - 35.3 MBWelcome back to Fast Frontiers! In the Season 6 premiere, Gokul Rajaram talks with host Tim Schigel about working as an investor and "company helper." Gokul does a deep dive into his SPADE decision-making framework, about creating compelling products that solve real-world issues, and the rise in product analytics as a function of business. Key Takeaways: [01:20] Introduction to Gokul [02:33] Being exposed to high-caliber people [03:47] Keep learning and stay humble [04:54] Investing an...
Trailer: Season 6 is Coming Soon!
August 23, 2022 05:30 - 42 seconds - 644 KBRediscover the best podcast around for learning about Refinery Ventures' portfolio of companies and the work those organizations are doing. Host and Managing Partner at Refinery Ventures, Tim Knight, speaks with CEOs, founders, and experts about startups, technology, the future, and more.
S5 Ep 5. Pete Blackshaw: CEO of Cintrifuse
April 19, 2022 05:30 - 35 minutes - 32.7 MBPete Blackshaw joins host Tim Schigel to talk about his efforts at Cintrifuse to create a startup economy in Cincinnati. Pete talks about how his career working with companies like Nielsen BuzzMetrics and Nestle influenced his work with startups, and how programming helps to grow culture and community. The two discuss the impact of transforming Cincinnati's airport into a startup and technology platform, as well as initiatives that excite Pete like sustainability, electrification, and zero w...
S5 Ep 4. Carl Grant: Executive Vice President of Global Business Development at Cooley
April 12, 2022 05:30 - 43 minutes - 40.2 MBCarl Grant joins Fast Frontiers and host Tim Schigel to chat about his career journey, and how experiencing a recession at an early-stage startup influences his insights and leadership in the VC world. Carl also talks about his initiative with Venture Raise, a platform for entrepreneurs to match with venture capital funding, shares tips for building connections as entrepreneurs, and how faith has helped him navigate life and business.
S5 Ep 3. Steve Escaravage: Executive Vice President at Booz Allen
April 05, 2022 05:30 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MBSteve Escaravage, Executive Vice President at Booz Allen, talks about what A.I. is and its uses at Booz Allen, as well as popular ideas surrounding artificial intelligence. Tim and Steve also discuss how entrepreneurs can approach opportunities to collaborate with venture capital firms, hurdles to A.I. development, and Steve's thoughts on where the technology is headed.
S5 Ep 2. Aashish Dalal: Co-founder of ParkWhiz (now Arrive Mobility)
March 22, 2022 05:30 - 35 minutes - 32.1 MBHost Tim Schigel is joined by Co-founder and Chairman of Arrive Mobility, Aashish Dalal, to talk about his journey taking ParkWhiz from inception to present day as Arrive Mobility. Aashish walks through growing the company's footprint, naïveté about investor capital, and ultimately the business lessons and relationships that helped ParkWhiz find success.
S5 Ep 1. Brian Cobb: Chief Innovation Officer at CVG airport
March 15, 2022 05:30 - 31 minutes - 29.2 MBChief Innovation Officer of CVG Airport, Brian Cobb, talks about his career in the aviation industry and seeking innovative solutions that have transformed the airport into a business hub. Along with host Tim Schigel, the two discuss CVG's acceptance of technology and data to solve customer perceptions, aligning with leadership towards business innovation, and the future of the airport with startup incubation and the next generation of technologies.
S4 Ep 7. Man Behind the Mic Part 2: Interview by Joe Kaiser at Mercato Partners
November 16, 2021 06:30 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBToday we're continuing with part two of the Man Behind the Mic conversation with our friend, Joe Kaiser. Joe is director at Mercato Partners, a private equity firm, where he leads their investment efforts in the Midwest, as well as their performance team. For part two, Joe asked my thoughts, advice, rules, principles, guidelines about how I approach venture capital.
S4 Ep 6. Man Behind the Mic Part 1: Interview by Joe Kaiser at Mercato Partners
November 09, 2021 06:30 - 40 minutes - 36.9 MBToday we're doing something different. This is our Man Behind the Mic episode where I'll be interviewed by my friend Joe Kaiser. Joe's a Director at Mercato Partners, a private equity firm where he leads the firm's investment efforts in the Midwest, as well as its performance team. A huge thank you goes out to Joe for coming up with this idea and giving us his time and thoughtful questions. He was kind enough to switch seats and put me in the hot seat for this interview. For part one, we're ...
S4 Ep 5. Stephany Lapierre: Tealbook
October 26, 2021 05:30 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MBToday we're talking with Stephany Lapierre, founder and CEO of Tealbook headquartered in Toronto, Canada, and also a portfolio company of Refinery Ventures. In this episode, we're going to dive into how Stephany discovered the problem in supply chain procurement and it's all about the data. The biggest theme or so what, I hope you take away from this conversation is the importance of finding the right market positioning. It takes time to get everything moving in the right direction. And how ...
S4 Ep 4. Adam Sharkawy: Material Impact
October 19, 2021 05:30 - 38 minutes - 35 MBToday we're talking with Adam Sharkawy. Adam is the co-founder and managing partner at Material Impact a venture fund located in Boston, Massachusetts. Material Impact focuses on deep tech innovation, and we share an investment in Folio Photonics. We get a bit geeked out on chaos and complexity theory, and nonlinear systems, and discuss that some of the most interesting innovations come from the convergence of technology and business models. And that's where the cool stuff happens. The bigge...
S4 Ep 3. Elaine Bryant: Dayton Development Coalition & Jobs Ohio
October 12, 2021 05:30 - 34 minutes - 31.4 MBToday we're talking to Elaine Bryant. Elaine is a 20-year Air Force veteran and currently holds dual appointments as executive vice president for Aerospace and Defense at the Dayton Development Coalition and managing director for the Military and Federal Installation Sector at JobsOhio. In this episode, we're going to dive into how economic development activity relates to the military, as well as research and initiatives like the Air Force Research Lab, which are a treasure trove of uncommer...
S4 Ep 2. Sarah Anderson: Vault Fund
October 05, 2021 05:30 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MBToday we're talking with Sarah Anderson, Founder and Partner of Vault Fund. We're going to dive into what makes a venture studio? Sarah will help us differentiate between a typical venture fund, venture studios, accelerators, and incubators. She dives deeper into the various venture studio models that we are seeing in the market and includes her thoughts on how a studio should be set up with fair and incentivized equity structures. The biggest theme or, so what? I hope you take away from thi...
S4 Ep 1. Jeff Bloomfield: Braintrust
September 28, 2021 05:30 - 34 minutes - 31.7 MBIn this episode, we're talking with Jeff Bloomfield, founder and CEO of Braintrust. Braintrust helps individuals and companies transform their sales and marketing systems by understanding the power of neuroscience on everyday communication. In this episode, we're going to dive into the reasons why Jeff started Braintrust. The biggest theme, or so what I hope you can take away from this conversation is that it's all about communications. The determining factor of success for a person or an or...
S3 Ep 12. Alex Frommeyer: Beam Dental
June 29, 2021 05:30 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MBToday we're talking with Alex Frommeyer, co-founder and CEO at Beam Dental in Columbus, Ohio. Beam Dental was founded in 2012 by three engineers at University of Louisville, who saw the opportunity to modernize the dental insurance industry by using technology. The first product was the Beam Brush, which was one of the earliest examples of the Internet of Things in healthcare. We had a great conversation about the power of OKRs, Objectives and Key Results. The important thing about OKRs is c...
S3 Ep 12: Alex Frommeyer at Beam Dental
June 29, 2021 05:30 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MBToday we're talking with Alex Frommeyer, co-founder and CEO at Beam Dental in Columbus, Ohio. Beam Dental was founded in 2012 by three engineers at University of Louisville, who saw the opportunity to modernize the dental insurance industry by using technology. The first product was the Beam Brush, which was one of the earliest examples of the Internet of Things in healthcare. We had a great conversation about the power of OKRs, Objectives and Key Results. The important thing about OKRs is c...
S3 Ep 11: Kimberly Reed
June 22, 2021 05:30 - 32 minutes - 29.4 MBToday we're talking with Kimberly Reed, the former chairman of the board of directors, president, and CEO of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. We're going to talk about Kimberly's roots and values that were formed while growing up in West Virginia, where she learned the importance of reaching out, taking a risk, picking up the phone. You just never know who may have an impact on your life. We also get a masterclass on understanding how the Export-Import Bank works, its purpose, an...
S3 Ep 11. Kimberly Reed: Export-Import Bank of the U.S.
June 22, 2021 05:30 - 32 minutes - 29.4 MBToday we're talking with Kimberly Reed, the former chairman of the board of directors, president, and CEO of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. We're going to talk about Kimberly's roots and values that were formed while growing up in West Virginia, where she learned the importance of reaching out, taking a risk, picking up the phone. You just never know who may have an impact on your life. We also get a masterclass on understanding how the Export-Import Bank works, its purpose, an...
S3 Ep 10. Brian Hopcraft: Lewis & Clark Ventures
June 15, 2021 05:30 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBIn this episode, we're talking with Brian Hopcraft, Managing Director at Lewis & Clark ventures in St. Louis. An early stage venture firm managed by former founders and operators, investing in late seed through series B companies between the coasts. We're going to dive into the origin story of Lewis & Clark, and talk about the value of having venture investors with operating experience, that can help entrepreneurs understand the importance of raising the right amount of capital and from the ...
S3 Ep 10: Brian Hopcraft
June 15, 2021 05:30 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBIn this episode, we're talking with Brian Hopcraft, Managing Director at Lewis & Clark ventures in St. Louis. An early stage venture firm managed by former founders and operators, investing in late seed through series B companies between the coasts. We're going to dive into the origin story of Lewis & Clark, and talk about the value of having venture investors with operating experience, that can help entrepreneurs understand the importance of raising the right amount of capital and from the ...
S3 Ep 9. John Nottingham: Nottingham Spirk
June 08, 2021 05:30 - 29 minutes - 26.8 MBIn this episode, we're talking with John Nottingham, Co-President of Nottingham Spirk, the longstanding design collaborative and innovation center located in Cleveland, Ohio. We're going to dive into the unique, vertical innovation approach that Nottingham Spirk uses to partner with companies to create new products. And we will talk about their new partnership with EY that will house their Global Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Mobility.
S3 Ep 9: John Nottingham
June 08, 2021 05:30 - 29 minutes - 26.8 MBIn this episode, we're talking with John Nottingham, Co-President of Nottingham Spirk, the longstanding design collaborative and innovation center located in Cleveland, Ohio. We're going to dive into the unique, vertical innovation approach that Nottingham Spirk uses to partner with companies to create new products. And we will talk about their new partnership with EY that will house their Global Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Mobility.
S3 Ep 8: Roy Bahat
June 01, 2021 05:30 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MBIn this episode, we're talking with Roy Bahat, head of Bloomberg Beta, an early stage venture firm backed by Bloomberg LP, focused broadly on the future of work. We're going to dive into how COVID has accelerated that future of work and how some of the trends that we're experimenting with today will continue.
S3 Ep 8. Roy Bahat: Bloomberg Beta
June 01, 2021 05:30 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MBIn this episode, we're talking with Roy Bahat, head of Bloomberg Beta, an early stage venture firm backed by Bloomberg LP, focused broadly on the future of work. We're going to dive into how COVID has accelerated that future of work and how some of the trends that we're experimenting with today will continue.
S3 Ep 7: John Simon
May 25, 2021 05:30 - 33 minutes - 30.3 MBIn today's episode, we're talking with John Simon, Managing Director at Sigma Prime Ventures and Co-Founder of the GreenLight Fund. We're going to dive into John's venture career that he has used for good, and discuss the activities and impact we can make on our communities for a multidimensional and meaningful life experience.
S3 Ep 7. John Simon: Sigma Prime & GreenLight Fund
May 25, 2021 05:30 - 33 minutes - 30.3 MBIn today's episode, we're talking with John Simon, Managing Director at Sigma Prime Ventures and Co-Founder of the GreenLight Fund. We're going to dive into John's venture career that he has used for good, and discuss the activities and impact we can make on our communities for a multidimensional and meaningful life experience.
S3 Ep 6: Mitch Port
May 18, 2021 05:30 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBIn this episode, we're talking with Mitch Port, Vice President of Strategy and Analytics at BlockFi, which provides wealth management products for crypto investors, all powered by blockchain technology. We're going to dive into all things cryptocurrency, how exchanges are actually very similar to traditional financial services, and how crypto is plugging into open monetary networks worldwide. We also discuss that crypto is still in the very early stages, likely the first or second inning. Wh...
S3 Ep 6. Mitch Port: BlockFi
May 18, 2021 05:30 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBIn this episode, we're talking with Mitch Port, Vice President of Strategy and Analytics at BlockFi, which provides wealth management products for crypto investors, all powered by blockchain technology. We're going to dive into all things cryptocurrency, how exchanges are actually very similar to traditional financial services, and how crypto is plugging into open monetary networks worldwide. We also discuss that crypto is still in the very early stages, likely the first or second inning. Wh...
S3 Ep 5. Darcy Howe: KCRise Fund
May 11, 2021 05:30 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBIn today's episode, we're talking with Darcy Howe, founder and managing director of KCRise Fund, which launched in 2016 as an initiative of KC Rising, which has a long-term vision for the greater Kansas City region, building capacity and bringing existing businesses to scale. In 2019, KCRise Fund II was launched bringing total committed capital to over $60 million. We're going to dive into Darcy's background and her family inspiration, as well as her first career in private wealth management...
S3 Ep 5: Darcy Howe
May 11, 2021 05:30 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBIn today's episode, we're talking with Darcy Howe, founder and managing director of KCRise Fund, which launched in 2016 as an initiative of KC Rising, which has a long-term vision for the greater Kansas City region, building capacity and bringing existing businesses to scale. In 2019, KCRise Fund II was launched bringing total committed capital to over $60 million. We're going to dive into Darcy's background and her family inspiration, as well as her first career in private wealth management...
S3 Ep 4. Nick Cromydas: Hunt Club & Kaleb Dumot: Integrity Power Search
May 04, 2021 05:30 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBIn today's episode, we're talking with two great recruiting leaders in the Midwest, Nick Cromydas and Kaleb Dumot. Nick is co-founder and CEO of Hunt Club in Chicago, Illinois. Kaleb is the founder and CEO of Integrity Power Search in Cleveland, Ohio, a boutique retained search firm for high-growth startups and technology companies across North America. We're going to dive into the effects of COVID on remote work, hiring, and recruiting, how it has eliminated friction in that first phone cal...
S3 Ep 4: Nick Cromydas & Kaleb Dumot
May 04, 2021 05:30 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBIn today's episode, we're talking with two great recruiting leaders in the Midwest, Nick Cromydas and Kaleb Dumot. Nick is co-founder and CEO of Hunt Club in Chicago, Illinois. Kaleb is the founder and CEO of Integrity Power Search in Cleveland, Ohio, a boutique retained search firm for high-growth startups and technology companies across North America. We're going to dive into the effects of COVID on remote work, hiring, and recruiting, how it has eliminated friction in that first phone cal...
S3 Ep 2. Adam Symson: E.W. Scripps
April 27, 2021 05:30 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MBIn today's episode, we're talking with Adam Symson, president and CEO of the E.W. Scripps Company in Cincinnati, Ohio. We're going to dive into the disruption of television where we learn new terms like 'time poverty'. We're also going to talk about consumer choice and how Scripps is evolving with over-the-air broadcasting and been the country's largest holder of broadcast spectrum.
S3 Ep 1. Dhani Jones: Entrepreneur & Former NFL Linebacker
April 27, 2021 05:30 - 37 minutes - 34.1 MBIn today's episode, we're talking to Dhani Jones. Dhani is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, author, host, and explorer, who began his career in the NFL as a linebacker playing with the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Cincinnati Bengals. We're going to dive into how a professional athlete and entrepreneur are actually very similar, and Dhani's focus on the future of mobility.
S3 Ep 2: Adam Symson at E.W. Scripps
April 27, 2021 05:30 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MBIn today's episode, we're talking with Adam Symson, president and CEO of the E.W. Scripps Company in Cincinnati, Ohio. We're going to dive into the disruption of television where we learn new terms like 'time poverty'. We're also going to talk about consumer choice and how Scripps is evolving with over-the-air broadcasting and been the country's largest holder of broadcast spectrum.
S3 Ep 3. Ethan Batraski: Venrock
April 27, 2021 05:30 - 43 minutes - 39.8 MBIn today's episode, we're talking with Ethan Batraski, Partner at Venrock, in Palo Alto, California. Ethan invests across sectors with a particular focus on hard engineering problems, such as development infrastructure, advanced computing, and space technologies. We're going to dive into our shared investment in Astronomer and why they invested as well as the Space Frontier and how communication will change and new cases will start to emerge that we're not even thinking about today.
S3 Ep 3: Ethan Batraski at Venrock
April 27, 2021 05:30 - 43 minutes - 39.8 MBIn today's episode, we're talking with Ethan Batraski, Partner at Venrock, in Palo Alto, California. Ethan invests across sectors with a particular focus on hard engineering problems, such as development infrastructure, advanced computing, and space technologies. We're going to dive into our shared investment in Astronomer and why they invested as well as the Space Frontier and how communication will change and new cases will start to emerge that we're not even thinking about today.
S3 Ep 1: Dhani Jones
April 27, 2021 05:30 - 37 minutes - 34.1 MBIn today's episode, we're talking to Dhani Jones. Dhani is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, author, host, and explorer, who began his career in the NFL as a linebacker playing with the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Cincinnati Bengals. We're going to dive into how a professional athlete and entrepreneur are actually very similar, and Dhani's focus on the future of mobility.
Cross Over Episode: Refinery Ventures on The Casted Podcast, Season 6
April 20, 2021 05:30 - 28 minutes - 26.4 MBCheck out The Casted Podcast, hosted by Casted CEO, Lindsay Tjepkema. Their sixth season started last week, including an episode recorded with Fast Frontiers. Please enjoy listening to: Making the Leap Into Podcasting with Refinery Ventures' Abby Fittes and Tim Schigel.
Cross Over Episode: Tim Schigel on Negotiations Ninja with Mark Raffan
April 06, 2021 05:30 - 33 minutes - 26.9 MBCheck out our friend, Mark Raffan's podcast, Negotiations Ninja. Episode #197 is from our very own host at Fast Frontiers. Please enjoy listening to: Inside the mind of venture capitalist Tim Schigel
Cross Over Episode - Tim Schigel on Negotiation Ninja with Mark Raffan
April 06, 2021 05:30 - 33 minutes - 26.9 MBCheck out our friend, Mark Raffan's podcast, Negotiations Ninja. Episode #197 is from our very own host at Fast Frontiers. Please enjoy listening to: Inside the mind of venture capitalist Tim Schigel
S2 Ep 12. Jon Medved: OurCrowd
March 23, 2021 12:32 - 40 minutes - 37.4 MBJon Medved is a serial entrepreneur and leading high-tech venture capitalist. Jon is the founder and CEO of OurCrowd, the world's largest equity crowdfunding platform for accredited investors, which has raised more than $1B for over 170 companies since its launch in February 2013. Thanks for listening to Fast Frontiers, Season 2 - We will be back with Season 3 soon!
S2 Ep 12: Jon Medved at OurCrowd
March 23, 2021 12:32 - 40 minutes - 37.4 MBJon Medved is a serial entrepreneur and leading high-tech venture capitalist. Jon is the founder and CEO of OurCrowd, the world's largest equity crowdfunding platform for accredited investors, which has raised more than $1B for over 170 companies since its launch in February 2013. Thanks for listening to Fast Frontiers, Season 2 - We will be back with Season 3 soon!
S2 Ep 11. Steve Santamaria: Folio Photonics
March 16, 2021 05:30 - 36 minutes - 32.9 MBToday we're bringing you my conversation with Steve Santamaria, CEO of Folio Photonics in Cleveland. We dive into Steve's story and background as a boomerang, someone who moved back to Cleveland after working on the West Coast. We're also going to talk about how Steve manages the relationships with his board of directors using a Japanese concept called nemawashi. The biggest takeaway is the value of boomerangs to startups in our region. The experience of working in the coastal, hyper-growth ...