Office Hours with Spencer Rascoff artwork

Office Hours with Spencer Rascoff

107 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 months ago - ★★★★★ - 95 ratings

Spencer Rascoff is a New York Times bestselling author who co-founded four tech companies, invested in over 50, and was CEO of Zillow for a decade. His first start-up, Hotwire, sold to Expedia for $685 million, and his second start-up, Zillow, is now a real estate colossus, worth around $10 billion dollars. Now, he’s cofounded dot.LA, a media company covering the cutting-edge LA tech scene. Hear Spencer speak with CEOs, start-up founders, venture capitalists, and prominent thought leaders about how to manage, how to lead, and how to win in business.

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Episodes

Los Angeles-based Startup Apex Is Tapping Into the Small Satellite Market by Making Buses for Spacecraft

June 02, 2023 07:01 - 33 minutes - 46.4 MB

Spencer speaks with Ian Cinnamon, the CEO and co-founder of Culver City-based startup Apex, which manufactures productized, configurable satellite buses for the expanding space industry. As access to space becomes democratized, Apex's is poised to offer its scalable solutions to both commercial and government customers.  Prior to Apex, Ian founded Synapse, a startup that built AI systems for the defense and security worlds, which he helped grow before it was acquired by Palantir. Ian is ...

From the Vault: How Eddy Lu and his Co-founder Built The GOAT App Based on a Love of Vintage Air Jordans

May 19, 2023 07:01 - 26 minutes - 37.1 MB

Eddy Lu, CEO of GOAT, explains his pivot from a restaurant meet-up app, the ups and downs of working with his co-founder, and how insight into the sneaker vertical on eBay helped build the start-up into what it is today. This episode was originally released in February of 2011. 

Howie Liu, Co-founder and CEO of Airtable, Shares How Selling His Start-up to Salesforce Led to Building their Unique Product

May 05, 2023 07:01 - 39 minutes - 55.1 MB

Howie Liu is the co-founder and CEO of tech decacorn Airtable, a connected apps platform that lets users build and customize apps using shared data. As a no code platform, Airtable has iterated and innovated their product by combining the features of a relational database by using an interface that looks like a spreadsheet. Since it's founding in 2012, the company has raised nearly $1.4B in funding and is currently valued at $11B. In this episode, Howie talks about starting his first company...

From Bootstrapping as a Solo Founder — Shiloh Johnson Talks About Building ComplYant

April 07, 2023 07:01 - 30 minutes - 28.2 MB

In this episode of Office Hours, Spencer speaks with L.A.-based entrepreneur Shiloh Johnson, the CEO and founder of ComplYant, a digital tax assistant tool. The technology platform offers small business owners and entrepreneurs an easy way to handle business taxes. The fintech startup was originally bootstrapped by Johnson, who as a Black female founder thought she'd be overlooked by VCs. Since then, Shiloh raised $5.5M in seed funding through Techstars’ Los Angeles program.

From The Vault: Bill Gurley Drops Knowledge on Startups, Venture Capital And Scaling

March 24, 2023 07:01 - 44 minutes - 41.9 MB

Bill Gurley, Legendary Silicon Valley VC, is a general partner at Benchmark and famously known for investing early in trailblazing companies including Uber, GrubHub, Zillow and so many others. Hear this conversation with Spencer from the dot.LA Summit where they discuss marketplace-based companies, how work-from-home will accelerate business opportunity, and why startups—though they might be attached to their autonomy—should pick up the phone when a big company calls. Plus, hear Bill’s thou...

Airvet Founder and CEO Brandon Werber Discusses Pet Telehealth and Shifting to B2B

March 10, 2023 07:55 - 30 minutes - 41.9 MB

Growing up as the son of a nationally renowned veterinarian, Brandon knows first-hand the importance of having access to experts when your pet is sick. In 2018, Werber launched Airvet, a Beverly Hills-based digital health company for pets. Airvet works with employers and business partners to make sure pet parents get affordable and fast access to virtual vet care via video and chat. (Disclosure: dot.LA co-founder Spencer Rascoff is an investor in Airvet.)

The Ford Foundation's Roy Swan on Leading the Foundation's Growth

February 24, 2023 02:07 - 27 minutes - 38.7 MB

Roy Swan, Director of The Ford Foundation's Mission Investments team, is committed to increasing the impact of their portfolio of mission-related investments (MRIs). He works alongside the organization's leadership to identify opportunities and guide decision-making processes as they relate to its global activities. Prior to joining the Foundation, Roy served as managing director and co-head of Global Sustainable Finance at Morgan Stanley. While there, he oversaw massive community developm...

‘Life Beyond Likes’: Isa Watson Speaks About Her Social Audio Platform, Squad

February 10, 2023 08:02 - 37 minutes - 31.1 MB

Spencer speaks with Isa Watson, the Founder & CEO of Squad. Watson, author of the upcoming book, "Life Beyond Likes: Logging Off Your Screen and Into Your Life." In the book, she raises awareness around how social media has impacted our daily lives, self-worth, and real life relationships. With so much of our lives lived online, Isa argues, we’ve never been more connected—or disconnected—from what’s most important to us. It’s time to let go of our curated online worlds and get beyond our nee...

Community’s Diankha Linear on Scaling a Company for Enterprise

January 27, 2023 08:01 - 39 minutes - 55.5 MB

Diankha Linear, CEO of Community, an SMS marketing platform for business, speaks with Spencer in this episode of Office Hours. Ms. Linear was an officer and early executive team member at Convoy, serving as General Counsel and corporate secretary—overseeing one of Seattle’s largest VC transactions with a Series D Round of $400M, among other roles in the startup. Diankha comes from a strategy and leadership background, built on her years of military education and training with the Army and as...

Legendary Tech Entrepreneur Steve Case Speaks About Why Great Ideas Come From Everywhere, and How the Next Generation of Founders Won't be from Traditional Tech Hubs

January 13, 2023 07:59 - 32 minutes - 45.6 MB

Steve Case, co-founder of AOL and CEO of Revolution speaks with Spencer about his current mission to locate compelling investment opportunities outside of the traditional tech hubs like Silicon Valley. Case's Rise of the Rest Seed Fund is a Revolution initiative aimed at accelerating the growth of early-stage startups across the country. The ideas is that there's more opportunity for investors to back companies in other parts of the country during their early stages, since valuation and arbit...

CEO of Virta Health Sami Inkinen is On a Mission to Reverse Type 2 Diabetes For 100 Million People by the Year 2025

December 30, 2022 08:02 - 40 minutes - 37.6 MB

Spencer speaks with Sami Inkinen, the CEO and Founder of Virta Health. After winning the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in 2011, the triathlete found out that he was pre-diabetic that same year. Unsatisfied with the conventional wisdom of “exercise more and eat less,” Sami dug into the science of type 2 diabetes, by consulting experts on the science of carbohydrate restriction and metabolic health. Seeking to raise awareness about the dangers of sugar, Inkinen and his wife rowed across th...

CNBC’s Julia Boorstin Speaks with Spencer Rascoff About the Importance of Women in Leadership Roles

December 16, 2022 08:02 - 30 minutes - 42.5 MB

Julia Boorstin is CNBC’s Senior Media & Tech Correspondent and has been an on-air reporter for the network since 2006. She also plays a central role on CNBC’s bicoastal tech-focused program “TechCheck” delivering reporting, analysis, and CEO interviews with a focus on social media and the intersection of media and technology. In 2013, Boorstin created and launched the CNBC Disruptor 50, an annual list she oversees, highlighting private companies transforming the economy and challenging compa...

Tricia Han talks About the Journey from working as a Product Manager to Becoming CEO of Health and Wellness Brand MyFitnessPal

December 02, 2022 08:01 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MB

Tricia Han, the head of MyFitnesesPal speaks with Spencer about her journey from being a Product Manager to becoming a CEO in this episode of Office Hours. MyFitnessPal is a leading health and wellness tech brand, whose popular mobile app allows users to track their daily food intake. Tricia talks about the differences of working in East Coast tech vs West Coast tech, heading a start-up through a change management process, and the importance of representation in the tech space. Tricia also s...

Afterparty CEO David Fields On Why NFTs Are the Future for Web 3.0

November 18, 2022 08:02 - 30 minutes - 28.7 MB

Host Spencer Rascoff speaks to David Fields, founder and CEO of both Afterparty and Wander. Afterparty is looking to evolve the event-ticketing space with NFTs to assist creators, musicians and collectors. Previously, Fields worked at Disney and was part of the team that helped acquire Pixar. David was also formerly the head of acquisitions and investments for Disney CEO Michael Eisner’s Investment group, The Tornante Company. Fields has a BA in Economics from Harvard. (Disclosure: dot.LA co...

Former Zillow Sales Executive Greg Schwartz Thinks it is Time for Disruption in the Mortgage Industry

November 04, 2022 07:22 - 36 minutes - 29.8 MB

As CEO and co-founder of Tomo, Greg Schwartz leads the company in its mission to transform the home buying experience. Tomo was founded in the fall of 2020 and raised a $70 million seed round, reportedly the largest in U.S. history. The company’s initial product, Tomo Mortgage, launched in June of 2021 to streamline the mortgage process by bringing e-commerce to the paperwork heavy part of home transactions. Previously, Greg was the lead business executive of Zillow Group for 13 years. Befor...

SEO Guru Rand Fishkin of SparkToro and Moz Reveals Why He Thinks Venture Funding isn't Always the Right Path for Start-ups

October 21, 2022 07:01 - 49 minutes - 45.2 MB

Rand Fishkin, co-founder and CEO of SparkToro, and formerly of Moz speaks with Spencer in this revealing conversation about the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Rand started out as an SEO enthusiast writing about increasing organic traffic through his SEOmoz blog, and then realizing that his expertise had the makings of a business, he began consulting and then developing Moz into a SaaS. Rand helped grow Moz to more than 130 employees, with over $30M in revenue, and traffic reaching 30M vi...

Banking on DEI: Colin Walsh of Varo On Why the Digital Bank is Focusing on Financial Inclusion in the Fin-Tech Space

October 07, 2022 07:01 - 36 minutes - 33.6 MB

In this episode of Office Hours, Spencer speaks with Colin Walsh, CEO and Founder of Varo Bank about the importance of their startup getting its charter and being FDIC insured, what it's like leading the way of a "challenger bank" in the fin-tech space, the tough decision he's had to make to stay competitive, and how the bank aspires to create financial inclusion by focusing on its younger customer base. Colin also talks about his journey through the financial services industry having worked...

Blackstone Growth's Jon Korngold On How The Market Downturn Is Affecting Startups

September 23, 2022 07:02 - 42 minutes - 39.2 MB

Blackstone Growth's Jon Korngold joins Spencer on this episode of Office Hours for a conversation about how the recent stock market downturn is affecting the tech sector and whether a market correction lies ahead. Korngold is Senior Managing Director and Head of Blackstone’s global growth equity investing platform, where he focuses on funding growth-stage companies. Prior to joining Blackstone in 2019, Korngold was on the Management Committee of General Atlantic, leading both the global fina...

Navigating the Seas of Technology Innovation, a Conversation with Zoolatech Founder Roman Kaplun

September 09, 2022 07:01 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MB

Roman Kaplun is the CEO and Co-founder of Zoolatech, a custom software development company specializing in high-end software engineering based in the San Francisco area. Born in Leningrad in the former Soviet Union, his family moved to the United States as Jewish refugees in 1988, right after he completed High School. Zoolatech has workers in the U.S., Ukraine, Mexico, and Poland. The startup was able to evacuate, relocate, and resettle many of its employees from Kiyv after the Russian inv...

Serial Entrepreneur and Founder, John Shegerian Talks About How to Do Good Through Doing Business

August 26, 2022 07:01 - 36 minutes - 33.9 MB

On this episode of Office Hours, Spencer speaks with John Shegerian, CEO and chairman of ERI, the largest cybersecurity-focused hardware destruction and electronic waste recycling company in the United States. Shegerian is a serial entrepreneur who helped found FinancialAid.com, Addicted.com and Engage, LLC, a speaker-booking platform, among other organizations. In the early '90s, Shegerian co-founded Homeboy Tortillas and Homeboy Industries, led by Father Greg Boyle, to help improve the li...

Syndio CEO Maria Colacurcio On How Persistence Pays Off When Pitching, and Why Pay Equity Is Valuable to Businesses

August 12, 2022 07:02 - 38 minutes - 53.4 MB

Spencer speaks with Maria Colacurcio, the CEO of Syndio Solutions on this episode of Office Hours. Syndio is a software startup helping companies around the world create an equitable workplace for all employees, regardless of gender, race or ethnicity. Syndio’s workplace equity platform helps companies close pay and opportunity gaps, mitigate legal risk and turn diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals into tangible results. Prior to joining Syndio, Colacurcio co-founded Smartsheet.com, ...

Thrive Market's Nick Green On Building Better Access to Low-Cost Health & Wellness Goods

July 29, 2022 07:01 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MB

This episode features Nick Green, co-founder of Los Angeles-based ecommerce startup Thrive Market in conversation with Spencer. Nick speaks about selling his first company, a college test prep startup which was purchased by Revolution Prep, in his early twenties after graduating from Harvard. From there, his involvement with Launchpad LA helped him connect with Thrive co-founder Gunnar Lovelace. Nick saw firsthand the challenges of eating healthy while growing up in the Midwest. He says stic...

Why the Angel Investor Space Needs to Focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, a Conversation with David Beatty, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Gaingels

July 15, 2022 07:02 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MB

On this episode of Office Hours, Spencer speaks with entrepreneur and venture investor David Beatty. David is a managing partner and co-founder of Gaingels, an LGBTQ investment syndicate. Started in 2014, Gaingels' mission is to foster social change through their investment portfolios by creating a more diverse, inclusive and accessible venture capital ecosystem. Their network does this by working with accredited investors interested in diversifying the startup world by building leadership a...

In the Boardroom: A Fireside Chat with John Chambers of JC2 Ventures from The Montgomery Summit 2022

July 01, 2022 07:01 - 31 minutes - 29.1 MB

On this episode, Spencer speaks with iconic global business leader John Chambers in a live conversation that was recorded at the Montgomery Summit on May 24. Chambers, the former chairman and CEO of Cisco, currently serves as the founder and CEO of JC2 Ventures. The firm is focused on helping build and scale disruptive startups from around the world, largely by investing in companies that are leading market transitions. The Montgomery Summit is an exclusive, annual gathering of over 1,000 se...

City Talk: Miami Mayor Francis Suarez on How Municipalities Can Grow Tech Hubs

June 17, 2022 07:01 - 19 minutes - 18.4 MB

Spencer speaks to Miami Mayor Francis Suarez on this episode of Office Hours. In this conversation he talks about his broad based views on the city’s tech economy, why he supports cryptocurrency, and took his salary in crypto (the city even has its own MiamiCoin). Mayor Suarez talks about the evolution of the local technology ecosystem through Venture Miami and its growing fintech, medtech, and greentech sectors. He is the son of former Miami Mayor, Xavier Suarez and is the first Miami-born ...

Rep. Derek Kilmer On How To Fix Congress By Doing Things Different

June 03, 2022 00:01 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MB

In this episode of Office Hours, Spencer speaks with Congressman Derek Kilmer who serves as the United States Representative of Washington’s 6th Congressional District. Rep. Kilmer started his career as a business consultant for McKinsey & Company, then moved on to work for the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County. He then began a career in local government in Olympia, serving in the Washington State House from 2005 to 2007 and the state Senate from 2007 until he was elected to...

ZipRecruiter CEO Ian Siegel on How Employers Are Facing in The Most Competitive Job Market in Years

May 20, 2022 07:01 - 29 minutes - 27.2 MB

Host Spencer Rascoff speaks with Ian Siegel, CEO and co-founder of ZipRecruiter on this episode of Office Hours. ZipRecruiter is an online employment marketplace that uses artificial intelligence to match businesses with job candidates in every industry. More than 1.8 million employers have used ZipRecruiter since its founding in 2010. Ian previously held leadership roles at CitySearch, Stamps.com and Rent.com. He received his B.A. in sociology from Oberlin College. He's now based in Santa M...

City Talk: A Conversation with Mayor Stephen Adler of Austin, TX

May 06, 2022 07:13 - 22 minutes - 31.6 MB

Spencer caught up with Mayor Stephen Adler at the Milken Institute Global Conference on May 2. Mayor Adler is the 58th mayor of Austin, Texas—a city that, along with L.A., has grown into a thriving hub of tech startups over the past two decades. Mayor Adler has received praise for his administration’s focus on innovation while staying true to the city’s slogan: “Keep Austin Weird.” Mayor Adler was born in Washington, D.C. and attended Princeton and the University of Texas Law School.

From Space Camp to CEO, Aero’s Uma Subramanian Speaks About How Her Career in the Aviation Industry Has Taken Flight

April 22, 2022 07:01 - 29 minutes - 23.9 MB

Aero CEO Uma Subramanian speaks to Spencer on this episode of Office Hours about her love of everything that flies. Her appreciation of flight was sparked by her visit to Space Camp as a child which led her on the path to study aerospace engineering. Uma got her start in the aviation industry working at Northrop Grumman under contract to NASA. After receiving her MBA at Harvard Business School, Subramanian went into consulting, then returned to aerospace. After a brief stint as the director ...

Fascinated by the Future of Metaverse and Web 3.0? Philip Rosedale, One of the Original Leaders in Virtual Worlds and VR-Devices, Shares His Thoughts on What Our Online Collaborative Future Will Look Like

April 08, 2022 07:01 - 49 minutes - 46 MB

On this episode of Office Hours, Spencer speaks to Philip Rosedale, CEO and cofounder of High Fidelity and founder of Linden Lab, for a wide-ranging conversation about Web 3.0 and the future of the metaverse. Rosedale, who recently rejoined Second Life as a strategic advisor, speaks about his vision on what the future of metaverse holds, and how startups can prepare to innovate around it. As a true pioneer in the early iterations of the metaverse and virtual reality, Rosedale shares what h...

Hello Sunshine's Liz Jenkins on Producing Stories with Women at the Center of the Narrative

March 25, 2022 07:01 - 45 minutes - 36.3 MB

Liz Jenkins, the COO of Hello Sunshine talks about how the media company looks to put women at the center of the narrative. The L.A.-based company was founded by actor Reese Witherspoon and dedicated to female authorship. Their stories aspire to be both fun and informative and to spread contagious joy through the women at the heart of their storytelling. Liz, who joined the company as its CFO in 2018, talks about the career path that took her from investment banking to the entertainment indu...

From The Vault: Sallie Krawcheck: CEO of Ellevest

March 11, 2022 08:01 - 27 minutes - 38.4 MB

With her longstanding Wall Street career (Citigroup, Merrill Lynch) and unique perspective as a woman in a predominantly male industry, Sallie Krawcheck is tackling a question that has mystified investment banks for decades: how to successfully market wealth management services to women. As CEO of digital financial investment platform Ellevest, she sees diversity as the greatest advantage in cracking the code. Krawcheck encourages each employee to bring their "whole self" to work, and emphas...

From The Vault: Sallie Krawcheck, CEO of Ellevest

March 11, 2022 08:01 - 27 minutes - 38.4 MB

With her longstanding Wall Street career (Citigroup, Merrill Lynch) and unique perspective as a woman in a predominantly male industry, Sallie Krawcheck is tackling a question that has mystified investment banks for decades: how to successfully market wealth management services to women. As CEO of digital financial investment platform Ellevest, she sees diversity as the greatest advantage in cracking the code. Krawcheck encourages each employee to bring their "whole self" to work, and emphas...

How 'Million Dollar Listing N.Y.' Host Ryan Serhant Uses Content to Gain Leads and Boost Sales

February 25, 2022 08:01 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MB

Ryan Serhant, one of the most visible real estate brokers in media, chats with Spencer about his inventive approach to sales on this episode of Office Hours. Ryan is known as one of the stars of Bravo’s Emmy-nominated "Million Dollar Listing New York," and its spin-off show "Sell It Like Serhant." Ryan tells the story of how he wound up working as a real estate agent after arriving in New York to support his dream of becoming an actor. It started as a way to cover his rent and living expenses...

How DEI Initiatives and Access to Capital Benefit L.A.’s Startup Ecosystem, with Calvin Selth of AnnenbergTech

February 11, 2022 08:01 - 38 minutes - 35.4 MB

Spencer speaks with Calvin Selth, program manager for AnnenbergTech at the Annenberg Foundation on this episode of Office Hours. In his role at the foundation, Calvin leads operations and program management for PledgeLA, a collective of more than 220 tech companies and venture capital firms hosted in partnership with L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti. PledgeLA's mission is to connect civic, private sector and nonprofit partners to increase access to jobs and capital for underrepresented communities.  ...

JibJab CEO Paul Hanges On How His Entertainment Studio has Attained Longevity on the Internet

January 28, 2022 08:01 - 28 minutes - 23 MB

Paul Hanges, CEO of JibJab speaks with Office Hours host Spencer Rascoff about how the L.A.-based digital entertainment studio has attained success beyond its viral videos by moving into the eCards space and using its unique blend of satirical humor to compete with rivals Hallmark and American Greetings. Founded in 1999 by brothers Evan and Gregg Spiridellis, the company first achieved widespread attention during the 2004 U.S. presidential election. Their video of candidates George Bush an...

This LA-based "Storyteaching" Company Wants to Put Culture at the Heart of Content Creation in the EdTech Space

January 14, 2022 08:02 - 40 minutes - 32.1 MB

Steven Wolfe Pereira, CEO of Encantos talks with Spencer about how the EdTech start-up uses "storyteaching" to help kids learn 21st-century skills. With diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) baked-in to the Public Benefit Corporation's mission, Encantos seeks to unlock talent from creators around the world to help build inclusive Storyworlds around the characters that make up its Intellectual Property. The platform, co-founded with author/illustrator Susie Jaramillo, who serves as Preside...

Multiple Start-up Founder Russ Glass the CEO of Headspace Health on the Growth of Telehealth Industry During the Pandemic

December 30, 2021 13:00 - 38 minutes - 30.5 MB

Russ Glass, CEO of Headspace Health, a digital mental health and wellbeing platform, speaks with Spencer about his involvement overseeing the surge in the Telehealth market after the merger of Headspace and Ginger. Glass, a serial tech entrepreneur—who was also formerly Founder of Bizo, Inc., aqcuired by LinkedIn— speaks candidly about his successes and failures with previous start-ups and why he believes that there is such overwhelming demand for the healthcare services that Headspace offers.

Allison Ellsworth co-founder of Poppi on Creating a Healthy Soda Alternative While Building a Brand

December 17, 2021 13:55 - 29 minutes - 41.4 MB

Allison Ellsworth and her husband Stephen, formerly employed in the oil and gas industry, quit their jobs to bet on themselves and and started a health-based soda alternative. Their concept, a prebiotic drink called Poppi masks the strong taste of apple cider vinegar using less than 6 grams of sugar to help support gut health. The Texas based start-up was funded by Rohan Oza after the couple went on Shark Tank who helped them work on a rebrand. Allison, who was 9 months pregnant shares how t...

An In-Depth Conversation on Venture Investing & Startup Dynamics with Dana Settle, co-founder Greycroft

December 03, 2021 14:30 - 24 minutes - 33.2 MB

This conversation explores the L.A. tech scene and venture investing featuring two of the industry's leading voices. Spencer Rascoff and Dana Settle discuss Pacaso and Greycroft while sharing their thoughts on L.A.'s evolving ecosystem. Dana Settle is a founding partner of Greycroft, where she heads the firm’s West Coast office out of Los Angeles. Prior to joining Greycroft, Dana spent several years as a venture capitalist and advisor to startup companies in the Bay Area, including six yea...

The Future of Mobile Gaming, A Conversation with Josh Yguado, co-founder of Jam City

November 19, 2021 14:30 - 21 minutes - 17.5 MB

In this fireside chat with dot.LA and Pacaso co-founder and chair Spencer Rascoff, Jam City President and co-founder Josh Yguado explores what the acquisition of Ludia means for the future of Jam City and mobile gaming. The discussion covers what it means to sit at the intersection of traditional entertainment and mobile gaming and why L.A. is the perfect place for this work.  Jam City is reimagining the future of mobile gaming. Already an award-winning company behind the world’s most endu...

Why Legendary Real Estate Coach Tom Ferry Says A Legacy is Better Built than Inherited

April 01, 2021 13:57 - 26 minutes - 61.2 MB

My friend, serial entrepreneur and legendary real estate coach, Tom Ferry, shares his career trajectory from sales to coaching phenom, the single biggest pitfall for work performance and his take on California’s business climate.

ChowNow’s Software Empowers Restaurants To Digitize Their Businesses

March 25, 2021 16:43 - 28 minutes - 64.2 MB

Chris Webb rejected attending college in favor of diving into a finance career at eighteen years old. Now, he’s the CEO and co-founder of ChowNow, an app and online ordering system for restaurants that doesn't charge the onerous fees required of other delivery services. Hear Chris share how his education steeped in Wall Street and his mother’s surprise restaurant investment came together to ultimately inspire ChowNow.

Immigrant Grit And Parents’ Experience Inspired Co-founders To Create Service Titan

March 18, 2021 13:30 - 25 minutes - 59.3 MB

Shoeboxes full of invoices and receipts ignited the idea of Service Titan for Ara Mahdessian, the company’s CEO and cofounder. An Armenian immigrant from Iran, Ara came to the U.S. with his family as a young boy. He watched his parents assimilate to their new country while toiling into late hours of the night in order to give their family a good life. Their hard work paid off. Ara attended Stanford where he studied software engineering. He and his cofounder, Vahe Kuzoyan, also a software eng...

Visionary Keith Richman Of Boosted Commerce On Acquiring Ecommerce Companies

March 11, 2021 11:30 - 28 minutes - 65.8 MB

Before PayPal, there was Bill Point, a company cofounded in the late 90s by Keith Richman, now cofounder of Boosted Commerce, which buys top-rated companies on Amazon and other e-commerce ecosystems and helps take them to their next level. Hear how the arc of his serial entrepreneurship follows the trajectory of the internet, what Boosted looks for in their acquisitions and what Boosted offers their companies to help them grow.

Co-Founder Of Brex, FinTech Unicorn, On Second-Time Founder Status, Hypergrowth And Leaving SF for L.A.

March 04, 2021 11:30 - 36 minutes - 84.6 MB

As a self-taught teenage computer programmer in Brazil, Henrique Dubugras launched his first company, Pagar.me at age 16. After he sold it, Henrique was accepted and enrolled at Stanford, but dropped out early to follow his entrepreneurial instincts. This led him to co-found Brex with Pedro Franceschi, a business-to-business fintech unicorn disrupting the century old industry of banking small businesses.

Pacaso Aims To Make Second Home Ownership Possible For Millions

February 25, 2021 22:06 - 26 minutes - 61.2 MB

Birds were the first dwellers Austin Allison, CEO and co-founder of Pacaso, served with his boyhood bird-house business. Now, with Pacaso, the serial entrepreneur aims to democratize second home ownership by enabling people to co-own an amazing second home --- for 1/8 the cost. Hear his take on what it meant to have his first company acquired, his number one tip on how to keep his crew focused and how to best navigate what seems like weekly iterations of the start-up environment.

Health-Ade Kombucha Was Born Of A Surprise Pivot

February 18, 2021 11:30 - 26 minutes - 61 MB

If there’s one thing to be learned from CEO and co-founder of Health-Ade, Daina Trout, it’s to pay attention to the opportunity in front of you and be prepared to pivot. Hear how Health-Ade Kombucha evolved from a hair-loss remedy to a huge brand of healthy drinks, learn about Daina and Spencer’s philosophy around hiring and gain insightful learnings around fundraising.

How The E-Commerce Sneaker Company GOAT Achieved GOAT Status

February 11, 2021 11:45 - 28 minutes - 145 MB

Hear from GOAT cofounder and CEO Eddy Lu about big, public and most importantly, resolved founder fights, insight on when to know it’s time to pivot or quit, how GOAT differentiates itself from other sneaker e-commerce sites -- and one of GOAT’s early and clever growth hacks to convince consumers the company had more merch than they actually did.

dot.LA Celebrates First Anniversary Covering Los Angeles Tech And Start-Up Scene

February 04, 2021 11:30 - 16 minutes - 38.9 MB

The burgeoning Los Angeles start-up and tech scene led to the founding of dot.LA one year ago. Today, we hear from its CEO and Spencer’s cofounder, Sam Adams, on how its mission both celebrates and holds accountable the burgeoning Los Angeles tech and start-up scene, how it’s baked DEI into its mission -- and why LA is the place for entrepreneurs to dig roots.