Technori
440 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 months ago - ★★★★★ - 30 ratingsScott Kitun is joined by a rotating cast of tech and internet celebrities to break down the latest in startups and venture capital.
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Episodes
Buy and sell your home without fees with Nada
November 11, 2020 16:15 - 37 minutes - 34.7 MBJohn Green and the team at Nada wants to make you CEO of your largest asset: your home. Nada simplifies the home ownership buying and selling process by handling mortgage, title and insurance services while eliminating realtor fees. John joins Scott on the show to talk about how his background as punk rock musician helped shape his career as a strategist, understanding the problems in the real estate market, how to test product-market-fit and putting more equity in homeowners pockets.
HEY founder Jason Fried shares how to take back control of your email
November 10, 2020 16:45 - 39 minutes - 36.5 MBJason Fried, founder and CEO of Basecamp and HEY Email, joins the show to talk with Scott about the future of email, why it's gotten mucked up and why bringing privacy back into our lives is a correction long overdue.
Blended Sense empowers SMBs with the content marketing needed to drive revenue
November 05, 2020 16:52 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBAlbert Baez, co-founder of Blended Sense, joins the show to talk with Scott about the missing infrastructure small businesses need to succeed digitally and drive revenue. Blended Sense is a platform and content management system for production communication, project management, and delivery of high quality assets. Using a subscription model, Albert and his cofounder, Abigail, provide a centralized marketplace for business owners to fulfill needs and source creative talent locally, who are mat...
Bleacher Report for Esports? Juked has all the bases covered
October 28, 2020 13:00 - 24 minutes - 22.8 MBGaming has been a part of Ben Goldhaber's life since he started as a competitive player in his teens. He's stayed in the industry ever since, and after his experience as part of the founding team at Twitch through the Amazon acquisition, he saw firsthand the broad market opportunity, exponential growth in the gaming industry and most importantly saw what was missing: a centralized platform to get the best information on all things Esports. That's the engine behind his startup Juked, which Sco...
The story behind WeWork and Adam Neumann in "Billion Dollar Loser"
October 23, 2020 11:00 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBYou've heard the stories about WeWork. The private jet parties, the billions of investment and unfathomable $47 billion valuation. What you don't hear is the the back story behind the man that started it all, Adam Neumann. Reeves Wiedeman, NY Mag writer who penned their feature article detailing the behind the scenes work of Adam, goes into full detail in his biography "Billion Dollar Loser: The Epic Rise and Fall of WeWork". Reeves joins Scott on the show to discuss the business fallout fro...
Why you should be creating your IRA for alternative assets
October 21, 2020 19:34 - 43 minutes - 39.5 MBSecurities aren't as dependable as they used to be, and with alternative assets like crypto, crowdfunding, PE, etc growing in popularity, future retirees aren't reaping the benefits like previous generations could from stocks. Eric Satz, founder and CEO of AltoIRA, joins the show to talk about retirement investing, why it's changing and what individuals need to do to diversify their investments and be actually able to retire comfortably.
Pillar Booth gives you peace and quiet in your office
October 15, 2020 11:00 - 32 minutes - 30 MBPillar Booth creates ventilated, soundproof desk spaces that give you a safe space to avoid distraction. Ryan Leavitt, a repeat founder previously of LearnCore (acquired by Showpad) and Catapult Chicago, shares his long entrepreneurial journey and how the shift towards open office spaces leaves employees with no place to take a phone call in private and generally diminishes productivity. The booth allows workers to focus better on specific tasks, make calls and with the slow return to the off...
TrueNxus provides a straightforward way to collaborate across teams for project-based work
October 13, 2020 11:00 - 28 minutes - 26.3 MBWhether you work remotely or in an office, you're no stranger to the overload of project management apps your company has you use in the name of productivity. Slack, Asana, Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, Notion- all have their pros and cons, but how do they all work togethers across different company departments? That's the question Jonathan Friedman set out to solve when he founded TrueNxus, a platform that shows how work is being done against the greater project plan, and tracks results wit...
Cohesion puts your office back together, smarter
October 08, 2020 11:00 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MBWhen COVID-19 put the office workers at home indefinitely, Thru Shivakumar thought her company would be dead in the water. However as the dust began to clear (working professionals and parents struggling to work from home),it's evident offices have a place in the current work environment. Cohesion empowers real estate owners to maximize asset and portfolio value with all building systems, workflows and people seamlessly connected in one intelligent building platform. Thru joins the show to t...
AnyCurb gets you the most value out of your home listing
October 07, 2020 11:00 - 38 minutes - 35.3 MBBuying a home is one of the most symbolic ways we have to establishing the "American Dream". However, the process by which we do by and sell via listings, real estate agents and brokers, is too often a struggle and leaving you with less money than you deserve. Danyal Ali has found a way to make real estate transacting equitable for all with his platform AnyCurb. AnyCurb helps home buyers find homes that are both on and off the market, while helping home sellers appraise their homes, list them...
John Roa takes the mask off entrepreneurship
October 01, 2020 11:00 - 43 minutes - 39.4 MBThe last time we had John Roa on the show, he was dressed for success and brimming with confidence. He had recently sold Akta to Saleforce, was launching his VC firm Roa Ventures and appeared living what universally could only be considered "the good life." Turns out, the reality was far from the perception. John catches up with Scott to talk about his new book "A Practical Way to Get Rich … and Die Trying" which he dives into a lot of personal struggles, specifically his physical and mental ...
Fast promises you'll never have to remember a password at checkout again
September 29, 2020 11:00 - 34 minutes - 31.5 MBFast has swept through the tech ecosystem at a speed befitting its name. And thus far it has been able to do so effectively because of a few factors, addresses an obvious need -no need to type in your address, payment info, log in info into a million different sites- and because the company needs lots and lots of consumers to use the product to net Fast sustainability. Fast co-founder and CEO Domm holland joins the show to talk with Scott about the launch, how he met his cofounder Allison Bar...
Gearflow brings the construction industry together with its online marketplace full of equipment and parts
September 24, 2020 11:00 - 36 minutes - 33.2 MBIt's 2020, everything is supposed to be online..and you'll still be surprised how many functions of our society are still on the outside looking in at E-commerce. Construction, an essential business these days, is no exception and Ben Preston and his cofounder Luke Powers saw a huge opportunity to address a major problem for contractors all over. His company, Gearflow, is an online marketplace for constructions equipment and parts. Typically contractors have to go to all different suppliers ...
Podia helps you decouple from corporate and build your own career
September 22, 2020 11:00 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBLockdowns, shrinking economy, closed gyms and offices have left people to get creative on maintaining their core business or building a new one altogether. It's part of the reason individuals, small businesses and "solopreneurs" are flocking to Podia, a platform provides a digital storefront to maintain memberships, online courses and transactions. In its own way, Podia is stabilizing the idea of the gig worker by removing barriers to entry to build your own revenue stream without the help of...
Obie streamlines insurance and risk management for the real estate investor
September 17, 2020 11:00 - 33 minutes - 31.1 MBInsurance tech has been an industry ripe for disruption with a slew of companies like ClearCover, CoverWallet, Kin and Vouch making waves recently. Obie, a combo insurance brokerage and risk management platform is geared to join the fray by focusing on serving real estate investors from multiunit to single family residences (SFRs). Aaron Letzeiser, founder and CEO of Obie, joins the show to share with Scott how he identified the pain point, the emergence of millenials rapidly joining the rea...
Proxfinity pivots to provide contact tracing to keep the workplace safe
September 15, 2020 11:00 - 34 minutes - 31.5 MBProxfinity, like almost all companies in the event space, got slammed by the consequences of the COVID-19 spread. However unlike most other event companies, Proxfinity had an existing product, their wearable tech badge that lights up when around people with like-minded interests at networking events, that they could reimagine to help achieve contact tracing and warnings for social distancing. As companies slowly get back into offices, Proxfinity badges called resCUE can help protect employee...
Entrepreneurs and the "unemployables"
September 10, 2020 11:00 - 48 minutes - 44.5 MBBryce Conlan and Scott share something of a kindred spirit, cleverly termed the "unemployable". That's not to say anyone is actually unemployable, but there's a certain type of a person that naturally gravitates towards new ideas, better ways to perform a service and work independently to do so that doesn't always jive with a corporate structures. Namely, this is their definition of an entrepreneur. Listen to Scott and Bryce talk about the lifelong pursuit of true entrepreneurship that allow...
Pear Chef gives you the room service experience without the hotel
September 08, 2020 11:00 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBFounder Danielle Drabkin and COO Jennifer Wei join the show to catch up with Scott about the growth of Pear Chef, a private-chef service amenity serving fresh meals and spirits. The service is geared towards modern luxury apartment buildings, and already in 25 buildings in the Chicago area.
WMNFintech program by BMO Harris & 1871 evolves the accelerator concept for female founders
September 03, 2020 11:00 - 35 minutes - 32.8 MBBen Shack of BMO Harris and Shayna Atkins of ExpandHR join the podcast with Scott to talk about what founders truly need from a program, how the 1871 Innovation Program evolved into the female-founder driven program it is today. Shayna elaborates on her experience with the program and expectations going in, and how her company ExpandHR works with its unique approach to onboarding, compliance, health tracking and easy to access regulatory information.
Sports BLX lets sports fans invest in their favorite players
September 01, 2020 11:00 - 25 minutes - 23.5 MBEver wanted to benefit monetarily from watching your favorite sports teams and players? Sport BLX is pioneering a way for you to do that by investing in the teams and players themselves. Sport BLX CEO Joe De Perio joins the show to talk to Scott about how their platform lets you share in the profits of the athlete or team, how it's equitable for all parties and creating generational wealth.
Industrious shows what real office solutions will look like
August 27, 2020 11:00 - 46 minutes - 42.3 MBJamie Hodari, co-founder and CEO of Industrious, joins the show to talk with Scott about the rapid change in office space and why momentum was already turning towards increased remote work pre-COVID. Industrious provides premium flexible workspaces with a unique model that allows month-to-month terms and fully furnished, customizable spaces for your company needs.
Workbox provides the accelerator experience designed for our times
August 25, 2020 14:10 - 27 minutes - 25 MBThere's been a reckoning coming for the tech incubator space, and the pandemic has only accelerated that. Without the ability to host events or provide workspace, the value for founders to join these programs has declined. Workbox CEO John Wallace shares how they are providing more than a coworking space with services geared to help connect founders with other founders, investors and industry experts to put their best foot forward.
Purchasing Platform provides a one stop stop for property management needs with savings
August 20, 2020 11:00 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MBPurchasing Platform CEO Dave Bowen joins the show to talk about their marketplace of vendors makes it easy for clients to get what they need for their communities and save money at the same time. Dave also dives into how he joined Purchasing Platform and Scott coins the term "refounder": someone that doesn't found companies, but finds existing companies and gives them a reboot.
Paylocity helps you hire and keep the best people
August 18, 2020 11:00 - 24 minutes - 22.8 MBAs a young founder it's easy to overlook how important HR, payroll benefits, compliance etc are what really make you standout to hire - and keep- top tier talent in your company. Paylocity CEO Steve Beauchamp joins the show to talk about how the company serves these needs for companies and the journey and moving from a small startup with a modest $6 million raise in 2014 to a publicly traded company today.
Meet M1 Finance: the all-in-one finance super app
August 13, 2020 11:00 - 35 minutes - 32.1 MBBrian Barnes, CEO of M1 Finance, joins the show to talk about his journey into building M1 to solve a problem he was having himself - managing his investments. M1 essentially combines a lot of the aspects of managing your personal finances or your money into "personal finance super app" that lets you invest, borrow and store your funds in a separate checking account.
Beaxy makes crypto trading easier
August 11, 2020 12:45 - 23 minutes - 21.8 MBBitcoin and cryptocurrencies are no longer a small trend or fad, but increasingly accepted currency growing into the mainstream. Beaxy takes the next step in the legitimization process: a platform for retail investors to quickly and easily trade cryptocurrencies. Bay Abbott joins the show to talk with Scott about how Beaxy works to ease the crypto barrier-to-entry, appealing to general consumers and making trading available to everyone. "We wanted to take all of the complicated parts of trad...
BlackCart lets you try before you buy for online shoppers
August 07, 2020 11:00 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MB2020, everything is indoors, which means we are constantly online even more than before (if that's possible) and shop online now more than ever. BlackCart lets you pick out clothes from your favorite stores, get it shipped to try on at home for free, and only pay for what you keep. Chief Business officer and friend of the show Jason Komosa hops on to share what BlackCart is faring in the 2020 and practicing wellness is proving its worth in the pandemic world.
Why your digital privacy matters more than ever with Keeper Security
August 05, 2020 11:00 - 25 minutes - 23.5 MBWith our lives so dramatically increased remote and online due to the pandemic, cyber security has never been more tested. Our friend Darren Guccione from Keeper Security joins the show to tell Scott how they have seen huge spikes in cyber attacks, including ransomware and phishing attacks since we've all moved indoors.
Understanding the job market and how to weigh your options with Marie Lynch
July 31, 2020 11:00 - 40 minutes - 37.1 MBMarie Trzupek Lynch knows job placement - or just getting a job in general - is tougher than it it should be for employers and prospective employees. The pandemic has only further put a spotlight on glaring holes in the job market - namely: there isn't much of one. As the founding President and CEO of Skills for Chicagoland's Future and previously lead Chicago Career Tech, Marie has made aligning the underemployed and unemployed with jobs that fit their skill level. She joins the show to tal...
Amount makes online banking as easy as it should be
July 28, 2020 16:19 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBAmount founder and CEO Adam Hughes joins the show to talk with Scott about sense of urgency surrounding banking in a COVID-19 world to get services online and keeping them safe. Amount works with institutional banks and financial services with improved digital interfaces that meet customer expectations and keep pace with latest trends.
Capsule delivers prescriptions right to your door
July 23, 2020 11:00 - 28 minutes - 26 MBEric Kinariwala founded Capsule after a particularly heinous experience trying to fill a common prescription. Eric joins the pod to talk to Scott about how he devised a model to rid patients the headache of getting their scripts, refills and medications by having them delivered to their door same-day, without ever having to step foot in a pharmacy.
Paro simplifies your need for financial services
July 21, 2020 15:08 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBMichael Burdick, CEO and founder of Paro, joins the show to talk to Scott about all things finance. Paro provides remote professional financial services including use of CFOs, accountants, bookkeepers among other roles through their online marketplace for businesses of all sizes.
Publicist is the online marketplace to find premium marketing talent
July 16, 2020 11:00 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBLara Vandenberg noticed how so many ad agencies portray themselves as being a PR and marketing company, when they often are just one of those things. Now, companies can find people for certain work on their won with Publicist. Lara founded Publicist to be the 2020 answer to getting the quality marketing talent when needed, an online marketplace where top shelf marketing professionals are available for freelance work on specific projects for any number of industries, including Facebook, Amazon...
BetSperts brings sports experts together for online gambling
July 15, 2020 11:00 - 35 minutes - 32.6 MBReid Rooney, CEO and cofounder of BetSperts joins the show with Scott Kitun to talk about how online gambling is primed for a big launch when sports make their way back into action, and how his company builds the social network for sports betters and experts to become influencers to assist users as needed.
Stackin' sets you on the path to financial freedom
July 10, 2020 11:00 - 38 minutes - 34.9 MBScott Grimes, CEO and founder of Stackin', joins the show to dish to Scott how young adults (and older) should be saving and investing their money. He also sheds light on how Stackin's text message system offers easy personalized advice, why finance newbies should avoid the day trading and how his previous company he founded, Uproxx, helped him put the pieces together for Stackin'.
Stringr brings the long overdue video footage marketplace to the gig economy
July 09, 2020 11:00 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MBStringr co-founder and CEO Lindsay Stewart joins the show to talk with Scott about disrupting the freelance video footage marketplace by refining the workflow and making it more affordable for different organizations and producers to get quality video for news or projects.
Rheaply maximizes the value of your assets so you don't have to
July 02, 2020 16:02 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MBGarry Cooper, founder and CEO of Rheaply, joins the show to talk about how his company has pivoted its business to organize and make use of existing PPE resources for healthcare providers.
Optimizing education for work with Thinkful
June 30, 2020 11:00 - 47 minutes - 43.3 MBDarrell Silver, CEO of Thinkful and acquired by Chegg, joins Scott to talk about the state of the education system and how he views remote-based learning as an incredible tool to gainful employment without taking away from the enrichment of the college experience.
Coyote Logistics brings technological efficiency that prevents data paralysis
June 25, 2020 15:32 - 38 minutes - 35.7 MBChristina Bottis, CMO of Coyote Logistics joins the show to talk to Scott about the significance of data in today's logistics industry, how Coyote manages vast amounts of data and uses their process to deliver better service for their customers.
Swan Bitcoin helps you save for the future in Bitcoin
June 23, 2020 11:00 - 46 minutes - 42.1 MBYan Pritzker, CTO of Swan Bitcoin joins the show to talk about his journey into the world of cryptocurrency, why Bitcoin will always be the standard, and why he's focusing his career on educating people about its potential through savings and investment.
Swan Bitcoin helps you save for the future
June 23, 2020 11:00 - 46 minutes - 42.1 MBYan Pritzker, CTO of Swan Bitcoin joins the show to talk about his journey into the world of cryptocurrency, why Bitcoin will always be the standard, and why he's focusing his career on educating people about its potential through savings and investment.
Erik Severinghaus digs into the truth of entrepreneurship
June 18, 2020 16:23 - 56 minutes - 51.3 MBEntrepreneurship is a lot of things and could use a reset. It's a culture that deserves to have more honesty about its value, and repeat founder Erik Severinghaus talks to Scott about how to separate the good from the bad. The promise of entrepreneurship relies not on celebrating becoming an entrepreneur, but doing the necessary work for your business without sacrificing other facets of your life that will make you a better business owner in the long run. Author of SCALING YOUR EVEREST
Black Buffalo delivers the chewing tobacco ritual without the leaf or stem
June 16, 2020 17:39 - 41 minutes - 38.3 MBJeffrey David (JD) joins Scott in-studio to talk about Black Buffalo which raised $9.75 million for their smokeless tobacco products. It gives users the same chewing experience without the leaf or stem, and an alternative to Big Tobacco. Most importantly, the ritual of dipping is preserved without the need for tobacco.
Sienna Sauce lets you indulge guilt-free
June 11, 2020 11:00 - 30 minutes - 28 MBTyla-Simone Crayton, the 16-year-old founder of Sienna Sauce came up with her delicious formula while her mom was hosting Wine and Wings. After the initial taste test stunned the room, Tyla-Simone recreated the sauce with better ingredients that cut out the excessive sugar and sodium than your regular bottle of ketchup or other condiment, and launched the company. Now, Sienna Sauce is in 60+ stores and is actively crowdfunding on Republic. Tyla-Simone joins the show to talk with Scott ab...
Avionos co-founder on the future of the buying experience
June 09, 2020 13:05 - 37 minutes - 34.3 MBDan Neiweem, cofounder of Avionos, joins the show to talk how the pandemic has changed business and tech needs, the future of the buying experience for consumers, and how to think outside the traditional "events" box in a time of social distancing.
Uberflip shows you how to make your content a better experience for your customers
May 29, 2020 11:00 - 37 minutes - 34.6 MBUberflip CEO Yoav Schwartz joins Scott to talk about Scott's favorite topic, all things content! Especially content experience and how Uberflip's platform allows customers to create personalized content at scale.
ShipBob's success points to the future of e-commerce delivery
May 27, 2020 11:00 - 40 minutes - 37.5 MBShipBob has come a long way since 2014 and presenting on Technori's stage in 2015. Today, ShipBob operates with its network of warehouses and fulfilment centers across the country providing logistics speed for a growing number of companies coming online. Divey Gulati, co-founder and Technori alum presenter, joins Scott to talk about how the company has changed since their pitch and the momentum online shopping is having on its business.
CuriosityStream puts facts and science wonders front and center with documentary streaming service
May 21, 2020 11:00 - 40 minutes - 37.3 MBClint Stinchcomb, CEO of CuriosityStream joins the show to talk about how the company differentiates itself in the streaming universe with its factual, science-backed documentaries and stories collected from around the world. Created by the founder of Discovery, CuriosityStream corners the educational market with docs on everything from deep space to what we know about the coronavirus.
Michelle Wucker breaks down the Gray Rhino
May 19, 2020 11:00 - 42 minutes - 39 MBMichele Wucker, author of "The Gray Rhino" talks about how the current pandemic is mistakenly called a black swan event when it wasn't as inevitable as some make it seem.
Revaluating risk with rtrs
May 15, 2020 11:00 - 22 minutes - 20.3 MBArmand Fernadez, President and CEO of Real-Time Risk Solutions, talks with Scott about assessing risk in this time of the pandemic and how his company helps construction sites identify risks before they cause harm.