Charlotte Angel Connection Episode 085: AJ Ratani, Entrepreneur, World Traveler, Former President and CTO at Red Ventures

AJ Ratani grew up in Dubai and came to America to attend college in Arkansas. His first experience in the US was flying in a propeller plane and seeing a lot of green as he landed in Arkansas – something new to someone living in a desert.  After his college years in Arkansas and Florida, he began his career with a company in Virginia, but he was not satisfied. He wanted a position that would offer him opportunity and growth.  In 2005, pursuing a Monster.com lead, he was “lucky” and was offered a job in Charlotte with a start-up firm, Red Ventures.  He started as a software engineer and grew within the organization to run Red Ventures' largest and fastest growing businesses. We discuss the opportunities and challenges in working with a start-up company of 25, growing to a large world-wide corporation of 3,000.   We also discuss what to look for when hiring, changes in the work environment, and the advantages and disadvantages of growth. In 2017, AJ left Red Ventures, and along with his wife and child, embarked on a journey around the world, visiting six continents – a life expanding and changing type of trip.   Traveling with a young infant in tow inspired them to start a blog and eventually write a book to help other families travel with their children– it’s called The 2 Idiots Travel Blog (www.2idiotstravel.com).  It’s a passion project for him now – a very different concept than when he was at Red Ventures. AJ is also actively involved with advisory roles with start-ups and in mentoring programs in the Charlotte area.  He discusses the importance in building relationships with others to connect with the right people for referrals in advisory roles. Listen to today’s episode and hear about AJ’s passion and his desire to always jump on the rocket ship. Local Notes and Thoughts  QC Fintech has Class 10 in the building already.   The Demo Day for Class 10 is set for Tuesday June 11 and culminates in an full day event.  You can register for the full day conference – known as Fintech Generations here (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fintech-generations-tickets-55658964461).  The Demo Day for the Class 10 Cohort follows and is free.  You can register for that event also here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/queen-city-fintech-class-10-demo-day-tickets-58991659642.  Come out and support our local accelerator program and show them the southern hospitality Charlotte is known for. If nothing else, come out to see AvidXchange’s building and growing campus – it’s beautiful too.   William Bissett is the owner of and an Investment Advisor Representative of Portus Wealth Advisors, a Registered Investment Adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Opinions expressed on this program do not necessarily reflect those of Portus Wealth Advisors. The topics discussed and opinions given are not intended to address the specific needs of any listener.  Portus Wealth Advisors does not offer legal or tax advice, listeners are encouraged to discuss their financial needs with the appropriate professional regarding your individual circumstance.  Investments described herein may be speculative and may involve a substantial risk of loss. Interests may be offered only to persons who qualify as accredited investors under the Securities Act, and a Qualified Purchaser as defined in Section 2(a)(51)(A) under the Company Act or an eligible employee of the management company. There generally is no public market for the Interests. Prospective investors should particularly note that many factors affect performance, including changes in market conditions and interest rates, and other economic, political or financial developments. Past performance is not, and should not be construed as, indicative of future results.