Venture Everywhere

Episode 33 of Venture Everywhere is hosted by Noah Spirakus, LP and Partner of Everywhere Ventures, a founder collective and early stage venture fund investing in the future of money, health and work. Noah chats with Liz O’Sullivan, Co-Founder and CEO of Vera, a tool managing AI behavior, particularly generative AI, during deployment, addressing privacy, security, internal threats, and controversial content to ensure positive AI presentation while mitigating risks. Liz discusses AI's transformative potential and its evolution from commercial deep learning to advanced, scalable solutions. Liz shared her expertise and insights on commitment to building AI that's not just powerful, but also transparent and ethical.In this episode, you will hear: Vera's focus on safer generative AI and the need for evolving policies to match AI's rapid progress.The impact of AI regulations on businesses and the importance of preparing for future requirements.Managing public expectations realistically and openly addressing issues like bias and model failures.Challenges integrating AI, such as ensuring safe interactions and complying with evolving legal frameworks.Exploring US AI regulation strategies, including the effects of President Biden’s executive order on government and commercial AI use.Learn more about Liz O'Sullivan | VeraLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/lizzosullivan Websites: https://www.askvera.io/  Learn more about Noah Spirakus | Everywhere VenturesLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/noahspirakus  Website: https://everywhere.vc/  

Episode 32 of Venture Everywhere is hosted by Anna Barber, Partner at M13, an early-stage venture firm investing in visionary founders building disruptive software businesses. Anna is joined by Beatriz Acevedo, CEO and Co-Founder of SUMA Wealth, a FinTech platform empowering young US Latinos with culturally relevant financial education and services for generational wealth and economic empowerment. Beatriz shared the inspiration behind SUMA Wealth, the trials and triumphs of building a company and the power of pivoting in one's career. Drawing on her media and marketing expertise, she blends philanthropy with entrepreneurship to authentically engage an underserved audience in the financial sector.In this episode, you will hear:SUMA Wealth’s focus on community building and social listening before launching products.The need for bilingual FinTech services to engage Latino youth and connect with their Spanish-speaking family members.Balancing philanthropy, entrepreneurship, and family legacy while aligning with SUMA's mission.Identifying key financial needs of the Latino community and cultural relevance in engaging with the target demographic.Collaboration with Pledge LA to promote tech inclusion, which aligns with SUMA Wealth's mission.Learn more about Beatriz Acevedo | SUMA WealthLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/beatrizacevedo Websites: https://sumawealth.com/ and https://www.beatrizacevedo.com/ Learn more about Anna Barber | M13Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/annawbarber Website: https://www.m13.co/

Pau Sabria, Co-Founder of Remotely.works, discusses his journey from stable job to entrepreneurial success, advantages of remote work, and strategies for startup triumphs. Topics include embracing trends, communication in teams, and sustainable business growth.

Episode 30 of Venture Everywhere is hosted by Anthony Dedousis, Founder and CEO of Revival Homes, a platform for homeowners building accessory dwelling units (ADUs), providing both marketplace services and lending options. Anthony chats with Jennifer Mason, Co-Founder and CEO of TitleWise, a digital platform designed for title abstractors. TitleWise's all-in-one platform streamlines workflows and automates traditional real estate title research tasks, boosting both speed and accuracy while reducing redundancy and costs. Anthony and Jennifer discuss the use of technology in modernizing title research and the real estate industry overall.In this episode, you will hear:How title insurance plays a crucial role in real estate transactions.TitleWise's approach for integrating in-house and outsourced talent while upholding a robust company culture.TitleWise’s transition from traditional methods and the importance of supporting title researchers while maintaining a human-centric approach in technology.The challenges of aggregating public county records and dealing with diverse databases.The value of having flexible tools for both online and on-site courthouse research.Learn more about Jennifer Mason | TitleWiseLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-m-902b3913b/Website: https://www.titlewise.work/Learn more about Anthony Dedousis | Revival HomesLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-dedousis-a3035920/Website: https://www.revivaladu.com/

Episode 29 of Venture Everywhere is hosted by Fran Brzyski, Co-Founder and CEO of Hark, a new CX Channel that facilitates easy post-purchase communication between customers and their preferred brands. Fran engages in a conversation with Ryan Denehy, Founder and CEO of Electric, a company that provides IT management solutions tailored for small businesses lacking in-house IT staff. Electric simplifies IT for businesses by offering services like computer setup, application management, and cybersecurity, making essential tasks easy and accessible. Fran and Ryan share insights from their startup journeys with Hark and Electric, discussing fundraising, customer communication, and the transition from passion projects to strategic business management.In this episode, you will hear:Electric's journey from inception to scaling up, including strategic fundraising and navigating the startup financial landscape.The power of authentic customer communication and capturing their voice across multimedia platforms.Securing venture capital, launching products and the confidence and resilience required to succeed.The influence of mentorship on overcoming challenges and accelerating progress.Challenges in startup hiring, leadership development, their impact on investment prospects, and shaping company culture. The importance of sales and market traction over just product development.Learn more about Ryan Denehy | ElectricLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/ryandenehy Website: https://www.electric.ai/ Learn more about Fran Brzyski and HarkLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/fbrzyski Website: https://www.sendhark.com/ 

The host of episode 28 of Venture Everywhere is Vivian Graves, Founder and CEO of Otis, a platform working with vets and vet techs to create a new model of care delivery that both alleviates the burden on the entire pet health ecosystem and is financially sustainable. Vivan chats with Andrew Luna, Founder and CEO of Hound, the leading work platform in veterinary medicine. They’re transforming veterinary job processes, hiring, shift coverage, engagement, retention, and care access. Hound’s innovative software allows vets to work how they want, love their work and care for more pets. Vivian and Andrew discuss the challenges encountered by veterinary professionals and tech's pivotal role in shaping animal care. With a blend of their entrepreneurial experiences — from Vivian’s venture capital insights to founding Otis, and Andrew's journey from veterinary aspirations to technological innovation — they lay out a blueprint for revolutionizing the pet health ecosystem.In this episode, you will hear:The severe shortage of veterinarians in the United States and its effects on pet healthcare.Incorporating modern technologies such as telemedicine to address the gap in pet healthcare.Barriers to progress in the veterinary industry, including resistance to change and regulatory hurdles.The importance of community and networking in building a company.Strategies for engaging both veterinarians and pet owners in the digital space.Demographic shifts and the increasing number of female professionals in the veterinary field. Learn more about Andrew Luna | HoundLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/ailuna Website: https://www.hound.vet/ Learn more about Vivian Graves and OtisLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/viviangravesWebsite: https://www.otispet.co/ 

The host of episode 27 of Venture Everywhere is Charles Baron, Co-founder and CPMO of Farmers Business Network (FBN), a platform that helps family farmers maximize their profit potential with data and technology, direct-to-farm commerce, and community. Charles catches up with Akash Nandi, Co-founder and CEO of Tendrel. With the goal of empowering frontline workers and optimizing decision-making, Tendrel is establishing the necessary data infrastructure to transition manual labor tasks from analog inefficiency to data driven optimization. It's a tool designed to integrate with the existing workflow of operations without the disruption of introducing new hardware. Charles and Akash discuss the significant shifts that data science and technology are bringing to the agricultural and industrial sector, moving beyond traditional practices into a more efficient, sustainable future.In this episode, you will hear:Tendrel’s aim in boosting frontline labor decisions with a global data platform with software-centric solutions.Data analytics role in transforming farming into a catalyst for growth, efficiency, and sustainability.Optimizing CEA workflow and workforce efficiency by capturing worker data.Challenges in the agricultural sector, such as resistance to new technology and shifting from hardware to software approaches.Utilizing cloud-based rules engine to streamline operations while respecting existing workflows.Learn more about Akash Nandi | TendrelLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agnandi/ Website: https://www.tendrel.io/Learn more about Charles Baron and Farmers Business Network (FBN)Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-baron-44163a6/Website: https://www.fbn.com/

In episode 26 of Venture Everywhere, Angela Prince, former CEO of Climb Credit, founder of Orchard (acquired by Kabbage), and LP of Everywhere Ventures, chats with Sam Hodges, co-founder and CEO of Vouch – a tech-driven commercial insurance business. Vouch’s platform offers digital insurance coverage that can be activated swiftly to ensure a seamless experience from the initial sign up process to handling claims. Prior to Vouch, Sam co-founded and built the US business for Funding Circle, a global marketplace for small business loans. With two decades of entrepreneurship and investment under his belt, Sam has effectively positioned the company as a disruptive force in commercial insurance by using technology to meet the distinct needs of startups and high-growth businesses. In this episode, you will hear: ●  Vouch's focus on insuring startups and assisting entrepreneurs in managing their crucial risks. ●  The need for product evolution and broadening service offerings to cater diverse company sizes and types. ●  Vouch’s potential in the commercial property and casualty insurance market, with opportunities for innovation and distribution. ●  Understanding different stages of businesses and the company culture to thrive. ●  Addressing AI-specific risks for companies and ensuring appropriate insurance coverage and risk management.Learn more about Sam Hodges | Vouch Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/samhodges Website: https://www.vouch.us/ Learn more about Angela Prince | Everywhere Ventures and Climb Credit Website: http://everywhere.vc/ and https://climbcredit.com/students Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/angela-galardi-ceresnie

In episode 25 of Venture Everywhere, Scott Hartley, co-founder of Everywhere Ventures, chats with Emma Lawler, co-founder of Velvet. They make infrastructure for startups to unify disparate data sources and ship real-time product features. By unifying all data sources, Velvet leverages AI to automate SQL queries. Not only does Velvet streamline data analysis, but it also facilitates the creation of API endpoints for seamless integration with other tools, democratizing data access and enhancing organizational efficiency. Emma discussed how Velvet's AI-powered platform is revolutionizing data accessibility, empowering every team member to act as a data engineer. In this episode, you will hear:Velvet's platform is driving the evolution of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and UX design.The idea of founder-market fit and capturing VC interest with a compelling founder story and distinctive product differentiation.The nuances of co-founder dating and collaborating on projects to assess compatibility, skill alignment, and shared vision.Velvet's role in addressing data architecture and technical debt challenges while enhancing product experiences with AI.The role of backend data interoperability in creating an intuitive frontend user experience. Learn more about Emma Lawler | VelvetLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/emmalawlerWebsites: emmalawler.com/  and https://www.usevelvet.com/ Learn more about Scott Hartley and Everywhere VenturesWebsites: http://everywhere.vc/ and  scotthartley.com  Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/scotthartley 

In episode 24 of Venture Everywhere, Jenny Fielding, Co-founder of Everywhere Ventures chats with Jade Kearney, Co-founder and CEO of She Matters, digital health platform designed to improve health outcomes and reduce maternal mortality for Black mothers. Jade recounts her inspiring journey from concept to product, and how she transformed her pain into purpose, pivoting from an educator to an entrepreneur and maternal health advocate. In this episode, you will hear:Jade's journey from postpartum anxiety OCD to founding She Matters, using her personal struggle as a catalyst for social impact.The systemic barriers that Black mothers face when seeking healthcare, particularly in the realm of postpartum and mental health.She Matters’ innovative and proactive approaches to bridge the healthcare gap.Embracing diversity, staying mission-driven, fostering honest communication, combating imposter syndrome and building a strong team.The importance for entrepreneurs, particularly those from underrepresented groups, to have a strong supportive network.She Matters' launch of their symptom tracker and the expansion of their Cultural Competence Certification Program for Providers. Learn more about Jade Kearney | She MattersLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jadekearney/   Website: https://www.shematters.health/Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/jadekearneyofficial/          https://www.instagram.com/shematters.io/               Learn more about Jenny Fielding and Everywhere VenturesWebsite: http://everywhere.vc/ and jennyfielding.com Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/jennyfielding