About the Episode

Jennifer Ryan, the Co-founder and CEO of Croux and Blueroot, shares her journey in the tech and hospitality industry. She started as a server in New York, then went into finance and real estate before launching a healthy food restaurant in Alabama. During the pandemic, she faced challenges in the restaurant industry and realized the importance of listening to customer feedback and focusing on what truly moves the needle. She then co-founded Croux, a platform that connects trusted talent with understaffed businesses in the hospitality industry.

Croux is a platform that provides flexible work opportunities for individuals in the hospitality industry while helping businesses fill staffing gaps. The mission is to economically empower communities, starting with individuals and local businesses. The platform offers benefits, tax support, flexible schedules, and fast payment to support workers. It also helps businesses retain their core staff by providing additional support and extra hands when needed. Croux focuses on the event space and works with businesses that are mission-aligned. The company is experiencing growth in existing markets, expanding to new markets, and developing new technology features.

Takeaways

• Listening to customer feedback and focusing on what truly moves the needle is crucial for success in the restaurant industry.
• Iterating and evolving quickly is essential for survival and growth in the hospitality industry.
• Being open to feedback and willing to make changes based on customer needs can lead to unexpected success.
• Starting a tech company like Croux can be a way to address industry challenges and support businesses in the hospitality sector.
• Techstars can provide valuable support and resources for entrepreneurs in the tech industry. Croux provides flexible work opportunities for individuals in the hospitality industry and helps businesses fill staffing gaps.
• The platform focuses on economically empowering communities, starting with individuals and local businesses.
• Croux offers benefits, tax support, flexible schedules, and fast payment to support workers.
• The platform helps businesses retain their core staff by providing additional support and extra hands when needed.
• Croux is experiencing growth in existing markets, expanding to new markets, and developing new technology features.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and the Importance of Croux in the Hospitality Industry 03:03 Challenges and Listening to Customer Feedback in the Restaurant Industry 08:48 The Journey from Restaurant Owner to Tech Founder 13:06 The Role of Iteration and Evolution in the Hospitality Sector 24:09 Techstars: Empowering Entrepreneurs in the Tech Industry 26:59 Balancing Staffing Needs and Business Viability 28:27 The Challenge of Low Wages and Thin Margins 29:24 Economically Empowering Communities Through Croux 31:14 Onboarding and Using the Croux Platform 34:35 Roles and Opportunities on Croux 36:27 Utilizing Croux in the Event Space 38:43 Retaining Core Staff and Filling Staffing Gaps 43:57 Growing and Expanding Croux