Michelle Carazas, CEO and Founder - Host Events

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Part-time work to pay off student debt led Michelle Carazas to the opportunity she’s pursuing in her startup, Host Events. Her tech-enabled service provides insured and vetted bartenders to liven up corporate events at companies that seek to create a welcoming culture for Millennial employees. Fast and profitable growth, together with funding from Launchpad Venture Group are validating Michelle’s idea. Great interview with a compelling founder who expresses beautifully what draws her to startup life.

Highlights include:

• Sal Daher Intro – The Opportunities that Abound in Boston’s Unique Startup Ecosystem
• Michelle Carazas Bio: Founder and CEO of Host Events
• What Host Events Does and Why It’s Important
• “…Host is a way to create culture in the workplace and that's what we really strive for.”
• “We're living in a world where we're so connected, but we're also so disconnected because we easily use Slack or email or text as a way to communicate.”
• “Our mission is really to create community through every experience that we service.”
• The Founding Story of Host Events
• The Competitive Landscape for Host Events
• “So, people book us because of the insurance and they come back, I really say because of the people.”
• How Michelle Carazas Connected with Her Co-Founder, Brian McGill
• Michelle and Brian Ran Host Events as a Side Gig for a Year – It Eventually Became Their Full-Time Job
• The Virtues of Bootstrapping
• On Raising Capital: “Could we have done it without raising capital? Absolutely.”
• Michelle Carazas: “One of the beauties of Hosts is that we make money.”
• Sal Daher: “…My resolution not to invest is dissolving.”
• Sacrifice: “I sold my car. I bought a $78 bike to ride to work. Brian sold his car; he left his apartment. He moved into our apartment. My boyfriend allowed him to live in our spare bedroom. I mean really-“
• The Upside of Being a Founder – “There's no playbook. You're in control of your own destiny.”
• Sal talks About Portfolio Company FineTune Learning Whose Platform is Being Used by the College Board to Correct Essays on the AP Exam
• How Host Events Is Going to Market
• “Now, we're rolling out multiple cities at a time.” “We've actually brought on someone that's done this quite a few times elsewhere…”
• “Since last year at this time, we grew 256%. And our LTV is about... It's pretty high and really I think it's because we've built personal relationships with a lot of these companies as well.”
• ‘So ezCater is a great compliment to Host.”
• Michelle’s Thoughts on an Exit for Investors in Host Events
• Where Host Events Will Be at in Five Years?
• How Michelle Came to be an Entrepreneur
• “And so, growing up I just always had that ability to think bigger and that there was no cap, and that it was never stopping anywhere.”
• Sal’s Experience with a Peace Corps Volunteer in Brazil
• Sports & Leadership
• Michelle Carazas’ Parting Words of Wisdom
• “…I think the best place to start a business is in Boston, no doubt.”