Applying for government benefits is a slow, tedious process that often leaves applicants in limbo for several months.  Advocate looks to help. Today on Found Becca and Dom are talking with Advocate’s founder Emilie Poteat, the company that helps Americans engage with federal benefits programs through its technology-enabled services platform. In this episode they discuss how the Advocate team is using AI to automate advocacy and get the wait time for people seeking aid to nearly nothing.They also talked about: Where Poteat ultimately found fundraising successHow the government has reacted to a small startup seeking to automate such an embedded bureaucratic processWhy AI is the best tool in the technological shed to work with the mass amounts of rules and data required to navigate the social security systemHow the team is implementing the security measures needed when dealing with such sensitive information(0:00) Introduction(4:16) the status quo of applying for government aid(8:56) Automating government services(13:13) using AI to automate advocacy(18:29) Finding the right investor fit(24:13) Hiring for a social impact company(30:00) Collaborating with government agencies(32:00) Host discussion Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcast: Equity . Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each Connect with us:On TwitterOn InstagramVia email: found@techcrunch.com

Do you know what brand your bedsheets are? Probably not. Today’s guest Ariel Kaye has been working to change that with Parachute, a DTC bedding and home goods company. Kaye started Parachute in 2013—the hayday of DTC brands. She joins Dom to talk about what it was like building as a solo founder while she’s established a well-known brand and expanded beyond bedding. They also talked about:Why parachute hasn’t raised as much capital as you might thinkHow Kaye’s branding expertise has driven the company’s identityKay’s best advice to avoid burnout and be the best leader possible as a solo founder Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcast: Equity . Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each Connect with us:On TwitterOn InstagramVia email: found@techcrunch.com

This episodes dives into the massive web of the wedding industry with Shan-Lyn Ma, the co-founder and CEO of Zola. Ma talked about why she decided to launch the business after trying to buy a gift for a friend and realizing that wedding registries were still living in the past. Ma spoke about how the company navigated changes in the digital and competitive landscapes over the last decade and how the company powered through the pandemic's impacts on the industry.(0:00) Introduction(3:33) Creating a better wedding planning experience(8:45) Building in the wedding industry(13:45) Inclusivity in the wedding space(18:35) Personalizing wedding planning(23:11) Adapting to the pandemic(33:08) AI-generated thank you notes(43:00) What's next Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcast: Equity . Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each Connect with us:On TwitterOn InstagramVia email: found@techcrunch.com

Tigran Sloyan, CEO of CodeSignal, discusses how skills assessment can mitigate bias in hiring, the impact of AI on jobs and learning, the potential of AI tutoring platforms for personalized learning, and the importance of apprenticeships in the tech industry.

Not many businesses start with a seemingly incurable case of Bacterial Vaginosis but today’s guest, Beatrice Dixon, found a company and a cure all in one. The Honey Pot is a plant-based vaginal wellness brand that was co-founded by Beatrice after she launched by selling her products at hair shows. On today’s episode, she tells Becca and Dom how those hair shows lead to the Honey Pot hitting shelves in Target.They also talked about:How Beatrice knew it was time to stop bootstrappingThe importance of finding investors who understand your mission and the intentional culture of your companyThe downside to having a fiercely loyal customer baseTrusting the process and making decisions with the your consumers in mind Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcast: Equity . Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each Connect with us:On TwitterOn InstagramVia email: found@techcrunch.com

Carly Zakin and Danielle Weisberg, co-founders of theSkimm, discuss navigating the media industry, building a team that aligns with your vision, and the power of having a unique voice. They also talk about their early days of grassroots marketing, the importance of newsletters, and prioritizing growth.

Gut health might be having a moment on TikTok but Ben Goodwin the co-founder and CEO of Olipop knows first hand the monumental impact a healthy microbiome can have on your mental and physical health. Today on Found. Becca and Dom are joined by Ben to talk about how he led the gut-healthy soda brand to amass $200 million in gross sales just five years after their launch.They also talked about:How the team prioritizes access to the product in low-income areas and food desertsFundraising and pitching to CPG investorsThe importance of health and wellness companies to do research to back up their products claimsThe key to changing consumer behavior(0:00) Introduction and two truths and a lie(2:12) Olipop introduction(5:42) Researching the microbiome(11:34) The industrial diet in America(15:03) Transitioning from research to product development(17:49) Product nostalgia and marketing(20:29) Market share in the beverage industry(23:26) Olipop’s 200 million dollar year(25:44) Targeting food deserts(27:36) Time management as CEO(31:06) Fundraising and pitching investors(33:32) What’s next(36:03) Host commentary Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcast: Equity . Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each Connect with us:On TwitterOn InstagramVia email: found@techcrunch.com

Gabi Lewis, co-founder and CEO of Magic Spoon, shares their journey from a startup focused on insect protein to reinventing the cereal industry. They discuss challenges of introducing unconventional foods and the decision to expand from D2C to retail. They also touch on leadership evolution, favorite cereal flavors, and upcoming flavors.

On today’s episode of Found, Dom and Becca talk to Markus Witte, co-founder of Babbel, a language learning app that had been operating since 2007. Babbel has become one of the most prominent language-learning apps but their first product was essentially just a vocab game and they quickly discovered that a multi-modal way of learning will always be more effective. Markus also talked about why he decided to step down as CEO and take on the role of chairman and how all four co-founders have worked together to stick to the original mission of Babbel even after nearly 20 years. They also talked about:Being a very early adopter of a subscription business modelThe struggles of fundraising in Berlin in 2008 and how to operate intentionally leanHow the company has implemented AI tools back when AI was still machine learning.Building a team that is deeply rooted to the original mission and how Markus developed the skills of an empathetic leader Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcast: Equity . Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each Connect with us:On TwitterOn InstagramVia email: found@techcrunch.com

Rebecca Bellan interviews Alex Zaccaria, co-founder and CEO of Linktree, discussing scaling the freemium model, challenges and benefits of fundraising internationally, and how Linktree changes content curation for creators.