Of all the work tasks you could automate with AI, submitting expenses would probably be high on the list. Today on Found, we’re talking to Eric Glyman, the CEO and cofounder of Ramp, a spend management platform that is building AI tools to make financial workflows easier for employees and employers. In this episode they talk about what Glyman and his co-founder learned from their first startup and how they see AI changing fintech forever.They also talked about: What Glyman and his co-founder learned from their first startup and from their time working at Capital One The white space that still exists in fintech How Ramp is implementing security measures while ramping up their use of AI (0:00) intro(2:20) SImplifying financial processes(8:41) Automation expense management(13:46) AI could take over tedious work tasks(19:10) Security and privacy with financial data and AI(23:45) Taking a lower valuation(31:54) What's next for Ramp and fintech 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 Twitter On Instagram Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Recycling is one facet to solving the climate crisis, but most of us are doing it wrong. Today on Found, Becca and Dom are talking with Rebeca Hu, the CEO and cofounder of Glacier, an AI robotics company that is building robots to accurately sort recycling. They talk about how many of us are wish-cylers who hopefully throw non-recyclables into the bin and how Glacier’s robots are sorting the recycling and making sure all of our recycling mistakes are corrected.They also talked about: What it takes to train an AI-powered sorting robot What the reception has been like in recycling facilities How the robots are tracking the kind of waste we’re creating as they sort How Rebecca told this story to fundraisers who have very likely never stepped foot in a recycling center.  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 Twitter On Instagram Via email: found@techcrunch.com

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 success How the government has reacted to a small startup seeking to automate such an embedded bureaucratic process Why 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 system How 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 Twitter On Instagram Via 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 think How Kaye’s branding expertise has driven the company’s identity Kay’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 Twitter On Instagram Via 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 Twitter On Instagram Via 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 bootstrapping The importance of finding investors who understand your mission and the intentional culture of your company The downside to having a fiercely loyal customer base Trusting 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 Twitter On Instagram Via 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 deserts Fundraising and pitching to CPG investors The importance of health and wellness companies to do research to back up their products claims The 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 Twitter On Instagram Via 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.