The Real Maxime Podcast

In this episode, we are joined by Lloyd Roberts, leadership author and co-Founder of LoanPro, a leading cloud-based loan management software platform founded with his brothers Rhett and Ben to digitize the entire back office of loan servicing, resulting in lower costs, more efficiency and improved financial inclusion. Lloyd brings a unique blend of grassroots wisdom and effective go-to-market expertise in B2B Fintech software. Tune in as we delve into Lloyd’s entrepreneurial journey, from learning financial responsibility at a young age growing up in Utah, to successfully bootstrapping a Fintech software unicorn and launching a charity focused on increasing fulfillment and prosperity.

In this episode, we are joined by Naré Vardanyan, co-Founder and CEO of Ntropy, a B2B Fintech company backed by Lakestar, QED Investors and January Ventures that offers the most accurate financial data standardization and enrichment API, which uses Large Language Models (LLM) to reconcile transaction and payments data. Ntropy's goal is to help lenders understand their customers through financial transactions so that they can qualify anyone for credit much faster and fairly. Tune in as we delve into Naré’s journey to entrepreneurship, from growing up in war-torn Armenia and working on financial inclusion and poverty reduction at the United Nations, to investing in early-stage AI and machine-learning startups.

In this episode, we are joined by Eric Schneider, co-Founder and co-CEO of AKKO, a Fintech company backed by Fika Ventures, Mundi Ventures and Pear VC (the investors behind DoorDash, Gusto, and Policygenius) that offers straightforward, affordable electronic device insurance. Akko’s digital-first approach eliminates the need for cumbersome paperwork and lengthy resolution, providing customers with a hassle-free experience. They've revolutionized the device insurance workflow to prioritize a seamless end-user experience. Tune in as we delve into Eric’s journey from starting as a jet engine engineer at GE to venture investing, and discuss the specifics of device insurance underwriting and the importance of fully owning the claims experience while growing the business through effective channel distribution and white-labeling.

In this episode, we are joined by Steve Lockshin, Founder of AdvicePeriod and Vanilla, an estate advisory platform. Steve helped pioneer the independent advisory industry, building one of the largest independent RIAs in the nation. He also had a front-row seat to the advent of the Robo-Advisor era as an early investor and advisor to a number of Fintech firms. Tune in as we delve into Steve’s remarkable career journey, discuss the nuances of the wealth management industry and explore the burgeoning role of AI in serving the modern investor.

In this episode, we are joined by Jonathan Padilla, co-Founder & CEO of Snickerdoodle Labs, a cutting-edge venture set out to restructure the way data monetization works, turning it into an asset that users possess and manage. Snickerdoodle harnesses the power of smart contracts, allowing individuals to own their data and rent it anonymously to brands, earning rewards in the process. Tune in to hear more about Jonathan’s journey as a venture investor and technology entrepreneur, from his early days in public policy to leading blockchain strategy at PayPal and his involvement in promoting global financial inclusion through Stanford's Future of Digital Currency Initiative.

In this episode, we are joined by Paul Koullick, Co-Founder and CEO at Keeper, a company dedicated to aiding independent contractors in identifying work-related expenses, potentially qualifying them for tax deductions. What sets Keeper apart is its fresh approach to tax filing software – it's built around personalization, intelligence, and a seamless user experience. Tune in to hear more about Paul’s journey as a Fintech entrepreneur, from starting his first business while attending Harvard University to then joining payment leader Square and spearheading Stride Tax, an app dedicated to tracking mileage and expenses.

In this episode, we are joined by Ani Pai, Partner at Dragonfly, the crypto-centered investment firm founded by renowned pioneer crypto investor Haseeb Qureshi, now deploying its third venture fund across all stages of blockchain and crypto-native companies, protocols and tokens. Ani discusses how his approach to investment research and connectedness in innovation requires him to run a perfectly optimized allocation of his time and attention. Tune in to hear more about Ani’s journey as a venture investor, from his early passions in aviation and rocketry to leaving the Bay Area to challenge his global worldview.

In this episode, we are joined by Mrinal Manohar, CEO and co-Founder of Casper Labs, the developer of Casper, the first blockchain built specifically for business adoption. Mrinal brings a distinctly precise and methodical approach to entrepreneurship. He and his team are on a mission to build the essential foundation for an entirely new era of digital transformation. Tune in to hear more about Mrinal’s journey as an enterprise technology entrepreneur, from his apprenticeship at Bain Capital to heading the TMT sector investments at a billion-dollar hedge fund.

In this episode, we are joined by Jason Wenk, Founder and CEO of Altruist, a fully vertically-integrated one-stop custodial platform for RIAs. Altruist is on a mission to make investing fair for everyone. Jason has never wavered on his mission to empower more people to have access to better and more affordable financial planning and wealth management. Tune in to hear more about Jason’s journey as one of the leading Wealth Tech entrepreneurs in the world, from his scrappy days of bootstrapping an online retirement planner, to building the fastest growing RIA in the history of the industry.

In this episode, we are joined by Adam Guren, Founder and CIO of Hunting Hill Global Capital, an alternative asset manager specializing in identifying global arbitrage opportunities in complex and emerging asset classes, including cryptocurrencies. Its affiliate Hunting Hill Digital provides investors access to digital assets through a customizable and scalable multi-strat platform. Adam is unique in how he thinks about the design, implementation and risk-management of sophisticated trading strategies. Tune in to hear more about Adam’s journey as a hedge fund founder and exceptional trader, from competing on the US Men’s National Soccer Team to becoming his firm’s youngest partner.