The VentureFuel Visionaries

Making wellness simpler and more accessible for everyone, Heywell is a line of delicious function-forward sparkling waters. Flavors like Blackberry Ginger and Sparkling Lime made with adaptogens, antioxidants and organic caffeine to help you meet the demands of modern life. Co-Founders Britt Dougherty and Ashley Selman left SVP jobs at Miller Coors to launch the company and their new flavor is a finalist for BEST NEW BEVERAGE of 2022 at Expo West.

Can you be a cool swashbuckling mom and a visionary CEO? Once you meet Kristen Cavallo you will know it is possible. Kristen is the CEO of The Martin Agency (2 years in a row named Adweek’s US Agency of the Year) where she helps create impactful ideas for clients like GEICO, Oreo, UPS, Old Navy and Doordash. She is on a mission to fight invisibility - with breakthrough work, inclusive culture and by eradicating the wage gap by race and gender. We discuss leveling the playing field for women in leadership and tying diversity to business goals.

How can brands win in the ever-evolving omni-channel evolution? We ask Sarah Hofstetter the President of Profitero, the leading, global ecommerce intelligence platform. Previously Sarah spent 13 years at award-winning advertising agency 360i, most recently as Chairwoman and CEO, growing the agency from $5MM to $180MM by continuously pivoting company offerings to be aligned with changes in consumer behavior. She currently serves of the Board of Directors of Campbell Soup Company and is the host of the Brave Commerce podcast. We discuss “achievement over activity,” the intersection of customer behavior and brand readiness and taking a zero-based budgeting approach to decision. Be quick, but don’t hurry.

The pace of change has never been faster than it is today and that is especially true for the world of Financial Services. Disruption is coming from all sides whether it is the advent of blockchain and impact of cryptocurrencies, to the evolution of consumer expectations from their banks. Mobile, on-demand, transparent and purposeful, the next generation of banked consumers will demand more from their financial institutions than ever before. In this episode of the podcast, we sit down with Kristin Smith, the Executive Director of the Blockchain Association; Nisha Desai, the CEO and Founding Managing Partner of Andav Capital and Dax Grant, CEO of Global Transform during our most recent event in our What’s Next Now series. We discuss the transformation of finance through technology; the role of fintech in unlocking access to capital for the underbanked; and the impact of innovation on industry leaders to open new markets and address emerging consumer segments.

During COVID small businesses were hit hard and those owned by women, Black, Hispanic and Indigenous people even more so. In 2020 41% of Black businesses, 32% of Latino businesses, and 30% of women-owned businesses closed and of those that survived, 80% are now experiencing financial challenges. Amid financial instability and lack of cash flow, operating expenses have become the top financial challenge for small business and also for the people within underserved communities. Comcast NBCUniversal sought to find new solutions to this systemic challenge with their Financial Impact Challenge that identified and invested in HoneyComb Credit and SoLo Funds to provide lending alternatives that are equitable, empowering, and community-driven. Featuring: Antonia Dean, Rodney Williams and George Cook.

Few innovations have disrupted retail more than subscription, but what comes next? Bespoke Post is known for their themed subscription boxes of AWESOME but continues to innovate, announcing a $40 Million Series B raise intended to help us discover emerging brands. Chief Merchandising Officer Michelle Evans shares her future of subscription, the importance of personalization and storytelling and how new technologies will help the brand continue to unlock what’s next.

Kiel Berry is an Investor, Sustainability & Climate Tech Advocate, 2x TEDx Speaker and Vegan Triathlete. He is the Founder & Managing Partner of Mission One Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on Sustainability & Climate Tech startups. Previously Kiel built the venture arm for Grammy-award winning rock band Linkin Park, leading investments in companies such as Lyft, Robinhood, Impossible Foods, and others. We talk about why now is the moment to invest in Climate Tech for the potential financial returns as well as the necessity of our survival and the role corporations will play in the acceleration of new solutions.

What’s the metaverse & why should you care? How are consumers expressing themselves digitally today? And what will that look like tomorrow? Where do brands have permission to participate? And how can they authentically engage in the absence of advertising? We speak with this year's Visionary of the Year: the Godmother of the Metaverse, Cathy Hackl, Chief Metaverse Officer at Futures Intelligence Group; and Travis Montaque, Founder & CEO of this year's Venture of the year: Holler; a Forbes 30 Under 30 and Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Most Daring” media leader of one of Fast Company's 2020 World's Most Innovative Companies. We discuss the future of media, the formation of culture and the do’s and don’ts for brands navigating the balance between purpose & commerce.

Why are NFTs valuable and how can your business take advantage of them? Are NFTs the gateway to the metaverse and the future of e-commerce? What does it mean to have utility, tokenization and be a holder? Shouldn’t your avatar be a super model? What is the long term value of membership and community in this space. We talk to Marissa Skolnick, the first VentureFuel Visionary, and now co-founder of women-led NFT company Fierce Studios.

Beam Me Up, Scotty. Call it telepresence, or even holoportation, but it’s real right now as PORTL allows you to beam yourself in 4K life-sized holographic display to connect with friends, family, or potential customers. We talk about the future of work, the window to the metaverse, sustainability and nft displays.