CEO.com | Dispatches from the frontiers of leadership

In this episode of the CEO Podcast, Clint we sits down with Blake Garrett, the founder and CEO of Aceable, a company dedicated to transforming mandatory education into engaging, mobile, and gamified experiences. Blake shares his journey from management consulting to raising $115 million and building a profitable, impactful business.Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction and Welcome00:14 - What is Aceable?01:31 - Blake's Entrepreneurial Journey03:42 - Fundraising and Financial Growth05:58 - Impact of AI on Aceable07:40 - A Day in the Life of a CEO09:13 - Company Culture and Values10:56 - Reading and Learning Recommendations13:40 - Vibe Coding and AI Projects16:28 - Sales Cycle in EdTech17:18 - Macroeconomic Impact on Business18:33 - Austin as a Tech Hub19:54 - Acknowledging Key Supporters21:08 - Closing Remarks

In this episode, Clint sits down with Philip Brittan, the CEO of Bloomfire, to discuss his impressive career journey and the innovative work being done at Bloomfire in the knowledge management and enterprise search space. From his early days at Google to leading Crux Informatics and now Bloomfire, Philip shares his insights on the evolving landscape of AI, the importance of enterprise intelligence, and the future of technology in business.Timestamps:00:06 - Introduction and Guest Background00:36 - Overview of Bloomfire01:40 - Philip's Journey to Bloomfire03:07 - Concept of Enterprise Intelligence05:27 - AI's Impact on Bloomfire08:27 - Practical Applications of AI09:35 - Future of AI12:00 - Challenges with AI Implementation17:25 - A Day in the Life of a CEO19:16 - Life on a Ranch19:41 - Montana's Tech Ecosystem24:58 - Remote Work and Company Culture30:56 - Economic Outlook for Tech and SaaS35:15 - Importance of Giving and Receiving Chances37:58 - Closing Remarks

Prashant Fuloria, CEO of Fundbox and former product manager at Google and Facebook, shares his inspiring journey in empowering small businesses. He dives into Fundbox's mission of providing quick financial support through seamless integration with invoicing platforms. The discussion highlights AI's transformative role in risk assessment and lending practices, balancing innovation with responsible capitalism. Fuloria also emphasizes the importance of sleep and authentic leadership in shaping a positive company culture, reflecting on the evolving landscape of small businesses in the digital age.

In this episode, Clint sits down with Michael Litt, the co-founder and CEO of Vidyard, a leading video platform for businesses. Michael shares his incredible journey from being a Systems Design Engineering student at the University of Waterloo to building a successful tech company that has been thriving for over a decade.Timestamps:00:06 - Introduction and Background00:23 - University of Waterloo Experience01:06 - Early Work Experiences and Entrepreneurial Drive01:50 - Starting Vidyard02:22 - Initial Business Model and Early Challenges03:24 - Developing Video Technology03:46 - Y Combinator Application and Experience05:01 - Becoming the CEO05:38 - Lessons from Y Combinator08:37 - Fundraising and Demo Day10:49 - Early Investors and Series A11:15 - Evolution of Vidyard's Product14:53 - Inflection Points and Product Market Fit17:17 - AI and the Future of Video22:17 - Building Vidyard in Canada26:28 - Reflecting on Key Support and Personal Story28:28 - Conclusion and Thanks

In this episode, we sit down with Hamza Alsmaraee, an extraordinary young entrepreneur who has already achieved more than most do in a lifetime. At just 22, he's a published author, a Stanford undergrad, and the Co-founder and CEO of NewForm. Join us as we dive deep into his journey from writing a calculus book at 16 to building a multimillion-dollar business while still in college.Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction and Hamza's Background  00:17 - Publishing a Calculus Book at 16  01:04 - Marketing the Calculus Book  01:25 - Starting a Math Page on Instagram  01:46 - Growing the Instagram Page  02:07 - Book Sales and Revenue  02:36 - Documentary and Stanford  03:02 - Founding NewForm  03:12 - Shift from Social Media to Interest Media  03:44 - New Form of Marketing  04:15 - Content-First Marketing Strategy  05:08 - Scaling a Consumer App with TikTok Ads  06:01 - NewForm's Role in Growth Marketing  07:03 - Simplifying Complex Software Marketing  07:27 - Effective Short-Form Content  08:09 - Visual Appeal in Ads  09:08 - Misconceptions About Marketing in Tech  10:00 - The Importance of Marketing in Tech  11:06 - Evolution of Marketing in Tech  12:20 - Elon Musk and Marketing  12:52 - Typical Day of a 22-Year-Old Entrepreneur  14:19 - Implementing AI in Marketing  15:02 - AI in Marketing Workflows  16:05 - Woolbot: AI Performance Marketer  17:08 - AI-Assisted Workflows vs. AI-Generated Content  18:24 - Future Vision for Nuform  19:08 - Woolbot's Role in Marketing  21:01 - Connecting Media and Creative Teams  21:58 - Great vs. Good Short-Form Ads  23:30 - Social Media Celebrities vs. Traditional Media  24:47 - The Importance of IRL Experiences  25:03 - The Chance That Made a Difference  26:19 - Majoring in Math at Stanford  26:57 - Conclusion and Farewell

In this episode, Clint sits down with Veer Gidwaney, the founder and CEO of Ansel Health, to discuss his entrepreneurial journey and the mission behind Ansel Health. Veer shares insights into the challenges of the U.S. healthcare system, the importance of supplemental health insurance, and how his company aims to alleviate the financial burden of health distress.Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction00:16 - Veer's Background and Entrepreneurial Journey00:37 - The Mission of Ansel Health01:08 - Challenges in the Healthcare System01:51 - Understanding Supplemental Health Insurance03:21 - The State of Healthcare in the U.S.05:28 - Leadership Lessons and Company Culture07:13 - Managing Stress and Work-Life Balance08:19 - A Day in the Life of a CEO09:33 - The Role of AI in Insurance11:27 - Advice for Success12:19 - Reading Recommendations13:31 - Finding Purpose and Motivation14:11 - Learning from Failure15:09 - Company Values17:32 - The State of the Economy19:08 - The Importance of Giving Chances20:23 - Closing Remarks

In this episode, we sit down with Dinakar Munagala, the co-founder and CEO of Blaize, a pioneering company in the realm of physical world AI. Blaize is revolutionizing industries such as agriculture, healthcare, smart cities, and defense with their novel chip processor architecture and software solutions.Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction00:17 - Dinakar's background and Blaize's mission01:02 - The rise of AI and its impact on various industries03:23 - AI's potential to transform jobs and productivity04:11 - Advice for CEOs on implementing AI06:40 - A day in the life of Blaize's CEO08:08 - Leadership and managing a hybrid workforce10:05 - Democratizing AI and making it accessible12:34 - Downsides and risks of AI13:51 - Reading recommendations and staying informed15:09 - Economic perspectives and navigating challenges16:03 - The importance of mentorship and support

In this episode, we sit down with Max Ma, the founder and CEO of 7thOnline, a company revolutionizing the retail industry with cutting-edge AI solutions. Max shares his incredible journey from identifying inefficiencies in the retail supply chain to building a global enterprise that partners with top brands like Birkenstock, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and Patagonia.Timestamps:00:06 - Introduction and Background00:21 - Founding 7thOnline01:26 - Business Evolution and Leadership03:25 - Daily Routine and AI Integration04:54 - AI in Retail and Supply Chain06:30 - AI Growth and Industry Impact08:21 - Moving Beyond Excel09:55 - Work-Life Balance11:15 - Reading Recommendations13:32 - Economic Outlook and Tariffs15:00 - Mentorship and Support16:39 - Closing Remarks

In this episode, we sit down with the CEO of Solutions by Text, Dave Baxter,  to hear his incredible journey — from turning down a board seat to leading one of the most innovative companies in fintech.Dave shares how he scaled a small, founder-led family business into a fintech powerhouse by combining mobile messaging, AI, and compliance-driven solutions for the financial industry. We dive into his leadership lessons, the lonely reality of being a first-time CEO, how he leverages AI to drive better outcomes for clients, and how he balances family, work, and personal growth along the way.Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction00:06 - Dave's Background and Career Path02:08 - The Aha Moment and Vision for Solutions by Text06:45 - Leadership Lessons Learned10:38 - AI Integration in Solutions by Text13:39 - A Day in the Life of a CEO16:15 - Reading Recommendations18:34 - The Importance of Mentorship22:00 - Closing Remarks

In this episode, Clint sits down with Somia Farid Silber. They dive into the incredible journey of how a young girl dipping strawberries in her family's store grew up to become the CEO of one of the most recognizable gifting brands in the world — Edible Arrangements.She shares how she’s leading the next chapter of the company, from expanding into new wellness markets with Edibles.com to innovating the in-store experience with Edible Next Gen. We also discuss leadership lessons, balancing family and business, using AI to personalize customer experiences, and how to future-proof a brand in both retail and e-commerce.Timestamps:00:07 - Introduction and Early Business Experience01:32 - Running a Family Business02:48 - Launch of Edibles.com04:37 - Sourcing and Product Selection05:08 - Integrating AI in Business07:20 - A Day in the Life of a CEO08:28 - Mental Health and Well-being Strategies09:48 - Impact of Tariffs11:18 - Leadership Lessons12:29 - Brick and Mortar vs. E-commerce14:36 - Customer Response to Cannabis Industry Entry15:44 - The Importance of Giving Chances16:52 - Closing Remarks and Gratitude