Category Visionaries

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Travis Howerton, Co-Founder and CTO of RegScale, a continuous compliance automation platform that's raised over $21 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Travis’s background, including his 20 years in compliance in the United States’ nuclear weapons program, and transitioning from the public to the private sector The number one misconception people have about nuclear reactors and weapons Why compliance is an enormous hindrance for companies, and how RegScale uses AI and automation to make it easier for them  Travis’s approach to content marketing, and how he got 300,000 thousand downloads of his software Why Travis would advise his past self to grow RegScale more slowly   Favorite book:  Good to Great

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Jonathan Legge, CEO and Co-Founder of &Open, a corporate gifting platform that's raised over $35 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Jonathan’s unusual background in design, starting an ecommerce business with his brother, and why Brian Chesky is an inspiration How &Open became Airbnb’s Global Gifting partner Where corporate gifting goes wrong, and how &Open makes corporate gifting thoughtful again  Curating products, logistics, and having the patience to stay self-funded for as long as it was strategic How gifting is really about creating connections and establishing relationships, and how Jonathan plans to “scale thoughtfulness”

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Stephen Johnston, CEO and Founder of GoodJob, a human capital management platform that's raised $9 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Stephen’s background and his love of building and leading Why Stephen would have Ronald Reagan, Mother Teresa and Bill Gates on his ideal advisory board Books and podcasts that Stephen finds inspirational Why companies only hire the right person 50% of the time, and how GoodJob raises that up to 80% by using customized behavioral models The fundamental principle that informs Stephen’s success, the pros of being located outside of a large tech hub, and important pivots in GoodJob   Favorite book:  Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Tim McLaughlin, CEO and Co-Founder of GoTab, a restaurant commerce platform that's raised $26 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Tim’s background, starting seven companies, lessons learned from those that failed, and working with his wife of 25 years Tim’s interest in philosophy and anthropology and books he’s been reading about these topics Restaurant technology, how broken it is, and how GoTab is helping restaurants improve their commerce and logistics operations How differences in restaurant customer experience in the US and Europe are due to tech infrastructure Tim’s ideal clients, why he doesn’t like fundraising, and why when you are selling your product, context is everything   Favorite book:  The Four Steps to the Epiphany

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Michael Belenkie, CEO and President of Entropy, a carbon capture company that's raised $300 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Michael’s background in engineering, and a long-running focus on the energy and gas economy How stagnation in the low-carbon gas economy left space for someone to do something different The importance of carbon pricing in making a compelling case for people to invest in the low carbon economy Why effective communication was essential at the early stages of introducing Entropy’s concept to potential customers The future of the low-carbon economy and why it's important to understand differentiated investor priorities //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe.  www.GlobalTalent.co  

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Hjalmar Gislason, CEO and Founder of Grid, a next generation spreadsheet platform that's raised $16.5 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Hjalmar’s background, including his entrepreneurial family, growing up in a small town in Iceland, and founding five startups  Who Hans Rosling was, and why he is an inspiration for Hjalmar Why spreadsheets haven’t evolved much, and how Grid helps users turn spreadsheets into tools for the web Turning points and low points for Grid, and why Hjalmar recently decided to downsize the company Why Hjalmar prioritizes people, and what lessons he learned from fundraising Favorite book:  A Short History of Nearly Everything

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Alfred Griffin, CEO & Co-Founder of LightForce, an orthodontics technology company that's raised over $150 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Orthodontic Innovation with 3D Printing: LightForce applies modern software and 3D printing technology to create customized braces, addressing a long-standing issue in orthodontics by making treatments more efficient and effective. Significant Reduction in Treatment Time: LightForce's customized approach has shown a greater than 40% reduction in the number of treatment appointments and total treatment time, leading to better outcomes for patients. Digital Workflow Advantages: The technology enables orthodontists to plan treatments digitally, which can be executed by trained assistants, reducing the physical strain on doctors and increasing operational efficiency. Impact of COVID-19: The pandemic highlighted the benefits of digital orthodontics, as practices using LightForce and similar technologies saw better patient outcomes with fewer appointments compared to traditional methods. Orthodontist and Patient Benefits: LightForce's solution offers significant benefits for both orthodontists and patients, including fewer visits, better treatment outcomes, and improved operational margins for practices. Strong Growth and Adoption: With a 300% year-over-year growth and about 10% of North American orthodontists actively using LightForce, the company is rapidly expanding and transforming the orthodontics industry.   //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Ravi Sandepudi, Co-Founder and CEO of Effectiv, a fraud and risk management platform that's raised $9.6 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Ravi’s background, including his time at Google and his experience as an Indian immigrant in the United States Effectiv’s goal of democratizing fraud management What it’s like to continuously battle fraudsters, and why nowadays smaller organizations are under attack How Effectiv helps financial organizations benefit from the latest advances in tech to protect themselves from fraud without creating friction for their clients Ravi’s advice for founders and his vision for the future of Effectiv

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Edouard Gouin, CEO & Co-Founder of Convelio, an art logistics platform that has raised $44 Million in funding. Here are the most Interesting points from the conversation: Rocket Internet Experience: Edouard shares how working at Rocket Internet emphasized the importance of execution over strategy, highlighting the value of strong purpose-driven work beyond just profitability. Identifying a Market Gap: The inspiration for Convelio came from the frustration of dealing with inefficient and costly fine art shipping processes, leading to the creation of a FedEx-like solution for the art market. Navigating a Traditional Market: Edouard discusses the challenges and gradual approach Convelio took to break into the conservative art market, starting with antique dealers and progressively moving to larger clients. Expansion and Acquisition: Convelio’s strategic acquisition in the UK aimed to consolidate their presence and enhance their capability to handle high-value shipments, bridging gaps in their service offerings. Impact of COVID and NFTs: The pandemic and the rise of NFTs brought new buyers into the art market, expanding its size and visibility. Edouard believes physical art will continue to coexist with digital art. Future Vision: Edouard envisions Convelio expanding geographically and developing more digital tools to streamline art logistics, aiming to move the art industry forward.

In today's edition of Funding the Future, we speak with Courtney Lipkin, partner at Susa Ventures, a seed fund based in San Francisco. Topics Discussed: Courtney’s background growing in the Bay Area, studying international relations, and making her way into tech and venture capital  Why Courtney sees herself as better at venture than she would be at founding her own company Why Courtney loves working with founders and creative designers, and why her favorite book is a biography of Leonardo Da Vinci The history of Susa Ventures, and the characteristics that set it apart from other funds Why Courtney doesn’t think Silicon Valley is dying at all, and what a typical day is like for a venture capitalist   Favorite book:  Leonardo da Vinci, by Walter Isaacson