BUILDERS

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Beck Besecker, CEO and Founder of Marxent , a 3D product experience platform that's raised over $44 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Beck’s background in finance, tech and marketing, and being a lifelong entrepreneur alongside his brother Barry Why the entrepreneur who most inspires Beck is his own father, and the time Beck met Neil Ar...

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Dan Ahrens , Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Left Lane Capital . Topics Discussed: The current state of the venture capital space, and why contemporary founders are seeking more than simply startup capital The importance of hustle an independent thinking to running a successful VC How Left Lane Capital differentiates itself by taking a d...

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Dennis Thankachan , CEO and Co-Founder of Lightyear , a telecom operating system platform that's raised over $18 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Dennis’ background in computer science and finance, and starting a bunch of random businesses while in high school and college What Dennis learned from his time at Goldman Sachs – and what he...

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Amir Taichman , Founder and CEO of Unity SCM , a supply chain operations platform that's raised over $13 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Amir’s background in big data, and the biggest lesson he learned from his time in the Israeli Defence Forces How Amir started his first company with a high school friend, and why he gave his investor...

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Dr Thomas Oakley , CEO of Feedback PLC , a medical imaging technology company that's raised £20 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Dr Thomas’s background as a clinical radiologist and employee of the UK’s National Health Service Who is Tim Specter, and why Dr Thomas finds him an inspiring entrepreneur How patient data is siloed across di...

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Michael Bamberger , CEO and Founder of Tetra Insights , a qualitative research and insights platform that's raised $7 Million in funding.  Topics Discussed: Michael’s background as a self-taught web developer with experience in finance The tech scene in Boulder, Colorado, and what it’s like to live and work there Who’s the entrepreneur Mich...

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 Wyatt Smith , CEO & Founder of UpSmith , a workforce productivity platform that has raised $3.3 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: From Farm to Tech: Wyatt's journey from a cattle r...

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 misconcept...

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 gif...

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 inspirationa...

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...

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, a...

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 spread...

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 Printi...

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...

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 workin...

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 wo...

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Sabrina Paseman and Simon Lancaster , General Partners at Omni Venture Labs , about the future of deeptech investment and globally-important innovation.  Topics Discussed: The path both Sabrina and Simon took into the venture capital world, and why they both feel they’ve found their place The rise of the deeptech economy, and why Omni Ventu...

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with David Berry , CEO and Founder of Valo , an AI for drug discovery and development company that's raised over $500 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: David’s background in the healthcare space, and how getting bitten by the entrepreneurial bug led him away from a career in medicine Valo’s mission and their unique approach to developing new...

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Sivan Tehila , Founder and CEO of Onyxia , a cybersecurity performance management platform that's raised $5 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Sivan’s background, including her time as Head of Information Security in the Israeli military and in the civilian defense industry Why cybersecurity professionals are often seen as blocking the b...

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 Thomas Millay , CEO of DemandJump , a marketing strategy platform that's raised over $25 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Evolution of Tech and Marketing: Tom reflects on the signific...

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with David Johnson , CEO of Dexai , a kitchen robotics platform that's raised over $12 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: David’s background, including his PhD in physics, and how growing up on mother-cooked meals inspired his hobby as a chef The man who invented the helicopter, and why he’s an inspiration for David What David was like as a t...

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Kaycee Lai , CEO and Founder of Promethium , a data fabric platform that's raised $34.5 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Kaycee’s background, including his time as a Federal Reserve analyst Why Martha Stewart is the CEO Kaycee admires the most, and why his favorite book is a classic 19th-century French novel The difficulties companies...

  In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Michael Guirguis , Co-Founder and CEO of SESO , a workforce management platform for the agriculture industry that has raised nearly $30 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Michael’s background in labor policy, his internship in the White House, and why he switched from the public to the private sector What Michael admires in Ryan Peters...

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 Luke Hansen , CEO & Founder of CompanyCam , a visual communication platform for contractors that has raised $38 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Embracing Uniqueness: Luke's musta...