The Matt Waller Podcast

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Natalia Burgett, Chief Strategy Officer at Platform Science, a company that has been making big waves in transportation technology. The timing couldn't have been better, as they had just announced an impressive $125 million funding round. As I spoke with Natalia, I was struck by Platform Science's truly revolutionary vision of creating an open...

Arkansas has emerged as a hub for professional services firms specializing in the retail value chain (RVC). Many of these firms have achieved successful exits worth over $50 million. A new initiative called Highstep aims to build on this strength by launching 10 new AI-powered professional services startups in Arkansas over 5 months. By combining Arkansas's RVC expertise with cutting-edge AI,...

As someone who has spent years working with messy, fragmented data in the supply chain field, I was immediately intrigued by Tracer - an innovative data analytics platform helping brands make sense of their dispersed information streams. During my interview with Obele Brown-West, Tracer's president, I gained valuable insights into how this powerful tool is empowering companies across industri...

As the Senior Vice President at Emerge, a company dedicated to revolutionizing the freight procurement process, Maggie has had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the transformative impact of technology on the logistics industry. The freight procurement process has long been plagued by inefficiencies, manual processes, and a lack of transparency. Traditionally, shippers would conduct annual bidd...

Heather Nichols' career arc through print media, digital advertising, and influencer marketing epitomizes the evolution of marketing towards a narrative-driven approach. Starting with foundational roles at Meredith Corporation and advancing through digital ad spaces to leadership at Acorn Influence, Nichols has harnessed the transformative power of storytelling to foster deeper brand-consumer...

Quinn Snacks was founded in 2010 by Kristy Lewis, who saw an opportunity to create a healthier alternative to traditional microwave popcorn. The idea stemmed from Lewis's interest in connecting what she saw at local farmers markets to the ingredients in mainstream grocery stores. Not finding a company making snacks in a cleaner, safer way, she decided to start Quinn Snacks just days after the...

I interviewed Chris Scheid, co-founder of MyCarrier, to provide guidance for both new and experienced shippers on effectively using less-than-truckload (LTL) transportation. Scheid draws on over 15 years of experience in pricing, technology, and building the successful shipping platform MyCarrier to illuminate the ins and outs of LTL. Understanding LTL Basics Scheid begins by giving an overview of...

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Sam Thompson and Adriaan Zur Muhlen from Progress Ventures. Progress Ventures is a specialty venture capital firm focused on investing in advertising, marketing, and media technology companies. During our discussion, Sam and Adriaan provided fascinating insights into how they identify disruptive innovators, support their portfolio companies, and anticipa...

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Gary Adams, who has over 30 years of experience in supply chain management at Walmart. Gary held many leadership roles at Walmart, including Vice President of International Logistics and Vice President of Walmart's Internet Supply Chain for Walmart International. He now serves as an operating partner for New Road Capital Partners, advising portfoli...

The maritime transportation industry, traditionally resistant to change, has rapidly embraced digital transformation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as detailed in discussions with Uriel Brison of WaveBL. Historically dependent on paper documentation, particularly the Bill of Lading for shipping goods, the industry faced inefficiencies and risks like loss and fraud. WaveBL, specializing in e...

Craig Harper has long been a visionary leader in the transportation industry. As someone who has successfully spearheaded strategic initiatives at JB Hunt, Harper understands both the challenges and opportunities of transitioning to cleaner fuels and technologies. Through rigorous data analysis and fact-based assessments, Harper highlights several systemic issues that will need to be addressed for...

Before founding New Engen, Inc., Justin Hayashi helped e-commerce giant Zulily achieve remarkable success through his mastery of performance marketing. By leveraging creativity and data, Zulily reached $1 billion in revenue under his leadership. Justin then ventured out on his own after Zulily's acquisition, offering his services pro bono to various CEOs. His expertise proved valuable, and wi...

Josh Jewett discusses several significant advancements in retail supply chain transparency and digital customer engagement. Supply chain transparency has been enabled by telemetry data from containers, cartons and pallets, allowing retailers to track purchase orders from origin to store. This facilitates timely delivery of merchandise and optimized operations for key sales periods like holidays. R...

MFour Mobile Research provides valuable data and insights to help brands understand omnichannel shopper behavior. In this podcast interview, MFour CEO Chris St. Hilaire shares how the company captures consumer data across in-store, online, and mobile channels to paint a holistic picture of the shopper journey. Chris explains that today's shoppers engage in a constant cycle of online and offli...

Brands want to get closer to customers to understand how spending drives outcomes. Retailers have rich customer data from transactions that can help target brands' most valuable audiences. As retailers build out their media capabilities, they can sell audience access to brands across various channels like digital displays and audio. This offers brands new opportunities to reach customers beyo...

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing George Abernathy, a true legend in the transportation procurement business, for my podcast. George is a Board Member & Strategic Advisor and is the very recent past President of Emerge. Over the course of our conversation, George provided invaluable insights into this complex industry from someone with over three decades of experience. Here are a few...

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Jeffrey Nicholson, CEO and Co-Founder of Tracer, for my podcast. Tracer was originally incubated within VaynerMedia to automate reporting and analytics, and has grown into a leading data intelligence platform. Jeffrey has over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and data, previously holding leadership roles at VaynerMedia. He co-founded Tracer in...

On a recent episode of my podcast I talked with Dan Johnston, CEO and co-founder of WorkStep, about using data and analytics to create a better work experience for frontline employees. WorkStep’s mission is to make the frontline a better place to work through the use of technology. Dan saw firsthand as a retail and supply chain worker the challenges faced by frontline employees, including lack of...

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Andrew Leto, CEO and founder of Emerge, a company reinventing freight procurement. Andrew has an impressive background as a serial entrepreneur in logistics and technology. Andrew has always had an entrepreneurial spirit and curiosity about business. As a young man serving in the Navy, he voraciously read every business book he could get his hands on. On...

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Erhan Musaoglu, Founder and CEO of Logiwa, on my podcast. Logiwa provides a cloud-based fulfillment management system designed specifically for direct-to-consumer e-commerce businesses. In this post, I'll summarize key insights from our conversation on the unique challenges of e-commerce fulfillment and how Logiwa's solution helps businesses sc...

The pandemic, rising inflation, and labor market volatility have disrupted traditional work life, including how companies schedule employees. I spoke with three executives from Shiftboard, a workforce scheduling solutions company, about how their technology empowers employers and employees to adapt to the new world of work. Shiftboard caters to manufacturing, healthcare, and energy industries—indu...

Shaveer Mirpuri, founder and CEO of Insite AI, recently appeared on The Matt Waller Podcast to discuss how artificial intelligence is transforming the consumer brands and retail industries. Insite AI, founded in 2019, uses AI to help major CPG companies optimize their retail channels, manage relationships, and drive revenue growth. Some key takeaways from the interview: Insight AI has achieved rem...

Where the future of the retail value chain is being built. As a supply chain management professor, consultant, and investor, my mission is to bridge the gap between academia, industry, and investment by advancing the understanding and implementation of innovative logistics and ecommerce technologies. I aim to foster effective and efficient supply chains, creating value for businesses, investors, s...