Test. Optimize. Scale.

This week on Test. Optimize. Scale. My guest is Darren Marble, a pioneering force in democratizing investment opportunities through media and technology. As the Executive Producer of Going Public®, he's revolutionizing how viewers engage with business television – creating the first show where audiences can invest in featured companies while watching in real-time. The groundbreaking series is set...

My guest this week is Jeff Carlton, a Certified Business & Executive Coach with FocalPoint who brings an extraordinary blend of military leadership and business expertise to the coaching world.   With over 30 years as a military officer and fighter pilot, Jeff has navigated both the skies and complex organizational challenges. His background includes serving as a USAF Inspector General, where he m...

My guest this week is Simon Penson. Having started his career in journalism, he quickly became captivated by the power of audience building across all platforms. His expertise grew to encompass digital marketing, business leadership, strategy, and growth.   His natural enthusiasm for innovation led him to establish, grow, and successfully sell two digital businesses, while continuing to pursue opp...

My guest this week is Jenny Kassan, Jenny is an attorney, coach, and ecosystem builder focused on capital access for underrepresented entrepreneurs. Jenny earned her J.D. from Yale Law School and a masters degree in City and Regional Planning from UC Berkeley. She is the author of Raise Capital on Your Own Terms: How to Fund Your Business without selling Your Soul. Jenny co-founded the Sustainable...

My guest this week is Eddie Tobler, a seasoned expert in corporate governance and shareholder relations with over 15 years of industry experience. Currently serving as the Managing General Partner at West Coast Stock Transfer Corp, Eddie has established himself as a trusted advisor in the Community and Regional Banking sector, particularly specializing in guiding banks through public market transi...

My guest this week is Karl Dakin. Karl is a seasoned entrepreneur and capital strategist with over four decades of experience in transforming innovative ideas into thriving businesses. As the founder of Dakin Capital LLC and an adjunct professor at the University of Denver's Daniels College of Business, Karl has pioneered the "Motivated Money Method," a unique approach to capital raising that focu...

My guest is Brian Belley, Brian is the Vice President of Product at KingsCrowd and a prolific angel investor who has backed over 220 private startups through equity crowdfunding and private syndicates. As the founder of Crowdwise.org and VentureWallet.co (acquired by KingsCrowd in 2021), Brian has established himself as a leading voice in the democratization of private investing. Beyond his invest...

My guest is Ryan Schwartz, Ryan is a life-long storyteller with a passion for products that enrich the lives of consumers. Previously, Ryan brought his collaborative spirit to film production as a writer/producer/director and lead a full-service interactive marketing agency specializing in web designs, branded creative content, viral marketing, and print/marketing collateral. Today, Ryan brings hi...

My guest is Devin Thorpe, a champion of social good and pioneer in social entrepreneurship. As a journalist, author, and speaker, Devin has dedicated his career to helping solve the world's biggest problems. He's the founder of the Your Mark on the World Center and author of multiple books on using money for good. Through his work, he's helped nonprofits raise over $500 million for worthy causes....

My Guest is Benji Taylor Jones, an accomplished co-founder of Innovative Capital Law and a powerhouse in the evolving landscape of modern finance. With a track record of advising on multi-billion dollar transactions, she bridges the gap between traditional capital raising and cutting-edge FinTech solutions. Her expertise spans from guiding startups through crowdfunding campaigns to orchestrating c...

My guest is Michael Marquardt. Michael is currently the CEO of Epi One, leading a cutting-edge biotech startup that is on a mission to revolutionize early cancer detection and accurate diagnosis. With over 25 years of global experience in healthcare and technology sectors, he is passionate about ending cancer as we know it, for everyone, after losing several loved ones to the disease. His dedicati...

Here's the replay of our first-ever live broadcast of Test. Optimize. Scale.! For episode 177, we're excited to welcome Seymour Segnit, founder and CEO of MAGFAST, a company that has raised over $9.2 million on Netcapital. With extensive experience at firms like Ogilvy & Mather and Saatchi & Saatchi and as a co-founder of a Silicon Valley startup, Seymour combines his expertise in customer experie...

My guest is Sean Levine! Sean is a Managing Director at Entoro Capital and head of the firm's crowdfunding practice. He is an investment banker, attorney, securities analyst, entrepreneur, and consultant with a focus on regulated investment crowdfunding placements, financial publishing, and other retail investor distribution solutions. He has experience managing Regulation A exempt securities offe...

My guest is Marcus Laun! With over 15 years in finance, Marcus has experience working in public and private equities as well as venture capital. He is known in the finance community as a straight shooter, trustworthy and a visionary leader. Previous work includes serving as Vice President at both Chardan Capital Markets and Brean Murray & Co, Inc. He was also Managing Director at Knight Capital Ma...

My guests are Danielle Godfrey and Zuraiz Chaudhary from SetApart Financial Services! Danielle and Zuraiz are the leading providers of audit, review, tax, and accounting services to startups engaged in crowdfunding Regulation CF and Regulation A fundraising in United States. Social and Website: Website: https://www.setapartfs.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zuraiz-chaudhary-22a2b9121/ F...

My guest is Peter Cimoroni! Peter is a serial entrepreneur that has also assisted dozens of local and national companies in strategic growth, brand development, and acquisition negotiations. Peter founded and heads two companies, one a marketing firm specializing in new product development and charity fundraising, the other offering customers a single contact point for business solutions requiring...

My guest is Chirag Sagar! Charig co-founded Mission Matters Media, a multi-faceted media company serving enterprises, entrepreneurs, and experts. The company has published 300+ authors, launched 200+ podcasts, and serves 650+ clients. Sagar also co-founded Digital Luxury Agency, working with 3000+ companies including Virgin and Bank of America. Previously, he was COO of Destination Luxury and scal...

My guest is Andrew Dix! Andrew is the CEO and Co-Founder of the Crowded Media Group, publisher of Crowdfund Insider, the leading news and information site for the global Fintech industry.  Crowdfund Insider was recognized by Onalytica as a Digital Transformation Top 100 Influencer under the publication category for 2018 Crowdfund Insider was founded in 2012, soon after the signing of the JOBS Act...

My guest is Esmond Goei! Esmond is a serial entrepreneur with over three decades of experience in launching, leading, and transforming companies in various industries. He has an MBA from Western University, a BASc in Electrical Engineering from Queen's University, and a Culinary Arts degree from the Art Institute of Colorado. He combines his diverse skills and knowledge to create value for custome...

My guest is Woodie Neiss! Woodie co-authored the "Crowdfunding Exemption Framework," which became the basis for Title III of the U.S. JOBS Act. He co-founded Crowdfund Capital Advisors, GUARDD, and is a General Partner at D3VC. Neiss has consulted for governments and organizations worldwide on crowdfunding. He co-authored several influential reports and books on the subject, including "Crowdfundin...

My guest is Kevin Lee! Kevin is Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Didit a leading digital marketing and technology firm. Since 1996, Didit has been helping clients win, across industries, from the Fortune 500 to startups. While Didit started in SEO and PPC search, over the last 5 years Didit has made 11 acquisitions to transform itself into a full service marketing firm while retaining technolo...

My guest is Seth Farbman! Seth is a serial entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in servicing private and public companies across various sectors and industries. He has co-founded and sold three companies in the fields of SEC filings, IPOs, Nasdaq and NYSE listings, corporate services, and background checks, generating significant value for his clients and partners. He is currently the fou...

My guest is Alex Bayer! Alex is the founder of Genius Organic Coconut Smoothie, a company born from his passion for authentic, healthy beverages. In 2013, while working as an insurance salesman, Alex noticed a lack of genuine smoothie options on Los Angeles shelves. Most available drinks contained added sugars, purees, and artificial flavors. Alex's busy lifestyle led him to make smoothies for him...

My guest is Harrison Bert! Prior to joining StartEngine, Harrison worked on JP Morgan's Leveraged Finance team, originating and syndicating over $10B in debt financing for clients. Two years ago, he came over to the equity crowdfunding space, helping build out StartEngine's Fundraising Team by working with founders on deal structure and fundraising strategy. As Director of Fundraising, Harrison ha...

My guest is Youngro Lee! Youngro is a 2x-FinTech startup founder, and currently the President of Brassica, an API-enabled RWA infrastructure provider (acquired by BitGo in 2024), as well as CEO of BitGo Singapore and BitGo Korea where he leads Bitgo's strategic expansion into Asia. Youngro's first startup NextSeed (acquired by Republic in 2020) was the first SEC-registered Funding Portal under the...