Boston Speaks Up

This is an impromptu monologue from me, Zach Servideo, creator/host of Boston Speaks Up, founder of Value Creation Labs, and managing partner at Unicorn Studios. And here's what I'm riffing about on in this emergency podcast --> “Workplace survival in the 2020s basically means becoming an entrepreneur.”

For the third year running, Boston Speaks Up took over the Startup Boston Week stage for a three-hour live podcast marathon. This year, we dove into three big themes: raising capital the right way, modern venture studio models, and the evolving role of AI in product building. In our final segment, we closed with a live version of our recurring AI Happy Hour, featuring Justin Bingham, Clay Unicorn...

For the third year running, Boston Speaks Up took over the Startup Boston Week stage for a three-hour live podcast marathon. This year, we dove into three big themes: raising capital the right way, modern venture studio models, and the evolving role of AI in product building. In this segment, I was joined by Clay McIlrath (aka Clay Unicorn), Marc Gigliotti, and Dylan Wilson for a deep dive into ve...

For the third year running, Boston Speaks Up took over the Startup Boston Week stage for a three-hour live podcast marathon. This year, we dove into three big themes: raising capital the right way, modern venture studio models, and the evolving role of AI in product building. We kicked things off with Steve Walsh (Hands On Angel, Pitch Lift) and Rob Hughes (Koo Capital, HelpBnk, Pitch Lift). Their...

Guest Diana DiZoglio has played a pivotal role in public service throughout her career, serving as an advocate, legislator, and now, Auditor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In her role, DiZoglio is committed to increasing transparency and accountability in state government, ensuring that all residents receive equitable treatment, regardless of their background, financial status, or zip code....

Yvonne Hao, Secretary of the Executive Office of Economic Development for Massachusetts, joins the Boston Speaks Up podcast live on stage at Startup Boston Week 2024.

Hack. Diversity CEO Michelle De La Isla joins the Boston Speaks Up podcast live on stage at Startup Boston Week 2024.

In this special episode of "Boston Speaks Up," host Zach Servideo, founder of Value Creation Labs and a former doorman at the iconic Pour House, teams up with Lee Stabert from "Explain Boston to Me" to explore the ever-changing landscape of Boston’s dive bar culture. This conversation takes listeners deep into the heart of the city, reflecting on how these gritty, beloved spaces have managed to su...

Guest Mike Farber has played many roles throughout his career, serving as a brand builder, mentor, advisor, partner, and now, co-founder. In his latest career move, Farber has the world’s best interests in mind by co-founding GreenStory, an agency focused entirely on elevating the stories of organizations addressing the climate crisis. Farber is also an advisor at Greentown Labs, the country’s big...

Guest Kyle Wallack is an artist-entrepreneur and the founder of Refined Graffiti, and you can learn more about his work at his digital gallery The KW Gallery. After graduating from Endicott College in Beverly, MA, he lived in New York City for several years where his career took off before recently relocating to the Tampa Bay, Florida area. Wallack, inspired by the likes of Banksy and Basquiat amo...

Guest Nick Cicero is an analyst, entrepreneur and growth expert operating at the intersection of digital media and advertising. He made a name for himself in the 2010s when he founded Delmondo, a social video analytics company. Founded in 2014, Cicero quickly established Delmondo alongside established media measurement companies by introducing numerous industry firsts, including the first enterpri...

Guest Kristen Craft is the new Vice President & Business Partner Manager at Fidelity for Startups, one of the largest brokerage firms in the United States, headquartered here in Boston. She’s a major catalyst supporting Fidelity in its efforts to help fill the startup banking void in Boston. Craft is working closely with the team at Shoobx, a Cambridge-based fintech Fidelity acquired in January 20...

Barbara Fortier is the CEO of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEMA) where she has over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Before assuming this role, she served as Chief Operations Officer at GSEMA for an impressive 17 years. Fortier's influence extends beyond her impressive tenure at GSEMA. She is a specialist in volunteer management, fundraising, and female empowerment, ma...

Guest Alice Pomponio is the Managing Director at BrightEdge, the venture capital and impact investment arm of the American Cancer Society, where her work is making waves in the fight against cancer. With a passion for economic and health equity, she has built a strong track record of bringing groundbreaking ideas to life, developing cutting-edge technologies, shaping markets, and creating value wi...

Senofer Mendoza is the Founder and General Partner at Mendoza Ventures, a woman-owned and the first Latinx-founded VC fund on the east coast. In the ever-evolving landscape of venture capital, Mendoza stands as an innovation economy trailblazer and an advocate for diversity and inclusion. Mendoza has a creative background having previously worked as an interior designer for Parker Torres Design. D...

Stanley Rameau is the Founder and CEO of Renavest, a financial education community for investors and individuals to connect, share and build wealth. He is poised to make an even greater impact with the imminent release of the Renavest app on both the App Store and Google Play Store this fall (Join the waitlist). When Rameau isn’t guiding individuals from all walks of life along their journey to we...

Guest Gabriela Serret-Campos is the Global Head of People Strategy and Talent at Chronosphere, a cloud company that raised $200 million on a $1+ billion valuation in 2021. She is a seasoned professional with a rich background in shaping organizational strategies and fostering talent to drive success. As the modern workplace changes, Serret-Campos is an expert navigator of the evolving shifts and n...

Guest Stephanie Roulic is the founder and CEO of Startup Boston where she’s become a driving force behind Boston's startup ecosystem. Through Startup Boston, Roulic is on a mission to bring networking opportunities that bridge connections between people from different industries and companies from all stages. She leads a team of dedicated volunteers who are all aligned in fulfilling Startup Boston...

Dr. Jeff Sutherland is the Founder and Chairman of Scrum Inc. He is credited with being one of the creators of Scrum, which is celebrating its 30 year anniversary in 2023, and is a framework for enabling business agility at scale across an entire organization. Sutherland’s mission has always been to spread Scrum around the world to free people from what he calls “the incredible life-draining syste...

Devan Sood is the Co-Founder of Orca, a membership-based network of furnished month-to-month accommodations in dream destinations around the world. As working a 9-5 increasingly no longer requires a long commute to a 5’ x 5’ cubicle, Orca is designed for digital nomads who travel freely and work remotely around the globe. A digital nomad himself, Sood is currently traveling the world helping inspi...

George Deveney is the Chief Advancement Officer at Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island, headquartered in Boston, MA. Make-A-Wish is a non-profit organization on a mission to create life-changing wish experiences for children with critical illnesses. In 2023, Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island celebrate 40 years of providing life changing experiences to kids and families who deserve...

Guest Kerty Levy is the Managing Director of Techstars Boston, the successful startup accelerator tied to a global network of Techstars programs. (Techstars Boston applications are open now and will close June 7, 2023. Don’t miss out!) Levy replaced Greg Raiz, who stepped down as managing director at the end of October 2022. She brings a global perspective to her role having grown up all over the...

Guest Alex Kantrowitz is the founder of Big Technology, a combo newsletter-podcast news operation analyzing the systems in the tech world that drive what we see in the headlines. He launched Big Technology on the back of his wildly successful book Always Day One, which gives a behind-the-scenes view into how Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft have “stayed on top” by operating in Day One: Inst...

Guest Chris Cardoza is the Founder & Director of Doza Visuals, a Boston-based media production company with experience filming and photographing across the globe. You may be familiar with Cardoza’s work locally via the artist documentaries he produces for ICA Boston. Cardoza’s entrepreneurial journey was preceded by a childhood culminating as a multi-sport athlete in high school. Sports were every...

Guest Tucker Cohen is the Founder & CEO of Smoov, an app that makes it easy for couples to split their expenses automatically before they have a shared bank account. Smoov has enjoyed a popular beta period in Boston for its ability to save people time, money and headaches. Cohen is an entrepreneur with a range of experience on the west and east coasts, and grew to become a very active member of th...