Coffee with a Founder

On this episode of Coffee with a Founder, Beck Bamberger sits down with Simon Wijckmans of c/side to talk about making the internet safe and secure enough for our grandparents, navigating compliance headaches, and exploring how building a mission-driven team not only fuels motivation but also makes the journey fun.

On this episode of Coffee with a Founder, Beck Bamberger chats with Priyaa Kalyanaraman , Co-Founder and CEO of Lica World , about becoming one of the first viral vibe coders, democratizing visual storytelling, and how AI is reshaping creative industries. All while unpacking the difference between building a product and building a company.

On today's episode, Beck Bamberger sits down with one of our favorite BAM clients. Ben Allen , Co-Founder and Business Development Officer of GreenLite . Ben shares how GreenLite helps landlords, companies, and franchises cut costs by reducing construction permitting delays and accelerating what Ben calls the three R's: Revenues, Rents, and Royalties.

On today's episode, Beck sits down with Philip Merrick, CEO of pgEdge, for an honest conversation about the importance of working with people you enjoy. Together, they discuss everything from the slow-burning evolution of technology to AI to speeding up data access across the globe. 

On today's episode, Beck Bamberger sits down with Drew Mercer , Co-Founder and CEO of PayGround. Drew shares how his cancer diagnosis and the birth of his third child threw him into a whirlwind of medical bills, and how that chaos sparked the idea for PayGround. They also discuss why hustle and humility, not just expertise, can truly make a difference in startup life.  

On today's episode, Beck Bamberger sits down with Mason Mincey , Co-Founder and COO of Soarce . If you've ever wondered how plant waste can be transformed into materials eight times stronger than steel or what it's like to scale a hardware company at hyperspeed, you're in the right place. From material science breakthroughs to the gritty realities of manufacturing in the U.S., Mason shares how Soa...

Today's episode featured a conversation with Dan Beck , the Co-founder and CEO of 401GO. Dan shares his journey working alongside his brother and why staying curious and problem-focused is the heart of entrepreneurship.

On today's episode, Beck Bamberger sits down with Charlie Silver , Co-Founder and CEO of Ruby Bio . Charlie unpacks the real challenges of bringing biotech innovations to market, the lessons learned from past successes and failures, and why humility and intellectual honesty are crucial in the world of synthetic biology.  

On today's episode, Beck Bamberger sits down with Edward Tian , Co-Founder and CEO of GPTZero . Edward shares the raw, behind-the-scenes realities of building a mission-driven company born from a thesis project at Princeton. Edward opens up about preserving critical thinking, combating "brain rot," and why founders should always build for writers.  

On today's episode, Beck Bamberger sits down with Satyen Sangani , Co-Founder and CEO of Alation . Satyen shares the raw, behind-the-scenes realities of startup life. Opening up about leaving his former company and how his wife's support helped him take the leap to build something lasting.

On today's episode, Beck Bamberger sits down with Jason Aramburu , Co-Founder and CEO of Applied Carbon . In this grounded and honest conversation, Jason shares the uphill climb of building physical climate tech, the hidden costs of going green, and why real solutions don't come from cartoon villains or VC fantasies.  

On today's installment, Beck Bamberger sits down with Simon Holland , Founder of Vera , an AI-powered back office automation tool for SMBs. In this episode, he opens up about what it's like to build teams across continents and the unexpected relationships that have blossomed from company culture.

On this episode, Beck Bamberger sits down with Justin Levine , Co-Founder and CEO of Shepherd , to talk risk management in commercial construction and how smart storytelling ties construction to people, places, and community.  If you're into insurtech, startups, or founders who keep it real, this one's for you.  

On today's episode, Beck Bamberger sits down with Tushar Bagamane , the Founder of Vola Finance.  Dialing in from London, Tushar explains how his experience at NYU inspired him to tackle the challenges of financial literacy and inclusion for the underbanked, and what it's really like trying to build trust with users when you're asking for sensitive information.  

In today's episode, Beck Bamberger speaks with Rohan Parikh , Co-Founder and CEO of Keye .  Rohan opens up about what it truly means to make the jump from corporate to founder, how he builds his team's culture in the heart of New York, and why thriving amid high-pressure "fire drills" is all part of the journey.  

On this episode, Beck Bamberger sits down with Aneesh Dhawan, Co-Founder and CEO of Knit. Beck and Aneesh discuss his journey from starting his first business as a teenager to dropping out of college to build tech startups, and now revolutionizing how brands gather consumer insights at lightning speed. 

On today's episode, Beck Bamberger sits down with Rob Gregg , Founder and CEO of the footwear company STAND+.  They talk about how fatherhood is reshaping Rob's definition of success, why the new luxury is perfect health, and how STAND+ is winning over athletes looking to recover better, off the field.  

On today's episode, Beck Bamberger sits down with Andy White , founder and CEO of Closinglock . After a personal encounter with wire fraud and a push from his wife's work in real estate, Andy jumped from engineering and machine learning to launch a company focused on securing the home closing process. He talks about the complex (and sneaky) nature of wiring scams, what consumers should be aware of...

On today's episode, Beck Bamberger sits down with Michael Newton , CEO of  Qorium . They discussed shaking up the $100 billion global leather industry by creating real leather without the use of cows, utilizing synthetic biology.  Beck and Michael discuss the culture clash between American enthusiasm and European balance in the attention economy. With 11 nationalities among its 20-person team, Cor...

On today's episode, Beck Bamberger sits down with Danny Freed , Founder and CEO of Blueprint . Danny shares how the loss of a close friend struggling with bipolar disorder sparked his mental health journey. This experience led him to uncover the outdated, cumbersome software therapists are forced to use, and ultimately inspired him to create Blueprint, which Danny calls software with a soul.  He d...

On today's episode, Beck Bamberger sits down with fellow San Diegan Orianna Bretschger , Co-Founder and CEO of  Aquacycl . In this episode, Oriana shared why the dirtiest water inspires the best solutions, her mindset shift from scientist to founder, and the realization that you will never please everyone in business. Orianna's biggest mindset shift after leaving the lab? Stop pitching the tech an...

In today's episode, Beck Bamberger sits down with  Trevor Barran , Co-Founder and CEO of  FNCR (formerly "Financier"), a marketplace that connects SMBs with private credit lenders who truly understand their unique needs. With over 2,000 lenders out there, FNCR is helping businesses navigate the complex world of funding. Trevor, a serial entrepreneur, shares how his experience as a seasoned Burning...

This week, Beck Bamberger sits down with Shauna Sweeney , Founder and CEO of tendercare , an AI-powered platform that's changing the way we care for aging loved ones. tendercare uses AI to simplify everything from managing doctor appointments to handling passwords and paying bills, empowering families to support their aging family members confidently. Shauna opens up about how the pain of losing h...

Eli Wachs, Co-Founder and CEO of Footprint, is set to eliminate identity theft by making our identities portable and impossible to fake. In this episode of Coffee with a Journalist, Eli joins Beck Bamberger and shares what it takes to build something this monumental. From balancing confidence and delusion to confronting the "success slump," Eli explains why founders need more than just hustle; the...

In this episode of Coffee with a Founder, Brett Levenson , Co-Founder and CEO of Clavata , takes Beck Bamberger behind the scenes of their security-first AI company and reveals the story behind his partnership with Co-Founder and CTO, Ash Bhardwaj. He explains why choosing the right partner is key to both business and life, and how the support from spouses and loved ones made all the difference. T...