Forward Obsessed

Ned Lamont is the Governor of the State of Connecticut. In this episode, learn about the governor’s early years as he transitioned from running a local newspaper to founding Campus Televideo, a telecoms company that was acquired by Apogee in 2015. Hear about his pivot into politics, and how he measures success as Governor of the State of Connecticut. Governor Lamont shares his personal experiences...

Matt McCooe is the CEO of Connecticut Innovations, a strategic venture capital firm and leading source of financing for Connecticut's technology, consumer, and life sciences companies.    In this episode, learn what it takes to get funded by one of the top VCs in Connecticut. Explore what breakthrough entrepreneurs all have in common, which heuristics are used by VCs when they choose a project, an...

Austin McChord is the CEO of Casana, a healthcare technology start-up dedicated to improving the health and wellness of patients via at-home health monitoring. Austin was previously the founder and CEO of Datto incorporated, exited that company in a $1.5 Billion acquisition, and is the Founder of Norwalk Havoc Combat Robotics.    In this episode, explore Austin’s incredible journey from getting te...

Chris Allen is the CEO of iCleanse, which is known for their  UV-C rapid disinfection devices that clean cell phones. He was previously the Founder and CEO of iDevices, which was acquired by Hubbell Incorporated in 2017.   In this episode, dive into the difficult path of inventing a new product and taking it to a global market. Learn about how Chris Allen was able to get his new iGrill device into...

Jenny Lawton is the Executive Vice President of Bolster, a marketplace to connect high-growth companies with executive talent. Previously, Jenny was the Chief Innovation Officer and COO of Techstars, she was also the CEO of MakerBot Industries, a global leader in desktop 3D printing.  In this episode, learn what it takes to navigate the process of an acquisition, when to sell your company, why sel...

Dive into the world of innovation and crisis management with Josh Geballe, Associate Provost for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Yale University. Josh was previously the COO for the State of Connecticut under Governor Ned Lamont. During Josh’s tenure as COO, he oversaw Connecticut’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.     In this episode, Josh reveals his method for making effective changes in gov...

Dive into the rapidly growing world of Inbound Marketing with Bob Ruffolo, Founder and CEO of IMPACT , a company focused on helping people find success with inbound marketing through education, events, and agency services. After building his first website in 7th grade, Bob realized he had a talent for web design and a knack for helping people with marketing their business. Bob started as a freelan...

Dive into the technology that helps governments solve problems with Ben Berkowitz, founder of the civic engagement SaaS SeeClickFix . When it comes to city affairs, Ben has always been an actively engaged citizen of New Haven, CT. One day, while trying to report some graffiti in his neighborhood to an unresponsive phone voicemail, Ben realized there had to be a better way to communicate problems t...

Dive into the gritty, fast-paced world of combat robotics with Kelly Biderman, CEO of the Norwalk Havoc Robotics League .    Get an inside look on the world of combat robotics, a sport for which dedicated fans will travel hundreds of miles, or watch 13 hours of a livestream, to see hand-made robots fight… and possibly explode. In this interview, Kelly celebrates the incredibly talented builders, t...

Join Pete and David as they dive into the world of craft brewing with Alisa Bowens-Mercado, Founder, CEO, and Brewmaster at Rhythm Brewing Company .  Learn about Alisa’s journey founding one of the nation’s first breweries that is owned and run by a woman of color. From a young age, Alisa was inspired by her grandmothers who both drank lagers and encouraged Alisa to “find her rhythm” in life. In t...

Join Pete and David as they dive into the world of data analytics with Andy Greenawalt, Founder and CEO of Storyhub .   In a world where every company claims to be data-driven, very few decisions are actually ever made using that data Andy has created a new way to decentralize and translate the complicated language of data analytics like no one else.   In this interview, learn about Andy's early s...

Join Pete and David as they dive into the world of FinTech & Entrepreneurship with Matthew Murphy, Early Stage Investor and General Partner at  Montage Ventures. Matthew took advantage of a sudden opportunity in his early 20's to join the rapidly growing FinTech startup, E-Trade, a decision that  changed the trajectory of his life and career in the most unexpected way.  We dive into some of Matthe...

Join Pete and David as they dive into the world of technology and entrepreneurship with Founder and CEO of Compass MSP , Ari Santiago. Ari’s story is truly inspirational, from his childhood days of when he started his first business selling bubble gum, to becoming paralyzed from the waist down at the age of 13 due to a skiing accident. The journey of overcoming adversity led to Ari’s passion in co...

Join Pete and David as they dive into the world of infused tequila with Founder and CEO of 21 Seeds , Kat Hantas. Kat explains her entrepreneurial journey of working in the television and film industry, transitioning to becoming a full-time mother, then discovering a massive product opportunity in the tequila industry through her own life experiences.  Learn about Kat's journey & origin story of f...

Join Pete and David as they dive into the twists and turns of the direct-to-consumer thrift clothing industry with Topper Luciani, founder of Goodfair . Learn about how the rising popularity of thrift shopping has unveiled the harmful effects of the clothing industry that fast fashion has created for our society and planet. Topper dives into why he's dedicated his life (and created Goodfair) to sa...