Founder Secrets with Taylor and Flaviu

Join us as Adrianne Nickerson, a healthcare innovator and founder of Oula, shares her inspiring journey from co-founding a cancer support startup to revolutionizing maternity care for women across the U.S. With a data-driven passion and a knack for building community, Adrianne offers a fresh perspective on transforming a broken system into a warm, evidence-based experience,starting with her own li...

Join us as Joel Duncan, a former Marine and corporate finance professional turned entrepreneur, shares his remarkable transition from a structured career in Michigan to owning Spray Patch Road Repair, a niche pothole repair business. With a blend of military grit, financial acumen, and a leap of faith, Joel offers a gripping tale of self-education, strategic acquisition, and hands-on leadership in...

Join us as Paul Adams, a seasoned entertainment industry veteran with a distinctive British accent, shares his extraordinary journey from a working-class background in northern England to managing global superstars like Duran Duran, Justin Timberlake, Radiohead, and Jay-Z. As a key player in music management and co-owner of Phoenix Rising FC, Paul delivers a compelling narrative of persistence, hu...

Join us as Gabby Gabriel, the visionary founder of GAB Inc. and GAB China, shares her incredible journey from teaching English in Shanghai to leading a global marketing empire. With an adventurous spirit and a talent for turning challenges into opportunities, Gabby transformed a spontaneous move to China into a decad of entrepreneurial success. From building one of China’s largest LGBTQ communitie...

Join us as Manik Bhat, the visionary behind Healthify, shares his remarkable journey from medicine to tech entrepreneurship, driven by a mission to improve health outcomes through social services. With a background in philosophy, health care, and a knack for innovation, Manik has made significant strides in integrating technology with social welfare. Healthify is a platform that connects families...

Join us as Addy Malhotra, Co-Founder & CEO of Enhanced Nature , shares his journey from an accidental discovery to revolutionizing agriculture with beneficial fungi. With a background in electrical engineering and a family legacy in manufacturing, Addy has pivoted to create a brand that leverages nature's efficiency for sustainable farming solutions. Enhanced Nature isn't just about ag...

Join us as Desiree Verdejo, the founder of Hyper Skin, shares her inspiring journey of transforming personal struggles into a skincare revolution. With a background in law and a passion for beauty, Desiree has built a brand focused on addressing skin concerns like hyperpigmentation, particularly for deeper skin tones. Hyper Skin is not just about beauty; it's about inclusivity and empowerment...

Join us as Laura Epstein, the founder of Pulse Charter Connect, shares her inspiring journey of combining aviation expertise with a mission to save lives. With a background in aerospace engineering and a passion for logistics, Laura is redefining how organ transport operates. Pulse Charter Connect is a healthcare logistics platform that ensures vital organs and surgeons reach their destinations qu...

Join us as Jeb Banner, the seasoned entrepreneur and CEO of OpenDate, shares how he’s revolutionizing event management by fostering meaningful connections and streamlining operations. With a rich history of entrepreneurial success, Jeb’s latest venture, OpenDate, is redefining how communities plan and manage events with purpose-driven technology. In this episode, Jeb takes us behind the scenes of...

Join us as Arjun Rai, the visionary entrepreneur behind SelfTact, shares how he’s redefining personal productivity and networking. Drawing from his entrepreneurial success with HelloWoofy and other ventures, Arjun’s latest innovation, SelfTact, empowers professionals with a personal CRM designed to enhance relationship management and streamline follow-ups. In this episode, Arjun takes us behind th...

Join us as Cristiana Banila, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Mitra Bio, shares her groundbreaking journey in the biotech and skincare industries. From her academic roots at the University of Oxford to leading innovations in non-invasive skin diagnostics, Cristiana is revolutionizing how we understand and care for our skin. Combining scientific expertise with entrepreneurial grit, she’s...

Join us as Mark DeRosa, Founder of Vantage Point Benefits and Co-Founder of Woodhaven Recovery, shares his inspiring journey from family tragedy to entrepreneurial impact. Motivated by his father’s workplace accident and personal experiences with addiction recovery, Mark has dedicated his career to solving complex challenges in employee benefits and creating safe spaces for teens in crisis. In thi...

Join us as Ian Koons, Co-Founder and CEO of Karoo Health, shares his journey from sports professional to healthcare entrepreneur. Motivated by personal experiences with cardiovascular disease, Ian co-founded Karoo Health to revolutionize cardiac care through value-based models and innovative technology. In this episode, Ian discusses scaling a mission-driven business, leading with innovation, and...

Join us as François, Co-Founder and CEO of Zeffy, shares his journey from physics student to mission-driven entrepreneur. Discover how his passion for social impact and frustration with nonprofit inefficiencies led to the creation of Zeffy—a fee-free fundraising platform ensuring nonprofits receive 100% of donations, supported by a voluntary tipping model. In this episode, François discusses scali...

Steve Zehngut, Founder of Zeek Interactive, joins the Founder Secrets podcast to share his journey from filmmaker to tech entrepreneur and agency leader. He delves into the early days of web development, navigating the dot-com crash, and the decision to sell his agency after nearly 30 years. In this episode, Steve discusses how he built Zeek Interactive into a respected agency, adapted to rapid ch...

John Dewey, President of Dewey Electronics, joins the Founder Secrets podcast to share his journey from artist and consultant to defense contractor and CEO. He delves into the unique challenges of the defense industry, managing a public-to-private business transition, and finding a niche in manufacturing specialize military equipment. In this episode, John explores how his family business evolved...

Michael Caito, Owner & CEO of MAP Consulting, joins the Founder Secrets podcast to share his expertise in scaling businesses through strategic leadership and process-driven growth. He discusses how he built and sold his food delivery company, Restaurants on the Run, to Grubhub, and how these experiences inform his current consulting work. In this episode, Michael emphasizes the importance of s...

Adi Klevit, CEO and founder of Business Success Consulting Group, joins the Founder Secrets podcast to share her expertise in creating and documenting processes for scaling businesses. Adi discusses how she turned her background in industrial engineering into a consulting practice that helps businesses implement efficient systems and processes to support growth. In this episode, Adi explains the c...

Rich Shinnick, the founder of Touchstone Security, joins the Founder Secrets podcast to share his journey from various jobs to becoming a cybersecurity expert and entrepreneur. Rich discusses how his background in the Air Force and Goldman Sachs shaped his leadership style and business approach. The conversation covers cybersecurity challenges for small businesses, scaling a business, and the impo...

In this special two-year anniversary episode of the Founder Secrets podcast, hosts Taylor and Flaviu reflect on their journey from launching a creative experiment to building a platform for insightful conversations. They discuss the evolution of the podcast, their experiences with diverse guests, and the balance between creativity and audience engagement. Taylor and Flaviu explore the distinction...

Chris Yeung, Founder and CTO of Vimbly Group, joins Founder Secrets to share his journey from finance to building a successful holding company. He explains how his background in finance and risk management shaped his approach to creating businesses that prioritize strategic opportunities and risk-adjusted returns. In this episode, Chris discusses the evolution of Vimbly Group, key strategic decisi...

Dave Will, co-founder of PropFuel, joins the Founder Secrets podcast to share his entrepreneurial journey from corporate life to building a member engagement platform for associations. From his early experiences at SAP to founding Peach New Media and eventually selling it to a private equity firm, Dave explores how his path shaped his approach to building businesses that focus on personal connecti...

Kotryna Jukneviciute, the co-founder of ARÊTE, joins the Founder Secrets podcast to share her journey in revolutionizing the fashion-tech industry. From her childhood in Lithuania to building a platform that combines AI with fashion, Kotryna dives into how ARÊTE evolved into a cutting-edge styling and shopping app that offers personalized fashion experiences while supporting emerging brands worldw...

Irina, the visionary behind Vaunt, joins the Founder Secrets podcast to share her journey in transforming the real estate industry through innovative technology. From her roots in Romania to expanding her business globally, Irina details how Vaunt evolved from a custom ERP project into a comprehensive SaaS-enabled marketplace that simplifies real estate transactions for both developers and buyers...

Molly Ruland, CEO & founder of Heartcast Media, joins the Founder Secrets podcast to share her entrepreneurial journey, including the pivot of her podcast production business from a brick-and-mortar setup in Washington, D.C., to a fully virtual operation based in Costa Rica. In this episode, Molly discusses the unexpected growth of her business during the COVID-19 pandemic, the personal reason...