Receipts by OpStart

Alex Kruszewski, Founder and CEO of Abacus, joins Paul Anthony for a homecoming conversation that traces an unlikely path from investment banking to building what he calls a brand-new category in wealth technology. A Notre Dame finance graduate, Alex began his career in investment banking and private equity at firms including Evercore, Madison Dearborn Partners, and BDT, before a step into pharmac...

In this episode, we sit down with Tyler Bliha, founder of Abode Money, to unpack how he’s building an AI-powered financial manager for homeowners. Tyler shares his journey from investment banking and private equity to early-stage fintech, and how his experience at UpEquity helped shape the vision behind Abode Money. We also dive into why homeowners are often overspending on property taxes, insuran...

Dr. Avi Jayaraman, physician, two-time founder, and CEO of Blue Light Health, joins Paul Anthony in the studio to talk about building healthcare businesses that actually get paid for. Avi went from earning his MD in Dallas to accidentally falling into startups with Sonara, a platform that let opioid-recovery patients take methadone at home instead of traveling to a clinic every single day. After W...

In this episode, we sit down with Tommy Flaim, founder of Silly Pickles, to unpack how he built one of the fastest-growing adult rec sports communities in the country. Tommy shares his journey from investment banking to launching (and winding down) his first startup, and how he stumbled into building a scalable, software-powered league model that’s now live in 65+ cities. We discuss: • Why most ad...

Greg Slauson, CEO of Proper Voltage, joins Paul Anthony to unpack how a career that started selling structured fixed income on a Goldman Sachs trading floor led him through a solar fintech rocketship, a caramel apple business bought with an SBA loan, and ultimately to building the intelligence layer that turns batteries from a limiter into an enhancer. Greg and Paul have been friends for 12 years,...

In this episode, we sit down with Yuk Chi from Charter Space Technologies to unpack what it takes to build the financial and underwriting infrastructure for the space industry. Yuk shares his journey from military engineering to space law, to working inside a satellite manufacturer—where he experienced firsthand how fragmented engineering data and compliance workflows can slow missions down and ma...

Griff Eaton, founder of Juke, joins Paul Anthony for OpStart's first in-person interview to unpack how a frustrated night at the Livery in Benton Harbor turned into a venture-backed platform now reshaping live music in cities across the country. Griff walks through the three barriers that kill the simple act of tipping a local artist (no cash, awkward walk to the stage, no idea what songs they act...