The Innovators & Investors Podcast

In this episode of the Innovators and Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez interviews JT Benton, a founding partner of 9point8 Collective and a general partner at B'More Venture Studio. JT discusses the venture studio model, which focuses on creating companies by starting with a defined thesis or problem to solve rather than just taking existing ideas. JT explains how this model differs from i...

In this episode of The Innovators and Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez interviews Nathan Beckord, the CEO of FounderSuite.com and FundingStack.com. Nathan shares his journey from investment banking to entrepreneurship, outlining the inception of his companies aimed at easing the capital-raising process for startups and venture funds. Through his experience, Nathan emphasizes the importance...

In this episode of The Innovators and Investors Podcast , host Kristian Marquez interviews Cindy Padnos, the founder and managing partner of Illuminate Ventures, a seed-stage venture capital firm focused on enterprise software. Cindy shares her insights on the importance of investing in areas where one has operational experience, the dynamics of seed-stage investing versus later rounds, and the va...

In this episode of The Innovators and Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez interviews Danika Chilibeck, founder and CEO of Bahia AI. Danika discusses her company, Bahia AI, which offers an AI talent sourcer named Mia, designed to streamline the talent acquisition process. Danica shares her personal frustrations with traditional recruitment methods, which inspired her to automate the talent sou...

In this episode of The Innovators and Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez interviews Avanlee Christine, CEO of Avanlee Care. Avanlee discusses her company’s mission to streamline communication between families and healthcare systems to support the aging population, emphasizing the need for technology in healthcare to improve patient outcomes. Learn more about Avanlee's work https://www.avanle...

In this episode of The Innovators and Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with Todd Smith, co-founder and CEO of OpnBook, to discuss their innovative software product, TAHO. This infrastructure solution addresses the growing demand for high-performance computing by optimizing existing hardware resources, effectively navigating the challenges of energy consumption and operational eff...

In this episode of the Innovators and Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez interviews Gaurav Bhattacharya, the founder and CEO of Jeeva.ai. Gaurav discusses the origins, mission, and growth of his company, which aims to automate repetitive tasks using AI technology. He explains how Jeeva.ai began as a pivot from a previous product focused on customer data analysis to developing AI agents speci...

In this episode of the Innovators and Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez interviews Adam Metcalf, co-founder of ZeeMee, a platform designed to facilitate connections among Gen Z college students. The conversation covers ZeeMee’s evolution, the challenges of achieving product-market fit, and the eventual pivot to focus on building a community. Adam emphasizes the importance of understanding c...

In this episode of the Innovators and Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez interviews Brian Parks, CEO of Bigfoot Capital, about their approach to lending for B2B software companies. Brian emphasizes the importance of providing flexible debt options for companies with established revenue. He discusses the current investment landscape, the impact of interest rates, and the significance of stron...

In this episode of the Innovators and Investors Podcast, Kristian Marquez interviews Sean Tepper, Founder and CEO of Tykr. Sean discusses the platform’s mission to empower retail investors by providing tools for confident stock trading. Drawing from his extensive background in tech and finance, Sean emphasizes the importance of value investing and customer-centric approaches. He shares insights on...

In this episode of the Innovators and Investors Podcast, Kristian Marquez interviews Yeri Lopez, Director of Partnerships at J2 Ventures. Yeri discusses J2’s investment thesis focused on deep tech with applications in national security and large commercial markets. He also shares insights on the importance of passion for founders, the significance of SBIR contracts for startups, and the firm’s sel...

In this episode of the Innovators and Investors Podcast, Kristian Marquez interviews Brian Lindstrom from HealthX Ventures. Brian discusses HealthX’s investment strategy, due diligence, key metrics for evaluating startups, and the unique challenges of selling in the healthcare industry. He emphasizes the importance of founder traits, product-market fit, and the evolving role of AI in healthcare. B...

In this episode of the Innovators and Investors Podcast, Kristian Marquez interviews France Hoang, co-founder and CEO of BoodleBox. France discusses BoodleBox’s mission to create a collaborative AI platform for higher education, the evolution of the company, the importance of culture in startups, and insights into sales and marketing strategies. France also emphasizes the significance of focusing...

In this episode of the Innovators and Investors podcast, host Kristian Marquez interviews founder and investor Rick Lasch. Rick discusses his career journey and the importance of listening to customer needs. Rick delves into the significance of team dynamics, investment strategies, and the value of face-to-face interactions in building relationships. Connect with Rick on LinkedIn HERE . Think you'...

In this episode of the Innovators and Investors podcast, host Kristian Marquez interviews Kevin Grossman from Decathlon Capital Partners discussing alternative financing for high-growth companies. Kevin emphasizes the benefits of non-dilutive capital, the importance of due diligence, and how current market dynamics, including interest rate changes, impact funding decisions. Kevin encourages founde...

In this episode of the Innovators and Investors podcast, host Kristian Marquez interviews Lena Marijke-Wenzel, an innovation program manager at EIT Food, focused on the RisingFoodStars accelerator. Lena discusses the program’s aim to support food-related companies in addressing significant challenges within the food system, such as promoting healthier lives, achieving a net-zero food system, and e...

In this episode of the Innovators and Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez interviews Brad DiPaolo, founder of CandidateHub. Brad discusses the challenges in recruitment, the innovative solutions CandidateHub provides to engage qualified candidates, and his journey to achieving product-solution fit. He emphasizes the importance of building relationships, the balance between bootstrapping and s...

In this episode of the Innovators and Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez interviews Karl Falk, CEO of BotDoc, a cybersecurity company that enhances security while ensuring operational convenience. Karl shares the inspiration behind BotDoc’s technology, the importance of listening to clients, and the challenges of market adoption. He emphasizes the necessity of persistence, transparency with...

In this episode of the Innovators and Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez interviews Marty Ringlein, Co-Founder and CEO of Agree.com. Marty discusses how Agree.com improves the process of contracts by bridging the gap between signature and payment, making it free and user-friendly for sales teams. He emphasizes the importance of customer experience, brand building, and the strategic approach...

In this episode of the Innovators and Investors podcast, host Kristian Marquez interviews Greg Davis, founder and CEO of Overwatch Imaging. Greg discusses Overwatch’s focus on automating airborne imagery intelligence for various sectors, including defense and civil applications. Greg shares insights on the company’s dual hardware-software model, and the importance of agility in a startup environme...

In this episode of the Innovators and Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez interviews Jeff Schwartz, CEO of Data Room HQ. Jeff discusses Data Room HQ’s automation services for B2B SaaS companies and investors, Jeff’s journey from a successful startup to founding his company, the importance of metrics in business management, and the evolving dynamics of customer success and financing strategies...

In this episode of the Innovators and Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez interviews Les Craig, General Partner with Next Frontier Capital. Les discusses the investment firm’s focus on early-stage companies in the Mountain West region, and how the unique dynamics of this area provide opportunities for founders. Les also shares insights on the importance of a founder’s ability to fundraise, th...

In this episode of the Innovators and Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez interviews Andy Galpin, founder of Tree & Leaf Partners, a redemptive acquisition fund focused on acquiring and scaling companies in the education and healthcare sectors. Andy discusses the importance of creating impact through business, evaluating companies based on financial metrics and culture, and the evolving r...

In this episode of the Innovators and Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez interviews James McDowell, founding partner at Arcanum Capital. James discusses Arcanum’s investment thesis in the blockchain and crypto space, emphasizing early-stage investments, the unique characteristics of Bitcoin and Ethereum, and the evolving landscape of decentralized finance (DeFi). James highlights the potenti...

In this episode of the Innovators and Investors podcast, host Kristian Marquez interviews Kyle Mounts, general partner at Aero X Ventures and Singularity Capital Advisors. Kyle discusses Aero X’s focus on early-stage investments in aerospace and defense, the importance of capital efficiency, and the evolving role of drones in logistics and warfare. Kyle also emphasizes the impact of regulatory fra...