The tech.mn Podcast

Black Tech Talent on Twitter

Links

Black Tech Talent

Blacks in Technology

BITcon

A Greater Minnesota with Rob Weber of Great North Labs

51 perc 4. évad 46. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 46, Kevin and Jac, interview Rob Weber, Co-founder of Great North Labs. Rob shares his entrepreneurial journey through the 2000s and the genesis story of Great North Labs.

Hype Time
Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Rob gives a shout out to Mynul Khan of Field Nation.

Socials

tech.mn on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Rob Weber on Twitter
Great North labs on Twitter

Links

Great North Labs

Balancing Act With Sam Ndely

48 perc 4. évad 45. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 45, Kevin and Jac, welcome Sam Ndely, Co-founder of Graveti. We talk about his new role as the Director of Director of Employer Inclusivity at the Center for Economic Inclusion, social justice in Minnesota, and life balance.

Hype Time
Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Sam gives a shout out to Silas Wellington (Upscribbr), Mike Jackson (Black Tech Talent), Isaiah Goodman (MoneyVerbs), Darrin Levine (ASDAL), and Caroline Karanja (26 Letters).

Socials

tech.mn on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Sam Ndely on Twitter
Graveti on Twitter
Center for Economic Inclusion on Twitter

Links

Graveti
Center for Economic Inclusion

Where’s the Time Going with Sean Higgins

47 perc 4. évad 44. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 44, Kevin and Jac, welcome Sean Higgins, Founder of BetterYou to talk about minigolf, Tik Tok, and bad habits. We add in some business talk for good measure.

Hype Time
Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Sean Gives a shout out to Emily Pritchard, Co-founder and CEO of The Social Lights.

Socials

tech.mn on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Sean Higgins on Twitter
Sean Higgins on Twitter
BetterYou on Instagram
BetterYou on LinkedIn

Links

BetterYou

The Right Questions with Diane Rucker

45 perc 4. évad 43. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 44, Kevin and Jac welcome Diane Rucker, Executive Director of University Enterprise Labs, to talk about her journey from a materials engineer to an advocate for the startup ecosystem.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Diane gives a shout out to Jackie Mejia of gBETA medtech, Mondo Davison (listen to his episode here), and Pat Dillon from SBIR and Allison Hon at Grow North

Socials

tech.mn on Twitter

Socials
Tech.MN on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Bri McCullough on Twitter
Ryan Broshar on Twitter
Matchstick Ventures on Twitter
BETA on Twitter
Twin Cities Startup Week on Twitter

Same Day Delivery with Andrew Leone and Ryan Hanson of Dispatch

63 perc 4. évad 42. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 42, Kevin and Jac welcome Andrew Leone and Ryan Hanson, Co-founders of Dispatch. We talk all things Dispatch including how the same-day delivery service came to be, the tech behind their super fast delivery, Hiring 500 people in one year, fundraising, and their goal to be in 50 markets by the end of 2020.

Hype Time
Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Both guests give a shout out to Casey Allen at Enterprise Rising. Listen to his episode here.

Sponsor
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring this episode of The tech.mn Podcast. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
tech.mn on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Disptach on Twitter
Ryan Hanson on Twitter
Andrew Leone on Twitter

Links
Dispatch
Sign up to Drive for Dispatch

Mentions (Don't Publish)
Nerdery
SportsEngine
Casey Allen - Enterprise Rising

Meant to Be with Aneela Idnani of HabitAware

48 perc 4. évad 41. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 41, Kevin and Jac, welcome Aneela Idnani, Co-founder and President of HabitAware. We talk about how HabitAware and their product, the Keen smart bracelet, was inspired by her experience with Trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder). Aneela shares an inside look at the community and comradery they’ve created around Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRB).

A Person First with Sue Ann Rodriguez

41 perc 4. évad 40. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

*Note* This episode was recorded in January 2020

On Episode 40 , Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital, and Jac Stark, community manager for tech.mn, welcome Sue Ann Rodriguez, Director of Accessibility Services at WeCo to talk about digital accessibility.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Sue Ann gives a shout out to visitors of WeCo and Minnesotan companies interested in accessibility.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring this episode of The tech.mn Podcast. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
tech.mn on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
WeCo on Twitter

Links:
WeCo

The Art of Fundraising with Eric Martell

57 perc 3. évad 39. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

*Note* This episode was recorded in February 2020

On Episode 39 , Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital, and Jac Stark, community manager for tech.mn, welcome Eric Martell, Co-founder of Pear Commerce to talk about raising funds and rotten pears.

We kick off the conversation with our favorite topic: Food. Eric talks about starting a food delivery company during college and about what eventually lured him to the Twin Cities. He tells us about his transition into the role of general manager for gener8tor. We discuss the difference between raising a fund for a company and a fund and Eric tells us about his new endeavor, Pear Commerce.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Eric Gives a shout out to Adam Choe at Yonder. Find his podcast episode here!

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring this episode of The tech.mn Podcast. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
tech.mn on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Eric Martell on Twitter
Pear Commerce on Twitter
gener8tor on Twitter

Links:
EatStreet
Pear Commerce
gener8tor

Twenty Years in Minnesota Tech with Jason Nyhus

34 perc 3. évad 38. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 38, Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital, and Jac Stark, community manager for tech.mn, welcome Jason Nyhus, SVP of sales, marketing, and partnerships at Digital River.

We take a walk down memory lane in Minnesota tech and the evolution of Digital River. Jason shares the story of Digital River’s pivot and their journey to nailing down the right kind of clients. We talk about how sales approaches in tech have changed over the last two decades and their goals to become more involved in the Minnesota tech community.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Jason gives a shout out to Thong Nguyn from Roomera (listen to his episode here), John Strosahl from JAMF, and Shane Helget from When I Work.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring this episode of The tech.mn Podcast. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
tech.mn on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jason Nyhus on Twitter
Digital River on Twitter

Links:
www.digitalriver.com
Commerce Connect Podcast

I am a Developer with Jenessa White

44 perc 3. évad 37. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

*Note* This episode was recorded in December 2019

On Episode 37, Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital, and Jac Stark, community manager for tech.mn, welcome Jenessa White, a Minnesotan developer with talent on the football field.

*Since recording Jenessa has moved on from her role with Software for Good and is currently working on some freelance projects and is open to opportunities.

Jenessa shares her story of going through a bootcamp to become a developer and where she landed on the other side. We discuss the pros and cons of bootcamps and why companies should hire more junior developers. We get a look into the junior developer community in the Twin Cities and we ask about her chops on the football field.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Jenessa gives a shout out to Tyrre Burks of Player’s Health.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring this episode of The tech.mn Podcast. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
tech.mn on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Jenessa on Twitter

Links:
Software for Good
Mpls Jr Devs
Minnesota Vixen

Teacher Appreciation Year with Dr. Angie Eilers and Matt Hardy

53 perc 3. évad 36. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

*Note* This episode was recorded in December 2019

On Episode 35, Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital, and Jac Stark, community manager for tech.mn, welcome founders Dr. Angie Eilers (UR Turn) and Matt Hardy (Kidblog) to talk about the journey from being educators to entrepreneurs. We discuss the track to identifying as tech entrepreneurs and passing it down to the young people on their team.

In celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week (something we have been feeling very heavy has of late) this week’s episode theme is Edtech. We talk with Dr. Angie Eilers, founder of UR Turn, a goal setting and progress tracking app that plugs into student information systems, and Matt Hardy, founder of Kidblog, a student publishing platform. We talk with both about the transition from teacher to tech founder in Minnesota and the thriving edtech ecosystem in Minnesota.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Angie gives a shout out to Minnesota Cup, BETA, and Pat Dillion from the MHTA. Matt name drops a couple people including Josh Susser with Cascadily and Louis Abramowski of HotLou and Evergreen.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring this episode of The tech.mn Podcast. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
tech.mn on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Angie Eiliers on Twitter
Matt Hardy on Twitter
UR Turn on Twitter
Kidblog on Twitter

Links:
UR Turn
Kidblog
EdNorth

The Economics of Food Delivery with Kyle Hale

54 perc 3. évad 35. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

*This episode was recorded in December 2019*

On Episode 34, Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital, and Jac Stark, community manager for tech.mn, welcome Kyle Hale, Founding Partner and former COO of Bite Squad to talk about his knack for new emerging industries against well-funded competitors.

We talk about what went down with Bite Squad and Kyle shares his own journey leading up to that role. We chat about his detour as VP of Sales at Leadpages and Drip as well as the economics of food delivery (Pre COVID-19). We add in a healthy dose of conversation on hurricanes and Food delivery which leads up to what Kyle is doing today.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Kyle gives a shout out to Josh Braaten of Brandata (formerly Brandish Insights), Jeffry Yurecko (Now at Arthur Ventures), and John Goodman from Range Digital Marketing.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring this episode of The tech.mn Podcast. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
tech.mn on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Kyle Hale on LinkedIn

Links:
Bite Squad
Leadpages
Drip

Welcome to the Tech Community with Maria Ploessl

43 perc 3. évad 34. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

*Note* This episode was recorded in January 2020

On Episode 34, Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital, and Jac Stark, community manager for tech.mn, welcome Maria Ploessl, Executive Director of Minnestar, to talk about all things Minnstar and our first interactions with the MN tech community.

Maria talks about boomeranging back to the Twin Cities and attending her first Minnesota tech event, which just so happened to be a Minnedemo. Maria reflects on becoming the first Executive Director of Minnestar and we talk about how it has evolved. Maria gives us the lowdown on Minnestar events – Minnedemo and Minnebar, as well as other organizations she is a part of in Minnesota.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Maria gives a shout out to Dario Otero at YouthLens 360 and Meg Stuer at Forge North.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring this episode of The tech.mn Podcast. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
tech.mn on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Maria Ploessl on Twitter
Minnestar on Twitter

Links:
Minnestar
Become a community supporter of Minnestar
Technovation[MN]
Forge North
Make It. MSP

The Million Dollar Idea with Zack Steven

45 perc 3. évad 33. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 33 , Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital, and Jac Stark, community manager for tech.mn, welcome Zack Steven, Founding Partner of Cloudburst SBC, Monkey Island Ventures, and Augurian, to talk about going from selling candy to a startup studio.

Zack shares his journey from being a young entrepreneur to helping other entrepreneurs in designing their businesses with a startup studio experience. We hear a refreshing tale of building businesses, making mistakes, trying again, and the lessons learned. Zack shares the personal side of challenges and discoveries made of being an idea person.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Zack gives a shout out to Shawntera Hardy, Co-founder of Civic Eale

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring this episode of The tech.mn Podcast. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
tech.mn on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Zack Steven on Twitter
Cloudburst, SBC on Twitter

Links:
Cloudburst, SBC
Monkey Island Ventures
Augurian
Indie.vc
Earnest Capital
Simple Agreement for Shared Success

Controlled Chaos with Mondo Davison & Dario Otero

56 perc 3. évad 32. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

*Note* This episode was recorded in December 2019

On Episode 32, Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital, and Jac Stark, community manager for tech.mn, welcome Mondo Davison & Dario Otero of YouthLens 360 to talk about the journey from being educators to entrepreneurs. We discuss the track to identifying as tech entrepreneurs and passing it down to the young people on their team.

Dario and Mondo each share the path that brought them to work together on YouthLens 360. Mondo shares the story behind his brand, The Black Tech Guy, and his business, TEAM Studios. Dario talks about the progression of YouthLens 360 as a for-profit business with a non-profit arm. We discuss their collaboration and how they work together. We also delve into one of their latest projects, The Student Conference, and the impact of working with over 7,000 young people in the Twin Cities metro.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Mondo gives a shout out to Jeff Aguy of NCXT and Dario name drops (among many) Sam Ndely of Graveti and MEDA.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring this episode of The tech.mn Podcast. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
tech.mn on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
YouthLens 360 on Twitter and Instagram
Mondo Davison on Twitter and Instagram

Links:
YouthLens 360
The Black Tech Guy
Graveti
The Student Conference

From Founder to CEO with Clarence Bethea of Upsie

49 perc 3. évad 31. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

*Note* This episode was recorded in December 2019

On Episode 31, Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital, and Jac Stark, community manager for tech.mn, welcome Clarence Bethea, CEO and founder of Upsie, to talk about the transition from founder to CEO.

Clarence shares the top three things he is focused on as CEO of Upsie. We talk about the power of the network, as well as his experience in raising capital. We explore the definition of balance as a founder and Clarence discusses the support he receives from his family. Lastly, Clarence shares his prediction of the future for the MN Tech and startup ecosystem.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Clarence gives a shout out to Damola Ogundipe, CEO of Civic Eagle.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring this episode of The tech.mn Podcast. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
tech.mn on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Clarence Bethea on Twitter
Upsie on Twitter

Links:
Upsie
Techstars
Ryan Broshar’s episode on The tech.mn Podcast

People Operations with Paul DeBettignes, The Minnesota Headhunter

55 perc 3. évad 30. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 30, Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital, and Jac Stark, community manager for tech.mn, welcome Paul DeBettignes, The Minnesota Headhunter on The tech.mn Podcast to talk about people operations.

Our conversation launches with the topic of networking etiquette. Paul takes us through the evolution of tech recruiting over the last 20 years. We discuss the concept of people operations and what it entails. The chat turns toward the perceptions of job seekers and technologists in Minnesota.

Note: This episode was recorded in February 2020.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Paul gives a shout out to Minnestar and Maria Ploessl. He also shouts out the Osborn370 building.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring this episode of The tech.mn Podcast. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
tech.mn on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Paul DeBettignes on Twitter
Paul DeBettignes on LinkedIn

Links:
Minnesota Headhunter
MSP on Deck
Schmidt List Podcast
Studio Americana
Make It MSP

Elevating the Minnesota Startup Ecosystem with Mary Grove

66 perc 3. évad 29. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 29, Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital, and Jac Stark, community manager for tech.mn, welcome Mary Grove, Partner at Revolution’s Rise of the Rest, to talk about investing outside of Silicon Valley and helping Minnesota thrive

Mary shares her journey from the midwest to the west coast, around the world, and back again. We talk about how her passion for entrepreneurship developed after working on emerging markets at Google and continued to grow while on the Google for Entrepreneurs team. The conversation turns toward her move to Minnesota and joining the team at Rise of the Rest. Mary breaks down 5 steps to help the Minnesota startup ecosystem thrive.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Mary gives a shout out to Dunwoody College of Technology.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring this episode of The tech.mn Podcast. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
tech.mn on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Mary Grove on Twitter
Rise of the Rest on Twitter
Silicon Northstars

Links:
Rise of the Rest Rest
Silicon Northstars
Google for Startups (formly Google for Entrepreneurs)
Kenzie Academy

Rise of the Rest MN Companies:
75F
Kidizen
Dispatch
Structural
Pops Diabetes Care
Vemos

Solving a Wicked Problem with Melissa Kjolsing

53 perc 3. évad 28. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 28, Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital, and Jac Stark, community manager for tech.mn, welcome Melissa Kjolsing, CEO and Co-founder of Recovree to talk about the transition from ecosystem builder to founder and beyond.

Melissa shares the story of how her passion for helping startup companies was established and grown. We talk about her reasons for starting Recovree when she did and where they are now. We talk about what surprised Melissa the most going from a public community builder role to being a founder along with the challenges and what she has learned in the last year and a half.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Melissa gives a shout out to Elyse Ash (Founder/CEO of Fruitful Fertility) and MESA.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring this episode of The tech.mn Podcast. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
tech.mn on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Melissa Kjolsing on Twitter
Recovree on Twitter

Links:
Recovree
Minnesota Cup
Lunar Startups
MESA

The Acquisition of Leadpages and the Future of Drip with CEO John Tedesco

67 perc 3. évad 27. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 27, Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital, welcomes John Tedesco, CEO and of Drip, to talk about the big news of the week — the acquisition of Leadpages by Canadian holding company Redbrick.

In breaking down the news, John explains why the acquisition is a true win/win for everyone involved and looks ahead to the future of Drip, including lots of hard work on the horizon. He also talks us through his journey to Minnesota, the “teenage years” of the local tech scene, the nebulous role of “COO,” and so much more.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. John gives a shout out to Dean Hager, CEO of Jamf, and the company’s rumored (and massive) IPO.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring this episode of The tech.mn Podcast. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
tech.mn on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
John Tedesco on Twitter

Links:
Leadpages

Redbrick

Drip

Spaving with Susan Langer of Live.Give.Save.

37 perc 2. évad 26. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 26 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital, and Jac Stark, Community Manager for tech.mn, welcome Susan Langer, CEO and Founder of Live.Give.Save., to talk about giving back.

Susan shares her story of returning to Minnesota from the east coast and the motivations to start Live.Give.Save, a fintech company with a focus on giving and inspiring social good. We talk about fundraising and building the Live.Give.Save. team. Susan fills us in on all of the activity happening in Redwing and with Redwing Ignite.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Susan gives a shout out to Neela Mollgaard of Launch Minnesota (they’re hiring!). Listen to her episode here.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring this episode of The tech.mn Podcast. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
Tech.MN on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Susan Langer on Twitter
Live.Give.Save. on Twitter
Spave on Twitter

Links:
Live.Give.Save.
Spave
Redwing Ignite
Great North Labs

The Rise of Total Expert with CEO and Founder Joe Welu

43 perc 2. évad 25. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 25 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital, and Jac Stark, Community Manager for tech.mn, welcome Joe Welu, CEO and Founder of Total Expert, to talk about the rise of Total Expert.

Joe takes us through the evolution of Total Expert including his experience with fundraising through angel investors and venture capital. We go headlong into some real talk about the nitty gritty of building a company including topics that keep many a founder up late at night. Finally Joe shares what’s next for Total Expert after their latest $52 million Series C raise.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Joe gives a shout out to Brian Walerius, CTO of Total Expert.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring this episode of The tech.mn Podcast. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
Tech.MN on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Joe Welu on Twitter
Joe Welu on LinkedIn
Total Expert on Twitter

Links:
Total Expert
Total Expert - Careers

A Chat with Liz Giorgi, Emmy Award Winner, Asker of Questions, and Co-founder of soona

42 perc 2. évad 24. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 24 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, Community Manager for tech.mn, welcome Liz Giorgi, co-founder and CEO of soona, to chat about what a difference a year can make.

Liz shares the story of soona and their unique business case for democratizing high quality content production. She walks us through the whirlwind of being part of Techstars in Boulder, closing a finance round, and opening shops in Minneapolis and Denver. We talk about the spectrum of content creation, the soona team, and the tech behind the company. Liz also speaks on soona’s latest raise with Matchstick Ventures and Starting Line.

We dive into the Candor Clause, an open-source legal disclosure, crafted by the co-owners and their legal team, used for inclusion in fundraising documents that protects founders from sexual harassment and/or discrimination from investors. Lastly, Liz gives us the most poetic case for northern Minnesota and now we are packing our bags for a long weekend up north.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Liz gives a shoutout to her co-founder, Hayley Anderson.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring this episode of The tech.mn Podcast. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
Tech.MN on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Liz Giorgi on Twitter
Hayley Anderson on Twitter
soona on Twitter

Links:
Soona (use coupon code ‘liz’)
Matchstick Ventures
Starting Line
Candor Clause

The New Kid with Sibi Murugesan

59 perc 2. évad 23. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 23 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, Community Manager for tech.mn, welcome Sibi Murugesan, Head of Platform at Earnest Capital, on our first episode of season three of The tech.mn Podcast. This conversation is a delightful cocktail of topics including “The big American dream,” triple cherries, theoretical particle physics, martial arts, alternate endings to Romeo and Juliet, and donuts. And that’s just the first ten minutes.

Sibi shares the story of what led him to the world of entrepreneurship, a detour into the land of corporate America, and why he gravitated back to the startup relm. He talks about his time as a director at gener8tor and working behind the scenes with early-stage companies. After getting the itch to be part of a startup Sibi joined a team with Fanbox and got a taste of the startup life.

Kevin and Sibi give us a deepdive on Earnest Capital and their unique approach to funding and supporting founders. We discuss the community Sibi is working with and the mentorship culture of Ernest. Lastly, we talk about the upcoming Founder’s Summit in Mexico City.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Sibi gives a shout out to Matt Raskin of Bootstrappers.mn.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring this episode of The tech.mn Podcast. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
Tech.MN on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Sibi Murugesan on Twitter
gener8tor on Twitter
Earnest Capital on Twitter
Tyler Tringas on Twitter

Links:
Earnest Capital
Gener8tor
Founder’s Summit (Tickets still available)

Intros and Hippos with Adam Choe

39 perc 2. évad 22. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 22 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, Community Manager for tech.mn, welcome Adam Choe, Co-founder of Yonder, on a special TCSW edition of The Tech.MN Podcast to talk about the Minnesota tech and entrepreneurship ecosystem. *Note* Since recording Adam has left his role with gener8tor to work on his company Yonder full time.

Adam gives us the rundown on gener8tor and shares his story of rising through the ranks from intern to managing director. We chat about balance in Minnesota, bringing the accelerator model to large companies, and mentors in the tech and startup space.

Adam introduces us to the hands-down cutest business mascot out there - Mimi the Hippo. He shares the origin story of Yonder, an app that allows families to walk through dental experiences help reduce anxiety and prepare kids for dental visits. We also chat about his new role on the board of Launch Minnesota.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring the Twin Cities Startup Week Live tech.mn podcast booth. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
Tech.MN on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Adam Choe on Twitter
Yonder / Mimi the Hippo on Twitter
Launch Minnesota on Twitter

Links:
Yonder
Mimi the Hippo
Gener8tor
Launch Minnesota

16:24 “I meet people all the time that say, ‘I don’t know if I’m mentor material,’ and I always say to them, “The fact that you’re meeting with me for 30 minutes or an hour to understand if you fit in, I don’t care about your background per say, I care about your interest in helping others.”

24:05 “We essentially feel as though kids need everything that we can provide them to make sure growing up is easy, and a big part of growing up is getting good healthcare.”

38:37 “I just want to be able to say that, when it’s all said and done, something somewhere that I did helped somebody.”

An Outside Perspective with John Garry of High Alpha

40 perc 2. évad 21. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 19 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and special guest host, Bri McCullough, welcome John Garry, Associate at High Alpha out of Indianapolis, on a special TCSW edition of The Tech.MN Podcast to talk about the state of venture capital.

John shares his journey from majoring in finance and history to the venture capital world. John describes the unique model of Venture Capital firm, High Alpha, and how they are deploying two thirds of their capital to Indiana and the Midwest. He talks about what kind of businesses they look to fund.

We do a deep dive in the state of venture capital and get an outside look on the Minneapolis startup ecosystem and why High Alpha is building roots in Minnesota.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring the Twin Cities Startup Week Live tech.mn podcast booth. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
Tech.MN on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Bri McCullough on Twitter
John Garry on Twitter
High Alpha on Twitter

Links:
High Alpha
Structural
When I Work
Encamp

Technology for the Creative Economy with Jasmine RuKim

45 perc 2. évad 20. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 20 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and special guest host, Bri McCullough, welcome Jasmine RuKim, CEO and Co-founder of Monicat Data, on a special TCSW edition of The Tech.MN Podcast to talk about technology and art.

Jasmine shares the origin story of Monicat Data, their focus on creative teams and artists, and how word of mouth has propelled them forward Jasmine thoughtfully breaks down the transition from years one to year two in a startup. A member of cohort 1 at Lunar Startups, Jasmine tells us about the value she received from the experience.

We talk about The Yellow Summit, a data for art workshop that brings together the art and tech community, the 2019 event, and the future of the affair. On top of it all Jasmine works with GiveMN, serves as an adjunct professor at MCAD, and Minneapolis Parks Foundation. We talk about how she balances all of this and how she balances working with her partner.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring the Twin Cities Startup Week Live tech.mn podcast booth. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
Tech.MN on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Bri McCullough on Twitter
Jasmine RuKim on Instagram
Monicat Data on LinkedIn
GiveMN on Twitter

Links:
Monicat Data
The Yellow Summit
GiveMN

Founders First with Ryan Broshar

50 perc 2. évad 19. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 19 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and special guest host, Bri McCullough, welcome Ryan Broshar, Founder and partner at Matchstick Ventures and Co-founder and board member of BETA and Twin Cities Startup Week, on a special TCSW edition of The Tech.MN Podcast to talk about putting founders first and the future of Twin Cities Startup Week.

Ryan tells us about the former Techstars Retail Accelerator in Partnership with Target, how he plugs into the other Techstars programs, and how he balances his time with Matchstick and BETA.

Ryan shares the genesis stories of BETA , Twin Cities Startup Week, and Matchstick Ventures. We talk about Matchstick’s latest raise, what kind of companies they work with, and how Ryan approaches fundraising. We also touch on the Candor Clause, created by the founders of Soona, one of Matchstick’s investments.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring the Twin Cities Startup Week Live tech.mn podcast booth. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Links:
Matchstick Ventures
Techstars
BETA
Twin Cities Startup Week
Soona Candor Clause

Pod-curious with Ian Levitt

42 perc 2. évad 18. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 17 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager at tech.mn, welcome Ian Levitt, Founder of Studio Americana on a special TCSW edition of The Tech.MN Podcast to talk broadcasting and podcasting.

Ian shares his journey to starting Studio Americana, a full-service podcasting studio. He walks us through starting in radio at age 15 and working through several markets until he went out on his own to launch Studio Americana. We talk about the reasons why someone should start a podcast, what causes certain podcasts to rise to the top, and how his team replicates the radio experience for people.

The conversation dives into the challenges of entrepreneurship, developing systems for your business, and keeping up with the change of technology and industry. Kevin and Jac share what they’ve learned about podcasting and Kevin addresses some controversial feedback he has gotten since the launch of The tech.mn podcast.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring the Twin Cities Startup Week Live tech.mn podcast booth. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
Tech.MN on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Ian Levitt on Twitter
Studio Americana on Twitter

Links:
Studio Americana
Twin Cities Collective Podcast (Jenna Redfield)
Omni Talk podcast (Anne Mezzenga)
The Founders Mentality Podcast (Josh Fedie)
The Operatory Podcast (Brian Laskin)
Redpath and Company CPAs

Just Don’t Text Me with Tyler Olson

40 perc 2. évad 17. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 16 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and special guest host, Bri McCullough, welcome Tyler Olson, Founder of Shyld Academy, on a special TCSW edition of The Tech.MN Podcast to talk serial entrepreneurship.

Tyler shares his story of starting more than ten companies and earning a spot as a Best Place to Work in Minneapolis for one. He gets candid about the challenges of entrepreneurship and we dive into the romanticization of being a founder.

Tyler walks us through his latest venture as founder of Shyld Academy, a brand created to educate the public and train the future talent force on cyber security. He also appropriately freaks us out about the lack of security surrounding text messages, and Echos, and emails, oh my!

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring the Twin Cities Startup Week Live tech.mn podcast booth. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.

Socials
Tech.MN on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Bri McCullough on Twitter
Tyler Olson on Twitter
Modern Foundation on Twitter
Shyld Academy on Twitter
Taster’s Club on Twitter

Links:
Shyld Academy
Modern Foundation
Away Agents
Taster’s Club

“The roller coaster has been fun. But it has its high highs and its low lows, right? And to be mindful of that and to prepare for that is complicated.”

“As an entrepreneur I thrive off of variety and something new and I love how the Twin Cities has a very substantial amount of that.”

Something in the Water with Steve Buchanan

40 perc 2. évad 16. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 16 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and special guest host, Bri McCullough, welcome Steve Buchanan, Director at Avenade, on a special TCSW edition of The Tech.MN Podcast to talk about the magic of the Minnesota tech community.

Steve, an eight-time Microsoft MVP and five time author whose motto is to ‘stay humble,’ shares his story of how a high school job led to him catching the bug in IT. Since then he has discovered his sweet spot in the world of tech and is working hard on exposing it to youth and giving back to the community through his website.

Steve gets candid about impostor syndrome and how he’s overcome it by committing to serving the tech community. He describes the the open source developer culture. Finally we chat about late nights, finding balance, and legacy.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring the Twin Cities Startup Week Live tech.mn podcast booth. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website.

Socials
Tech.MN on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Bri McCullough on Twitter
Steve Buchanan on Twitter

Links:
Buchatech.com
Avenade
The Minnesota STEM Partnership
BIT

The Psychology of Confidence With Danielle Steer

54 perc 2. évad 15. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 15 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN welcome Danielle Steer, Managing Director of Lunar Startups, on The Tech.MN Podcast (TCSW Edition) to talk about how to redesign the Minnesota startup ecosystem to work for more people and more ideas.

*CALLING ALL STARTUPS* Lunar Startups is now taking applications for Cohort 3. Head to their website to see if their incubator experience is right for you.

Danielle tells us about the concept of the psychology of confidence and how that has been incorporated into the programming for Lunar Startups and we talk about what companies are focusing on diversity as a business investment. *Bonus: We discovery which Silicon Valley leader Kevin does not want to be compared to.

We dive into the unique approach that Lunar takes for their cohort application process and graduations. Danielle touches on the effects of ‘cancel culture’ on our community. Lastly, Danielle, who is not midwest native, gushes about Minnesota. Aww, we’re blushing!

Sponsor:
Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring the Twin Cities Startup Week Live tech.mn podcast booth. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website.

Socials

Tech.MN on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Danielle Steer on Twitter
Lunar Startups on Twitter

Links:

Lunar Startups
Knight Foundation
Osborn 370
Glen Nelson Center
Recovree
Backstage Capital
Harlem Capital
Lunar Startups Podcast

VR and Timing with Thong Nguyen

32 perc 2. évad 14. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 14 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN welcome Thong Nguyen, Founder and CEO of Roomera, on The Tech.MN Podcast to talk about the future of VR and the parallels of being a technologist and a founder.

Thong shares his journey along the corresponding tracks of corporate employment and entrepreneurship. He talks about the genesis of Roomera as an idea sprouted from home remodeling projects to a company today that helps retail companies prototype experiences with VR in order to make better business decisions.

We talk about Thong’s roles with Reve Academy and Wellbeats and how he balances it all. The conversation turns to the good and evil of virtual reality and we get deep about the future of Peloton.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Thong gives a shout out to Sean Higgins, founder of Better You; Rob Walling, founder of Tiny Seed; and Casey Allen, Founder of Enterprise Rising.

Sponsor:

Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders. Visit RedPath’s Website and find out how you can get your business to the next level.

Socials

Tech.MN on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Thong Nguyen on Twitter

Links

TedxMinneapolis - Thong’s Ted Talk

Enterprise Rising

Vacuum Cleaners, Coca Cola, and Experience Tech with Carter Jensen

34 perc 1. évad 13. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 13 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN welcome Carter Jensen, Director of Strategy (Customer Experience) at Latitude, on The Tech.MN Podcast to talk about the integration of experiences and technology.

Carter shares his story of brand activation and measuring the ROI on experiences. He takes us through several case studies of experiences deployed by brands and tells us about a new retail brand activation lab right here in our own backyard.

We get the download on Uplo. An experience measurement tool developed by Carter and his team and talk about how companies are using technology to stand out from the noise.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Carter gives a shout out to Chris Walton and Ann Mezzenga from Omni Talk and the new Third Haus Retail Lab and Coworking spot.

Sponsor:

Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders. Visit RedPath’s Website and find out how you can get your business to the next level.

Socials

Tech.MN on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Carter Jensen on Twitter
Latitude on Twitter

Links

Article on the Coca Cola NCAA Campaign

Xenia Retail

Uplo (Video)

Solving Big World Problems with Lori Most

29 perc 1. évad 12. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 12 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN, welcome Lori Most, founder of BackpackEMR, on The Tech.MN Podcast to talk about going from coder to founder.

Lori shares her story of how joining her sister, a physician’s assistant, for a medical trip to Peru ignited the idea for an offline peer-to-peer electronic medical record (EMR) software product. She talks about becoming a founder, building software, and their latest contracts with Nairobi County in Kenya and Timmy Global Health.

We discuss the challenges of fundraising as a female founder and Lori’s first-hand experience to weeding out investors to find really great ones.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Lori gives a shout out to Casey Allen from Enterprise Rising. Listen to his podcast on Apple, Spotify, and Google.

Sponsor:

Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders. Visit RedPath’s Website and find out how you can get your business to the next level.

Socials

Tech.MN on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Lori Most of Twitter
BackpackEMR on Twitter

Links

BackpackEMR
Timmy Global Health
Venn Foundation (PRI)

Forging North with Matt Lewis

49 perc 1. évad 11. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 11 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN welcome Matt Lewis, Vice President, Strategic Initiatives of Greater MSP, on The Tech.MN Podcast to talk all about the assets and liabilities of the great state of Minnesota.

Matt shares his story of what led him to Greater MSP. After starting off as a journalist in Washington DC he made his way back to Minnesota with an interest in helping separate organizations collaborate. We dive into the workings of Greater MSP including two of their initiatives, Make It MSP and Forge North.

The conversation touches on the infamous Amazon Proposal for HQ2 and the job of selling Minnesota beyond nostalgia. We get an inside look into the development of the Forge North Council and what it takes to bring together many different players to benefit the whole.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Kevin also asks Matt to name a corporation that is stepping up in the region. Matt gives a shout out to Caroline Karanja of 26 Letters, and CH Robinson.

Sponsor:

Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders. Visit RedPath’s Website and find out how you can get your business to the next level.

Socials

Tech.MN on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Matt Lewis on Twitter
Greater MSP on Twitter

Links:

Greater MSP
Make It MSP
Forge North
Twin Cities Amazon HQ2 Proposal

Podcast Jingles and Believing in Yourself With Josh Fedie

58 perc 1. évad 10. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 10 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN, welcome Josh Fedie, founder of SalesReach, on The Tech.MN Podcast to reminisce about Girbaud jeans and learn what a follow-on round is. Bonus: Josh wrote a jingle for the Tech.MN Podcast and debuts it on air with the help of Kevin and Jac.

Josh shares his journey of building a product from the baby steps of getting validation, to putting together a team, and raising money. We talk about the stress of being a founder and Josh's experience growing up in an entrepreneurial household. He shares (almost) all his secrets to selling with us and gets candid about the key to success in selling.

We explore Josh's strategy for for content and his podcast, The Founder's Mentality, and dive into the themes that have begun to arise from it including failure, the growth mindset, and dealing in stressful environments.

Josh shares what he likes about the Minnesota tech and startup ecosystem, as well as what sucks. Get ready to take some notes!

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Josh gives a shout out to Clarence Bethea, founder of Upsie.

Sponsor:

Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders. Visit Redpath’s website and find out how you can get your business to the next level.

Socials

Tech.MN on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Bri McCullough on Twitter
Graveti on Twitter

Josh Fedie on LinkedIn

Links:

SalesReach - Josh’s company focusing on true sales enablement.

Studio Americana - We give a shoutout to Studio Americana, where we record all of the Tech.MN podcasts

The Founder's Mentality - Josh’s podcast featuring interviews with startup founders. We chat about themes and call out a recent episode with Shalya Christine.

Invision - Josh mentions Invision, a prototyping tool. Find it here.

Love, Luck, and a whole lot of Fight With Bri McCullough

40 perc 1. évad 9. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 9 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN welcome Brianna McCullough, founder of BriLimitless and Network Systems Engineer at Target, on The Tech.MN Podcast to talk about how following her heart led her to Minnesota and the things that kept her here.

Bri walks us through getting a computer science degree and then teaching herself how to code. We dive into Bri's journey into becoming a speaker and an advocate for technology and diversity and inclusion (D&I). We get real about how the Minnesota ecosystem is doing and what we can do better. Bri shares the story of brilimitless and living a fearless and transparent life.

We chat about the upcoming event for Graveti, a community focused on building businesses, creating wealth and developing the Tech ecosystem for people of color in the Twin Cities, of which Bri is the events and programs director. The Graveti summit will take place on Saturday, November 2nd. Check it out here!

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Bri gives a shout out to Sam Ndely, consultant at MEDA and Co-founder at Graveti. She also shouts out Yolanda Smith (Lead at Target and speaker) and Steve Buchanan (Microsoft MVP).

Sponsor:

Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders. Visit RedPath’s Website and find out how you can get your business to the next level.

Socials

Links:

BriLimitless - Bri’s personal website and blog
Arlan Hamilton - We gush over Arlan and chat about her appearance at last year’s Graveti Summit
Graveti Summit - Happening in Minneapolis on November 2nd, Get your tickets now!
Techquity - Bri Shouts out Techquity - a profession platform for African Americans in technology

The Case for St. Paul and Balance With Scott Burns

51 perc 1. évad 8. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 8 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN welcome Scott Burns, founder of Structural, on The Tech.MN Podcast to talk about ghosting and how more is not always better.

Scott talks about how he came exited his first company, GovDelivery (Now Granicus), not once, but twice. He makes a solid case for St. Paul as a tech hub and how he is contributing to its success with the purchase and launch of Osborne 370.

We chat about his latest venture, Structural, and the benefits of making more focused connections within a company. Conversation gets real when Kevin asks the question, “What does the #MNTech community suck at?” Scott follows it up by getting sentimental about finding balance as a dad and an entrepreneur.

Hype Time
Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Scott gives a shout out to American Public Media for investing in entrepreneurship in all industries.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders. Visit RedPath’s Website and find out how you can get your business to the next level.

Socials

Tech.MN on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Scott Burns on Twitter
Structural on Twitter
Osborne 370 on Twitter

Links:

Structural - Scott’s latest company - The all-in-one people directory.
Osborne 370 - Scott’s building serving as an innovation hub in downtown St. Paul
Granicus - Formerly GovDelivery, Scott’s first company.
High Alpha - Scott and Kevin talk about High Alpha, a venture studio out of Indiana.

Collecting Mistakes With Thompson Aderinkomi

56 perc 1. évad 7. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 7 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN welcome Thompson Aderinkomi, founder of Nice Healthcare, on The Tech.MN Podcast to talk about his collection of mistakes and where they've landed him. Bonus: He throws out an Aragron reference for the LOTR fans out there.

Thompson takes us on his journey through starting new companies and what he's learned including market timing, value propositions, and market segments. His story is the healthcare version of an action feature film complete with many quotable moments.

As Thompson shares his timeline with us it becomes more and more clear that his story is just beginning with the launch of Nice Healthcare from a stronger position. We chat about his obsession with company culture, the support of the MN tech and startup community, and where the name 'Nice Healthcare' comes from.

Hype Time
Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Thompson gives a shout out to Zack Steven of Cloudburst
SBC.

Sponsor:
Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders. Visit RedPath’s Website and find out how you can get your business to the next level.

Socials

Tech.MN on Twitter
Kevin McArdle on Twitter
Jac Stark on Twitter
Thompson Aderinkomi on Twitter
Nice Healthcare on Twitter

Links:

Nice Healthcare – Thompson’s most recent startup
Indie.VC Indie.vc is a 12 month program designed to fund and support founders on a path to profitability.
Relate - Check out Thompson’s personal coaching startup
Mill City Laser – Shoutout to Thompson’s wife, Hannah’s, startup.

75F The Reluctant CEO with Deepinder Singh

59 perc 1. évad 6. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 6 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN welcome Deepinder Signh on The Tech.MN Podcast to talk about space heaters under your desk in the dead of summer, lego masters, and the number three reason employees quit.

Deep shares the story of why 75F was started, the early days, and where the company is going after a raising $18M. A lot of impressive analogies are presented to explain the genius that is 75F. We discuss how the humbling experience of becoming the CEO of a startup venture for the first time vs. being ‘the tech guy.’ We also dive into the concept of comfort as a value proposition.

As Deep takes us through the journey that has been 75F he shares his experiences with finding advisors, investors, PR brought on by startup competitions, and the woes of fundraising. The conversation caps off with 75F’s latest news and why they chose Minnesota.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Deep gives a shout out to power couple Mary and Steve Grove. Mary is a Partner on Rise of the Rest. Steve is the Commissioner of MN DEED. Together they founded Silicon Valley North Stars.

Sponsor:

Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders. Visit Redpath’s website and find out how you can get your business to the next level.

Socials

Deepinder Singh on Twitter

75F on Twitter

Links:

75F - Learn more about 75F here.

Tech.MN Article - 75F Raises $18M Led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Oil & Gas Climate Initiative

Angel Tax Credit - Deep talks us through how they took advantage of the Angel Tax Credit.

Twin Cities Startup Week and Backyard Chickens with Casey Shultz & Reed Robinson

45 perc 1. évad 5. rész Kevin McArdle and Jac Stark

On Episode 5 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN welcome Casey Shultz and Reed Robinson on The Tech.MN Podcast to talk about the importance of Zoom skills and also the most anticipated #MNtech event of the year.

We get into the history of BETA and the birth and evolution of Twin Cities Startup Week. Casey shares what to expect for this year’s celebration including new community hubs in downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul and centralized event tracks.

We get into why Twin Cities Startup Week exists, how partnerships are expanding between the community and local corporations, and some of the cool events to check out during the week. We discuss the direction of Twin Cities Startup Week in the future. The phrase ‘A South by Southwest with Substance’ may or may not have been thrown around. Listen to find out!

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Casey gives a shout out to Caroline Karanja of 26 Letters and Hack the Gap and Reed hypes Clarence Bethea of Upsie.

Sponsor:

Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders. Visit www.RedpathCPAs.com and find out how you can get your business to the next level.

Socials

Twin Cities Startup Week on Twitter

BETA on Twitter

Casey Shultz on Twitter

Reed Robinson on Twitter

Links:

Twin Cities Startup Week - Learn more and find the schedule for Twin Cities Startup Week

Connecting Minnesota’s Innovation Ecosystem With Neela Mollgaard

31 perc 1. évad 4. rész Kevin McArdle & Jac Stark

On Episode 4, Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN, welcome Neela Mollgaard, Executive Director of Launch MN, to The Tech.MN Podcast hotseat to chat about Launch MN and connecting Minnesota’s Innovation Ecosystem.

We discuss the mission of Launch MN is to help innovation take off in Minnesota, bringing people together to affect change, her experience with Redwing Ignite and reaching outside of our bubble to make our community better (#wearestrongertogether).

Neela explains Launch MN’s goal to provide opportunity, access, and exposure to companies and ecosystem builders, gives a tentative timeline of what is to come, and chats about some possible grants that they are considering.

Launch MN will debut their website on October 1, 2019.

Hype Time

Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Neela gives a shout out to three entrepreneurs:

Susan Langer of Live, Give, Save

Beth Fynbo of Busy Baby

Michael Lopez of Halo Ramp

Sponsor:

Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders. Visit www.RedpathCPAs.com and find out how you can get your business to the next level.

Socials