614Startups

On this episode, Elio interviews Kristen Brown, Founder of Rela. Rela is an art subscription service collaborating with local artists to make any space a local art gallery, empowering anyone to host original art in their home or office. Kristen shares Rela's origin story, the role that art should play in our lives, and how Rela intends to end the starving artist trope by generating revenue for local artists on artwork that would otherwise languish in storage.

On this episode, Elio interviews Chris Berry, President/CEO of OhioX. Chris Berry highlights the importance of collaboration and creating a supportive ecosystem for the growth of the tech sector in Ohio. Chris shares the mission and purpose of OhioX and how they leverage storytelling, events, education, advocacy, and talent attraction to advance Ohio's technology and digital industry. He explains the organization's goals and initiatives in promoting and supporting tech and innovation within the state. Chris shares his personal experiences and the insight he gained from working in government that motivated him to create an organization fostering tech growth in Ohio. With major investments from Intel, Meta, Honda, Google, and now Amazon Web Services, the world according to Chris will surely be Built In Ohio.

Tune in to the podcast episode to gain valuable insights from Chris Berry about connecting and supporting Ohio's tech and innovation communities.

Learn more about OhioX: https://www.ohiox.org/

Learn more about Chris Berry: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-berry-073aa75/

Learn more about 614Startups: https://614startups.com/

Learn more about Elio Harmon: linkedin.com/in/elio-harmon-ba4a8747/

On this episode, Elio interviews Marques Martin, Partner at FVLCRUM. FVLCRUM is a private equity firm that leverages their expertise in business strategy, operations, acquisitions, to create increased value in the companies they invest in. Marques Shares How His Passion For Finance Led Him Morehouse College, The Impetus That Created FVLCRUM, How His Team Works With Founders To Create Wealth And Accelerate Growth, And Why Private Equity Is An Asset Class That Brings Much Need Capital Diversity To The Columbus Startup Ecosystem.

On this episode, Elio interviews Dan German, Founder of orthobrain. orthobrain offers a total solution, combining education and support to make it easy for general dentists to grow their practice and profits with orthodontics. But orthobrain is more than that. Dan is on a mission to make a beautiful smile accessible to people all across the world. Dan shares his journey from dentistry, to inspired entrepreneur, with the energy and passion that great podcasts are made of. Enjoy!

Our CEO Elio Harmon sat down with Dan Snyder, CEO of Lower as he formally announced the launch of Mortgage Pass. Mortgage Pass is Lower's cash offer product aimed at helping homebuyers retain their relationship with their trusted real estate advisor while harnessing the power of cash in a competitive housing environment. True to Columbus' reputation as Test City, USA, Mortgage Pass is launching in Columbus first and the company plans to scale quickly to other areas of the country.  The conversation was held in front of a live audience of some of Columbus' top real estate agents and Lower employees.

On this episode, Elio interviews Cheryl Turnbull, Senior Director of the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship at The Ohio State University. The Tim & Kathleen Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship works to grow and foster a culture of entrepreneurship for the Ohio State community through the creation and support of new ventures and the education and encouragement of their founders. The Keenan Center provides a campus-wide hub for collaboration and engagement with early-stage capital, startup talent and robust programming resources to maximize opportunities for social and economic impact.  

Cheryl discusses how the Keenan Center helps students and faculty develop ideas and then facilitates connections with entrepreneurs, venture capital firms, and corporate partners to validate the ideas and turn research into profitable ventures. Enjoy!

On this episode, Elio interviews Dr. Erika Pryor of EPiC Creative + Design. EPiC Creative and Design LLC is an innovative design and strategy studio offering clients a dynamic partnership to meet your evolving and diverse needs. Erika is an Executive in Residence at Denison University where she teaches on launching and scaling startups via marketing industry expertise, hands-on workshops, and four internships.  Elio and Erika discuss what it takes to wear multiple hats while leading multiple projects, why personal leadership development helps you take your business to the next level, and how organizations from across the State of Ohio are coming together to help Black founders start and scale successful companies.

On this episode, Elio interviews Michelle Murcia, Founder and CEO of Book+Street. Book+Street provides comprehensive finance and administration services for private and pre-IPO companies, and also designs and administers equity-based compensation plans that make it easy for startups to start off right, right from the start. Michelle defines equity, breaks down the types of equity and the pros and cons of each, and why engaging a professional can save you a lot of headaches when hiring and firing, raising capital, and exiting your business. Enjoy!

On this episode, Elio interviews Dan Rockwell, CEO and Co-Founder of Big Kitty Labs. Big Kitty Labs is a software development agency focusing on software development for web, enterprise, and mobile applications. Big Kitty Labs has worked with a long list of Columbus startups and don't be surprised if you a fan of a platform they helped develop. Dan shares his wealth of knowledge gained from working with diverse founders building solutions for diverse industries. For the first time ever on the show, Dan goes metaphysical and we explore his tagline, Ready, Set, Manifest. Enjoy!

This week we return to in-person sessions as Elio interviews LoLo Smith and George "Ski" Zarebski of the Urban Business Development Center. The U as it is commonly known envisions a world where systematic oppression is not an obstacle for Black and Brown businesses. The U fulfills this vision by bridging the access gap ensuring awareness of resources, providing culturally competent education, facilitating impactful collaboration and engagement for Owner-Operated, Lifestyle businesses and start-ups run by People of Color. Ski and LoLo share the origin story of The U, how the survived the pandemic, and the importance of creating a sense of belonging when launching and scaling companies started by People of Color.

On this episode, Elio interviews Mike Popadak, CEO of iVueit. iVueit provides facility managers with on-demand visual validation and compliance verification on the properties they manage nationwide. iVueit accomplishes this by leveraging Vuers who earn extra cash by completing interior/exterior site inspections (Vues) at nearby properties. Mike shares how the idea for iVueit came about, solving the chicken or the egg problem of getting properties vs. getting vuers, the state of the gig economy, and what's next for iVueit. Enjoy.

You can find Mike Popadak and iVueit at:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-popadak-891a8b4/

https://ivueit.com/

You can find Elio Harmon and 614Startups at:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elio-harmon-ba4a8747/

https://www.instagram.com/elioharmon/

https://www.614startups.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/614startups/?viewAsMember=true

https://twitter.com/614startups

https://www.instagram.com/614startups/

https://www.facebook.com/614startups/

On this episode, Elio interviews Elspeth "Elle" Paige-Sack, Founder of Hunter Marketing. Hunter Marketing is a marketing communications firm that helps businesses large and small create and execute marketing strategies that work. Elle describes herself as a sales and marketing expert and former pizza pimp who decided to take the leap and start her own business. True to her values, Hunter Marketing "leads with our hearts and acts with our brains for clients with common values. In an era of increased commoditization, we exhibit unwavering integrity and compassion, both internally and externally." Elle shares her thoughts on all things sales, marketing, and branding for startups and small businesses. Enjoy.  

On this episode, Elio interviews Dan Keough, CEO of Holmes Murphy and Co-CEO of BrokerTech Ventures. Holmes Murphy is an independent insurance brokerage firm specializing in property-casualty insurance and employee benefits strategy. BrokerTech Ventures leverages partnerships with brokerage firms, carrier networks, and access to early-stage investment capital to identify and scale disruptive technologies in the insurance industry.

Dan shares how Holmes Murphy's commitment to being a trusted advisor for their clients, their people-first approach, and commitment to innovation has helped the 90-year-old company serve clients in every industry and of almost every size with the ultimate goal of providing thoughtful expertise and exceptional service. With the launch of BrokerTech Ventures, Dan is focused on turning client problems into companies through the BrokerTech Accelerator which has grown valuations for participating companies $586 million. BrokerTech Ventures is also looking to invest in insurtech companies across the globe and with Columbus being the insurtech capital of the world, it wouldn't be a surprise if we see an investment in a Columbus startup soon. Enjoy! 

On this episode, Elio interviews Sahil Shah, Co-Founder of MESH. MESH is a cloud-based SaaS platform designed for manufacturers to streamline their sourcing and quality processes into one centralized, easy-to-use online platform. As complex and integrated as the global supply chain is, much of sourcing and quality assurance processes lack digitization. 

Sahil uncovered this problem during a Sourcing and Supply Chain internship in China for his father's company MES. Sahil discusses how the team at MESH is helping manufacturers improve their procurement processes by giving them insight into supplier quality and inventory around the globe thereby speeding up the acquisition process and diversifying their supplier base all while maintaining quality standards. 

To learn more about MESH 

Visit https://globalsourcing.com/

To learn more about Sahil Shah

Visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahil-shah-98b677b1/

To learn more about 614Startups 

Visit www.614startups.com 

To learn more about Elio Harmon

Visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/elio-harmon-ba4a8747/

In this episode, Elio interviews Kristy Campbell, Chief Operating Officer of Rev1 Ventures. Rev1 Ventures provides seed-stage venture capital funding in Columbus, Ohio along with startup services, space, mentoring, and connections. Kristy leads operations for Rev1 Ventures, the investor startup studio providing strategic services and capital to help startups scale and corporates innovate. She supports cross-team delivery of client services – including talent programs, corporate partnerships, infrastructure (via Rev1 Labs’ innovation center), and access to investment capital. Kristy also leads Rev1’s Inclusive Entrepreneurship efforts, focused on reducing bias and improving access to resources and capital for women, minority and underrepresented inventors and entrepreneurs.

Kristy provides insights into Rev1's model for engaging and supporting founders, how the organization measures success, and her prediction that startups that succeed going forward will have DE&I embedded in their business plan from day one. She also discusses highlights from the 2022 State of Startups in Ohio report including the fact that Ohio's startup ecosystem has created nearly 11,000 jobs with an average salary of over $90,000. Enjoy!

To connect with Rev1 Ventures visit www.rev1ventures.com. 

Additional Information about Kristy: 

Prior to joining Rev1, Kristy spent her career working within multiple high-growth, venture-backed startups, helping to build their brands, organize effective teams, grow revenue and scale. She held leadership positions at Manta Media – where she helped to grow the company into one of the largest, most trafficked websites in the U.S. – and Saama Technologies, a global leader in Big Data and analytics.

Kristy serves on the advisory board for multiple non-profits – including i.c. stars | Columbus and Cultivate SMB. She is also an advisor to the START Fund, the Columbus region’s first entrepreneur giving fund, launched by Rev1 in 2016 to encourage entrepreneurs to give back to the community that supports them. She holds a BS in Journalism from Ohio University and an MBA from Ashland University. Kristy is a frequent speaker on startup, marketing and inclusion best practices and has been featured in Entrepreneur, Huffington Post, Axios, Venture Beat, Yahoo and other top entrepreneur media outlets.

On this episode, Elio interviews Gloria Ware, Founder and Chief Rainmaker of Get The Bag, LLC. Get The Bag is focused on helping black female entrepreneurs access capital and build the networks they need to start and scale successful businesses. Gloria started her career in banking with an emphasis on minority small business development. Most recently she worked with organizations like Jumpstart and KeyBank to deploy over $2 million dollars in minority-led startups. Gloria's passion for helping black-owned businesses grow led her to launch Get The Bag in September 2020.  

Get The Bag partners with black female entrepreneurs to curate a quarterly Get The Bag Seasonal Subscription Box. The subscription helps consumers become more socially conscious in their buying by using their purchases to make a positive impact in the world. The box features 4-6 items ranging from educational seminars to snacks, books, and self-care items. Community members also receive coaching on how to prepare to access capital across a wide spectrum of funding options including venture capital, bank funding, and grants. 

Gloria shares her Why and why now is the time to close the wealth gap by supporting aspiring black female founders. Enjoy!

Elio interviews Jay Clouse, serial entrepreneur, Founder and or Co-Founder of upside.fm, Freelancing School, and Unreal Collective. In addition, he is a course creator on LinkedIn Learning and the producer of the groundbreaking feature-length film Test City, USA. With so many topics and businesses to cover this episode is a roller coaster ride peppered with humor, real-world experience, and love for Columbus that is uniquely Jay. Enjoy!

On this episode, Elio interviews Ilya Bodner, Founder of Bold Penguin. Bold Penguin is a Columbus, Ohio insurtech startup that helps businesses, insurance agents and insurance carriers streamline the commercial insurance buying experience by making it effortless to quote and bind insurance. Bold Penguin was acquired in February 2021 by American Family Insurance. Ilya discusses his immigrant roots, early business failures, and how Bold Penguin is revolutionizing the commercial insurance space. Enjoy!

On this episode, Elio interviews Bianca Caban, Principal at Heartland Ventures. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Heartland Ventures is a Midwest-based venture capital firm connecting large Middle America companies with vital technology being developed on the coasts.   Bianca breaks down the role of the Principal, how she evaluates companies for potential investment, and why the Heartland Ventures model gives their portfolio companies a competitive advantage. Enjoy!  

You can find Elio Harmon and 614Startups at:  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elio-harmon-ba4a8747/ 

https://www.614startups.com/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/614startups/?viewAsMember=true 

https://twitter.com/614startups 

https://www.instagram.com/614startups/ 

https://www.facebook.com/614startups/