business – Boulder Tech Podcast

Episode 034: Irina Gladysheva, Watson Institute Scholar and Founder, LearnEx

00:00 / 00:34:58

Our guest for Episode #34 is Irina Gladysheva, a Watson Institute scholar and founder of LearnEx, a learning platform for connecting people from her native Russia with teachers and opportunities for work and study abroad.

We cover several topics, including:

How a 9th grader living in a rural Russian village taught herself English.
Where she developed her passion for connecting other Russians with opportunities and the world beyond Russia.
How Irina’s making the most of her time at Watson Institute, developing a platform for accomplishing her mission.

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The Boulder Tech Podcast is presented by iolo.com, developers of the award-winning software suite System Mechanic, which repairs, optimizes, and protects Windows PCs. With a global sales presence in 33 countries and products in 11 languages, tens of millions of people have used iolo’s products for their PC optimization, security, and data recovery needs since 1998. Today, iolo is widely recognized by both consumers and industry experts as a worldwide leader in the system utility software market.

iolo is offering all Boulder Tech Podcast listeners a 60% discount off either Phoenix 360, System Mechanic Pro, or System Mechanic through the coupon code: BOULDERTECHPODCAST. Simply go to iolo.com, decide which product works best for you, and enter the coupon code BOULDERTECHPODCAST at checkout. The 60% discount will be automatically applied to your order.

The Boulder Tech Podcast is made possible in part by Glider, a Colorado-based Community movement and non-profit that produces Boulder’s Ignite and TedX events, as well as Boulder Startup Week. Learn more and consider a donation at glider.com

Thanks to dojo4 for providing space for the Boulder Tech Podcast HQ, and to KGNU Community Radio for studio usage.

Our intro music is by Eccodek. Our outro music is by EarthRise SoundSystem.

The Boulder Tech Podcast is produced by Joel Davis. Your feedback, criticisms and comments are welcome. Reach me at joel@dojo4.com.

Thank you for listening.

Episode 033: Jeremy Fields, Front End Development Director, Viget

00:00 / 00:46:20

Our guest for episode #33 is Jeremy Fields, Front End Development Director at Viget, a design agency dedicated to building a better digital world.

Jeremy and I talk about:

How the fast-paced world of web design isn’t really so fast-paced.
Why and how he set about instilling accessibility in design into Viget’s company culture
The tradeoffs involved in balancing good design with accessibility (spoiler: there don’t have to be many, if any)
Why accessibility should be taken into account even when it’s not specifically required or requested by the client
The common design/front end function whose demise Jeremy most looks forward to

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Thanks to dojo4 for providing space for the Boulder Tech Podcast HQ, and to KGNU Community Radio for studio usage.

Our intro music is by Eccodek. Our outro music is by EarthRise SoundSystem.

The Boulder Tech Podcast is produced by Joel Davis. Your feedback, criticisms and comments are welcome. Reach me at joel@dojo4.com.

Thank you for listening.

Episode 032: Analiese Brown, Director of Talent & Culture, CampMinder

00:00 / 00:41:47

Our guest for Episode #32 is Analiese Brown, Director of Talent & Culture at CampMinder. They’ve been building technology for camps since 2001.

Analiese and I discuss:

How to hire and retain great people in a competitive market such as Boulder’s.
What workplace culture actually is – and what it isn’t.
Why CampMinder puts company culture first and foremost in their mission.
How readily the values we learned at camp translate to today’s workplace.

Follow Analiese on Twitter @analiesemarie.

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Thanks to dojo4 for providing space for the Boulder Tech Podcast HQ, and to KGNU Community Radio for studio usage.

Our intro music is by Eccodek. Our outro music is by EarthRise SoundSystem.

The Boulder Tech Podcast is produced by Joel Davis. Your feedback, criticisms and comments are welcome. Reach me at joel@dojo4.com.

Thank you for listening.

Episode 031: Madison Kerndt, Software Engineer / Developer Evangelist, Iron Core Labs

00:00 / 00:33:36

Our guest for Episode #31 is Madison Kerndt, software engineer and developer evangelist at Iron Core Labs, creators of a development platform for end-to-end data control, privacy, and security

Madison and I cover a lot, including:

the tradeoffs between privacy and security that consumers are often forced to make
the morality of security – and whether tech companies hold themselves to a high enough standard in that regard.
how Boulder is a tech greenhouse
the importance of digging into the hard tech for newcomers to the tech biz

Follow Madison on Twitter @cipher-sift.

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Thanks to dojo4 for providing space for the Boulder Tech Podcast HQ, and to KGNU Community Radio for studio usage.

Our intro music is by Eccodek. Our outro music is by EarthRise SoundSystem.

The Boulder Tech Podcast is produced by Joel Davis. Your feedback, criticisms and comments are welcome. Reach me at joel@dojo4.com.

Thank you for listening.

Episode 030: Nina Baliga, Co-Founder & CEO, diversity

00:00 / 00:43:10

Our guest for episode #30 is Nina Baliga, co-founder and CEO of diversity, a female-founded startup focused on connecting a community of diverse tech talent with trusted, transparent companies.

Nina and I discuss many things, including:

why she’s committed to building a foundation for a stronger and more diverse tech community
her take on Boulder’s place on the diversity spectrum
what she think it will take for her company to realize its mission

Follow Nina on Twitter @nbaliga1.

***

Thanks to dojo4 for providing space for the Boulder Tech Podcast HQ, and to KGNU Community Radio for studio usage.

Our intro music is by Eccodek. Our outro music is by EarthRise SoundSystem.

The Boulder Tech Podcast is produced by Joel Davis. Your feedback, criticisms and comments are welcome. Reach me at joel@dojo4.com.

Thank you for listening.

Episode 029: Patrick Rea, co-founder & CEO, Canopy Boulder

00:00 / 00:44:28

Our guest for episode #29 is Patrick Rea, co-founder and CEO of Canopy Boulder, a venture fund and accelerator focused on the cannabis industry.

We get Patrick’s thoughts on a number of topics, including:

the state of the legal cannabis industry today
challenges and opportunities in the canna biz (hint: both involve data)
legislative realities and prospects for expanded legalization
the coming involvement of Big Business in cannabis

Follow Patrick on Twitter @patrickrea.

***

Thanks to dojo4 for providing space for the Boulder Tech Podcast HQ, and to KGNU Community Radio for studio usage.

Our intro music is by Eccodek. Our outro music is by EarthRise SoundSystem.

The Boulder Tech Podcast is produced by Joel Davis. Your feedback, criticisms and comments are welcome. Reach me at joel@dojo4.com.

Thank you for listening.

Episode 027: Kim White, Co-Founder, Zimbowties

00:00 / 00:36:04

Our guest for Episode #27 is Kim White, a participant in Watson Institute’s Semester Incubator in Boulder, and Co-founder of Zimbowties, a Zimbabwe-based startup making bowties from recycled fabrics. Proceeds from sales go towards putting Zimbabwean kids through school.

Kim and I touch on a number of things, such as:

his inspiration for creating a business with a social impact
Kim’s experience in Boulder and at the Watson Institute
the concept of Design Thinking
what he’s gained from working with Zimbabwean children

Follow Kim on Twitter @zimbowties.

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The Boulder Tech Podcast is presented by Bonusly: a fun, personal recognition and rewards program that enriches company culture and improves employee engagement.

Used by thousands of companies, Bonusly integrates with popular collaboration tools like Slack and Zappier, as well as HR software like ADP and BambooHR.

Bonusly is proudly made right here in Boulder, Colorado.

Learn more about employee recognition and try Bonusly free for two months at Bonus.ly/bouldertech.

The Boulder Tech Podcast is also made possible in part by Glider, a Colorado-based Community movement and non-profit that produces Boulder’s Ignite and TedX events, as well as Boulder Startup Week. Learn more and consider a donation at glider.com

Thanks to dojo4 for providing space for the Boulder Tech Podcast HQ, and to KGNU Community Radio for studio usage.

Our intro music is by Eccodek. Our outro music is by EarthRise SoundSystem.

The Boulder Tech Podcast is produced by me, Joel Davis. Your feedback, criticisms and comments are welcome. Reach me at joel@conduitmusic.co

Thank you for listening.

Episode 026: Becks Boone, Robot Developer, Boulder Food Rescue

00:00 / 00:53:58

Our guest for Episode #26 is Becks Boone, Robot Developer at Boulder Food Rescue, and a software engineer with a focus on civic technology.

Becks and I discuss an array of topics, among them:

their perception of the USA from an American born and growing up on foreign soil, vs their actual experience upon arriving here at age 18
working with the City of Boulder on behalf of Code For America
the experience of a female-bodied person working in tech
thoughts on whether technology has a responsibility to culture and society
and the intersection of shared ownership, social justice and tech

Follow Becks on Twitter @boonrs.

NOTE: This episode is marked explicit due to one or two highly contextual uses of the “F” word.

***

The Boulder Tech Podcast is presented by Bonusly: a fun, personal recognition and rewards program that enriches company culture and improves employee engagement.

Used by thousands of companies, Bonusly integrates with popular collaboration tools like Slack and Zappier, as well as HR software like ADP and BambooHR.

Bonusly is proudly made right here in Boulder, Colorado.

Learn more about employee recognition and try Bonusly free for two months at Bonus.ly/bouldertech.

Thanks to dojo4 for providing space for the Boulder Tech Podcast HQ, and to KGNU Community Radio for studio usage.

Our intro music is by Eccodek. Our outro music is by EarthRise SoundSystem.

The Boulder Tech Podcast is produced by me, Joel Davis. Your feedback, criticisms and comments are welcome. Reach me at joel@conduitmusic.co

Thank you for listening.

Episode 025: Bruce Rosard, Co-Founder/COO, Arival

00:00 / 00:30:47

Our guest for Episode #25 is Bruce Rosard, co-founder and COO of Arival, a travel industry organization and conference serving as the voice for the best part of travel: the creators and sellers of tours, activities and attractions.

Bruce and I cover many topics, including:

the birth and rapid growth of the Arival conference
the biggest challenges facing the in-destination travel sector
his role as a startup mentor and advisor
and what Arival’s research has shown as the experience almost every traveler is looking for.

Follow Bruce on Twitter @BruceRosard.

***

The Boulder Tech Podcast is presented by Bonusly: a fun, personal recognition and rewards program that enriches company culture and improves employee engagement.

Used by thousands of companies, Bonusly integrates with popular collaboration tools like Slack and Zappier, as well as HR software like ADP and BambooHR.

Bonusly is proudly made right here in Boulder, Colorado.

Learn more about employee recognition and try Bonusly free for two months at Bonus.ly/bouldertech.

Thanks to dojo4 for providing space for the Boulder Tech Podcast HQ, and to KGNU Community Radio for studio usage.

Our intro music is by Eccodek. Our outro music is by EarthRise SoundSystem.

The Boulder Tech Podcast is produced by me, Joel Davis. Your feedback, criticisms and comments are welcome. Reach me at joel@conduitmusic.co

Thank you for listening.

Episode 024: Raphael Crawford-Marks, Co-Founder & CEO, Bonusly

00:00 / 00:25:17

Our guest for Episode #24 is Raphael Crawford-Marks, co-founder and CEO of Bonusly, an employee recognition and reward platform designed to enrich company culture.

In our conversation, Raphael and I touch on several things, including:

an effective recognition program’s potential to significantly and positively impact the bottom line
why Bonusly decided to make Boulder their home
how an employee reward program makes not just a better workplace, but a better world

Follow Raphael on Twitter @RaphaelCM.

***

The Boulder Tech Podcast is presented by Glider, a Colorado-based Community movement and non-profit that produces Boulder’s Ignite and TedX events, as well as Boulder Startup Week. Learn more and consider a donation at glider.com

Thanks to dojo4 for providing space for the Boulder Tech Podcast HQ, and to KGNU Community Radio for studio usage.

Our intro music is by Eccodek. Our outro music is by EarthRise SoundSystem.

The Boulder Tech Podcast is produced by me, Joel Davis. Your feedback, criticisms and comments are welcome. Reach me at joel@conduitmusic.co

Thank you for listening.