Tag: founders

Episode 073: Part 2 of ‘Impact Founder’s’ takeover of the BTP

Boulder Tech Podcast
Boulder Tech Podcast
Episode 073: Part 2 of 'Impact Founder's' takeover of the BTP
/

This episode is part of our 2020 Boulder Startup Week series. Because of the coronavirus, this year’s startup week took place virtually. We missed seeing everyone in person, but applaud the tremendous effort undertaken — mostly by volunteers — to put on the event. For more info, visit boulderstartupweek.com.

We’ve got another podcast “takeover” in this edition, with the Boulder Tech Podcast combining forces with Impact Founder, a media company, debunking the myth that entrepreneurship is sexy or easy. They tell the real stories of entrepreneurs so you don’t feel alone in your experience as a founder. 

For Boulder Startup Week 2020, Impact Founder’s “founder”, Kristin Darga, speaks with founders who pivoted or launched during the COVID-19 shutdown. In this episode, she talks to two people who decided to change course so that their business could better serve their community during this critical time.

First up is Claudio Garcia, founder at Ohiya Networks. 

As a customer-centric communications tool along the lines of Zoom and Slack, Ohiya Networks has been experiencing explosive growth during the coronavirus pandemic. He speaks with Impact Founder’s Kristin Darga about the recent challenges they’ve faced, and the success they’re enjoying.

Learn more at ohiyanetworks.com. 

Next up, Kristin talks to Yi Shan, founder of InterMeditation, an online meditation and support community. 

With people suddenly discovering they have more time on their hands, it’s no surprise that interest in meditation is spiking. InterMediation is enjoying rapid growth, with 100% of participants saying they’d recommend the site to their friends. Learn how Yi’s idea came about, and how InterMediation can improve your business — and life.

Find out more at intermeditation.com.

This has been an Impact Founder takeover of the Boulder Tech Podcast.

To listen to more stories, please visit Impactfounder.com or find them on iTunes, Stitcher and most other podcast platforms. Follow on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @impactfounder.

***

The Boulder Tech Podcast is made possible in part by Boulder StartUp Week platinum sponsors Honey, Name.com and the Downtown Boulder Partnership

We’re also supported 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

Our intro music is by Eccodek. Hear more at eccodek.com (that’s E-c-c-o-d-e-k).

Our outro music is by EarthRise SoundSystem. You’ll find them at earthrisesoundsystem.com.

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

Thanks for listening. We’ll see you back here for the next episode of the Boulder Tech Podcast.

Episode 072: ‘Impact Founder’ takes over the BTP to talk pivoting in this time of virus

Boulder Tech Podcast
Boulder Tech Podcast
Episode 072: 'Impact Founder' takes over the BTP to talk pivoting in this time of virus
/

This episode is part of our 2020 Boulder Startup Week series. Because of the coronavirus, this year’s startup week takes place virtually. We won’t be doing as many interview as we have the past two years, and will miss seeing everyone in person, but look forward to catching as many of the online sessions as we can. For more info and a full schedule, visit boulderstartupweek.com.

We’ve got another podcast “takeover” in this edition, with the Boulder Tech Podcast combining forces with Impact Founder, a media company debunking the myth that entrepreneurship is sexy or easy. They tell the real stories of entrepreneurs so you don’t feel alone in your experience as a founder. 

For Boulder Startup Week 2020, Impact Founder’s founder, Kristin Darga, speaks with founders who pivoted or launched during the COVID-19 shutdown. In this episode, she speaks with two people who decided to change course so that their business could better serve their community during this critical time.

Our first guest is Rebecca Cranston, CFO of Amairify and Managing Partner of Four Corners Clean, a disinfecting service she started in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

They have been hard at work throughout the southwest and most notably in the Navajo Nation, spraying in the highest-risk community, residential, and tribal government spaces, where rates of infection have not stabilized and death rates are among the highest in the world.

And if starting one company wasn’t enough, the interest in Four Corners Clean led Rebecca to launch Amairify, a distribution company created to help provide disinfecting services nationally. 

Learn more at fourcornersclean.com.

Then, Kristin talks to Tommy Riley, Co-Founder of Handoff, a chat- and voice-based alcohol recommendation and delivery platform. 

When the coronavirus led to Colorado locking down in mid-March, Handoff took a tremendous risk to pivot and help Colorado breweries who do not have a retail presence. Their focus on local product has helped liquor stores, brewers and distillers across the state to remain afloat during a difficult time.

Find out more and download the app at handofftech.com.

To listen to more founder stories, please visit Impactfounder.com or find them on iTunes, Stitcher and most other podcast platforms. Follow on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @impactfounder.

***

The Boulder Tech Podcast is made possible in part by Boulder StartUp Week platinum sponsors Honey, Name.com and the Downtown Boulder Partnership

We’re also supported 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

Our intro music is by Eccodek. Hear more at eccodek.com (that’s E-c-c-o-d-e-k).

Our outro music is by EarthRise SoundSystem. You’ll find them at earthrisesoundsystem.com

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

Thanks for listening. We’ll see you back here for the next episode of the Boulder Tech Podcast.

Episode 060: Kathy Vega, COO/CTO/Co-Founder & Alex Mulvaney, CEO/Co-Founder, ShineOn Bike Lights

Boulder Tech Podcast
Boulder Tech Podcast
Episode 060: Kathy Vega, COO/CTO/Co-Founder & Alex Mulvaney, CEO/Co-Founder, ShineOn Bike Lights
/

Our guests for Episode 60 are Kathy Vega, COO/CTO, and Alex Mulvaney, CEO, and co-founders of ShineOn Bike Lights, a company created to improve the world by making cycling a safer activity in order to reduce pollution and carbon emissions, and allow people to live happier and healthier lives.

In our freewheeling discussion, Kathy, Alex and I get into:

  • how a couple of space science engineers found themselves in the bike equipment business
  • the inspiration and science behind ShineOn Bikes’ innovative technology (including a walkthrough of their dual beam bike light)
  • the challenges of launching a startup as full-time students
  • the significant roles that CU and the Boulder tech community have played in ShineOn’s success 

Follow ShineOn on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @ShineOnBikes.

***

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 our podcast studio, and to KGNU Community Radio for recording gear and studio usage.

Our intro music is by Eccodek. Hear more at eccodek.com (that’s E-c-c-o-d-e-k).

Our outro music is by EarthRise SoundSystem. You’ll find them at earthrisesoundsystem.com

The Boulder Tech Podcast is produced by Joel Davis. Your feedback, criticisms, comments and guest suggestions are welcome. Don’t hesitate to send a note to joel@dojo4.com

Thanks for listening. We’ll see you back here for the next episode of the Boulder Tech Podcast.

Episode 050: Eric Horner, Assistant Dean of Research & Innovation, CU-Boulder

Boulder Tech Podcast
Boulder Tech Podcast
Episode 050: Eric Horner, Assistant Dean of Research & Innovation, CU-Boulder
/

Our guest for Episode 50 is Eric Horner, Assistant Dean of Advancement for the Research and Innovation Office at the University of Colorado at Boulder. With fall classes starting this week, it’s a good time to hear about the programs in place to support CU’s vibrant entrepreneurial eco-system. 

Eric fills us in on those, and also:

  • provides a great overview of all that CU has to offer to all players in the startup sector  
  • describes how he’ll utilize his expertise with public/private partnerships to expand entrepreneurial activity on campus and beyond,
  • talks about CU’s position in the greater Boulder startup community

Follow Eric on Twitter @Eric_Horner

***

The Boulder Tech Podcast is made possible in part by Boulder StartUp Week platinum sponsors Honey, Matter and Zayo. 

We’re also supported 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 our podcast studio, and to KGNU Community Radio for recording gear and studio usage.

Our intro music is by Eccodek. Hear more at eccodek.com (that’s E-c-c-o-d-e-k).

Our outro music is by EarthRise SoundSystem. You’ll find them at earthrisesoundsystem.com

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

Thanks for listening. We’ll see you back here for the next episode of the Boulder Tech Podcast.

Episode 038: Kristin Darga, Founder, Impact Founder

Boulder Tech Podcast
Boulder Tech Podcast
Episode 038: Kristin Darga, Founder, Impact Founder
/

This is one of 20 interviews recorded in a popup backroom studio at dojo4 during the 10th annual Boulder Startup Week. When it started in 2009, Boulder Startup Week was the first event of its kind, anywhere. Now, Startup Weeks are held around the world. It’s a great example of Boulder’s position on the leading edge of tech — and the future.

Our guest for Episode 38 is Kristin Darga, Founder of Impact Founder – a multimedia conversation sharing real successes and failures of global entrepreneurs.  

Kristin and I get into a number of topics, including:

  • Why entrepreneurs — even the successful ones — are 3 times as likely to suffer from depression as the average person.
  • The personal experience that led her to create Impact Founder.
  • How primitive human archetypes still contribute to our actions today.
  • How impact founder serves as a bridge linking capitalism with art.

Follow Kristin on Twitter @ImpactFounder.