interview – Boulder Tech Podcast

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

00:00 / 00:41:28

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.

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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

00:00 / 00:38:46

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

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 070: Dave Mayer, Founder/CEO, Technical Integrity

00:00 / 00:39:48

This is our first episode for 2020’s Boulder Startup Week. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s startup week will, like most events these days, take place virtually. We won’t be doing as many interviews 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.

Our guest today is Dave Mayer, Founder and CEO at Technical Integrity. We talk about:

recruitment for startups
how the notoriously grinding startup lifestyle is changing
founders and mental health
the impact of COVID-19 on, well, everything.

Follow Dave on Twitter @tintegrity.

Here are some additional resources and info, referenced in our discussion:

Interview tips for female job seekers
Technical Integrity’s commitment to diversity and inclusion
Video of Brad Feld mental health panel
Resources for job seekers and more
Resources for employers and job seekers
Testimonials about Techical Integrity

***

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

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. Reach us at joel@dojo4.com.

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

Episode 069-CV06: Chip, CEO, Downtown Boulder Partnership

00:00 / 00:46:26

This episode is part of our continuing COVID19 coverage — and begins our run-up to Boulder Startup Week, taking place May 11-15th. Like most gatherings these days, we’re going virtual in 2020. Find details at boulderstartupweek.com.

Today, I speak with Chip, CEO of the Downtown Boulder Partnership. We discuss what the Partnership is doing to support downtown businesses — and their employees — in this time of virus, and get into some of the questions about what we might expect to see as things begin to loosen up in Colorado and beyond. Chip and I spoke via Zoom on April 22nd.

Follow the Downtown Boulder Partnership on Twitter @downtownboulder.

***

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

The Boulder Tech Podcast is produced by Joel Davis. Your feedback, criticisms, comments and guest suggestions are welcome. If you or your company or organization have switched your focus to helping solve the many problems arising from the Coronavirus pandemic, and you’d like to come on the podcast to talk about it, reach me at joel@dojo4.com or DM me on Twitter @bouldertechcast.

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

Episode 068-CV05: John Tayer, President/CEO, Boulder Chamber of Commerce

00:00 / 00:19:25

Our COVID19 coverage continues with this discussion with John Tayer, President and CEO of the Boulder Chamber of Commerce. We talked about how the Chamber is not just supporting local business during the virus crisis, but also preparing itself for life after the pandemic. John and I spoke via Zoom on April 2nd.

Follow John on Twitter @BoulderTayer.

***

The Boulder Tech Podcast is produced by Joel Davis. Your feedback, criticisms and comments are welcome. If you or your company or organization have switched your focus to helping solve the many problems arising from the Coronavirus pandemic, and you’d like to come on the podcast to talk about it, reach me at joel@dojo4.com or DM me on Twitter @bouldertechcast.

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

Episode 067-CV04: CU’s Rachel Sharpe is 3-D Printing Masks for Healthcare Workers

00:00 / 00:19:12

Week 2 of our coronavirus coverage begins with this interview with Rachel Sharpe, a CU senior studying engineering-plus and an engineer at CU’s Integrated Teaching & Learning Lab. Rachel is managing 16 3-D printers cranking out masks for healthcare workers — part of the Make4Covid initiative. I spoke with Rachel via Zoom on Friday, March 27th.

Learn more about how Rachel and other Coloradans are mobilizing to fight the coronavirus at Make4Covid.

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

Episode 066-CV03: dojo4 builds Keep Our Town Alive

00:00 / 00:18:29

Our coronavirus coverage continues with a conversation about Keep Our Town Alive, a website quickly built and launched this week in the interest of connecting customers with local businesses still open during the pandemic.

I spoke with the site’s creators, dojo4’s Corey Kohn, Derek Dunagan and Spike Ilacqua on March 25th.

Follow dojo4 on Twitter @dojo4.

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

Episode 65-CV02: Chris Meyer on the Future of Workspaces

00:00 / 00:33:58

We’re retooling the Boulder Tech Podcast to be a platform for quick-hit-and-publish interviews w/local tech companies (and anyone really) that are refocusing their efforts to support the community during the Coronavirus crisis. We’re looking to speak with as many people as we can and release the interviews as quickly as we can turn them around.

This time out we speak with Chris Meyer, Head of Innovation at Solderworks. A few hours before we spoke on March 24th, he held a meeting to discuss the future of work spaces. We continue that conversation here.

Here are some additional and related resources and items of interest:

Medium article by Chris: The Future of Shared Workspaces
Open source projects seeking tech help: MIT Safe Paths and Helpful Engineering

Follow Chris on Twitter @AdmireTheMeyer.

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

Episode 64-CV01: Shala Burroughs, HelpMainStreet.com

00:00 / 00:09:13

Our first guest under this new format is Shala Burroughs. She normally works in the blockchain sector, but in this time of virus has shifted her focus to help launch helpmainstreet.com, a volunteer-powered effort to support small businesses. We spoke on March 23rd about what that means.

Follow Shala on Twitter @shalaburroughs

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

Episode 63: Eric Marcoullier, Startup & Product Coach/Landmine Detector, BPM140 Consulting

00:00 / 00:52:12

Our guest for Episode #63 is Eric Marcoullier, founder of several successful companies including IGN and Gnip, and orchestrator of a big turnaround at Beatport. He now coaches startups and mid-sized companies on product, fundraising and leadership issues.

In this interview, Eric and I discuss:

why Eric learns more from his failures than his successes
the interesting creative process behind every post on his blog, Obvious Startup Advice
startup founders and mental health
Eric’s idea for completely revolutionizing email – and why it’s probably not going to work

Read Eric’s blog, Obvious Startup Advice, and follow him on Twitter @140bpm.

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Thanks to dojo4 for providing space for our podcast HQ, and to KGNU Community Radio for recording gear and studio usage.

Our intro music is by Eccodek. Hear more at eccodek.com

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.