interview – Boulder Tech Podcast

Episode 043: Shail Mehta, Co-Founder/CEO, The Last Gameboard (a WILD interview by Stephanie Brady)

00:00 / 00:23:14

Episode 43 of the Boulder Tech Podcast is part of a special “WILD” series of interviews recorded during the 10th annual Boulder Startup Week.

WILD (Women Inspiring Leadership Development) is a new track at Boulder StartUp Week 2019, and features candid conversations celebrating women’s startup success, diversity, power, mentoring muscle and leadership impact.

For the WILD series, I’m pleased to hand off interviewing duties to Stephanie Brady, Managing Director at iFG Studios and Board Member of The WILD Council. who chats in this episode with Shail Mehta, CEO and Co-Founder of The Last Gameboard about :

How Shail started a tech venture without a tech background
Her inspiration to fuse the physical game board experience into the digital gaming world.
And battling the bro-culture as a minority woman

The WILD at Boulder Startup Week podcast series is supported by 1stBank, “banking for good” to help business customers achieve their goals and provide them the resources to succeed.

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The Boulder Tech Podcast is presented by Boulder Startup Week 2019 Title sponsor, Techstars. At the core, Techstars is a company founded by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. With more than 300,000 alumni and 10,000 mentors across 150 countries, Techstars is a worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed. To learn more, go-to techstars.com.

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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 and comments 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 042: Dan Caruso, Chairman & CEO, Zayo Group

00:00 / 00:18:59

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 42 is Dan Caruso, Chairman and CEO of Zayo Group, a leading global provider of Communications Infrastructure and a major supporter of the Front Range tech and startup community.

In our short conversation, Dan:

gives me a quick tutorial on communications infrastructure
tells us why, in the early days of the tech age, big players like Level 3 chose to locate their headquarters on the Front Range
explains why ever-faster connectivity has more important applications than simply enjoying a better gaming or Netflix experience
speaks with obvious passion about why Zayo Group loves to invest in the local community

Follow Dan on Twitter @DanCaruso.

Episode #42 of the Boulder Tech Podcast is presented by Boulder StartUp Week Accelerator track sponsor, UpRamp.

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

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 040: Megan Bent, Founder/CEO, Harbinger Ventures (a WILD Interview by Stephanie Brady)

00:00 / 00:30:33

Episode 40 of the Boulder Tech Podcast is part of a special “WILD” series of interviews recorded during the 10th annual Boulder Startup Week.

For the WILD series, I’m pleased to hand off interviewing duties to Stephanie Brady, Managing Director at iFG Studios and Board Member of The WILD Council. On today’s epsiode, Stephanie speaks with Megan Bent, Founder of Harbinger Ventures, about a number of things, including:

Startup lessons she’s learned
Megan’s passion for supporting female founders
Creating a new “shared-benefit” model of venture funding

The WILD at Boulder Startup Week podcast series is supported by 1stBank, “banking for good” to help business customers achieve their goals and provide them the resources to succeed.

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Episode #39 of the Boulder Tech Podcast is presented by Boulder StartUp Week Product Management track sponsor, SOVRN.

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

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 and comments 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 037: Marcie Tucker, Founder/CEO, 99Agree

00:00 / 00:38:11

This is the first 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 37 is Marcie Tucker, CEO and founder of 99Agree – a company dedicated to helping college students live, share, and get along with each other at the highest potential possible.

We talk about a number of issues, including:

the growing need — and not just among college students — for roommate compatibility forecasting
How agreements transform communities
Marcie’s perspective on the gap between the rhetoric and the real in the Front Range tech and startup community
what roommates and Mars Simulation have in common

Follow Marcie on Twitter @DrMSTu cker.

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Episode #37 of the Boulder Tech Podcast is presented by Boulder StartUp Week Adventure track sponsor, Brandzooka.

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

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 and comments 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 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 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.

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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 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.

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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 028: Jesse Litton & Dave Stadler, Co-Founders, Tech Friends

00:00 / 00:53:34

Our guests for Episode #28 are Jesse Litton and Dave Stadler, software designers and co-founders of Boulder’s Tech Friends.

We talk about a lot of subjects, among them

the inspiration and thinking behind launching Tech Friends in the first place
their mission to promote human connection and build community in the tech space
strategies to take some of the charge out of online disagreements
the power and grace that comes with sitting down for a cup of coffee

Follow Jesse and Dave @gettechfriends.

NOTE: This episode is marked explicit for one well-placed reference to male cow feces.

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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.