That Worked Callan Harrington

Travis is the Co-founder and CRO of Vouch. Vouch is the insurance company for the technology industry. Since 2019, Vouch has underwritten billions in risk on behalf of over 4,000 clients, backed by A-rated reinsurers and $165M from Ribbit, YC, Redpoint, and others.

Previously, he helped Nationwide Insurance launch Nationwide Ventures before joining Silicon Valley Bank’s Venture Capital group, where he raised over $1B from institutional investors to invest in fintech and digital health startups, including Root Insurance, Ladder Life, and Earnin. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:
How to respond to adversity What makes a good co-founderHow to host a small group dinner The importance of geographic location How to leverage community-led growth 
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Justin Ihnken is the Co-Founder and CEO of Enorra_. Enorra_ is revolutionizing finance by developing SaaS tools that eliminate complexity and accelerate data-driven decisions using machine learning and AI. Their mission is to enhance competitiveness in financial trade, focusing on data analytics, marketplace solutions, and ESG banking.

Prior to Co-Founding Enorra_, Justin Co-Founded QNTM Labs, a contract laboratory focused on providing chemical and biological analysis, as well as contract research, development, and regulatory compliance applications to pharmaceutical companies.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
The importance of resourcefulness in a startupHow to get up to speed on a new industry quicklyHow to effectively transition from one industry to anotherThe benefits of hiring senior talent early to accelerate business growthThe significance of pushing through criticism and rejection in entrepreneurship
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Ali Schwanke is the Founder and CEO of Simple Strat. Simple Strat is a marketing and sales firm that helps you get more out of HubSpot. From CRM strategy and setup to marketing automation and content creation, their services are tailored to fuel customer acquisition and retention.

Simple Strat is also a HubSpot Diamond Solutions Partner and the host of HubSpot Hacks, the #1 unofficial YouTube channel for HubSpot Tutorials.

Ali is a data-driven marketing professional with 15+ years of experience in B2B, strategy, and content marketing. Most of all, she’s hilarious.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
What makes a good first hireHow to align sales and marketing teamsHow to build a YouTube channel for B2BThe benefits of a peer network as an entrepreneurHow to differentiate yourself in a competitive market
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Wil Schroter is the founder and CEO of Startups.com, the world's largest startup platform. They help over one million startup companies find customers, funding, mentors, and world-class education.
Before founding Startups.com, Wil founded multiple successful startups like Swapalease.com and Fundable.com. He also founded Blue Diesel at the age of 19 and grew it to $700 million in capitalized billings before it became inVentiv, now valued at $6 billion dollars. 
In this episode, you’ll learn:
The impact of extreme stress on founders How saying "yes" to opportunities can open unexpected doors.The significance of having a mission-driven approach in business.The transition from a service-based business model to a product-based one.The importance of balancing multiple ventures and managing personal life effectively. Follow Wil Schroter on LinkedIn
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Andy Jenks is a General Partner at Drive Capital, a Columbus-based venture capital firm focused on investing in world-class technology companies outside of Silicon Valley.
 
Before Drive, Andy was a 3-time founder at Formation Data Systems, Discovery Mining, and Infinite Research. Both Discovery Mining and Infinite Research were successfully acquired. In this episode, you’ll learn:
Experiences from the early days of Silicon Valley.When to take venture capital instead of bootstrap. The critical role of being mission-driven in a startup.When to bootstrap instead of taking venture capital. The importance of understanding your fit within the business stages.Follow Andy on LinkedIn
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Matthew Achak is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Non-Linear Venture Partners, where he consults and invests in early-stage start-ups. 
Prior to Non-Linear Venture Partners, Matt Co-Founded FCR, the leading provider of outsourced live agent support services for tech companies. FCR was acquired by TTEC in 2019. 
In this episode, you’ll learn:
The importance of establishing a company's DNA and core values earlyThe value of having a complementary and trustworthy business partnerHow to increase your employee retention rate in a high attrition businessStrategies for leveraging small communities to build a successful businessHow taking chances and learning new things can help you find your calling Follow Matthew on LinkedIn

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