15 episodes
The Bearhug Experience Kraig Ward
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- Business
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5.0 • 4 Ratings
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Welcome to The Bearhug Experience, where we cozy up to the fire in our digital den and immerse ourselves in the inspiration born from exploring the hidden narratives and inevitable plot twists that shape every compelling startup journey. Join us as we showcase inspirational guests, from bold investors with the Midas touch to pioneering entrepreneurs at the helm of today's most thrilling startups. We'll also hear from courageous go-to-market leaders navigating the frontier of emerging tech and the unsung heroes bringing all the people and parts together to form unstoppable dream teams!
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(#14) Rohit Gupta: Auditoria, Transforming Corporate Finance Using AI, Entrepreneurship, Early Stage Ventures, M&A, Adaptability, Resilience, Curiosity & Getting Comfortable Getting Out Comfort Zones
Kraig Ward speaks with Rohit Gupta. The Co-Founder & CEO of Auditoria.AI – the leading cognitive automation provider for ERP and Corporate Finance teams, backed by top investors such as Venrock, Neotribe Ventures, Engineering Capital, KPMG and Workday Ventures.
Rohit is a serial entrepreneur, active angel investor, and software executive with over 25+ years of experience in building, scaling, and successfully acquiring and selling multiple companies.
His vision is to transform how work gets done in the back office with zero-touch, self-driving, autonomous solutions that leverage AI, machine learning, natural language processing, and cloud computing. He has a proven track record of creating and leading innovative products and businesses in the fields of AI, Cloud Security, IT Service Management, and Identity and Access Management, having held senior executive roles at Oracle, Palerra, and BMC Software.
He is also a Forbes Finance Council Member, a Robotic Process Automation Certified Professional, and a well-known speaker and thought leader in the industry.
Connect with Rohit Gupta on LinkedIn
If you enjoyed the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping us convince hard-to-get guests to come on the show. We also love reading the reviews!
For show notes and past guests, please visit www.BearhugRecruiting.com/podcast
Take 10 seconds and join Bearhug's thriving community of entrepreneurs, investors, GTM leaders, and startup enthusiasts! Subscribe to our free 'Fish & Dish' newsletter.
On a semi-monthly basis, you’ll receive our curated selection of articles, resources, early-stage fundraising insights, and market education. Immerse yourself in firsthand knowledge from our adventures headhunting executives at the forefront of today’s most exciting frontier and deep tech companies. 🚀 Let's stay ahead together! 🙌
Find Kraig Ward on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kraigward
Visit The Bearhug Experience PODCAST: https://bearhugrecruiting.com/podcast
Follow Bearhug Recruiting on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7iyi0lQlry9bqQGlX9y7NJ
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bearhug-experience/id1713993163
Follow The Bearhug Experience on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/bearhugrecruit -
(#13) David Connors: The Swarm, Go-To-Network is the new Go-To-Market, Carving out Signal from the Noise, Growth, Evolution, Power of Warm Introductions & Relationship-Driven Sales in the Age of AI.
Kraig Ward speaks with David Connors, Co-Founder & CEO of The Swarm. David is a 3x startup founder, including an exit to Sequoia Capital who acquired his outbound recruiting automation startup Automately. After the acquisition, David joined the Sequoia team as their Director of Recruiting Operations, where he went on to build custom tools for Sequoia's recruiters, investors, and founders.
After a 2 year earn-out period, David went on to Co-Found The Swarm, with backing by the founders of Superhuman, Thumbtack, Lookout, Bearhug Recruiting, and many more successful operators, in addition to prominent VCs like 500 Global, Contrary Capital, and Sequoia Capital.
The Swarm is the first “Go-To-Network” platform giving companies and investors the keys to their networks and the relationship data they need to accelerate sales, recruiting, and fundraising.
***Use this link to visit The Swarm and receive a special 60-day free trial!
Connect with David Connors on LinkedIn
If you enjoyed the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping us convince hard-to-get guests to come on the show. We also love reading the reviews!
For show notes and past guests, please visit www.BearhugRecruiting.com/podcast
Take 10 seconds and join Bearhug's thriving community of entrepreneurs, investors, GTM leaders, and startup enthusiasts! Subscribe to our free 'Fish & Dish' newsletter. On a semi-monthly basis, you’ll receive our curated selection of articles, resources, early-stage fundraising insights, and market education. Immerse yourself in firsthand knowledge from our adventures headhunting executives at the forefront of today’s most exciting frontier and deep tech companies. 🚀 Let's stay ahead together! 🙌
Find Kraig Ward on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kraigward
Visit The Bearhug Experience PODCAST: https://bearhugrecruiting.com/podcast
Follow Bearhug Recruiting on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7iyi0lQlry9bqQGlX9y7NJ
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bearhug-experience/id1713993163
Follow The Bearhug Experience on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/bearhugrecruit -
(#12) Maria Khokhlova: TraceAir, Construction Acceleration, Laser Physics to Moving Dirt on Construction Sites, Resilience, Flexibility, Merging Cultures, Joy Projects & The Power of Deep Empathy.
Kraig Ward speaks with Maria Khokhlova, the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at TraceAir, a sitework intelligence platform for Land Developers and Homebuilders.
TraceAir is the #1 provider of construction site analysis and management solutions for sitework. TraceAir’s cutting-edge technology helps builders save time and money by improving efficiency, and introduces radical transparency into the process while reducing the risk of errors or delays.
Before devoting her work to TraceAir, Maria did a Ph.D. in laser physics, while also running a custom development software studio. She’s now on a mission that goes far beyond empowering land development and construction teams; it’s about positively impacting society at large by providing developers with tools and data to build better infrastructure and communities faster.
Connect with Maria Khokhlova on LinkedIn
If you enjoyed the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping us convince hard-to-get guests to come on the show. We also love reading the reviews!
For show notes and past guests, please visit www.BearhugRecruiting.com/podcast
Take 10 seconds and join Bearhug's thriving community of entrepreneurs, investors, GTM leaders, and startup enthusiasts! Subscribe to our free 'Fish & Dish' newsletter. On a semi-monthly basis, you’ll receive our curated selection of articles, resources, early-stage fundraising insights, and market education. Immerse yourself in firsthand knowledge from our adventures headhunting executives at the forefront of today’s most exciting frontier and deep tech companies. 🚀 Let's stay ahead together! 🙌
Find Kraig Ward on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kraigward
Visit The Bearhug Experience PODCAST: https://bearhugrecruiting.com/podcast
Follow Bearhug Recruiting on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7iyi0lQlry9bqQGlX9y7NJ
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bearhug-experience/id1713993163
Follow The Bearhug Experience on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/bearhugrecruit -
(#11) Aaron Rubens: Kudoboard, Celebrating Moments That Matter At Work, Building Products that Deliver Joy, Gratitude & Appreciation At Scale, Staying Capital Efficient & Riding Viral Waves.
Kraig Ward speaks with Aaron Rubens, the Co-Founder & CEO of Kudoboard, an online workplace appreciation software that’s helping tens of millions of people every day at top companies globally, work harder, and stick around longer, thanks to feeling more appreciated at work.
Aaron graduated from Tulane University, after becoming a high school math teacher through Teach for America. After teaching, he led the creation of Khan Academy’s White House-sponsored 4-year college admissions technology resource, for low-income, high potential students. From there, he got his MBA from Harvard Business School, and went on to build Kudoboard, growing it into the incredible cash-efficient enterprise it's become today.
Connect with Aaron Rubens on LinkedIn
If you enjoyed the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping us convince hard-to-get guests to come on the show. We also love reading the reviews!
For show notes and past guests, please visit www.BearhugRecruiting.com/podcast
Take 10 seconds and join Bearhug's thriving community of entrepreneurs, investors, GTM leaders, and startup enthusiasts! Subscribe to our free 'Fish & Dish' newsletter. On a semi-monthly basis, you’ll receive our curated selection of articles, resources, early-stage fundraising insights, and market education. Immerse yourself in firsthand knowledge from our adventures headhunting executives at the forefront of today’s most exciting frontier and deep tech companies. 🚀 Let's stay ahead together! 🙌
Connect with Kraig Ward:
Find Kraig Ward on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kraigward
Visit The Bearhug Experience PODCAST: https://bearhugrecruiting.com/podcast
Follow Bearhug Recruiting on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7iyi0lQlry9bqQGlX9y7NJ
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bearhug-experience/id1713993163
Follow The Bearhug Experience on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/bearhugrecruit -
(#10) Phil Dur: PeakSpan Capital, GTM Mechanization, Capital Efficiency, Responsible Value Creation, Pragmatic Optimism, Optionality, Alignment, and The Power of Infectious Charisma.
Kraig Ward speaks with Phil Dur, the Co-Founder & Managing Partner of PeakSpan Capital, a growth equity firm with over $1.5B in AUM (Assets Under Management) based in New York City and San Mateo, CA.
In addition to being a graduate of Princeton University and the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Phil has served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve and has been a software investor for 25 years, serving on the board of over forty growth stage companies.
Prior to PeakSpan, Phil worked at Investor Growth Capital and Morgan Stanley Venture Partners on the technology and software investment teams. He’s also a graduate of two culinary arts schools, an avid tennis player, runner, husband, father, dog lover, and an infectiously charismatic leader.
Connect with Phil Dur on LinkedIn
If you enjoyed the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping us convince hard-to-get guests to come on the show. We also love reading the reviews!
For show notes and past guests, please visit www.BearhugRecruiting.com/podcast
Take 10 seconds and join Bearhug's thriving community of entrepreneurs, investors, GTM leaders, and startup enthusiasts! Subscribe to our free 'Fish & Dish' newsletter. On a semi-monthly basis, you’ll receive our curated selection of articles, resources, early-stage fundraising insights, and market education. Immerse yourself in firsthand knowledge from our adventures headhunting executives at the forefront of today’s most exciting frontier and deep tech companies. 🚀 Let's stay ahead together! 🙌
Connect with Kraig Ward:
Find Kraig Ward on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kraigward
Visit The Bearhug Experience PODCAST: https://bearhugrecruiting.com/podcast
Follow Bearhug Recruiting on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7iyi0lQlry9bqQGlX9y7NJ
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bearhug-experience/id1713993163
Follow The Bearhug Experience on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/bearhugrecruit -
(#9) Jake Braly: Krisp.Ai, Digital Voice Productivity, Identifying & Scaling Revenue Growth, Perseverance, Solution Orientation, Being A “Sorting Hat”, And Unbounded Growth.
Kraig Ward speaks with Jake Braly, the Chief Revenue Officer of Krisp.Ai – the world’s first AI-powered Call & Meeting Assistant software that enhances voice communication through audio cleansing, noise cancellation, accent localization, call transcription, and summarization. Krisp processes over 75 billion minutes of voice conversations each month helping thousands of businesses deliver better business outcomes. Jake has a proven track record of driving new venture creation, market development, and revenue growth for technology businesses. Prior to Krisp, Jake served as the Head of Global Marketing and Strategic Alliances for Highspot, playing a vital role in guiding the company's valuation of $50 million to over $3.6 billion, in addition to notable roles at companies such as Apptio, K2 Software, Microsoft, and IBM.
Connect with Jake Braly on LinkedIn
If you enjoyed the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping us convince hard-to-get guests to come on the show. We also love reading the reviews!
For show notes and past guests, please visit www.BearhugRecruiting.com/podcast
Take 10 seconds and join Bearhug's thriving community of entrepreneurs, investors, GTM leaders, and startup enthusiasts! Subscribe to our free 'Fish & Dish' newsletter. On a semi-monthly basis, you’ll receive our curated selection of articles, resources, early-stage fundraising insights, and market education. Immerse yourself in firsthand knowledge from our adventures headhunting executives at the forefront of today’s most exciting frontier and deep tech companies. 🚀 Let's stay ahead together! 🙌
Connect with Kraig Ward:
Find Kraig Ward on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kraigward
Visit The Bearhug Experience PODCAST: https://bearhugrecruiting.com/podcast
Follow Bearhug Recruiting on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7iyi0lQlry9bqQGlX9y7NJ
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bearhug-experience/id1713993163
Follow The Bearhug Experience on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bearhugrecruiting
Follow The Bearhug Experience on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bearhugrecruiting Follow The Bearhug Experience on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/bearhugrecruit
Customer Reviews
Love the human stories behind entrepreneurial success!
I had the honor of being one of Kraig Ward’s first interviews for his new podcast! I was so impressed with the amount of thoughtful time he put into crafting the questions, prepping me and then doing the actual interview. I felt like he genuinely wanted to unearth my wisdom and share my story and the whole process was so enjoyable! I look forward to listening to his podcast and hearing the stories of truly diverse founders, executives and venture capitalists.