The Founder

Kendrick Nguyen is the Co-Founder & CEO of Republic. During the episode, we break down: The origin story for building Republic and what makes it different from other crowdfunding platforms How the team thinks about building products for the next wave of Millennial and Gen Z investors  The Republic platform product mix including access to private companies, crypto projects, real estate deals, video games and more Republic’s autopilot project which acts as a pseudo robo-advisor for private deals on their platform The biggest trends in the investment space and how VCs, solo capitalists and micro-investors will all have a seat at the table in the future Republic’s process for analyzing deals and how they decide which companies are allowed to raise on their platform The power of crypto and how it enables the democratization of investing across the world The token economy and how Republic’s note token will drive their business in the future Lessons learned working as an understudy of Naval Ravikant And much more Tune in to hear Kendrick’s incredible story! And remember, at the end of the episode, we asked Kendrick to brainstorm other business ideas that he would chase if Republic was gone tomorrow. Our brainstorm covered happiness and building an Equinox type of fitness for improving mental health. Watch this episode on YouTube – TBD Republic – republic.co Follow Kendrick on Twitter Follow Republic on Twitter / Instagram Kendrick’s content and learning recommendations  The Founder - www.thefounderpod.com  Follow The Founder (@founderpodcast) on Twitter // Instagram // Newsletter Follow Kallaway on Twitter 

Kevin Lee is the Co-Founder of Immi. During the episode, we break down:  Immi’s origin story Launching the #1 community for product managers (Product Manager HQ) and top 3 keys to community building The massive market opportunity for healthy ramen and other “better for you” Asian American food Using a data driven approach to unlock the core product attributes of Immi (low carb, high protein, plant based) Biggest food & beverage trends for the next 5 years “Sleepy” food categories (other than ramen) that are ripe for disruption Kevin’s angel investing criteria and getting into deals like Sweetgreen, The Hustle and SpaceX The common trait that gives entrepreneurs their edge And much more Tune in to hear Kevins’s incredible story! And remember, at the end of the episode, we asked Lucie to brainstorm other businesses that she wished existed. Our brainstorm highlighted next-generation products/services that would make life easier for content creators. Watch this episode on YouTube here. Immi –immieats.com Follow Kevin on Twitter / Instagram Follow Immi on Instagram Kevin’s content and learning recommendations  The Founder - www.thefounderpod.com  Follow The Founder (@founderpodcast) on Twitter // Instagram // Newsletter Follow Kallaway on Twitter

Lucie Fink is a lifestyle influencer and Founder of Lucie Fink Media. During the episode, we break down: The journey to go from neuroscience major to lifestyle influencer Her experience working as the lead on-camera talent for Refinery29 How to think about leaving your corporate job and starting on your own Going beneath the hood and breaking down the most important revenue streams for a content creator The struggles of life as an influencer How to build a content team that supports brand deals with companies like Adobe, TikTok and more The top 5 most important lessons for a content creator The playbook for starting out as a content creator today And much more Tune in to hear Lucie’s incredible story! And remember, at the end of the episode, we asked Lucie to brainstorm other business ideas that she wished existed. Our brainstorm highlighted next-generation products/services that would make life easier for content creators. Watch this episode on YouTube here. Lucie Fink Media – luciefink.com Follow Lucie on Instagram / Youtube  Lucie’s content and learning recommendations  The Founder - www.thefounderpod.com  Follow The Founder (@founderpodcast) on Twitter // Instagram // Newsletter Follow Kallaway on Twitter Don't have time to listen to the full episode? Read the 5-minute version here

Oliver Zak and Selom Agbitor are the Co-Founders of Mad Rabbit. What started as a side project during their senior year at Miami University has turned into a DTC juggernaut that’s taking over the tattoo industry. Mad Rabbit does $4M/year in sales and recently inked a deal with Mark Cuban on Shark Tank. During the episode, we break down the playbook to starting a company in college, the power of building community and go behind the curtain of what it’s really like to film an episode of Shark Tank. Tune in to hear Oliver and Selom’s incredible story! If you have tattoos and are interested in the best tattoo aftercare products on the planet, get 20% off by using code Kallaway at checkout. And remember, at the end of the episode, we asked Oliver and Selom to brainstorm other business ideas that they’d explore if Mad Rabbit was gone tomorrow. Our brainstorm included a better model for virtual customer service and building a platform to crowdsource answers from your community   Watch this episode on YouTube here. Mad Rabbit – madrabbittattoo.com Follow Mad Rabbit on Instagram Follow Oliver and Selom on Instagram Oliver’s content and learning recommendations                                                                                                                                                                                                                The Founder - www.thefounderpod.com  Follow The Founder (@founderpodcast) on Twitter // Instagram // Newsletter Follow Kallaway on Twitter Don't have time to listen to the full episode? Read the 5-minute version here.

Robbie Bent is the Co-Founder & CEO of  Inward. Robbie Bent is building Inward, a company in the mental health space combining physical spaces (ice baths + saunas) and the largest library of breathwork content in the world. Inward is building a cutting-edge community for improving mental health in a fun and accessible way. Prior to Inward, Robbie spent 4 years working on growth at the Ethereum Foundation, a $200 billion cryptocurrency. He also runs a Clubhouse Show on Psychedelic Medicines and loves resilience challenges. You can learn more about him here and follow him on twitter @robbiebent1.  Tune in to hear Robbie’s incredible story! And remember, at the end of the episode, we ask Robbie to brainstorm other business ideas that he’d explore if Inward was gone tomorrow. Our brainstorm included solving for loneliness through community, commune living and regenerative farming Watch this episode on YouTube here Inward – inwardbreathwork.com Follow Inward on Instagram // Twitter Follow Robbie Bent on Twitter Robbie’s content and learning recommendations  The Founder - www.thefounderpod.com  Follow The Founder (@founderpodcast) on Twitter // Instagram // Newsletter Follow Kallaway on Twitter  Don't have time to listen to the full episode? Read the 5-minute version here

Anne Mahlum is the Founder & CEO of solidcore. solidcore is an intense, full body workout that combines pilates and strength training. With over 70 corporate-owned studios nationwide, it is one of the biggest winners in the boutique fitness industry. And for good reason! Their workouts live up to their name as they generate a core burn unlike any other. Tune in to hear Anne’s incredible story! And remember, at the end of the episode, we ask Anne to brainstorm other business ideas that she’d explore if solidcore was gone tomorrow. Our brainstorm included the future of beauty and social justice reform. Watch this episode on YouTube – here. Solidcore – solidcore.co Follow Solidcore on Instagram // Twitter Follow Anne Mahlum on Instagram Anne’s content and learning recommendations  The Founder - www.thefounderpod.com  Follow The Founder (@founderpodcast) on Twitter // Instagram // Newsletter Follow Kallaway on Twitter  Don't have time to listen to the full episode? Read the 5-minute version here

David Roger is the Co-Founder & CEO of Felix Gray. Felix Gray is the pioneer of mainstream blue light blocking glasses and a dominant player in the digital wellness category. Their lenses are 15x more effective than competitors and 9/10 customers report a significant improvement in digital eye strain when wearing the product consistently. In the digital age, many of us are glued to screens 24/7. One of the best gifts you can give yourself is a pair of blue light blocking glasses to protect your eyes and minimize headaches, dizziness and fatigue throughout the day. Get 10% off Felix Gray glasses with code Kallaway Tune in to hear David’s story! And remember, at the end of the episode, we ask David to brainstorm other business ideas that he’d explore if Felix Gray was gone tomorrow. Our brainstorm included future of work/living solutions and infrastructure to help influencers create and grow their own brands. Watch this episode on YouTube – here Felix Gray – shopfelixgray.com Follow Felix Gray on Instagram // Twitter Follow David Roger on Twitter // Instagram David’s content and learning recommendations  The Founder - www.thefounderpod.com  Follow The Founder (@founderpodcast) on Twitter // Instagram // Newsletter Follow Kallaway on Twitter  Don't have time to listen to the full episode? Read the 5-minute version here.

Jeremy Cai is the Founder & CEO of Italic.\r\nItalic is positioned to disrupt the traditional retail value chain by giving consumers access to high-end products at cost. That means you only pay what it costs the manufacturer to make and deliver it to you – no markups for branding or retail middlemen. Imagine getting access to products from Burberry, Prada, Alexander Wang, Tumi and All Clad for 80% off traditional retail price! [Italic has officially entered the chat]\r\n\r\nHow do they do it? Italic built relationships with the same manufacturers that make the raw goods for your favorite luxury brands. Instead of pushing manufacturers to drive prices down, Italic realigns incentives by paying manufacturers more and passing the traditional brand mark-up margin onto customers. Instead of making a large profit on each item, Italic charges an annual membership fee of $120 for members to access all of their products. It's the members only shopping club you've always dreamed of.\r\n\r\nAnd because Italic’s founder Jeremy is a friend, he’s offering 30% off your first year of the membership to join the club. Visit italic.com/founder to take advantage of the offer!\r\nTune in to hear Jeremy’s story!\r\nWatch this episode on YouTube – here\r\n \r\nItalic – italic.com\r\nFollow Italic on Instagram // Twitter\r\nFollow Jeremy Cai on Twitter // Instagram\r\nJeremy’s content and learning recommendations \r\n The Founder - www.thefounderpod.com \r\nFollow The Founder (@founderpodcast) on Twitter // Instagram // Newsletter\r\nFollow Kallaway on Twitter \r\n\r\nDon't have time to listen to the full episode? Read the 5-minute version here \r\n

Leo Wang is the Co-Founder & CEO of Buffy.\r\nBuffy is a breath of fresh air in the home goods space, optimizing their products for two things – comfort and sustainability. After iterating and testing various comforter concepts for months, Leo and Co-Founder Shoaib launched with a promise to use earth-friendly fabrics and manufacturing methods to redefine the definition of soft. Today their product suite includes comforters, pillows, bedding and sheets made from eucalyptus, hemp and recycled polyester.\r\nTune in to hear Leo’s story!\r\nEPISODE TOPICS \r\n    Sections (11:54) – The Origin Story\r\n(14:57) – The Build\r\n(49:57) – The Brainstorm\r\n(55:43) – The Founder\r\n\r\n     Topics(2:23) Leo’s background \r\n(7:45) Speech writing for the UK House of Lords\r\n(11:54) Assessing the market opportunity\r\n(14:57) Buffy’s core values\r\n(17:47) The importance of sustainability at Buffy\r\n(22:39) Building a culture of innovation\r\n(26:50) Product roadmap\r\n(29:53) What hasn’t worked in growing Buffy\r\n(33:44) Hiring\r\n(38:47) Startup Manifesto\r\n(49:57) Brainstorm – home goods products designed to deliver comfort while traveling and furniture as fashion\r\n(55:43) Advice to younger self\r\n(58:54) Leo’s wellness stack\r\n(1:01:53) Emerging trends\r\n\r\nWatch this episode on YouTube here\r\n\r\nBuffy – buffy.co\r\nFollow Buffy on Instagram\r\nLeo’s content and learning recommendations \r\n\r\n The Founder - www.thefounderpod.com \r\nFollow The Founder (@founderpodcast) on Twitter // Instagram // Newsletter\r\nFollow Kallaway on Twitter \r\nDon't have time to listen to the full episode? Read the 5-minute version here\r\n

Alex Lieberman is the Co-Founder & CEO of Morning Brew.\r\nAlex is a first time entrepreneur and started Morning Brew during his undergrad days at University of Michigan in 2015.\r\nMorning Brew is a media company focused on delivering business and tech news to 3M+ subscribers. Alex and Co-Founder Austin grew Morning Brew into a household name on the back of their free daily email. The team supercharged subscriber growth by building robust ambassador and referral programs and launching several other content products including Emerging Tech Brew, Marketing Brew, Retail Brew, Sidekick and their hit podcast, Business Casual. In October of 2020, Morning Brew sold a majority stake to Business Insider for a reported $75M.\r\nTune in to hear Alex’s story!\r\nEPISODE TOPICS \r\nSections  (2:29) – The Origin Story  \r\n (6:04) – The Build\r\n(47:35) – The Founder\r\n (52:24) – The Brainstorm\r\n\r\n Topics(2:29) Alex’s background\r\n (6:04) Growth playbook\r\n(8:18) Hub and spoke growth model\r\n (11:28) Ambassador and referral Programs\r\n (20:42) “We’ve got something” moment\r\n(23:39) What hasn’t worked\r\n (26:49) Hiring\r\n(34:27) Selling to Business Insider\r\n (41:06) Alex’s Startup Manifesto\r\n(47:35) Starting from scratch building an audience today\r\n(52:24) The Brainstorm – Business education and mental health via emotional sherpa\r\n\r\nWatch this episode on YouTube –here \r\nMorning Brew – morningbrew.com\r\nFollow Morning Brew on Twitter // Instagram\r\nFollow Alex on Twitter // Instagram\r\nAlex's content and learning recommendations \r\n\r\n The Founder - www.thefounderpod.com \r\nFollow The Founder (@founderpodcast) on Twitter // Instagram // Newsletter\r\nFollow Kallaway on Twitter \r\nDon't have time to listen to the full episode? Read the 5-minute version here\r\n

Bilal Zaidi is the Founder & CEO of Creator Lab. Bilal is a multi-time entrepreneur and creator, having previously built and scaled a successful ecommerce store as a teen and led partnership teams at Google and charity: water. Creator Lab is a podcast and digital marketing consultancy. On his weekly podcast, Bilal interviews world-class creators and entrepreneurs to break down the tactics behind how they built their businesses. Creator Lab has been listened to in over 100 countries and featured world renowned guests from Cenk Uygur and Gary Vee to Anthony “Pomp” Pompliano and Jack Butcher. Tune in to hear Bilal’s story! EPISODE TOPICS   Sections (14:11) – The Origin Story  (22:44) – The Build  (1:01:30) – The Founder  (1:12:28) – The Brainstorm  Topics(1:47) Bilal’s background (3:38) Entrepreneurial switch flipping (7:51) Building a career ark (11:36) First-row seat to YouTube and Android scaling (14:11) Origin story for Creator Lab (22:44) Best tactics from recruiting top podcast guests  (31:55) Drivers for show growth (37:10) Starting a podcast from scratch today (42:42) The power of Clubhouse (44:22) Creating with a full-time job vs self-employed (49:32) Defining success for Creator Lab (54:20) Bilal’s Startup Manifesto (1:01:30) Bilal’s Personal Operating System (1:06:13) Bilal’s Wellness Stack (1:12:28) The Brainstorm – Live shark tank where the audience can invest and democratizing access to private markets Watch this episode on YouTube here. Creator Lab – creatorlab.fm Follow Creator Lab on Twitter // Instagram Follow Bilal on Twitter // Instagram Bilal's content and learning recommendations   The Founder - www.thefounderpod.com  Follow The Founder (@founderpodcast) on Twitter // Instagram // Newsletter Follow Kallaway on Twitter  Don't have time to listen to the full episode? Read the 5-minute version here

Marc Barros is the Co-Founder & CEO of Moment. Marc is a second-time founder, having previously launched Contour, a venture-backed action camera company that challenged GoPro in the early 2000s. Moment is building the largest marketplace for creators. Originally, Marc and his founding team launched the Moment Lens system on Kickstarter, a series of phone cases and external lenses aimed to level up your mobile photography. Since then, Moment has morphed into a full blown marketplace where they sell all the gear you need to create and enable you to purchase lessons & trips from your favorite pros. In addition to their marketplace and branded products, Moment runs an annual mobile film festival (MIFF) and is building a service layer to help creatives monetize their businesses. Use code “Kallaway” to get 10% off all Moment products. Tune in to hear Marc’s story! EPISODE TOPICS Sections3:30) – The Origin Story (8:00) – The Build (35:10) – The Founder (47:45) – The Brainstorm Topics(2:10) Marc’s background (3:30) Starting Contour at 20 years old (8:00) How to win markets and differentiate (9:40) Transitioning from 1st to 2nd company  (11:45) Unique insights into mobile photography space (13:15) What is Moment? (13:45) Making products -> marketplace vs marketplace -> making products (15:20) Building customer journeys (16:20) Creator economy pain points (17:53) Becoming the service layer for creatives (18:40) Leveraging Kickstarter the right way (21:15) Approach to experimentation/org structure (20:22) What hasn’t worked? (24:09) Hiring (28:35) Making remote work (32:30) Manifesting the future (33:30) Marc’s Startup Manifesto (35:25) Compensation philosophy (38:25) Fundraising philosophy (41:00) Founder vs CEO (44:35) Best mobile photography trick (45:30) Marc’s wellness stack (47:45) The Brainstorm – Owning peace and quiet, water conservation, future of photography  Watch this episode on YouTube here. Moment – shopmoment.com  Follow Moment (@moment) on Instagram // Twitter Follow Marc (@marcbarros) on Instagram // Twitter Marc's content and learning recommendations  The Founder - www.thefounderpod.com  Follow The Founder (@founderpodcast) on Twitter // Instagram // Newsletter Follow Kallaway on Twitter  Don't have time to listen to the full episode? Read the 5-minute version here.

Carly Bigi is the Founder & CEO of Laws of Motion. Carly is a first-time founder who launched Laws of Motion during her MBA at Columbia University. Laws of Motion is flipping the apparel industry on its head by providing data-driven custom womenswear. Contrary to the standard sizing offered by most apparel brands, Laws of Motion uses your personalized measurements and a robust dataset of 10,000 other women to create clothes that fit you perfectly. Today, they go-to-market with 144 micro-sizes to serve every shape and size. When Covid hit in early March 2020, Laws of Motion shut down their popular apparel line and repurposed the entire company to make PPE. They donated 1M masks and delivered 2.4M gowns and 2M shoe covers to help frontline healthcare workers fight the pandemic. Get 15% off Laws of Motion with code "Kallaway15" Tune in to hear Carly’s story! EPISODE TOPICS Sections(3:20) – The Origin Story (7:13) – The Build (31:17) – The Founder (39:41) – The Brainstorm Topics(2:33) Carly’s background (3:20) What is Laws of Motion (4:05) Approach to MBA (6:25) Bootstrapping vs funding (7:013) What was the market opportunity that others missed? (10:23) Biggest doubts/assumptions in the early days (12:13) Where did the name Laws of Motion come from? (12:43) Laws of Motion customer journey (13:44) Avoiding the inventory problem (16:02) Building a custom factory (17:04) What hasn’t worked with Laws of Motion (19:01) The 3 levers of IP for Laws of Motion (20:16) Covid impact and shifting to PPE (23:48) Laws of Motion product line (24:55) 10X growth (26:03) Manifesting the future for Laws of Motion (27:05) Hiring (29:33) Startup Manifesto (31:17) Advice to younger self (32:43) Needle mover habit (37:48) Carly’s wellness stack (35:08) Personal operating system (39:41) The Brainstorm – Improving longevity, designing a new umbrella from the ground up and encouraging more entrepreneurship Watch this episode on YouTube Laws of Motion – lawsofmotion.com  Follow Laws of Motion on Instagram Follow Carly on Twitter // Instagram Carly's content and learning recommendations    The Founder - www.thefounderpod.com  Follow The Founder (@founderpodcast) on Twitter // Instagram // Newsletter Follow Kallaway on Twitter  Don't have time to listen to the full episode? Read the 5-minute version here

Rishi Mandal is the Co-Founder & CEO of Future. Rishi is a second-time founder, having previously launched Sosh, a recommendation engine that curated the must-do activities in a given city. Sosh was beloved by millions as a concierge on the cutting edge of culture and sold to Postmates in 2015. Future is revolutionizing fitness by enabling remote 1-on-1 personal training. New members are carefully matched with a world-class trainer who creates personalized workouts each week. While trainers aren't physically with users in person, Future’s app enables continuous dialogue through text and voice notes pre-recorded in workouts. Future’s retention and Net Promoter Scores are off the charts, signaling low churn and high customer loyalty. Future raised a $24M Series B in October 2020 led by Trustbridge Partners.  Tune in to hear Rishi’s story! EPISODE TOPICS Sections(18:04) – The Origin Story (27:53) – The Build (55:04) – The Founder (1:00:41) – The Brainstorm Topics(2:40) Rishi’s background (4:34) The power of working with the smartest people you can find (6:22) Knowing when you’re ready to start a venture (8:42) Analyzing the opportunity for Sosh, the recommendation engine for culture (15:14) Entrepreneur in Residence at Khosla Ventures (18:04) Why was Future compelling enough to chase it? (27:53) Why start with fitness? (31:42) Why is Future more effective than other fitness solutions? (39:20) Biggest bets that haven’t panned out? (47:17) Rishi’s Startup Manifesto (55:04) Words of advice to 18 year old (1:00:41) The Brainstorm – Cameo for business, future of retail, expert vision/AR in sports broadcasting Watch this episode on YouTube Future – future.co Follow Future on Twitter // Instagram Follow Rishi on Twitter // Instagram Rishi's content and learning recommendations   The Founder - www.thefounderpod.com  Follow The Founder (@founderpodcast) on Twitter // Instagram // Newsletter Follow Kallaway on Twitter  Don't have time to listen to the full episode? Read the 5-minute version here

Brian Chen is the Co-Founder & CEO of Room. Brian is a second-time founder, having previously launched Bluesmart, a smart luggage company positioned to supercharge your suitcase through advanced technology and connectivity solutions. Bluesmart was acquired by TravelPro in 2018. Room is on a mission to change the way offices are built by creating modular, flexible solutions that transform the workplace. Today, they go to market with their flagship sound-proof phone booth as well as newly launched meeting and focus rooms. In the spirit of convenient and adaptive solutions, their phone booth ships flat and assembles on-site with a single tool. Room is poised to take advantage of massive tailwinds in a post-Covid world, equipping offices with the infrastructure to optimize for their people. Tune in to hear Brian’s story! EPISODE TOPICS: Sections(17:50) – The Origin Story (28:15) – The Build (55:34) – The Founder (1:04:11) – The Brainstorm Topics(2:10) Brian’s background (4:03) Endeavor (entrepreneurial non-profit) experience (6:56) Dropping out of MIT to pursue Bluesmart (10:13) Y Combinator learnings & takeaways (13:01) Bluesmart outcome (15:09) Winding down a startup (17:50) Assessing the Room market opportunity (22:11) Room snapshot (25:14) What had to be true for Room to succeed (28:15) Biggest bets that didn’t pan out (31:40) Hiring framework – the Secretary problem (35:41) Covid business impact (42:21) Manifesting the future  (44:41) Calm collaboration (46:31) 10x growth (50:37) Brian’s Startup Manifesto (55:34) What differentiates great and good CEOs (1:01:31) Needle mover habit (1:02:30) Brian’s wellness stack (1:04:11) The Brainstorm – Housing market liquidity, fractional expert access and subscription jeans Watch this episode on YouTube Room – room.com Follow Room on Twitter//Instagram Follow Brian on Twitter // Instagram Brian's content and learning recommendations   The Founder - www.thefounderpod.com  Follow The Founder (@founderpodcast) on Twitter // Instagram // Newsletter Follow Kallaway on Twitter   Don't have time to listen to the full episode? Read the 5-minute version here

Mike Russell is the Co-Founder & CEO of Monument. Mike is a serial entrepreneur, having previously launched several businesses including VenueTap (positioned as a digital platform for club promoters) and Paintzen (a marketplace for buying paint and choosing paint contractors that was acquired by PPG in 2018).  Monument is an online alcohol treatment program designed for users with low to moderate consumption habits. Mike and his team launched Monument to help democratize access to personalized and affordable treatment for those looking to change their relationship with alcohol. Monument's flexible subscription model enables patients of all consumption levels to access a licensed physician, specialized therapist, community and/or prescribed medication. Tune in to hear Mike’s story! EPISODE TOPICS: Sections(2:16) – The Origin Story (14:13) – The Build (43:34) – The Founder (1:02:58) – The Brainstorm Topics(2:16) Mike’s background (6:07) What happened with VenueTap (7:21) Monument founding story (11:26) Approach to the monument platform (14:13) Building the business model (17:59) How to size the market opportunity (22:14) What concerns/questions did you have in the beginning (24:20) Critical decisions in the early days (29:18) Hiring (35:10) Fundraising (39:37) Mike’s Startup Manifesto (43:34) Mike’s unique approach to a venture fund (48:02) Battling cancer and shifting mentality (54:27) Words of advice to an 18 year old (57:06) Biggest needle mover tip/tactic (59:02) Mike’s wellness stack (1:02:58) The Brainstorm – Custom building 1990s Land Rover defenders and trading cards Watch this episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/_v1PouhYkQ4 Monument – joinmonument.com Follow Monument on Instagram // Twitter Mike's content and learning recommendations   The Founder - www.thefounderpod.com  Follow The Founder (@founderpodcast) on Instagram // LinkedIn // Twitter // Newsletter Follow Kallaway on Twitter // Instagram   Don't have time to listen to the full episode? Read the 5-minute version here

Jon Shooshani is the Founder & President of Joon. Jon is a first time founder, having previously started Avo, a wellness based consumer spending card that pivoted into Joon in 2019. Joon is a corporate wellness program that makes it easy for companies to offer flexible benefits around wellbeing. Employers get the freedom to choose wellness and lifestyle options that are meaningful to them and the Joon software automates the reimbursement process to eliminate the administrative burden. Joon currently offers spending categories across fitness, food, mental health, family care, education, donations and student loan repayment. Tune in to hear Jon’s story! EPISODE TOPICS: The Origin Story – 2:22 The Build – 14:06 The Founder – 42:38 The Brainstorm – 56:33 Watch this episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/D5i2MIjdY5k  Joon – joon.io Follow Joon on Instagram // Twitter Follow Jon on Instagram // Twitter Jonathan's content and learning recommendations   The Founder - www.thefounderpod.com  Follow The Founder (@founderpodcast) on Twitter // Instagram // Newsletter Follow Kallaway on Twitter   Don't have time to listen to the full episode? Read the 5-minute version here 

Dylan Beynon is the Founder & CEO of Mindbloom. Dylan is a third time founder with previous stints at Voter's Friend and Mighty. Mindbloom is a telemedicine company for clinician-prescribed psychedelic therapy. Their mission is to expand human potential and transform lives today to transform the world tomorrow. Mindbloom's primary offering today is guided ketamine therapy. As a special offer for our listeners, use code "Kallaway" for $50 off your next treatment. Tune in to hear Dylan's story! EPISODE TOPICS:  (2:00) – Mindbloom Snapshot (3:12) – Dylan’s Background (8:43) – Analyzing the market opportunity for Mindbloom (13:00) – Education (14:57) – Ketamine therapy patient experience (16:20) – Importance of telemedicine (18:36) – Benefits of having a personalized medicine doctor (22:58) – Quantified self (26:03) – Mindfulness & awareness (34:16) – Communal living (40:29) – Growth marketing fundamentals (43:01) – Manifesting the future (45:37) – Hiring (53:14) – Words to 18 year old (55:45) – Emerging trends (59:07) – Unique life habit (1:00:45) – Aspirational founders (1:03:06) – Podcast growth ideas (1:04:43) – Dylan’s Startup Manifesto Watch on YouTube - https://youtu.be/mnzwO5A-9VE Mindbloom - mindbloom.co Follow Mindbloom (@mymindbloom) on Instagram // Twitter Dylan's content and learning recommendations  The Founder - www.thefounderpod.com  Follow The Founder (@founderpodcast) on Twitter // Instagram // LinkedIn // Newsletter Follow Kallaway on Twitter // Instagram  Don't have time to listen to the full episode? Read the 5-minute version here.

Ashley Nickelsen is the Founder & CEO of B.T.R. Bar. Ashley got her start at NYU with a background in biochemistry and public health nutrition. About 5 years ago, both of her parents were diagnosed with rare forms of cancer. As their primary caretaker while juggling a full-time job, she found herself eating dinners out of vending machines and hospital cafeterias more and more often. For someone who dedicated her life to nutrition and food science, she knew that she was letting her own health suffer and began to notice the effects in a big way. She wanted something with a truly clean label that could give her a functional boost throughout her busy days, but realized that even the healthiest bars on the market were full with things like natural flavors, emulsifiers and brown rice syrups. Unfortunately, both her parents passed away a few years later, but she took their life motto – be bold, be tenacious, be resilient – and started her company in their honor. That company is B.T.R. Bar. Today at BTR Bar, Ashley and her team have a simple mission – end mindless snacking. Their protein bars are the first plant based, keto friendly bars with a purpose, meaning that that they are filled with specific superfoods and adaptogens to give you energy, help you recharge or relax before bed. And when they say clean, they mean their bars are CLEAN with no gluten, dairy, soy, whey, added sugar, corn, rice, GMOs, flavors or stevia. They’re also incredibly proud to be a female-owned business that empowers others to be bold, tenacious and resilient every single day. Use code "Kallaway" to get 15% off B.T.R. bars today. Tune in to hear Ashley's story! EPISODE TOPICS:  (2:51) B.T.R. Bar snapshot  (3:45) Superfoods & adaptogens (8:15) Consumer profile (10:24) Ashley’s background (15:54) Analyzing the market (17:55) How do you define success in the early days (19:40) Customer acquisition & growth (22:30) Prioritization (26:42) Distribution (29:43) Outside the box marketing (32:45) Influencer marketing (34:46) Food space trends/learnings (38:02) Healthy vs unhealthy mythbusters (42:15) Manifesting the future (45:12) Hiring (process) (50:09) Fundraising (53:25) Advice to high school self (56:15) Ashley’s wellness stack (1:01:52) Emerging trends (1:07:07) Ashley’s startup manifesto Watch on YouTube - TBD B.T.R. Bar - eatbtrbar.com Follow B.T.R. Bar (@btr.bar) on Instagram Ashley's content and learning recommendations  The Founder - www.thefounderpod.com  Follow The Founder (@founderpodcast) on Instagram //  Twitter // LinkedIn // Newsletter Follow Kallaway on Twitter  Don't have time to listen to the full episode? Read the 5-minute version here

Taylor Nieman is the Co-Founder & CEO of Toucan. Taylor was born in Los Angeles and spent a lot of her time growing up playing competitive volleyball on a track for the Olympics. She eventually wound up at Cornell for school and after trying her hand in a couple of different fields, identified tech as an area she wanted to spend more time. She went to night school at YouTube University and taught herself how to code so she could bring her own ideas to life. After graduating from Cornell and returning to Los Angeles, she joined Headspace and a number of other tech companies including Pop and Fair, running business development and partnerships at each. Along the way she launched several of her own projects, including Simba, an app to connect dogwalkers with each other and Lancer, a Glassdoor for freelancers. While those projects didn’t pan out, her latest and most promising is on a roll. That project turned into a company called Toucan. Today at Toucan, Taylor and her team have created a free browser extension to revolutionize the way you learn new languages. Once installed and enabled, you simply pick the language you want to learn (either Spanish, French, German, Italian or Portuguese) and then the magic starts to happens. As you browse Google, scroll through Twitter or interact with other websites, Toucan will change some of the words from English to your desired language. As you continue using Toucan, the words will get harder and harder as you level up your fluency. They’ve also just started rolling out mini games that you can play while in Wikipedia, which provide a more direct way to practice your skills. The coolest part is that language is just the beginning – Toucan was built as a disruptive learning platform that could be applied to lots of other disciplines.  Tune in to hear Taylor's story! EPISODE TOPICS:  (2:47) Toucan snapshot today (3:43) Taylor’s background (12:18) How Toucan works (14:16) Building a Chrome extension (15:39) Inception story (17:37) Future market opportunities with Toucan (18:28) How to assess industry landscape (20:03) Competitors or Partners – Duolingo, Rosetta Stone, Babbel (22:25) Business model (24:23) Building a moat (29:10) Early struggles (31:03) Customer acquisition (33:33) 10X growth  (36:05) Career strategy (42:21) Hiring (45:54) Investor lessons learned (48:21) User investing (50:33) Personal drive/motivation (52:43) Taylor’s wellness stack (56:23) Exciting trends (1:00:19) Startup manifesto Watch on YouTube - TBD Toucan - jointoucan.com Follow Toucan (@jointoucan) on Instagram // Twitter Follow Taylor (@taylorsimba // @taylor_nieman) on Instagram // Twitter Taylor's content and learning recommendations  The Founder - www.thefounderpod.com  Follow The Founder (@founderpodcast) on Instagram // LinkedIn // Twitter // Newsletter Follow Kallaway on Instagram // Twitter  Don't have time to listen to the full episode? Read the 5-minute version here