Category Visionaries

Joe Schaeppi, CEO and Co-Founder of Solsten: $39 Million Raised Power the Future of Human-Centric Experiences

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Joe Schaeppi, CEO and Co-Founder of Solsten, a digital experience optimization platform that's raised $39 Million in funding, about creating incredible human-centered experiences that generate insights way beyond basic demographic descriptions. With an immersive offering to track adaptive behavioral patterns and individual psychology, Solsten provides insights to help companies really understand and better serve the needs of their customers.
We also speak about Joe’s career path, which has taken him from medical emergencies to world-building game design, the central role of games in the future of generating human-oriented data, why the psychology of online behavior is absolutely critical to good business decisions, and why Joe’s vision for Solsten is to ‘index’ the entire internet from a psychological perspective.
Topics Discussed:
Joe’s career in building experiences, from the emergency room to game designer and finally to founding Solsten
Why static assessments fail to capture the complexity of human behavior, and how Solsten seeks to establish a more flexible approach
The critical importance of customer profiles that go way beyond demographic data in driving the business decisions of tomorrow
How Joe envision’s Solsten as following in Google’s footsteps, and “indexing all of the behavior on the internet”
Solsten’s diverse success profiles, and why Joe is proud of building a multicultural, international team
 
Favorite book: 
Finding My Virginity: The New Autobiography

Ishveen Jolly, CEO and Co-Founder of OpenSponsorship: Over $5 Million Raised to Build the Future of Sports Influencer Marketing

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Ishveen Jolly, CEO and Co-Founder of OpenSponsorship, a sports influencer marketing platform that's raised over $5 Million in funding, about why sponsorship is all about experiences that it feels like money can’t buy, and how this billion-dollar industry looks set to keep growing well into the future. By giving their clients access to a whole range of sponsorship options across events of all shapes and sizes, OpenSponsorship is positioning themselves as ‘the Airbnb of sports sponsorship.’ 
We also speak about Ishveen’s passion for sponsorship, and how she found her way into the industry despite not everyone around her always being on side, how sponsorship provides an ideal opportunity for athletes to earn independent income, and why ease of access and a streamlined service is putting OpenSponsorship well ahead of the competition.
Topics Discussed:
Ishveen’s background in school sports, and how this passion for athleticism eventually grew into a business idea
Working as a sports agent, and insights behind the scenes of this little-known industry
Why industry contacts are as vital as knowledge and expertise when it comes to cutting contract deals in sports
How a court ruling regarding athlete’s brand independence paved the way for OpenSponsorship’s industry rise
Ishveen’s vision for OpenSponsorship to become ‘the Airbnb of sports sponsorship,’ and what it means for the future of the industry
 
Favorite book: 
The Hard Thing About Hard Things

David Campbell, CEO and Co-Founder of Tropic: $68 Million Raised to Redefine SaaS Procurement

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode, we're speaking with David Campbell, CEO and Co-Founder of Tropic, a software procurement platform that's raised $68 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Identifying a Market Need: David recognized a gap in the procurement space, where traditional methods were not designed for the rapidly growing software industry, leading to inefficiencies and high costs.
War-Time CEO Mindset: Emphasizing the importance of quick decision-making and aggressive strategies in a competitive and challenging market environment.
Avoiding Distractions: Maintaining focus on Tropic's product roadmap and vision, despite the influx of competitors and market noise.
Branding Strategy: Intentionally creating a unique, consumer-friendly brand for an enterprise B2B product, breaking away from traditional, boring enterprise software branding.
Open Source Marketplace: Creating a marketplace with zero commissions to build trust and align completely with buyer interests, even if it means forgoing potential revenue.
Future Vision: Aiming to build an all-encompassing platform for unified spend management, leveraging a large first-party data asset to drive innovative products and deeper value for customers.

Ben Sesser, CEO & Founder of BrightHire: $36 Million Raised to Build the Interview Intelligence Category

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Ben Sesser, CEO & Co-Founder of BrightHire, an interview intelligence platform that's raised $36 Million in funding, about why business side of people is so important, and why this venture-backed SaaS startup was founded to find a better way to hire. With an innovative offering empowering their clients to make better hiring decisions, reduce bias and unlock new insights, BrightHire is set to transform the way companies build market-winning teams into the future.
We also speak about Ben’s passion for people at the heart of every business, why their role in building success is going nowhere in the years to come, the central importance of giving value to early customers as part of a growth-stage business strategy, and why short-term ROI should never obscure long term growth prospects on the road to success.
Topics Discussed:
Ben’s career background in HR, and what it taught him about the central importance of the people who make up a business
Challenges and shortcomings in the current hiring strategies most businesses use, and how it inspired BrightHire’s founding
The typical BrightHire client profile - talent-forward organizations that treat hiring itself as a discipline
Why creating a category might mean more than just being a disruptor, and when working within an established space might actually work
How data becomes a key tool to educate a potential market, training customers to understand the value a business brings
 
Favorite book: 
The Lean Startup

Stephany Kirkpatrick, CEO and Founder of Orum: Over $85 Million Raised to Build an API integration for Instant Payouts

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Stephany Kirkpatrick, CEO and Founder of Orum, an API integration platform for instant payouts that's raised over $85 Million in funding, about why the future of financial services looks fundamentally different, with everyone given the freedom to build their potential. With fully-developed financial infrastructure enabling their customers to more effectively save, manage and receive funding, Orum’s mission is to eliminate the constraints of socioeconomic status for all.
We also speak about Stephany’s background in financial planning, how she became a ‘savings and payments nerd,’ why payout solutions can really help businesses grow through easier access to all important finance, why 250 million Americans are in need of a better financial system, and how to build something new based on breaking free from the status quo.
Topics Discussed:
Stephany’s career background as a financial planner, and how she eventually became a ‘savings and payments nerd’
The current state of our financial infrastructure, and why 250 million Americans need something better
The central role of a real-time payments network in keeping on top of a business’ finances in the modern economy
How socioeconomic status shapes our economic potential, and why Orum is on a mission to shatter those constraints
Why Orum’s unique offering lies in its superior optimization and orchestration services for their customers
 
Favorite book: 
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

Stephany Lapierre, CEO of Teal Book: Over $72 Million Raised to Build the Supplier Data Platform Category

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Stephany Lapierre, Founder & CEO of Tealbook, a supplier data platform that's raised over $72 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Inspiration from Family Legacy: Stephany was inspired by her entrepreneurial family background, particularly her grandmother's successful management of a Pepsi bottling and distribution business.
Origin of Tealbook: The idea for Tealbook was sparked by Stephany's experience in consulting, where she saw the inefficiencies in supplier data management at large companies like Johnson & Johnson.
Competitive Differentiation: Tealbook stands out by using machine learning to automate the enrichment and distribution of supplier data, eliminating the need for manual data entry and portals.
Creating a New Category: Tealbook coined the term "supplier data platform" to differentiate itself in the market and has worked with analysts and thought leaders to establish this new category.
Raising Capital as a Female Founder: Stephany shared insights on the challenges female founders face in raising capital and the importance of building a complementary team and finding the right voice in investor meetings.
Vision for the Future: Stephany envisions Tealbook becoming the gold standard for supplier data, integrated into every major procurement system, and expanding its data packs to unlock more use cases and deliver greater value to clients.
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Sponsors:
Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership.
www.FrontLines.io
The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. 
www.GlobalTalent.co

Kirby Winfield, Founding GP at Ascend VC

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Kirby Winfield, Founding GP at Ascend VC, about his love for angel investing and the passion he feels in providing founder-friendly venture capital with genuine value to add to their partners’ offerings. By leaning into projects they have a genuine love for and interest in, Ascend gives so much more than just capital, forging a unique identity among a crowded field of VC firms through real commitment and support to turn business aspirations into commercial reality.
We also speak about Kirby’s background in the startup space and taking his first company public in 1990s, how Ascend was founded and developed its investment strategy, the future of venture capital in a post-covid economy, and why, when trying to raise funds, building relationships is a never-ending process that takes dedication to get right.
 
Topics Discussed:
Kirby’s career in the startup space, and taking his first company to market as far back as the late 90s
The inspiration for founding Ascend and the unique approach to investment which places this generalist VC in a class of its own
How Kirby learned to pursue his own path in the investment space, and stopped worrying about emulating others’ success
Why, as a founder seeking funding, it’s important to stay committed to a consisted cycle of building investor relationships
The vital role of personal fit in pursuing investments, and why everyone should play to their strengths
Being a ‘recovering marketer,’ and setting out on a path towards more specialist skills and expertise

Brian Lozes, CEO & Co-Founder at Kinemagic: $3 Million Raised to Power the Future of Industrial Immersive Experiences

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Brian Lozes, Founder & CEO of Kinemagic, an industrial immersive experience platform that's raised $3 Million in funding, about why virtual spaces for clients to review critical engineering solutions is the future of the industry, and how Kinematic is making it happen. By providing a fully immersive walkthrough experience for clients to really understand what’s being built before expending time and resources on a solution that might need some reworking, Kinemagic is making some of our most important sectors more efficient, saving time, money, and wasted effort.
We also speak about Brian’s background in the engineering and construction space and how he found himself living the problem statement that Kinemagic would eventually solve, why VR is allowing people to really see into the future, and the future of the technology itself including what it means for Brian’s industry and beyond.
Topics Discussed:
Brian’s career in engineering and construction, and what it taught him about the importance of thorough design inspection
How Brian ended up living the problem statement that Kinemagic would ultimately set out to solve
The massive inefficiency associated with reworking projects once construction has already started and the impact it has on the industry
Why immersive VR is a game changer for the construction industry, and how it’s being deployed across a whole range of sectors
Reality capture as an innovative offering helping clients get a real-world window on the projects they’re launching
The future of VR technology and why we will all soon be living in an augmented world
 
Favorite book: 
No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention

Eden Full Goh, Founder & CEO of Mobot: Over $17 Million Raised to Power the Future of Mobile App Testing

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Eden Full Goh, Founder & CEO of Mobot, a mobile app testing platform that's raised over $17 Million in funding, about why realtime mobile testing is critical for the future of our app-driven lifestyles, and how Mobot positions itself as an indispensable tool in streamlining the process. 
We also speak about her journey as a young entrepreneur and how she developed her company into a successful venture. She discusses her passion for environmental sustainability and how it led to the creation of Mobot, the importance of having a strong team, seeking mentorship, and staying true to one's values while building a business.
Topics Discussed:
How Eden took an early interest in entrepreneurship which has continued to shape her career
The inspiration for Mobot and how Eden knew she was on to a winning idea by keeping things simple
Why failure is a part of building a business that all entrepreneurs will have to confront at some point
How mentorship plays a critical role in developing a person’s career
Building a business while staying true to your principles in a highly competitive marketplace
 
Favorite book:
Atomic Habits

Shane McRann Bigelow, CEO at CHAMPtitles: Over $31 Million Raised to Build the Future of Vehicle Title Management

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Shane McRann,  CEO at CHAMPtitles, a digital title management platform that's raised over $31 Million in funding, about why challenges of identifying ownership for key assets can have implications far beyond the sector they’re focused on, and how CHAMPtitles’ simplified, streamlined process helps get transfers and sales in motion. With an innovative digital platform to help people register their movable assets, CHAMPtitles’ long-term mission is to help people across sell, insure, and borrow money against them, empowering their critical economic choices.
We also speak about Shane’s long road towards founding CHAMPtitles, through years of experience in finance and managing some unusual asset classes, why titling is so critical to economic empowerment, and how a system that people in the US take for granted could be a game changer for both governments and their constituents in other parts of the world.
Topics Discussed:
Shane’s career across finance and asset management, and the inspiration for CHAMPtitles’ tech offering
Why registration is key to unlocking the true value of our most important assets
How Blockchain technology is revolutionizing the way trust-based industries function
Why building networks of both investors and mentors is a crucial element of developing a successful business
How identifying real-world problems will always be the key to building a company with genuine product-market fit
Why Shane envisions CHAMPtitles as a ‘B to G to C’ company, as long as ‘c’ stands for ‘constituents’
 
Favorite book: 
The Monk and the Riddle: The Art of Creating a Life While Making a Living