DiscoverThe tech.mn Podcast
The tech.mn Podcast
Claim Ownership

The tech.mn Podcast

Author: tech.mn

Subscribed: 9Played: 356
Share

Description

The tech.mn Podcast for Minnesota tech and startup enthusiasts. From scrappy founders to massive exits, host Alex Skjong is getting the stories straight from the source.
163 Episodes
Reverse
On Episode 2 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN welcome Amanda Heyman on The Tech.MN Podcast to talk spreadsheets, and other startup things.    We discuss the holistic experience that is Lunar Startups, Lunar Services, and Lunar Everywhere and dive into how they support women and people of color in startups. Amanda shares her story of starting the world’s first live fantasy soccer platform, burnout, and balancing her time as a founder, community builder, lawyer, and parent (#protecttheasset).   We preview Lunar Startups Undemo Day coming up on Monday, September 30th at Palace Theater. Get your tickets here: https://dojour.us/e/11993-lunar-startups-cohort-1-undemo-day   Hype Time Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Amanda gives a shout out to Dario Otero of Youth Lens 360.  Dario are you listening? We want to interview on the podcast!   Sponsor: Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders.  Visit www.RedpathCPAs.com and find out how you can get your business to the next level.   Socials Tech.MN on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TECHdotMN Kevin McArdle on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kevin_McArdle Jac Stark on Twitter: https://twitter.com/minneapplejac Amanda Heyman on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmandaHeyman Lunar Startups on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LunarStartups   Links: Osborne 370 | We chat about Osborne 370 as a new hub for MN Startups - https://osborn370.com/ Lunar Startups | Amanda is the Director of Lunar Services at Lunar Startups - https://www.lunarstartups.org/ Lunar Startups Professional Network | If interested in joining this network reach out here -  https://www.lunarstartups.org/contact Take 12 | One of the startups presenting at Undemo Day - https://mytake12.com/ 26 Letters | Another startup presenting at Undemo Day - http://www.26letters.co/
On Episode 3 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN welcome Sangam Napit, UX researcher at US Bank, on The Tech.MN Podcast to talk about thinking #sangamstyle.   We discuss the single question Sangam gets paid to answer as a UX Researcher at U.S.Bank, being a mentor at Gener8tor, and the balance of fear of failure and continually growing as a person and professional.   Sangam shares the story of writing his book (that’s right, our first published author!), The Experience Manifesto, and the alternative to the passion theory in looking for opportunities, embracing failure, and capitalizing on experiences.   Hype Time Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Sangam gives a shout out to Ryan Broshar of Matchstick Ventures. They just announced some big news. Find it on Tech.MN here: tech.mn/v08ty   Sponsor: Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders.  Visit www.RedpathCPAs.com and find out how you can get your business to the next level.   Socials Tech.MN on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TECHdotMN Kevin McArdle on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kevin_McArdle Jac Stark on Twitter: https://twitter.com/minneapplejac   Links: Sangam’s Website |  https://sangamnapit.com/ Gener8tor | We discuss Mentorship at gener8tor - https://www.gener8tor.com/ Zero to One | Book that Sangam References - https://amzn.to/2n8l7oY 100 Days without Fear (Michelle Poler) | One of the people Sangam interviewed for his book - http://100dayswithoutfear.com/ The Experience Manifesto | Find Sangam’s Book here and leave a review - https://amzn.to/2lzcq6U
On Episode 4, Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN, welcome Neela Mollgaard, Executive Director of Launch MN, to The Tech.MN Podcast hotseat to chat about Launch MN and connecting Minnesota’s Innovation Ecosystem.  We discuss the mission of Launch MN is to help innovation take off in Minnesota, bringing people together to affect change, her experience with Redwing Ignite and reaching outside of our bubble to make our community better (#wearestrongertogether).  Neela explains Launch MN’s goal to provide opportunity, access, and exposure to companies and ecosystem builders, gives a tentative timeline of what is to come, and chats about some possible grants that they are considering. Launch MN will debut their website on October 1, 2019.  Hype Time Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Neela gives a shout out to three entrepreneurs: Susan Langer of Live, Give, Save  Beth Fynbo of Busy Baby Michael Lopez of Halo Ramp  Sponsor: Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders.  Visit www.RedpathCPAs.com and find out how you can get your business to the next level.  Socials Tech.MN on Twitter Kevin McArdle on Twitter Jac Stark on Twitter Neela Mollgaard on Twitter Launch MN on Twitter Links: Redwing Ignite - Neela discusses the lessons she learned as executive director of Redwing Ignite.
On Episode 1 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN welcome Casey Allen on The Tech.MN Podcast to answer the question we’ve all been wondering – How does he make money? We got more than we bargained for. For us, it is fitting to have Casey on the inaugural episode of The Tech.MN Podcast because when it comes to starting things up he is the OG. Casey dishes on his role in investing in and advising (very) early-stage startups, embracing failure in the midwest, launching an angel investor bootcamp, and even gets personal about the birth of his daughter. We dive into why Minnesota needs to celebrate what we are good at (Hint: It’s enterprise tech)  and the emergence of Casey’s Enterprise Rising Conference. *Bonus* Casey discloses his fantasy dream list for a Techstars program. Any guesses?Hype TimeEvery episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Casey gives a shout out to Thompson Aderinkomi of Nice Healthcare. *Spoiler Alert* we’ve got Thompson on the podcast this season. 
On Episode 5 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN welcome Casey Shultz and Reed Robinson on The Tech.MN Podcast to talk about the importance of Zoom skills and also the most anticipated #MNtech event of the year.    We get into the history of BETA and the birth and evolution of Twin Cities Startup Week. Casey shares what to expect for this year’s celebration including new community hubs in downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul and centralized event tracks.    We get into why Twin Cities Startup Week exists, how partnerships are expanding between the community and local corporations, and some of the cool events to check out during the week. We discuss the direction of Twin Cities Startup Week in the future. The phrase ‘A South by Southwest with Substance’ may or may not have been thrown around. Listen to find out!   Hype Time Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Casey gives a shout out to Caroline Karanja of 26 Letters and Hack the Gap and Reed hypes Clarence Bethea of Upsie.    Sponsor: Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders.  Visit www.RedpathCPAs.com and find out how you can get your business to the next level.   Socials Tech.MN on Twitter Kevin McArdle on Twitter Jac Stark on Twitter Twin Cities Startup Week on Twitter BETA on Twitter Casey Shultz on Twitter Reed Robinson on Twitter   Links: Twin Cities Startup Week - Learn more and find the schedule for Twin Cities Startup Week
On Episode 6 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN welcome Deepinder Signh on The Tech.MN Podcast to talk about space heaters under your desk in the dead of summer, lego masters, and the number three reason employees quit.   Deep shares the story of why 75F was started, the early days, and where the company is going after a raising $18M. A lot of impressive analogies are presented to explain the genius that is 75F.  We discuss how the humbling experience of becoming the CEO of a startup venture for the first time vs. being ‘the tech guy.’ We also dive into the concept of comfort as a value proposition.    As Deep takes us through the journey that has been 75F he shares his experiences with finding advisors, investors, PR brought on by startup competitions, and the woes of fundraising. The conversation caps off with 75F’s latest news and why they chose Minnesota.   Hype Time Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Deep gives a shout out to power couple Mary and Steve Grove. Mary is a Partner on Rise of the Rest. Steve is the Commissioner of MN DEED. Together they founded Silicon Valley North Stars.   Sponsor: Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders. Visit Redpath’s website and find out how you can get your business to the next level.   Socials Tech.MN on Twitter Kevin McArdle on Twitter Jac Stark on Twitter 75F on Twitter Deepinder Singh on Twitter   Links: 75F - Learn more about 75F here.  Tech.MN Article - 75F Raises $18M Led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Oil & Gas Climate Initiative Angel Tax Credit - Deep talks us through how they took advantage of the Angel Tax Credit.
On Episode 7 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN welcome Thompson Aderinkomi, founder of Nice Healthcare, on The Tech.MN Podcast to talk about his collection of mistakes and where they've landed him. Bonus: He throws out an Aragron reference for the LOTR fans out there. Thompson takes us on his journey through starting new companies and what he's learned including market timing, value propositions, and market segments. His story is the healthcare version of an action feature film complete with many quotable moments. As Thompson shares his timeline with us it becomes more and more clear that his story is just beginning with the launch of Nice Healthcare from a stronger position. We chat about his obsession with company culture, the support of the MN tech and startup community, and where the name 'Nice Healthcare' comes from. Hype TimeEvery episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Thompson gives a shout out to Zack Steven of Cloudburst SBC. Sponsor:Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders. Visit RedPath’s Website and find out how you can get your business to the next level.   Socials Tech.MN on TwitterKevin McArdle on TwitterJac Stark on TwitterThompson Aderinkomi on TwitterNice Healthcare on Twitter   Links: Nice Healthcare – Thompson’s most recent startupIndie.VC Indie.vc is a 12 month program designed to fund and support founders on a path to profitability. Relate - Check out Thompson’s personal coaching startupMill City Laser – Shoutout to Thompson’s wife, Hannah’s, startup.
On Episode 8 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN welcome Scott Burns, founder of Structural, on The Tech.MN Podcast to talk about ghosting and how more is not always better.  Scott talks about how he came exited his first company, GovDelivery (Now Granicus), not once, but twice. He makes a solid case for St. Paul as a tech hub and how he is contributing to its success with the purchase and launch of Osborne 370.  We chat about his latest venture, Structural, and the benefits of making more focused connections within a company. Conversation gets real when Kevin asks the question, “What does the #MNTech community suck at?” Scott follows it up by getting sentimental about finding balance as a dad and an entrepreneur. Hype TimeEvery episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Scott gives a shout out to American Public Media for investing in entrepreneurship in all industries. Sponsor:Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders. Visit RedPath’s Website and find out how you can get your business to the next level.   Socials Tech.MN on TwitterKevin McArdle on TwitterJac Stark on TwitterScott Burns on TwitterStructural on TwitterOsborne 370 on Twitter   Links: Structural - Scott’s latest company - The all-in-one people directory. Osborne 370 - Scott’s building serving as an innovation hub in downtown St. PaulGranicus - Formerly GovDelivery, Scott’s first company. High Alpha - Scott and Kevin talk about High Alpha, a venture studio out of Indiana.
On Episode 9 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN welcome Brianna McCullough, founder of BriLimitless and Network Systems Engineer at Target, on The Tech.MN Podcast to talk about how following her heart led her to Minnesota and the things that kept her here.  Bri  walks us through getting a computer science degree and then teaching herself how to code. We dive into Bri's journey into becoming a speaker and an advocate for technology and diversity and inclusion (D&I). We get real about how the Minnesota ecosystem is doing and what we can do better. Bri shares the story of brilimitless and living a fearless and transparent life.  We chat about the upcoming event for Graveti, a community focused on building businesses, creating wealth and developing the Tech ecosystem for people of color in the Twin Cities, of which Bri is the events and programs director. The Graveti summit will take place on Saturday, November 2nd. Check it out here! Hype Time Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Bri gives a shout out to Sam Ndely, consultant at MEDA and Co-founder at Graveti. She also shouts out Yolanda Smith (Lead at Target and speaker) and Steve Buchanan (Microsoft MVP). Sponsor: Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders. Visit RedPath’s Website and find out how you can get your business to the next level.   Socials Tech.MN on TwitterKevin McArdle on TwitterJac Stark on TwitterBri McCullough on TwitterGraveti on Twitter Links: BriLimitless - Bri’s personal website and blogArlan Hamilton - We gush over Arlan and chat about her appearance at last year’s Graveti SummitGraveti Summit - Happening in Minneapolis on November 2nd, Get your tickets now! Techquity - Bri Shouts out Techquity - a profession platform for African Americans in technology  
On Episode 10 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN, welcome Josh Fedie, founder of SalesReach, on The Tech.MN Podcast to reminisce about Girbaud jeans and learn what a follow-on round is. Bonus: Josh wrote a jingle for the Tech.MN Podcast and debuts it on air with the help of Kevin and Jac.   Josh shares his journey of building a product from the baby steps of getting validation, to putting together a team, and raising money. We talk about the stress of being a founder and Josh's experience growing up in an entrepreneurial household. He shares (almost) all his secrets to selling with us and gets candid about the key to success in selling.   We explore Josh's strategy for for content and his podcast, The Founder's Mentality, and dive into the themes that have begun to arise from it including failure, the growth mindset, and dealing in stressful environments.    Josh shares what he likes about the Minnesota tech and startup ecosystem, as well as what sucks. Get ready to take some notes!   Hype Time Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Josh gives a shout out to Clarence Bethea, founder of Upsie.    Sponsor: Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders. Visit Redpath’s website and find out how you can get your business to the next level.   Socials Tech.MN on Twitter Kevin McArdle on Twitter Jac Stark on Twitter Josh Fedie on LinkedIn Links: SalesReach - Josh’s company focusing on true sales enablement. Studio Americana - We give a shoutout to Studio Americana, where we record all of the Tech.MN podcasts The Founder's Mentality - Josh’s podcast featuring interviews with startup founders. We chat about themes and call out a recent episode with Shalya Christine. Invision - Josh mentions Invision, a prototyping tool. Find it here. 
On Episode 11 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN welcome Matt Lewis, Vice President, Strategic Initiatives of Greater MSP, on The Tech.MN Podcast to talk all about the assets and liabilities of the great state of Minnesota. Matt shares his story of what led him to Greater MSP. After starting off as a journalist in Washington DC he made his way back to Minnesota with an interest in helping separate organizations collaborate. We dive into the workings of Greater MSP including two of their initiatives, Make It MSP and Forge North. The conversation touches on the infamous Amazon Proposal for HQ2 and the job of selling Minnesota beyond nostalgia. We get an inside look into the development of the Forge North Council and what it takes to bring together many different players to benefit the whole.  Hype Time Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Kevin also asks Matt to name a corporation that is stepping up in the region. Matt gives a shout out to Caroline Karanja of 26 Letters, and CH Robinson.   Sponsor: Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders. Visit RedPath’s Website and find out how you can get your business to the next level.   Socials Tech.MN on TwitterKevin McArdle on TwitterJac Stark on TwitterMatt Lewis on TwitterGreater MSP on Twitter Links: Greater MSP Make It MSPForge NorthTwin Cities Amazon HQ2 Proposal
On Episode 12 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN, welcome Lori Most, founder of BackpackEMR, on The Tech.MN Podcast to talk about going from coder to founder.  Lori shares her story of how joining her sister, a physician’s assistant, for a medical trip to Peru ignited the idea for an offline peer-to-peer electronic medical record (EMR) software product. She talks about becoming a founder, building software, and their latest contracts with Nairobi County in Kenya and Timmy Global Health. We discuss the challenges of fundraising as a female founder and Lori’s first-hand experience to weeding out investors to find really great ones.  Hype Time Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Lori gives a shout out to Casey Allen from Enterprise Rising. Listen to his podcast on Apple, Spotify, and Google.  Sponsor: Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders. Visit RedPath’s Website and find out how you can get your business to the next level. Socials Tech.MN on TwitterKevin McArdle on TwitterJac Stark on TwitterLori Most of TwitterBackpackEMR on Twitter Links BackpackEMRTimmy Global Health Venn Foundation (PRI)
On Episode 13 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN welcome Carter Jensen, Director of Strategy (Customer Experience) at Latitude, on The Tech.MN Podcast to talk about the integration of experiences and technology. Carter shares his story of brand activation and measuring the ROI on experiences. He takes us through several case studies of experiences deployed by brands and tells us about a new retail brand activation lab right here in our own backyard.  We get the download on Uplo. An experience measurement tool developed by Carter and his team and talk about how companies are using technology to stand out from the noise.  Hype Time Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Carter gives a shout out to Chris Walton and Ann Mezzenga from Omni Talk and the new Third Haus Retail Lab and Coworking spot.  Sponsor: Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders. Visit RedPath’s Website and find out how you can get your business to the next level. Socials Tech.MN on TwitterKevin McArdle on TwitterJac Stark on TwitterCarter Jensen on TwitterLatitude on Twitter Links Latitude  Thirdhaus Omni Talk Dyson Demo Store Dirty Lemon Article on the Coca Cola NCAA Campaign  Xenia Retail Uplo (Video)  
Twenty Minutes is tech.mn's new weekly news podcast. If you enjoy the show, you can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you. Fishing raises, facial recognition bans, cryptocurrency, and more. This is the news in Minnesota tech and startup for the week of Friday, February 19. Interview Stories: Compute North Secures $25 Million in Growth Capital Funding Lemonada Unveils 10 New Podcasts for 2021 Esports Documentary Featuring St. Louis Park High School Team Releases Today Shaye Mandle Announces Departure as Medical Alley Association President & CEO   Headlines: Omnia Fishing Raises $2.1 Million Minneapolis City Council Approves Ordinance Banning Purchase of Facial Recognition Technology Shrpa Partners With Explore Minnesota to Spark Tourism   Follow tech.mn on Twitter Sign up for tech.mn’s newsletters  
Subscribe to Twenty Minutes on your platform of choice so you don't miss an episode!   Well and Good props, human security platforms, caption tech, and more. This the news in Minnesota tech and startup for the week of Friday, March 5.   Featured Interviews: Aneela Idnani, Co-founder of HabitAware Matt Meents, CEO & Founder of Yardstik Yardstik Announces General Availability of ‘Human Security Platform’ Truck Morrison, CEO of Captionmax Headlines: RBA Announces Acquisition of Saturn Systems M-RETS Completes First Hourly Renewable Energy Certificate Transaction Sezzle Financial Report Shows Record Results Marani Health Announces $3.7 Million Raise, New Board Member   Follow tech.mn on Twitter Sign up for tech.mn’s newsletters
Don't miss an episode - subscribe to the Twenty Minutes podcast feed today.   A Shark Tank debut, FeMNist Days, a new cohort lineup, and more This is the news in Minnesota tech and startup for the week of Friday, March 12. Featured Interviews: Beth Fynbo, President & Founder of Busy Baby Erinn Farrell, Co-founder & Chief Experience Officer of The Coven Learn more about and register for FeMNist Days Headlines: BETA Announces Lineup for Spring 2021 Cohort Sezzle Announces Partnership With Trees of the Future Three Minnesota Companies Make ‘America’s Best Startup Employers’ List Marco Technologies CEO Announces Retirement Watch the Touching Stories of Our Latest Fuckup Nights Speakers   Follow tech.mn on Twitter Sign up for tech.mn’s newsletters
Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to Twenty Minutes today.   Viral drone videos, Minnedemo, a not-so-tiny TinySeed raise, and more. This is the news in Minnesota tech and startup for the week of Friday, March 19. Featured Interviews: Anthony Jaska, Director and Co-Founder of Rally Studios, and Jay Christensen, Aerial Cinematographer Minneapolis Drone Videos Blow Up the Internet Maria Ploessl, Executive Director of Minnestar Minnestar Unveils Presenter Lineup for Minnedemo: Back to Campus   Headlines: Imbio Health Product Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance TinySeed Announces Second Fund of More Than $25 Million Follow tech.mn on Twitter. Subscribe to the tech.mn newsletter.
Subscribe to Twenty Minutes! One school’s first online degrees in more than a century, testing the waters for live startup and tech events in Minnesota, a potential new IPO, and more. This is the news in Minnesota tech and startup for the week of Friday, March 26. Featured Interviews: Scott Stallman, Provost of Dunwoody College of Technology Dunwoody to Offer Two Online Degree Programs Meg Steuer, Director of Platform of Forge North Fill out the 2021 Startup Community Events Survey Headlines: Thoma Bravo Announces Acquisition of Calabrio SportsEngine Expands Partnership With FlipGive Captionmax Acquires Calgary-Based National Captioning Canada SkyWater Technology Files Registration Statement for IPO Subscribe to the tech.mn newsletter Follow tech.mn on Twitter
Don't miss an upcoming episode of Twenty Mintutes! Subscribe. Featured Interviews: Chris Reedy, Vice President of Acquisitions of SureSwift Capital SureSwift Capital Acquires Tradervue Headlines: ClickSwitch Sold to Q2 Holdings BETA Announces Dates for Twin Cities Startup Week 2021 Great North Ventures Announces New Fund, Venture Studio Digital Mass Expands Team With Salesforce Developers Sezzle Announces B Corp Certification MCAD’s PitchFest 2021: View and Vote Follow tech.mn on Twitter. Sign up for the tech.mn newsletter.
Featured Interviews: Danielle Steer, Founding Executive Director of Lunar Startups Lunar Startups Announces Cohort 4 Lineup Rob Weber, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Great North Ventures Great North Ventures Announces New Fund, Venture Studio Headlines: DEED Awards $376,000 in Launch Minnesota Innovation Grants to 15 Startups FINNOVATION Lab Seeking Entrepreneurs for Fourth Cohort Sitecore Acquires Four51, Plans to Expand in Minneapolis Subscribe to the tech.mn newsletter. Follow tech.mn on Twitter.
loading
Comments 
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store