Technori Podcast

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Leaf Trade: Meet the Company Moving Cannabis Deals From Street Corners to Online Storefronts Jan 15, 2020

Show notes

The cannabis industry is still emerging, dazed and confused, from the black market to the open market, presenting platforms like Leaf Trade the chance to make a big impression. Founder and CEO James Yi joined the podcast to talk about Leaf Trade’s role in shaping the emerging cannabis industry, why wholesale is a challenge of its own and why he welcomes local governments’ say over how cannabis works in their communities.

Airshare takes your office to the skies with accessible private aviation Jan 09, 2020

Show notes

Private jets used to be reserved for tycoons, presidents and rock stars, but ordering a personalized flight today isn’t just a power move — it’s a productivity tool. Expanding your business often requires traveling, and the bigger you grow, the more often you and your team will be on the move. But travel can be stressful — wasting time on inconvenient commercial flights and long car rides isn’t just tedious, it can be a drain on your resources and cost you time. Airshare offers a more affordable way to benefit from the convenience of a private plane. Unlike competitors, you buy days rather than hours, which can be more economical. Plus, the pilot and jet stay with you the entire time, so last-minute schedule changes aren’t a problem and you’re never left stranded. The company also ensures the time you spend in the air can be as productive as possible. John Owen, who has been with Airshare since 2016, and recently became president and CEO came on the show to talk about the efficiency of private flight. “You're saving time, and then the time that you have on the airplane is also unbelievably productive.”

Vouch is the disruptive business insurance company for disruptive startups Jan 07, 2020

Show notes

Insurance is one of the less sexy parts of running a company — and that’s especially true when working with the legacy companies that are far removed from the startup way. Newer business models often don't neatly fit into traditional insurers’ outdated categories. Sometimes plans need to be patch worked and even then — coverage can still be spotty — which could spell disaster down the road. That’s where Vouch saw an opportunity. The company offers business insurance designed for startups. Co-founder Travis Hedge joins Scott in-studio to talk about the insure-tech at WGN Radio.

Dante32: Why Podcasts Are the Best Way to Get Into Your Customers’ Heads (and Wallets) Dec 19, 2019

Show notes

Beyond being a fun distraction at the gym or on your commute, podcasts are gaining recognition as an engaging and accessible business tool. While it’s easy to get started, it’s hard to make a podcast good, which is why professional podcast production agency Dante32 is flourishing. Founded in 2018 by CEO Griffin Caprio and CSO Jenn Dudley, Chicago-based Dante32 helps businesses create podcasts in a style and format that resonates with their specific audience.

Forget WeWork: Knotel's Business Model Works Dec 17, 2019

Show notes

In the wake of the remarkable fall of WeWork, you’re forgiven if you feel more than a little skeptical about coworking as a business model. But Knotel is doing things differently. They may not have WeWork’s name recognition — yet — but the company is building a coworking empire based on stringent market analysis. Knotel is led by startup veteran Amol Sarva. He has a track record of growing great companies and was on the founding team of Virgin Mobile USA. Around 2015, Amol and his partner decided to evaluate coworking as a business opportunity — they wanted to understand the hype. “We did the analytical work that we normally do when we evaluate a company idea,” Amol says. They were pleasantly surprised to find that coworking is “actually a sensible business in a bunch of ways.” But they found that many businesses in the space were focused on attracting small teams and hadn’t yet tapped into the enterprise market. “They were focusing on really small businesses, and spending outsized amounts of money to get them into their properties,” he notes.

Just in Time for the Holidays — Packed with Purpose is Elevating Corporate Gifting Dec 12, 2019

Show notes

Copping out on corporate gift-giving means missing a prime relationship-building opportunity.But sending a bland fruit basket or not-so-subtle branded junk is unlikely to be very memorable. Plus, giving gifts that people aren’t too excited about can be downright wasteful. That’s why Packed with Purpose is a gift. The specialty gifting company hand picks high-quality products from businesses that are positively shaping their communities. It’s corporate gifting with a social mission. Founder and CEO Leeatt Rothschild came up with the idea in her previous job helping companies use their social responsibility budgets.

Chuck Swoboda Grew Cree to Become a $1.6 Billion Market Leader. Now He’s Written a Book on the Anatomy of Innovation Dec 05, 2019

Show notes

When Chuck Swoboda was hired at electronics manufacturer Cree in 1993, household light bulbs came mostly in two flavors: incandescent and fluorescent. The company had just gone public and generated just over $6 million in annual revenue. But the product that would grow the company into a $1.6 billion global market leader –– the LED light bulb –– were virtually light years away from becoming a popular, affordable option. Even when he took on the role of CEO of Durham, North Carolina-based Cree in 2001, LEDs were a hard sell. “Everyone told me that nobody would buy them,” Chuck says. “Lighting companies told me we’ll never need them because what they had was good enough.” But “good enough” isn’t in Chuck’s vocabulary. By the time he left Cree in 2016, Goldman Sachs reported that “the rapid adoption of LEDs in lighting marks one of the fastest technology shifts in human history.” Today, Chuck splits his time between Cary, North Carolina and Milwaukee, where he serves as the Innovator-in-Chief at his (and Scott’s) alma mater, Marquette University and hosts its “Innovators on Tap” podcast.

Ashling Partners: ‘There's More Than One Shade of Robotics’ Dec 03, 2019

Show notes

The future of work, says Marshall Sied, co-founder of intelligent automation consulting firm Ashling Partners, will focus on “removing tasks that humans don't want to be doing anyway.” For him, “it's about taking robots out of human work, not having robots replace human work.” In fact, when clients introduce automation technology like Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and machine learning to their organization’s people, processes and current technology landscape, they act “like an x-ray on everything that's inefficient,” Marshall says. “We re-engineer that process with automation and the customer experience in mind upfront. It’s a total shift.” The x-ray metaphor is apt, especially considering that “Ashling” is the phonetic pronunciation of the Gaelic word for “vision.” Marshall came on the podcast to share his views on the automation revolution, Ashling Partners’ place in it, and why we should cancel the concept of “failing fast.”

Here’s How and Why Uber Set Their Sights on Freight Nov 26, 2019

Show notes

For consumers, Uber is known for changing the simple act of getting a taxi and ordering food. For the past two years, the company has been moving into the B-to-B market with Uber Freight. “We've built an app for independent owner-operators and small fleets, where they can log on and see the freight available to them,” explains Sagar Shah, Uber Freight’s Director of Carrier Operations. “They don't have to call in and negotiate over rates. It's full transparency.” In September, Uber Freight announced that it would establish its headquarters in Chicago and invest more than $200 million annually in the region. Sagar says that Uber Freight’s growing success comes down to a combination of Uber’s well-tested experience in logistics and input from freight experts. Listen to him discuss how Uber views the overlooked opportunities in freight, and how he feels about internal competition.

Solve Helps Companies Hire Overlooked Talent in Underserved Communities Nov 21, 2019

Show notes

Hiring is a major challenge for employers. On the flip side of the coin, socioeconomic and other barriers can prevent certain job seekers from identifying opportunities. The aptly named Solve offers a solution. Led by CEO and founder Matt Strauss, the software platform helps companies find and hire talented people in underserved communities. It also connects prospective employees with nonprofits that can help them tackle the barriers preventing them from getting jobs.

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