Best Laura Lorek Podcasts (2024)

1
Beth White, Founder of MeBeBot 36:19

1h ago36:19

36:19

Beth White is a trailblazing entrepreneur and the visionary Founder and Chief Bot of MeBeBot, a groundbreaking company revolutionizing the employee experience through AI-powered solutions. Beth's career began in the multifaceted world of Human Resources, where she honed her skills across various roles in startups and Fortune 100 companies. Recogniz…

1
Carla McDonald, the Austin Women Entrepreneurs Task Force 33:49

8d ago33:49

33:49

Carla McDonald is the founder and managing director of Dynabrand Ventures, a boutique investment firm that provides capital and marketing expertise to early-stage consumer goods companies. She also serves as Chair of the Mayor’s Task Force for Austin Women Entrepreneurs, is a mentor at SKU, the nation’s leading CPG accelerator, and was a founding i…

1
Manu Rehani, founder of Issa 31:24

2M ago31:24

31:24

Manu Rehani is an innovator in applied behavioral and cognitive linguistics. He is an inventor, mentor, and board advisor for a number of startups. After successfully exiting two tech ventures, he’s currently focused on developing a new class of emotion-aware AI for general application in custom GPTs and LLMs and specific use in mental health and w…

1
Aaron Thweat, Founder of Respark Coaching 21:23

2M ago21:23

21:23

Aaron Thweatt is a dynamic executive coach and seasoned HR professional who strongly believes in the power of an individual’s potential. His mission is to create meaningful connections between talent, ambition, and purpose by empowering executives and entrepreneurs to bridge the gaps in their personal and business lives, allowing them to thrive in …

1
Aruni S. Gunasegaram, serial entrepreneur and Austin startup veteran 33:28

3M ago33:28

33:28

Aruni S. Gunasegaram is a serial entrepreneur and start-up veteran. She consults and speaks on entrepreneurship, customer success, operations, building trust, and managing expectations with strategic stakeholders via Customer Concentric. She most recently worked with SecureAuth in the cybersecurity authentication industry. Aruni also served as Dire…

1
Gary Stephens, CEO and Co-Founder of Vendidit 41:41

4M ago41:41

41:41

Gary Stephens, CEO and Co-Founder of Vendidit, is a visionary technology executive and is an industry thought leader in reverse logisitics. He is the Imagineer of both Vendidit, launched in 2024, and Renew Logic, which started from a single pallet of recyclables in 2016. His previous career includes working on the Windows 95 launch team, being head…

1
Nilima Achwal, Founder of The Female Founders Lab 31:19

5M ago31:19

31:19

Nilma Achwal is the founder of The Female Founders Lab, a virtual accelerator and coaching service in Austin. Achwal moved to Austin about a year and half ago from Los Angeles. Before launching The Female Founders Lab, Achwal founded Iesha Learning, a technology education platform to teach sexual education to junior high school students in India. S…

1
Kelsey August, Super Angel and managing director of DealFlowNow 22:34

9M ago22:34

22:34

Kelsey August is the founding managing director of Austin-based DealFlowNow, a new VC firm that plans to invest $60 million into early-stage companies. August is also a super angel investor with forty active portfolio companies and a serial entrepreneur who founded Lone Star Direct, a marketing firm when she was 24.…

1
Petr Marek, Co-Founder of Invoice Home 23:23

9M ago23:23

23:23

In 2011, Petr Marek co-founded Invoice Home, formerly known as Wikilane, with Jiri Hradil. Invoice Home provides invoice generating software designed for the invoicing needs of small businesses, freelancers, and entrepreneurs worldwide. They’ve grown the company to more than 8 million accounts worldwide and last January, Invoice Home relocated its …

1
Alex Theuma, Founder and CEO of Saastock 32:29

1y ago32:29

32:29

Alex Theuma is the Founder & CEO of SaaStock, an events and media company focused on supporting B2B SaaS founders to gain traction, grow and scale their businesses. In 2015, Alex began SaaScribe, a blog focused on all things SaaS, which quickly developed into a podcast, The SaaS Revolution Show, and eventually launched SaaStock, the world's only Sa…

1
Madhu Basu, CEO and Founder of Unnanu 22:07

1+ y ago22:07

22:07

Madhu Basu is the founder of Unnanu, a tech startup from Austin that helps businesses by using a patented contextual weighted keyword search. The company currently provides a simple solution for businesses to have resumes mapped to jobs contextually. Previously, Basu founded and served as CEO of PMCS Services, which provided IT consulting, staffing…

1
Josh Wilson, CEO of SciPlay 21:38

1+ y ago21:38

21:38

Josh Wilson is SciPlay's Chief Executive Officer. The company makes social casino games like Jackpot Party Casino and Goldfish Casino and others. Wilson recently moved to Austin where SciPlay has a large office. In this episode, he talks about the company’s current outlook and plans for the future.By Laura Ann Lorek

1
Nick Soman, Founder and CEO of Decent 22:19

1+ y ago22:19

22:19

Nick Soman is the founder and CEO of Austin-based Decent, a startup that offers affordable healthcare plans, low-cost payroll and HR to businesses. Nick is a serial entrepreneur. He sold his first company to Napster, and has worked to build the Kindle at Amazon and the growth team at Gusto. In this episode, Nick talks about why he founded Decent an…

1
Michael Ramirez, Founder and CEO of Austin-based evisio 26:02

2y ago26:02

26:02

Michael Ramirez is the Founder and CEO of Austin-based evisio, which focuses on search engine optimization. Evisio helps agencies, marketers, SEO consultants, and businesses of all sizes get results, no matter your level of SEO knowledge. It takes the guesswork out of SEO by telling you exactly what to do to improve your rankings and makes SEO simp…

1
Larry Warnock, managing partner of Ring Ventures, Alumni Ventures 38:57

2y ago38:57

38:57

Larry Warnock is the Managing Partner of Ring Ventures, part of the family of funds run by Alumni Ventures. He is a seasoned venture-backed tech executive with multiple exits via acquisition or IPO. He was most recently the President & CEO of Olono, an AI platform for sales effectiveness. Previously he was the CEO of Gazzang, a provider of big data…

1
Tyler Norwood, Founding Managing Partner of Antler in Austin 35:08

2+ y ago35:08

35:08

Tyler Norwood is Managing Partner for venture capital firm Antler in the United States, where he oversees the firm’s US growth and geographic expansion. Tyler joined Antler in 2017 as its fifth full-time employee and has been instrumental in launching and scaling the firm. Antler recently launched in Austin and is accepting applications for its fir…

1
Erin Reilly, Founder Texas Immersive Institute 32:22

2+ y ago32:22

32:22

Erin Reilly is a creator, educator, and strategist with 20 years of experience inventing new approaches, products, services, and experiences about storytelling, engagement, and learning through immersive technology. As an educator, Erin currently is Professor of Practice and founding Director of Texas Immersive Institute, the interactive and immers…

1
Joel Trammell and Alicia Thrasher, authors of The Manager's Playbook 30:09

2+ y ago30:09

30:09

Joel Trammell is a successful tech entrepreneur, CEO, and investor, and Alicia Thrasher is a successful executive who has led programs for eBay/PayPal, Google, and Anheuser-Busch. Together, they are the co-founders of Manager360, a certification program for managers. They have also co-authored a book, The Manager’s Playbook. The book and certificat…

1
Carolyn Lowe, Founder and CEO of ROI Swift 26:55

2+ y ago26:55

26:55

In 2015, Carolyn Lowe founded Austin-based ROI Swift, which helps market emerging consumer brands. Her team grew an apparel and footwear company from $0 to $12 million in sales in 18 months. Carolyn’s goal is to help 1000 brands grow profitably. So far, ROI Swift has helped nearly 200 including Tiff's Treats, Tecovas, Austin Eastciders, and Esker B…

1
Shubhi Bhonsle-Rao, Founder of Uplevyl 21:46

2+ y ago21:46

21:46

Shubhi Bhonsle-Rao is the founder and CEO of uplevyl, an Austin-based tech company that makes an app and digital platform geared to professional women. Shubhi is a former senior executive with Alphabet, Tesco, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Ford Motor Company, among others. She also sits on the board of directors of Open Lending, Center for Global Dev…

1
Lisa Hendrickson, Co-Author of Boom! Deciphering Innovation 36:12

2+ y ago36:12

36:12

Lisa Hendrickson is the co-author of Boom! Deciphering Innovation: How Disruption Drives Companies to Transform or Die. She is an adjunct professor teaching in the Sustainable Design Program at FIT in NYC and is a pioneer in sustainable product manufacturing. Hendrickson is also a serial entrepreneur, innovative strategist, an Inc. 500 and TEDx spe…

1
Daniel Barel, Co-Founder and CEO of REE Automotive 25:26

2+ y ago25:26

25:26

Daniel Barel is the Co-Founder and CEO of REE Automotive, leading all product strategy, technology innovation, and business operations. A disruptive thinker who builds and leads game-changing companies, Daniel is shaping the way the world moves people and cargo with never-before-seen advances in EV technology. REE Automotive is establishing a manuf…

1
Matt Wursta, Founder and CEO of Wursta 36:40

2+ y ago36:40

36:40

Matt Wursta is CEO and Founder of Wursta, a Cloud advisory business that helps organizations of all sizes compete. He is a former Googler. His experience in the Google ecosystem has allowed Wursta to identify opportunities to help organizations large and small take advantage of the operational efficiencies of Google’s Cloud. Wursta was listed as No…

1
Henry Yoshida, CEO and CO-Founder of Rocket Dollar 24:09

2+ y ago24:09

24:09

Henry Yoshida is the CEO and Co-Founder of Rocket Dollar, the fastest-growing self-directed IRA platform. Henry Yoshida is a Certified Financial Planner™ and second-time founder. In the past, Henry was the founder of venture capital-backed Robo-advisor Honest Dollar, acquired by Goldman Sachs, was the founder of MY Group LLC, a $2.6 billion assets …

1
Gillan Taddune, CEO of Banyan Water 31:32

2+ y ago31:32

31:32

Gillan Taddune is the Chief Executive Officer of Banyan Water, the makers of data-driven water conservation software. Previously, she served in leadership positions at Recyclebank, EnerNoc and Green Mountain Energy. She also served as chief economist for the Public Utility Commission of Texas. She currently sits on the Austin Technology Incubator’s…

1
Benish Shah, Startup Operator and Co-Founder COVID Tech Connect 35:51

2+ y ago35:51

35:51

Benish Shah is a go-to-market strategist who specializes in growing companies via brand, revenue, and product. She’s worked across tech, media, and consumer packaged goods. A licensed lawyer, she’s been published in Forbes, Refinery29, and more. She is also the author of two children’s books. Shah co-founded and served as CEO of a fashion tech star…

1
Andrew Eye, Co-Founder and CEO of ClosedLoop.ai 30:59

3y ago30:59

30:59

Andrew Eye is a serial entrepreneur based in Austin, Texas. His most recent startup is ClosedLoop.ai, which he co-founded a couple of years ago and he serves as its CEO. ClosedLoop.ai recently closed on $34 million in Series B funding to expand the reach of its data science platform for the healthcare industry. Earlier this year, the company won th…

1
Ingrid Vanderveldt, Founder & CEO of Empowering a Billion Women 31:54

3y ago31:54

31:54

Ingrid Vanderveldt is an American businesswoman, media personality, and investor. She was the first Entrepreneur-in-Residence for Dell and is the founder and current CEO of the Empowering a Billion Women. Vanderveldt was the creator and manager of the Dell $100 million credit fund, and a member of the 2013 United Nation's Global Entrepreneurship Co…

1
Joe Lonsdale, Founder 8VC, Co-Founder Palantir, Addepar, OpenGov 31:59

3+ y ago31:59

31:59

Joe Lonsdale wants to build an experimental tech Beta City on the outskirts of Austin with transportation tunnels, autonomous vehicles, robots, flying drones, smart buildings, and all the latest technology applications. Lonsdale is an entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist, who recently moved 8VC, his investment firm, and The Cicero Institute, …

1
Pat Matthews, Founder and CEO of Active Capital 30:22

3+ y ago30:22

30:22

Pat Matthews is the Founder and CEO of Active Capital, based in San Antonio. The firm recently announced it has closed on its second fund worth $25 million. Matthews knows what it’s like to build a company from idea to exit. While a college student at Virginia Tech, he co-founded Webmail.us. He helped build Webmail.us into a $10 million business wh…

1
Lanham Napier, Co-Founder and CEO of BuildGroup 34:53

3+ y ago34:53

34:53

Lanham Napier is the Co-founder and CEO of BuildGroup, an Austin-based venture capital firm, founded in 2015. Previously, he served as CEO of San Antonio-based Rackspace where he led the company from $1.5 million in revenue to more than $1.5 billion in revenue during his 13-years there. He has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Rice …

1
Leigh Christie, Austin Chamber's SVP of Global Technology and Innovation 32:13

4y ago32:13

32:13

A native of Austin, Leigh Christie has seen the city change from a sleepy college town to a high tech boomtown. Today, she serves as senior vice president of global technology and innovation at the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. She's also a lawyer who previously served as executive director of the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Central Texas and…

1
Jess Gaffney, CEO and Executive Director of Women@Austin 31:24

4y ago31:24

31:24

Jess Gaffney, CEO and Executive Director of Women@Austin, discusses the new angel network the organization just launched called Beam Angel Network. Its focus is on funding female-founded startups in a variety of industries. Applications open up on Sept. 1. Notley Ventures has pledged $250,000 in initial funding for the network.…

1
Brian White, CEO and Co-Founder of Picklesmash 23:36

4y ago23:36

23:36

Brian White is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Mashup Foods, maker of Picklesmash, salsa made from pickles. He founded the company a few years ago with his wife, Liz, in Waco, Texas. Last year, Picklesmash participated in the consumer packaged goods accelerator SKU in Austin. During SKU, the company went through a rebranding and grew …

1
Ben Lamm, CEO and Founder of Hypergiant 52:43

4y ago52:43

52:43

Ben Lamm is a serial technology entrepreneur and the founder/CEO of Hypergiant. Previously, he was the founder/CEO of Conversable acquired by LivePerson, founder/CEO of Chaotic Moon Studios acquired by Accenture and Team Chaos, acquired by Zynga.By Laura Lorek

1
Carla Piñeyro Sublett, Chief Marketing Officer of NI 19:54

4y ago19:54

19:54

Carla Piñeyro Sublett is the Chief Marketing Officer at NI, an Austin-based tech company that is publicly traded with revenues of more than $1 billion annually and more than 7,700 employees. She is the former Chief Marketing Officer at Rackspace where she helped define the corporate strategy, pioneered a new visual identity, and doubled the company…

1
Christy Cardenas, Managing Partner of Ecliptic Capital in Austin 29:36

4y ago29:36

29:36

Christy Cardenas is the managing partner of Austin-based Ecliptic Capital, LLC, a venture capital firm focused on early-stage startups. Cardenas joined the firm a year and a half ago after working in private equity and investment banking focused on the energy industry. Cardenas recently published a new report on "The Silver Linings" of the COVID-19…

1
Steve Cody, Co-Founder of Ruckify 38:04

4y ago38:04

38:04

Steve Cody is the co-founder of Ruckify, which it bills as the world’s largest peer to peer rental platform. He is a serial entrepreneur who has built and sold six different rental companies and a software company. And in March, at the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Ruckify moved its headquarters to Austin, Texas.…

1
Brian Cruver, CEO and Founder of AlertMedia 27:37

4y ago27:37

27:37

Brian is an entrepreneur, investor, author, and is currently the CEO of AlertMedia, a company he founded in 2013. AlertMedia is now the world’s leading provider of emergency communication software, used by over 2000 enterprise companies in 100 countries to keep employees safe from threats to their health and safety. Before AlertMedia, Brian co-foun…

1
Morris Miller, Co-Founder and CEO of Xenex 37:08

4+ y ago37:08

37:08

By Laura Lorek

1
David Perez, Founder of Lumen Insurance Technologies 29:52

4+ y ago29:52

29:52

By Laura Lorek

1
Sean Foley, Co-Founder of Nine Banded Whiskey 48:31

4+ y ago48:31

48:31

By Laura Lorek

1
Lloyd Armbrust, Co-Founder of Own Local 31:10

4+ y ago31:10

31:10

Lloyd Armbrust, the co-founder and CEO of Own Local, an automated digital ad platform for local media, talks about the changes in the newspaper industry and journalism in the latest edition of Ideas to Invoices. Own Local, founded in 2010, has gone through the Y-Combinator Accelerator and has raised $3.4 million in venture capital and another $3 mi…

1
Will Young, Co-Founder and CEO of SANA Benefits 20:48

4+ y ago20:48

20:48

Will Young is the Co-Founder and CEO of Austin-based SANA Benefits, a healthcare insurance technology startup. Young founded the company with Nathan Hackley in 2017. The two formerly worked together at Justworks, a benefit and payroll company in New York. They moved SANA Benefits to Austin a year ago and since then they have grown dramatically from…

1
Joyce Durst, Co-Founder and CEO of Growth Acceleration Partners 18:54

4+ y ago18:54

18:54

Joyce Durst is co-founder and CEO of Growth Acceleration Partners, a software company in Austin, Texas. GAP offers analytics, cloud, mobile and QA services. Before co-founding GAP, Durst served as CEO of venture-backed startup Pinion Software, a security software company. She also served as a senior executive at BMC Software where she oversaw a $20…

1
Jay Hallberg, Founder and Chairman of Spiceworks 32:05

4+ y ago32:05

32:05

Jay Hallberg, founder, and chairman of Spiceworks founded the Austin-based company with three friends in 2006. They built Spiceworks into a giant social network for information technology system administrators and tech professionals. Recently, Ziff Davis bought the company for an undisclosed price. At SpiceWorld, an annual convention held at the Au…

1
Brandon Austin, flounder and Adam Kahn, Sheepshead of Operations at GoFishCam 28:51

5y ago28:51

28:51

Brandon Austin, flounder of Go Fish Cam, and Adam Kahn, Sheephead of Operations of Go Fish Cam, talk about the Austin-based startup's growing market for its underwater cameras. Unorthodox Ventures, a venture capital firm and business incubator started by Carey Smith, founder of Big Ass Fans, acquired Go Fish Cam in March of 2019. It's one of the fi…

1
Carey Smith, founder of Big Ass Fans and Unorthodox Ventures 51:34

5y ago51:34

51:34

Carey Smith sold Big Ass Fans, the company he founded in Lexington, Kentucky, for $500 million in December of 2017 and then moved to Austin. He bought Lance Armstrong’s 8,800 square foot home near downtown in 2018 and launched Unorthodox Ventures, an Austin-based business incubator and VC firm that invests in innovative companies with great product…

1
Sheela Marshall and Natalie Merrick, founders of Tequila Sheela 22:43

5y ago22:43

22:43

Sheela Marshall and Natalie Merrick founded Tequila Sheela, a tequila company, in 2014. And in 2016, Tequila Sheela won a double gold medal for its Sheela Reposado Tequila, and Silver Medals for its Sheela Blanco Tequila and Sheela Anejo Tequila in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. That is quite an accomplishment and something Tequila Sh…

1
Amos Schwartzfarb, Managing Director of Techstars Austin 25:53

5y ago25:53

25:53

Amos Schwartzfarb is the managing director of Techstars Austin. He took over the job from Jason Seats in 2015 and has graduated three classes of startups under his direction. Before joining Techstars, Schwartzfarb served as head of customer development at Joust. Previously, he was vice president of customer development at BlackLocus, which was acqu…

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