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Michelle Carazas, CEO and Founder - Host Events
Manage episode 257552809 series 2519822
Sal's Investment Syndicates:Link to Sal's Syndicate
Part-time work to pay off student debt led Michelle Carazas to the opportunity she’s pursuing in her startup, Host Events. Her tech-enabled service provides insured and vetted bartenders to liven up corporate events at companies that seek to create a welcoming culture for Millennial employees. Fast and profitable growth, together with funding from Launchpad Venture Group are validating Michelle’s idea. Great interview with a compelling founder who expresses beautifully what draws her to startup life.
Highlights include:
- Sal Daher Intro – The Opportunities that Abound in Boston’s Unique Startup Ecosystem
- Michelle Carazas Bio: Founder and CEO of Host Events
- What Host Events Does and Why It’s Important
- “…Host is a way to create culture in the workplace and that's what we really strive for.”
- “We're living in a world where we're so connected, but we're also so disconnected because we easily use Slack or email or text as a way to communicate.”
- “Our mission is really to create community through every experience that we service.”
- The Founding Story of Host Events
- The Competitive Landscape for Host Events
- “So, people book us because of the insurance and they come back, I really say because of the people.”
- How Michelle Carazas Connected with Her Co-Founder, Brian McGill
- Michelle and Brian Ran Host Events as a Side Gig for a Year – It Eventually Became Their Full-Time Job
- The Virtues of Bootstrapping
- On Raising Capital: “Could we have done it without raising capital? Absolutely.”
- Michelle Carazas: “One of the beauties of Hosts is that we make money.”
- Sal Daher: “…My resolution not to invest is dissolving.”
- Sacrifice: “I sold my car. I bought a $78 bike to ride to work. Brian sold his car; he left his apartment. He moved into our apartment. My boyfriend allowed him to live in our spare bedroom. I mean really-“
- The Upside of Being a Founder – “There's no playbook. You're in control of your own destiny.”
- Sal talks About Portfolio Company FineTune Learning Whose Platform is Being Used by the College Board to Correct Essays on the AP Exam
- How Host Events Is Going to Market
- “Now, we're rolling out multiple cities at a time.” “We've actually brought on someone that's done this quite a few times elsewhere…”
- “Since last year at this time, we grew 256%. And our LTV is about... It's pretty high and really I think it's because we've built personal relationships with a lot of these companies as well.”
- ‘So ezCater is a great compliment to Host.”
- Michelle’s Thoughts on an Exit for Investors in Host Events
- Where Host Events Will Be at in Five Years?
- How Michelle Came to be an Entrepreneur
- “And so, growing up I just always had that ability to think bigger and that there was no cap, and that it was never stopping anywhere.”
- Sal’s Experience with a Peace Corps Volunteer in Brazil
- Sports & Leadership
- Michelle Carazas’ Parting Words of Wisdom
- “…I think the best place to start a business is in Boston, no doubt.”
310 episodes
Manage episode 257552809 series 2519822
Sal's Investment Syndicates:Link to Sal's Syndicate
Part-time work to pay off student debt led Michelle Carazas to the opportunity she’s pursuing in her startup, Host Events. Her tech-enabled service provides insured and vetted bartenders to liven up corporate events at companies that seek to create a welcoming culture for Millennial employees. Fast and profitable growth, together with funding from Launchpad Venture Group are validating Michelle’s idea. Great interview with a compelling founder who expresses beautifully what draws her to startup life.
Highlights include:
- Sal Daher Intro – The Opportunities that Abound in Boston’s Unique Startup Ecosystem
- Michelle Carazas Bio: Founder and CEO of Host Events
- What Host Events Does and Why It’s Important
- “…Host is a way to create culture in the workplace and that's what we really strive for.”
- “We're living in a world where we're so connected, but we're also so disconnected because we easily use Slack or email or text as a way to communicate.”
- “Our mission is really to create community through every experience that we service.”
- The Founding Story of Host Events
- The Competitive Landscape for Host Events
- “So, people book us because of the insurance and they come back, I really say because of the people.”
- How Michelle Carazas Connected with Her Co-Founder, Brian McGill
- Michelle and Brian Ran Host Events as a Side Gig for a Year – It Eventually Became Their Full-Time Job
- The Virtues of Bootstrapping
- On Raising Capital: “Could we have done it without raising capital? Absolutely.”
- Michelle Carazas: “One of the beauties of Hosts is that we make money.”
- Sal Daher: “…My resolution not to invest is dissolving.”
- Sacrifice: “I sold my car. I bought a $78 bike to ride to work. Brian sold his car; he left his apartment. He moved into our apartment. My boyfriend allowed him to live in our spare bedroom. I mean really-“
- The Upside of Being a Founder – “There's no playbook. You're in control of your own destiny.”
- Sal talks About Portfolio Company FineTune Learning Whose Platform is Being Used by the College Board to Correct Essays on the AP Exam
- How Host Events Is Going to Market
- “Now, we're rolling out multiple cities at a time.” “We've actually brought on someone that's done this quite a few times elsewhere…”
- “Since last year at this time, we grew 256%. And our LTV is about... It's pretty high and really I think it's because we've built personal relationships with a lot of these companies as well.”
- ‘So ezCater is a great compliment to Host.”
- Michelle’s Thoughts on an Exit for Investors in Host Events
- Where Host Events Will Be at in Five Years?
- How Michelle Came to be an Entrepreneur
- “And so, growing up I just always had that ability to think bigger and that there was no cap, and that it was never stopping anywhere.”
- Sal’s Experience with a Peace Corps Volunteer in Brazil
- Sports & Leadership
- Michelle Carazas’ Parting Words of Wisdom
- “…I think the best place to start a business is in Boston, no doubt.”
310 episodes
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