States gear up to work on AI
Startup policy outlook under second Trump term
Executive coaching should be accessible to anyone who is interested, but oftentimes scaling the education is not practical. With her company Zella Life, co-founder Remy Meraz is democratizing professional development using AI. We sat down with her to discuss AI, independent contractors, and more.
After working in the financial sector for over 20 years, Mical Jeanlys-White founded her own company, WealthMore, a wealth tech with a focus on tackling a key financial barrier—wealth building and management. Her company leverages technology to connect everyday Americans with accessible wealth management services, aiming to provide wealth creation for all. We sat down with her to discuss her journey in raising capital, navigating tax policy, the evolving role of AI, and more.
Vance Reavie is no stranger to entrepreneurship. Using his knowledge from previous ventures, he created an AI platform that intelligently automates manual marketing and merchandising workflows and content generation processes for brands and retailers. We sat down with Vance to discuss the startup ecosystem in Arkansas, AI policy and regulation, grant opportunities, and more.
Tarik McMillan and Tamara Mohammed founded Greater Changes with the goal of making mental health services accessible for people, no matter their background. We spoke with them about the sometimes challenging process of developing a telehealth platform, ‘Change’, their experiences fighting stigma and operating out of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and their goals for 2024.
Bellybaloo is a new way for expecting families to safely access their ultrasound images electronically and share those precious moments with those who matter most. We talked to Founder and CEO Ellen Murphy about the challenges faced by women founders, maternal health, and data privacy when it comes to sensitive health data.
For Margot Lee Schmorak, Hostfully and VC Backed Moms are the results of her years navigating the tech industry as a woman, mother, and mission-driven professional. While Hostfully promises a better property management experience, VC Backed Moms is the ultimate online community for founders in all stages of motherhood. We spoke with her about rental property management, increased STEM education, and the ways in which policymakers can support motherhood in entrepreneurship.
PilotoMail is ushering in a new age for mailroom automation and virtual mailboxes. While she is focused on growing her business and navigating the US Postal System, Founder and CEO Sofia Stolberg is also on a deeply personal mission to strengthen the Puerto Rican ecosystem. We heard from her about challenges and successes in the Puerto Rican startup ecosystem, regulatory changes that impact her company, and her goals for the future.
MetaBronx is the leading startup accelerator in NYC for underrepresented founders – including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ who are inventing technology-based solutions to large-scale problems. It places youth from underrepresented communities in an innovation environment where they learn all the skills to succeed in the 21st century. We spoke with co-founder Alejandra Molina about the current challenges underrepresented founders face in raising capital, the important role of accelerators and incubators in the startup ecosystem, and how the US can create a welcoming environment for immigrant entrepreneurs.
Cobble provides an answer to an age-old question posed by many couples and friend groups who desire quality time together, but are overwhelmed with the sheer number of activities out there. We sat down with Founder and CEO Jordan Scott to talk about the inspiration behind the platform and the roles AI and data security play in how Cobble operates.
Retail Aware helps brands, retailers, and their partners measure in-store product displays and shopper behavior data in real time. We talked to Founder and CEO Keith Fix about building a startup in the Midwest outside of a traditional tech hub, data privacy concerns, and the complex difficulties of immigration and visa issues for both startups and their employees.
HAAS Alert connects first responders, towing and recovery fleets, and roadway workers with vehicles and motorists through real-time digital alerts on its Safety Cloud® platform to prevent collisions and enhance road safety for everyone. We talked to Founder and CEO Cory Hohs about interconnected transportation, the technology that fuels it, and the future of roadway safety.
Arcascope translates the power of circadian rhythms into actionable products that help prevent shift work burnout. We spoke with its CEO Olivia Walch about the impact of digital trade policies that enable cross-border data flows on her business, the current state of data privacy in the U.S., and her experience navigating recent changes in tax laws for startups.
Skoden Ventures is a VC firm that backs startups led by Indigenous, Black, brown, and women founders, aiming to foster a more equitable and creative economy. In our conversation with founding partner Kelly Holmes, we explored the challenges she encountered while building her company and her aspirations to ease the path for the next generation of underrepresented founders.
Fully mobile-enabled and web-based software solution Aravenda provides consignment stores, pawn shops, estate sales, online sellers, and more with cost effective white label resale & reallocation solutions. We spoke with its Founder and CEO, Carolyn Thompson, about her journey starting and operating multiple companies, tax issues related to reselling, and what it would mean for her business if she had to proactively screen product listings.
Shatterbox is on a mission to address talent shortages, promote diversity, and equip the next generation to excel in specialized industries. We talked to Founder and CEO Dustin Baker about the labor shortage, diversity in apprenticeship programs, and potential improvements to the Small Business Administration.
Hulah is a dating app that empowers women to take control of their dating lives and date only better guys. On Hulah, any woman (in a relationship or single) can join and become a ‘ringleader,’ endorsing guys for other single women to date. In our conversation with Founder and CEO Heather Hopkins, we explored the current challenges surrounding content moderation, intermediary liability, and issues faced by female entrepreneurs.
Bodhi is devoted to enhancing the connection between individuals and the energy that powers their lives. Their software platform empowers solar companies to effortlessly deliver exceptional customer experiences. Bodhi automates communication, tailoring the homeowners’ experience, allowing installers to concentrate on project execution, boosting sales, and catalyzing community transformation through energy. In our conversation with Co-Founder and CEO Scott Nguyễn, we explored the current challenges surrounding green tech, the pivotal role of workforce development, and the impact of diverse laws governing privacy, both in the U.S. and internationally.
The Way offers a fresh start to people impacted by the justice system by connecting them with employers through an unbiased selection process. We heard from Co-Founder and CEO Eli Rivera on how his background and young adult life prepared him to serve in this space, the ways that policymakers can prevent recidivism and encourage entrepreneurship among justice-impacted individuals, and how his business has been impacted by a patchwork of varying state privacy laws.
Prism is a trailblazer for LGBTQAI+ innovators under the leadership of Renée Rosillo, a trans woman, community leader, and founder. Renée's journey from UN engagements to entrepreneurial pursuits has converged into Prism, a pioneering platform that is weaving connective tissue between queer founders, funders and operators the voices of LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs. With a resolute commitment to authenticity and inclusivity, Prism creates safe spaces that empower queer founders to thrive. We spoke to Renée about her experiences building startups and navigating the ecosystem as a queer founder, how she believes policymakers can open up investment for all founders, and her goals for Prism for the future.
Tiffanie Stanard, the Founder and CEO of Stimulus, brings a wealth of experience from her corporate background in vendor management and diverse purchasing then becoming a consultant in the same industry before founding Stimulus. Having worked with companies like Sunoco, McDonald's, Paramount Pictures, Salesforce, and Comcast/NBCUniversal, she recognized the importance of strong supplier relationships as a competitive advantage for businesses. We sat down with her for a conversation about her success and challenges securing funding for her company and how policymakers can better fuel supplier diversity.
Marcus Bullock knows firsthand the impact a strong familial support system has on the lives of incarcerated people. As founder & CEO of Flikshop, he’s set out to make sure that families have accessible communication to facilities across the country. He spoke with Engine about reentry resources for incarcerated people interested in entrepreneurship, what policymakers should know around efforts to reduce recidivism, and his goals for Flikshop moving forward.
Mycocycle is a Chicago-based biotechnology company that harnesses the mycelial properties of fungi to detoxify and transform construction waste into new raw materials. With over 30 years of experience in the construction industry, Founder and CEO Joanne Rodriguez seeks to transform the treatment of waste through regenerative and sustainable approaches. We spoke to her about her experiences launching a company in the Midwest, navigating the patent system, and her goals for Mycocycle for the future.
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