The VentureFizz Podcast

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431

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Jun 2026

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About the show

The VentureFizz Podcast is the flagship podcast of VentureFizz.com, the leading authority for jobs & careers in tech. In this podcast, VentureFizz Founder Keith Cline interviews the top founders and investors in the tech industry.

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60 recent

June 15, 202654 min

Episode 431: Cathy Lewenberg - CEO, Bevi

Episode 431 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Cathy Lewenberg, CEO of Bevi. When most people think of a beverage company, they immediately think of a traditional consumer brand fighting for shelf space at the grocery store. But the real magic behind Bevi is its highly defensible B2B business model and it’s brilliant. Bevi has made the old corporate water cooler cool again with its high quality platform which combines smart hardware, software, data, and customized flavors & enhancements to create a delightful experience. Oh, and its units are directly installed into your office, gym, hotel, or elsewhere. On top of their success, Bevi is also helping out our planet. The company recently hit a historic milestone, officially surpassing 1 billion single-use bottles and cans saved from ending up in landfills. Cathy stepped in as Bevi’s CEO almost two years ago to lead the company’s next phase of growth. As you’ll hear, she is uniquely qualified to scale this business. She spent years driving digital transformation and healthy convenience initiatives at CVS Health, before serving as Chief Operating Officer and then CEO at Drizly, where she helped lead this hypergrowth company to a $1.1B acquisition by Uber. In this episode of our podcast, we cover: * Cathy’s advice on joining a founder-led company as CEO. * Her background growing up in upstate New York and her competitive experience rowing crew at Princeton. * Her impactful tenure at CVS Health, where she ran the food and beverage business, led the shift toward healthy convenience retail, and helped play a key role in the decision to exit the tobacco category. * Why she joined Drizly and the dramatic “COVID moment” that triggered rocketship growth for alcohol delivery, leading all the way up to the Uber acquisition. * All the details about Bevi, what’s next, and the company’s culture. * The burning question: Is a residential Bevi machine coming to our homes anytime soon? * Cathy’s advice to the next generation of women aspiring to step into the CEO seat. * And, so much more! Podcast Sponsor: This podcast is brought to you by one of the strongest longtime supporters of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors and $44B in loans as of Q4 2025 – SVB delivers expert guidance, specialized products and a team that knows the innovation economy inside and out. Learn more at SVB.com.

June 8, 20261 hr 4 min

Episode 430: Phil Beauregard - Managing Partner, Impellent Ventures

Episode 430 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Phil Beauregard, Managing Partner of Impellent Ventures. I first met Phil back when Boston was going through another massive resurgence of growth following the financial crisis of 2008. It was a special time when local founders and investors banded together to help build and scale the Boston tech ecosystem. It was a movement that is reminiscent of what we are seeing today with the Mass AI Coalition. There was a major buzz in the air back then, and it worked, resulting in the launch of multiple successful companies, including two of Phil's own startups which were both acquired. There is a phrase that Phil commonly uses, which is “why join the Navy when you can be a pirate” and I think it speaks volumes to his mentality and how they deploy capital at Impellent Ventures. They don’t just simply follow the herd, especially when it comes to finding elite entrepreneurs. They are entirely location-agnostic and welcome working with exceptional founders who are tackling massive, real-world problems in emerging ecosystems... not just out in Silicon Valley. Impellent Ventures is focused on making seed and pre-seed investments. The firm is led by Phil, David Brown (who previously appeared on Episode 190), and Tariq Trotter, aka Black Thought of The Roots, who serves as a General Partner at the firm. In this episode of our podcast, we cover: * A conversation around building startups outside of San Francisco, and why we are living through the "consumerization of the enterprise" era. * The correlation between smaller fund sizes and investor returns. * Phil’s background growing up in New Bedford and studying business at The Wharton School at UPenn, plus how he first caught the entrepreneurial bug and met his co-founder, Matt Grace. * The inside story behind his two exits: Objective Logistics to Carbon Black and Rekindle to HubSpot. * His transition from operator to investor at Impellent Ventures, plus all the details on their unique investment criteria, portfolio company examples, and how Tariq Trotter joined the firm. * His role as an early advisor to multiple successful tech companies, including the critical advice that Toast luckily chose not to take. * How Phil is leveraging AI to build his own Relationship Intelligence System, helping him scale his ability to "pay it forward" to the ecosystem. * Plus, so much more!

May 26, 202646 min

Episode 429: Lior Div - CEO & Co-Founder, 7AI

Episode 429 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Lior Div, CEO & Co-Founder of 7AI. One of the most exciting parts of this platform shift to AI is watching elite, repeat founders get back into the arena. It’s often these experienced builders who have the appetite and the playbook to swing for the fences and create a truly category-defining company. Lior is exactly one of those entrepreneurs. Along with his co-founder, Yonatan Striem-Amit, this duo is uniquely qualified to build the leading agentic AI security platform. They have deep expertise in the cybersecurity industry and… by the way, they’ve done this before with their prior unicorn, Cybereason. 7AI empowers enterprises to shift security tasks to AI agents. The company recently made waves across the entire tech ecosystem by announcing a massive $130 million Series A round of funding led by Index Ventures, with participation from Blackstone Innovations Investments, Greylock, CRV, and Spark Capital. To put that into perspective: a $130 million Series A is the largest Series A round in the history of the cybersecurity industry. It is exactly that type of aggressive funding, along with blue-chip investors, that creates market leaders. In this episode of our podcast, we cover: A discussion around the rapidly changing landscape of AI and how that affects cybersecurity. Lior’s background story, including being part of Israel’s elite Unit 8200 intelligence group and how he got involved in the cybersecurity industry. Scaling Cybereason, plus why he chose to build his companies in Boston. The background story of 7AI and all the details on the company & platform. The distinct operational differences between building a traditional software business versus building a native AI company. 7AI’s aggressive growth plans ahead, a look inside their company culture, and what it takes to build a trusted brand in security. The most important skills someone needs to be a successful CEO. And more! This podcast is brought to you by one of the strongest longtime supporters of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors and $44B in loans as of Q4 2025 – SVB delivers expert guidance, specialized products and a team that knows the innovation economy inside and out. Learn more at SVB.com.

May 18, 202655 min

Episode 428: Mike Pappas - CEO & Co-Founder, Modulate

Episode 428 of The VentureFizz #podcast features Mike Pappas, CEO & Co-Founder of Modulate. Is Boston the best place to build a voice AI company? Based on its rich history in this category, I would have to say 1000%. From the early days of ScanSoft and Dragon to SpeechWorks and Vlingo—all of which eventually fell under the voice juggernaut Nuance, which worked on the early days of Siri and was acquired by Microsoft—the pedigree in this city is unmatched. Add in players like Bose, Vivox, and the sizable presence of Amazon Alexa in the area, and it's clear: Boston is the voice capital of the world. Mike Pappas and his co-founder Carter Huffman are adding a massive new chapter to that legacy and thatis Modulate, a venture-backed voice intelligence company building AI models and APIs designed to understand real-world conversational audio at scale. Modulate is the company behind ToxMod, the world's most advanced proactive voice moderation platform. If you’ve played Call of Duty lately, you’ve likely interacted with their tech. And, the company recently launched a new product called Velma, the leading AI-platform for real-world voice intelligence. In this episode of our podcast, we cover: Mike’s perspective on the shift from license-based to usage-based pricing models. Mike’s background story—from his physics studies at MIT to his early career at Bridgewater Associates. Entering "startup land" at Lola and the critical hiring lessons he learned while working alongside Paul English. The founding of Modulate and the pivotal moment when they realized the tech they built was actually the solution to a massive safety problem in gaming which led to a relationship with Activision. All the details about ToxMod and Velma, including customer examples and use cases. Why their dataset is a "moat" that makes their technology uniquely defensible in the age of generic LLMs. Mike's advice for first-time founders on raising capital and building a high-performance culture. Plus, so much more! This podcast is brought to you by one of the strongest longtime supporters of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors and $44B in loans as of Q4 2025 – SVB delivers expert guidance, specialized products and a team that knows the innovation economy inside and out. Learn more at SVB.com.

May 11, 20261 hr 0 min

Episode 427: Joshua Summers - CEO & Co-Founder, EnFi

Episode 427 of The VentureFizz #podcast features Joshua Summers, CEO & Co-Founder of EnFi. Josh is a serial entrepreneur who has been at the center of multiple success stories in the Boston tech scene. He has a unique ability to see exactly how technology will impact an industry right at the beginning of a platform shift - whether that was mobile, digital advertising, or in the case of his current startup, AI. However, as Josh and I discuss, building a "Native AI" company is fundamentally different from his past experiences. We get into the nuances of how companies are being built this time around - from the breakneck pace of development to the new ways you have to structure a team. Josh’s latest venture is EnFi, an AI-native platform that delivers autonomous agents to complete end-to-end commercial lending workflows. They are solving a massive "human capital crisis" in the credit industry, and the market is taking notice. The company recently announced a $15M Series A, bringing its total funding to date to $22.5 million. In this episode of our podcast, we cover: 00:00 Introducing Joshua Summers, CEO & Co-Founder of EnFi 02:38 The Difference of Building an AI Native Startup 05:48 Josh's background & Growing Up 07:27 Career Beginnings and Entrepreneurial Journey 11:37 The Birth of Zync and being Early to Market 14:04 Acquisition by WHERE and Early Phone App Strategies 17:29 Building Ad Platform and Monetization 20:29 PayPal Exit 24:05 Starting clypd - Scaling & AT&T Exit 31:59 Why Culture Matters! 34:08 Angel Investing and the Beginnings of TBD Angels 38:41 How EnFi got Started 46:25 The Details of EnFi: AI in Lending 50:28 Cultivating Culture at EnFi 52:40 The Hardest Positions to Hire for Right Now 53:58 Why Boston is a Great Place to Build a Startup 55:26 3 Essential Apps 57:55 Podcast / Book Recommendations for Entrepreneurs

May 4, 20261 hr 9 min

Episode 426: Natan Linder - CEO & Co-Founder, Tulip

Episode 426 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Natan Linder, CEO & Co-Founder of Tulip. There are very few entrepreneurs in Boston who have built multiple tech companies to a billion+ valuation (Tulip & Formlabs), but Natan is one of them. He is a “builder” in the truest sense of the word, focusing on building what he calls “important things” rather than just the latest “shiny object.” In our conversation, we have a discussion about Physical AI, meaning AI that lives outside of the digital domain in things like robotics and self-driving cars. Natan believes we are hitting a “ChatGPT moment” for the physical world, so it was interesting to hear his perspective on this trend. Tulip is the leader in frontline operations. They help companies of all sizes and industries equip their workforces with connected, composable, and intelligent tools. With Tulip’s no-code platform, manufacturers can digitize processes, collect real-time data, and drive continuous improvement by using AI and without writing a line of code. The company recently announced a $120M Series D round of funding at a $1.3B valuation. In this episode of our podcast, we also cover: Chapters: 00:00 Intro - Natan Linder, Co-Founder & CEO, Tulip 03:30 The Physical-AI Moment 10:56 Natan Linder's Early Life and Curiosity 14:58 Early leadership role with Samsung 19:07 Getting involved with Rethink Robotics 25:34 Natan's thoughts on humanoid robots 28:55 Revolutionizing 3D Printing at Formlabs 33:49 Landing Mitch Kapor as an Investor in Formlabs & The "Elevator" Pitch Story 39:38 The Genesis of Tulip & Details of the Platform 50:31 Customer Use Cases 57:11 Tulip's Growth and Future Direction 01:04:30 Why Now Is a Good Time to Join Tulip 01:07:28 Boston is an Epicenter of Advanced Technology This podcast is brought to you by one of the strongest longtime supporters of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors and $44B in loans as of Q4 2025 – SVB delivers expert guidance, specialized products and a team that knows the innovation economy inside and out. Learn more at SVB.com.

April 27, 20261 hr 15 min

Episode 425: Charlie O'Donnell - Author & Partner, Brooklyn Bridge Ventures

Episode 425 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Charlie O’Donnell, Founder of Brooklyn Bridge Ventures and now, a published author. Charlie is a staple of the NYC startup scene and someone who has had a significant influence in helping to build the ecosystem to what it is today. I first met Charlie back in 2010 at First Round Capital’s offices in NYC. At the time, I was helping out some of the city’s early high-flyers, like Birchbox. As you’ll see if you’re watching the video – or hear in this interview, I actually still have his business card from that meeting. 2010 was still the early innings for New York tech, and our conversation is a fun trip down memory lane. Charlie had his hands in some of the most important building-block companies of that era, including Foursquare, GroupMe, and Etsy. We also dive into the story of his investment in Backupify, a Boston startup founded by Rob May that was eventually acquired by Datto. After his time at First Round, Charlie went on to launch Brooklyn Bridge Ventures, becoming the first VC to plant a flag in Brooklyn. He is now out with a new book titled Founder Unfriendly: A No-Nonsense Guide to How Investment Decisions Actually Get Made. It’s an honest look at what actually happens after you leave a pitch meeting. Chapters: 00:00 Intro: Charlie O’Donnell 01:44 Meeting Charlie Back in 2010 03:27 Advice for Networking and Navigating the Job Market in 2026 06:35 Getting His Career Started in Corporate Pension Fund Industry 12:49 Early Days of the NYC Startup Scene 15:43 Early at Union Square Ventures 20:32 Early USV Deals: Twitter, Delicious, Etsy, Indeed 27:50 Challenges of Building in Recruiting & EdTech Industries 31:32 How Foursquare Led to NYC’s Startup Rebirth & His Role at First Round Capital 43:42 Sourcing GroupMe 49:00 The story of Backupify 52:16 Launching Brooklyn Bridge Ventures 54:35 Becoming a VC Coach 55:27 Founder Unfriendly – Book Details 58:55 Is Your Company a Fit for Venture Capital? 01:05:22 How Your Investors Might Affect Your Exit 01:12:59 More Details About Founder Unfriendly

April 20, 202657 min

Episode 424: KJ Hardrict - CEO & Co-Founder, Talvy

Episode 424 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Kelton (or KJ) Hardrict, CEO & Co-Founder of Talvy. Is the resume officially dead? It’s been a moment that seemed inevitable. I mean, the first resume credit goes to Leonardo da Vinci and that was over 500 years ago. I’ve been in recruiting for over 20 years and I can officially say that this is the first moment where disruption in the industry is truly happening. AI has killed the resume and when you think about it, for a lot of jobs these days that require some level of AI aptitude, what you did 10 years ago doesn’t really count as much anymore. So, I’m saying it… the resume is dead and this is good news for a recently funded startup. Meet Talvy – a video-first networking platform that lets professionals showcase who they are, not just what’s on their resume. It’s like TikTok-meets-LinkedIn which allows people to be seen and voice their skills and interests versus a traditional resume. The company recently announced a $2M seed round of funding led by Link Ventures. Chapters: 00:00 KJ Hardrict Introduction 02:50 KJ’s Experience as a Creator & How He Creates Content 05:23 The Evolution of His Content Creation Process 07:20 Biggest Lessons Learned as a YouTube Creator 09:28 KJ’s background: His Childhood and Path to MIT 15:12 How Sports Influenced Him 15:47 KJ’s Experience at MIT 20:21 Navigating a Major Health Issue 27:07 His Role at Posh 30:14 From Startups to Venture Capital at Link Ventures 34:13 Details on Talvy, the Video First Networking Platform 34:54 The End of Resumes in the AI Era 35:59 How Does Talvy Work? 39:32 Business Model for Talvy 42:13 How Talvy Handles Biases and Restrictions 45:35 The Current “Video First” Culture 48:03 Talvy – $2M in Funding + Launch 49:47 How Being a VC Made KJ a Better Founder 52:50 Navigating Leadership and Team Dynamics 54:16 KJ’s 3 Essential Apps 55:22 Podcast / Book recommendations for Founders 56:32 Hobbies Outside of Work

April 13, 20261 hr 3 min

Episode 423: Sasha Hoffman - Partner, Remus Capital

Episode 423 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Sasha Hoffman, Partner at Remus Capital. I first met Sasha over ten years ago, when she was the Chief Operating Officer at Piaggio Fast Forward. VentureFizz helped cover the launch of Gita, the cargo carrying robot named Gita. Thus, this interview was long overdue and I was excited to interview Sasha as her career has been so prolific. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 02:46 Tips For Creating High Impact, Curated Events 17:33 Sasha's Background 20:59 Career Path: From Finance to Startups 22:09 Experience at Goldman Sachs 22:14 Joining Startup - Plastiq 26:03 Sasha's Time at Piaggio Fast Forward 29:09 Navigating Challenges During COVID at Uber 33:05 Insights on Loyalty Programs and User Retention 37:27 Transitioning to Venture Capital and Investing 40:42 The Future of AI and committing to Voice AI 44:02 Remus' "Say, See, Do" Thesis 45:14 Thoughts on OpenClaw and AI 49:19 EquipmentShare IPO and the Overall Market 51:00 Angel Investing 53:14 How to Get Started as an Angel Investor? 56:06 Balancing Work and Having Fun Traveling 01:01:01 Resources for travel deals and incentives This podcast is brought to you by one of the strongest longtime supporters of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors and $44B in loans as of Q4 2025 – SVB delivers expert guidance, specialized products and a team that knows the innovation economy inside and out. Learn more at SVB.com.

April 6, 202644 min

Episode 422: David Fialkow - Co-Founder & Managing Director, General Catalyst

Episode 422 of The VentureFizz Podcast features David Fialkow, Co-Founder & Managing Director of General Catalyst. Entrepreneur, venture capitalist, philanthropist, and Oscar winner - those are just a few of the words that describe David’s legendary career. As you’ll hear from this interview, he emphasizes the importance of storytelling, which he originally learned from filmmaking, but it goes beyond making a compelling documentary. It is an often-overlooked but essential skill for every entrepreneur. Whether you are hiring, winning over customers, or raising capital, being able to align everyone with your mission through a powerful narrative is critical for success. Most of you are likely familiar with General Catalyst. They are one of the top VC firms in the world, having backed a "Who’s Who" of tech giants including Stripe, Anduril, Circle, Airbnb, HubSpot, Snap, Canva, and Discord - just to name a few. In this interview, we cover a lot of ground, plus David shares lots of stories and interesting advice along the way, such as: What it’s like to win an Oscar and making impactful documentary films. David’s thoughts on the Boston tech scene. His long standing partnership with Joel Cutler (which I didn’t know they met when they were seven years old) and the details on their entrepreneurial initiatives in the travel industry including building the largest tour & cruise business in the U.S. The story of how a donation to Children’s Hospital led him to compete in the Ironman triathlon with just 90 days to train. How General Catalyst got started during the 2001 VC winter after dot-com bubble burst. The firm’s myopic focus on founders and their approach to building a firm with long term, intergenerational value. Investing in pillar Boston companies like HubSpot, Circle, ITA Software, KAYAK, and others… and their thought process around expanding the firm to the West Coast. The importance of surrounding yourself with people who know more than you do. And so much more! Podcast Sponsor: This podcast is brought to you by one of the strongest longtime supporters of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors and $44B in loans as of Q4 2025 – SVB delivers expert guidance, specialized products and a team that knows the innovation economy inside and out. Learn more at SVB.com.