Disruptive Ceo Nation

I’ve interviewed entrepreneurs and leaders from all over the world, and the successful ones are those who keep to their core values, find that inner wisdom to keep focused, and remain calm under pressure. My guest, Nevsah Fidan Karamehmet, helps everyone from leaders, business owners, corporate employees, and celebrities tap into self-mastery through her courses and breathing techniques.  Based in the UK, Nevsah is the President of International Breath Coaching Federation and meditation expert who launched a unique meditation with breath app during the lock down called Breath Hub. She is a faculty member at The Breathing Sciences Faculty - Graduate School of Behavioral Health Sciences, the Vice President responsible for UK and European Operations of the Graduate School of Behavioral Health Sciences, and the national representative of the International Breathwork Foundation. Nevsah is also the author of best-selling book, Awakening is Not What You Think. In our conversation, we discuss: ·        Living and wor

There is a global resonance, a societal energy behind the topic of diversity and inclusion. Yet it remains a challenge for people to get the diversity inclusion equation correct in the workplace. Frans Johnasson, Founder and CEO-The Medici Group is creating a great disruption to changing organizations, especially large-scale global companies meet the diversity challenge with his successful program called Renaissance.  Frans knows that diversity inclusion drives innovation. He is a breathing testament with his long-time work on the subject and is influenced with his own background of being raised in Sweden by a Swedish father and an American/Cherokee mother. Frans is also the author of two books–The Medici Effect and The Click Moment. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from Brown University and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. He is an international speaker and has been published in Harvard Business Press. Diversity inclusion is an urgent challenge i

French native Nicolas Mendiharat is on a mission to democratize and demystify the world of fine wine. In 2017 he founded Palate Club and developed an unheard-of approach of using data science to help match individual tastes and preferences with sustainable wines. In our conversation, Nicolas shares a real behind-the-scenes look at how the North American wine industry works, and how he is disrupting both supply change issues and opening the door for the average consumer to truly enjoy consuming wonderful wines without the snobbery. And Palate Club members have a great time learning about their palate!  Nicolas previously launched and led five startups, including Europe’s most successful ski vacation booking site with over $100-million revenue, and 300 thousand customers during his leadership. Nicolas shares his insights on topics including: ·        Being successful depends on customer service and satisfaction. ·        The US wine supply chain - insights on markups, marketing, and subpar products. ·        Th

Thejo Kote was a co-founder of Automatic, which was sold to Sirius XM for $110 million. Although Thejo was a success, he experienced a lot of painful lessons about running a company and knew he wanted to do it better next time. The most inefficient area he saw was non-payroll spend and that no one had designed a fully articulated, consolidated software solution to fix this broken process. That gave Thejo the idea to start Airbase.  Today, Airbase is the leading spend management platform for small and midsize companies. It combines comprehensive accounts payable, an advanced corporate card program, and employee expense reimbursements into one system. Airbase automates accounting and operational workflows for a faster close, real-time reporting, and a consistent platform experience for all non-payroll spend. So far, the company has raised $30.8 million in venture funding. Highlights from our conversation include: ·        Team collaboration over nine countries and 100 individuals. ·        The reason behind hav

Christian Giordano, Co-Owner of Mancini Duffy, is one of the most innovative and influential people in the architecture and design space today. Christian is revolutionizing the industry with Toolbelt, a patent-pending software that allows users to explore and manipulate 3D models collaboratively. It enables clients to put on VR goggles and stand in 3D models of their architectural projects and change plans in real-time.  Christian has put Mancini Duffy, a 100-year-old company, into the forefront of design and is listed as one of Building Design + Construction’s “40 Under 40” for his leadership. He has also launched Design Lab, an incubator which brings together designers, technologists, and clients to leverage technologies like Virtual Reality, 3D Printing, Drones, Generative Design, and Artificial Intelligence.  Highlights of our conversation include: ·        Defining a new model of differentiation for customers using new technologies. ·        Eliminating the need or desire for flat drawings. ·        How

Ken Wentworth, aka Mr. Biz, worked his way up to the top three percent at a Fortune 15 company when he took the leap to become an entrepreneur. Ken credits his confidence to make that bold transition because of his competitive athletic career and holding six world records in the sport of bench press! Ken is the award-winning host of Mr. Biz Radio, which airs 55 hours each week across six different networks. Ken has a social media following of over 280 thousand and has been featured on Forbes, Yahoo Finance, Fast Company, The New York Finance, and American Express. His most recent book, Pathway to Profits, provides an actionable blueprint to excel in any economy. Based in Columbus, Ohio, but working globally, Ken shares insights on cash flow, sales, marketing, and other topics including:  How Fractional CFO/COO/CEO services can support growing startups and provide multiple returns to the bottom line. When choosing outside expertise, consider what you gain in security, protection and exponential income. Don’

Brett Harris Wigdortz, OBE is the co-founder and CEO of Tiney, a UK digital B-Corp focused on reimagining at-home childcare and unlocking the potential of all children. Previously, Brett founded and is the Honorary President of Teach First, an educational charity working to break the link between low family income and poor educational attainment in England and Wales. He was CEO of Teach First from its launch in 2002 until October 2017. He is originally from Ocean Township, New Jersey and is a dual US/UK citizen. Brett has the philosophy that a good business story is written by having good people around you, and he shares that in our conversation. Other highlights include: ·        The vision for Tiney, a B-Corp, and creating a new model for finding quality pre-school teachers to be trained, registered and licensed. ·        The due diligence to find the right co-founders and interviewing 40 plus candidates to find the right CTO. ·        Tiney is also a Fin Tech company running invoicing and banking through t

Dr. Jeffrey Magee CBE, CSP, CMC, PDM is often referred to as one of today’s leading Leadership Strategists. Dr. Magee believes that in both the start-up to mature-growth market business sector, the number one resource companies have is human capital and successful leaders bring out the best in people to help organizations thrive. Dr. Magee is the author of over 30 books, three college graduate management textbooks, four best sellers, and is the Publisher of PERFORMANCE/P360 Magazine. He was recognized as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Americans by the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce and twice selected to represent the United States at the World Congress as a Leadership Speaker. In our conversation, we discuss leadership topics including: ·        13 questions to ask before going into business with a partner. ·        How to cut through the noise and create a clear mind for decisions. ·        The four points customers look for in your business. ·        The number one question to ask when making a business

Kizzy Parks, PhD, owns and operates multiple businesses and has secured over $50 million in government contract awards. Dr. Kizzy started K. Parks Consulting, KPC, ten years ago because of an unexpected government consulting contract. Today, through her GovCon Winners program, she helps service-based small business owners learn how to bid and then win profitable federal government contracts. Dr. Kizzy knows first-hand that there are thousands of opportunities and it's overwhelming to find the correct agencies that need small business services, projects that need fulfillment and surprising opportunities for what she calls low-hanging fruit. Some topics Dr. Kizzy and I discuss include: ·        Why pursuing government contracts may be right for your business. ·        What types of government contracts are available. ·        Key insights on how to approach the application process, including timelines. ·        Government contracting and necessary documents. ·        Why a leader needs to choose to lead from

Victor Fredung is a Sweden-based FinTech innovator who co-founded Zensed and is currently serving as the CEO of Shufti Pro, an AI-driven identity verification service provider. Because there is so much fraudulent activity in finance, banking, and other businesses, there is a need for real-time, dependable identity verification. This is an amazing story of how within two years, Victor and his team developed a breakthrough technology platform that now serves clients in over 150 countries. In our conversation, we discuss:  ·        How the Shufti Pro solution can support 3,000 types of ID documents in over 150 languages. ·        How harnessing AI transforms commonly used high-touch manual processes to a swift, seamless solution. ·        Various types of verification needs and processes, including Know Your Business, KYB, Know Your Client, KYC, MFA, biometrics, etc. ·        The development of new tech platforms, including design, piloting, and marketing. ·        How a start-up needs to build trust, PR, and

At the start of the pandemic, everyone started thinking of the best ways to clean and disinfect our environments. Those harsh chemicals and cleaning products aren’t healthy for the professional cleaners that use them, don’t reach all the places that need to be cleaned, or consider the effects on the environment. Using his background in mechanical engineering, Grant Morgan developed a portable and financially enticing product for disinfecting hospital areas. Within six months, Grant and his co-founder developed and booked over $5 million in sales, raised $15 million in capital and started a company, R-Zero.  The company’s lead product, Arc, is a Hospital-grade UV-C power device, proven to destroy surface and airborne pathogens in a thousand square foot room in just seven minutes. The UV-C disinfection unit can destroy over 99.99% of pathogens to make commercial space as safe as possible for employees and customers. It incorporates IOT connectivity and data science to automate workflows. R-Zero is a biosafety c

We are living in a fast-changing world where everyone needs access to information, knowledge and expertise in a way that is fast and accurate. As an example, think about how everyone needed information from around the globe regarding the pandemic. Cenk Sidar, Co-founder and CEO of GlobalWonks, has a technology platform that removes barriers to accessing information, while creating equity in the global workforce. The platform allows information and expertise to be shared within minutes. Before starting the company, Cenk spent 12 years as a global risk executive. His work includes assisting top financial institutions, multinational corporations, risk management firms, and legal firms operating in high-risk regions. Cenk’s extensive degrees includes a Master’s in international economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, a postgraduate in European studies from SAIS’s Bologna Center in Italy, and a Bachelor’s in business admin

What if a financial app could help a user take the stress out of finances, by helping a user look at saving and spending habits from a holistic, health and wellness approach? Maia Monell is the Co-founder and CMO of Nav.it Money App. It helps users track and improve financial habits, just as a fitness routine can help keep one healthy. Maia and her co-founder, Erin Papworth, are taking a fresh approach to Fintech, making Nav.it a relatable, trusted and approachable, money management app. They base the approach on behavioral science and support it with peer-to-peer learning. Maia is devoted to closing wealth gaps perpetuated by a system not built for most Americans and is driven to make an impact in the lives of those less fortunate than herself. There is so much to learn from Maia’s story and the approach to developing this app. In our conversation, we discussed: ·        The startup process as a female founder in the FinTech space. ·        Developing apps and being “top of phone.” ·        Launch and quick

Elnaz Sarraf, CEO and founder of the award-winner Roybi Robot, has an incredible story, not only for her drive as an entrepreneur, but as an immigrant from Iran to the U.S. who had the tenacity to achieve success. Roybi Robot is the world’s first AI powered smart toys to teach children language and STEM skills. It’s listed as one of TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions in Education, on the 2019 CNBC Upstart 100 list as one of the world’s most promising startups, and on Fast Company’s 2019 World-Changing Ideas. Elnaz is a Board Member at the Consumer Technology Association, Small Business Council, and a member of the Forbes Technology Council. In our conversation, we discussed: ·        The story of her first company, iBaby Labs, featured in 10,000 store fronts. ·        Leaving to devote her attention to Edu-tech and providing active learning experiences for children. ·        Attracting investors with only a prototype. ·        The perseverance of pitching to 2,000 investors to become funded. ·        Usability a

We’ve all heard that a picture is worth a thousand words and visuals are a key deciding factor in consumer purchase decisions. For every company where visual imagery is important, it would be incredible for those companies to harness AI to place facts behind the images that are chosen to improve customer sales conversion rates.  Jehan Hamedi, Founder and CEO of Vizit, is the world’s first visual intelligence agency. Using Artificial Intelligence (AI), the technology can measure and analyze the effectiveness of visual content and design for many marketing communications and product concepts. Jehan has more than a decade of experience in computational social science and artificial intelligence. His innovations have led to important advances in AI and computer vision, consumer insights and e-commerce, resulting in eight patents and an award-winning software platform. Before launching Vizit, Jehan led growth and innovation for Crimson Hexagon (acquired by Brandwatch), one of Fast Company’s 10 Most Innovative Comp

Mark Cann is the CEO/CTO of CryomatiKs Inc., a product development firm that uses the air we breathe to power a Zero Emissions Range Extender for electric vehicles (EVs). The Liquid Air “fuel” that powers their Range Extender is unlimited, because the air we breathe is unlimited. The Range Extender allows for five-minute quick refueling that is safe and convenient. Mark wrote and submitted the patents of the core technology and is a highly skilled specialist in mechanical energy systems with over 20 years of hands-on experience in design and installation for specific automotive vehicle technologies. Mark has a passion for the clean tech space and knowing that he can help transform the automotive industry. In our conversation, we discussed: ·        Moving from napkin design to the real-world execution including funding approaches. ·        Taking your great idea and pivoting to meet the market and develop solutions. ·        Insights on intellectual property, patents and “trade secrets.” ·        Working with

Kevin Condon is an experienced chief executive officer with a history of working in fintech, transportation policy, B-2-B media and public policy. Kevin is the inventor of PayByCar and Efficient Vehicle Assessor (EVA) platforms that change how consumers do business from their cars. PayByCar is an in-vehicle transaction company that makes in-vehicle payments easy, safe and fast. All it takes is a toll transponder and smartphone, but if you don’t have a transponder, you can use PayByCar’s non-toll tag.  I caught up with Kevin right as PayByCar is getting ready to tip into greater scale. Here are the highlights of our conversation: ·        The massive market of in-vehicle transactions. ·        The future opportunity-U.S. citizens spend $800 billion annually while in their cars.  ·        Developing and vetting the concept. ·        Building a two-sided marketplace. ·        Getting the word out: earned media and enrollment partnerships. ·        The social aspect of building a small ‘d’ democratic tech solutio

If you enjoy music with crystal clear sound, then note USound, a company that has a mission to change the world by making audio systems better. Ferruccio Bottoni is Co-Founder and CEO of USound GmbH and Fauna Audio GmbH, strong-growing Austrian high-tech companies revolutionizing the personal audio field with their MEMS speakers-based products. Ferruccio is a physicist who understands how to engineer a product that will disrupt and revolutionize the audio industry. Ferruccio and his two partners are growing the company rapidly because of their business models. They are also entering the Wearables market. In our conversation, Ferruccio shares the company’s background and growth, including: ·        The journey of USound to advance audio technology to change the acoustic world. ·        The approach to manufacturing and worldwide distribution. ·        A viewpoint on having three co-founders and the strength and talents of his two partners. ·        The importance of a mission driven company and leaving egos be

Alejandro Laplana, Founder and CEO of technology and investments company, Shokworks Inc., has developed over 150 digital platforms and apps for exciting brands, entertainers, sports teams, growth start-ups, enterprises and broadcasters. Some of his clients and co-investors include, The Colombian National Soccer Association, DIMAYOR Colombian National League, Millonarios FC, FC Barcelona, La Liga, Real Madrid, PSG, Kinesis Money, Start-Up Chile, Dupont Chemicals, The Las Vegas Raiders, The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, The Pittsburgh Steelers, Fox Sports, and HBO. The company has also worked with The United Nations and the Governments of the UK, Mexico and Panama. Shokworks holds a staff of over 250 full-time employees that design, develop and operate highly scalable software solutions including mobile, web and AR/VR. Shokworks and its portfolio of companies have generated over $100-million in revenue. Alejandro’s journey as a founder is impressive. This episode provides his insights into: ·        Moving from startup

Marisa Santoro is a TEDx speaker, author, career coach, Gutsy Leadership Trainer and motivational speaker. A former Wall Street executive, she is the founder of the career platform, In Our Shoes and the online school, Gutsy Leadership Academy. She trains and coaches workplace professionals, small business owners, and sales leaders. In our conversation, we start with the concepts in Marisa’s book, Own Your Own Authority: Follow Your Instincts, Radiate Confidence, and Communicate as a Leader People Trust. We discuss how we can accelerate our confidence and authority, and as Marisa puts it, “follow a navigational path to becoming an expert.”  We also discussed: ·        The importance of being intentional and having clarity. ·        What immigrant thinking means and how to continue after hearing a “no.” ·        Create better conversations with proper word choices. ·        Be aware-you are always marketing yourself. ·        Leading with instinct and intuition. Enjoy the show! Connect with Marisa: Website: www