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

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

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.

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

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

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.