Tech Startup Network Podcast with Ashley DiBiase

Solving Contested Logistics with Brandon Florian

Brandon Florian is the Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Grid Aero. Brandon is a seasoned aerospace and defense leader with experience spanning strategy, innovation, and growth across government and commercial sectors. He has led business development at top firms like Northrop Grumman, Starburst, and Mandala Space Ventures. Brandon combines technical depth with strategic vision and an unmatched network in global A&D and venture. During this episode, we discuss: * Brandon’s career in aerospace and defense * What Grid Aero is building and how it’s solving contested logistics * The amount of inbound interest Grid has received * Grid's key differentiator: its clean-sheet aircraft design * How building trust in defense starts with having the right network already in place * The biggest mistake defense tech founders make * Why the team matters as much as product-market fit And more. Tune into this episode as we dive into all things contested logistics!

Breaking into VC with Aymbré Paige

Aymbré Paige, MBA ‘25, is an Investor at Mendoza Ventures, where she focuses on early-stage investments across AI, fintech, and cybersecurity. She plays an active role in sourcing, diligence, and portfolio support. Aymbré earned her MBA from Babson College with concentrations in Finance and Marketing. During her time on campus, she was selected as a Babson Board Fellow and was a recipient of the Dean’s Leadership Award, recognizing her impact and leadership within the community. She was also recognized by Startup Boston as one of the 2026 Black Leaders Shaping the Greater Boston and New England Startup Scene. In addition to her work in venture, Aymbré is an active angel investor, committed to funding diverse founders across the tech landscape. She is passionate about diversifying the capital stack, ensuring underrepresented founders have access to the capital they need, and increasing the number of diverse capital allocators across the venture capital landscape. During this episode, we discuss: * Aymbré’s journey into venture capital and her role as an investor at Mendoza Ventures * What Mendoza Ventures specializes in * Aymbré’s unconventional path into VC, starting with studying neuroscience * Why being open, visible, and vocal about your goals can create unexpected career opportunities * The common misconception that there’s only one path into venture capital * What Aymbré and her team look for when investing in a startup * Why Boston has a powerful tech ecosystem * Aymbré’s perspective on emerging tech trends * The value of community, mentorship, and finding your people in tech, venture, and entrepreneurship And more. Tune into this episode as we dive into all things venture capital!

Turning Marketing into Traction with Geena Greguric

Geena Greguric is a growth strategist, startup advisor, and founder with a track record of helping companies turn marketing into measurable revenue. With more than a decade of experience across startups and scaling businesses, she specializes in go-to-market strategy, brand positioning, demand generation, and growth marketing for companies navigating rapid growth. Previously, Geena led marketing at Idelic, a venture-backed B2B SaaS company recognized by Forbes, where she helped scale the company from Seed through Series B and continued advising through its eventual acquisition by Descartes Systems Group. During her tenure, she built integrated campaigns that drove a 60x increase in marketing-qualified leads and consistently generated more than $2.6M in quarterly pipeline value, later continuing to advise through the acquisition transition. Today, Geena advises startups, founders, and established brands through her consultancy, partnering with teams to refine messaging, accelerate customer acquisition, and build scalable marketing engines that drive long-term growth. Her strategic guidance has supported companies across fundraising, market expansion, and revenue acceleration initiatives. She is also the host of High-Key Growth, a podcast for founders, solopreneurs, and lean marketing teams focused on practical, tactical conversations around scaling businesses without bloated teams or budgets. Beyond her work with startups, Geena serves on the Board of Directors for GetWITit Pittsburgh as Co-Director of Marketing Communications, where she supports initiatives focused on empowering women in business and technology. As a mom of two daughters, she is especially passionate about helping women pursue ambitious careers while still prioritizing family, flexibility, and personal fulfillment. Her work and mentorship are rooted in the belief that professional success and meaningful family life should not be mutually exclusive. Named one of Pittsburgh’s “30 Under 30” honorees and holding an MBA in Entrepreneurship, Geena is known for blending analytical growth strategy with modern brand storytelling, bringing both tactical expertise and an authentic perspective on entrepreneurship, leadership, and growth. During this episode, we discuss: * Geena’s marketing background * Why early-stage founders shouldn't try to do everything at once * The importance of talking to customers almost daily * What branding really is * How thought leadership content is one of the most powerful and accessible tools available to early-stage founders right now * Why in-person events are hot right now * The importance of founder-led marketing * The value in events * Using the traction framework to scale * Monitoring industry news with tools like Google Alerts and tie your messaging to emerging headlines quickly when relevant And more. Tune into this episode as we dive into all things marketing!

Using AI to Sell Your Home with Mike Chambers

Mike Chambers is an entrepreneur and growth marketer who has built and sold ventures across tech and media. He is Founder and CEO of Ridley, a company redefining how people buy and sell homes using AI. Previously, he co-founded Moonbeam, a podcast discovery platform acquired by Audacy, and founded Bang Bang Media, a creative agency specializing in viral marketing campaigns for brands like Smashd, GoPuff, Athletic Brewing Company, and DoorDash. He also created, produced, and sold Beat Monday, an outdoor adventure series that aired for four seasons on Outside TV. An accomplished mountain athlete, Mike has led over 30 high-altitude expeditions worldwide, including two on Mount Everest, and regularly competes in ultra-endurance events. Beyond business, he has been deeply involved in education and social impact. He co-founded Summits Education, Haiti’s second-largest private school network, serving over 10,000 students, and Flying Kites, a school and teacher training center in Kenya. He lives in Boulder, Colorado with his wife, Leila, and their three children. During this episode, we discuss: * Mike’s unconventional path from international education and nonprofit work to building software companies * How his experience selling his home in Boulder exposed major friction in the traditional real estate model * The viral Instagram journey that sparked the idea for Ridley, an AI-powered platform helping homeowners sell their homes * How AI can guide sellers through pricing, home prep, vendor coordination, listing creation, negotiation, and transaction management * The future of real estate agents * How inefficiencies like brokerage splits, MLS fees, association fees, and lead costs drive up expenses for agents and consumers * Mike’s advice for founders * The connection between endurance athletes and entrepreneurship And more. Tune into this episode as we dive into all things real estate!

Building Pathways for Underrepresented Biotech & Life Sciences Talent with Dr. Carmen Banks

Carmen Banks, PhD is the Founder & CEO of MelanInScience, an organization that’s reimagining the future of biotech and life sciences by building pathways for underrepresented talent. They connect academic training to industry opportunity through industry-backed programming, internships, and partnerships with leading biotech and biopharma companies. Since their founding in 2024, Carmen and her team have impacted hundreds of students across 15 states and 20 countries. During this episode, we discuss: * An intro to Dr. Carmen Banks, founder and CEO of MelanInScience, a scientist and entrepreneur working to bridge the gap between academia and the biotech industry * How Carmen’s background as a cell and molecular biologist shaped her path through early-stage biotech startups, including lab-grown meat, drug discovery, and ag tech * Why MelanInScience was created * The importance of exposing life sciences students to career paths beyond healthcare and academia * How MelanInScience’s STEM Connect program helps undergraduate and graduate students prepare for industry roles * Carmen’s approach to building a mission-driven community of more than 4,000 people in two years * Lessons on avoiding burnout, managing “shiny object syndrome,” and choosing intentional growth * What’s next for MelanInScience * Carmen’s advice for founders and community builders And more. Tune into this episode as we dive into all things biotech!