Making Waves at C-Level: Business Tips for Executives, Leaders, and Entrepreneurs

This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too. Learn more at https://AustinTechnologyCouncil.org.

Connecting with your constituents (internally and externally) and understanding your message is important for companies of all sizes. Technology companies need to pay attention to their messaging, think about communication with employees (do not let them learn about your company events in the media), and to position their brands for long term success.  

This episode is an important conversation with Kathleen Lucente from Red Fan Communications. She is a C-Suite Whisperer to high tech B to B companies, and has a team of experts that kicks butt in assisting clients with their internal and external messaging, investor relations, and crisis communications.  

She also shares what makes Austin, Texas a vibrant place for tech companies and how her firms helps local organizations.  

About Kathleen Lucente

Kathleen Lucente moved to Austin just as the city began its meteoric rise as a hotbed for tech startups and investment. Before she adopted the lone star state as home, she built an award-winning career working domestically and internationally for IBM, JPMorgan, Ketchum Worldwide, and other global brands and agencies. With solid experience in the evolution of communications within the tech industry, first as a journalist, then as a PR professional, Kathleen realized she was ready to build her own team to deliver superior integrated marketing and communications services to B2B tech companies.

Since the start of Red Fan Communications almost 15 years ago, she has helped countless companies of all stages clarify their purpose, tell their unique stories, differentiate from their competitors and establish lasting relationships with clients and customers. The Red Fan team is built of experts with the same tenacity in which Kathleen approaches her work and weaves it into everything she does. 

Kathleen serves on several boards—including Austin Gives, PelotonU and the ABC Kite Fest—and donates much of her and her staff’s time to local nonprofits that have a tangible impact throughout the community, including the Corporate Engagement Council for the Austin mayor’s office and the Mike & Sherry Project, an Austin-based organization providing mental health support to local bar and restaurant workers.

You can also catch Kathleen as a regulator contributor to the Forbes Agency Council, covering critical communications topics like crisis management, brand positioning, thought leadership, corporate communications and the fundamentals of great brand storytelling. In addition, she’s been a guest speaker on influential podcasts, at accelerators, and communications and business schools, including the Wharton School, the University of Texas at Austin, the Confident Communications podcast, and the MassChallenge startup accelerator, where she serves as a mentor.

https://thomsinger.com/podcast/kathleen-lucente

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In this episode we go deep on how to you bounce back. Brain Wagner helps people see things they have never seen before. He went blind 12 years ago and now sees more than he ever has before. Brian is a speaker and works with the Ohio State School for the Blind. 

He believes all of us can do more than we ever thought we could, and this episode will make you think deeper about how to bounce back when you face something difficult. 

About Brian Wagner

Embrace your own personal blindness to drive better performance. That’s what Brian Wagner has done through BounceBack Leadership.

He is the founder and CEO of “A Radical Vision.” His mission is to help people embrace their own personal blindness to achieve a greater focus and drive better performance. Brian has worked with boards and organizations to clear the path for growth. 

On March 4 of 2011 he woke up on the couch and wasn’t able to see. For the next six months, he was blind. Only brain surgery and multiple eye surgeries have allowed a portion of his vision to return.

Since then, Brian Wagner has become an author of the semi-autobiography book “Sometimes It DOES Take a Brain Surgeon”. 

Brian is a Past-President for the National Speakers’ Association, Ohio Chapter.

https://thomsinger.com/podcast/brain-wagner

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This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too.  Learn more at https://AustinTechnologyCouncil.org.

This episode is a great conversation about change, the rate of change, and the power of Community. Rebecca (Becky) Taylor has been an active software engineer, entrepreneur, community activist, and advisor for over three decades in the Austin community and beyond. She was an early member of the Austin Technology Council (originally called the Austin Software Council) and remains active working with the Austin Technology Incubator – the oldest continuous tech incubator in the United States.  

Check out this episode and be inspired. 

About Becky Taylor

Rebecca (Becky) Taylor is Executive-In-Residence at the Austin Technology Incubator, and Industry Fellow at UT-Austin’s Ethics Project. Ms. Taylor is a senior level executive with 35 years’ experience inventing new technologies, forming startups, building committed teams and raising funds. She has led advanced development and strategy efforts at organizations from very small start-up companies to large multinationals including the launch team at Shell Technology Ventures, and senior advisory roles at the U.S. Department of State. She has executed and advised on monetization involving licensing, venture capital investing, sales negotiations, expanded market opportuni5es.

An inventor and multiple patent holder, she created technology that among other things, makes your

phone smarter. She served as an Entrepreneur-In-Residence at the University of Texas at Austin in 2009,

advising the University on commercialization alternatives for promising research. Ms Taylor has advised

dozens of startups in the course of her professional career, helping them with funding strategies,

technology planning, and negotiations. She is a mentor and very much enjoys presenting to

diverse audiences, large and small. She has had a lifelong commitment of raising money and awareness

for important community needs.

Becky Taylor is a Senior Member of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and serves

Vice Chair of the IEEE-USA Government Relations Committee. She holds a BS in Computer Science from

Iowa State University and a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas’ LBJ School of Public

Policy. She is certified as a Winemaker by the University of California – Davis. She holds a Series 79

FINRA designation and is affiliated with a NYC-area boutique early stage investment bank. Her board

service has included board and advisory roles with multiple startups, election as a director of TruWest

Credit Union ($750 MM assets), service on Austin Community College’s Foundation Board and service for

other non-profit organizations in the Austin area. A resident of Austin for 40 years, she has fun with

family – her son, lovely daughter-in-law, adorable granddaughter, happy dogs, and is traveling as often

as possible.

www.thomsinger.com/podcast/becky-taylor

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This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too.  Learn more at https://AustinTechnologyCouncil.org.

Min Choe and Angell Tsang sit down to talk about their unique company, Tso Chinese Delivery. Many would not expect a delivery and carry-out quick service restaurant to also be a leading technology company. But in Austin, Texas you find unique tech pioneer in many forms. This interview is both inspiring and informative. 

If you have never heard of Tso Chinese Delivery, you will. They are on their way to being the leading provider of great food to your door anywhere in the world….and they do it with proprietary technology. 

About Tso Chinese Delivery

Tso Chinese Delivery is a delivery and carryout-only, quick service restaurant concept in Austin, TX. Offering free delivery and a no tipping policy, Tso offers one of the best, value-driven delivery services of fresh Chinese food, anywhere. Tso offers its transparent pricing model by offering free delivery and a strict no-tipping policy. Tso is able to execute this service by utilizing a virtual kitchen platform which focuses on online ordering — no app necessary — with the ability to track order progress on one’s computer or mobile phone. Since launching in Central Austin in 2017, they have since opened a second location in Fall 2019 in North Austin and followed up with a third location in South Austin in November 2021, with a Round Rock location in the pipeline for late 2022.

Tso proudly serves high-quality, affordable Chinese-American food. Culinary direction comes from Jenna Choe, Chief Culinary Officer, who has created a menu of classic Chinese-American dishes made with the freshest ingredients possible. Everything is made to order in Tso’s kitchen and vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are readily available. Tso offers appetizers like real crab rangoons, potstickers, vegetarian spring rolls, and Szechuan dry green beans as well as a selection of soups like hot & sour soup and egg drop soup.

About Min Choe

Min Choe is the Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board, and Co-Founder at Tso Chinese Delivery, a delivery and carryout only restaurant concept in Austin, TX. Tso offers free delivery and has a no tipping policy for fresh, high-quality yet affordable, Chinese-American food. After the success of the first Tso location in Central Austin, the second Tso opened in fall of 2019 in North Austin. Min’s primary role at Tso is to provide vision and direction for Tso to one day become America’s #1 choice for Chinese food delivery. He leads the team by establishing core values that are centered on providing a benefit to the communities and employees they serve, while also building a company focused on growth and profitability.

About Angell Tsang

Angell Tsang is the Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder at Tso Chinese Delivery, a delivery and carryout only restaurant concept in Austin, TX. Tso offers free delivery and a no tipping policy for fresh, high-quality yet affordable, Chinese-American food. After the huge success of the first Tso location, the second Tso opened in fall of 2019 in North Austin. Angell helped develop the cloud based kitchen platform on which Tso functions.

Https://www.thomsinger.com/podcast/tso-chinese-delivery

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In this episode Thom Singer talks to Carlos Martin from macami.ai. They talk about the future of AI and RPA as well as why Austin, Texas is a great place for business. 

This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too.  Learn more at https://AustinTechnology Council.org.

About Carlos Martin:

Carlos Martin is the CEO of macami.ai, a company focused in bringing efficiency to the enterprise by leveraging Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and AI. Formerly Director of Strategic Alliances for Brazil for the company Blue Prism, which pioneered the RPA market, and where he worked for 5+ years. Carlos has a degree in Computer Science and a Master’s in Technology Commercialization from UT Austin. He has more than 20 years in IT with a solid experience in technology, systems, problem solving, research and business strategy.

Carlos is the author of the upcoming book “The Efficient Enterprise”, which will discuss topics on how to leverage these technologies for bring exponential benefits to business.

About macami.ai:

macami.ai is an AI consultancy headquartered in Cedar Park, Texas that demystifies the use of artificial intelligence and robotic process automation to make businesses more efficient and allow them to scale effectively. The founders have trained and mentored the top consulting firms on best case use of AI and practices of automation. macami.ai analyzes companies’ financials and the cost of business processes with a top down approach to recommend and execute simple financial and software methodologies that incorporate AI and RPA technology. The company will also be providing free trainings online and within local communities on spotting financial scams.

https://thomsinger.com/podcast/macami-ai

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This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too.  Learn more at https://AustinTechnologyCouncil.org.

This is a great conversation with Sarah Jones Simmer about resilience and the courage to show up. Sarah has a wonderful story that lead her from majoring in music to the CEO of a leading digital health company innovating in the weight space. You must hear this interview!  

Sarah Jones Simmer will be the featured Keynote Speaker at the Austin Technology Council’s CEO Summit on October 17, 2022. If you are a C-Suite executive, you will want to be sure to be present for this event in Austin, Texas. 

About Sarah Jones Simmer

Sarah Jones Simmer is an executive, investor, board member and C-level operator. In September 2021, she joined Found as CEO, with a mission to make evidence-based, sustainable weight care accessible for all. Found is quickly emerging as a leader with its innovative approach to weight loss by leveraging the best of modern medicine with personalized support.

Prior to Found, Sarah was an executive at Bumble, the women-first social networking app for four years. From 2017-2020, she was the Chief Operating Officer of the Bumble app, where she was responsible for core strategy, international growth, marketing initiatives, and business operations, as well as the expansion of Bumble’s rapidly growing team. Sarah also led the investment strategy for the Bumble Fund, Bumble’s early-stage investing vehicle launched in 2018, focused on the next generation of women-led businesses.

Sarah has spoken at Dreamforce, SXSW, Techcrunch Disrupt, Traction, the Global Partnership for Education, and UN special sessions on topics ranging from venture investing to girls’ and women’s rights to the future of ethical business, and the challenges and opportunities of scaling rapid growth businesses. She has a Masters’ in Public Policy from Northwestern University. She used to run marathons and has completed an Ironman, but now spends her time outside of work raising two young daughters.

About Found: 

Found is an evidence-based weight care solution that combines the best of modern medicine with personalized coaching and community. Centered around clinical care and lasting behavior change, Found provides its members with a comprehensive weight loss program that delivers long term, sustainable results. Found designs personalized treatments around every factor that makes people unique — from biology, medical history, mental health, existent lifestyle, goals, and more. Found’s members are supported by the best of consumer technology, and a team that includes doctors to prescribe safe medication, and coaches to guide them on nutrition, movement, sleep, and emotional health. For more information, visit www.joinfound.com.

https://thomsinger.com/podcast/sarah-jones-simmer

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In this episode of the “Making Waves at C-Level” podcast, we discuss working with your spouse or significant other. In this entrepreneur focused world, many people start businesses with people together. But what happens when that person is the love of your life? Terry Brock and Gina Carr sit down with Thom Singer to talk about how they manage business and life.

About Gina Carr

Gina Carr works with business leaders to leverage Web3 technologies for more impact, influence, and income.

Web3 tech includes blockchains, the Metaverse (virtual reality), cryptocurrencies, NFTs, artificial intelligence, and other powerful tools. 

Gina is on a mission to help business leaders use these tools to grow their businesses in a way that significantly benefits all stakeholders. Known as “The Tribe Builder,” Gina helps passionate people build powerful tribes of raving fans.

A serial entrepreneur, Gina has created several businesses including Video Rock Starz, an award-winning real estate company, and a chain of community magazines.

Gina is an MBA graduate of the Harvard Business School and an industrial and systems engineering graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology. Gina was the CEO of TEDxDupreePark. 

A native Atlantan, she now lives in Orlando with her fiance, Terry Brock. Gina is a passionate advocate for animals, freedom, and plant-based living!

About Terry Brock

Today, more than ever, you need to know about what is happening with technology and business and how to benefit from the changes.

Terry Brock is ideally suited to help you understand what is happening and how to take advantage of the opportunities. He is a professional speaker who works with clients showing them how to use tech to get the results they want.

He’s a member of the Speaker Hall of Fame, has earned the Certified Speaking Professional designation, and has received the highest award available from the National Speakers Association, the Cavett. He recently was asked by Ace Hardware to be their Chief Retail Advisor training their retailers around the world in video. His clients include sole proprietors to Fortune 10 companies.

Most recently he is regularly asked to speak about Bitcoin, Web3, and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs).

https://thomsinger.com/podcast/working-with-spouse

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This episode was produced in partnership with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too. Learn more at https://AustinTechnology Council.org.

Today’s guest is Carolyn Jenkins, the co-founder and CEO of We Are Here. In this interview she shares her ideas around resilience and how individuals and bosses can better understand the need for resilience in the workplace (and life). She has a long history working in tech companies, and has held many roles from HR, COO, Chief Product Officer, and CEO.  

Carolyn also shares her points of view on the city of Austin: past, present, and future….and why the city continues to grow and thrive.  

About Carolyn Trevino Jenkins

Carolyn Jenkins is an award-winning technology executive and entrepreneur who has an extensive and diverse background. Teams she’s led have won international recognition for outstanding customer success and national awards for cutting edge work in HR. Several of her companies have won growth awards.

Ms. Jenkins believes a culture of strategy, execution, and accountability can be achieved with servant and compassionate leadership. While CEO of Khorus software, Carolyn was diagnosed with breast cancer. She has first-hand experience in how challenging it is to balance a cancer journey with the demands of family and work. She began advocating for early detection and helping those with fewer resources while on that journey. Here is a mission driven endeavor for Carolyn. In her spare time, she mentors emerging leaders, advises startups, and volunteers with several local non-profits.

Https://thomsinger.com/podcast/carolyn-jenkins

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In this episode of “Making Waves at C-Level”, Thom talks to James Howard, the founder of the Black Inventors Hall of Fame. They talk about his new documentary, “Black Inventors Got Game”, race, and success.  

About James Howard

James Howard is a, lecturer, design historian, industrial designer/inventor of some 300 products with 18 patents. He is currently the owner/operator of Entrepreneurial U, a specialty private career school of Design Thinking. One of his courses, “Bridge” Exploring New Career Pathways, takes students through the problem solving processes: problem/necessity, solution, and execution and leads them to new career pathways and job opportunities.

While teaching for more twenty years at The County College of Morris in New Jersey, Professor Howard was an owner/operator of the award-winning firm Howard Design., an industrial design practices whose clients included Coca-Cola, Colgate Palmolive, Johnson & Johnson, Nabisco, Pfizer and the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency). The New Jersey based company was one of the longest running and most profitable minority owned design firms in the country

James Howard serves as Executive Director of THE BLACK INVENTORS HALL OF FAME, (www.BIHOF.org) a virtual museum), devoted to immortalizing African Americans whose noteworthy inventions have improved lives yet gone unnoticed. James also serves on the Board of Directors for the Unites States Intellectual Property Alliance, and he is presently assisting the National Inventors Hall of Fame curate their very first Black Inventors exhibit, to be open to the public in the fall of 2021. For four years James has served as a Subject matter expert on Design thinking for the Keller Innovation Center at Princeton University. He is also a visiting lecturer for the University of Texas Center for Integrated Design, James earned a Master and Bachelor of Fine Arts -Industrial Design at University of Illinois, Urbana, IL. James was recently awarded Honorary member of the National Academy Of Inventors.

Contact James at JHoward@bihof.org

https://bihof.org

https://thomsinger.com/podcast/black-inventors-got-game

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This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too.  Learn more at https://AustinTechnology Council.org.

About Kurt Wilkin

Kurt Wilkin is a trusted advisor for high-growth, middle-market companies as founder and managing partner of Bee Cave Capital and Co-Founder of HireBetter. With a passion for growth and a hard-earned, proven set of tools in his toolbox, Wilkin works with other entrepreneurs and CEOs to help them escape the start-up mindset and achieve next-level success.

His debut book, Who’s Your Mike?, reveals how entrepreneurs can transform their companies by minimizing hiring mistakes, investing in high potentials and making the difficult decisions to drop dead weight from their team. Wilkin draws on his extensive experience launching and growing businesses to help leaders navigate people challenges and tap into the power of making better hires. By putting the right talent in the right places—and pinpointing who is holding the company back—entrepreneurs can unlock meaningful change that will enable their organization to grow, scale and thrive.

Over more than 20 years, Wilkin has built long-lasting partnerships and helped hundreds of business leaders achieve their goals. He began his career in accounting, serving at Ernst & Young before joining an online retailer and discovering his aptitude for entrepreneurship. Wilkin founded The Controller Group (TCG) in 2001 and successfully sold it to Tatum in 2006. During those five years he rapidly grew the firm’s revenue, growing it into a $20 million company with more than 100 employees. During his time at TCG, he also co-founded Bee Cave Capital, a Texas-based early-stage venture group where he serves as managing partner.

Wilkin is an alumnus of the University of Arkansas, a graduate of Stagen Leadership Academy, a certified public accountant and an officer of Young Presidents’ Organization. Passionate about entrepreneurship, he is an active angel investor and serves on the boards of more organizations than he’d care to count. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and three sons. Visit www.kurtwilkin.com for more information.

About “Who’s Your Mike?” Book

In Who’s Your Mike?, Wilkin aims to help readers put into practice techniques he’s spent decades fine-tuning. His no-BS guide isn’t the traditional business book: every chapter guides the reader through a different people challenge, so readers can quickly identify how to solve troubling scenarios. In fact, he encourages readers not to read the whole thing. It’s written a la “choose your own adventure,” so entrepreneurs can pick and choose the sections that will be most helpful to them.

Who’s Your Mike? tells the stories of both Wilkin’s own experience building a community of growth-minded leaders and people pitfalls he’s witnessed first-hand from other business leaders. In Who’s Your Mike?, readers will learn:

● That there’s no secret formula to hiring smart – we all make hiring mistakes

● If they’ve outgrown their current team, and what to do next

● How to handle the people they’re sure to meet on their entrepreneurial journey

Kurt has called Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas home his entire life and proudly claims to have “Redneck, Cajun, and Hillbilly rolled into one beautiful package.” That might explain his natural BS detector. He is the father of three active boys who don’t let him take life too seriously, and he resides in Austin with his wife, Carrie, who didn’t think he could focus long enough to get the grocery list right, much less write an entire book!

https://thomsinger.com/podcast/kurt-wilkin

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