Founding Philly

In this episode, I interview Shannon Morales, Founder & CEO of Tribaja and the curator of Diversitech, one of the largest inclusion and tech conferences on the East Coast.Tribaja is a vibrant community of professionals advancing in modern, high-demand careers. Tribaja has built a dynamic marketplace that connects these professionals with inclusive brands, offering opportunities in high-demand career fields.The organization focuses on the intersections of tech and innovation and is committed to working only with inclusive brands, carefully vetting employers to ensure they meet these standards.Inspired to create a more inclusive and equitable tech industry, Shannon's leadership at Tribaja and Diversitech has been pivotal in opening doors for thousands of underrepresented professionals in tech.Tribaja also collaborates with verified training providers to equip candidates with upskilling opportunities that are in high demand. This helps them navigate career transitions and connect with employers seeking specific, high-demand skills.Diversitech provides a platform for professionals from all corners of the tech universe to network, learn from each other, and forge lasting relationships. This year's event will be held at the Philadelphia Convention Center from May 7-10. Secure your tickets now!Shannon has successfully scaled Tribaja by focusing on community-driven growth and strategic partnerships across cities. This approach has not only expanded her reach but also deeply integrated Tribaja into the communities it serves nationwide.Early investors in Tribaja include Juno Capital and Visible Hands. Tune in to discover how Shannon has been building a community-led business, the insights that shaped the Tribaja marketplace, and how Diversitech is setting new standards for inclusivity and innovation in the tech world.

In this episode, I had the privilege of interviewing Irene Rombel, Co-Founder and CEO of BioCurie, and Nyron Burke, Co-Founder and CEO of Lithero. Recorded live on 3/28 at Venture Cafe in front of an audience, we explored their companies' innovative use of AI in the Life Sciences sector.Our conversation covered the challenges presented by the legal and regulatory landscape, and the substantial benefits AI offers for patient outcomes and efficiency within the life sciences industry. The discussion underscored the transformative potential of AI, from enhancing drug development and manufacturing processes to ensuring compliance and facilitating commercialization.BioCurie is at the forefront of empowering biopharmaceutical companies to develop and manufacture lifesaving therapies more efficiently. Leveraging AI, they simulate process development and manufacturing, employing data-driven algorithms to conduct millions of simulations. This approach aims to optimize conditions from the outset, eliminating the costly and time-consuming trial-and-error method.Lithero is a software company creating AI tools specifically for Pharma marketers and agencies. They focus on the commercial aspects of the life sciences process, introducing a product named LARA — an "artificial lawyer" that scrutinizes drug advertisements for potential compliance issues, alerting customers to any findings. This service is invaluable, ensuring that the public receives accurate content and understands the risks and benefits of pharmaceutical products, while the pharma companies don't spend hours on extensive manual review.Tune into episode 38 of the Founding Philly podcast to hear Irene and Nyron share their personal journeys, delve into the opportunities and pitfalls of AI in Life Sciences, and explore how it has the potential to dramatically improve patient outcomes.--This episode is sponsored by EisnerAmper. 

This episode is sponsored by J.P. Morgan. --In this episode, I interview Sylvester Mobley, Managing Director of Plain Sight Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm that specializes in investing in product-led, pre-seed to seed B2B SaaS companies led by underrepresented founders.Plain Sight Capital takes a unique approach, focusing horizontally across industries while employing product-led strategies to deliver value to customers, aiming to bypass lengthy and complex sales processes.Sylvester is more than an investor; he's a leader in social impact and technology. Throughout his career, he has dedicated himself to ensuring that all underrepresented residents of Philadelphia have access to opportunities in tech and innovation.In 2013, Sylvester founded Coded by Kids, a tech and innovation education organization that strives to prepare underrepresented young people for leadership roles in the tech and innovation sectors.The extensive work and business lessons from Coded by Kids have enabled Sylvester and his team to provide unparalleled support to early-stage startups, securing a competitive advantage as investors.Before venturing into the tech world, Sylvester spent four years in the Marines. Upon re-enlisting in the Air Force Reserves, he landed his first role in technology, and almost two years later, he had already launched his first tech company.During this episode of Founding Philly, I had the honor of sitting down with Sylvester and Joe Biancaniello from the J.P. Morgan Innovation Economy Banking team to delve into the workings of Plain Sight Capital.Tune into this episode to learn about Sylvester Mobley's incredible journey from military to technology and education, his insights into his approach to building sustainable businesses, and how Plain Sight Capital is nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs.

This episode is sponsored by J.P. Morgan. --In this episode, I interview Mike Lahiff, CEO and Co-Founder of ZeroEyes, an AI-based weapons detection solution born from a mission to prevent mass shootings and enhance public safety. Founded in 2018 by a team of Navy SEALs and military veterans, ZeroEyes integrates with existing security cameras to monitor streaming video feeds for firearms.They sought to overcome the limitations of current security systems, which largely depend on human monitoring and reactive measures, by developing a proactive, AI-driven approach. This innovative system utilizes artificial intelligence to analyze video feeds in real time, identifying firearms as soon as they appear, thereby enabling immediate alerts to local authorities and on-site security personnel.All firearm detections by ZeroEyes are immediately reviewed in the ZeroEyes Operations Center (ZOC). Upon verifying a suspected firearm, ZeroEyes systems promptly notify facility administrators and law enforcement within 3-5 seconds, providing the number and location of suspected shooters.Headquartered in Conshohocken, PA, with additional offices in Alexandria, VA, and Hawaii, ZeroEyes has grown significantly, establishing partnerships with law enforcement agencies, security firms, and educational institutions nationwide. ZeroEyes serves as the trusted weapons detection provider for numerous clients, including the US Department of Defense, leading public K-12 school districts, commercial property groups, Fortune 1000 corporate campuses, supply chain and distribution facilities, shopping malls, and big box retail.In 2021, ZeroEyes secured approximately $20 million in a Series A funding round led by Octave Ventures and, most recently, in 2023, raised $23 million in capital to fuel growth and meet demand.During this episode of Founding Philly, I had the privilege of sitting down with Mike Lahiff and Joe Biancaniello from the J.P. Morgan Innovation Economy Banking team to delve into ZeroEyes and their entrepreneurial journey in Philadelphia.Tune in to hear Mike recount his transition from Navy SEAL to tech entrepreneur and discuss how their technology is revolutionizing security and public safety standards.

In this episode, I interview Marshall Darr, co-founder and CEO of StretchDollar, a platform that provides instant, budget-friendly health benefits for small businesses.StretchDollar dramatically simplifies the group health insurance process, making it much more affordable and accessible for small businesses throughout America.Their approach enables employers on their platform to offer tax-free funding, which employees can then use to pay for their individual market plans that best suit their needs.Having spent the last decade immersed in employee benefits at companies like Gusto and Decent, Marshall has firsthand experience with the challenges small businesses face.This experience inspired him and his former colleagues to establish StretchDollar, aiming to provide a clear starting point for small businesses seeking health benefits.In a major move, StretchDollar recently announced they eliminated all fees, making access to health benefits easier and more affordable than ever for small businesses.Every dollar sent through StretchDollar lands in the employee’s bank account, tax free.In 2023, StretchDollar also successfully raised $1.6 million in funding from investors including Precursor Ventures, Elefund, v1vc, Kindergarten Ventures, and Westerly Ventures.Tune in to hear Marshall share his journey of founding StretchDollar, the invaluable lessons learned along the way, and how he and his team are transforming the approach to health benefits for small businesses and their employees.This episode is sponsored by Withum.

In this episode, I interview Jeff Stade and Will Sanderson, co-founders of Jawnt, a platform that provides access to the city through unified transit. Their innovative platform bridges the gap between mobility providers and organizations, delivering tailored benefits and access that align with the specific needs of each organization and its employees.Jawnt enables organizations to allocate funds for their employees' transit needs, allowing them to fully or partially cover the costs associated with commuting. This flexibility empowers employees to select the most suitable transit options for their daily commute, ensuring they have the necessary access and support for efficient commute planning.Jawnt also seamlessly integrates into existing payroll systems, simplifying the payment process and enabling teams to maximize both pre-tax and post-tax savings.Addressing the shortcomings of traditional commuter benefits offerings, which often fail to fully meet the needs of riders, employers, and transit providers, Jawnt stands out as a comprehensive solution.Supported by direct partnerships with transit providers and the deployment of thoughtfully designed technology, Jawnt is making strides in reimagining urban mobility.Backed by world-class investors and notable angels, including Crossbeam Ventures, Mucker Capital, Triple Impact Capital, and Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code, Jawnt's innovative vision and potential for impact have attracted significant backing.Tune in to hear Jeff and Will share their journey of founding Jawnt, the lessons learned, and how their platform is changing how individuals and organizations access and utilize transit options across cities.

In this episode, I interview Ben Williams, the Chief Operating Officer of Exyn Technologies. Exyn is a leading company in autonomous systems, specializing in navigation and data creation in unstructured environments.Exyn is focused on commercial applications involving GPS-denied navigation. This includes environments like underground mines and internal building surveys, where the company can rapidly and safely generate high-fidelity 3D maps of areas that were previously inaccessible.The company's full-stack solution facilitates the flexible deployment of single or multiple robots. These robots are designed to intelligently navigate and dynamically adapt to complex environments in real-time.Exyn originated as a spinout from the University of Pennsylvania's GRASP Labs.Established in 2014, it aimed to commercialize decades of ground-breaking research in areas such as aerial robotics, drone swarms, multi-modal sensor fusion, 3D mapping, obstacle avoidance, and autonomous navigation & planning.In 2022, Exyn secured a $35 million Series B funding round. This investment came from both previous and new investors, including Reliance Industries.Tune in to hear Ben share his entrepreneurial journey, his experience in transforming Exyn from a research-focused entity into a commercial leader, and how Exyn is pioneering new frontiers in autonomous technology applications.

In this episode, I interview Audrey Greenberg, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer of the Center for Breakthrough Medicines (CBM), an innovative organization specializing in cell and gene therapy-focused contract development and manufacturing (CDMO).CBM offers an integrated and comprehensive service, providing a one-source solution to accelerate the market delivery of advanced therapies. Their client-driven approach, combined with a patient-centric culture, ensures high quality and reliability in process and analytical development, viral vector manufacturing, GMP testing, cell therapy bioprocessing, plasmid production, and cell banking services, covering a product’s full life cycle.CBM supports pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients throughout the entire advanced therapy process, from research and development to manufacturing and commercialization.Audrey brings extensive experience from her background in accounting, finance, investment banking, and private equity. She has played a pivotal role in building CBM, focusing on recruiting top talent and securing significant investment, while emphasizing hard work, perseverance, and the importance of establishing trust with clients.In 2022, SK pharmteco invested $350 million in CBM, and in September, SK announced the acquisition of a controlling interest in CBM. This move adds CBM’s extensive cell and gene therapy expertise to the SK pharmteco portfolio, furthering their strategy to provide end-to-end, multi-modality support for clients.Tune in to hear Audrey Greenberg discuss her journey in co-founding CBM, the valuable lessons learned, the challenges faced by the industry, and how CBM is at the forefront of cell and gene therapy manufacturing.

On this episode, I interview Amy Zitelman, CEO and Co-Founder of Soom Foods, a sister-owned company renowned for its tahini and tahini products.Soom Tahini, known for its silky-smooth texture, is made from sesame seeds and has become a versatile ingredient in both Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines, enhancing both savory and sweet dishes.Soom Foods' high-quality tahini has established itself as a staple in professional kitchens and home pantries. Their products are available in numerous retail locations, including Whole Foods, Thrive Market, and, as of this year, over 1300 Publix stores.This summer marks a significant milestone for Amy, her sisters, and the Soom team as they celebrate 10 years of Soom's journey. The company found its early success in the food service industry, forming partnerships with restaurants and chefs, and delivering tahini in bulk. Amy explains the strategic advantage of this B2B approach, saying, 'The beauty about restaurants or B2B is they buy more of it and they buy it more often. They buy a 40-pound bucket of tahini as opposed to a six or an 11-ounce jar of tahini and they buy that 40-pound bucket every week as opposed to once a year.'Amy also recounted knocking on doors to persuade chefs to try her tahini, sometimes leading to her being invited into their kitchens—a fun way to grow the business early on. Amy's favorite simple pleasure with tahini? She recommends, 'simply drizzling tahini on Greek yogurt with honey and sliced bananas—it's just perfect.'Listen as Amy shares her journey of co-founding and leading Soom Foods over the past decade, the invaluable lessons learned in developing a leading tahini brand, and her commitment to revolutionizing the culinary world by introducing high-quality, versatile tahini to kitchens everywhere.

In this episode, I interview Nina Farran, Co-Founder and CEO of Fashionkind, and Josh Mastromatto, Co-Founder and CEO of Rego, following their participation in the Lion's Den event at the 2023 Mid-Atlantic Capital Conference, hosted by PACT (Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies).Fashionkind offers a luxury shopping experience that's unparalleled, featuring a curated selection of exquisite pieces from leading sustainable luxury designers worldwide. Each designer is hand-selected for their unique design aesthetic and positive social and environmental impact.Rego, an AI-powered platform, aims to revolutionize waste diversion for large items like furniture. Their mission is to build cleaner communities globally by reducing the volume of furniture ending up in landfills or abandoned on streets.At the Lion's Den, a live investment event similar to Shark Tank, Nina and Josh presented their ventures to a panel of regional investors, securing a combined investment of $725,000. This panel included notable figures such as David Adelman, Founder of Darco Capital & CEO of Campus Apartments; Robert Corrato, M.D., Founder & Managing Partner of Devon Hill Capital Partners; Daniel Goldsmith, CEO of Tendo; Paul Graziani, CEO of COMSPOC Corporation; and Ryan Hicke, CEO of SEI Investments.Tune in to hear Nina and Josh recount their pitch preparation, how they managed the on-stage pressure from investors, and their advice for other founders seeking investment.---This episode is sponsored by Baker Tilly. 

On this episode, I interview Rick Nucci, Co-founder and CEO of Guru. Guru is the all-in-one tool that keeps your team connected and puts all the information they need in one place.As a collaborative knowledge management solution, Guru is at the forefront of empowering the next generation of knowledge workers. With hundreds of customers, including leading enterprises like Shopify, Square, Spotify, and Zoom, Guru is reshaping how teams create, find, and share institutional knowledge.Guru combines three products into one powerful platform, offering secure enterprise search, an intranet, and a wiki.Positioned to deliver an unparalleled knowledge management experience, Guru offers AI-powered experiences, enabling users to obtain instant answers from their existing sources and to capture and create knowledge effortlessly.Guru is backed by Accel, Thrive Capital, Emergence Capital, FirstMark Capital, MSD Capital, Slack Fund, and Salesforce Ventures.Guru recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary—a significant milestone that fills Rick with a sense of accomplishment and an eagerness for the future, particularly regarding AI's central role in what's to come.Before Guru, Rick founded Boomi, a cloud-based integration platform that became increasingly vital as companies adopted Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions requiring effective integration with existing systems. Boomi was acquired by Dell in 2010.Listen to Rick recount his entrepreneurial journey with Boomi and Guru, the lessons learned, the challenges faced, and how his team at Guru is leading the charge in AI advancements to revolutionize how companies access and utilize knowledge across teams.Learn more at https://www.getguru.com/. ---This episode is sponsored by Baker Tilly. 

On this episode, I interview Dean Miller, President & CEO of PACT, the Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies. PACT provides its members with valuable connectivity to capital, talent, and customers, fostering growth acceleration and success.PACT plays a crucial role within the Philadelphia startup ecosystem, facilitating networking opportunities and helping entrepreneurs connect with investors, mentors, and other key industry players.As President & CEO of PACT, Dean is a driving force behind entrepreneurship and innovation in Philadelphia. He acts as a “super connector,” facilitating crucial connections within the startup ecosystem and leading various initiatives to promote growth, diversity, and inclusion.Dean’s commitment to fostering a supportive community, coupled with his active involvement in investment—particularly in technology and healthcare—positions him as a central figure in elevating Philadelphia’s entrepreneurial landscape.PACT organizes various events and programs, including the Mid Atlantic Capital Conference, pitch events, and mentorship programs, providing entrepreneurs with platforms to showcase their businesses, connect with potential investors, and gain exposure.Be sure to attend this year's Mid-Atlantic Capital Conference on 11/8-9. Sign up using the code Founding23 to get 20% off your ticket!PACT is also actively working to increase the participation of women, persons of color, and other underrepresented groups in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, ensuring a more inclusive and diverse startup community.Listen to Dean share his journey of leading PACT, the valuable lessons he’s learned from venture capital and community building, and how he and his team are fostering connections and innovation in the Philadelphia startup ecosystem.---This episode is sponsored by PACT.

On this episode, I interview Jake Stein, Co-founder & CEO of Common Paper. Common Paper helps you create and sign contracts faster. Their structured contract platform helps you build trusted templates using their standard agreements, then negotiate, sign and manage contracts in a single workflow.Jake and his team felt that buying and selling technology is still harder than it should be. Throughout his career, one of Jake's biggest frustrations was the process of managing contracts of his customers. "It was slow, it was expensive, it was unpredictable." With Common Paper, a single workflow from drafting to signature: sales agreements, non-disclosure, compliance, and more.Prior to Common Paper, Jake co-founded 2 successful Philly-based companies RJMetrics (Acquired by Magento) and Stitch (Acquired by Talend).Common Paper is backed Y Combinator, Uncork Capital and Boldstart.Listen to Jake share his journey building Common Paper, his experience building multiple successful companies in the Philly startup ecosystem and how he and his team are helping businesses build, negotiate, and sign contracts for the better. 

On this episode, I interview Brian Glick, Founder and CEO of Chain.io. Chain.io is connecting the software that moves supply chains. Their platform connects systems so businesses have better control over the information they need to manage their supply chain.Chain.io was founded out of necessity, not just desire. With 15 years of experience working with global retailers, logistics providers, and software vendors, they witnessed the challenges and inefficiencies in integrations. They observed the rapid emergence of new technologies and recognized the urgent need for these platforms to connect with existing systems, even outdated ones.As Brian shared during our conversation "We saw this problem starting, that SaaS was going to explode as a category in supply chain. And that suddenly, instead of having one system at every company, you are going to have a thousand." Whether it was supply chains for pharmaceuticals, apparel, lumber, or car parts, Brian and his team identified the same problems across verticals: there is no standard for data sharing or integrations between partners and vendors.So they built a solution that plugs into any system, giving shippers, freight forwarders, and software vendors an efficient way to connect to any partner or vendor’s software.From purchase orders and invoicing to freight visibility and receiving payments, Chain.io was built to facilitate the processes core to supply chains. Listen to Brian share his journey building Chain.io, the knowledge he acquired from years in the supply chain and logistics sector, and how he and his team are revolutionizing integrations to ensure smoother and more efficient business processes for all stakeholders.Learn more at https://chain.io/

Live Episode @ Venture Cafe | Founding Philly Meetup 9/7This episode was recorded LIVE at the Founding Philly Meetup in partnership with Venture Cafe. On this episode, I got to sit down (in-person) with Dave Becker, Co-Founder & CEO of CampusESP and Catherine Griffin, Founder of ImpactableX. CampusESP turns parents into partners and is focused on student success. Making it easy to keep the most important influencers of students informed, their families.From impacting enrollment, to student success, to annual giving, keeping parents effectively engaged has proven to be critical for colleges and universities looking to better support their institutional goals.ImpactableX is impact modeling for founders & funders. Catherine and her team help social entrepreneurs to quantify and forecast their social & environmental impact and drive capital towards the greatest good.It has been used by leading social entrepreneurs, Impact Funds and Academics, including TSEF, Wharton, Stanford, USAID's Global Innovation Exchange, and Techstars, among several others.Listen to Dave and Catherine share insights from their startup journey, the importance of being customer-centric, being part of accelerators, the investment landscape and building in Philly.

On this episode, I interview Tiffanie Stanard, Founder and CEO of Stimulus. Stimulus uses data & analytics to help companies make better (diverse, equitable, and inclusionary) purchasing decisions.Stimulus is all about transforming businesses into efficient decision-makers, with a strong focus on nurturing and growing supplier ecosystems.From impacting sourcing, to procurement, to purchasing decisions, maintaining effective vendor relationships is critical for businesses looking to support their operational goals.Stimulus' unique relationship intelligence platform allows businesses to connect meaningfully with vendors. It provides data insights, relationship-building tools, and a proprietary score, ensuring businesses have the information they need to make the best sourcing, procurement, and purchasing decisions.Tiffanie shared during the episode, "I was seeing everything was figuring out how do you build better relationships with the people around you... But I wasn't necessarily seeing that with businesses that you were working with."Stimulus is already powering vendor and supplier relationship management for numerous businesses, becoming the go-to platform for making data-driven decisions.Listen to Tiffanie share her journey of building Stimulus, the insights she gained from her experiences in vendor management, and how she and her team are helping businesses build relationships that lead to better business outcomes.Learn more at https://getstimulus.io/

On this episode, I interview Sam Whitaker, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Mural Health. Mural Health is a clinical trials technology company that is dedicated to making it easy to be a participant in clinical trials. Mural Health’s technology platform, Mural Link, is a patient-first technology that is primarily designed to benefit the study participant but also improves site operations and drives critical strategic value to study sponsors. Prior to Mural Health, Sam founded Greenphire, a leading provider of clinical payment and communication solutions.  Over 13 years, the company grew and eventually reaching a value of over a billion dollars with only 2.2 million raised from investors. After a successful exit with Greenphire, Sam co-founded Mural Health, a next-generation participant payment solution that modernizes the way research sites execute payments and participants receive them. Mural Health also provides additional features that make it easier for participants, taking advantage of modern tech and the widespread acceptance of mobile applications.Despite the challenges and difficulties of starting another business in the clinical trial space, Sam was motivated to start Mural Health for reasons different from those that led him to start Greenphire. Listen to Sam share his career journey revolutionizing the payments and clinical trial space, why he built Greenphire and now Mural Health, and his mission to modernize the way research sites handle transactions and the participant experience.Learn more at https://www.muralhealth.com/---This episode is sponsored by Brinker Simpson & Company

On this episode, I interview Dave Becker, Co-Founder & CEO of CampusESP. CampusESP is your all-in-one solution for college parent engagement.CampusESP turns parents into partners and is focused on student success.CampusESP makes it easy to keep the most important influencers of students informed, their families.From impacting enrollment, to student success, to annual giving, keeping parents effectively engaged has proven to be critical for colleges and universities looking to better support their institutional goals.CampusESP's comprehensive parent engagement platform allows institutions to connect meaningfully with families via portals, emails, and text, ensuring parents have the information to be advocates and advisors for their students.CampusESP currently powers family engagement for 300+ colleges and is the go-to destination of more than 5 million parents. Listen to Dave share his career journey in the EdTech space, how he bootstrapped CampusESP to what it is today, and his mission to help colleges and universities  engage families and parents to support student success.Learn more at https://www.campusesp.com/  ---This episode is sponsored by Brinker Simpson & Company

On this episode, I interview Co-Founders T.J. Colaiezzi and Jemma Barbarise-Kelley of LifeBrand. LifeBrand is the world leader in AI social media detection.LifeBrand’s mission is to empower all social media users to reach their full potential by maintaining a meaningful digital presence. Their AI powered software and user dashboard makes it simple to curate a powerful personal brand by bringing potentially unprofessional or harmful posts to users' attention. With ease, users can keep, edit or delete questionable posts that may not represent who they are today. LifeBrand has also developed a Social Media Awareness and Accountability Certification (SMAA) for individuals and companies to better learn responsible social media use.From job seekers, professionals and entrepreneurs to politicians, college students and athletes, LifeBrand has cleaned over 8 million posts to date and counting across Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.LifeBrand raised a $27 million Series A round just last year and has continued to build out their team and product offerings.Listen to T.J. and Jemma share their journey building LifeBrand, the background behind their game-changing marketing strategy, and how they are helping you maintain a meaningful digital presence with AI. 

On this episode, I interview Mikal Harden, Co-Founder of Juno Search Partners. Juno Search Partners is a women-founded and women-led talent solutions firm working every day to connect the right people with the right kind of place.Juno is a team of experienced sourcers and recruiters specializing in assisting growing companies to build out their workforce through custom-built recruitment solutions.As the "Ultimate Connectors", Juno values the ability to bring many different perspectives to the table in order to enhance teams. After over 12 years, Juno Search Partners recently announced they were acquired by NFP, a leading insurance broker specializing in benefits, wealth management, property, casualty and retirement planning.  In 2020, Mikal, her Juno Search Partners co-founder Vicki Sack, and Dylan Foley launched Juno Capital. Juno Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm, who backs the disruptors and changemakers of the world, right here in Philadelphia. Juno Capital has invested in many local companies, several who have been on the podcast, including most recently Employee Cycle and LLUNA.Listen to Mikal share her passion for search and staffing, how her and her partners at Juno Capital are investing in Philly entrepreneurs, and what's next for her and the Philly startup ecosystem she has helped build.