Episodes

  • Taalk.ai: Turning Conversational AI into ROI

    Taalk.ai: Turning Conversational AI into ROI
    Aug 28 2024

    In this episode of Beyond the Build, host Kevin Carney is joined by Dr. Derek Wang, co-founder of Taalk AI, to explore the intersection of AI and business communication. Dr. Wang shares his journey from academia to entrepreneurship, the founding of Taalk AI, and the ethical considerations that guide their work. The conversation delves into the technical challenges of creating conversational AI and how Taalk AI is setting new standards for compliance and customer engagement.

    Key Takeaways:

    · Ethical AI Implementation: Taalk AI prioritizes compliance and ethical standards, ensuring all interactions are FTC and TCPA compliant to create a trustworthy customer experience.

    · Conversational AI Innovations: The company has developed advanced features like speech-to-text recognition, customizable AI personalities, and integrated background noise to enhance realism in customer interactions.

    · AI as a Business Tool: Taalk AI’s platform offers significant ROI by automating customer engagement tasks, allowing businesses to scale their operations efficiently while maintaining high-quality service.

    Learn more about our guest:

    Dr. Derek Wang is an accomplished entrepreneur who founded Stratifyd, Inc. in 2014, a global leader in big-data analytics. His journey into entrepreneurship began when he left his tenure-track position in Computer Science at UNC Charlotte to pursue this venture. Under his leadership, Stratifyd expanded into a global force, offering AI-driven customer experience analytics to a wide array of Fortune 2000 enterprises.

    Dr. Wang earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from UNC Charlotte. Notably, he served as the Associate Director of the Ribarsky Visualization

    Center, providing essential services to various U.S. Government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Special Operations Command (SOCOM).

    Beyond his entrepreneurial and academic pursuits, Dr. Wang holds several board positions in academic institutions and non-profit organizations. Dr. Wang also holds six patents and contributes his expertise to publications like Forbes and others.

    In 2022, Dr. Wang shifted his focus from his role at Stratifyd to venture investments, helping companies leverage AI and ML for effective growth.

    www.taalk.ai

    Production Credits: Produced in partnership with Mistry Projects: https://mistryprojects.com/ Connect With Us on LinkedIn
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    45 mins
  • Harnessing AI Across the Enterprise: Strategies for Business Innovation at AvidXchange

    Harnessing AI Across the Enterprise: Strategies for Business Innovation at AvidXchange
    Aug 7 2024

    Join us in this month’s episode of Beyond the Build, hosted by Kevin Carney of Kingsmen Software, a Sparq company, where we dive deep into the transformative role of AI in business with Angelic Gibson, CIO of AvidXchange. Discover insights on how AI is revolutionizing operations from software development to customer interactions and the strategic incorporation of AI across various business processes.

    Key Takeaways:

    • AI as a Business Revolutionizer: Explore how AvidXchange leverages AI to enhance decision-making processes, automate tasks, and innovate customer experiences.
    • Corporate Adaptation to AI: Learn about the company-wide upskilling initiatives to embrace AI, ensuring all team members can leverage AI tools effectively.
    • Future of AI in Business: Gain insights into potential applications of AI in improving backend processes like reconciliation and master data management, highlighting the importance of continual innovation.

    Learn more about our guest:

    Angelic Gibson is a speaker, entrepreneur, and technology executive professional. She studied Management Information Systems at AIU. She has made her career revolutionizing digital transformations at companies like Sleepy’s, Estee Lauder, ATD, TKXS and now AvidXchange, where she developed innovative Technology Solutions & SAAS Platforms to drive value creation.

    Known as an industry leader, Angelic was named as a Forbes NEXT CIO and has been featured in several national leading publications including Forbes, CIO.com and others. Angelic was one of 25 honorees in the Charlotte, NC, 2020 class of Women in Business Achievements Awards and has been a annual finalist for CIO of the Year Award Nationally and in Charlotte, NC since 2020.

    Beyond her role at AvidXchange, Angelic serves as an independent board member for Caring.com and serves on the T-Mobile Innovation Advisory group. In addition, she serves as a coach with The Master’s Program for Woman, whose mission is to “Connect and Coach High Impact Christian Women to Fully Thrive in Their God-Given Purpose”. Further, Angelic is the Founder of two ministries, Created 2 B Great, LLC and Disciples of the Nations, Inc., where her and her team are passionate about creating and providing discipleship resources and sustainability training to at-risk people groups around the globe. They’ve been successful with outreach initiatives to those who live in foster care, domestic abuse, human trafficking, and homelessness; domestically and globally.

    https://avidxchange.com/

    Production Credits:

    Produced in partnership with Mistry Projects: https://mistryprojects.com/

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    1 hr
  • Vectari’s Vision: AI-Powered Solutions for Next-Gen Banking Compliance

    Vectari’s Vision: AI-Powered Solutions for Next-Gen Banking Compliance
    May 29 2024
    This episode of Kingsmen Software’s “Beyond the Build” podcast features a conversation with Vectari co-founders Alexandria Villarreal O'Rourke and Chris Hart. They discuss their journey in using AI within the financial sector, emphasizing the transformative impacts of their AI-driven complaint analysis and regulatory compliance tools. The co-founders share insights into their personal experiences and the foundational principles of Vectari, illustrating how AI can revolutionize customer service and compliance in banking. Key Takeaways: AI-Driven Complaint Analysis: Vectari has developed tools that leverage AI to analyze customer complaints, identifying patterns and underlying issues rapidly, which can drastically improve resolution times and compliance. Regulatory Experience and AI Application: Both founders draw on their deep regulatory and financial services backgrounds, using their expertise to navigate the complex landscape of AI applications within stringent regulatory frameworks. Bilingual AI Solutions: Emphasizing inclusivity, Vectari has also pioneered AI solutions that operate effectively in both Spanish and English, ensuring broader accessibility and compliance in diverse linguistic contexts. Learn more about our guests: Alex has spent the last decade working on legal, risk, and compliance issues at the intersection of consumer financial services and emerging technology, including artificial intelligence. She began this work at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau where she served as Senior Counsel in the office of Law and Policy and led the legal department’s work on Artificial Intelligence. She advised Senior Leadership, including the Director, on establishing guidance for governing AI models in a way that facilitated their use to enhance access to credit and consumer protection. Alex’s work led to the Bureau’s first ever No Action Letter, in favor of a company using AI models to enhance underwriting for non-traditional loan applicants. Alexandra was also the Bureau’s lead attorney on FinTech, regularly engaging with some of the county’s leading fintech companies on novel regulatory questions. She also specialized in Fair Lending and issues relating to customers with Limited English Proficiency. As part of that work, Alex led the legal department’s work on Spanish-language financial services. Following her work at the Bureau, Alex was a partner at two national law firms, where she led the FinTech groups and advised a variety of banks, leading fintech companies, fintech trade organizations, and Artificial Intelligence clients on regulatory issues, litigation, and product development. She also helped several of the country’s largest banks expand their Spanish language offerings and expand their language strategies. ‍ Alex then joined Bank of America, where she led the Bank’s Digital Banking legal work and advised the Head of Digital on the full range of legal and regulatory issues. Alex worked closely with Digital on expanding and refining the Erica artificial intelligence tool, the banking app, the Zelle product, and the Bank’s Spanish language offerings, among many other issues. Alex also represented the Bank in several trade groups of the largest banks in the country, helping to set the groups’ strategies on issues related to novel technology and regulation. ‍ Alex graduated from Harvard Law School and the University of Texas. She is originally from Monterrey, Mexico and lives in Charlotte, NC, with her three daughters and her husband. Chris has 25 years of business and technology leadership experience in both early-stage, high-growth startups and large, global banks. He developed expertise in digital banking and consumer payment systems with over 15 years of leading distributed technology and product teams. His transition to entrepreneurship most recently included co-founding and leading startups over the last decade. Chris was the CEO and co-founder of Levvel, a US-based technology consulting firm focused on helping transform their clients’ businesses with strategic consulting and technical execution services. Endava acquired Levvel in 2021 to complement and accelerate Endava’s existing business in payments, banking, and mobility. Chris joined Endava as EVP in North America as part of the acquisition, leading one of Endava’s global client delivery organizations. He was responsible for the company’s engagements with financial services, banking, insurance, and payments clients in the region. Chris and his team helped their clients adopt next-generation technologies with Endava’s agile, multi-disciplinary capabilities to accelerate digital business initiatives. Before co-founding Levvel and joining Endava, Chris primarily focused on consumer banking and payments technology leadership at companies like Bank of America, TIAA, and FleetBoston Financial. https://www.vectari.ai Production Credits: ...
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    1 hr
  • AI in Action: TRaiCE’s Approach to Proactive Risk Management

    AI in Action: TRaiCE’s Approach to Proactive Risk Management
    Apr 24 2024
    In this episode of the Beyond the Build podcast, Host Kevin Carney discusses with Sony Gabriel and Joe Kurian, cofounders of TRaiCE, about their AI application in risk management. The discussion explores TRaiCE’s innovative approach to leveraging unstructured data from diverse sources like news, social media, and customer reviews to predict risks in real-time, offering a unique additive tool for risk managers. Key insights from the development of TRaiCE, its integration within the banking industry, and its future potential in financial risk assessment are highlighted. Key Takeaways: TRaiCE utilizes AI to transform unstructured data into a structured risk assessment tool, enhancing the proactive management of risks. The platform integrates seamlessly with existing banking processes, offering real-time updates and predictive insights without replacing current systems. TRaiCE is gaining traction globally, with applications in multiple financial sectors and plans for further expansion and product development. Learn more about our guests: Sony Gabriel brings over 25 years of dynamic experience in the IT industry, spanning diverse roles such as Pre-sales, Business Development, Marketing, Consulting, and Program Management. His expertise lies in the Telecom and Financial Services domains. Sony's journey includes contributions to product startups like Metratech Corp. (now part of Ericsson) and giants like IBM Global Services. He holds a Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Engineering and an Executive General Management Program from IIM Bangalore. Joe Kurian is a seasoned credit risk analytics professional with over 22 years of experience . He is one of the cofounders of TRaiCE Inc, a company that offers portfolio risk monitoring systems to business lenders using AI. Joe's extensive banking background includes working in institutions such as GE Capital, HSBC, Wells Fargo, and MUFG where he was responsible for building analytical infrastructure within credit risk management functions, loan originations strategy, model risk management and regulatory and internal audit preparedness. Joe holds a Masters degree in quantitative economics from IIT Bombay and M.S degree in computational and data science from Chapman University, California. https://www.traice.io/ Production Credits: Produced in partnership with Mistry Projects: https://mistryprojects.com/ Connect With Us on LinkedIn
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Aiming High: Catapult’s Quest to Slay RFP Dragons

    Aiming High: Catapult’s Quest to Slay RFP Dragons
    Mar 27 2024

    In this episode of the Beyond the Build podcast, hosted by Kevin Carney of Kingsmen Software, listeners get an insightful look into Catapult, a platform revolutionizing the RFP process for businesses. Justin Witz, co-founder and CEO of Catapult, shares the journey of developing a system that drastically reduces the time and complexity associated with RFPs. The discussion covers Catapult's beginnings, its impact on various industries, and how it uses AI to improve efficiency and decision-making. The episode also dives into the challenges and breakthroughs encountered while building an enterprise-quality software solution, highlighting Catapult's role in helping companies navigate the RFP process more effectively.

    Key Takeaways:

    · Revolutionizing RFPs: Catapult's journey to streamline the RFP and RFQ processes, making them more efficient and less time-consuming.

    · The Power of AI and Data Analytics: How Catapult leverages artificial intelligence to offer predictive insights, saving companies countless hours.

    · Global Impact and Industry Adaptation: With over $340 billion worth of RFPs processed, Catapult's significant footprint across multiple sectors including finance, healthcare, and technology.

    Learn more about our guest:

    Justin Witz, a seasoned U.S. Air Force veteran with experience in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, serves as the Co-Founder

    and CEO of Catapult HQ, Inc. This company offers a versatile Request for Proposal ("RFP") platform that accommodates various industries and project types, including RFPs, RFIs, RFQs, DDQs, Cybersecurity, Government, and more. Catapult HQ has garnered numerous awards both locally and globally, recognized as a leading startup to watch for its groundbreaking, time-saving technology, widely adopted by Fortune 500 companies. Catapult HQ streamlines the RFx workflow for organizations worldwide, achieving efficiency improvements of over 90% while standardizing their internal processes.

    Furthermore, Justin has earned widespread acclaim for his technological contributions, particularly in the Financial Services - Retirement sector. He has developed three Target Date Solutions for prominent institutions like AllianzGI, Merrill Lynch, and the highly successful Principal Financial Group's Target Date Analyzer. Additionally, he has crafted custom solutions for Vanguard, Nationwide, and other notable entities. His work has been featured in publications by Google, Atlassian, Balsamiq, Forbes, ASPPA's Plan Consultant Magazine, Bloomberg BNA, 401kWire, 401k Help Center, StartCharlotte, and the Charlotte Business Journal. Justin has also shared his expertise on a global stage, speaking at industry-related conferences hosted by Google, Atlassian, Startup Grind, NAPA, Excel 401(k), and CFDD, covering topics such as project management, team empowerment, collaboration, entrepreneurship, and more.

    Catapulthq.com

    Production Credits: Produced in partnership with Mistry Projects: https://mistryprojects.com/ Connect With Us on LinkedIn
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Growing Sales with Zinnia

    Growing Sales with Zinnia
    Feb 28 2024

    Summary:

    In this episode of Beyond the Build, Kevin Carney interviews Lauren Goodell, founder and CEO of Zinnia, an AI-powered relationship intelligence platform. They discuss how Zinnia integrates with your calendar to create short "dossiers" on people you're meeting, gathering insights to help you build connections. Lauren shares her background working at Microsoft and Salesforce before founding startups, and how Zinnia uses AI like GPT-3 to summarize information. They also talk about Zinnia's future roadmap including more personalization and fun features like facial recognition at events, lessons learned from quick iteration, and supporting female founders.

    Key Takeaways:

    · Zinnia creates short summaries on people you're meeting to help you make meaningful connections. It integrates with your calendar and gathers insights using AI.

    · Lauren believes in launching quickly and getting customer feedback early, avoiding perfectionism. She's incorporating learnings into Zinnia's future roadmap.

    · Organizations like Gwen (Growing Women Entrepreneurs Network) provide important support for female founders, who get only 1.9% of VC funding.

    Learn more about our guests:

    Lauren Goodell is the founder and CEO of Zinnia, is an innovative, AI-powered tool designed to revolutionize meeting preparation for sales professionals. She is celebrated as one of the "100 Women to KNOW in America," by JPMorgan Chase and Top 25 Women in Business by

    Charlotte Business Journal for her influential and commendable contributions in entrepreneurship and community building. From her corporate experience at Microsoft and Salesforce, to her entrepreneurial journey, her focus has centered on the power of human connection.

    -----

    Production Credits: Produced in partnership with Mistry Projects: https://mistryprojects.com/

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    46 mins
  • Move on Up with Undergrads

    Move on Up with Undergrads
    Jan 31 2024
    Summary:   In this episode of the Beyond the Build podcast, host Kevin Carney engages in a dynamic conversation with Tom Mumford and Chris Dyer, co-founders of Undergrads. The episode explores the journey of Undergrads, a unique marketplace connecting college students looking for part-time work with businesses and individuals in need of temporary help. From its inception as a simple idea at Clemson University, Undergrads has evolved into a booming business, expanding into multiple markets across the U.S. and diversifying into sectors like hospitality and event staffing. The founders discuss the challenges and triumphs of entrepreneurship, their innovative approach to scaling the business, and their vision for Undergrads' future. This episode offers valuable insights into starting and growing a business, the importance of adaptability, and the potential of harnessing technology for business efficiency!  Watch the episode: https://youtu.be/WYGo5034QJE    Learn more about our guests: As co-founders of Undergrads.com, Tom and Chris pioneered a marketplace connecting businesses with college students for on-demand premium talent in the hospitality and moving sector.    Undergrads was bootstrapped while both attended Clemson University pursuing degrees in Industrial Engineering. Utilizing Craigslist and no-code platforms, Tom and Chris were able to find product market fit in their early days while doing the jobs themselves. Since 2020, they have scaled the Undergrads platform to 14 markets across NC, SC, TX, FL, KY, and NV helping thousands of college students collectively earn millions of dollars around their class schedules.  Undergrads not only benefits the students who work flexibly around their class schedules, but also the businesses that now have access to premium front-of-house talent from an otherwise under-served talent pool. Businesses can utilize students as event server, bartenders, bussers, or general labor to help facilitate their large events—such as The Super Bowl or US F1 Grand Prix.  https://undergrads.com/ Connect With Us on LinkedIn
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    42 mins
  • Beyond Tasks: Reinventing Project Management with Leantime

    Beyond Tasks: Reinventing Project Management with Leantime
    Nov 29 2023

    Summary: 

    In this insightful episode of the Beyond the Building podcast, host Kevin Carney sits down with Gloria Folaron, the founder and CEO of Lean Time. The episode delves into the unique approach Lean Time brings to project management software, aiming to create a system that people genuinely want to use.

     

    Key Topics:

    1. Gloria's Background: From an ER nurse to an alpaca farmer, Gloria's diverse experiences have shaped her innovative approach to project management.
    2. Lean Time's Philosophy: Focused on using behavioral science and motivational psychology, Lean Time is designed to intrinsically motivate users, prioritizing goals and strategy over mere task execution.
    3. Impact of ADHD: Gloria shares personal insights on how ADHD influenced her vision for Lean Time, emphasizing cognitive accessibility and motivation.
    4. The Challenge with Traditional Project Management: Discussion about the limitations and inconsistencies in traditional project management methodologies.
    5. Future Plans: Gloria discusses upcoming features, integrations, and growth strategies for Lean Time, including fundraising efforts and participation in accelerator programs.

     

    Learn more about our guests:

    Gloria Folaron, Founder & Head of Product of Leantime

    Little unknowns about Gloria include her experiences in using old school floor looms to weave baby carriers out of the alpaca fibers that Marcel was wrangling. Her background is as a ER and research nurse but has spent the most recent years as a project and product manager in tech focused startups.

    https://www.kingsmensoftware.com/beyond-the-build-podcast/leantime

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    1 hr and 18 mins