Republic cofounder Ken Nguyen made the unlikely journey from general counsel and a law career to entrepreneur. In creating an investment platform for individual small investors, he seeks to democratize wealth. His company partners with Techstars and other investment platforms to connect startups with capital, one investor at a time. It’s a mission that he and every member of his team is passionate about.

“When it comes to hiring,” explains Ken, “it's about how much that person sitting across the table believes in what you do and whether she has a superpower that you think down the road, a company can leverage, whether it's content, whether it's engineering, whether it's community building.”

Listen to Ken’s story about how he found his way back to New York to reimagine the investment industry and make it accessible to everyone. He tells his fellow entrepreneurs about the value of doing something you believe in, the importance of navigating human dynamics, and the most effective way to solicit and process advice.

Follow Ken on Twitter: @kendrickesq

Follow Republic on Twitter: @JoinRepublic

Follow Jenny on Twitter: @jefielding

Techstars personnel and/or guests who speak in this podcast express their own opinions, and not the opinion of either Techstars or any company discussed in this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities are for illustrative and/or informational purposes only and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investor or prospective investor, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by Techstars. Certain of Techstars funds own (or may own in the future) securities in some of the companies discussed in this podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Cru founder Tiffany Dufu has dedicated her life to “advancing women and girls,” harnessing their ingenuity and talent for global benefit. The Cru matches circles of women who collaborate, both online and in person, to meet their life goals. Tiffany was lucky to have her own crew of supportive women around her and she wanted to create this kind of network for fellow women entrepreneurs.

“At the end of the day,” says Tiffany, “the most important part of my journey was a crew. It was recognizing that I couldn't do this by myself.” She explains that although women have family, friends, and coworkers all around them, they often view their “personal and professional journeys as if it’s a solo endeavor, not a team sport.”

Listen to Tiffany’s story about overcoming the odds of being a Woman of Color startup founder, the valuable lessons in her book, “Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less,” and how Cru members want a platform that fosters intentionality, accountability, and commitment.

Follow Tiffany Dufu on Twitter: @tdufu

Follow The Cru on Twitter: @findyourcru

Follow Jenny Fielding on Twitter: @jefielding

Techstars personnel and/or guests who speak in this podcast express their own opinions, and not the opinion of either Techstars or any company discussed in this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities are for illustrative and/or informational purposes only and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investor or prospective investor, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by Techstars. Certain of Techstars funds own (or may own in the future) securities in some of the companies discussed in this podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a startup in the frontier market of cryptocurrency, Chainalysis made a name for themselves as a government investigation service for cryptocurrency. Graduates of the New York Barclays Accelerator, powered by Techstars, they now provide cryptocurrency analysis that helps organizations manage risk in cryptocurrency markets to expand its possibilities. Cofounder Jonathan Levin explains that the key to startup growth is to “double down on where you're finding that product market fit in the early days and understand why people are buying from you.”

Jonathan talks about being excited by your vision, having a passion for solving a global problem, and the challenges of finding investors in a frontier market. He explains the importance of building upon your initial customers, knowing when to hire your first product and HR managers, and "building a great culture of people who are deeply mission-focused."

Techstars personnel and/or guests who speak in this podcast express their own opinions, and not the opinion of either Techstars or any company discussed in this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities are for illustrative and/or informational purposes only and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investor or prospective investor, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by Techstars. Certain of Techstars funds own (or may own in the future) securities in some of the companies discussed in this podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.