In 2020, a couple of bright and compassionate Yale students decided to do something about the captive $1.2B prisons telecommunications industry. They founded technology nonprofit, Ameelio, to provide free communication tools for incarcerated people to connect with their families and loved ones. Learn from Co-Founder, Uzoma Orchingwa, on: How Ameelio is decoupling incarceration and profit Overcoming technical hurdles of providing free communications The value of human connection...
Feb 02, 2021•18 min•Season 1Ep. 14
In the United States, 93% of people who experienced police brutality, but did not report it. The independent service, Raheem, is working to change that. Raheem builds tools for communities to report and track police, and leverages open complaint data to find ways to respond to conflict with care. In this episode, learn important insights from Founder, Brandon D. Anderson, on: Ending policy terror against Black people in the United States Building a team of incredible organizers, policy experts, ...
Jan 26, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Michael Rangel, Founder and CEO of Novo, believes all founders are a little outrageous. But that didn't stop him from creating Novo, a powerfully simple banking platform built for the modern entrepreneur. Since its founding, Novo has experienced fast growth and continues to do so, even during a pandemic. It’s a big credit to their laser focus on customer experience. Learn about: The process behind Michel founding Novo Why Novo chose to become a B2B vs. B2C banking platform The challenges of buil...
Jan 18, 2021•25 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Code for America believes the two biggest levers for improving people’s lives at scale are technology and government. Since 2011, the non-profit organization has been helping state and local governments serve communities better to ensure that technology is simple, fast, and effective. In this episode, CEO, Amanda Renteria, shares how their team of techies and social justice activists do just that. Listen to learn: How to solve problems with human-centric systems and processes What's needed to bu...
Jan 12, 2021•35 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Sit Down Startup is made by us, Zendesk. We were once a scrappy startup (and we’ve got the kitchen bench we were born on to prove it). Now, we help all kinds of startups, baby to big, build the best customer experiences. Support, sales, or something in between, let us lend a hand in providing a solution that’s mightiest for you.
Jan 11, 2021•41 sec•Season 1Ep. 11
In 2020, Forbes Cloud 100 list is at its most impressive, with a record 87 companies valued at $1 billion or more. In this episode, we sit down (virtually) for a candid chat with two Cloud 100 leaders. Hear Archana Agrawal, Chief Marketing Officer at Airtable, and JD Peterson, Chief Growth Officer at Culture Amp in conversation with Zendesk CFO, Elena Gomez. Get lessons on: The unexpected acceleration of the cloud and SaaS in 2020 Challenges of building a high growth cloud company How investment...
Oct 22, 2020•42 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Lessonly is powerfully simple software that helps teams learn. Co-Founder and CEO Max Yoder chats with Zendesk’s Tiffany Apczynski on all things empathy. They explore how education can be used to build the new generation of leaders that the world needs. Tune in to hear the pair talk: Tying ROI and behavioral change to software How to boost confidence and competence with communication Living whatever you’re asking your team to do Letting go of perfectionism and tapping into play...
Aug 28, 2020•43 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Mindler believes that everyone should have access to mental health services. In this episode, Mindler COO, Magnus Pettersson sits down with Zendesk’s Warren Levitan at a time when distress is on the rise. They chat about the importance of the first interaction with customers, and defining best in class CX in the world of startups and mental health. Listen to learn: The journey towards making mental health accessible remotely How customer experience can plays a role in their services and the impo...
Aug 28, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 8
CodeSignal is the first company to build an objective skills-based platform for recruiters and employers. In this episode, Co-Founder, Sophie Baik, chats with Ryan Nichols of Zendesk, about avoiding biases, and pivoting business strategy based on customer feedback. Listen in to learn: How to hire an effective remote team Why bias in the hiring process can damage startup culture The value of listening to customer feedback
Aug 17, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Zenni Optical’s Chief Product Officer, Bai Gan, sits down with Kristen Durham of Zendesk—from their remote home offices in California. The pair chat about Zenni Optical’s growth journey, from the days of building a bootstrap startup to navigating the tides of 2020. In this episode, find out: How to listen to your customers in order to predict trends The importance of investing in a direct to consumer strategy Lessons on building a business during the dot com crisis...
Aug 17, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Lemlist is an email outreach platform helping sales teams, agencies, and B2B businesses stand out in a crowded inbox. Speaking across the pond, France-based CEO and Co-Founder, Guillaume Moubeche, is in conversation with Prelini Udayan-Chiechi, Zendesk’s VP of Marketing, EMEA in London. Together, they chat about: - Prospecting techniques, and the “right time” to reach out—even during a pandemic - The undervalued power of empathy in sales - Aligning sales and support strategies...
Jul 24, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Anthony Kelly is the Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer of Glofox, an intuitive gym management software solution, which enables entrepreneurs to grow their own fitness business. From his home office in Dublin, Anthony chats with Zendesk’s Chief Marketing Officer (and fitness lover), Jeff Titterton. They discuss delivering experiences in a shifting world, including: - Anthony’s tried-and-tested motto: “When the customer wins, we all win” - Why the virtual fitness format is here to stay - How G...
Jul 24, 2020•23 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Tymeshift’s Chief Brand Officer, Elisa Reggiardo, sits down with Zendesk’s Senior Director of Content and Event Marketing, Sarah Reed. While continents apart, the pair catch up on: Why support gets deprioritized by founders, and the power of support leaders driving efficient and engaged teams The unique startup challenge: balancing team culture with growth and change Making the most of workforce management solutions to build teams of all sizes
Jun 30, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Derek Andersen is the Co-Founder and CEO of Startup Grind, a global community for educating and connecting entrepreneurs. He chats with Marcio Arnecke, Zendesk’s VP of Regional Marketing AMER, on the value of investing in community, especially in a post-COVID world.
Jun 30, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Aura Founder and CEO, James Gutierrez, sits down with Zendesk CFO, Elena Gomez, to share Aura’s mission to provide affordable, credit-building loans to working families in America. While pretending to sip cortados in a coffee shop, they chat: James’s personal journey building Aura, and his motivation to open doors for low-income families Adapting to COVID-19 by arming customers with “moral collateral”, making customer experiences more digital, and offering “pay what you can” options Leading with...
Jun 26, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 1
