Join us in our digital den and immerse yourself in the inspiration born from exploring the hidden narratives and inevitable plot twists that shape every compelling startup journey.
The Bearhug Experience Podcast
(#12) Maria Khokhlova: TraceAir, Construction Acceleration, Laser Physics to Moving Dirt on Construction Sites, Resilience, Flexibility, Merging Cultures, Joy Projects & The Power of Deep Empathy.
Maria Khokhlova is the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at TraceAir, a sitework intelligence platform for Land Developers and Homebuilders. TraceAir is the #1 provider of construction site analysis and management solutions for sitework. TraceAir’s cutting-edge technology helps builders save time and money by improving efficiency, and introduces radical transparency into the process while reducing the risk of errors or delays. Before devoting her work to TraceAir, Maria did a Ph.D. in laser physics, while also running a custom development software studio. She’s now on a mission that goes far beyond empowering land development and construction teams; it’s about positively impacting society at large by providing developers with tools and data to build better infrastructure and communities faster.
(#11) Aaron Rubens: Kudoboard, Celebrating Moments That Matter At Work, Building Products that Deliver Joy, Gratitude & Appreciation At Scale, Staying Capital Efficient & Riding Viral Waves.
Aaron Rubens is the Co-Founder & CEO of Kudoboard. An online workplace appreciation software that’s helping tens of millions of people every day at top companies globally, work harder, and stick around longer, thanks to feeling more appreciated at work. Aaron graduated from Tulane University, after becoming a high school math teacher through Teach for America. After teaching, he led the creation of Khan Academy’s White House-sponsored 4-year college admissions technology resource, for low-income, high potential students. From there, he got his MBA from Harvard Business School, and went on to build Kudoboard, growing it into the incredible cash-efficient enterprise it's become today.
(#10) Phil Dur: PeakSpan Capital, GTM Mechanization, Capital Efficiency, Responsible Value Creation, Pragmatic Optimism, Optionality, Alignment & The Power of Infectious Charisma.
Phil Dur is the Co-Founder & Managing Partner of PeakSpan Capital, a growth equity firm with over $1.5B in AUM (Assets Under Management) based in New York City and San Mateo, CA. In addition to being a graduate of Princeton University and the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Phil has served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve and has been a software investor for 25 years, serving on the board of over forty growth stage companies. Prior to PeakSpan, Phil worked at Investor Growth Capital and Morgan Stanley Venture Partners on the technology and software investment teams. He’s also a graduate of two culinary arts schools, an avid tennis player, runner, husband, father, dog lover, and an infectiously charismatic leader.
(#8) Spencer Dusebout: Aidium, PropTech, Radical Self-Awareness & Objectivity in Business, Strong Convictions, Running Into Brick Walls & The Relentless Pursuit of Solving Hard Problems.
Spencer Dusebout, a serial entrepreneur, and the Founder, and CEO of Aidium, a software platform that helps mortgage professionals automate their lead conversion, transaction management, and client retention workflows and has become one of the fastest growing software companies in the prop-tech sector. Prior to starting Aidum, Spencer co founded Hands4Others a youth based non-profit aspiring to solve the world's water crisis – an idea that started on the back of a napkin, and became an international movement that provided safe water to people in 17 countries around the world. As a technologist at heart, Spencer has spent the last decade building and selling software companies spanning predictive data, machine learning, and enterprise software. He’s also a sought after speaker having graced the stage of the TED conference twice.
(#6) Samantha Burns: 3D Imaging in Land Development & Residential Construction, Challenging the Status Quo, Battling Imposter Syndrome, Scrappiness & The Superpower of Translation.
Samantha Burns, a distinguished marketing leader with over 15 years of experience in the construction industry, and the Head of Marketing at TraceAir. TraceAir is a leading Construction Technology platform that specializes in providing rapid and precise 3D data to home builders and land developers, aiming to revolutionize residential construction workflows and processes. Samantha’s current focus is on driving growth, educating the market, and enhancing engagement for TraceAir's core audience. In addition to shaping the narrative of construction marketing and empowering others to thrive in this ever-evolving landscape, she is dedicated to establishing the company as the foremost technology operating system for home builders, empowering them to operate with more speed, accuracy, and efficiency.