Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Christopher Gray.
He is the CEO and co-founder of Path, an AI-powered platform transforming
the way students and professionals prepare for critical exams. Path is an AI-powered platform transforming the way students and professionals prepare for critical exams. Path provides unlimited practice questions, full-length exams, and personalized study plans for professional certifications in IT, cybersecurity, and healthcare, including CompTIA Security+, CompTIA A+, Microsoft Azure Fundamentals, and key healthcare certifications. It also supports students preparing for college admissions exams such as the SAT, ACT, GED, LSAT, GMAT, and more. By making high-quality test prep accessible and affordable, Path empowers learners from diverse backgrounds to achieve their professional and academic goals.
Before Path, Christopher co-founded Scholly, an app designed to help students easily find scholarships for college and graduates pay off student debt. Scholly gained national attention on ABC’s Shark Tank, securing a deal with Daymond John and Lori Greiner while sparking the biggest debate in the show’s history. With over 5 million users, Scholly has helped students secure more than $100 million in scholarships. The app’s success led to its acquisition by Sallie Mae, furthering its mission to reach and support even more students.
Christopher also serves on the Board of Directors of Camelback Ventures, an organization
dedicated to supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs in education and social impact.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Rushan McDonald. Our host is weekly Money Making
Conversation Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this show
provides are for everyone. It's time to stop reading other
people's success stories and start.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Living your own.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
If you want to be a guest on my show,
please visit our website, Moneymakingconversations dot com and click the
be a Guest button to submit your information. Now let's
get this show started.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
My guest is the CEO and co founder of Path.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Path provides tests, preparation tools for unlimited practice questions, full
length exams, and personalized study plans for professional certification and IT, cybersecurity,
and healthcare and many more. And it also supports students
preparing for college mission exams such as SAT ACT, ged
(00:49):
L SAT and gm AT and many more. We got
a lot to talk about. Please welcome to Money Making
Conversation Masterclass. Christopher Gray. How you doing Christopher?
Speaker 3 (01:00):
And good Man? Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
First of all, Man, I've done a lot of interviews
with people. They talk about S A T, they talk
about a C T. Man, you stepped over to the
mountaintop with your your program. When I hear certification and
I T certification healthcare certification in the UH in cybersecurity
plus G ed L S A T.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
G M A T man. That's a lot going on.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
How did you in a in a in a short
short conversation, tell us how did you envision this particular app.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Right, So, the way the way I kind of see
path is that what we're trying to do is historically
they think like the A C T S, A T G,
MATT LSAD come to you and collects all these exams
like really are make or break kind of make or
break students and the ability to get into the college
they want to, but also scholarships. Right, you have a
(01:55):
new administration actually which is pushing for the reinstatement of
these different of these exams and reliance on these exams,
you know, for the excuse of a merit based rhetography.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
But the problem is all with differentiates the.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
Wealthy students and middle and lower midlitized students from being
a due wellness test of preparation.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
You can go to capital in and.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
Pay two three thousand dollars just to prepare for one
of these tests. Most low income people of color cannot
afford that, so they tend to not do well. Right,
so we thought with AI being at the forefront of
everything right now, we were able to kind of tackle
this problem. Use AI to generate the same quality content
that you would get at any of these other other platforms,
and able to do it for extremely cheap and put
(02:39):
all of the exams on the one roof so you
don't have to go and pay for all these different things.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Right, So, our goal is really about education accessible.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
And affordability, but in reality is the highest impact is
that these tests have been historically been massive, various kids
getting into selective schools or getting scholarships that they want
simply because students can't practice enough and be able to
do that. And then with entry level jobs like comp
tier certifications, again same thing super expensive and it's a
(03:06):
huge barrier for a lot of people.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
And that's what we're trying to address.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Well, thank you for explaining that to me, because of
the fact that my show Money Making Conversation Massacres is
trying to bring down those barriers with information and you're
the type of person that I try to connect the
dots with. Now, when you talk about you know, the
traditional online and traditional app.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Base, they usually just do sat act.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
How were you able to go beyond that because that's
the game change and for me, that's the reason I
have on this show. And let's start with the certification
part of your app, which is the IT, cyber and
healthcare just to name a few.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
Yeah, so the reason why we're able to do everything
is to use generative AI. Right, we don't have to
go in automatic, we don't have to go in custom
create all these different exam. AI allows us to give
out we get weird to give our use unlimited practice exams,
unlimited practice questions, in depth, step by self solutions, and
we can predict what you're gonna make for you take
(04:11):
the test, which is the big thing. Right, So you
don't even need to go and take the acat LSADG
MAT or cybersecurity exam if you don't know if you're
going to pass it. It's like come Tia security plus
it's four hundred dollars just to take the exam. So
if you don't pass your first track, you got to
pay another four hundred dollars. And then that's just for
one of them. They're like fourteen different COMPTI asserts. Right,
(04:31):
so if you and to do their prep, it's like
five hundred dollars. You look at nine hundred dollars just
to pass this test, right, so if you don't pass
the first time, you have to do it again. And
you know with cybersecurity jobs being really key, So the
reason why we focus a lot on our professional certification
side on it and healthcare because those are two of
the most in demand fields that are always gone. So
(04:51):
we do in collects so our ns, we do CNA
exams you want to be a nurse. We also have
practice so for people that want to become teachers, because
I don't know, if you know, only four twenty four percent.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Of teachers actually passed to practical the first.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Try, and a lot of students of color who become
teachers don't actually takes them three to five times to
pass it. Sometimes they just stop, you know. So we
are literally have the inability to prepare for the practice
exam has caused a teacher shortage in our economy. Come
TIA is I mean you can go and get jobs
in the federal workforce or entry level jobs who's out
(05:23):
a degree? You have to come TIA certification. So when
you look at people earning more money, so imagine someone
who doesn't have a degree just went to high school,
had the ged. All they need to do is, you know,
pass this exam and they can go out make an
eighty starting salary eighty to one hundred K a year, right,
So that's what we're trying to do. That's why it's
so important to do that. But because we're able to
use Generator that we are able to be able to
(05:43):
compass all these different exams, be able to help as
many people as possible, give them as much practice as
they need. And the biggest thing that people like about
PATH is that we're letting them know they're going to
pass where they take the test, So they're like, hey,
I'm about to go and take the test about knowing
they're going to pass. So we're so being able to
do that by default we save them money when more
most people don't pass come Field the first time, so
it's like they're likely spending almost eight hundred to one
(06:04):
thousand dollars, so we're cutting We're saving all of these
people thousands of dollars and ensuring they pass the exams,
which which makes especially low income people of color be
able to pass these exams, being able to get these
certifications and get the jobs they need without having to wait,
you know, to make extra money just to keep taking
these exams over and over and over again.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Open their path.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
As you speak, Christopher, I get more and more excited
about what you're talking about.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
I'm talking to Christopher Gray.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
He's the CEO and co founder of Path and AI
power platform transforming away students and professional prefare for critical exams. Now,
let's talk about where can we find path or is
there an app for a path?
Speaker 4 (06:46):
So Path, you can go to our website yourpath dot
ai again.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
So your path while you while your path.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Yes and yep, your path dot ai or just google
path test prep and we'll come right up. So go
on Google Google Path test prep will come up. Google
Path AI test Prep will come up right away, and
then you'll you'll be direct to our platform so and
so and just for just for example, like you go
to kaplan to stay for the act and act and
you have to pay for different ones. It's like twelve
(07:16):
hundred dollars, sixty dollars or you can pay ten dollars
a month, so we are.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Usually sixty dollars. Did you say sixty dollars?
Speaker 4 (07:25):
Yeah exactly, So yeah, I don cost then and then
when I look at and through comp to you have
about twelve different certifications to prepare for each of them,
five hundred dollars for each preparation surgery, and then sixty
dollars you get a prep for all of them.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
So you're saving literally.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Thousands, let's say just put it out there, thousands of
dollars preparing for jobs that can change your lifestyle and
your future.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Within that, what's the preparation time?
Speaker 1 (07:54):
When you go and walk us through the steps of
somebody who's interested in certification for SAT but let's go
to I T I T certification, what's the what's the process?
Speaker 4 (08:05):
So a lot of people you want to you want
to prepare for the course. So the BEAUTI A certificse
you get the certification. That's a step that you know
this mas heire and that can just get you the job. Right,
So that's why it's really really important. So the step
is that you want to prepare for the prepare do
like cybersecurity courses. Either you can do it in college,
community you can do a poor universities community college, you
can stand on your own.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
That's the beau the of it. Right.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
A lot of times you don't actually need to go
to college to get certified in these exams, Like it's
like the college courses actually teaching get certified because you
can go and get the degree. But you have a certification,
it doesn't matter, right. So so you so you want
to take a course on cybersecurity. Then you want to
take enough to where you are able to be prepared
to take to come tea exam. You know the different
and you and now they have Microsoft for jeer because
(08:47):
I just come teas Microsoft for a Zure AWS, that's all.
And we have a Zure and AWS and are on
our platform too. We have all of them. So you
want to be able to take the exam. So what
you do is you take the course, then you go
and try to certification the goals that you passing your
first stry right, you're able to get the certification. Then
when you're then in your job search, you're able to
like just go to any search or any job that
(09:09):
require comes to you and you're able to pofit. Those jobs. Again,
you don't even need a degree. So if you're able
to get those certifications, you're able to do that. And
what's happening with it specifically is that AI is making
cybersecurity and IT jobs go way up, right because now
we need that AI is running around with AI agents
doing this, AII just taking your credit card like all
this impersonating people. There's going to be more of a
(09:31):
need of cybersecurity certification. So that's one reason why come
to you said we're going to come, you know, get
the come to your certification. Brother used to be one
fifty dollars. This year they made a four hundred. They said, look,
we know y'all need this, so we go, we go
make more money. Right, so we're seeing like that search.
So that's the process. You find a way to educate
yourself on cybersecurity, prepare to take the exam, and then
(09:53):
get the certification. Paths in the middle where we're helping
you prepare for the exam so you can get the
certification and as many and may ensure that you pass
on here first try saving you money and just make
sure you get the job. And then we're also going
to evolve into other things as well, because a lot
of so because you could take one IT exam, but
you have to take others, like sometimes you need three
certificase the more you have, the better we have. So
(10:14):
we put all that on one platform and make sure
that if your job said, oh this is great, but
to get this.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Promotion, you need Azure. You need a that we had
people want to get better.
Speaker 5 (10:23):
Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more
Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money Making
Conversations Masterclass, hosted by Rashaan McDonald.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
I'm talking to Christopher Grave.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
If you're hearing this information and you're like, wow, I
gotta find out where this is a go to your
path dot ai that's your why. Oh you arepath dot
ai and you get more information. Hey, Christopher, when I
when I talk about this process because AI just popped
on the scene recently, it's been around, but everybody's talking
about it, like just by the last couple of years.
(11:15):
When did you launch this company and when did you
introduce AI into the process.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
So, actually just lost it last year, so August of
last year. So so, but I came off my other company,
Scholarly with health students find money for college. So I
sold that company a year and a half ago then
started this company. So it's just been around a year
so and we've had a lot of success. We had
thousands and thousands of people used the platform passing their
example on the first try. We have people getting increasing
(11:41):
their att score, increasing that school. We have schools using
the platform. We have like cybersecurity becomings in the platform,
have universities using the platform.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
So and you can you could just go and get
it yourself too. You don't.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
You don't need to be a part of an organization
to get it. But the idea is that we saw
this problem and we saw that nobody of using this problem,
using AI to solve this problem. We saw that everything
in the market is like charging students thousands of dollars.
And the reason they do it, they're like, we know
you're going to pay us because we know that you
are associating this purchase with like a higher income. Right,
(12:13):
so we know that if you pay us three thousand
dollars you're going to make you know you're going to
go and we're unlocking one hundred thousand dollars a year
for a year or something like that.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Right.
Speaker 4 (12:21):
But the thing is, at the same time, of course,
when people of color are not you know, that's the
that's the So the thing about this AI race is
that at the end of the day, as trained on something.
And when you have people who think like that, they're thinking, oh,
they're thinking they're brothers. They're thinking of people that look
like them, that come from the same background they come from.
Who can afford to pay three thousand dollars, right, take
(12:42):
a a person of color, we from a little arge background.
I have another lens where Okay, I see how this
stuff is just as important as you are. But I
know that not only do I want to make this
more affordable, but actually, from a financial perspective, it's better
business to make this more affortable because I get to
take your market and I get a larger market people,
So I end up making more money and helping more
people that would not have been able for that's not able.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
To afford that.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
And for context, when I was in high school, I
have to go carry these little big att books around
and you got like one or two practice and then
once that you didn't there's nothing else and you have
to like go and buy another course. And then my mom,
you know, we can afford twove hundred dollars to pay
for a prins to review and all that stuff.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
So that was a big barrier.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
Right, So now if I have paths, I can just
do a study as many times I want predict when
I run to take the exam and then be able
to do better. So you're gonna, I think we're going
to see that. I you know, everyone's trying to figure
out how do we fight or go again, you know,
do what we need to do for this new administration.
And I think that if they bring up college, if
they reinstate college interest exams or become more certification, because
(13:45):
you know, they've already said they're going to try to
re allow pilgramts to be used for like boot camps
and other things.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
So that's already got to happen.
Speaker 4 (13:53):
So we want to make sure that we're at the
forefront when when they're coming back and saying you need
to make this score to get into college, to get
this college, you need to this certification. We want to
be on the forefront of that using AI to make
sure that our people can get these certifications, get into
college and still not have to pay thousands.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
Of dollars, you know, and having that be a barrier.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
First of all, Christopher, you're a good communicator that helps
and to convey this message. But let me give more
detail on this because of the fact that you said, Rishan,
why are you excited about PATH? Because I do a
lot of sat ACT interviews and those are about youth.
That's about teenagers and parents trying to encourage them for
a better.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Life, which is fantastic. It never really talks.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
About adults because adults are moved on where the PATH
program gives you certification opportunities and what I call adult
jobs where they may not want to go to college.
They may have graduated from high school already and they
can go in get their GA d j ED.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
If they didn't graduate, they can go in and.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Get it, certification of cyber certification, healthcare certification. All these
things are important. If you an adult listening to this now, they.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Still do the A set, they still do the ACT.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
If you're a parent and you want to get your
child involved in academic training for these test scores, they
do that. I don't want to leave that part of
their program off because that's very important. But I also
know that this is a program that young adults, adults
in their thirties, people want to do career changes can
take advantage of what PATH is bringing to the table.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Am I correcting what I'm saying there.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Christopher, exactly. And also if you're going to grad school,
we cover g e G.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
MATT, LSAT and MCAT too, So like if people are
going to grad school, that's the big thing, and that's
actually those tests are more expensive to study more than
any of them. Right, So if you want to be
a lawyer, if you want to go to grad school,
if you want to Jerry, if you want to go
to business school, if you want to go to med school,
we help that. We cover that too. And it's exactly
as you said, right, like we our goal is to
(15:55):
give the same quality content but reducing the price to
make that more for it, but also helping people out.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
And I do believe that we're moving.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
To a more skill certification based society where like a
certific being able to be certified and something is going
to mean more than a degree because we're seeing that
there are people with your degree so they went to
this X amount school and then come in and can't
really do anything. So like you know, versus their people
who didn't go to college, who actually spent four years
learning a skill, who are being certified as something, you know,
(16:26):
it end up being more valuable.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
So let me ask you this question to your scholar right,
scholars scholarly right.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
Yeah, schli was my company that I used to have.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Yeah, okay, cool, Now that was successful for you and
there's the same academic So it gave you the basis
for path right, it gave you the foundation and the
credibility to achieve the levels of certification and approved certification
that you are using now on path.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Am I correct in saying.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
That, yep, yep, okay cool.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
Now you're on Shark Tank. Why did you go on
Shark Tank?
Speaker 4 (16:59):
I went on at the college students and I was
graduating graduate in college my senior year and I went
on shark I mean it was the visibility I was
able to get Damon John and Logan here and investors
and I don't know if you know, but like we
you Sarty the biggest fight in Shark tank history, which.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
Ended up going viral. You know, we just had tom
success from that.
Speaker 4 (17:18):
But you know, shark Tank at the time, you know,
at that that was the peak when you got like
ten million views. That's like six seven million dollars that
you Yeah, so, and most founders would have to raise
capital to spend to get that. So, so Shark tank
was just great and put us on the map.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
It gave like instant.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Grand brand credibility and you know, you know, you may
have heard it here first, but there's the chance I
may be doing it again.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
So really, really, I've got to ask you, Christal, your
platform sounds fantastic.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
They feel like they're generating the revenue.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Why would you want to go on a show and
give a part of your your equity for feet when
it seems like you can you can generate the revenue yourself.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
I think it depends on how fast you want to grow.
I think it depends on I'm scaling and end up
being a little bit of teachers in terms of like
if I want to do it or not. But I think,
but I think you're right. But I think and I
think that that's another conversation that's happening in the age
of AI right now. You can build a strong business
and it can be extremely profitable with very with a
minimal head count, very little and very little money because
(18:27):
now a lot of marketing and brand stuff, Like I
have you how many ass I've seen that are like
AI actors that are like and I'm thinking they're real people, right,
you know, there's so much happening, so you can spend
so little to start a company. Now you're seeing all
over in the startup community their company making twenty thirty
million dollars with ten people like right, like, So, I
think you're right in the sense that you know, we're
(18:48):
moving into a world where you can build a big business.
It can make a lot of money. You don't need
to do because people don't get the downsides of raising
capital because people get, oh, I raised as much money.
I'm I'm not, but they don't know. Once you get to.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
Looted to you, you get aboard you.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
Then you are selling knowledge on your equity, but you're
selling the right to determine when you sell your company.
So somebody can say, oh, oh here, you got one
hundred million dollar offer to someone to buy your company.
You may make sixty million from that. But the VC
who you raised twenty million from, say, you know what,
I got a three hundred million dollar fund that doesn't
return my fund, So I'm going to block this deal
(19:26):
and make you work another five years, so that BC
just you just so it's like a fautistic bargaining with
a devil's contract, where you you got all this person's money, right,
and they gave you money. They gave you like a
lot of money, so you got to do it. To say,
but in exchange, you're also giving them the right to
determine when you generate well for yourself. And that's what
you're giving up, and that's not a good place to
(19:46):
be in. And I will tell you I have friends
who have had to turn down millions of dollars simply
because their investor said this is not enough. It would
have been life changing for them, but then that's like, well,
this doesn't return my fund. So so I think you're right,
you you it, you really need the exposure and the capital,
do it because some parts you need it. But just
but I think today you just got to make sure
because you're right, you are giving a lot of your
(20:08):
company and people don't get the the.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
Detail, the legal details that go into those deals.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
The next thing, they don't want to put a board
in place. Next thing, you know, they're gonna boot you out.
You be worried about that, man, they vot you out
of your own company, Okay.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Exactly, Yeah, I'm happy.
Speaker 4 (20:21):
Yeah, I'm happy you tell people that because that's a
big thing that no one knows like you can get
booted out your own company, and.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
They say the word board get nervous.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
Yeah, so literally like I that that is if you
when you are negotiating any deal, you want to avoid
a board or as long as possible, like raise when
you have the leverage, because when you get a board,
it's not even when you're giving up the equity. When
you get a board, you are no longer in charge
of your own company. Like some BC who got like
(20:50):
an NBA who's never built anything in there in their life,
is going to tell you that if you don't do this,
if you don't make this decision, I'm gonna do this.
It becomes you have people like you can fall out
with the book like they can. Somebody can just not
like you. Someone can do the person who you raise
money profit can switch them out. They're people who just
like they could just block a decision of ego. They
(21:10):
could say, well, you know, I'll take this company, so
you can't do this.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
You can't.
Speaker 4 (21:13):
They can turn with you yourself. So if you got
two kids and you need a payers all day, right, no,
you can. It gets very and people don't talk about that.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
People.
Speaker 4 (21:21):
You know, there was the CEO Uber who got booted
out his company. Right, that was the big deal. You know,
you've seen it happen a lot. And you know, something
my zerker Berg did that nobody knew was that he
actually kept he kept a lot of his he had
he got a board, but he had a lot of
protections where he basically essentially had a board but no
one can outvote him.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
Basically, it was like, okay, you have a board.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
But you know, Christopher, a lot of people don't know that. Something.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
When people invest in your company and they bring up
the word board, they try to put a majority seats
that they own. So if the board members are five,
they might say we want three seats exactly yep.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
And because and they do that alongside the other investments.
When you're raising money, you're not like raiding from one firm.
So in their mind, hey, you're the found that's operating
the business, but we are collectively giving money to the business,
and we want more board teath because we and we're
giving you money, but we need the power to protect
our investments, right right.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
Phys a great conversation, Chris, Christopher, I know that the
ability to talk to people at this level on my
show and communicate these values, you know, with DEI sitting
out there, which is which annoys me because DEI is
has become a political tool. But then what you fight
political tools is by programs like Path. With Path educates
(22:38):
you at a less financial risk, I should say, because
a lot of the courses that you would have to
pay to participate, you pay it a lesser, more accommodating
an available amount with Path.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Can you explain that to everybody one more time if
we close out the interview.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
Yeah, I think that you know, Yeah, so d I
is under attacked. It's not an attacked, it's it's just
really it's under attack. But it's and you're just singing
it across the board. So I think it's really, really,
really important for us to figure out a way to
take charge and be focused in this chaos. And I
think that I really encourage. I mean, if you guys
see what's happening in DC, all these federal workers, it
(23:15):
used to be work for at least especially for people
of color, that you thought going to join the working
for the government was the most secure job you can
never have. Hell, you thought working for Facebook and Meta
and all these amazons. You thought those like you, you
were set for your career, you were set for life.
There are people that are the rugs being pulled up
on you. So I think that you know, I encourage
people to learn skills in AI, get certified because these
(23:37):
cybersecurity IT jobs are going to be the the jobs
where AI engineers are going to be, you know, are
going to be kind of the kings of this market.
But I think with this to be able to do that,
way we want to come in again is ultimately helping
you get certified, helping you be able to be prepared
for these jobs. And eventually we want to be able
to create our own certificates. We want to be able
to create certificate on path where you can get certified,
(24:00):
you know, on our platform to be to say you
know AI, say you know cloud competing and all that stuff. Right,
so I think that is going to be really important.
But like right now, there's not a lot every one
of against stuff the world, the nation has voted against
you know, our people, and I think it's important for
us to be able to do things support businesses that
are run by people that look like you hopefully or
(24:23):
just supporting people you know who are minorities. And also
being able to be more entrepreneurial because again I have
people who literally have had a job their entire career
as friends who are making like two hundred k plus
a year, who have not been able to find work
for six eight months and still looking for a job
because they're telling them that I don't need to pay
(24:44):
you two hundred fifty k a year because now because
of these AI tools, I can automate your job and
what you're doing. Now now that it was what was
taking cost on you forty hours, taking you forty hours
a week to do, I got ann AI agent that
can do it for five hours in a month. Right,
taking people Actually, what's happening is the more experienced people
are the people that are getting cut because they're the
(25:06):
higher state ones. Because you have this thing that's that
can take all your experience and say, I'm smarter than you,
so I don't need to pay. So the confidence say
I don't need to pay you know for that. Right,
So that's why I say, so get up skilled on AI,
get certified as much as you can.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
Definitely use path at your path out AI.
Speaker 4 (25:23):
And yeah, and we have to find a way to
make money, find a way to generate wealth and all
this chaos when.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
You talk about lessons from building and scaling the business,
because we talked about that, why go on shock tank
and give away your business? Then we start talking about
the board and all that good stuff.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
But the whole thing of scaling.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
You know, because you have a popular app, you soul
that Sally May picked it up.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Now, what is the future of Path? Are you going
to do the same thing with Path? Are you going
to just scale it out and then sell it and
that next thing? I'll see you in Bermuda hanging out
looking good.
Speaker 4 (25:55):
I think that you know my goal, right, I mean,
I think every founder builds a bitiness and I think
you should be focused on that.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
Whether you want to go public.
Speaker 4 (26:02):
I don't think you start a business with the idea
I'm started to sell it, right. I think every business
has to have an exit. I mean, I mean every
business is to go to create generational wealth for yourself,
whether you're passing that down to your kids, whether you
are an exit with your IPO. Because at some point
money will likely have to be raised and you have
to get people a turn of their investment. And that's
(26:22):
something I tell people. Another thing that you have to understand,
when you take money from people, you have to give
it back. So even the minute you raid any form
of capital from someone, they want exit. So you can't
in no world anybody I'm taking your money. I don't
want to say to company, I'm taking your money, okay, right,
So you just can't. Those things can't go hand in hand.
But I think but I think ultimately being able to
(26:44):
scale the business, being able to have as much grill
as you can is something that I think is really important.
But I think this era is different. I think you
are seeing big businesses generate a lot of revenue, be
really profitable with very little capital, very you know, not
as many people. And I think that is what I
want more founders to Harpong because I think that that
is going to be the future. And I think that
(27:07):
and I think that there's going to be a massive
goal where's and a lot.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
Of money that's going to be made.
Speaker 4 (27:11):
But I think that focus on building your company and
take and by the way Schollary was offered, we got there.
There were a bunch of companies that off the bands
of the ten years of me doing it. So you're
going to get exit, you gonna have a little opportunities.
But make sure you if you decide to sell your company,
which that's the path some people want to take, no
pun intended. You make sure that it's the opportunity for
you and think about and if you do want to
(27:33):
sell it, think about have a number in your mind,
because you may say sixty million, maybe enough, seventy million maybe,
et cetera. Because and then you may decide and let
that determine how much money you raise and what terms
you agree to you because you get to that point,
you get that board, you raise too much money, they're
not going to care about that. You get to walk
away with fifty million dollars and that gives you that
that generation well for you, your kids and their kids.
(27:53):
They're going to say that's not enough and they may
make And then also people don't know a board can
force you to sell for less than what you have
and actually get all that get all the money. Like
there's something called liquidation purposes that people don't talk about.
They can say, you know what, let's tell one hundred
and fifty million. But because of the terms, we get
all the money. You can get a million or a
salary or whatever, you get nothing. And that's another thing
(28:15):
to get us. So make sure that you scale your
business intelligently, make sure that you have gold in mind,
and make sure that you're strategic about how much you
weighs when you raise, and make sure that you are
you negotiate the best term cheat you can.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
If you're just fantastic man as to tell everybody, have
we get in touch with you through your website?
Speaker 3 (28:33):
Yeah, it's just you want to use path your paths
at AI.
Speaker 4 (28:36):
If you want to follow me mostly active on LinkedIn
and Instagram.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
Motor active What does that mean there? Christal multi active?
Speaker 3 (28:43):
You know that'sund mostly active.
Speaker 4 (28:46):
So my LinkedIn you just look at Christopher Gray path,
your outcome up and my ideas at CJ.
Speaker 3 (28:53):
Gray nine to one.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
You're awesome brother.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
And if you if you sit back and you think
about your you know since you graduate from college, is
it's just the direction you saw yourself going, or you
were one of these people would go, I see an
opportunity and I build on it because a lot of
people are tied to fear, and fear creates a lack
of change, and you seem like you have a fearless personality.
(29:19):
Talk about your personality as we close out this show.
Speaker 4 (29:23):
I think that for me when I went to college,
it was right the year with A Wall Street came out.
I want to go to Wall Street. I wanted I
wanted to make a lot of money. I liked finance.
I have an affinity for it. I studied, I did.
I did a lot of virtual like stock market trading
when I pole through, like the site that gave you
the virtual money and as seemingly the real market.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
That was something and I was really good at it.
Made a lot of money.
Speaker 4 (29:44):
I love it virtual money, but I'm okay, this is
And then ironically my first job, ironically I sold my
company to Salame and my first internship in college and
the only time I ever worked for someone before Salame
was actually Fanny Made.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
In twenty ten.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
And long story, sure, I learned that I didn't want
to work for some notework work for work for a
company anymore. I fell out with my boss and I
had I had an exit interview where I was probably
I was younger and I was more candid then I
am fresh out of Birmingham, but I think I didn't
have a plot of polish, and I was very honest
with her about how I felt about her. And then
(30:23):
I left and then yeah, and I didn't work for it,
so yeahs so and then also I became entrepreneur and
that worked out for me, and I realized in a
lot of the skills and self started being able to
It's something that I wanted to do, and entrepreneurship is
it for everyone.
Speaker 3 (30:40):
It's a lot of risk.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
But I tell people, I just posted the status today
showing telling people that if all these layoffs have been
taught to you, that at this point, getting a job
there's no I don't even know if there's a such
thing as a stable job anymore. So you might as
well take the risk and build something, take dreat generational
wealth for yourself and your kids, you know, because that
seem at this point that seems like the same level
(31:02):
of risk is going to work for somebody. And then
within a year you are displaced and then selling you
don't have you don't have a so out, you know,
you don't have, you know, any any way to take
care of your family. So so that's how I think
about it, and that's just kind of who I am.
I just I like to start a thing. I like
to build things. I don't think that I try to
build things to be rich. I think that wealth is
(31:22):
the byproduct of hard work and building something.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
That adds value to the people you serve.
Speaker 4 (31:27):
And I think that you know and that and you
should be rewarded for that with wealth. But like, I
don't just go I'll just trying away. That is just
getting money, right like, because I think that when the
people that have that mindset, I find they always fail
because if you don't, if you're not truly building something
to add value to others, you don't, you're likely not
or frankly don't deserve to be able to generate wealth
for yourself because those things have to be handed.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
Wow, he's a secret agent.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
Man who's no longer a secret my man, Christopher Gray Brother,
I'm gonna tell you somebody, I've been doing this long time,
and you are in an interview date. Excit to me
because I do see what you're doing is changing the
world and your platform. I'm highly recommending people just go
and examine it and then see the value it can
bring to your life. You're probably your child's life, to
(32:13):
your person you might have in your life personally, emotionally,
and this is about seeing opportunities.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
And I tell everybody.
Speaker 1 (32:20):
Just because you're thirty, just because you're forty, just because
you're fifty, just because you're sixty. These type of opportunities
that Path is bringing to the table can impact your
life both professionally but also financially. Christopher, great, thank you
for coming on Money Making Conversation Masterclass.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
Awesome. Well, thank you so much, man, I appreciate you
and thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (32:40):
This has been another edition of Money Making Conversation master
Class posted by me Rashaun McDonald. Thank you to our
guests on the show today and thank you listening to
the audience now. If you want to listen to any
episode I want to be a guest on the show,
visit Moneymakingconversations dot com. Our social media handle is money
Making Conversation. Join us next week and remember to always
(33:01):
leave with your gifts.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
Keep winning. M
Hi, I'm Rushan McDonald. Our host is weekly Money Making
Conversation Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this show
provides are for everyone. It's time to stop reading other
people's success stories and start.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Living your own.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
If you want to be a guest on my show,
please visit our website, Moneymakingconversations dot com and click the
be a Guest button to submit your information. Now let's
get this show started.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
My guest is the CEO and co founder of Path.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Path provides tests, preparation tools for unlimited practice questions, full
length exams, and personalized study plans for professional certification and IT, cybersecurity,
and healthcare and many more. And it also supports students
preparing for college mission exams such as SAT ACT, ged
(00:49):
L SAT and gm AT and many more. We got
a lot to talk about. Please welcome to Money Making
Conversation Masterclass. Christopher Gray. How you doing Christopher?
Speaker 3 (01:00):
And good Man? Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
First of all, Man, I've done a lot of interviews
with people. They talk about S A T, they talk
about a C T. Man, you stepped over to the
mountaintop with your your program. When I hear certification and
I T certification healthcare certification in the UH in cybersecurity
plus G ed L S A T.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
G M A T man. That's a lot going on.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
How did you in a in a in a short
short conversation, tell us how did you envision this particular app.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Right, So, the way the way I kind of see
path is that what we're trying to do is historically
they think like the A C T S, A T G,
MATT LSAD come to you and collects all these exams
like really are make or break kind of make or
break students and the ability to get into the college
they want to, but also scholarships. Right, you have a
(01:55):
new administration actually which is pushing for the reinstatement of
these different of these exams and reliance on these exams,
you know, for the excuse of a merit based rhetography.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
But the problem is all with differentiates the.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
Wealthy students and middle and lower midlitized students from being
a due wellness test of preparation.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
You can go to capital in and.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
Pay two three thousand dollars just to prepare for one
of these tests. Most low income people of color cannot
afford that, so they tend to not do well. Right,
so we thought with AI being at the forefront of
everything right now, we were able to kind of tackle
this problem. Use AI to generate the same quality content
that you would get at any of these other other platforms,
and able to do it for extremely cheap and put
(02:39):
all of the exams on the one roof so you
don't have to go and pay for all these different things.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Right, So, our goal is really about education accessible.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
And affordability, but in reality is the highest impact is
that these tests have been historically been massive, various kids
getting into selective schools or getting scholarships that they want
simply because students can't practice enough and be able to
do that. And then with entry level jobs like comp
tier certifications, again same thing super expensive and it's a
(03:06):
huge barrier for a lot of people.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
And that's what we're trying to address.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Well, thank you for explaining that to me, because of
the fact that my show Money Making Conversation Massacres is
trying to bring down those barriers with information and you're
the type of person that I try to connect the
dots with. Now, when you talk about you know, the
traditional online and traditional app.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Base, they usually just do sat act.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
How were you able to go beyond that because that's
the game change and for me, that's the reason I
have on this show. And let's start with the certification
part of your app, which is the IT, cyber and
healthcare just to name a few.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
Yeah, so the reason why we're able to do everything
is to use generative AI. Right, we don't have to
go in automatic, we don't have to go in custom
create all these different exam. AI allows us to give
out we get weird to give our use unlimited practice exams,
unlimited practice questions, in depth, step by self solutions, and
we can predict what you're gonna make for you take
(04:11):
the test, which is the big thing. Right, So you
don't even need to go and take the acat LSADG
MAT or cybersecurity exam if you don't know if you're
going to pass it. It's like come Tia security plus
it's four hundred dollars just to take the exam. So
if you don't pass your first track, you got to
pay another four hundred dollars. And then that's just for
one of them. They're like fourteen different COMPTI asserts. Right,
(04:31):
so if you and to do their prep, it's like
five hundred dollars. You look at nine hundred dollars just
to pass this test, right, so if you don't pass
the first time, you have to do it again. And
you know with cybersecurity jobs being really key, So the
reason why we focus a lot on our professional certification
side on it and healthcare because those are two of
the most in demand fields that are always gone. So
(04:51):
we do in collects so our ns, we do CNA
exams you want to be a nurse. We also have
practice so for people that want to become teachers, because
I don't know, if you know, only four twenty four percent.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Of teachers actually passed to practical the first.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Try, and a lot of students of color who become
teachers don't actually takes them three to five times to
pass it. Sometimes they just stop, you know. So we
are literally have the inability to prepare for the practice
exam has caused a teacher shortage in our economy. Come
TIA is I mean you can go and get jobs
in the federal workforce or entry level jobs who's out
(05:23):
a degree? You have to come TIA certification. So when
you look at people earning more money, so imagine someone
who doesn't have a degree just went to high school,
had the ged. All they need to do is, you know,
pass this exam and they can go out make an
eighty starting salary eighty to one hundred K a year, right,
So that's what we're trying to do. That's why it's
so important to do that. But because we're able to
use Generator that we are able to be able to
(05:43):
compass all these different exams, be able to help as
many people as possible, give them as much practice as
they need. And the biggest thing that people like about
PATH is that we're letting them know they're going to
pass where they take the test, So they're like, hey,
I'm about to go and take the test about knowing
they're going to pass. So we're so being able to
do that by default we save them money when more
most people don't pass come Field the first time, so
it's like they're likely spending almost eight hundred to one
(06:04):
thousand dollars, so we're cutting We're saving all of these
people thousands of dollars and ensuring they pass the exams,
which which makes especially low income people of color be
able to pass these exams, being able to get these
certifications and get the jobs they need without having to wait,
you know, to make extra money just to keep taking
these exams over and over and over again.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Open their path.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
As you speak, Christopher, I get more and more excited
about what you're talking about.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
I'm talking to Christopher Gray.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
He's the CEO and co founder of Path and AI
power platform transforming away students and professional prefare for critical exams. Now,
let's talk about where can we find path or is
there an app for a path?
Speaker 4 (06:46):
So Path, you can go to our website yourpath dot
ai again.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
So your path while you while your path.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Yes and yep, your path dot ai or just google
path test prep and we'll come right up. So go
on Google Google Path test prep will come up. Google
Path AI test Prep will come up right away, and
then you'll you'll be direct to our platform so and
so and just for just for example, like you go
to kaplan to stay for the act and act and
you have to pay for different ones. It's like twelve
(07:16):
hundred dollars, sixty dollars or you can pay ten dollars
a month, so we are.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Usually sixty dollars. Did you say sixty dollars?
Speaker 4 (07:25):
Yeah exactly, So yeah, I don cost then and then
when I look at and through comp to you have
about twelve different certifications to prepare for each of them,
five hundred dollars for each preparation surgery, and then sixty
dollars you get a prep for all of them.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
So you're saving literally.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Thousands, let's say just put it out there, thousands of
dollars preparing for jobs that can change your lifestyle and
your future.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Within that, what's the preparation time?
Speaker 1 (07:54):
When you go and walk us through the steps of
somebody who's interested in certification for SAT but let's go
to I T I T certification, what's the what's the process?
Speaker 4 (08:05):
So a lot of people you want to you want
to prepare for the course. So the BEAUTI A certificse
you get the certification. That's a step that you know
this mas heire and that can just get you the job. Right,
So that's why it's really really important. So the step
is that you want to prepare for the prepare do
like cybersecurity courses. Either you can do it in college,
community you can do a poor universities community college, you
can stand on your own.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
That's the beau the of it. Right.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
A lot of times you don't actually need to go
to college to get certified in these exams, Like it's
like the college courses actually teaching get certified because you
can go and get the degree. But you have a certification,
it doesn't matter, right. So so you so you want
to take a course on cybersecurity. Then you want to
take enough to where you are able to be prepared
to take to come tea exam. You know the different
and you and now they have Microsoft for jeer because
(08:47):
I just come teas Microsoft for a Zure AWS, that's all.
And we have a Zure and AWS and are on
our platform too. We have all of them. So you
want to be able to take the exam. So what
you do is you take the course, then you go
and try to certification the goals that you passing your
first stry right, you're able to get the certification. Then
when you're then in your job search, you're able to
like just go to any search or any job that
(09:09):
require comes to you and you're able to pofit. Those jobs. Again,
you don't even need a degree. So if you're able
to get those certifications, you're able to do that. And
what's happening with it specifically is that AI is making
cybersecurity and IT jobs go way up, right because now
we need that AI is running around with AI agents
doing this, AII just taking your credit card like all
this impersonating people. There's going to be more of a
(09:31):
need of cybersecurity certification. So that's one reason why come
to you said we're going to come, you know, get
the come to your certification. Brother used to be one
fifty dollars. This year they made a four hundred. They said, look,
we know y'all need this, so we go, we go
make more money. Right, so we're seeing like that search.
So that's the process. You find a way to educate
yourself on cybersecurity, prepare to take the exam, and then
(09:53):
get the certification. Paths in the middle where we're helping
you prepare for the exam so you can get the
certification and as many and may ensure that you pass
on here first try saving you money and just make
sure you get the job. And then we're also going
to evolve into other things as well, because a lot
of so because you could take one IT exam, but
you have to take others, like sometimes you need three
certificase the more you have, the better we have. So
(10:14):
we put all that on one platform and make sure
that if your job said, oh this is great, but
to get this.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Promotion, you need Azure. You need a that we had
people want to get better.
Speaker 5 (10:23):
Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more
Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money Making
Conversations Masterclass, hosted by Rashaan McDonald.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
I'm talking to Christopher Grave.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
If you're hearing this information and you're like, wow, I
gotta find out where this is a go to your
path dot ai that's your why. Oh you arepath dot
ai and you get more information. Hey, Christopher, when I
when I talk about this process because AI just popped
on the scene recently, it's been around, but everybody's talking
about it, like just by the last couple of years.
(11:15):
When did you launch this company and when did you
introduce AI into the process.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
So, actually just lost it last year, so August of
last year. So so, but I came off my other company,
Scholarly with health students find money for college. So I
sold that company a year and a half ago then
started this company. So it's just been around a year
so and we've had a lot of success. We had
thousands and thousands of people used the platform passing their
example on the first try. We have people getting increasing
(11:41):
their att score, increasing that school. We have schools using
the platform. We have like cybersecurity becomings in the platform,
have universities using the platform.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
So and you can you could just go and get
it yourself too. You don't.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
You don't need to be a part of an organization
to get it. But the idea is that we saw
this problem and we saw that nobody of using this problem,
using AI to solve this problem. We saw that everything
in the market is like charging students thousands of dollars.
And the reason they do it, they're like, we know
you're going to pay us because we know that you
are associating this purchase with like a higher income. Right,
(12:13):
so we know that if you pay us three thousand
dollars you're going to make you know you're going to
go and we're unlocking one hundred thousand dollars a year
for a year or something like that.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Right.
Speaker 4 (12:21):
But the thing is, at the same time, of course,
when people of color are not you know, that's the
that's the So the thing about this AI race is
that at the end of the day, as trained on something.
And when you have people who think like that, they're thinking, oh,
they're thinking they're brothers. They're thinking of people that look
like them, that come from the same background they come from.
Who can afford to pay three thousand dollars, right, take
(12:42):
a a person of color, we from a little arge background.
I have another lens where Okay, I see how this
stuff is just as important as you are. But I
know that not only do I want to make this
more affordable, but actually, from a financial perspective, it's better
business to make this more affortable because I get to
take your market and I get a larger market people,
So I end up making more money and helping more
people that would not have been able for that's not able.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
To afford that.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
And for context, when I was in high school, I
have to go carry these little big att books around
and you got like one or two practice and then
once that you didn't there's nothing else and you have
to like go and buy another course. And then my mom,
you know, we can afford twove hundred dollars to pay
for a prins to review and all that stuff.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
So that was a big barrier.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
Right, So now if I have paths, I can just
do a study as many times I want predict when
I run to take the exam and then be able
to do better. So you're gonna, I think we're going
to see that. I you know, everyone's trying to figure
out how do we fight or go again, you know,
do what we need to do for this new administration.
And I think that if they bring up college, if
they reinstate college interest exams or become more certification, because
(13:45):
you know, they've already said they're going to try to
re allow pilgramts to be used for like boot camps
and other things.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
So that's already got to happen.
Speaker 4 (13:53):
So we want to make sure that we're at the
forefront when when they're coming back and saying you need
to make this score to get into college, to get
this college, you need to this certification. We want to
be on the forefront of that using AI to make
sure that our people can get these certifications, get into
college and still not have to pay thousands.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
Of dollars, you know, and having that be a barrier.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
First of all, Christopher, you're a good communicator that helps
and to convey this message. But let me give more
detail on this because of the fact that you said, Rishan,
why are you excited about PATH? Because I do a
lot of sat ACT interviews and those are about youth.
That's about teenagers and parents trying to encourage them for
a better.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Life, which is fantastic. It never really talks.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
About adults because adults are moved on where the PATH
program gives you certification opportunities and what I call adult
jobs where they may not want to go to college.
They may have graduated from high school already and they
can go in get their GA d j ED.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
If they didn't graduate, they can go in and.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Get it, certification of cyber certification, healthcare certification. All these
things are important. If you an adult listening to this now, they.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Still do the A set, they still do the ACT.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
If you're a parent and you want to get your
child involved in academic training for these test scores, they
do that. I don't want to leave that part of
their program off because that's very important. But I also
know that this is a program that young adults, adults
in their thirties, people want to do career changes can
take advantage of what PATH is bringing to the table.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Am I correcting what I'm saying there.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Christopher, exactly. And also if you're going to grad school,
we cover g e G.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
MATT, LSAT and MCAT too, So like if people are
going to grad school, that's the big thing, and that's
actually those tests are more expensive to study more than
any of them. Right, So if you want to be
a lawyer, if you want to go to grad school,
if you want to Jerry, if you want to go
to business school, if you want to go to med school,
we help that. We cover that too. And it's exactly
as you said, right, like we our goal is to
(15:55):
give the same quality content but reducing the price to
make that more for it, but also helping people out.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
And I do believe that we're moving.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
To a more skill certification based society where like a
certific being able to be certified and something is going
to mean more than a degree because we're seeing that
there are people with your degree so they went to
this X amount school and then come in and can't
really do anything. So like you know, versus their people
who didn't go to college, who actually spent four years
learning a skill, who are being certified as something, you know,
(16:26):
it end up being more valuable.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
So let me ask you this question to your scholar right,
scholars scholarly right.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
Yeah, schli was my company that I used to have.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Yeah, okay, cool, Now that was successful for you and
there's the same academic So it gave you the basis
for path right, it gave you the foundation and the
credibility to achieve the levels of certification and approved certification
that you are using now on path.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Am I correct in saying.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
That, yep, yep, okay cool.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
Now you're on Shark Tank. Why did you go on
Shark Tank?
Speaker 4 (16:59):
I went on at the college students and I was
graduating graduate in college my senior year and I went
on shark I mean it was the visibility I was
able to get Damon John and Logan here and investors
and I don't know if you know, but like we
you Sarty the biggest fight in Shark tank history, which.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
Ended up going viral. You know, we just had tom
success from that.
Speaker 4 (17:18):
But you know, shark Tank at the time, you know,
at that that was the peak when you got like
ten million views. That's like six seven million dollars that
you Yeah, so, and most founders would have to raise
capital to spend to get that. So, so Shark tank
was just great and put us on the map.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
It gave like instant.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Grand brand credibility and you know, you know, you may
have heard it here first, but there's the chance I
may be doing it again.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
So really, really, I've got to ask you, Christal, your
platform sounds fantastic.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
They feel like they're generating the revenue.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Why would you want to go on a show and
give a part of your your equity for feet when
it seems like you can you can generate the revenue yourself.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
I think it depends on how fast you want to grow.
I think it depends on I'm scaling and end up
being a little bit of teachers in terms of like
if I want to do it or not. But I think,
but I think you're right. But I think and I
think that that's another conversation that's happening in the age
of AI right now. You can build a strong business
and it can be extremely profitable with very with a
minimal head count, very little and very little money because
(18:27):
now a lot of marketing and brand stuff, Like I
have you how many ass I've seen that are like
AI actors that are like and I'm thinking they're real people, right,
you know, there's so much happening, so you can spend
so little to start a company. Now you're seeing all
over in the startup community their company making twenty thirty
million dollars with ten people like right, like, So, I
think you're right in the sense that you know, we're
(18:48):
moving into a world where you can build a big business.
It can make a lot of money. You don't need
to do because people don't get the downsides of raising
capital because people get, oh, I raised as much money.
I'm I'm not, but they don't know. Once you get to.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
Looted to you, you get aboard you.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
Then you are selling knowledge on your equity, but you're
selling the right to determine when you sell your company.
So somebody can say, oh, oh here, you got one
hundred million dollar offer to someone to buy your company.
You may make sixty million from that. But the VC
who you raised twenty million from, say, you know what,
I got a three hundred million dollar fund that doesn't
return my fund, So I'm going to block this deal
(19:26):
and make you work another five years, so that BC
just you just so it's like a fautistic bargaining with
a devil's contract, where you you got all this person's money, right,
and they gave you money. They gave you like a
lot of money, so you got to do it. To say,
but in exchange, you're also giving them the right to
determine when you generate well for yourself. And that's what
you're giving up, and that's not a good place to
(19:46):
be in. And I will tell you I have friends
who have had to turn down millions of dollars simply
because their investor said this is not enough. It would
have been life changing for them, but then that's like, well,
this doesn't return my fund. So so I think you're right,
you you it, you really need the exposure and the capital,
do it because some parts you need it. But just
but I think today you just got to make sure
because you're right, you are giving a lot of your
(20:08):
company and people don't get the the.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
Detail, the legal details that go into those deals.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
The next thing, they don't want to put a board
in place. Next thing, you know, they're gonna boot you out.
You be worried about that, man, they vot you out
of your own company, Okay.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Exactly, Yeah, I'm happy.
Speaker 4 (20:21):
Yeah, I'm happy you tell people that because that's a
big thing that no one knows like you can get
booted out your own company, and.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
They say the word board get nervous.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
Yeah, so literally like I that that is if you
when you are negotiating any deal, you want to avoid
a board or as long as possible, like raise when
you have the leverage, because when you get a board,
it's not even when you're giving up the equity. When
you get a board, you are no longer in charge
of your own company. Like some BC who got like
(20:50):
an NBA who's never built anything in there in their life,
is going to tell you that if you don't do this,
if you don't make this decision, I'm gonna do this.
It becomes you have people like you can fall out
with the book like they can. Somebody can just not
like you. Someone can do the person who you raise
money profit can switch them out. They're people who just
like they could just block a decision of ego. They
(21:10):
could say, well, you know, I'll take this company, so
you can't do this.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
You can't.
Speaker 4 (21:13):
They can turn with you yourself. So if you got
two kids and you need a payers all day, right, no,
you can. It gets very and people don't talk about that.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
People.
Speaker 4 (21:21):
You know, there was the CEO Uber who got booted
out his company. Right, that was the big deal. You know,
you've seen it happen a lot. And you know, something
my zerker Berg did that nobody knew was that he
actually kept he kept a lot of his he had
he got a board, but he had a lot of
protections where he basically essentially had a board but no
one can outvote him.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
Basically, it was like, okay, you have a board.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
But you know, Christopher, a lot of people don't know that. Something.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
When people invest in your company and they bring up
the word board, they try to put a majority seats
that they own. So if the board members are five,
they might say we want three seats exactly yep.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
And because and they do that alongside the other investments.
When you're raising money, you're not like raiding from one firm.
So in their mind, hey, you're the found that's operating
the business, but we are collectively giving money to the business,
and we want more board teath because we and we're
giving you money, but we need the power to protect
our investments, right right.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
Phys a great conversation, Chris, Christopher, I know that the
ability to talk to people at this level on my
show and communicate these values, you know, with DEI sitting
out there, which is which annoys me because DEI is
has become a political tool. But then what you fight
political tools is by programs like Path. With Path educates
(22:38):
you at a less financial risk, I should say, because
a lot of the courses that you would have to
pay to participate, you pay it a lesser, more accommodating
an available amount with Path.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Can you explain that to everybody one more time if
we close out the interview.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
Yeah, I think that you know, Yeah, so d I
is under attacked. It's not an attacked, it's it's just
really it's under attack. But it's and you're just singing
it across the board. So I think it's really, really,
really important for us to figure out a way to
take charge and be focused in this chaos. And I
think that I really encourage. I mean, if you guys
see what's happening in DC, all these federal workers, it
(23:15):
used to be work for at least especially for people
of color, that you thought going to join the working
for the government was the most secure job you can
never have. Hell, you thought working for Facebook and Meta
and all these amazons. You thought those like you, you
were set for your career, you were set for life.
There are people that are the rugs being pulled up
on you. So I think that you know, I encourage
people to learn skills in AI, get certified because these
(23:37):
cybersecurity IT jobs are going to be the the jobs
where AI engineers are going to be, you know, are
going to be kind of the kings of this market.
But I think with this to be able to do that,
way we want to come in again is ultimately helping
you get certified, helping you be able to be prepared
for these jobs. And eventually we want to be able
to create our own certificates. We want to be able
to create certificate on path where you can get certified,
(24:00):
you know, on our platform to be to say you
know AI, say you know cloud competing and all that stuff. Right,
so I think that is going to be really important.
But like right now, there's not a lot every one
of against stuff the world, the nation has voted against
you know, our people, and I think it's important for
us to be able to do things support businesses that
are run by people that look like you hopefully or
(24:23):
just supporting people you know who are minorities. And also
being able to be more entrepreneurial because again I have
people who literally have had a job their entire career
as friends who are making like two hundred k plus
a year, who have not been able to find work
for six eight months and still looking for a job
because they're telling them that I don't need to pay
(24:44):
you two hundred fifty k a year because now because
of these AI tools, I can automate your job and
what you're doing. Now now that it was what was
taking cost on you forty hours, taking you forty hours
a week to do, I got ann AI agent that
can do it for five hours in a month. Right,
taking people Actually, what's happening is the more experienced people
are the people that are getting cut because they're the
(25:06):
higher state ones. Because you have this thing that's that
can take all your experience and say, I'm smarter than you,
so I don't need to pay. So the confidence say
I don't need to pay you know for that. Right,
So that's why I say, so get up skilled on AI,
get certified as much as you can.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
Definitely use path at your path out AI.
Speaker 4 (25:23):
And yeah, and we have to find a way to
make money, find a way to generate wealth and all
this chaos when.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
You talk about lessons from building and scaling the business,
because we talked about that, why go on shock tank
and give away your business? Then we start talking about
the board and all that good stuff.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
But the whole thing of scaling.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
You know, because you have a popular app, you soul
that Sally May picked it up.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Now, what is the future of Path? Are you going
to do the same thing with Path? Are you going
to just scale it out and then sell it and
that next thing? I'll see you in Bermuda hanging out
looking good.
Speaker 4 (25:55):
I think that you know my goal, right, I mean,
I think every founder builds a bitiness and I think
you should be focused on that.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
Whether you want to go public.
Speaker 4 (26:02):
I don't think you start a business with the idea
I'm started to sell it, right. I think every business
has to have an exit. I mean, I mean every
business is to go to create generational wealth for yourself,
whether you're passing that down to your kids, whether you
are an exit with your IPO. Because at some point
money will likely have to be raised and you have
to get people a turn of their investment. And that's
(26:22):
something I tell people. Another thing that you have to understand,
when you take money from people, you have to give
it back. So even the minute you raid any form
of capital from someone, they want exit. So you can't
in no world anybody I'm taking your money. I don't
want to say to company, I'm taking your money, okay, right,
So you just can't. Those things can't go hand in hand.
But I think but I think ultimately being able to
(26:44):
scale the business, being able to have as much grill
as you can is something that I think is really important.
But I think this era is different. I think you
are seeing big businesses generate a lot of revenue, be
really profitable with very little capital, very you know, not
as many people. And I think that is what I
want more founders to Harpong because I think that that
is going to be the future. And I think that
(27:07):
and I think that there's going to be a massive
goal where's and a lot.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
Of money that's going to be made.
Speaker 4 (27:11):
But I think that focus on building your company and
take and by the way Schollary was offered, we got there.
There were a bunch of companies that off the bands
of the ten years of me doing it. So you're
going to get exit, you gonna have a little opportunities.
But make sure you if you decide to sell your company,
which that's the path some people want to take, no
pun intended. You make sure that it's the opportunity for
you and think about and if you do want to
(27:33):
sell it, think about have a number in your mind,
because you may say sixty million, maybe enough, seventy million maybe,
et cetera. Because and then you may decide and let
that determine how much money you raise and what terms
you agree to you because you get to that point,
you get that board, you raise too much money, they're
not going to care about that. You get to walk
away with fifty million dollars and that gives you that
that generation well for you, your kids and their kids.
(27:53):
They're going to say that's not enough and they may
make And then also people don't know a board can
force you to sell for less than what you have
and actually get all that get all the money. Like
there's something called liquidation purposes that people don't talk about.
They can say, you know what, let's tell one hundred
and fifty million. But because of the terms, we get
all the money. You can get a million or a
salary or whatever, you get nothing. And that's another thing
(28:15):
to get us. So make sure that you scale your
business intelligently, make sure that you have gold in mind,
and make sure that you're strategic about how much you
weighs when you raise, and make sure that you are
you negotiate the best term cheat you can.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
If you're just fantastic man as to tell everybody, have
we get in touch with you through your website?
Speaker 3 (28:33):
Yeah, it's just you want to use path your paths
at AI.
Speaker 4 (28:36):
If you want to follow me mostly active on LinkedIn
and Instagram.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
Motor active What does that mean there? Christal multi active?
Speaker 3 (28:43):
You know that'sund mostly active.
Speaker 4 (28:46):
So my LinkedIn you just look at Christopher Gray path,
your outcome up and my ideas at CJ.
Speaker 3 (28:53):
Gray nine to one.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
You're awesome brother.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
And if you if you sit back and you think
about your you know since you graduate from college, is
it's just the direction you saw yourself going, or you
were one of these people would go, I see an
opportunity and I build on it because a lot of
people are tied to fear, and fear creates a lack
of change, and you seem like you have a fearless personality.
(29:19):
Talk about your personality as we close out this show.
Speaker 4 (29:23):
I think that for me when I went to college,
it was right the year with A Wall Street came out.
I want to go to Wall Street. I wanted I
wanted to make a lot of money. I liked finance.
I have an affinity for it. I studied, I did.
I did a lot of virtual like stock market trading
when I pole through, like the site that gave you
the virtual money and as seemingly the real market.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
That was something and I was really good at it.
Made a lot of money.
Speaker 4 (29:44):
I love it virtual money, but I'm okay, this is
And then ironically my first job, ironically I sold my
company to Salame and my first internship in college and
the only time I ever worked for someone before Salame
was actually Fanny Made.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
In twenty ten.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
And long story, sure, I learned that I didn't want
to work for some notework work for work for a
company anymore. I fell out with my boss and I
had I had an exit interview where I was probably
I was younger and I was more candid then I
am fresh out of Birmingham, but I think I didn't
have a plot of polish, and I was very honest
with her about how I felt about her. And then
(30:23):
I left and then yeah, and I didn't work for it,
so yeahs so and then also I became entrepreneur and
that worked out for me, and I realized in a
lot of the skills and self started being able to
It's something that I wanted to do, and entrepreneurship is
it for everyone.
Speaker 3 (30:40):
It's a lot of risk.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
But I tell people, I just posted the status today
showing telling people that if all these layoffs have been
taught to you, that at this point, getting a job
there's no I don't even know if there's a such
thing as a stable job anymore. So you might as
well take the risk and build something, take dreat generational
wealth for yourself and your kids, you know, because that
seem at this point that seems like the same level
(31:02):
of risk is going to work for somebody. And then
within a year you are displaced and then selling you
don't have you don't have a so out, you know,
you don't have, you know, any any way to take
care of your family. So so that's how I think
about it, and that's just kind of who I am.
I just I like to start a thing. I like
to build things. I don't think that I try to
build things to be rich. I think that wealth is
(31:22):
the byproduct of hard work and building something.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
That adds value to the people you serve.
Speaker 4 (31:27):
And I think that you know and that and you
should be rewarded for that with wealth. But like, I
don't just go I'll just trying away. That is just
getting money, right like, because I think that when the
people that have that mindset, I find they always fail
because if you don't, if you're not truly building something
to add value to others, you don't, you're likely not
or frankly don't deserve to be able to generate wealth
for yourself because those things have to be handed.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
Wow, he's a secret agent.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
Man who's no longer a secret my man, Christopher Gray Brother,
I'm gonna tell you somebody, I've been doing this long time,
and you are in an interview date. Excit to me
because I do see what you're doing is changing the
world and your platform. I'm highly recommending people just go
and examine it and then see the value it can
bring to your life. You're probably your child's life, to
(32:13):
your person you might have in your life personally, emotionally,
and this is about seeing opportunities.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
And I tell everybody.
Speaker 1 (32:20):
Just because you're thirty, just because you're forty, just because
you're fifty, just because you're sixty. These type of opportunities
that Path is bringing to the table can impact your
life both professionally but also financially. Christopher, great, thank you
for coming on Money Making Conversation Masterclass.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
Awesome. Well, thank you so much, man, I appreciate you
and thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (32:40):
This has been another edition of Money Making Conversation master
Class posted by me Rashaun McDonald. Thank you to our
guests on the show today and thank you listening to
the audience now. If you want to listen to any
episode I want to be a guest on the show,
visit Moneymakingconversations dot com. Our social media handle is money
Making Conversation. Join us next week and remember to always
(33:01):
leave with your gifts.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
Keep winning. M
Host
Rushion McDonald
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