PHX Founders

In this episode of the PHX FWD Founder Podcast, Gregg Scoresby sits down with Naru, founder of STAX AI, to discuss the real journey to product-market fit.

STAX AI didn’t originally start in the retirement industry. The company began as a broader AI document processing platform designed to serve multiple industries. But having too many potential customers turned out to be a major problem.

Everything changed when the team made a diffic...

What does it take to refound a company and rebuild its culture?

In this episode of the PHX FWD Founder Podcast, Gregg Scoresby sits down with Josh Turley, CEO of RTA Fleet, to talk about leadership, culture, and transforming a legacy company.

Josh shares the story of how RTA evolved into what they now call The Fleet Success Company, along with lessons about trust, values, and building teams aligned around a clear mission.

They also di...

In this episode of the PHX Founder Podcast, Gregg Scoresby sits down with Reid Hiatt founder of Tactic, to talk about what it takes to build and scale a startup.

Reid shares the story behind Tactic and how the company helps organizations manage hybrid work, office space, and team coordination in a modern workplace. The conversation explores the realities of startup growth, navigating enterprise sales, and the lessons learned while b...

In this episode of the Phoenix Founders Podcast, we sit down with Trevor Larson, Co-Founder and CEO of Nectar, to explore how employee recognition fuels engagement and retention in companies of all sizes. From humble entrepreneurial beginnings to leading one of the fastest-growing HR tech platforms, Trevor shares his insights on building a scalable business, navigating pivots, and recruiting top talent.

Trevor walks us through his e...

In this episode of the Phoenix Founders Podcast, we sit down with Anita Grantham, Head of HR at BambooHR, to explore the critical role of culture in high-growth companies. With a career dedicated to building and sustaining company culture, Anita shares invaluable insights into how businesses can scale while maintaining their mission, values, and people-first mindset.

Anita takes us through her unexpected journey into HR, from planni...

In this episode of the Phoenix Founders Podcast, we sat down with Cayden Phipps and Kieran O’Brien, co-founders of ShopGenie, to discuss their journey of building an innovative SaaS company in the auto repair industry. ShopGenie is an all-in-one CRM platform that streamlines operations for independent auto repair shops through automated text reminders, online scheduling, digital marketing services, and more.

Cayden and Kieran share ...

In this episode of the Phoenix Founders Podcast, we sat down with Kentaro Kawamori, CEO of Persefoni to discuss his entrepreneurial journey and the impressive development of his company. Persefoni is an enterprise SaaS company focused on climate management and accounting, helping companies calculate and manage their carbon footprints. 

Kentaro shares his background, including his experience as CIO at Chesapeake Energy, whe...

Before Phoenix became one of the fastest growing tech markets in the country, we had a handful of visionary, ambitious founders building software companies. One of them is Clate Mask. He co-founded Infustionsoft, now Keap, at a time when no one was paying attention to the needs of small businesses, much less championing them. 

Keap is now one of the most prominent software companies in the Valley, serves thousands of custo...

When Rachel started working on a solution to the headache that is patient payments in healthcare, she knew she had a tall mountain to climb. And climbing is always easier when you have a partner on the adventure, which is why she sought out a co-founder for the journey. It wasn't long until she met Elizabeth, and the two of them make a great team. Together, they're taking on one of the biggest problems in healthcare.
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Few things can prepare someone for being a founder. But poker might be one of the exceptions. In this interview with Bryce Deeney, founder and CEO of Equipifi, Gregg learned that paying millions of hands (yes, millions) is a great way to learn how to safely take risks and weigh odds. And learned about Bryce's humble beginnings that ignited his entrepreneurial spirit.

This interview is full of insights on when to go fa...

When we think about the worst epidemics in this country, “loneliness” doesn’t usually top the list. But it should. 44 million Americans struggle with loneliness. And not just older Americans. For the first time in history, it's highest among young adults. Loneliness is a condition we all need to take seriously. And we need founders like Cindy Jordan, who have made it their life’s purpose to address this epidemic head on.
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Anthony Kennada tells us his story of learning how to be resilient. He got bit by the startup bug early in his career, working for some of the fastest growing tech companies in Silicon Valley. Then decided that Phoenix was the best place to start his company, AudiencePlus.

In this interview, we learn about what shaped Anthony into the founder he is today, what keeps him motivated, and why he has unprecedented ambition.

List...

We kick off Season 2 of the PHX Founders Podcast with one of the most successful founders in Arizona, Matthew Pitinsky, CEO of Parchment.

Matthew found tremendous success with his first ed tech venture, Blackboard, where he was the founder and CEO. After going public, and exiting the company, Matthew couldn't shake another idea he had to enhance the student experience, which led him to Parchment.

In this epis...

In our final episode from S1 of the PHX Founders Podcast, we continue our conversation with Chris Ronzio, founder and CEO of Trainual, and we're also joined by his co-founder, CMO, and brother, Johnathan Ronzio. 

This episode is a testament to what it means to be a scrappy startup. When money is tight, creativity needs to flow. The humble beginning is when founders need to say "go for it" more times than the...

Our conversation with Chris veered into some interesting places. From starting any business he could imagine as a kid, to learning to live with Type 1 Diabetes, to distance running in Antarctica. In Part 2 of our conversation, Chris continues to lay bare the gritty details of Trainual's early days. Every founder will appreciate his vulnerability and humor.

Listen to more episodes, watch video interviews, and subscribe at phxfou...

It’s hard to be around Chris Ronzio, founder and CEO of Trainual, and not feel energized. He brings that excited, passionate energy everywhere he goes, and it’s infections. He’s also a workhorse, who never stops trying and learning. Which is why it’s not surprising that Trainual has become one of the fastest growing software companies in Phoenix. Everything about Trainual reflects Chris’s energy, tenacity, and creativity. In our co...

Scarlett Spring is building a software company in a sector of healthcare that is notoriously underfunded and difficult to navigate. Or is it? Scarlett might know something about the future of personalized care and doesn’t mind the headwinds. She has enough belief in what her company is building to keep proving validity. She has enough experience know how to get through the roadblocks. And she has enough humility to keep learning.

Li...

When you’re a seasoned healthcare executive, biotech founder, and prominent board member, starting a software company should feel easy, right? When you’re Scarlett Spring, founder and CEO of Taproot, it feels like any other new thing. Which is why she went back to the basics to learn. In our interview with Scarlett, we got a lesson in humility, and a reminder that no matter when you start a company, or how much experience you have,...