145 Automating an Exit: Janet Johanson + xBlock's Dena Neek

Think about the loss in productivity that happens when a valued employee leaves the company. The loss of institutional knowledge. Or the complete knowledge transfer required when a company changes hands. xBlock is a software tool that uses AI to capture and organize a company’s data—without any extra effort on the employees' part. Co-founder Dena Neek is an AI engineer with an MBA and a background in organizational psychology. She started out developing tech for the hospitality industry and realized her tool was a fit for mergers and acquisitions. Janet Johanson didn’t have anything like xBlock when she brought private equity partners into her company, Bev Source—now one of the larger beverage packing and ingredient distributors in North America—nor when she decided to step down as CEO. She offers Neek advice on scaling, marketing, leading, and exiting. In Office Hours, College of Saint Benedict and St. John’s University tech specialist Adam Konczewski dispels some fears around AI and offers advice for integrating technology without sacrificing human thinking and interaction.