November 19, 2025 • 27 mins
No college degree. Dyslexia. A childhood spent tinkering with code on AOL. None of it stopped Todd R. Kueny, Jr. from building AI solutions that are transforming how pharmaceutical companies navigate FDA compliance.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr., Co-founder and CTO of PatientWing and Claris AI, shares his unconventional journey from childhood coding on AOL to leading cutting-edge AI solutions in life sciences. With no formal college degree, Todd built over 20 years of software development experience through relentless self-learning and problem-solving. His company Claris AI is now deploying live AI solutions that help pharmaceutical companies navigate FDA regulations and streamline compliance. From co-founding PatientWing to address clinical trial enrollment challenges to acquiring Energy Edge and building AI connectors, Todd demonstrates how focusing on your strengths—not your weaknesses—can lead to extraordinary success.
Key Takeaways:
- Self-learning overcomes obstacles: Todd turned dyslexia and lack of formal education into strengths through problem-solving and trusted learning sources
- Play to your strengths: Partner with people who complement your skills rather than fixing weaknesses
- Pivot when needed: PatientWing shifted from data collection to solving clinical trial enrollment challenges
- AI in action: Claris AI delivers live FDA compliance tools for pharmaceutical companies
- Culture matters: "Politely blunt" communication builds transparency and accountability without fear
- Define your own success: Sustainable growth and real client ROI beat chasing billion-dollar exits
About Todd R. Kueny, Jr.:
With over 20 years of software development experience and 10 years of technology leadership, I am the co-founder and CTO of Claris AI and PatientWing.
At Claris AI, our mission is to transform raw data into actionable insights while ensuring compliance and driving innovation across regulated industries like financial services, life sciences, and manufacturing.
PatientWing is a patient-centric cloud-based platform for clinical trials. My mission is to connect patients, sites, and sponsors, and optimize the trial enrollment process using cutting-edge technologies and data-driven solutions.
Connect with Todd:
LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/toddkuenyjr/
Website clarisai.co
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Announcer (00:00):
The following programming is sponsored by Marc
J.
Bernstein.
The views expressed do notnecessarily reflect the views of
this station, its management,or Beastly Media Group.
Entrepreneur, founder, author,and financial advisor Marc
Bernstein helps high-performingbusiness owners turn their
visions into reality.
Through his innovative work andthe forward-focused form, Marc
(00:20):
connects entrepreneurs toresources that fuel their
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Founders Forum is a radio showand podcast where entrepreneurs
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Join Marc and his guests for amix of inspiration, valuable
insights, and a little fun.
Now let's dive in.
Marc Bernstein (00:40):
Good morning, America.
How are you?
I'm Marc Bernstein.
This is Founders Forum.
I'm here with my guest Toddtoday, and we're going to have a
good time.
I mentioned we did an earliershow today.
It's a very sunny day inPhiladelphia, which we haven't
had a lot of lately, but it's ait's a great day to be here in
the station at WWDBAM Radio inBala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.
(01:05):
And you're probably listeningeither on their website or as a
podcast.
We are both.
And we love both media.
It's great.
So um Todd, I'm going tosurprise you because I didn't
really tell you what our topicof the day is, which you always
do.
Oh no.
We didn't have a chance.
That's because he hit a trafficand he was a little late.
(01:27):
So anyway, not to embarrass us.
But anyway.
So we um this is like part two,because we did this on our last
show.
And I'm a big advocate oflifelong learning and growth,
especially for entrepreneurs.
It's you have to stay ahead,you know, to if you don't stay
ahead, you go backwards.
That's my belief.
So I'm always one.
(01:48):
I'm a lifelong learner.
I'm you know, I won't tell youhow old I am at this moment, but
I'm old and I'm getting older.
And and and the more I you hearthe expression, the more you
think you know, the less youknow, and the older you get and
the more you want to learn.
And I and I really believe thatum because there's so much out
there to to to benefit fromlearning.
And since you are a guy that'sinvolved in AI, and our last
(02:11):
guest was also involved inrobotics, um this is uh the the
title I picked for this is parttwo of the learning advantage,
how founders stay ahead of thecurve.
And um, you know, uh manypeople are working in fields,
including you, that didn't existthat long ago.
Although I did work withsomeone who's been working with
(02:31):
AI since the early 2000s, butnot people haven't heard it that
much until re recently.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (02:36):
Exactly.
Marc Bernstein (02:37):
So it's been around, but it's still
relatively new.
And there's lots of otherthings I'm sure technology-wise,
you're working with that arenew.
So what's your approach tolearning and staying ahead of
the curve, Todd?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (02:50):
Yeah, uh so that's a good question.
Um, you know, it's um I thinkfor me the key is like I, you
know, so I have like somewhat oflike a learning disability,
right?
So so like it'll be like thingswill be a little scattered for
me, but I I think like I foundlike if you you can find really
good sources online of of thingsyou trust.
(03:11):
And when I say trust, it's notalways easy, right?
Because there's a lot of thingsnot to trust too.
And and so I think finding goodsources that that you that kind
of feed uh or help you, becauselike if you might have a
weakness in the way that youadapt or learn or educate
yourself on new things, uh but II think the key is to kind of
keep doing and then adapt as youas you see things that because
(03:32):
sometimes you might trustsomething, but then maybe it
gets a little shaky.
You need to look at otherthings or diversify what you're
looking at always, constantly,every day, every second, like
it's always, or it's like inyour mind like that.
Marc Bernstein (03:45):
So you have an approach to double checking the
education you're getting tomaking sure you're getting the
right information.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (03:50):
Yeah, it's like that's like if you don't do
that, you can you'll tripyourself up.
Like and and and I'll give youa perfect example, right?
Just just the other, it waslike a few weeks back, I found I
saw a video uh where it waslike Elon Musk and and uh um the
the Microsoft's uh forget hisname, but the CEO guy.
Uh Bill Gates.
No, no, the the current CEO.
(04:11):
I forget it is not not notyeah, or I forget I can't
pronounce his name right.
My apologies.
That's okay.
Uh but I saw a video where likethey were conversing over a
topic, but like it I think thewhole thing was fake.
Right.
Right?
But but some people like didn'tknow or like I it caught me
because I don't I wasn't reallypaying attention.
I was like, oh, it's kind ofcool because they were talking
about like Azure and things thatI do.
(04:32):
So it was very easy for me topass that along as something
real, right?
Marc Bernstein (04:37):
And so I see fake stuff every day now.
It's it's very, very common.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (04:40):
Aaron Ross Powell But but so those would be
the challenges I face, right?
Because sometimes like even ifyou find a good source, it
doesn't mean it's a goodspecific thing.
Marc Bernstein (04:49):
Right.
Um I not to put you on thespot, but you mentioned like a
little bit of learningdisability.
Do you do you talk about that?
Is that something you talkabout?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (04:57):
Uh well so I like it's more of like a
dyslexic.
Like I so when I was younger,um I you know I just didn't
learn I don't know, I always hadtrouble in school, and then I
had to get like one-on-onecoaching.
My dad would always you knowgot that for me.
And then I like I have a formof dyslexia.
Like sometimes I'll like if Iread something, I might see it
backwards.
Uh so like I and I think justbeing aware of that has has
(05:18):
helped has helped me so far.
Marc Bernstein (05:19):
I I always believed I have a very, very
mild form of that.
I get things mixed up, alsoleft-handed, so between those
two things.
Yes.
But in your case, you you haveone that's that's actually been
dealt with to a certain extent.
So I this is an inspirationalstory then, because you're
having quite a an amount ofsuccess in business, and I think
(05:40):
this could be a good good forpeople listening, you know, to
hear about.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (05:43):
Yeah, it's uh I think it's just like you
know, sometimes just being awareof your weakness and then
figuring, just thinking abouthow to like how could you get
around it.
You know.
Marc Bernstein (05:53):
Well, and the other thing is I think is also
then look at your strengths andbuild on your strengths, right?
Right.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (05:58):
Yes, hundred percent.
Marc Bernstein (05:59):
Yeah.
So with that, this is a good uhopportunity to introduce Todd
R.
Kueny Jr., co-founder and chieftechnology officer at Patient
Wing and Claris AI.
So Todd has over 20 years ofsoftware development experience
with 10 years of technologyleadership and is uh, as I
(06:19):
mentioned, co-founder and CTO ofboth Claris and Patient Wing.
At Claris AI, their mission isto transform raw data into
actionable insights whileensuring compliance and driving
innovation across regulatedindustries, which is tough, like
financial services, which Iknow that one well, life
sciences and manufacturing,which I know a bit about as
(06:40):
well.
PatientWing is apatient-centric, cloud-based
platform for clinical trials.
Um their mission is to connectpatient sites and sponsors and
optimize the trial enrollmentprocess using cutting-edge
technologies and data-drivensolutions.
So, Todd, as I like to do, whydon't we start at the beginning,
talk about kind of youreducation and what led you
(07:03):
getting into technology, andthen maybe I think in order
we'll talk about Patient Wingfirst a little bit and then
Clara say I as that sounds.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (07:10):
Yeah, perfect.
Um Yeah, so what got me intotechnology?
Um I've been at it since likeagain, just since literally just
a child.
I mean, my dad um kind ofworked his way up at, you know,
had had kind of like anengineering position where he
did a lot of softwaredevelopment.
So I just learned a lot fromhim just as I was younger.
(07:31):
Uh like meaning like he'd buylike a computer.
Like I remember when he boughtlike a Pentium 2 and had a
Windows 98 Plus on it, and likeit had all the cool features,
and I was uh anyway, just thingslike that.
So I kind of grew up aroundthat age.
Um and then uh but so I'vealways been in it.
Now I started coding though,I'd say at like a younger age.
Uh but I think what led me umdown the path was just, you
(07:54):
know, I like to solve problems,I like hard problems.
I like to I'm constantlythinking, it keeps me busy, it
helps me to uh just uh stayfocused on something, you know.
It's like and so that's kind ofwhat also led I would say led
me to entrepreneurship.
Uh but I would say obviously mydad was a key influence on my
technology direction for in mylife.
(08:16):
And then I think the theself-learning, the other thing
my dad was big on wasself-learning.
Uh in fact, that was like thethat you that was the default,
not the other way around, right?
So when you the way to thinkabout it is it was always like
self-that never stopped, right?
And I don't think it ever does.
Uh or when it does, then itstops, you know.
So um anyway, so but and thenand then I would say
(08:38):
entrepreneurship.
Uh, you know, I'd say the onething I probably didn't get from
my dad, or you know, as I wentout into the real world was
money, finance, business, like,you know, maybe a little bit,
but I think that was things Ihad to learn on my own.
Uh and that's what everythinghas now kind of led me to this
point.
Marc Bernstein (08:57):
How'd going way back, how did you start coding
it you know, at a young age?
You did that on your own?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (09:03):
Uh well, so it'd be like things that I
wanted to do or things I wasinterested in.
So like one an example, Istarted just like just learning
code through what you know withwhat my dad was doing.
He like he worked in like C Ctype stack and he had like his
own business, he had his ownlike product.
Uh but I was always interestedin like so like I remember going
on to AOL and doing like codingmy own stuff for that initial
(09:26):
like that was kind of the firstthing that got me into just
building my own stuff orlearning how it worked.
Because I was like on AOL,you'd have these like bots you
could build and you could likescroll and so I would be one of
those guys, like guys likebuilding those, like trying to
kick people off or have theability to like kick people off.
Just being kind of dumb, butyeah.
Marc Bernstein (09:44):
Well, but you've but you so but you're curious.
Curious.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (09:47):
It's more it was more curiosity, yeah.
Marc Bernstein (09:49):
Got it.
But then it sounds like it kindof hooked you.
You got more interested anddeveloped it further over time.
Exactly.
And then did you go to schoolfor that?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (09:57):
No, I never well, so I to be honest, um, you
know, I don't say this much,but so I never graduate I didn't
graduate high school.
I finished like up to eleventhgrade.
Uh huh.
And then I had a little bit ofcommunity college, but I never
finished any formal education.
Marc Bernstein (10:13):
Um partly kind of due to your learning issue, I
guess.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (10:16):
Maybe, maybe.
Yeah.
I think it was like, and I wasalways afraid.
I never confronted it head on,you know.
Um so I had to work aroundthat, I guess, as like a kind of
like a weakness.
You could say I tried to makeit a strength.
That's hard.
Uh getting I think what schoolreally helps with is that
initial foot in the door a lotof times.
(10:37):
You know that some of thebasics and you can get in.
Whereas like if you don't havethat, you have to kind of learn
that on your own.
You know, so then I'd be like,when I would do interviews, it
would be like I'd literally justtry to show things that I did
because they're not gonnabelieve, like they don't
necessarily gonna believe you,right?
So you if you have if you canprove it in some way, I think
that helps.
Marc Bernstein (10:56):
Well, you know, uh just this idea of strengths
and weaknesses.
Um I learned a lot from um aprogram uh for entrepreneurs
called the strategic coach, DanSullivan.
And many people listening willbe familiar with him.
And uh one of the things hetalks about, one of the first
things, is that um don't focuson your weaknesses, focus on
(11:17):
your strengths.
Because you know, you couldyou'd spend your whole life
working on your weaknesses andthey may still just be there.
But focus on your strengths.
And he used to say, you know,let's say like uh um I'll try to
think of a good example inbaseball, but they're baseball
players that all they really dois hit home runs, and that's all
they're there for.
(11:37):
They don't have to be good atalmost anything else, right?
So people get they pay him alot of money just to hit at home
runs.
Or he would use the example,you know, Frank Sinatra never
needed to move pianos, you know,all he needed to do, they pay
him to sing.
So all he has to do is get upand sing, and he's good, right?
So so I love that.
So if there's a little advicethere, it's like don't worry
(11:58):
about the weaknesses.
What I think you've done in myobservation is that you've
learned you've learned what yourstrengths are.
So you've stumbled on onecoding, right?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (12:07):
That's the cool like journey of it.
You know, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Marc Bernstein (12:10):
Yeah.
So I think that's a greatlesson to everyone and still one
I've learned over time.
I used to worry about thethings I couldn't do, now I just
build on the things I can do,you know, and and and do them
well and do more of them.
You know, there's another thinghe talks about your unique
ability.
Focus on your unique abilitiesand just do that because then
you're really enjoying the ride.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (12:30):
If you can do it, if you can get it, yeah,
it's nice.
Marc Bernstein (12:32):
Well, and you have employees that can do the
other things.
Yeah.
Exactly.
You can hire people to do or orpartner with people that that
you know have the things youdon't have, which I think you've
done.
So speaking of which, you havea partner in business, correct?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (12:45):
Correct.
Yeah.
Uh so at Claris AI, he's my uhthis the two like main founding
members are me and Paul Lisi, mypartner at Claris.
And he's also a founder atPatientWing, too.
Marc Bernstein (12:57):
Uh-huh.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (12:58):
And it he's actually a major stake he like
invested and did a lot there.
And so then we we him and Iboth stepped away and now did
Claris AI, but we're trying toget some synergies together.
Like we focus on life sciencesand it kind of brings everything
together for us, you know.
Marc Bernstein (13:14):
And I imagine he does some things you're not as
good at and you do some thingshe's not as good at.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (13:19):
100%, dude.
I couldn't I couldn't do itwithout Paul, man.
I there's no way, dude.
Paul's is he's been like asaint.
Marc Bernstein (13:25):
So guess what?
You have figured out the secretto unique abilities.
That's what that's whathappened.
You focus on what you do, andright?
So for those of you I'm notsure if we have video today or
not.
We're working on technology forthat.
But if you didn't, uh Todd justput his hands together like
he's praying, like grateful, youknow.
So 100%.
Um it's like a thankful bow.
(13:47):
Yeah.
So uh so let me so anyway, sotell me about Patient Wing, how
that got started, and then we'llgo on after the break, which is
going to be in a minute or so.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (13:58):
Yeah, so uh it's an interesting story.
So PatientWing, um, it was likethe first company I really I
was really a like a founder orlike a member that had founded a
company.
But when we started PatientWing, it it wasn't uh what it is
now.
It started as like this likedata collection idea for um for
like clinical trial settings,right?
(14:19):
So like and this a specificproduct was called EDC, like
electronic data capture in thatkind of pharmaceutical market
and that subspace within lifesciences.
But we we like we found that itwas very competitive and very
hard to sell and do do a lotthere, so we kind of needed to
pivot.
And so the idea came, like aswe talked to a lot of customers
(14:40):
uh that we were trying to sellto, the the biggest problem they
said that they were having withclinical trials, and this was
like across the board, was thatthey had trouble getting enough
patients into the trial to evendo it, right?
Um and so that's when we justkept thinking, like, hey, what
if what if we could like it itshouldn't be it should be
easier.
Like, you know, when I was akid, you c I could see it being
(15:00):
harder like when I was a kid,because there's not there's not
really any commu there's not asgood a c com communication.
Right.
But the the like the weirdobservable thing there is like,
well, it now it should be itshould be getting easier, not
harder.
Right.
Marc Bernstein (15:14):
And so something I felt something.
Because of mass media andcommunication.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (15:17):
Yeah, what have you.
It's exactly right.
I think it's it's there's notreally any clear focus and
coordination of what needs tooccur, right?
Uh it's kind of like justdisparat systems all throughout
the place.
Uh and so and so anyway, sothat so I you know we felt,
well, hey, that'd be a goodmission.
I mean, I think the the idealis that we it's all smooth.
I mean, clinical trials are thefoundations of all disease,
(15:42):
like how we cure and andinvestigate diseases, I think.
And but most people see it aslike a weird, gross thing that
they don't want to be a part ofusually, or like not everybody,
but I'm saying like you need toget more people together.
It's like, hey, this is how weactually fight back against
diseases.
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
Marc Bernstein (15:57):
So how did you conquer that in terms of getting
patients to sign up for thetour?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (16:01):
Well, that's the hard part, right?
So great ideas.
Uh so a lot of like just uhgrassroots, what we called was
grassroots.
So we like in the company westarted a grassroots campaign
where we would you know try toblog like this is we were all
like new to all this.
So it was like how can we getpeople and we were like I
remember this like one companythat was like uh patients like
me were like, how can we get asmany like users and traffic as
(16:24):
they do?
We could do a lot with that.
And so just things like that.
And that's what we workedtowards.
Marc Bernstein (16:29):
Uh so so this so this was really trial and
error.
Um I'm only stopping youbecause we have to take a quick
break, but but it was like trialand error, but you did figure
out how to get the patients onboard.
Exactly.
And we'll pick up from thereright after the break.
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(17:23):
We are back on Founders Forum.
And I just found out hey, talkabout trial and error and
failures.
We thought we were recordingvideo today and we're not.
So a little technology bug.
So we'll have it figured out.
It happens.
Hopefully for next weekhappens, right?
So anyway, so that's uh so sowhat so kind of what happened.
(17:44):
So Patient Wing, you're notinvolved with anymore.
You sort of fa you I mean, Iknow you're still an investor.
Did what happened there thatled you to Claris AI and your
sort of exit as such fromPatient Wing?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (17:56):
Yeah, no, that that's a good question.
Um Yeah, so I mean I'm not so II am I have stepped away a
little bit.
I mean, I I'm I still kind ofhave my my nose in it, right?
Because like you said, I'm Istill have equity as like kind
of a main equity holder.
Um But yeah, I mean I um soPatient Wing uh was great.
I mean I look we learn Ilearned a lot there just in
(18:16):
terms of business.
Like that was kind of wherelike that's where you know we
had to talk to clients andactually like do stuff and like
that that type of stuff Ilearned a lot there through the
you know through a lot of thathappened there.
But then I think what led uh meto do, Claire, say ah, is I
think within the pharma spacespecifically, especially in life
sciences, technology can movevery slow.
(18:38):
All right, it's not adoptedquick, right?
So then like you someone like Ikind of felt like it was hard
to like there's things youwanted to do and then you
couldn't.
Marc Bernstein (18:46):
That's interesting.
I mean you would think lifesciences would actually be ahead
of the curve with technology,right?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (18:51):
It's fair.
That's a fair it's like, yeah,I mean uh exactly.
So uh anyways, but so we youknow I think but there's a lot
of synergy, and so and I'll giveyou an example.
So the one of the clients thatwe first signed at Claris AI uh
was a company called RareRevolution Magazine.
They're they're based out ofScotland, uh, and they're like a
publication where they do umthey do a lot of women's rare
(19:12):
disease and they do a lot likerare disease specifically.
Uh and so they'll do articles,they have magazines, things that
they do and publish.
Um Patient Wing actually uhutilized them to help find some
patients in specific diseases,right?
Um and so that's how I firstwas introduced to that company
Rare Revolution.
Great people.
(19:32):
I love the people there.
Um and so then and then when wedid Claris, um, you know, we
the we did an AI project withthem where like um so we we do a
lot of uh AI so that they canprovide uh helpful assistance to
their clients and their endusers, right?
Um anyway, so that you know, sothere there's a lot of uh
(19:53):
synergies within what what we'rewhat we're me and Paul are
still doing, even to this day.
And I think uh we we're makingreally good traction, or we have
really good traction at thispoint.
Marc Bernstein (20:03):
What what is your what are your what are your
next steps forward in terms ofClaris AI?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (20:09):
Yeah, so right now we're trying I think
the immediate, you know, we'rewe're signing clients, we want
to make sure we can fulfillobligations.
Um and I think short term, youknow, we we potentially looking
to raise some money.
Um, you know, I think you know,it's more private, but you
know, I think like you know, youknow, we him and I have talked
(20:30):
about raising some money shortterm to help us grow a little
faster.
Um and we have a clear path todo that.
I think part of the issue ofraising money is you want to
make sure you have a clear ideaof what you're gonna do with it
and how exactly it's gonna helpyou get to where you say you
want to go, right?
Uh and so Paul and I think arereally good at that, you know,
and so we're kind of formulatingsome of those ideas now.
Strategizing them.
(20:50):
Exactly, exactly.
Um so I'd say short term, it'slike AI.
So we do right now, we we'redeploying like actual clients
into production with some AI,you know, with a with a
SaaS-based AI product that wehave.
So you have proof of concept.
100%.
We are live now.
We're actually live on thisRare Revolution magazine.
You just go to rarevolutionmagazine.com, it's you can in
(21:12):
the little widget, they havelike a librarian that will pop
up, and that's Claris, right?
So we provided that technologyfor them.
And it's and again, and thereis a little bit of learning
experience.
We're literally doing the umI've never deployed AI into
production in my previous life,right?
So this is kind of new for metoo.
It's the first, yeah.
Marc Bernstein (21:31):
Yeah, yeah.
Um and you have a number ofemployees in your company,
right?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (21:36):
Yeah, Claris AI.
So we're about uh about 15people now, I think, give or
take.
And uh part of that was peoplethat we hired, and then part of
it we acquired a company calledEnergy Edge, which uh they do um
like content management withthis of with a product called
Magnolia, which is a great youknow, it's a good product.
(21:57):
Um anyway, so they they did alot of like projects and
consults consulting projectswith that where they would help
like big clients with theirwebsites and do stuff.
Uh so we acquired that and nowwe're building AI and we're
actually building connectors inwith Magnolia.
Uh they're actually uh one ofour partners.
And so um, you know, we'reworking closely with them to
provide to provide AI access tothe you know to the users of
(22:19):
their platform as well.
Marc Bernstein (22:22):
Uh so so a couple things going on.
So oh I was gonna ask you aboutthe comp the culture of the
company.
Let's go there first.
Uh you have them so youinherited some employees and you
hired some yourself.
Do you have what you would callcompany culture and how do you
go about uh creating that?
Yeah, it's funny.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (22:41):
We we literally yeah, we yes, we do.
Uh we literally just had ameeting like the other day about
it.
So we we have like a leadershipmeeting.
We actually follow the uh areyou familiar with this thing
called EOS?
EOS.
Yeah, EOS.
Oh, yeah, sure.
Marc Bernstein (22:53):
Yeah, so entrepreneur owned uh operating
system.
Exactly, exactly.
So so um we're having a littlemalfunction with the chair.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (23:04):
Oh did I think that's a good thing.
Marc Bernstein (23:04):
I'm sorry about that.
That's cool.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (23:08):
Um wait, where was I now?
Marc Bernstein (23:10):
Sorry.
Uh yeah, a leadership meetingthe other day.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (23:13):
Yeah, and so our culture I think so so Paul
and I are huge with on culture,and I think the culture is like
that.
The way I think Paul explainsit nicely, politely blunt.
Our our culture is politelyblunt.
We don't like to sugarcoat ortry to hide things.
We try to get things out in theopen, make sure it's visible,
communications are there, andyou don't get punished for that,
(23:34):
right?
And so and so as long as you'rehelping to work towards the
issues that we have to overcomeas a company, right?
Um I so I think that's our keyculture and and and and
accountability.
I like I think at leadershiplevels, if you say things and or
you don't do things, I thinkyou need to hold you need to be
accountable, and I think that'sthe other piece of of our of
(23:55):
what we kind of defined as ourcore principles, I would say.
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
Marc Bernstein (23:58):
Nice.
You want people to speak up, betransparent.
Um we we one of the things I'vealways used is direct address,
like if there is an issuebetween people, you can come to
the leaders of the company, butfirst you got to go to the
person you have an issue withand talk to them about it.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (24:14):
Aaron Powell Exactly.
You need to be you need to beable to get along as you're
discussing it, right?
I think.
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
Marc Bernstein (24:18):
And I like politely blunt because it means
do it respectfully.
Respectfully, yeah.
Yeah, so I like that.
So tell me about we only have afew minutes left, but if you
were looking out, if this wereit's now June of 2025, if we
were looking out at June of2028, Todd, and you and I are
talking, what would have tohappen over that three-year
period for you to feel that thatwas professionally a successful
(24:41):
three-year period of yourjourney?
And if you would likepersonally as well, if you'd
like to talk about that.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (24:47):
Uh yeah.
I mean, I I think um you know,kind of what I I guess the way
I'm taking that is what do Iconsider success for me with
Claire, let's say in threeyears, you know, over the next
three years.
Yeah, and I think about thatall the time.
I mean, uh, you know, I Ireally just want in my life is,
you know, I I want to be able tohave a company, something that
I I, you know, is I you know, Isome people kind of go for this
(25:10):
huge exit, right?
And then and then some peopledon't really have much ambition
at all.
Maybe it's too little.
And so I I'm trying to kind offind the in the middle.
I'm not that guy that's gonnago like, you know, uh you know,
although I'd love abillion-dollar company, I I
think there's a lot of workthere and it it takes time, I
think, to go to go through that.
Um But I think I would sayClaris is right in the in the
(25:32):
middle of that sweet spot wherewe're gonna provide AI to
business that actually solvesproblems for them and helps them
get ROI and and and actually ismeasurable, quantifiable the
way that it helps them, right?
I I think we start there andthen we can broaden it out as a
as a as in as a sector there.
But um anyway, so I I thesuccess I would say over the
(25:54):
next three years looks like I Ithink I'd like to get the
company to at least $10 millionin revenue.
I think that's doable.
You know, Paul and I talk aboutthat, and and we're going with
like a subscripsubscription-based SaaS service.
Um we're trying to get kind oflike a like a 3 or 5x on the
valuation as we grow it.
(26:15):
We're like we're aware of allthese things, but that doesn't
mean we're gonna go sell it.
It's it could be just alifestyle company that we find.
We don't know yet.
But I would say the next threeyears is actually getting some
products out to market, uhselling them and getting
clients, you know, using ourstuff and actually have it
providing value.
And I'll say this, uh uh theproduct we're going to market
(26:35):
right now, and and we we'vetalked about this internally and
we're we're about to kind of dothis, is a life sciences-based,
pharmaceutical-based uhproduct, where what it does is
it takes in FDA regulations foryour SOPs, like your standard
operating procedures within apharmaceutical or biotech.
And then it'll take theguidelines and then annotate and
mark up your SOPs and fix helpyou fix what needs to be fixed
(26:58):
based off what's changing.
Uh so we're actually we alreadylive with this with a customer,
or we already did a POC, andnow we already have other
clients interested, and so we'rewe're we're gonna go to market
with this one because it italigns well with everybody on
the team and and our I would sayour experience.
Marc Bernstein (27:14):
Nice.
Um I know you have, you'vementioned to me you have a
six-year-old daughter.
Is she part what how aboutanything on the personal side
for your next three years?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (27:24):
Yes.
Uh well, um, so yeah, mydaughter, obviously, she's my
heart and soul.
Uh everything I do is prettymuch for her.
Marc Bernstein (27:31):
Oh nice.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (27:32):
Uh and uh uh and yeah, that's it.
Yeah, she's my life.
I won't um, yeah.
Thank you, everybody.
Marc Bernstein (27:39):
All right.
We're out of time, but thanksso much, Todd, for being here
today.
Enjoyed having you, and thankyou all for listening to
Founders Forum, and we'll seeyou next week.
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(00:20):
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Now let's dive in.
Marc Bernstein (00:40):
Good morning, America.
How are you?
I'm Marc Bernstein.
This is Founders Forum.
I'm here with my guest Toddtoday, and we're going to have a
good time.
I mentioned we did an earliershow today.
It's a very sunny day inPhiladelphia, which we haven't
had a lot of lately, but it's ait's a great day to be here in
the station at WWDBAM Radio inBala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.
(01:05):
And you're probably listeningeither on their website or as a
podcast.
We are both.
And we love both media.
It's great.
So um Todd, I'm going tosurprise you because I didn't
really tell you what our topicof the day is, which you always
do.
Oh no.
We didn't have a chance.
That's because he hit a trafficand he was a little late.
(01:27):
So anyway, not to embarrass us.
But anyway.
So we um this is like part two,because we did this on our last
show.
And I'm a big advocate oflifelong learning and growth,
especially for entrepreneurs.
It's you have to stay ahead,you know, to if you don't stay
ahead, you go backwards.
That's my belief.
So I'm always one.
(01:48):
I'm a lifelong learner.
I'm you know, I won't tell youhow old I am at this moment, but
I'm old and I'm getting older.
And and and the more I you hearthe expression, the more you
think you know, the less youknow, and the older you get and
the more you want to learn.
And I and I really believe thatum because there's so much out
there to to to benefit fromlearning.
And since you are a guy that'sinvolved in AI, and our last
(02:11):
guest was also involved inrobotics, um this is uh the the
title I picked for this is parttwo of the learning advantage,
how founders stay ahead of thecurve.
And um, you know, uh manypeople are working in fields,
including you, that didn't existthat long ago.
Although I did work withsomeone who's been working with
(02:31):
AI since the early 2000s, butnot people haven't heard it that
much until re recently.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (02:36):
Exactly.
Marc Bernstein (02:37):
So it's been around, but it's still
relatively new.
And there's lots of otherthings I'm sure technology-wise,
you're working with that arenew.
So what's your approach tolearning and staying ahead of
the curve, Todd?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (02:50):
Yeah, uh so that's a good question.
Um, you know, it's um I thinkfor me the key is like I, you
know, so I have like somewhat oflike a learning disability,
right?
So so like it'll be like thingswill be a little scattered for
me, but I I think like I foundlike if you you can find really
good sources online of of thingsyou trust.
(03:11):
And when I say trust, it's notalways easy, right?
Because there's a lot of thingsnot to trust too.
And and so I think finding goodsources that that you that kind
of feed uh or help you, becauselike if you might have a
weakness in the way that youadapt or learn or educate
yourself on new things, uh but II think the key is to kind of
keep doing and then adapt as youas you see things that because
(03:32):
sometimes you might trustsomething, but then maybe it
gets a little shaky.
You need to look at otherthings or diversify what you're
looking at always, constantly,every day, every second, like
it's always, or it's like inyour mind like that.
Marc Bernstein (03:45):
So you have an approach to double checking the
education you're getting tomaking sure you're getting the
right information.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (03:50):
Yeah, it's like that's like if you don't do
that, you can you'll tripyourself up.
Like and and and I'll give youa perfect example, right?
Just just the other, it waslike a few weeks back, I found I
saw a video uh where it waslike Elon Musk and and uh um the
the Microsoft's uh forget hisname, but the CEO guy.
Uh Bill Gates.
No, no, the the current CEO.
(04:11):
I forget it is not not notyeah, or I forget I can't
pronounce his name right.
My apologies.
That's okay.
Uh but I saw a video where likethey were conversing over a
topic, but like it I think thewhole thing was fake.
Right.
Right?
But but some people like didn'tknow or like I it caught me
because I don't I wasn't reallypaying attention.
I was like, oh, it's kind ofcool because they were talking
about like Azure and things thatI do.
(04:32):
So it was very easy for me topass that along as something
real, right?
Marc Bernstein (04:37):
And so I see fake stuff every day now.
It's it's very, very common.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (04:40):
Aaron Ross Powell But but so those would be
the challenges I face, right?
Because sometimes like even ifyou find a good source, it
doesn't mean it's a goodspecific thing.
Marc Bernstein (04:49):
Right.
Um I not to put you on thespot, but you mentioned like a
little bit of learningdisability.
Do you do you talk about that?
Is that something you talkabout?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (04:57):
Uh well so I like it's more of like a
dyslexic.
Like I so when I was younger,um I you know I just didn't
learn I don't know, I always hadtrouble in school, and then I
had to get like one-on-onecoaching.
My dad would always you knowgot that for me.
And then I like I have a formof dyslexia.
Like sometimes I'll like if Iread something, I might see it
backwards.
Uh so like I and I think justbeing aware of that has has
(05:18):
helped has helped me so far.
Marc Bernstein (05:19):
I I always believed I have a very, very
mild form of that.
I get things mixed up, alsoleft-handed, so between those
two things.
Yes.
But in your case, you you haveone that's that's actually been
dealt with to a certain extent.
So I this is an inspirationalstory then, because you're
having quite a an amount ofsuccess in business, and I think
(05:40):
this could be a good good forpeople listening, you know, to
hear about.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (05:43):
Yeah, it's uh I think it's just like you
know, sometimes just being awareof your weakness and then
figuring, just thinking abouthow to like how could you get
around it.
You know.
Marc Bernstein (05:53):
Well, and the other thing is I think is also
then look at your strengths andbuild on your strengths, right?
Right.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (05:58):
Yes, hundred percent.
Marc Bernstein (05:59):
Yeah.
So with that, this is a good uhopportunity to introduce Todd
R.
Kueny Jr., co-founder and chieftechnology officer at Patient
Wing and Claris AI.
So Todd has over 20 years ofsoftware development experience
with 10 years of technologyleadership and is uh, as I
(06:19):
mentioned, co-founder and CTO ofboth Claris and Patient Wing.
At Claris AI, their mission isto transform raw data into
actionable insights whileensuring compliance and driving
innovation across regulatedindustries, which is tough, like
financial services, which Iknow that one well, life
sciences and manufacturing,which I know a bit about as
(06:40):
well.
PatientWing is apatient-centric, cloud-based
platform for clinical trials.
Um their mission is to connectpatient sites and sponsors and
optimize the trial enrollmentprocess using cutting-edge
technologies and data-drivensolutions.
So, Todd, as I like to do, whydon't we start at the beginning,
talk about kind of youreducation and what led you
(07:03):
getting into technology, andthen maybe I think in order
we'll talk about Patient Wingfirst a little bit and then
Clara say I as that sounds.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (07:10):
Yeah, perfect.
Um Yeah, so what got me intotechnology?
Um I've been at it since likeagain, just since literally just
a child.
I mean, my dad um kind ofworked his way up at, you know,
had had kind of like anengineering position where he
did a lot of softwaredevelopment.
So I just learned a lot fromhim just as I was younger.
(07:31):
Uh like meaning like he'd buylike a computer.
Like I remember when he boughtlike a Pentium 2 and had a
Windows 98 Plus on it, and likeit had all the cool features,
and I was uh anyway, just thingslike that.
So I kind of grew up aroundthat age.
Um and then uh but so I'vealways been in it.
Now I started coding though,I'd say at like a younger age.
Uh but I think what led me umdown the path was just, you
(07:54):
know, I like to solve problems,I like hard problems.
I like to I'm constantlythinking, it keeps me busy, it
helps me to uh just uh stayfocused on something, you know.
It's like and so that's kind ofwhat also led I would say led
me to entrepreneurship.
Uh but I would say obviously mydad was a key influence on my
technology direction for in mylife.
(08:16):
And then I think the theself-learning, the other thing
my dad was big on wasself-learning.
Uh in fact, that was like thethat you that was the default,
not the other way around, right?
So when you the way to thinkabout it is it was always like
self-that never stopped, right?
And I don't think it ever does.
Uh or when it does, then itstops, you know.
So um anyway, so but and thenand then I would say
(08:38):
entrepreneurship.
Uh, you know, I'd say the onething I probably didn't get from
my dad, or you know, as I wentout into the real world was
money, finance, business, like,you know, maybe a little bit,
but I think that was things Ihad to learn on my own.
Uh and that's what everythinghas now kind of led me to this
point.
Marc Bernstein (08:57):
How'd going way back, how did you start coding
it you know, at a young age?
You did that on your own?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (09:03):
Uh well, so it'd be like things that I
wanted to do or things I wasinterested in.
So like one an example, Istarted just like just learning
code through what you know withwhat my dad was doing.
He like he worked in like C Ctype stack and he had like his
own business, he had his ownlike product.
Uh but I was always interestedin like so like I remember going
on to AOL and doing like codingmy own stuff for that initial
(09:26):
like that was kind of the firstthing that got me into just
building my own stuff orlearning how it worked.
Because I was like on AOL,you'd have these like bots you
could build and you could likescroll and so I would be one of
those guys, like guys likebuilding those, like trying to
kick people off or have theability to like kick people off.
Just being kind of dumb, butyeah.
Marc Bernstein (09:44):
Well, but you've but you so but you're curious.
Curious.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (09:47):
It's more it was more curiosity, yeah.
Marc Bernstein (09:49):
Got it.
But then it sounds like it kindof hooked you.
You got more interested anddeveloped it further over time.
Exactly.
And then did you go to schoolfor that?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (09:57):
No, I never well, so I to be honest, um, you
know, I don't say this much,but so I never graduate I didn't
graduate high school.
I finished like up to eleventhgrade.
Uh huh.
And then I had a little bit ofcommunity college, but I never
finished any formal education.
Marc Bernstein (10:13):
Um partly kind of due to your learning issue, I
guess.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (10:16):
Maybe, maybe.
Yeah.
I think it was like, and I wasalways afraid.
I never confronted it head on,you know.
Um so I had to work aroundthat, I guess, as like a kind of
like a weakness.
You could say I tried to makeit a strength.
That's hard.
Uh getting I think what schoolreally helps with is that
initial foot in the door a lotof times.
(10:37):
You know that some of thebasics and you can get in.
Whereas like if you don't havethat, you have to kind of learn
that on your own.
You know, so then I'd be like,when I would do interviews, it
would be like I'd literally justtry to show things that I did
because they're not gonnabelieve, like they don't
necessarily gonna believe you,right?
So you if you have if you canprove it in some way, I think
that helps.
Marc Bernstein (10:56):
Well, you know, uh just this idea of strengths
and weaknesses.
Um I learned a lot from um aprogram uh for entrepreneurs
called the strategic coach, DanSullivan.
And many people listening willbe familiar with him.
And uh one of the things hetalks about, one of the first
things, is that um don't focuson your weaknesses, focus on
(11:17):
your strengths.
Because you know, you couldyou'd spend your whole life
working on your weaknesses andthey may still just be there.
But focus on your strengths.
And he used to say, you know,let's say like uh um I'll try to
think of a good example inbaseball, but they're baseball
players that all they really dois hit home runs, and that's all
they're there for.
(11:37):
They don't have to be good atalmost anything else, right?
So people get they pay him alot of money just to hit at home
runs.
Or he would use the example,you know, Frank Sinatra never
needed to move pianos, you know,all he needed to do, they pay
him to sing.
So all he has to do is get upand sing, and he's good, right?
So so I love that.
So if there's a little advicethere, it's like don't worry
(11:58):
about the weaknesses.
What I think you've done in myobservation is that you've
learned you've learned what yourstrengths are.
So you've stumbled on onecoding, right?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (12:07):
That's the cool like journey of it.
You know, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Marc Bernstein (12:10):
Yeah.
So I think that's a greatlesson to everyone and still one
I've learned over time.
I used to worry about thethings I couldn't do, now I just
build on the things I can do,you know, and and and do them
well and do more of them.
You know, there's another thinghe talks about your unique
ability.
Focus on your unique abilitiesand just do that because then
you're really enjoying the ride.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (12:30):
If you can do it, if you can get it, yeah,
it's nice.
Marc Bernstein (12:32):
Well, and you have employees that can do the
other things.
Yeah.
Exactly.
You can hire people to do or orpartner with people that that
you know have the things youdon't have, which I think you've
done.
So speaking of which, you havea partner in business, correct?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (12:45):
Correct.
Yeah.
Uh so at Claris AI, he's my uhthis the two like main founding
members are me and Paul Lisi, mypartner at Claris.
And he's also a founder atPatientWing, too.
Marc Bernstein (12:57):
Uh-huh.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (12:58):
And it he's actually a major stake he like
invested and did a lot there.
And so then we we him and Iboth stepped away and now did
Claris AI, but we're trying toget some synergies together.
Like we focus on life sciencesand it kind of brings everything
together for us, you know.
Marc Bernstein (13:14):
And I imagine he does some things you're not as
good at and you do some thingshe's not as good at.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (13:19):
100%, dude.
I couldn't I couldn't do itwithout Paul, man.
I there's no way, dude.
Paul's is he's been like asaint.
Marc Bernstein (13:25):
So guess what?
You have figured out the secretto unique abilities.
That's what that's whathappened.
You focus on what you do, andright?
So for those of you I'm notsure if we have video today or
not.
We're working on technology forthat.
But if you didn't, uh Todd justput his hands together like
he's praying, like grateful, youknow.
So 100%.
Um it's like a thankful bow.
(13:47):
Yeah.
So uh so let me so anyway, sotell me about Patient Wing, how
that got started, and then we'llgo on after the break, which is
going to be in a minute or so.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (13:58):
Yeah, so uh it's an interesting story.
So PatientWing, um, it was likethe first company I really I
was really a like a founder orlike a member that had founded a
company.
But when we started PatientWing, it it wasn't uh what it is
now.
It started as like this likedata collection idea for um for
like clinical trial settings,right?
(14:19):
So like and this a specificproduct was called EDC, like
electronic data capture in thatkind of pharmaceutical market
and that subspace within lifesciences.
But we we like we found that itwas very competitive and very
hard to sell and do do a lotthere, so we kind of needed to
pivot.
And so the idea came, like aswe talked to a lot of customers
(14:40):
uh that we were trying to sellto, the the biggest problem they
said that they were having withclinical trials, and this was
like across the board, was thatthey had trouble getting enough
patients into the trial to evendo it, right?
Um and so that's when we justkept thinking, like, hey, what
if what if we could like it itshouldn't be it should be
easier.
Like, you know, when I was akid, you c I could see it being
(15:00):
harder like when I was a kid,because there's not there's not
really any commu there's not asgood a c com communication.
Right.
But the the like the weirdobservable thing there is like,
well, it now it should be itshould be getting easier, not
harder.
Right.
Marc Bernstein (15:14):
And so something I felt something.
Because of mass media andcommunication.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (15:17):
Yeah, what have you.
It's exactly right.
I think it's it's there's notreally any clear focus and
coordination of what needs tooccur, right?
Uh it's kind of like justdisparat systems all throughout
the place.
Uh and so and so anyway, sothat so I you know we felt,
well, hey, that'd be a goodmission.
I mean, I think the the idealis that we it's all smooth.
I mean, clinical trials are thefoundations of all disease,
(15:42):
like how we cure and andinvestigate diseases, I think.
And but most people see it aslike a weird, gross thing that
they don't want to be a part ofusually, or like not everybody,
but I'm saying like you need toget more people together.
It's like, hey, this is how weactually fight back against
diseases.
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
Marc Bernstein (15:57):
So how did you conquer that in terms of getting
patients to sign up for thetour?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (16:01):
Well, that's the hard part, right?
So great ideas.
Uh so a lot of like just uhgrassroots, what we called was
grassroots.
So we like in the company westarted a grassroots campaign
where we would you know try toblog like this is we were all
like new to all this.
So it was like how can we getpeople and we were like I
remember this like one companythat was like uh patients like
me were like, how can we get asmany like users and traffic as
(16:24):
they do?
We could do a lot with that.
And so just things like that.
And that's what we workedtowards.
Marc Bernstein (16:29):
Uh so so this so this was really trial and
error.
Um I'm only stopping youbecause we have to take a quick
break, but but it was like trialand error, but you did figure
out how to get the patients onboard.
Exactly.
And we'll pick up from thereright after the break.
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(17:23):
We are back on Founders Forum.
And I just found out hey, talkabout trial and error and
failures.
We thought we were recordingvideo today and we're not.
So a little technology bug.
So we'll have it figured out.
It happens.
Hopefully for next weekhappens, right?
So anyway, so that's uh so sowhat so kind of what happened.
(17:44):
So Patient Wing, you're notinvolved with anymore.
You sort of fa you I mean, Iknow you're still an investor.
Did what happened there thatled you to Claris AI and your
sort of exit as such fromPatient Wing?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (17:56):
Yeah, no, that that's a good question.
Um Yeah, so I mean I'm not so II am I have stepped away a
little bit.
I mean, I I'm I still kind ofhave my my nose in it, right?
Because like you said, I'm Istill have equity as like kind
of a main equity holder.
Um But yeah, I mean I um soPatient Wing uh was great.
I mean I look we learn Ilearned a lot there just in
(18:16):
terms of business.
Like that was kind of wherelike that's where you know we
had to talk to clients andactually like do stuff and like
that that type of stuff Ilearned a lot there through the
you know through a lot of thathappened there.
But then I think what led uh meto do, Claire, say ah, is I
think within the pharma spacespecifically, especially in life
sciences, technology can movevery slow.
(18:38):
All right, it's not adoptedquick, right?
So then like you someone like Ikind of felt like it was hard
to like there's things youwanted to do and then you
couldn't.
Marc Bernstein (18:46):
That's interesting.
I mean you would think lifesciences would actually be ahead
of the curve with technology,right?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (18:51):
It's fair.
That's a fair it's like, yeah,I mean uh exactly.
So uh anyways, but so we youknow I think but there's a lot
of synergy, and so and I'll giveyou an example.
So the one of the clients thatwe first signed at Claris AI uh
was a company called RareRevolution Magazine.
They're they're based out ofScotland, uh, and they're like a
publication where they do umthey do a lot of women's rare
(19:12):
disease and they do a lot likerare disease specifically.
Uh and so they'll do articles,they have magazines, things that
they do and publish.
Um Patient Wing actually uhutilized them to help find some
patients in specific diseases,right?
Um and so that's how I firstwas introduced to that company
Rare Revolution.
Great people.
(19:32):
I love the people there.
Um and so then and then when wedid Claris, um, you know, we
the we did an AI project withthem where like um so we we do a
lot of uh AI so that they canprovide uh helpful assistance to
their clients and their endusers, right?
Um anyway, so that you know, sothere there's a lot of uh
(19:53):
synergies within what what we'rewhat we're me and Paul are
still doing, even to this day.
And I think uh we we're makingreally good traction, or we have
really good traction at thispoint.
Marc Bernstein (20:03):
What what is your what are your what are your
next steps forward in terms ofClaris AI?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (20:09):
Yeah, so right now we're trying I think
the immediate, you know, we'rewe're signing clients, we want
to make sure we can fulfillobligations.
Um and I think short term, youknow, we we potentially looking
to raise some money.
Um, you know, I think you know,it's more private, but you
know, I think like you know, youknow, we him and I have talked
(20:30):
about raising some money shortterm to help us grow a little
faster.
Um and we have a clear path todo that.
I think part of the issue ofraising money is you want to
make sure you have a clear ideaof what you're gonna do with it
and how exactly it's gonna helpyou get to where you say you
want to go, right?
Uh and so Paul and I think arereally good at that, you know,
and so we're kind of formulatingsome of those ideas now.
Strategizing them.
(20:50):
Exactly, exactly.
Um so I'd say short term, it'slike AI.
So we do right now, we we'redeploying like actual clients
into production with some AI,you know, with a with a
SaaS-based AI product that wehave.
So you have proof of concept.
100%.
We are live now.
We're actually live on thisRare Revolution magazine.
You just go to rarevolutionmagazine.com, it's you can in
(21:12):
the little widget, they havelike a librarian that will pop
up, and that's Claris, right?
So we provided that technologyfor them.
And it's and again, and thereis a little bit of learning
experience.
We're literally doing the umI've never deployed AI into
production in my previous life,right?
So this is kind of new for metoo.
It's the first, yeah.
Marc Bernstein (21:31):
Yeah, yeah.
Um and you have a number ofemployees in your company,
right?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (21:36):
Yeah, Claris AI.
So we're about uh about 15people now, I think, give or
take.
And uh part of that was peoplethat we hired, and then part of
it we acquired a company calledEnergy Edge, which uh they do um
like content management withthis of with a product called
Magnolia, which is a great youknow, it's a good product.
(21:57):
Um anyway, so they they did alot of like projects and
consults consulting projectswith that where they would help
like big clients with theirwebsites and do stuff.
Uh so we acquired that and nowwe're building AI and we're
actually building connectors inwith Magnolia.
Uh they're actually uh one ofour partners.
And so um, you know, we'reworking closely with them to
provide to provide AI access tothe you know to the users of
(22:19):
their platform as well.
Marc Bernstein (22:22):
Uh so so a couple things going on.
So oh I was gonna ask you aboutthe comp the culture of the
company.
Let's go there first.
Uh you have them so youinherited some employees and you
hired some yourself.
Do you have what you would callcompany culture and how do you
go about uh creating that?
Yeah, it's funny.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (22:41):
We we literally yeah, we yes, we do.
Uh we literally just had ameeting like the other day about
it.
So we we have like a leadershipmeeting.
We actually follow the uh areyou familiar with this thing
called EOS?
EOS.
Yeah, EOS.
Oh, yeah, sure.
Marc Bernstein (22:53):
Yeah, so entrepreneur owned uh operating
system.
Exactly, exactly.
So so um we're having a littlemalfunction with the chair.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (23:04):
Oh did I think that's a good thing.
Marc Bernstein (23:04):
I'm sorry about that.
That's cool.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (23:08):
Um wait, where was I now?
Marc Bernstein (23:10):
Sorry.
Uh yeah, a leadership meetingthe other day.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (23:13):
Yeah, and so our culture I think so so Paul
and I are huge with on culture,and I think the culture is like
that.
The way I think Paul explainsit nicely, politely blunt.
Our our culture is politelyblunt.
We don't like to sugarcoat ortry to hide things.
We try to get things out in theopen, make sure it's visible,
communications are there, andyou don't get punished for that,
(23:34):
right?
And so and so as long as you'rehelping to work towards the
issues that we have to overcomeas a company, right?
Um I so I think that's our keyculture and and and and
accountability.
I like I think at leadershiplevels, if you say things and or
you don't do things, I thinkyou need to hold you need to be
accountable, and I think that'sthe other piece of of our of
(23:55):
what we kind of defined as ourcore principles, I would say.
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
Marc Bernstein (23:58):
Nice.
You want people to speak up, betransparent.
Um we we one of the things I'vealways used is direct address,
like if there is an issuebetween people, you can come to
the leaders of the company, butfirst you got to go to the
person you have an issue withand talk to them about it.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (24:14):
Aaron Powell Exactly.
You need to be you need to beable to get along as you're
discussing it, right?
I think.
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
Marc Bernstein (24:18):
And I like politely blunt because it means
do it respectfully.
Respectfully, yeah.
Yeah, so I like that.
So tell me about we only have afew minutes left, but if you
were looking out, if this wereit's now June of 2025, if we
were looking out at June of2028, Todd, and you and I are
talking, what would have tohappen over that three-year
period for you to feel that thatwas professionally a successful
(24:41):
three-year period of yourjourney?
And if you would likepersonally as well, if you'd
like to talk about that.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (24:47):
Uh yeah.
I mean, I I think um you know,kind of what I I guess the way
I'm taking that is what do Iconsider success for me with
Claire, let's say in threeyears, you know, over the next
three years.
Yeah, and I think about thatall the time.
I mean, uh, you know, I Ireally just want in my life is,
you know, I I want to be able tohave a company, something that
I I, you know, is I you know, Isome people kind of go for this
(25:10):
huge exit, right?
And then and then some peopledon't really have much ambition
at all.
Maybe it's too little.
And so I I'm trying to kind offind the in the middle.
I'm not that guy that's gonnago like, you know, uh you know,
although I'd love abillion-dollar company, I I
think there's a lot of workthere and it it takes time, I
think, to go to go through that.
Um But I think I would sayClaris is right in the in the
(25:32):
middle of that sweet spot wherewe're gonna provide AI to
business that actually solvesproblems for them and helps them
get ROI and and and actually ismeasurable, quantifiable the
way that it helps them, right?
I I think we start there andthen we can broaden it out as a
as a as in as a sector there.
But um anyway, so I I thesuccess I would say over the
(25:54):
next three years looks like I Ithink I'd like to get the
company to at least $10 millionin revenue.
I think that's doable.
You know, Paul and I talk aboutthat, and and we're going with
like a subscripsubscription-based SaaS service.
Um we're trying to get kind oflike a like a 3 or 5x on the
valuation as we grow it.
(26:15):
We're like we're aware of allthese things, but that doesn't
mean we're gonna go sell it.
It's it could be just alifestyle company that we find.
We don't know yet.
But I would say the next threeyears is actually getting some
products out to market, uhselling them and getting
clients, you know, using ourstuff and actually have it
providing value.
And I'll say this, uh uh theproduct we're going to market
(26:35):
right now, and and we we'vetalked about this internally and
we're we're about to kind of dothis, is a life sciences-based,
pharmaceutical-based uhproduct, where what it does is
it takes in FDA regulations foryour SOPs, like your standard
operating procedures within apharmaceutical or biotech.
And then it'll take theguidelines and then annotate and
mark up your SOPs and fix helpyou fix what needs to be fixed
(26:58):
based off what's changing.
Uh so we're actually we alreadylive with this with a customer,
or we already did a POC, andnow we already have other
clients interested, and so we'rewe're we're gonna go to market
with this one because it italigns well with everybody on
the team and and our I would sayour experience.
Marc Bernstein (27:14):
Nice.
Um I know you have, you'vementioned to me you have a
six-year-old daughter.
Is she part what how aboutanything on the personal side
for your next three years?
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (27:24):
Yes.
Uh well, um, so yeah, mydaughter, obviously, she's my
heart and soul.
Uh everything I do is prettymuch for her.
Marc Bernstein (27:31):
Oh nice.
Todd R. Kueny, Jr. (27:32):
Uh and uh uh and yeah, that's it.
Yeah, she's my life.
I won't um, yeah.
Thank you, everybody.
Marc Bernstein (27:39):
All right.
We're out of time, but thanksso much, Todd, for being here
today.
Enjoyed having you, and thankyou all for listening to
Founders Forum, and we'll seeyou next week.
Announcer (27:49):
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and that you found value to takewith you throughout your day.
Join us again next week foranother episode of Founders
Forum.
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