Regional Startup Ecosystems

Ep 34 - Brantley Fry: Why Connecting People and Process Is Your Secret Weapon

Brantley Fry, partner at Tech CXO's human capital management practice, shares her unconventional career path from environmental lawyer to political state director to HR strategist. She discusses her work on major environmental cases including the TVA coal ash spill and BP oil spill, her role as state director for Senator Doug Jones, and her current focus on helping high-growth companies optimize people operations. The conversation explores M&A communication strategies, non-traditional hiring approaches, and Birmingham's emerging biotech ecosystem.

Ep27 Jeff Haynie—The Rise of Agentic Systems and AI-Driven Dev

Jeff Haynie, serial entrepreneur and founder of Appcelerator (Titanium), discusses his journey from pioneering JavaScript mobile development in 2006 to launching Agentuity, an AI agent cloud platform. He shares insights on Silicon Valley's unique ecosystem, the evolution of software development, and his belief that AI agents will fundamentally transform cloud infrastructure from human-centric to agent-optimized systems.

Ep25 Lisa Calhoun—Earning Every Win: Grit, Innovation, and Knowing When to Venture!

Ep 06 - Mike Blake: A Journey Through Valuations, Ventures, Visions and Vodka

Mike Blake, founder of High Score Strategies, discusses business valuation methodology, the changing landscape of patent protection, and his journey from venture capital to founding Atlanta's influential Startup Lounge networking series. He shares insights on when valuations help or hinder startup negotiations, the dramatic weakening of patent value through PTAB proceedings, and his recent relocation to Portugal.

Ep 04 - Mark Flickinger: From Rowing to Venture Capital - Lessons in Teamwork and Growth

Mark Flickinger, partner at BIP Ventures, discusses his journey from mechanical engineering and competitive rowing to venture capital. He explains BIP's platform-heavy approach with 50 employees supporting both investors and portfolio companies, their focus on high net worth LPs, and strategies for helping founders navigate the current market environment. Flickinger emphasizes the importance of solving real problems, building strong boards, and maintaining discipline during economic uncertainty.