In episode 69 of Venture Everywhere, Jenny Fielding, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Everywhere Ventures, chats with Joe Essenfeld, founder and CEO of Fora, an AI platform that turns workplace conversations into real-time business insights. Joe shares his journey from early startup experiences to building Fora, where he combined HR tech expertise with early large language model (LLM) experiments to build a smarter way to run companies. Joe also discusses how Fora uses AI to turn everyday business chatter into actionable insights, accelerating decisions and challenging the role of traditional OKRs.

In this episode, you will hear:

• How Fora leverages AI to solve alignment issues in real time.
• Replacing traditional OKRs with continuous, automated tracking.
• Blending future-of-work and ops intelligence beyond HR tech.
• Linking daily work to company goals without extra process overhead.
• Adapting to shifting product-market fit in a fast-changing landscape.
• Delivering insights via push notifications, no dashboards needed.

Learn more about Joe Essenfeld | Fora

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/essenfeld

Fora: https://fora.day

Learn more about Jenny Fielding | Everywhere VC

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennyfielding

Website: https://everywhere.vc/

In episode 67 of Venture Everywhere, Scott Hartley, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Everywhere Ventures, talks with Basil Vetas, founder and CEO of Leeway, a modern benefits administration platform specializing in Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRAs). Basil discusses how Leeway enables companies to reimburse employees for individually purchased health insurance, offering greater flexibility, affordability, and compliance. Scott and Basil also explore the potential of ICHRAs, shifting from traditional group health plans to personalized options that prioritize employee choice and portability.

In this episode, you will hear:

• The impact of ICHRAs in reshaping employee healthcare benefits.
• Key regulatory updates that have made ICHRAs possible.
• Difficulties in helping consumers navigate healthcare options.
• How remote work and job mobility are changing healthcare requirements.

Learn more about Basil Vetas | Leeway

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/basilvetas/

X: https://x.com/basilvetas

Website: https://www.leewayhq.com/

Learn more about Scott Hartley | Everywhere VC

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scotthartley/

Website: https://everywhere.vc/

In this episode of Venture Everywhere our host is Ron Baetiong, founder and CEO of Podcast Network Asia, Serye FM and Podmachine, a podcast SaaS platform that helps podcasters edit their content. He chats with Aaron Hsu, co-founder and CEO of Blerp, a company that empowers users to create and share soundbites. Aaron shares Blerp’s evolution from "Giphy for sound" to a streaming monetization tool. Ron and Aaron also discuss how sound can transform live-streaming experiences and build deeper connections between creators and their audiences.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Blerp established its primary user base by integrating with Twitch.
• Boosts monetization through creator-driven product development.
• Audio as a competitive but valuable medium for content creators.
• Impact of voice-based technology on digital communication.
• Prioritizing customer problems over initial solutions.
• Reassessing the value proposition to refine and scale the business.

Learn more about Aaron Hsu | Blerp

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronshoo/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kchsu

X: https://x.com/blerp

Website: https://blerp.com/

Learn more about Ron Baetiong | Podmachine

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronbaetiong/

Website: https://www.podmachine.com/

In this special episode of Venture Everywhere, co-founders and Managing Partners of Everywhere Ventures, Jenny Fielding and Scott Hartley, turn the tables, as Scott interviews Jenny about her new book, Venture Everywhere. Jenny discusses the book’s unique blend of travel, entrepreneurship, and personal growth, featuring powerful stories of founders from around the world who have overcome immense challenges to build successful companies with conviction. They share experiences in building Everywhere Ventures and the borderless spirit of entrepreneurship, redefining what it means to adapt and succeed globally.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Jenny's motivation for the book and its connection to Everywhere Ventures' mission.
• How technology has enabled startups to thrive regardless of location.
• Building companies outside traditional hubs.
• AI’s impact and new tools in streamlining the writing process.
• Challenges in traditional publishing and book classification.
• Key entrepreneurial characteristics.
• Embracing multiple identities instead of predefined roles.
• The resurgence of Scott's book The Fuzzy and The Techie and its enduring relevance.

Learn more about Jenny Fielding | Everywhere VC

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennyfielding/

X: https://x.com/jefielding

Website: https://everywhere.vc/

Book: https://www.jennyfielding.com/venture-everywhere

Learn more about Scott Hartley | Everywhere VC

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scotthartley/

Website: https://everywhere.vc/

In episode 64 of Venture Everywhere, Scott Hartley, Managing Partner of Everywhere Ventures chats with Richa Kaul, CEO and founder of Complyance, a GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) platform designed for mid-market enterprises. Richa shares how Complyance helps businesses strengthen their security compliance through customized automation, enabling a proactive approach to cybersecurity. Scott and Richa also explore the evolving compliance landscape, shifting from a check-the-box mentality to building adaptive, strategic, and trust-driven security frameworks.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Balancing automation with customization in security policies.
• Federal regulations vs. trust-based compliance standards.
• Need for incident response planning, as well as prevention.
• Uses AI for additional custom checks with varying threshold levels.

Learn more about Richa Kaul | Complyance

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richa-kaul/

Website: https://complyance.com/

Learn more about Scott Hartley | Everywhere VC

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scotthartley/

Website: https://everywhere.vc/

In episode 63 of Venture Everywhere, host Conor Harbeck, Associate at Everywhere Ventures, chats with Amanda Stefan, CEO and co-founder of Jawa, a community-driven marketplace for gamers to buy and sell their gear. Amanda shares her journey from finance and consumer startups to launching Jawa, inspired by her own struggles building a gaming PC during pandemic supply shortages. Amanda also discusses how Jawa is building trust and fairness in gaming transactions, simplifying the process and making it more affordable for gamers.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Jawa's vision to be the go-to destination for instinctive gaming hardware decisions.
• How Jawa prevents scalping and ensures fair pricing for buyers and sellers.
• Using community moderation to maintain trust and authenticity.
• Leveraging tech experts and influencers to expand Jawa’s reach.
• Expanding beyond custom PCs including peripherals and accessories.
• Using AI to accelerate listing processes experience for users.

Learn more about Amanda Stefan | Jawa

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandarfried/

Website: https://www.jawa.gg/

Learn more about Conor Harbeck | Everywhere VC

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conor-harbeck521/

Website: https://everywhere.vc/

In episode 62 of Venture Everywhere is hosted by Federico Baradello, co-founder and CEO of Finalis, a business that's building the AI operating system for the private capital markets. He chats with Nathan Sutton, co-founder and Managing Partner of Tangible, a company transforming the way secondary markets work for LPs, GPs and Wealth Managers.

Nathan shares how Tangible is enhancing liquidity in private markets by expanding access to previously underserved wealth channels. Nathan and Federico also discuss broader shifts in investor sentiment and the growing opportunities driven by increased wealth allocation into private assets.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Tangible’s vision to be the go-to liquidity platform for top global wealth managers.
• How Tangible's technology connects private market funds with retail investors.
• Strategies employed by Tangible to address liquidity issues.
• Technological innovations in the private capital sector.
• Growth potential and future outlook for private capital markets.
• Addressing common misconceptions regarding liquidity needs.

Learn more about Nathan Sutton | Tangible

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-s-sutton/

Website: https://www.tangible-markets.com/home

Learn more about Federico Baradello | Finalis

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/federicobaradello/

Website: https://www.finalis.com/