mohammed ahmed

With tremendous activity in the Chicago startup scene across multiple industries, we recently decided to start bringing some sense to it all. Introducing the TechNexus Venture Collaborative #ReinventingIndustry series! Every few weeks we'll be detailing the scope of local ventures in a specific sector. Here is the first in HealthTech with more to come. I invite you to check it out, think and provide your insights too. (kudos to Joey Alfieri on this work)

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🎙️ It was a privilege to be joined by Will Coffield Co-Founder & General Parter of Riot Ventures for episode 33 of the Machine Minds Show! Will is the rare career VC who has a wealth of experience in the space. Listen in to hear about their focus on investing in critical industries that need to be modernized and more! You can find the full episode wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t forget to subscribe and rate the show! #machineminds #techpodcast #venturecapital #vc #startupinvesting #robotics #ai #defensetech

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🎙 Episode 41 of the Machine Minds Show is live! I was joined by Abdo John Hajj, Managing Partner at Type One Ventures for an awesome discussion about investing in visionary founders who are progressing humanity forward! Type One Ventures has invested in a variety of impressive companies like SpaceX, Anthropic, 1X, Open AI, Neuralink, Coco, and more! 🚀 If you want to hear about how the fund started, Type One's investment thesis, and what they look for from founders, then listen to the full episode now. As always, you can find the show wherever you get your podcasts. Don't forget to subscribe and rate the show when you check it out 😉 #machineminds #techpodcast #robotics #spacetech #typeoneventures #startups #techinvestments #venturecapital #spacex #openai #anthropic #neuralink

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I recently listened to Zach Perret, founder of Plaid, on the 20VC podcast discussing his evolution in recruiting. His mindset shift resonated with me. Here are three key takeaways: ▶ Be yourself and do it. Cold emails and genuine curiosity unlock unrecruitable people. People love to talk about things they're passionate about. ▶ Embrace the hunt. The best founders love to compete for talent. They understand the value each person can bring and don't like losing. This skill will also translate into founder-led sales. ▶ Hire for "Spike". This is essential when building an early team. I often think of it as the shape of a "T"—someone with deep expertise in one area but is open and curious to learn and contribute in other areas outside their core strength.

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What’s going on in the Venture Capital Market and how is it affecting Supply Chain solution providers? 2/3 years ago top line growth was priority for everyone and that is the reason why VCs were so attractive to most start-ups flooding into the space. I did a fireside talk at ff Venture Capital annual drones & robotics conference last year discussing how Pre-B round companies could attract the best talent. I talked about how a lot of the value prop was around creating a clear narrative for your company journey and that was what also seemed to be the main route for funding……. Selling the journey. Fast forward 2024 if I was asked the same question I would not give that same answer. The reality has changed from being narrative driven to metrics and operations driven, forcing founding teams to focus on how to build real, profitable businesses. In the last 2 years 70% of venture raised in the SC Tech space has been Seed or Series A, and with little M&A activity going on right now it feels like the industry has plateaued this year. The positive news is the money is still getting raised in the early rounds, and I am seeing some innovation in the Supply Chain Management Software space. If you are an exec looking for a move right now, reach out and let me connect you with a few early stage VC firms who are on the lookout for fractional and full time execs Marconi Associates #executivesearch #robotics #supplychaintechnology

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Should ZipRecruiter reassess leadership? -->> https://lnkd.in/eHf6wemw In this episode, we dive deep into: - Paradox Innovation Day - VONQ's US Departure - CV Wallet / Resume Wallet's Triumph - Vangst, acquisition and its implications for the #cannabis #job market - Veritone Hire's Road Ahead - A critical view on ZipRecruiter, Nike, and Bayer's leadership mishaps. - Who'd You Rather? with Take2 AI and Paraform Expect a snarky blend of analysis, insight, and entertainment as we dissect brand consolidation, #AI's growing role in #recruitment, and the nuances of navigating the cannabis market. -->> https://lnkd.in/eHf6wemw #ChadCheese #RecruitmentPodcast #FutureOfWork #InnovationInRecruitment #Leadership #AIRecruitment

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Here's a new list of 31 fast-growing Y Combinator backed startups, currently hiring for REMOTE roles: Big thanks to Ben Lang for sharing this list! 1) Unriddle (YC S24) - read, write and find research papers faster 2) Stacksync (YC W24) - sync between CRMs and databases 3) Akiflow - tasks and calendars in one app 4) Finni Health (YC W23) - empowering autism care providers 5) Ply Health (YC S24) - get providers in-network with payers 6) Versable - product description enhancement for auto parts industry 7) Formance - open source infra for finance 8) Forage - payments infrastructure for government benefits 9) Hona - client communication portal for law firms 10) Zeal - automated payroll 12) Courtyard.io - invest in collectibles 13) Blueberry. Pediatrics - pediatric clinic in every family's living room 14) Centaur Labs - labeling medical data at scale 15) TrueBiz - background checks for businesses 16) Thera (YC S22) - payroll, banking for global teams 17) Recall.ai - API for meeting video, audio and metadata 18) Text Blaze - slash commands anywhere 19) Rollstack - automate decks and documents 20) Infisical - open-source secrets manager for developers 21) Arist - learning at scale 22) Optery - removes private info from the internet 23) Vendoo (YC W22) - manage sales on multiple platforms 24) Paragon - embedded integration platform for SaaS apps 25) Gordian Software - software to remove friction in travel 26) Roboflow - computer vision tools 27) Hatchet - background task orchestration and visibility 28) Typewise (YC S22) - AI customer services/sales 29) Oneleet - automated security and compliance 30) SpeedyBrand - AI marketing content for SMBs 31) Shimmer - ADHD coaching links to all of their career pages will be in the comments 👋 for more content: Follow groveto

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Agree or disagree: early-stage investment in AI startups is over-saturated. However, Sanjay Aggarwal of F-Prime Capital shares trends that are hard to ignore. Construction, mining & food-tech aren't going anywhere. Sanjay explains how these sectors are emerging and why they present real opportunities for early-stage investors. But how soon will they pay off? Tune in 👇 #machineminds #techpodcast #venturecapital #startup #recruitment #robotics #ai

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The Ohio VC community is growing! Added 5 more funds to the graphics for my fellow founders. As you can see, there's a massive opportunity in Ohio for more Pre-Seed and Seed Funds. Early investing is riskier, but you also get more equity stake for your investment. What other trends do you notice in the space? Check out the added funds - The O.H.I.O. Fund, Sidecut Ventures, 1809 Capital, Interstate Fusion Ventures, and Fireroad #venturecapital #fundraising #startup

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We're teaming up with some amazing speakers for Chicago's free networking/panel event on May 15th: This time, we're going beyond founders, giving you access to investors, VCs, and industry experts. This is your chance to pick their brains, uncover insider tips, and make some quality connections. Roland Siebelink: Roland, founder & CEO of Midstage Institute, brings over 30 years of startup experience, having coached 2 unicorns and achieved 3 successful exits. As a certified Scaling Up facilitator and Forbes Coaches Council member, he specializes in helping early-stage startups grow into unicorn after the first product-market-fit. Roland, has been featured on prestigious podcasts like The Product Startup and Founders Space. Paulo J Machado: Paulo, Founder and CEO of Health Innovation Inc., is a seasoned entrepreneur and investor, with a keen focus on improving care and outcomes in healthcare, startups, Agetech, Femtech, and AI. Having invested in over 40 companies at What If Ventures, he brings a wealth of experience to the table. Paulo has also served as a mentor at esteemed programs like AARP, SXSW accelerator, and Techstars Austin, among others. Ibraheem Alinur: Ibraheem is a serial entrepreneur and venture fund/studio builder in biotechnology and digital health. As Vice President of 2Flo Ventures, he builds businesses and facilitates the bi-directional flow of resources to improve the health of communities. Ibraheem’s work has been featured in publications like the Obama Foundation and Forbes. At TheTechGiveBack's last event in SF, some of you said that there wasn't enough time to network with the panelists. So this time, we're limiting registration spots to make sure you get ample time to network and learn from our speakers. Make sure to grab your spot before spots fill up. 👇 Don't miss out—RSVP now, it's 100% free 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gRrkarhd 🗓️ May 15th, Wednesday 6PM to 9PM 🕴 Hosts: Jairo Garcia, Ricardo Olmos, Brian Lung Special thanks to: mHUB | Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation | The Garage at Northwestern University | BlackRock #startup #entrepreneurship #founders #chicago #firesidechats

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The recent announcement of Index Ventures raising $2.3 billion in new funds signals strong confidence in the tech startup ecosystem, with significant implications for the recruitment industry. I'm excited about what this means for job creation and talent demand in the coming years.   𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞:   • 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡: With $800 million for early-stage and $1.5 billion for growth-stage investments, there will be a surge in hiring across tech sectors, creating opportunities for tech recruiters.   • 𝐀𝐈 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬: The emphasis on AI investments aligns with market demand for AI specialists, data scientists, and professionals with AI-related skills.   • 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬: Index Ventures' commitment to investing across 24 tech ecosystems globally will drive job creation and talent movement internationally, benefiting recruiters with a global network.   • 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Investments in transforming traditional industries like manufacturing and legal services through tech innovation present new opportunities for recruiters.   At Recruitment Entrepreneur, we're experiencing growth within a number of portfolio business. Venatrix, NineTech and NeoSphere Tech are all seeing increased hiring demand in the tech and particularly SAAS. This news from Index Ventures reinforces our optimism about this particular sector in our industry.   𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐱 𝐨𝐟 𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲?   https://lnkd.in/drDbpJ-Q   #TechRecruitment #VentureCapital #JobMarketTrends #AI #StartupGrowth  

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What if building hardware was as easy as coding software? A visionary CEO is making it happen. In this episode of Default Global, I talk with Michael Corr, CEO of Duro Labs. With over 20 years in hardware, Michael’s seen it all—from launching telecom systems to scaling e-bike startups and navigating supply chain chaos in Shenzhen. Now, he’s leading a company that’s raised $11M to completely rethink how hardware gets built. We covered some eye-opening stories: → The uphill battle of fundraising for hardware startups → Why the hardware industry is finally catching up to software in terms of innovation → How Duro simplifies product development by merging hardware and software workflowsMichael’s insights might change how you see the hardware world—and the tools shaping our future. The episode is live now. Don’t miss it! Link to the full episode is in the comment below!

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Want a front-row seat to the frontier of tech? We’ve got the role (or two) for you! We’re expanding our frontier-tech team at Blackbird by hiring a Frontier Tech Investments Associate and Foundry Fellows! Got questions? We've got answers... 1️⃣ What are the roles? 🧪 Associate = a full-time VC investment gig in our Blackbird Investments team, working directly with me. We’re looking for someone with a science and/or engineering background and more curiosity than they can handle. You’ll grow your own investment brand and practice, support our portfolio founders, and will help build Foundry, our early-stage frontier-tech accelerator. ✨ Foundry Fellow = a casual/contract gig in our Blackbird Investments team, ~15h per week for 3 months. The Fellowship is ideal for PhD students and ECRs who want to learn more about startups and VC. You’ll go deep on emerging areas relevant to your expertise (or curiosity!), get a front-row seat to groundbreaking companies in those areas, build out your non-academic network, and develop a solid writing practice. 2️⃣ Why are you hiring? We love frontier tech, and we’re ready to grow our team. 3️⃣ Wow, it’s so great that you’re starting to look at deep tech! Look, we get it: we don’t make a lot of noise about our frontier tech investing. Buuuut we’ve been deep-tech investors since we backed Tim Kentley-Klay to found Zoox back in 2014—we’ve been on incredible journeys with PsiQuantum (building the world's first utility-scale quantum computer right here in Australia!), Inventia Life Science (transforming drug discovery with high-fidelity cell models), Remedy Robotics (surgical robots for remote endovascular procedures), Opto Biosystems (minimally-invasive neural implants to treat cancer), and more. We believe that frontier technologies, and great frontier-tech investing, will be part of the solutions to the greatest problems humanity faces today. 4️⃣ When do applications close? May 31st at 11:59pm AEST. 5️⃣ I have more questions! I’m sure you do! Clare Birch and I are hosting an AMA to answer any and all questions about these roles. Want to know what a week in the life of our team looks like? What’s keeping us up at night? What our ideal candidate looks like? Come along and find out - registration link in the comments 👇 Apply for these roles: Associate - https://lnkd.in/gCfj4EUJ Foundry Fellowships - https://lnkd.in/gj6ATZVZ If you know anyone that we should meet, send me their details! Cameron Elise Ben Andrew Robin Joseph Adelaide James Olivia Lucinda Raghav Jesse Christie Mohamed Tom Amee Pablo Haya Loong Hon Joshua Benjamin Megan Harry Denzil Matthew Diana Daniel Tom Deanna Justin Amar Lilly Stone Thomas

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I was thrilled to welcome Brian Hanly, Co-Founder & CEO of Brightbeam and serial entrepreneur to the Talent Smart Podcast. https://lnkd.in/eg6ayepu Brian has a deep specialisation in the application of modern ways of working, product management and technology to help enterprises compete in the digital age and to help growth companies to gain commercial advantage with the help of AI. In this episode, we explored the commercial advantages to companies from AI. We explored the adoption and deployment rate and what is stopping companies from progressing with their AI agenda.  In addition, Brian gives us some very helpful models and methodologies to follow when assessing the potential of AI for your business.

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Day 92: LvlUp Labs – The Hub for Founders in LA! Exciting news, friends! I’m pumped to introduce LvlUp Labs, powered by LvlUp Ventures! LvlUp Labs is an exclusive, founders-only membership community and workspace in Los Angeles – and if you’re a startup founder looking to level up your game, this is the place to be. Here’s why it’s so DOPE: Collaborate & Innovate – It’s a curated space where high-growth startups come together, share ideas, and scale faster. Plus, it’s filled with incredible event programming, mentors, and partnerships that help accelerate growth. Epic Events – From intimate networking mixers to big productions, LvlUp Labs fosters real connections between founders, investors, and the entire venture community. You never know who you’ll meet! Hands-On Resources – Need more than just a cool office? LvlUp Labs has an entire VC ecosystem at your disposal – mentors, investors, and industry leaders are on-site regularly to help you level up. Ready to join the most dynamic startup space in LA? Drop a comment below if you want to learn more about joining our founder community! Let’s make the next days of our journey count, filled with more stories, inspiration, and community impact! P.S. Want to get involved? If this resonates, repost, to share with others ♻️ and follow Javy Martinez for more in the future.

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🚨 New Chief of Staff trend alert 🚨 More early-stage founders are getting excited about bringing on ex founders into the CoS role. This is taking a page out of hardcore and highly successful cultures like Rippling (~50 former founders on the team back in 2022, likely at least double that by now) Why it makes sense for Rippling: ➡️ They have a modular org structure to manage their products ➡️ Each product division, similar to a startup, operates independently with its own General Manager and engineering team (the ex founders usually run these teams) While the ex founder archetype has its draw, the biggest fear most founders have is that they'll hire this person and they'll get an itch to leave and launch their next thing. Yet that's basically the profile you want to attract with the Chief of Staff role in any case -- the highly ambitious, gritty, stop-at-nothing builders. "I want them to be JUST good enough but not SO good that they'd leave" said no one ever. #chiefofstaff #recruiting

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Come learn how I did SEO things.

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YC founders: here's a harsh truth that might help you when hiring. Great people want to work with great people. But...A-players hire A-players. B-players hire C-players. Keeping the hiring bar relentlessly high is critical, especially early on. A single person that isn’t great can drag the quality down of the entire team. Folks will look around and realize the standards are lower than they thought. They’ll realize that they don’t need to be as good. They’ll realize they can learn less from their colleagues. People make the organization, not the other way around. And that if you don’t have great people, you won’t have a great organization.

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New episode with Ed Sim, Founder & GP at boldstart ventures is live! This was one of my favorite conversations to date — inspiring, full of actionable wisdom, and vulnerable shares that got us both a bit emotional at the end. Ed is a legendary technology VC, and was named the #1 Seed Investor in 2024 by Business Insider — he was the first check in iconic startups like Snyk, Superhuman, Blockdaemon, Kustomer & many more. After nearly 3 decades in venture, Ed was kind enough to break down some of his best learnings & predictions for the future. In this podcast we discuss: - Masterclass in early stage investing (Exact framework to evaluate & identify billion dollar deals) - His secret "test" for evaluating founders that he wants to invest in - How venture has shifted & how to win in the current landscape - The importance of selecting the right partner (This might be the most valuable advice of all) Full episode below 👇🏽 ---- If you enjoy the conversation, please leave subscribe & share with your friends! #investing #startups #founders

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