The Axis Effect

This week, The Axis Effect sits down with Sean Austin, CEO at Helios. Like many companies in the current technological revolution, Austin and his company seek to utilize A.I. in an authentic way that helps lead to further efficiencies and innovation. This utilization comes in the form of voice technology, specifically focusing on the financial sector. As Austin explains, the tone of a voice can impact how listeners interpret information, which is why they’ve worked to help companies create a voice for earnings calls, assisting listeners to better understand and react to the data presented. Austin discusses how people respond differently to different tones and voices, how using the right agent for the right audience can make a huge difference, and why these factors are incredibly influential. To learn more, tune in to “I Can’t Hear You.”

This week, The Axis Effect sits down with Tracy Crossley, host of Earned Wisdom. With a Master's Degree in Health Psychology, Crossley has dedicated her career to supporting women leaders, helping them to break unhealthy psychological habits and unlock their hidden potential. With this goal in mind, Crossley has written multiple books on leadership, most notably “Overcoming Insecure Attachment: 8 Proven Steps to Recognizing Anxious and Avoidant Styles and Building Healthier, Happier Relationships.” Crossley discusses her next book, the dangers of self-criticism, why individuals have difficulty determining what they want (and how to fix this problem), and how detaching from the fear of a result can create more tremendous success in any given scenario. To learn more, tune in to “Your Own Worst Enemy.”

This week, The Axis Effect sits down with Chuck Rinker, Co-Founder and CEO at PRSONAS. After spending time working on military technology and later as a development director at EA Sports, Rinker co-founded PRSONAS. With over twenty years in the company, Rinker and his team have worked on many projects concerning A.I. Seeing the impact that A.I. had on the gaming industry, Rinker realized that this technology could have a similar effect on the commercial world, a realization that’s led him to work on a range of projects, from a virtual reality app for Arizona Beverages to reducing the need for sedation in children receiving MRIs for Florida Hospital Celebration Health. Rinker discusses his career in military technology paved the way for his transition into gaming, the long history of A.R. and A.I. (despite their very recent surges in notoriety), and working with Disney, along with Disney’s underrated importance in technological innovation. To learn more, tune in to “Getting Personal.”

This week, The Axis Effect sits down with Clive Savacool, Founder & CEO at LogRx. After spending over a decade in firefighting and some time as a paramedic, Savacool saw a variety of flaws in how groups keep track of their narcotics, witnessing how these flaws could hurt people firsthand. After realizing this, Savacool founded LogRx to fight these potential dangers and make medication tracking and management systems safer for everyone. Savacool discusses essential factors to consider in building a successful startup, how LogRx makes medication management more efficient than ever, the problems he’s witnessed that inspired him to found LogRx, and notable parallels of leadership in managing his company and his career in firefighting. To learn more, tune in to “Adding Logic to Life.”

This week, The Axis Effect sits down with Mike Aronow, CEO and Founder of Amplifyer. With over 20 years in his industry, few know the importance of big data like Aronow, who formed Amplifyer to help companies utilize the data they have to build campaigns to reach their customers best. As he bluntly puts it, “Data doesn’t lie!.” Aronow discusses how his past experiences have led him to the position he sits in today, effective tactics from successful startups, and how data differs from intuition. To learn more, tune in to “Go Big or Go Home.”

This weeks The Axis Effect sits down with Nick Emmons, CEO of Upshot to talk about the rise & fall of leadership in the NFT space As the NFT market becomes more chaotic than ever, Upshot acts as a middleman group, utilizing machine-based models to appraise NFTs. During the recent NFT boom in 2021, Emmons saw an opportunity, giving that market a company that can provide valuation similar to other industries, including equities and real estate. Despite memorably exorbitant values during the previous bull market, Emmons explains that due to the popularity, many of the higher priced NFTs were, in fact, their “true value,” as Emmons conveys that market sentiment continues to be the pinnacle factor in valuation. Emmons discusses his career in blockchain technology, how Upshot can value a large number of NFTs on an hourly basis, some of Emmons' favorite NFTs, and the financial aspect of the NFT market. To learn more, tune in to “To Be or Not to Be an NFT.”

This weeks The Axis Effect sits down with Drew Spaventa, CEO and Co-Founder of The Spaventa Group (TSG) to talk about the leadership of and the state of the financial industry. With a career in various parts of the financial sector, Spaventa founded TSG intending to cater to all different “asset-tastes” seen in investors. Dubbed the “investment firm of tomorrow” by Spaventa, TSG aims to provide various alternative investment opportunities for accredited investors, including venture capital and real estate. Spaventa discusses the recent collapse of large U.S.-based banks, the cryptocurrency crashes, and how market conditions and reactions have led to the current economic climate. To learn more, tune in to “Time is Money.”

This weeks The Axis Effect features Steve Mellor, author and Olympian Swim Coach to talk about the effects of l athletic and leadership form the field to the boardroom. As a former Olympic competitor and medalist at the Commonwealth Games, Mellor knows better than anyone the importance of individuals realizing their hidden potential. As a veteran in his community, his recently released book, “SHOCK THE WORLD: A Competitors Guide to Realizing Your Potential,” chronicles the inspiring journey of Brooks Curry, an Olympic swimmer guided by Mellor, whom Mellor had to help see their potential. But Curry is just one of many clients whom Mellor’s worked with over the years to help turn into their best selves. Mellor discusses his book's different takeaways for differing age groups, Curry’s story, the importance of the “human element” in leadership, his core values, and working with Curry. To learn more, tune in to “Going for the Win.”

This week on The Axis Effect, we talk with Suman Kanuganti, CEO and Co-Founder at Personal.ai about leading the way with a personal touch on technology. Amid a technological revolution, Kanuganti aims to utilize A.I. to evolve human communication, creating their own A.I. model (as opposed to GPT-3) that adapts according to the individual user, allowing customers to have their own personal experiences developed around them. Kanuganti discusses the importance of staying grounded, evaluating a problem before finding the technology needed for it, and the endless amount of work that goes into leading a start-up. To learn more, tune in to “Looking for a Co-Pilot.” 7:09-8:08

This weeks The Axis Effect features Alex Shalash, co-Founder and co-CEO of metaENGINE.to talk about leadership and breaking ground in technology. As the technological revolution that is the Metaverse continues to grow, Shalash and the rest of metaENGINE find themselves at the forefront, utilizing an international team of employees working to provide creators the tools necessary to create games and experiences in a cloud-based environment. Shalash compares their project to Google Docs, allowing creators to work together in real-time no matter the distance separating them. Shalash’s reputation precedes itself, spending over a decade working on significant projects such as Star Wars: The Old Republic. Shalash discusses the history of gaming engines, how they allow for the experience they fuel, and what makes metaENGINE stand out in the gaming engine industry. To learn more, tune in to “Gamifying the Universe.”

This weeks The Axis Effect sat down with Joe Quenqua, Global Brand Entertainment Communications Officer to talk about all things brand loyalty and leadership. A self-proclaimed “agency guy at heart,” Quenqua’s career has lasted over three decades, working at various companies that include 42West, DKC, and most notably, The Wait Disney Company. Realizing the importance of companies having a good agency behind them, Quenqua has worked tirelessly to become one of the top names in PR. Quenequa discusses his journey into where he is today, beginning his career while still in college, the fight to stand out in PR, working at Disney, and how the industry has changed since he first entered it. To learn more, tune in to “Show Up & Slay.”

This installment of The Axis Effect features Projjal Ghatak, CEO and Co-Founder of Onloop. With a career working at companies like Uber, BlueKite, and Essar, Ghatak founded Onloop to create a product to help leaders effectively build, organize, and manage their teams as practically and productively as possible. Ghatak discusses how personal experiences led him to found OnLoop, his process of helping team leaders solve issues, the joy in creating his own company, and the difference between leading in smaller and larger companies. To learn more, tune in to “Fear of Missing Out - No More!”

This installment of The Axis Effect features Jordan Scott, Founder and CEO of Cobble. Inspired by an unforgettable first date with her now-husband, Scott founded Cobble as what she refers to as a “decision-making app,” helping couples and groups of friends more efficiently decide how to spend their time together. Managed by a group of curators, Cobble not only allows groups to select and vote on what to do but also helps aid said groups in making the necessary preparation and reservations to go through with those plans. Although the app is limited to a handful of cities across the country, Cobble has already accumulated over 40,000 users, actively working to expand their service into more major cities. Scott discusses how Cobble continues to excite users further, their focus on products instead of growth, and how they utilize their team members all around the country to further integrate Cobble into their respective cities. To learn more, tune in to “Just Answer the Question.”

This installment of The Axis Effect features Susan Miller, Founder of AstrologyZone.com. Founded in 1995 with millions of visitors every year, AstrologyZone.com has become a significant astrology website, acting as a news source for astrologists and enthusiasts to stay updated on the latest planetary changes. Miller discusses how she entered the world of astrology, the process of astrologists making predictions based on the information they gather, and how people of different zodiac signs are affected by astrological cycles. To learn about all this and much more, tune into The Next 200 Years.

This installment of The Axis Effect features Jen Pelka, Co-Founder and CEO of Une Femme. Dedicated to building a better world for women through support and self-empowerment, Une Femme sells wine made by women, using a portion of the money made from every bottle sold to donate to an organization focused on improving women's lives. Pelka discusses how the idea of her company came to be, how far the company has expanded, and how her team selects individuals for their Hall of Femme to bring recognition to women who work towards shattering glass ceilings. To learn about all this and much more, tune into Turning Champagne Dreams Into Reality.

This installment of The Axis Effect features Thomas Yionoulis, Founder of OpsAnalitica. As the world’s economy grows, so do the businesses that inhabit it. But a growth in size can make a business significantly harder to manage. Using gathered data from clients, OpsAnalitica can help client companies identify problems and solve them, in some cases even before they happen, even when leaders can’t be on each company site 24/7. Yionoulis discusses the potential of software in data analytics and how OpsAnalitica digitizes company information from employees across multiple sites, allowing corporate leaders to manage all sites right from their smartphones. To learn more, tune in to “Learning to Lead One Step at a Time.”

This installment of The Axis Effect features Peter Sisson, CEO & Founder of CertifyIt. As the world of technology continues its exponential growth, so does the potential for this technology to find utilization in crime. One particular problem that is growing into risk is the ability to tamper with content to fabricate individuals' online activity. CertifyIt is a potential solution to this problem, creating tools for users to protect themselves from having their content manipulated. Sisson discusses the importance of caution across the internet, the growing sophistication seen in hackers over the years, and the complex level of security used by CerifyIt. To learn more, tune in to “The Intelligent Distinction Between Fake or Real.”

This installment of The Axis Effect features Alejandra Santos, CEO & Founder of Startup Tandem. As millions of businesses form each year, leaders must balance multiple facets of their company to keep it from failing. Startup Tandem acts as a portal to reduce this stress by providing business leaders aid in paying taxes, maintaining ethics through HR, managing insurance, and pairing companies up with fractional CFOs. Santos discusses Startup Tandem’s goal to aid client companies in as many ways as possible and the importance of leaders preparing their companies for legal issues. To learn more, tune in to “How to Lead With Impact.”

This installment of The Axis Effect features Ethan Song, CEO at RareCircles. As technology continues adapting to web3, RareCircles acts as a platform where businesses can easily communicate with communities in industries like sports, brands, and gaming to allow future projects by established companies with established communities to utilize those communities for helpful feedback. Song discusses RareCircles’ process in creating community engagement for companies, the potential future for the NFT industry, “the consumer revolution,” and some of the most critical factors in being successful. To learn more, tune in to “The Meaning of the Circle of Life.”

This installment of The Axis Effect features William Szamosszegi, CEO & Co-Founder at Sazmining. As the popularity of web3 technology continues to grow, the demand for Bitcoin also grows. Sazmining is pooling together funds from customers to “bulk order discounted mining rigs and negotiable for low-cost, long-term renewable energy contracts" to bring those fueling this demand closer to the source. Szamosszegi discusses the process behind mining Bitcoin, the significance of their projects surrounding cost-effective renewable energy sources, and Bitcoin’s properties as a store of value. The difference between bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies To learn more, tune in to “Mining for Intelligence.”