E3 Tech Innovation and Optimism with Brenda Schmidt

E3 Tech Innovation and Optimism with Brenda Schmidt

Brenda Schmidt has an infectious optimism for the future, specifically with female entrepreneurs and founders. Her ability to spot a problem that needs to be fixed and to find a solution for that problem is inspiring. In this episode we discussed the future of innovation, what companies large and small are going to need to do as we come out of this period of the pandemic and how this is a great time to start a business. The main line that I will take away from this show is how entrepreneurs need to always be deciding if now is the time to persevere, pivot or perish, the three P’s.

If your business is struggling at this time, or you are considering starting a business, listen to this episode to hear words of wisdom from somebody who has already had some successful startups turned successful companies, how she did it, her words of wisdom for you. Brenda says she thinks she still has two successful startups ahead of her. She is definitely somebody to keep your eye on over the coming years and somebody we will definitely have back on the show.

Coplex partners with high-performing companies to innovate faster. We offer a world-class team of experts and a diverse range of capabilities that draw on experience working with over 300 companies seeking to disrupt their industry, accelerate innovation, and remain competitive. Create your future through digital transformation.

Brenda Schmidt is a serial entrepreneur, educator, speaker, board member and advisor focused on driving innovation through technology with a particular interest in social impact.

She is the CEO and President of Coplex, a Corporate Startup Studio that partners with companies to bring their best ideas to market and innovate faster. She is also the founder, executive chairman of Solera Health, a technology platform that helps people holistically manage their health through a curated network of community and digital providers.

Brenda has received numerous awards, including the MedTech Breakthrough Award for “Best MedTech CEO” in 2018, a 2019 finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year, and was named by Becker’s Hospital Review as a “Woman Health IT Leaders to Know” in 2019.

She serves on the boards of the AZ Bioindustry Association, the StartUpAZ Foundation, and the City of Phoenix Workforce Development Board. She teaches entrepreneurship at the NYU Wagner School of Public Service.

Connect with Brenda on LinkedIn and follow Coplex on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About the Show

Tycoons of Small Biz spotlights the true backbone of the American economy, the true tycoons of business in America… the owners, founders and CEO’s of small businesses. Join hosts,  Austin L Peterson, Landon Mance and the featured tycoons LIVE every Tuesday at 1 pm, right here on Business RadioX and your favorite podcast platform.

About Your Hosts

Austin Peterson is a Comprehensive Financial Planner and owner of Backbone Financial in Scottsdale, AZ. Austin is a registered rep and investment advisor representative with Lincoln Financial Advisors. Prior to joining Lincoln Financial Advisors, Austin worked in a variety of roles in the financial services industry.

He began his career in financial services in the year 2000 as a personal financial advisor with Independent Capital Management in Santa Ana, CA. Austin then joined Pacific Life Insurance Company as an internal wholesaler for their variable annuity and mutual fund products. After Pacific Life, Austin formed his own financial planning company in Southern California that he built and ran for 6 years and eventually sold when he moved his family to Salt Lake City to pursue his MBA. After he completed his MBA, Austin joined Crump Life Insurance where he filled a couple of different sales roles and eventually a management role throughout the five years he was with Crump. Most recently before joining Lincoln Financial Advisors in February 2015, Austin spent 2 years as a life insurance field wholesaler with Symetra Life Insurance Company. Austin is a Certified Financial Planner Professional and Chartered Life Underwriter.

Austin and his wife of 21 years, Robin, have two children, AJ (19) and Ella (16) and they reside in Gilbert, Arizona. He is a graduate of California State University, Fullerton with a Bachelor of Arts in French and of Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Management with a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in sales and entrepreneurship.

Connect with Austin on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Landon Mance is a Financial Planner and founder of YourFuture Planning Partners out of Las Vegas, Nevada. His firm came to life in 2020 after operating as Mance Wealth Management since 2015 when Landon broke off from a major bank and started his own “shop.”

Landon comes from a family of successful entrepreneurs and has a passion and excitement for serving the business community. This passion is what brought about the growth of YourFuture Planning Partners to help business owners and their families. At YourFuture, we believe small business owners’ personal and business goals are intertwined, so we work with our clients to design a financial plan to support all aspects of their lives.

In 2019, Landon obtained the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) designation through the Exit Planning Institute. With this certification, YourFuture Planning Partners assists business owners through an ownership transition while focusing on a positive outcome for their employees and meeting the business owner’s goals. Landon is also a member of the Business Intelligence Institute (BII) which is a collaborative group that shares tools, resources and personnel, and offers advanced level training and technical support to specifically serve business owners.

Landon enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, stepson, and new baby twins. He grew up in sunny San Diego and loves visiting his family, playing a round of golf with friends, and many other outdoor activities. Landon tries make a difference in the lives of children in Las Vegas as a part of the leadership team for a local non-profit. He regularly visits the children that we work with to remind himself of why it’s so important to, “be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

Landon received his B.S. from California State University Long Beach in business marketing and gets the rest of his education through the school of hard knocks via his business owner clients.

Connect with Landon on LinkedIn.

About The Tycoons of Small Biz Sponsors

Whether you’re an established local company, or a brand new start-up, you can count on GBS to be a part of your family.  We’re not just any benefits consulting firm, we’re GBS. We have nearly 30 years of experience in group benefits, a strong sense of purpose and it shows.

Paylocity is a leading provider of cloud-based HR and payroll software solutions headquartered in Schaumburg, IL.  Paylocity offers an intuitive, easy-to-use product suite that helps businesses tackle today’s challenges while moving them toward the promise of tomorrow.