Each week in the New Tech Newsletter we feature a Spotlight Q&A with founders, angels, New Tech alumni presenters, and other people or companies in our community we believe you’d like to learn about. Reach out if you’d like to recommend a startup, founder, angel, accelerator, or New Tech alumni presenter for us to spotlight for the PNW tech community!
In this week’s spotlight we caught up with James Oliver, Jr, Co-founder of Kabila and a Techstars Austin alumni. Techstars is a great way to connect co-founders, bringing together professionals from both the business and engineering or technical side to work together to create successful startups.
Why do you do what you do for a living?
I’m co-founder and CEO of Kabila, a co-founder matching app focused on inclusion.
Why did you start your company?
I started Kabila because I know first-hand how hard it was to find a co-founder when I went thru the gener8tor accelerator in 2013 without a technical co-founder. And we also know, that founding teams with more than one gender, race, or ethnicity give investors a 30% higher return. Thus, we are putting inclusion at the forefront of our app.
What is one of the greatest lessons you’ve learned from being a founder/CEO?
PR does not necessarily equal cash flow.
What is the one piece of advice you would share today with your younger self before you started your company?
Build your networks before you need them.
What is something interesting and unexpected that people would be surprised to learn about you?
I don’t like hip-hop.
Reach out if you’d like to recommend a startup, founder, angel, accelerator, or New Tech alumni presenter for us to spotlight for the PNW tech community!
