Founders Unfiltered

Connor Wilson (Co-Founder & COO of Thursday Boot Company) and his co-founder Nolan Walsh wanted to design the perfect pair of boots. So they figured out how boots were made, identified the best American-made leather, and made it happen. Raising their first round of funds on Kickstarter, Thursday Boots are now being sold nationwide and have been featured in Men's Health and Esquire.

Jenny Amaraneni started SOLO Eyewear, a sunglasses manufacturer that uses 10% of its profits to fund eye care around the world. To date, they have restored vision to over 13,000 people in 32 countries. That's the power of what Jenny has built. Time Magazine even named her one of the "World's Most Influential Change Agents." Hear first-hand the biggest challenges she faced starting the company.

Chris Jane is the Co-Founder & CEO of Montana Mex, the Mexican-inspired food company that makes "delicious, happy food to help you eat well and stay smiling!" And it's awesome. But it wasn't easy having to throw away pallets of product due to a packaging mishap, or coping with a bizarre accident that cost Chef and Co-Founder Eduardo Garcia his left arm - and nearly his life. Despite all of this, they're still amazingly on track to expand into stores coast-to-coast this summer.

Pat Petitti and his co-founders were frustrated with consulting firms charging way too much for mediocre work. So they decided to connect people who need work done with the experts best suited for the job. Formally HourlyNerd, Catalant is now the go-to marketplace for both individuals and large firms like GE and Pfizer to hire the right people at prices that make sense. But they weren't always so successful...

Jay Greenberg started LexShares, a company that allows people to invest in lawsuits. That's right, you can now put your money to work by funding legal claims - but you only get paid if your side wins. Jay was named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 in 2015, and before LexShares spent five years as an investment banker. But his success wasn't overnight and it hasn't been easy. Listen to his story.

Giffin Daughtridge (Co-Founder/CEO of UrSure) and his team have developed a test that tells doctors whether their patients have been taking the drug PrEP, which is 99% effective at preventing HIV. Winner of the 2016 Harvard Business School New Venture Competition, Giffin is pursuing an MD/MPA with the University of Pennsylvania and the Harvard Kennedy School.