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The VentureFizz Podcast: Natalya Bailey - CTO & Co-Founder, Accion Systems

Episode #229 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Natalya Bailey, CTO & Co-Founder of Accion Systems.

I’m excited that there is a renewed interest in space and new goals that seem aggressive, like traveling to Mars for example. But as we’ve witnessed in the past, when the most brilliant and ambitious people work on a challenge, the improbable becomes probable.

Natalya is one of these pioneers, who as a child dreamed of becoming an astronaut. She actually applied to NASA twice but was unfortunately denied. Instead, she is using her brilliant mind to build a company in the space industry, which has turned out to be perfect timing because of this renewed interest in space and also the rapid growth of the satellite industry. According to The Hustle, there are about 6,000 satellites in orbit and that number is expected to grow to 50,000 by 2030.

Accion Systems is redefining space mobility with the world’s most advanced ion electrospray in-space propulsion systems. To put it simply, the company has built ground breaking technology which helps satellites maneuver while in orbit. The company recently announced a $42M Series C round of funding led by Tracker Capital.

In this episode of our podcast, we cover:

A discussion around the space industry, the mission to Mars, and civilian space travel.
Natalya’s academic career which ultimately led her down the path to pursue her PhD studies at the MIT Space Propulsion Lab.
The full founding story of Accion Systems with her Co-Founder, Louis Perna, and all the details on their revolutionary product.
How they went about getting traction and raising capital.
Lessons learned from building a company in the space industry.
Natalya’s role as an investor with XFactor Ventures which invests in female funded companies.
And so much more.

Keith Cline is the Founder of VentureFizz. Follow him on Twitter: @kcline6.

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Talent on the Move - August 20, 2021

Here's your look at the latest hires and promotions across the Boston tech community at Drift, Examity, Brightcove, Hi Marley, Acquia, Aqua Security, Blockchain.com, and Hinge Health.

Did I miss your new employees? Send me an email with their name and details about their new role. I'll add them to next week's edition of Talent on the Move.

Drift

Dave Gerhardt

Chief Brand Officer at Drift

Previously, Chief Marketing Officer at Privy

Drift is hiring!

Examity

Ingrid Smith

Vice President Human Resources at Examity

Previously, Vice President Human Resources at Orig3n

Kimberly Chambers

Senior Marketing Manager at Examity

Previously, Marketing Manager at Harvard Business School Executive Education

Examity is hiring!

Brightcove

Yared Taye

Software Engineer at Brightcove

Previously, Embedded Software Engineer at Bose Corporation

Jack Rzucidlo

Financial Analyst at Brightcove

Previously, Accounting Intern at IPG Photonics

Amy Hafensteiner

Vice President, Talent Acquisition at Brightcove

Previously, Global Head of Talent Acquisition at Quanterix

Brightcove is hiring!

Hi Marley

Neil Murphy

Chief Financial Officer at Hi Marley

Previously, Co-CEO / CFO at Zaius

Hi Marley is hiring!

Acquia

Mark Picone

GM & SVP of Product for Marketing Cloud at Acquia

Previously, VP Information and Data Services at Adobe

Acquia is hiring!

Aqua Security

Christopher Smith

Chief Revenue Officer at Aqua Security

Previously, Chief Revenue Officer at Onapsis

Aqua Security is hiring!

Blockchain.com

Mimi Brady

Vice President of Customer Success, Retail & Institutional at Blockchain.com

Previously, Head of Customer Success at Dropbox

Brooks Wallace

Head Of Communications at Blockchain.com

Previously, Vice President at Kickstand Communications

Hinge Health

Hassan Asghar

Chief Information and Security Officer at Hinge Health

Previously, SVP, Chief Information Security Officer at Bremer Bank

Ryan Russell

SVP, Design & User Experience at Hinge Health

Previously, Director of User Experience at Amazon

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Why I Joined: BitSight

Open Jobs Company Page

There are many factors that play into one's choice when deciding on what company is the right fit for them, so we decided to dive deep into why BitSight is a great place to work by asking their team members the question "Why did you join BitSight and what were the major factors for you?"

Narmadha Ganapathy BitSight Narmadha Ganapathy, Senior Software Engineer

Throughout my career, I have worked in multiple MNC’s, in two different industries, and I wanted to have a change from my old organization, that’s when I heard about BitSight. Being a passionate engineer I was looking for a place where I can work on a modern tech stack and get to try different aspects of the product. BitSight offers me a perfect environment for me to try this. Our customer win report gives you a sense of gratification and the impact made by your work. At the end of the day, I can retire to my family with a high level of satisfaction from my job.

I joined BitSight literally two days before the pandemic lockdown, making work remote. I must say the support I received from every member of the organization assured me that I have chosen a solid workplace. I am my healthiest self in my entire career, both mentally and physically after joining BitSight, as it provides good work life balance. Every morning I wake up and the thought of work makes me happy, and the credit goes to BitSight!

Luke Mendenhall, Software Engineer

I joined BitSight because it provides a unique opportunity to help people while engaging in the realm of cybersecurity. The people here are incredibly friendly and helpful, and I look forward to developing tools to recognize and thwart cybercrime.

Anthony Mason, Senior Software Engineer

Before joining BitSight, I was looking for a new challenge in my career, one that would stretch my expertise in a new space and allow me to work with talented and remarkable people. BitSight checked all of those boxes. From my very first interview, I felt like I was accepted and appreciated for who I am by BitSight. My feelings have been solidified since I’ve joined. BitSight offers high-quality cybersecurity products and it is a testament to the brilliant people that work at the company. The culture here is great. It is a pleasure working in an environment where the employees are recognized and respected as people first. I wake up every morning motivated to make the internet a safer place for everyone, knowing I have the support of my team behind me.

Enida Vezelaj, Software Engineer

I joined the BitSight engineering team because it's a company that puts people first. During my application I did some research and spoke to the team to know more about what they do and how they work, I immediately felt like we shared the same core values and work ethics. Thus, I decided it could be the right place for me. Our teams bring together a very diverse group of minds, making our workplace a really good learning environment and that is reflected on the product we build for the customers. I believe what we build is great because the way we work is great.

About the
Company

Bitsight is a global cyber risk management leader transforming how organizations manage exposure, performance, and risk for themselves and their third parties.

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Jobs at Bitsight

The VentureFizz Podcast: Sara Zulkosky - Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Recast Capital

Episode #228 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Sara Zulkosky, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Recast Capital.

For this podcast, I’ve interviewed lots of Venture Capitalists, who talk about their portfolio of investments in companies, but where does this capital come from? When a VC firm announces it’s latest fund of $100M or $1B, who is providing this capital?

Well, It’s typically pension funds, university endowment funds, family offices, or high net worth individuals. The investors in these funds are called Limited Partners or LP’s for short and they are the end client for a VC that is ultimately expecting a return on the capital that has been allocated to a fund.

Thus, I was excited to speak with Sara, who has a lot of experience in the venture industry as an LP and her current firm Recast Capital is a fund of funds, meaning she has raised her own fund that in return provides capital to VC firms. The firm’s strategy is to invest in and empower emerging managers in venture with a focus on diverse partnerships. The goal of the firm is to provide exceptional returns by investing in diverse emerging venture managers.

In this episode of our podcast, we cover:

Is the VC industry making progress in terms of having more diversity?
Sara’s educational background and her experience joining an early stage startup and how her career progressed over this period of time.
How Sara transitioned into the investment side of the equation and her experience at CNF Investments & Greenspring Associates.
What led Sara and her Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Courtney McCrea, down the path of starting Recast Capital and how they go about making investments into VC funds.
Details on how the VC industry works and how to get a venture capital fund started.
And so much more.

Keith Cline is the Founder of VentureFizz. Follow him on Twitter: @kcline6.

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Talent on the Move - August 13, 2021

Here's your look at the latest hires and promotions across the Boston tech community at LogMeIn, Acoustic, Examity, JRNI, and LightForce Orthodontics.

Did I miss your new employees? Send me an email with their name and details about their new role. I'll add them to next week's edition of Talent on the Move.

LogMeIn

Bill Robinson

Chief Revenue Officer at LogMeIn

Previously, Executive Vice President of Sales at NICE inContact

LogMeIn is hiring!

Acoustic

Brad Turner

President and General Manager of Tealeaf by Acoustic

Previously, Chief Revenue Officer at Access Information Management