Foreign Founders

Anna Ratala went from running major tech events in Singapore to building Zvook, a venture-backed podcast advertising platform that she ultimately had to shut down after 4+ years. In this deeply honest conversation, she shares the emotional journey of letting go, rebuilding her identity beyond "founder," and finding her next chapter at a former competitor.What You'll Learn:How to recognize when it's time to shut down your startupChallenges of transitioning from founder to employeeHow to use authentic storytelling as a marketing channelThe reality of fundraising struggles and investor conversationsWhy failure is more accepted in America than other countries⏰ KEY TIMESTAMPS:02:30 - From Finland to Singapore: Running Slush Singapore12:00 - Content Strategy: Using Founder Stories as Marketing15:30 - The Complexity of Scaling Host-Read Advertising18:45 - Running Out of Money: The Final Year Struggles24:15 - The Hard Decision: Shutting Down After 4+ Years30:45 - Identity Crisis: Who Am I Without Being a Founder?36:20 - Joining Red Circle: Working for a Former Competitor39:15 - Leaving Ego at the Door: Transitioning to Employee42:30 - Current Role: Marketing Director at Red Circle49:30 - Optimistic Outlook: Seeing Opportunities, Not ObstaclesConnect with Anna:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaratala/Company: https://redcircle.com/Anna's story is a reminder that entrepreneurship isn't just about the successes - it's about resilience, learning from failure, and finding new ways to contribute to the industries you're passionate about.Subscribe for more immigrant founder stories and startup insights!#Entrepreneurship #StartupFailure #PodcastAdvertising #ImmigrantFounders #StartupStoriesEnjoy the episode!If you love this episode, please share and review the podcast! It will help more immigrant and international founders find these content.You can find us here: https://linktr.ee/foreignfounders

Jose Carlos "Charlie" Sarmiento went from corporate finance executive in Guatemala to extreme triathlete competing on the world stage, ultimately building VTX Athlete - a platform that connects endurance athletes with funding and brand sponsorships. In this episode, he shares his incredible journey from losing his father at 14, overcoming depression through ultramarathons, and creating a revolutionary algorithm that ranks athletes based on performance data rather than social media followers.What You'll Learn:How to transition from corporate executive to sports entrepreneurWhy endurance sports funding is a $100 billion untapped marketThe real costs of competing internationally ($15K per race, $100K annually)How performance data can revolutionize athlete sponsorshipsThe mindset system that took Charlie from depression to world championshipsImmigration strategies: From O1A visa to green card in 3 months⏰ KEY TIMESTAMPS:00:00 - Introduction: Meet Charlie Sarmiento, Ultra-Athlete & Entrepreneur 03:23 - Losing His Father at 14: The Gift That Shaped His Character 07:14 - Building VTX Athlete: The "NASDAQ for Athletes" Concept 08:47 - Why Endurance Sports? The Untapped 100 Million Athlete Market 09:44 - The Real Cost Breakdown: $15K Per Race, $100K Annual Budget 12:07 - The VTX Algorithm: Performance Data vs. Social Media Metrics 14:29 - Three-Index System: Training, Social Impact, Athletic Results 16:36 - Market Size: 100M Athletes Worldwide, 60M Target Market 17:24 - Beyond Gear: Airlines, Hotels, and Real Sponsorship Needs 19:51 - "The Real Ultraman" Book: System to Rewire Your Brain 21:43 - From Zero to 50 Miles: Using Ultra Running to Beat Depression 23:02 - Immigration Journey: O1A Visa Through Athletic Excellence 27:40 - Why Entrepreneurship is Harder Than Ultramarathons 31:49 - Favorite Race: Lavaredo Dolomites, Italy (Family Heritage) 32:55 - Living in Gratitude: What Charlie is Optimistic About🔗 Connect with Charlie:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ultrasarmiento/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliesarmiento/Company: www.vtxathlete.comBook: https://a.co/d/33SuRkQ🎯 About VTX Athlete: VTX Athlete is revolutionizing endurance sports by creating the first performance-based marketplace connecting athletes with funding and brand sponsorships through data-driven algorithms.#Entrepreneurship #EnduranceSports #UltraMarathon #Immigration #PerformanceData #SportsSponsorship #Guatemala #Austin #StartupStoryEnjoy the episode!If you love this episode, please share and review the podcast! It will help more immigrant and international founders find these content.You can find us here: https://linktr.ee/foreignfounders

Supercharge your existing KYC with e-IDsPolish born Jarek Sygitowicz is co-founder and CSO at YC backed and London based Authologic. Founded in 2020, Authologic is a digital ID startup bridging legacy KYC systems and AI-era identity verification, helping businesses stay compliant, secure, and user-friendly.As traditional verification methods like plastic IDs and photo uploads become more vulnerable to AI fraud, Authologic’s platform minimizes these risks, enhances privacy, and streamlines onboarding while cutting operational costs for customers. With regulations pushing digital ID adoption across Europe, Authologic supports both digital and traditional verification methods, making KYC and AML processes easier for financial services, gaming, and crypto industries.What You'll Learn:How craftsmanship principles from tailoring translate perfectly to digital product designWhy COVID accelerated the urgent need for digital identity solutionsHow AI is making traditional photo-based ID verification dangerously outdatedThe mechanics of how eIDs and identity wallets actually work (with live demo!)Why London became the strategic choice for a Polish fintech startupThe YC application strategy that got them accepted on their first tryHow to fundraise by focusing on traction, not persuasion⏰ KEY TIMESTAMPS:00:00 - Introduction: Meet Jarek Sygitowicz, Co-founder of Authologic 01:00 - Family of Tailors: How Bauhaus Design Principles Shape Tech Products 04:00 - Early Tech Journey: From Linux Blogs to First Exit in the 90s 07:00 - The Authologic Vision: Why Plastic IDs Are Like 19th Century Ships 09:00 - COVID's Impact: How Lockdowns Forced Digital Identity Innovation 12:00 - The Global eID Hub: Building "Stripe for KYC" Across Countries 14:00 - Why London?: Strategic Positioning in the Global Fintech Ecosystem 16:00 - AI's Identity Crisis: Proving You're Human in a Deepfake World 18:00 - Live Demo: How eID Wallets Work in Practice (12-Second Verification!) 21:00 - Apple's Game-Changer: Passport Support in Apple Wallet 23:00 - YC Journey: Getting Accepted on First Application 26:00 - Fundraising Philosophy: Why Traction Beats Persuasion Every Time 32:00 - Future-Proofing Identity: What Average People Should Do Today 33:00 - Ultimate Optimism: Why Technology Will Solve Our Biggest Problems🔗 Connect with Jarek:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sygitowiczWebsite: https://authologic.com/Enjoy the episode!If you love this episode, please share and review the podcast! It will help more immigrant and international founders find these content.You can find us here: https://linktr.ee/foreignfounders

Nestor Castillero went from having just $51 in his pocket to building Maera, a seven-figure company that helps global entrepreneurs launch US businesses. In this episode, he shares the raw truth about bootstrapping a business, the power of content marketing, and why US LLCs are game-changers for international founders.What You'll Learn:How to build a business with almost no capitalWhy US LLCs give global entrepreneurs massive advantagesContent marketing strategies that actually convertThe decision between bootstrapping vs. raising capitalHow to turn financial pressure into business momentum⏰ KEY TIMESTAMPS:00:00 - Introduction: Meet Nestor Castillero, Founder of Maera 02:30 - From Panama Lawyer to Wealth Management (Early Background) 05:45 - The Gold Fund Failure: Losing Everything and Starting Over 09:15 - The $51 Beginning: Birth of Maera in 2022 12:00 - First Customer: $899 from Peru and the Validation Moment 15:30 - Working 3 Jobs: Madrid Restaurant + Building Maera at Night 18:45 - The Green Card Approval and Move to New York 21:20 - Why LLCs Over Other Business Entities 24:15 - The 3 Key Benefits of US LLCs for Global Entrepreneurs 27:40 - Target Customers: Who Uses Maera's Services 30:45 - E-commerce and Amazon: Physical Products Strategy 33:30 - Content Marketing: The Free Customer Acquisition Strategy 36:20 - What Works vs. What Doesn't in Content Creation 39:15 - The Decision NOT to Raise Capital 41:25 - What Nestor's Optimistic About for the Future🔗 Connect with Nestor:Website: https://www.maera.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestor-castilleroInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/maerahq/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maerahq🎯 About Maera: Maera helps global entrepreneurs launch and grow US businesses with LLC formation, bank accounts, tax support, and more - all from anywhere in the world.#Entrepreneurship #BusinessFormation #ContentMarketing #Bootstrapping #GlobalBusiness #LLC #StartupStorySubscribe for more founder stories and business insights! 🔔Enjoy the episode!If you love this episode, please share and review the podcast! It will help more immigrant and international founders find these content.You can find us here: https://linktr.ee/foreignfounders

Helping immigrants navigate life in the U.S.From Nepal to New York City, Liesel Vaidya is the co-founder and CEO of Imera, a venture-backed platform focused on expanding access and opportunity for immigrants. Liesel previously served as CTO of a digital health startup, where she built award-winning products that transformed access to care for survivors of sexual assault. Originally from Kathmandu, Nepal, she understands firsthand the barriers immigrants face when building a life in a new country.00:00 Introduction and Background 01:06 Starting the First Company, and raising $9 million 02:51 Challenges and Lessons Learned 05:34 The Birth of a New Idea 09:52 Introducing Imera - bridging the knowledge gap for immigrants 14:02 Community Building and Partnerships 17:03 Future Vision and GoalsConnect with Liesel:Website: www.withimera.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lieselvaidyaEnjoy the episode!#ImmigrationTech #ForeignFounders #StartupStory #EntrepreneurshipJourney #ImmigrantSuccessIf you love this episode, please share and review the podcast! It will help more immigrant and international founders find these content.You can find us here: https://linktr.ee/foreignfounders

Measure and manage all your ad campaigns with RedTrack.ioVlad Zhovtenko is the CEO and co-founder of RedTrack, the AI-driven analytics and automation platform for media buyers. He has been an active player in the digital advertising space since 2000, and has held multiple marketing and managing director roles in the industry. Beginning in 2008, Vlad worked as an independent consultant and advisor to companies seeking to improve their lead generation and ad tech, helping them create comprehensive digital sales and marketing strategies and establish relevant processes for sustained growth.He co-founded AdxGeeks in 2015, which provided programmatic media-buying solutions through a white-label DSP SaaS program, then co-founded RedTrack in 2019 to make digital marketing analytics & automation more accessible to SMEs and to help media buyers to make smarter decisions and easily scale campaigns for revenue growth.In this episode, Vlad shares his experiences:Fundraising for RedTrack over the course of 3 yearsAdvice on Fundraising in a competitive verticalBuilding for product market fit with Chess and Go as a frameworkLife and pace in LithuaniaFind Vlad Zhovtenko on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zhovtenko/Track, attribute, automate, and scale your advertising with RedTrackEnjoy the episode!If you love this episode, please share and review the podcast! It will help more immigrant and international founders find these content.You can find us here: https://linktr.ee/foreignfounders

Secure your U.S. Green Card with Half the Investment through EB5 LoanNikin Tharan is the co-founder of Greencard Inc and EB5 Loan. Greencard Inc. is a startup dedicated to simplifying the process for high-skilled immigrants to obtain talent visas. Through a personalized program, Greencard Inc helps immigrants build and showcase their accomplishments to secure O1, EB1, and NIW visas. The EB5 Loan program offers foreign investors a direct path to U.S. permanent residency. While traditional applicants invest $800,000 in qualifying American job-creating projects, our innovative financing solution requires just $400,000 upfront - making your American dream accessible today.In this episode, we learn more about the EB5 program and EB5 Loan.Here’s how it works:The EB5 program requires an $800,000 investment.You invest $400,000 of your own funds.We connect you with a lending partner who provides the remaining $400,000 at a competitive ~5% interest rate.You repay the loan over time.This structure is purpose-built for talented professionals already in the U.S. on valid status (H1B, F1, etc.).Nikin himself is a recipient of the O1A visa (July 2020) and EB1A Green Card (July 2022), and his journey overcoming setbacks to obtain the Green Card is featured in the Amazon best-seller Unshackled.Connect with Nikin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ntharan/Learn more about EB5 Loan: https://eb5loan.com/Work with Greencard Inc.: https://www.greencard.inc/Enjoy the episode!If you love this episode, please share and review the podcast! It will help more immigrant and international founders find these content.You can find us here: https://linktr.ee/foreignfounders

Engage your fans with FanlistPat Cheung discovered his passion for audience building in 2011 while serving as Head of Product at EQAL, one of Los Angeles' first celebrity and influencer networks, where he designed a social platform driving fan engagement for over 40 influencers and 20 million monthly fan interactions. Currently the founder and CEO of Fanlist, a platform enabling podcasters to create fan pages for engagement and monetization, he has been a tech founder for over a decade with multiple successful exits. His love for technology, business, and podcasting is reflected in Fanlist, and as an avid podcast enthusiast, he's written three books sharing practical tips for podcasters to engage their fans.Pat took his experience building startups and his new role is to support founders in the Portland Metro Region. Through the Metro Hub, they provider mentorship, connections and mentorship.Born in Hong Kong and raised in Orange County, he now resides in Portland, Oregon.In the episode we talk about:Pat’s life growing up as immigrant from Hong KongHow he found entrepreneurship and tech through designHelping founders in the Portland Metro RegionIndustries that Portland, OR is exceptional at: outdoor apparel, food and bevPortland as the hub for bootstrapping foundersEnjoy the episode!If you love this episode, please share and review the podcast! It will help more immigrant and international founders find these content.You can find us here: https://linktr.ee/foreignfounders