"They have no real way to know what’s selling—we’re here to fix that." - Jason Vego, CEO and Co-founder of Bevz

In this episode of Tech Scenes Studio City, Jeff James Martin sits down with Jason Vego, CEO and Co-founder of Bevz, to explore how one startup is transforming the $650B convenience store industry. Jason shares the Bevz origin story—how a fragmented, analog market inspired him to create the first-ever SaaS platform built specifically for corner stores, helping owners make smarter decisions using data, streamline inventory, and survive in a rapidly digitizing world.

The conversation dives into the emotional journey of a founder, including lessons learned from early product failures, the challenge of finding product-market fit, and the importance of saying no to stay focused. Jason opens up about the realities of serving underserved business owners, the human side of startup life, and what it really takes to build a company that supports the people behind the counter.

Key Takeaways:

Convenience stores face massive inventory management issues due to a lack of real-time data and tools.

Bevz brings modern tech, data, and partnerships to small stores often overlooked by Silicon Valley.

The pandemic accelerated digitization, forcing many stores to rethink how they do business.

Retail success depends on data-driven decisions and understanding product velocity at a hyperlocal level.

Small business owners carry emotional weight, and startups need to build empathy into their solutions.

Product-market fit is a winding journey, often paved with wrong assumptions and tough pivots.

Work-life balance is hard but essential, especially for founders scaling fast.

The best teams win through collaboration, clarity, and ruthless prioritization.

YouTube Chapters

00:00 – The Challenge of Predicting Inventory Needs

02:57 – Bevz: Revolutionizing Convenience Store Operations

05:57 – Navigating the Pandemic: A Pivot in Strategy

09:06 – Understanding Retailer Needs: The Importance of Inventory Management

12:04 – Data-Driven Decisions: Capturing Market Trends

14:56 – The Complexity of Convenience Store Inventory

18:07 – The Struggles of Small Business Owners

21:11 – The Journey of a Founder: Finding Product-Market Fit

23:53 – Balancing Work and Personal Life as a Founder

27:08 – The Importance of Team Collaboration and Focus

29:59 – The Power of Saying No: Prioritizing Goals

33:01 – Final Thoughts: Music and Reflection

Resources

Learn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-backed Companies https://a.co/d/hp5Jtnu

Visit Collective Genius™ to Build Your Venture-backed Team with the Peak Operating System™ https://www.collective-genius.com/

Music by Andrew Applepie https://soundcloud.com/andrewapplepie

#TechScenes #Bevz #ConvenienceStoreTech #RetailInnovation #InventoryManagement #JasonVego #SmallBusinessSupport #StartupLeadership #CollectiveGenius™ #PeakOperatingSystem™ #JeffJamesMartin #RetailTech #SaaS #ProductMarketFit #StartupGrowth #FoundersJourney #StudioCity #CStoreTech

"We’re building the digital Ellis Island—for the modern immigrant journey." - Amir HemmatIn this episode of Tech Scenes Santa Monica, Jeff James Martin sits down with Amir Hemmat, CEO and Co-Founder of Welcome Tech, to explore how technology, data, and deep cultural insight are transforming the immigrant experience in the United States. Welcome Tech, through its SABEResPODER® platform, serves over 9 million Hispanic immigrants annually—providing trusted information, services, and tools to help families thrive in a new country.Amir shares the inspiration behind the company’s mission, the challenges of building a scalable platform for underserved communities, and how data plays a pivotal role in delivering personalized, high-impact products. From venture capital realities to the responsibility of being a community-first business, the conversation provides a candid look at what it takes to turn purpose into platform—and why empathy and commitment are foundational to long-term success.Key Takeaways:Welcome Tech is building the infrastructure for immigrant households, starting with the Hispanic community in the U.S.The immigrant journey is too often left to chance—technology and data can provide needed structure and opportunity.Understanding cultural context is essential for creating trusted services.Listening to the community informs product design and ensures relevance.Not every startup should chase VC funding—mission clarity must come first.Flexibility and commitment are necessary to scale a purpose-driven platform.Data is at the core of service delivery, enabling more personalized, impactful support.Community-first thinking leads to stronger engagement and long-term value.Chapters:00:00 – Building the Future of Immigration12:02 – Understanding the Immigrant Experience24:08 – Data-Driven Solutions for Immigrants36:06 – The Vision for the Future38:51 – Personal Insights and ReflectionsResourcesLearn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-backed Companies https://a.co/d/hp5JtnuVisit Collective Genius™ to Build Your Venture-backed Team with the Peak Operating System™ https://www.collective-genius.com/Music by Andrew Applepie https://soundcloud.com/andrewapplepie#TechScenes #WelcomeTech #ImmigrationTech #SocialImpact #AmirHemmat #SABEResPODER #HispanicCommunity #DigitalInclusion #PurposeDrivenBusiness #StartupLeadership #CollectiveGenius #PeakOperatingSystem #VentureBacked #DataDriven #ImmigrantExperience #JeffJamesMartin

"Fundraising is a full-time job—especially when you're building something this complex." - Karan Talati, Co-founder and CEO of First Resonance

In this episode of Tech Scenes Los Angeles, Jeff James Martin sits down with Karan Talati, Co-founder and CEO of First Resonance, to explore what it takes to lead a hardware startup at the edge of advanced manufacturing and AI. From his early days at Motorola to enabling rocket reusability at SpaceX, Karan shares how his obsession with data led to building ION, the Factory OS that’s powering the next generation of complex manufacturing—from lunar landers to robotic farms.

The conversation dives deep into the realities of being a first-time founder: the relentless demands of fundraising, the make-or-break importance of early hires, and how board composition and operational visibility evolve with scale. They also explore how AI is being thoughtfully integrated to optimize productivity in mission-critical environments like aerospace and defense.

Whether you're leading a startup, building physical products, or navigating your first raise, this episode offers hard-won insights into what it takes to scale teams, products, and vision in a space where complexity is the norm and adaptability is key.

Key Takeaways:

• Building a successful startup is all about getting the right people early—everything else flows from that.

• Fundraising isn’t just about pitch decks—it’s a seasonal, full-time job that requires timing and tenacity.

• Board composition should reflect where the company is headed, not just where it is today.

• Organizational visibility and clarity (through OKRs or otherwise) often erode as companies grow—and need continuous reinforcement.

• AI in manufacturing is not a silver bullet but a strategic lever when implemented thoughtfully.

• Change is constant in startups—founders must evolve with their companies to stay effective.

Chapters:
00:00 – Navigating the Funding Landscape
04:37 – Building Complex Solutions at First Resonance
09:00 – Lessons from First-Time Founding
12:12 – Organizational Growth and Structure
19:20 – The Importance of Board Composition
22:24 – The Challenges of Fundraising
31:58 – Leveraging AI in Manufacturing

Resources:

Learn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-backed Companies https://a.co/d/hp5Jtnu

Visit Collective Genius™ to Build Your Venture-backed Team with the Peak Operating System™ https://www.collective-genius.com/

Music by Andrew Applepie https://soundcloud.com/andrewapplepie

#TechScenes #FirstResonance #ManufacturingTech #AIinManufacturing #StartupLife #KaranTalati #JeffJamesMartin #FundraisingTips #ComplexProducts #FactoryOS #HardwareStartups #CollectiveGenius™ #PeakOperatingSystem