In this episode we sit with Kerry Schrader, the co-founder of Mixtroz, a former HR executive with extensive experience in people management, who shares her journey of creating Mixtroz alongside her daughter, to address the challenge of making authentic connections at events. Kerry explores the origins of Mixtroz and the inspiration behind their innovative concept of "mixed introduction." She discuss the common issues faced by individuals at events, both before and during the pandemic, where making genuine connections with strangers seemed daunting. She also sheds light on how her passion for social engagement led her to create Mixtroz, events designed to foster meaningful conversations and connections.   The conversation takes an exciting turn as Kerry delves into the importance of meaningful connections in today's society, whether in-person or in virtual settings. Kerry shares the premise of Mixtroz and how their technology-driven platform aids individuals in making these connections effortlessly. She emphasizes that attending an event is only the first step while building relationships and having meaningful conversations is the other half of the equation. Kerry reveals how Mixtroz helps bridge this gap, allowing people to connect with those who truly matter.   As the discussion continues, Kerry highlights the prevalent tendency of individuals to stick to familiar faces at events, neglecting the opportunity to meet new people. Kerry elaborates on the idea behind launching Mixtures, a software platform specifically designed to assist event leaders in facilitating meaningful engagement. She emphasizes that while Mixtures isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, it serves as a valuable tool to help individuals forge deeper connections and foster a sense of community.   If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development. Founder Bio: Kerry Schrader BBA, MBA, is the co-founder/CEO of Mixtroz. She is the 37th Black Female to ever raise over $1M in pre-seed funding. Kerry has more than 25 years of experience positively impacting the human assets of large companies including Ford, Alcoa, and Sears Holdings Corporation. Mrs. Schrader is a former board member of Creative Startups, Birmingham’s Inaugural Mayor’s Small Business Council, and UAB’s O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Advisory Board. She is currently a board member of the Forge Breast Cancer Survivor Center. In addition to being included in Inc. Magazine’s 2022 100 Female Founders list, Kerry and her daughter were named “Powerful Women” by Entrepreneur Magazine on their inaugural list and Kerry has been included in Forbes Next 1000. Most importantly, however, KERRY is a breast cancer survivor!   Time Stamps: 03:13 Kerry’s background and professional journey 05:34 Pain point on live events that led to creating Mixtroz 09:00 Maximizing engagement at events 11:10 Mixtroz technology for event organizers 13:24 Utilizing Mixtroz data to increase engagement 16:10 Event Planning and Targeting Customers 18:53 Power of Meaningful Social Connectivity in Mental Health Awareness 20:52 Enhancing Engagement in Virtual Events with Mixtroz Platform 24:41 Building an Engaging Event Platform 27:16 Journey of Bootstrapping and Fundraising for a Startup 32:58 Barriers to Raise Capital as a Black Female Founder 36:55 Overcoming Challenges to Launch a Tech Startup 41:32 Conversation on Supporting Black Companies and Female Founders 44:48 How to get in contact with the Mixtroz team Resources: Company website: https://www.mixtroz.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mixtroz/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mixtroz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/mixtroz