Zack DeFord joined me to discuss his experiences as a lifelong gamer, and how his younger brother was bullied while playing online games. Zack's desire to make gaming safer and more fun for his brother led him to start Smerf, and that authenticity has served him well as he's built the company. Zack and his co-founder, Ben, have developed Smerf to be a critical identity and social layer across gaming platforms, and they're being noticed by some of the largest gaming companies in the world. We talked about his experience engaging with the CEO of one of them early in Smerf's life.
I've also seen Zack mature so rapidly as a founder becoming the CEO of a company with incredible potential to impact millions of gamers in a positive way. It's such a pleasure to get to work with him through Operate. Enjoy this conversation!
Data-Driven Banking Strategies & Competitive Edge - Brian Bauer, CEO of Revio
Knowing Your Partners: Fintech & Banks - Adam Shapiro, Partner & Co-founder of Klaros Group
Better Risk Management For Community Banks - Michael Berman, Founder & CEO of NContracts
Growing the Pie Bigger in Venture Capital - Winter Mead, Founder & CEO at Coolwater
Better Together: Illinois Community Banks Collaborate - Mike Kelley (CBSC) & Kraig Lounsberry (CBAI)
A New Day For Bank Cores, Embracing Collaboration - Tara Schultz, SVP Strategy at CSI
Emerging as a VC Manager from a Community - Amber Illig, General Partner at The Council
Keys to Community Bank Tech Innovation - Sean Willett, CAO of Five Star Bank
Next Generation Family Banking - Kristin Marcuccilli, President of STAR Financial Group
Wholesale Finance Innovation for Banks - John Mizzi, Founder & CEO of Vero Technologies
Challenging How Early Startups Build - Zac Lyons, Managing Partner at Agile Innovation Advisors
Community Banks Will Still Thrive - Brad Bolton, CEO of Community Spirit Bank, and Immediate Past Chairman of ICBA
New Approaches to Talent & Culture in Banks - Samantha Berg, CHRO of Choice Bank
Future Leadership, Strategy & Growth in Community Banking - Heath Fountain, CEO of Colony Bank
Staying Ahead of the Tech Curve in Community Banking - Greg Ohlendorf, President & CEO of First Community Bank
Cyber Governance & Risk Management Success - Zach Duke, Founder & CEO of Finosec
Driving Change in Trucking Insurance - Ian White, Co-founder & CEO of Koffie Financial
Making Waves: A Founder’s Journey - Jacob Ruytenbeek, Founder & CEO of SailPlan
When Passion Meets a Market Need - Nicky Senyard, Co-founder & CEO of Fintel Connect
Launching a Startup within a Bank - Nathan Baumeister, Co-founder & CEO of ZSuite
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