July 8, 2026
Tech Scenes at Enterprise Rising 2026: Midwest CEOs, founders and investors
<p>What does it really take to build, scale, and lead technology companies that last?</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode of Tech Scenes, we go inside Enterprise Rising for a fast-moving conversation with founders, operators, investors, and serial entrepreneurs shaping the future of Midwest tech, enterprise SaaS, sports technology, recruiting, workflow automation, edtech, digital platforms, and startup execution.</p><p><br></p><p>Live from Enterprise Rising, this conversation captures the energy of the Midwest startup ecosystem and the builders who are helping move it forward. The episode covers what it takes to find the real constraint in a business, build technology for industries that need it, lead through growth, improve how teams work, and create companies with the discipline to execute.</p><p><br></p><p>This episode features: Andre “Dre” Creighton, Dick Polipnick, Doug Berg, Joe Keeley, John Sundberg, Jon Maichel Thomas, Michael Gorman, Scott Burns, and Mark Lacek</p><p><br></p><p>Chapters:</p><p><br></p><p>00:00 — Opening hook: focus on the real constraint</p><p>00:34 — Tech Scenes at Enterprise Rising</p><p>01:06 — Andre “Dre” Creighton: finance, operations, and founder perspective</p><p>01:15 — Dick Polipnick: GoRout and sports technology adoption</p><p>01:21 — Doug Berg: Match2, recruiting, and helping people find the right fit</p><p>01:32 — John Sundberg: Kinetic Data and enterprise workflow</p><p>01:55 — Jon Maichel Thomas: MadeDaily, UX, design, and secure digital platforms</p><p>02:10 — Michael Gorman: Cascade Reading, edtech, and investing</p><p>02:24 — Scott Burns: investing, entrepreneurship, and pattern recognition</p><p>02:54 — Mark Lacek: serial entrepreneurship and builder perspective</p><p>03:30 — Why old industries need better technology</p><p>04:28 — Enterprise software, workflow, and solving real customer pain</p><p>05:10 — Design, trust, security, and digital product experience</p><p>06:01 — Founder finance, constraints, and scaling choices</p><p>06:51 — Talent technology, recruiting, and the candidate experience</p><p>07:33 — Joe Keeley on coaching, leadership, and the human side of entrepreneurship</p><p>08:26 — Building durable products and earning user trust</p><p>09:42 — Investor and operator lessons on focus and execution</p><p>11:28 — Hard-earned founder lessons from scaling companies</p><p>12:25 — AI, recruiting, workflow, edtech, and real-world adoption</p><p>13:09 — Coaching, leadership, and company-building</p><p>14:05 — Reading technology, education, and thoughtful investing</p><p>14:45 — Startup pattern recognition and practical execution</p><p>15:53 — Final founder reflections from the room</p><p>18:26 — Closing thoughts on execution, conviction, and Midwest momentum</p><p>19:19 — Outro</p><p><br></p><p>Topics include:</p><p>Startup execution</p><p>Founder leadership</p><p>Enterprise SaaS</p><p>Midwest technology companies</p><p>Sports technology</p><p>Recruiting and talent technology</p><p>Workflow automation</p><p>Venture investing</p><p>Product focus</p><p>Leadership alignment</p><p>Operating rhythm</p><p>Team execution</p><p>Scaling growth companies</p><p>The Minneapolis, St. Paul, Twin Cities, and Midwest startup ecosystem</p><p><br></p><p>At Collective Genius™, we help CEOs build organizations that execute together through the Peak Operating System™ — aligning people, priorities, metrics, and operating rhythms so growth teams can move faster with clarity and focus.</p><p><br></p><p>Learn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habits of Unstoppable Venture-Backed Companies: https://a.co/d/hp5Jtnu</p><p><br></p><p>Visit Collective Genius™ to build your growth team with the Peak Operating System™: https://www.collective-genius.com/</p><p><br></p><p>Explore Collective Genius™ insights on leadership, execution, scaling teams, operating rhythm, and organizational alignment: https://awesome.collective-genius.com/insights/</p><p><br></p><p>Insights Article</p><p>Why Growth Companies Need Operating Discipline Before They Scale - <a href="https://awesome.collective-genius.com/insights/why-growth-companies-need-operating-discipline-before-they-scale-mrc6dala">https://awesome.collective-genius.com/insights/why-growth-companies-need-operating-discipline-before-they-scale-mrc6dala</a></p><p><br></p><p>Subscribe to Tech Scenes for conversations with founders, CEOs, investors, operators, and builders shaping the future of technology, leadership, and growth.</p><p><br></p>
