[SaaS Series] Protecting APIs and AI Agents at Global Scale With Michael Nicosia

Michael Nicosia is the Co-founder and COO of Salt Security, a company that protects APIs from threats using cloud-scale big data, AI, and ML. Under his leadership, Salt has raised $271 million, reached a $1.4 billion valuation, and has become a leader in API security with patented AI technology and Fortune 500/Global 1000 clients. With over 20 years of experience in enterprise software sales and marketing, Michael helped lead Adallom as COO from its founding to its $327 million acquisition by Microsoft. In this episode… APIs power nearly every modern digital service, yet most companies remain unaware of just how vulnerable these connections can be to breaches. With AI agents, MCP protocols, and microservices expanding rapidly, how do you ensure that sensitive data isn't leaking through unseen cracks in your API infrastructure? Michael Nicosia, a serial entrepreneur and technology executive, shares how he took the leap from corporate roles to building a platform that safeguards APIs. He describes starting with only an idea, refining it through Y Combinator, and securing early validation from security leaders. Along the way, Michael emphasizes the importance of focusing on customer outcomes, building the right team, and persevering through uncertainty. His journey shows that protecting digital services isn’t just about software — it’s about resilience, trust, and staying ahead of attackers. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz interviews Michael Nicosia, COO and Co-founder of Salt Security, about scaling cybersecurity solutions for the modern digital world. Michael discusses lessons from Y Combinator, navigating the fundraising journey, and securing enterprise clients. He also shares insights on pricing models, hiring top talent, and the role of mentorship in building a lasting company.

Ryan Redding is the Founder of Eightfold Advantage, a firm that helps business owners and leadership teams scale without chaos. He previously founded Levergy, a digital marketing agency for home service companies that was acquired by KickCharge Creative in February 2025. A certified Bloom Growth coach and host of the Blue Collar.CEO podcast, Ryan draws from his own journey of overcoming burnout and leading successful company exits to help others build sustainable businesses and achieve their goals. In this episode… Entrepreneurs can easily get trapped in 60- to 90-hour workweeks — juggling clients, managing teams, and putting out constant fires. Profits shrink, growth stalls, and personal freedom disappears. Is it possible to escape the grind without losing control of the business? Growth coach and advisor Ryan Redding shares how his fast-growing agency left him exhausted until he “fired himself” from daily operations and empowered his team. By hiring a strong operational leader and adopting systems like EOS, he transformed the business and his life — moving from 90-hour weeks to true autonomy. His story highlights the power of trust, healthy conflict, and culture in overcoming burnout and building sustainable growth. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Ryan Redding, Founder of Eightfold Advantage, to talk about scaling businesses without chaos. They discuss the shift from being a doer to a leader, the value of finding the right operational partner, and lessons learned from selling a business. With insights on culture, EOS, and Bloom Growth, Ryan offers practical advice and real-world stories for entrepreneurs ready to scale without sacrificing their lives.  

Jason Falls is Chief Strategy Officer and Principal at Falls+Partners, an influence marketing strategy and creative concepts firm founded in 2022. The company helps clients move beyond checkbox influencer campaigns and toward genuine, influence-driven strategies. An award-winning digital marketing strategist, author, and podcast host, Jason has been recognized as a top influencer in social technology and marketing by Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Ad Age. As a thought leader, he hosts the Winfluence podcast, serves as Executive Producer of the Marketing Podcast Network, and has authored multiple books on influence and social media. In this episode… Influencer marketing often promises massive reach, but too many brands end up burning their budgets on ineffective one-off posts. What if the key to success isn’t more followers but more influence? And how do you find creators who actually drive results? Jason Falls, an expert in influence marketing and social listening, explains why shifting focus from influencers to influence leads to stronger outcomes. Jason emphasizes investing in long-term partnerships with micro-influencers, relying on creative directors for compelling content, and using social listening tools to spot overlooked opportunities. He illustrates these strategies through campaigns with VisitLEX, GE, and a bourbon brand, showing how creativity, consistency, and insight can turn marketing into meaningful engagement. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz interviews Jason Falls, Chief Strategy Officer of Falls+Partners, about rethinking influencer marketing. Jason discusses building authentic influence strategies, lessons from viral content, and the value of social listening. He also explores mistakes brands make in influencer campaigns, the power of micro-influencers, and why creativity drives better results.

Kwindla “Kwin” Kramer is the CEO and Co-founder of Daily, a leading real-time video platform that provides APIs for integrating audio, video, and AI into apps. Under his leadership, Daily has powered millions of video and voice minutes each month for clients like AWS, Google, Epic, and Nvidia, and is recognized as a Y Combinator Top Company. An MIT Media Lab alumnus, Kwin previously co-founded Oblong Industries, creator of the gesture-based interfaces seen in Minority Report. He is passionate about advancing distributed systems and AI to shape the future of telehealth, education, and conversational technology. In this episode… Imagine a virtual assistant that not only schedules your appointments but also remembers every detail of past interactions — across healthcare, education, and even gaming. What if seamless real-time audio, video, and AI tools could elevate these experiences for everyone, not just the tech elite? How did the journey of making this technology accessible to millions actually unfold? Kwin Kramer pioneered developer infrastructure that makes embedding real-time audio, video, and AI into products simple and scalable. Drawing on his experience at Y Combinator and Oblong Industries, he learned to bridge the gap between imagination and reality for companies such as Boeing and GE. With Daily, Kwin shifted to empowering startups in telehealth, edtech, and more with open, scalable tools. His work enables doctors, teachers, and other professionals to harness AI and real-time media, signaling a future where AI copilots transform daily life. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz interviews Kwin Kramer, CEO and Co-founder of Daily. They explore the evolution of developer tools, lessons from Y Combinator, and how open-source ecosystems are shaping healthcare, education, and more. The conversation covers how Daily powers telehealth, adaptive learning, and conversational agents; the shift from custom demos to scalable APIs; and why the future of software is voice-first and deeply personalized.

Eli Rubel is the Founder and CEO of Profit Labs, a strategic finance and bookkeeping firm exclusively for agency owners. Profit Labs provides financial clarity, profitability insights, and forecasting tools tailored for creative, marketing, and service agencies. Eli has generated over $10 million in agency profit since 2020 and is widely followed for his expertise in building high-margin, scalable service businesses. He previously founded Glider, a venture-backed SaaS company, and later launched Matter Made and NoBoringDesign, which served clients like Dropbox, Loom, and Sequoia-backed startups. In this episode… The entrepreneurial journey is rarely a straight path; more often, it is marked by missteps, hard lessons, and unexpected pivots. Even seasoned founders can launch a new venture only to see it stumble at the very beginning. When this happens, how do you regroup, refine, and rebuild into something stronger? Eli Rubel, a seasoned entrepreneur and agency finance expert, experienced this firsthand when his latest venture faltered due to misaligned messaging and poor market fit. Rather than walking away, Eli leaned on his network of fellow founders, adjusted his positioning, and revamped his sales approach. These changes quickly turned early struggles into wins, landing his first clients and building momentum. He emphasizes the power of bootstrapping for flexibility, leveraging offshore teams for efficiency, and testing pricing to uncover true profitability. His journey exemplifies how adaptability, clarity, and persistence can transform setbacks into lasting growth. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz interviews Eli Rubel, Founder and CEO of Profit Labs, about turning early failures into profitable growth. Eli shares why he chose bootstrapping over venture capital, what he learned from a failed launch and pivot, and the costly mistake of keeping staff too long in a downturn. He also discusses scaling with offshore talent, the importance of time tracking, and how price testing can transform agency profitability.  

Taylor Halliday is the Co-founder and CEO of Ravenna, an AI-powered helpdesk software company that simplifies IT support and internal operations for organizations. Under his leadership, Ravenna raised $15 million in funding from Madrona Venture Group and Khosla Ventures, gaining recognition for its innovative Slack-native platform that streamlines support for IT, HR, and revenue operations teams. Before founding Ravenna, Tylor served as Director of AI Engineering and New Products at Zapier and also completed a fellowship at Y Combinator, experiences that brought both technical depth and startup expertise to the company.  In this episode… Internal operations often struggle to keep pace with modern technology. Companies are buried in employee requests, scattered knowledge bases, and clunky help desk systems. What if AI could bring clarity and automation to that chaos — transforming Slack and other team platforms into true hubs of support? Taylor Halliday has helped shape the future of workplace operations by drawing on experience at Zapier, along with a fellowship at Y Combinator. He brings a blend of technical expertise and startup leadership to solving the challenges of modern internal support. Known for a customer-led approach to product development, Taylor focuses on intuitive design, automation, and data-driven decision-making that enable organizations to scale more effectively. His work highlights how the right mix of AI and human insight can transform team efficiency and build stronger, more resilient companies. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Taylor Halliday, Co-founder and CEO of Ravenna, to discuss how Ravenna is reinventing internal support, co-founder dynamics, the role of customer feedback, and key decisions behind growth and fundraising. Taylor also shares stories on winning early customers and why trust and speed are vital in client relationships.

Telmo Silva is the Founder and CEO of ClicData, a cloud-based SaaS business intelligence platform that helps companies connect, visualize, and share their data. Bringing over 25 years of technology and business process improvement experience, he has held leadership roles such as General Manager and Executive VP at Skura Europe, as well as CRM Architect at Boehringer Ingelheim. Under his ownership, ClicData has expanded to serve users across 40 countries, managing thousands of daily dashboards and datasets. Telmo holds a bachelor’s degree in applied science in engineering from the University of Toronto. In this episode… Many businesses struggle to unify scattered data from multiple sources into a single, reliable system for analysis. Traditional business intelligence tools are often expensive, complex, and slow to deliver meaningful results, leaving small and medium-sized companies, in particular, at a disadvantage. How can organizations of all sizes access the same level of powerful, actionable insights that larger enterprises enjoy without breaking the bank? Telmo Silva, a technology and business intelligence expert, shares how he approached this challenge by creating an easy-to-use, scalable platform designed to democratize data access. He discusses starting with a niche market, leveraging a freemium model to attract early users, and then evolving features based on customer needs. Telmo emphasizes strategies such as prioritizing simple, effective dashboards, tailoring pricing to customer data usage, and encouraging creative applications across industries to maximize value while controlling costs. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz interviews Telmo Silva, CEO of ClicData, about building an accessible and versatile business intelligence platform. Telmo discusses scaling from a niche focus to a global user base, creative and unexpected use cases for the technology, and lessons learned from transitioning away from freemium. He also delves into inbound growth strategies, pricing models, and navigating a successful acquisition.

Patrick Stiles is the CEO of Vidalytics, a video hosting and analytics platform that helps marketers convert cold clicks into paying customers through conversion-optimized tools and world-class analytics. Under his leadership, Vidalytics has powered videos responsible for over $3 billion in sales and is trusted by top direct response marketers and eight-, nine-, and even 10-figure brands, such as Primal Labs, V Shred, iClosed, and Frank Kern.  Patrick’s entrepreneurial journey is anything but conventional — overcoming expulsion from school, addiction, and time in jail before building multiple eight-figure businesses. With a unique perspective shaped by both adversity and success, he brings a data-driven and innovative approach to video marketing and business growth. In this episode… Many businesses struggle to convert cold traffic into paying customers, often losing potential buyers due to poor video engagement, weak calls to action, or a lack of actionable data. Without clear insights into audience behavior, marketers risk wasting ad spend on underperforming creatives. How can companies use video more effectively to drive measurable sales and long-term customer relationships? Patrick Stiles, an expert in video marketing and direct response strategy, shares how to address these challenges by leveraging detailed viewer data from Vidalytics, optimizing hooks and leads, and strategically placing calls to action. He explains how segmenting data by device, traffic source, and engagement patterns can reveal high-converting behaviors. Patrick also recommends testing multiple video versions, adding interactive elements, and aligning messaging closely with audience pain points to improve conversion rates and customer acquisition efficiency. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Jeremy Weisz interviews Patrick Stiles, Founder and CEO of Vidalytics, about mastering video marketing for conversions. Patrick discusses using Vidalytics to identify drop-off points, designing engaging video openings, and tailoring calls to action for different audiences. He also shares insights on overcoming early business struggles, creating interactive features, and building resilience through personal challenges.

Krishna Surendra is the CEO of HR Cloud, a human resources software company that offers tools for recruiting, onboarding, employee engagement, performance management, HRIS, and internal communications — all designed to automate HR processes and enhance workplace culture. He joined HR Cloud in 2016 as Director of Engineering, advanced to Chief Technology Officer in 2018, and took on the role of CEO in 2021. With a background in computer science, he brings deep technical expertise and leadership to his role. Under Krishna’s direction, HR Cloud continues to scale its offerings in employee engagement, onboarding automation, and HRIS solutions to drive productivity and retention in organizations. In this episode… Many organizations struggle to deliver a seamless and engaging employee experience from hiring to offboarding. Generic HR tools often fail to adapt to unique workflows, resulting in inefficient processes, poor communication, and disengaged staff. How can companies modernize their HR systems to be both efficient and deeply human-centered? Krishna Surendra, an expert in HR technology, shares strategies for building customizable, automated HR workflows that span the entire employee lifecycle. Krishna emphasizes the importance of gathering ongoing customer feedback, prioritizing modules based on real demand, and integrating with existing systems rather than reinventing every feature. He also outlines practical ways to increase engagement — such as two-way communication channels, spot recognition with rewards, and adapting solutions for unique use cases like deskless workers or younger staff who prefer SMS notifications — while avoiding common onboarding mistakes like failing to document processes or track task completion. In this episode of Inspired Insider, Dr. Jeremy Weisz interviews Krishna Surendra, CEO of HR Cloud, about transforming the employee journey through adaptable HR software. Krishna discusses using customer-driven product development, enhancing engagement through recognition and feedback tools, and integrating with payroll systems. He also shares insights on prioritizing new features, addressing unique client needs, and lessons learned from build vs. buy decisions.

Brandon Kordower is the Founder and CEO of Aura CFO, a firm that helps marketing agencies scale profitably through fractional CFO services and strategic financial guidance. With over 15 years of experience, Brandon empowers agency owners to make smarter, data-driven decisions. Under his leadership, Aura CFO has supported businesses from $500K startups to nine-figure companies and helped clients achieve eight-figure exits by focusing on financial clarity and growth. Daniel Simon, Executive Vice President at Aura CFO, brings 30 years of C-suite experience and a wide-ranging background across investment banking, music, fine arts, marketing, e-commerce, education, and restaurant ownership. His versatile experience adds depth to the firm’s insights and services. Together, Brandon and Daniel lead a team dedicated to helping agencies avoid common financial missteps, increase profitability, and prepare for sustainable growth or acquisition. In this episode… Many agency owners struggle with financial clarity — confused cash flow, underutilized teams, and misleading revenue growth often stand in the way of maximum profitability. So how do top-performing agencies turn these challenges into sustainable, scalable success? Brandon Kordower shares how shifting from basic bookkeeping to fractional CFO services can unlock powerful insights for growing agencies. Along with Daniel Simon, he breaks down why people costs are often the biggest lever — and the biggest risk — in agency finances. From tracking staff utilization to setting service-line margins, they emphasize the importance of moving to accrual accounting, avoiding the trap of revenue obsession, and following key benchmarks like 60% gross margin and keeping people costs below 55%. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Brandon Kordower, Founder and CEO of Aura CFO, a firm that helps marketing agencies scale profitably through fractional CFO services and strategic financial guidance, and Daniel Simon, Executive Vice President, to discuss how agency leaders can take control of their finances, scale smarter, and prepare for eight-figure exits. They share real-world stories, actionable metrics, and insights into the financial visibility every creative business needs to thrive.