BizSpark Startup of the Day - Digital Folio

The BizSpark startup of the day is Digital Folio, based in the US. Below you will find an interview with Patrick Carter, Founder of Digital Folio. All the best to them and congratulations for being the startup of the day!

Website: www.digitalfolio.com

Tell us who you are and your role in the company:

I am Digital Folio’s founder and responsible for our overall leadership and vision. My background consists of more than 22 years' experience in technology innovation, customer experience management, direct marketing, analytics, consulting, and executive management.

What did you do before creating your company?

As a direct marketing executive, I served as president and CEO of TBi, an Omnicom Group, Inc. company, where I was responsible for establishing our agency as a leading provider of database marketing solutions. And in the realm of senior CRM leadership, I have managed CRM consulting practice areas as global managing partner of Scient's Global CRM practice and as senior leader of the CRM practice area within Ernst & Young's Business Intelligence service line. As a global BPO executive, I have led Global Financial Services and Solutions for a billion-dollar customer management/BPO corporation. I started my career in technology innovation as AT&T Computer Systems’ Bell Labs Laison to MIT’s strategic computing group. My clients include Microsoft, Qwest, AT&T Wireless, AT&T, MCI, British Airways, FedEx, Staples, Best Buy, Lloyds TSB, American Airlines, JP Morgan Chase, HSBC, CitiGroup, Tyson Foods, Walmart, and others. I hold degrees in Marketing and Management Information Systems from Syracuse University.

How do you feel being the most promising ‘Startup of the Day’ per Microsoft BizSpark?

It is a great opportunity and an honor. We appreciate being recognized by the BizSpark team for our team’s hard work and thinking. We have created an innovative solution for a key experience (shopping) in every consumer’s life that we are proud to be recognized for.

What is your company’s mission?

Digital Folio is a Denver-based customer experience innovation firm focused on leveraging new domain technology and a strong customer perspective to dramatically improve the shopping experience for consumers and retailers alike.

In 140 characters or less, tell us what your company does:

Digital Folio is a shopping resource for consumers to compare products and prices and receive dynamic money-saving offers from retailers.

How did you get the idea for your company?

In my years with consulting firms we focused on “inside-out” technologies and processes that inconsistently converged on the customer. In my agency years, we focused on more transient messaging and branding around the customer experience, yet our clients were not “wired” to fulfill that promise on an ongoing basis. The Digital Folio platform is about “seeing and solving the multi-channel experience problem” from a customer’s perspective in a sustainable way - fulfilling the brand promise through a sustained and consistent shopping experience, yet remaining grounded in the practical realities that many retailers face.

Tell us about your funding history. Are you currently looking for funding? If so, how much?

The company is Angel funded as well as entertaining funding options as the online-to-offline marketplace heats up.

How many employees do you have? How many developers?

15 employees, 10 of them developers.

Are you hiring?If yes, what are you hiring for and where?

Yes. Predominantly in the Management, Development, and Creative areas.

Which platform are you building on?Why?

Azure, Silverlight, WPF, Kinect, and the Mobile platforms (iPhone, WP7, and Android). These technologies provide the rich development frameworks, extensibility, and security that our multi-platform, multi-channel solution requires.

Where do you see opportunities today in the Software/Internet area?

Real-time Online-to-Offline Web services.

What do you think about the BizSpark Program?

We’re honored to be a part of the BizSpark program and to be recognized along side of such a distinguished group of individuals and companies driving innovation across industries. The program really affords us a great opportunity to work even closer with Microsoft technology and product teams to provide input and leverage upcoming innovations.

Do you have any advice for young Software entrepreneurs?

Stay in front of your clients, listen, and keep your “ideas” rooted in reality.

Who’s your role model?

My mother, Helene. She taught me that there is no substitute for hard work and family. Also, my wife, Karen. I thought I knew what love and support meant…she redefined it.

What’s the ONE THING you would like readers to take away from this interview?

Digital Folio is about innovating the shopping experience in a compelling way for consumers as well as retailers. It is a cloud-based shopping tool powered by Microsoft Azure that offers the first seamless, multi-channel retail shopping experience that allows consumers to shop the entire web at home on a computer, anywhere on a mobile phone, or in-store on an interactive display.