Squire Technologies Co-Founder Dave Salvant: ‘It Was Risky…But No Risk, No Reward’

SALVANT It was risky ░░░░░░░░ was very very risky ░░░░░░░░ no risk no reward ░░░░░░░░ m Dave Salvant I ░░░░░░░░ a co founder of ░░░░░░░░ Technologies Squire Technologies is ░░░░░░░░ software system for barbershops ░░░░░░░░ do everything from online ░░░░░░░░ point of sale payroll ░░░░░░░░ you name it My ░░░░░░░░ Mary owned a beauty ░░░░░░░░ for 30 years I ░░░░░░░░ to do little things ░░░░░░░░ sweep up and I ░░░░░░░░ it was a miserable ░░░░░░░░ at the time but ░░░░░░░░ subconsciously contributed to what ░░░░░░░░ do today I was ░░░░░░░░ in Brooklyn New York ░░░░░░░░ called Coney Island by ░░░░░░░░ single mom household while ░░░░░░░░ Section 8 Crime was ░░░░░░░░ I really didn t ░░░░░░░░ about entrepreneurship but I ░░░░░░░░ know that I wanted ░░░░░░░░ change circumstances My mom ░░░░░░░░ the decision to move ░░░░░░░░ Rockland County which is ░░░░░░░░ suburb of New York ░░░░░░░░ In addition to playing ░░░░░░░░ I played the violin ░░░░░░░░ became like an outlet ░░░░░░░░ me I love how ░░░░░░░░ made me feel I ░░░░░░░░ away to the University ░░░░░░░░ Albany I majored in ░░░░░░░░ science economics I landed ░░░░░░░░ a entry level position ░░░░░░░░ I thought to myself ░░░░░░░░ do I become more ░░░░░░░░ I used to throw ░░░░░░░░ house parties This house ░░░░░░░░ served as a kind ░░░░░░░░ like a meeting place ░░░░░░░░ black professionals in Harlem ░░░░░░░░ the time when I ░░░░░░░░ throwing these parties Songe ░░░░░░░░ cofounder was one of ░░░░░░░░ guys that came along ░░░░░░░░ were spending a lot ░░░░░░░░ time going out and ░░░░░░░░ of those times it ░░░░░░░░ like Why Don t ░░░░░░░░ try to allocate the ░░░░░░░░ to build a new ░░░░░░░░ One of the things ░░░░░░░░ we kept coming back ░░░░░░░░ is getting a haircut ░░░░░░░░ had an idea for ░░░░░░░░ software system for barbershops ░░░░░░░░ then we started asking ░░░░░░░░ owners what would it ░░░░░░░░ them to use this ░░░░░░░░ And they said we ░░░░░░░░ not going to use ░░░░░░░░ At that point we ░░░░░░░░ hey we need to ░░░░░░░░ our destiny So we ░░░░░░░░ to spend 25 000 ░░░░░░░░ a barbershop The neighborhood ░░░░░░░░ was called Decatur Sons ░░░░░░░░ was in Chelsea Market ░░░░░░░░ below Google and Facebook ░░░░░░░░ day I m in ░░░░░░░░ barbershop working the front ░░░░░░░░ and I see an ░░░░░░░░ with an fb com ░░░░░░░░ I said hey this ░░░░░░░░ works for Facebook I ░░░░░░░░ asking some questions He ░░░░░░░░ up investing 150 000 ░░░░░░░░ Squire That enabled us ░░░░░░░░ get more runway and ░░░░░░░░ got into why I ░░░░░░░░ here We met with ░░░░░░░░ 40 or 50 investors ░░░░░░░░ we got one term ░░░░░░░░ We were the lowest ░░░░░░░░ sheet in the cohort ░░░░░░░░ think there s a ░░░░░░░░ disparity between the investments ░░░░░░░░ black led companies than ░░░░░░░░ know other companies so ░░░░░░░░ m happy to be ░░░░░░░░ part of Access to ░░░░░░░░ I think giving access ░░░░░░░░ opportunities such as training ░░░░░░░░ as financing introductions that ░░░░░░░░ would not necessarily get ░░░░░░░░ super important to grow ░░░░░░░░ ecosystem And Access to ░░░░░░░░ is doing that The ░░░░░░░░ that Songe and I ░░░░░░░░ reached a certain level ░░░░░░░░ success is helping spawn ░░░░░░░░ companies It makes me ░░░░░░░░ like I m part ░░░░░░░░ history It s meaningful ░░░░░░░░ but it has to ░░░░░░░░ done.”