👋 Hello – My conversation today is with Blake Squires. The Journey of Blake is a Lay of the Land of the Lay of the Land.

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Blake began his journey in the mid-90s in Los Angeles, capitalizing early on the convergence of technology and media. He soon returned to his hometown of Cleveland to co-found Everstream with Steve McHale (episode 196) and Charlie Lougheed (episode 42, and also my co-founder at Axuall). Blake served as COO until Everstream’s acquisition by Concurrent Computer Corp in 2005.
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Next, he co-founded Findaway, a global leader in digital audiobook distribution and creators of PLAYAWAY, a line of preloaded audiobook devices and products. Findaway was acquired by Spotify in 2022—a story shared by co-founder Mitch Kroll (episode 128) and early team member Mike Belsito (episode 52).
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In 2011, Blake launched Movable, a software and wearable platform built to "inspire movement." He also founded DoctorsOrders, an e-scripting tool for medical suppliers, which was acquired by Cardinal Health in 2018.
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Blake later partnered with inventor John Osher (of SpinBrush fame) to develop the Stubl/Shadow manual razor, acquired by Edgewell for its Schick brand. The duo also created a unique toothbrush licensed to Waken in the UK.
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In 2022, Blake co-founded Bloomfilter, an AI-powered process intelligence platform optimizing the product and software development lifecycle. We’ve heard Bloomfilter’s story from his co-founder Andrew Wolfe on episode 134.
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By 2024, Blake had become a board partner at Greycroft and a “Fellow” at global design firm IDEO, recognized for his work supporting VCs and early-stage startups. Blake also serves as a founding advisor to the Ohio Angel Collective.
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As I mentioned up top, Blake’s story truly is a Lay of The Land of Lay of The Land. He’s deeply connected with Northeast Ohio’s startup ecosystem—through this episode alone, we’ll hear links to Lee Zapis (episode 7), John Knific (episode 199), David Levine (episode 132), AC Evans (episode 39), Ray Leach (episode 69), and many more.
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More than just well-connected, Blake is a visionary builder, inspiring leader, and accomplished serial entrepreneur with a rare ability to scale products, teams, and brands.

With Love,

Jeffrey