From Student To Founder

Hey there! It’s Cameron Gallad, the founder of JusCheckIt, and I’m excited to share my journey as an entrepreneur and the valuable lessons I learned attending the TechCrunch Early Stage conference. Let me tell you, being an entrepreneur is no walk in the park. It’s definitely not the glamor and luxury you see online; it’s about having drive, effective communication skills, embracing failure, and building a resilient team.

Growing up as a first-generation college graduate in a financially struggling family truly shaped my entrepreneurial spirit. Witnessing my family’s legal battles ignited a fire within me, leading to the creation of JusCheckIt—a legal services company with a mission to enhance access to legal communication, information, and representation.

Attending the TechCrunch Early Stage conference was a game-changer for me. I had the opportunity to learn from professionals at renowned venture capital firms like Sequoia Capital. Here are the three valuable lessons I took away from the conference:

Lesson 1: Founders are storytellers: Being a founder is more than just creating and pitching a product. It’s about weaving a compelling story that captures the essence and inspiration behind your startup. I encourage fellow founders to be authentic, personal, and visually engaging when telling their stories. By sharing our journey and vision, we can connect with our audience and convey the true spirit of our startup.

Lesson 2: Your team is everything: As the CEO of JusCheckIt, I can’t stress enough the importance of fostering a happy and cohesive team. Each team member brings unique skills and expertise to the table, and it’s crucial to support each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Conflict management is also essential for maintaining a healthy team dynamic. We hold ourselves accountable for addressing conflicts and keeping our team united.

Lesson 3: Choose investors wisely: While the prospect of securing investment may be exhilarating, it’s vital for founders to carefully select investors who align with their startup and team. Just like a marriage, the investor-founder relationship should be based on shared values and chemistry. Seeking references from other founders can help evaluate the potential investor’s compatibility. When considering long-term commitment, founders should ensure the investor is the right fit for the company.

I’m incredibly grateful to UC Davis for instilling an entrepreneurial mindset in me, and I’d like to acknowledge the support we received from Blackstone LaunchPad, which enabled our team to attend the TechCrunch Early Stage conference. I want to emphasize that together, with an exceptional team and the support of an amazing school, we have the opportunity to build something truly remarkable.

Let’s keep pushing boundaries and creating positive change. JusCheckIt is here to empower individuals and revolutionize the legal landscape, one step at a time!

Chris Denend

Chris Denend is a co-founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for JusCheckIt.  He has over 30 years of experience in the technology field, as both a programmer and as a manager/VP/SVP/CTO at various companies ranging in size from start-ups to publicly traded companies.  Prior to joining JusCheckit, Chris was pursuing his own startup ideas.  Prior to this, he was Senior Vice President of Engineering and Product at TrueCar, a digital automotive marketplace.  Earlier in his career, Chris was a Vice President at Shutterfly where he worked to integrate and scale the ThisLife start-up acquisition.  Before that he spent 5 years at the start-up Prosper, as the first VP of Engineering, then as the CTO.  Chris spent 7 years at Macromedia, in both programming and leadership roles.  He graduated from Stanford University in 1990 with a degree in Electrical Engineering.

Ryan Guaglione

Ryan is a co-founder and Chief Operating Officer (COO) for JusCheckIt. His vast skill set and experience with sales teams, product managers, supply chain logistics, and many more departments give him a knowledgeable mindset into how to oversee and ensure all facets of the company are running smoothly.   The start of his career was heavily marketing and consumer relations based as he served an internship for the BSU athletics program as well as a software consultant for Reynolds and Reynolds. The financial side of these businesses sparked an interest to further develop his career in the field of revenue and pricing; while using what he had learned about the consumer and their needs and reactions to industry changes. Ryan has now compiled several years of analytical experience with companies such as Cardinal Health, Holland America, and CalAmp. Through these roles he has been tasked with maintaining financial stability and consistency in several areas of the businesses including deal making, price logging, competitive analysis, and more. 

Jackson Wise

Jackson Wise is a co-founder and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of JusCheckIt. He brings his experience as a Preconstruction Manager at Deacon Construction managing the financial side of large construction projects ranging from $10MM to $150MM. He graduated from the University of California Davis in June 2018 with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. Prior to UC Davis, during his time at a local community college, he held an internship at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as AutoCAD draftsman and Data Center Energy Management Technician with their IT Infrastructure department. His experience estimating and managing complex projects, coupled with his interest in personal finance, makes him a great fit for managing JusCheckIt’s finances.

Cameron Gallad

Cameron Gallad is a co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of JusCheckIt. Cameron is an established professional and entrepreneur who is an Account Executive for 3fold Communications, a member of the Leadership Council for Metro Edge as well as a Board Member for both SMART Sacramento and the UC Davis Young Alumni Association. Prior to JusCheckIt, Cameron worked for various legal and justice based positions while at community college including: the Office of Governor Jerry Brown in the Legal Affairs Division, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and a Business Planning and Estate Planning/Tax law firm. He is a UC Davis Alumnus, where he studied Communication, Economics, & Tech Management.  He was Director of Legislative Affairs for his local student government where he led a committee that built a proposal to help give better resources to sexual harassment and assault survivors. Cameron’s breadth of experience and personal story is what allows him to manage the leadership role of CEO for JusCheckIt.