How to Strategize, launch, and Build a Y Combinator Backed Startup While in School

Darius Johnson will interview Eric Sonnier.

Eric is currently a Mentor for several Techstars Accelerator programs, including Techstars Miami, Techstars Atlanta, and Build In Tulsa.

Eric was Co-Founder and CEO of Lawgix, an enterprise software company that helps financial institutions scale legal models with real-time vendor collaboration and centralized compliance. Eric was also Co-founder of venture capital backed, Y Combinator (S14) company, Local Lift, which specialized in alternative lending for small businesses through an online marketplace platform.

Prior to entering the world of entrepreneurship, Eric worked as a Strategy & Operations Consultant for Deloitte, working on a variety of business process and strategy projects for Fortune 500 companies.

Eric has a BBA from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas in Austin and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Eric currently resides in St. Croix with his wife and three children.

Darius Johnson is an Investor at Insight Partners, the Co-founder of Meritcy, a professional networking community for ambitious college students.

Darius networked his way into companies like Goldman Sachs, BCG, JP Morgan, Dorm Room Fund, and Harlem Capital, before choosing to start his career at the tech PE/VC fund Insight Partners. All via cold email outreach. He was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois.

He co-founded Meritcy, a professional networking community for ambitious college students. Laude supports students by providing access to proven networking strategies that accelerate their journey to landing their dream careers.