Alexa BerubePhoto: Courtesy of Reposite
How she got her start: "I began my career in tech sales after graduating from Santa Clara University. I was eager to dive into the startup scene in San Francisco, and ended up joining a company called Main Street Hub, where I spent nearly four years honing my skills. Starting as an entry-level sales rep, I made between 100 and 150 cold calls daily. I worked my way up to sales manager and eventually became the director of sales, overseeing our New York City office. In 2017, my now co-founder Heather Stupi and I crossed paths at Vettery, an HR hiring marketplace; little did we know then that we would be working side by side for years to come. Following Vettery's successful acquisition in 2018, we continued with the company for a year, but the drive to create something of our own ultimately took over.
Witnessing the rapid growth of several tech startups definitely sparked our entrepreneurial spirit. However, we were initially uncertain about the problem we wanted to solve. Our shared enthusiasm for showcasing the hidden gems of New York City, the city we both love and reside in, led us to establish Nowaday, a company offering private tours from the back seat of 1920s cars. This endeavor launched us into the event and hospitality industry.
The more we dove in and formed relationships with these planners, the more the inefficiencies in the group planning processes and the lack of technology that exists to power group bookings came to light. We quickly realized the significant challenges that exist in managing relationships, communicating updates, and handling group bookings. Our search for a solution came up empty, fueling our determination to address this gap.
We became just really obsessed with the idea of solving this problem, and were immediately drawn to the concept of going back to our tech roots and building another marketplace platform that would connect suppliers—ranging from activities, hotels, and restaurants to transportation and venues—with professional planners. This platform would streamline the request for proposal (RFP) process, centralize communication, facilitate proposal creation, and manage payments—all from one centralized platform.
By early 2020, our conviction in this idea led to a pivotal transformation. We transitioned Nowaday, an experience-based business, to Reposite, a powerful AI-driven marketplace. Today, Reposite bridges the gap between group meeting and event planners and suppliers, giving them access to productivity tools and an extensive network of over 35,000 vendors. To this day, we always say if we could raise venture capital for a group travel and events software in the peak of a global pandemic, we can do anything." 
"Today, Reposite bridges the gap between group meeting and event planners and suppliers, giving them access to productivity tools and an extensive network of over 35,000 vendors," explains Berube.Screenshot: Courtesy of Reposite
What innovation means to her: "Innovation is at the very core of my being; I think it’s why I have always been drawn to early-stage startups. I love the thrill of solving problems, A/B testing, trying new solutions, seeing what sticks and what doesn’t, and then iterating upon it. I truly believe if we are not innovating, we are not growing—and if we are not growing, then something is very very wrong.
With technology and product specifically, you always have to be looking ahead and anticipating your users' wants and needs. We are always thinking about where we can add the most value by saving our users significant amounts of time and energy. Right now, we are really excited about some new AI integrations we are building into the product. When we think about integrating AI, we don't want our users to have to think about it. We want it to complement what they think their workflow will be so that at the end of the day, it just happens."
Memorable moments: "Growing up in a sports-obsessed household, one of my favorite events that we’ve done has to be our networking event hosted at the Miami Marlins stadium, at the iconic loanDepot Park. Stepping into the stadium and seeing 'Welcome Reposite' splashed across the big screen was surreal. It was one of those pinch-me moments that truly showcased the impactful connections our platform has fostered within the industry.
The event itself was nothing short of amazing. We enjoyed an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour, which included the locker rooms, private event space, VIP suites, and more. Each stop offered a new food and drink pairing, allowing us to sample a variety of flavors. We ended the event by hanging out on the stadium field with lawn games and our signature espresso martinis in hand. I was really proud at that moment, not just of the platform community we’ve built but also of my team and the strong, fun, problem-solving, take-on-any-kind-of-challenge culture we have built up over the years."
Her vision for the future of the event industry: "At Reposite, we are addressing the significant technological gap in event and group travel planning. Historically, this sector has lagged behind other travel services, which benefit from advanced tools that streamline bookings and manage itineraries efficiently. We see a tremendous opportunity in utilizing artificial intelligence to transform these outdated processes.
Our vision is a more interconnected and streamlined event industry, where AI-driven technology minimizes operational hurdles and amplifies creative planning. We aim to empower planners to focus on creating memorable experiences and strategic decision-making, rather than mundane logistics. This shift will not only make planning more efficient but also allow planners to manage more events without compromising quality."
What she's working on next: "We are excited to soon launch PlanPilot, an innovative AI-driven tool tailored for group travel and event planners. PlanPilot revolutionizes the RFP process between planners and their suppliers by automating communications with suppliers from the moment an RFP is issued. This tool manages inquiries and helps compile detailed proposals, enabling planners to focus less on tedious tasks.
PlanPilot ensures that every proposal aligns perfectly with client requirements, offers alternatives within each RFP category, proactively requests additional information when necessary, and manages supplier confirmations. PlanPilot is also equipped to read and interpret documents uploaded by suppliers in various formats, such as PDFs, ensuring all communications and responses align precisely with the RFP’s requirements. We're unveiling PlanPilot publicly during our live virtual event on June 19."
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