Allie Magyar of Hubb

June 9, 2020 thetechtribune

An exclusive Tech Tribune Q&A with Allie Magyar, the co-founder and CEO of Hubb, which was honored in our:

Tell us the origin story of Hubb – what problem were you trying to solve and why?

Hubb was founded in 2015 to bring order to the chaos of the most time-consuming aspects of event management and to provide data that improves decision making across events. Our cloud-based software platform uses simple, automated workflows to streamline collecting, managing, and marketing event content, as well as facilitating sales pipeline growth with meetings management and data analytics.

We currently offer the most versatile virtual events platform with the best overall attendee experience on the market. We’re the only platform that provides this while helping clients save time in getting their event to market, and have the analytics they need to make more informed decisions and improve ROI. Over the years, we’ve worked with key clients such as Microsoft, Biotechnology Innovation Association, and the Consumer Technology Association (CES).

What was the biggest hurdle you encountered in your journey?

I haven’t yet reached my career ambitions, but I’m always working hard to achieve them! One goal that I have is to grow and learn as much as I can as a woman in tech. This will allow me to help other women in tech in unique ways, as my personal experience and expertise can hopefully lend value to someone else. This isn’t so much about my age as it is about experience and career development. I’ve had fantastic mentors who were younger than me and I’ve also mentored women who were older than me. I think that I do have a good work life balance and for me, it’s all about setting and sticking to boundaries. If I wanted or allowed myself to, I could easily work 100+ hours per week and still have more work to get done. This is the life of an entrepreneur, especially since I’m a mom too. But I have to know when to rely on my support system and when to rest and relax so that I can come back in full force.

What does the future hold for Hubb?

The meetings and event industry is definitely evolving right now and we’re seeing many changes across the board. And over the years, I’ve found that honing skills that foster innovation and agility are required in my role as an entrepreneur. It’s up to me to figure out where we are as a company and where we need to go. Often times, I figure things out as I move along!

For example, we just held our inaugural Untethered event to fantastic response – a virtual summit for the events industry with a mission to educate, inspire, and innovate together with over 5,000 meeting planners across 60 countries. We’re proud to share that we raised almost $18,000 for The Meetings Industry Fund, as part of a charitable partnership for industry professionals in need. Hubb donated 100% of Untethered’s registration fees, which was a “pay what you can” model, to this fund to directly benefit event industry professionals in immediate financial crisis right now.

Moving forward in 2020, we are completely re-inventing the events industry, since everything is forced into a virtual model. Hubb’s opportunity is bold because we are turning the events industry on its head and have taken market share away from the established players in the business. Customers demo our platform and immediately want it for their event, so our sales are rapidly increasing right now and we’re growing at a very fast pace. Due to the recent layoffs across the board, we’re also able to hire some of the most amazing and best talent in the events industry right now as we look towards what the future holds for our company.

What are your thoughts on the local tech startup scene in Vancouver?

Our local tech startup scene is thriving, supportive, and a wonderful network to be a part of. As part of the larger Portland metro area, the smaller community of Vancouver is very close-knit, where everyone knows everyone and we come together on resources and hiring. We have a solid pool of talent and the tax benefits for running a company here are fantastic. As an entrepreneur, these benefits are key, especially for a tech company like Hubb. Our team is happy to be a part of the local scene and its growth, along with neighboring companies that we admire such as ZoomInfo, RealWear, and Nlight.

What’s your best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?

The one piece of advice that I would offer is to keep focused on your long term strategic vision and plan, rather than getting lost in the weeds of minute details. This overall sense of focus helps position and align your day to day execution of tasks. I find that it’s the people who don’t get stressed who can prioritize the future, rather than just dealing with the now. I believe that if you can look at the bigger picture to make your vision a reality by setting a path and staying on it, you’ll set yourself up for success.