Have you ever pondered the awesome power of the Internet and wondered, “How can I use this tool to come up with something that will revolutionize a certain sector of the economy?” If you were born before the internet era, like a lot of us, you probably have. And you probably haven’t been able to come up with anything. Which is what separates you, and the rest of us, from Stephanie’s two guests on this edition of Out to Lunch Baton Rouge.

Stephanie Hoskins, creator of the AI powered debt settlement app, Debtle

Stephanie Hoskins created Debtle. It’s a cloud-based platform that enables organizations and individuals to easily and efficiently negotiate and settle overdue invoices and bad debt accounts, in a transparent and frictionless manner.

This may just be as significant an invention as the fountain of youth or a perpetual motion machine! How does Debtle do it? Essentially, it lets the cloud-based software do the negotiating in a transparent process that takes the uncomfortable personal stuff out of these situations.

Stephanie Hoskins co-founded the company in 2019. Her career in corporate finance and strategy spans over a decade and she has three degrees in finance, including a Ph D from LSU. She is passionate about financial inclusion, volunteering, and her family – which includes her co-founder and husband, Houston.

Barret Blondeau – his real estate app Falaya takes For Sale By Owner to a whole new level

Barret Blondeau is founder and owner of Falaya. It’s a DIY real estate listing platform that enables buyers and sellers to handle an entire transaction – from the listing to negotiating the contract on their own. Say goodbye to your real estate broker. Falaya automates the listing input, property disclosure, scheduling and contract negotiations processes – and it will even refer consumers to an expert if one is needed.

Barret knows real estate from the perspective of a broker – he worked as one for several years before founding Falaya in 2018. In the years since, it has grown and also raised the ire of some competitors out there who were threatened enough to force Falaya – which used to be called something else – to change their name. Barret is a native of Baton Rouge who earned his business degree and MBA from LSU.

Stephanie Hoskins, Stephanie Riegel and Barret Blondeau Out to virtual Lunch

Photos by Jill Lafleur. And here’s more Baton Rouge tech talk with the creators of Twistlock and Vinformatix.