Niko Zurita has spent his career scaling startups and building intentional workplace cultures. From early talent roles to leading People & Culture at Inbox Health, he’s helped companies grow with clarity, empathy, and operational focus.

Now, he’s applying that same mindset to a new challenge: group travel.

As co-founder of Vamos, Niko is solving the coordination chaos behind company retreats. Built for hybrid and remote teams, Vamos simplifies planning through a data-driven, collaboration-first platform—combining flight tracking, itinerary tools, and real-time input from your whole team.

In this episode of PitchPod, Niko shares how Vamos is helping startups plan smarter, scale faster, and stay connected beyond the screen.

Behind Shaping CT's Future Pitch Competition is the powerhouse team at UConn’s Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (CCEI). Executive Director Jennifer Mathieu and Assistant Director Alycia Chrosniak have helped launch and grow hundreds of startups, designing accelerator programs, securing funding opportunities, and mentoring founders.

This episode highlights what makes Connecticut’s startup ecosystem unique, how CCEI supports diverse founders, and why collaborations like PitchPod matter for the state’s economic future.

Restore is a SaaS platform built for restaurants to track and resolve guest issues in real time, whether it’s handling concerns in person, offering rewards through the app, or using insights to improve service. Founder Nathan Catapano is focused on giving restaurant owners a credible, engaging tool that strengthens customer relationships and boosts operational performance. In this episode, Nathan shares how Restore helps hospitality teams respond faster, learn from feedback, and turn guest experiences into lasting loyalty, and why earning credibility with early adopters is key to scaling in the restaurant industry.