October 14th
Building a startup requires more than a great idea. For Alborz (Al) Bozorgi, Co-Founder of Twipes, the journey has included years of product development, an international move, and the challenge of building a team in a new market.
In this episode of the Pain Points Podcast, Kyle Arsenault sits down with Al to discuss entrepreneurship, relocating from London to Buffalo through 43North, recruiting talent, and keeping people at the center of business growth.
When a Simple Problem Becomes a Business Opportunity
Twipes began in 2015 after a friend shared his frustration with wet wipes repeatedly clogging his toilet. Al and his co-founder, material scientist Ellenor McIntosh, saw an opportunity to create a better alternative. Nearly five years of research and development followed, with numerous product iterations before the team finalized its initial product in late 2019.
The COVID-19 pandemic created additional manufacturing challenges, but Twipes continued moving forward. The company eventually earned a $1 million award through the 43North startup competition, opening the door to expansion into the United States. For Al, the experience reinforced that entrepreneurship requires persistence, experimentation, and the ability to adapt when plans change.
Finding Opportunity and Building a Team in Buffalo
Moving Twipes from London to Buffalo brought opportunities and unexpected challenges. Al arrived in late December 2022, just as Buffalo experienced a historic winter storm. Despite the difficult introduction, he quickly grew to appreciate the city's welcoming community and strong professional connections. Compared with London, Buffalo offered greater accessibility to business leaders and opportunities to build meaningful relationships.
Relocating also meant rebuilding much of the company's workforce. Twipes spent its first several months recruiting professionals in marketing, finance, logistics, operations, and other essential roles. While Buffalo offered experienced talent in manufacturing and logistics, finding senior marketing professionals proved more difficult.
To address that challenge, Twipes developed a creative recruiting strategy focused on professionals who had grown up in Buffalo but moved elsewhere for career opportunities. Using LinkedIn research and AI-assisted tools, the company identified experienced candidates with local connections who might be interested in returning.
Al's experience highlights an important lesson for employers: finding the right talent sometimes means looking beyond traditional recruiting methods and recognizing the value of candidates with existing ties to the community.
Growing Talent Within a Startup
One of Twipes' strongest examples of employee development is Liz Katoulis, who joined during the COVID-19 pandemic to help manage customer communications when manufacturing disruptions affected approximately 2,000 orders. What began as a volunteer customer service role gradually expanded into social media, marketing, revenue leadership, and eventually the position of Chief Growth Officer.
For Al, Liz's journey demonstrates the opportunities smaller companies can offer employees willing to learn and take on new responsibilities. Startups often allow professionals to develop skills across multiple departments, discover their strengths, and grow alongside the organization.
He encourages younger professionals to consider startup opportunities early in their careers, even if they eventually want to work for larger corporations. Exposure to different responsibilities can provide valuable experience while helping employees better understand which career paths interest them most.
Why Networking and Relationships Still Matter
When Kyle asks what advice Al would give young professionals, his answer is simple: build relationships. Buffalo offers numerous networking opportunities where job seekers can meet founders, executives, and business leaders directly. Al believes attending these events can help candidates stand out and create connections that may lead to future opportunities.
He also questions the growing reliance on AI-generated job applications, particularly strategies that encourage candidates to submit multiple versions of their resumes for the same position. While technology can support recruiting, Al believes genuine conversations and personal connections are often more valuable than sending hundreds of applications.
His advice is especially relevant in Buffalo, where professional networks are closely connected. By showing up, asking questions, and maintaining relationships, young professionals can discover opportunities they might never encounter through traditional job boards.
Scaling a Business While Keeping People at the Center
As Twipes continues expanding, manufacturing remains a major challenge. Al explains that establishing production in the United States involved additional certification requirements and operational differences that created significant delays. The company has developed manufacturing capabilities near Cleveland, Ohio while working toward expanding production in Western New York.
Twipes has also discovered unexpected customers along the way, including recreational fishing enthusiasts who began using its wipes to clean their hands after fishing. These experiences reinforced the importance of listening to customers and remaining open to new markets.
Looking ahead, Al identifies artificial intelligence as one of the biggest uncertainties facing businesses. While he recognizes its potential to improve efficiency, he believes companies should consider how technology can create more valuable roles for employees rather than simply replacing them.
Throughout Twipes' journey, people have remained essential to its growth. From developing employees internally to building relationships throughout Buffalo, Al's experience demonstrates that successful businesses depend not only on innovation and technology, but also on the talent and connections that make growth possible.