What happens when the best AI hires are not AI specialists at all, but founders?

In this episode of Startup Builders and Backers, I sat down with Fran Loftus, Chief Experience Officer at EliseAI, to talk about a hiring philosophy that goes against the grain. At a time when so many companies are chasing the same technical talent, EliseAI is betting on people with founder DNA, generalists who can move fast, solve problems across functions, and take ownership from day one.

Fran brings a rare perspective to that conversation. She has lived both sides of it, first as a PropTech founder and now as an executive helping scale one of the most interesting vertical AI companies in the market. EliseAI supports operations for one in six U.S. apartments and is also automating workflows in healthcare, so this is not theory. It is a real-world look a ...