Elias Torres wants to reach unicorn status with just 100 employees | Pioneers of AI

Founders and entrepreneurs today are racing to build companies with the leanest teams possible. Elias Torres, founder and CEO of Agency AI, a B2B company that delivers personalized, AI-powered customer service, is doing exactly that. His goal? To reach unicorn status with just 100 employees. Formerly the VP of Engineering at HubSpot and co-founder of Drift , Torres brings a direct and visionary mindset to everything he does. In this episode of Pioneers of AI, we talk with Torres not just about Agency AI, but also about the American Dream, how AI is redefining what a fulfilling career can look like, and how his immigrant background has shaped his journey. 00:00 - Introducing Elias Torres 02:08 - Elias’s immigrant story 05:22 - How Elias ensures his kids are at the forefront of AI 07:45 - Is the American Dream dead? 09:40 - Elias’s journey to Agency 14:01 - Elias’s vision for Agency 16:26 - Behind the scenes at Agency 18:49 - Bringing context to AI 20:20 - The brand and voice of Agency’s agents 23:13 - Advice on how to be build an AI first company 25:50 - How AI is changing the typical career trajectory 🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pioneers-of-ai/id1763085968 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6gbpjgcqJ40rtPrHnXeOWG 💻 LEARN MORE Our website: https://www.pioneersof.ai/ ⚡JOIN OUR COMMUNITY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pioneersofai/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pioneersofai Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pioneersofai X: https://twitter.com/pioneersofAI TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@pioneersofai 💡ABOUT US Pioneers of AI is your guide to the latest technological frontier. Each week, host Rana el Kaliouby (AI scientist, investor, author, co-founder of Affectiva) is joined by the leading creators, critics, and thinkers behind mind-blowing technology and asks the important questions about how artificial intelligence is changing the way we live. As we venture together into the unknown, Pioneers is your tool to understanding and anticipating what comes next.