Podium

Podium was founded after co-founder and CEO Eric received a frustrated call from his father, who ran a tire shop. While most customers were satisfied, only a small number of unhappy customers were leaving online reviews. This insight led to the creation of a simple solution to make collecting customer reviews as easy as sending a text message.

Launched in 2014, the company set out to solve this challenge for local businesses more broadly. Over time, it became clear that customer messaging was not only an effective way to generate reviews, but also a better way for businesses to communicate and operate.

Today, the company offers a multi-product platform that helps local businesses manage customer communications and grow more effectively. Its tools support review generation, payment collection, text marketing campaigns, and centralized messaging, all within a single, easy-to-use platform designed to help local businesses succeed.