Chen is Founder and Co-CEO of Avoca, and has spent about four years serving the home services industry. Avoca initially developed AI receptionists for restaurants, but a chance meeting with Rescue Air owners Josh Campbell and Michael Hirsch helped Chen recognize a much larger opportunity in the trades.

“If a restaurant misses a call, it might lose a $30 or $40 order,” Chen said. “In HVAC, plumbing, or electrical, a missed call could mean losing a job worth thousands, or even tens of thousands of dollars.”

Once he entered the industry, Chen quickly found another reason to stay: the people.

“What stood out was how willing everyone was to share, learn, and help each other improve,” he said. “There's a genuine sense that we can grow the pie together.”

Today, Chen finds the greatest reward in seeing Avoca's technology support the contractors providing essential services in their communities. He points to customers who have used the platform to grow their businesses, regain time with their families and continue serving customers during emergencies.

That impact also motivates Chen to make advanced technology more accessible to independent businesses.

“Cutting-edge technology like AI isn't reserved for Fortune 500 companies,” he said. “Some of the people who can benefit most from this technology are the small and midsized businesses that keep this country running.”

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Having previously worked with Fortune 500 executives at BCG, Chen also wishes more people recognized the sophistication of leaders in the trades.

“The level of operational complexity, business acumen, and strategic thinking I see from leaders in this industry rivals that of any executive I've worked with,” he said.

Before Chen began speaking to audiences about AI and home services, he tested his communication skills in a very different setting: performing stand-up comedy during his first year living in New York.

“It's definitely a different kind of audience than the ones I speak to today!”