In this episode, we’re coming to you from the floor of the HITEC Trade Show to celebrate a decade of innovation, grit, and startup brilliance with the Entrepreneur 20X (E20X) competition.

Hosts David Millili and Steve Carran are joined by:

• Lyle Worthington – Founder of E20X & tech visionary
• Jonathan Rojas – First-ever E20X winner & Co-Founder of Whistle
• Al Lagunas – 2025 E20X People’s Choice & Judge’s Award Winner, CEO of Levee

Together, they unpack what it takes to build, pitch, and thrive in the hospitality tech world.

🔑 In this episode, you'll learn:

• How E20X was born out of a bourbon-fueled dream and a passion for tech
• Why storytelling and preparation are more valuable than stats in a 4-minute pitch
• The behind-the-scenes chaos and scrappy beginnings of the first E20X winners
• Advice from mentors and judges on what makes a startup stand out on stage
• How winning E20X can fast-track your startup into enterprise conversations
• Why emotional resonance, not just innovation, wins over judges and investors

Tune in now to hear how it all started—and what’s next for the future of E20X.

Watch the FULL EPISODE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2BzxnLlGlR8

Join the conversation on today's episode on The Modern Hotelier LinkedIn page
The Modern Hotelier is produced, edited, and published by Make More Media

Links:
Lyle Worthington
Lyle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyleworthington/
HITEC: https://www.hitec.org/

HFTP: https://www.hftp.org/

Jonathan Rojas
Jonathan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanrojas0226/
Cloudbeds: https://www.cloudbeds.com/

Al Lagunas
Al on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allagunas/
Levee: https://www.levee.biz/

For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/167

Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-...

Connect with Steve and David:
Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E...
David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mil.