Darren Kimura — Building Energy, AI, and VC Ventures With a Human-Centered Mindset

Darren Kimura is the CEO and President of AI Squared, bringing over 25 years of experience in scaling technology companies and integrating AI with enterprise solutions. He joined AI Squared in 2024 as President and COO, playing a key role in the company’s operational growth and strategy. He previously served as President and CEO of Energy Industries Corporation, Solar Power Technology, and LiveAction. Darren Kimura LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenkimura Website: https://squared.ai/ Flor Laorga LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/flor-laorga/ X: https://x.com/florlaorga Website: https://aifn.co/flor AI Frontier Network Website: https://aifn.co LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ai-frontier-network/ X: https://x.com/aifn_co YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ai-frontier-network OUTLINE 00:00 Start 00:27 Darren Kimura’s Entrepreneurial Journey 00:45 Value of Technical Background in AI Leadership 02:13 Learning from Startup Successes and Failures 03:44 From Energy to AI: Career Shifts and Lessons 08:57 Evolving Leadership Styles Through the Years 12:07 Human-Centered Innovation at Scale 13:16 AI Squared’s Impact on Enterprise Productivity 15:01 Sparks: An AI Assistant for Mid-Size Enterprises 18:10 AI Leaders Who Inspire Darren 20:22 Why Human Qualities Set Silicon Valley Apart 26:14 Founding an AI Startup Today: Advice from Darren 29:13 Darren’s Legacy: Ethical AI and Empowering Entrepreneurs