Geeks Of The Valley
by GeeksoftheValley
Geeks of the Valley connects with some of the brightest minds globally, who are leading their respective industries today. We discuss the hottest upcoming industry trends and how their work is affecting the global economy.
Episodes
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#137: The Blind Spots That Hide Billion-Dollar Businesses with Golden Gate Ventures’ Vinnie Lauria
Vinnie Lauria is the founding partner of Golden Gate Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm launched in 2011. Before becoming an investor, he built two startups in Silicon Valley, including Lefora, a community platform acquired in 2010. A year backpacking through Asia introduced him to...
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#136: The Global Advantage Hidden in Local Networks with BKR Capital’s Lise Birikundavyi
Lise Birikundavyi is the co-founder and managing partner of BKR Capital, Canada’s first institutionally backed Black-led venture capital firm. Her career spans hedge funds, impact investing, and startup leadership, with experience across North America, Asia, and Africa. Those experiences shaped…
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#135: The Breakthrough Technology Paradox with Woodside Capital Partners' Rudy Burger
Rudy Burger is the founder and managing partner of Woodside Capital Partners, where he advises technology companies on mergers and acquisitions. Before becoming an advisor, he worked in digital imaging at IBM, helped take Visioneer public, held senior roles at Xerox and NEC Packard Bell, and…
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#134: The Signals Behind Breakout Brands with FirstLook’s Brian Folmer
Brian Folmer is the founder of FirstLook and FirstLook Ventures, a consumer-focused investor network connecting emerging brands with a community of accredited investors. Through FirstLook’s product-driven investor experience, he has built a platform that helps founders put their brands directly…
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#133: How Physical AI Is Building the Kinetic Age with UP.Partners' Adam Grosser
Adam Grosser is the Chairman and Managing Partner of UP.Partners, an investment firm backing entrepreneurs building the technologies that help move people and goods faster, safer, and more efficiently. Before founding UP.Partners, Adam was a General Partner at Foundation Capital and a Managing...
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#132: How Gaming Drives a Global Cultural Force with XSET’s Greg Selkoe
Greg Selkoe is the Co-Founder and CEO of XSET, a gaming lifestyle and media brand operating at the intersection of gaming, music, sports, fashion, and culture. Before launching XSET, Greg founded the streetwear e-commerce company Karmaloop and later served as President and Co-Owner of FaZe Clan,...
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#131: Building Trust and Finding Venture Signals with Entrepreneur Ventures’ Jonathan Hung
Jonathan Hung is the Managing Partner of Entrepreneur Ventures, an early-stage signal fund investing in a broad portfolio of promising startups through fast, conviction-driven checks. Before launching the fund, Jonathan invested more than $10 million across 250 companies and 50 venture funds,...
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#130: From Building Facebook's Billion-Dollar Ad Business to Dog Food, with Get Joy Food's Tom Arrix
Tom Arrix Tom Arrix is the founder and CEO of Get Joy, a Connecticut-based pet wellness company building what may be the first truly functional gut-health platform for dogs. Before pivoting to pet nutrition, he spent nearly three decades at the top of media, sports, and advertising — most notably...
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#129 Designing Trust in Digital Money with Centennial’s Sid Ramesh
Sid Ramesh is founder of Centennial, a New York based advisory firm specializing in fractional cybersecurity, product strategy, and M&A support for companies building across crypto, fintech, and artificial intelligence. He has spent more than a decade working at the intersection of digital…
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#128: The Quiet Engine Powering Cross-Border Shopping Across Asia, with Buy&Ship's Jeff Zielinski
Jeff Zielinski is CFO of Hong Kong-based Buyandship, a leading cross-border e-commerce platform with operations across Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia. He has spent his entire career working at the intersection of Asia, TMT, and finance. Jeff began his career in 2000 in...
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#127: The AI Investment Terminal Putting a Private Bank in Your Pocket with Barebone's Brian Tam
Brian is the Hong Kong-born founder of Barebone (barebone.ai), an AI finance research app. He grew up in Hong Kong (Diocesan Boys' School) and studied Economics at the London School of Economics. Before founding Barebone he came up through elite finance: a summer analyst stint at Warburg Pincus...
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#126: Bringing Wall Street's AI Trading Brain to Main Street with Veyra's Peter Ashton
Peter Ashton is the Founder and CEO of Veyra, a trading technology company focused on redefining the future of financial intelligence and portfolio management through advanced predictive analytics, algorithmic systems, and next-generation financial software. A former Division I and professional...
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#125: From Tsinghua to Wall Street, Building a Six-Layer AI Investment Thesis with Quartus Capital's Afzal Tarar
Afzal M. Tarar, Chairman and Managing Partner of Quartus Capital Partners, joins us to share his extraordinary journey from studying AI at Tsinghua University in the 1980s to becoming a pioneer in AI-focused growth equity investing. We dive into Quartus's unique six-layer AI investment framework...
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#124: Crypto’s Maturity and the Rise of Private Equity with Maelstrom's Akshat Vaidya & Adam Schlegel
Akshat Vaidya – Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Maelstrom Akshat Vaidya is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Maelstrom, the family office founded by BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes. In this role, Akshat leads Maelstrom’s investment strategy across its multiple verticals, including venture...
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#123: Sandbox to Scale The MENA Fintech Playbook with VentureSouq's Sonia Gokhale
Sonia Gokhale, Co-Founder and General Partner at VentureSouq, breaks down how founders can build and scale fintech across the Gulf. We unpack why Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the first markets to crack, how government sandboxes and clear licensing paths reduce friction, and why B2B fintech often...
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#122: The Future of Sales: How AI and Human Relationships Will Redefine Customer Acquisition with SalesAI’s Devin Johnson
Devin Johnson is a tech entrepreneur and AI innovator who has built multiple high‑growth SaaS companies by combining an obsessive focus on relationships with cutting‑edge automation. His entrepreneurial journey began at 16, when a series of family hardships — a father involved in drugs, a sister...
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#121: How a SaaS Marketplace Is Redefining Plastic Waste Recovery with PCX’s Sebastian DiGrande
Sebastian DiGrande is the Chief Executive Officer of Plastic Credit Exchange (PCX), where he leads the company’s mission to eliminate plastic waste through a technology-driven, market-based platform. Under his leadership, PCX is building a verified marketplace that connects corporations with...
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#120: Bridging Global Innovation with Enterprise Tech and Trust with Sentinel Global’s Sylvester Wee
Sylvester Wee is a Partner at Sentinel Global, a New York–based, Singapore-anchored venture fund that leads a $200M+ vehicle backing frontier enterprise technologies. At Sentinel, he focuses on enterprise AI, fintech, cybersecurity, programmable finance, and next-gen infrastructure partnering…
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#119: The Next Frontier of Fintech & Localized AI with Kadan Capital's Felix Frenzel
Felix Frenzel is the Founding Partner of Kadan Capital, a Singapore-headquartered early-stage venture capital firm backing category-defining startups across Southeast Asia and beyond. At Kadan, he focuses on high-impact companies in fintech and artificial intelligence, targeting ventures with...
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#118: Navigating Embedded Finance, and Web3's Future in Emerging Markets with Saison Capital's Qin En Looi
In Episode #118 of Geeks of the Valley, we sat down with Qin En Looi, Partner at Saison Capital. Backed by Credit Saison (Tokyo-listed, ~US$30B AUM), Saison has 100+ direct investments and 15+ fund investments across Asia and LATAM. We unpack why operator experience produces better investor how…
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#117: Navigating APAC & U.S. Crypto Frontiers with CMT Digital's Doug Hsu
Doug Su is an investor at CMT Digital in Asia — a global electronic trading and investment firm specializing in blockchain and digital assets. Founded in 2017, CMT Digital was among the earliest firms to launch a dedicated crypto fund and has since backed more than 150 crypto-native protocols and...
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#116: Scaling Human-Centric Brands Through Private Equity with Monogram Capital’s Jared Stein
In Episode #116 of Geeks of the Valley, we sat down with Jared Stein, Co-Founder at Monogram Capital, a leading private equity firm specializing in scaling high-growth, human-centric consumer brands. Jared walks through Monogram’s investment philosophy and why the firm focuses on companies with...
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#115: How the Middle East’s Startup Scene & Gulf SWFs Are Reshaping Venture Capital with Bunat Ventures' Khalid Saad
Khalid Saad is a seasoned venture capitalist and FinTech entrepreneur with a proven track record of launching new ventures and accelerating existing ones. Over the years, he has partnered with startups and established companies on digital strategy, business development, partnerships, and...
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#114: Research Driven Venture Capital Investing and AI 's Cultural Impact With Leonis Capital’s Jay Zhao
In Episode #114 of Geeks of the Valley, we sat down with Jay Zhao , Founding Partner at Leonis Capital, a San Francisco–based fund focused on backing technical founders building transformative AI, SaaS, data-infrastructure and decentralized-tech companies. As a returning guest, we reflect on the...
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#113: Wall Street To Web3, Decoding Crypto Mergers and Acquisitions With Dragonfly’s Rob Hadick
In Episode #113 of Geeks of the Valley, we sat down with Rob Hadick, General Partner at Dragonfly, a leading $2.5bn crypto-focused global investment firm. We explore the seismic shifts in the VC ecosystem, from the rise of trade-sale exits to the resilience of certain sub-sectors like Layer 2...
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#112: Redefining Luxury Hospitality in Southeast Asia with ARYADUTA's Ivan Casadevall
In Episode #112 of Geeks of the Valley, we sat down with Ivan Casadevall, the CEO of ARYADUTA's Hotel Group, a leading Indonesian hospitality group and one of the most trusted brands in the region. Today, our portfolio features 10 upscale hotels and resorts strategically located across Indonesia,...
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#111: Transparency in Venture Capital: Building a Web3 Ethos with Blockchain Founders Fund’s Aly Madhavji
Join us for an insightful conversation with Aly Madhavji, Managing Partner at Blockchain Founders Fund, as we explore the significance of transparency in venture capital and its impact on Web3 ecosystems. Aly, recognized globally as a leader in blockchain innovation, shares his approach to...
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#110: Building Stablecoin Rails & Raising $82M in Funding with Mesh’s Bam Azizi
In this episode, we sit down with Bam Azizi, the CEO and Co-Founder of Mesh—a fintech infrastructure company revolutionizing how businesses and users interact with financial systems through embedded crypto and stablecoin solution with 300+ integrations today. Mesh empowers developers to…
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#109: The Overlooked Side of Wellness & The Future of Physiotherapy with Joint Dynamics’ Colin Symmonds
Today, we’re excited to welcome Colin, a seasoned clinician with 27 years of experience revolutionizing physiotherapy through personalized treatment plans. Guided by the belief that “every body is unique, therefore every physio treatment plan should be unique,” Colin emphasizes the vital role of...
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#108: Decoding Venture Capital Through Data-Driven Insights with Hatcher+’s John Sharp
John Sharp is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Hatcher+, a venture firm pioneering data-driven investment strategies. With a distinguished career spanning leadership, technology, and venture capital, he has played a pivotal role in transforming the investment landscape. Previously, John...
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#107: From Big Platforms to Big Ambitions with Optimist Ventures' Teddy Himler
Teddy Himler brings over 15 years of global experience at leading institutions, including Goldman Sachs, SoftBank, Comcast Ventures, and Antler, to his role at Optimist Ventures. Throughout his career, Teddy has cultivated deep expertise in global technology trends, innovative business models…
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#106: Revolutionizing Global Healthcare Through AI from Opyl's Saurabh Jain
In this engaging episode we welcome Saurabh Jain, Executive Chairman of Opyl Ltd, to delve into how artificial intelligence is driving transformative changes in the healthcare and biotech sectors. With a career marked by pioneering tech startups and forward-thinking healthcare innovations…
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#105: Decoding Recruitment in the Digital Age with Madison Pearl's Warwick Pearmund
Warwick Pearmund leads Madison Pearl's Hong Kong operations, specializing in sourcing top-tier talent across a wide array of disciplines, including financial technology, quantitative and systematic finance, payments, digital strategy, insurtech, data science, analytics, artificial intelligence,...
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#104: Generational Wealth Management Beyond Balance Sheets with Clearwater Capital Partners' John Sleeting
In this episode, we welcome John Sleeting, Executive Partner at Clearwater Capital Partners and host of the podcast Entrepreneurial Legacies. We dive deep into the challenges and opportunities unique to entrepreneurial families, exploring topics such as pre-liquidity event planning,...
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#103: Indie Dreams & Gaming Insights with Execution Labs' Jason Della Rocca
Ever wondered how small indie studios become global game changers? Jason Della Rocca—game industry entrepreneur, funding advisor, and co-founder of Execution Labs—shares his extensive experience in transforming the game industry. He provides unique insights into pitching, funding, and ecosystem...
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#102: Pioneering Fintech in Latin America with Mercado Pago's Osvaldo Giménez
Osvaldo Giménez serves as the President of Fintech at Mercado Libre, and is also the CEO of Mercado Pago, its financial services division. Osvaldo shares his journey, the challenges of building fintech solutions for diverse markets, and the strategies that have made MercadoLibre Latin America's...
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#101: Generative AI for Filmmakers and Creatives with CyberFilm AI’s Russell Palmer
In this episode, we sit down with Russell Palmer, CEO & Co-Founder of CyberFilm AI and the co-creator of the first and leading Generative AI app for screenwriters and filmmakers called SAGA (WriteOnSaga.com). We explore how Generative AI is transforming the world of filmmaking. Russell shares…
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#100: Blueprint for Success Strategies and Lessons with Illumination International’s Rick Li
Rick is the CEO of Illumination International, a family office based between the US and Asia. He is a seasoned investor specializing in distressed consumer assets, with an impressive track record of managing a diversified portfolio of over six businesses. His expertise extends into the real…
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#99: Navigating China’s Media Landscape to Neural Networks with Ex-New York Times China’s Craig Smith
Craig S. Smith, born on October 13, 1955, in Spokane, Washington, is an American journalist and former executive at The New York Times. Until January 2000, he wrote for The Wall Street Journal, notably covering the rise of the Falun Gong movement in China. In 2000, he joined The New York Times as...
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#98: Future of AI Innovation & Safety with Qantm AI’s Seth Dobrin
Dr. Seth Dobrin is the founder and CEO of Qantm AI, a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) with over two decades of experience driving innovation in the tech space. Formerly IBM’s inaugural Global Chief AI Officer, Dr. Dobrin has made significant contributions in developing human-centered AI...
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#97: Revolutionizing Meditation & Shaping Wellness with Jammy's Eric Davich
Eric Davich is the Founder and CEO of Jammy, a mental health coaching app with music committed to enhancing the emotional well-being of young adults. Prior to Jammy, he co-founded Songza, later acquired by Google, and was an early team member of Amie Street, acquired by Amazon. During his 8.5…
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#96: Real-World Assets & Token Valuations with MANTRA's John Patrick Mullin
John Patrick Mullin is a Hong Kong-based entrepreneur and builder, specializing in DeFi, blockchain technology, digital assets, and Web3. He is the CEO and co-founder of MANTRA and SOMA.finance, with over 10 years of experience in crypto and digital asset investment. John's journey began with...
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#95: Spotting Patterns & Managing Remote Multi-Market Companies with 88 Ventures' Nitin Mahajan
Nitin Mahajan, a visionary in the tech industry, is actively transforming the tech universe one company at a time while currently building 88 Ventures to achieve unprecedented success. Recognizing the transformative power of AI, Nitin is passionate about ensuring its widespread adoption in a way...
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#94: Venturing into Indonesia & Building Future Trends with Intudo Ventures' Eddy Chan
Eddy Chan is a founding partner of Intudo Ventures, an independent venture capital firm exclusively focused on investing in Indonesia. With approximately US$300 million in committed capital, Intudo Ventures serves as the "Indonesia-beachhead" strategy provider for top-tier institutions, Forbes...
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#93: Unveiling India's Macro Trends & Providing Valuable Insights for Foreign Investors with 2am VC's Brendan Rogers
Brendan Rogers is the Co-Founder of 2am [VC], an early-stage India Fund. Previously, he co-founded Wag! (NASDAQ) PET, the largest pet platform in the US. Brendan is a respected advisor and mentor to numerous companies, accelerators, and universities globally. He is a sought-after speaker at major...
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#92: Revolutionizing Silicon Valley’s Future through Fresh Leadership & Bold Action with Joby Bernstein
Joby Bernstein and is running for Congress (CA-16) because it’s time for fresh leadership in Silicon Valley. He is deeply committed to addressing the pressing issues his district faces, from climate change to education and immigration. Palo Alto is his home. Joby is an avid nature seeker, and...
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#91: The Future of Biotech & Investing in Cutting-Edge Technologies with Valhalla Ventures' Matthew King
Matthew King is an Entrepreneurial Investor passionate about venture investing & building, deeptech, sustainability, mental health, wellness, automotive, luxury goods, and hospitality. Currently Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Valhalla Ventures, a venture capital firm backing visionary founders…
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#90: Navigating the Gaming Revolution with Konvoy Ventures' Josh Chapman
Josh Chapman is a co-founder and Managing Partner at Konvoy, a venture capital firm that invests in early stage companies in the video gaming industry. Their firm focuses on companies building technology, infrastructure, and platforms in the gaming industry. Prior to founding Konvoy, Josh worked…
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#89: Unraveling the Japanese Venture Capital Market with Global Brain Corporation's Ken Kajii
Ken joined GB in 2021. As General Partner, he oversees the entire fund activities including strategy development, investment in Japanese and overseas startups, post-investment support, support for collaboration with corporations, fundraising, and forming/operating CVC funds. He is an expert in...
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#88: Bain & Company's Acquisition of Rainmaking APAC with COO Virginie Hello
Virginie Hello is an accomplished professional currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Rainmaking APAC, a globally recognized venture builder established in Denmark over 15 years ago. Rainmaking APAC has achieved remarkable success, boasting a diverse portfolio of more than 55...
About this show
Geeks of the Valley connects with some of the brightest minds globally, who are leading their respective industries today. We discuss the hottest upcoming industry trends and how their work is affecting the global economy.
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GeeksoftheValley
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