The High-EQ Founder With Renita Kalhorn

Deep tech now accounts for 25% of new unicorn startups — but building a sustainable deep tech business is one of the hardest things you can do. So what separates the founders who go the distance from those who burn out?In this episode, I’m speaking with Chris Reichhelm, founder of Deep Tech Leaders, who’s spent 30 years in executive search working with the most ambitious companies on the planet — from advanced materials spinouts to quantum computing pioneers.We talked about:* the five founder CEO archetypes in deep tech — and the specific risk factors hiding inside each one (read Chris’ article here).* what radical honesty has to do with speed — and why the most candid cultures move the fastest* why love — yes, love — separates the good from the truly great and how it translates into a competitive advantage Enjoy my conversation with Chris!Connect with Chris on LinkedIn here.Connect with Renita on LinkedIn here. Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Most people don't associate empathy with the Special Forces. But in this episode, a Green Beret Captain shows us exactly what strategic empathy looks like in practice — and why it might be the most powerful leadership tool you're not using. Learn what it actually means to have empathy and three moves you can start using today — in your 1:1s, town halls, and board meetings. Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I break down two reframes that will change how you think about giving feedback. You'll learn why most feedback creates resistance instead of change, what continuous feedback actually looks like in practice, and how to give critical feedback without triggering a defensive reaction. Plus, real examples from founders who've made the shift. Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I’m speaking with Sarah Fleischer, co-founder and CEO of battery recycling startup tozero. With global lithium demand set to quadruple by 2030, Sarah and her team are on a mission to recover critical raw materials from lithium-ion batteries and reintroduce fresh raw materials back into the supply chain.Sarah and I talked about: * making fast decisions based on first principles thinking — and why she’s willing to do a complete 180 when new data changes her worldview * the counterintuitive pricing move that defied industry norms and customers loved* her two favorite phrases as CEO — and how she learned (the hard way) to strip away assumptions before making critical decisions * why she doesn’t believe in luck — and how she capitalizes on opportunities that most people don’t even seeEnjoy my conversation with Sarah!Learn more about your FounderEQ and get your score for free in 5 minutes here.If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please consider:* Subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.* Giving a rating and reviewing the podcast on Apple Podcasts. (Even a short two-sentence review helps!)* Want support in leveling up your leadership? Send an email to [email protected] to learn how we can work together. Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Today, I’m speaking with Deepak Shukla, serial entrepreneur and CEO at Pearl Lemon Group, a diverse portfolio of 10+ companies, some of them very brick and mortar, like pet transport and event catering.We talked about:* why going into business with old friends often doesn’t work* what the sweet spot for finding business partners and co-founders actually is, and how to align expectations upfront to prevent painful breakdowns later* how a string of software company failures actually turned out to be good luck* how persistence, even with two years of zero traction, led to breakthrough successEnjoy my conversation with Deepak!Learn more about your FounderEQ and get your score for free in 5 minutes here. If you enjoyed this week's episode, please consider: * Subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. * Giving a rating and reviewing the podcast on Apple Podcasts. (Even a short two-sentence review helps!)Want support in leveling up your leadership? Send an email to [email protected] to learn how we can work together. Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

In an age of AI, self-awareness will be a meta-skill. In this episode I zoom out and take a broader look — not as a fluffy “nice-to-have,” but as a practical operating system for how you lead, make decisions, and navigate hard conversations.Links mentioned in this episode:Schedule a call to get acquainted and let's see if the High-EQ Founder group coaching program is a fit.Want to get to Level 3 self-awareness faster?Get the High-EQ Founder newsletter every Friday: Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

What if the key to game-changing partnerships isn’t strategy but emotional mastery?Too many founders enter negotiations armed with data and ambition but unprepared for emotional dynamics that make or break deals.In this episode you’ll learn:✅ Renita Kalhorn’s practical system (FASTT) to anticipate emotional landmines in deals✅ How to reframe “practice” as the most underused leadership advantage✅ A high-integrity method for negotiating with power—even if you’re the smaller playerIf “growth mindset” is more than a buzzword for you, this episode will change how you partner for growth.🎧 Listen now to discover the partnership advantage hidden in emotional intelligence.Share this episode via text, social media or email. Copy and paste this link: https://philhsc.com/interviews/renita-kalhorn Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Today, I’m speaking with Raman Ramalingan, a Partner at TalentX,who helps tech founders and their leadership teams hire the right people at the right time so they can scale through critical growth phases — the more complex or borderline impossible the assignment, the better.We talked about:* the difference between hiring a “talent investor” versus a “talent trader.”* the “affordability paradox” and why it’s more possible to attract experienced hires than you think* the two most common reasons executive recruitments fail — and how to avoid them* why founders should always be optimizing for effectiveness versus efficiency — and what that looks like in practiceEnjoy my conversation with Raman! Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

There's a lot of hype around disruption and building a "blue ocean" business:Where you create new, uncontested market space rather than competing head-to-head in existing markets.But here’s a reality check: 90% of startups fail and 42% of those fail because they create something nobody wants.Meanwhile, savvy startups are looking for a "purple ocean" — taking proven ideas and applying them to specific verticals.On the latest episode of The High-EQ Founder, I spoke with Melissa Kwan, serial entrepreneur and CEO of eWebinar, who did exactly this by applying existing webinar technology to customer success teams tired of repeating the same demos and trainings.Melissa’s been on the entrepreneurial journey for 14 years. Here’s what she shared:🌊 The trap of trying to be completely original, and why entrepreneurs should aim for "purple oceans" instead🚀 How bootstrapping chose her when venture capital wasn't an option—and the many benefits she’s discovered🧠 The unexpected way success started triggering self-sabotage behaviors that nearly derailed her progressIt’s a playbook in scrappiness and turning limitations into competitive advantages.Connect with Melissa on her Substack the founder next door and on Linkedin. Want to know your Founder EQ? Take the (free) 3-minute assessment here. Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Did you know companies 'lose' 10-15% of their physical assets every year? That's thousands of chairs, computers, mobile devices and specialized equipment that just get moved around or disappear. So what happens? Operations managers end up buying replacements for stuff they already have. No wonder the asset tracking market is on track to hit $55.1 billion by 2026.On the latest episode of The High-EQ Founder, I sat down with Nadine Cino, CEO and co-founder of TygaSmart, which specializes in sustainable moving, storage and asset tracking solutions.Nadine and I covered a lot in this 20-minute convo:* The pitfalls of being the first-mover and when to make the painful decision to quit a product that’s not working* Learning the hard way that companies won’t pay attention until there’s an impact on their bottom line (and the magic number that gets companies to make a change)* How persistence and pivoting helped TygaSmart evolve from reusable moving boxes to comprehensive asset tracking technology* Her approach to relationship-building that has sustained her business through 30 years of economic ups and downsConnect with Nadine on Linkedin here.Connect with Renita on Linkedin here.Want to know your Founder EQ? Take the five-minute quiz here. Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Ever been on a cruise? If not, no doubt you know someone who has.Because the global cruise industry is big business and growing steadily: There are about 323 cruise ships out there right now, and each one is serving over 20,000 meals a day.That's a ton of food on board these floating cities. And with all that food comes a serious question: how do you manage the supply chain and minimize waste?On the latest episode of The High-EQ Founder, I sat down with Robert Buchanan, the CEO and co-founder of Adhere Gear. His company is on a mission to transform single-use cardboard boxes into "smart" reusable containers. Containers that can actually collect important data about environmental impact, cargo conditions and how efficiently the supply chain is running.Robert and I talked about:▶️ That age-old question: to be a specialist or a generalist — and how it affects the way you build your team.▶️ How he was faced with a sudden health scare - with doctors giving him just a 7% chance of recovery - a year and a half into building his startup.▶️ His belief in creating his own luck and the incredible lengths he goes to prepare when opportunity knocks.It's a conversation filled with grit, determination, and some serious wisdom.Connect with Robert on Linkedin here.Want to know your Founder EQ? Take the five-minute quiz here. Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Most of the news you hear about startups is about how much VC funding they raised.But what if VC rejection is exactly what your startup needs to succeed?That’s what happened to one of the biotech startups launched by CAOS Focado, a venture builder that helps deep tech founders survive the brutal early days of building a business.In the latest episode of The High-EQ Founder, I dive into the backstory with Diogo Dutra, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Caos Focado.He shares:▶️ How he navigated the strategic decision to bootstrap a biotech startup, and what made him trust his technical co-founder was in for the long haul.▶️ The trap of being too attached to Plan A — and when to move on to Plan B.▶️ The unexpected benefits of bootstrapping and how missing out on VC funding created unexpected opportunities to generate revenues, improve their moonshot technology and become a stronger, well-functioning team.Connect with Diogo on Linkedin here.Want to know your Founder EQ? Take the five-minute quiz here. Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

The next cohort of The High-EQ Founder will be starting soon. If you’re ready to level up your leadership skills, sign up for the waitlist here. Want to find out your Founder EQ? Take the 3-minute assessment here (it’s free). Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

The audio version of The High-EQ Founder newsletter. Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Here’s something you probably didn’t know:Nearly 2 million tons of microplastic end up in our oceans every year. Not from bottles or bags—from paint.Think about it: Every massive structure in the ocean—oil rigs, wind turbines, bridges—needs regular repainting to prevent rust.When workers blast off the old paint, guess where it goes? Straight into the water. And those tiny paint particles are actually one of the biggest sources of ocean microplastic pollution.Norwegian startup Pinovo wants to change that. They’ve designed a sort of vacuum that catches old paint particles before they can fall into the ocean. Simple, right? But nobody was doing it before.Pinovo’s chairman and co-founder, Declan McAdams, is the latest guest on The High-EQ Founder.We talked about: * Why Pinovo decided to pivot and go all in on preventing microplastic pollution. * How relying too heavily on one well-paying client was a wake-up call and pushed them to see sustainability as a golden opportunity. * Why they took initiative to invest in scientific research to highlight the problem when industry players weren’t stepping up * How being prepared for opportunity led to a seat at the table with big brands and NGOs like the World Economic Forum.Connect with Declan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/declan-mc-adams-70927649/Share this episode with a fellow founder. Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Today, I'm speaking with San Kim, CEO and founder of Swing, the largest shared micromobility operator in Asia - and that’s saying a lot because Asia is one of the world's largest shared micromobility markets, expected to reach nearly $24 billion by 2031.We talked about:* How he went from having three co-founders to being a solo founder in the first 12 months .* How being sued by a competitor and not being able to raise capital actually turned into a competitive advantage.* The huge relief he felt in letting go of Asian cultural expectations about what it means to be CEO* Why he took a risk and chose a wannabe hip hop artist as his COO instead of the candidate with the blue-chip resumeEnjoy my conversation with San!Connect with San Kim here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/san-hyungsan-kim-1062a752/Subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode of The High-EQ Founder podcast where founders share real-world examples of emotional intelligence to inspire and help you level up as a leader. Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Property development has long been a lucrative vehicle for investment.But it’s an exclusive club, traditionally accessible only to institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals.As a hobbyist investor in Bitcoin with a 27-year career in construction operations, Gary Woodhead saw an opportunity with potential for huge societal impact.What if working-class people – nurses, taxi drivers, teachers – were the financiers and beneficiaries of real estate development? he wondered.So together with co-founders Joey Jones and Matthew Couch, Gary launched CurveBlock, leveraging digital securities to democratize property investment.In the latest episode of The High-EQ Founder, Gary shares:* how they pivoted when COVID-19 shut down the entire construction market* why they partnered with a potential competitor* the three-word mantra he learned from his military career that serves him as a founder* the David & Goliath story of how they took on the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority to change regulation of digital securitiesFollow Gary on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-woodhead-frsa-5ab00b132/Subscribe To The High-EQ Founder: A weekly newsletter on mastering your emotions so you can have more influence and level up as a leader. Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Jehiel Oliver is changing the lives of smallholder farmers in 18 countries.It started 10 years ago in Sub-Saharan Africa, where 60% of crops are plowed by hand.That means there’s a 90% gap between what Africa’s smallholder farmers could be producing and what they’re actually producing.But what if, Jehiel thought, you could connect Africa’s small-scale farmers with tractor owners — in the same way rideshare apps connect riders with drivers?He founded Hello Tractor to connect small-scale farmers with tractor owners to do just that.In the latest episode of The High-EQ Founder, Jehiel shares:* Why he decided not to take VC funding (even though they were using credit cards to make payroll) and what he focused on instead* The hard decision he had to make when COVID wiped out their revenue streams and how they bounced back to have their most productive year ever* How being prepared for opportunity led to moderating a panel discussion with not one, but two sitting presidents, including President Obama which then led to a series of incredible strategic opportunities for Hello TractorConnect with Jehiel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jehiel/SUBSCRIBE TO THE HIGH-EQ FOUNDER Every week I send out an EQ micro-shift that you can put into practice immediately and level up as a leader. Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Kuan Yen Tan has a high tolerance for risk.Back in 2017, he was working as a senior research scientist at Microsoft and quantum computing was barely attracting VC attention. But, despite having a young, growing family, Kuan took a big leap of faith:He left Microsoft to be CTO and co-founder of IQM Quantum Computers.Fast forward to today:Global investment in quantum computing has grown to $55+ billion and its practical potential is much closer to being realized.And IQM has raised well over €200M, building a diverse team of nearly 300 people representing 48 nationalities company in its mission to use quantum computing to solve some of humanity's greatest challenges.Curious to hear more about some of the key decisions and lessons?In the latest episode of The High-EQ Founder podcast, Kuan and I talked about:→ how IQM rounded up a team of 15 experts before they even completed the fund-raise→ how they organized — and re-organized — management roles to optimize both technical expertise and people management skills→ the approach that didn’t work in developing strategic partnerships and what they do now instead→ opportunities and lessons from COVID 19 and how it accelerated organizational learningFollow Kuan on Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/kuan-yen-tan/The High-EQ Founder Playbook by Renita Kalhorn is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

Europe is often cited for its world-class scientific talent and research universities.And yet, so much potential for innovation remains untapped due to IP ownership rules that can make spinout companies un-investable and hard to scale.Riam Kanso, Ph.D, wants to change that.As founder and CEO of venture program Conception X, she's on a  mission to accelerate the commercialization of scientific breakthroughs by helping Ph.D students launch start-ups — without having to drop out of school.To date, they've worked with 360 PhD teams from 50+ universities who have gone on to raise £74 million.In the latest episode of The High-EQ Founder, we talked about:why PhDs actually have more entrepreneurial traits than most people realizedo’s and don’ts for building your board and how to leverage their strengthshow the “American” attitude toward failure has helped her be more resilientand why NOT getting a £5 million grant turned out to be better than getting itFollow Riam on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/riamkanso/Subscribe to The High-EQ Founder newsletter: renitakalhorn.com/newsletter  Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

People don’t quit bad jobs, they quit bad bosses, goes the saying.And yet, a majority of managers — nearly 6 out of 10 according to one CareerBuilder study — are expected to build and grow high-performance teams without any formal management training.Darja Gutnick, psychologist gone rogue, wants to change that.As CEO and co-founder of leadership coaching app bunch.ai, she’s on a mission to help new generations of leaders get customized access to the leadership resources and support they need, when they need it.In the latest episode of The High-EQ Founder, we talked about:balancing user growth with monetization — and why she would have launched a paid version much soonerhow they differentiate bunch.ai from ChatGPThow to address the perspectives of different stakeholders and the dangers of groupthinkthe tiny actions you can take to create greater luck surface areaFollow Darja on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darjagutnick/Get the High-EQ Founder newsletter: https://www.renitakalhorn.com/newsletter/ Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

"When we talk to end users, they are so emotional about the fact that this is my job and I really want to make this happen but I can't because the status quo is just making my life miserable. And so it's a mindset shift, more than a technology shift." These are the words of Bianca Cefalo, the CEO and cofounder of SpaceDOTS, who’s working to accelerate innovation in space by reducing the development time of new materials, from years to months. In this conversation, we discuss:The painful childhood lesson she learned from her father’s failed automotive business — and how it helped her part ways amicably with a co-founderHow she keeps emotions from getting in the way in business decisionsThe hiring mistake she almost made and how she’s learning to trust her gut in a competitive talent marketFollow Bianca on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/biancacefalo/ Sign up for The High-EQ Founder newsletter:https://www.renitakalhorn.com/newsletter/ Follow me on Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/renitakalhorn/ Music by Tom Fox: https://tfbeats.com/ Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

I often say founders are like the Navy SEALs of business: They're both leading small, agile teams, in stealth mode, through uncertainty and chaos. And because the stakes are high, their success relies on a culture of psychological safety and trust. Retired Navy SEAL Dave Cooper built some of the best teams in the Navy SEALs — he's the one who oversaw the training for SEAL Team Six in preparing for the mission to capture Osama Bin Laden. He says: "Psychological safety is not something we can just order. It's something that emerges from a group of people who are mutually respectful, right? Inside an operational SEAL team, we're much more egalitarian than the rest of the military. And people feel safe to say, 'Hey, boss, I see things differently.'" Dave and I talked about how:"tough guys" show vulnerability, without looking weakthe small gestures that create a culture where people feel safe to  disagreethe dangers of "authority bias" and why "command and control" leadership doesn’t work anymorehe structured after-action reviews to extract more learning from their mistakes in preparing for the Bin Laden missionFollow Dave on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-cooper-387aaa3b/ Sign up for The High-EQ Founder newsletter: https://www.renitakalhorn.com/newsletter/ Follow me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renitakalhorn/ Music by Tom Fox: https://tfbeats.com/ Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

"I mean, it was beautiful, with loads of nuances and touches to make it user-friendly but we should have built an MVP way quicker. We should have just gotten a box, shoved some LED lights in it, built 10 of them, put them in a net [and asked potential users], does this work for you?”This — the pitfalls of spending too much money and time over-designing their first product — was one of the first lessons Dan Watson learned when launching precision fishing start-up SafetyNet Technologies.He’s my latest guest on The High-EQ Founder podcast, where we discuss:the degree of user interaction they now have when building their MVPsthe surprising downside of winning the prestigious James Dyson design awardhow SafetyNet punches above its weight by collaborating with their competitorshow being transparent with his team paid off in fierce loyalty, even as he had to let half of them goFollow Dan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-watson-05706128/Sign up for The High-EQ Founder newsletter: https://www.renitakalhorn.com/newsletter/ Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renitakalhorn/ Music by Tom Fox: https://tfbeats.com/ Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

"Pure efficiency is fragile. Redundancy is robustness," says Sophie Cahen, CEO and founder of medtech start-up Ganymed Robotics. In this conversation, she shares how:a controversial decision paid off in market feedback she balances data and intuition in decision-makinghaving a bias for action can work against youGanymed has made the most of "good" and "bad" luckFollow Sophie on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiecahen/Sign up for The High-EQ Founder newsletter: https://www.renitakalhorn.com/newsletter/ Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renitakalhorn/ Music by Tom Fox: https://tfbeats.com/ Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe

"Identifying brilliant people and finding worthy problems to solve together."This is the mantra of Håvard Lillebo, a serial founder of deep tech start-ups in clean energy, robotics and nanotechnology.  In this conversation, we discuss:the life-changing lesson he learned from his father when he was 18 years oldwhy he gave up the CEO role, two months after founding his second startupthe €12 million mistake that taught him the difference between optimism and wishful thinkingthe strategies he puts in place to increase his luck, find deep tech talent and raise funding (€140 million and counting) Follow Håvard on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/havardlillebo/Sign up for The High-EQ Founder newsletter: https://www.renitakalhorn.com/newsletter/ Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renitakalhorn/ Music by Tom Fox: https://tfbeats.com/ Get full access to The High-EQ Founder by Renita Kalhorn at renitakalhorn.substack.com/subscribe