Silicon Valley Impact

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we have Mala Ramakrishnan, Managing Partner of Progressive Ventures; and Manan Mehta, Co-Founder and General Partner of Unshackled Ventures. Mala is a founder, venture capitalist, and product executive focused on AI, enterprise SaaS, and emerging technologies. As Founder and Managing Partner of Progressive Ventures, she invests in high-growth startups across ecosystems including YC, StartX, and SkyDeck, with portfolio companies such as Anthropic, xAI, and Perplexity AI. A multi-exit entrepreneur and operator, Mala has spent more than two decades building and scaling products and companies from 0-to-1 and 1-to-100. She has held leadership roles at Meta, Cloudera, Oracle, Veeva Systems, and Ethyca, while also co-founding and exiting multiple ventures deployed at Fortune 500 scale. In addition to investing and operating, Mala is the founder of Founders Creative, a Silicon Valley AI community of 18,000+ builders, a contributor to Forbes Business Council, and a member of Stanford Women on Boards. She is known for her operator-first mindset, strategic product leadership, and passion for helping founders scale transformative technologies. Manan is the Co-Founder and General Partner of Unshackled Ventures, a pioneering venture fund built to support immigrant founders navigating the complexities of building startups in the United States. A former founder and CEO whose social media company was acquired by Smule, Manan co-founded Unshackled Ventures to remove immigration barriers for entrepreneurs by providing visa, legal, and employment infrastructure that enables founders to start companies from day one. Known for investing at the earliest stages—often pre-product, pre-revenue, and even pre-incorporation—Manan backs founders based on execution ability, resilience, and personal connection to the problems they are solving rather than traditional traction metrics. He is widely respected for his unwavering support of immigrant entrepreneurs and for viewing global talent as one of America’s greatest competitive advantages. Beyond capital, Manan emphasizes the human side of entrepreneurship, positioning Unshackled as both an investment partner and a support system for founders navigating the emotional realities of building a company. He is also deeply committed to authentic community building, founder trust, and cultivating diverse, high-performing teams across the venture ecosystem. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, MoralesHR and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://moraleshr.com/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.   Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.

On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we sit down with Naeem Zafar, CEO Coach, Board Advisor, entrepreneur, professor, an angel investor; Ryan Green, Principle at Antler; and Stephanie El-Chakieh, Pharm.D., M.Sc., Founder/CEO of WellVerve, and Author, for a conversation at the intersection of venture, innovation, and human performance. Naeem is a seasoned CEO advisor and board leader with deep experience building, scaling, and exiting high-tech companies. He has led five ventures as CEO and supported dozens more as a board member and strategic advisor, including TeleSense. He is also a dedicated educator, teaching entrepreneurship at University of California, Berkeley since 2005 and at Northeastern University since 2017, where he serves as Faculty Director and Professor of the Practice. Naeem is the author of five books on entrepreneurship and is committed to sharing Silicon Valley insights with founders around the world. He has served on multiple boards, including as Chair of OPEN Silicon Valley and AspirePK, and is the Founding President of the Brown University Club of Silicon Valley. Ryan is a Principal at Antler, where he focuses on pre-seed investing and bringing exceptional founders into Antler’s San Francisco residency. His background spans deep-tech and AI investing, as well as go-to-market, product, and deployment leadership at early-stage startups. He began his career at Deloitte in industrial cybersecurity and holds a degree in Computer Engineering from University of Notre Dame. Stephanie is a scientist, holistic health expert, and Founder & CEO of WellVerve. Her work bridges pharmaceutical science with integrative wellness, focusing on whole-person health, emotional intelligence, and human relationships. She holds a Doctorate in Pharmacy and a Master’s in Advanced Pharmacotherapy from the University of Montreal and practiced as a pharmacist for 14 years. Certified in functional medicine, herbal medicine, yoga, and reiki, Stephanie combines clinical expertise with holistic approaches to advance health, mental well-being, and personal transformation. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact. Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   About Silicon Valley Impact Silicon Valley Impact, produced by Silicon Valley Venture LLC, connects listeners to the people, ideas, and strategies shaping innovation. In partnership with MoralesHR and STAK Ventures, the platform brings access to a global network of founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders.

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Sobhan Khani, President and Partner at Plug and Play Tech Center, and one of the earliest team members who helped scale the company from a 20-person Bay Area startup into a global innovation platform with over 800 employees worldwide. Over the past decade, Sobhan has played a key role in expanding Plug and Play across multiple industries, including mobility, energy, fintech, and real estate. He has launched new verticals, opened international hubs, and partnered with some of the world’s largest corporations to help them adopt and integrate emerging technologies. His journey has taken him from building early mobility programs in Stuttgart alongside Mercedes-Benz to scaling Plug and Play’s Smart Cities platform across four global markets—driving 20x revenue growth in his first year as VP. Today, Sobhan oversees a broad portfolio of U.S. and international operations, working closely with Fortune 500 companies, governments, and investors to bridge the gap between innovation and real-world enterprise adoption. He is particularly focused on the future of corporate innovation—where meaningful partnerships outperform hype—and on the growing movement around health optimization, where technology empowers individuals to take ownership of their well-being. A global operator at heart, Sobhan spends much of his time connecting with founders, investors, and policymakers across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, staying close to where the next wave of innovation is emerging. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, MoralesHR and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://moraleshr.com/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.   Event Partnerships: Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register   Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.  

On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we sit down with three leaders shaping the future of AI, security, and venture: Eugene Malobrodsky (General Partner, One Way Ventures), Anna Kovaleva (Omnissa), and Irina Tagintseva (AI Architect, Apple). Eugene Malobrodsky is a General Partner at One Way Ventures and a serial founder behind AnchorFree, the company behind Hotspot Shield with over 650M downloads. He later co-founded Pango, scaling consumer cybersecurity products globally and incubating Twingate, a zero-trust enterprise security company that has raised over $40M. Today, Eugene brings a founder-first lens to investing and has helped build One Way’s Pathfinder Collective—an advisory network that includes founders behind companies like Slack and LinkedIn. Anna Kovaleva is a product leader at Omnissa (formerly VMware’s End User Computing business, backed by KKR), where she builds AI agents and identity platforms used by Fortune 500 companies and millions of users worldwide. Her work sits at the intersection of agentic AI, identity, and Zero Trust security—exploring how autonomous systems operate safely at enterprise scale. A Stanford MBA and former BCG consultant, Anna brings 15+ years of experience across AI, enterprise SaaS, and marketplaces, with a strong focus on the future of AI agents as a new class of identity. Irina Tagintseva is an AI architect, enterprise systems leader, and cloud strategist with 14+ years of experience across infrastructure, DevSecOps, and AI platforms. At Apple, she has led the development of MLOps systems powering GenAI-driven sales, and previously drove global-scale automation initiatives at Gap. She began her career in business development at an AI startup later acquired by Google, working alongside Tristan Harris. Irina holds a degree from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. We cover: → The rise of agentic AI and what it means for enterprise systems → AI as identity: how agents will interact, operate, and be governed → The future of cybersecurity in a world of autonomous systems → Founder-led venture, immigrant-driven innovation, and building at global scale This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact — where business insight meets startup innovation. Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, MoralesHR and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://moraleshr.com/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.   Event Partnerships: Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register

On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we sit down with Benny Liao, Principal at Acorn Pacific Ventures, and Ryan Wang, General Partner at Solaris Venture Partners, for a conversation on AI infrastructure, frontier technology, and the evolving landscape of global venture capital. Benny Liao is a Principal at Acorn Pacific Ventures, a Silicon Valley–based venture capital firm focused on early-stage investments in AI infrastructure and enterprise software. Before entering venture capital, Benny was the founder and CEO of a fintech startup in Southeast Asia, where he raised more than $10 million in equity and venture debt and led the company through growth and exit. Having experienced the startup journey firsthand, he transitioned into venture capital to work closely with founders building the next generation of technology companies. At Acorn Pacific Ventures, Benny focuses on backing technical founders building AI infrastructure, enterprise software, and data platforms—particularly the foundational tools powering the broader AI ecosystem. Drawing on his experience as both founder and investor, he is passionate about helping entrepreneurs navigate fundraising, avoid common pitfalls, and build companies that solve meaningful problems. Ryan Wang is a technology futurist and venture investor working at the intersection of AI, spatial computing, robotics, and frontier technology. As General Partner at Solaris Venture Partners, Ryan advises global capital and corporate leaders on emerging opportunities across the rapidly evolving AI and robotics sectors. A pioneer in cross-border investment, he co-founded Outpost Capital in 2015—one of the first early-stage funds focused on frontier technologies spanning the U.S. and Asia. Ryan has also built companies at the edge of innovation. He served as COO of MOAC Blockchain, helping scale the protocol into the Top 30 projects on CoinMarketCap, and co-founded Zebra Labs, an innovator in AI-driven music and metaverse intellectual property. Earlier in his career, Ryan worked in investment banking with Citigroup and Société Générale in New York. He has also lectured at USC, the University of Washington, and Nanyang Technological University, and holds a master’s degree from New York University. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, MoralesHR and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://moraleshr.com/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.   Event Partnerships: Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/registe

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Bryce Gilleland, General Partner of Cal Innovation Fund II; and Chima Osuka, Senior Partner at Suncoast Ventures.   Bryce is the General Partner of Cal Innovation Fund II, a venture fund investing in startups founded by entrepreneurs from UC Berkeley and the University of California ecosystem. His mission is to tenaciously support founders in achieving performance with purpose—building companies that deliver both strong returns and meaningful impact.   Bryce previously operated the #1 performing hedge fund in the world in 2020, generating 846% net returns while scaling assets from $8 million to $600 million and bringing on more than 150 limited partners. Earlier in his career, he spent more than a decade in energy markets at PG&E and Southern California Edison, analyzing policy and designing initiatives that saved over $1 billion in costs while advancing environmental outcomes.   Today, Bryce is focused on backing capital-efficient founders emerging from the Cal and UC ecosystems, investing in leaders building companies at the intersection of innovation, scale, and impact. Through the California Innovation Fund model, 50% of firm profits are donated back to Berkeley’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, ensuring investors keep 100% of their returns while fueling the next generation of builders.   Chima is a venture investor at Suncoast Ventures, where his path from elite athlete to entrepreneur has shaped a disciplined approach to investing and founder support. His early exposure to healthcare came from working in his family’s chain of clinics in the Bay Area, giving him firsthand insight into healthcare delivery and innovation.   Before entering venture capital, Chima spent over a decade advising corporate VCs and accelerators in London, helping organizations refine innovation strategy and startup engagement. He also led Google Launchpad programs across Latin America, partnering with regional leaders to advance entrepreneurship and technology ecosystems.   Chima later helped launch Diverse Angels, a syndicate enabling diverse fund managers to invest in more than 50 startups, reinforcing his commitment to expanding access in venture capital. He also led the creation of Anthem’s incubation and innovation arm at Elevance Health, developing a fast-track program to help startups reach market readiness faster.   Before the venture, Chima was both an entrepreneur and elite athlete—launching a chain of health-focused cafés, competing as a U.S. Olympic boxer, and playing football at San Jose State University. Today, he’s known for pairing disciplined strategy with hands-on support for founders building the next generation of impactful companies.   This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, MoralesHR and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://moraleshr.com/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture. Event Partnerships:   Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register   Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.

On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we speak with Marcus Sawyerr, Founder & CEO of EQ.app, and Mike Lee, a Silicon Valley native and entrepreneur making a meaningful impact through business and community. Marcus is a pioneering force in AI-driven sales and staffing recruitment, with more than 19 years of experience leading innovation. As Founder & CEO of EQ.app—an AI productivity platform built for agents in sales and recruitment—Marcus is on a mission of “Zero Admin,” leveraging AI to eliminate administrative burdens and unlock human potential. He also writes weekly to more than 130,000 subscribers across the AI community. Previously, Marcus served as a Global Fortune 500 executive at The Adecco Group, where he led digital transformation as Global President of Adecco X. He has played a pivotal role in buying, building, and investing in technology, served on the board of Microsoft Services, and is a Limited Partner at Semper Virens. Recognized as a Top 100 Most Influential Industry Leader by Staffing Industry Analysts and a DE&I Influencer, Marcus continues to champion inclusion and innovation. Mike is a Silicon Valley–born entrepreneur, angel investor, franchise partner, and community builder based in San Jose. As CEO and Founder of Manticore Signage Solutions, he helps companies execute go-to-market strategies, product launches, and omni-channel sales expansion. A seasoned sales expert and relationship builder, Mike is known for connecting great people to create even greater outcomes. In addition to leading Manticore and partnering in multiple franchise ventures, Mike serves as a Commercial Real Estate broker, advising companies on leasing, acquisitions, and strategic growth decisions beyond traditional brokerage. He also hosts the itsMikeLee podcast, where he features conversations with entrepreneurs and industry professionals about building impactful careers. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact. Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, MoralesHR and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://moraleshr.com/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture. Event Partnerships: Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register   Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.  

On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, AJ Thomas joins us back in studio as guest co-host as Brian Bernasconi and I sit down with Richard Hua, Chief EQ Officer and global keynote speaker, and Elena Beloshapkova, two-time founder, CEO of inspace, and EY Businesswoman of the Year—exploring the intersection of emotional intelligence and autonomous AI. Rich is a global authority on building emotionally intelligent cultures of innovation at scale. As Chief EQ Evangelist and Worldwide Head of EPIC at Amazon, he built the world’s largest corporate EQ community—70,000 members strong—scaling emotional intelligence from theory into global practice and impacting over 1.5 million people worldwide. He has delivered keynotes, workshops, and executive coaching for Fortune 100 leaders and institutions including Stanford, Wharton, and UC Berkeley. Rich also served as an expert advisor to the Amazon Alexa team, helping embed empathy and emotional intelligence into Alexa+, now integrated into over 600 million devices. A globally sought-after speaker featured in Forbes, The Guardian, The Washington Post, and AWS Executive Insights, Rich is the founder of EPIQ Leadership Group. His message is clear and urgent: in the age of AI, IQ alone is not enough. Leaders must harmonize EQ + IQ—what he calls the EPIQ skill set—to thrive in complexity and drive human-centered innovation. Elena is a second-time founder and CEO of inspace, the autonomous AI Workplace Agent transforming how modern offices operate. She is leading the shift from static booking tools to intelligent, AI-driven orchestration across desks, rooms, visitors, services, and workplace infrastructure. Under her leadership, inspace has become the operating layer for the modern workplace, achieving 96%+ employee adoption and scaling across organizations from 300-person teams to 128,000-employee global enterprises in 18 countries. With more than 20 years at the intersection of technology, design, and workplace strategy, Elena has contributed to over 800 office projects spanning 5+ million square feet—combining deep software expertise with real-world operational insight. Often described as “Jarvis for Offices,” inspace enables employees to simply talk to their workplace while the AI autonomously orchestrates collaboration, integrates with 65+ enterprise systems, and connects to building infrastructure, robotics, and smart devices. With +570% YoY ARR growth and enterprise clients including Yext, Unilever, Konica Minolta, Roofstock, and LHH, inspace is scaling rapidly. Named Business Woman of the Year, Elena’s mission is clear: transform every office into a proactive teammate that helps people do their best work. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on:   🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, MoralesHR and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://moraleshr.com/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.   Event Partnerships: Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register   Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.  

On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we sit down with Danil Kislinskiy, Founder & CEO of Go Global World, and Jonathan Padilla, Founder & CEO of Exonome.   Danil built Go Global World into an international venture platform connecting startups, investors, and mentors across Silicon Valley, Europe, and emerging markets. Through global community-building and hands-on ecosystem design, Danil helps founders achieve product–market fit, expand into the U.S., and raise capital with confidence.   Go Global World supports international teams entering the U.S. market with incorporation, tax, accounting, and direct access to venture networks. Danil also leads investment processes, startup due diligence, and global potential assessments through Selective VC, a fund and angel community investing across industries.   Jonathan built Exonome as an exchange infrastructure platform enabling trusted operators—brands, communities, and organizations—to launch and scale curated marketplaces on their own terms. Instead of relying on extractive third-party platforms, Exonome allows operators to invite vetted providers, create trusted ecosystems, and evolve into full marketplaces when ready—while maintaining ownership and control.   A technical founder with 30+ years building on the internet, Jonathan has led digital strategy and platform initiatives at Salesforce, Microsoft, Razorfish, and AKQA. Today, he is focused on building infrastructure for trust-based, operator-led growth.   This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, MoralesHR and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://moraleshr.com/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.   Event Partnerships: Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register   Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.  

🚀 Operator Energy 🎙️ This week on Silicon Valley Impact, we’re joined by three leaders shaping the future of technology, capital, and innovation: 🔹 Faisal Mushtaq — Founder & CEO of TechCon Global, best-selling author, investor 🔹 Ellen Damaso — Venture & Capital Partner at Plus Ultra Capital Partners 🔹 Kunal Chandiramani — Co-Founder & CEO of ZeroToIP Faisal Mushtaq is a visionary C-suite executive, board member, and entrepreneur with 20+ years of experience leading digital transformation and scaling global organizations across startups and Fortune 500 companies. Former CTO of Sleep Number, he helped transform the company into a health & wellness leader—scaling the AI-powered SleepIQ™ platform to 3M users and contributing to $2B+ in revenue growth. He’s a frequent speaker on AI and innovation, an active angel investor, and the Founder & CEO of TechCon Global. Ellen Damaso is a Venture & Capital Partner at Plus Ultra Capital Partners with 15+ years of experience spanning technical sales, marketing, and business development. She has worked with global leaders including Samsung, Micron, and Raytheon. A founder, author, speaker, and mental health advocate, Ellen brings a rare blend of engineering, marketing, and human-centered leadership to venture and innovation. Kunal Chandiramani is a serial entrepreneur and operator, currently Co-Founder & CEO of ZeroToIP—an AI-native IP infrastructure platform—and Chairman of KStar Holdings. He serves on multiple private and nonprofit boards and focuses on building scalable systems, executing high-leverage strategies, and driving growth across technology and commerce. 🎧 We dig into AI, venture capital, scaling companies, and what it really takes to build durable innovation. 👉 Listen in and join the conversation. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies like MoralesHR and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://moraleshr.com/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture. Event Partnerships: Join us in Austin, San Francisco, and San Diego for TechCon. Get more information and tickets at https://techconglobal.com/ Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.

🎙️ This week on Silicon Valley Impact — we’re bringing together builders, investors, and connectors shaping the startup ecosystem from multiple angles. Joining me on the show: 🔹 Sam Wong — CEO of FundableStartups.com, serial startup operator, and author of 21 Secrets of Successful Startups. Sam has led multiple venture-backed companies through scale and acquisition and now helps founders become truly fundable before they raise—focusing on execution, pitch readiness, capital strategy, and long-term value creation. 🔹 Lisa Yu — General Partner at 99VC, former Microsoft and Silicon Valley executive, founder, angel investor, and advisor. Lisa brings 20+ years of experience launching and scaling products across AI, SaaS, data platforms, and emerging tech, with deep insight into go-to-market strategy, product–market fit, and revenue growth. 🔹 Vishal Chamaria — Founder & CEO of Xuman.AI, building infrastructure for human-to-human services. Vishal is rethinking how solopreneurs earn, grow, and compound trust over time by combining content-led discovery with instant booking—turning reputation into a compounding asset. 🔹 Jake Tital — Chief Strategy Officer and natural super-connector with a people-first mindset. Jake specializes in pattern recognition and forming strategic partnerships across startups, SaaS, and emerging tech—connecting people and opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise collide. 💡 We dive into fundraising readiness, AI-driven growth, marketplace innovation, and why authentic relationships still outperform hype. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, MoralesHR and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://moraleshr.com/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.   Event Partnerships: Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register   Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.  

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we kickoff Season 3 with Keith Kaplan, CEO of Maykr Inc.; and San Jose entrepreneurial legend, Mauricio Mejia. Keith is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and executive with deep experience across capital, technology, and media. He leads Maykr’s integrated ecosystem, directing investment toward AI, robotics, sustainable and nuclear energy, and advanced data infrastructure to help build a more technologically sophisticated and environmentally conscious future. Recognized as an early voice on “The Autonomous Age,” he has advised the White House, the State of California, and the City of Los Angeles on innovation and technology. Previously, he co-founded and served as CEO of the Tesla Foundation, a science and technology think tank focused on emerging technologies, workforce development, and large-scale research and education initiatives. Keith also co-founded TGE Global Entertainment, an entertainment, media, and technology holdings company, and earlier founded KKMedia, an advertising agency he successfully led through acquisition. Mauricio is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and mentor based in San Jose, California, recognized for reshaping the city’s nightlife and building a diverse business portfolio in Silicon Valley. Born in San Francisco and raised in Los Angeles by a single mother, he navigated gang life, poverty, and homelessness before becoming a millionaire in his twenties and later a respected business owner and investor. Over the years, Mauricio has owned and promoted landmark nightclubs in San Jose, led a successful staffing company, and expanded into real estate development, fitness, and media, including roles with companies such as California Labor Force, CalDev/CalEx, Punch King Fitness, and Latin Life. Deeply committed to community impact, he supports Latino leadership, produces cultural events, and uses his books and public speaking to inspire others to decide, commit, and execute on their own potential. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.   Event Partnerships: Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register   Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Anshu Agarwal, General Partner at Converge; and Amar Flora, General Partner at Solaris Venture Partners. We talking  about Scaling the Future: Where Veteran Operators Meet Multi-Agent AI. Anshu has spent 20+ years founding, scaling, and exiting venture-backed B2B tech companies in Silicon Valley. She has helped build four startups as a founder or early executive—each acquired by public companies including Akamai, Juniper Networks, HP, and Citrix. In 2018, she co-founded Nimbella, a pioneer in serverless computing, and led it as CEO from ideation to acquisition by DigitalOcean in under three years. She later served as VP/GM of DigitalOcean’s Serverless & Kubernetes business. Across her exits, she was repeatedly recruited by acquirers to lead integration and revenue expansion. Anshu holds engineering degrees from IIT Roorkee and Rutgers, an MBA from Kellogg, and serves on the Board of the IIT Bay Area Association. Amar brings global experience across banking, finance, technology, and international business expansion. He began his career in banking in Sydney, later working in telco/digital infrastructure and strategy for wealth management in New York. As Director of Finance and COO at the University of Sydney, he led international growth across energy, infrastructure, mining, and technology sectors, executing deals across Australia, the U.S., Canada, India, Singapore, and China. He founded and exited an EdTech startup in 2020 before co-founding Klaviss, a first-of-its-kind multi-AI-agent ecosystem for real estate, now with three patents pending. Amar studied Software Engineering, completed a postgraduate program at the University of Cambridge, and earned an Executive MBA from UNSW. He also mentors postgraduate students in strategy and global market expansion. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like TheAgentic, and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.   Event Partnerships: Join us October 27th, following Day 1 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, for the "Venture Partner 'Unofficial TechCrunch Disrupt 2025' Afterparty: Silicon Valley's Best!" Get you tickets here while they last: https://luma.com/3w4qt0r2 Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.

On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we speak with Kamal Hassan, Managing Partner at Loyal VC, and Baron Cannon, educator and angel investor with Sand Hill Angels. Kamal is a Managing Partner at Loyal VC, a diversified evergreen venture fund that offers investors the flexibility to buy or sell units quarterly. Loyal invests early in top founders from three global networks and earns loyalty for preferred access to follow-on deals. Kamal's 20-year career as an entrepreneurial CEO and 15 years as an angel investor inspired the creation of Loyal. He draws upon his experiences as a Global Director with the Founder Institute, former INSEAD Alumni Association President, consultant at Bain & Co., and engineer at IMAX. Kamal holds an INSEAD MBA and a degree in engineering physics from Queen’s University. He’s well-traveled, having visited over 100 countries, and speaks five languages. Baron is a Silicon Valley–based educator-turned-investor with a rare blend of “on-the-ground” institutional operations and early-stage tech investing expertise. For over a decade, he’s taught entrepreneurship and economics at Saint Francis High School (a Catholic high school in Mountain View, CA), and led high-stakes programs including a summer-school operation with a seven-figure budget. Parallel to his instructional work, Baron has invested via Sand Hill Angels in Seed-to-Series A startups, with a particular eye for startups rewriting legacy, high-friction industries through data-driven, compliance-rich vertical software platforms. Baron also brings a multi-generational stewardship lens to his work. He is the Managing Member of the Baron Family Fund, a single-family office, and he serves on the Investment Committee of the John Sheehy Company, a family enterprise founded in 1901. Most recently, he joined the Advisory Group for Santa Clara University’s new Social Impact MA program, helping shape an executive-level pipeline for the next generation of nonprofit and social-sector leaders. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies like TheAgentic, STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world’s largest full-stack venture ecosystem. It’s over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go — everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent need to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.

🎙️ NEW EPISODE ALERT — Silicon Valley Impact This week, we sat down with two powerhouse innovators: Jackie Wu and Alan Malon. ⭐ Jackie Wu — From Refugee to Top 1% Sales Leader & Global Coach Jackie’s story is one of extraordinary transformation. From escaping war-torn Vietnam and arriving in the U.S. barely speaking English… to building a career that spans Stanford University, Nvidia, and becoming a Top 1% nationwide Enterprise Sales Professional across multiple Fortune 500 companies. During the pandemic, Jackie launched Treasure Life’s Journey from scratch—and within a year, was serving clients across multiple continents. Today, she coaches founders and revenue leaders using her signature method: 🔥 Quick Sales Conversion — One Conversation to YES™ – The same method she used to close $228,000 with Tiffany & Co. in under 30 minutes, – And win the support of California State Treasurer Fiona Ma in just 7 minutes. Jackie teaches entrepreneurs how to grow faster, avoid burnout, and bypass the endless follow-ups and drawn-out negotiations that drain time and profit. ⭐ Alan Malon — Serial Entrepreneur & AI Trailblazer Alan has been deep in LLMs and SLMs since 2019, advancing his research at Stanford. He’s raised venture capital in both Latin America and Silicon Valley and worked with tier-1 accelerators and global VCs. His track record includes: ⚙️ 10+ years scaling B2B platforms serving 3,000+ businesses 🚀 Pioneering the “Automated Social Media Content” category in 2017 📈 Scaling Brazil’s fastest-growing MarTech to market leadership (2022) 💸 Supporting founders in raising millions—including X.ai’s $1B round This—and so much more—is inside this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, where business insight meets startup innovation. 🎧 Listen now: Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact 🌐 Special Thanks & Venture Partners Silicon Valley Venture, LLC—the parent of Silicon Valley Impact—is a proud global venture partner to world-class organizations including TheAgentic, STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower – Oakland. Explore the world’s largest full-stack venture ecosystem (1.2M+ sq ft of Live | Work | Play | Go): 🔗 https://www.theagentic.ai 🔗 https://stakspace.com 📅 Upcoming Events & Partnerships 📍 Alternative Investing Summit 2025 Dana Point | Dec 7–9 Tickets → https://opalgroup.net/conference/alternative-investing-summit-2025/ 📍 IIT 2026 Conference Long Beach | April 22–25 Register → https://www.iit2026.org/register ⚠️ Disclaimer The opinions shared by hosts and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and do not constitute financial advice. Please consult a professional before making financial or business decisions.  

🎙️ This Week on Silicon Valley Impact We’re coming to you from beautiful Napa Valley, California, where we hosted an Opal Spotlight episode at the Family Office & Private Wealth Forum West (October 22–24). Over three incredible days, we connected with some of the smartest—and kindest—leaders shaping the future of family offices, private wealth, and innovation. A huge thank you to David Liebowitz and the entire Opal Group team for inviting Silicon Valley Impact to capture insights and stories from some truly remarkable individuals, including: ✨ Jacqueline (Jackie) Mirkopoulos ✨ Skip Coomber ✨ Bobby Console-Verma ✨ Sanjay Shrivastava ✨ Rick Spencer ✨ Mike Moore ✨ Frank Roberson ✨ Frank Rohde ✨ James Rosebush ✨ Samy Dwek ✨ Denny Lancer & Carrie Graham Thank you all for sharing your time, insights, and stories with us. Episodes from our Opal Spotlight Series drop Tuesday October 28th on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. Stay tuned—this one’s full of heart, wisdom, and impact straight from Napa Valley. 🍷🎧 This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   We will see you in Dana Point for the Alternative Investing Summit 2025!  Get your tickets here: https://opalgroup.net/conference/alternative-investing-summit-2025/ Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like TheAgentic, and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.   Event Partnerships: Join us in San Francisco October 27th-29th, for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Get your tickets here (use promo code: siliconvalley25 to get 25% off your ticket purchase): https://tcrn.ch/41JLNgv

On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we’re talking health and startups with Dr. Ashish Atreja, Dr. Luke Blauch, Ph.D., and Nick Larson — Founder of Silicon Zombies Live Show & Podcast and Co-Founder of the Ageless Evolution Longevity Summit.   Dr. Ashish Atreja, known as “The App Doctor,” is a nationally recognized physician executive, entrepreneur, and founder of GVX Venture Accelerator and GenServe.AI. A pioneer in evidence-based digital medicine (EBDM), he has led digital transformation at leading institutions including UC Davis Health, where he served as Chief Information and Digital Health Officer, and Mount Sinai Health System, where he founded the AppLab innovation hub and earned patents for prescribing digital apps and AI tools. He has founded multiple ventures from academia, including Rx.Health, acquired after impacting over 30 million patient lives, and VALIDAI.Health, a national initiative advancing responsible generative AI in healthcare. A fellow of the ACP and AGA, Dr. Atreja continues to drive the future of AI-enabled healthcare through innovation, entrepreneurship, and impact-driven leadership.   Dr. Luke Blauch, Ph.D., is an expert in building high-throughput technologies for biological applications and the Founder and CEO of DropXcell. After experiencing the inefficiencies of drug development firsthand, Luke set out to create technology that makes drug discovery faster, cheaper, and more effective. During his Ph.D. at Stanford University, he worked to solve complex engineering problems for top scientists, including a Nobel Prize winner, and published research in top journals such as Science and PNAS. In industry, he previously led the development of high-throughput screening platforms as an early scientist at VC-funded biotech startups. At DropXcell, Luke’s goal is to test thousands of times more drug molecules for function—derisking drug discovery and ensuring only the best molecules reach patients. He invented the Xcell Drop screening technology, is an author on multiple patents, and is enabling AI-driven drug discovery to reach its full potential.   Nick Larson is a Bay Area native with a passion for people, technology, and surfing. A serial founder, Nick has started and scaled mission-driven companies such as Willow—an AI social media platform backed by investors including Google and Green Park Ventures (now valued at over $200M)—and OnePiece Work, a co-working and accelerator space that expanded to 12 locations with investment from UpHonest Capital. Nick was named one of PRWeek’s “25 Most Influential People in Communications Technology” (2021) and is the host of Silicon Zombies, a live show and ecosystem that demystifies emerging technology and highlights the brightest minds in the industry. He was also recognized as one of LinkedIn’s “Top Voices”, an honor awarded to just 300 people worldwide each year.   This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like TheAgentic, and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.   Event Partnerships: Join us in Napa, October 22nd-24th for the Opal Group Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gjeSSHTP.   Join us in San Francisco October 27th-29th, for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Get your tickets here (use promo code: siliconvalley25 to get 25% off your ticket purchase): https://tcrn.ch/41JLNgv   Join us October 27th, following Day 1 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, for the "Venture Partner 'Unofficial TechCrunch Disrupt 2025' Afterparty: Silicon Valley's Best!" Get you tickets here while they last: https://luma.com/3w4qt0r2   Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register   Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.  

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact my good friend, Founder and General Partner of  GoodTrouble Ventures, AJ Thomas is back on the set to help me guide the conversation with Kelly Steven-Waiss, Chief Transformation Officer at ServiceNow, and Shelly Morales, Founder and CEO at MoralesHR. Today we’re talking about talent, enterprise AI strategy and so much more.   Kelley is Chief Transformation Officer at ServiceNow, where she helps global enterprises drive digital and workforce innovation. Formerly Founder & CEO of Hitch Works (acquired by ServiceNow), Kelley brings 30+ years of executive experience, including 13 as CHRO in tech. A Forbes HR Council member and published author of The Inside Gig and Valley Girls, she serves on the board of FormFactor (NASDAQ: FORM) and is recognized among the most influential voices shaping the future of work and HR technology.   Shelly is the Founder & CEO of MoralesHR, a recruiting firm connecting transformative leaders with top startups and investors. A former executive at LinkedIn, Juniper Networks, and Cadence Design Systems, she blends startup agility with enterprise depth. Shelly also serves as Chief Activation Officer at Polymathic, helping align talent, capital, and vision, and is known for her trusted network spanning tech, venture, and innovation communities.   AJ is the CEO of The Troublemaker Lab and Founding General Partner of Good Trouble Ventures, investing in technologies powering the future of creativity and digital transformation. A futurist and leadership advisor, she has guided Fortune 100s and global startups on innovation and AI-driven growth. AJ also serves as CXO-in-Residence at A.Team, faculty at Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute, and Forbes contributor on leadership and the evolving world of work. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like TheAgentic, and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.   Event Partnerships: Join us in Napa, October 22nd-24th for the Opal Group Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gjeSSHTP.   Join us in San Francisco October 27th-29th, for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Get your tickets here (use promo code: siliconvalley25 to get 25% off your ticket purchase): https://tcrn.ch/41JLNgv   Join us October 27th, following Day 1 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, for the "Venture Partner 'Unofficial TechCrunch Disrupt 2025' Afterparty: Silicon Valley's Best!" Get you tickets here while they last: https://luma.com/3w4qt0r2   Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register   Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.  

On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Kelli Richards: Founder, President & Chief Connections Officer of The All Access Group LLC; Ivan Linn, CEO of Wavv, and Filip Orth, Principal at ZAKA Venture Capital, and Head of North America at Cleevio. Kelli is a recognized leader where Silicon Valley meets Hollywood. A longtime Apple executive overseeing music and entertainment, she has worked with top tech and media innovators, celebrities, and entrepreneurs to reimagine how content is created, monetized, and distributed. A strategist, visionary, and super-connector, Kelli thrives at the intersection of innovation and creativity—working on cool things with cool people. As a certified executive coach and trusted advisor for nearly 25 years, she has guided visionary founders, creative leaders, and HNW individuals through pivotal transitions toward more meaningful and fulfilling next chapters. Her work blends business strategy with personal reinvention to help clients fine-tune their legacies. A published thought leader, Kelli has authored books and articles in major outlets and is a frequent guest on podcasts and at events. She holds an MBA, two coaching certifications, and was named a Top 100 Woman of Influence by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Learn more at kellirichards.com. Ivan is a Taiwanese-American entrepreneur and CEO of Wavv, leading innovation at the crossroads of technology and entertainment. With deep expertise in generative AI, he’s transforming how audiences experience music, gaming, and digital content. Under his leadership, Wavv has launched groundbreaking projects—including a gaming title that generated $35 million in its first year—and contributed to global franchises like Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts. Ivan also produced the Assassin’s Creed Symphony World Tour, merging live performance with interactive technology to redefine audience engagement. His vision for Wavv centers on AI-driven platforms that empower creators, enhance fan connection, and modernize content distribution. Ivan’s work continues to shape the future of entertainment through innovation, interactivity, and impact. Filip is Principal at ZAKA VC and Head of North America at Cleevio, where he leads the firm’s Silicon Valley office. He focuses on seed and pre-seed investments in biotech and life sciences, as well as deeptech with an emphasis on robotics and industrial technologies. Originally from Slovakia, Filip began his career in venture capital and tech sales before moving to Silicon Valley for his university studies, which sparked his passion for the VC industry and innovation ecosystem. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like TheAgentic, and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.   Event Partnerships: Join us in Napa, October 22nd-24th for the Opal Group Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gjeSSHTP. Join us in San Francisco October 27th-29th, for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Get your tickets here (use promo code: siliconvalley25 to get 25% off your ticket purchase): https://tcrn.ch/41JLNgv Join us October 27th, following Day 1 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, for the "Venture Partner 'Unofficial TechCrunch Disrupt 2025' Afterparty: Silicon Valley's Best!" Get you tickets here while they last: https://luma.com/3w4qt0r2 Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register   Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Shashi Tripathi, Managing Partner at Nurture Growth Fund; Leah Houston, MD, Founder and Product Owner of Evercred; and Dave Scott is the CEO of Evil Genius Games.   Shashi brings over 25 years of global experience in operational leadership, venture capital, and product-driven innovation. He has built, scaled, and advised businesses across enterprise technologies, AI, healthcare, FinTech, and SaaS—delivering measurable value to shareholders, customers, and teams. Shashi currently serves as a board member, investor, and advisor to high-growth companies across the U.S., Europe, India, and APAC. He launched and fully deployed a top-performing venture fund, investing in 42+ companies with a zero-failure record to date. Recognized for his ability to navigate complexity, scale innovation, and unlock enterprise value, Shashi is known as a trusted leader in both boardrooms and executive teams worldwide. He also serves as Chairman for the IIT 2026 Conference in Long Beach, taking place April 22–25, 2026.   Dr. Houston, Founder and Product Owner of Evercred, an AI-powered credential data wallet transforming how healthcare credentials are managed. After nearly a decade practicing emergency medicine across the U.S., she experienced the inefficiencies of onboarding and credentialing firsthand. This led her to pursue advanced training in AI and health technology at MIT and launch Evercred, which empowers physicians to own and control their verified credentials while streamlining workforce mobility. Evercred’s beta version is already revenue-generating, with enterprise solutions in development to deliver seamless, perpetual primary source verification across the healthcare ecosystem.   Dave, CEO of Evil Genius Games, a leading publisher of tabletop roleplaying games including the flagship Everyday Heroes TTRPG and licensed campaign settings such as Pacific Rim, Kong: Skull Island, Highlander, Escape from New York, Total Recall, Rambo, Universal Soldier, and The Crow. With over 20 years of senior marketing leadership, he has served as Global Head of Marketing Strategy & Operations at AWS and held executive roles at top software companies. Recognized as both “CMO of the Year” and “Marketer of the Year,” Dave is also the author of The New Rules of Lead Generation and The Essentials of Small Business Marketing, both published by Harper Collins. He holds dual bachelor’s degrees from The College of William and Mary and an MBA from the Wharton School, and currently serves on the boards of his alma mater, Goodwill, and Powerful Schools, as well as being an active member of Rotary International.   This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like TheAgentic, and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture. Event Partnerships:   Join us in Napa, October 22nd-24th for the Opal Group Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gjeSSHTP.   Join us in San Francisco October 27th-29th, for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Get your tickets here (use promo code: siliconvalley25 to get 25% off your ticket purchase): https://tcrn.ch/41JLNgv   Join us October 27th, following Day 1 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, for the "Venture Partner 'Unofficial TechCrunch Disrupt 2025' Afterparty: Silicon Valley's Best!" Get your tickets here while they last: https://luma.com/3w4qt0r2   Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets and register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register   Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Jing Kuang, Founding Partner of Y Plus Ventures; David Sarabia Founder / CEO at inRecovery - Addiction Recovery Platform, serial entrepreneur with an incredible story on how to build and “recover;” and David Menard, Co-Founder & CTO at The Care Connxion, General Partner at Invaluable labs, and investor. Listening as they bring a fresh perspectives on building, “rebuilding," investing, and scaling in the age of AI.   Jing, Founding Partner of Y Plus Ventures, is a modern VC fund investing in consumer AI startups at the earliest stages. With 20 years of experience spanning consumer brand-building, entrepreneurship, and global capital markets, Jing brings a rare blend of operating and investment expertise. Her “Radical Duality—Human-Centered, AI-Partnered” philosophy guides Y+ Ventures’ proprietary sourcing and diligence tools, delivering strategic value to both founders and LPs. Previously, she was President & CEO of Yongjia Capital, where she led over $50B in cross-border M&A and capital markets transactions for Fortune 500 and high-growth tech clients. Jing holds an MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business, chairs the Stanford GSB VC Alumni Club, and serves on the Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurship investment committee.   David S. is a serial entrepreneur with three successful exits, including UPrinting (acquired by Insight Partners, now valued at $1.4B) and eMobileCart (sold to Magento). He also held leadership roles at US Auto Parts (NASDAQ: PRTS) and advised early on at Tradesy, which went on to raise $75M. After overcoming his own battle with addiction, David founded inRecovery in 2017 — a health-tech platform using blockchain, machine learning, and data-driven care to modernize addiction treatment. Backed by StartupHealth and multiple funding rounds, inRecovery serves as an operating system for treatment centers and individuals, offering personalized therapy, engagement tools, and long-term support for recovery.   David M. is a patented inventor, software engineer, and business developer focused on digital assets, agentic workflows, and decentralized systems. A builder at the intersection of AI, Web3, and fintech, he drives innovation where automation meets ownership. After a successful startup exit, David is now scaling new ventures that are redefining how we interact with technology, assets, and legal frameworks.   This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like TheAgentic, and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.   Event Partnerships: Join us in Napa, October 22nd-24th for the Opal Group Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gjeSSHTP.   Join us in San Francisco October 27th-29th, for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Get your tickets here (use promo code: siliconvalley25 to get 25% off your ticket purchase): https://tcrn.ch/41JLNgv   Join us October 27th, following Day 1 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, for the "Venture Partner 'Unofficial TechCrunch Disrupt 2025' Afterparty: Silicon Valley's Best!" Get you tickets here while they last: https://luma.com/3w4qt0r2   Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Dr. Preetha Ram, Managing Partner at Pier 70 Ventures; and Simon Lancaster is the Founding General Partner of Omni Ventures. Together, they share how they’re shaping the future of health and manufacturing while backing the next generation of groundbreaking founders.   Dr. Preetha Ram is an award-winning thought leader, entrepreneur, and investor recognized for driving innovation toward measurable outcomes in health, education, and technology. She is Managing Partner at Pier 70 Ventures, investing in startups shaping the future of health, where she oversees portfolio management, deal flow, and founder development.   As cofounder and CEO of OpenStudy, a peer-to-peer social learning platform, she raised multimillion-dollar funding from the National Science Foundation, NIH, Gates Foundation, Hewlett Packard Foundation, and Learn Capital. Under her leadership, OpenStudy scaled to 60M+ learners worldwide, became a multimillion-dollar business, earned recognition from Fast Company and TechCrunch, and led to a successful exit.   Her career spans academia and entrepreneurship. She served as Associate Dean at Emory University, Executive Dean at Alliant University, and Associate Provost at Harrisburg University, and has been honored with the Andrew Heiskell Award for Study Abroad, Emory’s Winship Award of Excellence for Teaching, and the Innovators Spotlight Award sponsored by Melinda Gates.   A committed supporter of #womeninSTEM and #femalefounders, Dr. Ram advises startups globally and serves on the boards of Emote, Hereafter.ai, and ASEI. She is a frequent international speaker, TEDx presenter, and mentor with the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship.   Her education includes a PhD in Chemistry from Yale University, an MBA from Emory’s Goizueta Business School, and an undergraduate degree from IIT India.   Simon Lancaster is the Founding General Partner of Omni Ventures — The Manufacturing Tech VC, a first-check fund backing founders reimagining the future of manufacturing. Omni invests $500K–$1M at pre-seed in companies building breakthroughs in Manufacturing AI, robotics, and automation to digitize trillion-dollar supply chains.   Before launching Omni, Simon spent 15+ years driving product innovation at Apple, Google, and BlackBerry, where he developed breakthrough materials, advanced automation processes, and award-winning designs. His work earned 54+ patents as well as Red Dot and Good Design Awards.   At Omni, Simon works shoulder-to-shoulder with founders from day one — helping refine product vision, build world-class teams, and unlock follow-on capital from leading firms including Khosla Ventures, Eclipse, and Kleiner Perkins.   This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on:   🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like TheAgentic, and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.   Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.  

On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we speak with Prof. PK Prasanna Kumar and Tallulah Le Merle about pioneering AI innovation, global investment, and the strategies shaping the next era of technology and business.   PK is a distinguished serial entrepreneur, investor, bestselling author, and C-level executive with over 25 years of leadership experience in scaling businesses, driving digital transformation, and securing strategic capital. A trusted board advisor and visionary leader, PK has pioneered AI- and cloud-driven innovations across multiple industries, including healthcare, insurance, capital markets, edtech, medico-legal, and energy.   Tallulah is both a technologist and a humanist. An AI advisor, investor, and Partner at Fifth Era, she has spent over a decade in artificial intelligence, beginning as a consultant for FTSE 100 companies before serving as a fractional COO for AI scale-ups. She speaks globally on AI, hosts Fresh AI—the world’s first fully AI-generated daily news podcast—and is passionate about the intersection of AI with human psychology, wellbeing, and human potential. A dual U.S./U.K. citizen, she splits her time between the Bay Area, London, and Paris.   This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like Stak Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.   Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.

On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we’re bringing you a full house of insights from leaders shaping capital markets, global ventures, AI, and founder tools. 🌟 Mohammad Hasham – Partner & West Region Leader for Capital Markets and IPO at CohnReznick. With 17+ years in financial leadership, capital markets, and IPO advisory, he’s guided domestic and international companies through complex public transactions. He also founded the American Founders & Leaders Community, best known for its exclusive FounderFuel dinners connecting top executives, founders, and VCs. 🌟 Naveen Kumar – CEO of Nityo Infotech and Founder of KFC Ventures. With 25+ years in IT services and venture building, Naveen has scaled Nityo into a global powerhouse spanning consulting, technology, and training. Through KFC Ventures, he’s backing early and growth-stage startups worldwide, with a vision of taking Nityo public in the near future. 🌟 William Reid – CEO of ShoeboxIQ, the first AI platform built to cut audit burdens by up to 85% while boosting accuracy and margins. His leadership journey includes roles at PayPal, Visa, American Express, and Protiviti Consulting, where he delivered transformative fintech solutions. He’s also been a founder and advisor to startups in BNPL, credit scoring, expense management, and fractional assets. 🌟 Abdul Mukati – Founder of Master Inbox, the AI-powered inbox designed for lead gen agencies and SaaS founders. Master Inbox unifies email and LinkedIn into a smart workspace that sorts by client, drafts replies, summarizes conversations, and tracks every follow-up — giving founders their unfair advantage in scaling. 🎧 This episode dives deep into IPO readiness, global scaling, AI transformation, and founder tools that remove chaos from growth. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like Stak Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.   Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we give you the live recording from STEP San Francisco 2025, a two-day startup and technology conference held August 20–21 at The Midway in San Francisco. STEP SF brought together founders, investors, and tech leaders to explore the future of artificial intelligence, deep tech, and global scaling strategies.   Brian Sparkes moderates a powerhouse panel of four leading venture capitalists in a conversation titled: “Investing in Real AI, Not Just Hype: Agents, Models, and the Apps Built on Them.” The discussion dives into what separates breakthrough AI companies from the noise, and how investors are thinking about long-term value creation in one of the most transformative markets of our time. The panel features: SC Moatti (Mighty Capital) – Founding Managing Partner at Mighty Capital, SC is a renowned product leader turned investor, celebrated for building products used by billions at Meta and Siebel Systems. Today, she backs companies shaping the enterprise future, including Amplitude and Groq, and is recognized as one of the top venture capitalists in Silicon Valley. Jon Chu (Khosla Ventures) – Partner at Khosla Ventures, Jon leads the firm’s AI investments with a sharp focus on infrastructure, applications, and developer tools. His journey from Palantir engineer to founder (Koality, acquired by Docker) to investor gives him a rare operator-investor perspective on what it takes to scale the next generation of AI companies. Eric Anderson (Scale Venture Partners) – Partner at Scale, Eric specializes in early-stage investments in AI, cloud infrastructure, and security. A former Google Cloud and AWS product leader, he helped launch foundational data and ML products before turning to venture, where he now backs and advises some of the most innovative enterprise startups. Allen Taylor (Endeavor Catalyst) – Managing Partner of Endeavor Catalyst, Allen brings two decades of experience supporting high-growth companies in emerging markets. He has helped raise and deploy over $500M across 360+ investments globally, with a mission to empower founders building category-defining companies far beyond Silicon Valley. Tune in for a rare inside look at how top venture capitalists are navigating the AI wave—and what it means for the future of startups worldwide.   This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like Stak Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.   Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.  

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we have Part 3, of “Opal Spotlight” from San Francisco, California, at the Opal Group AI/Tech Investing Forum. Join us for the third and final part of "Opal Spotlight" as we share the stories from Opal speakers who are making an impact!   In order of appearance:   Olivier Viatour is the founder of TableCoin. Olivier created a Web TV before Youtube, published 20+ books and produced over 1000 shows with 300+ Michelin star chefs around the World. He made half a billion prime time TV viewers in China. He will now bring the TableCoin mainstream while making cooking become a sport all over the globe.   Hamlet Yousef is the Managing Partner at IronGate Capital Advisors. Investing in early stage technology that enhances the National Defense. With over 20 years of sales, business development, and strategic growth expertise, Hamlet has worked with companies ranging from early-stage ventures to Fortune 100 enterprises across disruptive and emerging technologies. His experience spans leading a 600+ person sales force, driving international business development across the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, and conducting extensive operational and financial due diligence on behalf of investors and private stakeholders. He brings a proven track record in P&L management, cultivating global markets, and building long-term strategic growth opportunities across diverse industries.   Marty Sprinzen is the CEO of Vantiq Corporation (automate AI in real time), a platform for building real-time, AI-driven business applications. With a career spanning systems management, relational databases, and internet application development, I’ve focused on creating technologies that help organizations harness data while keeping people at the center of decision-making. At Vantiq, we integrate legacy systems, IoT, and AI to reduce inefficiencies and enable scalable, intelligent systems that respond instantly to events.   This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (Accounting and Advisory professionals), and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact.”   Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like Stak Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.   Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.  

On this weeks episode of Silicon Valley Impact we have Part 2, of “Opal Spotlight” from San Francisco, California, at the Opal Group AI/Tech Investing Forum. Joining us for the second of a 3-part series of "Opal Spotlight" as we share the stories from Opal speakers who are making an impact! In order of appearance: Matthew Houston – Mighty Capital Tech sales leader with 7+ years of quota-smashing success, ex-US Navy submariner, and global project manager. Now heads Early Engagement at Hawk Ridge Systems and invests actively while serving on the Students Rising Above board. When not closing deals, he’s racing superbikes or cooking for friends. Deborah Magid – NextStar Co-Founder of NextStar Venture Partners, investing in early-stage AI-enabled startups. Former IBM Ventures Director of Strategy with global responsibility for VC relationships, sourcing acquisitions, and strategic alliances. Advisor on AI, climate, cybersecurity, and entrepreneurial ecosystems worldwide. Lisa Carmen Wang – Bad Bitch Empire Hall of Fame gymnast turned 3x entrepreneur, best-selling author, and Forbes 30 Under 30 in VC. Founder of Bad Bitch Empire®, she’s helped women raise $50M+, spoken on 100+ global stages, and is redefining feminine leadership and wealth-building for the next generation. Dan Goldin – Former NASA Administrator NASA’s longest-serving Administrator, appointed by President George H.W. Bush. Revitalized the agency post–Cold War, launched the “Faster, Better, Cheaper” initiative, fostered international space cooperation, and led the Mars Sojourner rover mission. Member of the National Academy of Engineering. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like Stak Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.   Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.

On this week's special edition of Silicon Valley Impact, we give you “Opal Spotlight” from San Francisco, California, at the Opal Group’s AI/Tech Investing Forum. Joining us on today's show for the first of a 3-part series, we have some incredibly talented and insightful guests. In order of appearance, we have: David Leibowitz, SVP of Investor Relations, who is responsible for initiating and cultivating relationships with both private wealth and institutional allocators; leads the production of some of the company's largest and most impactful events; and manages a high-performing sales team of six members and an audience development team of 10 members, fostering collaboration, ensuring engagement, and supporting the company’s growth. Walid Mando, Founder of FORMA Development Design Management Alan Smithson, Private Investor at 6ix Ventures, author, and Advisory Board Member at the Global Family Office Investment Summit Kelli Richards – Director of Music & Entertainment Markets, developed and drove Apple's strategies in the music and entertainment markets. Trusted advisor to visionary founders, leaders & teams, creatives & innovators. Growth strategist, business development super-connector, music/media tech innovator & thought leader. LeAnita Ragland-Brooks – Global Keynote Speaker | Advisory Board Member | Leader known for business development and revenue growth with purpose and passion | CHIEF | Enterprise Relationship Management | Sales | Community Advocate Rikki Ragland at Rikki Ragland Media – Investor Communications | Healthcare AI | Public Speaker This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (Accounting and Advisory professionals) and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact. Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies like Stak Ventures and 1900 Broadway Tower – Oakland. Check out https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world’s largest full-stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go — everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent need to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation.

On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we speak with Daniel Idzkowski, a Founder, Funder, Inventor; and inventor of SKUNKLOCK, a $1B+ deterrent lock industry for carbon neutrality. He is also working toward precision portfolio hedging for the 99% to help reduce economic inequality. Daniel also invented in-bottle aging to stop deforestation. Also on the show are Michael Hoy and Clay Minor, Co-Founders at Atlas. Atlas makes it easy to own your monetization—no more patching together tools or hiring pricey consultants. Atlas combines product analytics and billing data so you can launch pricing models fast, track what’s working, and turn revenue into a real growth engine. Pricing shouldn’t be an afterthought—it should lead the way. Daniel Idzkowski, an entrepreneur, investor, and inventor, measures success by millions of people positively impacted, focusing primarily on supporting deep tech companies tackling existential challenges. Sidepocket Financial, one of his largest portfolio companies, developed new foundational models for asset allocation, replacing 70-year-old antiquated models available to retail investors. His invention, SKUNKLOCK—the first bike lock that fights back—sparked a billion-dollar industry and prevented over 1 million tons of carbon emissions. As a family office investor via the IDIT Family Office, he supports dozens of innovative entrepreneurs. He lives by simple but powerful principles: lead with value, take on hard problems, and when in doubt, get more data. Michael Hoy is a repeat founder and former early Pendo executive who helped scale the company from under $1M in revenue to a $2B+ valuation. During his decade at Pendo, he built core functions including ops, enablement, EMEA GTM, and Pendo for Startups. Before that, he launched several startups—one of which, BoomboxFM, grew to 200,000 active users. Today, he’s building Atlas, a monetization copilot for AI founders. Atlas helps product builders launch pricing models, paywalls, and strategy—fast—so they don’t lose momentum figuring out how to make money. Clay Minor is the Co-Founder of Atlas, a platform reimagining software monetization for the AI era. With over a decade of experience leading sales engineering and go-to-market teams at high-growth SaaS companies—including a key leadership role at Pendo—Clay has helped scale product-led growth from startup to global enterprise. Before co-founding Atlas, he built and led GTM strategy, sales enablement, and value engineering at Pendo as it grew into a multi-billion-dollar company. A former engineer turned revenue leader, Clay blends deep technical insight with a sharp focus on customer value. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and is based in Santa Barbara, CA. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (Accounting and Advisory professionals), and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact.” Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like Stak Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.  

On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we speak with Blake Beltram, former founder of Mindbody and current founder of OffyO; Guy Horowitz of 33N Ventures; and Meg McWilliams, Founder and COO of Gossip Goblin. Blake is the co-founder of Mindbody, the global leader in wellness business software that helped transform the fitness industry and ultimately sold for nearly $2B. He introduced online class booking—pioneering a new era in Fit-Tech. Having thrived through the dotcom boom and helped lead the wellness tech revolution, Blake is now stepping into the AI era with OffyO: an AI Self-Evolution Companion designed to help people live healthier, happier lives. An author, mentor, and podcaster, Blake is known for fusing visionary thinking with pragmatic execution. His entrepreneurial memoir captures the raw reality of the founder’s journey, and his work continues to center on elevating the human experience. Having recently launched his daughter into college as a single father, Blake is once again building from zero—with clarity, purpose, and conviction. Guy is an entrepreneur-turned-VC who never really left the garage. While he primarily backs later-stage companies at 33N Ventures (and previously at DTCP), his heart still beats for early-stage founders and inception-stage chaos. A lifelong musician, Guy brings rhythm, instinct, and improvisation to the business world—traits that helped him spot some of Israel’s top cyber and SaaS stars before they made headlines. Now based in Silicon Valley, he’s blending Tel Aviv hustle with West Coast ambition, hunting for the next breakout. Whether on stage or in a boardroom, Guy is all about what matters most: helping others amplify their impact. Meg is the Co-Founder and COO of Unproductive AI, where she’s building Gossip Goblin—AI agents that help you meet the right people at events. Her passion lies in using technology to bring humans together. A community and event organizer since the age of five, Meg’s background is in VR and gaming. Most recently, she co-founded a game studio where she focused on creating truly social multiplayer experiences. All this and more on Silicon Valley Impact! 🎙️ Spotify: Listen here 🍎 Apple Podcasts: Listen here 📺 YouTube: Watch here We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (Accounting and Advisory professionals) and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and shared commitment to our vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact. Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to leading organizations like Stak Ventures and 1900 Broadway Tower – Oakland. Visit stakspace.com to access the world’s largest full-stack venture ecosystem: over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go—everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent need to gain global advantage, alignment, and acceleration. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult a professional before making any financial or business decisions.  

On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we speak with Akash Saraf, Founder of TheAgentic—builders of the best large reasoning models for AI agents; Hans Sandhu, Chief Business Officer at TheAgentic with a focus on strategy and revenue; and Iddo Tal, Founder of Raise The Round. Akash is a serial entrepreneur with over $600M in acquisitions and a track record of building and scaling transformative companies. Inspired by his father, a pioneer in India’s tech revolution, Akash grew up immersed in technology and innovation. TheAgentic is the culmination of Akash’s lifelong journey of entrepreneurship, driven by a passion for creating impact through cutting-edge solutions. Iddo is the founder of Raise The Round, the Silicon Valley school of fundraising, where he shares the method he used to raise capital from hundreds of investors—without the need to chase intros, have a large network, or show significant traction. He has founded five startups; his last, invi, was acquired by Google, where the team helped grow Google Messages from 30M to 5B users. Iddo lives in Palo Alto with his wife, Tracy, and their two kids. Hans has built a career at the intersection of startup growth and flawless business execution. He brings deep roots in Silicon Valley and a passion for scaling venture-backed startups. With foundational GTM roles across Series A to C companies and leadership experience at both public and private firms, Hans has consistently driven millions in ARR and record-breaking customer growth. At SLI Systems, he rose from SDR to Head of North American Account Management, playing a key role in the company’s acquisition by ESW Capital. At SnapLogic, he helped launch the "Velocity" program, securing 44 net-new logos and building a GTM strategy that unlocked new markets and multimillion-dollar revenue. Currently an angel investor and LP in 7BC VC, Hans supports capital-efficient companies at the forefront of AI innovation. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact We’re grateful to our amazing partners—Withum (Accounting and Advisory Professionals) and Salesbricks 🧱—for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact. Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies like Stak Ventures and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world’s largest full-stack venture ecosystem. It’s over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go—everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent need to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate their ventures. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Christopher Peralta, Founder & CEO of Silicon Valley HQ, and Saurabh Bhatia Co-founder of FuturePath AI, and global investor. Join us as we talk about acceleration, investing, and building.   Christopher Peralta is a seasoned business development executive with over 30 years of experience closing strategic and tactical deals across 50+ tech companies worldwide. His passion for building meaningful relationships is matched by his commitment to empowering what he calls "the 99%" — individuals who deserve access to quality education and employment opportunities.   Since 2015, Christopher has focused on helping entrepreneurs and startups scale their businesses. He has curated and executed over 100 accelerator programs for governments and organizations in more than 10 countries, with a strong emphasis on fundraising and go-to-market strategies in the U.S. He has mentored more than 1,000 startups and was among the first mentors at Google Launchpad. His commitment to nurturing the next generation recently contributed to a student team winning a Google pitch competition out of 5,000 participants.   As the Founder and CEO of Silicon Valley HQ (SVHQ), Christopher is building a next-generation workforce ecosystem designed to help over one million people in emerging markets — starting with the Philippines — overcome digital skills gaps and gain access to global job opportunities. SVHQ partners with leading universities, staffing firms, and training providers, integrating AI to enhance global competitiveness. The company also launched the Philippines’ first trusted AI agency, employing human AI Operators to curate and manage AI Agents for clients. Through this, SVHQ ensures emerging markets are not left behind in the digital revolution.   Saurabh Bhatia is an AI builder and early-stage investor focused on real enterprise impact. He builds and backs AI-native companies solving hard problems—legacy systems, decision bottlenecks, and operational inefficiencies. His work spans product, GTM, and leadership, taking ventures from zero to meaningful traction. As an occasional investor, Saurabh backs hands-on founders with deep tech expertise, strong velocity, and sharp domain insight—primarily in Enterprise AI, automation, and healthcare.   Previously, he scaled and exited Chocolate, a first-of-its-kind 100% server-side video SSP delivering over 20B+ monthly impressions. With a strong track record in scaling VC-backed startups, Saurabh brings the mindset of a builder, the experience of an operator, and the lens of an investor—in that order.   This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (Accounting and Advisory professionals), and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact.” Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like Stak Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with  Aytakin Aliyeva, Founder of Femigrants Foundation; Iryna Voskerician, Founder and Managing Partner of MachX; and Randy Marsden, CEO of Skidattl.   Aytakin is the Founder of the Femigrants Foundation, a global community dedicated to empowering diverse female immigrants through connection, mentorship, and visibility. Featured in Forbes and Yahoo Business, Ika is a recognized social entrepreneur who transformed a group of 10 women into a thriving network of over 5,500 in just three years.   She curates high-impact events in the Bay Area and London that unite immigrant leaders, expats, and changemakers, and she frequently speaks on international stages to amplify the voices of underrepresented women. Ika is a double Gold Award recipient from the Women Changing the World Awards 2023 in London and has been personally recognized twice by Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York. She was also named a Top 25 Female Influencer of 2023 by WomElle. Her inspiring journey has been featured in Forbes, Yahoo Finance, AP News, The Washington Times, London Daily Post, Huffmag, Intuit, and other global media. By leveraging LinkedIn, she scaled her personal brand from 500 to over 25,000 followers in just two years.   Beyond her nonprofit work, Ika has over a decade of experience as a senior project manager, leading cross-functional teams at tech giants such as Instagram, Oculus, NVIDIA, and HTC VIVE.   Iryna is the Founder and Managing Partner of MachX, a venture fund investing in frontier technologies across AI, biotech, space, media, and next-gen consumer innovation. She is currently a participant in the elite VC/PE Investor Accelerator at Venture University, where she collaborates with leading venture capitalists to source deals, conduct due diligence, and invest in high-growth startups.   With over 15 years of corporate experience in procurement and supply chain strategy at global Fortune 500 firms, Iryna brings deep operational expertise and a data-driven lens to evaluating startups and scaling businesses efficiently. In parallel, Iryna is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Red Hot Monde Magazine, a boutique media platform spotlighting visionary founders, investors, and creatives in fashion, art, tech, and wellness. Her work as a brand strategist and publicist has positioned her as a go-to amplifier for CEOs, entrepreneurs, and luxury innovators. She is also Co-Executive Producer of Silicon Valley Stilettos, a bold reality TV series co-created with multiple Emmy Award-winner Rick Borjas. The show chronicles the journeys of powerful female entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, blending tech, culture, and ambition.   Randy is a serial entrepreneur, inventor, and innovator with 27 patents and four successful exits to date. Currently, he serves as CEO of his fifth startup, Skidattl, which delivers augmented reality "virtual signs" at geo-located points—helping people rediscover the world around them through immersive technology.   Previously, Randy served as Senior Director of Innovation at Nike, where he led groundbreaking work in sport science, including collaborations with Nike’s Sport Research Lab. Before Nike, he was a Senior Engineering Manager and Project Lead at Apple, where he joined via acquisition in 2014. At Apple, he contributed to text input systems and later became a founding manager and Product Lead for the Exposure Notifications project, Apple's global COVID-19 contact tracing technology.   Earlier in his career, Randy founded or co-founded four companies focused on human-computer interaction—developing 12 commercial products, including Swype, DRYFT, Cleankeys, and adaptive tools like onscreen keyboards and head-tracking cameras for users with disabilities. A hands-on engineer at heart, Randy has deep experience across hardware and software. He has spoken on global stages, including a TED Talk that highlights his innovative work in accessible technology: Watch here.   This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (Accounting and Advisory professionals), and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact.” Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like Stak Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.   Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.  

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Allison Paz, Co-founder & Chief Operating Officer at Nicklpass, and Partner at Reign Ventures; Arnaud Saint-Paul, founder and CEO of the Heart Leadership Institute Tapuat; and also on the show Jonathan Festejo, Co-Founder and CEO at Salesbricks. Allison Paz is a Partner at Reign Ventures. With over 15 years of experience as an operator and investor, she has co-founded and scaled multiple companies, raised venture funding, and led go-to-market, product, and financial operations across SaaS, fintech, and emerging tech. Prior to Reign, she held leadership roles at Nicklpass, CredReady, and BNY. Allison also serves on the boards of the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance and Ednology, Inc. Arnaud Saint-Paul is a philanthropist and award-winning serial entrepreneur in software, finance, and social impact, with over 20 years of experience. Throughout his career, he has directly guided hundreds of individuals — and inspired over 50 million people — to reconnect with the intelligence of their heart. Arnaud is leading a global movement that empowers leaders to unlock their full potential by integrating heart intelligence into leadership. At Tapuat, they believe true leadership arises when inner coherence and external impact converge, creating a profound ripple effect across teams, organizations, and society. Arnaud has spent over two decades guiding entrepreneurs, executives, and change agents to transform how they lead, live, and serve — by aligning their inner coherence with their outer impact. He believes true impact begins within. His upcoming book, The Heartful Method for Entrepreneurs, brings this journey to print. Jonathan “Jon” Festejo is the Co-founder and CEO of Salesbricks. Prior to launching Salesbricks, Jon led RevOps for various a16z-backed companies, building the infrastructure and processes needed for SaaS businesses to generate and manage revenue. Today, he's building the first-ever "RevOps in a box," automating pricing and packaging management, quoting, billing, payments, and customer operations. Jon is changing the way software is bought and sold — making B2B feel more like B2C. Since going to market two years ago, Salesbricks has processed over a quarter of a billion dollars in SaaS transactions, with platform revenue growing 90% quarter over quarter. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (accounting and advisory professionals), Skidattl, and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact. Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies like Stak Ventures and 1900 Broadway Tower – Oakland. Check out https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world’s largest full-stack venture ecosystem — over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go: everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent need to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.  

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Svetlana Kamyshanskaya, startup advisor, and Founding Partner at Primum Law Group PC; and LouAnn Conner, Founder & CEO of Sagacious Think LLC.   Svetlana is the powerhouse behind Primum Law Group, where she helps international startups land, launch, and scale in the U.S. With a sharp legal mind and a global business lens, she guides tech founders through venture deals, equity structuring, and market entry with clarity and confidence. Known for translating complex legal hurdles into practical strategy, Svetlana is the go-to advisor for startups ready to play big on the global stage.   LouAnn is the founder of Sagacious Think, an advisory firm helping growth companies with their transformation from global expansion to preparing for IPO/M&A or post-M&A integration. She works closely with company leadership and boards to ensure optimized engagement. A recognized expert in corporate governance, LouAnn is also a published author and global speaker.   This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (Accounting and Advisory professionals), Skidattl, and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact.” Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like Stak Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.   Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.  

On this weeks episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Jean-Philippe "JP" Persico, co-founder at shuckerVC.   JP has over 20 years of experience in business transformation, corporate growth development, and digitalization across various industries including SaaS, e-commerce, and automotive. He is currently a Co-Founder and Managing Partner at shuckerVC, a Bay Area seed fund investing in AI-powered B2B software companies.   Before co-founding shuckerVC, JP was an operator and served as the Head of Strategy and Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) for a major industrial conglomerate. There, he led investments, formed startups, and managed joint ventures. His investments have shown impressive growth, achieving a 25x MOIC (Multiple on Invested Capital) and attracting major VC firms to lead future rounds.   JP's operational experience includes a role as VP of Platform and Business Development at a software platform. In this position, he contributed to a 20x growth in corporate business and optimized operating margins through platform migration.   At shuckerVC, JP leverages his extensive experience in corporate strategy, venture capital, and startup operations to create real value add for their portfolio.   This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (Accounting and Advisory professionals), Skidattl, and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact."   Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.  

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we speak with Jeremiah Owyang, General Partner at Blitzscaling Ventures and Founder of Llama Lounge, and Nathan Beckord, CEO of Foundersuite.com (for startups) and Fundingstack.com (for VCs and i-bankers). Jeremiah is the General Partner leading AI investments in early-stage startups at Blitzscaling Ventures. He’s also the founder of the Llama Lounge AI startup event series and a well-known conference speaker. A longtime Silicon Valley veteran dating back to the Dotcom era, Jeremiah has co-founded multiple technology research firms. Nathan Beckord, CFA, is the Founder and CEO of Foundersuite.com and Fundingstack.com. These are end-to-end platforms for raising capital—designed for startups, VCs, and investment bankers. The platforms offer a database of over 210,000 global investors to build your target list, a “Get Intro” feature to secure warm introductions, a CRM to manage the raise, pitch deck hosting, investor update tools, email marketing capabilities, and a Virtual Data Room to close the deal. Collectively, Foundersuite and Fundingstack have helped users raise over $21 billion in capital worldwide. Previously, Nathan worked at VentureArchetypes in San Francisco and in J.P. Morgan’s private placement group in New York, where he supported startups and VCs in raising capital. He holds an MBA in Entrepreneurship, a B.S.C. in Finance, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). In his free time, he enjoys sailing, traveling, and riding motorcycles. All this and more on Silicon Valley Impact! 🎙️ Follow and listen to all our episodes on: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (Accounting and Advisory Professionals), Skidattl, and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.

🎙️ On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact: The show features Vineet Jain, Managing Partner at Wild Tree Venture. A seasoned entrepreneur and venture capitalist, Vineet is passionate about helping early-stage founders bring their visions to life. Having experienced the ups and downs of launching and growing companies, he understands the challenges of early-stage fundraising. Through Wild Tree Venture and his platform vineet.vc, Vineet shares insights and strategies that have helped over 100 startups raise more than $30 million in seed funding. His mission is to support founders as they tackle big problems with creative solutions and chart bold paths toward a better future. Also featured is Sara Zare, founder and CEO of PodYar, a platform designed to document, structure, and preserve first-hand human knowledge in a world increasingly dominated by AI-generated content. A former global product leader at Google and a multidisciplinary engineer, Sara coined the term “Knowledge Integrity Crisis” to describe the growing erosion of human-authored insight. Her work focuses on preserving lived experiences and expert wisdom by reimagining podcasting as a digital vault for authentic knowledge and storytelling. The episode also highlights Cynthia Abbott Kerr, founder and CEO of WellPay.ai, an AI-powered platform transforming how companies manage compensation. With over 20 years of leadership experience in HR, people analytics, and executive strategy—across both Fortune 500 companies and high-growth startups—Cynthia is a respected voice shaping the future of work. WellPay.ai offers organizations a “compensation team in their pocket,” providing real-time insights, simplifying complex processes, and empowering HR teams to make smart, data-driven decisions. Under Cynthia’s leadership, the platform is quickly becoming the go-to solution for forward-thinking companies striving to build fairer, more effective compensation systems. All this and more on Silicon Valley Impact—where business insight meets startup innovation. 🎧 Listen and subscribe: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact 🙏 A special thanks to our partners — Withum (Accounting & Advisory), Skidattl, and Salesbricks — for their continued support and commitment to our shared mission. Your partnership fuels our growth and amplifies our impact. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult a professional before making any financial or business decisions.  

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we explore how tech founders can future-proof their finances with a strategic lens on tax, growth, and planning. Now, I’ll be honest—I’ve never loved accounting. But as a founder building Silicon Valley Venture, I’ve realized how critical it is to understand the numbers. That’s why I brought in the tax guys—to learn what I didn’t know I needed to know. Today we sit down with the team from Withum, a forward-thinking advisory and accounting firm known for its deep expertise in technology and emerging growth sectors. As innovation accelerates, founders and tech executives face complex tax, planning, and compliance challenges—both personally and professionally. Withum’s dynamic approach goes far beyond traditional accounting, offering strategic insight, personalized tax planning, and a powerful network to help tech leaders stay ahead of the curve. The truth is, growth, fundability, and successful exits all depend on financial clarity. Whether you're raising your first round or planning your next move, knowing your numbers isn’t just helpful—it’s non-negotiable. Joining us are: Tanner Ellis, Business Development Manager, who brings 15 years of leadership to help clients navigate today’s business complexity with confidence. Daniel Krolikowski, CPA and specialist in founder stock, equity compensation, and private client services, offering tailored income tax strategies for high-growth tech leaders. Tony Panico, Partner and leader of Withum’s Founder's Group, with 27+ years of experience in tax compliance and planning for founders, closely held businesses, and high-net-worth individuals. We also dive into timely wealth and tax strategies tech leaders should be thinking about right now: Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS): How to unlock tax-free upside and protect founder gains New tax proposals + TCJA sunset: What founders and execs need to prepare for now Financial planning in volatile times: Why a strong plan—with stress testing—can keep you calm and on track Roth conversions & contributions: Down markets can be opportunity-rich—timing matters Tax return reviews: Using 2024 filings to uncover planning opportunities Wealth transfer strategies: GRATs, asset substitution, and gifting while values are low Refinancing insights: Rates hit lows recently—there could be real savings Equity comp planning: Why now might be a smart time to exercise options 📊 Whether you’re a founder navigating your first exit or a seasoned exec managing complex compensation, this episode is full of insights to help you anticipate what’s next—and act with clarity. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (Accounting and Advisory professionals), Skidattl, and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact."   Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.  

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we speak with Lu Zhang, Founder and Managing Partner of Fusion Fund, and Ben Kromnick, investor, ecosystem builder, venture partner, and Head of Healthcare and Life Sciences at Mercury. Lu is a renowned Silicon Valley-based investor, serial entrepreneur, and Stanford Engineering alumna. With a strong technical background, she has extensive experience bringing a broad range of technologies to commercialization, with deep domain expertise in AI in healthcare, enterprise AI/networks, edge computing, and data privacy. Founded by Lu in 2015, Fusion Fund is dedicated to supporting early-stage entrepreneurs innovating in healthcare, enterprise AI, and industrial automation. With investments in over 90 companies across the U.S. and Canada, Fusion Fund has generated substantial exits over the years. Prior to founding Fusion Fund, Lu was a serial entrepreneur and materials science researcher. Following the successful exit of her startup, she began investing in and supporting early-stage entrepreneurs, which eventually led her to create Fusion Fund. Since then, Lu has built a distinguished ecosystem and established her reputation in the venture capital industry. She has been honored as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum (Davos), named one of Silicon Valley’s Women of Influence, recognized as a Top 25 Female Early-Stage Investor by Business Insider, featured as a VC honoree in Forbes 30 Under 30, and selected as a Town & Country 50 Modern Swans - Entrepreneurship Influencer. Ben is a product and strategy leader with experience building at major organizations and scaling startups across the life sciences, healthtech, fintech, wearables, and AI industries. He loves working at the intersection of major social change and the application of big data and AI to positively impact our world. At Mercury, Ben is building one of the most rich and diverse ecosystems and financial platforms focused on healthcare and life sciences, aiming to accelerate innovation, improve the efficacy of care, and enhance the efficiency of the U.S. healthcare market. He invites you: Tell me about your biggest challenge in healthcare—and let’s get to work! Nothing is more exciting or fulfilling to Ben than enabling a founder with a mission to bring that mission to life and make a lasting impact on the world. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   "Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions."  

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Carl Hinrichsen, Managing Partner, Executive Functions LLC; and Hans Sandhu, Chief Business Officer at TheAgentic. Today we’re talking about Go To Market Strategy from all over the world.   Carl is a global sales and partnerships leader with a track record of scaling businesses at Meta, Amazon, and Bertelsmann. He built Meta’s global reseller program from scratch, expanding its footprint to 40 new countries and creating a scalable playbook for international growth. As the founder of Exec Functions LLC, Carl advises high-growth companies on go-to-market strategy, sales execution, and international partnerships. He also scouts investment opportunities for VCs, acts as an operator and leads sales training programs, including at TechCrunch Disrupt. Carl holds an MBA from NYU Stern and ESADE and is based in San Francisco.   Hans is a true Silicon Valley insider, Hans is a startup veteran with a passion for scaling companies and driving record-breaking sales. Having led multiple startups to acquisition, he holds the highest ARR records at three different venture-backed companies. Now, as an LP in a VC fund, he guides founders through market entry, GTM strategy, and hyper-growth execution.   This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   "Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.”

On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we speak with Alicia Castillo Holley, PhD—an experienced investor, founder, and General Partner of the Wealthing VC Fund; Rachel Stern of GovTech Ventures; and Carl Brown, Global AI for Retail Leader at Supermicro, AI Infrastructure Executive, GTM Strategist, and speaker. Alicia is an experienced investor, entrepreneur, and educator with a strong focus on venture capital and high-impact entrepreneurship. She has invested in over 90 companies and a dozen VC funds, specializing in life sciences, climate, and disruptive technologies. After three decades as an investor, she is developing a disruptive model for venture capital that allows accredited investors and family offices access to highly vetted deals—powered by her proprietary due diligence and post-investment processes. She has lived in several countries, evolving from a biotech scholar to entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. Alicia holds a PhD in Finance and Entrepreneurship from the University of Western Australia, an MBA from Babson College, and a Master of Science and Engineering degree from the Universidad Central de Venezuela. She has played a key role in fostering global entrepreneurial ecosystems and advancing financial literacy programs. Rachel brings over a decade of experience in the GovTech industry, with a background in venture investing, lobbying, operations, fundraising, and strategy. She has worked with companies of all sizes—from Fortune 500s to pre-seed startups—helping them navigate and partner with state and local governments to drive innovation. She is currently raising a venture fund focused on investing in and supporting early-stage companies serving the public sector. Carl is a dynamic sales and business development executive with over 20 years of experience driving growth at the intersection of innovation and scale. Currently serving as Supermicro’s Global AI for Retail Leader, he plays a pivotal role in helping some of the world’s largest enterprises navigate AI transformation with speed, power, and purpose. Carl has led creative deal-making efforts that have generated over half a billion dollars in AI platform infrastructure sales, contributing to billions in market cap growth for Supermicro. His work spans AI Neocloud providers, global financial institutions, healthcare and life sciences, next-gen 5G edge, and the media & entertainment sector—equipping organizations with the infrastructure and strategy to turn cutting-edge AI into real-world impact. A passionate advocate for partnership-led growth, Carl has worked with some of the most innovative AI startups and strategic ecosystem players, driving LLM go-to-market strategies, hyperscale deployments, and industry-first AI use cases. He believes that technology alone isn’t enough—real transformation happens through people, purpose, and partnership. Known for his authentic, team-first leadership style, he brings clarity, creativity, and a touch of humor to every room he enters, whether guiding CxOs through complex AI planning or speaking on global stages. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   "Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.”  

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Kayvan Baroumand, Founder and President of SignalRank;  Rich Larsen, Founder and CEO of bSafe Technology Inc.;  Shannon Riordan, Founder & CEO of Brand Story; and finally, special guest, Reza Kazemipour, Founder and CEO of Sixth Ring. This episode, and all new episodes, drop Tuesdays at 12pm. Be sure to follow for notifications about new and impactful interviews like this one!   🎙️Kayvan is a globally recognized leader in entrepreneurship, innovation, and venture strategy. As Founder of SignalRank, he specializes in seed and venture fund management, helping investors deploy capital into high-performing startups. He previously launched two of Silicon Valley’s top incubators and accelerators and created Total Innovation Management™, a corporate innovation framework combining Lean Startup and Total Quality Management to help large enterprises build and launch new ventures.   Kayvan is the Founder and Board Member of Innowise, a global innovation platform connecting startups, corporations, universities, and governments to solve critical challenges.  He also leads Global Tech Venture, where he has developed innovation programs for organizations such as Intel, Sony, Tata Communications, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Fraunhofer Institute. With a deep commitment to customer-centric growth, Kayvan has advised dozens of startups and multinational organizations, establishing himself as a key connector across the global innovation ecosystem.   🎙️Rich is the Founder and CEO of bSafe Technology Inc., a personal safety company using cutting-edge technology to prevent emergencies and protect lives. A mission-driven serial entrepreneur, Rich developed bSafe in response to a traumatic incident involving his daughter—an experience that fuels his unwavering commitment to safety innovation.   Under his leadership, bSafe has introduced features like voice-activated SOS alerts, real-time GPS tracking, and live audio/video streaming with automatic recording. These tools have earned global recognition for their role in advancing safety and security through SaaS technology. Rich is also known for his expertise in emergency management and has been featured by ABC News, Fox, and the BBC for his pioneering work in personal safety. Now focused on scaling bSafe across the U.S., he is growing teams in Silicon Valley and San Francisco to bring his vision to more people nationwide.   🎙️Shannon Riordan is a brand strategist and creative visionary with over 20 years of experience building clear, compelling brand foundations. She’s the founder of Brand Story Machine—a streamlined solution that distills decades of high-level branding expertise into one powerful strategic package. Designed for startups short on time and resources but hungry to stand out, it combines the speed of AI with the irreplaceable insight of human strategy. Shannon’s approach blends classic brand thinking with smart technology, enabling early-stage companies to articulate their brand platform and messaging quickly and efficiently.  Her brand experience spans global Fortune 500s, startups, and agencies.  With Brand Story Machine, she’s making world-class branding radically more accessible.   🎙️Reza Kazemipour is a seasoned executive, investor, and founder with over 20 years of global experience across startups, venture capital, and corporate leadership. A U.S. Navy-trained strategist, Reza brings disciplined execution, deep operational expertise, and forward-thinking vision to every venture he touches.He is the Founder and CEO of Sixth Ring, the world’s first Gen AI wellness platform powered by Olympic-level performance data. Combining advanced AI with elite training insights, the platform delivers personalized health and fitness strategies for individuals of all levels.   Reza also serves as Managing Director at 1792 Partners, advising and investing in early and growth-stage companies in HealthTech, Fintech, and IoT, with a focus on AI, blockchain, and global scale. He is the Interim CRO at Impli, a cutting-edge biosensor company, and sits on multiple boards including ThingLogix, Personal GOLD, and HyperloopTT. He is also an advisor at Relay Ventures. Renowned for building high-performing teams and guiding companies from concept to capital, Reza actively mentors founders across global accelerator programs. He is equally passionate about human performance—applying the same energy and discipline from his personal pursuits as a runner and health enthusiast to his business and advisory work.   This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact "Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.”  

On this weeks episode of Silicon Valley Impact we’re speaking with Rohan Brown, Founder of Pitch Mayhem; and Bill Barry, CEO of IgniteGTM. This episode, and all new episodes, drop Tuesdays at 12pm. Be sure to follow for notifications about new and impactful interviews like this one!   Rohan is the founder of Pitch Mayhem, a dynamic pitch tournament fueling Nevada’s rise as a tech hub. Rohan is building global tech ecosystems that support early-stage startups and drive investor dealflow. He is a La Salle University alum, former collegiate athlete. After beginning his career at SEI Investments, he transitioned into tech and entrepreneurship, competing in high-profile startup showcases like the MIT Sports Analytics Conference, Silicon Dragon @ Nasdaq, and winning twice on Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch. Listen in as he describes how he took his experience competing at a national level and transitioned it into startup success.    Bill is a technology strategist and AI infrastructure expert with a proven track record in data center architecture, high-performance computing (HPC), and go-to-market (GTM) execution. With decades of experience driving innovation across Silicon Valley’s deep-tech ecosystem, he specializes in bridging cutting-edge technology with scalable business strategy.   Bill’s expertise spans AI/ML infrastructure, cloud and edge computing, and hardware-software integration, enabling organizations to optimize technical adoption and accelerate market penetration. As a trusted advisor, he works with enterprises to refine GTM strategies, streamline adoption cycles, and position next-gen technologies for impact. Whether architecting next-gen AI infrastructure or driving deep-tech commercialization, Bill is passionate about helping businesses navigate complexity, scale effectively, and execute with clarity.   This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   "Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.”  

On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we speak with Colin Behring, Founder & CEO of Behring Companies and Founder of Stak Ventures; Harbir Kaur Bhatia, CEO at the Silicon Valley Central Chamber of Commerce; and Wala Kasmi, CEO of ClassX. Colin Behring is a visionary real estate developer, investor, and technologist redefining the intersection of property and innovation. As the Founder and CEO of Behring Companies, he has led over $3 billion in investments across real estate, private equity, and EB-5 financing. Through Stak Ventures, Colin is pioneering “Full Stack Real Estate”—a platform that integrates housing, office, mobility, and lifestyle into seamless, tech-enabled live-work-play-go ecosystems. The first prototype is located at 1900 Broadway in Downtown Oakland, above the 19th Street BART Station. With over two decades of international experience, including his start at Morgan Stanley Properties in Shanghai, Colin blends deep knowledge of capital markets, PropTech, and urban innovation. He frequently speaks on AI, automation, and the future of employer-provided housing, offering insights on how real estate can become a powerful tool for economic opportunity and talent strategy. Harbir Kaur Bhatia is a civic entrepreneur and community leader, currently serving as CEO of the Silicon Valley Central Chamber of Commerce. With a background in electrical engineering and a Master’s in Engineering Management from Santa Clara University, Harbir brings experience in high tech, entrepreneurship, community development, and media. A passionate advocate for inclusive progress, she has led numerous initiatives in sustainability, public-private collaboration, and global crisis relief. Her leadership has earned her significant honors, including the civilian Medal of Honor from Kharkiv, Ukraine, and the Carle G Orne World Peace and Understanding Award. Before her CEO role, Harbir served on the Chamber’s board and has been active in multiple community organizations such as Sister Cities International and the Santa Clara Rotary. Her philosophy centers on creating bridges between communities and advancing collective impact—living her motto, “be a tide that raises all boats.” Wala Kasmi is a multi-awarded tech entrepreneur committed to transforming education through innovation. As CEO and founder of ClassX, she’s developed a first-of-its-kind platform connecting instructors, venues, and learners to power local skill-building communities. With a background in computer science engineering and recognition from institutions like the French Presidency and Orange Telecom, Wala’s work bridges the worlds of technology and education. Through her previous venture, WeCode Startup, she trained thousands of students and professionals worldwide. Her collaborations include global organizations such as Google, the UN Migration Agency, and the International Labor Organization. Focused on creating scalable, tech-enabled learning ecosystems, Wala continues to drive impact through partnerships that expand access to education and economic opportunity. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact "Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.”  

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with David Hefner, AI Champion for Investments - Private and Public at Blackrock; Jessie Zaylia, Founder and CEO of twrk. Inc, and Sheryl Anjanette, Founder and CEO of Parsley360.   David is an AI enthusiast with over 20 years experience at BlackRock. His focus is on internal AI strategy across public and private markets investing, applying AI to make better investment decisions. David’s background includes studying AI at Columbia and building NLP solutions for investing over the past 5 years. He believes the best way to drive AI adoption is through engagement. As such, David put together a weekly AI newsletter for his firm that keeps them all informed on what’s happening in this amazingly fast moving space. To stay connected he regularly attends local AI events and meets with numerous startups. He believes this is an exciting journey and we are only at the beginning!   Jessie Zaylía is the Founder and CEO of twrk, inc., which is a startup in the job-search landscape that matches job seekers and recruiters through AI and swipe technology (think: Tinder for jobs). She is also an attorney, artist, and author.   As the CEO of twrk, she is most excited to lead the team toward giving the job-search landscape a much-needed technological kick in the pants. With a background in driving products, projects, and operations, Jessie’s been able to grow companies as well as create internal and external efficiencies. At Hanna Brophy, she doubled the Los Angeles office’s revenue during her first year managing it, headed a $5.2M proprietary SaaS-based IT overhaul that improved the firm’s productivity and client service, and completed multiple other projects to grow the business.    Sheryl Anjanette is a TEDx and keynote speaker, bestselling author, and the founder and CEO of Parsley360 (Parsley™), a human centered, AI-enabled performance optimization system for businesses with universal access to an emotionally intelligent, empathetic pocket coach. Parsley provides companies with a unified platform to understand the unique nuances of each organization and individual.  Sheryl’s professional journey spanning three decades of experience in leadership, marketing, and performance optimization led her to seek a holistic solution that could benefit all organizations and the stakeholders that empower their success.    In her TEDx, “How Empathetic AI Can Change the World,” she shares her vision of how we can reconnect to each other when we embed empathy into the very code of our creations. Her insights as the best-selling author of "The Imposter Lies Within," a roadmap to living an imposter-free life, reflect her ability to translate complex concepts into actionable strategies.    This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!   Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   "Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.”  

This week we dive deep into venture capital, alternative investments, and the art of scaling startups with three powerhouse guests: 🔹 Maximillian Diez – General Partner at Twenty Five Ventures 🔹 Ralph (Cash) Lafferty – CEO of PandoAlts 🔹 Hans Sandhu – Chief Business Officer at TheAgentic and my co-host Meet the Guests: 💡 Maximillian Diez Before founding Twenty Five Ventures, Maximillian played a pivotal role in transforming real estate tech. As Vice President of Real Estate Operations at Movoto Holdings (acquired by OjO Labs), he built a technology-enabled brokerage model, scaling the business an astonishing 41x in just four years. He was also part of the executive team that led a management buyout, turning the company profitable before its acquisition. His career includes leadership roles at UpNest.com (acquired by Realtor.com/News Corp) and being an early key player at Redfin (NASDAQ: RDFN), where he helped establish the California market. With deep expertise in both investing and scaling businesses, Maximillian started his career in finance with Franklin-Templeton before managing a family office at the Zief Family Foundation. 💡 Ralph (Cash) Lafferty As Founder and CEO of PandoAlts, Cash is revolutionizing alternative investments with a B2B open network that seamlessly connects wealth managers and market participants. With over 20 years in financial services, his expertise lies in integrating cutting-edge technology—AI, cloud computing, and digital assets—to transform the industry. His mission? To simplify and democratize access to alternative investments. 💡 Hans Sandhu A true Silicon Valley insider, Hans is a startup veteran with a passion for scaling companies and driving record-breaking sales. Having led multiple startups to acquisition, he holds the highest ARR records at three different venture-backed companies. Now, as an LP in a VC fund, he guides founders through market entry, GTM strategy, and hyper-growth execution. 🚀 All this and more on Silicon Valley Impact! 🎧 Listen & Follow: Spotify: 🎙️ Silicon Valley Impact Apple Podcasts: 🍎 Listen Here YouTube: 📺 Watch Now 🔹 Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Always consult a professional before making financial or business decisions.

In this episode, we are joined by AJ Thomas, founder of Good Trouble Ventures, as co-host. Together, we dive into insightful conversations with Isabelle Johannessen, head of the Startup Battlefield Program at TechCrunch, and Michelle Florendo, a Stanford University educated decision engineer and executive coach. Meet Our Guests: 🔹 Isabelle Johannessen leads TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield Program, the premier early-stage startup competition. She’s on a global search for the most innovative startups to feature at TechCrunch Disrupt (October 27–29), where 200 selected companies will compete for a $100,000 equity-free prize, media exposure, investor attention, and the coveted Disrupt Cup. Before TechCrunch, Isabelle managed a San Francisco-based accelerator, helping international startups from Japan, South Korea, Italy, and Spain break into Silicon Valley. Passionate about supporting women founders, she was recognized by the World Trade Organization for launching an award-winning program advancing gender equality in trade. 🔹 Michelle Florendo is a decision engineer and executive coach who has spent over a decade helping leaders across tech, healthcare, and finance navigate complex decisions with clarity and confidence. She has worked with executives from Amazon, Google, and Salesforce, teaches at Stanford, and serves as a faculty coach at the Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute. She also hosts the podcast Ask a Decision Engineer and holds degrees from Stanford (Engineering) and UC Berkeley (MBA). 🔹 AJ Thomas, my co-host for this episode, is a visionary investor and futurist specializing in AI-driven workforce transformation. As the CEO of The Troublemaker Lab and founder of Good Trouble Ventures, she empowers founders and invests in the future of entertainment and digital transformation. Formerly at Google X, AJ now serves as CXO-in-Residence at A.Team, helping companies integrate AI for growth. She is also a Forbes contributor, executive coach, and speaker, advising both startups and Fortune 100 companies on innovation and disruption. Tune in for a conversation packed with insights on startup acceleration, decision-making strategies, and the future of AI and entrepreneurship. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact "Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.”  

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Jessica Karr, Founder & Managing Director of Coyote Ventures; and Genevieve LeMarchal, Managing Partner of Suncoast Ventures.   Jessica is passionate about innovation that drives positive change in human health, equality, and our relationship to the earth. She worked for 6+ years designing and launching the Impossible burger as the 12th employee. Jessica has advised and consulted over a dozen companies internationally on product strategies. Jessica is an angel investor, LP, and formerly worked as Principal at a celebrity’s venture fund. She launched Coyote Ventures is 2021 to address the opportunities in health and wellness that has been historically marginalized. She can often be found swimming in the SF Bay and walking her Pom rescue, Angie.   Prior to Suncoast Genevieve  launched and ran Expert Dojo’s healthcare program and ran 3 full cohorts of health tech and medtech companies, becoming one of the most prolific early stage VC investors in Southern California (Crunchbase, 2022) and winner of the 2022 Biocom Life Science Catalyst Award. She is passionate about entrepreneurs, and advising an mentoring founders. She loves to innovate financial models and find better ways to structure and fund companies and do deals.    She previously served as Partner at a science focused advisory and fund in formation, was a General Partner at  a small Oregon-based VC Fund, and she is co-founder of the Pacific NW based organization, XXcelerate. She is the host of the AdVentureous Podcast and often writes and delivers talks, keynotes and training to entrepreneurs and investors about venture capital and entrepreneurship, impact and equity investing and more.  She is a Pacific Northwest native and now resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.   This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact "Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.”  

On this weeks episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Paul Ratner, Vice President of Sales at Marble Bridge Funding Group; Tony Zirnoon, Director of Channel & Strategic Partnerships. ISV, OEMs - Americas, and Ignite portfolio manager for their fund of funds; and Daniel Donaldson, Co-Founder of Eve Vehicles.   Paul Ratner is the Vice President of Sales at Marble Bridge Funding Group, where he helps small business owners navigate liquidity challenges with strategic financing solutions. Specializing in Accounts Receivable lines of credit, Purchase Order, and Contract Financing, Paul is committed to empowering businesses with the financial tools they need to scale and succeed.   With nearly two decades of experience in B2B sales and a background in the sports industry—including leadership roles with the Golden State Warriors and PGA TOUR—Paul brings a deep understanding of relationship-building, problem-solving, and customer-centric strategies. His career has been built on finding creative solutions that drive growth for businesses across industries.   Beyond his work in finance, Paul is an active business coach, advisor, and non-profit board member. As a former Adjunct Professor at the University of San Francisco’s Sport Management Graduate Program, he guided students in overcoming the negative stigma around sales while helping them develop essential skills in public speaking, personal branding, social media, and networking.   Known for his transparent and service-driven approach, Paul excels at building community, fostering meaningful connections, and providing value-first solutions. His passion lies in helping individuals and businesses achieve their highest potential, making him a trusted partner in both professional and personal growth.   Tony is a cybersecurity and IT leader with over 25 years of experience in strategic partnerships, venture investment, and business development. As the Founder of Human Capital Ventures Corp, he has raised over $7M for early-stage startups in cybersecurity, AI, telemedicine, and enterprise SaaS, leading multiple companies to successful exits, including Avid Secure (acquired by Sophos) and SecureCircle (acquired by CrowdStrike). His investment approach prioritizes predictive innovation and diversification, targeting a 20–30% IRR.   Currently heading Strategic Partnerships & Alliances for the Americas at Actian (HCL Software), Tony drives enterprise growth by helping organizations streamline data integration, enhance analytics, and accelerate AI/LLM adoption. His expertise spans GTM strategy, channel development across LATAM and Japan, and strategic collaborations with industry giants such as Microsoft, AWS, Cisco, and Palo Alto Networks.   An active investor and advisor, Tony has supported and scaled security startups like Seclytics, DuploCloud, InstaSecure.ai, and Accuknox. He is also a founding member of the Tortora Brayda Institute and the National AI & Cybersecurity ISAO, reinforcing his commitment to advancing cybersecurity resilience from SMBs to critical infrastructure.   Daniel has eight years of experience in SaaS customer success and govtech sales, he has a proven track record of driving growth and innovation. He began his career implementing enterprise resource planning solutions for the State of Texas, gaining deep expertise in public sector technology. More recently, he played a key role in scaling sales at Gel Blaster, a well-known toy company, growing monthly sales from 500 to 50,000 units. Passionate about leveraging technology to support first responders, Daniel focuses on the market implications of real-time, on-demand data and its potential to transform emergency response.   This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! New episode drops at 12pm PST every Tuesday. Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on:   🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact   "Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.”