Geeks Of The Valley

In Episode #112 of Geeks of the Valley, we sit down with Ivan Casadevall, the CEO of ARYADUTA's Hotel Group, a leading Indonesian hospitality group and one of the most trusted brands in the region. Today, our portfolio features 10 upscale hotels and resorts strategically located across Indonesia, alongside 5 leisure units. We are currently expanding aggressively, with an exciting pipeline that includes 2 luxury hotels in Jakarta and 2 resorts in iconic destinations such as Ubud and Labuan Bajo, with additional land banks ready for development over the next 3 to 5 years.Ivan shares lessons from his global journey, from managing resorts in Vietnam and Bali to developing partnerships with global icons like Trump Hotels, Hyatt, and IMG. Whether you're a founder, operator, or curious traveler, this episode is packed with wisdom.

Join us for an insightful conversation with Aly Madhavji, Managing Partner at Blockchain Founders Fund, as we explore the significance of transparency in venture capital and its impact on Web3 ecosystems. Aly, recognized globally as a leader in blockchain innovation, shares his approach to investment, venture building, and go-to-market strategies across the USA, APAC, MENA, and EU regions. Discover how Blockchain Founders Fund nurtures digital assets and emerging technologies, fostering a culture of transparency and sustainable growth. Aly's extensive background, including roles with INSEAD, UN initiatives, and NASDAQ-listed Soluna Holdings, offers a unique perspective on navigating the evolving landscape of digital finance and venture funding. This episode is essential for founders, investors, and anyone passionate about ethical innovation and Web3's transformative potential.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alymadhavjiWebsite: https://www.blockchainff.com/

In this episode, we sit down with Bam Azizi, the CEO and Co-Founder of Mesh—a fintech infrastructure company revolutionizing how businesses and users interact with financial systems through embedded crypto and stablecoin solution with 300+ integrations today. Mesh empowers developers to seamlessly enable read, write, and transfer functionality within their applications. They recently closed an $82M Series B round, primarily settled in stablecoins, reflecting the company's core mission of making digital money programmable and practical.Before Mesh, Bam Azizi co-founded NoPassword, a pioneering identity company acquired by LogMeIn, where he later served as Director. He brings over a decade of experience in software architecture, cybersecurity, and AI, including roles at Infineon Technologies and Robotic Research Labs. A visiting researcher at Johns Hopkins University and PhD holder from Technical University of Munich, Bamizi combines deep technical expertise with visionary entrepreneurship.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bam-azizi-54117310aMesh LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/meshconnectapi/Website: https://www.meshconnect.com/

Today, we're excited to welcome Colin, a seasoned clinician with 27 years of experience revolutionizing physiotherapy through personalized treatment plans. Guided by the belief that “every body is unique, therefore every physio treatment plan should be unique,” Colin emphasizes the vital role of the nervous system in pain management and functional movement.With a Bachelor's in Physical Therapy, an MHS in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy, and a Fellowship in Applied Functional Science, Colin's expertise in movement therapy has shaped his innovative approach to care. He advocates for combining manual therapy with personalized exercise strategies to achieve long-lasting results.Join us as we dive into Colin's philosophy, his integration of the nervous system in rehabilitation, and how he's redefining recovery and wellness in modern healthcare.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-symmonds-416a3a14/

John Sharp is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Hatcher+, a venture firm pioneering data-driven investment strategies. With a distinguished career spanning leadership, technology, and venture capital, he has played a pivotal role in transforming the investment landscape.Previously, John served as CEO of Authentium, where he co-authored three U.S. patents and developed cybersecurity solutions for global organizations like NASA, Google, and Microsoft. His leadership experience also includes serving as Managing Director, Asia, at WorldSpace and as CEO of Hatcher, the predecessor to Hatcher+.An accomplished entrepreneur and technologist, John has successfully raised capital worldwide, driven innovation, and developed advanced investment platforms. As CTO at Hatcher+, he continues to shape the future of venture investing. In addition to his executive roles, he has been a board member and advisor to pioneering companies like Telr and ThoughtRiver, contributing his expertise to their growth and success.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsharp1/?originalSubdomain=sg

Teddy Himler brings over 15 years of global experience at leading institutions, including Goldman Sachs, SoftBank, Comcast Ventures, and Antler, to his role at Optimist Ventures.Throughout his career, Teddy has cultivated deep expertise in global technology trends, innovative business models, and firm-building, with a focus on sectors such as artificial intelligence, insurance, healthcare, and industrial automation.At Antler, Teddy served as a partner, where he played a key role in the firm's growth, helping it become the world's most active early-stage venture capital firm by deal count.Prior to Antler, Teddy was instrumental in scaling SoftBank's operations in both the U.S. and Southeast Asia. In 2018, he launched SoftBank Group International's first New York City office, where he managed assets outside of SoftBank's Vision Fund, including Arm, Sprint, Boston Dynamics, and Brightstar. Earlier, as SoftBank Capital's first West Coast hire, Teddy served as Vice President, spearheading its Southeast Asia strategy from Jakarta while collaborating with partners like Alibaba.From 2018 to 2021, Teddy was a Principal at Comcast Ventures in New York, where he focused on investments in consumer internet, robotics, fintech (including insurtech and crypto), and other emerging technologies as part of Comcast's corporate venture capital platform.Teddy began his career at Goldman Sachs as an investment banking analyst in the Technology, Media & Telecom group in San Francisco. He holds a B.A. in Government and Economics from Harvard University.Over the years, Teddy has backed five unicorns at the seed or Series A stages and has been a deal team leader or member in numerous landmark investments, including Kabbage, Fitbit, Dialpad, BigCommerce, Grab, Tokopedia, Cheddar, Acorns, Hippo, Blockdaemon, Madison Reed, Blockchange, ABL Space, KeyMe, Arm, Boston Dynamics, SoftBank Robotics, Sprint, Cybereason, Zola, SoFi, Airspan, OneWeb, Kindbody, Berkshire Grey, Lemonade, Brightstar, Airalo, Earlytrade, Folio, Ora Health, Endless Health, and Inshur.Teddy's career reflects a track record of identifying transformative technologies and building global ventures, making him a key figure in the venture capital ecosystem.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teddy-himler-84674719/

In this engaging episode we welcome Saurabh Jain, Executive Chairman of Opyl Ltd, to delve into how artificial intelligence is driving transformative changes in the healthcare and biotech sectors. With a career marked by pioneering tech startups and forward-thinking healthcare innovations, Saurabh provides a compelling perspective on the evolving role of AI in global health. Saurabh Jain is a seasoned leader in technology and healthcare, currently serving as the Executive Chairman of Opyl (ASX: OPL), a company pioneering AI-driven solutions for clinical trials. Appointed to this role on April 30, 2024, Saurabh spearheads Opyl's mission to transform clinical trials through advanced AI technologies. His leadership has been instrumental in fostering innovation and accelerating the global adoption of AI solutions in the healthcare sector. Throughout his extensive 25-year career, Saurabh has held various senior executive positions, including CEO and Executive Director roles. His experience includes founding Netpro Express, an internet service provider later acquired by Telstra, and serving on multiple ASX boards and private companies. Known for his entrepreneurial acumen and vision, Saurabh has consistently driven transformative change and fostered business growth across industries. His current focus is on expanding Opyl's global footprint while enhancing the commercialization of its innovative AI solutions. Saurabh holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Software Engineering), an Executive Master of Business Administration, and a Master of Business Technology from the Australian Graduate School of Management, UNSW. Under his guidance, Opyl has engaged in strategic partnerships, participated in high-profile industry events, and expanded its influence in both the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/saurabhjain10 Website: ⁠https://opyl.ai Twitter: https://x.com/OpylAI

Warwick Pearmund leads Madison Pearl's Hong Kong operations, specializing in sourcing top-tier talent across a wide array of disciplines, including financial technology, quantitative and systematic finance, payments, digital strategy, insurtech, data science, analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, blockchain, and cybersecurity. Prior to his career in recruitment, Warwick worked as an equities trader and sales trader in both the UK and Asia. With extensive experience across the APAC region—on both the client side and in recruitment—he has cultivated a robust network of professionals across banks, insurers, global consulting firms, and technology companies. While his primary geographic focus is Hong Kong and China, Warwick also undertakes global mandates for senior executive roles. Having relocated to Asia in 2006 with Jefferies investment bank, Warwick spent several years in Tokyo before moving to Hong Kong with his family in 2011—a city he proudly calls home. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Studies from Cass Business School, City University of London. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/warwick-pearmund-7023a377/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

In this episode, we welcome John Sleeting, Executive Partner at Clearwater Capital Partners and host of the podcast Entrepreneurial Legacies. We dive deep into the challenges and opportunities unique to entrepreneurial families, exploring topics such as pre-liquidity event planning, intergenerational wealth transfer, and the role of family offices in navigating global markets. John Sleeting is an Executive Partner at Clearwater Capital Partners (CCP) and Managing Partner of Clearwater Capital's Family Office Practice. With over thirty years of finance and capital markets experience, John is uniquely positioned to serve a select group of successful ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families in the development and integration of estate and financial planning strategies, investment portfolio management, estate and wealth transfer strategies, strategic philanthropy and administration, cash-flow planning, risk management insurance solution structuring, as well as family governance and education.    John strives to serve as a client's “Family Chief Financial Officer” to facilitate inter-generational wealth management strategy creation and implementation. John received his Certificate in Financial Management for the Family Office (CFMFO) through Pepperdine University, was a Charter Member of the Family Office Club, and is Clearwater Capital's Leader within the nationally recognized Family Office organization the Family Wealth Alliance (FWA).   John holds a B.S. in Management with Honors from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and an MBA in Finance from the University of Maryland. His professional development includes programs at Yale University and GE's Executive Management and Advanced Financial Management courses.  John serves as Chairman of a Family Holding Company Board, Director for two Private Grant-making Family Foundations, a Private Operating Foundation, Clearwater Capital Partners Board of Directors, and the Clearwater Capital Foundation.   Clearwater Capital Partners is an independent wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients across the U.S. With a focus on professionalism and sophisticated advice, the firm is dedicated to helping clients navigate the complexities of financial decisions in an ever-changing world.   Learn more about John W. Sleeting here  Connect with John W. Sleeting on LinkedIn  Learn more about Clearwater Capital Partners here  This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be regarded as personalized investment advice or relied upon for investment decisions and is not intended to provide legal or tax advice. John Sleeting is an employee of Clearwater Capital Partners. All opinions expressed by participants are solely their own opinion and do not reflect the opinion of Clearwater Capital Partners. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

Ever wondered how small indie studios become global game changers? Jason Della Rocca—game industry entrepreneur, funding advisor, and co-founder of Execution Labs—shares his extensive experience in transforming the game industry. He provides unique insights into pitching, funding, and ecosystem development, offering a glimpse into what it takes to thrive in the competitive game industry. Jason Della Rocca is a game industry entrepreneur, funding advisor, and cluster expert. He specializes in business/partnership development, pitching/funding, and ecosystem/cluster development. As the co-founder of Executions Labs, he was a hands-on early-stage investor to over 20 independent game studios from North America and Europe. Between 2000-09 he served as the executive director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), and was honored for his industry-building efforts with the inaugural Ambassador Award at the Game Developers Conference. In 2009, Jason was named to Game Developer Magazine's “Power50,” a list which profiles 50 of the most important contributors to the state of the game industry. As a sought-after expert on the game industry, Jason has lectured at conferences and universities worldwide. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasondellarocca/ Website: https://www.executionlabs.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

Osvaldo Giménez serves as the President of Fintech at Mercado Libre, and is also the CEO of Mercado Pago, its financial services division. Osvaldo shares his journey, the challenges of building fintech solutions for diverse markets, and the strategies that have made MercadoLibre Latin America's largest e-commerce powerhouse, Mercado Pago is Mercado Libre's financial services unit accounting for over 50M active users and over $50B in transaction volume, where he oversees the business strategy, including product development and promotion. Mr. Giménez joined Mercado Pago in 2004 and became President in 2020. Osvaldo was previously Country Manager for Mercado Libre in Argentina and was responsible for launching the digital trading platform in Chile, Uruguay and Peru following the firm's IPO. Before joining Mercado Libre, Giménez was an associate consultant at Booz Allen and Hamilton and worked in the fixed income department at Santander in New York. Giménez graduated with a degree in industrial engineering from ITBA (Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires) and holds an M.B.A. from Stanford University. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/osvaldogimenez/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mercadolibre --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

In this episode, we sit down with Russell Palmer, CEO & Co-Founder of CyberFilm AI and the co-creator of the first and leading Generative AI app for screenwriters and filmmakers called SAGA (⁠WriteOnSaga.com⁠). We explore how Generative AI is transforming the world of filmmaking. Russell shares his journey from his engineering and product management roots at Microsoft and JPMorgan to co-creating the first AI app tailored for screenwriters and filmmakers. He has a background in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, and has worked for the last 15 years as a Product Manager at companies like Microsoft, Samsung's AI Lab “Viv Labs”, and JPMorgan's Palo Alto AI Lab. He founded the company with his brother Andrew, an accomplished Hollywood filmmaker and indie writer / screenwriter / actor / director / producer, who has worked on shows including “Suits” and “The Boys” out of Toronto where he also runs an award-winning Production Company “Synapz Productions”.  Russell and Andrew have been building SAGA since 2021 to democratize Hollywood film production, enabling people to make more of their best work faster, and break in to Hollywood career with a portfolio of films they can create on indie budgets with small teams that look like Hollywood productions --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

Rick is the CEO of Illumination International, a family office based between the US and Asia. He is a seasoned investor specializing in distressed consumer assets, with an impressive track record of managing a diversified portfolio of over six businesses. His expertise extends into the real estate sector, where he has successfully developed and constructed multi-family residential complexes in the Midwest. Rick is also recognized for his strategic procurement abilities and commodity specialization, further enhanced by his high-level political connections. Rick graduated from Purdue University, where he studied Business Administration and Management. He furthered his education by earning a master's degree in Entrepreneurship from the University of Southampton Business School. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iyang-li-3b54a9a0/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

Craig S. Smith, born on October 13, 1955, in Spokane, Washington, is an American journalist and former executive at The New York Times. Until January 2000, he wrote for The Wall Street Journal, notably covering the rise of the Falun Gong movement in China. In 2000, he joined The New York Times as the Shanghai bureau chief, reporting extensively on the practice of harvesting organs from executed prisoners in China. In 2002, Smith moved to Paris and reported from over forty countries, including Iraq, Israel, and Kyrgyzstan. He covered significant conflicts such as the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, the 2003 Iraq War, and the 2006 Israeli-Lebanese War, as well as the 2005 unrest in the French banlieues. In 2008, he became the executive editor of a financial news venture by Hong Kong billionaire Richard Li Tzar Kai and later served as senior vice president of Li's Pacific Century Group. Smith returned to The New York Times in late 2011 as China managing director, where he founded and ran their first foreign language site, cn.nytimes.com. In late 2016, he came back to the U.S. as a writer at large for the Times, focusing on Canadian stories, before retiring in 2018. He now writes about artificial intelligence for the Times and other publications. Additionally, he served as a special government employee for the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence and hosts the podcast "Eye on AI," which is ranked number 2 among AI-related podcasts by Feedspot. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-s-smith-58680010/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

Dr. Seth Dobrin is the founder and CEO of Qantm AI, a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) with over two decades of experience driving innovation in the tech space. Formerly IBM's inaugural Global Chief AI Officer, Dr. Dobrin has made significant contributions in developing human-centered AI strategies that drive business modernization and data-driven insights. His work has been recognized globally, earning accolades such as AIConics Innovator of the Year and a spot among the Top 10 Most Influential Chief AI Officers in 2023. Dr. Dobrin's multidisciplinary background, including a Doctorate in Molecular and Cellular Biology, allows him to integrate AI, data, and business transformation seamlessly. A vocal advocate for responsible and inclusive AI, Dr. Dobrin continues to be a thought leader at major technology conferences, and his work has been featured in outlets like BBC, Forbes, and NPR. Tune in to learn how AI is reshaping industries and what the future holds for this groundbreaking technology. Website: https://qantm.consulting/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdobrin/ Substack: https://siliconsandstudio.substack.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

Eric Davich is the Founder and CEO of Jammy, a mental health coaching app with music committed to enhancing the emotional well-being of young adults. Prior to Jammy, he co-founded Songza, later acquired by Google, and was an early team member of Amie Street, acquired by Amazon. During his 8.5 years at Google, he led various partnership marketing functions for Android, YouTube Subscriptions, and Google Play. His depth in music, mindfulness, and mental health comes from a lifelong practice in emotional regulation through music, meditation, studying mindfulness, and facilitating Google's 'Fundamentals of Mindfulness' course. Recognized in Forbes '30 Under 30,' Davich's blend of technological expertise, entertainment experience, and mindfulness knowledge uniquely equip him to drive innovations in mental health technology. Website: http://jammy.chat Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericdavich/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

John Patrick Mullin is a Hong Kong-based entrepreneur and builder, specializing in DeFi, blockchain technology, digital assets, and Web3. He is the CEO and co-founder of MANTRA and SOMA.finance, with over 10 years of experience in crypto and digital asset investment. John's journey began with Bitcoin in 2013 while studying International Business at SLU-Madrid. He later earned dual Master's Degrees in Management and Economics, working as a senior research analyst at a prominent Chinese State-Owned bank. Inspired by his passion for FinTech, John left his banking job to co-found a crypto exchange project in Hong Kong. Although it was ahead of its time, this endeavor solidified his desire to be an entrepreneur. He went on to establish MANTRA, a Layer 1 blockchain for RWA tokenization, and SOMA.finance, a US-regulated decentralized finance application. John has raised substantial funding for these ventures and has spoken at leading universities worldwide. He enjoys sports, travel, and connecting with motivated individuals. John is happily married and shares his life with two furry companions. Follow him on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/jp_mullin888. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-patrick-mullin/ Twitter: https://x.com/jp_mullin888 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

Nitin Mahajan, a visionary in the tech industry, is actively transforming the tech universe one company at a time while currently building 88 Ventures to achieve unprecedented success. Recognizing the transformative power of AI, Nitin is passionate about ensuring its widespread adoption in a way that positively impacts lives and maximizes its reach to the masses. 88 Ventures serves as the culmination of Nitin's unwavering dedication, extensive knowledge, and far-reaching vision. Through this venture, he envisions unlocking new opportunities and fostering meaningful connections in the professional world by embracing the potential of technology. In addition to his role at 88 Ventures, Nitin has also embraced the role of an Angel Investor, supporting individuals with grand ambitions and empowering them to bring their unique visions to life. His mission is to uplift those whose aspirations may go unnoticed by others. If you share Nitin's values and are driven to build profitable bootstrap businesses while making a positive impact, he is here to guide you on your journey. Reach out to Nitin, and rest assured that you will connect with someone who understands your vision and is committed to helping you succeed. Just drop him a text, and a world of possibilities awaits! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nitinmahajan2/ Website: https://88ventures.org/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

Eddy Chan is a founding partner of Intudo Ventures, an independent venture capital firm exclusively focused on investing in Indonesia. With approximately US$300 million in committed capital, Intudo Ventures serves as the "Indonesia-beachhead" strategy provider for top-tier institutions, Forbes Midas List investors, family offices worldwide, and a network of over 35 hyperlocal Indonesian conglomerates and families. Eddy's extensive background includes venture investments in startups like PayPal and Palantir, founding and operating venture-backed technology companies, practicing corporate law, and working as an investment banker. He holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.S. in Business Administration from UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business. Intudo Ventures stands out as the largest early-stage investment team in Indonesia, supporting companies like Xendit, Pintu, Pinhome, and more. Eddy has been a featured speaker at prominent events, including SuperReturn Asia and Harvard Asia Business Conference, and actively engages with Indonesian talent through professional and student associations. With his expertise and connections, Eddy Chan plays a pivotal role in shaping Indonesia's venture capital landscape and driving Intudo Ventures' success in the market. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddychan/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

Brendan Rogers is the Co-Founder of 2am [VC], an early-stage India Fund. Previously, he co-founded Wag! (NASDAQ) PET, the largest pet platform in the US. Brendan is a respected advisor and mentor to numerous companies, accelerators, and universities globally. He is a sought-after speaker at major startup conferences worldwide and has appeared on top podcasts in the industry, gaining millions of views. Prior to Wag!, Brendan co-founded a social discovery service with 50 million users across 10 countries, which was acquired by IAC in 2014. His entrepreneurial journey reflects his dedication, innovation, and influence in the startup ecosystem. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanprogers/ Website: https://www.2amvc.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

Joby Bernstein and is running for Congress (CA-16) because it's time for fresh leadership in Silicon Valley. He is deeply committed to addressing the pressing issues his district faces, from climate change to education and immigration. Palo Alto is his home. Joby is an avid nature seeker, and spends his free time biking on Skyline and trail running in Wunderlich Park. But you don't have to look far beyond his doorstep today to realize that our planet is in trouble. To effectively turn the tides on climate change, we'll need to invest in protecting the environment, cultivate the best minds with accessible higher education, and retain the best talent through immigration reform. Joby wants to bring fresh energy and innovative solutions to these challenges and help his community and nation thrive today and into the future. With a background in business, policy, and sustainability, he brings unique perspectives - backed by research and analytics - on how we can revitalize our country for generations to come. Website: https://www.jobyforcongress.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joby-bernstein/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

Matthew King is an Entrepreneurial Investor passionate about venture investing & building, deeptech, sustainability, mental health, wellness, automotive, luxury goods, and hospitality.Currently Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Valhalla Ventures, a venture capital firm backing visionary founders at the forefront of social and technological breakthroughs.Inveterate connector of extraordinary human beings who frequently colors outside the lines and thrives on helping founders accomplish legendary outcomes while helping investors produce stellar returns & impact.Valhalla Ventures backs visionaries building enduring moats.Today, the most enduring moats exist in physical technology (think industrials, space, chips, biology, defense, energy, etc) and media IP (think games).Valhalla manages $200M+ in assets with $150M in committed capital across all vehicles to date. Our primary focus currently is deploying $35M in dry powder in Seed and Series A financings (and in between), investing $1M to $3M per company with a 5% minimum ownership target. Valhalla's Limited Partner community includes:1) C-suites/Managing Partners (current and former) of: Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Citadel, Bridgewater Associates, Oaktree Capital, Apollo Global, Point72, PayPal, Alibaba, Hillhouse Capital, NBC Universal, General Motors, Swiss Re, Discover, PizzaHut, DoorDash, DocuSign, Sandoz, Gusto, Guinness, Bitmain, Thomson Reuters, Yahoo, Zynga, the Dallas Cowboys, BlockTower Capital, and TopGolf; and2) Board Members (current and former) of: BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, MasterCard, MIO Partners, Fortress, BNY Mellon, RBC, Altria, ARM Semiconductor, SoFi, Warburg Pincus, Kraft, SABMiller, Cognizant, Western Union, Raine Group, Harvard Business School, Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Stanford's Graduate School of Business, Wharton, and Johns Hopkins University.Outside of work what energizes me is travel (40+ countries visited or lived in), electronic music, nature, and Burning Man (12x). --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

Josh Chapman is a co-founder and Managing Partner at Konvoy, a venture capital firm that invests in early stage companies in the video gaming industry. Their firm focuses on companies building technology, infrastructure, and platforms in the gaming industry. Prior to founding Konvoy, Josh worked at Blackrock and Morgan Stanley in New York City.  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshchapmanb/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

Ken joined GB in 2021. As General Partner, he oversees the entire fund activities including strategy development, investment in Japanese and overseas startups, post-investment support, support for collaboration with corporations, fundraising, and forming/operating CVC funds. He is an expert in growth strategy and digital transformation based on his 17-year experience of strategic consulting. He also focuses on overseas fund deployment and investment. Ken joined GB after working at NTT Group and McKinsey & Company. Ken was engaged in more than 270 projects with 1,500 consultants across 10 regions worldwide at McKinsey & Company. From 2011, Ken was the leader of technology, media & telecommunications group (TMT) at McKinsey Japan office. Ken has been passionate about driving technology-enabled business transformation that significantly increases competitive advantage of global TMT companies in Japan and overseas. Projects included company-wide transformation, growth strategy development, M&A/PMI, business portfolio restructuring, acceleration of new businesses/business growth, and establishment of global business. Prior to McKinsey, Ken joined NTT's R&D center as a software engineer / researcher, and later on became founding member of launching NTT Group's US office to start overseas operations. Ken has lived and worked in 3 continents including Europe (Switzerland), US (NY, MA, and CA) and Japan (Tokyo, Hokkaido, and Yamaguchi). He enjoys playing soccer/tennis and running. Along with traveling, he has relocated more than 30 times so far. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenkajii/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

Virginie Hello is an accomplished professional currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Rainmaking APAC, a globally recognized venture builder established in Denmark over 15 years ago. Rainmaking APAC has achieved remarkable success, boasting a diverse portfolio of more than 55 ventures, investments in nearly 1,000 startups, and strategic partnerships with over 100 leading corporations worldwide. While the task of building corporate ventures may appear daunting, Rainmaking APAC has thrived due to two key differentiators that set it apart from others in the industry. Firstly, their unique risk-sharing model enables them to invest capital alongside corporate partners, aligning incentives and fostering collaborative growth. Secondly, the organization's teams consist of accomplished founders and investors who bring an authentic entrepreneurial approach to their work. In her current role, Virginie Hello is dedicated to ensuring that each venture is led by exceptional talent and that the ideas and outcomes delivered not only meet but exceed expectations. Her focus lies in creating value for both corporate partners and the customers who benefit from the ventures. With a united team, Virginie strives to cultivate an environment where shared values of Entrepreneurship, Impact, and Kindness serve as the guiding principles in building exceptional ventures. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/virginie-hello/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

Raj comes with a deep background across payments, tech and Web3 in a multitude of roles - operator, investor and consultant. Raj's Past Experience: Ex CEO, OYO Vacation Homes, a top 3 specialist vacation rental business (fully owned sub of OYO). Ex Global Head of Investments and M&A for PayU, a Prosus Company (Prosus is a leading listed global technology investment company). Made investments globally across fintech companies including in Payments, Credit, Remittances and Crypto / Blockchain. Ex McKinsey Partner serving banks, insurance companies, payments players and asset managers across the Asia Pacific. Leader of McKinsey's Payments practice across the Asia Pacific. Raj's Social Media LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raj-kamal-488a908/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/OneRajkamal --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

Burak Büyükdemir is a well-known investor, startup ecosystem builder, author, and founder. He is the founder of Etohum, a leading accelerator and seed investor organization in Turkey, as well as the founder of Startup Istanbul and Startup Turkey. Through these programs, he has supported and invested in over 100 startups, providing training, mentorship, and seed investment to help them grow and develop. He is known for his work supporting the global startup ecosystem and has a strong global network of contacts in the startup world. In addition to his work with startups, Burak has also written a book about the founding stories of internet startups in Turkey and has served as a part-time lecturer at Istanbul Technical University and Bahcesehir University. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/burakbuyukdemir/ Pitch Burak: https://airtable.com/shr8X5VdR7JTJ7X3q --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

Ryo Umezawa is a Partner leading Antler's expansion into Japan. Prior to Antler, Ryo was a Principal at East Ventures, Japan, an early stage venture capital firm. As a serial entrepreneur, Ryo founded two companies, including AllCoupon Japan (acquired), and was Japan's country manager for companies such as Tinder, Homeaway (Expedia Group) and Hailo. Ryo spent 10 years in the Philippines prior to studying International Business and Economics at Sophia University in Tokyo. Ryo has been selected as a Leader of Tomorrow at the 40th + 44th St. Gallen Symposium, as well as one of the first members of World Economic Forum, Global Shapers Community (GSC) in its Tokyo hub. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryoumezawa/ ロング： 10年間のフィリピン滞在を経て、2007年上智大学・比較文化学部卒業。在学中の2005年からインターンとしてジェイ・シードに参画し、複数の投資先企業で事業立ち上げやマーケティング業務に携わる。2008年から株式会社トラフィックゲート（現リンクシェア・ジャパン株式会社）にてiPhoneのアドネットワーク事業やアプリプロデュースを経験したあと起業。その後スタートアップや上場企業の顧問や株主として累計30社＋に携わり、グローバルスタートアップタクシー配車アプリの日本法人HAILO株式会社の代表取締役社長、バケーションレンタル事業を展開しているNASDAQ上場企業HomeAwayの日本支社長、ソーシャルマッチングアプリ最大手のTinder日本支社長、East Ventures株式会社にてPrincipalを務め、現在はグローバル投資ファンドAntlerのパートナー・Antler株式会社の代表取締役、クリエイターニンジャ株式会社の代表取締役社長、株式会社nommocの取締役。 ライフワークとしては2010年及び2014年にSt. Gallen SymposiumにLeaders of Tomorrowに選出、続く2011年には世界経済フォーラム（World Economic Forum：通称ダボス会議）グローバルシェイパーズコミュニティ（Global Shapers Community）日本の若手リーダーに選出され活動。 ショート： 10年間のフィリピン滞在を経て、2007年上智大学・比較文化学部卒業。在学中の2005年からインターンとしてジェイ・シードで事業立ち上げやマーケティング業務に携わる。2008年から株式会社トラフィックゲート（現リンクシェア・ジャパン株式会社）にてアドネットワーク事業やアプリプロデュースを経験後に起業。タクシー配車アプリの日本法人HAILO株式会社代表取締役社長、バケーションレンタル事業HomeAway日本支社長、マッチングアプリTinder日本支社長、投資ファンドEast VenturesのPrincipalを経て、2022年グローバル投資ファンドAntlerのパートナーに就任。 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

Faisal is a Pakistani-American entrepreneur and investor. He is the Founder & General Partner of Zayn Venture Capital (Formally Zayn Capital), a leading US & Cayman domiciled venture capital fund, investing in early-stage tech ventures in Pakistan. He is considered to be one of the most prolific investors with the most number of notable investment calls in Pakistan. His track record includes: Haball, NayaPay, PostEX, Bookme.pk, Abhi Finance, AdalFi, Bazaar-tech, KTrade, SnappRetail, Laam.pk,Krave Mart, GrocerApp, Truck It In, Savyour, Roomy.pk, Bagallery, Trellis Housing Finance, Tazah, Zaraye and Colabs.Faisal was also a founding partner of Lakson Venture Capital before creating Zayn VC. He built the Lakson Fund from the ground up as Managing Partner and Executive Director, attaining one the highest TVPIs in Pakistan in just 3 years. Along with his early notable investments in Bitcoin and Ethereum, his substantial expertise in venture capital and private investing has given him a thorough grasp of blockchain technology and global macroeconomics, which he applies to his investment decisions.Faisal has an MBA from Oxford University, joint Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Michigan State University USA. He has also been an investor in Hedge Funds, Venture Capital Funds and an active Angel Investor for over 15 years. Faisal is a limited partner of the Silicon Valley-based Venture Capital Fund 500 Startups. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faisal-aftab-93a8b3129/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

Dennis currently serves as Investment Director at Zeon Ventures, a newly-formed, early stage venture capital firm investing across materials, sustainability, climate and health. Zeon Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Zeon Corporation, a global leader in elastomers, polymers, and specialty chemicals. Prior to joining Zeon, Dennis was at Honda for close to a decade spearheading the company's corporate venturing and open innovation activities. While at Honda, Dennis co-founded Honda Xcelerator, one of the first mobility-focused corporate accelerator programs and led these activities on a global scale. Under his direction, Honda's open innovation and venturing activities generated 40+ startup collaborations, numerous strategic investments, one acquisition, and a solid pipeline of deployments in consumer mobility products. Before joining Honda, Dennis worked at DEFTA Partners, a boutique venture capital firm, building bridges between technology upstarts in Silicon Valley and multinational corporations in Asia. Earlier in his career, Dennis spent eight years in Japan working in a variety of sectors including banking and international civil service. While in Japan, he was awarded a Monbusho Scholarship to research social innovation and received his Master's Degree in Development Economics. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennisclarkjr/ Recommended Blog Links: Materially Better Blog and Podcast by Tsung Xu: https://www.tsungxu.com/; The Column:  https://www.thecolumn.co/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

Ben Harburg is a Managing Partner at MSA Capital, a global investment firm with over $2 billion in assets under management. Mr Harburg also leads MSA Novo, the emerging markets focused franchise of MSA. Ben has significant investment and operations experience in the Greater China, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. He sits on Boards of Directors of various private and public companies, as well as those of foundations such as the National Committee on US China Relations, the Asian Cultural Council, and the Carnegie Endowment's China Center. He was a Neubauer Scholar at Tufts University (where he studied International Relations), a Fulbright Scholar at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (where he was based in the Department of Islamic Sciences and Oriental Philology), and the first native born American admitted to Tsinghua University Peoples Bank of China School of Finance elite EMBA program. His passion is football and he is a co-owner of Cádiz Club de Fútbol, a team playing in Spain's First Division (La Liga). Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-harburg/ Website: https://benharburg.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

Mike Jarmuz… or Muzz…  is a General Partner at Lightning⚡️Ventures and is focused on investing in Bitcoin companies. His goal is to evangelize and demystify early-stage investing to plebs and whales alike. He is super passionate about educating founders and operators on strategies to fund their projects and believes everyone should invest in technology companies (not just the suits) and that investing in Bitcoin companies is possibly the best thing someone can do to complement their HODL position. Mike is a lifelong entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in a broad range of industries. Lover of all small businesses! He has personally owned a retail clothing store, flower shop, bar, cafe, and, music venue. He also has related experience in healthcare technology, event management, ticketing, nightlife, venue/theatre operations, talent buying, concert & music production, sound engineering, lighting design, catering, travel, tour management, e-commerce, screen-printing, merchandising, real estate, transportation, grassroots marketing, personal finance, marketing, and business consulting. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-jarmuz-573b5658/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikeJarmuz Website: https://vida.page/mikejarmuz --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/geeksofthevalley/support

Former investment banker (@ SCB) turned CorpDev (@ RedMart - acq) turned founder & CEO (@ Eatsy) and VP, Growth & Ops (@ CoinMarketCap - acq). Shaun most recently led Spartan Labs, a $100M Web3 venture-building studio. He is excited about solving growth and strategy challenges while building high-performing teams. He has operated through almost every stage: from founding, seed, series A all the way through acquisition - from idea to tens of millions in revenue. Furthermore, Shaun is an angel investor and advisor, focused on Web3, NFT, blockchain gaming, crypto, defi, marketplaces, fintech and B2B SaaS. Follow him for more regular updates on his journey in Web3: Twitter: https://twitter.com/shaunhengcj Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaunheng/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geeksofthevalley/support

Dave joined Facebook in 2007, and worked on Product and Operations at Facebook until 2017. While there, he learned from world class builders, thinkers, and operators how to scale technologies and businesses to billions of users.More recently, he was the CEO of Wavechat, a social audio company. After Wavechat, he was a fellow in the On Deck Angel Investing and On Deck Investing fellowships, where he refined his skills in the public and private markets. Website: https://davegoldblatt.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-goldblatt-40138129/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/davegoldblatt Timothy Ryan is an experienced entrepreneur and angel investor. He most recently was a GP, leading a seed stage Venture Capital fund through AngelList called MLC Ventures, that focused on bringing seed capital to tech founders.He was also responsible for negotiating term sheets with founders and other co-investors that ranged from $100k - $500k+, securing equity for $20M+ valuations.Prior to that his experience as a founder was established with product creation, operations, and go-to-market launches.He founded a health tech startup that was acquired, and was involved in Web3 / cryptography working with Ledger & Trezor and helped to launch an exchange called DCEX that was funded by Ripple Labs.He was also one of the founding team members for Zepp Labs, a sports wearable startup that achieved a peak of $15M ARR, and raised over $40M+ in VC funding.Timothy graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Business Management from San Francisco State University and an MBA in Global Finance from IAE Nice in France. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tpr11/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geeksofthevalley/support

Jiho built his career working with South Korean tech giant SK Planet and ecommerce unicorn Coupang as lead product manager. Jiho is also well connected to Silicon Valley becoming the first Korean to be accepted into the 500 Startups accelerator program in 2010 and went on to co-found Soomgo, a Y-Combinator portfolio company(#153 of top YC portfolio companies) recently valued at over $500m. Jiho's most recent venture was blockchain startup BxB which was acquired by the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange; Binance in 2020. Website: http://jiho.co LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ibreakshit/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geeksofthevalley/support

Adrian Lai is the founder of Newman Capital, a principal investment firm focused on private equity and venture capital investment with significant presence in Web3. Newman is an investor in influential companies such as Reddit, Epic Games, SpaceX, Dapper Labs & Kraken. It has also invested in Web3 funds such as Bitkraft, Shima Capital, Republic and Metaweb. Newman is also actively investing in early-stage Web3 startups with 20+ portfolios. Adrian previously served as the co-founder of Liquefy, an institutional blockchain solution with presence in Hong Kong & The Middle East. Adrian began his career at BlackRock with experience in Sales & Marketing, Fintech & ESG Investment. He worked with chairpersons and board members from 100+ listed companies across Asia on corporate governance, corporate actions, cybersecurity, and climate change risk. Adrian was a Columnist at SCMP on blockchain technology and a commentator for Wall Street Journal & CNN. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-lai/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/melo151962 --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geeksofthevalley/support

Rak is a Principal at Bain Capital Ventures, which manages over $6b and was an early investor in companies like LinkedIn, Docusign, Docker, and Redis Labs. Rak leads early-stage investments in cybersecurity and developer infrastructure companies. Before investing, he was a product manager at Atlassian, where he led the identity management tool Atlassian Access. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rakgarg/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/rak_garg --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geeksofthevalley/support

Venture veteran turned crypto enthusiast, Allen has participated in the making of over a dozen renowned TMT unicorns, start-ups and blockchain projects across the globe since 2012 and is an investor in 50+ startups globally, including a dozen unicorns till date. As a VC, he has invested $100m across frontier technologies, ranging from autonomous driving, health-tech, fin-tech to blockchain. As an operator, he has co-founded, scaled, spun-off, merged, sold multiple award-winning companies. As an advisor, he has helped multiple start-ups to secure investment, M&A and partnership. Allen holds a B.B.A in CUHK. Now the Co-founder & CEO of web venture studio Everest Ventures Group (EVG), Allen was is an early investor & advisor to metaverse unicorns Animoca, Dapper Labs, Immutable, The Sandbox, and many more. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allenngg/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/realAllenNg --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geeksofthevalley/support

David Siegel is the CEO of Meetup, the largest platform for finding and building local communities. He has 25 years of experience as a technology and digital media executive leading organizations through innovative product development, rapid revenue growth, and digital traffic acceleration. Prior to joining Meetup, David was CEO of Investopedia and, before that, President of Seeking Alpha. David holds a BA in Philosophy, Politics & Economics and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania. He is an adjunct professor at Columbia University, where he teaches strategic planning and entrepreneurship. He hosts the podcast Keep Connected, which is dedicated to the power of community David's social handles: LinkedIn: @davidmsiegel Twitter: @Davidmeirsiegel --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geeksofthevalley/support

Austin is CEO of Pacaso and co-founded the company to make the dream of second home ownership a reality for more people after experiencing the profound effect it had on his own life. Pacaso is Austin's second startup. In 2009, he founded dotloop in his hometown of Cincinnati, a company that created software to seamlessly manage real estate transactions. Zillow acquired dotloop in 2015, and Austin continued to run dotloop as a Zillow executive until 2018. Austin started selling real estate at the age of 18 and worked in residential and commercial real estate for a decade. Austin enjoys running, mountain biking and flying. He lives in Napa, CA with his wife Angela and their son. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austinallison/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geeksofthevalley/support

Daphne is the Co-Founder and CEO of Dedoco– a Digital Document Management-as-a-Service that focuses on protecting data privacy and document security for companies, leveraging on blockchain technology. Set up in 2020, Dedocois now transacting thousands of documents every month across Government, Banks, FIs, Professional Services, Real Estate, Tech platforms. The company is also ISO-certified and IMDA-accredited for Singapore government procurement. Globally, they have offices and teams in US, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. On the thought leadership front, Daphne is a regular speaker and advisor on the applications of blockchain for enterprise cloud and solutioning. In 2021, she was listed on SG100 Women in Tech and other previous accolades including was #3 in Top 10 Women in Fintech (APAC), Top 100 Women in Fintech 2019-2020, and honouree at the Spirit of Enterprise (SOE) Award 2019. Currently, she is a Professional Council Member of Global Fintech Institute; and also sits on the Board of SGTechas its Lead for Web3/Blockchain Workgroup. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daphne-ng-dedoco/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geeksofthevalley/support

Olivier Dang is the Global Chief Operating Officer for the Wholesale Digital Office of Nomura. He supports the development and implementation of the digital strategy of Nomura's Wholesale business. Olivier has been at Nomura since 2010 and held various roles in Corporate Strategy and Business Management. Prior to this, he was a Management Consultant at McKinsey in London and he started his career as an entrepreneur building a mobile internet company in France. He holds a MSc in Telecommunications from Chalmers University of Technology, an engineering degree from the Institut Superieur d'Electronique de Paris and a M.B.A. from the London Business School. Olivier is based in Zurich. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivier-dang/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geeksofthevalley/support

Hassan Ahmed is an experienced operator and investor in web3 and fintech. He is currently the Regional Director of Southeast Asia at Coinbase, the largest crypto platform in theworld. Prior to this, Hassan served a dual role at GoTo Group as Chief Executive Officer of Coins.ph, the leading crypto brokerage in the Philippines, and Head of Strategy for Gopay in Indonesia. Prior to moving to Singapore, Hassan was based in New York as Director of Finance & Operations at eToro USA, where he was responsible for the launch of their regulated virtual currency social trading platform in the US. He also served as Head of Business Operations at Venmo and Vice President of Strategy at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in prior roles. Hassan obtained his Masters of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hassanahmed3/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/hassan_ny --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geeksofthevalley/support

Laura Gaviria Halaby is a scale-up and business development expert with entrepreneurial background and ample experience in leadership roles in venture capital and tech. Her current role as Operating Lead for the US$8 billion SoftBank Latin America Funds focuses on delivering operation support to the portfolio companies to accelerate their growth. She also leads scalable knowledge programs for SoftBank such as the SoftBank Group Operator School (SBOS), which has upskilled over 8000 professionals in over 50 countries around the world. Internally SBOS for Founders and Leaders bring industry experts to share best practices on how to solve needle moving challenges on areas such as Strategy, People, Marketing, Web3, Cybersecurity, among others. Laura is also a member of the Fintech / Crypto Action Board for the City of Miami; is an investor and active mentor for early and growth stage startups and serves in the Board of Banco Sol in Bolivia. Prior to joining SoftBank, she was the Global Head of Fintech Acceleration for Citibank where she accelerated the implementation and launch of new digital products. Leading programs included Citi Mobile Challenge, Citi Tech for Integrity Challenge and Data Science Challenge. Her work at Citi gave her exposure to global fintech landscape working across Asia, EMEA and LatAm. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lgh/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/lalisgaviria --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geeksofthevalley/support

Neil has served as an analyst, researcher, inventor, lecturer and, in his words, the father of many forgettable slides of glossy funnels and Venn diagrams. A witness to and participant in billion-dollar successes, and instructive failures, all in the pursuit of building indestructible customer relationships through digital media. A key player in the executive rallying cry to be more “data driven.” As Google's Chief Measurement Strategist, Neil has had the privilege to lead more than 2,500 engagements with the world's biggest advertisers. His efforts have helped these companies acquire millions of customers, improve conversion rates by more than 400 percent and generate billions in incremental revenue. Immensely proud of the degrees he's earned from Purdue University and UCLA, Neil returned to academia in 2018 as a Senior Fellow at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. His first book, Converted: The Data-Driven Way to Win Customers' Hearts was published in 2022 by Penguin Random House. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilhoyne/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geeksofthevalley/support

Over the last few years, bemyfriends co-CEO Steve Seo has established himself as one of the leading authorities in the global fandom business. A serial entrepreneur, Seo joined bemyfriends in January of 2022 after serving as the CEO of beNX (now known as Weverse Company) and as a technical advisor for HYBE Corporation. It was in those roles that Seo oversaw the launches of Weverse, the official fan community of K-pop supergroup BTS, and its e-commerce platform, Weverse Shop. The platform that Seo developed led to cross-border e-commerce in 220 countries. After contributing greatly to the globalization of the music fan economy, Seo is ready to help creators around the world strengthen their fanbase and earn more from their content. Drawing from his extensive expertise, Seo will help bemyfriends lead the global creator economy by shaping its business strategy and overseeing the global expansion of its new bespoke platform builder, b.stage. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wooseokseo/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geeksofthevalley/support

Phillip An is the Co-founder and COO of Homebase, one of Southeast Asia's leading Proptech companies. Homebase (www.homebase.com.vn) provides revolutionary products made accessible that empower homeowners to buy, sell, and own homes in ways that work best for themselves. Homebase is backed by leading investors and partners around the world (YC, Goodwater Capital, Partech Ventures, etc), with the most recent $30M round of equity and debt funding announced in 2021. Prior to starting Homebase, Phillip has w had experiences across Investment banking at Goldman Sachs, Management Consulting at McKinsey and in Venture Capital. He holds an undergraduate degree in Computer Science from Caltech, and was admitted to the MBA program at Harvard Business School. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillipan/ Website: https://www.homebase.com.vn/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geeksofthevalley/support

Adrian Garcia-Aranyos is the President of Endeavor, a global community of high-impact entrepreneurs present in ~40 markets with a rules-based venture arm, Endeavor Catalyst, which is a leading VC investor in most emerging markets. he joined Endeavor in 2014 as Founding Managing Director of Endeavor Spain. Prior to that he held several executive roles at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co; The Economist Newspaper Group; and CM Capital Markets in Madrid. Since 2004, Mr. Garcia-Aranyos serves as board member at Thune Eureka, an industrial engineering firm specializing in capital goods and focused on deep-sea energy components, paper industry parts and defense mechanisms. Additionally he is also an advisor at Bankuish, Cermer, Creditas, CodeOp, Founder Nest, Legal Army, Microwd, and Valiu, among others. He obtained his BA in Political Science from Universidad Complutense de Madrid and has an MA in Trade & Commerce from CECO-ICEX. Plus a series of certificates from IEB, Kellogg, IESE & Harvard. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-garcia-aranyos-32871b3/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geeksofthevalley/support

Eva is a General Partner at Fika Ventures, an early stage fund investing in companies that leverage the power of data as a core component of their business model. Prior to Fika, Eva was a founding GP at Susa Ventures. She is a serial entrepreneur and founder, with a company experience portfolio including Applied Semantics (AdSense), Factual, Google, Youtube and Navigating Cancer. She is active in the non-profit sector, serving on the boards of California Community Foundation and UCLA Technology Development Group. She was recently the EIR for the city of LA working with Mayor Eric Garcetti. Eva holds an MBA from Cornell and a BA from Harvard. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evaho1/ Twitter: eva_ho Website: fika.vc --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geeksofthevalley/support

Bridger Pennington is the founder of 2 investment funds that have done over 217 deals in the last 4 years. He has started helping others launch their own funds through Investment Fund Secrets, an online program with over 4,000 students designed to help them start investment funds without working on Wall Street or having an Ivy League degree. Bridger has spoken on stage to thousands of people across the United States and is determined to help entrepreneurs scale their businesses through launching their own funds. Free course on funds: https://www.investmentfundsecrets.com/freegift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridger-pennington-670035127/ Instagram @bridger_pennington --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geeksofthevalley/support

Jehan Chu is co-Founder and Managing Partner at Kenetic, a blockchain Venture Capital and cryptocurrency trading firm based in Hong Kong. A former front-end developer, he started investing in cryptocurrency in 2013 and has invested and supported over 100 projects. Jehan founded the Ethereum HK community (2014), co-Founded the Bitcoin Association of Hong Kong (2014) and founded the Hyperledger HK community (2016). Jehan serves as co-Chairman of the Hong Kong Fintech Association Blockchain Committee, is enrolled in the Kauffman Fellows Program, is a Fellow of the Singapore University of Social Science and member of the Global Patrons Board of San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He also sits on the Board of Para Site Art Space and is co-Founder and Board member of Social Alpha Foundation, a blockchain/social impact non-profit. Jehan holds a BA from Johns Hopkins University and MA from Hong Kong University. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jehanchu/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geeksofthevalley/support