Startup Steroid - Investors Podcast

Company Profile Link - https://www.startupsteroid.com/investors-interview Brenda McCabe possesses a unique combination of international experience of over 25 years, in operating roles of CEO and VP positions in Sales, Operations, Business Development in Enterprise SaaS, biotech and pharmaceuticals; renewable energy, retail, digital health, and M&A experience while at McKinsey & Company and AstraZeneca. She has multicultural experience and total fluency in Spanish having lived and worked in Spain, Italy, and the US. Since 2008, her operating experiences have been in early-stage and mid-sized companies in the cleantech, digital health, and enterprise SaaS space working to build businesses with founders and Private Equity ownership. From her firm, Next Act Advisors, a white-glove advisory firm serving entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs with disruptive technology including Healthcare Technology, Medical Devices, Clean Tech, and Enterprise SaaS, she is passionate about creating and maintaining Enterprise value by working with technological innovation out of the “lab” and bringing it into the mainstream. A graduate of the University of Chicago Booth, she served as President of the University of Chicago's Alumni network in Spain and B.S. Business Administration and B.A. Spanish from Berea College. Since 2012, she has served as an Independent Board Director on privately held (PE portfolio companies) and public company boards in the US and Spain. She is an NACD Governance Fellow, Ambassador for the NACD PSW chapter, and a member of Women Corporate Directors, OcTane, LAVA, an angel investor in technology companies.

Digvijay "Sunny" Singh is the current president of TCA-LA. He has been a member of TCA since 2017 and has previously served as membership chair and vice president. Sunny started his investment journey as an electrical engineer at the end of his Ph.D. at UCLA in 2013. Since then, he has been part of the creation and sale of two technology startups in the IT and MedTech fields. He now oversees the acquisition and management of his commercial real-estate and startup portfolio in Southern California. Company Profile Link - https://www.startupsteroid.com/investors-interview

We help companies tackle their most ambitious projects and build new capabilities. Break out of the usual silos. We have specialists in your industry, but we also share ideas, methodologies, and knowledge across all our industry teams. By drawing from our collective expertise in everything from retail to life sciences, we offer a wide-angle view on unconventional solutions—because the best approach is rarely the most familiar. Company Profile Link - https://www.startupsteroid.com/investors-interview

David Friedman is a tech-savvy marketing and operations executive with more than 30 years' expertise in bringing to market new technology. He plays at the intersection of technology and the customer; his real love is innovation and commercializing technology to meet the needs of customers.  A member of the TechCoastAngels of Orange County since 2009, he serves as President, TechCoastAngels, Orange County, and is currently Vice-Chairman of the Board of Governors of TCA.  He is also a senior consultant with the Small Business Development Lead Center and founder and managing partner of C-Level Partners, a business advisory that focuses on helping companies grow their top-line revenue. During his career, he has introduced more than $1.5 billion in new products. In his corporate career, he has helped companies build top-line revenue growth and EBITDA while mentoring the next generation of business leaders. David has been executive vice president and Chief Marketing Officer for ATX Group (now Sirius Connected Car) which provides telematics and information services to automobile manufacturers. Previously, he was Vice President, Marketing and Direct Sales at Connexion by Boeing, and commercialized the first Wi-Fi services available to passengers onboard commercial airplanes. He also held executive positions with US Cellular, Covia Technologies, Ameritech Services, and RCA.  Friedman holds an MBA (economics) from George Washington University, a master's degree in electrical engineering from Columbia University, and a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering (summa cum laude) from City College of New York. Company Profile Link - https://www.startupsteroid.com/investors-interview    

Ad Astra Ventures is an investment company dedicated to growing and empowering female founders in the early stages of their businesses. This is done through our Ad Astra Accelerator, which provides programming and education, and our Ad Astra Venture Fund, which invests early-stage capital. Ad Astra is building a global community of founders, investors, executives, and philanthropists passionate about seeing more diversity in leadership.  Championing fierce female founders, Ad Astra was created by three San Diego female investors that live and breathe the startup, product, and investment industry, Allison Long Pettine (Managing Partner), Vidya Dinamani and Silvia Mah. Company Profile Link - https://www.startupsteroid.com/investors-interview

Philip Topham is The Savvy Founder and Armchair sociologist. Philip has an inquisitive mind and passion for ideas. He's impatient to see tomorrow's today. He focuses on helping technical founders unlock their pragmatic dreamer and develop their business skills and social capital with The Savvy Founder framework. With more than 25 years across startups and corporate roles, Philip has been everything from janitor to the Founder and Chief Everything Officer. His earliest career was as a network engineer bringing companies into the Internet age. He's served as the Head of Information Technology (Divisional CIO) as well as startup Chief Technology Officer, building software and solving problems others said couldn't be solved. Company Profile Link - https://www.startupsteroid.com/investors-interview   

VDOSH is a venture capital firm, which gives investors the opportunity to invest in promising new startup companies alongside major players in the industry through VDOSH Fund. For its entrepreneurs, it provides an efficient funding process and instantaneous access to a well-established network of investors and influencers.   Company Profile Link - https://www.startupsteroid.com/investors-interview

Founded on the belief that investment success starts with excellence in relationships. Established in 2020, TopShelf Equity Partners looks for opportunities that have value to high net-worth individuals across the globe, offering investors the chance for success in the world of private equity management. Our model is simple and unique, relying on the relationships that we've built with stellar late-stage companies along with our team of professionals in the capital markets. Company Profile Link - https://www.startupsteroid.com/investors-interview

TiE SoCal Angels is a network of successful entrepreneurs, professionals, and highly educated individuals who are now turning their passion for business into investments and mentorship for the next generation. Started by a handful of dedicated individuals in the 1990s, TiE SoCal Angels formalized the group in 2018 with the intention of bringing together more investors and helping more entrepreneurs. Today, TiE SoCal Angels comprises of 75+ accredited investors who are actively investing and mentoring founders. Company Profile Link - https://www.startupsteroid.com/investors-interview

Executive profile Highly experienced tech founder with over 15 years of track record leading technology teams at startups and Fortune 500 companies Proven expertise in deploying large scale production solutions for Mobile, Cloud, and AI platforms Strong hands-on skills in the full life cycle of software design, architecture, development, and testing Deep operational experience in cutting edge markets and highly competitive verticals such as consumer products, media, fintech, healthcare Strategic thinker skilled in decision making through collaborative partnerships inside and outside the organization High energy, self-motivated individual with a "get it done" attitude in fast-paced environments   Company Profile Link - https://www.startupsteroid.com/investors-interview

Highly proficient lawyer in areas of civil litigation, business law, immigration, and taxation. Emphasis on Technology Startup Law. Office locations Santa Monica and San Francisco. Deeply involved with technology innovation and its applications in optimizing business processes. Founder of a technology-based startup. Always available to hear about new investment opportunities in areas of healthcare, real estate, and technology. Company Profile Link - https://www.startupsteroid.com/investors-interview

Michael Lerma has over 20 years of combined corporate and business consulting experience working with Wall Street firms and Fortune 100 companies across multiple industries including Investment Banking, Financial Services, Filmed Entertainment, Consumer Products, Executive Recruiting, and Management Consulting. Over the years, he has liaised with private equity firms, hedge funds, family offices, and high net-worth individuals analyzing and identifying attractive industry sub-sectors and companies towards business and investment opportunities.  His demonstrated expertise lies in Private Equity Business Development, Finance, Business analysis, Corporate strategy, and Telecommunications. Company Profile Link - https://www.startupsteroid.com/investors-interview

Josh Bois the global entrepreneur accelerator brings 15 years of executive experience at tech brands and consulting firms to help brands get the capital, marketing, and strategy they need to grow revenue & market share. Client list ranges from Fortune 500 to startups, celebrity, political & government, and philanthropic brands around the world. Company Profile Link - https://www.startupsteroid.com/investors-interview CEO Global Capital Network - “Connecting investors to entrepreneurs & deal flow” Founder 2030 Ventures, Inc. - “Accelerating Ideas with Capital, Leadership, and Marketing"

The F³ Tech Accelerator Program provides funding and support for early-stage companies to prepare them for potential investment from the F3 Tech Seed Fund, industry partners, and investors. Our industry-specific advisors: -Expedite commercialization -Accelerate manufacturing, customer acquisition, and revenue development -Attract top innovators that match our industry partner commercial needs -Invest in innovations with grants, private funding, and executive support -Evaluate technologies for diversification in other sectors   Company Profile Link - https://www.startupsteroid.com/investors-interview

Dharti Desai is an entrepreneur, advisor, board member, and investor with more than 23 years of versatile global experience - spanning direct marketing, wines, printing, packaging, lifestyle industry, and not-for-profit organizations. Leveraging her extensive experience in innovative marketing and global leadership, her broad areas of expertise include deep data-driven analytics, marketing strategy enhancement, branding, digital communications, and team building. Dharti holds a BA in Sociology from Mumbai University, India, a diplôme supérieur in French from the Alliance Française, and is enrolled in level 3 of the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) NY. She is the author of DM in India Guidebook and has been selected as jury for the Echo Awards of the DMA USA for 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. Dharti is also a Founder Ambassador of her family's non-profit trust Animedh Charitable Trust (ACT). ACT skill trains women from the underserved, impoverished and under-represented communities and places them in jobs matching their skills or trains them to be economically independent with their micro-enterprises. ACT also provides basic and higher education for underprivileged children, especially a girl child. Dharti is an investor through Plumalley.co in NY – a syndicate focused on women and gender diverse founders. She also sits on advisory boards of companies in the digital marketing and Not for Profit sectors. She is an investor through Bodhi Capital (bodhicapital.com) in early-stage companies in fashion, Fin-tech, hospitality, and health-tech. She has been invited to judge and deliver keynote addresses at Start-up Pitch Competitions/conferences and has hosted webinars on marketing. Dharti is President on the board of TiE NY (www.ny.tie.org - a global not-for-profit organization ‘for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs) and is the Co-Chair of TiE NY's Angel program. Dharti has mentored women entrepreneurs of AIRSWEEE 2.0 (All India Road Show for Women's Economic Empowerment through Entrepreneurship) - a project by TiE Global and funded by the US Department of State and now is the Co-Chair for TiE Women (tiewomen.org). Company Profile Link - https://www.startupsteroid.com/investors-interview

Sohail is the world's premier ‘Joint Venture Expert' Founder of The Joint Venture Group and creator of the ‘Million Dollar Partnering System'.   A sought-after Business Growth Speaker, Coach, and Author, Sohail works with Corporate, Business, and Educational establishments worldwide. Prior to starting The Joint Venture Group, Sohail has had over 15 years of sales, joint venture marketing, and business experience. Having previously built a multi-million dollar online training company which he started with just $1,000 in 2000, he then sold a majority stake to a $150M IT group in 2006. In 2008 the IT group went bust and Sohail lost everything but retained the knowledge and expertise of building a business with over $10 Million in sales using just joint venture partnering. In 2009 Sohail set himself a challenge to make $1 Million within 12 months using nothing but just his joint venture marketing expertise and managed to close a $1.5 Million joint venture in just 30 days.   Sohail is co-author of the Number One International Best Seller ‘Guerrilla Marketing and Joint Ventures' with the late Jay Conrad Levinson, the final ‘Guerrilla Marketing' book from Jay before he passed away in 2013.   In 2017 Sohail sold his consulting and training business for an undisclosed 8 Figure sum but continues to do business working with selected clients. Sohail is in demand as a keynote speaker, consultant, and facilitator in the areas of business growth, joint venture partnering, and leadership. His high-impact speeches, seminars, and boot camps have received rave reviews and standing ovations worldwide.   Company Profile Link - https://www.startupsteroid.com/investors-interview

Paul Lopez the Co-Founder and Partner, 11-11 Ventures and TiE Atlanta. 11-11 Ventures is an innovation-driven venture capital firm investing and growing early-stage technology companies run by the best entrepreneurial minds in the world. Our headquarters is at Tech Alpharetta's Innovation Center in the technology city of the South.

Designing technologies to work for people and the planet - I'm an engineer turned sustainability scientist, scraping the world to build solutions. I thrive leading and working in teams, with international experience in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. and background ranging from research, engineering consultancy, and systems design to venture capital, social entrepreneurship, and business development. Constantly finding ways to improve and be more inclusive!

Business leader with significant experience creating high-impact partnerships. Direct experience in leading teams and establishing initiatives with triple bottom line goals. Especially interested in leveraging technology for social impact.

Raghu has 20-plus years of global experience in US, Europe & Asia in senior executive/management and executive board member roles including 12 years at CXO levels (COO, CSO & CIO) & board levels in fintech, financial services, pharmaceuticals, health tech, digital health and technology sectors.

Connecting at a human-level comes naturally to Venkatesh. His humble upbringing and strong foundation in a value system, helps him connect and understand people. He has experienced and realized that whether the business plan calls for B2B or B2C relationships, its all about H2H (Human to Human) connections.

Axel has a demonstrated leading organizations to success, through vision coupled with passion being the fuel. Regardless of company size - Startup or division of a larger corporation. 20+ years of Senior C-Suite leadership in early-stage privately held and emerging public companies with strong P&L are the foundation for who I am today.

A seasoned entrepreneur turned investor with over 20 years of experience in the tech industry evenly distributed between the US and India, Darshan has led teams at various companies in developing award-winning technology products, from enterprise servers and network protocols to web-based applications and databases.

Xandra Laskowski is an angel investor and startup advisor with over 25 years of entrepreneurial experience with large multinational tech companies as well as startups as founder, investor, advisor and board member.

Vijay Kotrappa is a successful technology entrepreneur and angel investor. He founded Guidance Solutions, an internet services and co-venture company, building it to a leading software co-venture company with 200+ employees in Los Angeles, and $20 million in annual revenue.

Kim was a General Partner with IDG Ventures from 1997 to 2006. She played an active role in managing and investing over 9 years a $120 million captive fund. She led multiple investments in software and technology infrastructure.

Experienced business operations leader with a passion for entrepreneurship and technology. Demonstrated track record of success in various roles including prior experience as an engineer, program manager, business analyst, and most recently, chief of staff for the Technology Engineering division within Google's Hardware Product Area.

Jeff is the founder of Global Kinetics, a market development accelerator to early-to-mid stage clients seeking to establish/expand operations in the US market & a long-standing enterprise mobility industry veteran.

Brad is the former CEO and co-founder of Lumedyne Technologies, a MEMS Inertial Sensor company acquired by Google. Prior to Lumedyne, Brad held engineering and management positions at the U.S. Space and Naval Warfare Defense Systems Command (SPAWAR), and with semiconductor manufacturer STMicroelectronics.

JJ Richa is an accomplished serial entrepreneur, executive and investor. JJ has successfully founded several companies, where he served as President and CEO, including a software company for the hospitality industry, an online eCommerce portal for high-end made-to-order gifts, and a custom software development company concentrating on the financial sector.