Podcasts about democratizing

What if your giving plan felt as intentional and optimized as your FI plan, and just as easy to automate? In walks Daffy, the new and modern donor-advised fund that is democratizing giving! Adam Nash, co-founder and CEO of Daffy, joins us today to explain how donor-advised funds (DAFs) went from stuffy tools for the ultra-wealthy to something you can open on your phone. Daffy is a fast-growing fintech platform and community for charitable giving, made for everyday people. Adam shares the pandemic-era "why now" behind Daffy, how traditional donor-advised funds quietly skim high AUM fees while setting eye-watering minimums, and walks through Daffy's flat-fee, app-first model.    This episode also covers:  ✅ What donor-advised funds are and why they've been hidden from most everyday givers  ✅ DAFs for tax optimization (bunching, appreciated stock, estate planning)  ✅ How to turn giving into a family and workplace culture (campaigns, matching, gift links)  ✅ Why Adam sees a DAF as a simple "charitable 401(k)" or mini family foundation without the lawyers, board meetings, or overhead, built to help you be more generous   ==========   DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS   MONARCH MONEY The modern way to manage money! Monarch will change the way you organize your financial life. Track, budget, plan, and do more with your money – together. Get 50% off the first year using this link and entering code: CATCHINGUP50   For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners    SUPPORT  THE  SHOW

Discover the future of social commerce directly from the experts at LTK, YouTube Shopping, and Gap Inc. Live from SoCom in sunny Venice, Lauren and Josh break down the shift from relevance to revenue in the creator economy. In this episode, we explore why follower counts are losing their weight, how affiliate marketing is evolving, and the ways legacy brands integrate social platforms into retail experiences.What you'll learn:-- Why social followers and subscribers don't matter anymore.-- How LTK's new brand platform is democratizing creator marketing.-- The massive impact of YouTube Shopping timestamps and auto-tagging.-- Gap Inc.'s omnichannel approach to capturing consumer demand.00:00 Intro: Live from SoCom05:13 Interview: Amber Venz Box (LTK)09:08 Why Followers Don't Matter Anymore16:41 Democratizing the Creator Ecosystem20:26 AI Chatbots and Trust in Creators25:46 Interview: Lauren Celinski (YouTube Shopping)28:25 Maximizing YouTube Shopping Features36:05 Interview: Damon Berger (Gap Inc.)38:59 Gap's Social Commerce Strategy44:50 Final Thoughts and OutroCreator Upload is your creator economy podcast, hosted by Lauren Schnipper and Joshua Cohen.Follow Lauren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schnipper/Follow Josh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuajcohen/Original music by London Bridge: https://www.instagram.com/londonbridgemusic/Edited and produced by Adam Conner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamonbrand

As a teacher, patent examiner, and workforce development manager, Omi Bell consistently rose to leadership only to encounter institutional resistance to meaningful change. Rather than continue fighting from within, she built Black Girl Ventures in 2016 to address a staggering reality: less than one percent of Black and Brown people access venture capital. Her unique dual background as artist and computer scientist enabled her to see systemic gaps clearly and imagine scalable solutions. Omi's philosophy of diplomatic radicalism offers a counterintuitive path to systemic change: engage opposing viewpoints with genuine curiosity rather than confrontation. During her Congressional testimony on expanding the accredited investor definition, she identified shared values across political divides—both Democrats and Republicans care about financial inclusion. By starting conversations from agreement rather than disagreement, she creates space for dialogue that transforms policy. This approach extends beyond finance into community organizing and neighborhood problem-solving. Ready to invest in your own nervous system regulation and join leaders committed to systemic change? Explore Omi Bell's transformative work here, where you'll find comprehensive breathwork sessions, Yoga Nidra guidance, and the option to set up individual breathwork sessions tailored to your needs. For the accessible version of the podcast, go to our Ziotag gallery.We're happy you're here! Like the pod?Support the podcast and receive discounts from our sponsors: https://yourbrandamplified.codeadx.me/Leave a rating and review on your favorite platformFollow @yourbrandamplified on the socialsTalk to my digital avatar Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In Episode 6 of Space Revolution, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Steven L. Kwast and guest Brad Zerbo explore how mining asteroids and building in zero gravity could transform life on Earth. The discussion centers on three pillars of prosperity in space: information, energy, and resources, and how tapping into them could support the eight essentials of life, air, water, food, shelter, information, energy, transportation, and healthcare. They examine robotic asteroid mining, 3D printing structures in zero gravity, and the possibility of constructing entire homes in space and delivering them gently to Earth. The conversation highlights reusable rockets, renewable satellites, space-based energy beaming, and using water in space as fuel. Kwast emphasizes that reducing the cost of energy and materials could uplift the human condition globally while preserving Earth from destructive mining practices. Throughout the episode, they stress the importance of moral leadership, constitutional principles, and decentralizing control so individuals, not centralized powers, retain access to life's essentials. The show concludes with a recommended reading of Mining the Sky and a call for citizens to engage politically to guide this revolution responsibly.

Music law is important for everyone in our industry to be familiar with, no matter your role or experience level. This episode features Matthew Wilson and Michelle Davis of Arnall Golden Gregory LLP, two entertainment lawyers who champion this belief by spreading their own wealth of knowledge to others via mentoring & education programs. The two discuss their respective backgrounds and involvement in academia, Music Biz's #NEXTGEN_U Student Summit, the parallels between current & past legal proceedings in music copyright law, and more!

With a career spanning the US Navy, executive leadership positions at PetSmart and Banfield Pet Hospital, and pioneering online training, Don brings unique insights into building and scaling businesses across industries. Throughout the conversation, Avanish and Don discuss OpenSesame's evolution from an online learning marketplace to an AI-powered platform that serves enterprises, learning management systems, and content publishers. They explore the "Intel Inside" ecosystem strategy, the Simon AI tool that democratizes course creation and enables instant translation into 70 languages, and how organizations can successfully navigate workforce reinvention in the AI era while meeting customers where they are.In this episode, Avanish and Don discuss:OpenSesame's dual-sided platform strategy: Partnering with 200+ LMS/HRIS systems on the delivery side while aggregating 50,000 courses from 200+ publishers, providing distribution for small publishers to reach enterprise customers and enabling large publishers like Harvard Business Publishing to access mid-market and SMB segments.The Simon AI course creation tool: Democratizing content development by enabling subject matter experts to create high-quality courses without instructional designers, with built-in translation capabilities across 70 languages for voiceover and text—expanding global reach for multinational organizations.Workforce reinvention as strategic imperative: Positioning OpenSesame at the center of organizational AI transformation by providing not just technology but comprehensive change management roadmaps, helping HR and learning leaders guide their teams through adoption with curated content and use cases.The "meet them where they are" philosophy: Balancing long-term product vision with practical customer adoption paths, especially during transformational periods like AI implementation, by understanding customer needs deeply before prescribing solutions and allowing products to flex without compromising the ultimate vision.The 1% better daily improvement mindset: Embracing continuous learning and incremental progress as the foundation for breakthrough innovation, recognizing that overnight successes are built on consistent dedication and discipline over time.About Don Spear:Don Spear is CEO of OpenSesame. Before his current role, he founded BlueVolt.com, held executive leadership positions at Banfield Pet Hospital and PetSmart, and served as a submarine officer aboard the USS Tunny (SSN 682).About OpenSesameOpenSesame, the leading provider of online business training, is the choice for L&D professionals wanting to drive learning initiatives forward with innovation, agility, and care. We offer the world's most comprehensive digital learning catalog, with regularly updated content from expert publishers in a variety of formats and languages. By providing comprehensive learning resources and innovative tools like Simon, OpenSesame empowers L&D professionals to exceed their goals and champion learning across their entire organization.Host Avanish SahaiAvanish Sahai is a Tidemark Fellow and served as a Board Member of Hubspot from 2018 to 2023; he currently serves on the boards of Birdie.ai, Flywl.com and Meta.com.br as well as a few non-profits and educational boards. Previously, Avanish served as the vice president, ISV and Apps partner ecosystem of Google from 2019 until 2021. From 2016 to 2019, he served as the global vice president, ISV and Technology alliances at ServiceNow.  From 2014 to 2015, he was the senior vice president and chief product officer at Demandbase.  Prior to Demandbase, Avanish built and led the Appexchange platform ecosystem team at Salesforce, and was an executive at Oracle and McKinsey & Company, as well as various early to mid-stage startups in Silicon Valley.About TidemarkTidemark is a venture capital firm, foundation, and community built to serve category-leading technology companies as they scale.  Tidemark was founded in 2021 by David Yuan, who has been investing, advising, and building technology companies for over 20 years.  Learn more at www.tidemarkcap.com.LinksFollow our host, Avanish SahaiLearn more about Tidemark

Who will be the Democratic presidential nominee in 2028? What will the price of gold be at the end of the week? Who will win the World Cup? All of these are relatively benign bets you can make today. But there are other bets that maybe aren't so benign, like will Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro be removed from office by the end of January? That well-timed bet, made in the hours before the U.S. captured and extracted Maduro, netted the anonymous investor who made it $400,000. Are prediction markets democratizing information as some argue or are we monetizing reality in a way that incentivizes perverse motives? Alex Goldenberg, Fellow at Rutgers University, joins The Excerpt to explain how these markets work and the risks they pose financially and politically.Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to podcasts@usatoday.com. Episode transcript available here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of data science, the need for efficient and effective predictive modeling is more critical than ever. As organizations strive to leverage data for informed decision-making, the traditional methods of creating predictive models often prove to be cumbersome and time-consuming. However, the advent of autonomous data science agents, such as ELAI, is revolutionizing this process by automating predictive model creation and democratizing access to predictive analytics.The Challenge of Traditional Predictive ModelingHistorically, the creation of predictive models has been a labor-intensive endeavor, often requiring extensive manual effort. Organizations typically face significant roadblocks in data readiness, including issues related to data integration, cleaning, and enrichment. The process can take anywhere from six to nine months to develop a single predictive model, which is a considerable investment of time and resources. This lengthy timeline not only hinders the agility of businesses but also limits their ability to respond to market changes and customer needs effectively.Introducing ELAI: The Autonomous Data Science AgentELAI, described by its CEO Antonio Sciuto, is an autonomous data science agent designed to streamline the end-to-end workflow of predictive modeling. By combining a robust reasoning engine with machine learning capabilities, ELAI can automate the tasks associated with data integration, cleaning, enrichment, model deployment, backtesting, and maintenance. This innovative approach significantly reduces the time required to create predictive models, allowing organizations to transition from a six-to-nine-month timeline to just a few hours.ELAI's architecture is built to handle complex data environments. It can automatically integrate existing customer data with over 650 social and economic indicators, enriching the dataset and enhancing the predictive capabilities of the model. For instance, in the case of a company like QNX, which provides infotainment systems in vehicles, ELAI can analyze customer data to identify the best products for cross-selling, thereby optimizing sales strategies and improving customer satisfaction.Democratizing Predictive AIOne of the most significant contributions of ELAI is its potential to democratize predictive AI across various business functions. Traditionally, predictive modeling has been confined to specialized teams within organizations, limiting its accessibility. However, by automating the intricate processes involved in model creation, ELAI enables a broader range of stakeholders to engage with predictive analytics.Predictive models can now be applied to diverse areas such as human resources, where organizations can assess employee attrition risks and development needs; supply chain management, which benefits from enhanced forecasting and predictive maintenance; and customer relationship management, where businesses can optimize their offerings based on customer behavior and preferences. This democratization of predictive AI empowers organizations to make data-driven decisions across all functions, enhancing overall operational efficiency.The Future of Predictive ModelingAs the demand for data-driven insights continues to grow, the automation of predictive model creation represents a significant advancement in the field of data science. By reducing the time and complexity associated with traditional methods, autonomous agents like ELAI are enabling organizations to harness the power of predictive analytics more effectively. The implications of this shift are profound, as businesses can now respond rapidly to changing market dynamics and customer needs, ultimately leading to improved outcomes and competitive advantages.ConclusionIn conclusion, automating predictive model creation is not just a technological innovation; it is a transformative approach that redefines how organizations leverage data. By streamlining the modeling process and making predictive analytics accessible to a wider audience, tools like ELAI are paving the way for a future where data-driven decision-making is the norm, rather than the exception. As we embrace this new era of data science, the potential for enhanced insights and improved business performance is limitless.Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.Sponsored by: Get $5 to protect your credit card information online with Privacy. Amazon Prime gives you more than just free shipping. Get free music, TV shows, movies, videogames and more. Secure your connection and unlock a faster, safer internet by signing up for PureVPN today.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of data science, the need for efficient and effective predictive modeling is more critical than ever. As organizations strive to leverage data for informed decision-making, the traditional methods of creating predictive models often prove to be cumbersome and time-consuming. However, the advent of autonomous data science agents, such as ELAI, is revolutionizing this process by automating predictive model creation and democratizing access to predictive analytics.The Challenge of Traditional Predictive ModelingHistorically, the creation of predictive models has been a labor-intensive endeavor, often requiring extensive manual effort. Organizations typically face significant roadblocks in data readiness, including issues related to data integration, cleaning, and enrichment. The process can take anywhere from six to nine months to develop a single predictive model, which is a considerable investment of time and resources. This lengthy timeline not only hinders the agility of businesses but also limits their ability to respond to market changes and customer needs effectively.Introducing ELAI: The Autonomous Data Science AgentELAI, described by its CEO Antonio Sciuto, is an autonomous data science agent designed to streamline the end-to-end workflow of predictive modeling. By combining a robust reasoning engine with machine learning capabilities, ELAI can automate the tasks associated with data integration, cleaning, enrichment, model deployment, backtesting, and maintenance. This innovative approach significantly reduces the time required to create predictive models, allowing organizations to transition from a six-to-nine-month timeline to just a few hours.ELAI's architecture is built to handle complex data environments. It can automatically integrate existing customer data with over 650 social and economic indicators, enriching the dataset and enhancing the predictive capabilities of the model. For instance, in the case of a company like QNX, which provides infotainment systems in vehicles, ELAI can analyze customer data to identify the best products for cross-selling, thereby optimizing sales strategies and improving customer satisfaction.Democratizing Predictive AIOne of the most significant contributions of ELAI is its potential to democratize predictive AI across various business functions. Traditionally, predictive modeling has been confined to specialized teams within organizations, limiting its accessibility. However, by automating the intricate processes involved in model creation, ELAI enables a broader range of stakeholders to engage with predictive analytics.Predictive models can now be applied to diverse areas such as human resources, where organizations can assess employee attrition risks and development needs; supply chain management, which benefits from enhanced forecasting and predictive maintenance; and customer relationship management, where businesses can optimize their offerings based on customer behavior and preferences. This democratization of predictive AI empowers organizations to make data-driven decisions across all functions, enhancing overall operational efficiency.The Future of Predictive ModelingAs the demand for data-driven insights continues to grow, the automation of predictive model creation represents a significant advancement in the field of data science. By reducing the time and complexity associated with traditional methods, autonomous agents like ELAI are enabling organizations to harness the power of predictive analytics more effectively. The implications of this shift are profound, as businesses can now respond rapidly to changing market dynamics and customer needs, ultimately leading to improved outcomes and competitive advantages.ConclusionIn conclusion, automating predictive model creation is not just a technological innovation; it is a transformative approach that redefines how organizations leverage data. By streamlining the modeling process and making predictive analytics accessible to a wider audience, tools like ELAI are paving the way for a future where data-driven decision-making is the norm, rather than the exception. As we embrace this new era of data science, the potential for enhanced insights and improved business performance is limitless.Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.Sponsored by: Get $5 to protect your credit card information online with Privacy. Amazon Prime gives you more than just free shipping. Get free music, TV shows, movies, videogames and more. Secure your connection and unlock a faster, safer internet by signing up for PureVPN today.

In this episode, Fab Brasca (SVP at Kinaxis) discusses the evolution of supply chain technology from 1990s silos to modern, integrated systems. The three key takeaways: Concurrency over Silos: Moving beyond sequential processes, concurrency allows for instantaneous, cross-functional visibility. A change in one area—such as a forecast adjustment—immediately ripples across the entire network. Actionable Control Towers: While many towers only monitor, the sources emphasize that they must become actionable. Through scenario planning, teams can evaluate disruptions (like labor shortages) and agree on responses before committing changes to a master plan. AI Democratization: Agentic AI and LLMs are lowering skill barriers, allowing non-planners to use natural language to identify supply chain trouble spots. However, human-in-the-loop governance is essential to ensure reliability. Ultimately, as volatility becomes structural, firms must build adaptable environments to thrive. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode,  Adam Torres and Boomer Anderson, Co-Founder & CEO at Troscriptions and CEO at Health Optimization Medicine and Practice. Boomer shares his mission to “democratize enlightenment” by removing health barriers that prevent presence—covering practical testing, personalization, and why the “off switch” matters for sustainable high performance. Follow Adam on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/askadamtorres/ for up to date information on book releases and tour schedule. Apply to be a guest on our podcast: https://missionmatters.lpages.co/podcastguest/ Visit our website: https://missionmatters.com/ More FREE content from Mission Matters here: https://linktr.ee/missionmattersmedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

PAC directors and government affairs professionals have long struggled to access reliable state legislative data, as free resources have been locked behind paywalls. State Navigate founder Chaz Nuttycombe returns to explain how his nonprofit is filling that gap with comprehensive, free campaign finance data, legislative forecasting, and ideological analysis across eight states. Learn how this transparency tool can inform your 2026 midterm strategy—from identifying competitive races to tracking members and analyzing voting patterns.

In this episode of Peace Matters, we examine the growing challenges facing European security. As defence budgets rise, U.S. priorities shift, and crises stretch from Ukraine to the Arctic and beyond, security decisions are increasingly made under pressure—and often at a distance from public debate.Drawing on perspectives from Europe's Eastern Flank as well as EU governance and democratic accountability, the discussion explores whether Europe is emerging as an independent security actor, how defence trade-offs are communicated to citizens, and where democratic legitimacy fits into rapid crisis decision-making. From NATO burden-sharing and sanctions to threat perceptions, internal divisions, and public trust, the episode asks a central question: how can Europe defend itself while remaining democratically accountable in an age of uncertainty?Guests:Teresa Coratella is Deputy Head and a Policy Fellow of the Rome office of the European Council on Foreign Relations, a pan-European think tank. She works on Italian foreign policy, European populists and Eurosceptics parties, disinformation and hybrid threats. Half Italian and half Polish, she also follows closely Polish foreign politics as well as the Visegrad group. She is a College of Europe and IVLP Alumna as well as mentor of Women in International Security Italy. Brigadier General Tomasz K. Kowalik is the Deputy Chief of Staff Support at NATO's Multinational Corps Northeast in Szczecin, Poland. A career officer in the Polish Armed Forces since 1993, he has held senior roles across Poland's Ministry of National Defence, the Polish General Staff, and NATO Headquarters in Brussels, where he served as Special Assistant to the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee. He previously directed Poland's Department of Military Foreign Affairs, overseeing bilateral defence relations and defence attachés worldwide. A graduate of West Point, with a PhD in pedagogy, Brig. Gen. Kowalik is also a published author on NATO security and defence transformation.Moderation:Gjergj Loka, Project Assistant at the IIPThe episode was recorded on 28 January 2026.

In episode 104 of Venture Everywhere, Scott Hartley, co-founder and managing partner at Everywhere Ventures, talks with Kat Garcia, co-founder and co-CEO of Ground, a startup building the AI revenue system for autonomous revenue generation and retention. Kat shares how she left BCG Digital Ventures to work for free with B2C companies, uncovering that operators didn't need more productivity tools—they needed technology that could autonomously generate revenue on their behalf. She discusses how Ground's AI ontology transforms static metrics into actions that drive up to 10% more top-line revenue, moving companies from dashboards to agentic commerce.In this episode, you will hear:Unlocking unrealized revenue potential in fragmented tech stacks.Autonomous revenue generation beyond productivity tools.Real-time commerce ontology that learns and acts.Proving autonomous systems in high-churn e-commerce.Democratizing enterprise capabilities for mid-size brands.Learn more about Kat Garcia | GroundLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-garcia-online/Website: https://joinground.com/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4zuhbqKwF34X0wqDXa1Lsx?si=91da32c586844f1aLearn more about Scott Hartley | Everywhere VenturesLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scotthartley/Website: https://everywhere.vc

On this episode of HALO Talks, host Pete Moore sits down with Hunter Ziesing, founder of Longevity Health, to dive into the rapidly chaing volving world of preventive health and personal wellness data. Bringing decades of experience from Wall Street, athletic pursuits, and nonprofit work, Hunter shares his inspiration for moving into longevity and healthspan solutions after seeing friends and family struggle with preventable health issues. He discusses Longevity Health's mission: Democratizing access to clinical-grade health data and AI-driven recommendations. . . basically what elite practitioners charge six figures for, made accessible to the masses. Learn about how he aims to empower individuals to truly own their health data, integrate information from wearables and medical tests, and leverage AI for personalized action. This episode also explores the business of building scalable solutions, collaborating with fitness chains, and balancing the desire to revolutionize public health with mindful entrepreneurship.  On affordable (preventative!) health care for all, Zasing states, " My mission is to really give people the Peter Attia. You know. . .what he charges $150,000 for, for as little as 30 cents a day." Key themes discussed Leveraging personal health data for prevention and longevity AI integration in health management and recommendations Consumer ownership and use of health data Partnerships with fitness clubs and labs for testing Transition from nonprofit to for-profit health ventures Scaling health platforms through technology and collaborations Challenges and vision for democratizing preventive healthcare A Few Key Takeaways:  1.Data-Driven Personalized Health is the Future: Hunter is building a platform (Longevity Health) that brings together personal health data—from wearables, medical records, blood tests, and more—to help guide individuals in preventative health and wellness. His mission is to democratize access, offering "Peter Attia-level" insights at an affordable price. 2. Behavior Change is Achievable and Measurable: Through previous ventures like the national cycling series supporting Livestrong, and his work at Paceline, Hunter  demonstrated that motivating people with goals, teams, and rewards (even as simple as a dollar for hitting your heart rate target) can create real, lasting behavior change. 3. AI-Powered Recommendations Enhance Preventive Care: The company is beta testing an AI engine that analyzes your consolidated health data, gives personalized recommendations, and will eventually act almost like a virtual doctor. For now, a human clinician still reviews and oversees the AI's conclusions, ensuring safety and accuracy. 4. Consumer Ownership Over Health Data is Key: Both Ziesing and Pete discuss the importance of individuals owning their own health data. Regulatory shifts (even tech giants like Apple and Google are getting behind this) are beginning to empower consumers, rather than siloing data within companies. 5. Partnerships and Integrations Will Drive Scale: Rather than trying to own every piece of the ecosystem, Hunter emphasizes the strategy of partnering with gyms, health clubs, and existing testing providers. The vision is to make Longevity Health the connective "last mile" that ties together disparate data to deliver actionable insight—potentially white-labeling the tech or integrating with large fitness chains for scale. Resources:  Hunter Ziesing: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunterziesing/ Longevity Health: https://www.longevityhealth.me/  Integrity Square: https://www.integritysq.com Prospect Wizard: https://www.theprospectwizard.com Promotion Vault: https://www.promotionvault.com HigherDose: https://www.higherdose.com

I Squared Capital's Chairman, Managing Partner and Founder, Sadek Wahba, joins Infralogic's Crossroads podcast to discuss how democratizing access to infrastructure—especially through the wealth channel—is opening new mid‑market opportunities.He also shares his perspective on the sector's progress through the global “Supercycle” driven by decarbonization, digitization, and supply‑chain shifts.Wahba highlights how private capital is expanding the definition of infrastructure, the long‑term impact on the sector of rapid technological change, and how evolving US industrial policy will reshape the cost of capital and investor roles.

Your host, Sebastian Hassinger, talks with Alumni Ventures managing partner Chris Sklarin about how one of the most active US venture firms is building a quantum portfolio while “democratizing” access to VC as an asset class for individual investors. They dig into Alumni Ventures' co‑investor model, how the firm thinks about quantum hardware, software, and sensing, and why quantum should be viewed as a long‑term platform with near‑term pockets of commercial value. Chris also explains how accredited investors can start seeing quantum deal flow through Alumni Ventures' syndicate.Chris' background and Alumni Ventures in a nutshellChris is an MIT‑trained engineer who spent years in software startups before moving into venture more than 20 years ago.Alumni Ventures is a roughly decade‑old firm focused on “democratizing venture capital” for individual investors, with over 11,000 LPs, more than 1.5 billion dollars raised, and about 1,300 active portfolio companies.The firm has been repeatedly recognized as a highly active VC by CB Insights, PitchBook, Stanford GSB, and Time magazine.How Alumni Ventures structures access for individualsMost investors come in as individuals into LLC‑structured funds rather than traditional GP/LP funds.Alumni Ventures always co‑invests alongside a lead VC, using the lead's conviction, sector expertise, and diligence as a key signal.The platform also offers a syndicate where accredited investors can opt in to see and back individual deals, including those tagged for quantum.Quantum in the Alumni Ventures portfolioAlumni Ventures has 5–6 quantum‑related investments spanning hardware, software, and applications, including Rigetti, Atom Computing, Q‑CTRL, Classiq, and quantum‑error‑mitigation startup Qedma/Cadmus.Rigetti was one of the firm's earliest quantum investments; the team followed on across multiple rounds and was able to return capital to investors after Rigetti's SPAC and a strong period in the public markets.Chris also highlights interest in Cycle Dre (a new company from Rigetti's former CTO) and application‑layer companies like InQ and quantum sensing players.Barbell funding and the “3–5 year” viewChris responds to the now‑familiar “barbell” funding picture in quantum— a few heavily funded players and a long tail of small companies—by emphasizing near‑term revenue over pure science experiments.He sees quantum entering an era where companies must show real products, customers, and revenue, not just qubit counts.Over the next 3–5 years, he expects meaningful commercial traction first in areas like quantum sensing, navigation, and point solutions in chemistry and materials, with full‑blown fault‑tolerant systems further out.Hybrid compute and NVIDIA's signal to the marketChris points to Jensen Huang's GTC 2025 keynote slide on NVIDIA's hybrid quantum–GPU ecosystem, where Alumni Ventures portfolio companies such as Atom Computing, Classiq, and Rigetti appeared.He notes that NVIDIA will not put “science projects” on that slide—those partnerships reflect a view that quantum processors will sit tightly coupled next to GPUs to handle specific workloads.He also mentions a large commercial deal between NVIDIA and Groq (a classical AI chip company in his portfolio) as another sign of a more heterogeneous compute future that quantum will plug into.Where near‑term quantum revenue shows upChris expects early commercial wins in sensing, GPS‑denied navigation, and other narrow but valuable applications before broad “quantum advantage” in general‑purpose computing.Software and middleware players can generate revenue sooner by making today's hardware more stable, more efficient, or easier to program, and by integrating into classical and AI workflows.He stresses that investors love clear revenue paths that fit into the 10‑year life of a typical venture fund.University spin‑outs, clustering, and deal flowAlumni Ventures certainly sees clustering around strong quantum schools like MIT, Harvard, and Yale, but Chris emphasizes that the “alumni angle” is secondary to the quality of the venture deal.Mature tech‑transfer offices and standard Delaware C‑corps mean spinning out quantum IP from universities is now a well‑trodden path.Chris leans heavily on network effects—Alumni Ventures' 800,000‑person network and 1,300‑company CEO base—as a key channel for discovering the most interesting quantum startups.Managing risk in a 100‑hardware‑company worldWith dozens of hardware approaches now in play, Chris uses Alumni Ventures' co‑investor model and lead‑investor diligence as a filter rather than picking purely on physics bets.He looks for teams with credible near‑term commercial pathways and for mechanisms like sensing or middleware that can create value even if fault‑tolerant systems arrive later than hoped.He compares quantum to past enabling waves like nanotech, where the biggest impact often shows up as incremental improvements rather than a single “big bang” moment.Democratizing access to quantum ventureAlumni Ventures allows accredited investors to join its free syndicate, self‑attest accreditation, and then see deal materials—watermarked and under NDA—for individual investments, including quantum.Chris encourages people to think in terms of diversified funds (20–30 deals per fund year) rather than only picking single names in what is a power‑law asset class.He frames quantum as a long‑duration infrastructure play with near‑term pockets of usefulness, where venture can help investors participate in the upside without getting ahead of reality.

Most leaders assume AI and search already see the whole internet. In reality, they all operate on the same tiny slice of the web.In this episode of IT Visionaries, host Chris Brandt sits down with Sudheesh Nair, Co-Founder and CEO of TinyFish and former CEO of ThoughtSpot, to unpack why only a small percentage of the web is indexable and how that cripples enterprise AI.Sudheesh explains why the next breakthrough won't come from bigger models or better search, but from agents that can operate the web at scale, logging in, filling forms, running workflows, and surfacing the long tail of opportunities that never appear on page one. He also shares why human craft, taste, and presence will matter more than ever in an agent-driven world. Key Moments:00:00 - The Deep Web Problem02:48 - The Amazon Search Trap04:26 - Why Search is Broken07:01 - Internet is No Longer a Library08:29 - AI Answers vs Blue Links13:05 - Introducing Tiny Fish's Mission16:00 - Search as a Poor Experience18:29 - The Deep Web: APIs, Workflows & Logins22:11 - Tackling the 93% Problem25:47 - The Eight-Room Hotel Success Story29:04 - Operating the Web vs Skimming It32:42 - Real-Time Personalized Workflows38:31 - Enterprise B2B Strategy40:18 - Taste Over Tools43:08 - AI Freeing Human Experience46:36 - Travel Experiences & Local Discovery50:00 - Democratizing the Internet56:39 - The Waving Guide in China1:01:12 - Optimism for AI's Future -- This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.---IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if you could access the same sophisticated tax and wealth strategies used by the ultra-rich—without the ultra-high fees? Join host Khudania Ajay (KAJ) for an insightful conversation with David Snider, Founder and CEO of Harness Wealth. David is on a mission to make bespoke financial advice accessible to the next generation of builders by using technology to democratize wealth management. Learn how advanced tax planning, strategic investing, and legacy-building tools are no longer reserved for the elite—and how you can leverage them to secure your financial future. Explore a new era of financial empowerment at https://kajmasterclass.com.=========================================*KAJ Masterclass*A video-first, conversation-led knowledge platform featuring thoughtful conversations with leaders, professionals, authors, and experts across leadership, business, health, technology, and the changing world of work. Each conversation is designed to help people learn, reflect, and take meaningful action.

A Fresh Start for Philanthropy in the Valley As the calendar turns to 2026, United Way of Northern Shenandoah Valley (UWNSV) is charting an ambitious course for community engagement and philanthropy. In this episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael sat down with UWNSV CEO Andy Gail to discuss the organization's evolving mission, innovative giving models, and the vital role of collaboration in addressing local needs. Pillars of Progress: United Way's Guiding Principles At the heart of United Way's strategy are four foundational pillars: healthy communities, youth opportunities, financial stability, and community resiliency. Andy explains that these pillars, distilled from United Way Worldwide's research and best practices, serve as a roadmap for local chapters. They ensure that every initiative—from healthcare access to disaster preparedness—addresses both immediate challenges and long-term community well-being. "It's a nice balance for both," Andy notes, "and we can get specific to what's happening and what we're seeing in our communities." Collaboration Over Competition: The New Nonprofit Mindset Gone are the days of nonprofits guarding their resources in isolation. Today, organizations recognize the power of partnership. Andy and Janet reflect on how United Way acts as a central hub, bringing together nonprofits, businesses, and individuals to maximize impact. By pooling resources and expertise, the region's nonprofits can tackle complex issues more effectively. "If we put our piles together, we can serve even more people and maybe solve a problem that we don't have to keep addressing on a regular basis," Janet observes. Introducing Giving Circles: Democratizing Philanthropy One of the most exciting developments for 2026 is the launch of Giving Circles—innovative groups that empower individuals and small businesses to pool their donations and collectively decide how to allocate funds. The Small Business 365 circle, for example, invites local entrepreneurs to contribute as little as a dollar a day, network with peers, and make a tangible difference in the community. Meanwhile, Women United offers a platform for women to support causes they're passionate about, from mentorship to empowering girls and women in the region. Andy emphasizes that these circles are about more than just writing checks. They foster engagement, education, and a sense of ownership among participants. "It's our impact grant model, but done on a micro level," he explains, "for those that aren't giving in the workplace, those that don't have a workplace, those that want to see their money multiplied." Maximizing Impact: Grants, Partnerships, and Year-Round Giving The conversation also highlights United Way's expertise in securing and distributing grants. By leveraging its credibility and donor base, UWNSV can access funding that individual nonprofits might not qualify for on their own. This approach has already yielded impressive results, such as a $100,000 grant that helped over 2,700 families in the southern region. Importantly, Andy and Janet urge listeners to think beyond traditional end-of-year giving. Needs persist throughout the year, and even small, regular donations can add up to significant change. "The need doesn't stop," Andy reminds the audience. "Numbers are scale… if a thousand people give a hundred bucks, we have lots of ways to do it." Looking Ahead: A Vibrant, Resilient Community As United Way Northern Shenandoah Valley celebrates its 80th anniversary, the organization is more committed than ever to fostering a culture of generosity, collaboration, and innovation. With new giving models, a focus on collective action, and a deep understanding of local needs, UWNSV is poised to lead the region into a new era of community impact. For more information on joining a Giving Circle or supporting United Way's mission, visit unitedwaynsv.org and follow them on social media for updates on upcoming events and initiatives.

Andrey Chabanov is the Co-Founder & CEO of Wellspring (wellspring.money), a next-generation high-yield savings platform that transforms everyday USD deposits into up to 12% APY through stablecoins and decentralized finance (DeFi).Wellspring bridges the gap between conventional banking and the world of on-chain finance — delivering accessible, high-yield opportunities powered by audited DeFi lending protocols like Aave and HypurrFi, while keeping funds in self-custodial wallets and maintaining a simple, user-friendly experience that requires no crypto expertise. In this episode, Andrey breaks down how Wellspring makes DeFi yield effortless for everyday savers — converting bank deposits to stablecoins, automating deployment into proven lending strategies, and emphasizing self-custody so your money never fully leaves your control. He explores the real drivers of on-chain yields in 2025, the advantages over traditional high-yield savings accounts, strategies for risk management and security in DeFi, the impact of evolving regulations on mainstream adoption, and why platforms like Wellspring represent the future of personal finance — where transparency, automation, and higher returns empower users without middlemen taking the lion's share. He also dives into practical tips for beating inflation, avoiding common pitfalls, and why now is the moment to rethink how your savings work in a digital-first world.

In this episode recorded live from the 2025 Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, hosts Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts sit down with Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of Robinhood and founder and CEO of Aetherflux. Baiju shares his remarkable journey from the son of Indian immigrants, his mother arriving pregnant with two suitcases of pots and pans, to democratizing access to America's financial system with Robinhood, and now building an American power grid in space. The conversation explores why patriotism is back in vogue in Silicon Valley, how constraints breed creativity, and why he couldn't sit out the space race happening in his lifetime without regretting it "as a geezer." Baiju makes the case that America's fundamental advantage is entrepreneurship and capitalism, and that energy is emerging as one of the most critical problems the economy must solve, both on Earth and in low Earth orbit.Five Key Takeaways:America wins through capitalism: The United States' distinct advantage over competitors like China is entrepreneurship and capitalism, not bureaucratic central planning. As Baiju puts it, "we're not going to out centrally plan the Chinese...the times that the United States wins is when we bring to bear capitalism," which drives both rapid execution and diverse approaches to solving hard problems.Fear regret, not failure, and fail fast: Rather than being paralyzed by potential failure, Baiju advocates getting "failures out of the way quickly" and not waiting too long to pressure test ideas. The real risk isn't trying and failing, it's the regret of never trying at all, especially when historic opportunities like the commercialization of space are happening in your lifetime.Energy is the next critical infrastructure for space commerce: Aetherflux is building a power grid in low Earth orbit because energy access hasn't been this critical since World War II or the 1970s oil crisis. The vision is to take energy-hungry applications "above the grid," removing super high-power applications from Earth's strained energy infrastructure by powering them from space.Constraints breed creativity and humility breeds success: Despite his success with Robinhood, Baiju deliberately maintains the constraints and humility that got him there, recognizing that "what we're trying to do is extraordinarily difficult." Coming in with bravado isn't the recipe for success, being diligent, systematic, and constantly testing your assumption is.Silicon Valley's "group hug" with defense is transformative for America: The convergence of entrepreneurship, technology, and national security represents a fundamental shift where economic prosperity and national defense are no longer separate tracks. This alignment, driven by competition and recognition that key technologies from AI to space require both sectors working in concert is "hugely important for America."

For episode 658 of the BlockHash Podcast, host Brandon Zemp is joined by Joe Rey & Oliver Fuselier of POPOLOGY.POPOLOGY® is the 21st century approach to media education and Citizen Journalism. A platform to aggregate all of your social portals, into a streaming and monetizable POPcast®, on the blockchain. Democratized internet broadcasting is POPOLOGY® Networks. You can even select your favorite fortune 500 brands to place into your curated media stream, called POPmercial® Sponsorships. Create, and earn POPtoken™ with a timeline of curated video assets from every indexing platform, up to 25 membership platforms into one robust restful API is the POPsphere™ workspace. Pinpoint your popularity, powered by artificial intelligence, and build a monetizable audience on your self-expression.

Most companies still rely on dashboards to understand their data, even though AI now offers new ways to ask questions and explore information. Barry McCardel, CEO of Hex and former engineer at Palantir, joins a16z General Partner Sarah Wang to discuss how agent workflows, conversational interfaces, and context-aware models are reshaping analysis. Barry also explains how Hex aims to make everyone a data person by unifying analysis and AI in one workflow, and he reflects on his post about getting rid of their AI product team and the process behind Hex's funny launch videos.Timecodes: 0:00 – The problem with dashboards1:20 – The evolution of data teams and AI's role2:05 – Democratizing data: challenges and opportunities3:45 – The rise of agentive workflows9:48 – Threads and the changing UI of data analysis13:16 – Building AI agents: lessons from the notebook agent16:12 – Model capabilities and the future of AI in data19:10 – The importance of context and trust in data analysis24:34 – Semantic models and context engineering29:27 – Data team roles in the age of AI31:52 – Accuracy, trust, and evaluating AI systems37:43 – Building Hex: embracing AI as core, not an add-on48:48 – Pricing, value capture, and the future of SaaS55:55 – The modern data stack and industry consolidation1:04:26 – Acquisitions and owning the data insight layer1:06:46 – Lessons from Palantir: forward-deployed engineering1:13:11 – Commitment engineering and customer collaboration1:17:25 – Brand, launch videos, and having fun in SaaSResources:Follow Barry McCardel on X:  https://x.com/barraldFollow Sarah Wang on X: https://x.com/sarahdingwang Stay Updated:If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zListen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYXListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details, please see http://a16z.com/disclosures.  Check out everything a16z is doing with artificial intelligence here, including articles, projects, and more podcasts. Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The interest in “customer insights” is higher than ever, and more people are interested in both research insights and carrying out research on their own. But, who's making sure research is done well? Therese sits down with Ned Dwyer, CEO and co-founder of Great Question, to talk about the balance between access and rigor in UX research. They discuss the need for democratization charters, how AI is reshaping research roles, and why enabling good research at scale is as much a cultural challenge as it is a technical one.Connect with Ned Dwyer: LinkedInLearn more about Great QuestionSubscribe to Great Question's NewsletterLearn about UX: nngroup.com/learningRelated NN/g Courses & Articles:ResearchOps: Scaling User Research (UX Certification course)Democratize Research in 5 Steps (free article)Democratization of UX (13-min video)

In this episode, Darin sits down with BioHarvest CEO Ilan Sobel, a leader who is redefining the future of plant compounds, human performance, and scalable biotech. Ilan shares the extraordinary origin story of BioHarvest's technology, how a single scientific breakthrough is disrupting global supply chains, and why "democratizing the power of the plant kingdom" has become his life mission. From hydration to longevity molecules to the French Paradox, Ilan reveals how his company is transforming ancient wisdom into modern, clinically validated solutions that can reach the masses.     What You'll Learn 00:00:00 Welcome and Introduction 00:00:32 Sponsor: Thera Sage 00:02:10 Introducing Ilan Sobel (Bio Harvest Sciences) 00:03:37 Electrolyte Solution Powered by Circulation 00:04:37 Vinia's Baseline: Sea Salt, Coconut Water, Marine Magnesium 00:05:36 The Uniqueness of Pi-Seed Resveratrol 00:06:50 Solubility and Bioavailability: Lasting 12 Hours 00:08:48 Overview of Botanical Synthesis Technology and Cell Growth 00:13:58 Vinia's Potency: 1,000 Red Grapes in a Capsule 00:15:31 Why Blood Flow is Critical for Longevity 00:17:23 Increased Blood Flow to the Brain and Mental Alertness 00:19:00 Sponsor: Our Place Cookware 00:21:35 The Abuse of Nature and the Need for Preservation 00:24:15 Overcoming Pharma's Barriers: Consistency, Low Levels, and Patents 00:28:32 Vinia as a Validation of the Technology's Power 00:30:02 Scaling Production: 137 Bioreactors 00:32:21 Scaling Comparison: Manhattan Island's Worth of Resveratrol 00:34:26 Clinical Substantiation and Solubility 00:35:14 The Mechanism: Increasing Nitric Oxide and Reducing ET-1 00:38:33 The "Vinia Difference" - When Consumers Feel the Benefits 00:40:05 Unseen Benefits: Reducing Oxidative Damage 00:41:16 Low Churn Rate and Science-Backed Commitment 00:42:52 Sponsor: Manna Vitality 00:44:46 Commitment to Mission and Customer Reviews as Fuel 00:48:01 Support for First Responders and Veterans 00:51:32 Ilan's Journey to CEO and Unlocking the Gold Mine 00:55:37 The Plan to Build a Second 100-Ton Facility 00:57:12 Democratization and Scaling: Software Economics in Biotech 01:00:21 The French Paradox and Red Wine Connection 01:01:33 Next in DTC: Olive Cells and Forbascoside for Liver Health 01:05:36 New Partnership: Creating a Super Saffron for Cognitive Health 01:13:02 Partnership with Tate & Lyle for Non-Nutritive Sweeteners 01:16:11 The Movement of Change and Legacy for Future Generations 01:18:52 Introducing the Vinia Blood Flow Hydration Stick Packs     Thank You to Our Sponsors Therasage: Go to www.therasage.com and use code DARIN at checkout for 15% off Our Place: Toxic-free, durable cookware that supports healthy cooking. Go to their website at fromourplace.com/darin and get 35% off sitewide in their largest sale of the year. Manna Vitality: Go to mannavitality.com/ and use code DARIN12 for 12% off your order.     Join the SuperLife Community Get Darin's deeper wellness breakdowns — beyond social media restrictions: Weekly voice notes Ingredient deep dives Wellness challenges Energy + consciousness tools Community accountability Extended episodes Join for $7.49/month → https://patreon.com/darinolien     Find More from Ilan Sobel Website: bioharvest.com Instagram: @ilansobel Red Grape Cell Product: vinia.com     Find More from Darin Olien: Instagram: @darinolien Podcast: SuperLife Podcast Website: superlife.com Book: Fatal Conveniences     Key Takeaway "Democratizing the plant kingdom isn't just a business strategy — it's a responsibility. If science gives us the ability to help millions of people feel better, perform better, and live longer, then we have an obligation to scale it in a way the whole world can access."

In this episode of The Modern Man Podcast, host Ted Phaeton speaks with Sean Tepper, founder and CEO of Tykr, an investment platform designed to empower users in navigating the stock market. Sean shares his journey from corporate life to entrepreneurship, discussing the challenges and lessons learned along the way. The conversation explores the significance of financial literacy, the distinctions between investing and trading, and the innovative features of Tykr that aim to simplify investing for users. Sean emphasizes the importance of situational awareness in business and investing, and how leveraging technology, including AI, can enhance investment analysis. The episode concludes with insights on the future of Tykr and the importance of doing what you love while also generating revenue. Chapters 00:00 – Billionaire Investors, Not Traders 01:00 – Introduction to The Modern Man Podcast 03:09 – Sean Tepper's Journey into Investing 08:22 – The Transition from Corporate to Entrepreneurship 13:15 – Overcoming Fear and Embracing Risk 19:00 – The Aha Moment in Investing 24:49 – Building Ticker: The Education Piece 30:26 – Micro Learning and Financial Literacy 35:33 – Investing vs. Trading: The Key Differences 38:46 – Future Goals for Ticker and Growth Strategies 39:56 – Leveraging AI in Investment Analysis   Tepper’s Links Website:  tykr.com Facebook: tykrpro LinkedIn: seantepper Instagram: tykrinvest Free eBook Here: Mastering Self-Development: Strategies of the New Masculine: m2ebook   ⚔️JOIN THE NOBLE KNIGHTS MASTERMIND⚔️ https://themodernmanpodcast.com/thenobleknights  

This episode is sponsored by…⁠BLUPRINT HOME LOANS:Get pre-approved with one of RTR's preferred lenders at ⁠https://bluprinthomeloans.com/renttoretirement/⁠BAM Capital:Get access to premium real estate assets with BAM Capital. Rent to Retirement's preferred multifamily partner. https://bamcapital.com/rtr/IGNITE FUNDING:Earn 10%-12% fixed annual returns backed by real property, without the hassle of owning and managing rentals.https://lp.ignitefunding.com/2025/5mis-rtr/signup/?sl=rtr&utm_source=rtr&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=podcast_1Thinking about owning a vacation home…but not using it enough to justify the cost?In this episode, Adam Schroeder sits down with Tom Mulholland, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives at Pacaso, to break down the real world of fractional real estate ownership.You'll learn how fractional ownership differs from timeshares, how financing works, why this model is growing fast, and what risks investors should consider before diving in.If you're curious about co-ownership, vacation home investing, Regulation A raises, or the future of fractionalized assets—this episode gives you the full picture.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Intro with Adam Schroeder00:22 – Meet Tom Mulholland from Pacaso00:56 – Why fractional ownership is solving major vacation-home problems01:49 – Vacant homes & underutilized vacation properties explained03:03 – How Pacaso's founders built the co-ownership model03:36 – Vacation homes vs timeshares: key differences04:25 – What makes fractional ownership actual asset ownership06:50 – Why fractional real estate is rapidly expanding07:55 – The “why” behind investors choosing fractionalization09:07 – Risks, due diligence & dispute systems10:44 – Pacaso's 17,000-investor Regulation A raise12:50 – Democratizing ownership in private companies14:16 – Luxury home pricing & buyer structure15:52 – How financing works for co-owners17:25 – Why owners cannot short-term rent their shares18:55 – Maintenance, repairs, and responsibility20:08 – How selling your fractional stake works21:47 – Updates, renovations, and owner voting24:02 – Pacaso's vision for the future of real estate25:25 – How to learn more + RTR closing message

This $400B Firm Is Democratizing Private Investments & Relentless Consistency From Michael Bell GuestMichael Bell Founder & CEO of Meketa Capital & Primark Captial Assets Under Advisory = $400BAssets Under Management = $500M Website: https://meketacapital.com/BioMichael Bell is the CEO of Meketa Capital, an asset management firm focused on expanding access to private market investments to RIAs and other advisors without the complexity of subscription documents, high investment minimums, and the complex tax treatment associated with traditional institutional private market investment structures. Michael has four decades of experience leveraging a dynamic combination of transactional, operational, and strategic expertise in the asset management industry.

This episode is sponsored by…⁠BLUPRINT HOME LOANS:Get pre-approved with one of RTR's preferred lenders at ⁠https://bluprinthomeloans.com/renttoretirement/⁠BAM Capital:Get access to premium real estate assets with BAM Capital. Rent to Retirement's preferred multifamily partner. https://bamcapital.com/rtr/IGNITE FUNDING:Earn 10%-12% fixed annual returns backed by real property, without the hassle of owning and managing rentals.https://lp.ignitefunding.com/2025/5mis-rtr/signup/?sl=rtr&utm_source=rtr&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=podcast_1Thinking about owning a vacation home…but not using it enough to justify the cost?In this episode, Adam Schroeder sits down with Tom Mulholland, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives at Pacaso, to break down the real world of fractional real estate ownership.You'll learn how fractional ownership differs from timeshares, how financing works, why this model is growing fast, and what risks investors should consider before diving in.If you're curious about co-ownership, vacation home investing, Regulation A raises, or the future of fractionalized assets—this episode gives you the full picture.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Intro with Adam Schroeder00:22 – Meet Tom Mulholland from Pacaso00:56 – Why fractional ownership is solving major vacation-home problems01:49 – Vacant homes & underutilized vacation properties explained03:03 – How Pacaso's founders built the co-ownership model03:36 – Vacation homes vs timeshares: key differences04:25 – What makes fractional ownership actual asset ownership06:50 – Why fractional real estate is rapidly expanding07:55 – The “why” behind investors choosing fractionalization09:07 – Risks, due diligence & dispute systems10:44 – Pacaso's 17,000-investor Regulation A raise12:50 – Democratizing ownership in private companies14:16 – Luxury home pricing & buyer structure15:52 – How financing works for co-owners17:25 – Why owners cannot short-term rent their shares18:55 – Maintenance, repairs, and responsibility20:08 – How selling your fractional stake works21:47 – Updates, renovations, and owner voting24:02 – Pacaso's vision for the future of real estate25:25 – How to learn more + RTR closing message

From losing his $25,000 life savings on his first startup investment to democratizing venture capital for everyday investors, Gerry Hays shares proven strategies for making early-stage investing accessible through VentureStaking while teaching founders outside traditional tech hubs how to raise capital and build sustainable businesses. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits down with Gerry Hays, founder and CEO of Doriot and Senior Lecturer at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. Gerry has made 75+ startup investments, taught venture capital for 20 years, and built multiple companies from zero to exit, including HomeYeah.com and Charlie Biggs Food Company. His current mission focuses on expanding venture capital access beyond coastal hubs through innovative funding models. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: In this episode, you'll discover how to participate in early-stage startup investing with as little as $10 through the VentureStaking model, why the right to invest later in winning companies proves more valuable than over-investing today, and how collapsing startup costs are fundamentally changing capital requirements for founders. Gerry shares strategies for avoiding what he calls "the fool's tax" when making your first investments, the critical importance of backing founders over ideas, and why venture investing resembles poker more than roulette. You'll also learn about building venture ecosystems within universities where students and alumni can collaborate on funding and growth, navigating the decision between raising capital versus bootstrapping your business, and the difference between venture-appropriate businesses versus lifestyle companies. The conversation explores tokenization's potential to create an ownership economy, why cultivation mindset beats consumption thinking for long-term wealth building, and what freedom from scarcity truly means in both dealmaking and life. GERRY'S JOURNEY: Gerry's path into venture capital came through painful education. After leaving law practice after just six months, he made his first investment at age 27, putting his entire life savings of $25,000 into a hazardous waste processing technology. He knew the space intimately from running lobbying for Indiana's Department of Environmental Management. The technology made sense. The market opportunity was clear. But the founder couldn't execute, and Gerry lost everything. That lesson kept him away from startup investing for a decade. Instead, he became a founder himself, launching HomeYeah.com during the dot-com boom. He acquired a small Indianapolis company with 25 lawn signs and built it into the 11th largest real estate company in Indianapolis by transactions, growing from zero to $1.8 million in revenue in just 20 to 24 months. The company sold to Help-U-Sell Real Estate in 2003, but not before Gerry experienced the challenge of raising capital outside traditional tech hubs. After the HomeYeah.com exit, Indiana University invited him to teach a new venture capital course. He's been there since 2004, creating what he calls a bridge between academic theory and real-world startup practice. Meanwhile, he co-founded Charlie Biggs Food Company, scaling it from zero to $10 million in revenue with distribution in over 1,000 retail locations before exiting through a private equity deal. FIRST INVESTMENT LESSONS: That initial $25,000 loss taught Gerry what he calls "avoiding the fool's tax." The fundamental insight was simple but profound. When you invest, you're really investing in founders more than ideas. He was simply a bad picker of founders at that point. The technology expertise didn't matter. Market knowledge didn't matter. What mattered was identifying founders who could execute through inevitable obstacles and pivots. This lesson shaped everything that followed. Gerry wouldn't touch startup investing again for ten years after that loss. When he did return, his approach centered on cultivating relationships with founders over time, watching how they respond to challenges, and building diversified portfolios that acknowledge most investments will fail. VENTURESTAKING MODEL: The VentureStaking approach emerged from Gerry's years of teaching and investing. The model allows investors to participate with as little as $10 in early-stage founders. Instead of writing large checks for immediate equity, venture stakers provide small grants to founders just getting started. If those founders break out and raise a real equity round, the stakers get invited to invest at 10 times their initial stake. The math works elegantly. Out of 25 investments of $10 each totaling $250, you might only see three worth backing in a real round. But when winners emerge, you've earned the right to participate in meaningful equity rounds without the traditional barriers to entry. This democratizes access while maintaining sophisticated portfolio construction principles. Gerry likens venture investing to poker rather than roulette. You play many hands with small amounts. You fold most of them. But when you spot real winners, you bet heavy. This is cultivation versus consumption, a long-term wealth-building game that Warren Buffett exemplifies, having created 99% of his wealth after age 65. THE COLLAPSING COST OF STARTING: One of the most profound shifts Gerry identifies is how startup costs have collapsed. What required $5 million to build ten years ago can now be created in a day for $50 thanks to AI agents, no-code platforms, and cloud services. This changes everything about capital requirements and who can be a founder. This trend combines with tokenization to create what Gerry calls an ownership economy. Instead of owning a few stocks generating passive income, people could hold tokens in 150 companies, each generating small amounts of passive income without traditional barriers to entry. The infrastructure for this future is being built now through blockchain technology and regulatory evolution. UNIVERSITY VENTURE ECOSYSTEMS: Gerry's work brings the VentureStaking model to universities, creating ecosystems where students, alumni, and faculty can participate in funding and building the next generation of startups. Indiana University has 70,000 students and 800,000 alumni. Imagine creating an arena where students pitch ideas, alumni back them with small stakes, and the community participates in the upside when founders succeed. Shared information, shared risk, shared prosperity. This approach captures innovation traditional VCs miss entirely. Founders outside coastal hubs gain access to capital. Alumni gain access to investment opportunities typically reserved for accredited investors with six-figure minimums. Students learn by doing rather than just studying theory. The model scales to any university willing to build the infrastructure. KEY INSIGHTS: Geographic location shouldn't determine access to capital. Gerry experienced this firsthand with HomeYeah.com in Indianapolis. He wasn't in California. He didn't have the right connections. That challenge drives his current work at Doriot, focused on democratizing venture capital for founders and investors outside traditional hubs. The Sam Altman example illustrates how network effects compound. Altman invested $15,000 in Stripe in 2009, now worth $650 million. That wealth creates access to more deals. Those deals create more wealth. The rich get richer not because they're smarter but because they have access. VentureStaking aims to expand that access. Contracts matter, but people matter just as much. Gerry's experience shows that when something seems too easy, like tenants responding unusually quickly to lease documents without redlines for 10-15 year commitments, it raises red flags. You can have perfect legal documents but still face challenges if you're working with the wrong people. THE SHARK TANK STORY: Gerry shares his Shark Tank experience where his former student pitched a business and received a $250,000 offer from Mark Cuban for 35% equity. Gerry advised him that existing SAFEs would push him below 50% ownership. The founder turned down Cuban's offer. That "no" to Mark Cuban kicked off Season 4 of Shark Tank and generated publicity that proved more valuable than the deal itself. The company continued growing without the investment. CULTIVATION VERSUS CONSUMPTION: One of Gerry's most powerful insights addresses how society trains people for consumption rather than cultivation. We've made sports betting legal. Prediction markets are booming. We're training young people about fast-moving money and dopamine hits. But venture investing is a cultivation game. You're dropping seeds into the ground and watching what the universe brings back. He gave a student $5,000 who wanted to build something in the travel industry. The founder pivoted to AI and Shopify and just raised $8 million at a $55 million valuation. That $5,000 investment is now worth over $200,000. The bet wasn't on the idea. It was on a founder who wouldn't quit. That's something you discover by playing the game, getting yourself into wealth-building activities where you're patient, watching, and learning. FREEDOM FROM SCARCITY: When asked about freedom, Gerry's answer cut to something fundamental. Being free from a scarcity mindset is profoundly important. Everything around us reinforces scarcity. But when you let go of that and realize how abundant things really are, it changes how you see opportunities. You can afford to be patient. You can take calculated risks. You can help others succeed knowing there's enough to go around. This mindset applies to venture capital, to dealmaking, to entrepreneurship, and to life. When you operate from abundance rather than scarcity, you see opportunities differently. Capital formation is evolving. The question is whether that evolution will democratize opportunity or concentrate it further. Gerry's betting on democratization. Perfect for investors curious about venture capital but feeling locked out of traditional opportunities, founders outside coastal tech hubs seeking capital, university administrators exploring venture ecosystem development, and anyone interested in how capital formation is evolving to become more accessible while maintaining sophisticated portfolio construction principles. FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE: https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/gerryhays FOR MORE ON GERRY HAYS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerryhays/ https://doriot.com FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today! Episode Highlights with Timestamps [00:00] - Introduction to Gerry Hays and the VentureStaking model [02:15] - Growing up around real estate and finding it boring initially [04:30] - The $25,000 first investment loss and avoiding the fool's tax [07:45] - Launching HomeYeah.com during the dot-com boom and growing to $1.8 million [10:20] - Capital raising challenges outside traditional tech hubs [12:30] - Selling HomeYeah.com to Help-U-Sell Real Estate in 2003 [14:15] - Teaching venture capital at Indiana University since 2004 [16:45] - Building Charlie Biggs Food Company from zero to $10 million in revenue [19:30] - The VentureStaking model explained with $10 minimum investments [22:15] - Why venture investing is poker, not roulette [25:00] - The collapsing cost of starting companies from millions to dollars [27:30] - Tokenization and the ownership economy vision [30:45] - The $5,000 investment now worth $200,000 after founder pivoted to AI [33:20] - Sam Altman's $15,000 Stripe investment now worth $650 million [36:00] - Building venture ecosystems within universities [39:15] - The Shark Tank story where student turned down Mark Cuban [42:00] - Cultivation versus consumption mindset for wealth building [44:30] - Warren Buffett creating 99% of wealth after age 65 [46:45] - Freedom from scarcity mindset in dealmaking and life Guest Bio Gerry Hays is the founder and CEO of Doriot, a platform focused on democratizing venture capital by expanding access for entrepreneurs outside traditional coastal hubs. He is also a Senior Lecturer at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, where he has taught Venture Capital and Entrepreneurial Finance since 2004. Gerry began his career in politics and law before founding HomeYeah.com, an online real estate platform that grew from zero to $1.8 million in revenue in 20-24 months and became the 11th largest real estate company in Indianapolis by transactions. The company was acquired by the private equity firm behind Help-U-Sell Real Estate in 2003. He co-founded Charlie Biggs Food Company, growing it to over $10 million in annual revenue with distribution in over 1,000 retail locations before exiting through a private equity deal. He also co-founded Apparel Media Group, later acquired by Custom Ink. An active investor, Gerry has backed 75+ early-stage companies, several of which have raised over $20 million or achieved profitability. He has been investing in Bitcoin and Bitcoin Layer 2 infrastructure since 2013. Gerry is the author of The First-Time Founders Equity Bible and has led student venture immersion trips to Asia for over a decade. Host Bio Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker with more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Show Description Do you want your business to grow faster? The DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer reveals how successful entrepreneurs and business leaders use strategic deals to accelerate growth. From large mergers and acquisitions to capital raising, joint ventures, strategic alliances, real estate deals, and more, this show discusses the full spectrum of deal-driven growth strategies. Get the confidence to pursue deals that will help your company scale faster. Related Episodes Episode 350 - Tom Dillon on Fractional CFOs and Alternative Funding Sources: Learn how fractional CFO services help companies explore diverse funding options beyond traditional venture capital. Episode 351 - Solocast on Deal Structures Beyond M&A and Capital Raising: Explore joint ventures, strategic alliances, licensing agreements, and other creative partnership models that expand growth options. Episode 89 - Sherisse Hawkins on the Capital Raising Journey: Discover the practical realities of securing investment as a founder and navigating the funding landscape. Episode 85 - Nick Adams on Seed Stage Venture Capital Funds: Understand how traditional VCs evaluate early-stage deals and what metrics matter most to institutional investors. Episode 175 - Natasha Miller on Developing Strategic Partnerships: Master the concepts of shared risk, shared resources, and creative collaboration structures that bring communities together. Episode 185 - Maximilian Rast on How to Raise Capital for Your Company: Build the fundamentals of capital raising that apply across venture, real estate, and business growth strategies. Social Media Follow DealQuest Podcast:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/Website: https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Follow Gerry Hays: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerryhays/ Company: https://doriot.com Twitter: @gerryhays Keywords/Tags venture capital democratization, VentureStaking model, early stage investing, startup funding alternatives, university venture ecosystems, tokenization investing, accredited investor alternatives, cultivation mindset wealth building, venture capital accessibility, startup investment diversification, capital raising strategies, founder backing strategies, angel investing, entrepreneurship education, blockchain tokenization, ownership economy, portfolio diversification, founder selection strategies, dealmaking strategies

Matt Dalio is the founder of Endless Network, a visionary initiative dedicated to empowering youth to become creators of technology rather than passive consumers. His work spans three pillars: Endless Studios, a youth game-making studio; Endless Access, which tackles device affordability and connectivity; and Endless OS, an education-focused operating system designed to teach coding and digital skills through games.Matt's journey began with formative experiences in China, where he founded the China Care Foundation as a teenager to support orphans—an early signal of his lifelong commitment to equity and empowerment. He's also the son of Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, and credits his father's ethos of purpose-driven work as a guiding influence, while forging his own path in education and technology.In 2024, Matt announced a major partnership with Arizona State University to launch the Endless Games and Learning Lab, a $5M initiative aimed at scaling personalized, game-based learning for millions of students worldwide.Links:Media Kit / Bio:https://kitcaster.com/matt-dalio/Social:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattdalio/Website:https://www.endlessstudios.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Season 7 of Innovators Inside kicks off with Sherwood “Woody” Neiss — entrepreneur, venture capitalist, architect of the JOBS Act, and author of Investomers. Woody walks through how investment crowdfunding went from an eight-bullet framework to a 485-page regulation that opened startup investing to everyday people. He and Ian dig into the rise of the “customer-investor,” why doctors, scientists, and operators are backing the tools they actually use, how crowdfunding is changing access to capital for women and minority founders, and why health tech and biotech are now leading the pack. They also explore how data, AI, and tighter feedback loops are creating new “signals” for VCs, what founders get wrong about valuation and communication, and why lean, disciplined fundraising is back.Topics & Timestamps

Our continuing exploration of the intersection of private wealth and alternatives takes us to Future Standard, one of the largest distribution platforms bringing the wealth channel exposure to the middle markets. Michael Kelly is Co-President and Chief Investment Officer of Future Standard, a $90 billion alternative asset manager focused on private middle-market strategies for the wealth channel. Michael has been in the alternatives industry for three decades, starting as an analyst under Lee Cooperman and Julian Robertson, helping build FrontPoint Partners, which began the institutionalization of hedge funds, serving as CEO of ORIX USA, where he led the acquisition of $250 billion global asset manager Robeco, and for the last decade turning to the democratization of alternatives. Our conversation covers Michael's path from working in hedge funds to building alternative asset businesses, including lessons about incentives, leadership, and culture. We then discuss his pivot from the institutional market to the wealth channel, and the growth from a single strategy at Franklin Square with $12 billion in assets to a full suite of strategies under the rebranded Future Standard with $90 billion across private credit, private equity, real estate, infrastructure, and multi-asset investing. Michael also shares his views on performance expectations and what the flood of new capital means for the institutional market. Learn More Follow Ted on Twitter at @tseides or LinkedIn Subscribe to the mailing list Access Transcript with Premium Membership   Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠)

In this episode, Heather sits down with Dr. Rachel Gainsbrugh from Short Term Gems to explore how artificial intelligence is changing the way short-term rental businesses operate. Rachel shares how she moved from being a pharmacist to building a real estate education company focused on medical professionals, and how AI is now a core part of that mission. They discuss how AI is helping hosts get more done with less effort, speed up onboarding, reduce mistakes, and support team members in delivering better guest experiences. Rachel gives examples from her work building hundreds of GPTs, creating custom tools, and teaching property managers how to automate without losing the personal touch. Whether you're just curious or already using AI, you'll walk away with practical ideas to try in your business. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Alumni Ventures is one of the most active venture firms in the world and under Mike's leadership has reimagined the venture capital model—connecting accredited investors with professionally managed portfolios through the power of alumni communities. With over $1.5 billion in assets under management and more than 1,400 portfolio companies, Mike's mission to democratize access to venture investing is transforming how innovation gets funded. In this episode, we dive into the future of venture capital, how networks unlock opportunity at scale, and Mike's hot take on the impact of AI to investment and the world

Sanford Blumenthal has been active in the fields of commercial real estate and investment finance for over 15 years. At Lightstone, Sanford has closed over $3 billion of completed acquisitions, developments, and financings. Mr. Blumenthal is responsible for sourcing, underwriting, deal structuring, and due diligence across the residential, hospitality, office, industrial, retail, and land sectors. During his tenure at Lightstone, Sanford has been instrumental in the strategic development of lifestyle-oriented hotels in major gateway markets, with a primary focus on the Moxy brand. Sanford specializes in opportunistic deals with intricate capital structures.

A conversation with Brent DialTo Brent Dial, the pursuit of health is about three things: agency, education, and collaboration.And that's exactly what Beek Health, the start-up he co-founded earlier this year, are all about.Beek are on a mission to revolutionize the bloated patient data process: reducing wasted time, resources and patient stress. Gone are repeated scans, poor communication and unnecessary surgeries.By putting the power into the patient's hands, their innovative combination of health literacy, technology, and patient empowerment raises hope for solving the issues of healthcare equity in the United States. —We spoke about how the current healthcare system often leaves patients feeling disconnected and uninformed, biomarkers, the role of technology in democratizing health information, and the need for a paradigm shift from a clinician-centric to a patient-centric approach.Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

Live from the Senior Living Innovation Forum's Fall Conference, Steve Moran sits down with entrepreneur and former public-company CEO Ben Lytle to rethink aging through the lens of human potential. They dig into why perspective is the beginning of wisdom, how the "tension of opposites" unlocks better decisions, and how communities can become places where older adults live their best lives and leave a legacy. Ben lays out practical plays: behavior-change ecosystems (beyond apps), incentive-aligned healthcare, gamified and personalized wellness, intergenerational engagement—and even AI "alter egos" that preserve residents' stories while supporting daily well-being. If you're building tomorrow's senior living, this conversation is your blueprint. They cover: Perspective > pessimism: By most measures we're in the best time in history; wisdom starts with context and proportion. Tension of opposites: Leaders who hold and integrate conflicting viewpoints create more innovative, workable solutions. Human potential as a value proposition: Market your community as a place to live your best life and leave a legacy. Legacy tech: Offer residents AI "alter egos" to capture stories, wisdom, and family history—and even support daily wellness checks. Behavior change needs an ecosystem: App + clinical endorsement + coaching + community = real, sustained health improvements. Gamified, personalized health: Give residents clear "optimal health scores," daily actions, and peer comparisons to drive engagement. Realignment of incentives: Pay providers for improving outcomes, not volume—primary care and aging services benefit first. Democratizing senior living: Use scalable tech and redesigned services to deliver quality experiences at a lower cost and to more people.

Is private equity still worth it, and can everyday investors finally get access without the complexity? Robert Curtiss, CFP,® welcomes back Phil Huber, Managing Director and Head of Portfolio Solutions at Cliffwater, to unpack the rise of evergreen private equity funds, an innovation reshaping the private investing landscape. Phil explains how Cliffwater's newly launched Evergreen … Read More Read More

In this episode, Andrew Overholt, VP of Engineering at Mozilla, joins TC Gill to explore how Mozilla lives its mission, putting users first, leading with humility, and shaping the future of an open and accessible internet. From policy to innovation, Andrew shares how democratizing tech can (and should) influence how we build the web.

In this episode, Aydin chats with Allan Isfan, Senior Director of Global Video Platform at Warner Bros Discovery, about how AI is reshaping creativity, software development, and large-scale enterprise culture. Allan explains how he drives AI literacy for 1,500+ employees, the power of internal demos and sandboxes, and gives a hands-on walkthrough of generative video tools like Gemini V3, Flow, and Sora. He also dives into AI video analysis, the Wizard of Oz project at The Sphere, and the future of creative storytelling powered by AI.

Jack Pertschuck, former Principal Engineer at Pinecone, discusses what vector databases are and why they matter for AI and search applications. He also discusses the challenges of communicating the value of this technology when the problem isn't widely understood. Key Takeaways:  Advice for teams looking to adopt vector search technology The importance of hybrid and cascading retrieval methods The significance of context engineering and evaluation metrics in AI systems How Pinecone is democratizing vector database technology for AI and machine learning applications Guest Bio: Jack Pertschuk is a former Principal Engineer with Pinecone, the market leader in vector databases. As the company's founding engineer and lead for algorithms, applied research, and platform, Jack is responsible for the roadmap and execution across research and engineering for search index efficiency and accuracy. Prior to Pinecone, Jack was a founder of SidekickQA and creator of the NBoost open source neural ranking engine. He is an active member of the Rust and Information Retrieval research community, and is passionate about solving problems at the intersection of ML and systems. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About this Show: The Brave Technologist is here to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of emerging tech. To make it digestible, less scary, and more approachable for all! Join us as we embark on a mission to demystify artificial intelligence, challenge the status quo, and empower everyday people to embrace the digital revolution. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a curious mind, or an industry professional, this podcast invites you to join the conversation and explore the future of AI together. The Brave Technologist Podcast is hosted by Luke Mulks, VP Business Operations at Brave Software—makers of the privacy-respecting Brave browser and Search engine, and now powering AI everywhere with the Brave Search API. Music by: Ari Dvorin Produced by: Sam Laliberte  

Lisha Li is the founder of Rosebud AI, a groundbreaking platform that makes game creation accessible to anyone. With roots in pure math & AI research, she's transformed cutting-edge technology into creative tools that empower people to build, remix & share games in entirely new ways.Listen as we explore Lisha's journey from academia & venture capital to launching Rosebud AI, & how she's reimagining game design as a collaborative, ever-evolving ecosystem.Rosebud AILinkedin

Leveraging Shipper Intent Data to Win More Freight", Joe Lynch and Rob Light, CEO & Co-founder at CarrierSource, discuss how their platform provides the real-time intent signals and AI tools necessary to turn passive interest into high-value revenue. About Rob Light Robert Light is the CEO and a Co-Founder of CarrierSource, the leading review website for brokers and carriers. Rob has been building CarrierSource for the past five years, and prior to that was an early employee at the software review website G2.com. At G2, Rob saw the power of customer reviews and how small businesses could leverage the voice of their customers to compete with the largest companies in the space. He's excited to bring this same opportunity to logistics and transportation. About CarrierSource CarrierSource is revolutionizing the freight industry with real-time Shipper Intent Data and AI-powered Research Agents. For the first time, brokers and carriers can see when a shipper is searching for capacity, viewing competitor profiles, or interacting with their own listing. These signals empower teams to engage high-intent prospects at exactly the right moment, turning passive interest into closed business. With Research Agents, teams can go from shipper intent signal to context to outreach in minutes, bridging the gap between intent and action. CarrierSource is built on top of the first truly two-sided review marketplace. Brokers and carriers can review each other, and shippers can find freight partners through verified reviews, FMCSA safety and insurance data, and detailed company profiles. With over 75,000 reviews across 40,000+ brokers and carriers, CarrierSource is where reputations are built. It's now also where intent turns into revenue. Key Takeaways: Leveraging Shipper Intent Data to Win More Freight Leveraging Shipper Intent Data to Win More Freight", Joe Lynch and Rob Light, CEO & Co-founder at CarrierSource, discuss how their platform provides the real-time intent signals and AI tools necessary to turn passive interest into high-value revenue. Real-Time Shipper Intent is the New Gold: The most critical factor in winning freight is knowing when a shipper is actively in the market. CarrierSource provides real-time signals—such as a shipper searching for capacity or viewing a competitor's profile—allowing brokers and carriers to engage prospects at the precise moment of highest intent. AI Closes the Intent-to-Action Gap: The platform utilizes AI-powered Research Agents to bridge the gap between signal and outreach. This technology ensures that teams can move from identifying an intent signal to gathering necessary context and initiating an informed outreach effort in minutes. Reputation is the Foundation for Conversion: Rob Light's experience at G2 highlights the power of customer voice. CarrierSource is built on a two-sided review marketplace with over 75,000 reviews, establishing that a verified and strong reputation is essential for converting a high-intent prospect into closed business. Democratizing the Competitive Edge: The technology empowers smaller and mid-sized brokers and carriers. By providing access to high-value intent data and leveraging the voice of their customers through reviews, they can effectively compete head-to-head with the largest companies in the logistics space. A Holistic View Wins the Business: Winning freight requires more than just knowing intent; it demands credibility. The platform integrates real-time intent data with essential compliance information, including verified reviews, FMCSA safety data, and insurance details, providing a comprehensive profile for shippers. The Shift to a Proactive Revenue Model: The industry is shifting from a reactive approach (waiting for RFPs) to a proactive one. CarrierSource enables a model where "intent turns into revenue," fundamentally changing the sales motion from passive interest tracking to immediate, targeted engagement. Leverage Reviews to Compete on Par: A core lesson from Rob's previous work is that customer reviews are a powerful tool to level the playing field. By making the voice of the customer central to the partner selection process, brokers and carriers of all sizes can use their established service reputation to secure new freight opportunities. Learn More About Leveraging Shipper Intent Data to Win More Freight Rob Light | Linkedin CarrierSource CarrierSource | Linkedin The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube

I've always been fascinated by the idea of biological age, how “old” your body really is versus what your passport says. When I first heard about DNA methylation tests that claim to measure that, I was hooked. Could we really peek into our own cellular aging?In this episode, I am joined by Dr. David Furman, a leading scientist at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and the Director of the Stanford 1000 Immunomes Project. Dr. Furman shares his extensive knowledge on biological age and breaks down the latest technologies in aging science. With decades of expertise, he explains why current biological age tests, especially epigenetic clocks, aren't as reliable as they may seem, and what advancements are on the horizon.He explains why inflammation is at the center of age-related diseases and how targeting it could improve our health span, thus helping us not just live longer, but better.We also touch on some fascinating new technologies, including microgravity-based aging tests, which simulate the effects of aging on cells, revealing how specific organs may age differently.Plus, we get a glimpse into a smartphone app that can measure inflammation with just a selfie!Want to learn more about the future of aging and how you can take control of your biological age? Tune in now to hear from one of the leading experts in the field!Key TakeawaysIntroduction (00:00)Epigenetic tests and their limitations (01:04)Technical variability and alternative tests (02:28)Inflammation and aging (05:07)Trustworthiness and commercial interests (07:53)Challenges in biological age testing (12:52)Democratizing aging tests (15:41)Advanced aging tests (17:17)Final thoughts and future directions (22:04)Additional Resources:✨ Learn more about how to live a long and pain-free life: https://joykongmd.com/ ✨ Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stemcelldrjoy/ ✨ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_joy_kong/ —Dr. Joy Kong is a regenerative medicine and anti-aging expert. Her podcast is part of her mission to reduce suffering and elevate happiness. Join us every week for the latest holistic health insights that will help you live a long and pain-free life.

Justin Kuyper is the Co-Founder & CEO of Openvest, a fintech platform democratizing elite hedge fund and private equity investing exposures. After years in consulting and finance — including running a hedge fund where he consistently outperformed benchmarks — Justin saw how Wall Street locked ordinary people out with 2%+ fees and exclusivity. With Openvest, he set out to change that by making hedge-fund and private-equity style portfolios accessible to everyone for just $3/month. Bootstrapping Openvest from scratch, Justin has guided the company through product-market fit, filed multiple patents, and built scalable systems that deliver institutional-grade portfolios with the simplicity of a subscription. A Columbia MBA graduate (Top 20%), he blends deep financial expertise with hands-on entrepreneurial grit. His mission is to tear down the velvet rope around wealth-building and empower everyday investors to grow smarter, faster, and more affordably. For more information, visit openvest.co.

Tech founder turned health innovator Kirk Ouimet of Phi explains how his team is translating decades of pharma-grade delivery tech into supplements that actually absorb, and pairing it with an AI health assistant designed to keep your data private while spotting issues earlier.  We dig into magnesium timing, iron + vitamin C synergy, menstrual-cycle-aware dosing, and how subjective check-ins plus wearables can guide smarter tweaks over time.  If you want supplements that respect your biology and your budget, this conversation lays out a clear, science-backed path forward. WE TALK ABOUT:  06:25 – Kirk's health journey and why “healthspan” > lifespan 11:55 – “ChatGPT × Apple Health”: The Phi app vision and what it means for your care team 16:30 – AI + doctors: From 14-minute visits to true proactive care 20:10 – Building a life-long, portable health record (Phi) you actually control 27:05 – Supplement reality check: forms, dosing, and why most pills miss the bloodstream 31:25 – Introducing Stack: Baseline of 22 essentials; no trend-chasing add-ons 40:05 – Micro-pills, micro-encapsulation, and making nutrients truly absorbable 53:40 – Personalization roadmap: Bead-level dosing by day, cycle, and context 1:01:40 – What “custom daily capsules” could look like  1:05:05 – The next decade: Democratizing biohacking with community-driven trials SPONSORS: Reset stress on demand with Pulsetto (code: BIOHACKINGBRITTANY) - a neck-worn vagus-nerve stim that calms stress in ~4 minutes so you sleep better and feel calmer. Join me in Costa Rica for Optimize Her, a 5-night luxury women's retreat in Costa Rica with yoga, healing rituals, and biohacking workshops—only 12 spots available. RESOURCES: Trying to conceive? Join my Baby Steps Course to optimize your fertility with biohacking. Free gift: Download my hormone-balancing, fertility-boosting chocolate recipe. Explore my luxury retreats and wellness events for women. Shop my faves: Check out my Amazon storefront for wellness essentials. Kirk Ouimet's website and Instagram Phi website LET'S CONNECT: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook Shop my favorite health products Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music

How can everyday investors access private equity, infrastructure, and private credit assets once reserved for institutions? Kimberly Flynn, CFA, to unpack how interval and closed-end funds are transforming access to alternatives. With over 25 years in finance and leadership experience, she shares insights on product innovation, performance fees, SEC regulations, and why private wealth is the new frontier for alternative investing.   Key Takeaways To Listen For XA Investments' origin story and mission to open private markets for individuals How mutual funds, ETFs, and closed-end funds differ in liquidity and structure Infrastructure investing: airports, toll roads, and built-in inflation hedges Why private credit is dominating 2025 fund flows, and how yield drives adoption A more resilient strategy than direct lending in volatile markets   Resources/Links Mentioned In This Episode Cliffwater Funds KKR and Capital Group Launch Public Private Investment Solutions Hamilton Lane Partners Group Murderland by Caroline Fraser | Kindle and Hardcover   About Kimberly FlynnKimberly Flynn, CFA, is the Managing Director of Alternative Investments at XA Investments. She leads product development, distribution, and investor education for interval funds and other alternative investment solutions. Before joining XA Investments, Kimberly was a Managing Director at Nuveen Investments, where she spent over a decade building and supporting alternative investment products. She is a recognized industry expert on closed-end funds and interval funds, frequently speaking at conferences and contributing to industry publications. Kimberly holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and brings extensive experience in helping financial advisors and investors access institutional-quality alternative strategies.   Connect with Kimberly Website: XA Investments LinkedIn: Kimberly Ann Flynn, CFA   Connect With UsIf you're looking to invest your hard-earned money into cash-flowing, value-add assets, reach out to us at https://bobocapitalventures.com/.   Follow Keith's social media pages LinkedIn: Keith Borie Investor Club: Secret Passive Cashflow Investors Club Facebook: Keith Borie X: @BoboLlc80554

Vlad Tenev, CEO of Robinhood joins Cem Karsan at the Hood Summit in Las Vegas, for a timely conversation about the shifting edge in markets. From memories of hyperinflation in Bulgaria to unlocking tools once reserved for institutions, Vlad outlines how Robinhood is positioning retail for a different kind of market regime. Futures, short selling, 24-hour options, AI-driven trade simulation, and embedded social features aren't just upgrades - they're signals. With market structure evolving and a historic wealth transfer underway, this episode captures a platform staking its claim on the next generation of capital allocators - and the volatility they'll inherit.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT's TRUE ? – most CIO's read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.comAnd please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Cem on Twitter.Episode TimeStamps: 01:27 - Introduction to Vlad Tenev05:11 - Big announcements from Robinhood09:15 - Tenev's favorite commodities12:13 - Lets talk about options!18:20 - How AI can benefit options trading21:56 - Short selling is coming to Robinhood25:44 - The path to making Robinhood more resilient28:02 - The great transfer of wealth31:17 - How Robinhood differentiates themselves from other platforms33:35 - Creating a broader army37:23 - What is Robinhood most excited for going forward?Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics