Podcasts about svb

Fluent Fiction - Swedish: Chasing Dreams on Sweden's Silver Ribbon Roads Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/sv/episode/2025-09-29-07-38-20-sv Story Transcript:Sv: Vägen slingrade sig som en silverband genom det svenska landskapet.En: The road twisted like a silver ribbon through the @AtLangBrace{sv}Swedish landscape.Sv: De färgsprakande höstlöven dansade genom luften när vinden svepte över de böljande kullarna.En: The vibrant autumn leaves danced through the air as the wind swept over the rolling hills.Sv: Lina och Henrik befann sig i bilen, på väg genom detta mångfacetterade landskap.En: @AtLangBrace{sv}Lina and @AtLangBrace{sv}Henrik found themselves in the car, on their way through this multifaceted landscape.Sv: Båda längtade efter något mer, men deras drömmar kändes ibland som avlägsna viskningar.En: Both longed for something more, but their dreams sometimes felt like distant whispers.Sv: Lina körde.En: @AtLangBrace{sv}Lina was driving.Sv: Hon trivdes bakom ratten, där hon kände sig fri från sin dagliga rutin.En: She enjoyed being behind the wheel, where she felt free from her daily routine.Sv: En rutin som hade blivit monoton sedan hon började sitt nya jobb.En: A routine that had become monotonous since she started her new job.Sv: Henrik satt bredvid henne, nyss hemkommen från en lång resa.En: @AtLangBrace{sv}Henrik sat next to her, recently returned home from a long journey.Sv: Han hade upplevt världen men nu lockade Sverige med sitt lugn och bekanta vyer.En: He had experienced the world, but now @AtLangBrace{sv}Sweden beckoned with its peace and familiar views.Sv: "Det är vackert här", sa Henrik, medan han tittade ut genom fönstret.En: "It's beautiful here," said @AtLangBrace{sv}Henrik, looking out the window.Sv: "Nästan så man glömmer bort världen därute."En: "Almost makes you forget about the world out there."Sv: "Ja", svarade Lina.En: "Yes," replied @AtLangBrace{sv}Lina.Sv: "Men ibland känns det som att livet bara går på i samma gamla spår."En: "But sometimes it feels like life just goes on in the same old tracks."Sv: Det var då Lina fick en idé.En: That's when @AtLangBrace{sv}Lina had an idea.Sv: "Vi tar en avstickare!En: "Let's take a detour!"Sv: ", föreslog hon och svängde av mot en liten grusväg som ledde till en sjö hon mindes från sin barndom.En: she suggested and turned off onto a small gravel road that led to a lake she remembered from her childhood.Sv: De stannade vid sjön, höstens färger speglades i vattnet och allt var tyst och stilla.En: They stopped by the lake, autumn colors reflecting in the water, and everything was quiet and still.Sv: De satte sig vid strandkanten, känslan av nostalgi och nya möjligheter hängde i luften.En: They sat by the shore, a feeling of nostalgia and new possibilities hanging in the air.Sv: "Vad är det som hindrar dig?"En: "What is it that's holding you back?"Sv: frågade Henrik försiktigt.En: @AtLangBrace{sv}Henrik asked cautiously.Sv: "Rädsla för att misslyckas, antar jag," svarade Lina ärligt.En: "Fear of failing, I suppose," replied @AtLangBrace{sv}Lina honestly.Sv: "Men jag vill resa, se världen... som du."En: "But I want to travel, see the world... like you."Sv: Henrik suckade och tänkte på sina egna dilemman.En: @AtLangBrace{sv}Henrik sighed and thought about his own dilemmas.Sv: "Och jag vill nog försöka slå mig till ro här, åtminstone för en tid.En: "And I want to try to settle down here, at least for a while.Sv: Utlandet lockar, men jag saknar hemmet."En: Abroad is tempting, but I miss home."Sv: De fortsatte prata, och orden flödade lätt.En: They continued to talk, and the words flowed easily.Sv: De uppmuntrade varandra att följa sina drömmar, att våga ta steget.En: They encouraged each other to follow their dreams, to dare to take the leap.Sv: "Nästa år tar jag ett sabbatsår och flyttar utomlands", utropade Lina till slut, med nyfunnen övertygelse.En: "Next year I'll take a sabbatical and move abroad," @AtLangBrace{sv}Lina finally exclaimed, with newfound conviction.Sv: "För att verkligen leva!"En: "To truly live!"Sv: Henrik log.En: @AtLangBrace{sv}Henrik smiled.Sv: "Och jag ger Sverige en chans, se vad det har att erbjuda när man stannar och rotar sig."En: "And I'll give @AtLangBrace{sv}Sweden a chance, see what it has to offer when you stay and put down roots."Sv: När de körde hemåt igen, var de båda fyllda av hopp och beslutsamhet.En: As they drove home again, they were both filled with hope and determination.Sv: Lina kände sig lättare, som om hela världen hade öppnat sig igen.En: @AtLangBrace{sv}Lina felt lighter, as if the whole world had opened up again.Sv: Henrik såg fram emot att omfamna hemmalivet med nyfiket sinne.En: @AtLangBrace{sv}Henrik looked forward to embracing home life with a curious mind.Sv: Löven föll fortfarande, men deras resor hade just börjat.En: The leaves were still falling, but their journeys had just begun. Vocabulary Words:twisted: slingraderibbon: bandvibrant: färgsprakandemultifaceted: mångfacetterademonotonous: monotonbeckoned: lockadedetour: avstickaregravel: grusshore: strandkantennostalgia: nostalgicautiously: försiktigtfailing: misslyckasdilemmas: dilemmanabroad: utlandetleap: stegetsabbatical: sabbatsårconviction: övertygelseput down roots: rotar sigdetermination: beslutsamhetcurious: nyfiketwhispers: viskningarroutine: rutinexperienced: upplevtpossibilities: möjligheterhindering: hindrarhonestly: ärligtencouraged: uppmuntradeexclaimed: utropadeembrace: omfamnaopen up: öppnat

¿Te sientes perdido porque “tienes mil planes a la vez”… pero en realidad no tienes ninguno? En este episodio desmontamos esa ansiedad y la convertimos en un plan que funciona: ritmos por tema, vueltas rápidas y foco brutal en lo que de verdad preguntan en el examen.¿Quieres prepararte con nosotros?https://formacion.ninja/?utm_source=podcastNuestro Canal de WhatsApp:https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaDKoSOCcW4tN3Cuh10QSi te ha gustado el vídeo, dale 5 estrellas

Fluent Fiction - Swedish: Family Feasts and Fiascos: A Recipe for Harmony Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/sv/episode/2025-09-27-07-38-20-sv Story Transcript:Sv: Gula löv låg som ett gyllene täcke över parkeringsplatsen utanför den stora mataffären.En: Golden leaves lay like a golden blanket over the parking lot outside the large supermarket.Sv: Lars tog ett djupt andetag, fylld av höstens friska luft.En: Lars took a deep breath, filled with the fresh autumn air.Sv: Det var hans plan att samla familjen för en trevlig middag.En: It was his plan to gather the family for a pleasant dinner.Sv: Kan det verkligen bli trevligt?En: Could it really be pleasant?Sv: tänkte han för sig själv.En: he thought to himself.Sv: Med Karin och Oskar kunde vad som helst hända.En: With Karin and Oskar, anything could happen.Sv: Familjemiddagar brukade inte vara fredliga.En: Family dinners usually weren't peaceful.Sv: Med en vag känsla av förväntan steg Lars, Karin och Oskar in genom de automatiska dörrarna.En: With a vague feeling of anticipation, Lars, Karin, and Oskar stepped in through the automatic doors.Sv: Inne i butiken, bland doften av pumpor och kanel, börja de första tecknen på oenighet redan bubbla upp.En: Inside the store, amidst the scent of pumpkins and cinnamon, the first signs of disagreement already began to bubble up.Sv: Lars höll listan hårt i handen.En: Lars held the list tightly in his hand.Sv: "Vi borde ta äppelpaj", sa Karin över sin axel när de kom till dessertsektionen.En: "We should get apple pie," said Karin over her shoulder when they reached the dessert section.Sv: "Nej, chokladtårta är bättre", påpekade Oskar med sin vanliga suck.En: "No, chocolate cake is better," Oskar remarked with his usual sigh.Sv: "Vi har alltid äppelpaj!En: "We always have apple pie!"Sv: ", insisterade Karin.En: insisted Karin.Sv: Lars stod där, vilse mellan deras argument som vanligt.En: Lars stood there, lost between their arguments as usual.Sv: Han visste att han måste göra något.En: He knew he had to do something.Sv: "Vad sägs om att vi tar båda?"En: "How about we get both?"Sv: föreslog han försiktigt.En: he suggested cautiously.Sv: Båda stirrade på honom.En: Both stared at him.Sv: Karin log smått, vilket var sällsynt, och Oskar ryckte på axlarna.En: Karin smiled slightly, which was rare, and Oskar shrugged.Sv: "Visst, varför inte båda?En: "Sure, why not both?"Sv: ", sa Oskar oväntat generöst.En: said Oskar unexpectedly generously.Sv: De fortsatte sin väg genom butiken, men lugnet var kortlivat.En: They continued their way through the store, but the calm was short-lived.Sv: Vid mejerihyllan bröt en ny argumentation ut.En: At the dairy aisle, a new argument broke out.Sv: "Ekologisk mjölk är bättre", sa Karin.En: "Organic milk is better," said Karin.Sv: "Det är slöseri med pengar", svarade Oskar.En: "It's a waste of money," replied Oskar.Sv: Lars insåg att han måste göra något mer.En: Lars realized he had to do something more.Sv: "Hörni", sa han, nu med mer eftertryck, "Låt oss tänka på vad vi egentligen ska göra här.En: "Hey," he said, now with more emphasis, "Let's think about what we're really doing here.Sv: Vi vill ju bara ha en trevlig middag.En: We just want to have a pleasant dinner.Sv: Kan vi försöka samarbeta?"En: Can we try to cooperate?"Sv: Det var en märklig tystnad, som om båda funderade på vad han sa.En: There was a strange silence, as if both were considering what he said.Sv: De smålog sedan, något generade.En: They then smiled slightly, somewhat embarrassed.Sv: De insåg att de kanske kunde använda sin energi bättre.En: They realized they might be able to use their energy better.Sv: När de nådde kassorna började något märkligt hända.En: When they reached the checkouts, something strange began to happen.Sv: Den ena kassan gick sönder, och kön blev lång.En: One of the registers broke down, and the line became long.Sv: Karin tappade en burk soppa som rullade mot Oskar.En: Karin dropped a can of soup that rolled towards Oskar.Sv: Han plockade upp den och började skratta.En: He picked it up and started to laugh.Sv: Det fick Karin att också skratta.En: It made Karin laugh too.Sv: "Vi kanske skulle ha gått till den där andra affären", skämtade Oskar.En: "Maybe we should have gone to that other store," joked Oskar.Sv: Deras fnittrighet smittade av sig på Lars.En: Their giggles were contagious to Lars.Sv: I ett ögonblick av harmoni betalade de för varorna och gick tillbaka mot bilen.En: In a moment of harmony, they paid for the groceries and headed back to the car.Sv: Luften var kallare nu, och de tre gick tillsammans med fulla händer, men lättare hjärtan.En: The air was colder now, and the three walked together with full hands, but lighter hearts.Sv: Lars insåg att det inte bara handlade om mat eller tradition.En: Lars realized that it wasn't just about food or tradition.Sv: Det handlade om att förstå och hjälpa.En: It was about understanding and helping each other.Sv: Kanske, tänkte han, var detta en början mot mer fred, om än bara för den kvällen.En: Maybe, he thought, this was the beginning of more peace, even if only for that evening. Vocabulary Words:blanket: täckeanticipation: förväntanautomatic: automatiskacinnamon: kaneldisagreement: oenighetinsisted: insisteradecautiously: försiktigtgenerously: generöstcooperate: samarbetaembarrassed: generadecheckout: kassornacontagious: smittadetradition: traditionorganic: ekologiskautumn: höstenargument: argumentationbubbling: bubblapleasant: trevligaisle: hyllansupermarket: mataffärengather: samlapeaceful: fredligashrugged: ryckte på axlarnaharmony: harmoniconsidering: funderabegan: börjaproposal: föresloggiggled: fnittrighetrealized: insågvague: vag

More than two dozen bills dedicated to Making Community Banks Great Again have passed House Financial Services Committee. Panel Chair French Hill handicaps which will have the most impact and what is most likely to be enacted. He also discusses the latest on the crypto market structure bill, how regulators can help banks in the fight against fraud, where the payments sector will be in five years, why he wants to end the Fed's dual mandate, the prospects for housing legislation and unfinished business after the fall of SVB in 2023.

Highlights from this week's conversation include:Michaela's Career Journey and Entry into Impact Investing (1:06)Lessons from Early Impact Experiences (3:36)Misconceptions about Impact Investing and Returns (6:39)Lessons from Clean Energy Investments (10:11)Venture and Asset Class Inclusion in Impact (12:03)Capricorn's Ecosystem Building and Value Add (15:59)Current Client Questions and Market Backlash (17:49)Strategies and Dislocations in Capital Markets (19:39)Marie-Celine's Background and Role at Capricorn (22:40)Asset Class Commitments (25:10)GP Engagement and Inflection Points (26:49)Investment Excellence and Entrepreneurial Teams (29:01)LP Relationships and GP Support (31:17)Mission Alignment for GPs (34:02)Due Diligence, Regulatory Risk, and Diversification (35:49)Connecting with Capricorn and Parting Thoughts (37:19)Capricorn Investment Group is a $13B mission-aligned investment firm founded on the belief that sustainable investment practices can enhance risk-adjusted returns. With offices in New York City and Palo Alto, Capricorn invests across asset classes, from venture capital to GP staking, supporting scalable solutions to the world's most pressing problems. Learn more at www.capricornllc.com.Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank, is the bank of the world's most innovative companies and investors. SVB provides commercial and private banking to individuals and companies in the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity, venture capital and premium wine industries. SVB operates in centers of innovation throughout the United States, serving the unique needs of its dynamic clients with deep sector expertise, insights and connections. SVB's parent company, First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCNCA), is a top 20 U.S. financial institution with more than $200 billion in assets. First Citizens Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at svb.com.Swimming with Allocators is a podcast that dives into the intriguing world of Venture Capital from an LP (Limited Partner) perspective. Hosts Alexa Binns and Earnest Sweat are seasoned professionals who have donned various hats in the VC ecosystem. Each episode, we explore where the future opportunities lie in the VC landscape with insights from top LPs on their investment strategies and industry experts shedding light on emerging trends and technologies. The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this podcast are for general informational purposes only. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Fluent Fiction - Swedish: Navigating Life's Storms: A Journey Through the Skärgården Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/sv/episode/2025-09-23-22-34-02-sv Story Transcript:Sv: Hösten hade kommit till Skärgården.En: Autumn had arrived in the Skärgården.Sv: Träden var klädda i gyllene och röda färger, och vinden bar med sig en doft av havssalt.En: The trees were dressed in golden and red hues, and the wind carried a scent of sea salt.Sv: Linnea, Erik och Sofia hade planerat en helgsegling.En: Linnea, Erik, and Sofia had planned a weekend sailing trip.Sv: Det var en chans att fly från vardagens stress och den hektiska stan.En: It was a chance to escape the stress of everyday life and the bustling city.Sv: Linnea kände sig pressad.En: Linnea felt pressured.Sv: Jobbet i Stockholm tog alla hennes krafter.En: The job in Stockholm took all her energy.Sv: Hon drömde om förändring, kanske en ny karriär.En: She dreamed of change, perhaps a new career.Sv: Hon hoppades på att seglingsturen skulle ge henne klarhet och inspiration.En: She hoped that the sailing trip would give her clarity and inspiration.Sv: Båten gled mjukt över vattnet.En: The boat glided smoothly over the water.Sv: Sofia styrde medan Erik ordnade med seglen.En: Sofia was steering while Erik managed the sails.Sv: Linnea satt vid relingen, blicken ut över det vidsträckta havet.En: Linnea sat by the railing, gazing out over the vast sea.Sv: Solen var låg på himlen, och de första stjärnorna började tändas.En: The sun was low in the sky, and the first stars were starting to appear.Sv: "Det är vackert här," sa Erik, och Linnea nickade tyst.En: "It's beautiful here," said Erik, and Linnea nodded silently.Sv: Ändå var hennes tankar på annat håll.En: Yet her thoughts were elsewhere.Sv: Hon funderade på sitt liv, framtiden, och vad som egentligen var viktigt för henne.En: She pondered her life, the future, and what was truly important to her.Sv: Plötsligt mörknade himlen snabbt.En: Suddenly the sky darkened quickly.Sv: Molnen samlades och vinden ökade.En: Clouds gathered, and the wind picked up.Sv: "Det ser ut som en storm kommer," ropade Sofia, orolig.En: "It looks like a storm is coming," shouted Sofia, worried.Sv: Erik försökte höja blicken från seglen och lämnade rodret till Linnea.En: Erik tried to raise his gaze from the sails and left the rudder to Linnea.Sv: Inom kort var stormen över dem.En: Before long, the storm was upon them.Sv: Vågorna blev högre och vinden skakade båten.En: The waves grew higher, and the wind shook the boat.Sv: Linnea kände rädslan växa inom sig.En: Linnea felt fear growing within her.Sv: Men något inuti henne vaknade också.En: But something inside her also awoke.Sv: En gnista av mod hon inte kände sig ha tidigare.En: A spark of courage she hadn't felt before.Sv: "Vi måste hitta skydd," sa Linnea högt, mer till sig själv än till de andra.En: "We must find shelter," Linnea said aloud, more to herself than to the others.Sv: Med stadig hand tog hon grepp om rodret.En: With a steady hand, she gripped the rudder.Sv: Hon koncentrerade sig, ignorerade vindens tjutande och styrde båten mot ett närområde hon hade läst om, en säker bukt.En: She concentrated, ignored the howling wind, and steered the boat toward an area she had read about, a safe cove.Sv: Erik och Sofia litade på henne, de följde hennes instruktioner utan att tveka.En: Erik and Sofia trusted her, they followed her instructions without hesitation.Sv: Vågorna krossade mot skrovet, men Linnea förblev fokuserad.En: Waves crashed against the hull, but Linnea remained focused.Sv: Hon manövrerade båten genom stormen, ledd av en nyfunnen styrka.En: She maneuvered the boat through the storm, guided by newfound strength.Sv: Till slut nådde de inloppet där vattnet var lugnare.En: Finally, they reached the inlet where the water was calmer.Sv: Båten lade tyst till vid en liten brygga.En: The boat quietly docked at a small pier.Sv: Stormen avtog sakta, och med det kom en känsla av lugn över dem alla.En: The storm slowly subsided, and with it came a sense of calm over them all.Sv: Linnea sjönk ner på däck, andades djupt.En: Linnea sank down on the deck, breathed deeply.Sv: Hjärtat slog snabbt, men inte av rädsla längre.En: Her heart was beating fast, but no longer out of fear.Sv: Av glädje och lättnad.En: Out of joy and relief.Sv: Sofia log, "Du gjorde det, Linnea."En: Sofia smiled, "You did it, Linnea."Sv: "Ja," svarade hon och kände för första gången på länge att hon kunde möta vilken storm som helst, både till sjöss och i livet.En: "Yes," she replied, feeling for the first time in a long while that she could face any storm, both at sea and in life.Sv: Hon var redo att ta risker, göra förändringar, och se vart de tog henne.En: She was ready to take risks, make changes, and see where they would lead her.Sv: När morgonsolen steg över horisonten hade Linnea funnit något hon inte väntat sig — sig själv.En: When the morning sun rose over the horizon, Linnea had found something she didn't expect — herself. Vocabulary Words:autumn: höstenhues: färgersailing: seglingbustling: hektiskapressured: pressadclarity: klarhetglided: gledpondered: funderadedarkened: mörknadegathered: samladesstorm: stormshelter: skyddmanoeuvred: manövreradecalmer: lugnaresubsided: avtogrelief: lättnadinspiration: inspirationgazing: blickenwind: vindenscent: doftspark: gnistacourage: modhowling: tjutandecove: bukttrusted: litadehull: skrovstrength: styrkapier: bryggarisks: riskerhorizon: horisonten

In a world increasingly dominated by software and automation, how vital are human relationships in banking and finance? In this episode, CJ sits down with Meghan McKenna, founder of Females in Finance (FIF) and a seasoned banker with experience at JPMorgan, HSBC, and Stifel, to explore how trusted connections continue to drive success. As a community builder and banker, Meghan has a unique perspective on the intersection of human connection and capital markets. She explains the philosophy behind her community, which is based on generosity and genuine connection rather than a transactional mindset, and how this has become her competitive advantage. The conversation also covers sales as an essential leadership skill, the rise of the modular banking stack, changes in private credit, the evolving ERP landscape, how a personal touch proved invaluable during the SVB crisis, and career lessons Meghan learned along the way.—LINKS:Meghan McKenna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-curtin-mckenna-%F0%9F%94%A5-66a5022b/FIF Collective: https://www.fifcollective.comMeghan McKenna email: meghan@fifcollective.coCJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.comRELATED EPISODES:Venture Debt for Growth With Ruslan Sergeyev of Hercules Capital — The One Use Case for Venture Debt That Most Founders Never Think About — —TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:30) Sponsor – RightRev | Navan | Rillet(06:41) Connecting People as a Skill(08:03) Sales as an Essential Leadership Skill(12:07) The Power of In-Person Community & Events(14:39) FIF's Ideal Customer Profile(15:42) Sponsor – Pulley | Brex | Aleph(20:05) The Evolution of the Banking Ecosystem(22:00) Modular Banking Stacks and Fintech Challengers(24:37) The Rise of Private Credit(27:32) Banks Adapting to Companies That Stay Private Longer(30:06) Fintechs vs. Traditional Banks(31:54) Current Trends in AI and ERP in Finance(35:07) Importance of Human Relationships When Software Fails(36:09) Reflecting on the SVB Bank Run & Facing New Risks in Tech(37:59) Building a Personal Brand in Finance(39:42) Community Spirit, Giving Back, & Sharing Your Network(43:25) Meghan's Early Career and Mentors(46:15) Long-Ass Lightning Round: Staying Too Long in a Role(47:49) Advice to Younger Self(48:24) A Memorable Deal & Client Story(50:07) Wrap—SPONSORS:RightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that can give you access to exclusive, proprietary Nasdaq-validated data that reveals what's happening with corporate travel investments. See the Navan Business Travel Index at https://navan.com/bti.Rillet is the AI-native ERP modern finance teams are switching to because it's faster, simpler, and 100% built for how teams operate today. See how fast your team can move. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/metrics.Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows, without the hidden fees or unreliable support. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/run#FemalesInFinance #FinanceLeadership #BankingInnovation #Networking #FinanceCommunity This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cjgustafson.substack.com

Desde el Comité de Empresa de Ambulancias Ayuda y CCOO se reclama un tercer SAMU y más unidades de SVB para garantizar una atención rápida en la comarca

This week on Swimming with Allocators, Earnest and Alexa welcome Aram Verdiyan, partner at Accolade Partners. Aram shares his journey into venture capital and the principles behind Accolade's top-performing fund-of-funds strategy. The discussion also covers the importance of access to elite managers, the value of portfolio concentration over diversification, and how disciplined, conviction-driven investing leads to superior returns. Aram delves into Accolade's early and significant commitment to blockchain, the evolving landscape of liquidity and secondaries, and the firm's hands-on approach to supporting GPs. Key takeaways include the need for LPs and VCs to focus on long-term relationships, maintain discipline in strategy, and recognize the outsized impact of a few exceptional investments in venture capital.Highlights from this week's conversation include:Aram's Background and Career Path (0:32)Cold Emailing and Early Fund of Funds Experience (3:40)Accolade's Differentiation and Concentrated Approach (5:44)Venture Returns Dispersion and Benchmarking (8:39)Check Sizing and Manager Alignment (10:58)Re-Up Decisions and Evaluation Vectors (13:59)Identifying Gaps and New Strategies (16:45)Blockchain Investment Thesis (19:13)Advice for LPs Entering Blockchain (21:25)Blockchain and AI Intersection (24:45)Educating GPs and Staying Disciplined (27:59)Supporting Managers as They Scale (29:57)Liquidity Management in Venture (33:31)Connecting with Aram and Parting Thoughts (36:39)Accolade Partners is an alternative asset platform specializing in venture capital, growth equity, and blockchain fund investments. With $7B+ under management, Accolade targets top-tier returns through a highly selective approach to GP partnerships, focused on building concentrated portfolios of the 20-30 firms consistently delivering 3x net outcomes. Learn more at www.accoladepartners.com.Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank, is the bank of the world's most innovative companies and investors. SVB provides commercial and private banking to individuals and companies in the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity, venture capital and premium wine industries. SVB operates in centers of innovation throughout the United States, serving the unique needs of its dynamic clients with deep sector expertise, insights and connections. SVB's parent company, First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCNCA), is a top 20 U.S. financial institution with more than $200 billion in assets. First Citizens Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at svb.com.Swimming with Allocators is a podcast that dives into the intriguing world of Venture Capital from an LP (Limited Partner) perspective. Hosts Alexa Binns and Earnest Sweat are seasoned professionals who have donned various hats in the VC ecosystem. Each episode, we explore where the future opportunities lie in the VC landscape with insights from top LPs on their investment strategies and industry experts shedding light on emerging trends and technologies. The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this podcast are for general informational purposes only. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Fluent Fiction - Swedish: Finding Balance: An Autumn Tale of Healing and Heartbeats Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/sv/episode/2025-09-11-22-34-02-sv Story Transcript:Sv: Det var en klar och krispig höstdag, löven målade världen i nyanser av rött, gult och brunt.En: It was a clear and crisp autumn day, the leaves painting the world in shades of red, yellow, and brown.Sv: På avstånd hördes sprakandet av liv och arbete från ett fältsjukhus, förklätt i vita tält.En: In the distance, the crackling of life and work could be heard from a field hospital, disguised in white tents.Sv: Där inne var det full aktivitet och bland dem som arbetade hårt, fanns Lina, en erfaren sjuksköterska med hemliga drömmar om ett stillsammare liv.En: Inside, there was full activity, and among those working hard was Lina, an experienced nurse with secret dreams of a quieter life.Sv: Lina rustade omkring med vana händer, alltid på språng, alltid hjälpsam.En: Lina moved around with practiced hands, always on the go, always helpful.Sv: Men djupt inne bar hon en längtan efter att en dag ta av sig sjuksköterskeuniformen för gott.En: But deep inside, she carried a longing to one day take off her nurse's uniform for good.Sv: Trots detta, på denna speciella dag, fokuserade hon på en ny patient: Oskar.En: Despite this, on this particular day, she focused on a new patient: Oskar.Sv: Han hade kommit in med ett brutet ben efter en olycka under en av sina många äventyrsturer i naturen.En: He had arrived with a broken leg after an accident during one of his many adventure trips in nature.Sv: Oskar, en ung hiker med ett skratt som ekade genom tälten, kände nu hur frustrationen växte inom honom.En: Oskar, a young hiker with a laugh that echoed through the tents, now felt frustration growing within him.Sv: Han avskydde att vara stillasittande och beroende av andra.En: He hated being sedentary and dependent on others.Sv: Lina kände hans frustration och delade samtidigt sina egna hemliga tankar om förändring med sig själv.En: Lina sensed his frustration and simultaneously shared her own secret thoughts of change with herself.Sv: "Du måste ta det lugnt, Oskar," sa Lina mjukt medan hon justerade hans bandage.En: "You must take it easy, Oskar," said Lina softly as she adjusted his bandage.Sv: Oskar suckade och stirrade ut i fjärran genom tältets öppning.En: Oskar sighed and stared into the distance through the tent opening.Sv: Hans äventyrande skulle få vänta, och tanke på det gav honom en tyngd i hjärtat.En: His adventuring would have to wait, and the thought of it gave him a heaviness in his heart.Sv: "Jag vet, men det är så svårt," svarade han.En: "I know, but it's so hard," he replied.Sv: Vid sidan om dem stod Elin, en volontär som beundrade Linas hängivenhet.En: Beside them stood Elin, a volunteer who admired Lina's dedication.Sv: Hon hade blivit god vän med Lina och hjälpte gärna till med vad hon kunde.En: She had become good friends with Lina and was happy to help with whatever she could.Sv: Elin anade att Lina bar på något större än bara sitt arbete och kände en viss oro för henne.En: Elin sensed that Lina carried something more significant than just her work and felt a certain concern for her.Sv: En kväll, när tältet var fyllt med hektiska ljud och lukten av kaffe blandat med antiseptiskt medel, blev en annan patients tillstånd kritiskt.En: One evening, when the tent was filled with hectic sounds and the smell of coffee mixed with antiseptic, another patient's condition became critical.Sv: Lina agerade snabbt och effektivt.En: Lina acted quickly and efficiently.Sv: Det var i detta ögonblick som hon insåg hur mycket hennes arbete betydde, inte bara för patienterna utan också för henne själv.En: It was at this moment that she realized how much her work meant, not only for the patients but also for herself.Sv: Efter att situationen lugnat sig, satte sig Lina ner med Elin och Oskar.En: After the situation calmed down, Lina sat down with Elin and Oskar.Sv: Hon bestämde sig för att öppna sitt hjärta.En: She decided to open her heart.Sv: "Jag har länge funderat på en förändring i mitt liv," började hon, "men idag insåg jag hur viktigt mitt arbete här är.En: "I have long been thinking about a change in my life," she began, "but today I realized how important my work here is.Sv: Jag vill stanna, men jag vill också hitta tid för mig själv och mina egna drömmar."En: I want to stay, but I also want to find time for myself and my own dreams."Sv: Oskar log trots smärtan i benet.En: Oskar smiled despite the pain in his leg.Sv: "Du har redan hjälpt mig mycket, Lina.En: "You've already helped me a lot, Lina.Sv: Och jag inser att det är viktigt med stöd från andra."En: And I realize the importance of support from others."Sv: Elin, alltid stöttande, nickade instämmande.En: Elin, always supportive, nodded in agreement.Sv: "Du gör ett stort arbete här, Lina.En: "You do great work here, Lina.Sv: Och vi är här för att stötta dig, oavsett vad du väljer."En: And we are here to support you, no matter what you choose."Sv: Hösten blev till tidig vinter och träden började klä sig i frost.En: Autumn turned into early winter, and the trees began dressing in frost.Sv: Både Oskar och Lina hade funnit en ny slags styrka.En: Both Oskar and Lina had found a new kind of strength.Sv: Oskar lärde sig att uppskatta hjälpen från sina nya vänner och Lina insåg att hon kunde finna balans genom att öppna sig för sina egna behov samtidigt som hon fortsatt erbjuda sin omsorg till andra.En: Oskar learned to appreciate the help from his new friends, and Lina realized that she could find balance by opening up to her own needs while continuing to offer her care to others.Sv: Tillsammans blickade de ut över det färgglada lövtäcket som täckte marken, med vetskapen att förändring kan börja med att man låter sig själv få hjälp och att man ibland måste lyssna på sina hjärtslag för att finna rätt väg.En: Together, they looked out over the colorful carpet of leaves covering the ground, with the knowledge that change can begin by allowing oneself to receive help and that sometimes one must listen to their heartbeat to find the right path. Vocabulary Words:crisp: krispigdisguised: förklättexperienced: erfarenlonging: längtanadventuring: äventyrandefrustration: frustrationsedentary: stillasittandeheaviness: tyngdconcern: orohectic: hektiskaantiseptic: antiseptisktcritical: kritisktrealized: insågchange: förändringfocus: fokuseradeparticular: speciellavolunteer: volontärhearten: uppmuntrasupportive: stöttandebalance: balansdepend: beroendeopen: öppnaefficiently: effektivtdistant: fjärranoffering: erbjuderthoughts: tankarnastrength: styrkadecorate: kläappreciate: uppskattalisten: lyssna

This week on Swimming with Allocators, Earnest and Alexa welcome Lara Banks, Managing Director at Makena Capital Management. Lara shares her journey from real assets to venture capital and offers an inside look at Makena's approach to manager selection, portfolio construction, and the evolving role of LPs. The discussion also covers the endowment model, the impact of AI and market shifts on venture and private equity, and the growing importance of grit, adaptability, and unique value for emerging managers. Listeners will gain insights into current challenges like illiquidity, the rise of secondaries, and the need for cross-pollination between venture and PE, as well as practical advice for building durable firms and navigating today's dynamic investment landscape. Don't miss this great conversation!Highlights from this week's conversation include:Lara's Career Path and Origin Story (1:14)Overview of Makena Capital Management (4:04)Changes in Venture Strategy and Market Dynamics (6:06)Investable Building Blocks Explained (9:14)Challenges for Allocators in Today's Market (10:18)Goals for 2025 and Manager Selection (16:02)Advice for Managers Navigating Market Cycles (22:36)What Makes a Great Growth Equity Manager (26:16)Cross-Pollination Between PE and Venture (28:16)Opportunities in Underfunded Founders and Growth Equity (31:34)How Emerging Managers Can Stand Out (34:02)Final Thoughts and Takeaways (36:51)Makena Capital is a ~$22B endowment-style investment firm founded in 2005 by alumni of the Stanford Management Company. Located on Sand Hill Road, Makena partners with world-class managers across asset classes with a legacy of early and ongoing investment in venture capital. Learn more at www.makenacap.com.Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank, is the bank of the world's most innovative companies and investors. SVB provides commercial and private banking to individuals and companies in the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity, venture capital and premium wine industries. SVB operates in centers of innovation throughout the United States, serving the unique needs of its dynamic clients with deep sector expertise, insights and connections. SVB's parent company, First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCNCA), is a top 20 U.S. financial institution with more than $200 billion in assets. First Citizens Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at svb.com.Swimming with Allocators is a podcast that dives into the intriguing world of Venture Capital from an LP (Limited Partner) perspective. Hosts Alexa Binns and Earnest Sweat are seasoned professionals who have donned various hats in the VC ecosystem. Each episode, we explore where the future opportunities lie in the VC landscape with insights from top LPs on their investment strategies and industry experts shedding light on emerging trends and technologies. The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this podcast are for general informational purposes only.

Fluent Fiction - Swedish: The Haunted Warehouse: A Teen's Unexpected Adventure Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/sv/episode/2025-09-09-22-34-02-sv Story Transcript:Sv: Lars och hans vänner, Erik och Karin, var ute på ett äventyr.En: Lars and his friends, Erik and Karin, were out on an adventure.Sv: Det var en kall höstdag.En: It was a cold autumn day.Sv: Löven föll från träden i långa, virvlande rörelser.En: The leaves were falling from the trees in long, swirling motions.Sv: De tre tonåringarna stod framför en gammal, övergiven lagerlokal.En: The three teenagers stood in front of an old, abandoned warehouse.Sv: Rykten sa att den var hemsökt.En: Rumors said it was haunted.Sv: "Perfekt plats för att hitta Halloween-dekorationer!"En: "Perfect place to find Halloween decorations!"Sv: sa Lars med glimten i ögat.En: said Lars with a twinkle in his eye.Sv: Hans vänner tittade tveksamt på byggnaden.En: His friends looked hesitantly at the building.Sv: Lagerlokalens metallstommar gnällde i vinden.En: The warehouse's metal frames creaked in the wind.Sv: Fönstren var trasiga och tunga dörrar hängde på glänt.En: The windows were broken, and heavy doors hung ajar.Sv: Erik och Karin var nervösa.En: Erik and Karin were nervous.Sv: Men Lars var beslutsam.En: But Lars was determined.Sv: Han ville överraska sina vänner med de bästa dekorationerna de någonsin sett.En: He wanted to surprise his friends with the best decorations they had ever seen.Sv: De tog ett djupt andetag och steg in.En: They took a deep breath and stepped inside.Sv: Damm och skugga mötte dem i varje hörn.En: Dust and shadows greeted them in every corner.Sv: Kartonger och gamla möbler låg staplade huller om buller.En: Boxes and old furniture were piled haphazardly.Sv: Lars ledde vägen, hans ficklampa svepte över det mörkt rummet.En: Lars led the way, his flashlight sweeping across the dark room.Sv: "Lyssna!En: "Listen!Sv: Det där ljuset är perfekt för en otäck effekt," viskade Lars.En: That light is perfect for a spooky effect," Lars whispered.Sv: De hörde saker skramla längre in.En: They heard things rattling further in.Sv: "Är det vinden?"En: "Is it the wind?"Sv: undrade Karin, hennes röst darrade lite.En: wondered Karin, her voice trembling a bit.Sv: Lars ryckte på axlarna.En: Lars shrugged.Sv: "Bästa sättet att ta reda på det är att gå närmare."En: "The best way to find out is to get closer."Sv: De gick djupare in i lagerlokalen.En: They went deeper into the warehouse.Sv: De såg gamla skyltar och tapeter med spindelväv i hörnen.En: They saw old signs and wallpapers with cobwebs in the corners.Sv: Då hördes plötsligt ett ljud, som flåsande andetag.En: Suddenly, a sound was heard, like heavy breathing.Sv: Lars kände håret resa sig på armarna.En: Lars felt the hair on his arms stand up.Sv: "Var tyst!"En: "Be quiet!"Sv: viskade Erik.En: whispered Erik.Sv: Men Lars kunde inte låta bli.En: But Lars couldn't help it.Sv: Han fortsatte framåt, mot ljudet.En: He continued forward, toward the sound.Sv: Bakom en stor stapel lådor såg de en stor, rostig lykta.En: Behind a large stack of boxes, they saw a big, rusty lantern.Sv: Den lyste mystiskt.En: It glowed mysteriously.Sv: Lars grep tag i den.En: Lars grabbed it.Sv: Plötsligt såg han en skugga röra sig snabbt förbi dem.En: Suddenly, he saw a shadow move quickly past them.Sv: "Spring!"En: "Run!"Sv: skrek Karin och de rusade mot utgången.En: Karin screamed, and they rushed toward the exit.Sv: Utanför stannade de, flämtande och med hjärtat i halsgropen.En: Outside, they stopped, panting and with their hearts in their throats.Sv: Lars höll fortfarande lyktan i sin hand.En: Lars was still holding the lantern in his hand.Sv: Den sken i det svaga ljuset från eftermiddagen och gav ett kusligt sken.En: It shone in the dim light of the afternoon, casting an eerie glow.Sv: "Wow, den är perfekt," sa Lars, fortfarande lite chockad men nöjd.En: "Wow, it's perfect," said Lars, still a bit shocked but satisfied.Sv: Lars kände sig modigare och mer nyfiken på den mystiska världen efter deras upplevelse.En: Lars felt braver and more curious about the mysterious world after their experience.Sv: Även om han var rädd, uppskattade han spänningen.En: Even though he was scared, he appreciated the thrill.Sv: Vännerna skrattade ihop, fortfarande med hjärtat rusande.En: The friends laughed together, still with hearts racing.Sv: Han hade inte bara hittat den perfekta dekorationen, han hade också upptäckt ett nytt mod inom sig.En: He had not only found the perfect decoration, but he had also discovered a new courage within himself.Sv: Halloween skulle bli oförglömlig.En: Halloween would be unforgettable. Vocabulary Words:adventure: äventyrautumn: höstleaves: lövswirling: virvlandeabandoned: övergivenrumors: ryktenhaunted: hemsökthesitantly: tveksamtcreaked: gnälldeajar: på gläntdetermined: beslutsamhaphazardly: huller om bullertrembling: darradeshrugged: ryckte på axlarnarattling: skramlacobwebs: spindelvävbreathing: flåsandepanting: flämtandelantern: lyktarusty: rostigeerie: kusligtglow: skenthrill: spänningunforgettable: oförglömlignervous: nervösasurprise: överraskafurniture: möblerflashlight: ficklampatrembling: darradeshadows: skugga

Scott Aleali joins Brandon Sedloff on The Distribution to share his journey from early beginnings at Silicon Valley Bank to leading the private equity business at Citizens Private Bank. He reflects on the collapse of SVB and First Republic, the creation of Citizens Private Bank, and how his team is building a differentiated service model for private equity and venture capital clients. Scott also provides insight into industry trends, the rise of new liquidity solutions, and his own experience as a podcast host creating content for the private markets community. They discuss: Lessons learned from the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and First Republic How Citizens Private Bank was created and its focus on private equity and venture capital clients The importance of differentiation and returning capital in today's private markets New liquidity solutions for investment professionals and why the middle market is underserved Scott's journey into podcasting and the role of content creation in building authentic connections This episode offers valuable perspective for private markets professionals navigating an evolving financial landscape. Links: Scott on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottaleali/ Fund Fanatics Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/lu/podcast/fund-fanatics/id1810788445 Citizens Private Bank - https://www.citizensbank.com/private-banking/overview.aspx Brandon on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bsedloff/ Juniper Square - https://www.junipersquare.com/ Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:04) - Scott's career and background (00:06:33) - The SVB and FRB failures (00:13:13) - Advice for delivering harsh news (00:14:42) - The founding of Citizens Private Bank (00:17:19) - The landscape of CPB today (00:31:12) - Scott's view of the market today (00:34:46) - What makes for a differentiated strategy/GP? (00:44:32) - Building the Fund Fanatics podcast and its impact on the business

Fluent Fiction - Swedish: A Serendipitous Encounter at Stockholm's Timeless Café Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/sv/episode/2025-08-29-22-34-02-sv Story Transcript:Sv: I Gamla Stan, Stockholm, finns ett kafé där tiden tycks ha stannat.En: In Gamla Stan, Stockholm, there is a café where time seems to have stopped.Sv: Kaféets fönster täcktes av regndroppar medan människor skyddade sig från ovädret.En: The café's windows were covered with raindrops while people sheltered themselves from the storm.Sv: Inne i kaféet doftade det starkt av nybryggt kaffe och kanelbullar.En: Inside the café, it smelled strongly of freshly brewed coffee and cinnamon buns.Sv: Mörka träbord var blandade med gamla stolar och väggen pryddes med gamla foton av staden.En: Dark wooden tables were mixed with old chairs, and the walls were adorned with old photos of the city.Sv: Vid ett hörnbord satt Lars och läste boken "Stockholms hemligheter".En: At a corner table sat Lars reading the book "Stockholms hemligheter".Sv: Kaféet var fullt, och när Ingrid kom in, försökte hon hitta en plats.En: The café was full, and when Ingrid came in, she tried to find a seat.Sv: Servitrisen pekade på bordet där Lars satt.En: The waitress pointed to the table where Lars was sitting.Sv: "Det är ledigt här," sa servitrisen med ett leende.En: "There's room here," said the waitress with a smile.Sv: Ingrid satte sig ner.En: Ingrid sat down.Sv: Hon hade trassligt hår och en anteckningsbok i handen.En: She had tangled hair and a notebook in her hand.Sv: "Förlåt, är det okej om jag sitter här?"En: "Sorry, is it okay if I sit here?"Sv: frågade hon försiktigt.En: she asked cautiously.Sv: "Naturligtvis," svarade Lars och log blygt.En: "Of course," replied Lars with a shy smile.Sv: Han sneglade på hennes anteckningsbok.En: He glanced at her notebook.Sv: "Är du författare?"En: "Are you a writer?"Sv: frågade han.En: he asked.Sv: "Ja, jag skriver.En: "Yes, I write.Sv: Jag letar efter inspiration här," sa Ingrid med ett varmt leende.En: I'm looking for inspiration here," said Ingrid with a warm smile.Sv: De började prata om Gamla Stans charm.En: They started talking about Gamla Stan's charm.Sv: Lars berättade om stadens historia och sina favoritgallerier.En: Lars talked about the city's history and his favorite galleries.Sv: Ingrid lyssnade uppmärksamt.En: Ingrid listened attentively.Sv: "Jag älskar hur konst och historia kan tala med oss," sa Lars drömskt.En: "I love how art and history can speak to us," Lars said dreamily.Sv: "Det låter underbart," svarade Ingrid.En: "That sounds wonderful," replied Ingrid.Sv: "Du måste verkligen älska konst."En: "You must really love art."Sv: Lars nickade.En: Lars nodded.Sv: Han älskade Gamla Stan och alla dess berättelser.En: He loved Gamla Stan and all its stories.Sv: Ingrid kände sig inspirerad av hans passion.En: Ingrid felt inspired by his passion.Sv: Ändå fanns det en rädsla.En: Still, there was some apprehension.Sv: Båda hade blivit besvikna tidigare.En: Both had been disappointed before.Sv: Efter en stund reste Ingrid sig.En: After a while, Ingrid stood up.Sv: Hon trodde att Lars verkade avståndstagande mot slutet av samtalet.En: She thought Lars seemed distant towards the end of the conversation.Sv: Hon lämnade kaféet med en känsla av att hon kunde ha gjort något fel.En: She left the café with a feeling that she might have done something wrong.Sv: Men Lars var inte redo att säga farväl.En: But Lars was not ready to say goodbye.Sv: Han såg hennes anteckningsbok ligga kvar på bordet.En: He saw her notebook left on the table.Sv: Snabbt rev han en sida ur sin bok och skrev ett meddelande.En: Quickly, he tore a page from his book and wrote a message.Sv: Meddelandet löd: "Jag skulle älska att visa dig mitt favoritgalleri.En: The message read: "I would love to show you my favorite gallery.Sv: Kanske imorgon?"En: Maybe tomorrow?"Sv: Dagen därpå, vid samma kafébord, fann Ingrid lappen.En: The next day, at the same café table, Ingrid found the note.Sv: Hon log stort och sprang ut för att leta efter Lars.En: She beamed widely and ran out to look for Lars.Sv: När hon hittade honom i en gränd med utsikt över stadens silhuett, sken de båda upp.En: When she found him in an alley overlooking the city's skyline, they both lit up.Sv: De beslutade att besöka ett konstgalleri tillsammans.En: They decided to visit an art gallery together.Sv: Medan de gick längs stadens gamla gator, kände de båda att detta möte kunde vara början på något nytt och annorlunda.En: As they walked along the city's old streets, they both felt that this meeting could be the start of something new and different.Sv: Lars och Ingrid vandrade iväg tillsammans, hand i hand, under den sena sommarhimlen.En: Lars and Ingrid wandered off together, hand in hand, under the late summer sky.Sv: För första gången på länge kände de båda hopp och glädje över vad framtiden kunde föra med sig.En: For the first time in a long while, they both felt hope and joy over what the future might bring. Vocabulary Words:sheltered: skyddadebrewed: nybryggtadorned: pryddescautiously: försiktigtglanced: snegladeinspiration: inspirationattentively: uppmärksamtdreamily: drömsktapprehension: rädsladistant: avståndstagandebeamed: log stortalley: grändskyline: stadens silhuettwandered: vandradesmelled: doftadecorner: hörnbordshy: blygtcharm: charmwarm: varmtpassion: passionnotebook: anteckningsboktangled: trassligtstorm: ovädrettore: revwhile: medanraindrops: regndropparstories: berättelsergallery: gallerifarewell: farvälhoped: hopp

This week on Swimming with Allocators, Earnest and Alexa welcome Vishnu Amble, Founding Director, Trustee, and Investment Committee Member at GreenBear Group. Vishnu shares insights from his global investment career, discussing his transition from traditional finance to leading a mission-driven family office. The conversation explores the importance of building strong networks, lessons from backing both startups and fund managers, and the critical role of alignment and long-term relationships between LPs and GPs. Vishnu also highlights the impact of technology and outsourcing on investment efficiency, offers perspectives on energy and infrastructure trends, and emphasizes the need for persistence, clear objectives, and risk management. Key takeaways include the value of genuine partnerships, adapting to market cycles, the continued opportunities within the US innovation landscape, and more. Highlights from this week's conversation include:Vishnu's Career Journey: From Engineering to Finance (1:13)Global Perspective & LP Value Proposition (4:14)Manager Selection & Partnership Approach (6:31)LP Community & Tech Solutions (10:37)Diligence & Risk Tolerance Evolution (12:18)What Vishnu Looks for in Fund Managers (14:00)Fundraising Challenges in Thematic Funds (16:19)LP Alignment & Fund Composition (20:00)Building Relationships in the Age of AI (23:13)Tech, Costs, and Human Capital (24:18)Opportunities for Early Stage Investors (27:18)Historical Lessons & U.S. Market Endurance (28:55)Final Thoughts and Takeaways (31:06)GreenBear Group LLC is a single-family investment office and mission-driven philanthropic organization focused on fund partnerships, direct investments, and GP seeding. With over 20 years of global experience and deep conviction in values-aligned capital, GreenBear supports exceptional fund managers and founders advancing economic access, sustainability, and innovation.Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank, is the bank of the world's most innovative companies and investors. SVB provides commercial and private banking to individuals and companies in the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity, venture capital and premium wine industries. SVB operates in centers of innovation throughout the United States, serving the unique needs of its dynamic clients with deep sector expertise, insights and connections. SVB's parent company, First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCNCA), is a top 20 U.S. financial institution with more than $200 billion in assets. First Citizens Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at svb.com.Swimming with Allocators is a podcast that dives into the intriguing world of Venture Capital from an LP (Limited Partner) perspective. Hosts Alexa Binns and Earnest Sweat are seasoned professionals who have donned various hats in the VC ecosystem. Each episode, we explore where the future opportunities lie in the VC landscape with insights from top LPs on their investment strategies and industry experts shedding light on emerging trends and technologies. The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this podcast are for general informational purposes only.

This week on Swimming with Allocators, Earnest and Alexa welcome Jason Howard, Founder and Managing Partner of New Catalyst Strategic Partners. Jason shares his journey from finance and entertainment to launching a firm focused on GP seeding and supporting emerging managers in private markets. The discussion covers New Catalyst's innovative approach to providing seed capital, operational support, and strategic partnerships, as well as insights into co-investment, secondary markets, and the challenges facing new fund managers. Key takeaways include the importance of alignment, scalable capital, and cross-industry lessons in building sustainable investment firms, along with practical advice for both GPs and LPs navigating today's complex private market landscape. Don't miss this great conversation.Highlights from this week's conversation include:Jason's Background and Career Journey (1:03)Lessons from Entertainment to Private Markets (4:27)Genesis and Mission of New Catalyst (8:30)New Catalyst's Investment Approach (12:07)Market Gaps Addressed by New Catalysts (14:20)What is GP Seeding? (17:40)Manager Archetypes and Investment Focus (20:45)Trends in Fund Strategy Expansion (24:06)Value of First Partnership in GP Seeding (28:48)Strategic Partnership Support for Managers (31:46)Benefits of Seeding for LPs (33:37)Secondaries and GP Stakes (36:38)Final Thoughts and Takeaways (40:32)New Catalyst Strategic Partners is an independent alternative investment firm founded by industry veteran Jason Howard. Launched with significant capital from Apollo to support its growth, New Catalyst seeks to acquire economic interests and minority ownership in Next Generation private markets firms, providing them with the flexible, strategic capital and value creation resources they need to grow and succeed. To learn more, please visit www.newcatalystsp.com.Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank, is the bank of the world's most innovative companies and investors. SVB provides commercial and private banking to individuals and companies in the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity, venture capital and premium wine industries. SVB operates in centers of innovation throughout the United States, serving the unique needs of its dynamic clients with deep sector expertise, insights and connections. SVB's parent company, First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCNCA), is a top 20 U.S. financial institution with more than $200 billion in assets. First Citizens Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at svb.com.Swimming with Allocators is a podcast that dives into the intriguing world of Venture Capital from an LP (Limited Partner) perspective. Hosts Alexa Binns and Earnest Sweat are seasoned professionals who have donned various hats in the VC ecosystem. Each episode, we explore where the future opportunities lie in the VC landscape with insights from top LPs on their investment strategies and industry experts shedding light on emerging trends and technologies. The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this podcast are for general informational purposes only.

Episode 392 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Damien Lewke, Founder & CEO of Nebulock. Damien is purpose built for this company, which is a statement he's heard from one of his investors that being Will Lehman. When you hear about Damien's background story, it's hard to argue. Damien's path to where he is today has been very thoughtful, methodical, and intentional. It's a path that allowed him to learn and understand as much as possible about cybersecurity. In addition, he has worn several different hats throughout his career (I'm talking Solutions Architecture… Product Marketing… Product Management… and other roles) that have all put him in a strong position to lead a venture backed startup. Nebulock is an autonomous threat hunting platform designed from scratch for behavior-based detection. By connecting directly to identity, endpoint, and cloud telemetry, Nebulock continuously hunts threats, surfaces hidden anomalies, and automatically increases your detection coverage. The company announced $8.5M in funding, including their seed round led by Bain Capital Ventures alongside Decibel VC, Zetta Venture Partners, In-Q-Tel, and several angel investors. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 02:57 Being a Solo Founder 05:03 Damien's Background & Playing Soccer in Germany 07:35 The Impact of Sports on Entrepreneurship 09:50 Career Beginnings 12:08 Transition to CrowdStrike 17:11 Joining Palo Alto Networks 19:08 Pursuing Further Education at MIT 21:38 Product Management at Arctic Wolf 23:45 Founding Nebulock 27:22 What is Threat Hunting? 29:57 Details about Nebulock 32:17 State of the State at Nebulock & Looking Ahead 40:46 3 Lessons Learned Since Founding a Company 43:34 Personal Insights and Recommendations Episode Sponsor: As a longtime champion of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank supports innovative companies with the solutions and financing they need through every stage of growth. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors, and $42B in loans as of Q2 2024 – SVB delivers the right people, service and resources to support your entire financial journey. Learn more at SVB.com.

This week on Swimming with Allocators, Earnest and Alexa welcome Diego De Colombres, founding general partner of Dissent Capital. Diego shares his journey from equity research to launching a specialized crypto fund of funds. The discussion also explores the importance of backing emerging managers, building concentrated portfolios in a volatile market, and the evolving strategies required for success in crypto venture capital. Key takeaways include the value of specialization over generalization, the risks of over-engineered fund structures, and the growing significance of trends like stablecoins and the intersection of crypto and AI. Listeners will gain insights into how disciplined selection and a long-term perspective can drive outperformance in the rapidly changing world of crypto investing. Don't miss this great conversation! Highlights from this week's conversation include:Diego's Background and Path to Venture (1:17)Early Crypto Interest and Latin American Perspective (3:34)Equity Research Skills in Venture Investing (5:55)Founding Dissent Capital: Inspiration and Strategy (9:17)Concentration vs. Diversification in Crypto Funds (11:52)Cyclicality and Deployment in Crypto Venture (13:16)Identifying and Selecting Emerging Managers (15:23)Why “Access Is Not a Strategy” (19:33)Common Mistakes in Crypto Fund Structures (22:50)How LPs Should Assess Crypto Venture Risk/Reward (26:09)Competition at Early Stages in Crypto vs. Traditional VC (29:52)Crypto Trends: Stablecoins, AI, and On-Chain Identity (31:21)LP Archetypes and Strategic Investors (36:34)Lessons Learned: Narrative-Driven Markets and Distributions (39:50)Connecting with Diego and Parting Thoughts (41:54)Dissent Capital is a pioneering crypto venture fund of funds focused on backing the next generation of emerging crypto managers. With a disciplined, high-conviction approach to early-stage investing, Dissent Capital delivers institutional-grade diligence and access to the best opportunities in the space. Learn more at www.dissentcap.xyz.Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank, is the bank of the world's most innovative companies and investors. SVB provides commercial and private banking to individuals and companies in the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity, venture capital and premium wine industries. SVB operates in centers of innovation throughout the United States, serving the unique needs of its dynamic clients with deep sector expertise, insights and connections. SVB's parent company, First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCNCA), is a top 20 U.S. financial institution with more than $200 billion in assets. First Citizens Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at svb.com.Swimming with Allocators is a podcast that dives into the intriguing world of Venture Capital from an LP (Limited Partner) perspective. Hosts Alexa Binns and Earnest Sweat are seasoned professionals who have donned various hats in the VC ecosystem. Each episode, we explore where the future opportunities lie in the VC landscape with insights from top LPs on their investment strategies and industry experts shedding light on emerging trends and technologies. The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this podcast are for general informational purposes only.Quote 1: "In crypto, access is no longer a strategy, and beta plays don't cut it. To capture power-law outcomes, you need focused portfolio construction and a specialization mindset, not over-diversification."

Episode 391 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Joseph Krause, Co-Founder & CEO of Radical AI. There are many benefits with the platform shift to AI, but one of the clear benefits that I'm seeing is how some of the most brilliant minds are working on incredibly meaningful and challenging problems. While yes, there is a need for lots of applications, even another photo sharing app, I've always strongly believed that the best entrepreneurs should leverage their intellect to work on something that could actually change the world. Meet Joseph, an entrepreneur who has built his career for this moment. He has a bias for action and a go-big or go home approach with a startup that is looking to completely reconstruct the scientific process and if successful, it will replace multi-national corporations like Dow Chemical. Radical AI is building a self-driving lab which will accelerate materials R&D to tackle the world's most pressing problems. Through the integration of artificial intelligence, engineering, materials science, and applied research, Radical AI is changing the way materials are designed, developed, and discovered. The company announced a $55M Series Seed+ led by RTX Ventures, joined by NVentures (NVIDIA's VC arm), noa, Infinite Capital, Eni Next (Eni's VC arm), AlleyCorp and many others. In this episode of our podcast, we cover: * The details of Radical AI recommendations with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) for the 2025 National AI Research and Development Strategy Plan. * Joseph's background story and experience in academia, DEVCOM Army research lab, & the National Guard. * How a cold email landed him a position in venture capital and his time at AlleyCorp. * The full story of Radical AI and how they are addressing material science challenges with an innovative approach. * The Self-Driving Lab concept and why Radical AI is a generation-defining opportunity. * Building a culture of action and hiring plans. * And so much more. Episode Sponsor: As a longtime champion of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank supports innovative companies with the solutions and financing they need through every stage of growth. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors, and $42B in loans as of Q2 2024 – SVB delivers the right people, service and resources to support your entire financial journey. Learn more at SVB.com.

Immad Akhund is the CEO and co-founder of Mercury, a digital banking platform that's become the go-to financial infrastructure for startups. Before Mercury, Immad spent nearly two decades founding companies, learning the hard way what separates a good idea from a great business. In this episode, Immad shares the hard-earned lessons from launching Mercury as his third startup. He unpacks how he recognized this was the right idea to pursue, what strong product-market fit feels like, and why trying to "iterate" your way to success often leads founders astray. In this episode, we discuss: • Mercury's unusual culture playbook – and why it works • How to hire with intention • The trap of weak product-market fit • Shipping under intense pressure during the SVB crisis • And much more… References: • Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/ • Andreessen Horowitz: https://a16z.com/ • Apple: https://www.apple.com/ • Block: https://block.xyz/ • Brex: https://www.brex.com/ • Chime: https://www.chime.com/ • Gusto: https://gusto.com/ • Mercury: https://mercury.com/ • Paul Graham: https://x.com/paulg • Plaid: https://plaid.com/ • Stripe: https://stripe.com/ • SVB (Silicon Valley Bank): https://www.svb.com/ • True Link Financial: https://www.truelinkfinancial.com/ • Varo: https://www.varomoney.com/ • Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/ Where to find Immad: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iakhund/ Where to find Brett: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-berson-9986094/ • Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/brettberson Where to find First Round Capital: • Website: https://firstround.com/ • First Round Review: https://review.firstround.com/ • Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/firstround • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FirstRoundCapital • This podcast on all platforms: https://review.firstround.com/podcast Timestamps: (1:07) Hard-won lessons from serial entrepreneurship (2:02) You shouldn't copy-paste advice (6:57) Why personality trumps culture playbooks (8:48) How do you hire for cultural fit? (12:38) The values that shaped Mercury's DNA (14:08) The drivers underpinning Mercury's success (15:50) The significance of product-market fit (20:41) Don't fall into the weak product-market fit trap (25:49) How to evaluate startup ideas that scale (30:14) Mercury's unlikely origin story (33:51) Breaking into the fintech space (37:31) Mindset shift: From “This is hard” to long-term gains (39:43) Building Mercury's MVP (44:25) Overcoming early obstacles to reach launch (47:36) Navigating Mercury's rapid growth phase (51:18) Competition isn't the reason you're failing (55:58) Crisis management during the SVB collapse

This week on Swimming with Allocators, Earnest and Alexa welcome Brian O'Neil, a veteran CIO with over four decades of investment experience, who provides a candid overview of the current venture capital landscape. Brian discusses the challenges facing venture capital, including excessive funding, prolonged private company lifecycles, and the shift from growth-at-all-costs to profitability. He also emphasizes the importance of diversification, understanding investment portfolios, and the need for patience when approaching venture investments. Key insights include the difficulty of finding top-quartile venture funds, the potential of AI and personalized medicine, and the critical role of relationship-building for emerging managers. Brian advises allocators to be selective, learn across asset classes, and recognize that venture capital requires a long-term perspective with an acceptance that many investments may not succeed. Don't miss this great conversation. Highlights from this week's conversation include:Early Days of Venture and LBOs (1:23)Performance of LBOs and Venture Capital (2:27)Allocator Approaches to Private vs. Public Markets (4:35)Continuation Funds and LBO Fund Lifecycles (6:42)Comparing Current Venture Downturns to History (8:22)Growth Equity and Venture Stage Reclassification (11:41)AI Hype and Venture Market Cycles (13:17)Time Horizons and Commitment Budgets (15:43)Advice for Allocators on Manager Selection (18:55)Co-Investment Trends in Private Equity (21:01)Lessons from CIO Experience (25:01)Advice for New Allocators (26:29)Advice for Emerging Managers (31:05)Exciting Trends in Venture: AI and Personalized Medicine (33:20)Final Thoughts and Takeaways (35:52)Brian O'Neil is the former Chief Investment Officer of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and has served in investment leadership roles for over 40 years, including at Equitable Life and AXA Investment Managers. He currently serves on the board of the Brooklyn Public Library and is an Investment Committee member at The Wallace Foundation. Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank, is the bank of the world's most innovative companies and investors. SVB provides commercial and private banking to individuals and companies in the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity, venture capital and premium wine industries. SVB operates in centers of innovation throughout the United States, serving the unique needs of its dynamic clients with deep sector expertise, insights and connections. SVB's parent company, First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCNCA), is a top 20 U.S. financial institution with more than $200 billion in assets. First Citizens Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at svb.com.Swimming with Allocators is a podcast that dives into the intriguing world of Venture Capital from an LP (Limited Partner) perspective. Hosts Alexa Binns and Earnest Sweat are seasoned professionals who have donned various hats in the VC ecosystem. Each episode, we explore where the future opportunities lie in the VC landscape with insights from top LPs on their investment strategies and industry experts shedding light on emerging trends and technologies. The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this podcast are for general informational purposes only.

Highlights from this week's conversation include:Wendy's Origin Story and Entry into Allocator World (1:17)Early Lessons as an Allocator (3:59)Gravitating Toward Private Assets (6:39)Founding Ivy Invest: The Problem and Vision (8:06)Trends and Tailwinds in Asset Management (11:01)Challenges Bridging Institutions and Individuals (13:55)Bridging Institutional and Individual Experiences (16:47)Is Retail Capital a New Institutional Staple? (19:58)Why Early-Stage Venture “Math Still Works” (24:00)Institutional Governance and Fund Size Trends (27:14)Advice for Emerging Managers Approaching Institutions (29:45)Where Alpha Will Come From in Venture (33:13)Intangibles and Differentiation in Early-Stage Managers (36:26)Final Thoughts and Takeaways (39:56)Ivy Invest brings institutional-quality portfolios to individual investors using an endowment-style investment framework. Co-founded by Wendy Li, Ivy invests across equities, income, and diversifiers—partnering with experienced asset managers to deliver performance, discipline, and access. Learn more at www.ivyinvest.com.Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank, is the bank of the world's most innovative companies and investors. SVB provides commercial and private banking to individuals and companies in the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity, venture capital and premium wine industries. SVB operates in centers of innovation throughout the United States, serving the unique needs of its dynamic clients with deep sector expertise, insights and connections. SVB's parent company, First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCNCA), is a top 20 U.S. financial institution with more than $200 billion in assets. First Citizens Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at svb.com.Swimming with Allocators is a podcast that dives into the intriguing world of Venture Capital from an LP (Limited Partner) perspective. Hosts Alexa Binns and Earnest Sweat are seasoned professionals who have donned various hats in the VC ecosystem. Each episode, we explore where the future opportunities lie in the VC landscape with insights from top LPs on their investment strategies and industry experts shedding light on emerging trends and technologies. The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this podcast are for general informational purposes only.

Episode 390 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Maya R. Said, Sc.D., Founder & CEO of Outcomes4Me. Maya believes that in our lifetime, we will get to a point where we can either cure or control cancer.  That is a bold statement and one of major importance.  As we kick off our interview, she shares the reasons why it could happen. In order to get there, however, it is certainly going to take a lot of brilliant founders and innovative companies, but when you have founders like Maya who are building companies like Outcomes4Me, you can see why there is hope. For this podcast, I am blessed to speak with so many amazing people, who are all very intelligent, driven, and optimistic… but Maya is in a league of her own. Her academic credentials are beyond next level and what she accomplished within the healthcare industry makes her uniquely qualified to build a company that is contributing to this mission of either curing or controlling cancer. Outcomes4Me is the first and only end-to-end, AI-driven patient empowerment platform that helps patients with cancer take a proactive approach to their care from diagnosis throughout every stage of life and care.  Its direct-to-patient platform integrates clinical guidelines, genomics, trial matching, and symptom tracking to help patients navigate through a cancer diagnosis with confidence and clarity.   The company recently announced a $21M round of funding from new investor - Salica Investments, with participation from all existing investors: Labcorp Venture Fund, Forecast Labs, Northpond Ventures, Sierra Ventures, Asset Management Ventures, IRA Capital, and Merstal LTD. In this episode of our podcast, we cover: * Maya's background story and her experience in academia at MIT. * Her transition into industry and the various leadership roles she held. * The full story of Outcomes4Me including how the platform works and how they help patients, plus their plans looking ahead. * The importance of data to speed up innovation and the drug development process. * The impact of TV advertising * The overarch theme of what she has learned while building a company. * Fundraising advice * And more Episode Sponsor: As a longtime champion of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank supports innovative companies with the solutions and financing they need through every stage of growth. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors, and $42B in loans as of Q2 2024 – SVB delivers the right people, service and resources to support your entire financial journey. Learn more at SVB.com.

Fluent Fiction - Swedish: Finding Inspiration and Friendship Under the Stockholm Sun Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/sv/episode/2025-07-24-22-34-02-sv Story Transcript:Sv: Solen sken varmt över Stockholm när Karin steg in i Vasamuseet.En: The sun shone warmly over Stockholm as Karin stepped into the Vasamuseet.Sv: Hon var en konststudent som behövde inspiration för sitt projekt.En: She was an art student in need of inspiration for her project.Sv: Just nu var det mitt på sommaren, och staden var livlig med Midsommarfiranden.En: It was midsummer, and the city was bustling with Midsommar celebrations.Sv: Karin gick runt i museet.En: Karin wandered around the museum.Sv: Hon fascinerades av den stora skeppet Vasa och alla dess detaljer.En: She was fascinated by the large sailing ship Vasa and all its details.Sv: De höga fönstren släppte in solens strålar, vilket skapade en varm och välkomnande känsla över hela museet.En: The tall windows let in the sun's rays, which created a warm and welcoming feeling throughout the museum.Sv: Efter att ha utforskat utställningarna bestämde sig Karin för att hitta ett unikt minne i museets presentbutik.En: After exploring the exhibits, Karin decided to find a unique keepsake in the museum's gift shop.Sv: Hon ville ha något som fångade hela hennes upplevelse i Stockholm.En: She wanted something that captured her entire experience in Stockholm.Sv: Butiken var full med turister, och alla vanliga souvenirer verkade så generiska - kylskåpsmagneter, vykort och nyckelringar.En: The shop was filled with tourists, and all the usual souvenirs seemed so generic—fridge magnets, postcards, and keyrings.Sv: Klockan började närma sig stängningstid, och hon blev alltmer orolig.En: The clock was nearing closing time, and she was growing increasingly anxious.Sv: Just då fick hon syn på Sven, en vänlig kille som arbetade som volontär i butiken.En: Just then, she noticed Sven, a friendly guy working as a volunteer in the shop.Sv: Sven hade stort intresse för historia och älskade att hjälpa besökare.En: Sven had a great interest in history and loved helping visitors.Sv: Karin gick fram till honom och frågade försynt, "Har du något speciellt här?En: Karin approached him and gently asked, "Do you have anything special here?Sv: Jag letar efter något unikt."En: I'm looking for something unique."Sv: Sven log varmt.En: Sven smiled warmly.Sv: "Följ med mig," sa han och visade henne en liten, bortglömd hylla längst bak i butiken.En: "Come with me," he said and showed her a small, forgotten shelf at the back of the store.Sv: Där låg en samling med exklusiva, begränsade upplagor av tryck från Vasa-skeppet, vackert illustrerade av en lokal konstnär.En: There lay a collection of exclusive, limited edition prints of the Vasa ship, beautifully illustrated by a local artist.Sv: Karin blev förtjust.En: Karin was delighted.Sv: Hon visste genast att dessa tryck var perfekt för henne.En: She immediately knew these prints were perfect for her.Sv: De var sällsynta och fångade essensen av hennes besök.En: They were rare and captured the essence of her visit.Sv: Hon kände en glädje av att ha hittat precis vad hon letat efter.En: She felt a joy at having found exactly what she was looking for.Sv: När hon gick ut från museet med sitt nyförvärvda tryck kände hon sig tvungen att tacka Sven ännu en gång.En: As she left the museum with her newly acquired print, she felt compelled to thank Sven once more.Sv: Han nickade glatt och sa, "Det var bara roligt att kunna hjälpa till."En: He nodded happily and said, "It was just fun to be able to help."Sv: De delade ett ögonblick av förståelse.En: They shared a moment of understanding.Sv: Karin insåg vikten av att be om hjälp när hon behövde det, och Sven kände sig uppmuntrad att fortsätta dela sin passion för historia.En: Karin realized the importance of asking for help when she needed it, and Sven felt encouraged to continue sharing his passion for history.Sv: Båda lämnade museet med ett leende och ett minne för livet.En: Both left the museum with a smile and a memory for life.Sv: Det var en dag som fångade både sommarsolens glans och de oskattbara människomötena som Stockholm kunde erbjuda.En: It was a day that captured both the splendor of the summer sun and the invaluable human interactions that Stockholm could offer. Vocabulary Words:stepped: steginspiration: inspirationbustling: livligfascinated: fascineradesdetails: detaljerwelcoming: välkomnandeexploring: utforskatsouvenirs: souvenirergeneric: generiskaapproached: gick fram tillanxious: oroligvolunteer: volontärunique: unikaspecial: specielltshelf: hyllaexclusive: exklusivalimited edition: begränsade upplagorillustrated: illustreradedelighted: förtjustessence: essensenacquired: nyförvärvdacompelled: tvungenencouraged: uppmuntradsplendor: glansunvaluable: oskattbarainteractions: människomöten

This week on Swimming with Allocators, Earnest and Alexa welcome Jon Wolkin, Managing Director of Deloitte Ventures. Jon shares his journey from investment banking to corporate venture, highlighting Deloitte's $150 million fund strategy that balances direct and fund investments across key technology verticals like AI, future of work, and health tech. The discussion reveals critical insights into corporate venture capital, emphasizing the importance of having a clear "North Star" strategy, understanding long-term value creation, and navigating the complex ecosystem of innovation. Key takeaways include the need for corporations to move quickly, provide strategic value beyond capital, and remain adaptable in a rapidly changing technological landscape. Jon also provides unique perspectives on the Canadian venture ecosystem, noting its potential in emerging technologies and the relatively low corporate venture participation compared to the US market. Don't miss this in-depth discussion.Highlights from this week's conversation include:Jon's Career Journey (1:18)Transition to Corporate Venture and Deloitte (3:19)Strategic vs. Financial Objectives in CVC (4:39)Long-term vs. Short-term Goals in Venture (7:15)Challenges of Launching a Venture Arm in a Partnership (9:11)Direct vs. Fund Investing Strategy (11:53)Fund Selection and Ecosystem Engagement (13:20)Alignment of Direct and Fund Investment Verticals (17:29)Corporate VC Activity in Downturns (22:56)Misconceptions About Corporate Venture Groups (25:21)Advice for Emerging Managers Working with Corporates (27:59)Key Learnings and Reflections at Deloitte Ventures (30:11)Final Thoughts and Takeaways (32:20)Deloitte Ventures Canada is a $150M corporate venture capital fund investing in Series A and B companies across fintech, cyber, climate, data/AI, and work tech. With a dual mandate of direct investments and fund investments, Deloitte Ventures is strategically positioned to support innovation while delivering financial and strategic value. Learn more at www.deloitte.ca.Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank, is the bank of the world's most innovative companies and investors. SVB provides commercial and private banking to individuals and companies in the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity, venture capital and premium wine industries. SVB operates in centers of innovation throughout the United States, serving the unique needs of its dynamic clients with deep sector expertise, insights and connections. SVB's parent company, First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCNCA), is a top 20 U.S. financial institution with more than $200 billion in assets. First Citizens Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at svb.com.Swimming with Allocators is a podcast that dives into the intriguing world of Venture Capital from an LP (Limited Partner) perspective. Hosts Alexa Binns and Earnest Sweat are seasoned professionals who have donned various hats in the VC ecosystem. Each episode, we explore where the future opportunities lie in the VC landscape with insights from top LPs on their investment strategies and industry experts shedding light on emerging trends and technologies. The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this podcast are for general informational purposes only.

Andrew is the Janet Yellen Professor of Finance and Management at the Yale School of Management and Director of the Yale Program on Financial Stability, specializing in financial crises. He discusses the vulnerabilities of the banking system, lessons from recent crises like SVB and the GFC, the government's role in crisis management, and the biggest risks facing today's financial system.

In this episode of The Girl Dad Show, host Young Han sits down with Jason Mok, VP and GTM leader at Brex and a devoted single dad. Jason currently serves as GM of Brex's Startups business and oversees Strategic Partnerships. Before Brex, he was an Operating Partner and GM at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), where he led the firm's first $400M Seed Fund, and spent 16 years at Silicon Valley Bank championing early- and growth-stage founders. Jason's story spans decades of leadership in banking, venture capital, and fintech—but at the heart of it is a father navigating the complexities of work, legacy, and raising good humans. In this episode, Jason opens up about teaching his kids about money, setting boundaries between work and family, and how success as a parent isn't about control—it's about the relationship you build as they grow up. ✨ All episodes of The Girl Dad Show are proudly sponsored by Thesis, helping founders go further, together. Takeaways Jason Mok is a single dad and fintech exec at Brex Brex offers a financial stack for startups and enterprises Jason's path includes SVB, a16z, and years of startup advisory Parenting requires consistent self-reflection Teaching kids about money is non-negotiable Being present matters more than being perfect Self-care supports strong parenting and leadership Boundaries between work and family take real intention Legacy is built through quality relationships, not just career wins

Episode 389 and today's guest is Jeff Taylor, serial entrepreneur and Founder of Monster.com. About a month ago, the combined entity of Monster & CareerBuilder filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It signaled the end of an era and a 31 year run for Monster which is pretty extraordinary. A reflective tribute was added to LinkedIn by Jeff and after reading his post, I immediately reached out, as the story of Monster needed to be told and documented. Thus, I went long form for this interview, a la Joe Rogan style, to bring you the most detailed account of Monster.com from an initial dream to a top 11th or 12th website in the world & a major consumer brand. An initial dream, you might ask… yes… it's true.  Jeff dreamt of the idea, the brand, and the mascot… which received tremendous pushback from multiple parties in the early days. It's this story and so many others that we uncover: * The early building blocks of the internet and how groundbreaking Jeff and Monster.com was in terms of being the 454th dot com and posting the first jobs and resumes on the internet. * The debatable too-early acquisition of Monster in the very early innings of the dot com bubble by TMP Worldwide. * Stories of the hypergrowth years at Monster. * Behind the scenes of the, what was first considered a failure then turned iconic - When I Grow Up - Super Bowl commercial. * And what I found to be the most shocking story… which we lead with - the paper napkin agreement between Jeff Taylor and Reid Hoffman for Monster.com to acquire LinkedIn.  Wow - can you imagine what might have happened if Monster's board didn't turn the deal down? In addition to the deep dive into the legendary story of Monster, we also discuss Jeff's background story, other companies he's built like Eons, and his current company called BoomBand - which is reinventing the resume and building a new AI talent marketplace. The company is still in stealth mode but expects to launch its product late fall. Episode Sponsor: As a longtime champion of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank supports innovative companies with the solutions and financing they need through every stage of growth. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors, and $42B in loans as of Q2 2024 – SVB delivers the right people, service and resources to support your entire financial journey. Learn more at SVB.com.

This week on Swimming with Allocators, Earnest and Alexa welcome Quincy Brown, Managing Director at FEG Investment Advisors. With 29 years of experience, Quincy discusses how his firm serves mission-driven organizations by integrating responsive investing strategies, focusing on diverse and emerging managers, and balancing financial performance with social impact. Key topics include the evolution of ESG investing, technology's role in creating new investment opportunities, and the importance of understanding client missions. Quincy also emphasizes that organizations can achieve both financial returns and social objectives by taking a long-term, strategic approach to investing, particularly in venture and private equity sectors. The conversation provides a nuanced look at how investment consultants are navigating changing landscapes of mission-aligned investing. Don't miss it! Highlights from this week's conversation include:Quincy's Career Path (1:09)FEG's History and Client Base (4:44)Building Trust and Client Relationships (7:00)Values-Aligned and Responsive Investing (9:17)Shift Toward Venture and Private Equity (12:26)Identifying Diverse and Emerging Managers (14:36)Diversity Criteria and Thresholds (17:01)Advice for Emerging Managers (18:03)Role of the Research Team (19:10)Fund Performance Trends (21:55)Mission Alignment Across Asset Classes (24:33)Lessons from ESG and DEI Trends (28:44)Exciting Trends in Venture and Private Markets (30:16)Advice for Allocators on Values-Aligned Investing (35:14)Connecting with Quincy and FEG and Parting Thoughts (36:34)FEG Investment Advisors is a Cincinnati-based investment consulting and OCIO firm serving nonprofits, endowments, and foundations nationwide. With a legacy of research-driven diligence, values-based investing, and a deep commitment to diverse and emerging managers, FEG is a leader in aligning capital with mission. Learn more at www.feg.com.Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank, is the bank of the world's most innovative companies and investors. SVB provides commercial and private banking to individuals and companies in the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity, venture capital and premium wine industries. SVB operates in centers of innovation throughout the United States, serving the unique needs of its dynamic clients with deep sector expertise, insights and connections. SVB's parent company, First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCNCA), is a top 20 U.S. financial institution with more than $200 billion in assets. First Citizens Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at svb.com.Swimming with Allocators is a podcast that dives into the intriguing world of Venture Capital from an LP (Limited Partner) perspective. Hosts Alexa Binns and Earnest Sweat are seasoned professionals who have donned various hats in the VC ecosystem. Each episode, we explore where the future opportunities lie in the VC landscape with insights from top LPs on their investment strategies and industry experts shedding light on emerging trends and technologies. The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this podcast are for general informational purposes only.

Get 90 days of Fellow's AI meeting assistant at fellow.app/cooWhy Linda still codes on weekends — and what it teaches her about the future of AI (6:00)How AI is changing what Webflow builds — and how fast they build it (3:30–13:00)What happens when websites are no longer built just for humans (14:00)The rise of AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and what it means for ops (17:00–21:00)Favorite LLMs and workflows — from Claude Sonnet to custom GPTs (23:00–26:00)How Linda builds a culture of innovation — and why bad ideas are worth celebrating (29:00)Leading through operational ambiguity and defining what to say “no” to (49:00)How product thinking helps Linda prioritize and run the business (54:00)Creating an actual in-office “innovation lab” — and what worked (1:04:00)Wild story: how her team navigated the SVB collapse weekend (1:08:00) 

Peter Thiel and Palmer Luckey are launching a Tolkien-themed bank to serve crypto and defense startups left behind after SVB's collapse. And a new study warns that AI in fintech and healthcare apps can be tricked into leaking data with just a sneaky prompt.Featured Guests: Jake O'Shea, principal, Antler | Gareth Shepherd, managing director, Voya Investment Management

When the Silicon Valley Bank crisis erupted in early 2023, Larry Roseman was already well-acquainted with market upheaval. A member of the CFO class appointed around 2020—just as the pandemic began—Roseman had weathered previous storms. He began his career amid the dot-com collapse, then advanced through the 2008 financial crisis. “Scar tissue helps,” he tells us.So when he landed in Palm Springs for a tennis tournament and learned SVB was in freefall—taking all of Thumbtack's cash with it—his weekend plans were immediately sidelined. “Literally getting on the plane and landing, and the whole thing sort of blowing up,” Roseman recalls. “I was holed up in the hotel room for days,” working through how to ensure payroll and access to capital.That crisis became a defining moment. “That was the catalyst for us,” he tells us. Roseman used it to pivot the business away from growth-at-all-costs and toward sustainable, profitable growth. In just a few years, Thumbtack went from -$60 million in EBITDA to +$60 million.His ability to adapt comes from a varied career path—public accounting at Ernst & Young, investment banking at Bear Stearns and JPMorgan, and operational finance at eBay, where he helped spin off PayPal. At Thumbtack, a national home services marketplace, he's scaled the finance team tenfold and implemented a discipline around contribution margin, hire rate, and CAC.“The P&L doesn't lie,” Roseman tells us—especially in times of crisis, when it's clarity, not comfort, that defines the leader.

Former Kansas City Fed President Thomas Hoenig joins Soar Financially to break down the real challenges facing the Federal Reserve in 2025. From rising tariffs and inflation to the risk of renewed QE and Fed independence under fire — this interview reveals what's really happening behind the scenes at the FOMC and Jackson Hole.#federalreserve #economy #qe ------------Thank you to our #sponsor MONEY METALS. Make sure to pay them a visit: https://bit.ly/BUYGoldSilver------------

Episode 384 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Thomas “TK” Kinsella, Co-Founder & Chief Customer Officer of Tines. The success of Tines is not based on luck. The company's co-founders experienced a major problem that wasn't being being solved by existing platforms and after talking to peers who were also dealing with the same problem, they decided to do something about it. But, it wasn't just an idea that got them to where they are today. This team was uniquely qualified to build the next generation solution based on TK's and his Co-Founder & CEO, Eoin Hinchy's many years of experience in the cybersecurity industry, plus a history of working together for something like 15+ years at Deloitte, eBay, and DocuSign. Tines empowers teams to build, run, and monitor their most mission-critical and sophisticated workflows. The company recently announced a $125M round of funding at a $1.125B valuation and is co-headquartered in Dublin and Boston. In this episode of our podcast, we cover lots of great topics like: * A discussion about the cybersecurity industry and the platform shift to AI. * TK's background story growing up in Dublin and some mutual geeking out on rugby. * Starting his career in cybersecurity at Deloitte where he met Eoin, plus lots of details about what they worked on at eBay and DocuSign. * Getting Tines started from the early days and all the details about the platform today. * Why they hired a top designer as one of the first employees in the company and the importance of making products that are easy to use. * Details on the latest round of funding and what's next. * And so much more. Episode Sponsor: As a longtime champion of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank supports innovative companies with the solutions and financing they need through every stage of growth. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors, and $42B in loans as of Q2 2024 – SVB delivers the right people, service and resources to support your entire financial journey. Learn more at SVB.com.

Episode 381 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Mike Massaro, CEO of Flywire, a global payments enablement and software company. This is the full lifecycle story of an idea to a pillar publicly traded tech company in the Boston tech scene and it has it all. An international founder who discovered a major problem while trying to pay his tuition at MIT, to Mike joining the company after its Series A, an evolving business model from consumer to B2B, navigating choppy near death experiences to scaling aggressively, then raising multiple rounds of venture funding to an IPO, and more! It really is an inspirational story for all entrepreneurs to hear, as it is never an easy up & to the right story. There is so much that goes into building a successful company and this one does not disappoint. Chapters 00:00 Intro 02:17 Learning to Lead & the Importance of Communication 04:51 Mike's Background & Getting Started in Tech at edocs 15:00 Carrier IQ 19:47 The early days of Flywire 19:52 Navigating the Go-to-Market Strategy 29:52 Moving into the Role as CEO of Flywire 31:55 Challenging Times 35:09 Scaling the Company & Playing Long Ball 39:17 Expanding into New Industries 41:47 The Impact of COVID-19 45:20 Flywire IPO 50:06 Looking Ahead: Growth and Innovation 51:42 Building a Strong Company Culture 57:12 The Importance of a Strong Board of Directors 59:50 Hiring for Leadership Roles 01:02:13 Apps, Books, & Fun Episode Sponsor: As a longtime champion of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank supports innovative companies with the solutions and financing they need through every stage of growth. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors, and $42B in loans as of Q2 2024 – SVB delivers the right people, service and resources to support your entire financial journey. Learn more at SVB.com.

Episode 380 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Eduardo Torrealba, CEO & Co-Founder of Lumafield. As part of my conversation with Eduardo, we talk about the importance of working on hard things. Yes, it's hard to build things that seem impossible at the time but it is that level of difficulty that attracts the top talent across engineering and other functional areas to join the company. And, it is that level of difficulty that once you establish product market fit, it can been highly defensible and really difficult to copy. And, it is that level of difficulty that attracts the best investors to fund a company with the hopes that it can be an industry defining company, especially when there is hardware involved. Take Lumafield, a pioneering developer of accessible X-ray CT technology, recently announced a $35M Series B round of funding led by Spark Capital, along with previous investors Lux Capital, Kleiner Perkins, DCVC, Future Shape and angel investors like Tony Fadell - yes that Tony Fadell, the inventor of the iPod and Founder of Nest. When you have an industry leader like Tony, who after seeing their product & vision and ended up committing to an investment into the company after a 30 minute meeting, you know you are on to something big, as he understood the problem first hand based on his experience. In the video version of our podcast, there is a brief video showing Lumafield's platform in action, as you need to see it to truly appreciate the complexity yet the obvious use case it has when building physical products. In the show notes, I have also included a fun video from Lumafield with Tony where they take a look at the evolution of the iPod by looking at the inside of different generations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC6BQPowf7w In this episode of our podcast, we cover: * Eduardo's background story and his initial journey into entrepreneurship with an IoT soil moisture sensor company called Oso Technologies. * Joining Formlabs and what he worked on in the earlier days of the company and what he learned during the company's growth to a billion dollar valuation. * The full story of Lumafield in terms of how the team came together and the problem they are solving. * The fundraising process and the current state of the company, plus future plans ahead. * Lessons learned from building companies and raising capital. * The importance of a strong company pitch. * And so much more Episode Sponsor: As a longtime champion of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank supports innovative companies with the solutions and financing they need through every stage of growth. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors, and $42B in loans as of Q2 2024 – SVB delivers the right people, service and resources to support your entire financial journey. Learn more at SVB.com.

Episode 379 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Graham Brown, Managing Partner at Lerer Hippeau. It seems like just yesterday when I first interviewed Graham seven years ago back for Episode 32 (https://soundcloud.com/venturefizz/episode-32-graham-brown-partner-at-lerer-hippeau) when Lerer Hippeau was announcing its sixth fund. This puts Graham in elite company as one of the very few people who have made a repeat appearance on The VentureFizz Podcast – which I'm sure is an incredible honor for Graham to achieve… just kidding obviously. But in all seriousness… in that first interview, we discussed Graham's background (he's actually a fellow native of New Hampshire) and the early innings of his career, so in this interview, we were able to get much deeper into other topics around startups and fundraising. As you might know, Lerer Hippeau is one of the top early stage VC firms in the country and they recently announced another new fund, that one being LH Fund IX, a $200M fund which is exclusively focused on early stage companies. In this episode of our podcast, we cover: * How to land a job in venture capital. * How our original interview discussed AI seven years ago and what Graham is excited about in terms of this platform shift. * The renewed interest in energy startups and the innovation in this sector. * What he's looking for out of a first meeting with an entrepreneur & the process of getting funded. * PLG versus founder led sales and advice on avoiding entrepreneurial envy. * The latest on the NYC tech ecosystem. * And so much more Episode Sponsor: As a longtime champion of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank supports innovative companies with the solutions and financing they need through every stage of growth. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors, and $42B in loans as of Q2 2024 – SVB delivers the right people, service and resources to support your entire financial journey. Learn more at SVB.com.

The health tech fundraising environment shows promise. More deals are occurring alongside modest growth in total funding, suggesting a shift toward realistic valuations. In this episode, Julie Ebert, managing director of Healthcare and Life Sciences for Silicon Valley Bank, discusses the key findings from their annual Future of Health Tech report, highlighting the growth of AI adoption in healthcare as well as the increasing focus on specialty value-based care models. She noted a third of health tech companies that have raised money have an AI component, and half of the investment is in the administrative use of AI. Julie also explains that value-based care is moving from primary care to specialties due to these areas being complex and costly. Finally, she emphasizes that Silicon Valley Bank is playing a bold role in providing transparency to companies by offering working capital solutions and releasing reports that allow companies to have the knowledge to move forward.  Tune in and learn about the current landscape of health tech investment and the future of value-based care! Resources: Connect with and follow Julie Ebert on LinkedIn. Follow Silicon Valley Bank on LinkedIn and visit their website. Read this year's SVB's Future of Healthtech report here.

Episode 378 of The VentureFizz Podcast features two of the Co-Founders of Copley - David Henriquez, CEO and Sean Marshall, Chief Operating Officer. It is just a necessity for any thriving tech ecosystem. You need companies that scale and people from those companies take their learnings and go off to start their own company. HubSpot has been a big feeder of alumni who have gone off to start companies and you are starting to see the next wave with founders coming from Toast and now Klaviyo. What's even better is when you see the founders of these anchor tech companies fund the next generation of entrepreneurs. David & Sean were part of the hypergrowth scale up years at Klaviyo that ultimately led to a pillar public tech company in the Boston tech area. David held a variety of engineering & sales engineering roles, whereas Sean led global sales. Now, they are building a new company with a third Co-Founder & CTO, Mike Torra called Copley. It is an AI-Powered Content Optimization Platform that allows marketers to quickly create, test & deploy content everywhere. Copley recently announced a $4.8M pre-seed round of funding led by Asymmetric and Underscore. And yes, the founders of Klaviyo - Andrew Bialecki and Ed Hallen are investors… plus Tom Ebling & Jeffrey Barnett of Demandware which was acquired by Salesforce. In this episode of our podcast, we cover: * Startup fundraising advice for first-time founders and the importance of building long term relationships with investors. * The background stories for both David and Sean. * The explosive growth years at Klaviyo. * The full story of Copley in terms of the problem they are solving and their unique approach to finding early adopter customers. * GTM advice for early stage startups and the importance of storytelling. * And so much more. Episode Sponsor: As a longtime champion of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank supports innovative companies with the solutions and financing they need through every stage of growth. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors, and $42B in loans as of Q2 2024 – SVB delivers the right people, service and resources to support your entire financial journey. Learn more at SVB.com.

Episode #376 features Prem Sharma, Founder & CEO of Tandem. When you are a serial entrepreneur like Prem, you are probably coming up with lots of ideas but how do you decide which one is viable to focus on and actually build a company around? For Prem, it comes down to recognizing an experience that is broken and lots of market research. And this is not light market research, this is total submersion into the industry market research. The interest in Tandem started with a puppy arriving at his home as a new family pet and an experience at the vet. During a visit, he recognized how fragmented the industry was and how inefficient the office operated. This got him thinking about a unified vet experience. But, before jumping into build mode, he spent time working at veterinary clinics and recognized that the appetite for adopting a whole new system was not going to happen, so just a new tech platform wouldn't be the answer. Instead, he had to build a healthcare company from the ground up that includes a comprehensive service leveraging onsite clinics, mobile care, telehealth, and a whole new tech stack for running the overall operation. Tandem raised $10M in funding earlier this year to redefine veterinary care with a comprehensive solution through its novel approach to care delivery, AI technology, and more. Chapters: 00:00 Prem Sherma Intro 02:48 What Ideas Should You Build a Company Around? 07:00 From Childhood Dreams to Startup Realities 10:39 Navigating the Startup Landscape 14:30 The Full Story of DayToDay Health 18:16 Building Impactful Solutions in Healthcare 21:50 The Complexity of Patient Care 27:03 Lessons Learned From Building DayToDay Health 29:45 All the Details about Tandem 38:26 Current State of the Business & GTM 44:36 Advice for Building a Healthcare Company 50:00 App & Book Recommendations Episode Sponsor: As a longtime champion of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank supports innovative companies with the solutions and financing they need through every stage of growth. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors, and $42B in loans as of Q2 2024 – SVB delivers the right people, service and resources to support your entire financial journey. Learn more at SVB.com.

Join me as I sit down with Seamus Rocca, visionary CEO of Xapo Bank, a trailblazer at the intersection of Bitcoin and traditional finance. We unpack Xapo's transformation into a fully licensed bank, how it safeguards your crypto, the regulatory balancing act, and the future of digital assets. Plus, Wences shares his thoughts on yield, DeFi, CBDCs—and even the meaning of life. Follow Seamus Chen: 

Ducky AI operates as a pre-LLM compute layer, enabling businesses to make their proprietary data accessible to large language models without compromising security or privacy. In this episode of Category Visionaries, James O'Brien shares the journey of pivoting from a customer support solution to becoming a machine learning infrastructure tool that helps developers find and transform internal business data for optimal LLM consumption. With $2.7 million in funding, Ducky is positioning itself as the essential bridge between enterprise data and AI systems, making advanced AI capabilities accessible to technical teams without requiring extensive ML expertise.   Topics Discussed: Ducky's evolution from a customer support solution to a developer-focused ML infrastructure tool The validation process that led to identifying knowledge accessibility as a core market problem How and why the team executed their pivot in just three months The challenges of defining an ideal customer profile in the rapidly expanding AI space Building a go-to-market strategy in Nashville's emerging tech ecosystem Fundraising lessons learned during the SVB collapse   GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Listen when developers ask for your infrastructure: James discovered their true product-market fit when developers started requesting access to Ducky's knowledge retrieval infrastructure rather than their customer-facing application. "We had a revelatory moment where we realized that a bunch of developers had asked for access to our infrastructure, our knowledge retrieval infrastructure. And that's kind of what we're good at." This insight led to their pivot toward becoming an API-first tool that matched their technical strengths with the right audience. Validation is a superpower: The Ducky team excels at gathering unbiased feedback from potential customers. When considering their pivot, they embraced this strength: "I think one of the things that we're best at as a team is validation. I think we're really good at drawing relatively unbiased... input and feedback from people that we're interviewing or talking to." For B2B founders, this emphasis on rigorous customer validation before building can be the difference between success and wasted engineering resources. Make pivot decisions with data, not emotion: When considering a change in direction, Ducky time-boxed their exploration to three weeks, built multiple prototypes, and showed them to potential customers. "It was pretty clear after three weeks that one was not only a better use of our skills and time, but also a better market fit." B2B founders should approach pivots methodically, setting clear timelines and success criteria for validation. Design pricing that aligns with value creation: James emphasizes usage-based pricing that fundamentally connects revenue to customer value: "If you use it and it works, you will use it more. And that means that we're doing our job. And that's awesome. That's all I ever want to do, quite frankly, is get paid for actually bringing value to people." This approach creates natural incentives for both the vendor and customer, unlike the multi-year contracts that often create misaligned incentives. Look beyond AI hype to focus on business problems: James discovered that many companies have been tasked to "do something with AI" without clear objectives. "People are like, 'hey, we got to do something with AI,' but we don't know what that is. And then they think so deeply about, 'hey, how are we going to construct this?'" B2B founders should help customers cut through the hype by focusing on the underlying business value and specific problems to solve, rather than getting lost in technical details.   //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe.  www.GlobalTalent.co  

Ben Beller, Partner at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP Ben Beller, Partner at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, joins the podcast to walk through how companies can strategically navigate bankruptcy and restructuring during M&A. Drawing from experience on major cases like FTX and Silicon Valley Bank, Ben shares practical insights into Chapter 11 processes, planning strategies, liability management transactions, and how buyers can successfully acquire distressed assets. A must-listen  for corporate development professionals, acquirers, and M&A legal teams looking to build competency around distressed transactions. Things you will learn: The differences between Chapter 7, 11, and 13 bankruptcies and when to use each How liability management transactions work and their growing role in restructuring What buyers need to know about acquiring businesses in bankruptcy _______________ What is the Buyer-Led M&A™ Virtual Summit This isn't just another webinar—it's an interactive experience designed to give you the tools and strategies to lead your M&A deals with confidence. This half-day event brings together corporate development leaders and M&A experts to explore Buyer-Led M&A™, showing how you can take control of every stage of the deal. Register Now ________ This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom.  The World's Most Intuitive Virtual Data Room With AI Contract Analysis No Per-Page Fees. No B.S. Just Smarter, Faster Deals. Get started with your free trial today! ________ Episode Timestamps: [00:04:00] Ben Beller's background and major bankruptcy cases (FTX, SVB, Mallinckrodt) [00:07:30] Chapter 7 vs. Chapter 11 – key differences [00:11:30] Signs companies should begin planning for bankruptcy [00:14:00] Prepackaged vs. prearranged vs. freefall bankruptcies [00:17:30] Importance of lender relationships and communication [00:22:00] Role of private credit and debt trading in distressed situations [00:28:00] Liability management transactions explained: dropdowns, up tiers, and more [00:35:00] Trends in liability management and how they defer bankruptcy [00:41:00] M&A in bankruptcy: How buyers can seize opportunities [00:46:30] Understanding stalking horse bids and auction dynamics [00:54:30] Common mistakes in buying businesses out of bankruptcy [01:01:00] Bankruptcy reform trends and cost implications  

Episode 374 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Dave Blundin, serial entrepreneur & investor. Dave's track record is legendary as one of the top entrepreneurs and investors in the Boston tech scene. He's co-founded 23 companies… and many have been incredibly successful: * DataSage - acquired by Vignette for over $1B in today's dollars * EverQuote - which went public * Vestmark - manages over $2 trillion in assets Companies like CourseAdvisor, Jobcase, Autotegrity, LeadKarma were all acquired. Plus he's invested in CarGurus, TripAdvisor… and he is the Founder & General Partner of Link Ventures and he's also the founder of the startup incubator, Cogo Labs. One might think that after all of this success, Dave would downshift and relax… but it is the exact opposite. He has been waiting for this moment since he was 14 years old and that is the current platform shift to AI. He studied AI at MIT back in 1984 and pioneered quantizing neural networks as early as 1992. Needless to say… his time is now and he believes that it has the potential to be the greatest thing that ever happened to humanity. He wants to savor the moment and work to train and build faster, better, & smarter AI. Chapters 00:00 Intro 02:43 Dave Blundin's Journey Begins 08:27 Founding DataSage and Early Innovations 15:55 Meeting Jeff Bezos & Building Personalization at Amazon 18:18 DataSage Acquisition by Vignette 20:59 Founding Story of Vestmark & Its Scale 27:39 Link Ventures & Cogo Labs - Building Consumer Companies at Scale 32:31 Story of EverQuote to IPO 35:04 The Best Friend Method for Investing 36:33 AI & The Importance of Chip Manufacturing 41:45 The AI Revolution & Opportunities 44:11 Liquid AI: General-Purpose AI Systems at Every Scale 47:45 Boston's Talent Density & MIT's Advantage 53:44 Personal Insights and Hobbies 57:40 Podcast & Book Recommendations Episode Sponsor: As a longtime champion of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank supports innovative companies with the solutions and financing they need through every stage of growth. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors, and $42B in loans as of Q2 2024 – SVB delivers the right people, service and resources to support your entire financial journey. Learn more at SVB.com.

Highlights from this week's conversation include:Lockwood's Background and Journey (0:46)Vincimus Capital Overview (2:09)Democratization of Private Markets (3:51)Transition to Private Equity (4:52)Influence of Shackleton's Endurance (7:43)Current Market Opportunities (8:40)Criteria for Ideal Clients (14:26)Opportunities in Larger Investments (17:09)Slow Dating in Manager Selection (20:26)Evaluating Deal Opportunities (22:07)Insider Segment: SVB's Approach to Innovation (26:10)Diversification in Venture Capital (31:07)Investment Buckets (36:02)Philanthropy in Wealth Management (39:00)Fund Manager Dynamics (41:55)The Importance of Patience in Investment (46:28)Connecting with Contacting Vincimus Capital and Final Thoughts (48:22)Vincimus Capital is an investment platform and community founded upon shared values and trusted relationships. As a team of capital allocators, we seek to deliver risk-adjusted returns that support the present and future needs of the values-aligned families we serve. Learn more: https://www.vincimus.com/Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank, is the bank of the world's most innovative companies and investors. SVB provides commercial and private banking to individuals and companies in the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity, venture capital and premium wine industries. SVB operates in centers of innovation throughout the United States, serving the unique needs of its dynamic clients with deep sector expertise, insights and connections. SVB's parent company, First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCNCA), is a top 20 U.S. financial institution with more than $200 billion in assets. First Citizens Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at svb.com.Swimming with Allocators is a podcast that dives into the intriguing world of Venture Capital from an LP (Limited Partner) perspective. Hosts Alexa Binns and Earnest Sweat are seasoned professionals who have donned various hats in the VC ecosystem. Each episode, we explore where the future opportunities lie in the VC landscape with insights from top LPs on their investment strategies and industry experts shedding light on emerging trends and technologies. The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this podcast are for general informational purposes only.

Episode 373 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Jeff Bussgang, General Partner at Flybridge. Jeff has accomplished so much throughout his career. I'm sure lots of people probably know him best as a Venture Capitalist and Professor at Harvard Business School. But... you might not know the details about his startup career prior to Flybridge which I was really excited to dig into because he played a key role at two incredibly successful companies in the Boston tech scene. The first being OpenMarket, which pretty much invented eCommerce with its shopping cart technology that was licensed by companies like Amazon when they were just getting started. The company went public at a billion dollar valuation back in 1996 which was a very big deal. The second company is Upromise, where he was a Co-Founder along with Michael Bronner, who was also the Founder of Digitas and really helped establish the world of direct & loyalty marketing and David Fialkow, who you might also recognize as one of the founders of General Catalyst. Upromise allowed consumers, including myself, to save for their kids' college education through a loyalty rewards program. The company was very successful and it was later acquired by Sallie Mae. In addition to being an entrepreneur, investor, and professor, Jeff is also an author of three books and his latest book is called The Experimentation Machine - Finding Product-Market Fit in the Age of AI. Plus we talk about his Dad (Julian Bussgang), a scientist and entrepreneur who developed the Bussgang Theorem, Jeff educational background in AI, Flybridge's history of investments in AI, Hack.Diversity and so much more! Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:05 Jeff's New Book - The Experimentation Engine 04:47 Jeff's Background and Early Influences 08:47 The Story of OpenMarket & Shopping Cart Tech 17:21 The Creation of Upromise 25:06 Transition to Venture Capital & Flybridge 26:37 Flybridge's History & Focus on AI 32:50 Flybridge's Investment Process 34:13 Advice on Go-to-Market Strategy 35:36 Getting Pitched by Curt Schilling 38:03 Teaching at Harvard Business School 39:48 Career Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs 42:22 Must-Have Versus Nice-to-Have Products 44:00 Hack.Diversity 46:46 The Boston Tech Ecosystem & AI 52:55 Recommendations - Apps & Podcasts Episode Sponsor: As a longtime champion of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank supports innovative companies with the solutions and financing they need through every stage of growth. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors, and $42B in loans as of Q2 2024 – SVB delivers the right people, service and resources to support your entire financial journey. Learn more at SVB.com.

Tom welcomes back an always interesting guest who dives deeply into various financial topics; John Titus. Several key topics were discussed, including the banking crisis of March 2023, federal debt, central bank independence, and the implications of the Fed's policies. Titus began by revisiting his prediction of the banking crisis, attributing it to the Federal Reserve's quantitative easing program during the pandemic. He explained that this led to a surge in commercial bank deposits, which ultimately caused instability when large deposits were withdrawn from banks like Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). Titus emphasized that these massive deposits, often exceeding $1 billion, were uninsured and posed significant risks when withdrawn rapidly. He discussed how the Fed's actions during the pandemic injected liquidity into non-bank entities, leading to a buildup of deposits in commercial banks. This created a situation where the failure of SVB was inevitable due to the withdrawal of large deposits. Moving on to federal debt, Titus expressed concern about the growing U.S. debt and its sustainability. He highlighted that the Fed's policies have led to a system where debt is used to finance government operations, creating a cycle of borrowing to cover interest payments. This spiral could lead to fiscal insolvency if not addressed. The discussion then turned to central bank independence and the implications of a Biden administration memo emphasizing central bank autonomy. Titus argued that in the U.S., the Federal Reserve is not truly independent but rather an agency under Congress, which has the constitutional authority to oversee it. He warned against efforts to model the Fed after systems like the European Central Bank, which operate independently of national governments, as this could erode democratic accountability. Titus also previewed his new series, "The War for Bankocracy," which explores the history and power dynamics of central banks. He emphasized the importance of constitutional governance over monetary policy, arguing that Congress must maintain control to prevent abuses of power by central bankers. Throughout the interview, Titus stressed the need for public awareness and engagement in monetary policy decisions, urging listeners to stay informed and advocate for transparency and accountability in how debt and money are managed. His analysis highlighted the interconnected risks posed by federal debt, banking instability, and central bank autonomy, emphasizing that these issues require immediate attention to prevent further economic crises. Time Stamp References:0:00 - Introduction0:48 - Predicting Bank Failures4:12 - Bank System in 20256:43 - Risks or Manipulation10:06 - Fed, Deficits, & Austerity12:43 - Fed & Fiscal Dominance15:05 - The Debt Spiral20:15 - Extinguish Debt?23:40 - C.B. Gold Reserves25:57 - U.S. Rates & Debt Rollover27:07 - Treasury Dealers31:25 - Fed & Inflation34:59 - Neverending Puzzle36:30 - Debt Solutions?40:00 - Reverse Repo Status45:15 - Fed 'Independence'50:00 - Biden Memo Concerns52:26 - C.B. Independence55:20 - Bankocracy Series Guest Links:SubStack: https://bestevidence.substack.com/Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-1843407Odysey: https://odysee.com/@BestEvidence:bYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BestEvidenceBankocracy Series Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-fPI_tleUo&list=PLXr4cxq6ih6DbS8NIMK3nAiEM8AggZ_DQ John Titus holds a masters degree in electrical engineering as well as a law degree and he uses these to pursue his "day job". However, John is also a staunch critic of central banking the federal reserve system and his diligent research has uncovered numerous lies and deceptions from the U.S. Federal Reserve regarding their actions/policies since 2008. John is the creator and executive producer of the "BestEvidence" YouTube channel and all of his documentaries can be found there. BestEvidence seeks to chronicle major financial forces and legal changes be...

Blake and David jump into the latest news, including the launch of Trump's own cryptocurrency and KPMG's expansion into legal services in Arizona, taking advantage of new rules allowing non-lawyers to own law firms. They also examine the Treasury Department's Chinese hack attack, South Carolina's $1.8 billion accounting error resolution, and Trump's proposed External Revenue Service.SponsorsRelay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/relayKeeper - http://accountingpodcast.promo/keeperTaxBandits - http://accountingpodcast.promo/taxbanditsBasil - http://accountingpodcast.promo/basilChapters(00:48) - Trump's TikTok Saga (03:35) - Live Stream and CPE Credits (04:48) - Trump's Cryptocurrency Launch (06:54) - Sage AI Data Leak Incident (12:27) - Relay Sponsorship and Banking Solutions (14:13) - Trump's Cryptocurrency Impact (28:06) - Direct File and IRS Developments (32:45) - KPMG Enters Legal Services (38:51) - Tax Bandits: Streamlining Your Tax Season (39:50) - Legal Document Automation with AI (41:04) - South Carolina's $1.8 Billion Accounting Error (45:56) - Trump's External Revenue Service Proposal (49:54) - Chinese Hackers Breach U.S. Treasury (56:51) - FDIC Sues Silicon Valley Bank Executives (01:04:39) - American Express Settles for $230 Million Over Bad Tax Advice (01:08:28) - Testing Google's Gemini Advanced for Tax Research (01:12:17) - Earn Free CPE Credits with Earmark (01:14:22) - Conclusion and Live Stream Announcement  Show NotesTikTok restores US service after Trump says “we have to save it”https://www.reuters.com/technology/tiktok-goes-dark-us-users-trump-says-save-tiktok-2025-01-19/ Donald and Melania Trump debuted meme coins, $Trump and $Melania. Here's what to know.https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-melania-meme-coin-cryptocurrency-what-to-know/ KPMG's Bold Move: How Arizona's ABS Rules Are Reshaping the U.S. Legal Landscapehttps://lawleaders.com/kpmgs-bold-move-how-arizonas-abs-rules-are-reshaping-the-u-s-legal-landscape/ IRS Direct File set to expand availability in a dozen new states and cover wider range of tax situations for the 2025 tax filing seasonhttps://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-direct-file-set-to-expand-availability-in-a-dozen-new-states-and-cover-wider-range-of-tax-situations-for-the-2025-tax-filing-season Sage Copilot grounded briefly to fix AI misbehaviorhttps://www.theregister.com/2025/01/20/sage_copilot_data_issue/ FDIC sues 17 former Silicon Valley Bank executives over collapesehttps://www.cnn.com/2025/01/16/business/fdic-sues-svb-executives-directors-intl-hnk/index.htmlFDIC sues former SVB execs over bank closurehttps://bankingjournal.aba.com/2025/01/fdic-sues-former-svb-execs-over-bank-closure/ SoftBank-Backed Fish Firm Allegedly Faked Most of Its Saleshttps://finance.yahoo.com/news/softbank-backed-fish-startup-allegedly-141253969.html American Express to pay $230 million to settle US charges over deceptive sales practiceshttps://www.reuters.com/business/finance/american-express-pay-1087-mln-settle-deceptive-marketing-allegations-justice-2025-01-16/ U.S. Sanctions Chinese Cybersecurity Firm Over Treasury Hack Tied to Salt Typhoonhttps://thehackernews.com/2025/01/us-sanctions-chinese-cybersecurity-firm.html SC auditor resigns after outside audit found $1.8 billion ‘surplus' was actually an accounting errorhttps://www.wistv.com/2025/01/23/sc-auditor-resigns-after-outside-audit-found-18-billion-surplus-was-actually-an-accounting-error/Need CPE?Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.comSubscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.comGet in TouchThanks for listening and the great reviews! We appreciate you! Follow and tweet @BlakeTOliver and @DavidLeary. Find us on Facebook and Instagram. If you like what you hear, please do us a favor and write a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Call us and leave a voicemail; maybe we'll play it on the show. DIAL (202) 695-1040.SponsorshipsAre you interested in sponsoring the Cloud Accounting Podcast? For details, read the prospectus.Need Accounting Conference Info? Check out our new website - accountingconferences.comLimited edition shirts, stickers, and other necessitiesTeePublic Store: http://cloudacctpod.link/merchSubscribeApple Podcasts: http://cloudacctpod.link/ApplePodcastsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAccountingPodcastSpotify: http://cloudacctpod.link/SpotifyPodchaser: http://cloudacctpod.link/podchaserStitcher: http://cloudacctpod.link/StitcherOvercast: http://cloudacc...

Here's how the second-biggest bank collapse in U.S. history happened in just 48 hours. Silicon Valley Bank closed its doors today. Within 48 hours, a panic induced by the very venture capital community that SVB had served and nurtured ended the bank's 40-year-run. For sure you've heard that millionaires are made in recessions, but how? Jaspreet Singh is joining Tom for a second time to get you up to speed on what it takes to get wealthy during any recession. Jaspreet is the Minority Mindset guru and Chief Money Nerd at Minority Mindset Companies. He's been creating financial education videos on YouTube for years and is breaking down all the reason you don't have to be scared during a recession Jaspreet is a voice of reason to remember that recessions are only bad or good in relation to which side of the equation you are on. This is a must watch if you're trying to find the best route through a recession that has most people nervous and panicked. [Original air date: 3-13-23]. CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORS Range Rover: Explore the Range Rover Sport at  https://landroverUSA.com Miro: Bring your teams to Miro's revolutionary Innovation Workspace and be faster from idea to outcome at https://miro.com. Found Banking: Stop getting lost in countless finance apps and try Found for free at https://found.com/impact. Netsuite: Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning for free at https://netsuite.com/theory Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impact Factor:  Get 50% off your first box plus 20% off your next month while your subscription is active at https://factormeals.com/impacttheory50 with code impacttheory50. Follow Jaspreet Singh: Website: https://theminoritymindset.com/about-us/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MinorityMindset Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/minoritymin... Twitter: https://twitter.com/minoritym1ndset Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MinorityMind... CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORS Range Rover: Explore the Range Rover Sport at  https://landroverUSA.com Miro: Bring your teams to Miro's revolutionary Innovation Workspace and be faster from idea to outcome at https://miro.com Betterhelp: This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/impacttheory and get 10% off your first month Netsuite: Spend less time looking backwards, and more time on what's next. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning at https://NetSuite.com/theory  NordVPN: EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/impacttheory Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Vanta: Get $1,000 off Vanta when you go to https://vanta.com/THEORY ********************************************************************** What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here: If you want my help... STARTING a business: join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER SCALING a business: see if you qualify here. Get my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox: sign up here. ********************************************************************** Join me live on my Twitch stream. I'm live daily from 6:30 to 8:30 am PT at www.twitch.tv/tombilyeu ********************************************************************** LISTEN TO IMPACT THEORY & MINDSET PLAYBOOK AD FREE + BONUS EPISODES on APPLE PODCASTS: apple.co/impacttheory ********************************************************************** FOLLOW TOM: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeu YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices