Podcasts about vc pe

William McDonough is one of the world's most influential sustainable design thinkers. His book, Cradle to Cradle, kickstarter my career path. And I've enjoyed working with him in environmental private equity for many years.Bill has advised companies, governments, and cities on regenerative design for decades and has won awards such as the Presidential Award for Sustainable Development, the National Design Award, the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award, and the title of "Hero for the Planet" from Time magazine.Climate tech often focuses on reducing harm. Bill McDonough argues that's the wrong starting point. In this episode, we explore how design, economics, nature, and human intention can create systems that are not merely less bad but genuinely beneficial.

I discuss insights from recent discussions with EFI Climate CEO peer group on sabbaticals, burnout, and building companies that can thrive without the founder in every decision.Plus, why utilities spend roughly $8 billion annually managing vegetation near power lines, yet many still rely on manual inspections and limited visibility. Wait, can't AI do this?--1️⃣ Join our confidential CEO community.Private CEO group for VC/PE-backed climate tech founders navigating capital, strategy, and scale. Capped at 45 CEOs. → entrepreneursforimpact.com2️⃣ Join 40,000 professionals who get our newsletter.Climate tech finance, strategy, leadership. 2-min read. → entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com3️⃣ Leave a podcast review.If you got value, take 30 seconds and do the community a favor. It helps push more capital and talent toward scalable climate solutions.

Aalo Atomics is developing modular nuclear power plants designed for factory production. They seek to make nuclear energy scalable enough to support AI infrastructure, industrial heat, desalination, and synthetic fuels.Matt Loszak, founder and CEO of Aalo Atomics, discusses how his team is moving from software to nuclear, scaling from 2 to 165 employees in three years, raising $300M+, and pursuing a vision of abundant energy for AI, industry, and beyond.Prior to returning to his nuclear engineering roots, he founded Humi, a payroll and HR software company that grew to process roughly $10 billion in payroll.Here's what we discussed:Project to product – Why nuclear's biggest opportunity may be moving from custom megaprojects to mass-manufactured energy systems.Designing around logistics – The team constrained reactor size to what can be shipped on a truck, enabling factory production and modular deployment.Speed as a competitive advantage – Going from company formation to first reactor in under three years while scaling to 165 employees.The economics of abundance – Why sub-10¢/kWh is a critical milestone and how 3¢/kWh could fundamentally reshape global industry.Building the nuclear talent stack – Recruiting leaders from SpaceX, Tesla, Bloom Energy, and advanced reactor programs to accelerate execution.--Join our confidential CEO community.Private CEO group for VC/PE-backed climate tech founders navigating capital, strategy, and scale. Capped at 45 CEOs. See if you're a fit → entrepreneursforimpact.comJoin 40,000 professionals who get our newsletter.Climate tech finance, strategy, leadership. 2-min read. → entrepreneursforimpact.substack.comLeave a podcast review.If you got value, take 30 seconds and do the community a favor. It helps push more capital and talent toward scalable climate solutions.

Industrial emissions make up roughly a quarter of global CO₂ emissions, yet many of the most promising climate tech companies remain largely unknown outside specialized circles. This episode explores 95 startups attacking some of the hardest decarbonization challenges across steel, cement, chemicals, heat, fuels, mining, and manufacturing.In addition, I cover one startup turning solar into a 24/7 firm, clean power.Industrial heat is becoming a major battleground — Companies are replacing fossil-fuel-fired boilers and furnaces with thermal batteries, electrified heat systems, and long-duration energy storage solutions.Cement and concrete innovation is scaling — Startups are reducing process emissions through alternative chemistries, carbon mineralization, supplementary cementitious materials, and low-carbon production methods.24/7 solar and clean power are emerging as a new category — Companies are combining solar, storage, and dispatchable energy systems to deliver around-the-clock clean electricity rather than intermittent renewable generation.Steel and metals are entering a new era — Entrepreneurs are commercializing green hydrogen, electrolysis, scrap optimization, and novel production pathways to lower emissions from some of the world's most carbon-intensive industries.Chemicals and fuels are being reinvented — Companies are developing sustainable feedstocks, e-fuels, carbon utilization technologies, and alternative chemical manufacturing processes.The winners may not be the most obvious companies — Industrial markets reward reliability, economics, and operational simplicity, meaning some of the biggest future climate tech successes may emerge from sectors receiving far less attention than AI, EVs, or consumer technologies.--Join our confidential CEO community.Private CEO group for VC/PE-backed climate tech founders navigating capital, strategy, and scale. Capped at 45 CEOs. See if you're a fit → entrepreneursforimpact.comJoin 40,000 professionals who get our newsletter.Climate tech finance, strategy, leadership. 2-min read. → entrepreneursforimpact.substack.comLeave a podcast review.If you got value, take 30 seconds and do the community a favor. It helps push more capital and talent toward scalable climate solutions.

Embedding batteries into appliances to bypass big bottlenecks: home electrical upgrades. Instead of rewiring buildings, Copper turns induction stoves into distributed energy assets that can also support the grid.Copper is building appliances with integrated energy storage, starting with Charlie, a 30” induction stove with a built-in battery. The company focuses on making electrification cheaper, faster, and easier for multifamily buildings and older housing stock.They've received $60M in equity funding and government contracts so far.Before co-founding Copper, CEO Sam Calisch helped launch Rewiring America, was an Activate Fellow, co-authored Electrify, and previously founded Elmworks. He earned his PhD from MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms.Here's what we discussed:Installation arbitrage that changes adoption economics – Traditional induction stoves often require expensive 240V upgrades and panel work, while Charlie plugs into an existing 110V outlet behind most gas stoves using an onboard 5kWh LFP battery to deliver high-power cookingMultifamily as the wedge market – Buildings facing costly gas infrastructure repairs can avoid six-figure retrofit costs, with some projects saving over $100k by switching directly to Copper's battery-enabled electric appliancesAppliances as grid assets – Aggregated stoves participate in California's DSGS virtual power plant program, providing dispatchable capacity during peak demand and potentially offsetting future appliance costsLicensing instead of building everything alone – Copper is pursuing partnerships with incumbent appliance manufacturers rather than vertically integrating every product category itselfFounder operating system – Weekly written goals, deliberate “play time” for experimentation, outdoor activity, and separating business problems from personal identity to sustain long-term decision quality--Join our confidential CEO community.Private CEO group for VC/PE-backed climate tech founders navigating capital, strategy, and scale. Capped at 45 CEOs. See if you're a fit → entrepreneursforimpact.comJoin 40,000 professionals who get our newsletter.Climate tech finance, strategy, leadership. 2-min read. → entrepreneursforimpact.substack.comLeave a podcast review.If you got value, take 30 seconds and do the community a favor. It helps push more capital and talent toward scalable climate solutions.

Women founders receive just 2–3% of venture capital. So why do they consistently outperform on capital efficiency, revenue generation, and exits?Six climate tech leaders share the hard-earned tactics they use to navigate bias, build authority, and scale companies in an ecosystem that still underfunds women entrepreneurs.This episode draws lessons from six women EFI Climate CEO Fellows and Mentors, including founders, operators, investors, and nonprofit leaders who have raised over $100M, built and exited private-equity-backed companies, secured billion-dollar commercial agreements, and led organizations representing hundreds of thousands of professionals.Pre-selling authority — using LinkedIn, podcasts, and public presence so credibility enters the room firstOwning the first 60 seconds — naming your role and credentials before others define youUsing silence as leverage — responding to bias without over-explaining or softeningDiligencing investors — reference-checking failed portfolio founders, not just winnersScaling beyond expertise — moving from technical expert to strategic architect with stronger hires and allies--Join our confidential CEO community.Private CEO group for VC/PE-backed climate tech founders navigating capital, strategy, and scale. Capped at 45 CEOs. See if you're a fit → entrepreneursforimpact.comJoin 40,000 professionals who get our newsletter.Climate tech finance, strategy, leadership. 2-min read. → entrepreneursforimpact.substack.comLeave a podcast review.If you got value, take 30 seconds and do the community a favor. It helps push more capital and talent toward scalable climate solutions.

Eric Ries is the author of Lean Startup (millions of copies sold), serial founder, ex-EIR at Harvard, and author of a new book: Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad and How Great Companies Stay Great.Why is this relevant? Most climate startups optimize for growth and capital, not governance. That's how mission-driven companies get sold, diluted, or pointed in the wrong direction over time.From the book summary: “Drawing on two decades of work with founders, CEOs, investors, and institution builders, Ries shows how these failures arise predictably, and how they can be prevented. He reframes corporate governance not as bureaucracy or compliance, but as a creative and strategic act at the heart of building enduring, mission-controlled companies.”Why it mattersMost climate founders focus on product, capital, and growth. Almost none design governance early. That's how companies built to solve climate problems end up owned by actors working against them.In this episode:The Lean Startup breaks at mission scale – MVPs and rapid iteration work early. But mission-driven companies need a long-term philosophical foundation to survive the “flat part of the curve.”Success creates a dangerous new asset: trust – Mission-driven companies generate outsized trust with customers, employees, and society. That trust becomes exploitable as companies scale.The system is designed to extract, not protect – Delaware C-Corps are legally oriented toward shareholder value maximization. Over time, this pressures companies to trade mission for liquidity.The Revlon Doctrine is the forcing function – Once a company is for sale, boards must choose the highest bidder. Even if it destroys the original mission.Real example: mission failure at scale – A UK therapeutics company was sold to a tobacco firm offering a slightly higher bid. Within ~3 years, ~$900M in value was wiped out.Quick fix most founders ignore – Converting to a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) can be done with a simple filing. It allows balancing mission and shareholder value. Only ~5–10% of climate companies have done this.Advanced structures for long-term control -  Foundations, trusts, and employee ownership models preserve mission across decades. Data across ~54,000 companies shows better growth, retention, and resilience.Investor objections are often weak - “It's unusual” or “others won't like it.” But climate investing is already a non-consensus bet. Governance should be, too.--Join our confidential CEO community.Private CEO group for VC/PE-backed climate tech founders navigating capital, strategy, and scale. Capped at 45 CEOs. See if you're a fit → entrepreneursforimpact.comJoin 40,000 professionals who get our newsletter.Climate tech finance, strategy, leadership. 2-min read. → entrepreneursforimpact.substack.comLeave a podcast review.If you got value, take 30 seconds and do the community a favor. It helps push more capital and talent toward scalable climate solutions.

The discussion draws on insights from leading climate investors, including Voyager Ventures, Decarbonization Partners, MassMutual Ventures, SOSV, SJF Ventures, Energy Impact Partners, Spring Lane Capital, Climate Insiders, and Tailwind.Examples of what we discussed:Clarity beats complexity – If a non-expert cannot explain your differentiation after one conversation, your positioning still needs workLead with the risks – Founders who proactively surface weaknesses build trust faster than those who hide themDesperation is visible – Targeted fundraising and calm execution outperform broad outreach and forced urgencyAnd also...The $1T Industrial Heat Problem Most Startups Underestimate | TempoIndustrial heat is one of the largest decarbonization opportunities in the world. This second portion explores how to commercialize hard-tech infrastructure without falling into the common traps that slow adoption.Pasquale Romano is the CEO of Tempo and a four-time CEO with multiple successful exits. He shares lessons from building and scaling industrial energy businesses.Examples of what we discussed:Avoid rip-and-replace projects – Technologies that integrate with existing infrastructure face dramatically lower adoption barriersDesign for logistics first – Shipping, installation, and transport constraints often determine scalability more than technology performanceStart with narrow deployments – One successful plant can become the proof point that unlocks broader adoption--Join our confidential CEO community.Private CEO group for VC/PE-backed climate tech founders navigating capital, strategy, and scale. Capped at 45 CEOs. See if you're a fit → entrepreneursforimpact.comJoin 40,000 professionals who get our newsletter.Climate tech finance, strategy, leadership. 2-min read. → entrepreneursforimpact.substack.comLeave a podcast review.If you got value, take 30 seconds and do the community a favor. It helps push more capital and talent toward scalable climate solutions.

This limestone battery can achieve 100+ hour heat storage without lithium and zero standby losses.Industrial heat is a $1T+ problem, but most solutions ignore storage, especially those using ancient chemistry.Arpit Dwivedi is the founder and CEO of Cache Energy, building thermal storage systems for industrial decarbonization.Cache uses calcium oxide chemistry to store and release heat, targeting sub-1,000°F processes that represent ~75% of global industrial demand, with modular systems designed for rapid deployment and low cost.Here's what we discussed:Unit economics anchored in materials, not breakthroughs – Limestone feedstock at

When expansion feels like productivity, climate CEOs often drift into adjacent markets, new products, and endless “opportunities” that quietly dilute execution.This episode breaks down three strategic traps: timid visions, distraction disguised as growth, and rebuilding too late. Here's what we discussed:Manifestos vs. marketing decks – Why some climate companies raise billions by selling an inevitable future, not just a product roadmap or pilot projectOpportunity overload – How “adjacencies” like new geographies, EV charging, or development capital can become strategic debt instead of growthFocus as competitive advantage – Why the best operators often win by doing fewer things deeper while competitors chase every inbound requestWhen to rebuild from scratch – Signals that your startup is compounding organizational debt instead of improving actual outputThe 80/95 rule – Why “80% good in 3 months” often beats “95% perfect in 12” in hardtech and climate markets where timing matters--Join our confidential CEO community.Private CEO group for VC/PE-backed climate tech founders navigating capital, strategy, and scale. Capped at 45 CEOs. See if you're a fit → entrepreneursforimpact.comJoin 40,000 professionals who get our newsletter.Climate tech finance, strategy, leadership. 2-min read. → entrepreneursforimpact.substack.comLeave a podcast review.If you got value, take 30 seconds and do the community a favor. It helps push more capital and talent toward scalable climate solutions.

Biomass waste is one of the largest unmanaged carbon flows, yet most climate solutions ignore it. This founder is turning landfills into carbon sinks using decentralized pyrolysis and biochar.Andrew Jones is the founder and CEO of Carba, a waste-to-value company converting biomass into permanent carbon removal. He studied catalytic fast pyrolysis and earned a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.Carba builds modular, decentralized systems that process biomass waste near aggregation points, producing biochar for landfill burial, methane reduction, and potential industrial uses.Here's what we discussed:Site strategy that actually works – Targeting 10k–100k ton/year biomass hubs co-located with landfills to eliminate transport cost and preserve unit economicsLandfill use case, not theory – Biochar used as daily cover to (1) store carbon underground, (2) stimulate methanotrophs that oxidize methane, and (3) adsorb PFAS and other contaminantsReactor advantage – Custom molten-salt pyrolysis system vs rotary kilns, enabling tighter temperature control, higher carbon yield, and more consistent biochar quality at throughputCarbon permanence bet – Converting cellulose/lignin into stable aromatic carbon structures that resist microbial decay, especially in anaerobic landfill conditionsRevenue stack reality – Tipping fees exist but small; real upside is durable carbon credits, with optionality in steel, concrete, asphalt, tires, and filtration depending on local demand--Join our confidential CEO community.Private CEO group for VC/PE-backed climate tech founders navigating capital, strategy, and scale. Capped at 45 CEOs. See if you're a fit → entrepreneursforimpact.comJoin 40,000 professionals who get our newsletter.Climate tech finance, strategy, leadership. 2-min read. → entrepreneursforimpact.substack.comLeave a podcast review.If you got value, take 30 seconds and do the community a favor. It helps push more capital and talent toward scalable climate solutions.

Vendor Financing Isn't Free Money – Extending supplier payment terms can improve runway and reduce dilution, but concentrated climate supply chains create hidden dependency risk when critical vendors effectively become reluctant lenders.Working Capital Can Distort Reality – Better short-term cash metrics may hide structural fragility if supplier leverage, component concentration, or financing assumptions shift during tougher fundraising markets.The Leadership Bias That Damages Teams – Founders often misread underperformance as character failure instead of contextual pressure, creating avoidable trust breakdowns and weaker decision-making cultures.Empathy Still Requires Accountability – Understanding context matters, but repeatedly tolerating poor execution can quietly transfer the cost of one person's struggles onto the broader organization.Why Great Operators Ask Better Questions – The strongest long-term partnerships in climate tech often come from listening well, speaking less, and focusing on genuine curiosity over transactional networking.--Join our confidential communityPrivate CEO group for VC/PE-backed climate tech founders navigating capital, strategy, and scale. Capped at 45 CEOs. See if you're a fit → entrepreneursforimpact.comNewsletterClimate tech finance, strategy, leadership. 2-min read. → entrepreneursforimpact.substack.comLeave a podcast reviewIf you got value, take 30 seconds and do the community a favor. It helps push more capital and talent toward scalable climate solutions.

This 6x company founder and CEO explains how to structure smarter climate tech investment rounds and actually get renewable energy projects financed.Peter Davidson is CEO and founder of Aligned Climate Capital, a $2B AUM multi-strategy firm investing across venture and infrastructure. He previously led the U.S. Department of Energy Loan Programs Office and has founded or led six companies.Aligned focuses exclusively on low-carbon investments, with a core thesis that strong returns, not concessionary capital, will scale the energy transition.Here's what we discussed:Capital strategy most founders miss – Second round should often be debt (bank, venture debt, DOE, green banks, vendor financing), not equity, to reduce dilution and extend runwayValuation is overrated – Partner quality, capital stack design, and working capital buffer matter more than headline priceOption pool trap – Negotiate “plussed up” pools to maintain ~5–10% through future rounds instead of getting diluted to zeroInfrastructure playbook – Buy NTP-ready community solar (3–10MW), build in 6–9 months, return ~70% capital via tax credits in ~3 years, then sell aggregated assets in years 6–7Market reality check – VC is constrained (few exits, fewer LP commitments), so founders must cut costs, accept lower valuations, or rethink viability--Join our confidential communityPrivate CEO group for VC/PE-backed climate tech founders navigating capital, strategy, and scale. Capped at 45 CEOs. See if you're a fit → entrepreneursforimpact.comNewsletterClimate tech finance, strategy, leadership. 2-min read. → entrepreneursforimpact.substack.comLeave a podcast reviewIf you got value, take 30 seconds and do the community a favor. It helps push more capital and talent toward scalable climate solutions.

Three decisions that determine if climate tech founders scale or stall: Customer focus, sustainable intensity, and information diet all compound into capital efficiency and judgment.Antelope vs mice – Why chasing small, fast customers can accelerate learning but trap you in low-value revenue, while large customers require patience but define the businessGTM timing – Matching customer type to runway and product maturity, not just who says yes firstStagnation vs safety – Why constant urgency degrades judgment and burns teams, especially in capital-intensive climate startupsSustainable intensity – Protecting thinking time as a core CEO function, not a luxury, to avoid reactive decision-makingNews vs history – How overconsuming short-term signals creates bias, while historical pattern recognition sharpens long-term strategy--Join: Confidential CEO communityPrivate CEO group for VC/PE-backed climate tech founders navigating capital, strategy, and scale. Capped at 45 CEOs. → entrepreneursforimpact.comNewsletter: 2-min readClimate tech finance, strategy, leadership. → entrepreneursforimpact.substack.comYour help: Leave a podcast reviewIf you got value, take 30 seconds and do the community a favor. It helps push more capital and talent toward scalable climate solutions.

Scaling carbon removal through existing supply chains, community-aligned infrastructure, and signing up JPMorgan in the process.–Barclay Rogers is the founder and CEO of Graphyte, focused on low-cost, permanent carbon removal using biomass burial. Graphyte converts agricultural waste into dense carbon blocks and stores them underground, targeting sub-$100/ton durable carbon removal with high scalability.They're backed by leading climate investors such as Prelude Ventures, Carbon Direct Capital, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, and Overture.Here's what we discussed:Focus on execution, not recognition – Barclay said Graphyte does not chase awards; they focus on building a good business and “the scoreboard takes care of itself.” In his framing, recognition follows disciplined execution, not the other way around.Use existing systems instead of reinventing everything – Graphyte's model borrows from agriculture, timber, mining, and landfill engineering rather than trying to invent an entirely new stack from scratch. For CEOs, that is a reminder that practical innovation often comes from recombining proven systems.Build where supply chains already exist – A key part of the company's logic is plugging into waste biomass streams that already exist at scale, rather than creating a brand-new supply chain. That lowers cost, complexity, and time to scale.Community alignment is a strategic advantage – Their approach of turning old quarries into parks or other public-benefit assets is not just goodwill; it helps create local support and makes projects easier to advance. CEOs should hear this as: stakeholder trust can be part of the operating model.Your unique background can become a moat – Barclay's mix of engineering and legal experience clearly shaped the company's design, including permanence and land-use strategy. His point was that category-defining companies often come from founders combining multiple strengths, not just going deep in one lane.Start with what works now, not only with what sounds futuristic – He made a strong case that many carbon removal solutions delivering today are biomass-based, even if more attention goes to flashier technologies. For CEOs, the broader lesson is to distinguish between what is compelling in theory and what is actually delivering in the market.Stress management is leadership infrastructure – Barclay's routine — exercise, cold plunge, family time, meditation, and delaying phone use — reflects a serious view that managing pressure is part of the CEO job. His message was clear: as responsibility grows, personal systems matter more, not less.--Join our confidential communityPrivate CEO group for VC/PE-backed climate tech founders navigating capital, strategy, and scale. Capped at 45 CEOs. → entrepreneursforimpact.comNewsletter2-min read. Climate tech finance, strategy, leadership. → entrepreneursforimpact.substack.comLeave a podcast reviewIf you got value, take 30 seconds and do the community a favor. It helps push more capital and talent toward scalable climate solutions.

Did I get your attention? Bruce Anderson hopes so.He is the founder and CEO of 247Solar, an MIT-linked spinout, and has worked in solar for more than four decades. He completed his MIT master's thesis on solar energy in 1973 and later authored early solar books, including The Solar Home Book.247Solar is a zero-carbon technology company focused on modular concentrated solar systems that provide round-the-clock clean power and industrial-grade heat using thermal storage and factory-produced components.Here are some of his insights from the podcast:Don't claim 24/7 if you can't handle intermittency. Baseload is not just PV + batteries. If your system fails when the sun disappears and storage runs out, buyers will see through it.Keep the magic narrow. Buy the rest off the shelf. Reinventing every component is not genius; it is an expensive death march.Pick a beachhead, not a buffet. Start with customers who feel the pain most and need exactly what you built, not everyone with an energy bill.Customers buy risk reduction, not elegance. Reliability, fallback options, modularity, and financing matter more than how clever your tech sounds. Even if you went to MIT.Headcount is not a flex. More people can mean more burn, not more progress. Save the bragging for revenue and staying alive.--Work with mePrivate CEO group for VC/PE-backed climate tech founders navigating capital, strategy, and scale. Capped at 45 CEOs. → entrepreneursforimpact.comNewsletter2 insights, 2 minutes. Climate tech finance, strategy, leadership. → entrepreneursforimpact.substack.comLeave a reviewIf you got value, take 30 seconds and do the community a favor. It helps push more capital and talent toward scalable climate solutions.

AI is scaling nuclear plants without touching the reactor, by automating thousands of required workflows behind the scenes.Nuclearn's strategy is simple but rare: start painfully narrow, prove ROI fast, then expand across the plant.Bradley Fox and Jerrold Vincent are co-founders of Nuclearn, deploying AI tools across 70+ global reactors. And shout out to our friends at SJF Ventures for this introduction.Land before you expand — Winning dozens of nuclear reactors before raising venture capital proved that a hyper-focused beachhead beats a broad go-to-market in risk-averse industriesNiche down until it hurts — Targeting a single regulation-mandated pain point (Corrective Action Programs) gave Nuclearn a horizontally scalable wedge into every reactor on earthWorkforce crises create durable markets — When an industry needs 2-3x its workforce but takes a decade to train people, AI isn't a nice-to-have — it's infrastructurePrice for partnership, not extraction — Targeting ~30% of customer savings and offering transparent annual subscriptions built trust in an industry that buys on relationships and long time horizonsNights and weekends are your proof of concept — If you can't sustain a year of bootstrapped hustle before quitting your day job, you're not ready for the full-time grind of a startup--Work with mePrivate CEO group for VC/PE-backed climate tech founders navigating capital, strategy, and scale. Capped at 45 CEOs. → entrepreneursforimpact.comNewsletter2 insights, 2 minutes. Climate tech finance, strategy, leadership. → entrepreneursforimpact.substack.comLeave a reviewIf you got value, take 30 seconds and do the community a favor. It helps push more capital and talent toward scalable climate solutions.

AI is quietly replacing helicopters and guesswork in how utilities manage trees and wildfire risk. This CEO explains how satellite data + machine learning turns an $8B problem into a precision operation.Fiona Spruill is CEO of Overstory, a climate tech company using satellite data and AI to prevent power outages and wildfires. She previously held leadership roles at The New York Times and Meetup.Overstory is a vegetation intelligence platform focused exclusively on electric utilities, helping them analyze every tree and ground fuel risk across their grid to prioritize action and reduce outages and fires. They've raised $68M to scale the venture so far.We talked about:Why vegetation management is an $8B/year blind spot - Utilities overspend with low precision and rising climate riskHow AI actually works here - Mapping every tree's height, health, and proximity to power lines from satellite imageryThe real product isn't data - Turning insights into prioritized actions for crews in the fieldFocus as a strategy - Killing multiple industries to go all-in on utilities as the only customerClimate adaptation vs mitigation - Why grid resilience and wildfire prevention are underinvested but critical--Work with mePrivate CEO group for VC/PE-backed climate tech founders navigating capital, strategy, and scale. Capped at 45 CEOs. → entrepreneursforimpact.comNewsletter2 insights, 2 minutes. Climate tech finance, strategy, leadership. → entrepreneursforimpact.substack.comLeave a reviewIf you got value, take 30 seconds and do the community a favor. It helps push more capital and talent toward scalable climate solutions.

Shipping containers, pilot sites, and conservative warranties. Why Tempo is scaling industrial heat the slow-and-steady way on purpose.--Tempo is commercializing an ultra-high-temperature thermochemical energy storage technology for the $1T+ industrial heat market.Pasquale Romano, CEO, has over 35 years of executive management experience, including roles as CEO of ChargePoint with four exits under his belt.In this podcast, you'll learn about the following:Simplify Innovation: Thermal batteries that integrate seamlessly with existing systems reduce operational friction and accelerate market adoption.Sustainable Growth: Avoid rushing for unicorn status; focus on building solid foundations and long-term value over quick exits.Strategic Supply Chains: Designing products to fit standard shipping containers allows for efficient distribution and scalability without custom solutions.Phased Adoption: Deploying small batches at pilot sites helps clients validate performance and gradually increase energy shifts.Innovative Constraints: Engineers optimized battery design within strict shipping limits, turning constraints into practical solutions.Flexible Market Channels: Partnering with energy services companies while maintaining direct sales balances customer trust with scalable reach.Reliable Foundations: Emphasizing conservative warranties and pilot testing builds a dependable reputation, essential for scaling.--Work with mePrivate CEO group for VC/PE-backed climate tech founders navigating capital, strategy, and scale. Capped at 45 CEOs. → entrepreneursforimpact.comNewsletter3 decisions, 2 minutes. Climate finance, strategy, leadership. → entrepreneursforimpact.substack.comLeave a reviewIf you got value, take 30 seconds and do the community a favor. It helps push more capital and talent toward scalable climate solutions.

Story of the Week (DR):Elon Musk's SpaceX set to go public in $1 trillion share listingElon Musk's rocket and satellite company SpaceX has confidentially filed for an initial public offering with the Securities and Exchange CommissionThe firm could seek a valuation of $1.75 trillion with a public listing around June.A confidential filing means that SpaceX will submit its financials to the SEC before revealing them to the public, which must occur at least 15 days before the IPO roadshow.Musk owns 42% of the SpaceX now, according to Pitchbook, though that figure will change with the IPO when new owners are issued shares.Among current SpaceX owners is Donald Trump Jr, the president's oldest son. He owns a shares through 1789 Capital. That venture capital firm made him a partner shortly after his father won the presidency for a second time and has been buying up federal contractors seeking to win taxpayer money ever since.The White House and Trump himself have repeatedly denied there are any conflicts of interest between his role as president and his family's businesses.Public investors may get low-vote shares, while insiders could hold super-voting stock with roughly 10 to 20 votes per share, if the reported structure is adopted.Reports suggest SpaceX has been adding board members as it prepares for the IPO process.The company's board has historically included Elon Musk, Gwynne Shotwell, Antonio Gracias, Luke Nosek, Steve Jurvetson, and Donald Harrison in reporting about its governance.Gwynne Shotwell is widely reported as president and COO, and Bret Johnsen as CFOBig Banks Seeking a Piece of SpaceX's I.P.O. Must Subscribe to Elon Musk'sMusk is requiring Wall Street firms to purchase subscriptions to his A.I. chatbot if they want to advise on one of the largest initial public offerings in history.Air Canada CEO will retire this year after his English-only crash message was criticizedMichael Rousseau is stepping down following a massive public outcry after he delivered a condolence video almost entirely in English regarding a fatal plane crash that killed a French-speaking pilot.Critics and politicians, including Quebec's Premier, were outraged that Rousseau failed to fulfill a high-profile 2021 promise to learn French, viewing his English-only response to a tragedy as a sign of deep cultural disrespect.Air Canada's board has launched a global search for a successor and explicitly stated that fluency in both English and French is now a non-negotiable requirement for the next CEO.The company clarified that while a "comprehensive internal development program" has been in place for two years, the recent controversy accelerated the timeline for his departure.Rousseau will officially retire at the end of the third quarter (September 30, 2026), staying on until then to ensure a "seamless transition" and assist the board during the handover.Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau initially stated he did not intend to step down following backlash over an English-only video regarding a runway incidentElon Musk called the decision “crazy” and suggested “it is not reciprocal.”“There are many one-sided laws in Canada that mandate French at the expense of English,” he posted to X, along with a Grok answering his request to provide a list of Canada's French language laws and explain “how this is hypocritical compared to no English mandate laws.”“Extremely hypocritical and unfair!”Oracle fired up to 30,000 workers via email after a 95% profit surge. Tech companies are cutting almost 1,000 jobs/day DROracle Corp.'s mass layoffs on Tuesday were part of the company's cost-cutting measures as it continues to build out expensive data centers for powering artificial intelligence.But one aspect of the mass layoffs — which were estimated to be as many as 30,000 people — was alerting workers over email at 6 a.m. Eastern that Tuesday would be their last day.The terse message, sent to workers in multiple regions and time zones, carried no executive name and was instead signed off simply as 'Oracle Leadership.'“We are sharing some difficult news regarding your position.After careful consideration of Oracle's current business needs, we have made the decision to eliminate your role as part of a broader organizational change. As a result, today is your last working day.We are grateful for your dedication, hard work, and the impact you have made during your time with us.After signing your termination paperwork, you will be eligible to receive a severance package subject to the terms and conditions of the severance plan. You will receive an email from DocuSign to your Oracle email address with details on your severance and termination date.Immediate Action RequiredTo receive important follow-up information, including FAQs and separation documents to help you through this transition, you must provide a personal email address.Please click here to submit a personal email address immediately. If you make a submission error, please re-submit a new form. Please Note: The personal email address will only be used for correspondence regarding separation-related information and severance agreements.Access to your computer, email, voicemail, and files will be deactivated soon, and you will be unable to log into your computer. As a reminder, you are prohibited from downloading, copying or retaining (including emailing yourself) any Oracle confidential information.Thank you for your contributions to our organization. If you have additional questions, please reach out to the HR team via the Ask HR page or at (888) 404-2494.Oracle Leadership”“After careful consideration of Oracle's current business needs, we have made the decision to eliminate your role,” an email to one affected employee, obtained by MarketWatch, read.Survivors of the cuts were allegedly told by senior management that they would need to 'ramp up efficiency' and 'stretch' to cover the workload left by departed colleagues, a suggestion that many are resisting.Allegations that automated tools influenced redundancy decisions have become a central issue in the fallout.Iran Claims Oracle Strike in UAE as Dubai Attack Fears EscalateAnti-DEI crusade:Trump ousts Pam Bondi as attorney generalTrump Tells Karoline Leavitt She's 'Doing a Terrible Job,' Asks 'Should We Keep Her?'Is Kash Patel Getting Fired? FBI Director Might Be Next After Pam Bondi OustingHegseth ousts top Army generalArmy Chief of State Gen. Randy George.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Army's chief of staff had recently clashed over promotions, leading to his eventual ouster.Hegseth reportedly told Gen. Randy George to pull the names of four Army officers from a list of promotions to the rank of one-star general. The list consisted of about three dozen officers, most of whom were white men. However, two of them were Black and two were women, and those were the names Hegseth wanted removed.According to The New York Times, George refused, citing the officers' history of exemplary service. George reportedly asked Hegseth to meet two weeks ago to discuss the matter, but Hegseth declined. The defense secretary then struck the officers' names from the promotion list, even though it's not clear he has the authority to do so, per The Times.Hegseth has repeatedly taken steps to block or delay the promotions of Black and female senior officers in all four branches of the military.Secretary of the ArmyLabor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemerArmy Secretary Daniel Driscoll (26th Secretary of the Army)2004–2007 Student (B.S. Business Administration)2007–2011 Military service: Officer2011 Investment Banking Associate2011–2014 JDCandidateYale Law School2014–2015 Judicial Clerk2016–2019 Venture Capital Executive Winston-Salem, NC2020Congressional Candidate (NC-11)US House of Representatives (Campaign)2021–2023 Chief Operating Officer (COO) Flex Capital Management LLC2023–2024 Chief Strategy Officer On Call Physician StaffingJ.D. Vance / Senior Advisor 2024 Senior Advisor Donald Trump Presidential Campaign2025–26th Secretary of the ArmyChristine Wormuth (25th Secretary of the Army)1995–1996 Presidential Management Intern Department of Defense1996–2002 Policy Officer / French Desk Officer Office of the Secretary of Defense2002–2006 Principal (Consulting) DFI Government Services2007–2008 Staff Director (Jones Commission) Independent Commission on Iraq Security Forces2008–2009 Senior Fellow Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS)2009–2010 Prin. Dep. Asst. Secretary (Homeland Defense) US Department of Defense2010–2012 Special Asst. to the President / Senior Director National Security Council (White House)2012–2014 Dep. Under Secretary (Strategy, Plans, Forces) US Department of Defense2014–2016 Under Secretary of Defense for Policy US Department of Defense2017–2021 Director, International Defense & Security Center RAND Corporation2021–2025 25th Secretary of the Army Goodliest of the Week (MM/DR):DR: Judge rules Trump order eliminating NPR, PBS funding is unconstitutionalDR: United Airlines and flight attendants reached a tentative deal with $740 million in bonusesMM: Amazon to add 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge for sellers as Iran war drives up energy pricesGO TO A LOCAL STORE!Assholiest of the Week (MM):Lying-iestChevron and Microsoft Team Up for Giant Texas Gas Power PlantTeam includes Chevron, Microsoft, and ENGINE NO 1Microsoft pledged to be carbon NEGATIVE by 2050Since they keep doing things like building gas plants, they're relying on carbon credits through reforestation to hit their targetSo they went out to buy the credits and picked a company called Mombak, a startup that has signed massive reforestation deals for Amazon reforestation but has yet to actually produce a carbon credit yet, has only started in theory, and the company admits there's still little information on how to quantify the carbon absorption in restoration projects.Despite that, Microsoft and Google both made massive investments to look green as they build out data farms for AI no one asked forEngine No 1, meanwhile, after its climate-darling turn at Exxon 5 years ago, has taken its all white male executive team AND board with climate investment banking and VC/PE expertise to partner with Chevron, who celebrated the Big Bullshit BIll that rolled back renewables and decided to happily take Venezuelan oil at the behest of TrumpInvestor-iestFirst, the results from investors at Starbucks:Average 95.7% approve of the boardMarissa Mayer, the new and highly interlocked director, got a team high 99% approvalResults were more correlated with drink disclosures by directors than performance metricsDespite campaigns by New York State, NYC, Mercyside, Trillium, and others to target Beth Ford and Jorgen Knudstorp, as well as advice from ISS to target just Beth Ford (absurd), given labor issues, Andy Campion instead had the lowest vote total at 87% for reasons that are unclearAnd of course…Then, the reason why there was a campaign to vote out directors in the first place:Starbucks to offer baristas up to $1,200 a year in bonusesWith this nugget:Baristas at unionized locations are unlikely to see the bonus program right away. At approximately five percent of its U.S. locations where employees have union representation, Starbucks acknowledged that federal labor law requires the bonus program to go through the collective bargaining process before it can take effect. According to CNBC, the two sides have not made meaningful progress at the bargaining table in over a yearAI-iestJack Dorsey says he wants 6,000 Block employees reporting straight to himThey already do asshat, you have dual class controlSam Altman says he 'miscalibrated' the mood of distrust toward AI and the government in the Pentagon dealNvidia CEO Jensen Huang's advice to workers scared of AI: You're just confusing your job with the tools you use to do itLarry Ellison Says AI Now Does Oracle's Coding Amid Mass Layoffs—3 Strategic Moves for Tech Workers (Oracle Fires 30,000 With a Cold 6 a.m. Email: Here's What It Said That Devastated Teams)Marc Andreessen says AI layoffs are a farce: Companies are 75% overstaffed, and AI is the ‘silver bullet excuse' to clean house DR“Essentially, every large company is overstaffed,” he said. “It's at least overstaffed by 25%. I think most large companies are overstaffed by 50%. I think a lot of them are overstaffed by 75%.” He added, “Now they all have the silver bullet excuse: Ah, it's AI.”So despite record profits every single year, increasing CEO pay, companies are OVERSTAFFED? They get paid less than inflation, and they have TOO MANY people? Some populist math:Assume “every large company” is companies with market cap > $20bn (~415 companies)Total employment as of last year: 27,795,346Total estimated employed people in US: 162,900,000 (62% labor participation)“Every large company” is 17% of all US employmentCurrently, 7,239,000 unemployed in USAndreessens mid point - “most large companies are overstaffed by 50%” - means he thinks they'll blame AI but that they “overemployed” by 13,897,717He is suggesting they are ALL FIREABLE because they are OVERSTAFFEDEmployment goes from 162,900,000 to 149,002,283, unemployment goes to 21,136,717, and the unemployment rate goes to 12% overnight - a 3x increase on the 4% it's at nowBecause Marc Andreessen thinks we're overstaffed… I wonder why…Studies historically have shown that the few days after layoffs stocks are down - but it depends on the reason for the layoff. Proactive layoffs (not a result of down financials, for instance) are rewardedRecent studies show that layoffs actually push stocks UP as time goes one - up to 22% cumulative return over normal 30 days out, and 5% 10 days out. Let's assume a 5% bump for all the proactive AI job cut assholes - the Block and Oracles of the world Other studies show that CEO pay goes up after layoffs if performance improves - so cutting staff for AI pushes stock up, stock up is better performance, CEO pay goes up Using the CEO pay ratio, the “cost savings” of cutting 14m employees is ~$1.4 TRILLION dollars (that's $1.4tn no longer in the hands of people who would be buying stuff like food and houses and gas and rubber chickens and inflatable pool floats)The cuts would add $3tn to market cap of all companies, save $1.4tn in employee costs - the average CEO pay ratio would go from 306 to 319, and the average CEO would make $22m moreThis isn't about overstaffing or AI - this is about CEOs getting paidHeadliniest of the WeekDR: CEO of Epic Games apologizes after laying off employee with terminal brain cancerDR: BlackRock CEO admits 'woke' era went too farDR: Raising Cane's CEO says he doesn't care for this one menu item, but had to sell it anyway: he always substitutes coleslaw for an extra piece of toastMM: New lawsuit alleges DraftKings and FanDuel are digital heroinMM: Scientists Say Half the World Could Be Nearsighted by 2050, and It's Not Just Screens. This Indoor Habit May Be WhySITTING IN THE DARK. This is where we're at as a society.Jamie Dimon Says…Jamie Dimon's warning: More geopolitical risk for America than since WWIIJamie Dimon blasts remote work as JPMorgan staff revolts over office mandateJamie Dimon says JPMorgan could do prediction markets — with big guardrailsJamie Dimon says the American Dream is ‘slipping out of reach'—and JPMorgan is spending billions to fix itJPMorgan's Jamie Dimon predicts AI will cut the working week to 3.5 days, cure cancers, and free up time for hobbiesWho Won the Week?DR: Angry French people in QuebecMM: Headhunting firms who suddenly can expect as much as 75% of large company employees to be calling them to find them workPredictionsDR: Air Canada hires a woman who speaks 845 languages who continually apologies for something she never didMM: Jamie Dimon says speaking French is stupid

Former NHL All-Star Mike Richter leads Brightcore Energy, building energy-efficiency and geothermal systems for commercial and municipal buildings.Geothermal basics - Uses stable ~55°F ground temp as thermal battery; far more efficient than air-source systems in extreme tempsMarket gap - techGeology matters - Bedrock (e.g., Manhattan schist) lowers cost; sand and landfill increase complexity and capexFinancing wins deals - Energy-as-a-Service + 40–50% tax credits remove upfront cost barriers; nonprofits now eligibleCapital strategy - Took outside capital to fund equipment + long sales cycles; dilution vs bigger pie tradeoffFounder lesson - Transitioning domains requires humility; persistence beats speed in infrastructure markets--Work with mePrivate CEO group for VC/PE-backed climate tech founders navigating capital, strategy, and scale. Capped at 45 CEOs. → entrepreneursforimpact.comNewsletter3 decisions, 2 minutes. Climate finance, strategy, leadership. → entrepreneursforimpact.substack.comLeave a reviewIf you got value, take 30 seconds and do the community a favor. It helps push more capital and talent toward scalable climate solutions.

The Metrics Brothers, Dave Kellogg and Ray Rike open with their introductory bit, which this week included Statler and Waldorf, the grumpy old men in the balcony from the Muppets, before diving into a thorough review of the Norwest B2B Sales and Marketing Benchmark Report, a102-page study published in November 2025, that included 177 participants (77 Norwest portfolio, 100 third-party VC/PE-backed).Key Topics Covered:Overall Report Assessment: Praised for its breadth, year-over-year trend data, and even split of marketing (40%), sales (42%), and combined (18%) respondentsMarketing Budgets: Smaller companies ($5M–$15M ARR) saw dramatic budget cuts — down from $3.3M to $825K, nearly a 75% decreaseTop GTM Challenges in 2025: #1: Positioning product as a "must have" — 44%, up 6% YoYRevenue Re-Forecasting: 66% of respondents changed their revenue plan mid-year; 43% increased it (down from 48% prior year), while 23% decreased (up from 18%)Renewals Ownership Shift: Customer Success owned renewals 56% of the time in 2023 — now just 29% in 2025MQL Scoring Model Collapse: Use of formal scoring models (demographic fit + engagement)Top Marketing KPIs: #1: Dollar value of opportunities (pipeline) was number one metric at 56%CAC & Cost-Per-Lead Awareness - The "Bonus" Topic: 45% of respondents didn't know their CAC; 41% didn't know their cost per leadClosing Recommendations: Both hosts recommend reading the report, including pages 80–98 covering AI adoption in sales and marketing, that they were not able to cover in this episodeIf you are a GTM executive leading a software company or the CFO responsible for driving revenue growth and profitability - this episode and the associated report is a great source of insights!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Crypto has spent years obsessing over tokens, airdrops, and speculation. But what about the unsexy businesses actually making money? Arthur Hayes and Adam Schlegel join Laura Shin to talk about Maelstrom's $250M private equity fund targeting crypto's most profitable, yet overlooked, companies, $50M revenue businesses with 50% margins that VCs can't touch and exchanges won't pay cash for. But while everyone frames this as just another fund, Hayes and Schlegel argue it's actually the missing piece in crypto's maturation: a cash buyer for founders who've done their time and want out without four-year earnouts.  Plus: Why Asian crypto companies with monster margins get ignored by Western capital. Thank you to our sponsors! Binance Guests: Arthur Hayes, Co-Founder of BitMEX & CIO at Maelstrom Adam Schlegel, Head of Private Equity at Maelstrom Links: Previous appearances on Unchained: The Chopping Block: Arthur Hayes & Tom Lee; Hyperliquid vs Aster, DATs & ETH Arthur Hayes and Hanson Birringer on Hyperliquid's Success (And What Could Stop It) Bloomberg: Arthur Hayes' Family Office Seeks $250M for Buyout Fund Coindesk: Arthur Hayes' Maelstrom Seeks $250M Private Equity Fund to Acquire Crypto Firms: Bloomberg Akshat's tweet announcing the fund Timestamps:

Crypto has spent years obsessing over tokens, airdrops, and speculation. But what about the unsexy businesses actually making money? Arthur Hayes and Adam Schlegel join Laura Shin to talk about Maelstrom's $250M private equity fund targeting crypto's most profitable, yet overlooked, companies, $50M revenue businesses with 50% margins that VCs can't touch and exchanges won't pay cash for. But while everyone frames this as just another fund, Hayes and Schlegel argue it's actually the missing piece in crypto's maturation: a cash buyer for founders who've done their time and want out without four-year earnouts.  Plus: Why Asian crypto companies with monster margins get ignored by Western capital. Thank you to our sponsors! Binance Guests: Arthur Hayes, Co-Founder of BitMEX & CIO at Maelstrom Adam Schlegel, Head of Private Equity at Maelstrom Links: Previous appearances on Unchained: The Chopping Block: Arthur Hayes & Tom Lee; Hyperliquid vs Aster, DATs & ETH Arthur Hayes and Hanson Birringer on Hyperliquid's Success (And What Could Stop It) Bloomberg: Arthur Hayes' Family Office Seeks $250M for Buyout Fund Coindesk: Arthur Hayes' Maelstrom Seeks $250M Private Equity Fund to Acquire Crypto Firms: Bloomberg Akshat's tweet announcing the fund Timestamps:

In this episode, I sit down with legal experts from Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, one of India's most respected full-service law firms. My guests are Bhargava K.S., Partner with 17+ years of experience in venture capital, private equity, and fund formation, and Mithila Hari, Principal Associate with deep expertise in VC/PE deals and strategic advisory.Together, we unpack the legal playbook every founder must know  from choosing the right structure at incorporation to safeguarding IP, raising capital, and preparing for exits.Here's what we cover:Choosing between LLP, Pvt. Ltd, or Non-Profit structuresCommon mistakes founders make when starting upLegal must-haves for fundraising and negotiating with investorsProtecting IP, confidential information, and trade secretsStructuring offer letters, NDAs, and stock options for early hiresStaying compliant with data privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA)Preparing for due diligence and smoother acquisitionsRegulatory considerations for global companies entering IndiaReal stories of startups navigating legal challengesIf you're a founder, investor, or anyone navigating the startup ecosystem, this episode is packed with legal strategies to help you scale smarter and avoid costly pitfalls.Newsletter - https://techthrivenewsletter.beehiiv.com/Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and not legal, financial, or investment advice. Views shared are personal and may not reflect affiliated organizations. Please consult qualified professionals before making business, legal, or financial decisions. No client or advisory relationship is created by listening.Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co -  https://www.amsshardul.com/Bhargava K.S. - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhargava-k-s-49698a19/?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_appMithila Hari - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mithila-hari-698321120/?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_appSupport the showConnect with us Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ctrl.alt.thrive.podcast/⁠⁠ Youtube :⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Ctrlaltthrive/videos Connect with Navneet Linkedin : ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/navneet-kaur-80109b227/⁠⁠ Instagram : ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/nav_neeetkaur/⁠

In today's episode, Les Craig speaks with Jim Lose, a Marine Corps veteran, longtime recruiter, and CEO of The Military Veteran (The MilVet). With over 25 years of experience helping thousands of service members transition into successful private sector roles, Jim shares his mission to place more veterans in executive leadership across high-growth, early-stage companies. Jim's passion for service shines through as he talks about the importance of community, coaching, and aligning veterans with roles where they can have lasting impact. From his time in military intelligence to becoming the go-to resource for elite veteran talent, Jim's journey is rooted in purpose, resilience, and servant leadership.Here's a closer look at the episode:A Career Built on ServiceGrew up in rural Pennsylvania; early influences of service from family (teacher, minister, Marine).Commissioned into the Marine Corps, became an intelligence officer and Scout Sniper Platoon Commander.Served under leaders like General Mattis and General Neller before they were well known.Left active duty after 8 years and entered the recruiting world to continue serving—this time by supporting fellow veterans.20+ Years Recruiting and Championing VeteransBegan his recruiting career at Lucas Group during the late 1990s.Helped place over 3,000 veterans and transitioned to Korn Ferry after an acquisition in 2021.Known for a long-term, relationship-based approach: “Today's candidate is tomorrow's client.”Shifted focus to post-transition executive placements, filling a gap in veteran recruiting not served by other organizations.Leading The MilVetJoined The MilVet in 2023 to scale a mission-led, veteran-centric recruiting firm.Focus: place veterans in executive roles in VC/PE-backed and early-stage companies.Differentiators: customized search playbooks, interview scorecard development, and strategic advisory for clients.Firm belief: “The best indicator that a company will hire a veteran is having a veteran in the C-suite.”The Broader Vision & Future ImpactIdentifies high-opportunity sectors for veterans: defense tech, private equity operations, and AI-resistant industries like home services.Emphasizes “finding a tribe” and community-building through networking dinners, events, and office hours.Coaching is the next frontier for The MilVet—launching an executive coaching offering in 2026.Jim's long-term vision: a national movement to elevate veterans into positions of influence and impact.Resources:Website: https://www.themilvet.org/Jim's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslose/The MilVet LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/themilvet/

Episode 194: In this episode of the Sports Performance Leadership Podcast, hosted by Pete McKnight, we are joined by Mark Adamoulas — a performance leader whose 20-year career has spanned across sport, education, and the corporate world. Mark's track record is both diverse and exceptional: he has worked with Manchester United, the FA, Red Bull, and numerous global corporates, supporting C-suite leaders, Premier League managers, Olympic gold medalists, and VC/PE companies. His mixed heritage and multilingual background allow him to connect authentically with people from varied cultures and contexts, bridging high-performance environments across industries and geographies. As co-founder of coachup, Mark leads on coach development, bringing the latest behavioural science into the world of sports coaching. Where traditional coaching development often focuses on skills, drills, and tactics, Mark and his team shine a spotlight on the most critical driver of sustained success: the team environment. Topics Discussed: Mark's background — Greek heritage, move to the UK, and path into sports psychology Professional experience — Work with Manchester United, the FA, Rugby League, Red Bull, and more CoachUp — Neuroscience-based psychometric tools for team function The Infinity Model — Core pillars for building high-performance environments Practical applications — Lessons from the Crusaders and elite teams worldwide Benefits for leaders — Improving team alignment, collaboration, and performance Barriers — Overcoming skepticism, poor prior assessment experiences, ego and fear of feedback Evidence base — Validation by Oxford and Harvard neuroscientists Leadership ecosystems — Why building systems matters more than hiring experts alone Future trends — Rising pressures on athletes and staff, and the urgent need for better psychological environments Call to action — How leaders can engage with CoachUp in both sport and corporate settings This conversation delivers a rare insight into the science and practice of team performance, blending psychology, neuroscience, and leadership to show how high-performing cultures are built — and sustained — in today's most demanding environments. - Where you can find Mark: LinkedIn CoachUp Research Gate -  Sponsors VALD Performance, makers of the Nordbord, Forceframe, ForeDecks and HumanTrak. VALD Performance systems are built with the high-performance practitioner in mind, translating traditionally lab-based technologies into engaging, quick, easy-to-use tools for daily testing, monitoring and training Hytro: The world's leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.  -  Where to Find Us Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website - Our Team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie Dylan Carmody Steve Barrett  Pete McKnight

✅ My fully comprehensive dtc course - how to build an e-commerce brand from scratch - https://www.learnrealcommerce.com/full-course-enroll-now-og

In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Jordan Burton about mastering the art of interviewing and tools and strategies for hiring exceptional talent. Jordan Burton has an unusual job—he's a professional interviewer. Over the past 17 years, he has conducted several hundred multi- hour interviews with CEOs and other C-level candidates on behalf of major private equity firms and corporate Boards. He has leveraged his experiences to train the leadership teams of top VC/PE investors and high-growth companies to become exceptional at hiring and interviewing. Having trained over 3,000 executives and investors, Jordan is renowned for his skill in conducting rich, interactive conversations that delve deep into candidates' personal and professional histories. Check out all of the podcasts in the HCI Podcast Network!

The Legally Speaking Podcast has visited one of the world's most exciting legal hubs: Dubai. But we're not just visiting — we're starting the year in style with a brand-new miniseries that showcases how innovation, opportunity and culture come together in this incredible city.What's it all about?Our Legally Speaking Podcast series features short, punchy episodes (10–15 minutes each), where we dive into conversations with inspiring legal minds to explore:

Don't forget to get your electrolytes here:DrinkLMNT.com/fitcareYou can purchase Healthy For Life the book which Dr Bo was featured in here:https://amzn.to/4i8KKwCConnect with Kenny here - even book a call:https://kennethlo.ai/bio/Kenneth Lo is the co-founder of ZenBiz (zenbiz.co), with a career path that includes Big Four, startup, VC/PE, AI consultancy, and angel investing. He specializes in data analytics, AI and digital marketing and is a Masters World Champion (x2) and National Champion (x4) in track cycling.Long BioKenneth is a technologist with a passion for AI, data, and digital marketing. As a former Big Four consultant, now a startup advisor and angel investor, he helps entrepreneurs discover how AI can simplify operations and fuel growth at ZenBiz (zenbiz.co).He shares insights from his experiences across startups and corporations, always keeping things practical and data-driven.Outside of tech, Kenneth is a 2X Masters World Champion in track cycling and enjoys the thrill of competition.Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5353468462366720

Jordan Burton is an executive assessor and interview trainer, working with top VC/PE investors and high-growth startups to hire the best of the best. He has trained over 3,000 executives and investors on hiring and interviewing skills, working with companies like Sequoia Capital, TH Lee, Insight Partners, Twilio, and Scale AI, and over 50 venture-backed startups. He was formerly a Partner at leadership advisory firm ghSMART, a consultant at Bain & Company, and he holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.Mentioned on the ShowConnect with Jordan Burton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanwburtonLearn more about Talgo Team Building and Training: https://www.talgo.io/Listen to futurist Alexandra Levit on People Business: https://peoplebusinesspodcast.com/alexandralevit/________________________Connect with O'Brien McMahon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/obrienmcmahon/Learn more about O'Brien: https://obrienmcmahon.com/Timestamps(1:44) - Welcoming Jordon(2:17) - How does one become an expert in interviewing?(3:27) - How should you structure different types of interviews?(5:03) - What makes a good candidate? (10:53) - Are there any counterintuitive aspects of the interview process?(16:05) - How and What questions vs. Why questions (24:34) - When it comes to hard skills, how do we create good problem-solving interviews?(27:24) - Is there a similar way to test soft skills?(38:50) - The importance of motivation and will. (32:03) - How do we assess the actual skills required in real-time?(35:14) - What are your thoughts on the statement  "hire for attitude, train for skills"?(42:12) - Tips for candidates and interview teams to get organized and prepare(45:13) - How do we decide the best questions to be asked?(45:07) - How does an individual prepare for an interview?(46:19) - How do you analyze an interview?(49:09) - How do we develop our gut instincts? (52:32) - What is disciplined decision-making? (55:02) - Track, with honesty, which decisions worked out.(58:46) - Can you share a crazy interview story?

Leadership isn't just about hitting the numbers - it's about how you get there. Through candid stories from his 25+ years in human resources, Chief People Officer Tushar Pandit challenges common misconceptions about workplace culture and HR. He explains why foosball tables and kombucha aren't company values (though he enjoys kombucha), why measuring employee engagement isn't enough, and what it really takes to build an organization where people want to stay and grow. This conversation dives into why the "Chief People and Culture Officer" title misses the mark, how to lead through constant change, and what it means to truly care for your team while driving business results.About Tushar:Tushar Pandit is a values and culture catalyst People Executive with 25+ years of broad and deep experience in the tech-enablement space: from start-ups through multi-nationals, and VC/PE-backed privately-held to publicly-traded. He is currently the Chief People Officer at SPINS, the leading provider of retail consumer insights, analytics and consulting for the Natural, Organic and Specialty Products Industry. He's an enabler with a principle focus to be a strategic, people leader: to lead with data to enhance an organization's sustainable and scalable long-term growth and success – all within a social and collaborative enterprise environment! Highlights:How an internship at a law firm unexpectedly led Tushar to discover his passion for HR and people operationsWhy the Chief People Officer role has evolved beyond "getting a seat at the table" into driving organizational transformationThe problem with treating culture as HR's responsibility - and why every leader needs to own itHow to handle high performers who get results but leave "20 dead bodies behind"Why work-life balance is a myth - and what work-life management looks like instead The importance of letting people be adults and trusting them to manage their timeWhy the best leaders believe more in your potential than you do yourselfHow to lead through VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity) in today's business environmentThe danger of the phrase "that's the way we've always done it" - and why change management matters more than everLinks & Resources Mentioned:Follow Tushar Pandit on LinkedInSPINS (Tushar's company)Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer JohnsonGive and Take by Adam GrantGet your FREE 5 Day Leadership Reset Challenge guide here: https://llpod.link/challengePodcast Website: www.loveandleadershippod.comInstagram: @loveleaderpodFollow us on LinkedIn!Kristen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristenbsharkey/ Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-s-364970111/Learn more about Kristen's leadership coaching and facilitation services: http://www.emboldify.com

In this episode, we sit down with Swati Bhargava, co-founder of CashKaro, India's largest cashback website with over 20+ million downloads and EarnKaro, India's no. 1 deal distribution platform.  Swati walks us through the innovative business models and strategies that have positioned these platforms at the forefront of India's cashback and affiliate marketing ecosystem: Personal Journey: Origin story starting from her childhood in Ambala, higher education in Singapore and London, followed by her stint as an investment banker to creating a cashback business in the UK and then building India's first VC funded cashback website raising over $30m from reputable names such as Affle, Korea Investment Partners, Kalaari etc. Model Unpacked: Swati provides an in-depth look at how CashKaro and EarnKaro operate, detailing their unique approaches to cashback and affiliate marketing by onboarding lucrative categories and e-commerce platforms/brands to empower Indian internet users save more money while shopping online Hustle of Category Creation: Hacks to approach category creation, role of customer education, and the importance of recognizing and engaging with champion users Changing Dynamic of Internet Shopping: Perspectives on the broader e-commerce and cashback ecosystem in India, discussing demographic trends, shift of wallet shares from Tier 1 to Tier 2/3/4 cities, role of social media in shopping choices, and opportunities for growth Future Aspirations: What's next for CashKaro and EarnKaro as Swati outlines her vision for scaling these platforms while maintaining customer engagement Join us for an enlightening conversation that not only highlights Swati's entrepreneurial journey but also offers valuable insights into the future of online shopping in India! Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing. If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in 

Join us for an insightful conversation with Anish Srikrishna, CEO of TimesPro, an education initiative by The Times Group which aims to revolutionize professional education in India. TimesPro serves as a Higher Education Technology (H.EdTech) platform, offering a wide range of courses and training programs across various sectors, including Post Graduate Programs (PGPs), Master's degrees, and specialized training in finance, banking, e-commerce, technology, and more. TimesPro has a tech enabled educational offering encompassing both classroom and online/live interactive learning, including collaborations with prestigious institutions such as IIMs, IITs, XLRI, and Ivy League universities, as well as building customized learning solutions for businesses to empower talent and drive business transformation. Over the past three years, the company has achieved an impressive 75% CAGR in net revenues, surpassing ₹850 crore in revenue for FY24. TimesPro anticipates a 5X growth in the next three years, highlighting its robust business model and commitment to democratizing access to quality education and skills through technology. Whether you're an educator, a student, or simply curious about the EdTech industry, this conversation promises to be both enlightening and inspiring. Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing. If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We spoke with Winny Patro, CEO & Co-founder of Recordent, a pioneering SaaS-based platform aiming to tackle the significant issue of unpaid dues that MSMEs encounter, which is estimated to be around INR5L cr across the sector. Recordent provides a technology platform designed to help SMEs manage their credit and collections more effectively. The company offers a suite of services that includes: Payment Reminder Automation: Automating reminders for payments to ensure timely collections. Invoice Management: Streamlining the invoicing process to reduce delays in payments. Credit Registry Reporting: Similar to a CIBIL report, it allows businesses to report defaults and track credit history. Collections Analytics: Providing insights to make informed decisions regarding collections and credit risk management. Recordent has made significant strides in helping SMEs improve their cash flow and reduce collection cycles. For instance, manufacturers using the platform have reportedly reduced their collection cycles by 40 days and converted a substantial portion of previously non-paying customers into paying ones. The company has effectively facilitated the resolution of outstanding dues for SME/MSME entities, enabling the clearance of INR4699 cr out of a total of INR5657 cr. With over 8.75L+ customer dues submitted on the platform, Recordent caters to the likes of Furlenco, Guarented, Bigsams, Udaan, RateGain and many others.  Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing. If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We spoke with Manikanth Challa, Founder & CEO of Workruit, an AI/ML assisted career and recruitment platform catering to the B2B, B2C and B2G segments. Offering a suite of solutions like an i) AI-assisted Resume, CV, and Cover Letter Builder with a ii) Job Search and Matching Play, Workruit has built an interactive dating app-like interface where employers/recruiters and job seekers can match with each other. Manikanth speaks about his personal journey from the US to India, throwing light on how he struggled to find developers and engineers in 2016 via traditional solutions out there. This pushed him to combine his prior product learnings from online dating and fintech industries to create an end-to-end career development platform like Workruit. Workruit has generated more than 2M+ resumes and has 25M+ industry specific templates. They have raised over $500,000 in pre-Series A round led by the family office of Kantamaneni from the US and is now aiming to raise more in 2024 to expand their business in the Middle East. Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.   If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

On today's episode of Hire Learning, we're joined by Tushar Pandit, the Chief People Officer at Spins.Tushar has 25+ years of broad and deep experience in the tech-enablement space. From start-ups through multi-nationals, VC/PE-backed privately-held to publicly-traded.In our conversation, we talked about everything from immigrating to a country and how that's helped him as a professional, what it's like to dive into a new industry, why he prefers working in startups over enterprise environments, and what it's like to be a coach for founders.Tushar has so much to say and he's incredibly insightful. I know you're going to get so much out of this conversation - just like I did.I can't wait for you to hear it!Connect with our host, Oz Rashid, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ozrashid. Learn more about MSH: https://www.talentmsh.com. Don't forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the podcast so you won't miss out on creative, innovative strategies for hiring the best talent. #Talent #Hiring #Learning #Teams #Jobs

(0:00) Intro.(1:21) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel.(2:08) Start of interview.(2:41) Jennifer's "origin story." (3:41) Founding a non-profit at the start of her career: Breakthrough Pittsburgh.(4:15) The start of her tech career with Yahoo!(7:12) Her roles post Yahoo!: founding and selling The Dealmap to Google.(9:20) Her transition and tenure as president & COO of Change.org (scaling from 18 million to 200 million users). About her Motivational Pie Chart.(11:07) About Change.org (a social impact campaigning platform) and non-profit and PBC corporate structures.(14:18) Her time at Facebook (now Meta), leading the Facebook Groups product.(16:00) About Rising Team, the company she founded and where she currently serves as CEO.(22:10) On her board journey, and distinctions among different types of companies: non-profits, startups (Little Passports), public companies (Move, TEGNA & WeightWatchers) and VC/PE backed companies. "The truth is to join a public board, somebody needs to take a bet on you if you've never been on a public board."(32:19) On serving in a VC/PE backed company as a lead independent director and comp committee Chair (Arcadia). On board observer roles. Setting board norms.(36:55) On the benefit of boardroom diversity.(39:17) On dealing with the politicization of the boardroom, including DEI and ESG matters.(42:06) On the benefits of teaching (at Stanford GSB) for her CEO and board roles .(39:17) On dealing with the politicization of the boardroom, including DEI and ESG matters.(44:15) Three things top of mind on boardroom matters: 1) Setting up boards for success (norms, board evaluations, etc),  2) Keeping up with new technologies, and 3) Crisis scenario planning.(49:00) Books that have greatly influenced her life: Gung Ho,  by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles (1997)The Overstory, by Richard Powers (2018)(51:14)  Her mentors.*Reference to her LinkedIn Post: 5 Mentor Archetypes.(51:57)  Quotes that she thinks of often or lives her life by.(53:15) About her book: Purposeful: Are you a Manager or a Movement Starter? (2018) The 3 Cs: 1) courage, 2) community, and 3) commitment.(54:40) An unusual habit or absurd thing that she loves.(56:00)  The living person she most admires: Simone Biles.Jennifer Dulski is a Silicon Valley based executive and board member. She is currently CEO and founder of Rising Team, a company that provides tools, data, and community to turn managers into amazing coaches that build happier and more successful teams. You can follow Evan on social media at:Twitter: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__You can join as a Patron of the Boardroom Governance Podcast at:Patreon: patreon.com/BoardroomGovernancePod__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

We spoke with Balaji Subramaniam, Head of Global Sales and Strategy at Sattrix Group, a pioneer in cyber security solutions offering AI-driven managed security services to small, mid, and large scale enterprises.  Founded in 2013, Sattrix's core focus is to protect critical assets and sensitive information from cyber threats. Sattrix stays ahead of the curve by leveraging emerging trends like AI and machine learning, Zero Trust Architecture, and cloud security to address the evolving threat landscape...further aiming to deliver top-notch cybersecurity managed and professional services to businesses globally.  We explore the cyber security market dynamic in India and abroad, how customers view their potential impact, consolidation trends, role of multiple technologies, client staging, use cases, and competitive differentiation.  In an environment where cyber security is a "board room decision" - an assessment of such a business is very timely.  Sattrix Information Security, has recently filed its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the BSE SME for an IPO. The issue involves a completely fresh equity sale of 18 lakh shares, with the company aiming to raise around Rs 20 crore. With the IPO, it seeks to further enhance its capabilities and expand its reach.  Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.   If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in 

We chat with RV Ramanathan ("Ram"), co-founder of Hyperface - a cutting-edge Bengaluru based company pioneering contextual banking solutions.  With a particular focus on streamlining the credit card experience, Hyperface's "Credit-Cards-as-a-Service" platform simplifies end-to-end program management for credit cards, pay-later, and prepaid cards. Hyperface  offers a comprehensive suite of products designed to launch impeccable Credit Card programs within a matter of weeks. With a focus on simplifying complex technology, Hyperface has developed robust APIs, PWA, and SDKs, empowering businesses to effortlessly integrate instant card issuance, real-time rewards, and other innovative financial features. We speak extensively on the sectoral forces shaping credit cards and the payments industry at large, notably emergence of creative and innovative technology enabled use cases thanks to lack of traditional revenue pools due to stringent regulations and price caps. Hyperface has secured a substantial seed funding of  $10.9 million, led by 3one4 Capital, with participation from existing investors like Global Founders Capital, Better Capital, and new investors including Flipkart Ventures, Groww, and Rebalance Angel Community. Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.   If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in 

We spoke with Sandesh Chitnis, CEO of Core Integra, a regulatory technology company offering labour law compliance, payroll processing, permanent hiring, staffing, and employee benefit solutions to its clients. Ctrl F is Core Integra's flagship ERP-based software tool whose core features include automated statutory compliance management, risk management, regulatory compliance, and audit software to optimize business performance. Additionally, the platform has a comprehensive library of Indian laws and acts, facilitating easy search and indexing. Sandesh shares his take on how technology can play role in digitizing and cracking labour law compliances in a complex country such as India with multiple jurisdictions and vernacular elements, taking into account the rising role of AI driven automation.  Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.   If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in 

We spoke with Shiv Parekh - Founder of hBits - a fractional ownership platform focused on democratizing Commercial Real Estate. Grade A Commercial properties, typically leased to multinational corporations and institutions, can potentially offer stable, secure, and relatively high yielding rental incomes to investors.  hBits grants retail investors access to such high-value assets by aggregating demand on its platform, and on the way reduces average ticket size needed to participate. With rising investor appetite for Real Estate linked financial instruments in general, and SEBI's recent interventions to regulate the fractional ownership industry in particular, hBits' product offering and Shiv's insights are very timely.  Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.   If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in 

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we catch up with Carlos Bortoni. Carlos is an MBA/M.Ed graduate in Darden's Class of 2019, and he currently serves As Senior Director for the Batten Institute's new launched “Tech Hub,” a cross-departmental effort to advance Darden's presence and standing in technology through thought leadership, faculty and student engagement, and stakeholder management across the broader tech, startup, VC/PE, and industry-specific ecosystems in the U.S. and globally. We talk with Carlos about his Darden experience, what brought him back to Darden for his current role, why he's so passionate about tech, what he's looking forward to in the coming months and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we catch up with Carlos Bortoni. Carlos is an MBA/M.Ed graduate in Darden's Class of 2019, and he currently serves As Senior Director for the Batten Institute's new launched “Tech Hub,” a cross-departmental effort to advance Darden's presence and standing in technology through thought leadership, faculty and student engagement, and stakeholder management across the broader tech, startup, VC/PE, and industry-specific ecosystems in the U.S. and globally. We talk with Carlos about his Darden experience, what brought him back to Darden for his current role, why he's so passionate about tech, what he's looking forward to in the coming months and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

This week our host Brandi Starr is joined by Anastasia Pavlova, Founder & CMO at Bold GTM. Anastasia is not your average CMO.  She is a go-to-market strategist with a robust foundation in business, backed by an MBA from the prestigious Haas School of Business, and enriched by nearly 20 years of full-funnel marketing experience across B2B SaaS, cybersecurity, ecommerce, and B2C Tech. Her career spans a wide range of company stages, from agile VC/PE-backed start-ups to established enterprises. Her journey has been anything but linear. Starting her career in Europe, Anastasia has not only helped companies there but also scaled US go-to-market teams across the European and APAC markets. This global experience, combined with her background in linguistics, gives her a unique edge in leveraging AI language models to communicate effectively and understand customers deeply. On the couch in this week's episode of Revenue Rehab, Brandi and Anastasia will tackle optimizing B2B customer marketing to enhance retention and maximize cross-selling success.   Bullet Points of Key Topics + Chapter Markers: Topic #1 Retention vs Growth Stages Strategies [05:52]  “I think that it really depends on the size of the company and the stage that they're in,” says Anastasia, “as companies move from sort of first building the product and building the initial customer base, they start expanding to become a platform, and then they start launching new products. So, there's more opportunities to cross sell additional products into their existing customer base. And companies just have more levers, perhaps they grow through acquisitions. So, they acquire new customers, or they acquire new tools. So, there are additional opportunities for them to cross sell into the existing base.” Topic #2 The Changing Landscape of the Buying Environment [12:06] “The old lead gen marketing playbook just doesn't work anymore,” Anastasia explains, “the reality is that when companies operate in silos and…marketing is responsible for driving in MQL, sending them over to SDRs, and then trying to set up meetings and bombarding all the prospects with mass email…and putting gates in front of prospects, and then doing SDR cold calls…it translates into lots of inefficiencies for companies and frustrated buyers and longer sales cycles.”  She continues, “companies that are working in this outbound sales go-to-market motion, they really need to think about a more integrated and targeted way to go-to-market.” Topic #3 An Integrated Go-to-Market 5 Step Framework [29:52] “The framework is very simple,” Anastasia says, “it's five steps that starts with setting the goals, or really getting everyone on the page with regard to the goals.” Step two is selecting the accounts that you're going to focus on.  Step three, she explains, is developing content that would help you drive whether it is retention or cross sell, for example.  Step four is running campaigns, she says “that's what we just touched upon which tactic tactics are available to you, where do you find your customers, and testing different things and see what works.”   The final step is measuring and optimizing. So, What's the One Thing You Can Do Today? Anastasia's ‘One Thing' is: “if you are in customer marketing, make sure that you go and talk to your sales and customer success leaders and align with them on the goal. So, understand the goals in their priorities and start thinking about how you can partner with them together and drive the same outcomes and what things you need to do to change your current processes in order to help them achieve the same goals.” Buzzword Banishment: Anastasia's  Buzzword to Banish is ‘Doing more with less'. “It's not about doing more with less,” Anastasia says, “it is about doing the right things, right. And it's focusing on the outcomes that you're trying to drive and really focusing on what will make the biggest impact. So, it is not about quantity of things that we do, we really need to focus on quality.” Links: Get in touch with Anastasia Pavlova: LinkedIn Bold GTM Episode 72: Deciphering Customer Desires Subscribe, listen, and rate/review Revenue Rehab Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts , Amazon Music, or iHeart Radio and find more episodes on our website RevenueRehab.live

For a full transcript of this episode, click here. I want to kick off this show with a clip from episode 415 with Rob Andrews, wherein he so very eloquently sets the stage here: We think that one of the core problems here is that too many intermediaries and providers in the system, their compensation is not in any way dependent on the outcome. So, let's think about this NICU baby problem again. Looking at the hospital system—and I'm not at all implying or suggesting any hospital system tries to do this—but I think it is clear that they actually benefit commercially from more babies spending more days in the NICU. NICU's usually a pretty good margin business. It's expensive. Lots of money is paid, and margins run pretty well there. So, I don't think there's a hospital system in the country that intentionally says, “Oh, good … let's go out and try to fill up the NICU every day.” But when it gets filled up, they benefit. On the other hand, if the hospital invests significantly in early effective intervention prenatal or even pre-pregnancy, there's no upside to that financially. They don't get rewarded for that. They might win an award from some magazine for best practices, but their margin suffers. Then if you look at the intermediaries, the carriers, and PBMs [pharmacy benefit managers], their outcomes are irrelevant to their performance. If an employee of a self-insured employer has a significant risk prenatal or pre-pregnancy and the carrier does a great job identifying that problem and solving it, they make the same amount of money off that patient or that consumer that they would if they did nothing. So, it's a bit harsh to say this, but the carriers make the same amount of money if every child is born healthy and there's not a day spent in the NICU as if they do if every child's born with severe crises and winds up in the NICU. It's not a big mystery in the US economy that people do what you pay them to do. And if you have a system, which we do now, where the case of maternal health, diabetes management, musculoskeletal management, cholesterol and cardiac management … when you have a system where many, many players in the system, at best, make the same amount of money for bad outcomes as they do for good ones and, at worst, they prosper from the bad outcomes, that explains the problem. So, is this show about improving maternal health outcomes in the US, where it is relatively deadly to have a baby compared to other industrialized nations? Yes. But improving maternal health is also a great case study for what needs to be done to just improve health. You could apply it to primary care. You could apply it to chronic care management. It is a fairly broad-spectrum solution, as it were. I'm thinking right now about how Dave Chase, co-founder of Health Rosetta—how does he put it?—he says every big problem in healthcare already has been solved. The existing challenge is how to massively replicate proven solutions. So, yeah … keep that in mind when we talk about what Jodilyn Owen has accomplished with her team in Washington State with their birth and health center. Also, as you consider how you might replicate, keep in mind the struggles she has faced getting contracts from self-insured employers or payers to pay her clinic and a very interesting encounter she had with a VC/PE (venture capital/private equity) funded maternal health start-up. It's just interesting where the money is flowing and where it's not flowing. But let's talk about Jodilyn's clinic's outcomes. Their zip code is one of the most diverse in the nation. There are 79 languages spoken. There is lots of social determinants of health going on. It is a medically underserved area. It is a federally designated provider shortage area. So, this community has every right to have horrible outcomes. Meanwhile, nearby, there is a wealthy community. In that zip code, they live 17 years longer than in Jodilyn's clinic's zip code. But if you compare the outcomes that Jodilyn's clinic has compared to the outcomes in the hospital in that fancy neighborhood, Jodilyn's group has far less cesarean rates, far less NICU admissions, far less incidence of gestational diabetes, far quicker access to treatment for hypertension. You might be wondering how much their birth bundle costs that they are having trouble getting most payers except one to pay for and getting no VC dollars or funding at all. They're charging $5000 to $7000. So, let's just say $5000 to $7000 compared to … what does one NICU admission cost? So, yeah … this is an exact example of what Rob Andrews was talking about. An EXACT example. So yeah, enjoy this episode; it's as heartwarming and actionable as it is frustrating. And if you are a payer or self-insured employer in South Seattle, please give this clinic a contract. Not to drop a major spoiler alert here, but you know what Jodilyn's “secret sauce” is? Nuances for sure, but bottom line, it's about trust. It's about relationships. It's about listening to the patient. It's being part of the local community. If you're shocked right now, raise your hand. There's gonna be no one with their hand raised. How many times do we have to figure this out? Jodilyn Owen is the clinical director of the Rainier Valley Birth & Health Center. She is a licensed midwife along with a bunch of other credentials. Also mentioned in this episode are Rob Andrews; Dave Chase; Vivek Garg, MD, MBA; and Larry Bauer.   You can learn more by emailing Jodilyn at jodilyno@myrvcc.org. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn.   Jodilyn Owen, LM, CPM, Ma MCHS, is a licensed, certified professional midwife and co-founder of Rainier Valley Birth & Health Center. She was born and raised in Seattle and raised her own family in South Seattle, working as a doula and parenting educator for 13 years before becoming a midwife. This is where she saw healthcare through the lens of observation of hundreds of families and provider experiences of maternal and child healthcare. An avid learner and critical thinker, Jodilyn began to reimagine healthcare and to develop a vision for what access in its truest form might be, not just to healthcare for the deeply underserved and mis-served families of South Seattle but also to quality healthcare delivery for the providers who want to give more than what the system allows. Jodilyn built her practice around the idea that parents know themselves and their babies best, and her direct patient work is designed to promote this first relationship. She provides individualized, gentle, and holistic pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care for families planning a home, birth center, or hospital birth. Jodilyn is currently director of clinical partnerships and staff midwife at the nonprofit–for purpose Rainier Valley Birth & Health Center. She provides infrastructure development, guides clinical programs and partnerships, and supports students from multiple university health professions and public health programs at all levels from high school through doctoral studies.   07:12 How much cost savings is there when you avoid a NICU admission? 09:43 How is “slow care” feasible among an ob-gyn shortage in many communities? 10:42 “Start people at the risk that they are appropriate for.” 11:37 EP407 and Summer Shorts 3 with Vivek Garg, MD, MBA. 13:50 “To effect change, we have to unwind what has been wound so tightly and so carefully through medical … education.” 14:13 “It's not a people problem; it's a system problem.” 18:46 What does relationship-based care mean? 22:32 “Everything in pregnancy at least is a trend.” 28:01 How does Jodilyn's practice work with payers? 31:08 EP409 with Larry Bauer, MSW, MEd. 32:24 Why is it important to address the root of this problem in the education space?   You can learn more by emailing Jodilyn at jodilyno@myrvcc.org. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn.   @essntialmidwife discusses improving maternity #patientoutcomes in our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #healthcareleadership #healthcaretransformation #healthcareinnovation   Recent past interviews: Click a guest's name for their latest RHV episode! Ge Bai, Andreas Mang, Karen Root (Encore! EP381), Mark Cuban and Ferrin Williams, Dan Mendelson (Encore! EP385), Josh Berlin, Dr Adam Brown, Rob Andrews, Justina Lehman, Dr Will Shrank  

When investors are leaning on you to get “New Logos” you can lose sight of customer success and it can change or damage your culture. For Tom Lavery at Jiminny, compromising on customer success or culture were not options. Tom was a VP of sales before he, his wife and their technical cofounder started the company. He set out to solve some of the problems he faced around coaching as a sales leader. Tom understands that effective sales leadership starts with data. Jiminny's platform records, transcribes, and analyzes video, voice, and email communications, providing valuable insights for sales leaders.From the beginning he did the selling and his first hires for sales were not sellers, but customer success managers. This was pivotal to his growth because customers had high user adoption and because of that renewed and told others. His entire team is focused on customer success because of his strong culture. In seven short years, his team has grown tremendously, and they work as a team to retain customers, find new prospects and guide buyers through to a decision. Even with his amazing team, he plays an important role in sales. Listen to Tom share his growth story with Alice and his passion for maintaining a great culture. Chapters02:52 Tom Lavery's background and inspiration for starting Jiminny09:49 Getting the first sales through networking and local interactions12:22 User adoption and expanding the use of Jiminny12:29 Product market fit is tricky and takes time to achieve.15:22 Customer success was a priority and received more investment than sales.20:19 A formal referral process was implemented to drive referrals.24:55 Customer success and sales must work together in a team.27:14 CEO's involvement in sales is based on deal management and support.30:36 Importance of data mining and insights in sales and marketing.37:14 Changing players in the team as the company grows and matures.38:04 Tom Lavery talks about never giving up and offering supportAbout GuestTom has over 15 years of experience in high-growth VC/PE-backed SaaS companies.  Tom is currently the CEO and Founder of Jiminny, a Conversation Intelligence Platform that helps companies maximize their team's revenue.  Prior to starting Jiminny, he was SVP at Reward Gateway and saw them through two PE-backed buyouts.Social Links You can learn more about and connect with Tom Lavery in the links below.Connect with Tom on LinkedIn:(99+) Tom Lavery | LinkedInCheck out Jiminny's website:Revenue & Conversation Intelligence Software | Jiminny(99+) Jiminny: Overview | LinkedInYou can learn more about and connect with Alice Heiman in the links below.Connect with Alice on LinkedIn:(99+) Alice Heiman | LinkedInCheck out Alice's website:Alice Heiman - Alice Heiman

Rajat Tandon is the President of IVCA, India's apex body representing the interests of PE/VC industry, Real estate, Infrastructure and Credit funds, Limited Partners, Family offices & Corporate VC's. Rajat leads the planning, development, and implementing IVCA's regulatory advocacy activities, while also effectively influencing regulatory outcomes in support of the alternate asset class. Previously, Rajat was part of the leadership team at NASSCOM, where he headed NASSCOM's 10,000 Startups initiative, providing crucial support to technology startups in India. With his early stint as entrepreneur and extensive corporate experience in the IT & Telecom and GIS/Navigable maps, Rajat competently bridges the gap between boardroom expertise and on-the-ground experience. Over the past 25+ years, he has worked in various positions ranging from technical support, sales leadership, service delivery to strategic initiatives at Siemens, Nortel, and Nokia. Rajat also brings with him his extensive network in the startups space, having worked closely with most of the eminent industry leaders. His knowledge of the startup ecosystem, its constituents, successes, opportunities, and challenges run deep. He is also a member of CII National Start-up Council. A Post-Graduate in Business Management from the Indian Institute of Management Technology (IIMT), Ghaziabad, Rajat also has a Bachelor's degree in Engineering from Pune University. When not busy with the VC-PE and startup communities, you will find him spending quality time with family or enjoying a game of Golf.​ . . . Episode Notes: Introduction (2:00) The evolution of the Indian VC ecosystem in the past decade (3:20) IVCA's pivotal role in the advancement of the Indian VC ecosystem (5:06) Rajat's career path (7:45) IVCA's remarkable milestones and contributions (17:55) Envisioning a thriving startup ecosystem (26:04) Inspiring success stories from India's vibrant startup landscape (42:20) Rajat's lasting legacy: Shaping the future of Venture Capital (51:29) . . . Social Links: IVCA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/indianvca Rajat on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rajattandy Podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedesi_vc Akash Bhat on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhatvakash Podcast on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thedesivc Akash Bhat on Instagram: https://instagram.com/bhatvakash