Founder's Voyage

<p><strong>Founder’s Voyage</strong> is a podcast for the ones building in the dark, the ones failing forward, and the ones figuring it out as they go.</p> <p>We bring you unfiltered conversations with founders who’ve faced the highs, and the lows. Just real lessons from the people in the arena.</p> <p>Whether you're scaling a startup or sketching your first idea on a napkin, these are the stories that remind you you're not alone—and the insights that help you move forward.</p> <p>We are an entrepreneurial community united by a shared mission of shared learning and supporting each other.</p>

125 - 🌎︎ Space Industry

Our own Spencer is a passionate space nerd, robotics engineer, and technology enthusiast, so in this episode we are trying something different, taking a look at the emerging opportunities in the space economy. Spencer brings together deep technical expertise and a vision for democratizing access to new frontiers. We examine both the technical realities and ethical considerations of expanding human activity beyond Earth.💡 What we cover in this discussion: 🔸 The Emerging Space Economy: Understand how rapidly declining costs to orbit are creating new entrepreneurial opportunities—from data services to advanced manufacturing—in the burgeoning space sector. 🔸 Practical Applications of Space Tech: Discover real-world examples of how space-based data and technologies are already impacting industries like agriculture, insurance, and communications, with tangible lessons for leveraging innovation on Earth. 🔸 Ethics & Regulation in New Industries: Learn why regulations are "written in blood," and how anticipating ethical risks and advocating for responsible governance can prevent harm and foster lasting value in pioneering industries. 🔸 Optimism & Collaboration for the Future: Gain a perspective on how abundance mindsets, cross-national collaboration, and genuine optimism can transform zero-sum thinking into positive-sum outcomes, enabling equitable participation in humanity’s next giant leap.🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at ⁠vidops.io⁠ for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on ⁠Patreon⁠ and help amplify more voices like Spencer.#FoundersVoyage #Entrepreneurship #Podcast

08-31
40:20

151 - Founder After Space Industry Opportunities - Spencer In Space

Spencer is a senior R&D Robotics Systems engineer at Magnet Medical Robotics, a co-founder of the Founder's Voyage Discord Community, and an MIT Entrepreneurship Bootcamp alumnus. With a deep passion for robotics, household automation, and IoT, Spencer focuses on leveraging technology to improve daily life. Recently, he has delved into developing deployable parabolic dish technology for space communications, pitching innovative ideas to organizations like NATO and seeking to address the infrastructure challenges of modern space exploration. Spencer’s entrepreneurial journey is marked by technical expertise, strategic thinking, and a steadfast commitment to advancing humanity’s reach into space.💡 What You’ll Learn from Spencer's Journey: 🔸 Turning Inspiration into Action: Discover how early fascination and exposure to sci-fi sparked a tangible pursuit of solving real-world problems in space communication. 🔸 Navigating High-Stakes Grant Applications: Learn Spencer’s approach to writing compelling grant proposals, leveraging AI tools wisely, and refining ideas through collaboration and constructive feedback. 🔸 Building Complementary Teams: Explore the importance of finding co-founders with complementary skills, broad mindsets, and the ability to balance vision with practical considerations in early-stage startups. 🔸 Iterating in Uncharted Markets: Understand how to creatively identify new markets for emerging technology, persist through challenges, and plan multiple paths to funding and viability in the face of uncertainty.You can connect with Spencer on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ to follow his journey.🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at ⁠vidops.io⁠ for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on ⁠Patreon⁠ and help amplify more voices like Spencer.#FoundersVoyage #Entrepreneurship #Podcast

12-19
38:38

149 - The Secret Weapon for Feeding the World and Saving the Planet - Mollie Langdon

Mollie Langdon is a postdoctoral seed development biologist at Rothamsted Research in the UK, where she focuses on increasing crop yields through advanced gene editing techniques such as CRISPR. With a PhD and undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Bath, Mollie has become a key voice in the field of plant biotechnology, recently representing the Association of Applied Biologists at the Royal Society of Biology’s “Voice of the Future 2025” event. Her expertise spans the intricacies of genetic modification and editing, and she is committed to clear science communication, bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and public understanding.💡 What You’ll Learn from Mollie's Journey: 🔸 Science Communication Matters: Mollie demonstrates how demystifying complex scientific concepts for the public builds trust and enables informed decision-making, a crucial skillset for entrepreneurs in any tech-driven space. 🔸 Ethical Innovation & Regulation: Navigating new technology requires ethical awareness and adherence to (and even advocacy for) smart regulatory frameworks, as seen in Mollie’s discussion of gene editing laws in the UK and globally. 🔸 Leveraging Precision for Impact: Mollie highlights the value of precise technological advancement, whether in biotechnology or business, showing how aiming for incremental, targeted improvements can drive outsized change. 🔸 The Power of Critical Thinking: Her advice to always check information sources and maintain a questioning mindset is a crucial habit for founders navigating hype cycles, media narratives, and new trends.You can connect with Mollie on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ to follow her journey.🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at ⁠vidops.io⁠ for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on ⁠Patreon⁠ and help amplify more voices like Mollie.#FoundersVoyage #Entrepreneurship #Podcast

12-09
58:50

141 - The Trials, Triumphs, and Transformations of an AI Consultancy Founder - Reuben McQueen

Reuben McQueen is the co-founder and CTO of Open Kit, an AI consultancy focused on helping organisations strategise, develop, and integrate cutting-edge AI solutions to reduce costs, minimize errors, and boost efficiency. With a background in computer science and years of entrepreneurial experience, Reuben has navigated the challenges of founding and scaling a tech business, from university projects to winning public sector contracts. He is also passionate about education, supporting student engagement in computer science and entrepreneurship as an enterprise advisor.💡 What You’ll Learn from Reuben's Journey: 🔸 Embracing Business Model Evolution: Discover how staying flexible and rapidly iterating your business model, such as shifting from fixed-cost to consultancy-first approaches, can be critical for survival and growth in a changing market. 🔸 Building Resilience through Sales Pipelines: Learn why prioritizing early investment in outbound sales and consistent lead generation can protect your company from the feast-or-famine cycles that challenge many startups. 🔸 Navigating Technical and Ethical Hurdles in AI: Understand the complexities of building AI SaaS, from API cost challenges to the importance of data sovereignty and ethical considerations when deploying AI models for clients. 🔸 The Value of Complementary Co-Founder Dynamics: See how balancing differences in personality and work style within your founding team can be a decisive advantage, fostering better decision-making and sustainable growth.You can connect with Reuben on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ to follow his journey.🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at ⁠vidops.io⁠ for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on ⁠Patreon⁠ and help amplify more voices like Reuben.#FoundersVoyage #Entrepreneurship #Podcast

11-02
48:42

137 - 🎙 Key Insights on Becoming Exit Ready for Founders - Damian Connolly

Damian Connolly is the founder and Managing Director of Sakura Business Solutions, an accountancy practice specializing in outsourced finance team services and strategic business advisory. With a rich background spanning private equity, SME advisory, and hands-on experience in business exits, Damian has dedicated his career to helping entrepreneurs build profitable, resilient, and exit-ready companies. His approach uniquely blends deep financial expertise with practical, actionable guidance, shaped by international experience from Ireland to the UK and beyond.💡 What You’ll Learn from Damian's Journey:🔸 Building an Exit-Ready Business: Understand why preparing your business for exit should start years in advance and how it creates valuable options, not just for selling, but for scaling and succession.🔸 The Power of Strong Financial Foundations: Discover why a proactive, embedded accountant is the backbone of every thriving company, and what most SMEs miss by neglecting this critical function.🔸 Leadership Through Delegation & Documentation: Learn how systematizing processes and empowering teams allows founders to work on, not just in, their business, paving the way for growth and eventual exit.🔸 Embracing Version One Over Perfection: Why overcoming the fear of releasing imperfect work and focusing on tangible action accelerates learning, opportunity, and business development.You can connect with Damian on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ to follow his journey.🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at ⁠vidops.io⁠ for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on ⁠Patreon⁠ and help amplify more voices like Damien.#FoundersVoyage #Entrepreneurship #Podcast

10-19
46:25

136 - 🎙 How Resilience Fuels the Founder's Spirit in Healthcare - Dr Nithya Koratagere

Dr Nithya Koratagere is a doctor, healthcare innovator, passionate sustainability advocate, and co-founder of Care on Call, a pioneering home and corporate healthcare company based in India. With a background in medicine and years of leadership experience, Nithya navigated her company through the COVID-19 crisis, tripling capacity to deliver home-based services during lockdowns, and driving the business to financial sustainability. She is celebrated for her ethical approach to healthcare, focus on team well-being, and commitment to bridging care gaps in India's dynamic medical landscape. Nithya has also successfully raised funding from leading angel investors and remains dedicated to shaping the future of accessible, quality healthcare in India.💡 What You’ll Learn from Nithya's Journey: 🔸 Resilience in Entrepreneurship: Nithya’s story highlights the power of resilience, making bold decisions during uncertain times, including expanding in the face of a 35% decline in demand and learning from failures to build long-term success. 🔸 Ethical Leadership & Patient Focus: She shares how maintaining ethical medical practices and prioritizing patient care, even when pressured to increase profits, is key to building trust and long-term sustainability in healthcare ventures. 🔸 Work-Life Balance and Co-Founding Dynamics: Dr Nithya offers valuable insights for entrepreneurs co-founding with a life partner, emphasizing clear boundaries, understanding complementary strengths, and embracing self-care to avoid burnout. 🔸 Strategic Growth and Fundraising: Learn how Dr Nithya strategically approached fundraising, choosing the right timing, balancing debt with equity, and leveraging strong stakeholder relationships to attract mission-aligned investors.You can connect with Nithya on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ to follow her journey.🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at ⁠vidops.io⁠ for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.

10-16
46:17

135 - 🎙 A Founder in Social Entrepreneurship and Community - Alice Layton

Alice is a trailblazing social entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Wabbani, and president of the Rupununi Learners Foundation. Her work bridges nonprofit and social enterprise by partnering with indigenous communities in Guyana, most notably through Cayman House, a community-owned enterprise that is now the largest employer and consumer of local goods and services in its region. Alice’s achievements include building lasting platforms for artisan makers, revitalizing traditional crafts as sustainable livelihoods, and pioneering scalable solutions for rural economic empowerment. With a background in social work and deep practical expertise in community-led development, Alice has the philosophy of working herself out of a job, by building self-sustaining projects that flourish independent of her leadership.💡 What You’ll Learn from Alice's Journey: 🔸 Turning Scarcity into Opportunity: Discover how Alice saw opportunity during the COVID-19 crisis by reinvesting downtime into infrastructure and creative expansion, highlighting the importance of adaptability in entrepreneurship. 🔸 Learning to Notice, The Artist's Eye for Entrepreneurs: Learn Alice’s unique method of channeling her artistic sensibilities to identify unmet needs, find market niches, and fuel innovation rooted in close observation. 🔸 Building Social Enterprises for True Sustainability: Uncover how Alice designed organizations to empower communities—transferring leadership, fostering local ownership, and measuring success by eventual independence. 🔸 Scaling Impact Beyond the Local: See Alice’s visionary thinking in action as she develops global solutions for remote artisans, sharing insights on creating reproducible platforms while honoring local authenticity.You can connect with Alice on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ to follow her journey.🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at ⁠vidops.io⁠ for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on ⁠Patreon⁠ and help amplify more voices like Alice.#FoundersVoyage #Entrepreneurship #Podcast

10-12
45:42

132 - 🎙 Insights on Lifelong Learning and Professional Growth - Giovanni Giardina

Giovanni is an accomplished supply chain management professional with a passion for lifelong learning and social impact. Having twice served as a CTA for the MIT Supply Chains Analytics course, Giovanni continues to expand his expertise across statistics, economics, and logistics. Outside his core career, he actively volunteers with Informatics Without Borders, leading projects to bridge the digital divide by providing refurbished laptops to communities in Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, and beyond. Giovanni exemplifies dedication to professional growth, sustainability, and community empowerment.💡 What You’ll Learn from Giovanni's Journey: 🔸 Embracing Lifelong Learning: Giovanni’s commitment to continuous education, even beyond formal academics, demonstrates how ongoing learning in new domains and languages can accelerate both personal and career progress. 🔸 Turning Adversity into Motivation: Drawing inspiration from family sacrifices and overcoming setbacks, Giovanni shows how to use challenging experiences as fuel for sustained growth and resilience. 🔸 Making Impact through Social Entrepreneurship: Giovanni’s volunteer work in closing the digital divide illustrates how professionals can leverage their skills and networks to create social value, even outside of traditional entrepreneurship. 🔸 Sustainability as a Guiding Principle: By integrating sustainable thinking into both his supply chain work and charitable initiatives, Giovanni highlights the importance of finding actionable ways to promote sustainability in business and community.You can connect with Giovanni on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ to follow his journey.🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at ⁠vidops.io⁠ for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on ⁠Patreon⁠ and help amplify more voices like Giovanni.#FoundersVoyage #Entrepreneurship #Podcast

09-28
43:18

131 - 🌎︎Porter's Five Forces

This episode features a deep-dive discussion into Porter's Five Forces framework, an essential analytical tool for understanding industry competition and strategic positioning. Rather than a traditional guest interview, our hosts and team explore how Michael E. Porter's model helps businesses of any stage assess market attractiveness, identify opportunities, and anticipate threats. Along the way, they highlight the framework’s strengths, limitations, and practical applications, and bring in plenty of lively real-world examples from tech, food, and service industries.💡 What You’ll Learn from the Founders Voyage Team’s Journey: 🔸 Understanding Industry Forces: Gain clarity on how the five forces, competitive rivalry, threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of customers, and threat of substitutes, shape business strategies and impact profitability. 🔸 Evaluating Frameworks in Context: Learn why Porter's Five Forces is most effective when paired with other strategic tools (like SWOT or TAM analysis) and get tips on when and how to use it for startup or expansion decisions. 🔸 Adapting to Fast-Moving Markets: Discover the model’s strengths and shortcomings in rapidly evolving or highly innovative industries and how to account for factors like intellectual property, regulations, and consumer trends. 🔸 Identifying Competitive Edges and Gaps: Get actionable insights on how this framework uncovers hidden competitive threats (like substitutes) and helps entrepreneurs think more broadly about differentiation and market barriers.🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at ⁠vidops.io⁠ for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on ⁠Patreon⁠ and help amplify the voices of more entrepreneurs.#FoundersVoyage #Entrepreneurship #Podcast

09-25
46:27

130 - 🎙 Founder Building Sustainable Partnerships in Social Entrepreneurship - Wycliffe Barasa

Wycliffe is a Kenyan social entrepreneur, educator, and community leader dedicated to empowering young people and combating educational inequality, youth unemployment, and Africa's brain drain. As founder of Kosi Africa and Kosi Tech Initiatives, Wycliffe has mentored tens of thousands of youth, launched innovative sustainability projects in rural schools, and is pioneering grassroots-led innovation hubs to nurture the next generation of African leaders. He’s recognized for his Pan-African vision, hands-on community work, and commitment to sustainable impact through co-creation with local communities.💡 What You’ll Learn from Wycliffe's Journey:🔸 Work With, Not For, the Community: Wycliffe stresses the power of genuinely collaborating with local communities, co-creating solutions, and leveraging local resources over top-down aid, leading to greater ownership and sustainable impact.🔸 Mindset Shift as the Game-Changer: Breaking cycles of instant gratification and helping youth develop entrepreneurial thinking, anchored in mentorship and culture change, is critical to unlocking potential in challenging environments.🔸 Building Resilient, Sustainable Initiatives: By focusing on revenue-generating and resource-sharing models, like environmental projects and in-kind partnerships, Wycliffe’s approach reduces dependency on fickle donors and ensures long-term operational viability.🔸 The “Soft Ask” Approach: Instead of leading with monetary requests, cultivating authentic relationships, inviting partners to experience the mission firsthand, and collaborating on in-kind solutions opens lasting doors for funding and support.You can connect with Wycliffe on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ to follow his journey.🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at ⁠vidops.io⁠ for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on ⁠Patreon⁠ and help amplify more voices like Wycliffe.#FoundersVoyage #Entrepreneurship #Podcast

09-21
56:27

127 - 🎙 How Can Entrepreneurs Transform Chaos into Meaningful Success - Mónica (Money) Albarrán

Mónica (Money) Albarrán is an accomplished investor, mentor, and founder of Muuk, a business and personal development platform dedicated to helping entrepreneurs build purpose-driven, profitable businesses. With over a decade of experience in tax and strategic planning before pivoting to entrepreneurship, Money has developed a unique framework focused on aligning meaning with functionality in business. She has guided countless founders through personal and professional transformations, combining practical business acumen with deep self-awareness and a passion for human development.💡 What You’ll Learn from Money's Journey: 🔸 The Four Quadrants of Entrepreneurial Fulfillment: Discover Money’s practical framework for understanding where you are in your entrepreneurial journey, Chaos, Daydream, Void, or Power, and learn how to move towards a place of balance between meaning and functionality. 🔸 The Power of Continuous Pivoting and Self-Acceptance: Learn why entrepreneurship is a process of ongoing adaptation and realignment, and how embracing change, self-reflection, and self-acceptance are crucial for sustainable growth. 🔸 Building Success from an Abundance Mindset: Understand how cultivating a high-frequency, abundance-based mindset shapes the outcomes in your business and personal life, and how to practically sustain this empowering mental state. 🔸 Designing a Business Aligned with Your Authentic Talents: Gain insight into how Money helps founders double down on their unique strengths, rather than imitate others, so they can attract the right collaborators, clients, and create meaningful impact.You can connect with Mónica (Money) Albarrán on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ to follow her journey.🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at ⁠vidops.io⁠ for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on ⁠Patreon⁠ and help amplify more voices like Marnie.#FoundersVoyage #Entrepreneurship #Podcast

09-08
55:17

126 - 🌎︎ Mental Health - Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez

Carlos is a passionate educator and mental health advocate from Venezuela, recognized for his commitment to personal and community well-being, as well as a member of the Founder's Voyage team. With experience as a university professor and mentor, Carlos has dedicated himself to fostering supportive environments where individuals can thrive, both personally and professionally. His openness about his own mental health journey, navigating anxiety, harnessing the therapeutic power of routines like gardening, and encouraging vulnerability among peers, has inspired many in his academic and entrepreneurial circles. Carlos blends empathy, resilience, and practical strategies to drive growth, making him a valuable resource for entrepreneurs seeking balance and fulfillment.💡 What You’ll Learn from this discussion: 🔸 Embracing Vulnerability: Carlos shares how acknowledging and discussing mental health challenges, especially in societies where emotional expression is taboo, can open doors to healing and authentic leadership. 🔸 The Value of Support Networks: Carlos further highlights the importance of seeking out "vitamin people", positive relationships and communities that provide encouragement, perspective, and energy through both the highs and lows of the entrepreneurial journey. 🔸 Finding Personal Coping Tools: From psychotherapy to journaling and gardening, Nancy and Carlos demonstrate that experimenting with different well-being practices is crucial, and that what works for one person may not work for another. 🔸 Changing Self-Talk & Building Resilience: We emphasize the transformative effect of self-compassion and gentle self-talk, noting how reframing internal dialogue and allowing space for mistakes fosters productivity, emotional growth, and long-term success.You can connect with Carlos on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ to follow his journey.🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at ⁠vidops.io⁠ for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on ⁠Patreon⁠ and help amplify more voices like Carlos.#FoundersVoyage #Entrepreneurship #Podcast

09-04
43:36

123 - 🎙 New Investment Opportunity to help Founders - Jerry Vance Anguzu

Jerry Vance Anguzu is the founder and CEO of Everpesa Technologies, a fintech startup revolutionizing access to credit and investment opportunities for small businesses in Africa. Jerry is building a peer-to-peer lending platform that empowers underserved entrepreneurs to access affordable financing, while providing investors with attractive, socially impactful opportunities, and he wanted to present this new product from his business to us. His background combines hands-on field research, product development, and a passion for democratizing digital financial services. Under Jerry’s leadership, Everpesa Technologies has already begun transforming how small businesses in Uganda secure working capital and how ordinary investors can power economic growth.💡 What You’ll Learn from Jerry's Journey:🔸 Solving Real Problems: Building products starts with deeply understanding the actual issues on the ground—Jerry’s approach demonstrates the value of field research and creating solutions that directly address unmet needs.🔸 Balancing Innovation with Risk Management: Learn how to build scalable fintech while mitigating default, fraud, and cybersecurity risks, starting manually before introducing automation and algorithms.🔸 Market Entry and User Adoption: Jerry shares how to introduce new digital tools to traditionally underserved users, leveraging behavioral insight, digital trends, and financial literacy education.🔸 Scaling Impact with Strategic Investment: Discover lessons on balancing self-funding and outside capital, communicating transparently with investors, and structuring for both immediate operational needs and long-term regulatory compliance.You can connect with Jerry on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ to follow his journey.🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at ⁠vidops.io⁠ for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on ⁠Patreon⁠ and help amplify more voices like Jerry.#FoundersVoyage #Entrepreneurship #Podcast

08-24
52:21

122 - 🌎︎ Unlocking the Connection Between Purpose, Happiness, and Entrepreneurial Success

In this episode of Founders Voyage, we try to explore the journey to personal happiness, fulfillment, and resilience. Together, Nancy and Spencer discuss the difference between fleeting happiness and lasting fulfillment, how overcoming challenges can strengthen us, and practical habits like gratitude, exercise, and kindness. By sharing personal stories and actionable advice, we highlight the importance of finding meaning in work and life, recognizing others’ efforts, and building a positive mindset. Join us as we encourage entrepreneurs to pursue purpose and resilience in both business and everyday life.💡 Key Takeaways From This Discussion:🔸 Redefining Success: Shifting your focus from fleeting happiness to long-term fulfillment can help you build a more resilient and purposeful entrepreneurial path.🔸 The Contagious Power of Attitude: Showing up with positivity, and intentionally spreading it, can uplift teams and relationships, even in tough times.🔸 Finding Fulfillment Beyond Work: See the importance of seeking meaning through passions, hobbies, acts of kindness, and gratitude practices outside the workplace.🔸 Growing Through Hardship: Facing personal and professional challenges can build your empathy, strengthen relationships, and deepen your sense of purpose.🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at ⁠vidops.io⁠ for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on ⁠Patreon⁠ and help amplify more voices like Spencer.#FoundersVoyage #Entrepreneurship #Podcast

08-21
30:10

120 - 🎙 Lessons on Success, Culture, and Flexibility for Founders - Ximena Hernandez

Ximena Hernandez Buffa is the co-founder and New Business Director at MTI, a certified social selling specialist, digital marketing educator in Uruguay, and an acclaimed conference speaker across Latin America. With over 15 years of experience in the IT and consultancy sector, Ximena is passionate about empowering others and championing multiculturalism. She has built her business on democratic values, flexibility, and a relentless focus on both personal and professional growth, making her a sought-after thought leader in digital transformation and work culture.💡 What You’ll Learn from Ximena's Journey:🔸 Defining Success on Your Own Terms: Ximena emphasizes the importance of regularly redefining personal and professional success based on your values and current stage of life, rather than traditional metrics like financial gain or company size.🔸 Building a Democratic & Flexible Work Culture: Discover practical insights into cultivating a trust-based, democratic work environment where flexibility enables both employee happiness and company resilience, particularly vital for women balancing family and career.🔸 The Power of Continuous Learning & Networking: Ximena credits her growth to a commitment to ongoing learning, travel, and building meaningful connections, advising entrepreneurs to focus on accumulating knowledge and relationships early in their careers.🔸 Navigating Change & Leveraging Technology Thoughtfully: Learn how Ximena adapts to rapid technological shifts (like AI) by staying people-centered, personalizing services, and centering trust, rather than relying solely on automation.You can connect with Ximena on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ to follow her journey.🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at ⁠vidops.io⁠ for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on ⁠Patreon⁠ and help amplify more voices like Sabina.#FoundersVoyage #Entrepreneurship #Podcast

08-14
46:51

115 - 🎙 How Founders Can Champion Language Access and Equity - Jacky So

Jacky So is a first-generation Cambodian American leader in health equity, tech, and community innovation. With a background leading distributed, multilingual tech teams that have improved access to healthcare for millions of Americans, she brings a unique blend of hands-on data expertise, startup grit, and a relentless passion for equity. Jacky currently works in the nonprofit sector, driving systemic change at the intersection of technology, public service, and social impact. Her journey from navigating childhood as part of an immigrant family to becoming an influential voice in healthtech, community building, and AI policy, exemplifies resilience and purpose-driven leadership.💡 What You’ll Learn from Jacky's Journey: 🔸Turning Adversity into Purpose: Jacky’s experiences facing discrimination and being “the only” in her community fueled her drive to use technology and data as tools for representation and equity, an inspiring model for entrepreneurs seeking to create impact from their lived experiences. 🔸Building with Community, Not Just for It: Throughout her career, Jacky emphasizes the importance of bringing community voices to the decision-making table, ensuring solutions are co-created and truly address real needs, a key lesson for startup founders aiming for lasting impact. 🔸 Navigating Barriers with Creativity and Grit: Despite being actively discouraged from pursuing tech, Jacky carved her unique path by combining diverse disciplines and pitching herself into new roles, showing that unconventional, self-directed learning and persistence pay off. 🔸 Equity in Data and Technology: Jacky highlights language access and culturally responsive data collection as vital to equitable innovation, and shares hard-earned insights about the risks and responsibilities of AI, advocating for intentional, ethical tech leadership.You can connect with Jacky on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ to follow her journey.We wanted to thank podcast.today for featuring us recently in their entrepreneurship newsletter. It's a great way to find new hidden gems!🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at ⁠vidops.io⁠ for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on ⁠Patreon⁠ and help amplify more voices like Jackie.#FoundersVoyage #Entrepreneurship #Podcast

07-27
59:20

113 - 🎙 How Can Founders Leverage Space Technologies for a Sustainable Future - Maria Zoey Sommer

Maria is an accomplished entrepreneur, educator, and thought leader in entrepreneurship, she is applying her knowledge and skills in the emerging field of space. With a commercial background and years of experience as both a founder and a teacher, Maria is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Space Entrepreneurship at the European Institute of Innovation and Sustainability. She founded Yellowman.dk and is an ambassador for Space Denmark. Maria is passionate about bridging the gap between technical and commercial talent, empowering students, fostering innovation, and helping teams align on purpose and values.💡 What You’ll Learn from Maria's Journey: 🔸 The Power of Team Alignment: Maria emphasizes the importance of truly understanding each team member’s dreams and motivations, and how alignment drives lasting success in startups. 🔸 Bridging Technical and Commercial Worlds: Learn how Maria’s work connects engineering talent and business expertise, enabling the commercialization of advanced technologies and turning ideas into impactful ventures. 🔸 Learning by Doing and the Value of Education: Discover why Maria believes structured entrepreneurial education, frameworks, and a culture of experimentation are key to navigating complexity and avoiding common startup pitfalls. 🔸 Resilience, Balance, and Pursuing Meaning: Maria shares real-life strategies for managing stress, balancing family with startup life, making bold moves despite obstacles, and measuring success by the impact left for others and the ability to follow your dreams.You can connect with Maria on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ to follow her journey.🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at ⁠vidops.io⁠ for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on ⁠Patreon⁠ and help amplify more voices like Maria.#FoundersVoyage #Entrepreneurship #Podcast

07-20
43:00

111 -🎙 How Can Founders Navigate the Evolving Landscape of AI in Business - Selene Garcia

Selene is an MIT Boot Camp Innovation Leadership graduate, AI enthusiast, and the Chief of Staff at Chai and Velostics. With a strong background in tech and digital transformation, Selene brings an impressive breadth of experience across corporate, startup, and consulting environments. Her career demonstrates a continuous drive to learn, pivot, and empower others in fast-evolving industries.💡 What You’ll Learn from Selene's Journey: 🔸 The Power of Lifelong Learning: Selene advocates for continuously acquiring knowledge across diverse fields, emphasizing that broad expertise opens unexpected opportunities and enables leaders to adapt in any industry. 🔸 Driving Innovation Through Challenge: Her journey illustrates how embracing new roles and challenging oneself, especially in tech and AI, can drive personal and organizational growth. 🔸 Navigating Change & Pivoting with Confidence: Selene shares insights on successfully transitioning from corporate to startups, and between industries, through a willingness to “start from scratch” and embrace change without fear. 🔸 Setting Boundaries & Balancing Life: Learn how Selene maintains well-being and productivity by setting clear boundaries, managing multiple calendars, and prioritizing self-care, providing a model for healthy remote and entrepreneurial work.You can connect with Selene on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ to follow her journey.🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at ⁠vidops.io⁠ for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on ⁠Patreon⁠ and help amplify more voices like Selene.#FoundersVoyage #Entrepreneurship #Podcast

07-13
43:21

109 - 🎙 How Can Founders Drive Social Impact and Sustainability - Colin Kent Banning

Colin Banning is the current Country Director for Swiss Contact in El Salvador and the founder of team GB Consulting and Colin Banning Consulting. With a strong focus on sustainability, innovation, and entrepreneurship, Colin has made significant contributions to the development of social entrepreneurship in Central America, particularly for vulnerable populations such as returned migrants and individuals with disabilities. His expertise in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) practices and his experience with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development have positioned him as a leading figure in promoting sustainable business practices across Latin America.💡 What You’ll Learn from Colin's Journey: 🔸 The Importance of Purpose-Driven Business: Colin emphasises that running a business with a purpose not only benefits the community but also enhances the long-term viability of the business itself. 🔸 Navigating Challenges in Sustainability: He discusses the complexities of implementing sustainable practices in businesses, highlighting the need for education and understanding of the long-term benefits of sustainability.🔸 Empowering Vulnerable Populations: Colin shares insights on how to support marginalised groups, such as people with disabilities and returned migrants, by providing them with the tools and resources to succeed in entrepreneurship. 🔸 Adaptability in Entrepreneurship: He reflects on the necessity of being prepared for unexpected changes in life and business, stressing the importance of having a clear direction while remaining flexible to adapt to new circumstances.You can connect with Colin on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ to follow his journey.🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at ⁠vidops.io⁠ for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on ⁠Patreon⁠ and help amplify more voices like Colin's.#FoundersVoyage #Entrepreneurship #Podcast

07-05
41:13

108 - 🌎︎ Defining Success

During this talk we discuss how we individually define success for ourselves. This is a honest and open conversation exploring the perspectives on a number of members of our community.💡 Some key ideas discussed here: 🔸Personal versus societal definitions of success.🔸Navigating imposter syndrome as founders and creators.🔸The role of mindset in shaping our perception of achievement.🔸How freedom and personal values influence our goals.🔸Making a positive impact as a measure of success.🔸Encouragement for listeners to define success for themselves.🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at ⁠vidops.io⁠ for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on ⁠Patreon⁠ and help amplify more founders voices.#FoundersVoyage #Entrepreneurship #Podcast

07-03
47:34

Recommend Channels