On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Anshu Agarwal, General Partner at Converge; and Amar Flora, General Partner at Solaris Venture Partners. We talking about Scaling the Future: Where Veteran Operators Meet Multi-Agent AI. Anshu has spent 20+ years founding, scaling, and exiting venture-backed B2B tech companies in Silicon Valley. She has helped build four startups as a founder or early executive—each acquired by public companies including Akamai, Juniper Networks, HP, and Citrix. In 2018, she co-founded Nimbella, a pioneer in serverless computing, and led it as CEO from ideation to acquisition by DigitalOcean in under three years. She later served as VP/GM of DigitalOcean’s Serverless & Kubernetes business. Across her exits, she was repeatedly recruited by acquirers to lead integration and revenue expansion. Anshu holds engineering degrees from IIT Roorkee and Rutgers, an MBA from Kellogg, and serves on the Board of the IIT Bay Area Association. Amar brings global experience across banking, finance, technology, and international business expansion. He began his career in banking in Sydney, later working in telco/digital infrastructure and strategy for wealth management in New York. As Director of Finance and COO at the University of Sydney, he led international growth across energy, infrastructure, mining, and technology sectors, executing deals across Australia, the U.S., Canada, India, Singapore, and China. He founded and exited an EdTech startup in 2020 before co-founding Klaviss, a first-of-its-kind multi-AI-agent ecosystem for real estate, now with three patents pending. Amar studied Software Engineering, completed a postgraduate program at the University of Cambridge, and earned an Executive MBA from UNSW. He also mentors postgraduate students in strategy and global market expansion. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like TheAgentic, and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture. Event Partnerships: Join us October 27th, following Day 1 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, for the "Venture Partner 'Unofficial TechCrunch Disrupt 2025' Afterparty: Silicon Valley's Best!" Get you tickets here while they last: https://luma.com/3w4qt0r2 Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.
On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we speak with Kamal Hassan, Managing Partner at Loyal VC, and Baron Cannon, educator and angel investor with Sand Hill Angels. Kamal is a Managing Partner at Loyal VC, a diversified evergreen venture fund that offers investors the flexibility to buy or sell units quarterly. Loyal invests early in top founders from three global networks and earns loyalty for preferred access to follow-on deals. Kamal's 20-year career as an entrepreneurial CEO and 15 years as an angel investor inspired the creation of Loyal. He draws upon his experiences as a Global Director with the Founder Institute, former INSEAD Alumni Association President, consultant at Bain & Co., and engineer at IMAX. Kamal holds an INSEAD MBA and a degree in engineering physics from Queen’s University. He’s well-traveled, having visited over 100 countries, and speaks five languages. Baron is a Silicon Valley–based educator-turned-investor with a rare blend of “on-the-ground” institutional operations and early-stage tech investing expertise. For over a decade, he’s taught entrepreneurship and economics at Saint Francis High School (a Catholic high school in Mountain View, CA), and led high-stakes programs including a summer-school operation with a seven-figure budget. Parallel to his instructional work, Baron has invested via Sand Hill Angels in Seed-to-Series A startups, with a particular eye for startups rewriting legacy, high-friction industries through data-driven, compliance-rich vertical software platforms. Baron also brings a multi-generational stewardship lens to his work. He is the Managing Member of the Baron Family Fund, a single-family office, and he serves on the Investment Committee of the John Sheehy Company, a family enterprise founded in 1901. Most recently, he joined the Advisory Group for Santa Clara University’s new Social Impact MA program, helping shape an executive-level pipeline for the next generation of nonprofit and social-sector leaders. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies like TheAgentic, STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world’s largest full-stack venture ecosystem. It’s over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go — everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent need to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.
🎙️ NEW EPISODE ALERT — Silicon Valley Impact This week, we sat down with two powerhouse innovators: Jackie Wu and Alan Malon. ⭐ Jackie Wu — From Refugee to Top 1% Sales Leader & Global Coach Jackie’s story is one of extraordinary transformation. From escaping war-torn Vietnam and arriving in the U.S. barely speaking English… to building a career that spans Stanford University, Nvidia, and becoming a Top 1% nationwide Enterprise Sales Professional across multiple Fortune 500 companies. During the pandemic, Jackie launched Treasure Life’s Journey from scratch—and within a year, was serving clients across multiple continents. Today, she coaches founders and revenue leaders using her signature method: 🔥 Quick Sales Conversion — One Conversation to YES™ – The same method she used to close $228,000 with Tiffany & Co. in under 30 minutes, – And win the support of California State Treasurer Fiona Ma in just 7 minutes. Jackie teaches entrepreneurs how to grow faster, avoid burnout, and bypass the endless follow-ups and drawn-out negotiations that drain time and profit. ⭐ Alan Malon — Serial Entrepreneur & AI Trailblazer Alan has been deep in LLMs and SLMs since 2019, advancing his research at Stanford. He’s raised venture capital in both Latin America and Silicon Valley and worked with tier-1 accelerators and global VCs. His track record includes: ⚙️ 10+ years scaling B2B platforms serving 3,000+ businesses 🚀 Pioneering the “Automated Social Media Content” category in 2017 📈 Scaling Brazil’s fastest-growing MarTech to market leadership (2022) 💸 Supporting founders in raising millions—including X.ai’s $1B round This—and so much more—is inside this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, where business insight meets startup innovation. 🎧 Listen now: Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact 🌐 Special Thanks & Venture Partners Silicon Valley Venture, LLC—the parent of Silicon Valley Impact—is a proud global venture partner to world-class organizations including TheAgentic, STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower – Oakland. Explore the world’s largest full-stack venture ecosystem (1.2M+ sq ft of Live | Work | Play | Go): 🔗 https://www.theagentic.ai 🔗 https://stakspace.com 📅 Upcoming Events & Partnerships 📍 Alternative Investing Summit 2025 Dana Point | Dec 7–9 Tickets → https://opalgroup.net/conference/alternative-investing-summit-2025/ 📍 IIT 2026 Conference Long Beach | April 22–25 Register → https://www.iit2026.org/register ⚠️ Disclaimer The opinions shared by hosts and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and do not constitute financial advice. Please consult a professional before making financial or business decisions.
🎙️ This Week on Silicon Valley Impact We’re coming to you from beautiful Napa Valley, California, where we hosted an Opal Spotlight episode at the Family Office & Private Wealth Forum West (October 22–24). Over three incredible days, we connected with some of the smartest—and kindest—leaders shaping the future of family offices, private wealth, and innovation. A huge thank you to David Liebowitz and the entire Opal Group team for inviting Silicon Valley Impact to capture insights and stories from some truly remarkable individuals, including: ✨ Jacqueline (Jackie) Mirkopoulos ✨ Skip Coomber ✨ Bobby Console-Verma ✨ Sanjay Shrivastava ✨ Rick Spencer ✨ Mike Moore ✨ Frank Roberson ✨ Frank Rohde ✨ James Rosebush ✨ Samy Dwek ✨ Denny Lancer & Carrie Graham Thank you all for sharing your time, insights, and stories with us. Episodes from our Opal Spotlight Series drop Tuesday October 28th on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. Stay tuned—this one’s full of heart, wisdom, and impact straight from Napa Valley. 🍷🎧 This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! We will see you in Dana Point for the Alternative Investing Summit 2025! Get your tickets here: https://opalgroup.net/conference/alternative-investing-summit-2025/ Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like TheAgentic, and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture. Event Partnerships: Join us in San Francisco October 27th-29th, for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Get your tickets here (use promo code: siliconvalley25 to get 25% off your ticket purchase): https://tcrn.ch/41JLNgv
On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we’re talking health and startups with Dr. Ashish Atreja, Dr. Luke Blauch, Ph.D., and Nick Larson — Founder of Silicon Zombies Live Show & Podcast and Co-Founder of the Ageless Evolution Longevity Summit. Dr. Ashish Atreja, known as “The App Doctor,” is a nationally recognized physician executive, entrepreneur, and founder of GVX Venture Accelerator and GenServe.AI. A pioneer in evidence-based digital medicine (EBDM), he has led digital transformation at leading institutions including UC Davis Health, where he served as Chief Information and Digital Health Officer, and Mount Sinai Health System, where he founded the AppLab innovation hub and earned patents for prescribing digital apps and AI tools. He has founded multiple ventures from academia, including Rx.Health, acquired after impacting over 30 million patient lives, and VALIDAI.Health, a national initiative advancing responsible generative AI in healthcare. A fellow of the ACP and AGA, Dr. Atreja continues to drive the future of AI-enabled healthcare through innovation, entrepreneurship, and impact-driven leadership. Dr. Luke Blauch, Ph.D., is an expert in building high-throughput technologies for biological applications and the Founder and CEO of DropXcell. After experiencing the inefficiencies of drug development firsthand, Luke set out to create technology that makes drug discovery faster, cheaper, and more effective. During his Ph.D. at Stanford University, he worked to solve complex engineering problems for top scientists, including a Nobel Prize winner, and published research in top journals such as Science and PNAS. In industry, he previously led the development of high-throughput screening platforms as an early scientist at VC-funded biotech startups. At DropXcell, Luke’s goal is to test thousands of times more drug molecules for function—derisking drug discovery and ensuring only the best molecules reach patients. He invented the Xcell Drop screening technology, is an author on multiple patents, and is enabling AI-driven drug discovery to reach its full potential. Nick Larson is a Bay Area native with a passion for people, technology, and surfing. A serial founder, Nick has started and scaled mission-driven companies such as Willow—an AI social media platform backed by investors including Google and Green Park Ventures (now valued at over $200M)—and OnePiece Work, a co-working and accelerator space that expanded to 12 locations with investment from UpHonest Capital. Nick was named one of PRWeek’s “25 Most Influential People in Communications Technology” (2021) and is the host of Silicon Zombies, a live show and ecosystem that demystifies emerging technology and highlights the brightest minds in the industry. He was also recognized as one of LinkedIn’s “Top Voices”, an honor awarded to just 300 people worldwide each year. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like TheAgentic, and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture. Event Partnerships: Join us in Napa, October 22nd-24th for the Opal Group Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gjeSSHTP. Join us in San Francisco October 27th-29th, for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Get your tickets here (use promo code: siliconvalley25 to get 25% off your ticket purchase): https://tcrn.ch/41JLNgv Join us October 27th, following Day 1 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, for the "Venture Partner 'Unofficial TechCrunch Disrupt 2025' Afterparty: Silicon Valley's Best!" Get you tickets here while they last: https://luma.com/3w4qt0r2 Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.
On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact my good friend, Founder and General Partner of GoodTrouble Ventures, AJ Thomas is back on the set to help me guide the conversation with Kelly Steven-Waiss, Chief Transformation Officer at ServiceNow, and Shelly Morales, Founder and CEO at MoralesHR. Today we’re talking about talent, enterprise AI strategy and so much more. Kelley is Chief Transformation Officer at ServiceNow, where she helps global enterprises drive digital and workforce innovation. Formerly Founder & CEO of Hitch Works (acquired by ServiceNow), Kelley brings 30+ years of executive experience, including 13 as CHRO in tech. A Forbes HR Council member and published author of The Inside Gig and Valley Girls, she serves on the board of FormFactor (NASDAQ: FORM) and is recognized among the most influential voices shaping the future of work and HR technology. Shelly is the Founder & CEO of MoralesHR, a recruiting firm connecting transformative leaders with top startups and investors. A former executive at LinkedIn, Juniper Networks, and Cadence Design Systems, she blends startup agility with enterprise depth. Shelly also serves as Chief Activation Officer at Polymathic, helping align talent, capital, and vision, and is known for her trusted network spanning tech, venture, and innovation communities. AJ is the CEO of The Troublemaker Lab and Founding General Partner of Good Trouble Ventures, investing in technologies powering the future of creativity and digital transformation. A futurist and leadership advisor, she has guided Fortune 100s and global startups on innovation and AI-driven growth. AJ also serves as CXO-in-Residence at A.Team, faculty at Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute, and Forbes contributor on leadership and the evolving world of work. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like TheAgentic, and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture. Event Partnerships: Join us in Napa, October 22nd-24th for the Opal Group Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gjeSSHTP. Join us in San Francisco October 27th-29th, for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Get your tickets here (use promo code: siliconvalley25 to get 25% off your ticket purchase): https://tcrn.ch/41JLNgv Join us October 27th, following Day 1 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, for the "Venture Partner 'Unofficial TechCrunch Disrupt 2025' Afterparty: Silicon Valley's Best!" Get you tickets here while they last: https://luma.com/3w4qt0r2 Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.
On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Kelli Richards: Founder, President & Chief Connections Officer of The All Access Group LLC; Ivan Linn, CEO of Wavv, and Filip Orth, Principal at ZAKA Venture Capital, and Head of North America at Cleevio. Kelli is a recognized leader where Silicon Valley meets Hollywood. A longtime Apple executive overseeing music and entertainment, she has worked with top tech and media innovators, celebrities, and entrepreneurs to reimagine how content is created, monetized, and distributed. A strategist, visionary, and super-connector, Kelli thrives at the intersection of innovation and creativity—working on cool things with cool people. As a certified executive coach and trusted advisor for nearly 25 years, she has guided visionary founders, creative leaders, and HNW individuals through pivotal transitions toward more meaningful and fulfilling next chapters. Her work blends business strategy with personal reinvention to help clients fine-tune their legacies. A published thought leader, Kelli has authored books and articles in major outlets and is a frequent guest on podcasts and at events. She holds an MBA, two coaching certifications, and was named a Top 100 Woman of Influence by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Learn more at kellirichards.com. Ivan is a Taiwanese-American entrepreneur and CEO of Wavv, leading innovation at the crossroads of technology and entertainment. With deep expertise in generative AI, he’s transforming how audiences experience music, gaming, and digital content. Under his leadership, Wavv has launched groundbreaking projects—including a gaming title that generated $35 million in its first year—and contributed to global franchises like Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts. Ivan also produced the Assassin’s Creed Symphony World Tour, merging live performance with interactive technology to redefine audience engagement. His vision for Wavv centers on AI-driven platforms that empower creators, enhance fan connection, and modernize content distribution. Ivan’s work continues to shape the future of entertainment through innovation, interactivity, and impact. Filip is Principal at ZAKA VC and Head of North America at Cleevio, where he leads the firm’s Silicon Valley office. He focuses on seed and pre-seed investments in biotech and life sciences, as well as deeptech with an emphasis on robotics and industrial technologies. Originally from Slovakia, Filip began his career in venture capital and tech sales before moving to Silicon Valley for his university studies, which sparked his passion for the VC industry and innovation ecosystem. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like TheAgentic, and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture. Event Partnerships: Join us in Napa, October 22nd-24th for the Opal Group Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gjeSSHTP. Join us in San Francisco October 27th-29th, for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Get your tickets here (use promo code: siliconvalley25 to get 25% off your ticket purchase): https://tcrn.ch/41JLNgv Join us October 27th, following Day 1 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, for the "Venture Partner 'Unofficial TechCrunch Disrupt 2025' Afterparty: Silicon Valley's Best!" Get you tickets here while they last: https://luma.com/3w4qt0r2 Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.
On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Shashi Tripathi, Managing Partner at Nurture Growth Fund; Leah Houston, MD, Founder and Product Owner of Evercred; and Dave Scott is the CEO of Evil Genius Games. Shashi brings over 25 years of global experience in operational leadership, venture capital, and product-driven innovation. He has built, scaled, and advised businesses across enterprise technologies, AI, healthcare, FinTech, and SaaS—delivering measurable value to shareholders, customers, and teams. Shashi currently serves as a board member, investor, and advisor to high-growth companies across the U.S., Europe, India, and APAC. He launched and fully deployed a top-performing venture fund, investing in 42+ companies with a zero-failure record to date. Recognized for his ability to navigate complexity, scale innovation, and unlock enterprise value, Shashi is known as a trusted leader in both boardrooms and executive teams worldwide. He also serves as Chairman for the IIT 2026 Conference in Long Beach, taking place April 22–25, 2026. Dr. Houston, Founder and Product Owner of Evercred, an AI-powered credential data wallet transforming how healthcare credentials are managed. After nearly a decade practicing emergency medicine across the U.S., she experienced the inefficiencies of onboarding and credentialing firsthand. This led her to pursue advanced training in AI and health technology at MIT and launch Evercred, which empowers physicians to own and control their verified credentials while streamlining workforce mobility. Evercred’s beta version is already revenue-generating, with enterprise solutions in development to deliver seamless, perpetual primary source verification across the healthcare ecosystem. Dave, CEO of Evil Genius Games, a leading publisher of tabletop roleplaying games including the flagship Everyday Heroes TTRPG and licensed campaign settings such as Pacific Rim, Kong: Skull Island, Highlander, Escape from New York, Total Recall, Rambo, Universal Soldier, and The Crow. With over 20 years of senior marketing leadership, he has served as Global Head of Marketing Strategy & Operations at AWS and held executive roles at top software companies. Recognized as both “CMO of the Year” and “Marketer of the Year,” Dave is also the author of The New Rules of Lead Generation and The Essentials of Small Business Marketing, both published by Harper Collins. He holds dual bachelor’s degrees from The College of William and Mary and an MBA from the Wharton School, and currently serves on the boards of his alma mater, Goodwill, and Powerful Schools, as well as being an active member of Rotary International. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like TheAgentic, and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture. Event Partnerships: Join us in Napa, October 22nd-24th for the Opal Group Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gjeSSHTP. Join us in San Francisco October 27th-29th, for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Get your tickets here (use promo code: siliconvalley25 to get 25% off your ticket purchase): https://tcrn.ch/41JLNgv Join us October 27th, following Day 1 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, for the "Venture Partner 'Unofficial TechCrunch Disrupt 2025' Afterparty: Silicon Valley's Best!" Get your tickets here while they last: https://luma.com/3w4qt0r2 Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets and register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.
On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Jing Kuang, Founding Partner of Y Plus Ventures; David Sarabia Founder / CEO at inRecovery - Addiction Recovery Platform, serial entrepreneur with an incredible story on how to build and “recover;” and David Menard, Co-Founder & CTO at The Care Connxion, General Partner at Invaluable labs, and investor. Listening as they bring a fresh perspectives on building, “rebuilding," investing, and scaling in the age of AI. Jing, Founding Partner of Y Plus Ventures, is a modern VC fund investing in consumer AI startups at the earliest stages. With 20 years of experience spanning consumer brand-building, entrepreneurship, and global capital markets, Jing brings a rare blend of operating and investment expertise. Her “Radical Duality—Human-Centered, AI-Partnered” philosophy guides Y+ Ventures’ proprietary sourcing and diligence tools, delivering strategic value to both founders and LPs. Previously, she was President & CEO of Yongjia Capital, where she led over $50B in cross-border M&A and capital markets transactions for Fortune 500 and high-growth tech clients. Jing holds an MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business, chairs the Stanford GSB VC Alumni Club, and serves on the Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurship investment committee. David S. is a serial entrepreneur with three successful exits, including UPrinting (acquired by Insight Partners, now valued at $1.4B) and eMobileCart (sold to Magento). He also held leadership roles at US Auto Parts (NASDAQ: PRTS) and advised early on at Tradesy, which went on to raise $75M. After overcoming his own battle with addiction, David founded inRecovery in 2017 — a health-tech platform using blockchain, machine learning, and data-driven care to modernize addiction treatment. Backed by StartupHealth and multiple funding rounds, inRecovery serves as an operating system for treatment centers and individuals, offering personalized therapy, engagement tools, and long-term support for recovery. David M. is a patented inventor, software engineer, and business developer focused on digital assets, agentic workflows, and decentralized systems. A builder at the intersection of AI, Web3, and fintech, he drives innovation where automation meets ownership. After a successful startup exit, David is now scaling new ventures that are redefining how we interact with technology, assets, and legal frameworks. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like TheAgentic, and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture. Event Partnerships: Join us in Napa, October 22nd-24th for the Opal Group Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gjeSSHTP. Join us in San Francisco October 27th-29th, for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Get your tickets here (use promo code: siliconvalley25 to get 25% off your ticket purchase): https://tcrn.ch/41JLNgv Join us October 27th, following Day 1 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, for the "Venture Partner 'Unofficial TechCrunch Disrupt 2025' Afterparty: Silicon Valley's Best!" Get you tickets here while they last: https://luma.com/3w4qt0r2 Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.
On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Dr. Preetha Ram, Managing Partner at Pier 70 Ventures; and Simon Lancaster is the Founding General Partner of Omni Ventures. Together, they share how they’re shaping the future of health and manufacturing while backing the next generation of groundbreaking founders. Dr. Preetha Ram is an award-winning thought leader, entrepreneur, and investor recognized for driving innovation toward measurable outcomes in health, education, and technology. She is Managing Partner at Pier 70 Ventures, investing in startups shaping the future of health, where she oversees portfolio management, deal flow, and founder development. As cofounder and CEO of OpenStudy, a peer-to-peer social learning platform, she raised multimillion-dollar funding from the National Science Foundation, NIH, Gates Foundation, Hewlett Packard Foundation, and Learn Capital. Under her leadership, OpenStudy scaled to 60M+ learners worldwide, became a multimillion-dollar business, earned recognition from Fast Company and TechCrunch, and led to a successful exit. Her career spans academia and entrepreneurship. She served as Associate Dean at Emory University, Executive Dean at Alliant University, and Associate Provost at Harrisburg University, and has been honored with the Andrew Heiskell Award for Study Abroad, Emory’s Winship Award of Excellence for Teaching, and the Innovators Spotlight Award sponsored by Melinda Gates. A committed supporter of #womeninSTEM and #femalefounders, Dr. Ram advises startups globally and serves on the boards of Emote, Hereafter.ai, and ASEI. She is a frequent international speaker, TEDx presenter, and mentor with the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship. Her education includes a PhD in Chemistry from Yale University, an MBA from Emory’s Goizueta Business School, and an undergraduate degree from IIT India. Simon Lancaster is the Founding General Partner of Omni Ventures — The Manufacturing Tech VC, a first-check fund backing founders reimagining the future of manufacturing. Omni invests $500K–$1M at pre-seed in companies building breakthroughs in Manufacturing AI, robotics, and automation to digitize trillion-dollar supply chains. Before launching Omni, Simon spent 15+ years driving product innovation at Apple, Google, and BlackBerry, where he developed breakthrough materials, advanced automation processes, and award-winning designs. His work earned 54+ patents as well as Red Dot and Good Design Awards. At Omni, Simon works shoulder-to-shoulder with founders from day one — helping refine product vision, build world-class teams, and unlock follow-on capital from leading firms including Khosla Ventures, Eclipse, and Kleiner Perkins. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like TheAgentic, and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.
On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we speak with Prof. PK Prasanna Kumar and Tallulah Le Merle about pioneering AI innovation, global investment, and the strategies shaping the next era of technology and business. PK is a distinguished serial entrepreneur, investor, bestselling author, and C-level executive with over 25 years of leadership experience in scaling businesses, driving digital transformation, and securing strategic capital. A trusted board advisor and visionary leader, PK has pioneered AI- and cloud-driven innovations across multiple industries, including healthcare, insurance, capital markets, edtech, medico-legal, and energy. Tallulah is both a technologist and a humanist. An AI advisor, investor, and Partner at Fifth Era, she has spent over a decade in artificial intelligence, beginning as a consultant for FTSE 100 companies before serving as a fractional COO for AI scale-ups. She speaks globally on AI, hosts Fresh AI—the world’s first fully AI-generated daily news podcast—and is passionate about the intersection of AI with human psychology, wellbeing, and human potential. A dual U.S./U.K. citizen, she splits her time between the Bay Area, London, and Paris. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like Stak Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.
On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we’re bringing you a full house of insights from leaders shaping capital markets, global ventures, AI, and founder tools. 🌟 Mohammad Hasham – Partner & West Region Leader for Capital Markets and IPO at CohnReznick. With 17+ years in financial leadership, capital markets, and IPO advisory, he’s guided domestic and international companies through complex public transactions. He also founded the American Founders & Leaders Community, best known for its exclusive FounderFuel dinners connecting top executives, founders, and VCs. 🌟 Naveen Kumar – CEO of Nityo Infotech and Founder of KFC Ventures. With 25+ years in IT services and venture building, Naveen has scaled Nityo into a global powerhouse spanning consulting, technology, and training. Through KFC Ventures, he’s backing early and growth-stage startups worldwide, with a vision of taking Nityo public in the near future. 🌟 William Reid – CEO of ShoeboxIQ, the first AI platform built to cut audit burdens by up to 85% while boosting accuracy and margins. His leadership journey includes roles at PayPal, Visa, American Express, and Protiviti Consulting, where he delivered transformative fintech solutions. He’s also been a founder and advisor to startups in BNPL, credit scoring, expense management, and fractional assets. 🌟 Abdul Mukati – Founder of Master Inbox, the AI-powered inbox designed for lead gen agencies and SaaS founders. Master Inbox unifies email and LinkedIn into a smart workspace that sorts by client, drafts replies, summarizes conversations, and tracks every follow-up — giving founders their unfair advantage in scaling. 🎧 This episode dives deep into IPO readiness, global scaling, AI transformation, and founder tools that remove chaos from growth. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like Stak Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.
On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we give you the live recording from STEP San Francisco 2025, a two-day startup and technology conference held August 20–21 at The Midway in San Francisco. STEP SF brought together founders, investors, and tech leaders to explore the future of artificial intelligence, deep tech, and global scaling strategies. Brian Sparkes moderates a powerhouse panel of four leading venture capitalists in a conversation titled: “Investing in Real AI, Not Just Hype: Agents, Models, and the Apps Built on Them.” The discussion dives into what separates breakthrough AI companies from the noise, and how investors are thinking about long-term value creation in one of the most transformative markets of our time. The panel features: SC Moatti (Mighty Capital) – Founding Managing Partner at Mighty Capital, SC is a renowned product leader turned investor, celebrated for building products used by billions at Meta and Siebel Systems. Today, she backs companies shaping the enterprise future, including Amplitude and Groq, and is recognized as one of the top venture capitalists in Silicon Valley. Jon Chu (Khosla Ventures) – Partner at Khosla Ventures, Jon leads the firm’s AI investments with a sharp focus on infrastructure, applications, and developer tools. His journey from Palantir engineer to founder (Koality, acquired by Docker) to investor gives him a rare operator-investor perspective on what it takes to scale the next generation of AI companies. Eric Anderson (Scale Venture Partners) – Partner at Scale, Eric specializes in early-stage investments in AI, cloud infrastructure, and security. A former Google Cloud and AWS product leader, he helped launch foundational data and ML products before turning to venture, where he now backs and advises some of the most innovative enterprise startups. Allen Taylor (Endeavor Catalyst) – Managing Partner of Endeavor Catalyst, Allen brings two decades of experience supporting high-growth companies in emerging markets. He has helped raise and deploy over $500M across 360+ investments globally, with a mission to empower founders building category-defining companies far beyond Silicon Valley. Tune in for a rare inside look at how top venture capitalists are navigating the AI wave—and what it means for the future of startups worldwide. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like Stak Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.
On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we have Part 3, of “Opal Spotlight” from San Francisco, California, at the Opal Group AI/Tech Investing Forum. Join us for the third and final part of "Opal Spotlight" as we share the stories from Opal speakers who are making an impact! In order of appearance: Olivier Viatour is the founder of TableCoin. Olivier created a Web TV before Youtube, published 20+ books and produced over 1000 shows with 300+ Michelin star chefs around the World. He made half a billion prime time TV viewers in China. He will now bring the TableCoin mainstream while making cooking become a sport all over the globe. Hamlet Yousef is the Managing Partner at IronGate Capital Advisors. Investing in early stage technology that enhances the National Defense. With over 20 years of sales, business development, and strategic growth expertise, Hamlet has worked with companies ranging from early-stage ventures to Fortune 100 enterprises across disruptive and emerging technologies. His experience spans leading a 600+ person sales force, driving international business development across the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, and conducting extensive operational and financial due diligence on behalf of investors and private stakeholders. He brings a proven track record in P&L management, cultivating global markets, and building long-term strategic growth opportunities across diverse industries. Marty Sprinzen is the CEO of Vantiq Corporation (automate AI in real time), a platform for building real-time, AI-driven business applications. With a career spanning systems management, relational databases, and internet application development, I’ve focused on creating technologies that help organizations harness data while keeping people at the center of decision-making. At Vantiq, we integrate legacy systems, IoT, and AI to reduce inefficiencies and enable scalable, intelligent systems that respond instantly to events. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (Accounting and Advisory professionals), and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact.” Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like Stak Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.
On this weeks episode of Silicon Valley Impact we have Part 2, of “Opal Spotlight” from San Francisco, California, at the Opal Group AI/Tech Investing Forum. Joining us for the second of a 3-part series of "Opal Spotlight" as we share the stories from Opal speakers who are making an impact! In order of appearance: Matthew Houston – Mighty Capital Tech sales leader with 7+ years of quota-smashing success, ex-US Navy submariner, and global project manager. Now heads Early Engagement at Hawk Ridge Systems and invests actively while serving on the Students Rising Above board. When not closing deals, he’s racing superbikes or cooking for friends. Deborah Magid – NextStar Co-Founder of NextStar Venture Partners, investing in early-stage AI-enabled startups. Former IBM Ventures Director of Strategy with global responsibility for VC relationships, sourcing acquisitions, and strategic alliances. Advisor on AI, climate, cybersecurity, and entrepreneurial ecosystems worldwide. Lisa Carmen Wang – Bad Bitch Empire Hall of Fame gymnast turned 3x entrepreneur, best-selling author, and Forbes 30 Under 30 in VC. Founder of Bad Bitch Empire®, she’s helped women raise $50M+, spoken on 100+ global stages, and is redefining feminine leadership and wealth-building for the next generation. Dan Goldin – Former NASA Administrator NASA’s longest-serving Administrator, appointed by President George H.W. Bush. Revitalized the agency post–Cold War, launched the “Faster, Better, Cheaper” initiative, fostered international space cooperation, and led the Mars Sojourner rover mission. Member of the National Academy of Engineering. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like Stak Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.
On this week's special edition of Silicon Valley Impact, we give you “Opal Spotlight” from San Francisco, California, at the Opal Group’s AI/Tech Investing Forum. Joining us on today's show for the first of a 3-part series, we have some incredibly talented and insightful guests. In order of appearance, we have: David Leibowitz, SVP of Investor Relations, who is responsible for initiating and cultivating relationships with both private wealth and institutional allocators; leads the production of some of the company's largest and most impactful events; and manages a high-performing sales team of six members and an audience development team of 10 members, fostering collaboration, ensuring engagement, and supporting the company’s growth. Walid Mando, Founder of FORMA Development Design Management Alan Smithson, Private Investor at 6ix Ventures, author, and Advisory Board Member at the Global Family Office Investment Summit Kelli Richards – Director of Music & Entertainment Markets, developed and drove Apple's strategies in the music and entertainment markets. Trusted advisor to visionary founders, leaders & teams, creatives & innovators. Growth strategist, business development super-connector, music/media tech innovator & thought leader. LeAnita Ragland-Brooks – Global Keynote Speaker | Advisory Board Member | Leader known for business development and revenue growth with purpose and passion | CHIEF | Enterprise Relationship Management | Sales | Community Advocate Rikki Ragland at Rikki Ragland Media – Investor Communications | Healthcare AI | Public Speaker This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (Accounting and Advisory professionals) and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact. Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies like Stak Ventures and 1900 Broadway Tower – Oakland. Check out https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world’s largest full-stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go — everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent need to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation.
On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we speak with Blake Beltram, former founder of Mindbody and current founder of OffyO; Guy Horowitz of 33N Ventures; and Meg McWilliams, Founder and COO of Gossip Goblin. Blake is the co-founder of Mindbody, the global leader in wellness business software that helped transform the fitness industry and ultimately sold for nearly $2B. He introduced online class booking—pioneering a new era in Fit-Tech. Having thrived through the dotcom boom and helped lead the wellness tech revolution, Blake is now stepping into the AI era with OffyO: an AI Self-Evolution Companion designed to help people live healthier, happier lives. An author, mentor, and podcaster, Blake is known for fusing visionary thinking with pragmatic execution. His entrepreneurial memoir captures the raw reality of the founder’s journey, and his work continues to center on elevating the human experience. Having recently launched his daughter into college as a single father, Blake is once again building from zero—with clarity, purpose, and conviction. Guy is an entrepreneur-turned-VC who never really left the garage. While he primarily backs later-stage companies at 33N Ventures (and previously at DTCP), his heart still beats for early-stage founders and inception-stage chaos. A lifelong musician, Guy brings rhythm, instinct, and improvisation to the business world—traits that helped him spot some of Israel’s top cyber and SaaS stars before they made headlines. Now based in Silicon Valley, he’s blending Tel Aviv hustle with West Coast ambition, hunting for the next breakout. Whether on stage or in a boardroom, Guy is all about what matters most: helping others amplify their impact. Meg is the Co-Founder and COO of Unproductive AI, where she’s building Gossip Goblin—AI agents that help you meet the right people at events. Her passion lies in using technology to bring humans together. A community and event organizer since the age of five, Meg’s background is in VR and gaming. Most recently, she co-founded a game studio where she focused on creating truly social multiplayer experiences. All this and more on Silicon Valley Impact! 🎙️ Spotify: Listen here 🍎 Apple Podcasts: Listen here 📺 YouTube: Watch here We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (Accounting and Advisory professionals) and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and shared commitment to our vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact. Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to leading organizations like Stak Ventures and 1900 Broadway Tower – Oakland. Visit stakspace.com to access the world’s largest full-stack venture ecosystem: over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go—everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent need to gain global advantage, alignment, and acceleration. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult a professional before making any financial or business decisions.
On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we speak with Akash Saraf, Founder of TheAgentic—builders of the best large reasoning models for AI agents; Hans Sandhu, Chief Business Officer at TheAgentic with a focus on strategy and revenue; and Iddo Tal, Founder of Raise The Round. Akash is a serial entrepreneur with over $600M in acquisitions and a track record of building and scaling transformative companies. Inspired by his father, a pioneer in India’s tech revolution, Akash grew up immersed in technology and innovation. TheAgentic is the culmination of Akash’s lifelong journey of entrepreneurship, driven by a passion for creating impact through cutting-edge solutions. Iddo is the founder of Raise The Round, the Silicon Valley school of fundraising, where he shares the method he used to raise capital from hundreds of investors—without the need to chase intros, have a large network, or show significant traction. He has founded five startups; his last, invi, was acquired by Google, where the team helped grow Google Messages from 30M to 5B users. Iddo lives in Palo Alto with his wife, Tracy, and their two kids. Hans has built a career at the intersection of startup growth and flawless business execution. He brings deep roots in Silicon Valley and a passion for scaling venture-backed startups. With foundational GTM roles across Series A to C companies and leadership experience at both public and private firms, Hans has consistently driven millions in ARR and record-breaking customer growth. At SLI Systems, he rose from SDR to Head of North American Account Management, playing a key role in the company’s acquisition by ESW Capital. At SnapLogic, he helped launch the "Velocity" program, securing 44 net-new logos and building a GTM strategy that unlocked new markets and multimillion-dollar revenue. Currently an angel investor and LP in 7BC VC, Hans supports capital-efficient companies at the forefront of AI innovation. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact We’re grateful to our amazing partners—Withum (Accounting and Advisory Professionals) and Salesbricks 🧱—for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact. Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies like Stak Ventures and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world’s largest full-stack venture ecosystem. It’s over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go—everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent need to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate their ventures. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.
On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Christopher Peralta, Founder & CEO of Silicon Valley HQ, and Saurabh Bhatia Co-founder of FuturePath AI, and global investor. Join us as we talk about acceleration, investing, and building. Christopher Peralta is a seasoned business development executive with over 30 years of experience closing strategic and tactical deals across 50+ tech companies worldwide. His passion for building meaningful relationships is matched by his commitment to empowering what he calls "the 99%" — individuals who deserve access to quality education and employment opportunities. Since 2015, Christopher has focused on helping entrepreneurs and startups scale their businesses. He has curated and executed over 100 accelerator programs for governments and organizations in more than 10 countries, with a strong emphasis on fundraising and go-to-market strategies in the U.S. He has mentored more than 1,000 startups and was among the first mentors at Google Launchpad. His commitment to nurturing the next generation recently contributed to a student team winning a Google pitch competition out of 5,000 participants. As the Founder and CEO of Silicon Valley HQ (SVHQ), Christopher is building a next-generation workforce ecosystem designed to help over one million people in emerging markets — starting with the Philippines — overcome digital skills gaps and gain access to global job opportunities. SVHQ partners with leading universities, staffing firms, and training providers, integrating AI to enhance global competitiveness. The company also launched the Philippines’ first trusted AI agency, employing human AI Operators to curate and manage AI Agents for clients. Through this, SVHQ ensures emerging markets are not left behind in the digital revolution. Saurabh Bhatia is an AI builder and early-stage investor focused on real enterprise impact. He builds and backs AI-native companies solving hard problems—legacy systems, decision bottlenecks, and operational inefficiencies. His work spans product, GTM, and leadership, taking ventures from zero to meaningful traction. As an occasional investor, Saurabh backs hands-on founders with deep tech expertise, strong velocity, and sharp domain insight—primarily in Enterprise AI, automation, and healthcare. Previously, he scaled and exited Chocolate, a first-of-its-kind 100% server-side video SSP delivering over 20B+ monthly impressions. With a strong track record in scaling VC-backed startups, Saurabh brings the mindset of a builder, the experience of an operator, and the lens of an investor—in that order. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (Accounting and Advisory professionals), and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact.” Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like Stak Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.
On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Aytakin Aliyeva, Founder of Femigrants Foundation; Iryna Voskerician, Founder and Managing Partner of MachX; and Randy Marsden, CEO of Skidattl. Aytakin is the Founder of the Femigrants Foundation, a global community dedicated to empowering diverse female immigrants through connection, mentorship, and visibility. Featured in Forbes and Yahoo Business, Ika is a recognized social entrepreneur who transformed a group of 10 women into a thriving network of over 5,500 in just three years. She curates high-impact events in the Bay Area and London that unite immigrant leaders, expats, and changemakers, and she frequently speaks on international stages to amplify the voices of underrepresented women. Ika is a double Gold Award recipient from the Women Changing the World Awards 2023 in London and has been personally recognized twice by Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York. She was also named a Top 25 Female Influencer of 2023 by WomElle. Her inspiring journey has been featured in Forbes, Yahoo Finance, AP News, The Washington Times, London Daily Post, Huffmag, Intuit, and other global media. By leveraging LinkedIn, she scaled her personal brand from 500 to over 25,000 followers in just two years. Beyond her nonprofit work, Ika has over a decade of experience as a senior project manager, leading cross-functional teams at tech giants such as Instagram, Oculus, NVIDIA, and HTC VIVE. Iryna is the Founder and Managing Partner of MachX, a venture fund investing in frontier technologies across AI, biotech, space, media, and next-gen consumer innovation. She is currently a participant in the elite VC/PE Investor Accelerator at Venture University, where she collaborates with leading venture capitalists to source deals, conduct due diligence, and invest in high-growth startups. With over 15 years of corporate experience in procurement and supply chain strategy at global Fortune 500 firms, Iryna brings deep operational expertise and a data-driven lens to evaluating startups and scaling businesses efficiently. In parallel, Iryna is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Red Hot Monde Magazine, a boutique media platform spotlighting visionary founders, investors, and creatives in fashion, art, tech, and wellness. Her work as a brand strategist and publicist has positioned her as a go-to amplifier for CEOs, entrepreneurs, and luxury innovators. She is also Co-Executive Producer of Silicon Valley Stilettos, a bold reality TV series co-created with multiple Emmy Award-winner Rick Borjas. The show chronicles the journeys of powerful female entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, blending tech, culture, and ambition. Randy is a serial entrepreneur, inventor, and innovator with 27 patents and four successful exits to date. Currently, he serves as CEO of his fifth startup, Skidattl, which delivers augmented reality "virtual signs" at geo-located points—helping people rediscover the world around them through immersive technology. Previously, Randy served as Senior Director of Innovation at Nike, where he led groundbreaking work in sport science, including collaborations with Nike’s Sport Research Lab. Before Nike, he was a Senior Engineering Manager and Project Lead at Apple, where he joined via acquisition in 2014. At Apple, he contributed to text input systems and later became a founding manager and Product Lead for the Exposure Notifications project, Apple's global COVID-19 contact tracing technology. Earlier in his career, Randy founded or co-founded four companies focused on human-computer interaction—developing 12 commercial products, including Swype, DRYFT, Cleankeys, and adaptive tools like onscreen keyboards and head-tracking cameras for users with disabilities. A hands-on engineer at heart, Randy has deep experience across hardware and software. He has spoken on global stages, including a TED Talk that highlights his innovative work in accessible technology: Watch here. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on: 🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (Accounting and Advisory professionals), and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact.” Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like Stak Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.