Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Video Series

Alexandra Zatarain (Eight Sleep) - Getting to Product-Market Fit Jun 05, 2024

Alexandra Zatarain is the co-founder and VP of brand and marketing of Eight Sleep, the world’s first sleep fitness company. A marketer and brand-builder, Zatarain has built the Eight Sleep brand and scaled the company’s revenue from $0 to current state. Eight Sleep was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2018 and was recognized two years in a row as a TIME Best Invention of the Year. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Zatarain digs deep into the process of finding product-market fit, using examples from Eight Sleep’s struggles and successes.

Maria Barrera (Clayful) - Mental Health Tech, Mentally Healthy Startups May 29, 2024

Maria Barrera, a Stanford-educated engineer, is the founder and CEO of Clayful, a platform dedicated to providing essential mental health support for the TikTok generation. Today, Barrera’s company creates accessible resources for K-12 students and has already made a profound impact on thousands of students nationwide. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Barrera shares her journey to founding a mental health startup and how she incorporates strategies for mental wellbeing in her life and on her team. This talk includes references to trauma and suicide. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a trained listener, call 988. Visit 988lifeline.org for crisis chat services or for more information. The Crisis Text Line is a texting service for emotional crisis support. To text with a trained helper, text SAVE to 741741. It is free, available 24/7, and confidential.

David Allemann (On) - Exploration in Sports Technology May 22, 2024

David Allemann co-leads the Swiss sports company On, one of the fastest-growing global sports brands. He puts a special focus on product, design, marketing, and the direct-to-consumer business of On. Previously, Allemann worked at the intersection of business and creativity at McKinsey & Company, as managing director of the advertising agency Young & Rubicam, and as CMO of design brand Vitra. In this presentation, Allemann shares how he and his co-founders built their shoe company on a spirit of exploration, innovation, and positivity, and what aspiring entrepreneurs can learn from their experience.

Ali Ghodsi (Databricks) - Lessons from a Large Founding Team May 15, 2024

Ali Ghodsi is the CEO and co-founder of Databricks, a leader in data and AI. He pioneered the data intelligence platform built on a lakehouse architecture, revolutionizing analytics and AI for global organizations. Prior to becoming CEO, he served as the VP of engineering and product management. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Ghodsi Shares lessons he’s learned from being one of seven co-founders at Databricks and leading a company that began with open-source software.

Margo Georgiadis (Flagship Pioneering and Montai Health) - Deep Tech Innovation May 08, 2024

Margo Georgiadis is a CEO-partner at Flagship Pioneering and co-founder and CEO of Montai Health, an AI platform company enabling the predictable discovery of breakthrough small molecule medicines to treat and preempt chronic disease. In these roles, Georgiadis brings extensive expertise in technological innovation and high-performance business transformation and leverages her artificial intelligence and machine learning experience to advance biotech innovation. In this presentation and conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Georgiadis shares frameworks that Flagship uses to develop deep tech companies and her approach to addressing the challenges of drug discovery.

Sam Altman (OpenAI) - The Possibilities of AI May 01, 2024

Sam Altman is the co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, the AI research and deployment company behind ChatGPT and DALL-E. Altman was president of the early-stage startup accelerator Y Combinator from 2014 to 2019. In 2015, he co-founded OpenAI as a nonprofit research lab with the mission to build general-purpose artificial intelligence that benefits all humanity. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Altman gives advice for aspiring AI entrepreneurs and shares his insights about the opportunities and risks of AI tools and artificial general intelligence.

Qasar Younis (Applied Intuition) - Radically Pragmatic Insights Apr 24, 2024

Qasar Younis is the co-founder and CEO of Applied Intuition, which creates software solutions to help automakers, Tier 1 suppliers, and companies in the trucking, construction, and agriculture industries transition to next-generation vehicles. Before founding Applied Intuition, Younis was a partner and COO of Y Combinator. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Younis gives practical advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, especially students, and shares insights he’s gathered from his experience as an investor and founder.

Sharon Prince (Grace Farms Foundation) - Designing From Values Apr 17, 2024

Sharon Prince is the CEO and founder of Grace Farms Foundation, a new kind of boundary-defying public space in New Canaan, Connecticut, that has become widely known as a global humanitarian and cultural center. Grace Farms is the platform for the Foundation and its interdisciplinary humanitarian mission to pursue peace through nature, arts, justice, community, faith, and Design for Freedom, a global new movement to eliminate forced labor from the building materials supply chain. In this presentation, Prince explains the origin and possibilities of the Design for Freedom movement and shares how she designed Grace Farms to embody her vision and values.

Sophia Edelstein and Nathan Kondamuri (Pair Eyewear) - From Stanford Students to Co-CEOs Mar 13, 2024

Sophia Edelstein and Nathan Kondamuri are co-founders and co-CEOs of Pair Eyewear. Since its inception, Pair Eyewear has put consumers at the center of the innovation process, ensuring that the brand is at the forefront of redefining the eyewear experience by offering continual customizability, freedom of choice, and affordability for glasses. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Emily Ma, Edelstein and Kondamuri share their journey from coming up with an idea as Stanford students, to finding their first employees, to building company culture through rapid growth.

Clara Shih (Salesforce AI) - What No One Tells You About Entrepreneurship Mar 06, 2024

Clara Shih is CEO of Salesforce AI, the world’s most trusted enterprise AI for customer relationship management. A digital pioneer, Shih has been named one of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs, TIME’s Most Influential People in AI, and the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders. She is a member of the Starbucks board of directors and serves as executive chair of Hearsay Systems, a privately held digital software firm she founded in 2009. In this presentation, Shih shares unconventional advice for finding professional and personal success as an entrepreneur.

Shiza Shahid (Our Place) - A Meaningful Entrepreneurial Path Feb 28, 2024

Shiza Shahid is the co-founder and co-CEO of Our Place, a mission-driven startup reimagining kitchenware for the modern, multiethnic, global kitchen. Prior to Our Place, Shahid also co-founded the Malala Fund with Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. She led the organization as founding CEO, advocating for the rights of all girls to attend school. Shahid also launched NOW Ventures, an angel fund to invest in mission-driven startups. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Shahid shares how her life and career have shaped her view of entrepreneurship and offers advice for infusing mission and meaning into products and brands.

Daniela Amodei (Anthropic) - ‘Helpful, Honest, Harmless’ AI Feb 23, 2024

Daniela Amodei is president and co-founder of Anthropic, an AI safety and research company. Amodei manages the senior leadership team, leveraging her people and management experience to further the company’s goal of building reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Emily Ma, Amodei talks about how Anthropic’s team of co-founders have built values and ethical guardrails into their AI tools from day one, and how this can inform other AI companies.

Ernestine Fu (Brave Capital) - Taking Action for Startup Success Feb 14, 2024

Ernestine Fu is managing general partner of venture capital firm Brave Capital. Over the past decade, Fu has worked across the startup ecosystem, including negotiating merger and acquisition agreements, organizing SPVs for later-stage companies, angel investing in and advising companies that have since been acquired, and advising banks on venture debt. Alongside her role at Brave Capital, she is also a Venture Partner at Alsop Louie Partners. In this presentation and conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Fu inspires students and aspiring entrepreneurs by sharing things she wished she knew before coming to Stanford as a student.

Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao (Stanford) - Smart Leaders Understand Friction Jan 31, 2024

Robert I. Sutton is an organizational psychologist and professor emeritus of Management Science and Engineering in the Stanford School of Engineering. Hayagreeva “Huggy” Rao is the Atholl McBean Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a fellow of the Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Science, the Sociological Research Association, and the Academy of Management. In this conversation with Stanford lecturers Ravi Belani and Emily Ma, Sutton and Rao discuss their new book, “The Friction Project: How Smart Leaders Make the Right Things Easier and the Wrong Things Harder,” and offer advice and insights from their years of research and observation.

Adrian Rodriguez (Dreamlinks) - A Visually Impaired Founder’s Journey Jan 24, 2024

Adrian Rodriguez is the co-founder and CEO of Dreamlinks, a startup developing AI-powered building blocks that make creating virtual 3D worlds as fun as playing with LEGO bricks. Prior to founding Dreamlinks, Rodriguez taught game design at StreetCode Academy, created a web design course for blind programmers, and worked as the CTO of AMPAworks, a company that uses computer vision to automate inventory tracking in hospitals. In this presentation, Rodriguez shares his journey as an entrepreneur who is visually impaired, his dreams for helping other blind and visually impaired people with technology, and his lessons for other aspiring innovators.

Jessica Jackley (Kiva and Untapped Capital) - ‘What If?’ Changes the World Dec 06, 2023

Jessica Jackley is an entrepreneur and investor best known as the founder of Kiva, the first microfinance crowdfunding platform, with $2 billion in loans since 2005. She is currently a founder and general partner at Untapped Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm championing unexpected founders. In this presentation, Jackley shares her journey to becoming a mission-focused entrepreneur and offers insights to inspire others to ask, “What if things were different?”

Sarah Lamaison (Dioxycle) - Climate Tech Insights Nov 22, 2023

Sarah Lamaison is the co-founder and CEO of Dioxycle, which is pioneering sustainable chemistry by building breakthrough technologies that convert industrial carbon emissions into everyday chemicals with unprecedented energy and cost efficiency. In this presentation, Lamaison explains how her company fits into the future of carbon-capture technology, then shares advice for tech founders — especially in the climate tech industry —who want to build successful companies.

Michelle Lee (Medra) - From Conviction to Company Nov 15, 2023

Michelle Lee is the founder and CEO of Medra, which combines recent advances in robotics and computer vision to build lab automation technology. She has previously worked at NVIDIA, SpaceX, and McKinsey. Prior to founding Medra, Lee was an assistant professor in computer science and electrical computer engineering at New York University. In this presentation and conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Lee explains why she decided to start her deep tech company and uses her experiences to give advice to aspiring founders.

Andy Dunn (Bonobos) - Mental Health for Entrepreneurs Nov 08, 2023

Andy Dunn is an entrepreneur, author, and investor. Dunn co-founded the menswear e-commerce brand Bonobos in 2007 and served as the company’s CEO for its first 10 years, pioneering the digitally native brand movement. In 2022, Dunn published a memoir lifting the veil on the mental health demons he’d been privately battling as he built Bonobos. “Burn Rate: Launching a Startup and Losing My Mind” chronicles his journey at the intersection of entrepreneurship and bipolar disorder. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Dunn shares his experiences with bipolar disorder and encourages everyone to acknowledge mental health challenges, including in the world of entrepreneurs. This talk includes discussions of suicide and self-harm. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a trained listener, call 988. Visit 988lifeline.org for crisis chat services or for more information. The Crisis Text Line is a texting service for emotional crisis support. To text with a trained helper, text SAVE to 741741. It is free, available 24/7, and confidential.

Kathleen Eisenhardt (Stanford) - Strategy for New Companies Nov 01, 2023

Kathleen Eisenhardt is the Stanford W. Ascherman M.D. Professor in the Stanford School of Engineering. She is also a faculty member with STVP, the Stanford Engineering Entrepreneurship Center, and the Stanford Digital Economy Lab. Among the most widely cited entrepreneurship scholars in the world, Eisenhardt is the author of over 100 articles and several books, most recently (with Don Sull), “Simple Rules: How to Survive in a Complex World.” In this presentation, Eisenhardt shares strategies for founders of new companies in new and disrupted markets, providing case studies from her extensive research.

Andrew Ng (AI Fund) - The Near Future of AI Oct 25, 2023

Andrew Ng is the managing general partner at AI Fund, a startup studio building new AI companies from the ground up; the founder of DeepLearning.AI; and an adjunct professor of computer science at Stanford University. In this presentation and conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Ng talks about upcoming opportunities for entrepreneurs exploring AI technology and addresses questions of responsibility and risk.

Garry Tan (Y Combinator) - Unconventional Advice for Founders Oct 18, 2023

Garry Tan is president and CEO of Y Combinator, which funds hundreds of companies per year through a web-based application. Tan is also the co-founder, board partner and advisor of Initialized Capital, an early stage venture capital fund, and co-founded Posterous, a blog platform acquired by Twitter. In this presentation, Tan shares advice and insights for aspiring entrepreneurs and startup founders that challenges prevailing wisdom.

Cody Coleman (Coactive AI) - Starting from ‘Why’ Oct 11, 2023

Cody Coleman is the co-founder and CEO of Coactive AI, an analytics platform for visual content. Coactive AI leverages artificial intelligence to make it easy for enterprise companies to search, filter, and analyze large amounts of image and video data by bringing structure to unstructured data. In this presentation, Coleman shares how his life story has shaped the type of entrepreneur he aims to be. He gives advice for fellow founders who want to build positive company cultures and teams.

Josh Wolfe (Lux Capital) - Investing at the Cutting Edge Jun 07, 2023

Josh Wolfe co-founded Lux Capital to support scientists and entrepreneurs who pursue counter-conventional solutions to the most vexing puzzles of our time in order to lead us into a brighter future. The more ambitious the project, the better—like, say, creating matter from light. Wolfe is a director at Shapeways, Strateos, Lux Research, Kallyope, CTRL-labs, Variant, and Varda, and helped lead Lux Capital’s investments in Anduril, Planet, Echodyne, Clarifai, Authorea, Resilience, and Hadrian. He is a founding investor and board member with Bill Gates in Kymeta, which makes cutting-edge antennas for high-speed global satellite and space communications. In this presentation, Wolfe shares the principles that guide his entrepreneurship and investments, giving examples from companies he has founded and funded.

Rahul Roy-Chowdhury (Grammarly) - Responsible AI Innovation May 31, 2023

Rahul Roy-Chowdhury is Grammarly’s CEO as of May 1, 2023. He was previously the company’s Global Head of Product, overseeing everything that makes the company’s writing assistance software tick, managing the product, design, and data science teams. Before coming aboard at Grammarly, Roy-Chowdhury spent many years at Google leading the Privacy, Safety, and Security teams to unified solutions across Google’s product portfolio. In this presentation and conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Roy-Chowdhury Shares his company’s approach to building ethical AI tools and encourages aspiring entrepreneurs and tech leaders to get engaged in the conversation about responsible AI.

Claire Hughes Johnson (Stripe) - Scaling Operations and People May 24, 2023

Claire Hughes Johnson is a corporate officer and advisor for Stripe, a global technology company that builds economic infrastructure for the internet. From 2014 to 2021, Claire served as Stripe’s Chief Operating Officer, responsible for scaling the company’s worldwide operations to meet the needs of its rapidly growing user base. During her tenure as COO, Stripe grew from less than 200 employees to more than 6,000. She is also the author of Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building. In this presentation, Hughes Johnson shares her experiences as an operator and her advice for building effective systems and teams as a company scales.

Julia Collins (Planet FWD) - Opportunities in Climate Tech May 17, 2023

Julia Collins is the founder and CEO of Planet FWD, which is empowering the next generation of sustainable consumer companies with its climate management platform. Planet FWD is focused on decarbonizing global supply chains with the belief that all organizations can achieve Net Zero. The platform is inspired by Planet FWD’s own snack brand, Moonshot, which launched in 2020 as the first climate-friendly snack brand. In this conversation with Mo-Yun Lei Fong, executive director of STVP, the Stanford Engineering Entrepreneurship Center, Collins explains the growing climate tech market — especially the areas of decarbonization and climate accounting — and shares advice for founders based on her experience as a serial entrepreneur.

Ben Collier and James Kanoff (Farmlink Project) - Students Solving Hunger May 10, 2023

Ben Collier and James Kanoff are two co-founders of The Farmlink Project, a student-led movement that has provided over 100 million pounds of nutritious food to communities facing hunger in the United States. They started the project out of their college dorm rooms at Brown and Stanford University during the pandemic by renting a U-Haul truck to connect farmers with surplus to their local food bank. In this presentation, Collier and Kanoff share Farmlink’s story and how they have led the rapidly growing nonprofit through successes and struggles.

Frederic Kerrest (Okta) - The Truth about Entrepreneurship May 03, 2023

Frederic Kerrest is the executive vice chairman and co-founder of Okta. He is responsible for Okta's day-to-day operations, working with employees, partners, and customers to deliver on the company's vision of enabling any organization to use any technology. Kerrest is the author of “Zero to IPO,” a WSJ Bestseller guidebook to building startups featuring insights from some of the world’s most successful and recognizable entrepreneurs. He’s also the co-host of the “Zero to IPO” podcast. In this presentation, Kerrest shares stories from his life to illustrate the challenges and excitement of being an entrepreneur and offers practical advice for students starting their careers.

Ilya Sutskever (OpenAI) - Inside OpenAI Apr 26, 2023

Ilya Sutskever is the co-founder and chief scientist of OpenAI, which aims to build artificial general intelligence that benefits all of humanity. He leads research at OpenAI and is one of the architects behind the GPT models. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Sutskever explains his approach to making complex decisions at OpenAI and for AI companies in general, and makes predictions about the future of deep learning.

Deb Liu (Ancestry) - The Power of Scrappiness Apr 19, 2023

Deb Liu is the CEO of Ancestry. With over 19 years in the tech industry, she has been named one of Business Insider’s most powerful female engineers and one of PaymentsSource’s most influential women in payments. She was previously a senior executive at Facebook, where she created and led Facebook Marketplace. Her book, “Take Back Your Power: 10 New Roles for Women at Work,” was published in August 2022. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Liu shares stories from her successful career to illustrate the essential skills of scrappiness, being willing to learn, and using your power in positive ways.

Karabo Morule (Capital Art) - Empowering the African Art Economy Mar 15, 2023

Karabo Morule is the founder of Capital Art, which is an art fintech and the first art collection management service that is focused on collectors of modern and contemporary African art. Morule is also a non-executive director at TymeBank, South Africa’s first bank to have its core banking system in the cloud. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Vimbayi Kajese, Morule discusses the African art market, including the ways it’s been shaped by injustice and the opportunities it presents for cultural preservation and celebrating marginalized artists. Through her company’s technology, she is creating a more inclusive African art ecosystem by encouraging people of many income levels to view themselves as collectors.

Connie Chan (Andreessen Horowitz) - Career Advice from a VC Pro Mar 08, 2023

Connie Chan is a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, a Silicon Valley-based technology venture capital firm with $35B in assets under management across multiple funds, where she focuses on investing in consumer technology. Chan joined the firm in 2011 as a deal partner on the investment team before becoming a general partner in 2018. She serves on the boards of Cider, Whatnot, and KoBold. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Chan shares her career and life advice for college students and aspiring venture capitalists.

Austin Russell (Luminar) - Behind the Scenes of a Mega-Unicorn Mar 01, 2023

Austin Russell is the founder and CEO of Luminar, the 27 year old global leader in automotive lidar hardware and software technology. Under Russell’s leadership, Luminar has developed the first lidar and software technology capable of power producing autonomous vehicles, has amassed over 50 commercial partners including the majority of the world’s largest automakers, and went public on the Nasdaq in December 2020 with a current market valuation of approximately $7 billion. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Russell explains how he put his company on the path to enormous success through unconventional choices and a strong core mission.

Emmy Sobieski (Competitive Storytelling, Inc.) - Build Wealth with Personal Skills Feb 22, 2023

Emmy Sobieski, CFA, is the chief operating officer of Competitive Storytelling, Inc., which helps venture-backed founders from seed and beyond tell their story through methods such as the Founder Fundraising Program. Sobieski is also the author of the book $100M Careers: The 5 Fastest Paths to Wealth Beyond Your Wildest Dreams, released in December 2022. In this conversation with Mo-Yun Lei Fong, executive director of STVP, the Stanford Engineering Entrepreneurship Center, Sobieski shares her advice on how to develop personal skills that support building wealth and a successful career.

Nikil Viswanathan (Alchemy) - Lessons from a Stanford Success Feb 15, 2023

Nikil Viswanathan is the co-founder and CEO of Alchemy, the world's leading web3 developer platform. Alchemy is hailed as the fastest growing company in history, going from public launch to a $10 billion valuation in just 16 months. Alchemy powers over $100 billion in transactions globally, including the majority of the NFT industry, top web3 companies, and traditional enterprises. In this presentation, Viswanathan shares the key lessons he’s learned during his entrepreneurial journey, from his time as a student at Stanford to his success with Alchemy.

Dave Vasen (brightwheel) - Problem-Solving for a Unique Market Feb 08, 2023

Dave Vasen is the founder and CEO of brightwheel, the leading subscription software platform for early education. In April 2016, Vasen appeared on ABC’s “Shark Tank” and secured a $600,000 investment at one of the highest all-time valuations for the TV show. In this conversation with Stanford lecturer Emily Ma, Vasen shares his experience creating a software solution customized to fit the particular needs of the early childhood education space.

Annie Hockey (Column) - Reimagining Fintech Feb 01, 2023

Annie Hockey is the co-CEO of Column, a nationally chartered bank that publicly launched in 2022 for developers who are building modern financial products and services. Hockey leads, among other functions, the regulatory, legal, accounting, and human resources aspects of Column. In this conversation with Stanford lecturer Emily Ma, Hockey discusses how she and her co-founder/co-CEO have navigated the complex regulations of the banking industry while building an innovative fintech company.

Elise Densborn (Splendid Spoon) - From Customer to Co-CEO Jan 25, 2023

Elise Densborn is the co-CEO of Splendid Spoon, a direct-to-consumer meal delivery platform that offers ready-to-eat, plant-based meals. Densborn was first introduced to Splendid Spoon as a customer. After over a decade in the finance industry, she joined the Splendid Spoon team as a consultant in 2018 and quickly rose through the ranks in permanent roles as VP of finance and insights and COO, becoming co-CEO in 2021. In this conversation with Stanford lecturer Emily Ma, Densborn shares the advantages and challenges of being a woman and co-CEO at the intersection of food and technology.

Dante Disparte (Circle) - Ethical Crypto Innovation Dec 07, 2022

Dante Disparte is chief strategy officer and head of global policy at Circle, a global financial technology firm at the center of digital currency innovation and open financial infrastructure. He is responsible for overseeing the company strategy, communications, policy and public affairs. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Disparte discusses important lessons from high-profile failures in the financial tech industry and his hopes and advice for building an ethical and innovative future for blockchain and crypto-based companies.

Trevor Martin (Mammoth Biosciences) and Ursheet Parikh (Mayfield) - Building Biotech to Last Nov 23, 2022

Dr. Trevor Martin is the CEO and co-founder of Mammoth Biosciences, which addresses challenges across healthcare, agriculture, environmental monitoring, biodefense, and more through discovery of novel CRISPR systems to power the next generation of CRISPR-based synthetic biology products. Ursheet Parikh is a partner at the venture capital firm Mayfield, where he co-leads the Human and Planetary Health investment practice, which includes an investment in Mammoth. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Martin and Parikh share their advice for building a platform biotech company with staying power.

Charles Hudson (Precursor Ventures) - Breaking the Venture Capital Mold Nov 16, 2022

Charles Hudson is the founder and managing partner of Precursor Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm focused on investing in the first institutional round of investment for the most promising software and hardware companies. Under his leadership, Precursor Ventures has raised four funds and has over $175 million under management. He has invested in 250 companies and supported more than 400 founders, including the teams behind Clearco, Juniper Square, The Athletic, Incredible Health, Carrot, and Pair Eyewear. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Hudson discusses his views on the structural inequities in the venture capital industry and how he thinks people in the industry can work to create more access to funding for founders who don’t fit the traditional mold.

Jerrica Kirkley (Plume) and Kiki Freedman (Hey Jane) - Transforming Digital Healthcare Nov 09, 2022

Dr. Jerrica Kirkley is the chief medical officer and co-founder of Plume, a virtual healthcare center of excellence dedicated to the transgender community that provides gender-affirming medical care at the convenience of a smartphone. Kiki Freedman is the CEO and co-founder of Hey Jane, a virtual clinic offering telemedicine abortion care, which she founded while at Harvard Business School. In this conversation with Stanford Associate Professor Melissa Valentine, Kirkley and Freedman discuss the opportunities and challenges for entrepreneurs who want to help underserved patients while building successful digital healthcare companies.

Lisa Dyson (Air Protein) - Changing Processes for Climate Solutions Nov 02, 2022

Dr. Lisa Dyson is the founder and CEO of Air Protein, a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer company that is reinventing how food is produced in order to sustainably feed the global population, which is estimated to reach 10 billion people by 2050. Air Protein uses an innovative process that makes meat from elements of the air. In this conversation with Stanford Professor Tom Byers, Dyson discusses how her company is finding a totally new process to create a familiar product, and how innovations like these are part of solving climate change.

Innovating for a Sustainable World [Entire Talk] Oct 26, 2022

Tim Brown is the co-founder, co-CEO, and creative vision behind Allbirds, the sustainability-focused shoe company he co-founded in 2015. His experience as a World Cup soccer player for New Zealand led him to think about things on a grand scale, whether that be crafting shoes or running a business. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Brown discusses his predictions for a future economy shaped by carbon accounting and reflects on how aspiring entrepreneurs can learn from his experiences building a sustainable brand.

Meirav Oren (Versatile) - Forging Your Path as a New Founder Oct 19, 2022

Meirav Oren is the CEO and co-founder of Versatile, which aims to turn construction into a fully controllable manufacturing process and help professionals make rapid, data-driven decisions that support jobsite productivity and safety. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Oren encourages new founders to filter advice, learn how to ask for help, and build their companies with confidence.

Innovating Accessibly [Entire Talk] Oct 12, 2022

Jenny Lay-Flurrie is chief accessibility officer at Microsoft. Her team is at the forefront of creating positive experiences that apply technology to make a difference in the world and in the lives of individuals, from how Microsoft hires and supports people with disabilities in employment to innovative technology that aims to revolutionize what’s possible for people with disabilities. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Lay-Flurrie discusses the importance of strategically approaching accessibility and purposefully including people with disabilities in employment and innovation.

Josh Makower (Stanford University) – The Biodesign Innovation Process Jun 01, 2022

Josh Makower, MD, is the Boston Scientific Applied Bioengineering Professor of Medicine and of Bioengineering at the Stanford University Schools of Medicine and Engineering, and is the director and co-founder of the Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Makower unpacks the center’s biodesign process and encourages entrepreneurs to find opportunities in the world of health technology innovation.

John Felts (Cruz Foam) - Engineering Green Materials May 25, 2022

John Felts is the co-founder and CEO of Cruz Foam, which produces bio-benign foam and eco-friendly alternative packaging solutions that power key industry leaders to be the catalyst for a cleaner environment. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Toby Corey, Felts shares how his engineering studies and career led him to launching a startup, and offers advice for new tech entrepreneurs learning how to pitch to investors and build scalable solutions.

Kristen Fortney (BioAge) - Derisking Biotech May 18, 2022

Kristen Fortney is the co-founder and CEO of BioAge Labs, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a pipeline of treatments to extend healthy lifespan by targeting the molecular causes of aging. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Toby Corey, Fortney discusses strategies for reducing risk along the path to developing world-changing therapies.

Alfred Lin (Sequoia Capital) - Developing a Founder’s Mindset May 11, 2022

Alfred Lin is a partner at Sequoia Capital, where he focuses on consumer and enterprise investments and co-leads Sequoia’s early-stage investment business in the United States and Europe. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Lin offers advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and early-stage founders who want to identify worthwhile ideas and seed excellence in their startups.

Jorge Rios (Bridgefy) - Seizing Global Opportunities May 04, 2022

Jorge Rios is the founder and CEO of Bridgefy. Bridgefy’s technology helps millions of people around the world use mobile apps without an internet connection, through Bluetooth-based mesh networks for mobile. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Rios shares how his company’s success is rooted in a distinctly international approach to entrepreneurship.

Patrick Schmitt and Jenny Xia Spradling (FreeWill) - Building From Values Apr 27, 2022

Patrick Schmitt and Jenny Xia Spradling are the co-founders and co-CEOs of FreeWill, a social venture that has helped charitable organizations generate more than $5 billion in new planned gifts, stock gifts, and qualified charitable distributions. In this conversation with lecturer Toby Corey, Schmitt and Spradling discuss how they’ve built values such as kindness into their company from the beginning, and how entrepreneurs can use their company’s values and mission to drive fundraising and growth.

Irma Olguin, Jr. (Bitwise Industries) and Morgan Simon (Candide Group) - Innovating for Social Impact Apr 20, 2022

Irma Olguin, Jr. is the CEO and co-founder of Bitwise Industries, a startup founded in Fresno, California that aims to create diverse tech workforces that can reinvigorate underestimated cities across the United States. Morgan Simon is a founding partner of Candide Group, which works with families, foundations, athletes, and cultural influencers who want their money working for justice. She is also the author of Real Impact: The New Economics of Social Change. In this conversation with Stanford associate professor Chuck Eesley, Olguin and Simon discuss how impact investors can help a startup grow and how impact-driven organizations can shape the technology sector into a force for equity and social change.

Ranjay Gulati (Harvard Business School) - Finding a Deeper Purpose Apr 13, 2022

Ranjay Gulati is the Paul R. Lawrence MBA Class of 1942 Professor of Business Administration and the former unit head of the Organizational Behavior Unit at Harvard Business School. He is an expert on leadership in turbulent times, and his latest book, Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies (Harper Collins, February 2022), shows how companies can embed purpose to deliver impressive performance benefits that reward customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders, and communities alike. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Gulati discusses strategies for articulating a deep purpose and infusing it into company actions and culture.

Russ Altman (Stanford University) & Kim Branson (GSK) - Principled Engineering: AI and Drug Development Mar 09, 2022

Russ Altman is the Kenneth Fong Professor of Bioengineering, Genetics, Medicine, Biomedical Data Science and (by courtesy) Computer Science at Stanford University. His primary research interests are in the application of computing to problems relevant to medicine. Kim Branson is a senior vice president and Global Head of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning at GSK, where he leads the GSK.ai team, a group of nearly 100 machine learning researchers and engineers who are pioneering the application of AI to drug discovery and development. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer and STVP Director of Principled Entrepreneurship Jack Fuchs, Altman and Branson discuss how ethics and principles can shape innovation at the intersection of AI and drug development.

Paola Santana [GLASS] - Solving for Infrastructure Mar 02, 2022

A lawyer, public policy expert, and tech entrepreneur, Paola Santana is the founder and CEO of GLASS, a software ecosystem using artificial intelligence to power high-performing governments. Her work includes engaging with The White House, the United States Congress, the FAA, and NASA to enact regulatory frameworks for new transportation technologies, and developing public infrastructure projects in Latin America. Previously, she co-founded the autonomous drone pioneer Matternet. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Santana traces her unique path into entrepreneurship and shares her passion for solving difficult systemic challenges.

Cleantech 2.0 [Entire Talk] Feb 23, 2022

Alongside his wife Crystal, Chris Sacca built Lowercase Capital into an extraordinarily successful VC firm, leveraging very early-stage investments in transformational technology companies like Twitter, Uber, Instagram, and Stripe. He retired in 2017, but came out of retirement to head up the science and investing team at Lowercarbon Capital, which is pursuing ambitious solutions to the climate crisis through innovation in energy, building materials, transportation, food, industrial chemicals, reforestation, and more. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Sacca discusses how he found such success in early-stage investing, and explains why he thinks we’re entering a golden age of tech-driven climate solutions.

Bringing Your Whole Self to Your Venture [Entire Talk] Feb 16, 2022

Payal Kadakia is the founder of ClassPass, the health and wellness app that connects users to fitness classes and other health-positive experiences in 30 countries worldwide. Kadakia is also the founder and artistic director of The Sa Dance Company. Kadakia’s first book, LifePass: Drop Your Limits, Rise to Your Potential, is forthcoming in February 2022. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, she discusses reconciling her dual identities as a business leader and a dancer and her belief that we are our most successful when we bring our whole selves to work.

Serial Co-founders [Entire Talk] Feb 09, 2022

Jessica McKellar is the founder and CTO of Pilot, an accounting firm powered by software that has raised more than $160 million in venture capital funding. She also founded Zulip, a group collaboration tool that was acquired by Dropbox in 2014, and Ksplice, which was acquired by Oracle. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Emily Ma, McKellar discusses her 15-year journey founding three startups with her co-founders, as well as her passion for creating opportunities for the previously incarcerated.

A Personal Mission [Entire Talk] Feb 02, 2022

Josh Giegel is the co-founder of Virgin Hyperloop, a company dedicated to making hyperloop transportation a reality. Giegel founded the company in 2014, when hyperloop was an idea on a whiteboard in a garage. A little over two years later, Virgin Hyperloop built a full-scale prototype. Previously, at SpaceX, Giegel led the successful testing of six different rocket engines. He then shifted to leading research activities at Echogen Power Systems. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Emily Ma, Giegel shares his entrepreneurial story and explains how his personal mission statement shaped each step of the journey.

Better AI Through Better Data [Entire Talk] Jan 26, 2022

Alexandr Wang is the founder and CEO of Scale AI. He founded Scale while at MIT at the age of 19, after recognizing that he could accelerate companies’ abilities to deploy AI by combining a machine learning-powered data labeling system with human insight to ensure that models are trained on high-quality, trusted datasets. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Emily Ma, Wang discusses the essential role of high-quality data in building powerful, useful, and unbiased AI and machine learning systems.

Turning Data into Action [Entire Talk] Jan 19, 2022

Sara Menker is the founder and CEO of Gro Intelligence, which uses data, analytics, and forecasting models to inform companies involved in the agricultural supply chain and organizations impacted by climate change. Hans Tung is a managing partner at GGV Capital, focusing on early-stage investments across the global digital economy. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Emily Ma, Menker and Tung discuss the skills, tactics and technologies needed to solve complex, systemic challenges.

James Joaquin (Obvious Ventures) - World Positive Investing Nov 24, 2021

James Joaquin is the co-founder and managing director of Obvious Ventures, leading the team’s investments focused on plant-forward approaches to food (like Beyond Meat), “good for you” consumer goods (like Olly), and companies at the forefront of how people find and do their best work (like Incredible Health). Joaquin has been working in venture capital since 2007. Prior to investing, he served as president and CEO of Xoom.com and president and CEO of Ofoto, and co-founded When.com. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer and STVP director of principled entrepreneurship Jack Fuchs, Joaquin discusses his commitment to “world positive investing” and his belief that many highly successful 21st century businesses will be devoted to solving the world’s biggest problems.

E-commerce in Africa [Entire Talk] Nov 17, 2021

Juliet Anammah is the chairwoman of Jumia Nigeria and the Chief Sustainability Officer of Jumia Group, the largest e-commerce platform in Africa and the first African tech startup to be listed on the NYSE. She previously served as the CEO of Jumia Nigeria for more than 4 years, overseeing the growth and transition of Jumia Nigeria from online retail to a full digital ecosystem that included marketplace, logistics and payments services. In this conversation with Darius Teter, executive director of Stanford Seed, Anammah explores the challenges of building a marketplace business in Africa as well as the huge untapped potential of e-commerce on the continent.

Innovation in Ed-Tech and Biotech [Entire Talk] Nov 10, 2021

Daphne Koller is the CEO and founder of insitro, a machine learning-enabled drug discovery company. Previously, she was a professor of computer science at Stanford University for 18 years, co-founder and co-CEO of Coursera, and the Chief Computing Officer of Calico, an Alphabet company in the healthcare space. She received the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in 2004. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Koller examines the key turning points in her diverse and innovative career, and speaks about how she searched for the opportunities that would have the greatest impact on the world.

Reshma Saujani (Girls Who Code) - Fixing Tech’s Gender Gap Oct 27, 2021

Reshma Saujani is the founder of Girls Who Code and the Marshall Plan for Moms, and is the author of the forthcoming book Pay Up: The Future of Women and Work (and Why It's Different Than You Think). She has spent more than a decade building movements to fight for women and girls’ economic empowerment, working to close the gender gap in the tech sector, and most recently advocating for policies to support moms impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Saujani discusses the root causes of the gender gap in tech and explores what companies and individuals still need to do to make the field more fair and equitable.

James Reinhart (thredUp) - Scaling Sustainable Fashion Oct 20, 2021

James Reinhart is the co-founder and CEO of thredUP, one of the world's largest online resale platforms. thredUP designed a digital resale experience that aims to take the work and risk out of thrift in an effort to make used clothes the new normal and create a more sustainable future for fashion. Prior to thredUP, he helped develop one of the nation’s premier public schools, Pacific Collegiate School. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Reinhart discusses how thredUp arrived at its business model, and explores the challenges, pivots, and insights that emerged during thredUP’s decade-long journey to becoming a publicly traded company.

Lynda Kate Smith (mParticle) - Marketing for Entrepreneurs Oct 13, 2021

As the Chief Marketing Officer for companies that have included Twilio, Jive, Genpact, Nuance, and Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories, Lynda Kate Smith has owned go-to-market strategy and full marketing responsibilities across a diverse set of industries, particularly in the area of tech products and services. She is currently a consultant/fractional CMO for mParticle and Misty Robotics, and also teaches Global Entrepreneurial Marketing in Stanford University’s School of Engineering. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Smith walks listeners through the fundamental lessons of her Stanford class, using real-world examples to illustrate the importance of marketing in technology entrepreneurship.

Justin Kan (Twitch) - Finding Fulfillment in Entrepreneurship Oct 06, 2021

Justin Kan is an entrepreneur and investor best known as the co-founder of Twitch. In 2006, Kan launched the live video service Justin.tv, a company that started when he strapped a camera to his head and streamed his life to the internet 24/7. Over the next 8 years, he and his co-founders turned the business into Twitch, which ultimately sold to Amazon in 2014 for $970 million. Kan has also founded half a dozen other companies, raising more than $500 million in venture capital, and invested in numerous startups, including Reddit, Cruise Automation, Bird, and Rippling. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Kan discusses the highs and lows of his life in startups, and explores what both success and failure have taught him about building entrepreneurial resilience and finding satisfaction.

Ashley Flucas (Flucas Ventures) - The New Angel Investing Sep 15, 2021

Ashley Flucas is the founder and general partner of Flucas Ventures. Based in West Palm Beach, Florida, the syndicate of around 2,000 angel investors has invested in more than 200 startups. Flucas, a graduate of Duke University and Harvard Law School, also serves as a partner at Jupiter, a Florida-based real estate finance fund with $3 billion in assets under management. In this conversation with Stanford associate professor Chuck Eesley, she explores how syndicates, platforms and digital networks are reshaping angel investing.

Jon Zieger (Responsible Technology Labs) - What is Responsible Innovation? Sep 01, 2021

Jon Zieger is a co-founder and the executive director of Responsible Innovation Labs, a nonprofit working to create tools and standards to help innovative companies scale responsibly. He was previously the general counsel of Stripe, where he built and oversaw the company’s legal, compliance, public policy, and corporate security functions and helped Stripe scale from a small startup to one of the largest fintech companies in the world. In this conversation with Stanford professor Riitta Katila, Zieger explains why Responsible Innovation Labs is developing frameworks for responsible technology innovation and explores what a principled 21st century technology ecosystem might look like.

Tom Eisenmann (Harvard Business School) - Why Startups Fail Aug 11, 2021

Tom Eisenmann is the Howard H. Stevenson Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School; Peter O. Crisp Chair of Harvard Innovation Labs; and faculty co-chair of the HBS Rock Center for Entrepreneurship, the Harvard MS/MBA Program, and the Harvard College Technology Innovation Fellows Program. In this conversation with Stanford professor Tom Byers, he shares insights from his book “Why Startups Fail: A New Roadmap for Entrepreneurial Success” (Currency, March 2021), which analyzes common patterns that sink both early- and late-stage startups, and also proposes a road map for deciding when to pull the plug and how to fail better.

Nicole Diaz (Snap Inc.) - How to Build an Ethical Company Jun 02, 2021

Nicole Diaz is the Global Head of Integrity & Compliance Legal for Snap Inc., where her responsibilities include promoting ethical business standards and adherence to the Code of Conduct, managing risk in key areas such as anti-bribery and trade law, and leading internal investigations. In this conversation with Stanford professor Tom Byers, Diaz insists that ethics is a strategic imperative for 21st century businesses, and explores how the concept of “enlightened self-interest” can create a framework for better decision-making without requiring a commitment to pure (and unrealistic) altruism.

Jannick Malling (Public.com) - Social Fintech May 26, 2021

Jannick Malling is the co-founder and co-CEO of Public.com, an investing social network where members can own fractional shares of stocks and ETFs, follow popular creators, and share ideas within a community of investors. In this conversation with Stanford lecturer Toby Corey, Malling discusses building magical products in a highly regulated industry, turning company values into everyday tools, and why having two CEOs is sometimes better than having one.

Iguodala and Rudy Cline-Thomas - Bridging the Gap Between Sports and Tech May 19, 2021

Rudy Cline-Thomas is the managing director of Mastry, Inc., which brings together athletes and technology companies to create platform-building opportunities. A three-time NBA Champion, Andre Iguodala has played for the Miami Heat, the Golden State Warriors, the Denver Nuggets, and the Philadelphia 76ers. Off the court, Iguodala has invested in more than 50 companies through his firm F9 Strategies, including Zoom, Robinhood, Datadog, and Allbirds. In this conversation with Stanford lecturer Toby Corey, Iguodala and Cline-Thomas discuss the evolving career paths for athletes, the unique value athletes bring as tech investors, and their shared passion for closing America’s racial wealth gap..

Maëlle Gavet (Techstars) - Ruthless Empathy May 12, 2021

Maëlle Gavet is the CEO of Techstars and the author of Trampled by Unicorns: Big Tech's Empathy Problem and How to Fix It (Wiley, 2020). In this conversation with Stanford lecturer Toby Corey, she explores how to deploy “ruthless empathy” in tech by combining big ambitions and cutting-edge ideas with a deep respect for other people.

Howie Liu (Airtable) - Building Startups, Fast and Slow May 05, 2021

Howie Liu is the co-founder and CEO of Airtable. Inspired by his own experiences learning to code and building customized business apps, he co-founded the company in 2013 to democratize software creation. Prior to that, he was the founder of Etacts, an intelligent CRM tool that was acquired by Salesforce. While Etacts was a furious one-year sprint to acquisition, Liu followed a very deliberate, long-term approach with his second startup. In this conversation with Stanford lecturer Ravi Belani, he offers advice to innovators who seek to create complex products that can’t be prototyped in a week-long hacking session.

Miriam Rivera (Ulu Ventures) - Diverse Businesses Are Better Businesses Apr 28, 2021

Miriam Rivera is the co-founder and managing director of Ulu Ventures, a seed stage venture fund focused on IT startups. Previously, she was a vice president and deputy general counsel at Google, where she joined as the company’s second attorney. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Heidi Roizen, Rivera discusses the state of diversity and inclusion in Silicon Valley, how she evaluates investment opportunities to eliminate bias, and the importance of great mentors.

Michelle Zatlyn (Cloudflare) - Scaling with Resilience Apr 21, 2021

Michelle Zatlyn is the co-founder, president, and Chief Operating Officer of Cloudflare, an internet security, performance, and reliability company that is on a mission to help build a better internet. In this conversation with Stanford lecturer Ravi Belani, Zatlyn discusses the intense challenges involved in scaling a high-growth business, and offers insights about how to find optimism and build a great team amid those challenges.

Othman Laraki (Color) - It’s All About Access Apr 14, 2021

Othman Laraki is the co-founder and CEO of Color, a distributed healthcare and clinical testing company. From population genomics programs to high-throughput COVID-19 testing, Color provides the technology and infrastructure to power large-scale health initiatives. In this conversation with Stanford lecturer Toby Corey, Laraki discusses the genesis of Color, the immense challenges and opportunities in the healthcare sector, and Color’s race into COVID testing when the pandemic hit.

Hemant Taneja (General Catalyst) - Build, Don’t Break Mar 17, 2021

Hemant Taneja is a managing director at General Catalyst, and has been an early investor in market-leading companies like Digit, Grammarly, Gusto, Livongo, Mindstrong, Samsara, Snap, and Stripe. His 2018 book Unscaled articulates the need for accountability, transparency, and explainability in AI technologies, and his 2020 book UnHealthcare proposes a new model for impactful healthcare innovation. He is also the author of the influential Harvard Business Review article “The Era of ‘Move Fast and Break Things’ is Over.” In this conversation with Stanford professor Tom Byers, Taneja discusses recent technological paradigm shifts, and urges founders and investors to build responsibly and drive positive social change by measuring and valuing impact as much as financial returns.

Aicha Evans (Zoox) - Driving Innovation Mar 10, 2021

In January 2019, Aicha Evans was named CEO of autonomous vehicle startup Zoox, which was acquired by Amazon in 2020. Prior to joining Zoox, Evans served as Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Intel, where she drove Intel’s transformation from a PC-centric company to a data-centric company. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer and former Zoox board member Heidi Roizen, Evans discusses building cutting-edge technology in a crowded market, dealing with skeptics, and leading an innovative team.

Katrina Lake (Stitch Fix) - Making Entrepreneurship More Inclusive Mar 03, 2021

While attending Harvard Business School, Katrina Lake saw an opportunity to combine data science with human stylists to reinvent the retail space. Lake founded Stitch Fix in 2011 to help women everywhere discover and explore their style through a truly client-focused shopping experience. In this conversation with Stanford lecturer Ravi Belani, Lake discusses experiencing and fighting bias, achieving massive and unexpected financial success, and leading with authenticity.

David Rogier (MasterClass) - Finding the Right Motivation Feb 24, 2021

David Rogier is the founder and CEO of MasterClass, a streaming platform that allows members to watch video lessons from top-performing professionals like Steph Curry, Margaret Atwood, Martin Scorsese, Sarah Blakely and Serena Williams. In this conversation with Stanford lecturer Ravi Belani, Rogier discusses why he created MasterClass; how he engaged the right investors, advisors, and talent; and how he dealt with hundreds of people telling him that his idea was impossible.

Vlad Tenev (Robinhood) - Weathering a Storm Feb 17, 2021

Vlad Tenev is the CEO and co-founder of Robinhood, a fast-growing brokerage platform giving millions of people access to investment opportunities and financial tools. In this conversation with Stanford lecturer Ravi Belani, Tenev offers a behind-the-scenes view of high-stakes decisions related to the GameStop crisis, discusses the future of the financial services industry, and reflects on both past missteps and ongoing efforts to innovate at Robinhood and transform securities trading in the 21st century.

Stephanie Lampkin (Blendoor) - Data-Powered Diversity Feb 10, 2021

Stephanie Lampkin, a TEDx speaker and former downhill ski racer, is the founder and CEO of Blendoor, which creates enterprise software that leverages augmented intelligence and people analytics to mitigate unconscious bias in hiring. Her 15-year career in the tech industry has included founding two startups and working in technical roles at Lockheed, Microsoft, and TripAdvisor. In this conversation with Stanford lecturer Emily Ma, she discusses her experiences as a Black woman in tech, the importance of expanding our social graphs to solve diversity challenges, and why she’s largely opted out of chasing traditional venture capital.

Tony Mugavero (Rad) - Hype vs. Reality in VR Feb 03, 2021

Tony Mugavero is the co-founder and CEO of Rad (formerly known as Littlstar), a consumer streaming platform delivering live and on-demand Esports, music, comedy and sports. A veteran of the content streaming space, Mugavero has witnessed virtual reality’s transformation from an over-hyped new technology into a growing, real-world consumer experience. In this conversation with Stanford lecturer Emily Ma, he discusses how to build a sustainable business in a cutting-edge niche, why relationships are central to entrepreneurship, and how Rad has thrived amid the bumpy progress of VR.

Alyssa Ravasio (Hipcamp) - A New Approach to the Great Outdoors Jan 27, 2021

Alyssa Ravasio is the founder and CEO of Hipcamp, a platform for booking outdoor stays, from national parks to blueberry farms. Hipcamp partners with private landowners to unlock more ways for people to get outside, while also preserving land and ecosystems. In this conversation with Stanford lecturer Emily Ma, Ravasio discusses the early days of Hipcamp, analyzes several major pivots, and unpacks the values that drive the company.

Sarah Friar (Nextdoor) - Building Better Online Communities Nov 18, 2020

In December 2018, Sarah Friar was named CEO of Nextdoor, the world’s largest private social network for neighborhoods. Prior to leading Nextdoor, she was CFO of Square and SVP of Finance & Strategy at Salesforce. She serves on the boards of Walmart and Slack, and is the co-founder of Ladies Who Launch, a nonprofit that celebrates and empowers women entrepreneurs. In this conversation with Stanford professor Tom Byers, she discusses what attracted her to Nextdoor, and explores how she aims to amplify helpful, neighborly behavior on a social network.

Ravi Mhatre (Lightspeed Venture Partners) - The Language of Technology Nov 11, 2020

Ravi Mhatre is a founding partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners and focuses primarily on software/cloud infrastructure, applications and internet investments. Before starting Lightspeed, Mhatre was an investor with Bessemer Venture Partners and before entering the venture capital industry, he was with Silicon Graphics, where he was a product manager and later directed the company’s workstation market development efforts. In this conversation with Stanford lecturer Ravi Belani, he explores what a career in VC looks like, and talks about some of the sectors and technologies that he believes are poised to transform the future.

Jessica Norwood (RUNWAY) and Rodney Sampson (OHUB) - Entrepreneurship and Racial Justice Nov 04, 2020

Jessica Norwood is the founder of RUNWAY, an organization that uses entrepreneurship to close the wealth gap in Black communities by providing pre-seed and friends-and-family capital to fund Black-owned companies. Rodney Sampson is the CEO and executive chairman of Opportunity Hub (OHUB), a multi-campus entrepreneurship center and tech hub that empowers underestimated and under-tapped communities. In this conversation moderated by Stanford associate professor Chuck Eesley, Norwood and Sampson discuss how we can address racial disparities in startup funding, and build a more equitable and inclusive entrepreneurial community.

Eric Yuan (Zoom) and Santi Subotovksy (Emergence Capital) - Winning a Crowded Market Oct 28, 2020

After growing and leading the team that developed WebEx, Eric Yuan left his role as Corporate Vice President of Engineering at Cisco in 2011 to found Zoom Video Communications. Santiago Subotovsky, a general partner at Emergence Capital, led his firm’s investment in Zoom. In this conversation with Stanford lecturer Ravi Belani, they discuss what drove Zoom and how they built the confidence to launch this new company into an already crowded video conferencing market.

Sylvia Acevedo (Path to the Stars) - Perseverance Creates Opportunity Oct 21, 2020

An entrepreneur, investor, business leader, and rocket-scientist, Sylvia Acevedo is the author of Path to the Stars: My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist, which tells the story of her journey from a small town in New Mexico to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Acevedo most recently served as CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA. In this conversation with Stanford professor Tina Seelig, she shares how some important early lessons in perseverance built a mindset that allowed her to excel as both a scientist and an entrepreneur.

George Scangos (Vir Biotechnology) - Making a Difference in Biotech Oct 14, 2020

As the president and CEO of Vir Biotechnology, as well as in his role as head of BIO’s Coronavirus Collaboration Initiative, George Scangos has emerged as a global leader in the fight against COVID-19. In this conversation with Stanford structural biology professor Jody Puglisi, Dr. Scangos explains the challenge of building financially viable therapies for infectious diseases, talks about the current status of COVID-related research, and explores how to build an innovative and meaningful career in biotech.

Delane Parnell (PlayVS) - Extreme Focus Oct 07, 2020

Delane Parnell is the founder and CEO of PlayVS, which is building the technology infrastructure for high school and college esports leagues. Prior to starting PlayVS, Parnell worked at IncWell Venture Capital, where he became the youngest black venture capitalist in the United States. In this talk, he explores his own journey from undertaking small-scale business as a teenager to building a billion-dollar company. He also explores the complexities of creating a multi-stakeholder business, and addresses how he and his team have responded to racism and gender disparities.

Shellye Archambeau (Verizon) - Taking Risks and Breaking Barriers Sep 30, 2020

An experienced tech exec, Shellye Archambeau serves on the boards of Verizon and Nordstrom as well as several other companies. She is the former CEO of MetricStream, a Silicon Valley-based governance, risk, and compliance software company that, during her tenure, grew from a fledgling startup into a global market leader. Anticipating the launch of her first book, Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers and Create Success on Your Own Terms (2020), she speaks with Stanford professor Tina Seelig about how to advocate for oneself, find mentors and sponsors, beat imposter syndrome, and build an impactful career.

Adam Pisoni (Abl) - Innovating for Equity Sep 02, 2020

Adam Pisoni co-founded Yammer in 2008, and oversaw product, analytics, and engineering as the SaaS company scaled to 500 employees and was acquired by Microsoft in 2012 for $1.2 billion. More recently, he has turned his attention to the US education system. Abl, the company he founded in 2015, aims to help all schools move beyond the 20th century model of education. In this talk, he describes how inequities manifest themselves in K-12 education, and explores the roles that innovative social ventures can play in addressing those inequities.

Ann Miura-Ko (Floodgate) - Disruption and Abundance Aug 26, 2020

Ann Miura-Ko is a lecturer in Stanford’s Department of Management Science and Engineering and a co-founding partner at Floodgate, a VC firm focused on seed-stage investments. A repeat member of the Forbes Midas List and the New York Times Top 20 Venture Capitalists Worldwide, she was one of the first investors in Lyft and Refinery29, and has been an early backer of many others, including Xamarin and Thinkful. Here, she shares her takes on foundational entrepreneurial concepts like “product-market fit” and shares a vision for how bold, even disruptive innovation and shared abundance can co-exist.

Michael Tubbs (City of Stockton) - Change Moves at the Speed of Trust Aug 19, 2020

On November 8, 2016, Michael Tubbs was elected to serve as the mayor of the City of Stockton, California. Upon taking office in January 2017, Tubbs became both Stockton’s youngest mayor and the city’s first Black mayor. Among other accomplishments, he leveraged a $1 million grant to launch the nation’s first ever mayor-led guaranteed income pilot. Here, he talks about building trust with constituents and creating relationships and coalitions across political boundaries, and discusses solutions to pressing racial and economic inequities.

Kevin Weil (Novi) - Improving Product Design Aug 12, 2020

Kevin Weil is the VP of Product for Novi, Facebook’s digital wallet for the Libra payment system. Previously, Weil was VP of Product at Instagram (overseeing consumer, growth, and monetization products) and SVP of Product at Twitter (where he led product development and design across Twitter’s consumer and ad products, as well as Vine and Periscope). In this talk, he explores the mission that drives both Libra and Novi, and shares a number of crucial insights on digital product design.

Networking with Curiosity [Entire Talk] Aug 05, 2020

Amy Chang is an executive vice president at Cisco. Following the acquisition of her startup Accompany by Cisco in 2018, she led Cisco's multi-billion dollar Collaboration business and its Webex portfolio. In this talk, she describes an approach to networking that’s built on affinity and even friendship rather than short-term, transactional goals. She shares how her relationships and network shaped her career as she navigated a path from electrical engineering at Stanford to her current roles at Cisco and on the Proctor & Gamble board, with formative stops at McKinsey, Google, and elsewhere.

Debbie Sterling (GoldieBlox) - Empowering Girls with STEM Jul 29, 2020

Debbie Sterling is the founder and CEO of GoldieBlox, an award-winning children’s multimedia company known for disrupting the “pink aisle” in toy stores around the world, and challenging gender stereotypes with a girl engineer character. In 2015, Sterling was inducted as a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship under the Obama administration and honored by the National Women’s History Museum with a “Living Legacy” Award for her work to empower girls around the world. Here, she explores the strategies, pivots, and mission-driven commitments that have helped GoldieBlox thrive.

Jeff Seibert (Digits) - Making Remote Work Better Jul 22, 2020

Jeff Seibert is a serial entrepreneur and active angel investor. His current focus is Digits, which he co-founded in 2018 to build modern, intelligent, real-time finance tools for business owners. Seibert previously served as Twitter’s Head of Consumer Product and led the company’s product efforts for iOS, Android and the Web, as well as its Developer and Data platforms. He was also the co-founder and CEO of Crashlytics and the co-founder and COO of Increo. In this talk, he describes the origin of Digits, and particularly focuses on one aspect of the company: its full-throttled embrace of remote work long before COVID-19 made remote work the global default.

Bonny Simi (JetBlue Technology Ventures) - Cultivate Creativity and Courage Jul 15, 2020

Olympian in luge, television reporter, airline pilot, and venture capitalist… Bonny Simi’s career path has been anything but linear. Simi is now the president of JetBlue Technology Ventures, the venture capital arm of JetBlue Airways that invests in and partners with early-stage startups that are improving the future of travel and hospitality. In this talk, she shares how she leaned into her creativity and curiosity, and found the courage to blaze her own path.

Beverly Parenti & Chris Redlitz (The Last Mile) and Ray Harts (Healthy Hearts Institute) - Growing a Social Venture Jul 08, 2020

Beverly Parenti and Chris Redlitz are the co-founders of The Last Mile, an organization that aims to break the cycle of incarceration by providing education and career training opportunities in prisons. Founded in 2010 at San Quentin State Prison, The Last Mile has become one of the most requested prison education programs in the United States. In this talk, joined by former TLM student and Healthy Hearts Institute founder Ray Harts, they discuss how to build and grow social ventures that make a difference.

Joe DeSimone (Carbon) - The Case for Convergence Jul 01, 2020

Joe DeSimone is the founder and executive chairman of Carbon, a global company that is driving the evolution of 3D printing from a prototyping tool into a scalable manufacturing technology. As a professor at the University of North Carolina, DeSimone made scientific breakthroughs in areas including green chemistry, medical devices, and nanotechnology, also co-founding several companies based on his research. In 2016 President Obama awarded him the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the highest honor in the U.S. for achievement and leadership in advancing technological progress. In this talk, he explores how diverse teams, perspectives and specialties can drive innovations in both technologies and business models.

Julie Zhuo (Inspirit) - How to Learn from Users Jun 24, 2020

Julie Zhuo is the co-founder of Inspirit, an advisory firm that partners with fast-scaling tech companies to build and scale products that people love. Prior to founding Inspirit, she was the VP of design and research for the Facebook app, and helped scale the service from 8 million users to over 2 billion. She is also the author of The Making of a Manager, a field guide for new managers that was named one of Amazon's Best Business and Leadership Books of 2019. In this talk, she focuses on how to channel user feedback into impactful product decisions, and also shares some powerful lessons about how to become a successful manager.

Kevin Systrom (Instagram) - How Instagram Scaled Jun 03, 2020

Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram, first spoke at ETL in 2011, just seven months after Instagram launched. Here, he returns to ETL nine years later to draw some new insights about the the startup's rocket-like growth. In an interview with Stanford professor of the practice and STVP faculty director Tina Seelig, Systrom reflects on the lessons he's learned during the course of that journey, and also talks about his work on Rt.live, a new platform that aims to model the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alexi Robichaux (BetterUp) - Uncompromising Values May 27, 2020

Alexi Robichaux is the co-founder and CEO of BetterUp, a mobile-based platform that brings personalized professional coaching to employees at all levels. In this talk, Robichaux speaks with Stanford lecturer Toby Corey about the motivations that drove him to found BetterUp, and reflects on key values, strategies and pivots that have helped sustain the venture's mission-driven growth.

Ethan Brown (Beyond Meat) - Reimagining Meat May 20, 2020

Ethan Brown is the founder, president and CEO of Beyond Meat. In this talk, Stanford lecturer Toby Corey interviews Brown about how his company has redefined "meat." Brown shares some of the key lessons learned from Beyond Meat's startup story and explores some of the pivotal moments of his journey from idea to IPO.

Andy Karsner (X) - Designing for Natural Security May 13, 2020

Andy Karsner is a senior strategist and "Space Cowboy" at X, the "moonshot factory" at Alphabet (Google's parent company). He has spent two decades driving renewable energy innovation and other climate solutions, including serving as the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy from 2005 to 2008. In this talk, Emily Ma, Food Systems Lead at X, interviews Karsner about the nation's preeminent natural security challenges and explores where he finds the greatest hope for designing solutions.

Joseph Tsai (Alibaba Group) - From Alibaba to the NBA May 06, 2020

Joseph Tsai is a co-founder and the executive vice chairman of Alibaba Group, a global Internet technology company based in China. He is also the owner of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets and the WNBA's New York Liberty, along with several other sports and sports media companies. In this conversation with Stanford professor Tom Byers, Tsai tells stories and shares strategies from a career that has built many important bridges between China and North America.

Amy Francetic (Buoyant Ventures) - The Evolution of Clean Tech Investing Apr 29, 2020

Amy Francetic is the founder and managing partner of Buoyant Ventures, a venture fund that invests in digital climate solutions. In this talk, delivered on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Francetic sheds light on the evolution of the clean tech market and shares why now, more than ever, is an opportune time to invest in clean energy and energy efficiency.

Heidi Roizen (Threshold Ventures) - Leadership in a Crisis Apr 22, 2020

Heidi Roizen, now a partner at Threshold Ventures, spent time as the CEO and co-founder of T/Maker and the VP of Worldwide Developer Relations at Apple before pursuing a career in venture capital. Along the way, she's experienced several significant disruptions, including the dot-com crash of the early 2000s and the subsequent Great Recession. In this talk, delivered amid the COVID-19 pandemic, she shares ten concepts that can guide leaders in times of crisis.

Annie Kadavy (Redpoint Ventures) - Venture Capital Decisionmaking Apr 15, 2020

What does a venture capitalist actually do day-to-day, and how do they make decisions? Annie Kadavy is a managing director at Redpoint Ventures, and in this conversation with Stanford professor of the practice Tina Seelig, she shares what her job looks like, then presents five mini-case studies looking at how VCs scope investments and manage companies.

Ravi Belani (Stanford University) - Building Billion Dollar Businesses Mar 11, 2020

As a lecturer in Stanford's Department of Management Science and Engineering, Ravi Belani regularly teaches MS&E 472, the Stanford course associated with the Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders series. He is also the managing director of Alchemist Accelerator, an accelerator program that focuses on enterprise businesses and has funded startups like LaunchDarkly, Rigetti Computing and Zipongo. Before Alchemist, he spent four years as an associate at the VC firm DFJ. There, he was instrumental in backing the company that later became Twitch, which was acquired by Amazon for $970 million in 2014. In this talk, he draws on his keen observations of the Silicon Valley ecosystem to identify the factors that align to create the most transformational venture-scale businesses.

Mark Gainey (Strava) - How Strava Found its Niche Mar 04, 2020

Mark Gainey is the co-founder and executive chairman of Strava, a platform where more than 50 million athletes around the world track their workouts and compare their stats. In this talk, he explains the "inch wide, mile deep" strategy that informed both Strava and his previous startup, Kana Communications. He explores how, by first focusing intently on the niche category of passionate road cyclists, Strava earned a credibility that ultimately allowed the company to scale into many other sports.

Mar Hershenson (Pear VC) - Strategies for Student Entrepreneurs Feb 26, 2020

Mar Hershenson co-founded Pear VC in 2013, and under her watch the firm has made seed and pre-seed investments in category-defining companies like DropBox, Gusto, DoorDash and Branch Metrics. Along the way, she's spent a significant amount of time mentoring student-entrepreneurs. In this talk, she focuses on some of the most common questions and concerns she hears from student entrepreneurs, offering insights she's gained both as a serial startup founder and as a seed-stage VC investor.

Omar Tawakol (Voicea) - The Future of Voice Feb 19, 2020

Backed by corporate investors that included Cisco, Google, Microsoft and Salesforce, Omar Tawakol founded Voicea in 2017, and served as the company's CEO until its acquisition by Cisco in September 2019. Voicea's core offering was EVA, an in-meeting AI assistant that transcribed meetings, generated highlights, and pushed relevant meeting content to productivity tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams. EVA is now being rolled into Cisco's Webex Assistant, and Tawakol is currently the VP and GM of the Cisco Contact Center. In this talk, he explores the strategies he employed as he scaled Voicea and landed it at Cisco. He also draws on his experience building BlueKai, a data exchange and data management platform company he founded in 2007 and sold to Oracle in 2014, and draws contrasts between the two very different B2B business models.

Kate Rosenbluth (Cala Health) - A Needs-Based Innovation Framework Feb 12, 2020

As a Stanford Biodesign Innovation Fellow, Kate Rosenbluth was captivated by the unmet need to treat hand tremors. She discovered that the site of deep brain stimulation was accessible through the peripheral nerves in the wrist, and teamed up with Scott Delp, director of the Stanford Neuromuscular Biomechanics Lab, to found Cala Health, where she is now the chief scientific officer. The company's wearable neuromodulation therapies merge neuroscience research with cutting-edge technology to deliver individualized peripheral nerve stimulation. Here, she presents a framework for "needs-based innovation," and explores how she emphasized a needs-based approach in the context of Cala Health.

Kulveer Taggar (Zeus Living) - Scaling with Purpose Feb 05, 2020

Kulveer Taggar is the co-founder and CEO of Zeus Living, a tech-driven property management company focused on disrupting the corporate housing market. The company raised a $55 million Series B round in December 2019, and has hosted more than 17,000 residents in its furnished units. In this talk, he explores how thinking on a scale of decades rather than just a few years has impacted his company's culture and strategy.

Melinda Thomas (Octave Bioscience) - The Courage to Begin Jan 29, 2020

Drawing on her experience launching and leading health companies like CardioDx and ParAllele, Melinda Thomas co-founded Octave Bioscience in 2014. Octave is developing a care management platform for neurodegenerative diseases, starting with multiple sclerosis, and aims to improve patient management decisions and create better outcomes while also lowering costs. In this talk, Thomas offers strategies for building deep, skills-driven entrepreneurial confidence.

Sam Yam (Patreon) - Surviving the Startup Grind Jan 22, 2020

In 2013, Sam Yam teamed up with his former Stanford roommate Jack Conte to create Patreon, a platform that connects content creators with members who provide recurring revenue. As co-founder and CTO, Yam built Patreon into a service that has funded more than one hundred thousand creatives, channelling more than one billion dollars to musicians, podcasters, and artists of all kinds. He describes the intense grind of scaling Patreon and looks at three central challenges that face most entrepreneurs, then focuses in on what makes the entrepreneurial path worth it.

Laura Gomez (Atipica) - The Need for Inclusive AI Dec 04, 2019

Concerned with the ways that AI and machine learning often display biases against already marginalized groups, Laura Gomez created Atipica, a platform that uses those same tools to remove rather than exacerbate bias in the hiring process. Gomez is also a founding member of Project Include, a non-profit that aims to accelerate diversity and inclusion in the tech industry, and a member of the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology, as well as Code.org's Diversity Council. She describes the trends that have contributed to her company's growth and encourages founders from diverse backgrounds to engage with tech, build confidence, and drive change.

Arlan Hamilton (Backstage Capital) - Underestimated Nov 20, 2019

Backstage Capital founder and managing partner Arlan Hamilton built a venture capital fund from the ground up, while homeless. Her fund is dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech by investing in high-potential founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBT. Hamilton herself identifies as all three. Started in 2015, Backstage has invested nearly $7 million into 120 startups led by underestimated founders. In this talk, Hamilton describes how and why she created her unique fund, and why she views underrepresented, underestimated founders as a category with massive potential.

Aileen Lee (Cowboy Ventures) - Unicorn Lessons Nov 13, 2019

In 2013, Aileen Lee coined the term "unicorn" to refer to the growing field of startups with $1 billion valuations. At the time, she was a year into her role as a founder and managing partner of Cowboy Ventures, and her team was preparing a now-influential internal report examining how (and how often) companies with these massive valuations tend to emerge. Her summary of the report, published by TechCrunch, uncovered many insightful datapoints, but also revealed that only 2 of the 39 unicorns they studied had female co-founders, a finding that catalyzed her advocacy for increased diversity in technology startups. She more recently became a founding member of All Raise, a nonprofit organization devoted to increasing the representation of women in the venture-backed tech ecosystem. She describes her circuitous path to a job in venture capital, surfaces some of the central strategies of seed-stage investing, and encourages people from diverse backgrounds to help transform the venture capital business.

Srin Madipalli (Airbnb) - The Future is Accessible Nov 06, 2019

While earning his MBA at the University of Oxford's Said Business School and teaching himself to code, Srin Madipalli found himself compelled by the power of technology to transform the lives of people with disabilities. He soon co-founded Accomable, a web app that grew to list accessible accomodations in 60 countries around the world. In November of 2017, Accomable was acquired by Airbnb, and Madipalli joined Airbnb as its accessibility product and program manager. There, he has overseen the addition of new consumer-facing accessibility filters and features, while also exploring how Airbnb can make its hiring and management practices more inclusive for job candidates and employees living with disabilities. He describes how Accomable grew from a side-project into a fast-growing company that landed at Airbnb, and points out how focusing on accessibility can provide companies with a massive opportunity to engage with the disability community.

Edith Harbaugh (LaunchDarkly) - Software is Hard Work Oct 30, 2019

LaunchDarkly now helps over 1,000 customers - including major companies like Atlassian and BMW - release code, monitor and manage features, and make data-driven decisions about software functionality. But growth didn't come overnight, explains CEO and co-founder Edith Harbaugh. She describes the multi-year slog of scaling up a B2B company, and demonstrates how she made the most of a number of less-than-ideal jobs, building a diverse toolkit of skills that ultimately contributed to her success as a founder and CEO. She urges entrepreneurs to draw encouragement from small wins, especially in the early stages, when customers are few and far between.

Barbara Liskov (MIT) - Finding the Great Problems Oct 23, 2019

Barbara Liskov was already breaking new ground in 1968, when she became one of the first American women to earn a doctorate in the emerging discipline of computer science. After receiving that PhD at Stanford, she went on to design several influential programming languages, including CLU, an important precursor to Java. More recently, as an Institute Professor at MIT and head of the institute's Programming Methodology Group, she has undertaken crucial research on distributed systems, information security and complex system failure issues. She is one of fewer than 100 individuals to receive an A.M. Turing Award from the Association of Computing Machinery. In a conversation with host Ann Miura-Ko, a lecturer in Stanford's Department of Management Science and Engineering and founding partner of the venture capital firm Floodgate, Liskov explores how she discovered the nascent field of computer science, how she recognized and surmounted a number of fundamental computing challenges, and shares her concerns and hopes about how computing will continue to transform our lives.

Jennifer Tejada (PagerDuty) - Resilience is Everything Oct 15, 2019

Not long after landing at PagerDuty in 2016, Jennifer Tejada embarked on that harrowing rite of passage for CEOs of fortunate young startups: the pursuit of an IPO. Tejada raised a $90 million Series D round in late 2018, and saw PagerDuty go public on April 11, 2019. Her path to that point, she observes, was anything but linear. She tells the story of how a very "average" University of Michigan grad ended up becoming the CEO of a public SaaS company, and describes how gritty perseverance, some fortunate early leadership opportunities, and a passion for understanding and embracing different perspectives drove her career forward. She offers strategies that aspiring leaders can employ to challenge themselves and build tenacity while creating diverse, high-performing teams.

Redesigning the CEO [Entire Talk] Oct 07, 2019

In 2012, inspired by the HR headaches they'd observed working for technology companies, Sarah Nahm and a few friends founded Lever, a talent recruitment platform aimed at transforming the hiring process with intuitive yet data-driven software. Two years later, in 2014, she was named CEO. Based on her experiences designing what became Lever and then leading the company, she puts forward a model of entrepreneurial leadership that is about more than just stubborn confidence, and thrives by embracing the unknown and learning how to observe and trust others. [Note: explicit language]

Sickamore (Interscope Records) & Sam Seidel (Stanford d.school) - Inside the Studio Jun 12, 2019

From developing a brand identity to cultivating the right conditions for musical exploration, successful recording artists are masters of the creative process. Hosted by Stanford professor Bob Sutton, Sickamore, a hip-hop artist, photographer and the creative director at Interscope Records, joins Sam Seidel, director of K-12 strategy and research at Stanford's Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, for an intimate conversation about what entrepreneurs can learn from the music industry, how to navigate ambiguity, and why it's important to strike the right balance between open-ended creativity and project completion.

Christine Yen (Honeycomb.io) - Creating a Buzz Around B2B Software Jun 03, 2019

Honeycomb co-founder and CEO Christine Yen spent a decade as a software engineer before creating her own company. She describes how her deep domain knowledge and relationships with like-minded software developers propelled her startup's launch, and shares how she built an energetic human architecture around a highly technical B2B product.

Listening to the Market [Entire Talk] May 29, 2019

The podcast market was growing rapidly when Luminary Media was founded at the beginning of 2018, and it was even bigger by the time the company launched its podcasting service on April 23, 2019. Just a month after that launch, CEO Matthew Sacks and co-founder/head of talent Lauren Perkins step back to assess how they identified an opportunity in the podcasting space, built a team and launched a product with a library of exclusive content in a little over a year. They also address the negative headlines and Twitter backlash they received during launch week, and share strategies for responding to the kinds of mistakes that fast-moving startups often make.

Chip Conley (Modern Elder Academy) - How to Adapt and Flow May 22, 2019

At age 26, Chip Conley founded Joie de Vivre Hospitality and grew the company into the second largest boutique hotel brand in the United States. After he sold the business, he accepted a strategy role at Airbnb, and his interactions with a predominantly millennial workforce led him to found the Modern Elder Academy, a "midlife wisdom school" in Baja that encourages individuals with a lifetime of experience to carve a purposeful path through the modern workplace. Here, he shares the insights that have allowed him to flourish while shifting roles and accommodating to cultural change.

Toby Corey (Stanford University) - The Zen of Entrepreneurship May 15, 2019

In the 1990s, Toby Corey co-founded the world's largest web development company. Since then, he's started other companies; held senior management positions at SolarCity, Tesla and most recently PlanGrid; and lectured in Stanford's Department of Management Science & Engineering. Now, he finds himself as concerned by social and environmental problems as with building companies. In response to global crises of climate change and inequality, he advises an approach that he calls "zentrepreneurship," and articulates principles aimed at helping entrepreneurs integrate creativity and ambition with social and environmental consciousness.

Payam Banazadeh (Capella Space) - Prepare to Launch May 08, 2019

When Capella Space's first prototype satellite launched in December 2018, it was the culmination of over three years of nonstop effort. Capella Space founder and CEO Payam Banazadeh explains how he fused experienced gained at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Stanford's Management Science and Engineering masters program to build the satellite imaging company. As an early-stage CEO, he provides insights into the many risks and strategic decisions that precede product roll-out.

Nicole Hu (One Concern) - Strategies to Fight Disaster May 01, 2019

Nicole Hu and her two co-founders created One Concern to help communities prepare for and mitigate natural disasters by harnessing the power of AI. She explains how they use machine intelligence as a predictive tool, and shares strategies for identifying a central problem, securing investment and growing a mission-driven team.

Ritu Narayan (Zūm) - Sustaining a Startup's Growth Apr 24, 2019

Ritu Narayan founded Z_m in 2014 to solve a problem that working parents (herself included) face every day: transporting and caring for children before and after school. She describes her journey from the Delhi Institute of Technology to Silicon Valley and unpacks three factors that catalyze sustained growth: passion, perseverance and people.

Closing Tech's Diversity Gap [Entire Talk] Apr 12, 2019

From high school computer science classes all the way up to VC partner meetings, women and people of color remain underrepresented in the technology ecosystem. Even so, diversity-focused social scientist and venture capitalist Freada Kapor Klein is hopeful about the future of technology and entrepreneurship. As a partner at Kapor Capital, she provides seed-stage funding to technology startups that make a positive social impact on low-income communities and communities of color. Drawing on her work both as an investor and a diversity researcher, she offers strategies that founders and funders alike can pursue to make the tech world more diverse and inclusive.

Alberto Savoia (Google) - Make the Right Thing Mar 13, 2019

As Google's first engineering director, Alberto Savoia led the team that launched Google's revolutionary AdWords project. After founding two startups, he returned to Google in 2008 and he assumed the role of "Innovation Agitator," developing trainings and workshops to catalyze smart, impactful creation within the company. Drawing on his book "The Right It," he begins with the premise that at least 80 percent of innovations fail, even if competently executed. He discusses how to reframe the central challenge of innovation as a question not of skill or technology, but of market demand: Will anyone actually care? Savoia shares strategies for winning the fight against failure, by using a rapid-prototyping technique he calls "pretotyping."

Navin Chaddha (Mayfield) - Building a People-First Company Mar 06, 2019

Navin Chaddha, managing director at the venture capital firm Mayfield, describes the firm's core values and examines the drivers behind several of the firm's most successful investments. Mayfield's investment strategy, he explains, is to focus on the founder rather than the company. He describes how impactful founders identify their mission early and pivot when necessary, all while maintaining a firmly people-centered mindset.

Alice Zhang (Verge Genomics) - When DNA Meets AI Feb 27, 2019

Midway through a M.D./Ph.D program at UCLA, Alice Zhang made a discovery that she felt could reverberate far beyond the halls of academia. So she shifted directions, leaving her Ph.D program to found Verge Genomics, a biomedical firm that aims to unite genetic research and artificial intelligence in service of drug discovery. She describes how AI can revolutionize the drug discovery process, and reframes risk-taking as a simple series of optimistic next steps.

Raj Kapoor (Lyft) and John Viera (Ford Motor Company) - Mobilizing the Future Feb 20, 2019

Cars can be much more than just boxes that get their owners around. John Viera, a former director and sustainability lead at Ford Motor Company, and Raj Kapoor, chief strategy officer at Lyft, join Stanford adjunct professor Pedram Mokrian to discuss opportunities for innovation in the field of transportation, particularly in the context of sustainability concerns and accelerating urbanization. Innovators, they suggest, need to think of transportation as a converging ecosystem, rather than as a collection of disparate technologies and business models. As shifting energy sources and big data come into play, car sharing companies and automotive manufacturers will find themselves both competing and collaborating in new ways.

Balaji Srinivasan (Coinbase) - Building the Cryptocurrency Ecosystem Feb 13, 2019

Opportunities in the cryptocurrency sector extend well beyond simply investing in Bitcoin or Ethereum, says Coinbase CTO Balaji Srinivasan. He compares the digital currency landscape to the early days of mobile-a space poised to create an entirely new set of innovations and business models. For entrepreneurs looking to make a play in everything from social networking and banking to collectibles markets and real estate, he suggests, crypto's underlying blockchain technology is worth investigating.

Elaine Wherry (Meebo) - Climbing the Ladder Feb 06, 2019

Roles expand and shift at a breakneck pace in a high-growth startup, says Meebo co-founder Elaine Wherry. Interns find themselves in charge of massive, mission-critical projects. Engineers are suddenly tasked with hiring and managing multiple teams. Wherry shares her insights on how to thrive in a rapidly expanding technology venture, drawing on the heady years between developing Meebo's initial instant messaging platform in 2005 and landing the company at Google seven years later.

Ryan Petersen (Flexport) - Modernizing the Shipping Industry Jan 23, 2019

Global trade has existed for centuries, but hasn't evolved with technology. Ryan Petersen, CEO and founder of Flexport, learned this the hard way as an entrepreneur managing the supply chain of his brother's motorcycle sales business, and took it as an opportunity to update the industry. Petersen shares his insights on how entrepreneurs can solve some of the world's biggest challenges and how the Internet can be a force for good.

Dan Widmaier (Bolt Threads) - Design to Disrupt Dec 05, 2018

Dan Widmaier, co-founder and CEO at Bolt Threads, is on a mission to disrupt the garment industry through technology and science. He shares his perspective on sustainability, the future of the environment and how to focus on the task at hand instead of distractions.

Brad Bao (Lime) - Innovation Driven By Sustainability Nov 28, 2018

Brad Bao, co-founder and executive chairman of Lime, shares his mission to create close-knit neighborhoods through mobility. Highlighting Lime's achievements, he challenges the notion that companies cannot succeed if they are socially responsible.

Emily Melton (DFJ) - Focus on Forward Momentum Nov 14, 2018

Emily Melton, partner at the venture capital firm Threshold (formerly DFJ), shares her experience growing from a humanities student to tech investor. Melton shares advice for how to sustain startup momentum, navigate uncertainty and forge the honest, supportive relationships that lead to success.

Adam Pisoni (Abl Schools) - Let Your Customers Educate You Nov 02, 2018

Adam Pisoni, founder and CEO of Abl Schools, shares how he tackles complex challenges, like modernizing the education system. Pisoni describes how he listens first, addresses today's known issues and builds pathways to new possibilities. He breaks down how to identify scalable solutions, validate ideas and prioritize needs.

Tina Seelig with Steve Garrity (Hearsay Systems) and Juliet Rothenberg (DeepMind) - Find Your Superpower, Launch Your Career Oct 31, 2018

Professor of the Practice Tina Seelig sits down with Steve Garrity, founder of Hearsay Systems and Juliet Rothenberg, product manager at DeepMind for a new podcast called LEAP!. This series will take a deep dive into how to grow your career by unpacking some of the often overlooked and under-taught soft skills critical to the success of every entrepreneur. Each episode invites alumni at different stages in their career to discuss real-life scenarios, focused around a particular skill. In this episode, Steve and Juliet talk with Tina about identifying, shaping and developing your superpower at work.

Puneet Agarwal (True Ventures) - Strike the EQ/IQ Balance in Venture Capital Oct 24, 2018

Puneet Agarwal, partner at True Ventures, describes the importance of emotional intelligence (EQ) within venture capital and its implications on the business functions of companies. He shares scenarios where EQ sets the tone for open communication, helping to build a community of safety for their founders and investors.

Manish Chandra (Poshmark) - Channeling an Adaptive Mindset Oct 17, 2018

Throughout his career, Manish Chandra, founder and CEO at Poshmark, learned to evolve, grow and adapt to the economical and career changes he faced. His vision for a mobile shopping platform was ahead of its time. Chandra shares his thoughts on how to persevere in the face of doubt, how to partner with founders that share a common goal and why focusing on engagement and community is critical for scaling successfully.

Maureen Fan (Baobab Studios) - Animating Against the Grain Oct 10, 2018

Maureen Fan, co-founder and CEO at Baobab Studios, shares how she blended her creativity and technical savvy in founding her virtual reality animation company. Undeterred by naysayers and an unforged path ahead, she encourages those with big imaginations to buck traditional career paths and to be persistent in asking for what you want.

Steve Vassallo (Foundation Capital) - Focus on Users to Solve Problems Jun 04, 2018

Throughout life, Steve Vassallo has advanced his career through design thinking, from the slick flyer he created on his parents' computer to get him more work as a boy, to his five years at IDEO, and now as a startup investor at Foundation Capital. Vassallo explains how strategies like user observation and asking the right questions will get you to the heart of any problem that needs solving.

Lisa Alderson (Genome Medical) - Dare to Stretch Your Boundaries May 24, 2018

Serial entrepreneur Lisa Alderson, co-founder and CEO of Genome Medical, shares her vision for the future of medicine, along with real-world advice for those seeking to start their own company: Discover and follow your passion to ensure you stay driven through the highs and lows. Above all, venture into unfamiliar territory in order to build the confidence to embrace change.

Gabriel Parisi-Amon (Nebia) - A Burnout Manifesto May 18, 2018

Gabriel Parisi-Amon, co-founder, CTO and COO of environmentally conscious shower startup, Nebia, bravely challenges the myth of "the perfect startup founder." Parisi-Amon takes us on a journey through the seven stages of burnout he experienced in the early years of his startup, sharing how he's emerged a more conscious and balanced leader. He offers tips and exercises for identifying the symptoms of burnout, urging us to prevent the fire before we're consumed.

Joshua Hoffman (Zymergen) - Insights of an Accidental Entrepreneur May 11, 2018

Joshua Hoffman, co-founder and CEO of industrial-chemicals maker Zymergen, details how his intellectual dabbling in college and the courage to work on his weaknesses prepared him to be a broadminded business leader. He urges aspiring entrepreneurs to become good storytellers and build strong teams of divergent thinkers, even if they drive you nuts. Hoffman explains why it's all worth the pain.

Chip Heath (Stanford University) - How Organizations Can Win Our Hearts May 07, 2018

Stanford business Professor Chip Heath discusses how certain moments we all experience - the first day at a new job, finishing a difficult project -don't feel as special as they should, and how we can make them much more memorable with a few simple touches. In conversation with Stanford Professor of the Practice Tina Seelig, Heath shares insights from his new book, "The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact."

Tracy Chou (Project Include) - Debugging the Brogrammer Culture Apr 27, 2018

As tech companies come under fire for mishandling our data, with one blog post, a young software engineer forced these firms to share some of the most damning information they keep: the demographics of their workforce. Tracy Chou turned concepts familiar to her profession - like open sourcing, metrics reporting and benchmarking - to push for more diversity and inclusion throughout her industry. She discusses how the uphill battle continues through Project Include and why, in this case, a top-down approach from tech leaders is needed now.

Julayne Virgil (Girls Inc.) - The Courage to Take Positive Risks Apr 20, 2018

Julayne Virgil, CEO of Girls Inc. of Alameda County, describes how her organization provides youth with the confidence to overcome systemic gender bias, and hopefully, realize their full potential. Girls in the program are given the types of experiences that help them break through their fears and build strength for the challenges ahead. Virgil also talks about how innovation means improving what exists, not just creating something new.

David Baszucki (Roblox) - When the Platform is Your Product Apr 16, 2018

Tech entrepreneur David Baszucki explains how Roblox is essentially the YouTube for online games, a platform that derives immense value entirely from the millions of content creators and players who come together to build and be immersed in virtual worlds for fun. He discusses how the company dictates strategy and product roadmap, while depending on its users for growth.

Marc Tessier-Lavigne (Stanford University) - Elements of Effective Leadership Mar 09, 2018

Stanford University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne tells students that life is long and lived in chapters. Some of his include being a pioneering neuroscientist, head of research at Genentech, a co-founder of two startups, and president of two leading research universities. He shares what he's learned about how to lead organizations that turn discovery into real-world impact.

Josh McFarland (Greylock Partners) - Answering Common Startup Questions Mar 07, 2018

How do you know when it's time to start a company? Or when to begin fundraising, and how much? And, as you grow, how do you recruit the best executives and build a culture centered on employees? Venture capitalist Josh McFarland of the firm Greylock Partners answers these questions and more through his experiences as founder and CEO of tech startup TellApart, which Twitter acquired for nearly half a billion dollars.

M. Sanjayan and Harrison Ford (Conservation International) - Scaling Sustainability Feb 27, 2018

Actor Harrison Ford shares his longstanding commitment to preserving nature through Conservation International, joined by the organization's CEO, M. Sanjayan. In conversation with Stanford Professor of the Practice Tina Seelig, the environmental leaders urge entrepreneurs and engineers to build disruptive innovations, while describing how strategic thinking is at the heart of the self-sustaining solutions they launch around the world.

Eurie Kim (Forerunner Ventures) - How to Know if Entrepreneurship is For You Feb 20, 2018

The key is understanding your own tolerance for risk in what you do for work, and how you pay the bills at home. At the firm Forerunner Ventures, founders must have three traits in spades to get funding: magnetism, discipline and vision. Eurie Kim, general partner at the firm, explains what it's like to work at companies of different sizes, and what skills and strengths make you best suited for each.

Chris Anderson (3D Robotics) - The Ups and Downs of a Drone Startup Feb 09, 2018

The tale of 3D Robotics starts in the garage of a teenager in Tijuana, Mexico, who launched a drone-making factory with a $500 check from entrepreneur Chris Anderson, who then flooded the American market with their unmanned aerial vehicles and disrupted the aerospace industry through grassroots, open innovation. Then, China caught on and drove U.S. drone makers into the ground. Anderson, 3DR's CEO, shares his hard-won insights.

Sameer Dholakia (SendGrid) - Focus On People Feb 05, 2018

Choose co-founders based on their core values. Pick investors who will be there in your darkest hour. Make hiring the best people your top priority, and treat them like owners - not employees. Sameer Dholakia, CEO of business email service SendGrid, discusses the most important strategies for a startup's success, including the concept of "servant leadership."

Leila Janah (Samasource) - Reversing Poverty By Giving People Work Jan 30, 2018

Entrepreneur Leila Janah describes how her social enterprise Samasource allows people in Africa and elsewhere to lift themselves out of poverty through dignified, fair-wage digital work like photo tagging for companies in Silicon Valley. She celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit in those who survive on next to nothing and explains how giving work is more effective than charity.

Chris Gerdes (Stanford University) - Ingenuity Derived from Self-Driving Cars Jan 23, 2018

On the racetrack, the checkered flag goes to the car that's driven to its limits and maneuvered decisively in the moment. On a two-lane road, the split-second act of passing a vehicle stopped in front of you becomes a way more complicated call when algorithms are in control. Autonomous-vehicle maker and Stanford Professor Chris Gerdes applies these findings and more to business and life.

Patrick Brown, (Impossible Foods) - Food Fight To Turn Back Climate Change Dec 05, 2017

Make beef out of plants instead of cows and you can begin to save the planet. That's what inspired award-winning scientist Patrick Brown to leave his professorship at Stanford University and found Impossible Foods. In conversation with Stanford Professor of the Practice Tina Seelig, Brown describes how his singular passion for impact prompted him to leave academia and become a food-tech entrepreneur.

Anne Wojcicki (23andMe) - Driving Discovery and Disruption Nov 21, 2017

Anne Wojcicki, co-founder and CEO of the popular DNA-testing company 23andMe, discusses how providing people with their own genetic data empowers consumers to make better health decisions and advances science. In conversation with Stanford Professor of the Practice Tina Seelig, Wojcicki explains how the intense scrutiny that the DNA-testing company has received is a sign that it is disrupting the status quo.

Amy Chang (Accompany) - Entrepreneurs Keep Pushing Nov 13, 2017

Amy Chang had accomplished a lot in her eight years at Google, helping launch and then lead Google Analytics to 70 percent market share. But then she left to launch her own tech startup, a relationship-intelligence platform called Accompany. In conversation with Matt Harvey of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, Chang talks about getting out of one's comfort zone and laying the groundwork for a successful career.

Tristan Harris (Time Well Spent) - Making Technology Less Manipulative Nov 03, 2017

How good are you at limiting your screen time? Because of the way humans evolved, our brains are no match for the engineers, designers and companies that collectively create the devices and apps that demand our attention all day long, according to technology ethicist Tristan Harris. A former tech entrepreneur himself, Harris is now co-founder of Time Well Spent, a nonprofit movement to create an ecosystem that aligns technology with our humanity.

Catherine Berman (CNote) - Embrace Your Otherness Oct 31, 2017

Industry disruptors, it stands to reason, tend to be outsiders. But how comfortable are you not being an outlier? Serial entrepreneur Catherine Berman shares her story of coming to terms with the traits and experiences that set her apart from friends and colleagues throughout adolescence and early in her career. Embracing her uniqueness emboldened Berman to launch several social ventures, the latest being a social-impact startup in fintech called CNote.

Rich Barton (Zillow Group) - Empower People with Information Oct 25, 2017

There was a time, not long ago, when information we desperately wanted wasn't at our fingertips. What's the best deal on flights to New York? How much does that home down the street cost? Serial entrepreneur Rich Barton has made a career out of providing all those juicy details by launching platforms such as Expedia, Zillow and the company-review site Glassdoor. He shares his journey and advice for the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Bob Sutton (Stanford University) - How to Outwit Workplace Jerks Oct 17, 2017

Even as adults, we still have to deal with bullies, at work and otherwise. Stanford Professor Bob Sutton has devoted his career to studying organizational behavior and dysfunction, and of late, figuring out how we all can avoid or deal with people who demean, disrespect and drain their peers. The professor of management science and engineering draws on academic research and anecdotal evidence included in his new book, "The Asshole Survival Guide: How to Deal with People Who Treat You Like Dirt."

Sandy Jen (Honor) - The Rewards of Taking Risks Oct 11, 2017

Entrepreneur Sandy Jen has lived with self-doubt and insecurities throughout her life: in college, at her first startup, and later as a working mother. But facing the risks she feared each time gave her confidence that a shy, little girl from the suburbs can grow up to improve people's lives through technology and a passion for impact. She co-founded the senior-care startup Honor, and this is her story.

Toni Townes-Whitley (Microsoft) - The Ethics of Innovation Jun 07, 2017

How often do entrepreneurs and corporate leaders think about issues like fairness, accessibility or unseen biases in the technologies they invent and advance? That’s the challenge for companies leading the digital transformation that’s disrupting every aspect of society, says Toni Townes-Whitley, Corporate Vice President of Worldwide Public Sector and Industry at Microsoft, in this talk about innovating strategically and responsibly.

David Eagleman (Stanford School of Medicine) - A Brainy Approach to Innovation May 31, 2017

Renowned neuroscientist David Eagleman shares his passion for translating the complexities of cognition into mind-blowing inventions and educational material for the masses. The public-television host, bestselling author and Stanford adjunct professor speaks with Tina Seelig of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program about his decision to leave the lab and dedicate his life to bringing scientific discoveries into the world.

Carlos Watson (Ozy Media) - Taking a Lead From Tech May 24, 2017

Carlos Watson, co-founder and CEO of Ozy Media, describes how its forward-focused digital news magazine, Ozy, looks more toward innovators in business sectors outside traditional media. The Emmy-winning journalist shares the unlikely origins of his entrepreneurial drive, and explains how his wide-ranging career has been fueled by family, curiosity and the thrill of starting fresh.

Tim Kentley-Klay and Jesse Levinson (Zoox) - Self-Driving Cars for Everyone May 17, 2017

Tim Kentley-Klay and Jesse Levinson, co-founders of autonomous-vehicle startup Zoox, detail a not-too-distant future when we’ll get into their cars and do nothing other than say where we need to go. In conversation with Stanford Professor of the Practice Tina Seelig, the two entrepreneurs explain how self-driving cars work and how their fleet of electric vehicles could make owning a ride obsolete.

Kevin Weil (Instagram) - Unfiltered Insights From Instagram May 10, 2017

What motivates you to share a photo on Instagram — or not? Kevin Weil, head of product at the company, discusses everything from user behavior to business strategy with Stanford Professor of the Practice Tina Seelig. Weil describes how mission alignment helps teams succeed and allows Instagram to continue experimenting and thriving inside its parent company, Facebook.

Olivia Fox Cabane (Author and Speaker), Judah Pollack (Riverene Leadership) - Life Hacks for Breakthrough Thinking May 03, 2017

Olivia Fox Cabane and Judah Pollack, co-authors of the book “The Net and the Butterfly: The Art and Practice of Breakthrough Thinking,” share tips on how we can train ourselves to have more “eureka” moments with mental exercises that awaken more regions of our brains and build our comfort level with failure and uncertainty — two givens on the way to innovation.

Debbie Sterling (GoldieBlox) - Disrupting the Pink Aisle Apr 25, 2017

Debbie Sterling, founder and CEO of GoldieBlox, shares her evolution from lonely inventor to inspiring entrepreneur with a vision to give young girls the confidence to become engineers through hands-on play. Sterling talks about overcoming gender stereotypes and her own fears, as well as the entrepreneurial challenges of embracing failure and succeeding despite scant resources.

Tracy Young (PlanGrid), Doug Leone (Sequoia Capital) - Solve the Problem You Have Apr 19, 2017

Entrepreneur Tracy Young and Doug Leone, global managing partner at Sequoia, discuss the nature of a harmonious relationship between a startup’s founders and the VC firm investing in them. Young is co-founder and CEO of PlanGrid, which allows construction managers to oversee projects via their device. She and Leone speak with Toby Corey, a lecturer in Stanford University’s School of Engineering.

Di-Ann Eisnor (Waze) - Driving Growth + Authenticity Mar 08, 2017

Di-Ann Eisnor, director of growth for Waze, explores whether authenticity can be preserved when a well-meaning startup scales to a workforce of hundreds and a user community of about a billion. Eisnor describes how the crowdsourced navigation and real-time traffic application has moved on from virtual cupcakes to encouraging carpooling in its quest to eliminate traffic congestion around the world.

Shirzad Chamine (Positive Intelligence, Inc.) - The Enlightened Entrepreneur Mar 08, 2017

Before Shirzad Chamine found his calling as a coach to today’s top CEOs and executive teams, he was a charismatic entrepreneur who turned into a hyper-critical tyrant without even knowing it. That dark chapter ignited his journey to understand how to conquer our self-sabotaging sides and live in the light of “Positive Intelligence” — the approach Chamine developed for mastering the mind and finding true happiness and success.

Dave Evans (Stanford Life Design Lab) - Designing the Life You Really Want Mar 01, 2017

Dave Evans, co-founder of the popular Life Design Lab at Stanford University, discusses the key concepts and exercises that guide students in their quest to figure out what they want to do in life. He underscores the importance of accepting who you are and connecting that to what you believe and do, while attacking dysfunctional notions like the one that dares you to be the “best version of yourself.” Can’t we have more than one?

Susan Feldman (One Kings Lane) - Bootstrapping with Flair Feb 15, 2017

E-commerce entrepreneur Susan Feldman describes how she and her co-founder went from bootstrapping One Kings Lane in the midst of the Great Recession, standing out from competitors in the home-decor industry by carefully curating product and focusing on creative flair, and ultimately being acquired by Bed, Bath & Beyond in 2016. Feldman speaks with Stanford Professor of the Practice Tina Seelig.

Adam Grant (University of Pennsylvania) - Six Ways to be an ‘Original’ Feb 08, 2017

University of Pennsylvania Professor Adam Grant, one of today’s most influential management thinkers, shares the top six takeaways from his book “Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World,” bringing his insights to life through amusing behavioral research and lively audience interaction. Grant explains why middle managers are notorious idea killers, why stress helps some rise to the occasion and how entrepreneurs and organizations can get what they want through unconventional means.

Meg Whitman (Hewlett Packard Enterprise) - Lessons in Situational Leadership Feb 01, 2017

Meg Whitman, president and CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, describes how she learned to lead companies big and small to success by adjusting to different environments, building on what a business does best, and approaching work with urgency and initiative. In conversation with Stanford Professor of the Practice Tina Seelig, Whitman recounts the explosive growth during her time as president and CEO of eBay, the challenging turnaround of storied tech giant HP, and her 2010 run for California governor that revealed deep political insights that still resonate.

Bob Tinker (MobileIron) - Evolving With Your Company Jan 25, 2017

Tech entrepreneur Bob Tinker was humbled when he stepped down as CEO of MobileIron, a leading provider of mobile security that went from being a three-man startup to a public company with nearly 1,000 employees, earning $150 million a year. Over those eight years, however, he learned how to position a business just right, how a CEO’s job and behavior must change over time, and how a leader can develop the self-awareness to adapt.

Brendan Boyle (IDEO) - Playing With Purpose Jan 25, 2017

It may not be rocket science, but there’s still much to consider when inventing children's toys, starting with all the ideas for what to build. Within the famous design firm IDEO, a small team toils away in a toy lab founded by Brendan Boyle, who also teaches design thinking at Stanford University. In conversation with Professor of the Practice Tina Seelig, Boyle discusses the importance of playfulness, divergent thinking and creativity in making toys.

Jay Kaplan (Synack) - Crowdsourcing Cybersecurity Dec 07, 2016

Entrepreneur Jay Kaplan, co-founder and CEO of Synack, describes how the idea of creating a cybersecurity service for enterprise businesses by crowdsourcing hackers went from sounding like a long shot to launching as a venture capital-backed startup. Kaplan, previously a senior analyst at the National Security Administration, talks about the virtues of government work and the nuances of “white hat” hacking.

Julie Zhuo (Facebook) - How a Facebook Designer Thinks Nov 30, 2016

Julie Zhuo, vice president of product design at Facebook, describes how the development of new features starts with three questions: What people problem are we solving? How do we know it’s a real problem? And how will we know if we’ve solved it? Zhuo explains how answering those fundamental questions at the outset reveals the most urgent problems to tackle — and yields features that truly enhance user satisfaction.

Michael Ackermann (Allergan) - A Tearful Tale of Biodesign Nov 16, 2016

Michael Ackermann, CEO of a med-tech startup that created a tear-stimulation device for those with dry-eye disease, explains how acquisition by a global pharmaceutical giant is helping him achieve his goal of reaching as many patients as possible. Ackermann, a graduate of the Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign, also discusses why big tech companies have yet to disrupt healthcare and how that translates into big opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Steve Blank (Stanford Engineering) - Entrepreneurship Strengthens a Nation Nov 09, 2016

Retired serial entrepreneur Steve Blank, creator of the “Lean LaunchPad” methodology for startups, discusses Silicon Valley’s roots as the epicenter of electronic warfare in the mid-20th century and how the region’s innovation ecosystem formed. An adjunct professor in Stanford University’s Department of Management Science & Engineering, Blank also walks through the lean-startup movement and how its principles are now helping the U.S. government innovate faster in the areas of basic science, health, national defense and international diplomacy.

Etosha Cave (Opus 12), Jonah Greenberger (Bright, Inc.), Cody Karutz (STRIVR Labs, Inc.), Elaine Cheung (GRAIL, Inc.) - Returning With Real-World Wisdom Nov 02, 2016

Four alumni of entrepreneurship-education fellowships offered through the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP) return to share what startup life in the fields of virtual reality, med-tech, renewable and solar energy have taught them. In conversation with STVP Faculty Co-Director Tina Seelig, the panel discusses strategic decision-making, defining success, facing failure, the importance of culture and the necessary traits to be a strong leader.

Jane Chen (Embrace Innovations) - Embrace the Entrepreneurial Journey Oct 26, 2016

Jane Marie Chen, co-founder and CEO of Embrace Innovations, describes how her social-enterprise startup’s infant warmer for premature and low-birth-weight babies came into the world. She discusses how optimism fuels the drive to overcome setbacks big and small, how Embrace has expanded into retail to support its humanitarian efforts, and explains why we should “choose to see the world through the lens of beauty.”

Bonny Simi (JetBlue Technology Ventures) - An Entrepreneurial Mindset — Applied to You Oct 18, 2016

Go to a good college. Be in the Olympics. Work in TV and become a pilot. These were the goals of a 14-year-old girl who grew up in a town tucked into the mountains just east of Los Angeles. That girl went on to compete in three Olympics, become a sports commentator, an airplane pilot and three-time Stanford graduate. Here’s how Bonny Simi, now the president of JetBlue Technology Ventures, did it all.

Joseph DeSimone (Carbon3D, Inc.) - Convergence Drives New Ideas Oct 12, 2016

Distinguished professor and serial entrepreneur Joseph DeSimone discusses the vibrant chemistry that takes place at the intersection of science and the humanities, academia and industry, and within the walls of his 3D manufacturing startup Carbon. He describes how on-demand parts manufacturing could one day eliminate the need for business inventory and even end up in hospitals.

Richard Miller (Olin College) - More Innovation Through Education May 25, 2016

Richard Miller, president of Olin College, describes disruptive ideas about education and learning that universities should adopt to graduate more creative, entrepreneurial and impactful engineers. He explains how a focus on math and science alone won't result in more innovation, and that higher education must instill traits like grit and independent thinking.

William Perry (Stanford University) - Dedication to Innovation and Nation May 18, 2016

Former U.S. Secretary of Defense William Perry recalls major chapters from his illustrious career with entrepreneurship educator Steve Blank in a discussion that spans Silicon Valley's evolution, digital technology's emergence and its adoption by the military, to Perry's time in Washington and his deep expertise in world affairs.

Bobby Lee (BTCC) - Why Bitcoin Makes Sense May 11, 2016

Bobby Lee, the co-founder and CEO of leading Bitcoin financial platform BTCC, answers some of the most common questions about the cryptocurrency, explains how its value is set and why it is the perfect monetary system for the digital age. Lee also shares familiar lessons for entrepreneurs that he learned launching his first startup in China.

Al Ramadan and Dave Peterson (Play Bigger Advisors) - How to Be a Category King May 04, 2016

Al Ramadan and Dave Peterson, co-founding partners of the category-design firm Play Bigger Advisors, share the science behind the strategies that innovators use to create and dominate product markets. They also discuss the marketing concepts for building a brand and identity, and for inspiring customers to see the world as you’ve framed it.

DJ Kleinbaum (Emerald Therapeutics) - Contrarian Truths Empowering Innovation Apr 27, 2016

DJ Kleinbaum, co-founder of Emerald Therapeutics, shares how his company balances growth to drive biotechnology breakthroughs, while supporting a culture that honors fresh-eyes thinking and the sharing of contrarian truths. Kleinbaum also discusses defining what makes your company different, and why "Eroom’s Law" looms large for the future of drug development.

Astro Teller (X) - Celebrating Failure Fuels Moonshots Apr 20, 2016

Astro Teller, director of Alphabet's moonshot factory, X, describes how smart bets on world-changing innovations are aided by a culture that celebrates only the most audacious projects and rewards teams for showing the courage to find the biggest flaws. He also discusses how innovation can be systematized regardless of business type, resources or role at your company.

Bernard Roth (Stanford University) - Reframing Problems and Getting Honest Apr 13, 2016

Bernard Roth, co-founder and academic director of Stanford University's d.school, shares design-thinking tools for reframing life's stubborn problems and unlocking solutions. Professor Roth, author of the book "The Achievement Habit," also engages audience members in exercises meant to cut through the excuses we tell ourselves that hold us back from accomplishing our goals.

Derek Belch (STRIVR Labs) - Immersed in Virtual Reality Apr 06, 2016

Derek Belch, co-founder and CEO of STRIVR Labs, a startup that uses virtual reality to train athletes, describes the passion necessary for entrepreneurship and the features that give his business a competitive edge in a rising-tide industry. The former Stanford football player is candid about the personal sacrifices entailed in putting your all into your venture.

Minnie Ingersoll (Shift) - A Drive to Disrupt Mar 02, 2016

Entrepreneur Minnie Ingersoll talks about how a computer-science degree, an MBA and 11 years at Google prepared her to co-found the online auto marketplace Shift. Calling her startup "a car company with Google DNA," Ingersoll offers insights on opportunity recognition, product management, career-life balance and the importance of traits like humility and patience.

Federica Marchionni (Lands' End) - Embracing the Non-Obvious Feb 24, 2016

Lands' End CEO Federica Marchionni shares lessons from her career as a leader at some of the most recognizable luxury-lifestyle brands in retail, including Dolce&Gabbana and Ferrari. She emphasizes the importance of excellence over perfection and adopting a "360 degree" mindset that will allow you to embrace change, be adaptable and identify opportunities for personal growth.

James Freeman (Blue Bottle Coffee) - Subtle Notes of Coffee and Philosophy Feb 17, 2016

James Freeman, the soft-spoken founder and CEO of Blue Bottle Coffee, shares his entrepreneurial journey from the farmers' market where he learned commerce in its purest form, to opening cafes across the country. Freeman explains how customer experience is part of a product and shares the inspiration he draws from philosophy, literature and other cultures.

Dharmesh Shah (HubSpot) - Why Company Culture is Crucial Feb 10, 2016

Dharmesh Shah, co-founder and CTO at the marketing and sales software firm HubSpot, distills his 128-slide presentation on company culture down to its essence, describing it as a business's "operating system" that lets people do their best work. Shah says entrepreneurs must create a company culture they love, because one will eventually emerge no matter what.

John Hennessy (Stanford University) - Great Leadership Can Be Learned Feb 03, 2016

Stanford University President John Hennessy discusses some of the most powerful lessons he's learned as leader of one of the world's most complex and dynamic institutions of higher education. In conversation with Tina Seelig, director at the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, Hennessy also shares insights from his entrepreneurial career in the high-tech industry.

Mike Maples Jr. (Floodgate) - Dare to Do Legendary Things Jan 27, 2016

Mike Maples Jr., co-founder of the venture capital firm Floodgate, explains what entrepreneurs can learn from the very few technology startups that achieve hyper-exceptional success and market disruption. The Silicon Valley veteran urges tomorrow's innovators to "only do things that have a chance to be legendary" – because it takes just as much work to do something mediocre.

Michael Moritz (Sequoia Capital), Lisa Sugar (Popsugar) - Follow Your Instincts and Find Your Path Jan 20, 2016

Sequoia Capital Chairman Michael Moritz and Lisa Sugar, founder and president of Popsugar, describe the investor-entrepreneur dynamic based on their personal experiences. In conversation with Stanford University lecturer Emily Ma, they discuss how success starts with staying to true to yourself, following your instincts and interests, and doing what makes you happy.

Michael Tubbs (City of Stockton) - Solving Social Ills Through Innovation Jan 13, 2016

Civic leader Michael Tubbs shares his story of growing up in the California Central Valley, attending Stanford and going on to become one of the youngest elected officials in U.S. history. The Stockton City Councilman calls on entrepreneurs behind today's biggest tech innovations to also focus on solving society's biggest problems, like poverty, illiteracy and inequality.

Brit Morin (Brit + Co) - Inspiring Creativity with Great Content Nov 18, 2015

Brit Morin, founder and CEO of Brit + Co, describes her path and motivation for launching a platform that aims to inspire women and girls to be creative through compelling content such as videos, online classes and do-it-yourself kits. Morin explains how creativity is sparked by rekindling that playful spirit from our youth and stems from the primal instinct to make things.

Rebecca Lynn (Canvas Venture Fund) - Creating Your Own Canvas Nov 11, 2015

Rebecca Lynn, partner and founder at Canvas Ventures, shares her unlikely journey from the humble farming town of her childhood to the hotbed of technology innovation, fueled by engineering talent, entrepreneurial drive and solid guidance from mentors. Lynn describes her strategy for investing and observations about the world of venture capital.

Scott Cook (Intuit) - Accounting for Intuit's Success Nov 04, 2015

Intuit Co-Founder Scott Cook describes how the financial software company went from struggling startup to runaway market leader by staying focused on the customer and iterating and embracing surprises along the way. In a free-form talk guided by audience questions, Cook shares advice on leadership, perseverance and professional growth.

Lyndon Rive (Solar City) - The Science and Incentives Behind Solar Oct 28, 2015

Lyndon Rive, Co-Founder and CEO of SolarCity, and Tim Draper, founding parter of the venture capital firm DFJ, discuss the clean-energy company's mission to save the planet while exploring the many aspects of its business, from the science of solar power to the need for better government incentives and policies.

Jeff Seibert (Twitter) - Acquisitions: Lessons from All Sides Oct 14, 2015

Jeff Seibert, senior director of product at Twitter, describes what went well and what didn't during the acquisition of his earlier startups by big-name technology companies, stressing the importance of culture fit, maintaining your team's trust throughout, and continued investment in growth after being acquired. Seibert also explains how an acquisition isn't always the best exit strategy for a promising startup.

Steve Jurvetson (Draper Fisher Jurvetson), Astro Teller (X), Christina Smolke (Stanford University School of Medicine) - Forecasting the Future of Technology Oct 07, 2015

A special panel of highly scientific minds discusses what the future holds for tech innovation, education and entrepreneurship. Panelists include Google's "captain of moonshots," Astro Teller, Stanford bioengineer Christina Smolke, an associate professor at the university's medical school, and DFJ General Partner Steve Jurvetson. Persis Drell, dean of the Stanford School of Engineering, moderates the discussion, with introductions by Stanford Professor Kathleen Eisenhardt.

Elon Musk (SpaceX) - Elon Musk's Vision for the Future Oct 07, 2015

The iconic entrepreneur behind SpaceX, Tesla Motors and Paypal shares his predictions for artificial intelligence, renewable energy and space exploration, in conversation with DFJ General Partner Steve Jurvetson at Stanford on Oct. 7, 2015. University President John Hennessy introduces the future-focused discussion, which follows Musk's journey from his first Internet startup in the mid-nineties to his dream of a Mars colony in the next 20 years.

Stewart Butterfield (Slack) - Serendipity in Design and Entrepreneurship Sep 30, 2015

Stewart Butterfield, co-founder of Slack and Flickr, shares lessons from his entrepreneurial journey from philosophy student to creator of hugely popular platforms for sharing and communicating, and how they began as minor features embedded in online games that were otherwise flops. Butterfield speaks with Andrew Braccia of the venture capital firm Accel Partners.

Susan Koger (ModCloth) - Find Your Venture's Emotional Core May 27, 2015

Susan Koger, co-founder and chief creative officer of the online retailer ModCloth, shares lessons that transcend the fashion industry. Reflecting on her startup's early years and challenges along the way, Koger explains how emotion not only connects customers to a brand, it connects a team to the work.

William Marshall (Planet Labs) - Entrepreneurship Takes Flight May 20, 2015

Founder and CEO William Marshall takes us inside how Planet Labs seeks to benefit humanity by leveraging continuous imaging to understand the challenges facing the planet. Marshall discusses founding ventures with purpose, the opportunities possible from open access to data, and the novel technologies that bring their "dove" satellites to life in space.

Chinedu Echeruo (Constant Capital Partners) - Creativity Unleashes Value for the World May 13, 2015

Serial entrepreneur and investor Chinedu Echeruo shares lessons from starting multiple companies, including HopStop, which was acquired by Apple in 2013. Echeruo discusses the beneficial attributes of founders, learning from his missteps, and why he sees creativity as a tool for unleashing value for the world.

Mike Rothenberg (Rothenberg Ventures) - Blue is Where You Should Be May 06, 2015

Mike Rothenberg, founder and CEO of Rothenberg Ventures, describes the entrepreneurial approach he took in starting his firm and how failures along the way were actually opportunities to reset. He also explains the business concept of red versus blue ocean, where the latter represents an uncharted market that entrepreneurs should swim toward at all costs.

Kathleen Eisenhardt (Stanford Technology Ventures Program) - Simple Rules for a Complex World Apr 28, 2015

Kathleen Eisenhardt, a professor of management science and engineering at Stanford, explains the advantages of developing simple rules for business and life, sharing examples from industries ranging from startups to sports and entertainment. Eisenhardt, who teaches in Stanford's School of Engineering, co-wrote the 2015 book "Simple Rules: How to Thrive in a Complex World."

Kyle Forster (Big Switch Networks) - Non-Linear Path to Leadership Apr 22, 2015

Kyle Forster, co-founder of Big Switch Networks, discusses pivotal moments from his career in Silicon Valley when expertise in early stage technologies propelled him into leadership roles. Forster also shares insights from several of his favorite books and the powerful lessons all aspiring entrepreneurs should heed.

Ron Gutman (HealthTap) - Impact Will Keep You Motivated Apr 15, 2015

Ron Gutman, founder and CEO of digital-health startup HealthTap, dares entrepreneurs to enjoy, not just endure, the journey by doing something that matters deeply to many people. A serial entrepreneur, inventor and big believer in the power of positivity, Gutman also describes how the heart of success is understanding human need at a granular level.

Sean George (Invitae) - Experience is Your Reward Apr 08, 2015

Sean George, president and chief operating officer of genetics-information company Invitae, explains how the rewards of entrepreneurship come from facing the major challenges along the way. In this insightful talk, the serial entrepreneur also underscores the necessity of a team's focus on mission to see a venture through adversity.

Laurene Powell Jobs (Emerson Collective) - Injecting Innovation into Intractable Systems Mar 04, 2015

Laurene Powell Jobs, in conversation with Stanford Engineering Professor Tom Byers, shares her path to entrepreneurship and her strong commitment to addressing massive challenges in education and immigration reform through College Track and Emerson Collective, organizations she founded to spark systemic change and improve lives at the individual level.

Joshua Reeves (Gusto) - The Startup Journey: A Marathon, Not a Sprint Feb 25, 2015

Joshua Reeves, co-founder and CEO of ZenPayroll, explains how building truly impactful products takes time, and how crucial it is to set aside time throughout one's journey for introspection. Reeves also discusses finding meaning by seeing the people in processes and modeling your future by identifying people you admire.

John Collison (Stripe) - Putting Startup Success in Perspective Feb 17, 2015

John Collison, co-founder and president of the online payment system Stripe, explains how even the most celebrated startups repeatedly encountered uncertainty and failures along the way. In conversation with Stanford Professor of the Practice Tina Seelig, Collison shares his thoughts on how a venture's path can evolve after its early days, even as the vision holds constant.

Kathryn Gould (Foundation Capital) - Figure Out What's Important Feb 11, 2015

Kathryn Gould, one of the first women venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, shares what she's learned after many years of picking successful startups and forging her own career path. In conversation with tech-industry author and journalist Mike Malone, the co-founder of Foundation Capital tells entrepreneurs to identify a true target customer and market opportunity, and be prepared to give 100 percent.

Alon Cohen (Houzz) - Making Complicated Things Simple Feb 04, 2015

Alon Cohen, co-founder and president of Houzz, a leading platform for home remodeling and design, shares insights on being an immigrant entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, and how the drive to work hard and persevere are more essential than mere talent. Cohen explains that success rests on building products that are both useful and simplify complicated tasks.

Jeanne Gang (Studio Gang Architects) - Growing a Creative Company Jan 28, 2015

Visionary architect and MacArthur Fellow Jeanne Gang discusses how the process of co-creation with clients and diverse teams leads to uniquely designed works that achieve aesthetic beauty and, at the same time, make bold statements. Founder and principal of Studio Gang Architects, Gang describes growing her firm without diluting creativity or camaraderie.

Shah Selbe (National Geographic Society) - Find Your Niche, Help the World Jan 21, 2015

National Geographic Explorer Shah Selbe describes how much Earth needs technologists with an entrepreneurial spirit to address global challenges and conserve the planet's resources. A spacecraft-propulsion engineer by training, Selbe shares profound experiences from expeditions in the wild and calls on the next wave of innovators to find their passion and realize that opportunities exist everywhere.

Jennifer Pahlka (Code for America) - Make Government Work Better for All Jan 14, 2015

Jennifer Pahlka, founder and executive director of Code for America, explains how governments, from the federal level to the local, need individuals with the skills to harness technology and design principles to make the everyday user's experience simpler and more elegant. Formerly the U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officer at the White House, Pahlka also discusses the hunger within government for "creative hacks" that improve their platforms.

Ben Horowitz (Andreessen Horowitz) - Nailing the Hard Things Nov 19, 2014

Entrepreneur and venture capitalist Ben Horowitz shares which entrepreneurial skills truly matter, and why learning to manage well may be the most critical skill of all. Horowitz, a founding partner of Andreessen Horowitz, discusses the value of learning inside a large company, some of the exciting technology frontiers ahead, and the purpose and philosophy of his firm, in conversation with Stanford Engineering Professor Tom Byers.

Tina Wells (Buzz Marketing Group) - Consumers and Brands in the Digital Age Nov 12, 2014

Tina Wells, founder and CEO of Buzz Marketing Group, answers questions on trend-spotting, ethics in marketing and new approaches to audience engagement. Wells also tells the story of her journey from school-age entrepreneur to leading a firm that helps companies create ways for consumers to express their true experiences with brands.

Jennifer Carolan (New Schools Seed Fund) - Seeking the Full Potential of Education Nov 05, 2014

Jennifer Carolan, managing director of the NewSchools Seed Fund, talks about the opportunities for technology companies interested in contributing to the changing landscape of education. In conversation with Stanford Engineering Consulting Associate Professor Steve Blank, Carolan discusses common mistakes of ed-tech founders and the need for engineers and consumer technologists in creating innovation in education.

Lewis Cirne (New Relic) - Life is Too Short for Bad Software Oct 29, 2014

Lew Cirne, founder and CEO of New Relic, discusses his experiences as a serial entrepreneur, in conversation with Stanford Engineering Professor Tom Byers. Cirne talks about finding one's strengths as a leader, the challenge of discovering a company's second act, and why the best engineers must possess real empathy for the users of their products.

Matt Rogers (Nest) - Tackle Projects Others Don't Want Oct 22, 2014

Nest Co-Founder Matt Rogers explains why careers can be made on taking on the challenges and projects unloved by others. Rogers discusses what he learned working at Apple on the original iPod and iPhone, the importance of not chasing the money when raising capital, and how he and Nest Co-Founder Tony Fadell went about building an innovative consumer electronics company.

Tina Seelig (Stanford Technology Ventures Program) - From Inspiration to Implementation Oct 15, 2014

Tina Seelig, professor of the practice in Stanford's School of Engineering, describes how imagination leads to entrepreneurship, charting the course from rough ideas to polished ventures. Introducing a new framework called the "Inventure Cycle," Seelig captures the attitudes and actions necessary to foster innovation and bring breakthrough ideas to the world.

Liz Wiseman (Author) - The Power of Not Knowing Oct 08, 2014

Author and leadership educator Liz Wiseman shares why cultivating a "rookie mindset" is an advantage in a rapidly changing world. Wiseman presents insights from her books, "Rookie Smarts" and "Multipliers," including frameworks and techniques for how entrepreneurs, leaders and employees can embrace a life of constant learning and build a passion for multiplying the genius of those around them.

Kevin Hartz and Julia Hartz (Eventbrite) - Optimal Traits and Sustainable Advantages Oct 01, 2014

Kevin and Julia Hartz discuss what it really takes to be a thriving startup organism in challenging ecosystems. As well as sharing insights from the early founding days of Eventbrite, the husband and wife co-founders explain the importance of continual focus on cultivating talent, maintaining sustainable advantages, and driving relentless evolution inside a company.

Heidi Roizen (DFJ) - Adventures in Entrepreneurship May 27, 2014

Heidi Roizen, operating partner at the venture capital firm Threshold (formerly DFJ), shares personal and professional truths learned from her career as an entrepreneur, investor, and educator. Among other topics, Roizen examines the need for resiliency, the importance of valuing relationships over transactions, and why ethics should never be compromised.

Leah Busque (TaskRabbit) - Do Something You Love May 21, 2014

TaskRabbit Founder and CEO Leah Busque tells how a need for dog food on a snowy night in Boston turned into a rapidly growing venture connecting people in neighborhoods around the country. Busque also explains the value of sharing your idea freely and the importance of cultivating an atmosphere of mentorship and collaboration.

Geoff Donaker (Yelp) - The Road to IPO May 14, 2014

Yelp COO Geoff Donaker steps through the big questions and challenges faced in taking a company public. Donaker discusses working with bankers, developing a road show for investors, and many of the issues of pricing and timing faced by Yelp in the run up to their public offering in 2012.

Linda Rottenberg (Endeavor) - Crazy is a Compliment May 07, 2014

Linda Rottenberg, co-founder and CEO of Endeavor Global, shares smart lessons for cutting an entrepreneurial path in a turbulent world. Touching on elements from her upcoming book, Crazy is a Compliment, Rottenberg unpacks insights from Endeavor's work driving entrepreneurship in emerging markets around the world.

Ed Catmull (Disney/Pixar Animation) - Creativity, Inc. Apr 30, 2014

Ed Catmull, president of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, shares some of his formative career experiences and offers a glimpse inside the working culture of Disney and Pixar. In conversation with Stanford Professor Bob Sutton, Catmull offers additional insights from his book, Creativity, Inc., including lessons learned from his longtime working relationship with the late Steve Jobs.

Morris Chang (Taiwan Semiconductor) - An Emphasis on Excellence Apr 23, 2014

Morris Chang, founding chairman of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, reflects on his journey of bringing revolutionary changes to his industry, in conversation with Stanford President John Hennessy. Chang also touches on discovering new business models, his thoughts on leadership, and the importance of gratitude in one's career.

Sal Khan (Khan Academy) - Education Reimagined Apr 16, 2014

Sal Khan, founder and executive director of Khan Academy, discusses elements for a new vision for education. While offering examples of how his organization is bringing disruptive approaches to traditional learning experiences, Khan touches on the early days starting Khan Academy and the power of collaboration in creating change around the world.

Tristan Walker (Walker and Company) - Be an Authentic Entrepreneur Apr 09, 2014

Tristan Walker, founder and CEO of Walker and Company Brands, describes living your authentic brand as an entrepreneur. Traveling from the housing projects of Queens, New York to working on Wall Street and experiences at Silicon Valley tech firms, Walker discusses creating context to see opportunities and the importance of being in the problems and solutions business, in conversation with Stanford Professor Tina Seelig.

Cameron Teitelman (StartX), Joseph Huang (WifiSLAM), Milt McColl (Gauss Surgical), Smita Saxena (SpotOn) - Acceleration Through Community Mar 05, 2014

Venture inside StartX, an educational non-profit that supports the development of passionate Stanford entrepreneurs. In this panel discussion, current and former members of the StartX community describe their experiences inside the accelerator and the value they received through a culture of collective intelligence and mentorship.

Hemant Shah (RMS) - A True Model for Embracing Change Feb 26, 2014

Hemant Shah, co-founder and CEO of RMS, takes students on a ride through the highs and lows of growing and changing a company. From early days in an apartment with co-founders, to making the tough calls as a market leader in risk and catastrophe modeling, Shah discusses lessons around culture, business models, and pivoting a value proposition.

Cameron Strang (Warner Bros. Records), Nate Ruess (fun.) - The Music Industry Unplugged Feb 19, 2014

Stanford Professor Tina Seelig discusses the creative process and music industry dynamics with Nate Ruess, lead singer of the band fun., and Cameron Strang, chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Records and Warner/Chappell Music. As a kick-off to Seelig's Stanford Online course, Creativity: Music to my Ears, the conversation explores issues of artist development, evolving business models and the shape and future of the music industry.

Bob Sutton (Stanford University) - Scaling Up Excellence Feb 12, 2014

Stanford Professor Bob Sutton shares principles and colorful examples from his most recent book, Scaling Up Excellence, co-authored by Huggy Rao. Touching on concepts around emotion, complexity, and connecting people, Sutton explains why scaling is about spreading and sustaining a mindset, not just a footprint.

Gurjeet Singh and Gunnar Carlsson (Ayasdi) - Shaping the Future of Data Feb 05, 2014

Ayasdi Co-Founders Gunnar Carlsson and Gurjeet Singh discuss building a company based on technology developed inside a university, in conversation with Floodgate Partner Ann Miura-Ko. With deep insights on data visualization, Carlsson and Singh talk about developing technologies and the process for evaluating high-impact applications.

William Hsu (MuckerLab) - Moving from Hubris to Confidence Jan 29, 2014

MuckerLab Co-Founder William Hsu shares his professional journey from young, headstrong entrepreneur to experienced leader working to support a thriving startup environment in Los Angeles. Hsu focuses on why building a company is different than starting a company, the importance of getting as many "at-bats" as possible, and the immense value of a pay-it-forward culture.

Halle Tecco (Rock Health) - Accelerating Real Change in Healthcare Jan 15, 2014

Halle Tecco, co-founder and CEO of healthcare accelerator Rock Health, shares how technologists, designers and other professionals can play a role in bringing innovation to the healthcare industry. Tecco identifies systemic challenges facing healthcare in America and shares examples of companies working to address these opportunities for change.

Sharon Vosmek (Astia) - The Path to More Inclusive Innovation Nov 20, 2013

Astia CEO Sharon Vosmek shows how behavior shifts in entrepreneurial ecosystems can lead to more robust levels of inclusive innovation. Vosmek also highlights research on how access to business networks, expertise and capital play out across gender lines.

Mike Olson (Cloudera) - Opportunities Abound in the Big Data Space Nov 13, 2013

Cloudera Co-Founder Mike Olson shares his insights on the present landscape and possible future of big data and the data management industry. In conversation with Ping Li of Accel Partners, Olson also discusses the advantages of building a business on top of open source technologies and the many surprising benefits of competition.

Scott Harrison (charity: water) - Thirsting for a Life of Service Nov 06, 2013

Scott Harrison, founder and CEO of charity: water, shares his entrepreneurial path from a life of pure self-interest to one driven by a desire to bring clean water to millions. In this compelling talk, Harrison shares his interest and approach in re-inventing the charity sector, along with the powerful stories of those affected by his organization's work.

Bill Drayton (Ashoka) - A World of Changemakers Oct 30, 2013

Ashoka Founder Bill Drayton shares new ideas on how the world can transition to a place where everyone is a contributing change-maker. Drayton also sits down in conversation with Stanford Professor Tina Seelig to discuss critical skills for changemakers, the possibilities for collaborative entrepreneurship, and the importance of giving yourself permission to make change.

Steve Teig (Tabula) - Revel in the Adventure of New Ideas Oct 23, 2013

Steve Teig, president and CTO of Tabula, believes entrepreneurs get the most from life by committing fully to "making work you love." In this expansive talk, Teig shares how to turn fear into a superpower, and weaves together insights from his career to explain the importance of always striving and why life is too short to not work with nice people.

Cyriac Roeding (Shopkick) - You Have to Break the Egg Oct 16, 2013

Cyriac Roeding, co-founder and CEO of mobile app company Shopkick, shares personal stories and insights on dealing with the essential questions facing entrepreneurs. He also provides unique perspectives on the nature of mobile interaction, and offers essential tips for building truly awesome teams.

Padmasree Warrior (Cisco) - Realizing Innovation at Enterprise Scale Oct 09, 2013

Padmasree Warrior, Cisco's chief technology and strategy officer, offers a vision of how value will be created as the magnitude of technology change rapidly increases. Warrior also touches on balancing analytical and empathetic leadership, cultivating a culture of innovation at enterprise scale, and how the Internet of Everything will shape the future of individuals and organizations.

Matthew Rabinowitz (Natera) - There is Always a Way Forward Oct 02, 2013

Serial entrepreneur Dr. Matthew Rabinowitz discusses how letting go of ego can empower entrepreneurs to solve problems that change the quality of life. As the founder of molecular diagnostics company Natera, Rabinowitz also shares unique financing insights, the value of being irreverent, and ways to manage your entrepreneurial destiny for as long possible.

Ferdinando Buscema (Magic Experience Designer) - Magician Leadership May 29, 2013

Magic experience designer Ferdinando Buscema brings an engineer's background and a performer's flair to this call to all entrepreneurs to think like a magician to achieve the impossible. Drawing from a rich variety of sources including psychology, the arts, and magic performance, Buscema illustrates a new leadership archetype for the 21st century.

Jocelyn Goldfein (Facebook) - Deep Inside Facebook May 22, 2013

Director of Engineering Jocelyn Goldfein takes us on a trip inside the innovative culture of Facebook. In this illuminating conversation with STVP Executive Director Tina Seelig, Goldfein explains why code wins arguments, employees must have the right to take risks, and how Facebook strives to remain a hungry, yet humble, company.

Chris Redlitz and Beverly Parenti (KickLabs; The Last Mile), Heracio Harts (The Last Mile) - From Lockup to Startup May 15, 2013

Imagine trying to bring entrepreneurship education to one of the most challenging environments in the world: San Quentin State Prison in California. In this powerful talk and interview, The Last Mile Co-Founders Chris Redlitz and Beverly Parenti, along with program graduate Heracio Harts, discuss the benefits of commitment and entrepreneurial thinking in supporting individuals to make the successful transition from prison to living productive lives in society.

Justin Rosenstein (Asana) - Leading Big Visions From the Heart May 08, 2013

Asana Co-Founder Justin Rosenstein shares the philosophy and experiences that drive him to create positive impact on the world. Rosenstein also unpacks the values Asana focuses on in creating a thriving culture and offers ways for leaders and individuals to effectively manage their personal psychology.

Kate Mitchell (Scale Venture Partners) - Own Your Own Success May 01, 2013

Kate Mitchell, managing director of Scale Venture Partners, demonstrates why an optimistic, but realistic mindset is a central key for successful entrepreneurs. Mitchell also challenges entrepreneurs to play an active role in civic life by actively telling their stories to affect policy at the national and international level.

Akshay Kothari and Ankit Gupta (Pulse) - What You Learn by Doing Apr 24, 2013

Pulse Co-Founders Akshay Kothari and Ankit Gupta were curious Stanford graduate students always interested in taking on side projects to learn something new. In this light-hearted and insightful lecture, Kothari and Gupta discuss their experiences integrating what they learned into developing an elegant product, which eventually led to their startup's acquisition by LinkedIn.

Monica Lam (Stanford University) - Mobile Can Disrupt Social Apr 17, 2013

MobiSocial Founder and Stanford Computer Science Professor Monica Lam offers a compelling case for why mobile can disrupt the social space to create genuine and frictionless experiences. Lam discusses the importance of cross-platform capability and the high potential for open, non-proprietary systems for communication.

Nassim Taleb (Author) - How Things Gain from Disorder Apr 10, 2013

Based on his continuing exploration of the decision making process under opaque circumstances, Nassim Taleb, author of The Black Swan and Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder, shares how the benefits of random conditions can be successfully harvested to help navigate a world we do not fully understand.

Tim O'Reilly (O'Reilly Media) - Create More Value Than You Capture Mar 06, 2013

Sharing inspirations from both innovative companies and works of art, entrepreneur and technology sage Tim O'Reilly weaves together a series of thoughtful lessons for startups. From rethinking workflows and experiences to the valuable role of idealism in business, O'Reilly makes the case for entrepreneurs to work on the hard problems that matter.

Dan Berkenstock, Julian Mann, John Fenwick, and Ching-Yu Hu (Skybox Imaging) - Launching into Uncharted Space Feb 27, 2013

The co-founders of Skybox Imaging, Dan Berkenstock, Julian Mann, John Fenwick and Ching-Yu Hu, realized early on they had one thing in common: they don't take no for an answer. Here the team of Stanford alumni explain their passion to disrupt the satellite imaging industry and share engaging tales of launching their unique venture.

Stephen Cohen (Palantir) - The Path to Palantir Feb 20, 2013

Stephen Cohen reflects on his journey from Stanford computer science student to co-founding and building Palantir Technologies. Cohen extolls the joys of hacking projects in school, shares thoughts on the future relationship between man and machine, and shares stories from the colorful early history of Palantir.

Cindy Padnos (Illuminate Ventures) - An Enterprising Approach to Investment Feb 13, 2013

Illuminate Ventures Founder Cindy Padnos talks candidly with Stanford Consulting Professor Tom Kosnik about the value of leveraging advisor relationships, the sometimes surprising responsibilities of a CEO, and the fundamental differences between the roles of entrepreneur and venture capitalist.

Tim Draper (Draper Fisher Jurvetson) - Calling All Entrepreneurial Heroes Feb 06, 2013

In this lively presentation, Tim Draper, managing director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson, shares his global experiences funding entrepreneurial heroes who "break down walls." Draper shares attributes that support viable entrepreneurial environments, and encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to attack established monopolies and to never fear making mistakes.

John Lilly (Greylock Partners) - White Space is Everywhere Jan 30, 2013

Entrepreneur and investor John Lilly makes a sound pitch for why this moment in time is full of promise for passionate entrepreneurs willing to charge into the current white space of opportunity. Lilly also explains the idiosyncratic nature of investors and the goal of creating large, durable companies with the capacity to change the world.

Steven McCormick (Moore Foundation) - Drive Change Through Entrepreneurship Jan 23, 2013

Steven McCormick, president of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, discusses the value and continued need of an entrepreneurial approach in the philanthropic sector. McCormick also shares lessons learned on staying obsessively focused on outcomes, the critical need to measure success, and how to create change by being a 'positive deviant' inside organizations.

Hank Wuh (Skai Ventures) - Disruptive Innovation Can Happen Anywhere Jan 16, 2013

Surgeon, inventor and entrepreneur Dr. Hank Wuh shares examples of how his firm, Skai Ventures, based in Hawaii, takes a hands-on approach to launching high-growth businesses. Wuh explores the challenges of identifying disruptive innovations that are commercially viable and building profitable companies that aim to do good in the world.

Sue Siegel (GE) - A Healthy Respect for Innovation Nov 28, 2012

Sue Siegel, CEO of GE's healthymagination unit, offers sound advice from her experiences commercializing new technologies and innovations in the fields of biomedicine and healthcare. Siegel also explains how innovation is created in organizations of all sizes, how values impact the quality of team performance, and ways for evaluating career decisions.

Melinda Gates (Gates Foundation) - Pursue Passions with a Vengeance Nov 14, 2012

Through stories of creating meaningful impact around the world, Melinda Gates explains how the Gates Foundation seeks to solve global challenges through innovation in the areas of health and education. Gates also shares life experiences and insights gained on working with others, pursuing life passions, and being committed to volunteerism.

Jess Lee (Polyvore) - Path and Purpose of a First-TIme CEO Nov 07, 2012

In this insightful conversation with investor Peter Fenton of Benchmark Capital, Polyvore CEO and co-founder Jess Lee talks about her personal and professional transition from working at a large organization to a becoming an entrepreneurial, first-time CEO. Fenton and Lee also examine the priorities of the CEO role, founder and investor relations, and creating the right team to build the product.

Noam Wasserman (Harvard Business School) - The Founder's Dilemmas Oct 31, 2012

Drawing on a decade of research and interviews with company founders, Harvard Business School Associate Professor Noam Wasserman explores many of the momentous early decisions and pitfalls faced by entrepreneurs and investors. Wasserman outlines paths and options for founders, with an emphasis on the frequently challenging people issues that can inhibit startup success.

Steve Garrity (Hearsay Social), Roelof Botha (Sequoia Capital), Kit Rodgers (Cryptography Research), Divya Nag (Stem Cell Theranostics) - Impact: Stanford Entrepreneurship and Innovation Oct 24, 2012

This special presentation features a panel of Stanford alumni reflecting on their personal entrepreneurial experiences at Stanford and in the vibrant Silicon Valley ecosystem. This conversation follows a presentation of remarkable results from the Stanford Innovation Survey, measuring the economic impact of Stanford alumni engaged in entrepreneurial activity.

Geoff Yang (Redpoint Ventures) - Timing Matters Oct 17, 2012

Venture capitalist Geoff Yang challenges entrepreneurs to "think huge" and to complete the due diligence necessary to understand markets they plan to enter. Yang dispels myths about relationships between founders and investors and encourages new entrepreneurs to be thoughtful about taking on outside capital and engaging venture capitalists.

Olivia Fox Cabane (Author and Speaker) - Build Your Personal Charisma Oct 10, 2012

Debunking charisma as being purely innate or magical, Olivia Fox Cabane reveals how specific behaviors of presence, power and warmth can help individuals to develop their personal charisma. The author of The Charisma Myth also shares anecdotes and research that illustrate how elements of charisma are learned, interpreted and impact relationships.

Drew Houston (Dropbox) - Finding Your Way as an Entrepreneur May 30, 2012

Co-Founder Drew Houston shares personal moments from starting the cloud-based file storage service Dropbox. Houston touches on the importance of persevering through early challenges at a startup, selecting the right co-founder, and focusing on solving problems to maximize customer happiness.

Adam Lashinsky (Author) - Secrets at Apple's Core May 23, 2012

Adam Lashinsky, Fortune senior editor-at-large, shares an insider look at Apple, one of the world's most iconic and secretive companies. Based on his research into the technology giant's internal processes and approaches to leadership and building products, Lashinsky offers insights and surprises from his book, Inside Apple: How America's Most Admired--and Secretive--Company Really Works.

Daniel Ek (Spotify) - A Playlist for Entrepreneurs May 16, 2012

Daniel Ek, founder of digital music service, Spotify, is driven by a desire to solve interesting problems. In this fascinating lecture, moderated by KPCB's Chi-Hua Chien, Ek shares his thoughts on leadership, collaboration, and a laser-focus on building truly great products.

Brian Murray (HarperCollins) - A Story of Change and Opportunity May 09, 2012

HarperCollins President and CEO Brian Murray discusses the shifting economics of publishing and how his company, which launches 12 new products per day, is working to succeed in this disruptive period. In conversation with STVP Executive Director Dr. Tina Seelig, Murray also talks about issues of digital rights management, his company's willingness to explore new business models, and how HarperCollins manages relationships with other major players in the space.

Rebeca Hwang (YouNoodle), Elizabeth Samara-Rubio (StorWatts) - Small Acts and Big Impacts May 02, 2012

This special lecture offers insights from two leaders creating impact through entrepreneurship. Founder Elizabeth Samara-Rubio explains how her company, StorWatts, aims to provide distributed energy storage to millions around the world, while YouNoodle entrepreneur Rebeca Hwang tells stories of her early field experiences which formed her passion for social entrepreneurship.

Gale Anne Hurd (Film and Television Producer) - Producing a Career from the Ground Up Apr 18, 2012

Acclaimed film and television producer Gale Anne Hurd knows what it takes to build a career from scratch in a tough industry. Hurd describes her path from entry-level roles in the entertainment industry to becoming a leader in the Hollywood community, based on taking chances, making yourself indispensable and staying committed to what you love.

Jeff Church (Nika Water) - The Wave of Social Entrepreneurship Apr 11, 2012

Entrepreneur and successful executive Jeff Church founded Nika Water to create a thriving social enterprise that supports clean water projects in impoverished countries. In this inspiring lecture, Church lays out his motivations for striking out on his own, the challenges of the global water crisis and the essential lessons aspiring entrepreneurs need to learn.

Andy Kurtzig (JustAnswer), Sandra Kurtzig (Kenandy, ASK Group) - Two Generations of Entrepreneurship Mar 07, 2012

In this special lecture, mother and son serial entrepreneurs Sandra and Andy Kurtzig share smart reasons for starting companies that matter. Sandra Kurtzig outlines similarities and differences between her previous ventures and her current company, Kenandy. Andy Kurtzig discusses his company, JustAnswer, and key lessons for entrepreneurs.

Kristina Johnson (Enduring Energy) - Energies that Power a Career Feb 29, 2012

Former U.S. Undersecretary of Energy Kristina Johnson discusses the empowering experiences of her life and career in academia, government and private industry. In a conversation with STVP's Tina Seelig, Johnson identifies the strengths of each of these areas to affect change and innovation, and offers lessons in leading a life that can capitalize on new opportunities.

Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn) - Live Life in Permanent Beta Feb 22, 2012

Serial entrepreneur and investor Reid Hoffman encourages individuals to become the entrepreneurs of their own lives. Hoffman shares the importance of taking intelligent risks, building thoughtful networks and continually adapting your skills to navigate a fulfilling career path.

Sukhinder Singh Cassidy (JOYUS) - Find Your Vector of Impact Feb 15, 2012

JOYUS Founder and Chairman Sukhinder Singh Cassidy says entrepreneurs should leverage trademark strengths and lean in all the way when it's time to deliver. In this lecture, Singh Cassidy explores concepts such as defining operational range, using data to support gut beliefs, and developing the big ideas teams and customers can rally around.

Warren Packard (Thuuz) - Embrace Uncertainty Feb 09, 2012

Thuuz Co-Founder and CEO Warren Packard appreciates how uncertainty is a constant force in the lives of entrepreneurs. Sharing stories from his career as an entrepreneur and venture capitalist, Packard captures how life is a series of decisions made without complete information. He also addresses how his current venture approaches issues of funding and strategic partnerships.

Ted Zoller (Kauffman Foundation) - Building an Entrepreneurial Career Feb 01, 2012

Kauffman Foundation Senior Fellow Ted Zoller challenges Stanford students to engage in entrepreneurship as a practice of action. Based on his research into dealmaker density and network development, Zoller details the power of seizing opportunities and the pathways to developing an entrepreneurial career.

Alexander Osterwalder (Author) - Tools for Business Model Generation Jan 26, 2012

Entrepreneur and business model innovator Alexander Osterwalder discusses dynamic, yet simple-to-use tools for visualizing, challenging and re-inventing business models. Osterwalder articulates how to use the visual language of his business model canvas framework, and shares stories of how this approach helps organizations of all sizes to better create, deliver and capture value.

Deborah Hopkins (Citi ) - Talking About a Revolution Jan 18, 2012

Citi Chief Innovation Officer Deborah Hopkins believes now is an incredible time for new companies due to the pace of cultural and technological change. As the head of Citi Ventures, Hopkins leads the banking firm's efforts to invest in companies delivering disruptive technology products. Hopkins shares rules for revolutionary entrepreneurs and describes how Citi's initiatives are shaped by empathy for customers and a commitment to sharing new ideas.

Jessica Mah (inDinero) - A Startup is a Learning Experience Nov 30, 2011

InDinero Founder Jessica Mah discusses the realities of the startup experience, in conversation with STVP faculty member and entrepreneur Steve Blank. Sharing the early successes and missteps for her company, Mah honestly reveals the lessons she continues to learn while directing inDinero's path to success through its commitment to customers.

Dana Mead (KPCB) - Understanding Venture Capital Nov 16, 2011

As a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Dana Mead supports entrepreneurs and innovators seeking to make major impact through life science technologies and ventures. In this lecture, Mead talks about Venture Capital, offering great insights about Silicon Valley and life as a venture capitalist.

Adam Lowry (Method) - Method to Success Nov 09, 2011

Adam Lowry, co-founder of Method Products, has spent the last decade developing sustainable products that caused major disruption in the consumer goods sector. Lowry offers many of principles that guide Method's path to success and he describes the different obsessions the company keeps to deliver on its promises to customers.

Marten Mickos (Eucalyptus Systems, MySQL AB) - Believe in Something Bigger Than Yourself Nov 02, 2011

In this lecture, Mårten Mickos shares the benefits and challenges involved in building businesses in the open source and cloud computing spaces. As the CEO of Eucalyptus Systems, Mickos identifies a vision for the future of his industry and shares entrepreneurial lessons gained from leading MySQL AB from its startup origins to becoming one of the largest open source companies in the world.

Scott Summit (Bespoke Innovations) - Products With a Purpose Oct 26, 2011

As the Co-Founder and CTO of Bespoke Innovations, Scott Summit leads a continuing effort to create products that radically change lives. In this lecture, Summit shares insights from creating customized prosthetic devices using new technologies in nascent markets. He also discusses some of challenges his company faced in discovering a working business model and developing customers.

Brad Feld (Foundry Group, TechStars) - Great Entrepreneurs Go Out and Do Oct 19, 2011

Entrepreneur and early-stage investor Brad Feld offers advice and support to aspiring entrepreneurs. Feld, a managing partner at Foundry Group and a co-founder of TechStars, imparts personal experiences on managing your life as an entrepreneur. He also shares some of the defining characteristics his firm looks for in the entrepreneurs they invest in.

Phil Libin (Evernote) - No Exit Strategy for Your Life's Work Oct 12, 2011

Thoughts and influences from early life continue to shape how Evernote CEO Phil Libin embraces his work. In this wide-ranging presentation, Libin shares key beliefs and provocative insights on startups, acquisitions and company exits. Based on his experiences leading multiple ventures from startup to commercial success, Libin urges entrepreneurs to chase dreams they would actually want to spend their life pursuing.

David Friedberg (The Climate Corporation) - Entrepreneurship Gives Life Meaning Oct 05, 2011

David Friedberg, CEO of The Climate Corporation (formerly WeatherBill), discusses the startup process and the challenges faced during the development of his innovative technology company that is changing the insurance sector. Friedberg explores essential components in the entrepreneurial experience, including the need to solve real problems, making meaningful impact, and the value of embracing the grind required in reaching success.

Entrepreneurs Will Create the Future [Entire Talk] Jun 29, 2011

In this keynote address from the Endeavor Entrepreneur Summit, serial entrepreneur and LinkedIn Co-Founder Reid Hoffman shares his views on the role of entrepreneurs in society and the impact they will play in the creating the future. Hoffman offers valuable rules of thumb for navigating the startup and entrepreneurial process, as well as answering questions on developing markets, customer experience and the reasons to take a company public.

Aneesh Chopra (US Office of Science and Technology) - Innovate for America May 26, 2011

As America's first Chief Technology Officer, Aneesh Chopra focuses on advancing technology and innovation to unlock national economic growth and prosperity. In this inspiring and entertaining lecture, Chopra challenges students and entrepreneurs to take action now to bring innovation to the healthcare, education and government sectors. He also discusses leveraging government's vast open data resources, championing new ideas on immigration policy as it relates to innovation, and supporting American entrepreneurship programs.

Wences Casares (Bling Nation & Lemon Bank) - The Value of True Partnerships May 18, 2011

Wences Casares and Meyer "Micky" Malka are serial entrepreneurs who believe in the fundamental power of partnerships. Empowered by working in close collaboration for years, these co-founders have started multiple companies including Patagon, Lemon Bank and Bling Nation. In this revealing lecture, Casares and Malka describe the value of over-communication, the decision process in making a pivot, and the challenges of entrepreneurial ecosystems outside the United States.

Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger (Instagram) - From Stanford to Startup May 11, 2011

Instagram Co-Founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger challenge many of the myths surrounding startups and the lives of entrepreneurs. Both former Mayfield Fellows with the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, Systrom and Krieger share their first-hand experiences of the entrepreneurial process, including identifying good problems to solve and the value in building simple solutions and minimum viable products. Systrom and Krieger also discuss aspects of their co-founder working relationship and their efforts to maintain a balance between work and life.

Geoffrey Moore (Mohr Davidow Ventures) - Reach Your Escape Velocity May 04, 2011

In this high-energy lecture, Geoffrey Moore discusses how companies can build the escape velocity necessary to move beyond the successes and failures of the past. Moore argues that when companies focus too much on performance, they miss out on building the power to become the industry leaders that other companies envy. He shares a hierarchy model through which companies can examine and build power, and examines how product teams can best work to differentiate their company, neutralize the competition, and optimize products and offers.

Richard Scheller (Genentech) - Developing Products that Save Lives Apr 27, 2011

As Genentech's Executive Vice President of Research and Early Development, Richard Scheller leads scientists discovering medicines that will significantly impact the lives of patients. In this candid interview, he describes the challenges of his industry, and outlines the required steps for developing products in a heavily regulated environment. Scheller also shares some personal learning curves faced when he elected to leave academic life for a new role in a commercial enterprise.

Ori Brafman (Author) - How to Build Instant Connections Apr 20, 2011

In this illuminating lecture, bestselling author Ori Brafman explores subtle drivers that can help you spark immediate work, life, and romantic connections. Based on insights from his latest book, Click: The Magic of Instant Connections, Brafman teaches leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs how to make every chance meeting count, using examples from the workplace, collegiate life, and the battlefield.

Barry Silbert (SecondMarket, Inc.) - A New Vision for Capital Markets Apr 13, 2011

SecondMarket Founder and CEO Barry Silbert thinks his online marketplace for trading alternative assets can play an important role in creating a new model for capital markets. In this lecture, Silbert explains his personal path into entrepreneurship and describes the current growth of his firm, which has drawn attention for trading private stock in companies such as Facebook and Twitter. Silbert also offers reasons for why he thinks current public markets are broken and his vision of a new way forward.

Jennifer Morris (Conservation International) - Effective Models for Sustainable Growth Apr 06, 2011

In this informative lecture, Conservation International Executive Vice President Jennifer Morris shares her organization's commitment to creating programs to support sustainable development. Morris articulates the importance of developing innovative financing and business models to address ecosystem services and resource management issues. She also describes the entrepreneurial initiatives her organization has built to sustain partnerships between corporate partners and local communities around the globe.

Guy Kawasaki (Garage Technology Ventures) - Creating Enchantment Mar 02, 2011

Entrepreneur and bestselling author Guy Kawasaki shares the secrets to being enchanting and developing influence through the "pillars of enchantment." In this funny and engaging lecture, Kawasaki examines the deep value in being likable, creating trust, and taking empowering action. He also shares keys to telling a great story, overcoming resistance, and enchanting your boss and colleagues.

Bill Gross (Idealab & eSolar) - A Devotion to New Ideas Feb 23, 2011

Bill Gross thrives on turning innovative ideas into pioneering companies. He serves as founder and CEO of Idealab, which started over 75 companies since 1996. In this stimulating lecture, he shares how Idealab continues to bring incredible ideas to market, and his personal insights on starting and running successful organizations. Gross also describes the work of eSolar, a spin-off company of Idealab that works to make solar energy cost-competitive in the global marketplace.

Mark Forchette (OptiMedica) - Live for the Future and Survive Success Feb 17, 2011

As CEO of OptiMedica, Mark Forchette guides the company's continuing efforts to successfully deliver innovative medical technologies to market. In this lecture, he shares entrepreneurial lessons learned throughout his career, and discusses the importance of setting objectives and executing tactical plans. Forchette also touches upon the value of thorough preparation and overcoming early failures.

Jack Dorsey (Square) - The Power of Curiosity and Inspiration Feb 09, 2011

Square and Twitter Co-Founder Jack Dorsey is an entrepreneur driven by an innate curiosity to create amazing products and services. In this insightful lecture, Dorsey describes his early background and inspirations, the current focuses he keeps as a CEO, and his desire to create memorable experiences and solve problems.

Susan Desmond-Hellmann (UCSF) - Relentless Pursuit of Innovation Feb 02, 2011

UCSF Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann has a track record of fostering environments conducive to innovation, in both the public and private sector. In this engaging lecture, the renowned oncologist shares insights from her career in biotechnology and academia on leading teams, managing risks against rewards, and innovative product development. Desmond-Hellmann also shares her belief as to why entrepreneurs must remain relentless when it comes to pursuing their goals.

Brent Constantz (Calera) - Following Your Startup Vision Jan 26, 2011

Calera founder Brent Constantz is an innovator who believes that successful entrepreneurs are the ones who follow through on their original vision. Drawing upon his deep background as a successful serial entrepreneur, Constantz shares his entrepreneurial experiences and discusses many of the competitive and strategic issues facing his current ventures.

Aaron Levie (Box.net) - Delivering Innovation for the Enterprise Jan 20, 2011

Box.net CEO Aaron Levie is an entrepreneur who seeks to reinvent how enterprise businesses share content across their organizations. In 2005, Levie saw the need for affordable storage on the Internet, and co-founded Box.net out of his college dorm room. In this high-energy lecture, Levie shares the successes and challenges of his company's move from early-stage startup to scalable cloud technology venture.

Wendy Kopp (Teach for America) - Social Entrepreneurship Changing Education Jan 12, 2011

Wendy Kopp, Teach For America's CEO and founder, is driven to end educational inequity across the nation. In this seminar, Kopp shares her entrepreneurial story of starting Teach For America straight out of college, and articulates the sense of urgency that she and her organization still feel for producing fundamental changes to education in America.

Jennifer Aaker (Stanford University, GSB) - How Ideas Take Flight Nov 17, 2010

Stanford Graduate School of Business professor Jennifer Aaker shares the power behind creating ideas that can build momentum. Through her research on the perception of happiness and meaning, Aaker describes how these concepts relate to a successful and powerful social media campaign. A well-planned effort catches audience attention and offers them an engaging story. Aaker, co-author of The Dragonfly Effect, also offers several personal and corporate examples of effective viral campaigns that garnered real world, and even life-saving, results.

Bob Sutton (Stanford University) - What Great Leaders Do Nov 10, 2010

In this lecture that parallels his book Good Boss, Bad Boss, Stanford professor Bob Sutton unpacks the best habits of beloved and effective managers, and details the worst habits of those who fail to lead. The best leaders develop and nurture those who work for them. However, when bosses gain more power, they can easily grow oblivious to the needs of those they lead.

Diego Piacentini (Amazon) - Customer Focus Builds Global Growth Nov 03, 2010

Diego Piacentini, Senior VP of International Retail for Amazon, discusses the company's growth-centered business model, its global presence, and the strides it takes to sustain a successful customer experience. Piacentini also describes Amazon's innovative approaches to operations, mergers and acquisitions, and labor practices.

Ann Miura-Ko (FLOODGATE) - Funding Thunder Lizard Entrepreneurs Oct 27, 2010

Stanford Engineering lecturer and FLOODGATE partner Ann Miura-Ko offers insight into the democratization of innovation in the Internet age, and its affect on investment cycles. Additionally, Miura-Ko speaks candidly about the need to test business models, her firm's desire to be an advocate for "thunder lizard" entrepreneurs, and the challenges of achieving true work/life balance.

Thomas Prescott (Align Technology) - Leadership and Disruptive Technologies Oct 21, 2010

Thomas Prescott, CEO of medical device manufacturer Align Technology, discusses disruptive product innovation and leadership in the medical device industry. Prescott shares the company's story, including insights on the launch of their signature product, the Invisalign orthodontic system. He also discusses operational trends and the need for sound analysis of financing, product execution, and business development tactics.

Mark Suster (Serial Entrepreneur) - Honest Advice on Starting a Company Oct 14, 2010

Entrepreneurship is an emotional and economic roller coaster, says venture capitalist and serial entrepreneur Mark Suster. In this candid and informative lecture, Suster defies some of Silicon Valley's conventional wisdom. Based on his extensive experience with multiple companies, Suster shares his thoughts on the real day-to-day life of startups, smart ways to raise the right kind of funds, and offers honest advice in making your way as an entrepreneur.

Chi-Hua Chien (Goodwater Capital), Dan Rosensweig (Chegg) - Solving Problems Makes a Great Business Oct 07, 2010

In conversation with KPCB's Chi-Hua Chien, Dan Rosensweig, CEO of textbook rental company Chegg, speaks about his professional history within Yahoo!, ZDNet, and Guitar Hero, and shares insights on business in the dot-com trenches. Rosensweig offers his perspective on the evolution of the online media and advertising industries. Additionally, Rosensweig encourages entrepreneurs-to-be to "bet on the inevitable" as they explore their passions and the growing future of online services.

Amit Chatterjee (Hara, Inc.) - Entrepreneurial Lessons: Find Value and Make Impact Sep 29, 2010

Amit Chatterjee, founder and CEO of Hara, the growing energy management solutions company, shares the wisdom of his entrepreneurial experience. He covers an array of topics vital to launching and running a successful enterprise, including the importance of product innovation, new market development, thriving in a competitive landscape, and the critical importance of building a brilliant team.

Juan Andrés Fontaine (Chilean Government) - Chile: Launching a Global Entrepreneurship Hub Sep 22, 2010

Juan Andrés Fontaine, Chile's Minister of Economy, Development and Tourism, discusses his government's recent practices and programs that strive to develop Chile's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Topics touched upon include government incentive programs to attract international investment, growth and development to Chile's university research and development, and a desire to build the nation into the innovation hub of South America.

Alec Ross (Advisor to US Secretary of State) - The Diplomacy of Technology May 26, 2010

Alec Ross, Senior Advisor for Innovation in the Office of Secretary of State and Co-founder of global non-profit One Economy, discusses in detail innovation policy and how it can change national diplomacy. In addition, Ross offers advice to global innovators, stressing quality time management, effective hiring practices, the mutual benefits of mentoring, and assertive risk practices.

Josh Makower (ExploraMed) - The Perfect Storm in MedTech May 19, 2010

Josh Makower, CEO of ExploraMed, speaks briefly about his experience working in medicine and technology. Dr. Makower also discusses at length the numerous political, financial, and regulatory hurdles against future medical innovation, and calls for audience involvement in the tangled web of healthcare, patents, and insurance reimbursement.

Marc Andreessen (Serial Entrepreneur) - A Panorama of Venture Capital and Beyond May 13, 2010

Serial entrepreneur Marc Andreessen offers the Stanford audience a rare opportunity to pose open questions. Topics addressed include everything from the state of VC and the stock market, to Facebook's market dominance, to the rebirth of consumer electronics. In addition, Andreessen offers ground rules for the start-up, including tips on attracting top talent.

Lisa Lambert (Intel Capital) - Investing for Market Strategy and Capital May 05, 2010

Lisa Lambert, Vice President at Intel Capital, speaks at length on the experience of working for a mammoth, corporate-backed strategic venture capital firm. She unpacks the challenges of the post-recession VC world, and speaks at length about the industry at large. In addition, Lambert discusses critical issues of work/life balance and the conundrum of personal choices faced when climbing the corporate ladder.

Tom Conrad (Pandora) - A Pandora's Box of Start-up Expertise Apr 28, 2010

After nearly two decades in the trenches of Pets.com, Apple Computer, and the You Don't Know Jack game series at Berkeley Systems, Tom Conrad (Pandora CTO) shares his acquired wisdom on succeeding in the consumer internet space. He discusses agility, crisp decision making, and focus, and peppers his lessons with numerous entertaining anecdotes of dot-com days and corporate progress.

Carlos Perea (Miox) - The Ebb and Flow of Clean Tech and Entrepreneurs Apr 21, 2010

Twenty percent of the world's population do not have access to clean drinking water, says Miox CEO Carlos Perea. What's an entrepreneur to do? Ideally, find a way to clean and reuse the global water supply that's, "twice as good at half the cost" of conventional chlorine decontamination. In this lecture, Perea demonstrates his company's abilities and explains the benefits and challenges of being an entrepreneur in clean technology.

John Seely Brown (Deloitte Center for Edge Innovation) - Collaborative Innovation and a Pull Economy Apr 14, 2010

What can extreme surfing and World of Warcraft teach the enterprise? Independent Co-Chairman of the Deloitte Center for the Edge and former Xerox PARC Chief Scientist John Seely Brown holds them as examples of the power of frequent benchmarking and full industry info-share. He also uses them to show how the core ecosystem can be made stronger by sharing knowledge gathered from learning on the edge. In addition, Seely Brown touches upon his theory of a monumental economic shift from a push to a pull economy as outlaid in his 2010 book, The Power of Pull: How Small Moves, Smartly Made, Can Set Big Things in Motion.

Polly Sumner (salesforce.com), Liz Tinkham (Accenture) - Success and Failure Drive Innovation Mar 03, 2010

Accenture's Liz Tinkham interviews salesforce.com's Polly Sumner about entrepreneurship that occurs in both large and small companies. They both agree that innovation and risk-taking occur in any-sized company where the culture emphasizes "no idea is a dumb idea." Sumner advises young entrepreneurs to not fear risk: every failure teaches you a valuable lesson, and once learned, success is that much sweeter.

Steve Case (AOL, Revolution) - People, Passion, Perseverance: You've Got Entrepreneurship Feb 24, 2010

People, passion, perseverance. Former AOL CEO and Chairman Steve Case describes these words as the bedrock of successful entrepreneurship. Heading into what may be a "golden era of entrepreneurship," he says that he relies on the "three p's" as assessment tools to help guide his direction and goals. When all of the three parts are in balance, an entrepreneur can achieve success like that of AOL; when they aren't, you get the failure of the AOL-Time Warner merger.

Rashmi Sinha and Jonathan Boutelle (SlideShare) - Sharing a Measure of Success Feb 17, 2010

Jonathan Boutelle and Rashmi Sinha, founders of the presentation-sharing site SlideShare, describe the entrepreneurial process as a series of pivots. Boutelle explains it's not just a jump, but an evolving growth of stages that leads to an idea that can start a business. From there, Sinha says that focused execution keeps the vision moving forward. By continually measuring the activity, they both believe that entrepreneurs can better recognize the growth stages of their company.

Steve Garrity and Clara Shih (Hearsay Social), Jeff Seibert (Twitter), Joshua Reeves (Gusto), Tristan Harris (Apture) - Panel of Young Entrepreneurs Feb 10, 2010

Six young Stanford grads and entrepreneurs -- Steven Garrity, Clara Shih, Kimber Lockhart, Jeff Seibert, Josh Reeves, and Tristan Harris -- share their experiences starting companies and raising capital. While being in their 20s may seem to be an obstacle to outsiders, they said they "flipped" this liability into an asset -- focusing instead on their raw ability to bring innovative ideas to life. They advise all young entrepreneurs to be persistent, opportunistic, and scrappy.

William Hagstrom (Crescendo Bioscience) - Entrepreneurial Journeys in Healthcare Feb 03, 2010

It's not just your strengths as a leader, it's your passion, says William Hagstrom, CEO of Crescendo Bioscence, in South San Francisco, CA. He strongly advises future entrepreneurs to think of your business as a worthy crusade. Giving example with his own career, he urges those starting a company to architect their venture deeply, form a culture of excellence, and think about risk early. The culmination of his experience has redefined the role of CEO for him as way to empower others.

Elisabeth Paté-Cornell (Stanford University) - Risky Business: Analysis from an Engineering Perspective (Entire talk) Jan 27, 2010

Don't set sail without thinking first: this sage advice sums up risk analysis for Elisabeth Paté-Cornell, department chair of Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University. She explains that risk assessment involves the study of scenarios, probabilities, and consequences. A risk analyst uses logic and statistics to makes sense of uncertainties and provides possible solutions to derail disaster. While some events force quick thinking, most can be avoided with a little forethought. After all, she simplifies: risk analysis isn't just nuclear reactors, it's also real life.

David Heinemeier Hansson (37signals) - Unlearn Your MBA Jan 20, 2010

David Heineimeier Hansson, the creator of Ruby on Rails and partner at 37signals in Chicago, says that planning is guessing, and for a start-up, the focus must be on today and not on tomorrow. He argues that constraints--fiscal, temporal, or otherwise--drive innovation and effective problem-solving. The most important thing, Hansson believes, is to make a dent in the universe with your company.

John Adler (Accuray), Trip Adler (Scribd) - Evolution of a CEO Jan 13, 2010

John Adler and Trip Adler discuss their entrepreneurial experience and evolution as business leaders: John Adler describes his bumpy course in developing his biotechnology company, Accuray Incorporated; while his son Trip emphasizes the need for persistence and confidence in developing Scribd, a social publishing site. Despite building companies in different fields, the two offer the same central advice toward building a successful business: trust yourself, focus on developing a great product, and remember that there are no rules.

Steve Blank (Stanford Engineering) - Fall 2009 Quarter Roundup: What Did We Learn? Nov 11, 2009

Stanford instructor and seasoned serial entrepreneur Steve Blank looks back at the commonalities and quirks of the quarter's previous speakers. Blank outlines a thorough checklist of questions and analysis helpful to any new enterprise leader, and offers insight and case studies from industry giants and new technology plays alike.

Chamillionaire (Music Artist & Performer) - Successful Independent Promotion: From Artist to Entrepreneur Nov 04, 2009

Hip-hop artists Quincy Jones III and Chamillionaire discuss mastering the business side of the music industry. Keeping up with cutting-edge technologies, production logistics, and finding creative ways to gain direct audience contact are essential tactics for the self-produced artist in the digital age.

Mark Pincus (Zynga) - A Serious Take on Internet Game Play Oct 28, 2009

Serial entrepreneur and Zynga founder Mark Pincus and Bing Gordon, longtime Electronic Arts creative mind and investor on behalf of KPCB, provide a very laid-back and desultory conversation. Topics touched upon include successful CEOs, building sustainable companies, mentorship, and the consumer pay-driven Web 3.0.

Craig Barrett (Intel Corporation (Formerly)) - A Historical Perspective on Semiconductors and Moore's Law Oct 21, 2009

Intel Corporation legend, former CEO, and Chairman of the Board Craig Barrett discusses his personal career path from a Stanford Associate Professor, to Silicon Valley consultant, to a 35-year career inside one of the globe's most prominent players in technology. His talk concentrates on Moore's Law and the myriad factors in place to ensure its continued progeny.

Greg Papadopoulos (Sun Microsystems) - Responsible Engineering in the Modern Age Oct 14, 2009

Whereas the 20th century belonged to the scientist, the 21st century, says Sun Micosystems' CTO Greg Papadopoulos, is the domain of the engineer. Rather than secretly toiling away on new discoveries, modern engineers are concerned about social responsibility, renewable materials and product lifecycles, collaborative and open source discovery, and furthering industry-wide innovation.

Steve Jurvetson (Draper Fisher Jurvetson) - Innovation in a Disruptive Environment Oct 07, 2009

Steve Jurvetson, partner at Draper Fisher Jurvetson, offers perspective on the market opportunities in innovation and technology. Topics discussed include the necessity for utter market disruption, interdisciplinary solutions, and advice for those interested in working in the venture capital arena.

Eric Ries (Author) - Evangelizing for the Lean Startup Sep 30, 2009

Speaker, author, and entrepreneur Eric Ries shares rapid fire wisdom on building nimble, responsive, and efficient online software-based businesses. He also offers his wisdom on streamlining processes and progressing engineering systems, and puts forth front line insight into why some new ideas succeed where others have failed.

Robin Li (Baidu) - Lessons From China: The Evolution of The Globe's Largest Search Engine Sep 23, 2009

Robin Li, CEO of Baidu, speaks in detail about the launch and growth of the company and the search engine. He discusses how its intimate understanding of Chinese language and culture - and a unique social approach to search - have allowed it to succeed where many North American search giants have faltered.

Tina Seelig (Stanford Technology Ventures Program) - The Art of Teaching Entrepreneurship and Innovation May 27, 2009

Stanford Technology Ventures Program's Executive Director Tina Seelig shares rich insights in creative thinking and the entrepreneurial mindset. Her talk, based on her 2009 book, What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20, cites numerous classroom successes of applied problem-solving and the lessons of failure.

Steve Ballmer (Microsoft) - The Future of Microsoft, The Future of Technology May 06, 2009

Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, shares his optimism for emerging innovation in the midst of economic turmoil, and the story of his own entrepreneurial path. He also speaks of his company's continued investment in Internet-ready hardware and software that seeks progress in healthcare, education, and science.

Stan Christensen (Stanford Technology Ventures Program; Arbor Advisors) - The Art of Negotiation Oct 31, 2007

Stan Christensen is a partner at Arbor Advisors, an investment banking firm where he negotiates on behalf of mid-market technology companies. In this lecture, Christensen builds a framework and illuminates a few of the classical mistakes in negotiation. He defines negotiation as an attempt to persuade or influence a situation. He emphasizes relationship management and problem solving as being fundamental to negotiation. He also alludes to the conceptual framework by illustrating examples from his vast global experience.

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