Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Video Series

Latest Episodes:

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

Show notes

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

Show notes

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.