On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we have four remarkable women discussing Femtech, startups, leadership, and forging strategic alliances. Joining us in the studio are Marian Bekkar, Nola Masterson, Ariel Watson, and Shagun Maheshwari. Nola is the lead investor of the Portfolia Femtech Fund and a seasoned board member for both public and private companies, as well as nonprofits. With over 25 years of experience, she has served on audit, compensation, and nominating/governance committees, playing a pivotal role in guiding companies through IPOs and startup growth. As Co-chair Emeritus of the Women Corporate Directors Northern California Chapter, Nola has global experience as an investor, entrepreneur, and executive in sales and marketing for scientific products, ranging from diagnostics to genetic analysis tools. Known for her ability to simplify complex scientific concepts for investors and analysts, she brings deep insights into synthetic biology and human nature, paired with a strong sense of market trends and social needs. Shagun is the Founder and CEO of Papaya, a company dedicated to women's health and sustainability. A mechanical engineer from Duke University, Shagun has a passion for solving complex problems. Before launching Papaya, she worked at Applied Materials in semiconductor manufacturing, Mojo Vision in AR contact lens development, and a stealth-mode biotech startup focused on wearable biomarker monitoring. With a hands-on approach to engineering, Shagun excels in interdisciplinary projects and loves working in the lab to bring innovative solutions to life. Ariel is the Founder & CEO at Red Tent PMDD, and a passionate advocate for mental health, deeply aware of how each interaction with an app can have an immediate impact on a user’s well-being. She believes in creating products that not only meet business objectives but are also ethical, responsible, and designed with empathy. Ariel strives to balance functionality, profitability, and user experience while ensuring that her work contributes positively to mental health and overall user wellness. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.

On this weeks episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Vishal Verma, General Partner at Edgewood Ventures, LLC.; and Vrinda Agarwal, of Penny Jar Capital. Listen in as we unpack the insights of these two high energy investors and map how they view the startup ecosystem from their experience. Vishal is General Partner at Edgewood Ventures, LLC, a single-family office (www.edgewoodvp.com), and Redwood Collective, LLC, a venture fund of funds (www.redwoodcollective.net). He serves on the Boards of Darwin Ventures, Fortinet, Opthealth, and Witt Security. As a Senior Advisor, he consults Honorable Dick Gephardt and former Secretary Michael Chertoff on international strategy. Vishal founded Sidebar Summit (www.sidebarsummit.com) , a leading networking platform in Silicon Valley, and remains actively involved in The Chicago Club and The Indus Entrepreneurs. He also participates in the US-India Cybersecurity Track 1.5 Dialogue, led by the Council on Foreign Relations and Observer Research Foundation. Committed to education, Vishal sits on the Board of Trustees at the University of California, Merced, and supports the RFK Foundation and Best Buddies. He founded Hyde Park Angels while pursuing his MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he earned his degree in Finance. He also holds a B.S. in Marketing from Santa Clara University. Also in on the show is Vrinda an Investor at Penny Jar Capital, where she focuses on sourcing and evaluating promising early-stage B2B software companies. With a deep-rooted passion for fostering startup growth, Vrinda also actively supports portfolio companies in scaling their businesses. Vrinda has spent the last 3 years investing in software companies, during which she has sourced and led investment diligence for startups across AI, enterprise, and fintech. Before her work in venture, she was an investment banker at Goldman Sachs and then transitioned to Google, driving product strategy and developing financial analytics for new Nest products. Vrinda holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed by the host(s) and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we talk with one of Silicon Valley’s legendary disruptors, Rajat Suri, co-founder of Lyft and serial entrepreneur. Also in the house are Nick Larson, creator and host of Silicon Zombies, and Delya Jansen, co-founder and CEO of Partner Utopia. Rajat, or 'Raj,' is a long-time serial entrepreneur, having co-founded Lyft and Presto, both of which went public. He is now the co-founder of Lima, a premium concierge service for immigrants to the United States, and Tribe, a re-imagined group chat app. He lives near Stanford University with his wife and two young kids. He also co-hosts the Founders in Arms podcast. Listen in as we walk through Raj’s experience and unpack his wisdom and insights for running multiple companies at a high level. Nick is a Bay Area native with a passion for people, technology, and surfing. As a serial founder, Nick has started and scaled mission-driven companies like Willow (an AI social media platform; investors include Google and Green Park Ventures; now worth $200M+), and OnePiece Work (co-working/accelerator, scaled to 12 locations; invested in by UpHonest Capital). He was named one of the 25 most influential people in communications technology by PRWeek in 2021. Nick is the host of Silicon Zombies, a live show and ecosystem that demystifies emerging technology and highlights the best minds (reaching 50+ countries, top 5% of podcasts on Spotify, with 100k+ views/month). His angel investments include Skunklock, SidePocket, Agrisonix, Palmia, and others. Nick was awarded LinkedIn’s “Top Voice” distinction (given to 300 people per year). Delya is a visionary partnership strategist and the CEO and co-founder of Partner Utopia. With over 15 years of experience in the tech industry, Delya has made a name for herself by transforming companies with zero partnership strategy into revenue powerhouses, consistently driving 25%+ of revenue from partners in record time. Her expertise spans software, hardware, cloud, and SaaS, having built partnerships from scratch for industry giants like SanDisk, Snowflake, and NetApp. Recognizing a critical gap in the partnerships platform space, Delya pioneered the world's first SaaS product focused on partnership strategy. Her mission is to revolutionize how companies make partnering decisions, empowering partnership managers with a game-changing platform that simplifies the complex world of tech partnerships. Her unique approach and dedication to improving the partnership landscape have positioned her as a thought leader and innovator in the field. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!!

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we speak with Dan Cohen, Partner at NextLeap Ventures, and former VP of Corporate Strategy at Adobe Systems; and former Head of Strategic Planning at Intel Corporation. Also on the show are two startups from Saudi Arabia scaling internationally. You will meet Ziyad Alshehri, co-founder and CTO of COGNNA; you will meet and Emad Daghreri, co-founder and CEO of autobia. Dan is Partner at NextLeap Ventures, which uses a unique "wisdom of the intelligent crowds" approach to identify promising Israeli startups for accredited investors. He has also held leadership roles in strategy, products, and branding for multiple $1 billion+ businesses. As Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Adobe Systems, he successfully advocated for Adobe's shift to a recurring revenue model and accelerated growth in its Digital Marketing SaaS business—moves that have helped achieve a 20-fold increase in the stock price. HBR ranked Adobe’s transformation as the 2nd biggest of any company in the last decade. His views on moving quickly in the face of industry disruption have been published in the MIT Sloan Management Review and the McKinsey Quarterly, and he has guest lectured at Berkeley's Haas School of Business.Earlier in his career, Dan held senior roles at Intel Corporation. As Head of Product Management and Product Marketing for the notebook computer business, he helped move wireless networking into the mainstream with the launch of the Centrino product line and quadrupled revenue by simultaneously gaining market share and raising ASPs. Ziyad is the co-founder and CTO at COGNNA, a cybersecurity software company that helps organizations protect their servers and customer data from cyber threats. Emad is the co-founder and CEO of Autobai. Autobai is transforming the automotive supply chain in Saudi Arabia and MENA by digitizing the entire ecosystem. They provide an end-to-end digital platform that connects automotive parts suppliers with retailers, workshops, and service centers, enabling seamless transactions and efficient supply chain management. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact.

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we talk with top venture capital voice and venture capital advisor Mercedes Bankston of the Founder Institute. In the studio with us are Nouf Alhazmi, CEO and founder of Plastus, and Paul Kleen, CEO at Pitchit—two phenomenal founders in the process of launching startups with tremendous traction. Mercedes is a seasoned executive leader with two decades of experience in sustainability, venture acceleration, and partnership development. A globally recognized leader, she has worked across multiple countries, earning accolades like LinkedIn's “Top Entrepreneurship Development Voice” and the Global Start-up Leadership Award. Mercedes excels in launching startups, mentoring thousands of pitches annually, and driving growth in sectors such as healthcare, education, and fintech. Her work as a venture partner and capital advisor showcases her ability to turn innovative ideas into successful ventures. Nouf is the CEO and founder of Plastus, an innovative biotech startup based in Berkeley, California, specializing in polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) for biodegradable bioplastics. Nouf's recent TEDx talk highlighted Plastove, a novel bioreactor design to create bioplastics from organic carbon waste, aimed at promoting sustainability and reducing fossil fuel dependency in developing countries. Dedicated to impact and sustainability, Nouf strives to inspire the next generation of bioengineers and entrepreneurs. Plastus has secured VC funding from IMB Ventures and Kristin Taylor and will compete in the global Hult Prize finals in London in September 2024, aiming to close its seed round. Paul started in tech as a data scientist at Framed Data (YC-W14, acquired by Square), then became the head of growth at Paperspace (YC-W15, acquired by Digital Ocean), and recently started Pitchit, which just closed its Series Seed funding round led by Silicon Road Ventures with participation from Gray Ventures, Plug and Play, and Alchemist Accelerator. Join us as we discuss insights into the startup world and how to accelerate your fundability in a competitive market. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!

On this weeks episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with the inspiring Graham Betchart, mental performance coach for top business minds and professional athletes. Listen in as he gives us insight into how top performing NBA stars, and high performing startup founders gain the edge in a competitive landscape. Also joining us is Behrouz Hariri, CEO, Director, and Co-Founder of Smart Nora, a startup solving a very common sleep problem and saving marriages.  Graham has spent the last 20 years as a leading mental skills coach, shaping the minds of professional athletes, including serving roles with two NBA teams and personally coaching over a dozen NBA All-Stars. Notably, he has been the mental coach behind the success of top NBA draft picks like Ben Simmons, Jaylen Brown, and Aaron Gordon. Recognized as one of the NBA's premier resources, Graham’s expertise in helping athletes master the mental side of the game is unparalleled.In 2023, while coaching with the Sacramento Kings, Graham was invited to speak at a Sequoia Capital event, which led him to a new challenge—coaching growth-stage CEOs. Just like elite athletes, these high-impact leaders operate in high-pressure environments where mental clarity is crucial. Today, Graham continues to work with a select group of NBA clients while leading quarterly cohorts of five CEOs through a personalized program at Capitola Coaching.With a deep understanding of thriving under pressure, Graham empowers both athletes and business leaders to reach their highest potential. Behrouz Hariri is the CEO, Director, and Co-Founder of Smart Nora, a company on a mission to help 2 billion adults worldwide sleep and breathe better. With over 15 years of experience in product design and strategy, Behrouz has successfully launched products and programs across sectors in seven countries, improving the quality of life, digital health services, and financial mobility globally.Before founding Smart Nora, Behrouz honed his expertise in Toronto at JetCooper (acquired by Shopify) and in San Francisco at IDEO.org, where he led projects that tackled poverty through design. His work at IDEO.org included developing a sustainable franchise model to deliver essential services in D.R. Congo, reproductive health services in Zambia, and an inclusive financial product in the Philippines.Under Behrouz’s leadership, Smart Nora’s products have already transformed millions of lives by enabling better nights of sleep. His vision is to impact global health, happiness, and longevity by ensuring restorative, healthy sleep for half of the adult population worldwide. This and much more on Silicon Valley!

This week on Silicon Valley Impact, we have a special 3-part edition! First, Brian Bernasconi and I briefly discuss the mission of Silicon Valley Impact—providing the startup ecosystem with access to valuable insights and innovation from those deeply immersed in Silicon Valley. Next, tune in as we revisit last month’s live panel discussion on AI Innovation and Insights for Startups at Plug and Play Tech Center in Sunnyvale. Our esteemed panelists included Bill Reichert, Jenni Wu, Mona Salvi, and Venkat Thiruvengadam. With over 150 AI founders and more than 250 guests in attendance, it was a remarkable event. We were honored to moderate, record, and share this exclusive conversation for our show. Finally, on this episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we’ll air an interview from the Founders and Funders Series, held at Hapa’s Brewery in Los Gatos. This series of events takes place across the Bay Area, with the Los Gatos edition happening every second Tuesday at Hapa’s Brewery in partnership with IgniteGTM. Join us tonight (August 13th) in Los Gatos

On this weeks episode of Silicon Valley Impact we talk with the legendary Peter Walker, Head of Insights of Carta; and returning guest, Lindsey Mignano Co-Founder & Shareholder at SSM.  Peter runs the Insights team at Carta, focused on discovering key data and narratives across the private capital ecosystem. He is a master at weaving data into brand storytelling for the next generation of company owners. In a former life, he was a marketing executive for a media analytics startup and led the data visualization team at the Covid Tracking Project. Lindsey counsels national and international startups regarding business formation and expansion into US markets, commercial contracts, venture financing, and M&A. Prior to founding her women-owned law firm in 2016, Lindsey practiced at an international law firm. Originally from Hawaii, she graduated from Iolani School (H.S.D., 2003) before heading to California to attend Stanford University (B.A., 2007), and University of California, San Francisco, fka Hastings College of the Law (J.D., 2010). Listen in as we talk about the state of venture capital in Q3 2024; and how, after two years of being told to do more with less, venture-funded companies are coming back to the market for their next round and facing an ever increasing competitive landscape where venture firms are deploying more, but only to the select few after lengthy negotiations and heightened due diligence.

On this weeks episode of Silicon Valley Impact we take a look at sustainable profit streams with Luke Hohmann, Chief Innovation Officer of Applied Frameworks. Also in the studio is Albert Lam, Co-Founder & CEO of Novelte Robotic Solutions; and Daniel Lo, CEO and Founder of GoGoChart. Luke Holmann is a four time author, three time founder, SAFe® Fellow, keynote speaker and internationally recognized expert in Agile Software Development. His passion is sustainably profitable businesses, because it is only through sustainable profits that a business can thrive.  As Chief Innovation Officer of Applied Frameworks Luke works with executives to fulfill the mission of helping clients create sustainably profitable businesses. His most recent book, Software Profit Solutions, is co-authored with Jason Tanner and shares key insights to help transform businesses through profitable, sustainable software solutions. Also joining us is Albert Lam, the driving force behind a thriving robotics company out of Hong Kong seeking to disrupt how robots see the world. Albert believes robotics, and the use of AI will bring our world to a new era, resolving the increasing cost of using man-power among repetitive work. With the rise of Ai and computing power, he is devoted to create feasible camera only autonomy solution for indoor mobility including robots and transporter. Finally, we will meet Daniel Lo, Founder & CEO of GoGoChart. GoGoChart is an award winning company that has helped over 2,000 brands in more than 60 countries optimize and promote their apps. GoGoChart has evolved into an all-rounded digital marketing service provider after winning trust from thousands of brands, and was awarded the 2019 Hong Kong Technology Fast and Rising Star Program organized by Deloitte, the Best Use of Mobile Online Campaign (inaugural season) by Interactive Advertising Bureau Hong Kong (iAB HK) in 2021, and became one of the most awarded agencies in Hong Kong. The company is headquartered in Hong Kong and has additional regional teams situated in the Philippines and mainland China. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact, KPCR 92.9FM in Los Gatos; and 101.9FM in Santa Cruz Tuesdays at 3pm! Not in the South Bay or Santa Cruz you can listen online at: https://kpcr.org/ Or, follow us on Spotify and listen to all our episodes at: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J Special Thanks to Jeanette Blacy for your support of the show

Today, we continue our WOMAN IN LEADERSHIP series with Mariane Bekker, on Silicon Valley Impact. Listen in as Mariane makes a BIG announcement, and 3 amazing woman investors open up on how to make an impact in the startup ecosystem. Aury Cifuentes is an early-stage investor at How Women Invest. Prior to joining How Women Invest Aury was an investor at Plug & Play. She leverages her knowledge as a former fintech operator and manager to evaluate startups impacting people, tech, and large enterprises. Before joining the venture capital industry, she was a manager at Bloomberg in New York City. Aury has always been active across several groups supporting young women in their careers, such as her school's Women in Business chapter, Women in VC, and the San Francisco Girls' School. Today, she is actively investing in women-led companies from Seed to Series B across the areas of healthcare, sustainability, and the future of work. Also in the studio is Fannie Wang, an early-stage Investor at UpHonest Capital, a silicon valley based venture capital with 350 portfolios under management. The earliest backer of Hims & Hers (NYSE: HIMS), Vicarious Surgical (NYSE: RBOT), Knightscope (NASDAQ:KSCP), Instacart, Grubmarket, Lime, and Checkr. Finally, we have Shoba Viswanath, an active angel investor who has invested through numerous syndicates She has a life science, and technology agnostic background Shoba has worked in a range of SAAS for healthcare and biopharma products, to technology for transportation and fin-tech. Through affiliations with leading accelerators like Plug & Play, Alchemist, Viswanath Consulting, LLC, and Appleton & Greene, she provides advisory services on raising money and growing companies. She immersed herself in everything from product development, operations, and dev to strategy and raising venture capital to scale these companies. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact on KPCR 92.9FM in Los Gatos and beyond! Not in the South Bay (Los Gatos, San Jose, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Fremont, etc.) you can listen online at: https://kpcr.org/ Special Thanks to Jeanette Blacy for your support of the show.

BUCKLE-UP STARTUP AND SPORTS FANS 🏈 🚀On this weeks episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we have Kevin Jurovich, Ex-NFL player turned startup founder; Rick Spencer, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at the Growth Factory; and Christian Masegian, Co-Founder & CEO at Modern Football TechnologyKevin is the Co-Founder & CEO of Circles, where they are passionate about transforming how people discover places they love through live video. Circles combines the functionality of TikTok meets Yelp, while offering real-time capacity updates. We’ll discuss how Kevin’s journey into startups began in 2013 while serving as a Private Wealth Manager at Wells Fargo Advisors, where he focused on tech entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. Since then, he’s immersed himself in the startup world, both as a founder and mentor to other entrepreneurs. And, oh ya!, before his transition to finance and tech, he played wide receiver in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, and Chicago Bears. So we might talk a little about that.Rick Spencer is the Managing Partner of Growth Factory Ventures, est. in 2021. Prior to Co-Founding Growth Factory, Rick was a Founder and startup executive with multiple organizations, with an exit of one company (Briotix) to publicly traded, and Houston based, USPh. As the Managing Partner of Growth Factory, Rick has led the fund team to build an investment portfolio of 50 companies across verticals in the Future of Food, Health, Medicine, Government and Work. Additionally, Rick is a Board Member for Idea Village’s newly launched fund (Momentum). Then, Christian Masegian talks about his background in technology development and management consulting, where he has helped F100 companies design and implement their data strategies. In 2017, he developed a close relationship with the University of Texas football to advise on a program-wide technology strategy to enable coaches, players, and staff to rationalize technology investments, visualize analytics, and identify opportunities to improve player evaluation, performance, and recovery/health.This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact, KPCR 92.9FM with Lisa Helfrick, Brian Bernasconi, and myself!Not in the South Bay (Los Gatos, San Jose, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Fremont, etc.) you can listen online at: https://kpcr.org/Follow us on Spotify and listen to all our episodes at: https://lnkd.in/gAi9hz-USpecial Thanks to Jeanette Blacy for your support of the show.

On this weeks episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we have Naveen Khugputh, Co-Founder & COO at Werqwise, and Private Equity; Shelley Kuipers, CEO and General Partner at The51; and Mercedes Korngut, Co-Founder and CEO of Small Bits of Happiness (oh, and did I mention, she’s only 16 years old?). Naveen has over 15 years in business development, private equity, and angel investing. As the co-founder and COO of Werqwise, a pioneering flexible workspace provider. Naveen is as an active angel investor with a wealth of experience in high-growth global operations across emerging and developed markets. Naveen has facilitated over 30 private equity transactions, totaling over $3 billion USD. His expertise in navigating the intricacies of entrepreneurship and investment makes him a valuable asset to any discussion on business development and innovation. Also joining us is Shelley, co-founder of The51, and serial entrepreneur. She's the Co-founder of @Chaordix; Co-Founder of Stormworks; and Co-founder of IOVIA, based in London, UK. Shelley has been an early-stage investing for more than 20 years. Her investment experience focuses on the tech sector with an emphasis on innovation-driven companies across many sectors. To date their family office has made +30 early-stage investments. Shelley’s most notable investment was Solium, which was acquired by Morgan Stanley in 2019 for $1.1B. Shelley supports many founders, and ventures as an advisor, board observer and director, including Bobbie Racette Founder and CEO of Virtual Gurus. Meet 16 year old Mercedes Korngut, Co-Founder and CEO of Small Bits of Happiness, a company on mission to help individuals of all ages, especially teenagers, find more happiness daily. She is also the co-host of Hack Your Happiness, a podcast where Mercedes and her younger sister, Anastasia, interview Oscar-winners, Olympic Athletes, and top authors on what brings them happiness, and their life hacks. Mercedes's written work has been featured in publications such as Impact Magazine and Washington Parent magazine, and she has been a guest on national TV news and media. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact, KPCR 92.9FM with Lisa Helfrick, Brian Bernasconi, and myself! Not in the South Bay (Los Gatos, San Jose, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Fremont, etc.) you can listen online at: https://kpcr.org/ Follow us on Spotify and listen to all our episodes at: https://lnkd.in/gAi9hz-U Special Thanks to Jeanette Blacy for your support of the show.

On this weeks episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we have Samara Jaffe of Transform Media, Damian Scott, Co Founder of Fynch; and Mona DeFrawi, CEO & Founder of Radivision. Samara Jaffe is a dynamic entrepreneur and executive renowned for her ability to bridge connections and build strategic visions. As Co-Founder and General Manager of Transform Media, she brings leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors together to foster innovation. She is also a Strategic Advisor for SemperVirens Venture Capital leading their HR advisory network. With a history of leadership roles at various influential organizations, Samara excels in fast-paced environments, quickly identifying new opportunities. She serves on the board of Horizons at San Francisco Friends School and is passionate about their mission to provide access to enriching summer academic experiences for public school students in the Mission District. We’ll also hear from Damian Scott, who has over 20 years experience driving digital transformation and customer-focused growth in the marketing technology and grocery retail sectors. He’s passionate about leveraging innovation to deliver real-world results. Formerly EVP of Retail Media & CCO at Giant Eagle, Inc., he is now partners with CPG brands and Retailers as a marketing consultant and a co-founder of Fynch (www.getfynch.com), an AI-powered email productivity startup poised to revolutionize the way we work. Also with us is Mona DeFrawi, Founder and CEO of Radivision. Radivision is the new private market platform for retail investors connecting $72T of US AUM to startups, IPOs, and soon to GPs, angel syndicates, and more. Mona has been a member of 12 startup teams over 3 decades, serving as Founder & CEO of the last 4. She pioneered the first private market platform for institutional investors to restore venture liquidity and IPOs. (acquired twice; spun-out as the standalone Nasdaq Private Market).  Mona has been recognized as one of Forbes’ “Most Powerful Women in Technology,” and one of the “Top 100 Women in Fintech." This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact, KPCR 92.9FM with Lisa Helfrick, Brian Bernasconi, and myself! Not in the South Bay (Los Gatos, San Jose, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Fremont, etc.) you can listen online at: https://kpcr.org/ Follow us on Spotify and listen to all our episodes at: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J Special Thanks to Jeanette Blacy for your support of the show.

On this weeks episode of Silicon Valley Impact, our “Women in Leadership” series is back with Mariane Bekker, and we have a packed house of insight. In the studio is Marylene Delbourg-Delphis, author of the new book, Beyond Eureka: The Rocky Roads to innovating, Foreword by Guy Kawasaki. Marylene is one of the first European women to have founded (with Guy Kawasaki) a technology company in Silicon Valley, and later went on to be the CEO of three additional companies in succession; and has helped over 30 companies as a "shadow" CEO, board member, and strategy advisor. She holds a PhD and earned minors in mathematical logic and history of sciences. In 2018, she was awarded the Legion of Honor, and in 2023, she received the Woman Leadership Award Woman Leadership Award, issued by French-American Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco. We will also hear from Heather Hochrein, Founder and CEO of EVmatch. Heather brings 14 years of clean energy deployment, workforce development, and policy experience. Heather is deeply committed to creating an equitable and accessible clean energy economy. She’s held senior level roles as an energy efficiency program implementer with Oakland-based Rising Sun Center for Opportunity, and Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Also with us is Janet Gehrmann, Co-founder of Scoop Analytics, who just completed a $3.5M seed raise. At Scoop Analytics Janet is on a mission is to eliminate the technical barriers that hinder folks in revenue operations, marketing operations, and finance operations, enabling them to seamlessly gather, manipulate, and analyze core business data without the need for IT support or advanced technical skills. Their innovative solutions empower non-technical users to tell compelling data stories and make data-driven decisions with ease. Janet holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a Biochemistry degree from Middlebury College. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact, KPCR 92.9FM with Lisa Helfrick, Brian Bernasconi, and myself! Not in the South Bay (Los Gatos, San Jose, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Fremont, etc.) you can listen online at: https://kpcr.org/ Follow us on Spotify and listen to all our episodes at:  Special Thanks to Jeanette Blacy for your support of the show.

On this weeks episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we have “The Pitch Alcheist,” Donna Griffit; and two amazing founders from Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Aljasser, and Ahmed Bukhamseen. Donna Griffit is a world renowned Corporate Storyteller, Pitch Alchemist, and Best-Selling Author of “Sticking to My Story” – The Alchemy of Storytelling for Startups. Donna has worked globally for 2 decades in over 30 countries with Fortune 500 companies, startups, and investors in a wide variety of industries, helping them create, edit, and deliver powerful presentations, pitches, and messages. She magically spins raw data into compelling stories that captivate audiences and drive results. Through her guidance, clients have raised over $2 Billion. Mohammed is a software engineer who specializes in blockchain technology. He and his team have created Oumla, a blockchain infrastructure startup that allows governments and businesses to connect, build, and innovate on top blockchain networks using our APIs and SDKs. Ahmed is an innovative CEO and Co-founder of Quant, a pioneering data and AI company in Saudi Arabia specializing in Real Estate & Retail. With a robust background in Actuarial Science & Financial Mathematics, Ahmed excels in leveraging data visualization and spatial analytics to develop cutting-edge prop-tech solutions. Committed to transforming the real estate sector through AI-driven insights and analytics. Listen in as Mohammed and Ahmed give their pitch, and Donna gives them insights on how to best pitch their ideas to get results. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact, KPCR 92.9FM with Lisa Helfrick, Brian Bernasconi, and myself! Not in the South Bay (Los Gatos, San Jose, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Fremont, etc.) you can listen online at: https://kpcr.org/ Follow us on Spotify and listen to all our episodes at:  https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J Special Thanks to Jeanette Blacy for your support of the show.

On this weeks episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we have AJ Thomas ⚡️, Erika Bahr, and Ling Law from Home By Ling Interiors.AJ is the Founder and General Partner at Good Trouble Ventures; and serves as the CXO and Managing Director at A.Team. AJ speaks on topics related to cultural transformation, human-centered design, and building global teams in the new world of work. In her previous roles, she's shaped corporate cultures and driven talent initiatives that have created massive impact from 0 to 1 builds and enterprise scale. In her most recent corporate role, she led the Global Talent and Human Experience Design teams at X, the Moonshot Factory, formerly Google X.AJ is the author of an award-winning children’s book, which she wrote with her then 10 -year old daughter, "Courage Takes Flight," championing literacy and future possibilities, embodying compassion, curiosity, and courage. Her latest book, “A Kids Book About Teams”, is also available on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.Erika focuses on constructing data pipelines and implementing machine learning for Fortune 500 companies. She is the founder of Daxe, secure AI for enterprise, a company recently acknowledged by Y Combinator as one of the top 10% of all applicants in the most recent batch. She is an alumna of the Harvard Business Analytics Program and holds an MSBA from UVA's Darden School of Business. Erika is passionate about empowering female entrepreneur, leveling the playing field for minorities, and manages groups of female founders in the Bay Area. Ling is the owner and founder of Home by Ling Interiors, a brick and mortar shop in downtown Los Gatos, CA. A mother of twin boys, Ling prioritizes her time with her family and wants to help her clients do the same. By using her vast experience and talents as a designer and project manager, Ling is able to thoughtfully guide clients through the complex process of designing and constructing their long term home. She treats each project as carefully as if it were her own home, thoughtfully considering every detail and ensuring that each aspect of the project is overseen to perfection.This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact, KPCR 92.9FM with Lisa Helfrick and Brian Bernasconi.Not in the South Bay (Los Gatos, San Jose, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Fremont, etc.) you can listen online at: https://kpcr.org/Follow us on Spotify and listen to all our episodes

On this weeks episode of Silicon Valley Impact, S1E8, Mariane Bekker is back in the studio for our monthly "Woman in Leadership" episode. On todays show we have Viktorija Pashuta, Founder & Editor-in-Chief of BASIC Magazine, an esteemed international fashion publication headquartered in Beverly Hills. Viktorija is also Co-Founder of FemFounders, a startup dedicated to empowering women founders through learning, networking, and access to capital. She is passionate about fostering a supportive entrepreneurial community. Listen as she describes her journey from Latvia, where she started as a Fashion Journalist and marketer before earning an MSc in Marketing from Oxford Brooks University. She is a trailblazer in the fashion world, awarded the International Rising Media Star Award in New York and the Best Fashion Photographer Award from the Los Angeles Fashion Awards. Listen in as we discuss the crossover of marketing and startup. Also joining us is Lucy Park, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Upstage. Upstage boosts work efficiency with industry-leading document processing engines and large-language models (LLMs). Their flagship large language model Solar defines the benchmark for cost-effective and powerful AI solutions for enterprises. Additionally, our Document AI boasts a proven track record in automating documents through advanced AI OCR technology. Listen in as Lucy describes her startup experience and fast growing strategy into the market Finally, in studio is Aileen MacLeod, Co-owner of Black Cat Hats in Los Gatos California, a town staple for years. Get insights into how this small business owner has made an endearing mark on her community and why Black Cat Hats is tops in hats and accessories This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact, KPCR 92.9 FM with Lisa Helfrick and Brian Bernasconi on the controls.

On this weeks episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we have Shawn Flynn, Edward Sullivan and Dariusz Paczuski. Shawn Flynn mid-market investment banker and Podcast Host. Shawn started his career as a business owner, founding, and growing a successful company in Beijing China before returning to the US to work with companies ranging from fast growing Silicon Valley startups to established overseas public companies. He brings his international experience working with all stages and sectors of businesses to his role as Principal at a premier middle market investment bank with expertise in mergers and acquisitions, raising growth capital, and secondaries. Shawn holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from UCSD, and speaks Mandarin and Spanish (lived abroad for almost 8 years) and he is the host of the award-winning Podcast "The Silicon Valley Podcast" Joining us from New York is Edward Sullivan! Edward is the CEO of Velocity Coaching and the co-author of WSJ Bestselling Leading with Heart. For over 10 years, Edward has coached clients ranging from startup founders to Fortune 100 CEOs to help them build heart-led cultures and deliver world-class results. Finally, in studio is Dariusz Paczuski. Dariusz is the CEO and founder of Rocket Works, creator of Rocket Vodka, a long-time Silicon Valley CMO, and a Polish/Norwegian immigrant. He came to the US from Norway on a swim scholarship to study business. His drive to compete in and out of the water has fueled his passions and professional life since – and even earned him the nickname the Polish Rocket, the inspiration for our brand name. As a lifelong athlete, he brings a growth mindset and extreme collaboration with peers and teams to always improve, grow, excel, and win! Looking up and to the future, he’s putting his business, branding, and marketing experience and expertise to work for Rocket Vodka and their aspiration to create the fastest-growing vodka in California. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact, KPCR 92.9 FM with Lisa Helfrick and Brian Bernasconi on the controls. If you're not in the South Bay (Los Gatos, San Jose, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Fremont, etc.) you can listen online at: https://kpcr.org/ Special Thanks to Jeanette Blacy for your support of the show.

On this weeks episode of Silicon Valley Impact we talk with Dasha Shunina. Dasha is the Founder of a massive network, Women Tech Meetup, a regular monthly event held in San Francisco, Miami, and NYC, bringing together female professionals in the spheres of technology entrepreneurship, innovation, and venture capital. She is a fabulous leader and super connect for woman in the tech space. Her meetup series spans different cities in the USA, gathering over 150 individuals per event and co-hosted in partnership with leading players in the tech ecosystem such as Microsoft, Google, Brex, Puzzle, Gusto, Techstars, SVB, Codi, Mindspace, and others. Dasha is a Venture Capital Contributor to Forbes, covering the latest trends in the venture capital world and major tech conferences. She also hosts her own podcast show, Talks with Dasha, where she delves into tech news, startups, innovation, and venture capital. Dasha has been featured in Forbes, Euronews, Inc., Grit Daily, Link to Leaders, and The Business Times. Dasha is passionate about building communities that empower visionary leaders to solve global challenges. . Also joining the show is Matt Bauer, Co-Founder of Outhire. Matt is disrupting Employer Brand with a unique AI-driven approach. Outhire excels in crafting compelling brand stories, engaging both active and passive talent. This innovative platform streamlines employer brand campaign creation, enabling companies to produce targeted employer brand campaigns and distribute them globally across professional networks and social channels. Its focus on authentic employer branding through employee narratives sets it apart in the market. In addition to Outhire, Matt is an angel investor, involved in supporting early-stage startups, blending his technical knowledge with a talent for spotting and nurturing entrepreneurial potential. Finally, in the studio is Sudha Reddy, Co-Founder and CMO of Rava. Sudha has worked for companies such as GoDaddy, Roku, Intel and worn quite a few hats in the corporate world – from solving problems as a solutions architect to steering the ship as a head of product and owning all the marketing products at GoDaddy. She loves the creative hustle it takes to make things happen and problem solving is her passion. She has immense experience working with big name clients like Toyota, Paramount, WellsFargo, Disney, and McDonald's. Now on a mission to empower the small and medium-sized brands – to find their success story and build attractive brand. She loves helping startups with marketing strategies, brainstorming ideas that fit market trends, and figuring out how to solve the trickiest business and marketing problems. Today she shares her insights with us. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact, KPCR 92.9 FM with Lisa Helfrick and Brian Bernasconi on the controls. The purpose of this show is to provide access and insight into Silicon Valley business. We promise it's going to be messy and fun ... much like launching or growing a business. Topics include: Startup, Small Business, Big Business, HR Strategies, Leadership, Funding and Financing, Communication, GTM, Building Culture, Sales, Marketing, and much more! Special Thanks to Jeanette Blacy for your support of the show.

On this weeks episode of Silicon Valley Impact, Tuesday at 3pm on KPCR 92.9 FM, we talk with Lindsey S. Mignano Co-founder and Shareholder, SSM. Lindsey counsels national and international startups regarding business formation and expansion into US markets, commercial contracts, venture financing, and M&A. Prior to founding her women-owned law firm in 2016, Lindsey practiced at an international law firm. Originally from Hawaii, she graduated from Iolani School (H.S.D., 2003) before heading to California to attend Stanford University (B.A., 2007) fand University of California, San Francisco fka Hastings College of the Law (J.D., 2010). Also joining the show Loriana Sardar. Loriana is a serial entrepreneur, she started her first company in 2014 and has co-founded one of the largest European car-sharing companies, with an annual revenue of $75m and CF positive. Then in 2023, together with her co-founders, Loriana launched a new company in the United States - Rexalto, they offer an AI dynamic pricing engine for the vehicle rental industry. Listen in as she describes her remarkable startup journey. This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact, KPCR 92.9 FM at 3pm (Tuesday), with Lisa Helfrick and Brian Bernasconi on the controls. If you're not in the South Bay (Los Gatos, San Jose, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Fremont, etc.) you can listen online at: https://kpcr.org/event/silicon-valley-impact/2024-04-09/ Listen to all past episodes Spotify at: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J The purpose of this show is to provide access and insight into Silicon Valley business. We promise it's going to be messy and fun ... much like launching or growing a business. Topics include: Startup, Small Business, Big Business, HR Strategies, Leadership, Funding and Financing, Communication, GTM, Building Culture, Sales, Marketing, and much more!