How TiE Builds Leaders Before Startups

How TiE Builds Leaders Before Startups

I asked two Global Chairs a simple question: what breaks first when AI scales faster than leadership? What followed was one of the most honest conversations I’ve hosted.In this episode of TiE Talks, I sit down with the current and former Global Chairs of TiE to unpack how leadership, entrepreneurship, and ecosystem-building must evolve as AI reshapes founders, networks, and decision-making.We talk about AI-era leadership continuity, building future-ready entrepreneurial ecosystems, and why net-giving communities matter more than ever in a tech-driven world.From COVID-scale collective action to TiE Young Entrepreneurs, this conversation reveals how impact compounds when human judgment meets AI-powered scale.If you care about AI, entrepreneurship, leadership, startup ecosystems, global networks, and the future of founders, this episode is unmissable. IN THIS EPISODE 00:00 | Why This TiE Conversation Matters Now 01:29 | What TiE Actually Stands For (Beyond Networking) 02:29 | How Real Leaders Create Collective Impact 02:57 | Inside TiE’s COVID Playbook: Impact at Scale 05:47 | Why TiE Is a Movement, Not an Organisation 08:13 | Transformation vs Transactions: The TiE Difference 10:53 | The House of TiE: Vision That Still Holds 13:23 | Why Underserved Ecosystems Matter More Now 15:12 | Inclusion Without Gatekeeping: TiE’s Edge 19:31 | Leadership Transitions Without Power Struggles 22:09 | How Global Boards Really Make Decisions 23:50 | TiE 2030: What the Next Decade Looks Like 25:20 | What Future Leaders Must Get Right 26:30 | Why Giving Back Multiplies Your Growth 27:42 | The One Idea You’ll Carry Beyond This Episode Amit Gupta Amit Gupta is a seasoned entrepreneur, advisor and impact investor. As Group CEO and Founder of Ecosystm Group, with its service brands, Ecosystm Research, a next gen Technology Research & Advisory company, Ecosystm Consulting, a digital transformation management consulting business and Kampd, an enterprise communities platform.He is passionate about the role of innovation towards our brighter future. Murali Bukkapatnam As Chairman of the Board of Trustees at TiE Global, he guides the world’s largest network of entrepreneurs. From fostering grassroots innovation to enabling cross-border mentorship and capital, he works closely with global chapters to scale TiE’s impact and support founders at every stage of their journey.Through Volksy Technologies, the venture studio he founded, he collaborates with early-stage teams addressing real-world challenges in workforce development, healthcare, and sustainability. Prantik Mazumdar Prantik is an entrepreneur & venture investor and acts as a Digital Transformation Catalyst in organizations to drive sustainable change and impact.After pursuing a major in Computer Engineering & a minor in Technopreneurship from the National University of Singapore (NUS), he kickstarted his career with the Singapore government (Enterprise Singapore) to drive international trade promotion for the island state.He started his entrepreneurial journey with Happy Marketer in 2011 where he spent a decade building & scaling up one of the best and most awarded independent digital marketing services firm in the region that served brands like Standard Chartered Bank, Income, Great Eastern Life, Royal Brunei Airlines, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Starbucks, Ping An, Grab, Shopee, GoJek, Kimberly Clark, PropertyGuru, PegiPegi, Starhub, Singtel, Nanyang Business School, Kaplan, INSEAD amongst many of its prestigious clients. ABOUT TiE Talks TiE Talks brings to you leadership and venture-building lessons from founders, investors and experts in the TiE Singapore network, a vibrant ecosystem of Asian entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists, and industry professionals. This podcast is powered by CrazyTok: We help experts become influencers by helping launch, produce and grow your custom-branded audio and video podcast channels.

The Harsh Market Reality Founders Ignore - Until It’s Too Late

I thought I’d heard every founder story… until Ajay walked in and casually compared selling his startup to an arranged marriage. In this episode, I sit down with the brain behind NextBillion to unpack the real truth behind exits; why timing beats talent, why Southeast Asia struggles with scale, and why founders often get poorer before they get richer. Ajay takes me through firing, funding, Google, Grab, cross-border chaos, and a US exit that almost fell apart in the final hour. We get brutally honest about ambition, luck, market depth, and knowing when to let go. If you’re a founder, dreamer, operator, or just nosy, this conversation will hit you hard. Tune in. This one’s a rare behind-the-scenes masterclass disguised as a casual chat. IN THIS EPISODE 00:00 | Why This Founder’s Story Is Different 01:24 | The Exit: What Really Pushes a Founder to Sell 02:54 | Behind the Deal: Stress, Drama & Last-Minute Chaos 04:43 | Hard Truths About Today’s Startup Ecosystem 09:08 | Why Most Founders Never Get a “Good” Exit 14:58 | Is Southeast Asia Even a Real Startup Market? 17:06 | From Childhood Lessons to Founder Mindset 21:20 | What Google Really Teaches You (Beyond the Perks) 21:57 | Inside Grab: Building at Hyper-Scale 23:53 | The Moment He Knew He Had to Start Up 24:58 | How He Raised $7M on a Deck (Literally) 28:45 | Beating Google Maps? The Wild Story Behind NB 35:07 | Life After Exit & What’s Coming Next Ajay Bulusu At NB.ai, we're building the next generation spatial data platform for enterprises globally. We're a VC funded deeptech startup based in Singapore with offices in USA and India. We believe APIs are the future of software and are on a mission to built the best in class Lego block architecture for location based tech. I spent the last decade working across various roles in the US, Singapore, India, Japan, and the UK. As one of the founding Geo team members @Grab, my responsibilities were broadly divided into Product Strategy/Management, Operations Management, Strategic Negotiation, Partnerships and Regional Outreach.  Other interests include Secondary Markets, Food, Basketball, Macroeconomics, Manchester United and Travel. IG: @ajaybulls Prantik Mazumdar Prantik is an entrepreneur & venture investor and acts as a Digital Transformation Catalyst in organizations to drive sustainable change and impact. After pursuing a major in Computer Engineering & a minor in Technopreneurship from the National University of Singapore (NUS), he kickstarted his career with the Singapore government (Enterprise Singapore) to drive international trade promotion for the island state. He started his entrepreneurial journey with Happy Marketer in 2011 where he spent a decade building & scaling up one of the best and most awarded independent digital marketing services firm in the region that served brands like Standard Chartered Bank, Income, Great Eastern Life, Royal Brunei Airlines, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Starbucks, Ping An, Grab, Shopee, GoJek, Kimberly Clark, PropertyGuru, PegiPegi, Starhub, Singtel, Nanyang Business School, Kaplan, INSEAD amongst many of its prestigious clients. ABOUT TiE Talks TiE Talks brings to you leadership and venture-building lessons from founders, investors and experts in the TiE Singapore network, a vibrant ecosystem of Asian entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists, and industry professionals. — This podcast is powered by CrazyTok: We help experts become influencers by helping launch, produce and grow your custom-branded audio and video podcast channels.

India’s Biggest Transformation Is Happening Inside the Government

This conversation will completely rewrite how you see leadership, AI, and even government!  In this episode, I sit down with Dr. R. Balasubramaniam and Rajiv Raman, two brilliant minds who break down AI transformation, future-of-work leadership, and what Mission Karmayogi really means for India’s next leap. We dive into why Indian bureaucracy needs a reboot, how experiential learning beats degrees, and the surprising tribal wisdom that might fix sustainability better than COP 30. IN THIS EPISODE 00:00 | Mission Karmayogi: The Massive Reform Nobody Is Talking About 02:37 | India’s Bureaucracy: What’s Really Holding It Back? 03:57 | The Civil Service Origin Story That Explains Everything Today 08:20 | Disruption Is Inevitable. Are You Leading for It? 10:35 | Modern Leadership: What Actually Matters in 2025? 12:12 | The Tribal Lesson That Redefines Sustainability & Growth 17:57 | Learning vs Wisdom: Which One Actually Moves You Forward? 23:54 | Unlearning: The Skill Every Leader Is Terrible At 24:35 | Experiential Learning: Why You Can’t Think Your Way to Growth 25:07 | Crucible Moments: Can We Simulate Breakthroughs? 26:05 | Knowledge vs Wisdom: The Gap AI Can’t Fill (Yet) 27:57 | The AI Race: Are We Running Toward the Wrong Finish Line? 31:33 | India’s AI Strategy: Smarter, Saner, and Built for Scale 34:29 | How AI Can Fix Government (Without Losing the Human Touch) 39:17 | The Human Element in AI: What Machines Still Can’t Understand 43:47 | Rapid Fire: Books, Beliefs & Big Predictions for India’s Future Our Guests: Rajiv Jayaraman Rajiv Jayaraman, the Founder and CEO of KNOLSKAPE, is a visionary leader who has successfully built a global team driving innovation in the realm of learning and assessment platforms. His pioneering work has established KNOLSKAPE as a world-class solution utilized by over 450 leading companies spanning 75 countries. Dr. R. Balasubramaniam Dr. R. Balasubramaniam is a development scholar, public policy advocate, and leadership educator with over four decades of grassroots experience. He is the founder of the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM), a development organization working at the intersection of health, education, and community empowerment in India. A physician by training and a Harvard-educated public leader and former faculty at Cornell University, Dr. Balu brings a unique blend of experiential knowledge and academic insight. He is also the founder of GRAAM, a public policy think tank. His work spans advising governments on governance reforms, strengthening democratic institutions, and building state capacity.  Prantik Mazumdar Prantik is an entrepreneur & venture investor and acts as a Digital Transformation Catalyst in organizations to drive sustainable change and impact. After pursuing a major in Computer Engineering & a minor in Technopreneurship from the National University of Singapore (NUS), he kickstarted his career with the Singapore government (Enterprise Singapore) to drive international trade promotion for the island state. He started his entrepreneurial journey with Happy Marketer in 2011 where he spent a decade building & scaling up one of the best and most awarded independent digital marketing services firm in the region that served brands like Standard Chartered Bank, Income, Great Eastern Life, Royal Brunei Airlines, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Starbucks, Ping An, Grab, Shopee, GoJek, Kimberly Clark, PropertyGuru, PegiPegi, Starhub, Singtel, Nanyang Business School, Kaplan, INSEAD amongst many of its prestigious clients. ABOUT TiE Talks TiE Talks brings to you leadership and venture-building lessons from founders, investors and experts in the TiE Singapore network, a vibrant ecosystem of Asian entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists, and industry professionals. — This podcast is powered by CrazyTok: We help experts become influencers by helping launch, produce and grow your custom-branded audio and video podcast channels

Why Asia Will Lead the AI Revolution | HP’s Samir Shah on the Next Big Shift

I didn’t expect my chat with HP’s Samir Shah to flip my entire understanding of the AI future of work… but that’s exactly what happened. In this episode, I dive into AI on the edge, hybrid work trends reshaping Asia, and how HP is building a startup ecosystem through Garage 2.0. Samir breaks down the real difference between cloud AI vs on-device AI, why Asia is leading global AI transformation, and what founders must know in 2025. We also get personal: his 31-year journey at HP, philosophies on leadership, and what “job fulfilment” really means in an AI-powered world. If you want a sharp, honest look at where AI technology is heading next, this is your episode. IN THIS EPISODE (00:00) Why HP Thinks AI Is a Turning Point (01:04) HP’s Bold Bet on AI & What It Means for You (02:40) The Future of Work: What Changes for Your Job (05:16) AI on the Edge Explained in Plain English (06:43) Why Asia Is Becoming the AI Powerhouse (13:46) Inside HP Garage 2.0: How Startups Can Win (18:19) What HP Looks For in Startup Partners (19:31) Competing in the AI Era: HP’s Strategy Unpacked (22:35) Samir’s 31-Year HP Journey & Real Leadership Lessons (31:10) Modern Leadership: What Actually Works Now (34:01) Final Takeaways for Innovators & Founders Our Guest - Samir Shah Vice President & Head of Personal Systems Category, Greater Asia at HP As an entrepreneur and leader managing HP Personal Systems in the Greater Asia region, I am dedicated to inspiring excellence, delivering outstanding business results, and nurturing the growth of future leaders. With over 30 years at HP, I have held diverse leadership roles, including Vice President and Head of the Printing Business in Greater Asia and Vice President of the Supplies Business for HP Asia Pacific & Japan. This experience has given me extensive knowledge of both emerging and developed markets, deep expertise in category management, brand innovation, and leading high-performance organizations. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family, adventuring, playing squash, and golfing. Our Host - Komal Syal Komal holds the Managing Director and Team Head position at Bank Julius Baer in Singapore. With vast knowledge and experience as a private banker in various locations like India, the UK, and Singapore, she has previously catered to diverse markets including Brunei, Japan, and Russia. Throughout her career, Komal has stood out as the sole successful woman in the sales function, amongst her other male colleagues in the team. Her proven track record of empowering women across the Banking and Financial Service sector aligns perfectly with coto’s goal of financial independence and inclusion of women digitally. Her strategic insight and advocacy efforts are set to enhance the support and opportunities available to coto women significantly, driving forward the platform’s mission to empower digital entrepreneurship among women worldwide. ABOUT TiE Talks TiE Talks brings to you leadership and venture-building lessons from founders, investors and experts in the TiE Singapore network, a vibrant ecosystem of Asian entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists, and industry professionals. — This podcast is powered by CrazyTok: We help experts become influencers by helping launch, produce and grow your custom-branded audio and video podcast channels.

How Asian Founders Can Leverage Agentic AI to Scale Faster - With IBM’s CTO

I thought I understood AI… until IBM’s CTO completely rewired my thinking. In this conversation with Kitman Cheung, we go deep into the realities of agentic AI, AI adoption challenges, and why most companies are still stuck at the “desktop productivity” stage. Kitman also opens up about IBM’s own transformation; HR, finance, sales, everything, powered by enterprise-grade AI. And when we dive into quantum computing, things get wild: from 34% more accurate bond predictions to future-ready materials science. If you’re curious about where AI trends, generative AI, and quantum computing are taking Asia next, you’ll want to listen till the end. IN THIS EPISODE (00:00) Welcome & Why This AI Episode Matters for You (01:13) Kitman’s Journey: How a Developer Became IBM’s CTO (04:26) What a CTO Really Does (and How to Think Like One) (06:27) IBM’s Secret Sauce: Research, Open Source & Real Impact (08:18) AI & GenAI Explained Simply (Finally!) (09:46) Agentic AI: What It Is & Why It Changes Everything (14:11) Measuring AI ROI: The Framework Every Leader Needs (19:07) Inside IBM: How They Use AI to Save Billions (21:34) Responsible AI: What Every Business Must Get Right (21:56) AI Risks: The Hidden Failure Points No One Talks About (23:03) AI Governance: The Guardrails You Need Before Scaling (23:48) Trust in AI: The 5 Pillars All Companies Should Adopt (25:01) AI Bias: How Bad Data Can Break Your Business (27:33) ASEAN’s AI Reality Check: Who’s Ahead & Who’s Catching Up (31:12) Quantum 101: Why It Will Break Today’s Limits (34:02) Quantum Adoption: Real Use Cases & Regional Moves (38:09) Keeping Up with Tech: A Playbook for Busy Leaders (39:22) Final Takeaways: Your Next Steps in AI & Quantum Kitman Cheung I am an engineer, a software developer, a manager, a presales leader, an author and an inventor.  I worked across different domains like Data, AI, DevOps, Hybrid Cloud, Business Automation, Cyber-Security and AIOps. Right now, I am leading a team presales engineer for one of the broadest software and hardware portfolio in the world's most dynamic market.  I have a team to deliver innovations to customers everyday.  That is not a bad day in the office. Prantik Mazumdar Prantik is an entrepreneur & venture investor and acts as a Digital Transformation Catalyst in organizations to drive sustainable change and impact. After pursuing a major in Computer Engineering & a minor in Technopreneurship from the National University of Singapore (NUS), he kickstarted his career with the Singapore government (Enterprise Singapore) to drive international trade promotion for the island state. He started his entrepreneurial journey with Happy Marketer in 2011 where he spent a decade building & scaling up one of the best and most awarded independent digital marketing services firm in the region that served brands like Standard Chartered Bank, Income, Great Eastern Life, Royal Brunei Airlines, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Starbucks, Ping An, Grab, Shopee, GoJek, Kimberly Clark, PropertyGuru, PegiPegi, Starhub, Singtel, Nanyang Business School, Kaplan, INSEAD amongst many of its prestigious clients. ABOUT TiE Talks TiE Talks brings to you leadership and venture-building lessons from founders, investors and experts in the TiE Singapore network, a vibrant ecosystem of Asian entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists, and industry professionals. — This podcast is powered by CrazyTok: We help experts become influencers by helping launch, produce and grow your custom-branded audio and video podcast channels.