Beyond Borders

The Marine Corps Veteran Who Wants to Replace Soldiers with Robots

What happens when a combat veteran becomes the person building the robots he once wished had fought beside him? Mike LeBlanc has lived on both sides of that question. A Marine veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mike went on to earn a degree from Harvard before diving deep into Silicon Valley's innovation ecosystem. Today he's the co-founder of a startup developing humanoid robots for military use, including the Phantom MK1, already being tested on the battlefields of Ukraine. In this episode of Beyond Borders, Mike sits down with Sacha for one of the most thought-provoking conversations we've had. We go from the psychological whiplash of returning from combat to the ethics of autonomous weapons, to why he believes sending robots to war is not a dystopian nightmare but a moral imperative. In this episode we cover: 🪖 What deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan actually felt like and the jarring speed of returning to civilian life 🤖 The Phantom MK1: what it is, how it works, and what it's already doing in Ukraine ⚖️ The ethics of autonomous weapons: who should be in the loop when a machine makes a life-or-death decision? 🌍 The global arms race in AI and robotics and what it means for deterrence, stability, and civilian safety 💡 Why hardware, not software, may be the most transformative force in human history 🏛️ Should tech companies get to dictate how the military uses their technology or should we trust our generals? 📖 Mike's upcoming book What If Anger Is the Answer? and how controlled rage can be a force for meaningful change About Mike LeBlanc Mike LeBlanc is a Marine corps veteran, Harvard graduate, entrepreneur, and robotics founder. After tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, he built a career at the intersection of defense, technology, and innovation. His startup is developing humanoid robots designed to reduce soldier casualties in active conflict zones. He is also the author of the upcoming book What If Anger Is the Answer?, which draws on military discipline, philosophy, and personal experience to reframe how we think about emotion and drive. If this conversation made you think, share it with someone who needs to hear it. And if you're building, leading, or navigating something hard — this podcast was made for you.

Impact Investing, Global Careers & Founder Support — With Sophie Durey

“I never imagined my path would take me from humanitarian work in Paris to investing in Silicon Valley.” That’s the unexpected journey of Sophie Durey—a global impact leader, investor, and entrepreneur whose career has spanned France, Switzerland, China, Mexico, and now the heart of Silicon Valley. In this episode of Beyond Borders: American Dreams, Real Stories, Sophie opens up about her international career, her transition from the nonprofit sector into impact investing, the challenges and opportunities of building a purpose-driven life in the U.S., and what she’s learned from supporting founders across the world. Sophie began her career in Paris after earning her Master’s from Sciences Po, then moved to Geneva to join Quadia, where she rose from investment analyst to Head of Impact Evaluation. In 2017, she landed in Silicon Valley, where she founded The Impact Evaluation Factory, co-built a multi-family office for self-made entrepreneurs, and today serves as Partner at Tamar Ventures and Venture Director at Tamar Capital, backing early-stage startups and designing programs to develop better founders. Her story is a masterclass in reinvention, global grit, and forging a mission-driven career across borders. 🚀 KEY TOPICS COVERED: ✓ Building a global impact career across Europe and the U.S. ✓ Transitioning from nonprofit work to impact investing ✓ How impact evaluation actually works for startups & VC funds ✓ Investing in early-stage founders with purpose-driven models ✓ What it takes to build a career in Silicon Valley as a European immigrant ✓ Starting a consulting firm in the U.S. ✓ Lessons from supporting founders through Tamar Ventures & Tamar Capital ✓ Navigating identity, purpose, and belonging across multiple countries ✓ The realities of being a multi-continent operator and investor 💼 WHO IS THIS FOR? → Immigrants building careers in impact, VC, or entrepreneurship → International professionals trying to break into Silicon Valley → Founders interested in impact measurement or purpose-driven business models → Students exploring careers in social impact or venture capital → Anyone seeking honest stories about reinvention across borders → Listeners who want a nuanced look at global careers and immigrant journeys

Nothing Was Given to Her. She Still Made it to Stanford - Julieta Gabiola

Pr. Julieta Gabiola grew up in a poor rural village in the Philippines, with no financial security, no network, and almost no pathways toward higher education. Today, she’s a professor at Stanford. The distance between these two worlds is filled with turning points she rarely shares — moments of doubt, courage, discrimination, reinvention, and a quiet, relentless determination that changed everything. In this episode, Julieta opens up about: • the unexpected event that first pushed her into nursing • what made her start over again — this time in medicine • the structural barriers she faced as a first-generation student and immigrant • the discrimination she encountered in academia, and how she chose to respond • the mindset that sustained her through years of uncertainty • why globalizing education is her life’s work *• the deeper meaning of resilience when starting with nothing This is not just an inspiring journey. It is a blueprint for purpose, courage, and long-term leadership. Explore Julieta Gabiola’s work ABC’s for Global Health (website): https://abcsforglobalhealth.org/ [https://abcsforglobalhealth.org/]

From Driving for Uber With an Expiring Visa to Raising Millions for his Startup - Florent Breton

"I wondered if I'd made a huge mistake." That's what Florent Breton thought while driving for Uber in San Francisco, watching his student visa expire, and getting rejected by companies who wouldn't hire immigrants on temporary visas. Ten years later, Florent has led teams at Tesla, launched two venture-backed startups, raised millions, and became a US citizen. This is his real story — the visa struggles, the National Interest Waiver green card process, building a family in America, and what it actually takes to succeed as an immigrant entrepreneur. KEY TOPICS COVERED: ✓ Student visa to green card pathway ✓ National Interest Waiver (EB-2 NIW) process ✓ Job searching on temporary visas ✓ O-1 visa vs NIW green card ✓ Immigrant founder visa strategies ✓ Fundraising in Silicon Valley as an international founder ✓ Tesla career experience ✓ Venture-backed startup journey ✓ US citizenship process for entrepreneurs ✓ Immigration policy and reform

Leading with the Why: Orestis Trasanidis on Europe, Silicon Valley, and the Mindset of Innovation

In this episode, Orestis Trasanidis shares his journey from Greece to Silicon Valley, exploring how purpose and cultural understanding drive innovation across continents. Drawing from his experience leading the EIT Hub in the U.S., he reflects on the contrasts between European and American startup mindsets—and how collaboration bridges those worlds. Together, we unpack what it truly means to “lead with the why” in a global innovation ecosystem shaped by communication, adaptability, and shared vision.