Geeks Of The Valley

In Episode #114 of Geeks of the Valley, we sat down with Jay Zhao , Founding Partner at Leonis Capital, a San Francisco–based fund focused on backing technical founders building transformative AI, SaaS, data-infrastructure and decentralized-tech companies. As a returning guest, we reflect on the growth journey of Jay and the market. Since 2021, he’s led or co-led investments in breakthrough businesses including Marqeta (NASDAQ: MQ), HireVue (NASDAQ: CG), Mixamo (Acquired by ADBE), Innoviz (NASDAQ: INVZ), and Delhivery (IPO), and serves on multiple boards advising high-growth startups across fintech, enterprise SaaS, robotics and analytics. Prior to Leonis, Jay co-founded T Fund—an early-stage vehicle investing in global SaaS and data-infrastructure ventures—and was a Senior Director/Partner at Walden Venture Capital, one of Silicon Valley’s pioneering firms with a global presence in Asia and Israel. He began his career as a Principal at Granite Ventures (ex-H&Q Venture Group), where he helped manage over $1 billion AUM and advised companies like Lime, MaintainX, and Sleeper. An active contributor to the industry dialogue, Jay’s long-form research essays have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, CNBC and Venture Capital Journal. He shares his expertise as a guest lecturer at Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB, Tulane and Wharton, and mentors at Girls Who Code and Habitat for Humanity. He writes the Next Trillion newsletter and hosts a technical-deep-dive Substack on AI’s future. Jay holds dual fluency in English and Mandarin Chinese. Outside of investing, he enjoys advising early-stage founders, exploring emerging Web3 protocols, and building community around research-driven entrepreneurship. * Website: https://www.leoniscap.com [https://www.leoniscap.com] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayzhaolinkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayzhaolinkedin]

In Episode #113 of Geeks of the Valley, we sat down with Rob Hadick, General Partner at Dragonfly, a leading $2.5bn crypto-focused global investment firm. We explore the seismic shifts in the VC ecosystem, from the rise of trade-sale exits to the resilience of certain sub-sectors like Layer 2 protocols and real-world-asset platforms. A focal point of our discussion is Ripple’s landmark $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road, where Rob dissects its implications for bridging institutional finance with native-crypto infrastructure. Along the way, Rob shares lessons he’s learned underwriting tokenized assets, supporting portfolio companies through volatility, and spotting early signals of talent migration in an increasingly global industry. Whether you’re an institutional investor seeking to understand new exit dynamics or a founder navigating the crypto VC landscape, this conversation offers a comprehensive roadmap to the future of digital-asset investing. Since 2017, Dragonfly has been at the forefront of blockchain and crypto innovation with a long-term oriented, technical, and research-driven approach, having been early backers of some of the most influential protocols and companies in the industry, including 1inch, Avalanche, Bitget, Bybit, Compound, DyDx, Ethena, Hidden Road, Matter Labs, Monad, Near, Optimism, Polygon, Ribbon and ZK Sync. Rob focuses on companies and protocols that are innovating at the bleeding edge of centralized and decentralized finance, payments, money, and digital asset infrastructure. Previously, Rob led multi-stage public and private investing into crypto protocols and companies at GoldenTree Asset Management ("GTAM"), a ~$50bn multi-strategy hedge fund. Prior to GTAM, Rob invested in and advised fintech, technology, and crypto companies while at Heritage Partners, Goldman Sachs, and PJT Partners. He holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, where he was co-founder of the Columbia Blockchain Club, and a Bachelor's in Economics and Political Science from Washington University in St. Louis. * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-hadick [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-hadick] * Website: https://www.dragonfly.xyz [https://www.dragonfly.xyz]

In Episode #112 of Geeks of the Valley, we sat down with Ivan Casadevall, the CEO of ARYADUTA's Hotel Group, a leading Indonesian hospitality group and one of the most trusted brands in the region. Today, our portfolio features 10 upscale hotels and resorts strategically located across Indonesia, alongside 5 leisure units. We are currently expanding aggressively, with an exciting pipeline that includes 2 luxury hotels in Jakarta and 2 resorts in iconic destinations such as Ubud and Labuan Bajo, with additional land banks ready for development over the next 3 to 5 years. Ivan shares lessons from his global journey, from managing resorts in Vietnam and Bali to developing partnerships with global icons like Trump Hotels, Hyatt, and IMG. Whether you’re a founder, operator, or curious traveler, this episode is packed with wisdom.

Join us for an insightful conversation with Aly Madhavji, Managing Partner at Blockchain Founders Fund, as we explore the significance of transparency in venture capital and its impact on Web3 ecosystems. Aly, recognized globally as a leader in blockchain innovation, shares his approach to investment, venture building, and go-to-market strategies across the USA, APAC, MENA, and EU regions. Discover how Blockchain Founders Fund nurtures digital assets and emerging technologies, fostering a culture of transparency and sustainable growth. Aly's extensive background, including roles with INSEAD, UN initiatives, and NASDAQ-listed Soluna Holdings, offers a unique perspective on navigating the evolving landscape of digital finance and venture funding. This episode is essential for founders, investors, and anyone passionate about ethical innovation and Web3's transformative potential. * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alymadhavji [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alymadhavji] * Website: https://www.blockchainff.com/ [https://www.blockchainff.com/]

In this episode, we sit down with Bam Azizi, the CEO and Co-Founder of Mesh—a fintech infrastructure company revolutionizing how businesses and users interact with financial systems through embedded crypto and stablecoin solution with 300+ integrations today. Mesh empowers developers to seamlessly enable read, write, and transfer functionality within their applications. They recently closed an $82M Series B round, primarily settled in stablecoins, reflecting the company’s core mission of making digital money programmable and practical. Before Mesh, Bam Azizi co-founded NoPassword, a pioneering identity company acquired by LogMeIn, where he later served as Director. He brings over a decade of experience in software architecture, cybersecurity, and AI, including roles at Infineon Technologies and Robotic Research Labs. A visiting researcher at Johns Hopkins University and PhD holder from Technical University of Munich, Bamizi combines deep technical expertise with visionary entrepreneurship. * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bam-azizi-54117310a [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bam-azizi-54117310a/] * Mesh LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/meshconnectapi/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/meshconnectapi/] * Website: https://www.meshconnect.com/ [https://www.meshconnect.com/]