Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders (ETL)

Anna Piñol, partner at NFX, takes us on a candid journey from expanding Amazon in Spain to founding Jupiter and ultimately discovering her true calling in venture capital. She shares powerful reflections on finding alignment, navigating pivots, and riding the waves of technological change, most notably, the rise of AI. Anna’s insights are grounded in personal transformation and professional resilience, urging us to choose curiosity over convention and to build with intention in an age when we can infinitely leverage technology. Whether you're an aspiring founder, builder, or investor, Her story offers both a mirror and a roadmap.

Samir Vasavada, co-founder and CEO of Vise, shares his inspiring journey from launching an AI-powered asset management startup as a teenager to raising more than  $130M from top VCs like Sequoia and Founders Fund. Vasavada discusses navigating the “dark side” of venture funding, the lessons learned from hiring seasoned executives too early, and why the best leaders often come from within. His reflections offer a candid look at staying focused amid hype, aligning incentives, and building a category-defining company where you stay committed to your vision while responding to customer feedback.

Founded by supermodel Karlie Kloss, Kode With Klossy teaches young women and gender expansive youth how to code. The organization supports a community of 11,000 from 100-plus countries over more than a decade to ensure their education is effective. CEO Osi Imeokparia shares how long-term support and mentorship for diverse young coders can lead to success in computer science majors and careers in technology. She and Dani Lucas of McKinsey & Company also address the need for shifts in the industry to tackle the "broken rung" of the tech career ladder, which results in women and underrepresented workers facing challenges in promotions and upward advancement.

Garrett Lord started Handshake to make it easier for students from all backgrounds to find internships. Lord discusses his own experience studying computer science at Michigan Tech and the disparities that leave so many students without exposure to recruiters at their campuses. In democratizing the job search, Lord talks about identifying a two-way marketplace and how to scale helping one student at a time.

Vinay Hiremath shares his entrepreneurial journey as the co-founder of LoomAI, a video messaging platform that grew to 30 million users and was acquired by Atlassian for nearly $1 billion. Vinay chronicles his entrepreneurial journey and its many pivots and adaptations – as well as his post-acquisition period of profound questioning and self-discovery.  This talk includes references to mental health challenges and substance use. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (also at 988lifeline.org) is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. The Crisis Text Line is a texting service for emotional crisis support, text SAVE to 741741. It is free, available 24/7, and confidential. (EDS NOTE: THIS EPISODE INCLUDES EXPLICIT LANGUAGE.)