Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders (ETL)

Sanjit Biswas (Samsara) - Making a Real-World Impact

Sanjit Biswas is the co-founder and CEO of Samsara, a global leader in allowing physical operations organizations to harness data, AI, and the Internet of Things. He started the company with the mission to increase the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of the operations that power the global economy. In this presentation, Biswas tells the story of how he co-founded his first company as a graduate student and pivoted to a new industry to found Samsara, sharing advice for aspiring entrepreneurs on finding meaningful problems to solve, building a team, and running feedback loops to understand what customers need. Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders and other Stanford eCorner content is produced by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP), the entrepreneurship center at the Stanford School of Engineering. STVP empowers aspiring entrepreneurs to become global citizens who create and scale responsible innovations. CONNECT WITH US YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ecorner [https://www.youtube.com/user/ecorner]   X: https://x.com/ECorner [https://x.com/ECorner]   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stanfordtechnologyventuresprogram/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/stanfordtechnologyventuresprogram/]   Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/stanfordstvp.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/stanfordstvp.bsky.social]    LEARN MORE STVP: https://stvp.stanford.edu/ [https://stvp.stanford.edu/]  eCorner by STVP: https://stvp.stanford.edu/ecorner [https://stvp.stanford.edu/ecorner]  Support our mission of providing students and educators around the world with free access to Stanford University’s network of entrepreneurial thought leaders: https://stvp.stanford.edu/giving-to-stvp/ [https://stvp.stanford.edu/giving-to-stvp/].

Drew Endy (Stanford University) - A Synthetic Biology Dream

Drew Endy is an associate professor of bioengineering at Stanford University and a pioneer of synthetic biology. A co-founder of the BioBricks Foundation, Endy helped launch the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition to democratize biotechnology for student innovators worldwide. In this presentation, Endy gives a primer on synthetic biology and the obstacles it has encountered in the United States, shares where he hopes the field is going, and explains how aspiring entrepreneurs can adapt his framework to imagine their own futures. Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders and other eCorner content is produced by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP), the entrepreneurship center at the Stanford School of Engineering. STVP empowers aspiring entrepreneurs to become global citizens who create and scale responsible innovations. CONNECT WITH US YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ecorner [https://www.youtube.com/user/ecorner]   X: https://x.com/ECorner [https://x.com/ECorner]   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stanfordtechnologyventuresprogram/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/stanfordtechnologyventuresprogram/]   Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/stanfordstvp.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/stanfordstvp.bsky.social]    LEARN MORE STVP: https://stvp.stanford.edu/ [https://stvp.stanford.edu/]  eCorner by STVP: https://stvp.stanford.edu/ecorner [https://stvp.stanford.edu/ecorner]  Support our mission of providing students and educators around the world with free access to Stanford University’s network of entrepreneurial thought leaders: https://stvp.stanford.edu/giving-to-stvp/ [https://stvp.stanford.edu/giving-to-stvp/].

Grant Lee (Gamma) - Finding Early-Stage Energy

Grant Lee is the CEO and Co-founder of Gamma, an AI-powered presentation and website design tool that has scaled to 50 million customers and $50 million in annual recurring revenue with fewer than 50 employees. In this conversation with Adjunct Lecturer Ravi Belani, Lee shares how his search for energizing projects and partnerships shaped Gamma’s path, and he gives advice for early-stage entrepreneurs on building conviction, finding good co-founders, and gauging product-market fit. Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders and other Stanford eCorner content is produced by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP), the entrepreneurship center at the Stanford School of Engineering. STVP empowers aspiring entrepreneurs to become global citizens who create and scale responsible innovations. CONNECT WITH US YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ecorner [https://www.youtube.com/user/ecorner]   X: https://x.com/ECorner [https://x.com/ECorner]   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stanfordtechnologyventuresprogram/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/stanfordtechnologyventuresprogram/]   Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/stanfordstvp.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/stanfordstvp.bsky.social]    LEARN MORE STVP: https://stvp.stanford.edu/ [https://stvp.stanford.edu/]  eCorner by STVP: https://stvp.stanford.edu/ecorner [https://stvp.stanford.edu/ecorner]  Support our mission of providing students and educators around the world with free access to Stanford University’s network of entrepreneurial thought leaders: https://stvp.stanford.edu/giving-to-stvp/ [https://stvp.stanford.edu/giving-to-stvp/].

Tina Seelig (Stanford University) - Catching the Winds of Luck

Tina Seelig is an educator, entrepreneur, and bestselling author who has spent decades teaching creativity, innovation, and leadership at Stanford. She is the executive director of Knight-Hennessy Scholars and director emerita of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program. In this presentation, inspired by her forthcoming book What I Wish I Knew about Luck, Seelig gives practical and encouraging advice – illustrated by real-life stories – designed to help young people see and seize lucky opportunities. ------------------------ Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders and other Stanford eCorner content is produced by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP), the entrepreneurship center at the Stanford School of Engineering. STVP empowers aspiring entrepreneurs to become global citizens who create and scale responsible innovations. CONNECT WITH US YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ecorner X: https://x.com/ECorner LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stanfordtechnologyventuresprogram/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/stanfordstvp.bsky.social LEARN MORE STVP: https://stvp.stanford.edu/ eCorner by STVP: https://stvp.stanford.edu/ecorner Support our mission of providing students and educators around the world with free access to Stanford University’s network of entrepreneurial thought leaders: https://stvp.stanford.edu/giving-to-stvp/.

Anna Piñol (NFX) - Finding Your Purpose in the Age of AI

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.