The Startup Catalyst

Episode 212 - Lisa Kleissner, Founder of The KL Felicitas Foundation

Joining us today on the Season 2 finale is Lisa Kleissner, co-founder of The Toniic Institute, KL Felicitas Foundation, and Hawaii Investment Ready. She’ll be talking to us today about her pursuits to expand impact investing on both the local and global levels. From her beginnings in Hawaii and success in Silicon Valley to being a pioneer in the field of impact investing, Lisa has stayed true to her values in the midst of many challenges. Lisa is changing the landscape of financial investment and helping XLR8ALL by showing how impact investing can pay dividends financially and socially. This female investor is tackling the industry's inclusivity problem by investing in and impacting the communities that need help the most. We’ll find out how she defines success in impact investing and how it can be expanded globally. Plus, we’ll hear her take on how the financial industry can bridge the gap and promote inclusivity through transparency.

Episode 211 - Elizabeth Gore, President of Alice

Joining us today is Elizabeth Gore, Founder & President of Alice. She’s a pioneer in more ways than one, and is our first guest to join us from the road. From a cattle ranch in rural Texas to maneuvering the high tech world of artificial intelligence, Elizabeth has never been afraid to take on life’s biggest challenges. She's changing the landscape of entrepreneurship and helping XLR8ALL by using technology to help women and minority founders reach their goals. Following in the footsteps of her grandmother, Elizabeth is leading by example and creating a better future for tomorrow's leaders.

Episode 210 - Olin Lagon, Founder of Shifted Energy

Today’s guest is Olin Lagon, Founder of Shifted Energy. From growing up in one of Hawaii's most notorious low income housing developments to founding a sustainable energy storage startup, Olin has always triumphed despite the odds and managed to stay ahead of the curve. When he’s not founding companies and spearheading innovation, Olin gives back to the community by providing technical educational programs for underrepresented youth in Hawaii. Tune in to find out Olin’s favorite surf spot, and why he’s passionate about Hawaii’s future.

Episode 209 - Rodney Sampson, Founder of Opportunity Hub

Today’s guest is Rodney Sampson, a Brookings Fellow & the Founder of Opportunity Hub. From Atlanta to Washington DC, Rodney has been forging his own path for as long as he can remember. A lifelong problem solver, entrepreneur, and thought leader, Rodney has dedicated his life's work to giving back to the citizens of Atlanta, elevating the black community in America, and shifting the landscape when it comes to tech, entrepreneurship, and investing. He’s not just the CEO of OHUB, he’s also the founder of Techsquare labs, a Fellow at the Brookings Institute in Washington DC, and a proud husband and father. In this episode, we’ll hear what inspired Rodney along the way, and what he believes is the key to closing the gap and increasing inclusivity across the venture capital industry.

Episode 208 - Donavan Kealoha, Director at Startup Capital Ventures

On today’s podcast, we’ll hear from Donavan Kealoha, a Director at Startup Capital Ventures and Founder of Purple Mai'a. Find out how Donavan, proud local boy and Native Hawaiian, translated his humble beginnings on the island of Lānaʻi into a successful career in the venture capital industry, while providing technical education to disadvantaged children in Hawaii. He’ll give us his take on the importance of inclusivity within the tech and venture capital industries, and discuss some of the challenges (and blessings) he has faced as a Native Hawaiian in these fields. We’ll also hear two critical pieces of advice for individuals to promote inclusivity in the business realm and most importantly, the need to focus on positive strength rather than negative obstacles to achieve success in a competitive world.