DealMakers: Entrepreneur | Startups | Venture Capital

In the dynamic world of tech entrepreneurship and venture capital, few stories capture the essence of resilience, innovation, and determination quite like that of Zal Bilimoria. From his humble beginnings in Indiana to his pivotal roles at tech giants and eventually carving his path as a solo venture capitalist, Zal's journey is as inspiring as it is instructive. Zal's VC firm, Refactor Capital, has funded projects like Astranis, Granza Bio, Bedrock Materials, and Rubedo Life Sciences.

Arturo Elizondo, a founder with a remarkable story, has built a transformative company that addresses a critical global issue. Growing up on the Texas-Mexico border, he witnessed stark income disparities and developed a deep awareness of the broader world. His venture, The EVERY Company, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Temasek, Wheatsheaf Group, SOSV, and TO Ventures.

Qin En Looi is an inspiring founder turned investor with a remarkable journey, full of unexpected turns, and packed with insights on transitioning from founding a successful startup to becoming a venture capitalist. Qin En co-leads the $150M AUM fund, Saison Capital, that has funded prestigious projects like Fego.ai, Redacted Coin, Jia, and Origins Analytics.

Caroline Winnett’s story is nothing short of extraordinary—a journey that weaves through disciplines as diverse as music and neuroscience, culminating in a successful career as a serial entrepreneur and now, a prominent figure in the venture capital community. Caroline's company SkyDeck Berkeley is the investment arm of UC Berkeley's flagship startup accelerator.

In the world of financial crime compliance, few names resonate as profoundly as Tom Scampion's. Born in Warwickshire, UK, Tom’s career journey has been anything but ordinary. From his early days in the corporate world to leading his own venture, Tom's story is a testament to the power of data, the importance of collaboration, and the relentless pursuit of innovation. Tom's company, Global Screening Services has attracted funding from top-tier investors like AlixPartners, The Cynosure Group, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, and MUFG.

Daniel Nathrath has had an exciting entrepreneurship journey building and exiting companies. He went on to build Ada Health, a revolutionary clinically-driven AI application that provides patients with in-depth health information. Ada Health has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Red River West, Bertelsman Investments, Farallon Capital, and Schroders Capital.

In the bustling world of tech startups, stories of perseverance, innovation, and global impact abound. Today, we dive into the inspiring journey of Rob Gonzalez, co-founder of Salsify, a trailblazing enterprise software company revolutionizing product experience management. The company, Salsify, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Permira, Neuberger Berman, Venrock, and Cap Table Coalition.

In a recent podcast episode, we delved into the world of non-dilutive capital and entrepreneurial ventures with Keith Harrington, a seasoned investor and co-founder of Novel Capital. Keith’s journey from a suburban Kansas City upbringing to becoming a key player in the venture capital world is nothing short of inspiring. This blog post captures the highlights and lessons from his remarkable career. His company, Novel Capital, has raised funding from top-tier investors like Ignia Partners, MatterScale, Gaingels, and Ulu Ventures.

From humble beginnings in Sunnyvale to leading a groundbreaking AI company, Varun Mohan's journey is a testament to resilience, innovation, and a relentless pursuit of impactful solutions. In this interview, Varun shares his story, insights on the evolution of technology, and the strategic pivots that led him from autonomous vehicles to the creation of Codeium, an AI code acceleration tool transforming the software development landscape. Codeium has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Kleiner Perkins, General Catalyst, Greenoaks, and Founder's Fund.

Eric Chen, the visionary behind Injective, has a remarkable story that spans continents and industries. From his early years in China and Colorado to his ventures in the crypto world, Eric’s journey is a testament to resilience, innovation, and a forward-thinking mindset. His company, Injective, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Jump Crypto, BH Digital, Block Tower Capital, and Pnyx Ventures.

Imagine a startup that doesn’t fit the usual mold—one that manages over $100B in assets with a team of nearly 600 employees. This is the incredible story of Matthew Fleissig and Pathstone, a company that has experienced tremendous growth and continues to innovate in the world of finance.

Imagine a startup that doesn’t fit the usual mold—one that manages over $100B in assets with a team of nearly 600 employees. This is the incredible story of Matthew Fleissig and Pathstone, a company that has experienced tremendous growth and continues to innovate in the world of finance. Pathstone has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Kelso & Company and Lovell Minnick Partners.

Welcome to another exciting episode of the Dealmakers Show, where we delve into the stories of entrepreneurs shaping the future. Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Matt Luongo, a visionary in the realm of Bitcoin and freedom technology.

Welcome to another exciting episode of the Dealmakers Show, where we delve into the stories of entrepreneurs shaping the future. Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Matt Luongo, a visionary in the realm of Bitcoin and freedom technology. Matt's company, Thesis, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Andreessen Horowitz, Asymmetric Ventures, Boost VC, and Dan Held.

Federico Malek, a seasoned entrepreneur from Buenos Aires, Argentina, has navigated the complex waters of startups and acquisitions, establishing himself as a prominent figure in the business world. His journey, marked by strategic decisions and keen insights into the dynamics of emerging markets, offers a wealth of knowledge for aspiring entrepreneurs. Federico's latest venture, Wonder Brands has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Alarko Ventures, Kube VC, Mountain Partners, and Spectra Investments. In this episode, you will learn: Building startups in emerging markets like Argentina requires strong unit economics and sustainability from day one due to macro and political fluctuations. Early exposure to successful entrepreneurs inspired Malek to pursue entrepreneurship in Argentina's burgeoning tech scene. The high-growth, high-burn model is less suitable for emerging markets, where stable capital markets are scarce. After selling his first company to Groupon, Malek shifted to developing sustainable, profitable business models. Wonder Brands focuses on creating consumer discretionary brands for Latin America's rising middle class, emphasizing sustainable and profitable growth. Raising capital in Latin America is more challenging and time-consuming compared to more mature markets like the US and Europe. Aspiring entrepreneurs should carefully choose their market, considering both potential and challenges, rather than being attached to their home country. SUBSCRIBE ON: iTunesGoogle PlayStitcherTuneInRSSSoundCloudSpotify For a winning deck, see the commentary on a pitch deck from an Uber competitor that has raised over $400M (see it here). *FREE DOWNLOAD* The Ultimate Guide To Pitch Decks .mailchimp-form { background: #ff931f; padding: 0; width: 100%; display: inline-block; margin-bottom: 30px; } .mailchimp-form .img-block { width: 50%; float: left; } .mailchimp-form .content-block { float: left; width: 50%; padding-left: 10px; margin-left: -60px; padding-top: 46px; } .mailchimp-form .content-block h3 { color: #fff; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-size: 42px; text-align: left; border-width: 0; border-color: #fff; border-style: solid; border-radius: 0; line-height: 1.8; box-shadow: transparent 0 0 0, transparent 0 0 0 inset; text-shadow: transparent 0 0 0; padding: 0; margin: 0; letter-spacing: normal; } .mailchimp-form .content-block h4 { color: #000; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-size: 42px; text-align: left; border-width: 0; border-color: #000; border-style: solid; border-radius: 0; line-height: 1.5; box-shadow: transparent 0 0 0, transparent 0 0 0 inset; text-shadow: transparent 0 0 0; padding: 0; margin: 0; letter-spacing: normal; } .mailchimp-form input.email { width: 100%; height: 50px; padding: 0px 20px; border: 1px solid #333; margin-bottom: 15px; } input#mc-embedded-subscribe { color: rgb(255, 255, 255) !important; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: "Montserrat", sans-serif; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; /* font-size: 25px !important; */ line-height: 1.5; text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 10px 0px; margin: 0px; display: block; width: 100%; height: 100%; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 0px 0px 0px inset; cursor: pointer; border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0) !important;

Federico Malek, a seasoned entrepreneur from Buenos Aires, Argentina, has navigated the complex waters of startups and acquisitions, establishing himself as a prominent figure in the business world. His journey, marked by strategic decisions and keen insights into the dynamics of emerging markets, offers a wealth of knowledge for aspiring entrepreneurs. Federico's latest venture, Wonder Brands has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Alarko Ventures, Kube VC, Mountain Partners, and Spectra Investments.

From a humble beginning in South Africa to becoming a serial entrepreneur in the United States, Wayne Slavin's story is one of perseverance, adaptability, and relentless pursuit of innovation. As a young immigrant in Southern California during the late 80s, Wayne experienced a world where possibilities seemed endless despite the initial challenges his family faced.

Steven Zhao has had an inspiring entrepreneurial journey that started from humble beginnings to groundbreaking innovations in the world of virtual reality. He is the dynamic founder behind Sandbox VR. His story is a testament to resilience, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of a dream.

Steven Zhao has had an inspiring entrepreneurial journey that started from humble beginnings to groundbreaking innovations in the world of virtual reality. He is the dynamic founder behind Sandbox VR. His story is a testament to resilience, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of a dream. Sandbox VR has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Andreessen Horowitz, Gobi, Katy Perry, and Alibaba Hong Kong.

When it comes to building a billion-dollar company, doing it once might be considered luck, but doing it twice is a testament to skill and perseverance. Sami Inkinen, the entrepreneur behind two successful ventures, shares his journey from humble beginnings on a Finnish farm to founding companies like Trulia and Virta Health.