Born In Silicon Valley

In this conversation, William Chan, CEO and co-founder of Iodine, shares his journey from Malaysia to becoming an entrepreneur in the healthcare technology space. He discusses the challenges faced in the healthcare industry, particularly regarding efficiency and profit margins, and how Iodine aims to address these issues through AI-driven solutions. The conversation also touches on leadership evolution, company culture, and the fut...

I sat down with Mark Straub, co-founder and CEO of SmileID, for an eye-opening conversation about his journey from Silicon Valley VC to building identity verification technology across Africa. Mark walked me through the unique challenges of operating in Africa's diverse markets and how digital infrastructure is driving economic development across the continent. What really struck me was his emphasis on localized strategies rather t...

I had an incredible conversation with Enrique Perezalonso, founder and CEO of Palla, a fintech startup that just closed their Series A funding round. We dove deep into his company's remarkable growth trajectory and what it's really like building a fintech company in today's market.

Enrique opened up about their hiring strategies and how they're scaling their team, plus he walked me through their entire fundraising journey - the hi...

I'm excited to bring you my conversation with Vernon O'Donnell, CEO of Voxel AI, where we dive deep into how AI is revolutionizing workplace safety. Vernon shares his incredible journey from military service in Iraq to leading a company that's tackling a $175 billion problem - workplace injuries and deaths that are largely preventable.  What fascinated me most was learning how Voxel transforms existing security cameras into intelli...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Kira Radinsky, a remarkable AI pioneer whose journey from escaping the USSR as a child to predicting global crises is absolutely fascinating. Kira tells me how she successfully predicted the first cholera outbreak in Cuba in 130 years using AI, helping save countless lives by getting clean water there in time.

We dive deep into her current company, Diagnostic Robotics, which has raised $70 milli...

I'm excited to bring you my conversation with Mike Conover, co-founder and CEO of BrightWave. Here's what we cover:

Mike's Background: - From studying complex systems to creating Dolly at Databricks - His journey into AI-powered investment tools

The Problem: - Investment pros drowning in 600-800 page data rooms - Traditional due diligence hitting human limits

BrightWave's Solution: - AI that reads entire documents simultaneously, n...

In this episode, I sit down with Page Schult, co-founder and CEO of Topanga, who's tackling one of the food industry's biggest problems: massive waste and inefficiency. What started as a sustainable packaging company has evolved into an AI-powered kitchen intelligence platform that's helping colleges, hotels, and healthcare systems save millions by automating food waste tracking.

Page walks me through her fascinating pivot from lau...

In this episode, host Jake Aaron Villarreal sits down with Stan Sthanunathan, co-founder and CEO of iGenie.ai. The conversation explores Stan’s fascinating journey, from his extensive career in consumer insights to his bold leap into entrepreneurship. Stan shares the critical role consumer insights play in driving brand success and how technology is revolutionizing the insights industry. He opens up about the challenges faced movin...

In an engaging episode, Alex Gajiego, Redpanda’s founder and CEO, recounts his path from a curious builder in Colombia, dismantling motorcycle engines, to spearheading a tech company revolutionizing real-time data streaming. He shares insights on creating Redpanda to address unmet needs in high-performance data systems, highlighting its impact on mission-critical applications for major global companies. Gajiego explores the vital r...

Join us for an inspiring episode with Darryl Hicks, the founder of FlexPay, who traces his journey from a childhood shadowed by bullying to becoming a leader in the payments industry. He dives into the critical need for trust and transparency in the payments ecosystem, spotlighting the challenges businesses face with failed payments, especially in subscription-based models. Hicks highlights how recovering these payments can signifi...

In this conversation, Marty Kausas, co-founder and CEO of Pylon, shares his journey from working at Airbnb to founding his own startup. He discusses the challenges he faced in identifying market needs, the evolution of Pylon, and the strategies he employed to raise capital and build a strong company culture. Marty emphasizes the importance of product development and the need for a dedicated sales team to drive customer acquisition....

James Pham, Opsin’s co-founder and CEO, recounts his journey from Vietnam to Silicon Valley, honed by his MIT experience, as he dives into the world of generative AI data security. Leading Opsin, James champions a bold approach to safeguarding enterprise data, prioritizing privacy and governance. Facing fierce market challenges, James leans on a relentless growth mindset and masterful storytelling to steer his startup forward.

Ho...

Join Jake Aaron Villarreal as he chats with Suman Kanuganti, CEO of Personal AI. They explore Suman’s background in tech and robotics, and how Personal AI addresses the challenge of scaling human expertise. Suman explains their approach to creating tailored AI models for industries like legal and finance, enabling digital twins to enhance productivity. He covers rapid deployment, cost-effectiveness, and standing out in the AI marke...

In this episode, we interviewed Mike Pappas, co-founder and CEO of Modulate, an AI-driven voice moderation company for online gaming. Mike discusses his path from MIT to founding Modulate, the challenges of raising capital, and the need to address toxicity in gaming communities. He explains how Modulate’s technology improves player experiences, supports mental health, and strengthens digital communities. Mike also covers applicatio...

Hey there, listeners! Welcome back to the show! Today, we’ve got an incredible episode lined up for you. Host Jake Aaron Villarreal sits down with Gennady Pihimenko, the co-founder and CEO of CentML, for a deep dive into the wild world of AI and machine learning. Gennady takes us on his fascinating journey—from a math and programming whiz in Russia to a trailblazer in the AI industry. He breaks down the evolution of AI, spills the ...

In this episode, we sit down with Dorna Moini, founder and CEO of Gavel, who shares her journey from litigator to launching a legal tech startup that uses AI to streamline legal processes. Dorna opens up about her journey and how Gavel’s platform works, and the legal fields—like litigation and family law—that benefit from their suite of tools. She highlights the value of efficiency and revenue growth for lawyers while making legal ...

Podcast Episode Summary: Dylan Fox on Building Assembly AI & Navigating the AI Frontier

In this episode, I sit down with Dylan Fox, founder of Assembly AI, to unpack the incredible journey of creating a leading speech AI company. We dive into the entrepreneurial hustle, from finding product-market fit to tackling the challenges of a crowded AI landscape. Dylan shares how Assembly AI’s cutting-edge technology is powering real-wo...

In this episode, Guillaume Luccisano, founder of Yuma AI, shares his journey of building his third startup. Yuma AI is revolutionizing customer service automation for ecommerce businesses, specifically large Shopify merchants, by leveraging cutting-edge AI technology.

Before launching Yuma, Guillaume was an early member of Twitch (formerly Justin.tv) and went on to co-found Socialcam, which was later acquired by Autodesk. From 2015...

Today we talk with Leo Patching, executive and entrepreneur with experience in building fast-growing businesses across various industries. Former senior leader in private companies and PLCs, founder of multiple businesses, and active investor, non-exec director, and board advisor, focused on strategy, performance, and growth.

Host: Jake Aaron Villarreal, leads the top AI Recruitment Firm in Silicon Valley www.matchrelevant.com, unc...