This week, our host Sarah Chen-Spellings, venture capitalist, strategist, and co-founder of Beyond the Billion, takes the hot seat on the iDigress podcast, hosted by Troy Sandige!

Sarah shares her insights on what it truly takes to build billion-dollar unicorns—from mastering the pitch to overcoming rejection and navigating the highs and lows of entrepreneurship.

Tune in to learn how she’s helping entrepreneurs thrive in today’s fast-paced market, and discover the critical strategies that turn setbacks into success.

Original aired on iDigress Podcast with Troy Sandige:

Building Billion Dollar Unicorns: How To Pitch, Overcome Rejection, & Succeed As A Modern Entrepreneur With Sarah Chen-Spellings [Masterclass]

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Struggling to land that big pitch? Wondering why your path to success is filled with setbacks? Join us as we uncover what it really takes to build billion-dollar unicorns! Learn how to navigate failure, overcome rejection, stay resilient, and empower yourself—and others—in today’s competitive market with insights from venture capitalist and strategist Sarah Chen-Spellings in this masterclass episode.

In this episode, we delve into the high-stakes world of entrepreneurship with Sarah Chen-Spellings, a venture capitalist, strategist, and co-founder of Beyond the Billion. Join us as we explore the journey of building billion-dollar unicorns, where success is not just about having a great idea, but mastering the art of pitching, navigating the inevitable rejections, and persisting through the toughest challenges.

Sarah shares her unique insights on what it truly takes to succeed in today’s fast-paced entrepreneurial landscape. From her experience leading a global consortium investing over $1 Billion in women-founded companies to her work as a seasoned strategist and host of the "Billion Dollar Moves" podcast, Sarah offers invaluable advice for entrepreneurs aiming to make their mark.

Whether you’re an emerging entrepreneur or a seasoned founder, this episode is your masterclass on how to pitch, overcome rejection, and ultimately succeed in the billion-dollar game. Learn the critical strategies that differentiate those who thrive from those who fall short, and discover the mindset needed to turn risk into reward.

Key Takeaways:

• The art of pitching: How to craft a compelling pitch that stands out in a crowded market.
• Overcoming rejection: Proven strategies for turning setbacks into opportunities and building resilience.
• Navigating risk: Insights on how to manage and mitigate the risks inherent in scaling a business to unicorn status.
• The modern entrepreneur's mindset: What it takes to succeed in today’s competitive and rapidly evolving business environment.
• Entrepreneurial diversity: Strategies for bringing more diverse entrepreneurs—women, Black, Latina, Asian, and others—to the table and ensuring they have the resources and support needed to succeed in the billion-dollar game.
• Sarah's personal journey: Lessons from her experience co-founding Beyond the Billion and her role in shaping the future of venture capital.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain actionable insights from one of the leading voices in venture capital and entrepreneurship. 

Connect With Troy: 

Rate & Review iDigress: iDigress.fm/Reviews

Follow Troy's LinkedIn @FindTroy

Get Strategy Solutions & Services: GrowWithTroy.com

Follow Troy's Instagram @FindTroy

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

This week, we are resurfacing our conversation with Johanna Småros, co-founder of RELEX Solutions, one of Finland's leading unicorns. In our conversation, we delve into the unique path of RELEX Solutions, which was bootstrapped for more than 10 years and built “The Finnish Way” - practical and transparent.

From bootstrapping for over a decade to transforming the company into a global leader, her story is a testament to innovation, resilience, and strategic vision.

This is why, Johanna is next on the list of #BillionDollarMoves we should all learn from.

TIMESTAMPS / KEY TAKEAWAYS

0:00 - Intro

02:29 - Lesson #1: Don't Underestimate Academic Foundations

05:16 - Lesson #2: Do It Your Way: The Finnish Way of Building

07:03 - Lesson #3: Find Your Unique Approach in a Saturated Space

10:56 - Lesson #4: Leverage Existing Champions to Drive Global Ambition

15:11 - 3 Actionable Questions for You

If you enjoyed this, tune in to full episode with Johanna!

From Bootstrapped Startup to Finnish Tech Unicorn: RELEX Solutions' Rise w/ Johanna Småros, RELEX Solutions

🎙️Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/bdm-johanna 

🎞️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3moRBN0M5r0

🌐 Website: https://www.billiondollarmoves.com/from-bootstrap-to-finnish-tech-unicorn-relex-solutions-johanna-smaros/ 

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

This week’s episode features Nick Washburn, Senior Managing Director at Intel Capital. If you're an investor—or aspire to be—this conversation is a masterclass you won't want to miss.

For those who might not be familiar, Intel Capital is the venture capital arm of Intel Corporation, and it's long been considered the gold standard in the industry. They've backed legendary companies like Red Hat, VMware, and DocuSign, among others. Over the past three decades, they've seen more than 250 of their portfolio companies go public and have had another 500 successful exits. And since 2018 alone, Intel Capital has seen approximately $12 billion in market cap companies hit the public markets.

From the intricacies of reserve strategies to the common pitfalls that even seasoned VCs can stumble into, we’ve covered it all.

This insider look at the art and science of venture investing, especially from someone with Nick's experience, is packed with valuable insights. So, trust me, this is one conversation you don't want to miss!

TIMESTAMPS / KEY TAKEAWAYS

0:00 - Intro

01:32 - Lessons from ice hockey: “Go to where the puck was going”

02:39 - Shaping founders to be less output-focused; “All of the biggest outcomes are extreme outliers and there is no path.”

04:26 - Pattern matching; “Try to not focus necessarily on the background, but more of their understanding of the problem statement and why they feel best position to solve it.”

06:45 - The two sins in venture: sins of omission and commission

10:06 - The hyped AI field and what matters more to the devs and customers?

13:43 - Cybersecurity; singular platform versus best tools

16:10 - Core competency of Intel Capital in investment; “I invest both in developer tools and infrastructure software; if I don't look at them in the right aperture, I get it wildly wrong.”

19:49 - Inside Intel Capital: north of 250 IPOs and 500 exits in the past 30 years

24:19 - What has Intel Capital done right in structuring?; “You should lead with the goal and then reverse it in the process.”

27:48 - Nick’s personal journey from law school to investments; the imposter syndrome

31:44 - The anti-portfolio; FreshPaint: “They have not pivoted. They just reposition because that's where the market demand was coming.”

35:06 - On guiding founders; Charles Hudson’s “When to Intervene”

38:43 - The dynamics of Intel’s investment committee and strategy framework

42:17 - Takes on current market conditions

43:38 - Billion Dollar Questions

About Nick Washburn

Nick Washburn is a Senior Managing Director of Intel Capital located in Denver, CO. He joined Intel Capital in 2014.

Nick is a voting member of Intel Capital’s investment committee and co-manages Intel Capital’s cloud investment domain. He focuses on early-stage investments in cloud-native infrastructure, developer tools, artificial intelligence/machine learning, and data platforms.

Nick currently serves as a director or observer on the boards of Augtera Networks, Fly.io, Freshpaint, Moderne, OtterTune, and Tetrate. He also works closely on Intel Capital’s investments in Anyscale and Upbound.

In addition, Nick currently serves as a director on the board of the National Venture Capital Association, and he is a member of the Kauffman Fellows, Class 25. He is a proud father to amazing twin boys, he loves playing ice hockey, and he is an avid lover of all things outdoors, including skiing, mountain biking and rock climbing.

FOLLOW NICK:

LinkedIn | X/Twitter

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

Muslims are projected to constitute more than 25% of the world's total population this year. To many in the industry, this isn't just a statistic; it represents a vast array of opportunities for the markets.

This week, we are revisiting our conversation with Fara Abdullah, CEO of Bitsmedia, the brains behind the immensely popular Muslim lifestyle app, Muslim Pro. 

With a fresh injection of $20 million from its Series A funding round, featuring participation from Gobi Partners, alongside continued backing from existing investors CMI Capital Partners and Bintang Capital Partners, Bitsmedia is poised to enhance the faith experience through cutting-edge technologies. Our discussion delves into various aspects, including the business landscape, the potential in faith-driven markets, and the interception of faith, finance, and technology. 

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 - Intro

02:52 - Market opportunities in the Muslim community; Bitsmedia’s business model

07:39 - Challenging the misconceptions and templatization of Muslims

10:49 - Thesis behind the 160 million annual downloads of Muslim Pro: faith in challenging times and the modern Muslim lifestyle

15:13 - Bitsmedia’s ideal consumer profile and the growth of user base

20:30 - Business models and the biggest revenue drive for Bitsmedia

24:11 - Decision making and resource distribution as the CEO

26:52 - The role of technology in shaping faith and vice versa

30:31 - The idea of moderation and ethical interpretations with use of technologies

32:41 - Bitsmedia’s role in the interception of faith, finance and technology

34:35 - Observed trends of religious behaviors and attitudes; the socialization of faith

37:01 - Fundraising and choosing the right partners

39:46 - Billion dollar questions

3 Key Insights:

1/ The market is HUGE and there’s something for everyone.

With the global Muslim population surpassing 2 billion as we’re speaking now, the market needs continue to evolve.

Beyond facilitating religious practices, there's a plethora of avenues to explore, from educational content for children to virtual community building and financial services.

2/ Infusion of technology is inevitable in today’s world; we cannot simply steer away from it.

“Regardless of how afraid we are of it, how much we want to preserve certain things, this technology wave is coming,”

Despite concerns, the inevitable wave of technology presents significant opportunities.

According to Fara, embracing this wave requires courage while prioritizing community safety and moderation.

3/ See the market potential beyond complexity.

While the complexity of faith-related businesses may deter some, more and more investors recognize the immense potential within this market.

And just like any business, expertise and strategic vision are essential to harnessing these opportunities effectively.

ABOUT BITSMEDIA

Bitsmedia is a Singapore-based, technology company known globally as the developer and publisher of the Muslim Pro app – a highly-rated and comprehensive Muslim lifestyle app with more than 150 million downloads globally to date.

The company is also the publisher of Qalbox, a global subscription video on demand (SVoD) entertainment streaming service aimed at the global Muslim community.

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

We’re thrilled to feature Jyri Engeström, a serial entrepreneur who found early success with exits to Google and Groupon. Now an investor, Jyri continues to shape the startup landscape as a General Partner at Yes VC, the fund he co-founded with his partner, Caterina Fake, co-founder of Flickr. At the same time, Jyri makes significant strides in building and investing in startups alongside Petteri Koponen at Lifeline Ventures in Finland.

We delve into the opportunities and technologies shaping the future, lessons Jyri has learned from his time in Silicon Valley, and how Finland is positioning itself as a global startup hub. Jyri’s deep understanding of network theory, social dynamics, and his curiosity about emerging markets—from space colonization to geopolitical shifts—makes this an episode you won’t want to miss.

TIMESTAMP / KEY TAKEAWAYS

0:00 - Intro

02:41 - The Innovator’s Dilemma, Sociology, & bi-continental life in Finland & the US

06:20 - Working in Nokia to founding Jaiku

08:56 - Google’s acquisition of Jaiku

12:52 - Selling Ditto to Groupon; “I knew to kill the app immediately after the acquisition,”

16:09 - Lessons learned as a serial entrepreneur; leadership

19:01 - New chapters with True Ventures and Yes VC; patterns of success in portfolio 

25:04 - Yes VC’s super early stage approach; thoughts on legacy

32:06 - Identifying the potential unicorns; how to be curiosity-driven, continuously

37:00 - Minting the unicorns & the anti-portfolios

39:37 - The founder product fit; Petteri Koponen’s pattern of success

44:48 - Raising children; parallel entrepreneurship

49:58 - The liquidity & exit landscape and deal flow in Finland today

54:11 - Jyri's trajectory for the next five years; messages to global investors

56:29 - Billion Dollar Questions

Brought to you by Helsinki Partners

The third edition of Founders to Finland Program helps international scale-up

founders build their business network in the Nordics. This 7-day program takes place

in Helsinki in November, and its 15 selected participants get to experience the magic

of the Slush startup conference and valuable side events with a free ticket. Expect

hyper-relevant networking, personal introductions to local companies, and tailored

info sessions to learn more about the innovative spirit of the Finnish scale-up culture.

Learn more and apply by September 1!

ABOUT JYRI

Jyri has invested in several unicorns including Unity, Oura, Iceye and Boom Supersonic. Jyri’s entrepreneurial journey began with Jaiku, a mobile social networking service he co-founded with Petteri Koponen and sold to Google in 2007. He sold his second company Ditto, a recommendation service, to Groupon in 2012. In 2020 he founded Primary Diagnostics, a healthcare platform serving tens of millions of people across the U.S.

For four years Jyri was at True Ventures, a leading Silicon Valley venture fund, where he invested in e.g. Iceye, the world’s largest radar satellite constellation, with Lifeline. Alongside Lifeline Ventures Jyri is Partner at Yes VC, a venture firm he co-founded with Caterina Fake in San Francisco. Yes VC has notable investments in carbon capture, post-fossil energy, space and AI. Jyri combines company-building with venture investing. “Entrepreneurship is a skill. It takes discipline and practice. Each company we build improves our hit rate going forward.”

FOLLOW JYRI:

LinkedIn | X/Twitter | Instagram | Podcast: Startup-Ministeriön

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

This week's episode is proudly brought to you by Tatler Gen.T.

On July 12th, we celebrated the groundbreaking launch of Draco Evolution Corp’s AI-driven ETF, now trading on the NYSE. We had the privilege to speak with the visionary co-founders, Jack Fu and Steve Chen, about their innovative ideas and the future of finance.

This week, we dive deeper into Steve Chen’s journey co-founding and leaving YouTube, and why we should all take bold leaps in life.

TIMESTAMPS / KEY TAKEAWAYS

0:00 - Intro

02:42 - The ‘One-Way Ticket’: “If I have an idea, I'm just going to regret it if I don't take this opportunity now to actually try it out.”

04:16 - The real story of YouTube: “it was a dating video site”; “it was through these changes as you're pivoting around and figuring out exactly where this path is going to take you”

09:00 - Google’s acquisition of YouTube; “He said, we’re making the largest acquisition ever made by Google,”

11:48 - Behind key decisions: “The answer usually is in our heads already.”; the hardest lesson learned

14:40 - Building legacy and impact; “What brings you happiness?”

About Steve Chen

Steve Chen is a Taiwanese-American Internet entrepreneur who is one of the co-founders and previous chief technology officer of the video-sharing website YouTube. After he co-founded the company AVOS Systems, Inc. and built the video-sharing app MixBit, he joined Google Ventures in 2014.

TUNE IN TO PART 1

Building Legacy & The Future of Finance w/ Steve Chen & Jack Fu, Draco Evolution

🎙️Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/bdm-draco

🎞️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzjmFfRequ8

🌐 Website: https://www.billiondollarmoves.com/the-future-of-finance-steve-chen-jack-fu-draco-evolution-nyse/ 

READ MORE:

DRACO EVOLUTION’S STEVE CHEN AND JACK FU ON BUILDING LEGACY AND THE FUTURE OF FINANCE | Tatler Gen.T

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

This week, we're diving into the remarkable journey of Adi Tatarko, Co-Founder and CEO of Houzz, a story that epitomizes resilience, innovation, and the strength of community. 

Adi and her husband, Alon Cohen, turned their personal frustration into a global leader in the home renovation and design industry. What began as a side project evolved into a multi-billion dollar enterprise, now serving over 3 million professionals and 70 million users worldwide. 

Let's unpack Adi’s #billiondollarmoves in today's CEO Series!

TIMESTAMPS / KEY TAKEAWAYS

0:00 - Intro

1:44 - Lesson #1: Don’t underestimate the power of being open to opportunities

4:52 - Lesson #2: Bootstrapping in the beginning is not the worst Idea

8:50 - Lesson #3: Build for scale AND RESILIENCE by focusing on sound foundations

13:38 - Billion Dollar Questions

About Adi Tatarko

Adi Tatarko is the co-founder and CEO of Houzz, an online platform for home remodeling and design she and her husband, Alon Cohen, started in 2009. The couple launched the website after they had trouble finding ideas for remodeling their house. Under her leadership, the company has become an influential marketplace in the design industry, connecting millions of homeowners with home professionals globally. Alon replaced Adi as CEO of the company in January 2024. 

Prior to founding Houzz, Adi worked in international finance. She holds a BA in Economics from Tel Aviv University. Adi’s entrepreneurial acumen and deep understanding of the technology-driven consumer market make her a valuable addition to any venture capital portfolio.

FOLLOW ADI | LinkedIn

Source:

How I Built This with Guy Rap | Adi Tatarko 

'Maybe I'm Not A Typical Founder But So What?': How Houzz Cofounder Adi Tatarko Leads Uniquely | Forbes Women

Outsider Insight: Adi Tatarko | Sequoia Capital

Adi Tatarko (Houzz) at Startup Grind Silicon Valley

Houzz CEO on how she took her idea to help homeowners remodel homes and turned it a global business | Yahoo Finance

Houzz CEO: Empowering Users | Mad Money | CNBC

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

This week's episode is proudly presented by Tatler Gen.T.

Join us for an exclusive conversation recorded live at the New York Stock Exchange with Jack and Steve, the visionary co-founders of Draco Evolution Corp. 

On July 12th, We were on site to celebrate the groundbreaking launch of their AI-driven ETF, now trading on the NYSE. From the electrifying atmosphere of the closing bell ceremony to their journey of building global startups across Taiwan and Asia, and the innovation behind the Draco ETF designed to shape the future of finance—we cover it all in this episode. 

Don’t miss this deep dive into the future of finance!

TIMESTAMPS / KEY TAKEAWAYS

0:00 - Intro

02:18 - Draco Evolution at the NYSE Closing Bell Ceremony for their first ETF listing

03:16 - Jack’s new chapter; Draco ETF: technology and risks

06:47 - Steve’s moves back to Taiwan after YouTube; why Draco ETF?

11:09 - The partnership; hedge fund background versus consumer-focused strategies

15:31 - What’s next for Draco?

20:07 - Building a global company from Taiwan; “they read about all the financial news and what are the ways and the bridges that we can connect outside of our island or outside of our Asia region?”

22:54 - Lessons learned; “sometimes we focus on what we know, but we just have to leave our comfort zone,”

Read more on:

DRACO EVOLUTION’S STEVE CHEN AND JACK FU ON BUILDING LEGACY AND THE FUTURE OF FINANCE | Tatler Gen.T

About Draco Capital Partners

In 2020, Jack Fu partnered with YouTube co-founder Steve Chen to establish Draco Capital Partners. They developed low-volatility artificial intelligence investment strategies with a team of economists and engineers, shaping the fund’s operational policies.

Since its founding, the team have managed over US$220 million in funds, achieving remarkable investment results. Draco Capital Partners goes public on the New York Stock Exchange in early 2024, introducing two products: AI Active Management ETF (DRAI ETF) and AI Matched Quantitative Trading Platform.

The former employs AI for intelligent investment, offering unique growth opportunities and risk protection for investors through AI technology and active management strategies. The latter provides a platform for investment strategy experts and general investors to share professional knowledge and innovative investment tools, creating a unique and open quantitative investment ecosystem, bringing more opportunities and value to both parties.

More on: https://www.dracocp.com/

ABOUT JACK FU

Managing Director, Draco Capital Partners

Prior to founding Draco Capital, Jack was the Pacific Rim Managing Director of All Sun Group, where he managed a portfolio of $1.8 billion. Previously, Jack was a Senior Financial Consultant at Linsco & Private Ledge managing family offices and institutional clients. Jack began his career as a Financial Advisor at Union Bank Investment Services.

ABOUT STEVE CHEN

Managing Partner & Chief Technology Officer, Draco Capital Partners

Steve builds massive strategy data center for Draco, provides algorithm, and leads the programming process for investment strategies and trading.

Steve was the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of YouTube. He was instrumental in building YouTube into a viral video phenomenon. He helped lead YouTube through the Google acquisition for $1.65 billion less than a year after launching the site. From 2014-2016, Steve served as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Google Ventures.

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

"Secondaries are just deals with a discount?" Think again.

In this episode, we explore how the secondary market has surged to a staggering $100 billion in transaction volume, driven by the pressing need for liquidity. Featuring Martin Fleischer, Principal of Coller Capital, and Ku Kay-Mok, Senior Partner at Gobi Partners, we talked about the explosive growth of continuation vehicles and the challenges general partners (GPs) face in navigating this dynamic market. 

Tune in now as we unravel the complexities of the secondary market, its great opportunities, and the strategic moves that can make or break investment portfolios in these volatile times.

TIMESTAMPS / KEY TAKEAWAYS

0:00 - Intro

02:04 - Introduction: Martin Fleischer, Coller Capital & Ku Kay-Mok, Gobi Partners

04:20 - What really is the secondaries opportunity? The 100bn secondaries transaction volume driven by liquidity

06:18 - Structures for LPs and GPs in secondaries; the market growth of continuation vehicles

08:41 - Challenges for GPs in secondaries: pricing and carry split

10:20 - “I think we are the necessity in this market; people want liquidity for various reasons”; CV as the third exit route for GPs

12:50 - GP’s view: structuring exits; “theme is important for VC”; being strategic with co-investors and building liquidity

15:17 - “Be patient if you don't want to sell”; price drop in consumer space and outdated valuations

17:09 - Discount premium, implied valuation multiples, patient capital, and plans to drive returns

19:51 - “The secondary market will become more and more specialized”; “the biggest constraint is capital”

22:41 - Advice for LPs building base in the Nordics; re-industrialization and opportunities in global south

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Arctic15 LP Summit 2024

PANEL: Secondaries & Exits for This Venture Cycle

Martin Fleischer - Principal, Coller Capital

Ku Kay-Mok - Senior Partner, Gobi Partners

Moderator: Sarah Chen-Spellings - Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Beyond The Billion

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

This week, we have the pleasure of speaking with Johanna Småros, co-founder of RELEX Solutions, one of Finland's leading unicorns. In our conversation, we delve into the unique path of RELEX Solutions, which was bootstrapped for more than 10 years and built “The Finnish Way” - practical and transparent.

Tune in to today’s episode to learn more about the intricacies of global supply chain solutions, the Finnish entrepreneurial ecosystem, and why it's important to “stop stupid things”.

Brought to you by Helsinki Partners

Venture Nordics Program

Now in its second edition, this 7-day program is designed for international VCs and LPs. It features exclusive networking events, introductions to Finnish LPs and VCs, curated meetings with top-performing companies, and a free ticket to Slush 2024, including LP track and access to exclusive side-events.

Learn more and apply by 18/8!

TIMESTAMPS / KEY TAKEAWAYS

0:00 - Intro

02:53 - Johanna pursuing engineering encouraged by her family; road to becoming a researcher at Helsinki University of Technology

06:18 - The shift from academia to practical implications; starting RELEX with co-founders Mikko Kärkkäinen and Michael Falck

11:07 - The supply chain scene in 2005 and building the infrastructure with forecasting and replenishment solutions

15:13 - RELEX’s market entry in Finland: every client is an R&D project

17:05 - Scaling up with Finland as an R&D hub; “You have to generalize almost at the start, which gives you an upper hand because then you're versatile.”

20:09 - Complexities faced when starting RELEX; “it's not very helpful to have three tires in stock,” Johanna’s shift to sales, venturing into countries outside Finland

23:17 - Choosing the right partners; “we were never like friends in that sense.”

25:57 - The supply chain scene today with advancements in AI technology

28:36 - From bootstrapped to private equity: one of the only Finnish companies that has raised over €800 million

30:19 - Building and scaling a company in Finland: language and picking funders

33:13 - The Finnish entrepreneurial ecosystem

36:15 - The five elements of the RELEX culture; the future of RELEX

41:29 - Billion Dollar Questions

ABOUT JOHANNA

It all started when Johanna joined the Logistics Research Group at Helsinki University of Technology in the late 1990s. During her years in academia, she studied several aspects of supply chain management, including inter-company collaboration, forecasting and replenishment, e-commerce, and value-added services. Her doctoral dissertation focused on collaboration between grocery retailers and suppliers, which then led her to the practical solutions that RELEX Solutions later provided for the world.

ABOUT RELEX SOLUTIONS

Together with two fellow researchers, Mikko Kärkkäinen and Mikael Falck, Johanna founded RELEX in 2005. RELEX has provided a means for turning research innovations into practice and further developing them by making use of the latest developments in technology, such as in-memory computing.

RELEX helps retailers and consumer brands drive profitable growth across all sales and distribution channels by maximizing customer satisfaction and minimizing operative costs. Leading brands like Ahold Delhaize USA, Stokke, Kwik Trip, and Rossmann trust RELEX to optimize their supply chain and retail planning.

MORE ON: https://www.relexsolutions.com/

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

This week’s episode comes to you from the Wharton Women in Investing Conference 2024. On January 26, Wharton Women in Investing held its third annual conference at Convene in New York City. The conference theme was growth and good governance as investors.

“The Wharton Women in Investing Conference epitomizes our dedication to advancing diversity and inclusion within the investment community. Our goal at the Harris Family Alternative Investments Program is not only to facilitate a rich learning environment but also to highlight the vital role of women in shaping the future of the investment landscape. By bringing together a distinguished lineup of speakers and panelists, the conference has provided our MBA students and attendees with unparalleled insights into the complexities of investing and leadership. It presented an opportunity to engage, inspire, and empower the next generation of investment leaders.” 

- Burcu Esmer, Academic Co-Director of the Harris Family Alternative Investments Program

The closing keynote speakers featured Global Head of Citi Private Bank Ida Liu, WG, and Sarah Chen-Spellings, Beyond The Billion Co-Founder and Managing Partner.

Event Recap:

https://altinvest.wharton.upenn.edu/wharton-women-in-investing-conference-2024/

About Ida Liu

Ida Liu is the Global Head of Citi Private Bank and a member of the Global Wealth Management Leadership team. Ida leads the Private Banking activities in 50 offices across 18 countries and delivers wealth management solutions to ultra-high net worth families and their businesses globally. Before becoming the Global Head, she was the Head of Citi Private Bank North America and held numerous other leadership roles.

Ida created Citi Private Bank’s North America Asian Clients Group, and she started her career at Citi by launching and heading the Fashion, Retail and Entertainment Group. Before joining Citi, Ida was at Vivienne Tam, a women’s wear design house, where she was Global Head of Sales, Marketing, Public Relations and Business Development. Prior to this, Ida spent seven years in investment banking with Merrill Lynch’s mergers and acquisitions and technology, media and telecommunications investment banking groups in New York and Hong Kong. She started her career in mergers and acquisitions at BT Wolfensohn (now Deutsche Bank).

Ida has received many industry accolades including Barron’s 10 Most Influential Women in Wealth Management, Barron’s 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance, Crain’s Notable Women on Wall Street and American Banker’s 25 Most Powerful Women in Finance. Additionally, Ida is a Young Global Leader (YGL)

of the World Economic Forum, a member of The Committee of 100 (C100) and Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO). Ida serves on the UCLA Health Advisory Board as well as the Asia Society Board.

Ida holds a BA with honors from Wellesley College and an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. She is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Spanish and conversant in Russian.

FOLLOW IDA | https://www.linkedin.com/in/idaliu/

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

Dr. Raj Shah's journey comprises numerous transformative endeavors, spanning his roles at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, to his current position as President of the Rockefeller Foundation. 

In his publication, "Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens," he illuminates the power of the big bet mindset—a belief that addressing problems boldly, rather than settling for incremental improvements, attracts partners capable of achieving transformational change. 

In this week's episode, we had the honor of exploring the significant big bets he made throughout his career. The shared big bet mindset aims to inspire leaders at every level to reimagine possibilities on a grand scale. You won't want to miss this.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 - Intro

02:23 - Who is Raj Shah? From med school to volunteering at Al Gore’s presidential campaign, joining the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Obama’s administration, and then the Rockefeller Foundation

07:44 The big bet mindset: avoiding aspiration trap

10:03 Status of global philanthropy in US today

13:37 Revolutionary technologies and innovative solutions to address hunger and poverty in countries like India, Nigeria, and parts of Latin America

17:14 Risk-taking and building unlikely partnerships and alliances; overstepping authority at Gates Foundation

20:06 The 3 core ingredients of a big bet mindset

22:06 Leadership and taking a stand; working with Mitch Landrieu and the Confederate statues

25:05 Risk-taking and adopting the big bet mindset to solve global issues; e.g., the child refundable tax credit in the US

27:43 Role of charity: where do philanthropists get things wrong?

31:03 What does rejection feel like for Raj Shah? And how to keep going?

35:48 Billion Dollar Questions

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

This week’s episode is fresh out of the oven! The Family Office Alliance Stockholm Symposium took place about a week ago.

In one of the panels titled "Purposeful Investing in AI," Sarah Chen-Spellings moderated a discussion on AI and impact investing with an emphasis on women's perspectives. She was joined by esteemed panelists Dorothy Chou from Google DeepMind, Sandro Gianella from OpenAI, and Nina Rawal from Trill Impact Ventures.

In this discussion, we delve into the fascinating world of AI and its impact on various industries. We explore the rise of generative AI like ChatGPT, the importance of identifying AI-centered innovations that are genuinely impactful, and the potential risks associated with AI's rapid growth. We've covered it all.

TIMESTAMPS / KEY TAKEAWAYS

0:00 - Intro

5:16 - Where AI is Today: Discussing generative AI such as ChatGPT and more scientific applications.

10:26 - Is This a Hype Cycle?: How are we positioning ourselves as investors?

13:21 - Identifying AI-Centered Innovations: How to spot innovations that are truly grounded in power and committed to purpose.

16:17 - The Extinction Risk with AI Growth: What guardrails and institutions are needed? Comparing OpenAI and Google.

27:12 - Accountability in Investments: Balancing financial returns with meaningful outcomes.

32:51 - API Version of AI: Is it better or worse?

35:06 - Balancing Advancement and Ethics

37:50 - Closing Remarks: Building trust between humans and the digital world, redefining what constitutes a safe or good investment in AI, and discussing the incentives created by investments.

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Quotables from the event:

"As a life science investor, I see the endless opportunities AI offers when it comes to understanding human disease. I would argue that it's unethical to not explore AI in making the untreatable diseases treatable." —Nina Rawal, Trill Impact

"There's a lot of fear around AI, but as someone close to the work, I'm not worried. The lesson of the last decade isn't to avoid the tech platforms—it's to structure them the right way with the right people around the table, and that's a constant learning." —Sandro Gianella, OpenAI

“Let’s not forget what’s important is also not what gets invested but who gets invested in.” —Dorothy Chou, Google DeepMind 

About Family Office Alliance

The Family Office Alliance is established by Principals of Family Offices in Europe and Singapore. We believe that with resilience and common purpose, global challenges can be transformed into uncommon opportunities. It is a bridge of trust for radical collaboration between Family Offices in Europe and Asia.

-- Family Office Alliance

The Family Office Alliance Stockholm Symposium | Event Recap

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

What distinguishes the standout figures in the world of venture capital from those who aren’t?

"𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞."

Currently serving as the Partner Emeritus at Top Tier Capital Partners, Lisa describes her journey as "serendipitous" and filled with unexpected twists.

Join us as we explore the realm of venture capital through Lisa Edgar's eyes. It's about nurturing relationships, establishing a solid foundation, and going beyond.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro

01:15 - Views on current global venture market, Finland & ecosystem in Europe

03:15 - Lisa's journey from hospitality to venture

06:57 - Common mistakes when starting and the importance of relationship building

09:23 - Hard & soft skills that make GP successful

10:07 - Lisa's time at Horsley Bridge Partners; access plays and transitions

11:05 - What makes an enduring franchise; Benchmark's strategy in building

14:57 - Lisa's move to build Top Tier Capital Partners

17:46 - Living up to the name "Top Tier" and the mantra "leadership, trust, transparency and Respect

22:45 - Key to building infrastructure

24:40 - Access focused strategy, portfolio diversification

27:22 - Vision in fund evaluation and checklist for portfolio

32:15 - Strategies in fund of funds; criteria for success as fund manager

35:16 - Is fund of funds worth it?

39:32 - Access play: key learning and mistakes

43:19 - Lisa's thoughts on current market and how to cope as a team

46:28 - LP's view on ensuring GP's ethics

50:41 - Opportunities for people of color in the LP's world

51:50 - Lisa' next move

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ORIGINAL EPISODE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY94C26V0Vs

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

𝐎𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐝𝐨 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 $𝟐𝟎𝐌 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜 - how did this happen?

This week’s episode features Mike Moradi, one of the GPs of Cortado Ventures, also the co-founder and also a portfolio company CEO, the CEO of Sensulin, where the company Sensulin is developing a glucose responsive insulin which will drastically reduce the number of injections diabetes patients will have to take.

Our conversation is wide ranging from how he first got the entrepreneurial bug, which landed him a $10 million exit at 25 years old, to then leading $10 million in six weeks for Cortado’s fund one, and what's broken in America's health care system.

TIMESTAMPS / KEY TAKEAWAYS

0:00 - Intro

2:17 - Growing up with diversity and the entrepreneurial bug

5:26 - The culture and diversity scene in mid-continent America; Oklahoma VS Bay Area

8:52 - From dentistry to failing first company, then landed a $10 million exit at 25 years old

11:35 - The key to successful exit and ‘superpower’ as a serial entrepreneur

13:14 - Addressing diabetes and insulin: building Sensulin

18:23 - Challenges as the CEO of Sensulin

20:52 - Where life sciences is today: innovation and it’s consequences; AI and healthcare

24:24 - Why is healthcare broken in America?

25:40 - James Rogers; incentive structures between different stakeholders 

28:19 - Advice to entrepreneurs building B2B SaaS company; be the clock maker

29:34 - Cortado Ventures: raising $10 million in six weeks during pandamic

32:05 - Reason behind Cortado fund I success; the room for innovation In times of great disruption

34:29 - What makes a good fund? Common mistakes made by fund managers

39:24 - Takeaways from both sides of the table: GP for Cortado Ventures and CEO of Sensulin

41:56 - Billion Dollar Questions 

About Mike Moradi

Mike Moradi is an American biochemist, entrepreneur and diabetes advocate. Mike is a co-founder / CEO of Sensulin, a company that strives to provide a once-a-day solution for type I/II diabetics. He has founded or helped establish more than a dozen nanotechnology and biotechnology companies.

MORE ABOUT MIKE:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemoradi

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Moradi

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

Let’s make things tangible - how do we challenge the status quo with actions?

Beyond The Billion returned to Austin earlier this year in partnership with Dell Technologies, Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network, Dell For Startups, and Intel, to convene some of America’s leaders in both venture capital and entrepreneurship to kick off SXSW and International Women’s Day.

Against the backdrop of a decline in VC funding to all-women founding teams in 2023, funders and founders convened to discuss key strategies to continue to address what needs to be done.

In this episode, we feature esteemed speakers from the panel, including Dr. Molly Morse of Mango Materials, Dr. Lana Feng of Huma AI, Lisa Song Sutton of The Veteran Fund, and Lizanne Atherly of Beyond The Billion, who generously shared their journey — the highs, lows, and the lessons learned along the way.

Key takeaways from the Funding Founders Forward panel:

• Are your investment strategies contributing to the growth of women entrepreneurs?
• Who are your stakeholders and their stakeholders?
• Are you assertive enough?
• Do you understand your clients' needs?

Full Recap: https://beyondthebillion.com/dell-austin2024/

About Beyond The Billion

Led by Co-Founders and Managing Partners Shelly Porges and Sarah Chen-Spellings, Beyond the Billion (BTB) mobilized over US $1billion in its first nine months from their original 86 Fund Partners who today number 123 including Texas-based True Wealth Ventures, Ajim Capital, and the Artemis Fund.

Within the first two years, BTB’s Fund Partners around the world invested over US $638million into almost 800 women-founded companies (WFCs), with fourteen of those now having been identified as unicorns, including a notable few with Austin roots: Everly Health and Canva. As importantly, a subset of those almost 800 deals (479) went on to raise almost US $4billion, demonstrating the catalytic effect of breaking the funding barrier for so many early-stage WFCs.

MORE ABOUT BTB: https://beyondthebillion.com/

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

Munich Re Ventures is the venture capital group of Munich Re, the world's largest reinsurance company and a leading global provider of primary insurance and insurance related resolutions. 

Now Munich Re Ventures is a billion plus platform that is financially driven while focusing on the strategic interests of Munich Re. In this episode, Sidra Ahmed Lefort, Investment Director, Munich Re Ventures, takes us on a deep dive into the landscape of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and health care.

Tune in to today’s episode to learn about everything from pricing mistakes VCs make, market trends, access, acquisitions on the ground, and how valuations and mindsets are shifting.

TIMESTAMPS / KEY TAKEAWAYS

0:00 - Intro

02:15 - What makes Sidra changed the trajectory of her career

06:28 - What do investors from the East get wrong in investing in America?

08:30 - The dual mandate of EDBI; lessons learned from government’s technology investment strategy

11:08 - The structure and mandate of Munich Re Ventures; what works in the structure?

15:20 - Interest in adopting AI in cybersecurity and healthcare; market size for cyber

20:09 - Opportunities at the intersection of health tech and FinTech; Quantile Health

22:29 - The anti-portfolio: missing out on CrowdStrike

23:41 - Strategy for portfolio construction; follow-on funding

27:48 - Valuations in cyber and healthcare; how investors should be thinking about this investment cycle

31:01 - Exits landscape for cyber and healthcare

34:06 - What needs to change in venture? What is holding women from rising to the senior ranks?

36:05 - Billion Dollar Questions

About Sidra

Sidra focuses on cybersecurity, digital health, and insurtech opportunities globally. Previously, she was with the VC arm of Singapore Economic Development Board (EDBI). While at EDBI, she served on the board of directors of Gobalto (acquired by Oracle) and served as a board observer to Shape Security (acquired by F5), Livongo (NASDAQ: LVGO), and MetricStream. She joined EDBI from Nanostart, supporting investments in nanotechnology companies in Europe and Asia. Sidra started her technology-focused career in intellectual property at the National University of Singapore, where she played an instrumental role in identifying key technologies for the Life Science department. She received her degree in biomedical science from National University of Singapore and is based in San Francisco.

FOLLOW SIDRA:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sidra-ahmed-lefort/ 

https://www.munichre.com/ 

https://edbi.com/

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

Tubi is the most-watched free TV and movie streaming service in the U.S. to date, with the world's largest content library of over 200,000 movies and TV episodes, a growing collection of originals, and nearly 250 Fox channels.

The powerhouse behind Tubi’s success is no stranger to the media industry: Anjali Sud, CEO of Tubi. Prior to Tubi, Anjali led Vimeo to become a public company following its spin-off from Barry Diller's IAC Internet Conglomerate.

When Anjali took over as CEO of Vimeo, she halted all prior initiatives to reinvent Vimeo as a software company serving the B2B market. Under her leadership, Vimeo achieved around $400 million in annual recurring revenue when she left.

Now, as Anjali takes on the role of CEO at Tubi, will she apply the same strategic disruption to her leadership of Tubi? In this week’s episode, we discuss her rise to leadership, the role of media and culture, and much more.

TIMESTAMP / KEY TAKEAWAYS

0:00 - Intro

03:14 - Who is Anjali Sud? Crucible moments that led Anjali onto entrepreneurial journey

08:22 - Being rejected by investment banks; Anjali’s career path in her 20s and pivoting into media

10:08 - Filling the market gap as Vimeo CEO; “I was willing to bet on myself and on the idea”

12:21 - Vimeo’s transition from ad-free version of YouTube to B2B SaaS model; the challenges and how to see the “signals”

18:06 - Vimeo going public as a spinoff; the tradeoffs of IPO

21:38 - Anjali’s advice to CEOs getting ready to be listed or for an exit event; importance of revenue predictability

23:44 - Changes are the only constant; growth strategies that worked for Vimeo

25:40 - The virality opportunity and word of mouth

26:31 - Anjali’s nine years in Vimeo and her transition to Tubi; “Media is going through significant disruption.”

29:10 - The future of media and content; Tubi as the free entertainment for the cordless generation

31:29 - The product-led mindset; strategy to combat stereotypes towards media ads

33:49 - Quality content with cultural relevance amidst the competition for attention; Tubi original series: Boarders & Big Mood

35:26 - The role of media and culture; influence of AI on media and content

39:31 - Billion Dollar Questions

About Anjali

“I believe in the power of video. No other medium has the ability to bring stories to life in a deeply personal way, while simultaneously reaching every corner of the globe."

Anjali Sud is an American businesswoman and technology and media executive. She is the CEO of Tubi, the entertainment platform and free ad-supported streaming service owned by Fox Corporation. Sud was previously CEO of Vimeo for six years, until August 2023.

FOLLOW ANJALI:

https://www.instagram.com/anjsud/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anjali_Sud

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjalisud

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

In the age of AI and rapid technological advances, what does it mean to leverage data for good? And in the face of the digital divide, what can we as investors do to address it?

With over 20 years of experience in founding multiple start-ups and leading initiatives across diverse sectors, Danil is dedicated to exploring and innovating at the intersection of technology, culture, and society. As the Executive Director of data.org, he drives the platform’s mission to build partnerships committed to advancing the field of data science for social impact.

This week's episode we had the honor to discuss topics from combating climate change to promoting equitable access to education and healthcare. Danil and his team at data.org are catalyzing positive change through data-driven solutions. You don’t want to miss this.

TIMESTAMPS / KEY TAKEAWAYS

0:00 - Intro

02:51 - Who is Danil Mikhailov? Background in computer science and anthropology

03:54 - Merging impact: human centricity in data and technology; Wellcome Trust and DataDotOrg

09:41 - DataDotOrg’s mission as a collaboration between Rockefeller Foundation and MasterCard Center for Inclusive Growth.

11:23 - The Epiverse and the pandemic

16:16 - The gap in data science related investments between the private and the public sectors; partnership with universities

19:21 - The role of DataDotOrg as a consortium: philosophy of localism

23:23 - Takes on ChatGPT and large language models

26:50 - Digital divide and biases in generative AI tools

29:17 - Nurturing data science talents in emerging countries

31:25 - The next “gray rhino” obvious risk in society from the perspective of data

34:25 - Billion Dollar Questions

About DataDotOrg

data.org is a platform for partnerships committed to building the field of data science for social impact.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/datadotorg/

https://data.org/news/from-data-for-good-to-data-for-impact/

FOLLOW DANIL:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/danilmikhailov/

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

“As long as you're open to what's next, as long as you're open to the unknown, then there's an opportunity for you to improve yourself.” - Kimberly Yao, Co-Founder & CEO of CloudEats.

From selling booze online and working in Philippine F&B to creating a revolutionary cloud kitchen concept, Kimberly Yao’s entrepreneurial journey has not been a walk in the park, to say the least.

Fueled by her passion and interest in food and e-commerce, Kim continues to evolve and adapt as the leader of CloudEats, which, simultaneously, is on a strong growth trajectory since its establishment.

How can you become the CEO that your company really needs? And what are the differences when you’re growing from 10 to 100, and then 100 to 1000?

Tune in now to learn more about Kim’s leadership at each stage of her entrepreneurial journey!

TIMESTAMPS / KEY TAKEAWAYS

0:00 - Intro

02:50 - Takeaway #1: Passion-fueled vision

05:45 - Takeaway #2: Each experience you have is building you up for the next

08:31 - Takeaway #3: You need to be ready to grow and evolve as a CEO.

10:56 - Takeaway #4: The power of the Time Machine theory, but don’t forget to adapt in building in other markets.

13:26 - Sub-takeaway: Be sure of your local advantages 

16:56 - Takeaway #5: Not taking a risk, is the biggest risk

19:26 - Closing remarks

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Full Episode | Becoming the CEO Your Company Actually Needs to Scale & The Future of Virtual Kitchens with Kim Yao, CloudEats

🌐 Website: https://www.billiondollarmoves.com/future-of-virtual-kitchens-kim-yao-cloudeats/

🎞️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68-0ifhk3ZI

About Kim Yao

Co-founder and CEO, CloudEats

Kim is building the leading tech-powered food service ecosystem in Southeast Asia through digitally native restaurant brands and proprietary smart kitchen technology. By revolutionizing a massive yet traditional food service industry, her mission at CloudEats is to create the largest cloud restaurant group in the region, challenging brick and mortar heavyweights in F&B. With almost $14m in funding for CloudEats to date, Kim is known to have raised the largest amount of venture capital for a female Filipina led startup. She hopes to inspire female, underrepresented founders to keep dreaming big and work together to pave the way for more women entrepreneurs. 

Already a veteran in the food and beverage industry, Kimberly Yao opted to “evolve and futureproof” her career by going digital. CloudEats eschews physical restaurants and focuses its 50-plus in-house brands and customised kitchens on delivery. Established in May 2019, the company was recognised by Tech in Asia as one of Southeast Asia’s top 50 rising startups. CloudEats has thrived during Covid-19, opening a new kitchen and donating 55,000 meals to first responders.

FOLLOW KIM:

https://ph.linkedin.com/in/kimberlyyao

https://www.instagram.com/kimyaoza/

https://www.instagram.com/cloud.eats/

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

As of January 2024, Canva’s design platform attracted around 170 million monthly global users from 190 countries. BUT it was not too long ago that now 36-year-old Canva founder Melanie Perkins was rejected by 100 VCs. 

Just like some of the best companies today, Canva took awhile to get to an inflection point: between the first idea in 2006, to launching 2013, that was a span of 7 good years.

Today, Canva is a $26 billion design startup is ready to take on Microsoft and Google and compared to other behemoths; and people have created over 3 billion designs since.

This week, we are taking a deep dive into Melanie Perkin’s story of building the online designing empire Canva. 

TIMESTAMPS / KEY TAKEAWAYS

0:00 - Intro

02:13 - Canva: from being rejected by over 100 VCs to a $26 billion design startup

05:00 - Lesson #1: Solve the problem you know intimately first: don’t be afraid to niche down, in the beginning

07:34 - Lesson #2: Good things take time—stay grounded, lean and persistent

11:19 - Lesson #3: Focus on what you can change, not what you can’t

15:07 - LESSON #4: Get comfortable going against the grain

17:44 - Lesson #5: You can do it all, but not all at once

21:17 - 3 Actionable Questions for You

About Melanie Perkins

Melanie Perkins is an Australian billionaire technology entrepreneur, who is the CEO and co-founder of Canva. 

Perkins is one of the youngest female CEOs of a tech start-up valued over A$1 billion. As of May 2021, Perkins was one of Australia's richest women.

Credit/Source:

Canva makes staff instant millionaires after $3.6b share sale

https://thenightly.com.au/business/canva-makes-staff-instant-millionaires-after-36b-share-sale-c-14205704

Guy Kawasaki's Remarkable People: Melanie Perkins: CEO of Canva

https://guykawasaki.com/melanie-perkins-canva-ceo/

Carmine Gallo and Canva CEO, Melanie Perkins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xysjW_wZgxM

Sunrise Australia Day 1 - Melanie Perkins Keynote

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXtGE811GCw

Melanie Perkins of Canva on Dealing with Rejection

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e31uR1WhrEQ

Melanie Perkins - Canva - Founder stories from The Sunrise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1uyh2IRWWM

How Canva CEO Melanie Perkins turned her small Australian college startup into global unicorn | E939

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TBSg79Gf0M

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

You may have heard the news: as of January 2nd, 2024, Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd has stepped down as chief executive after nearly a decade leading the dating app company.

Despite challenges ahead - a more conservative revenue forecast highlighting the need for a dating-app revamp - let’s not overlook the journey that brought Whitney and Bumble to this point.

Not to down play that Whitney Wolfe Herd is a recognizable name, at 31 years old becoming the youngest female CEO who had taken a company public in 2021.

To call her career trajectory a “comeback” is an understatement and this is why, Whitney makes first on the list of Billion Dollar Moves CEO Series - enjoy!

TIMESTAMPS / KEY TAKEAWAYS

0:00 - Intro

2:18 - Whitney Wolfe Herd stepped down from Bumble CEO position; her exit from Tinder and then becoming the youngest women ever to take a company public

5:40 - Lesson #1 Don’t be afraid to make radical bets, especially on yourself

9:15 - Lesson #2 Success can be built on personal setbacks and challenges

10:27 - Lesson #3 Building and upholding a purpose-driven brand identity

14:11 - 3 actionable questions you can ask yourself to think like Whitney

About Whitney Wolfe Herd

Whitney Wolfe Herd is the founder, executive chair, and former CEO of publicly traded Bumble, an online dating platform, launched in 2014. Co-founded with Russian billionaire Andrey Andreev, Bumble, the dating app, was known for women making the first move. Whitney who owns a 17% stake in Bumble, became the youngest self-made woman billionaire after it went public in February 2021 for ten months.

Prior to Bumble, she was the co-founder of Tinder and was previously its Vice President of Marketing. 

Read More:

Calling out inappropriate user behavior on Bumble:

“An Open Letter to Conner” 

Whitney's journey from Tinder to Bumble, then IPO:

“She sued Tinder, founded Bumble and now, at 30, is the CEO of a $3 billion dating empire”

“How Whitney Wolfe Herd Turned a Vision of a Better Internet Into a Billion-Dollar Brand”

Stepping down from CEO position as of January 2024: “Whitney Wolfe Herd Is Stepping Down as Bumble’s C.E.O. After a Decade”

Credits:

Bumble Founder's Business Lessons For Entrepreneurs | Forbes

Bumble's Whitney Wolfe Herd: The Story of Bumble

Former Billionaire Whitney Wolfe Herd Out As Bumble CEO

Rewriting the Rules of Business and Life With Whitney Wolfe Herd - Official Trailer - MasterClass

Bumble Founder: The Truth About My Explosive Tinder Exit

Secrets To Dating And Making A Billion By 31 From Bumble’s Whitney Wolfe Herd | MSNBC Summit Series

Revisiting a clip from the LP Summit co-hosted by Beyond the Billion and Arctic15 in Helsinki in 2023, we have curated this brief but insightful episode for GPs, LPs, or even founders.

This week’s guests are two European LP veterans - Marko Hara, formerly the director of Elo, one of Finland's largest employee pensions, and Tomi Viia, currently the head of investments at OP Financial Group, managing assets totaling €14.2 billion.

Our conversation delved into the trends and opportunities in private equity and highlighted the winning strategies for LPs during uncertain times. Let’s get started!

Timestamps/Key Takeaways

0:00 - Intro

03:57 - Takes on current market conditions; advice for LPs during venture slumps

07:48 - The shifts in portfolio diversity; the weighing in private equity

12:28 - Opportunities in US market for European LPs

15:14 - Advice for LPs and portfolio construction during uncertain times

17:25 - The winning factors in investment opportunities

20:22 - Huge platform shift with the explosion of AI; emerging managers are not off the table

23:02 - Q&A: Where are the best soft skills and hard skills that you are looking for in GPs in this environment?

24:53 - Key takeaway for LPs and GPs

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

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"Goodwill should mean a whole lot more than accounting concept, is earned and cannot be bought; but if done correctly, can be worth a whole lot."

As we step into Q2, there's no better time to pause, reflect, and realign our goals for the year ahead.

This week, we revisit an episode that continues to inspire, which talks about creating real value with kindness and math, as advocated by James Rhee and his new book red helicopter.

In this conversation, we talked about money, reality, true alpha and transformation -- leveraging kindness. This as he saw in his tenure as the unlikely “least qualified CEO” of Ashley Stewart, where he reinvented the company from the brink of bankruptcy.

Ahead of your full read, here are some key takeaways from our conversation last year. Enjoy!

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 - Intro

02:30 - Takeaway #1: You don't make money with just zeros and ones.

06:07 - Takeaway #2: Kindness is one of the things you never have to hedge. It's never wrong to be kind.

10:14 - Takeaway #3: Don’t underestimate the power of appreciating the quiet leaders.

12:00 Takeaway #4: “I'm more proud of the way we did it than what the result was.”

13:44 - Takeaway #5: The scarcity mindset and why the richest aren’t always the happiest

17:23 - Closing remarks: the red helicopter

Full Episode:

Leading with Kindness | James Rhee

🎙️Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/bdm-jamesrhee 

🎞️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YYr6ZRQPdI

red helicopter - James Rhee

Imagine, a clear path forward told as a deeply felt human story. A poignant and uplifting celebration of humanity, red helicopter—a parable for our times is a tale of struggle and triumph, compelling for its honesty and relatability as much as for the instructions we can all use to balance the books of our lives.

Grab your copy here!

Learn more about James Rhee and red helicopter: 

https://www.redhelicopter.com/

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

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Muslims are projected to constitute more than 25% of the world's total population this year. To many in the industry, this isn't just a statistic; it represents a vast array of opportunities for the markets.

This week, we had the pleasure of speaking with Fara Abdullah, CEO of Bitsmedia, the brains behind the immensely popular Muslim lifestyle app, Muslim Pro. 

With a fresh injection of $20 million from its recent Series A funding round, featuring participation from Gobi Partners, alongside continued backing from existing investors CMI Capital Partners and Bintang Capital Partners, Bitsmedia is poised to enhance the faith experience through cutting-edge technologies. 

Our discussion today delves into various aspects, including the business landscape, the potential in faith-driven markets, and the interception of faith, finance, and technology. 

TIMESTAMPS / KEY TAKEAWAYS

0:00 - Intro

02:52 - Market opportunities in the Muslim community; Bitsmedia’s business model

07:39 - Challenging the misconceptions and templatization of Muslims

10:49 - Thesis behind the 160 million annual downloads of Muslim Pro: faith in challenging times and the modern Muslim lifestyle

15:13 - Bitsmedia’s ideal consumer profile and the growth of user base

20:30 - Business models and the biggest revenue drive for Bitsmedia

24:11 - Decision making and resource distribution as the CEO

26:52 - The role of technology in shaping faith and vice versa

30:31 - The idea of moderation and ethical interpretations with use of technologies

32:41 - Bitsmedia’s role in the interception of faith, finance and technology

34:35 - Observed trends of religious behaviors and attitudes; the socialization of faith

37:01 - Fundraising and choosing the right partners

39:46 - Billion dollar questions

ABOUT BITSMEDIA

Bitsmedia is a Singapore-based, technology company known globally as the developer and publisher of the Muslim Pro app – a highly-rated and comprehensive Muslim lifestyle app with more than 150 million downloads globally to date.

The company is also the publisher of Qalbox, a global subscription video on demand (SVoD) entertainment streaming service aimed at the global Muslim community.

About Muslim Pro

Muslim Pro's journey started with its inception as a utility app dedicated to fulfilling the daily spiritual and practical needs of Muslims worldwide. Under Fara's guidance, Muslim Pro has undergone a significant transformation, evolving from its original utility focus to become a pioneering platform catering to the diverse facets of the Muslim community.

Fara's strategic foresight has been vital to transitioning Muslim Pro into a holistic ecosystem for Muslims. Beyond spiritual and religious guidance, the platform now encompasses educational resources, AI-driven tools, and robust partnerships with key enablers, brands, and organizations within the Muslim sector.

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

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“We believe an inclusive and optimal asset management industry will be the cornerstone of an equal and equitable future.” - Illumen Capital

While organizations explore ways to embody diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), authenticity and clear, measurable outcomes are essential for effectiveness. 

This week, we're joined by Joanna Kuang, Senior Vice President of Product Development and Impact at Illumen Capital. We delve into the significance of impact investing and strategies to ensure tangible efforts are made to drive meaningful change in venture, in our society.

TIMESTAMPS / KEY TAKEAWAYS

0:00 - Intro

02:18 - Joanna’s backstory as the daughter of immigrants; living experience in Mississippi Delta that drove her to join Illumen Capital

04:02 - Genesis of Illumen Capital as a fund of funds

05:42 - Study alongside Stanford SPARQ: Race influences professional investors’ financial judgments (2019)

09:16 - Diversity efforts in venture today; DEI policies

13:10 - Quantitative data to drive accountability; best practices to remove biases in pitching and diligence processes

18:06 - Illumen Capital’s stand under the backdrop of many anti-DEI laws

21:19 - Diversity drives performance: investment strategies and performance measurements

24:41 - Established and emerging managers as the next key strategy for Illumen Capital

28:18 - Portfolio construction as a fund of funds and ticket sizes

30:42 - The winning factors versus common mistakes in diverse fund managers; impact washing

32:47 - Looking ahead 2024 private market; advice for fund managers

35:38 - Billion Dollar Questions

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About Illumen Capital

Illumen Capital is an impact fund of funds addressing systemic inequity by reducing racial and gender bias in investing.

Working closely with the world’s leading social psychologists at Stanford SPARQ, they combine investment capital with evidence-based tools and training designed to reduce implicit racial and gender bias in order to unlock latent return and multiply impact.

More about Illumen Capital: https://www.illumencapital.com

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

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Berkshire Hathaway and the famed investor Warren Buffett himself are often the topic of discussion when it comes to achieving success in the world of venture. 

Nevertheless, despite the almost unassuming marketing strategies compared to today’s eye-catching everything, Berkshire Hathaway illustrated incomparable strategic marketing that yielded loyalty and reputation.

This inspired today's Billion Dollar Bite, where we delve into the topic of strategic marketing and how us in the venture world can learn a thing or two.

Ross Simmonds is the founder of today's leading content marketing firm, Foundation. Ross leads the team at Foundation, specializing in helping B2B and SaaS brands build content marketing engines that generate millions of visits a year, resulting in millions worth of new business.

We covered a range of topics from A.I. and marketing reskilling your workforce to breaking down some amazing case studies from billion-dollar businesses like MasterClass and Berkshire Hathaway.

TIMESTAMPS / KEY TAKEAWAYS

0:00 - Intro

2:47 - AI for marketer; takes on AI replacing marketer’s job

6:24 - Biggest lessons from MasterClass: building around Google search intent

10:33 - MasterClass’ marketing strategy

12:18 - Glassdoor’s content creation and SEO strategies

13:33 - Leveraging AI, the best approach to expand globally as B2B business

16:36 - Mr.Beast; Berkshire Hathaway; should all businesses be creators?

19:11 - Leaders as the voices on platform like LinkedIn

21:32 - Content creation in leadership position is a waste of time?

23:30 - How do we engage with public reaction on social media?

24:42 - Takes on nonpolitical versus political leader; common mistakes made by companies on social initiatives

28:00 - Billion dollar questions

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About Ross Simmonds

A marketer, keynote speaker, SaaS & B2B tech investor, writer and the CEO of Foundation. Ross is multitalented and devoted his work to help, inspire and teach the underdogs of the world how to use research, creation, distribution and optimization to unlock new levels of growth and opportunities.

Ross’ content marketing agency, Foundation, offers content marketing services to a diverse clientele spanning the globe. We’ve worked some of the most successful SaaS companies in the world and work as partners for multiple publicly traded cloud companies who have redefined entire industries. 

More about Ross and Foundation: https://rosssimmonds.com/

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

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In venture capital, pattern recognition is a valuable skill. 

Investors often analyze various pieces of a puzzle, employing pattern recognition to assess whether a company might be on the path to success.

This week’s Billion Dollar Bite features Leah Barto, Senior Director of Research at Endeavor Global, who leads a team to redefine pattern recognition through the lens of data journalism.

Endeavor has dedicated its mission to uncover unicorns worldwide, employing a data-driven approach and producing a comprehensive study titled “Where Do Unicorns Come From?”

We’ve discussed the intriguing findings of this robust research, unveiling the factors that drive entrepreneurial ecosystems to thrive, and challenging stereotypes about what success should look like. 

You won't want to miss this!

Timestamps/ Key Takeaways

0:00 - Intro

2:15 - Endeavor’s mission, data journalism, “Where Do Unicorns Come From?” & the multiplier effect in startup ecosystems

5:37 - Takeaway #1: Educational backgrounds & debunking the myth of the elite educational pedigree.

6:29 - Takeaway #2: Entrepreneurial experience & age 

7:58 - Takeaway #3: Global citizens - mostly with a migration background & advice for funders

9:35 - Takeaway #4: Pattern recognition - backgrounds and innovation made by unicorn founders from US versus emerging markets

11:30 - Takeaway #5: Solution to underrepresentation of female founders

14:33 - Takeaway #6: Hande Cilingir’s success story

16:32 - Takeaway #7: Scaling & paying it forward 

About Endeavor Insight

Endeavor Insight is the research division of Endeavor that provides data-driven analysis and visualizations showing what makes entrepreneurial ecosystems thrive. Our research team of economists, data scientists, and policy analysts specialize in understanding the needs of high-impact entrepreneurs and evaluating the networks that enable them to scale and pay it forward.

Where Do Unicorns Come From?

Link: https://endeavor.org/unicornpathways

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

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This week's guest is Samir Kaji, a prolific writer and host of Venture Unlocked, a podcast and blog that dives into the inner workings of venture capital, and the CEO and co-founder of Allocate. With over 20 years of experience in VC and private equity ecosystem, Samir's work has guided many investors, entrepreneurs, and fund managers on how to navigate and succeed in the private markets.

Our conversation covers everything from the scale of private wealth funding, venture capital to the explosion of emerging managers and why the track record trap is one we need to be mindful of. Whether you are a GP, LP, or founder tuning in, this episode is full of gems.

TIMESTAMP / KEY TAKEAWAYS

0:00 - Intro

2:54 - Who is Samir Kaji?

04:41 - How are banks different moving forward in 2024; interest rate and the end of ZIRP era

09:49 - Allocate: to provide opportunities to private markets & to invest with more visibility and transparency

13:34 - Business model of Allocate; bridging venture gap or beyond?

17:00 - Trends in venture from 2022 onwards

21:23 - How should LPs be thinking about misinformation of performance; portfolio construction as LPs

27:45 - Generating alphas and diversifying networks

32:49 - The track record trap; Pejman, Pear VC 

36:54 - Fundraising, building enduring franchise and common mistakes of emerging managers; Kirsten Green, Forerunners

40:55 - Diversity in the realm of venture

42:30 - Predictions for 2024

44:46 - Billion dollar questions

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About Allocate

Alternative investments have become a growing staple in investor portfolios as investors continue to seek better portfolio diversification and higher returns. However investing in and alongside the most promising venture funds is primarily limited to institutional investors and industry insiders. We are here to change that. 

Allocate is a digital investment platform that provides all types of investors with a programmatic and efficient way to discover and invest in high quality emerging and established venture capital funds, while providing fund managers with a streamlined way to access the fragmented private wealth market.  

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

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This week we had not one but two esteemed guests - a funder and his founder of choice to talk through everything from building trust and partnership to getting to that IPO.

Featuring Somak Chattopadhyay, founder of Armory Square Ventures, and Vikas Mehta, COO of ACV Auctions. Their paths beautifully overlapped after their MIT days when Somak recognized ACV's potential in B2B automobile marketplaces and recruited Vikas to lead the operation.

The rest is history, but in today’s episode, we delve deep into how Somak identifies potential in companies like ACV and, alongside Vikas, continues to drive value and scale to today, one of the most exciting marketplaces that investors are closely watching on the NASDAQ.

TIMESTAMPS / KEY TAKEAWAYS

0:00 Intro

3:00 Where the paths crossed: Somak’s journey with Armory Square Ventures; and Vikas’s prior to ACV Auctions

7:55 Takeaway 1: How did Somak identified and surfaced ACV as a tech unicorn

11:34 Vikas saying yes to Somak’s pitch on ACV Auctions

15:31 Takeaway 2: Breaking down business model of ACV Auctions from digitalising to scaling; “it was basically to get a level of trust and transparency on the asset that was previously unimaginable,”

21:07 Takeaway 3: Bringing in mentor who guides and fits well with the team and hiring the best talent

25:10 Takeaway 4: Adding value versus overstepping your bounds as a VC

28:11 Takeaway 5: Navigating through pandemic and building infrastructure under hyper growth

30:57 Takeaway 6: “What else could we do to leapfrog everyone else“; building and maturing a system that fills the industry gap

36:24 Takeaway 7: Vikas’ reflection: be more risk taking and hiring key unlockers of acceleration at early stage

37:53 Takeaway 8: Somak’s reflection: every time frame is different and about false positives on people

39:49 Looking forward #1: the automotive industry in 2024

40:46 Looking forward #2: 2024 as the best vintage year?

42:41 Takeaway 9: Vikas to founders: "How the world is predicted to be is rarely how it ends up being"

43:49 Takeaway 10: Somak: "Don't rely on zoom and teams or whichever tool you have as a crush for everything" 

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

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“If you can show strong growth in this environment, that means you’re getting corporate budgets at a time when corporate budgets are tightening.”

As we continue to emerge from the belt-tightening era in investment and venture, now is an opportune moment to revisit an episode featuring Momei Qu, Managing Director of PSP Growth.

Momei carved her own path in leadership, having worked with one of the trailblazers, the esteemed Penny Pritzker, former United States Secretary of Commerce and American billionaire businesswoman known for family investments in Hyatt Hotels and Marmon Group.

Today, Momei, who leads PSP's venture capital and growth equity initiative, shares her leadership lessons, from collaborating with a trailblazer to building a robust venture and growth practice and focusing on the future of B2B SaaS despite the valuation slashes we've witnessed.

TIMESTAMPS / KEYTAKEAWAYS

0:00 Intro

0:55 Recognizing the gap in commercializing technology

2:40 Joining Merrill Lynch and stepping into venture

06:01 Skillset as both engineer and venture investor; upbringing and exposure to deals

8:10 Working with Penny Pritzker's private investment group; “If you don't ask for something, you might not get it.”

12:28 PSP’s collaborative strategies: ventures, multi-family and industrial properties, private equity, etc; “I've been pleasantly surprised, the unexpected piece of how collaborative everyone has been, and how much better it has been to unlock the power of the whole platform.”

17:07 Takes on allocation and balancing investments for family offices

19:11 Investing in adversed time and building a robust venture practice; on me too companies

21:28 Solutions that go hand in hand with the market and the focus on B2B SaaS 

24:44 Notable patterns in SaaS

27:42 Takes on B2B SaaS application and AI technologies: security and responsibilities

30:50 Takes on founder’s limits and ethics in AI tech innovation

32:45 Diligence as an investor

34:24 Billion Dollar Questions

𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 is THE show for the audacious next-gen leaders. 

Unfiltered. Personal. Inspirational. 

Tune in to learn from world's foremost funders and founders, and their unicorn journey in the dynamic world of venture and business.

From underestimated to iconic, YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

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Investing in women is the smartest thing you could do right now. 

Erin Harkless Moore, Senior Director of Investments at Pivotal Ventures, a company founded by Melinda French Gates to promote social equity in the realm of investment, eloquently expressed this notion with her work.

Whereas in numerous regions across the globe today, it's surprising to consider that such a statement could be contentious. However, we must stand firm: progress is never linear.

This week, we're revisiting Erin's episode from last year, delving into discussions ranging from the mission of Pivotal Ventures and her investment strategy to understanding why Melinda French Gates continues to invest $1 billion in women.

TIMESTAMPS / KEY TAKEAWAYS

0:00 Intro

02:50 Takeaway 1: on Pivotal Ventures and driving societal change

06:43 Takeaway 2: Investment in diversity initiatives under attack - what are the solutions?

11:32 Takeaway 3: Melinda French Gate’s $1B commitment, investment strategies & getting to a 'yes' as an LP

Full Episode with Erin:

🎙️Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/bdm-pivotal

🎞️ YouTube: https://youtu.be/rlnpoq9bgH8

About Pivotal Ventures

Pivotal ventures engage in strategic investments in funds and early-stage companies, aiming to accelerate social progress by putting more capital in the hands of women and people of color, unlocking new market-based solutions to social problems, and demonstrating that historically under-resourced founders and investors deliver market returns.

Learn more about Pivotal Ventures:

Pivotal Ventures | A Melinda French Gates Company

Investing | Pivotal Ventures

Breaking With Tradition

Melinda Gates: Here's Why I'm Committing $1 Billion to Promote Gender Equality

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PODCAST INFO:

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This week's episode features Allen Taylor, managing partner at Endeavor Catalyst, one of the earliest supporters at the Billion Dollar Fund for Women (now Beyong The Billion). Allen also sits on the global leadership team at Endeavor, a mission driven organization focused on supporting high growth companies in emerging and underserved markets.

We discuss everything from how Reid Hoffman inspired the design of a rules-based fund that in its beta already made LPs eight times their money on an 8.5x DPI to his personal journey with Endeavor to have grown to support over 2,000 high impact entrepreneurs all over the world.

Timestamps/Key Takeaways

0:00 Intro

02:47 The beginning of Allen’s journey with Endeavor

04:49 Takeaway 1: Endeavor’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit business model - top down and bottom up approaches

10:29 Takeaway 2: What it means to build a firm and a franchise

13:32 Takeaway 3: Backing talented founder in emerging markets

19:57 Takeaway 4: Endeavor's rule-based fund & selection criteria

22:48 Takeaway 5: Takes on “copycat models” 

26:40 Takeaway 6: The secret formula to making a mark in underserved markets

30:54 Takeaway 7: Emerging markets landscape for 2024 

33:16 Billion Dollar Questions

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

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"It's probably not a good idea to overlook female CEOs or Black CEOs. Because they're driving an enormous amount of value in business. And you overlook it at your own expense." - Iman Abuzeid, Co-founder & CEO of Incredible Health

This week's Billion Dollar Bite is from an event held in Austin, hosted by Beyond the Billion and Brown Advisory, among a crowd of family offices and other investors. Featuring Iman Abuzeid, who upon raising her 80 million Series B funding round, valued her healthcare career marketplace startup at $1.65 billion.

Iman exists in rarified air: she is one of only a handful of Black female founders to run a company valued at more than $1 billion. And yet! Rejection, inequality, and leadership pitfalls remain a reoccurring theme in her journey.

Tune in as we covered a few topics from fundraising, shifting mindsets to focusing on the fundamentals in a challenging environment.

Timestamps/Key Takeaways

0:00 Intro

2:08 Takeaway 1: Rejection is the norm

2:49 Takeaway 2: Fundraising tips: be very selective about who you pursue 

3:28 Takeaway 3: Fundraising tips: Focus on your vision and mission despite the stats

4:19 Takeaway 4: Financing strategies are personal decisions

5:02 Takeaway 5: Focusing on the fundamentals: market and strategy

7:23 Takeaway 6: A common mistake among leaders: the people

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

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From a market that was almost nonexistent in 2015, hitting double digits with a ~25% CAGR by 2018, Femtech and women's health industry have been long underestimated until the rise of Thinx and similar brands revolutionized the industry.

Today’s guest is Shama Amalean Skinner, an entrepreneur, a trailblazer in the world of feminine care, and a business leader who has broken barriers and challenged societal norms with her previous position as COO at Thinx Inc. Shama played a pivotal role in transforming Thinx into a household name, ultimately paving the way for the mass adoption of reusable products in an industry dominated by single-use disposables.

For the first time, Shama reveals how she would have done things differently from an operator's standpoint and expresses real frustration about how the Femtech market is still grossly underfunded, despite its massive potential. Whether you're looking to finally crack mass retail this year for your product or working through some challenging personal questions and navigating startup life, this is another episode I think you'll love.

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TIMESTAMPS & Key Takeaways

0:00 Intro

03:15 Takeaway 1: Three potential opportunities Shama saw in Thinx

04:48 Takeaway 2: Changing consumer behaviour and skepticism regarding period underwear #1: Create a movement destigmatizing periods 

06:26 #2: Increase brand awareness with controversial subway ads

08:32 #3: Converting followship into purchases and revenue with product education and word of mouth effect

10:17 Takeaway 3: Changing mind and creating loyalty globally with advocacy work 

13:01 Takeaway 4: Business model and revenue numbers for feminine care market

14:05 Takeaway 5: Framework for a successful brand: branding, product, and team

15:32 Takeaway 6: Shama’s take on what should COOs have in mind as priorities

17:13 Takeaway 7: Strategies against supply chain issues

19:44 Takeaway 8: Create redundancy in supply chain

20:27 Takeaway 9: What makes a good COO?

21:40 Takeaway 10: Business opportunities in Femtech and women health

24:33 Takeaway 11: What needs to change for women to progress in the capital spectrum in getting that innovation funding?

25:47 Takeaway 12: Founder’s lens: rejections at funding stage

28:39 Takeaway 13: Key to decision-making as Thinx going into retail

30:22 Takeaway 14: When is right time for founders or top performers to move on?

31:46 Takeaway 15: 3 questions you ask yourself to decide if you were to step away 

32:30 Billion Dollar Questions

-

About Shama Amalean Skinner

Shama Amalean Skinner is an entrepreneur and executive working at the intersection of sustainability and consumer markets. She is the former chief operating officer of Thinx Inc, the revolutionary period and incontinence underwear company. At Thinx, she played a key role in launching, growing, and ultimately selling the company to a publicly listed corporation — effectively catalyzing the mass adoption of a reusable product in a category dominated by single-use disposables. Shama is an engaged consultant, board member, and advisor to innovative start-ups, venture funds, and nonprofit organizations. She is deeply committed to advocating for gender equity and helping solve the climate crisis.

Shama | LinkedIn

-

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

The global economic uncertainty and a shift in focus towards sustainable growth are widely expected to impact the fundraising prospects for new vehicles, especially those focused on emerging markets or launched by first-time managers. 

As Asia continues to present key growth opportunities, how are dynamics between LPs and GPs evolving? In the current environment, how should emerging managers approach LPs? Will the going be tougher for first-time fund managers raising debut vehicles? Will operating across different cycles prove to be an advantage?

Key Takeaways/Timestamps

0:00 Intro

3:12 Opening: Tsubasa Suruga (Moderator)

3:46 Takeaway 1: Tendency to just go re-ups & familiarity as part of assessment for investment

6:21 Takeaway 2: Bifurcation between first-time funds 

7:40 Takeaway 3: Attributes of successful first-time fundraisers

12:36 Takeaway 4: LP’s view on first- or second-time fund managers

15:05 Takeaway 5: Diversifying strategies and portfolio: 2 types of LPs

17:54 Takeaway 6: Takes on new investors venturing into Asia market

20:04 Takeaway 7: How can GPs differentiate themselves in this current environment #1: Finding your niche

24:15 Takeaway 8: How can GPs differentiate themselves in this current environment #2: Seek diversity in team

26:03 Takeaway 9: Blending private sector capital with DFI capital in emerging market to create sustainable investments

30:32 Takeaway 10: Takes on impact and sustainable investing

32:11 Takeaway 11: How can GPs differentiate themselves in this current environment #3: Relationship building and identifying strengths

33:50 Takeaway 12: Sarah's Takes on US market

-

This is a snippet from a panel took place at PEVC Summit 2022, titled Backing Emerging Market and First Time Managers in Adverse Time. An insightful discussion was carried out on the VC market trends in Asia, challenges and what it takes for first time managers in this ever changing environment.

Speakers:

Soo Yar-Ping, Partner, Primary Investments, Adams Street Partners

Huai Fong Chew, Regional Lead, East Asia & the Pacific PE Funds, IFC

Dave Richards, Managing Partner, Capria Ventures

Sarah Chen-Spellings, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Beyond The Billion (launched as The Billion Dollar Fund for Women)

Tsubasa Suruga, Staff Writer, Nikkei Asia (Moderator)

FULL VIDEO:

The LP View - Backing Emerging Managers in Adverse Times | PEVC Summit 2022

-

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

As we step into the new year of 2024, we bring you a conversation that challenges the very essence of legacy. 

In this short and impromptu episode, Juan Pablo Escobar (now known as Sebastián Marroquín), the son of the notorious drug cartel leader Pablo Escobar, shares insights that will challenge preconceptions and spark hope.

Join us as we explore how one man's choice to embrace a path of peace is reshaping the legacy that has defined his life. 

Key Takeaways:

1/ Always seek your own identity; nothing grows under a big shadow.

2/ Closing the cycle of violence by choosing peace and embracing forgiveness.

3/ Define your legacy by choosing your path.

Special thanks to Datuk Nicol David, Izzana Salleh and Mariana de Reyes for recording this in an impromptu moment over dinner in Tatler Gen.T Summit 2023, Hong Kong.

-

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

While many professionals have in the past belittled the creator economy, according to Goldman Sachs, the creator economy was worth about 250 billion in 2023 and is set to nearly double by 2027. 

And that is just one of the myriad reasons why you should tune in to our conversation today with Scott Clary, who is living this very trend. An entrepreneur, investor, author and podcaster today with a combined following of about 2 million!

Join us as we dove deep into Scott's journey and the importance of personal brand monetizing influence and the nuances of the creator economy. 

Key Takeways

1/ Focusing on things that really fit the “right now”.

2/ Be proud of your own work; and stay long enough to see it through.

3/ Building companies is more than building jobs - think about transfer of power, hiring the right person, and think beyond the face value.

4/ Always validate product market fit.

5/ Trust yourself more.

About Scott

Scott D. Clary is a Canadian entrepreneur, business executive, author, educator, speaker & podcaster. He is the host of the 'Success Story' Podcast where he interviews inspirational people, mentors and leaders, and the founder of a weekly business newsletter with over 100,000 subscribers.

He's sold and marketed to the most iconic F500 / F100 brands throughout his career. His work has been featured in over 100+ news sites and publications. He speaks globally at industry conferences and has had articles and insights featured in Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Hackernoon, The Startup and others.

-

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

In light of the nostalgic festive period, this week, we are diving back into one of our favorite episodes this year with the one and only Vivy Yusof.

Social media platforms and creator-focused startups haven’t looked too hot coming into 2023, with companies like Meta, Snapchat waging layoffs along with the rest of the tech industry. BUT the creator and influencer economy are more than just buzzwords losing interest among venture capitalists. Despite challenges on a platform level, blogger-turned-entrepreneur Vivy Yusof is a case study of just how retained attention is a currency that will continue to be important in 2023 and beyond.

FashionValet.com, an online marketplace that once stocked over 400 brands across Southeast Asia, became a major regional player in the fashion industry but, by 2022, she had wound the venture down, shifting her focus to her own in-house modest fashion brands, dUCK and Lilit. The silver lining? By 2022, Yusof had built a network of 14 physical stores across Malaysia and Singapore and sold more than 3 million scarves from just one of her brands. Today, we unpack Vivy’s journey, the cost of building a brand around herself, her regret on not acting on her gut and her BILLION DOLLAR AMBITIONS for her next decade in the modest fashion industry.

Key Takeaways

1. 
   
2. Grow your career by embracing your passion and the support of your loved ones.
3. 
   
4. Engagement and loyalty come from authentic, organic growth with your audience.
5. 
   
6. Fame comes with consequences; it’s a personal choice you made, so pick your battles.
7. 
   
8. Ride the waves when they hit; obsession is really needed to make something successful.
9. 
   
10. Pivot when it doesn’t make business sense.
11. 
    
12. When you find a co-founder, try to find someone who's the opposite of you.
13. 
    
14. Know your niche; never try to be like your competitor.
15. 
    

-

Originally aired: January 27, 2023

Watch this on Youtube: https://bit.ly/3mPihUI

-

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Build like a CEO: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/ceoseries

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

Dr. Raj Shah's journey comprises numerous transformative endeavors, spanning his roles at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, to his current position as President of the Rockefeller Foundation. 

In his recent publication, "Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens," he illuminates the power of the big bet mindset—a belief that addressing problems boldly, rather than settling for incremental improvements, attracts partners capable of achieving transformational change. 

In this week's episode, we had the honor of exploring the significant big bets he made throughout his career. The shared big bet mindset aims to inspire leaders at every level to reimagine possibilities on a grand scale. You won't want to miss this.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. 
   
2. 3 key elements of big bets: innovative solutions, unlikely partnerships and alliances, and a real focus on data results, measurement, and tracking.
3. 
   
4. It is realistic to be optimistic about grand-scale changes.
5. 
   
6. We know we can be successful, but it takes a big bet mindset to embark on these efforts.
7. 
   
8. Keep taking the risks you took in your twenties and thirties as you get a little older; so that you can give yourself a chance to earn those rewards.
9. 
   
10. Crossing boundaries and taking risks to reach your goals, to make things work.
11. 
    

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Build like a CEO: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/ceoseries

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

Rejection has been a recurring theme on this show, serving as a powerful catalyst for success.

This week's Billion Dollar Bite features Kendra Scott's appearance in Austin, hosted by Beyond The Billion and Brown Advisory. From her initial setbacks in business to the journey of building a billion-dollar jewelry empire and the challenging decisions made along the way, we invite you to catch a glimpse of Kendra's success and the hardships she faced in this brief episode.

Key Takeaways

1/ Failure serves as a real-life business school: when you fail, you learn, and then you rise.

2/ Prioritize hiring based on core values rather than titles.

3/ Concentrate on building the best business; opportunities and resources will naturally follow.

4/ Pivoting and taking risks are essential for achieving breakthroughs.

5/ Select your investors as carefully as you would choose a spouse.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Build like a CEO: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/ceoseries

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

At Billion Dollar Moves, our ultimate goal has always been showcasing the often untold stories of what it really takes to achieve that coveted ‘unicorn status’ beyond what’s often humble-bragged about; to challenge today’s status quo of what ‘patterns of success’ looks like, that often does not look like you or me.

Join us in our latest recap episode as we dive deep into the meaningful conversations that reshape the traditional definition of success. Let's embark on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment as we relive these beautiful inspiring snippets from this season. 

TIMESTAMPS

Nirvana Chaudhary

Inside a Billionaire's Mind: Nirvana Chaudhary, CG Group—Making Your Mark 8:51-9:51

Rachel Lim

Coming into her own: Rachel Lim, Co-Founder, Love Bonito 41:47-42:25

Eric Toda

Meta's Eric Toda on Building World-Class Brands & Rising with Authenticity 30:55-31:59

Gola

Turning Fear into Power: with Gola, Exiled Iranian Singer 21:14-21:39

Nathaniel Harding

Investing in the Midcontinent with Nathaniel Harding, Cortado Ventures 44:56-47:29

Jeff Maggioncalda

Pivot or Persevere? | Coursera CEO Jeff Maggioncalda 34:50-35:44

Lisa Edgar 

Investing in Venture Capital Funds | Lisa Edgar, Top Tier Capital 09:38-10:14

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Build like a CEO: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/ceoseries

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

In keeping with the theme of my material from Helsinki, Finland just as one of the biggest events in Finland happens: Slush, today’s episode is with my friend, Taneli Tikka, truly one of the OGs of the Finnish startup ecosystem, who also actually started the Foundation that owns Slush!

Taneli founded his first startup Taika Technologies at the tender age of 21. Before going bankrupt, Taika akin to Silicon Valley startup General Magic, had patented technology that helped companies like Nokia and Linux in their core development.

A serial entrepreneur and investor, Taneli has had more than 10 exits with several highlights in his career from schooling Mark Zuckerberg about social media when he was CEO of IRC-Galleria, then Finland’s largest youth social media platform; to serving as CEO of a State Development Company, which today is known as the Finnish Climate Fund with something like~3.5B Euros in assets. From being raised by a single mom, to building and bankrupting a company and rising from the ashes to become Finland’s favorite and trusted veteran entrepreneur, let’s just say Part One of my conversation with Taneli Tikka is nothing short of inspirational. 

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FOLLOW TANELI:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tanelitikka/

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taneli_Tikka

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Build like a CEO: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/ceoseries

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

What is our 'true dharma' and how can we build without burnout?

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Once seen as the face of failure on the New York Times, Suneel Gupta understands the road to success is not always smooth and requires more than unrelenting grit. Things of course turned around for him, where as CEO of RISE Suneel helped thousands of people in their physical and mental health journey. The company was named “App of the Year” and partnered with then first lady Michelle Obama before being acquired by the NASDAQ-listed company One Medical Group. In 2022, with its acquisition of One Medical Group, RISE is now part of Amazon.

Now, a bestselling author, renowned speaker, Harvard Medical School visiting scholar, Suneel helps others achieve sustainable peak performance by embracing simple habits to bolster emotional resilience and engagement. Core to that is what he captures in his book “Everday Dharma”; today we unpack the wisdom of the pages on mindfulness, play in work, and how we can rise to our essence as leaders. 

--

Links:

Everyday Dharma by Suneel Gupta

FOLLOW SUNEEL:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneelkgupta/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suneelgupta/ 

Website: https://www.suneelgupta.com/

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Build like a CEO: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/ceoseries

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

Lisa Edgar has been a trailblazer in the venture industry, a veteran with over two decades in the business backing many of the brand name venture firms we know today from Accel to Benchmark. 

We chat about:

• 
  
• Her journey in building Top Tier Capital Partners — a leading fund of funds and direct investing platform
• 
  
• What it takes to build an enduring firm
• 
  
• Current venture markets, challenges and opportunities
• 
  

This episode is brought to you by Helsinki Partners. Whether you’re looking to set-up or expand your company, find quality deal flow and investment opportunities, the best location for your event or congress, visit or find your new career in Finland’s capital, Helsinki, they’re your go-to!

LINKS

PS: Helsinki Partners is unveiling an exclusive 2-week program at Slush for international VC fund managers and LPs eager to dive into the dynamic Nordics and embrace the Finnish venture ecosystem!

📣 Be the FIRST to know when applications open: 

https://tinyurl.com/bdm-helsinki

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Build like a CEO: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/ceoseries

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

Named one of Forbes’ Most Powerful Women, Melinda French Gates needs no introduction. Over the last twenty years through her work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one thing has become clear to her: If you want to lift a society up, you must invest in women. In comes our next guest, Erin Harkless Moore, Senior Director of Investment for Pivotal Ventures, a Melinda French Gates company created to do exactly that. To accelerate social progress in the U.S by investing in women’s power and influence. As a member of Pivotal’s Executive Leadership Team, Erin leads the organization’s fund, and direct investment decisions, overseeing a diverse portfolio of investments that drive breakthrough innovations and drive impact for people in the US. With nearly 20 years of investment experience, building customized portfolios for endowed institutions and family offices, serving most recently as Managing Director at Cambridge Associates, we talk about everything from challenging the status quo to her investment strategy. You don’t want to miss this!

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Intro

02:04 - Erin's career, passion, profit, purpose

05:53 - The premium of 'track record'

07:58 - Investment in diversity initiatives under attack

10:53 - Where does the resistance come from?

12:30 - The role of consultants

16:01 - Melinda French Gates' point of impact

18:20 - Investing in women is not charity

24:24 - Getting to a 'yes' as an LP

30:22 - Cracking the patterns of history

Links:

Pivotal Ventures | A Melinda French Gates Company: https://www.pivotalventures.org/

Investing | Pivotal Ventures: https://www.pivotalventures.org/investing

Breaking With Tradition: https://www.pivotalventures.org/articles/breaking-with-tradition-pitchbook-venture-capital

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Build like a CEO: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/ceoseries

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

True to the saying 'nice guys finish last'; so many of us have accepted that as in the case of Steve Jobs, 'abrasiveness' was part of his genius.

But what if there was another way?

What if leaders could be kind; and that there is a tangible value to kindness in business?

Now all of us probably know the term “goodwill” from an accounting context: 

In this capitalistic world in many ways; this value is decided by the buyer.

Now our next guest argues that in reality, goodwill which should mean a whole lot more than an accounting concept, 

is earned and cannot be bought; and that if done correctly — can be worth a whole lot.

This as he saw in his tenure as the unlikely “least qualified CEO” of Ashley Stewart, a popular plus-sized clothing brand serving and employing predominantly Black women: where he reinvented the co from the brink of bankruptcy: with what he argues was a recipe of “kindness” that shocked the world.

PROFILE: James Rhee: https://www.redhelicopter.com/

James Rhee is an acclaimed impact investor, founder, CEO, goodwill strategist, and educator who empowers people, brands, and organizations by marrying capital with purpose. He is an award-winning thought leader on topics such as multidimensional transformation, the intersection of capital, race, and gender, the future of capitalism, and values-based investing and leadership. The story of the remarkable transformation and re-imagination of Ashley Stewart, one of the country’s largest clothing brands serving plus-sized Black women, under James’s enlightened leadership as chairman, CEO and investor (2013-2020), has served as proof to millions of people, as well as the world’s leading businesses and organizations, that one can do better by being better.

James bridges seemingly unconnected people, communities, and industries under an inclusive and innovative umbrella. James serves as a member of the Advisory Council of JPMorgan Chase’s Advancing Black Pathways, a Founding Member of Ashoka E-to-E, and the Advisory Board of CEO Action for Racial Equity. He is a Strategic Advisor to start-ups creating the world in which we want our children to live, and formerly served as Chair of the Innovation Committee of the National Retail Federation, and a board member of Conscious Capitalism and the American Repertory Theater. He is a client of both UTA and LGR Literary.

As an investor, James helped manage billions of dollars of growth and distressed capital at two leading Boston-based institutions before ultimately founding his own impact platform called FirePine Group, where he has stewarded the capital of some of the world’s most sophisticated investors. He has been the lead investor and a board director across multiple successful platform investments. Before his career in business and finance, James Rhee was a high school teacher and an editor of the Harvard Law Review.

He is writing a book and devotes time to Howard University as the Johnson Chair and Professor of Entrepreneurship. He also serves on the faculty at MIT Sloan School of Management as a Senior Lecturer and EIR @ MIT Leadership Center.

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Build like a CEO: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/ceoseries

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

1. 
   
2. What are some key factors that contribute to a successful exit for a company? How can investors and founders align valuations with realistic outcomes?
3. 
   
4. How have market conditions affected the fundraising landscape for companies? What opportunities exist for quality companies with strong fundamentals?
5. 
   
6. What is the service mindset founders need to be really zooming in on? How does this differentiate successful companies?
7. 
   

This week, we cover these crucial questions in a Billion Dollar Bite with Elodie Dupuy, Founding Partner of $200M growth equity firm, Full In Partners.

Full episode: https://link.chtbl.com/bdm-elodie

FOLLOW FULL IN PARTNERS: https://fullinpartners.com/

Full In Partners is a premier NYC-based growth equity firm founded in 2019. The firm is focused on backing high-velocity, high-efficiency software and internet businesses while building better outcomes through proactive operational and strategic support.

--

On Billion Dollar Moves, we travel across the globe in search of the unexpected leader.

Every week, it is our job to deconstruct the Billion Dollar Moves of unicorn founders & funders; many of them, underestimated long before they became iconic.

Many of them, unexpected leaders, just like you.

This show is about unfiltered conversations about success, failure, fear, and courage in the pursuit of the next big thing in tech and venture.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website

Watch on Youtube

Join the community

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

On Billion Dollar Moves we don't shy away from difficult conversations. A heads up, in today's conversation we will be talking about mental health, including suicide. Know that if you are struggling with your own mental health you are not alone, please reach out to a local mental health provider for support. For a list of free support lines available around the world, we recommend: https://bekind.findahelpline.com

We’re all about surfacing what we call the unexpected leader; unicorn founders and funders across the globe in the pursuit of the next big thing in tech and venture.

But one thing I’ve always known beneath these conversations that I don’t always get to bring to the fore are the inevitable dark moments along the way, and the immense cost to our mental health.

The anxiety and toll on our personal relationships, the toll on ourselves in taking these risks,

So, in conjunction with World Mental Health Day, I’m thrilled to be bringing you a slightly different but very special episode that I think will be important to you as you build, lead, and invest better.

Elisha and I cover so much in this conversation from:

- What it means to really struggle with mental health and why we need to all pay attention

- The need to address systemic issues, 'structural determinants' in mental health

- Where capital can drive impact on mental health, the challenges and opportunities

LINKS

Cotton On Foundation campaign in support of Born This Way Foundation: https://cottonon.com/US/co/charity-gi...

Elisha London https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisha-lo...

Prospira Global https://prospira.global/

Kate Spade New York Social Impact: https://www.katespade.com/social-impact

PROFILE

Elisha London is an entrepreneur and global mental health advocate.

She is an advisor to leading global companies, donors, investors, brands and influential individuals on mental health and regularly speaks and writes on the topic.

Across her career Elisha has established a number of national and global initiatives, and worked for organisations including the UK Department for International Development, PWC, the Overseas Development Institute and The World Bank. She was the founding UK Director of the Global Poverty Project (now “Global Citizen”), and following her own personal experience of mental ill health she was appointed as Campaign Director for the Head Together Campaign, spearheaded by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

In 2017 Elisha drew upon her experience to understand the huge gap that exists in addressing mental health around the world and founded United for Global Mental Health.

She holds an MBA from TRIUM (NYU New York, LSE London, HEC Paris), and an MSc in Development Management from the London School of Economics.

Elisha Co-Chaired the Global Futures Council on Neuro technologies in 2019 has been a regular member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Futures Council on Mental Health. In 2020 she was honoured for her leadership in global mental health when she was appointed as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar...

Build like a CEO: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/ceoseries

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

Today’s guest speaking to the African continent is none other than Eunice Ajim, Cameroonian-American tech entrepreneur and investor who's changing the game. With her fund, Ajim Capital, she seeks to invest in Africa’s best startups at the pre-seed and seed level; leveraging her experience as a former repeat founder herself, including leading a $10M+ tech startup. But what many may not know is her story of becoming homeless while building what she calls the African dream.

Eunice’s story is not just a cheatsheet into investing in Africa (which by the way has had 51 Private Equity exits in the last 10 years, with 478 deals worth $8.6 billion), but real talk on how hard it still is to build in the emerging markets.

--

On Billion Dollar Moves, we travel across the globe in search of the unexpected leader.

Every week, it is our job to deconstruct the Billion Dollar Moves of unicorn founders & funders; many of them, underestimated, long before they became iconic.

Many of them, unexpected leaders, just like you.

This show is about unfiltered conversations about success, failure, fear, and courage in the pursuit of the next big thing in tech and venture.

--

FOLLOW EUNICE:

https://www.ajimcapital.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/euniceajim/

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes/

Watch on Youtube : tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Build like a CEO: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/ceoseries

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

From $50 million in circulation annually in venture capital to about $500 million; this 10x growth in a short amount of time in Oklahoma caught my attention. So when Nathaniel Harding of Cortado Ventures invited me out to Oklahoma City for the MidContinent VC Summit earlier this year—my answer was yes! Today’s conversation is with a leader unlike any other I’ve had on the show—

a former Air Force captain stationed at the US-NATO headquarters in Afghanistan, Nathaniel transitioned from military service to become a successful oil entrepreneur, leading a venture that ultimately exited for a staggering $120 million.

Today he serves as Managing Partner at Cortado Ventures, which has just announced its oversubscribed close of Fund 2, investing in early-stage startups in the Midcontinent region of America.

--

On Billion Dollar Moves, we travel across the globe in search of the unexpected leader.

Every week, it is our job to deconstruct the Billion Dollar Moves of unicorn founders & funders; many of them, underestimated, long before they became iconic.

Many of them, unexpected leaders, just like you.

This show is about unfiltered conversations about success, failure, fear, and courage in the pursuit of the next big thing in tech and venture.

--

FOLLOW Nathaniel: linkedin.com/in/nathanielharding/

Cortado Ventures

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes/

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In 2005, three Singaporean teenagers set up a secondhand clothes blog.

They didn't realize it at the time, but it laid the framework for this multi-million dollar empire, one of the largest omnichannel womenswear brands in Southeast Asia, that has gone global, delivering to 18 countries with its most recent pop up store in SoHo New York.

This week we dive into the story of Love, Bonito, in the business of serving the modern Asian women; which last raised a $50M Series C in 2021 led by Primavera Capital Group, China’s second-largest private-equity firm which previously invested in Alibaba and ByteDance. We chat with Love Bonito’s co-founder Rachel Lim about risking her mother’s entire savings to overcoming jealousy of her new CEO and finding herself as a leader even as they scale profits, revenues and markets, and build to an exit for their investors. This is a conversation you don’t want to miss. 

--

TIMESTAMPS:

00:28 - Love Bonito: From Secondhand Clothes Blog to Multimillion-Dollar Empire

05:44 - Family struggles, financial crisis, Rach dropping out and betting on herself

14:50 - Bonito Chico to Love Bonito. The business of women beyond fashion, building with co-founders

23:22 - Rach bringing in a CEO, accepting her limitations, hiring to scale

34:29 - "Everything rises and falls on leadership"

40:33 - Taking venture money, the pressure for an investor return

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On Billion Dollar Moves, we travel across the globe in search of the unexpected leader.

Every week, it is our job to deconstruct the Billion Dollar Moves of unicorn founders & funders; many of them, underestimated, long before they became iconic.

Many of them, unexpected leaders, just like you.

This show is about unfiltered conversations about success, failure, fear, and courage in the pursuit of the next big thing in tech and venture.

--

FOLLOW RACHEL:

LoveBonito: https://www.lovebonito.com/

LinkedIn

Instagram

Rach Reflects Podcast

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes/

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I realized for many of you, I’ve yet to formally introduce myself, why I do the work I do, and why, Billion Dollar Moves exists to serve you today. 

Fact: I was often in rooms I felt I didn’t deserve to be in.

I was too young, too unqualified, and heck, looked and sounded different from everyone else.

I knew I had two choices: to crumble into myself or to step up and honor my potential.

The tables are turned in this episode where I'm in the hot seat, interviewed by my friends at Beyond Barriers. Enjoy!

--

On Billion Dollar Moves, we travel across the globe in search of the unexpected leader.

Every week, it is our job to deconstruct the Billion Dollar Moves of unicorn founders & funders; many of them, underestimated long before they became iconic.

Many of them, unexpected leaders, just like you.

This show is about unfiltered conversations about success, failure, fear, and courage in the pursuit of the next big thing in tech and venture.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website

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Join the community

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

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Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

Our guest today is none other than Jeff Maggioncalda, a visionary leader whose journey spans not just one but two groundbreaking fields. For 18 years, Jeff worked side by side with Nobel Prize winner and economist Bill Sharpe, as the founding CEO of Financial Engines, one of the earliest pioneers in the world of robo-advisors and algorithm-driven investment strategies that became the largest independent online retirement advice platform with more than $100 billion under management. sold for you know, a casual $3 billion.

Fast forward to today, Jeff is at the helm of another HIGH IMPACT endeavor. As the CEO of Coursera, he's leading the charge to redefine education for the digital age; since joining in June 2017 and has helped the company grow to over 120 million learners and 7,000+ institutions, served by high-quality learning content from 300+ of the world’s top universities and industry educators.

From what a good CEO is and how a game of Monopoly really started Jeff on this journey, our power-packed conversation is a CEO masterclass you need to buckle up for.

--

TIMESTAMPS

04:20 From a game of Monopoly to Monte Carlo simulations

10:23 Pivoting is important, but knowing when is difficult

13:50 AI: another form of technology, impact, and concerns

17:09 GPT to predict business strategies

23:44 Digital, platform business models in online learning, massive online open courses (MOOCs)

35:56 Technology, globalization, and AI drive future change. Being a growth company CEO

ON COURSERA: https://www.coursera.org/

--

On Billion Dollar Moves, we travel across the globe in search of the unexpected leader.

Every week, it is our job to deconstruct the Billion Dollar Moves of unicorn founders & funders; many of them, underestimated long before they became iconic.

Many of them, unexpected leaders, just like you.

This show is about unfiltered conversations about success, failure, fear, and courage in the pursuit of the next big thing in tech and venture.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website

Watch on Youtube

Join the community

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

I’m so excited about this week’s guest! If you’ve been following our work at Beyond The Billion; there’s no better snapshot of why we do the work we do than this episode; where Elodie Dupuy represents the kind of fund manager we are so bullish on. Starting as a receptionist at Insight Venture Partners, she is today betting on herself. Elodie founded Full In Partners, a software-focused $200M growth equity fund based in New York City, getting into deals like Canva, and Vinted. How she got there? You’d have to tune in.

TIMESTAMPS

03:33 - Gymnast "Pushing through the pain' grounding Elodie's journey

08:21 - Iconiq chapter, but not really?

09:03 - 'I didn't know I want to be a CEO, until I couldn't be'

09:30 - 'Why don't I have my own fund? That's rude'

15:29 - Lagging indicators in fund management?

20:41 - Trust vs ownership in equity

25:56 - Usercentrics & Cookiebot - THE deal

36:28 - 'When the tide goes out, it's easy to see who doesn't have a bathing suit on'

40:38 - Will the growth stage sustain? Distributions vs valuations?

48:17 - 'B2B SAAS will not go anywhere'

FOLLOW FULL IN PARTNERS: https://fullinpartners.com/

Full In Partners is a premier NYC-based growth equity firm founded in 2019. The firm is focused on backing high-velocity, high-efficiency software and internet businesses while building better outcomes through proactive operational and strategic support.

--

On Billion Dollar Moves, we travel across the globe in search of the unexpected leader.

Every week, it is our job to deconstruct the Billion Dollar Moves of unicorn founders & funders; many of them, underestimated long before they became iconic.

Many of them, unexpected leaders, just like you.

This show is about unfiltered conversations about success, failure, fear, and courage in the pursuit of the next big thing in tech and venture.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website

Watch on Youtube

Join the community

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

"But how can women actually be good operators?"

This is a special episode from my work archives—in reflecting on my work this summer, I realized that this conversation in particular needed more air for the important angles raised by some real heavyweights in our industry.

Featuring GV Ravishankar, MD at Sequoia India or now known as Peak XV; Sunitha from LetsVenture, India’s largest tech platform for early-stage startup investing and Nacitta from Sayurbox, Indonesia based distribution platform of fresh produce backed by Indonesian e-commerce Tokopedia

From removing the pitch process to changing mindsets in angel investingm to challenging our own assumptions, this is your crash course on why the gender venture funding gap exists; and the Billion Dollar Moves these leaders are championing to change the status quo.

You’re tuning into the Bridging the Funding Gap in SEA Panel at DSA’s 2021 PEVC Conference.

PODCAST INFO:

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FOLLOW SARAH:

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“Give them some purpose, unlimited vacation time, free food, and beanbags.”

🙄 Yet why are workers still unhappy and disengaged?

😳 40% of workers say they're likely to leave their current job in the next 3-6 months

In this Billion Dollar Bite I explore a question I get asked often:

"What exactly does the next generation workforce want from me?"

EPISODES REFERENCED:

• Silvia Wiesner, former MD at Unilever on "really listening"
• Niels Christiansen, Group CEO at Lego and Stanley Bergman, CEO at Henry Schein on "the non-political leader"
• Cathy Gao, Partner at Sapphire Partners on "building culture from day one"

PODCAST INFO:

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FOLLOW SARAH:

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I’ve been enjoying the Women's FIFA World Cup, and I’m so thrilled to see the conversation on gender equity that has arisen alongside the excitement of the sport. As we continue to be in awe of the performance of so many of the teams, I was inspired to bring this week’s Billion Dollar Bite to a candid conversation with Coach Jen Welter who tackled her football career with tenacity and an unprecedented track record of pioneering firsts.

What does it mean to be the first and the only? How do you turn being seen as the 'token' woman to being taken seriously as a team player? From building on her career in women’s football, which included 2 Gold medals with Team USA, to breaking through the biggest boys club of all, the NFL, as the first female coach in the league, I thought her Billion Dollar Moves deserved a listen this week.

Original full episode

Follow Dr. Jen Welter

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From building emerging tech in IBM to working with Jeff Bezos and Andy Jessy, being a part of scaling Amazon from a $12 Billion to $80 Billion company; tech pioneer and trailblazer, CNN’s Top 10 Most Powerful Women in Tech Sandy Carter is now betting big on Web3: as COO of Unstoppable Domains, a platform for user-owned digital identity that hit the unicorn status last year led with a round led by Pantera Capital.

Today we break some exciting news by Unstoppable Domains launching, discuss the viability of Web 3.0 and how it is creating new business opportunities and reshaping the way we think about commerce, entertainment, and social interaction.

ABOUT SANDY CARTER:

Sandy Carter is Chief Operating Officer and Head of Business Development at Unstoppable Domains, a platform for user-owned digital identity. As COO, she is responsible for driving growth and developing business strategies in pursuit of the company’s mission to provide user-owned identity for the world. She also drives partnerships and integrations for Web3 and the Metaverse. Prior to Unstoppable, Sandy was a VP at AWS where she created and grew businesses in emerging tech, leveraging AI, blockchain, and AR/VR. Before that, she was a General Manager at IBM and a Silicon Valley start-up founder.

Sandy is a leading voice in technology, social media, Web3 and the metaverse who has been recognized as a Top 10 Most Powerful Woman in Tech by CNN and as a top AI influencer per Onalytica. Sandy Carter is a Board Member at Altair, an AI company, Chairman of the Board for the non-profit Girls in Tech, a past member of the Diversity Committee at the World Economic Forum, the founder of Unstoppable Women of Web3 and a founding member of Blockchain Friends Forever (BFF). She has won numerous awards including 2023 Crunchbase Influential Women in Sales List, 2023 CRN Channel Chief, Top 100 Global Thought Leader by Awards Magazine, Top 150 Business Transformational Leaders, a Top 100 Chief Tech Leader, Top 115 Most Inspirational Women of Web3/Metaverse, 100 Women Davos, Two Lovies Awards for Best Metaverse HQ, Top 14 Edge Leader, Federal 100 Award Winner, Top 100 Women of the Future, and PwC Game Changer. She is a member of Fortune Most Powerful Women. She is fluent in eight programming languages and is the author of five books, which won the Platinum MarCom Award and the Silver Marketing Sherpa award.

About Unstoppable:

Launched in 2018, Unstoppable Domains is a Web3 domain name provider and digital identity platform working to onboard the world onto Web3. Unstoppable Domains offers Web3 domains minted on the blockchain that give people full ownership and control of their digital identity, with no renewal fees. With Unstoppable Domains, people can replace lengthy alphanumeric crypto wallet addresses with a human-readable name and log into and transact with more than 720 apps, wallets, exchanges and marketplaces. The company was named by Forbes as one of America's Best Startup Employers in 2022.

Media Contact:

[email protected]

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

--

Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top global funders & founders. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we cover it all in the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

Long before AI became a buzzword, Vu Van recognized its transformative potential. Combining her deep understanding of language learning with her AI expertise, Vu Van founded ELSA (English Language Speech Assistant) in 2015. ELSA, an AI-powered learning app, provides users with an interactive and personalized approach to improving English pronunciation,

50 million users later, over $27 million dollars raised, with investors including Gradient Ventures, Google’s dedicated AI fund, this is a conversation not to be missed.

ABOUT VU VAN:

Vu Van is Co-founder & CEO of Silicon Valley-based ELSA, the world’s best and smartest English pronunciation app. She worked with leading speech scientists, machine learning scientists, and linguists from around the world to create ELSA. Powered by the company’s proprietary AI and speech recognition technology, ELSA scores a learners' speech to pinpoint individual syllable and phoneme level mistakes with real time feedback.

Prior to founding ELSA, Vu lived and worked in Vietnam, Singapore, Denmark where she experienced the challenges of an English language learner abroad. She served as an Engagement Manager at Booz & Co, one of the top four global management consulting firms. Vu earned an MBA and a Masters in Education from Stanford University and is originally from Vietnam.

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

--

Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top global funders & founders. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we cover it all in the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

While the IPO window feels closed for many; what we’re still seeing are interesting mergers, acquisitions and strategic exits: many of which create the scenario of leaders at the helm of new teams. And so, for this week’s Billion Dollar Bite; I’m bringing a question I’m off late being asked a lot: how do leaders make maximum impact in the first 90 days?

A concept; from one of my fav book of all time— by Michael Watkins where as Watkins brilliantly illustrates the first 90 days present a unique window for leaders to establish their vision, build influence and actually set the foundation to make things happen. It is a period that demands precision, clarity, and swift action, political savvy.

I couldn’t think of a better episode than that of Tiwa York to highlight: a visionary leader who has made waves in the e-commerce industry like no other. Tiwa was handpicked by industry giants, Naspers and Tencent, to revolutionize their e-commerce portfolio in Thailand. And boy, did he deliver in the first 100 days and more.

Full episode:

On Apple: https://apple.co/3sXNtkz

On Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3UpAbcV

On Youtube: https://youtu.be/fBmTNT4G-20

--

Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top GLOBAL funders & founders. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we deconstruct the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar...

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondol...

Ollen Douglass is a name that many have come to recognize in the venture industry, in particular for building the first venture fund for the Motley Fool; a popular news and media platform providing investing insights and financial advice to millions of people for over 25 years. But his story takes an unexpected twist as he walks away from a $250 million outfit he helped start. His abrupt departure left industry insiders hungry for answers. And today, he's here to reveal in his own words what happened and why; and importantly we’ll chat about his mission to challenge the status quo as a Black man in this industry.

FOLLOW OLLEN:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ollendouglass/

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

--

Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top GLOBAL funders & founders. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we deconstruct the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar...

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondol...

A head start doesn't always ... well, help you get ahead.

With examples from sports, technology and economics, journalist David Epstein shares how specializing in a particular skill too early in life may undermine your long-term development -- and explains the benefits of a "sampling period" where you try new things and focus on building a range of skills. Learn how this broader, counterintuitive mindset (and more forgiving timeline) could lead to a more fulfilling life, personally and professionally: even in our world of venture and business.

Special thanks to Cortado Ventures for setting this up in the beautiful First National Center in Oklahoma City: https://cortado.ventures/

FOLLOW DAVID:

Get his book, Range: https://amzn.to/3Nrht3c

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidEpstein

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-epstein-5a37ba25/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidepstein/

https://davidepstein.com/

David Epstein is the author of the #1 New York Times best seller Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, and of the New York Times best seller The Sports Gene, both of which have been translated in more than 30 languages. (To his surprise, the latter was purchased not only by his sister but also by President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.)

He was previously the host of Slate‘s popular “How To!” podcast, and a science and investigative reporter at ProPublica. Prior to that, he was a senior writer at Sports Illustrated, where he co-authored the story that revealed Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez had used steroids. His writing has been honored by an array of organizations, from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, to the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Center on Disability and Journalism, and has been included in the Best American Science and Nature Writing anthology. His story “Following the Trail of Broken Hearts,” on sudden cardiac death in athletes, was chosen as one of the top 100 stories of the last 100 years by Columbia Journalism alumni.

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

--

Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top GLOBAL funders & founders. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we deconstruct the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar...

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondol...

This week I am so pumped to be speaking with Momei Qu, Managing Director of PSP Growth, where she leads PSP’s venture capital and growth equity initiative, working closely with the esteemed Penny Pritzker, former United States Sec of Commerce and American billionaire businesswoman with family investments in the Hyatt Hotels and Marmon Group. From Momei’s leadership lessons working with a trailblazer to building a robust venture and growth practice to the future of B2B SAAS despite valuation slashes we’ve seen, we cover it all.

ABOUT MOMEI:

Momei Qu is a Managing Director at PSP Growth, and leads PSP’s venture capital and growth equity initiatives. She is responsible for strategy development, new deal sourcing, and portfolio company oversight.

Prior to joining PSP Growth in 2018, she was a Vice President at Baird Capital where she invested in healthcare and technology companies. Prior to joining Baird, she was at Independence Equity (IE), a technology focused venture capital firm. Before IE, she worked as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch & Co. Qu earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. She currently serves on the Board of The Goldie Initiative, an organization dedicated to elevating the careers of high potential women in real estate, and on the Board of CRETI (Center for Real Estate Technology and Innovation).

In her spare time, Momei enjoys traveling with her husband and 2 kids, running by the lake, and finding deals at wine auctions.

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

--

Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top global funders & founders. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we cover it all in the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

This week's Billion Dollar Bite features the big question:

Who am I beyond the company I built?

This has become a theme that has emerged in so many of my conversations with both founders and funders at the helm of their businesses — an inspired this week’s Billion Dollar Bite about finding identity and decoupling your identity from your business. Tune in to what Rana el-Kaliouby who sold her emotional AI startup, Affectiva to publicly listed Smart Eye for $73.5 Million has to say:

Full episode:

(Season 2 Episode 1; 11/03/22) Rana el-Kaliouby: https://tinyurl.com/2p94hmyy

About Rana (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaliouby/)

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

--

Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top global funders & founders. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we deconstruct the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

Our next guest is tackling the food waste problem by applying what he and his team have learned from nature. They created a plant-based protective coating that can make fruits and vegetables last longer. When the average household wastes over 30% of their food and throws $1,500 of the food they buy into the trash, you can see how it’s crucial to work to reduce this impact on our planet and our pocketbooks. 

Apeel is commercially available for avocados, organic apples, cucumbers and citrus fruits (lemons, limes, mandarins, oranges and grapefruit)- so they can stay fresher longer in the supply chain and in our homes. I chatted with my friend, James Rogers, Founder & CEO of Apeel when we were together in Oklahoma City about his journey over the last decade, and how he’s finally getting closer to his “why” in the first place.

ABOUT JAMES:

Dr. James Rogers is Founder and CEO of Apeel, a company that’s fighting the global food waste crisis by using materials found in nature to help food last longer — a sustainable approach to enable a more abundant future for the entire supply chain. Apeel’s mission has enabled Dr. Rogers to learn from and collaborate with thought leaders from all segments of the global food system. Founded in 2012, Apeel works with a global network of suppliers to serve retail customers across the globe with longer-lasting organic and conventionally grown produce, ensuring a fresher experience for customers at home. Apeel also invests its expertise in biological and data science toward helping retailers solve their fresh challenges and securing new opportunities for growth.

www.apeel.com

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

--

Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top US-Asia funders & founders. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we deconstruct the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

What’s the secret to becoming more likable and influential as a leader? How do we actually build and scale by appealing to our consumers in a sustainable way?

Why are we more likely to eat an imperfect cookie? This week’s episode will have you taking copious notes from Phill Agnew, a behavioral science expert and my podcast brother in the network, where he hosts one of the top Marketing podcasts, Nudge and shares tips of the trade you can start applying to win business and yes influence people today.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Intro

03:42 - Why sharing your imperfection is key to being likeable

11:04 - Does this apply to gender stereotypes?

15:36 - Why is Tony the Tiger on Frosties, Ronald McDonald?

19:56 - Because you're worth it? Language matters

23:33 - Articulating value to your stakeholders

30:23 - Are marketers responsible for our culture? Will AI disrupt marketing?

35:27 - Showcasing labor to influence others

SHOW NOTES

• Aronson’s pratfall effect study is: Aronson, E., Willerman, B., & Floyd, J. (1966). The effect of a pratfall on increasing interpersonal appeal. Psychonomic Science (link)
• J Sylvester study: Unfair Discrimination in the Selection Interview: An Attributional Account (link)
• Christoph Bartneck icat study https://youtu.be/7Kf9coMuVuI
• April Dunfords book obviously awesome: https://www.aprildunford.com/books

FOLLOW PHILL

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/

NUDGE Podcast: The consumer psychology podcast - listen to the researchers, authors, and pioneers in behavioral science and learn small nudges you can use to improve your work. NudgePodcast.com

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

--

Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top US-Asia funders & founders. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we deconstruct the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

Unless you’re living under a rock, you know that ChatGPT, OpenAI’s text-generating AI chatbot, has taken the world by storm. And with it, a whole conversation surrounding AI, it’s opportunities and yes perils. Well, to go deeper in this, I’m excited to speak with someone who has been working in this space of AI, VR and XR, immersive and extended reality long before it was the hype it is today. Martina Welkhoff, Managing Partner of WXR fund, an early stage fund that invests in two of the greatest opportunities of our time: the next wave of computing + female entrepreneurs; with companies like Obsess AI, BODs and Embodied labs in her portfolio.

Before that, Martina first founded her first startup over a decade ago in mobile gaming and after exiting that, she went on to found a VR production studio called ConveneVR. In this convo, Martina shares how she sees this cycle and the market shakeout, the danger of humanizing AI to the business opportunity of XR, we'll cover it all. Buckle up!

About Martina Welkhoff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwelkhoff/

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

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Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top US-Asia funders & founders. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we deconstruct the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

This week I’m chatting with a Billion Dollar Mover who absolutely captivated me when I first met her, but for a change, from the world of politics.

Phumzile Van Damme is a former Member of Parliament of South Africa, winning multiple awards for her work counter-electoral disinformation, digital rights and platform accountability focusing on Africa.

Phumzile’s first foray in the fight against disinformation centered on the rise and fall of the controversial global PR firm Bell Pottinger, who ran a race based campaign to ignite the differences between the people of South Africa, digging into its painful history of apartheid.

She presented the case on behalf of South Africa, and 2 weeks later, they shut shop, basically toppling one of the most powerful PR firms in the world.

What does it take to be a young Black Woman in politics, to build influence and lead with your principles still intact? Her Billion Dollar Moves is one I needed to deconstruct, that I thought all of us leaders could learn from. You don't want to miss it.

FOLLOW PHUMZILE:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phumzile-van-damme/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/zilevandamme

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

--

Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top US-Asia funders & founders. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we deconstruct the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

Welcome to Billion Dollar Bite!

Between the SVB collapse (and now First Republic Bank on the edge, with stock now down 95% for the year to date!), ChatGPT taking over and the "SAAS-cre", where valuations of Software-As-A-Service companies have taken a dive, for some, as high as 60%; it’s been a lot.

A question that I get asked in this environment is: how will we find outliers?

My answer: surface the unexpected leaders. The ones who have been underestimated, who may not come from a “cookie-cutter”, but are not afraid to be the first & only in many rooms, who know that rejection is part of the process and remain grounded to their vision, even if others don’t see it yet.

But don't only take it from me! Tune in to what unicorn funder, Cathy Gao, Partner at Sapphire Ventures and unicorn founder, Jack Smith, who sold Vungle for about $780M have to say.

Full episodes:

Jack Smith "SOLD MY STARTUP FOR $780M: Good, bad, ugly": https://spoti.fi/420sqgL

Cathy Gao "ENTERPRISE EATING THE WORLD: https://spoti.fi/3NeWcu9

Founder turned Funder, from Head of Digital Ventures of the BBC to Managing Director of Techstars, to now Managing Partner of Everywhere Ventures with 250 portfolio companies and counting, Jenny Fielding is the ultimate community builder and investor. Together with Scott Hartley, Jenny is today pursuing a global strategy, as U.S. venture capitalists have taken a step back from deals abroad; launching a new $25M fund, to be the first-check in for startups building in the future of money, health and work.

What does investing as a community mean, what do we think about the upset we’re hearing about Y Combinator’s new terms, how do you manage 500 Limited Partner investors in your fund and what is Jenny’s deepest insecurity? We cover it all and more.

About Jenny Fielding:

Pre-seed investor and mentor to hundreds of founders around the world. 2x entrepreneur and knows how challenging it is to build great products, inspire a team and keep the lights on. So she spends her time working to surround founders with the resources they need to thrive.

First check into 200+ startups including: Chainalysis, Alloy, Latch, Tempo Automation, Headway, Supergreat, Contra, Particle Health, Pair Eyewear, Solo Funds, Halp, Minded, Rupa Health, Morty, Wagmo, Smarthop, Solid, PathSpot, Remesh, Cube, OnePipe, Season, Parsley Health and so many more: https://angel.co/jenny-fielding

When not investing in companies... she's teaching (but really learning from) the next generation of future founders as an adjunct professor at Columbia University and Cornell Tech.

Twitter @jefielding

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

--

Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top US-Asia funders & founders. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we deconstruct the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

For the Billion Dollar Mover that you are, this is not new news:

Silicon Valley Bank; what was said to be the epicenter of Silicon Valley tech and small businesses collapsed on March 10th after a run on the deposits doomed the banks plans to raise fresh capital.

At first, there was major concern that this crash will take the VC and startup ecosystem with it, but the gov swooped in and provided a backstop, and scraps of SVB was purchased by First Citizens Bank.

Catastrophe averted? Not quite.

Today’s episode is by no means a full breakdown of what happened, but answers this one question :

“Was this truly a Black Swan event? as Nassim Taleb explains it or really, a Gray Rhino, as Best-Selling Author, my friend Michele Wucker writes?

And today we have her on the show exactly to speak to this - How should you be thinking about risk and what next?

About Michele:

Strategic advisor and best-selling author Michele Wucker coined the term “gray rhino” as a call to take a fresh look at how we respond to obvious, probable, impactful risks. She founded the Chicago-based advisory firm Gray Rhino & Company and is a former media and think tank executive. Her four influential books include the influential global bestseller THE GRAY RHINO: How to Recognize and Act on the Obvious Dangers We Ignore and the recently released sequel, YOU ARE WHAT YOU RISK: The New Art and Science of Navigating an Uncertain World.

Digital links:

Twitter @wucker

website thegrayrhino.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wucker/

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

--

Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top US-Asia funders & founders. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we cover it all in the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

We’re bringing our next billionaire on Billion Dollar Moves; this time from Nepal, my friend Nirvana Chaudhary who is at the helm of Nepal’s first and only company listed on the Forbes list of Billionaires since 2015, valued in excess of $2.5 Billion.

What started in 1935 has today become a conglomerate of 136 companies and 76 brands spread across 30 different countries with over 24,000 employees. From FMCG, Hospitality, Finance, Real estate, Education, Retail; they cover the gamut. Most notably, they’re the brain behind the famous Wai Wai brand of noodles. The eldest Asian son in a family empire, Nirvana was early to make his mark, founding his first independent company at the age of 19; and has continued to grow the businesses from strength to strength; being featured on Forbes to Tatler’s most influential.

But what does it really mean to lead as the face of the next generation? How messy does family business get? And with friends like Bill Gates to Jack Ma, how has that informed what next for him? We cover it all in this episode.

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EPISODE LINKS:

Nirvana's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nirvanachaudhary/

More about Chaudhary Group: https://www.chaudharygroup.com/

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FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

--

Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top US-Asia funders & founders. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we cover it all in the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

What does it take to sell and execute on what feels like an impossible vision?

This, is the task of a stem-cell scientist turned founder who is tapping into the multi-billion opportunity to create lab-grown crustacean meat.

Under Dr. Sandhya Sriram's leadership, Shiok Meats today is the world’s first cultivated shellfish meat company, and Southeast Asia’s first cultivated seafood and meat company. The startup’s mission is to bring delicious, sustainable, and healthy seafood to your table, using the cellular agriculture technology to grow meat from stem cells instead of slaughtering animals.

Since its inception in 2018, they have grown from 2 to over 50 employees today, made a strategic acquisition themselves, raised over USD 30 Million dollars from big names from Y Combinator to Korean Conglomerate CJ’s Food Arm.

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EPISODE LINKS:

Sandhya's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandhyasriram/

Sandhya's Twitter: https://twitter.com/sriramt_sandhya

More about Shiok Meats: https://shiokmeats.com/

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FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

--

Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top US-Asia funders & founders. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we cover it all in the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

A ping on your phone takes you out of a conversation with a friend. At the office, a colleague interrupts your work on a project. At home, screens intrude on time with your partner.

Your goals don’t get done and it feels like someone (or something) is constantly pulling you away from what you really want to do.

Why does it seem we’re no longer in control of our attention or our lives?

How different would your life be if you were “indistractable”?

In today's conversation, Nir shatters the narrative that the problem is our gadgets, but a symptom of a deeper dysfunction, as he examines in his book 'Indistractable'. We also discuss his earlier book 'Hooked', what it takes to build habit-forming products, where your users come back again and again without maxing out that ad spend!

You don't want to miss this.

About Nir:

Nir Eyal writes, consults, and teaches about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. Nir previously taught as a Lecturer in Marketing at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford.

Nir co-founded and sold two tech companies since 2003 and was dubbed by The M.I.T. Technology Review as, “The Prophet of Habit-Forming Technology.” Bloomberg Businessweek wrote, “Nir Eyal is the habits guy. Want to understand how to get app users to come back again and again? Then Eyal is your man.”

He is the author of two bestselling books, Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products and Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life.

In addition to blogging at NirAndFar.com, Nir’s writing has been featured in The New York Times, The Harvard Business Review, Time Magazine, and Psychology Today.

Nir invests in habit-forming products that improve users’ lives. Some of his past investments include Eventbrite (NYSE:EB), Anchor.fm (acquired by Spotify), Kahoot! (KAHOOT-ME.OL), Canva, Homelight, Product Hunt, Marco Polo, Byte Foods, FocusMate, Dynamicare, Wise App, and Sunnyside.

EPISODE LINKS:

Nir Eyal's Twitter: https://twitter.com/nireyal

Nir's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nireyal/

A schedule maker tool Nir referenced here: https://nirandfar.com/schedule-maker/

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FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top US-Asia funders & founders. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we cover it all in the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

#billiondollarmoves #venturecapital #investing #startupstories #productivity #leadership

In today's Billion Dollar Moves, we bust some myths about Southeast Asia's VC activity and the narratives driving the expansion seen in the region.

The key question: will the momentum survive this downcycle? I chat with Dmitry Levit, Founding Partner of Cento Ventures, a venture capital firm specialized in under-invested emerging digital markets, primarily Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

In today’s Part 2 we go a little bit more 'micro' — what Dmitry is still excited by in building his portfolio.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Intro

02:50 - What Dmitry is excited by in 2023: the future of digital

04:50 - How founders are building in 2023

06:11 - Trade exits getting dicey?

08:49 - The disappointment of Grab?

11:29 - Rocket Internet "burned the region for many investors for the next 10 years"?

16:47 - The future of the food delivery space

18:06 - How has Ukraine-Russia played out in Southeast Asia?

25:46 - What next for Dmitry after more than a decade with Cento?

27:17 - Billion Dollar Questions

Really power-packed, you need to be taking notes for these two episodes if you want to understand SEA; you don’t want to miss it.

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ABOUT DMITRY LEVIT:

Dmitry is the Founder of Cento Ventures. He is responsible for overseeing all investment and fund activities in Southeast Asia.

Dmitry formerly served as an advisor to several investment groups and corporations pursuing technology and media opportunities across developing Asia, with Media Development Authority of Singapore, Singtel, ru-Net, IDG Ventures Vietnam, SUP Media, Livejournal.com, Chinese Founders Fund, VIVA Media and Nusantara Ventures among his clients.

In 2008-2009, Dmitry was part of the investment team at IDG Ventures, where he provided extensive operational support to portfolio companies in Vietnam and was in charge of sourcing and assessment of investment opportunities in Indonesia and Singapore.

Prior to that, Dmitry spent several years in business development roles with Yahoo! Southeast Asia, negotiating a series of content, distribution, monetisation and technology deals for Yahoo! in Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. Dmitry also acted as a business strategist for the regional Managing Director, working on vertical strategies for e-commerce, gaming, travel, finance, telecom and other sectors.

EPISODE LINKS:

Cento Ventures Twitter: https://twitter.com/cento_ventures

Dmitry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levit/

Dmitry's report references: https://www.cento.vc/news-insights/

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FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top US-Asia funders & founders. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we cover it all in the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

#billiondollarmoves #venturecapital #southeastasia #digital #investing #startupstories

In today's Billion Dollar Moves, we bust some myths about Southeast Asia's VC activity and the narratives driving the expansion seen in the region.

The key question: will the momentum survive this downcycle? I chat with Dmitry Levit, Founding Partner of Cento Ventures, a venture capital firm specialized in under-invested emerging digital markets, primarily Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Intro

02:07 - Russian born Israeli citizen, now the expert investing in Southeast Asia

06:30 - Predictability of the Southeast Asia startup ecosystem through 2014

08:23 - Narratives driving Southeast Asia

12:43 - Masoyoshi Son breaking the 'time machine' theory?

14:31 - E-commerce: a case study

16:25 - The evolution of capital players holding up the markets

21:28 - Market corrections and institutional capital

24:54 - Market slowdown, deals vs deployments

26:37 - Weakening capital markets and expensive bets

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ABOUT DMITRY LEVIT:

Dmitry is the Founder of Cento Ventures. He is responsible for overseeing all investment and fund activities in Southeast Asia.

Dmitry formerly served as an advisor to several investment groups and corporations pursuing technology and media opportunities across developing Asia, with Media Development Authority of Singapore, Singtel, ru-Net, IDG Ventures Vietnam, SUP Media, Livejournal.com, Chinese Founders Fund, VIVA Media and Nusantara Ventures among his clients.

In 2008-2009, Dmitry was part of the investment team at IDG Ventures, where he provided extensive operational support to portfolio companies in Vietnam and was in charge of sourcing and assessment of investment opportunities in Indonesia and Singapore.

Prior to that, Dmitry spent several years in business development roles with Yahoo! Southeast Asia, negotiating a series of content, distribution, monetisation and technology deals for Yahoo! in Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. Dmitry also acted as a business strategist for the regional Managing Director, working on vertical strategies for e-commerce, gaming, travel, finance, telecom and other sectors.

EPISODE LINKS:

Cento Ventures Twitter: https://twitter.com/cento_ventures

Dmitry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levit/

Dmitry's report references: https://www.cento.vc/news-insights/

--

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top US-Asia founders, funders and execs. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we cover it all in the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

#billiondollarmoves #venturecapital #southeastasia #digital #investing #startupstories

While scaling globally seems often to be part of the 'Billion Dollar Plan', it is hardly as simple as it is thought to be. Nicole Sahin who founded and scaled G-P, a global PEO leader from an idea to over $4Bn in value chats with me in Davos on her thoughts on the future of work, the challenges of globalization and some of her own hard lessons in scaling.

Watch this live interview filmed in Davos on Youtube.

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Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top US-Asia founders, funders and execs. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we cover it all in the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Intro

01:28 - Crucible moments

08:53 - Is Globalization really for you?

12:53 - Hiring top talent, and knowing when to let go

20:43 - What you have to do, you already know

21:58 - The unexpected trends on the future of work

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FOLLOW NICOLE:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolesahin/

About G-P: https://www.globalization-partners.com/

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

Private Equity has a tremendous role to play in the real economy: with about $10Trillion assets under management, robust returns relative to public market measures, a reach that touches the lives of many (some say 1/3, 2/3 of global GDP by 2030) and with maximizing impact across the risk/return continuum becoming a fast-growing trend within the investing industry.

I chat with veterans of the industry:

Suyi Kim, Global Head of Private Equity CPP Investments

Amir Hamzah Azizan, CEO, EPF Malaysia,

Vindi Banga, Partner, Clayton Dubilier & Rice,

Rob Lucas, Partner, CVC Capital Partners

with combined almost $1Tn in AUM on what it means to:

(1) drive returns through diversity

(2) how enterprises built through generations have the opportunity to uplift the standards of governance & sustainability of the communities they touch

(3) and how values alignment driven by stakeholders is core: beyond a reactionary approach is also an opportunity to create change

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

Quiet quitting, a recession looming, a polycrisis declared at Davos 2023 — how can leaders navigate this uncertainty?

Silvia Wiesner, former Managing Director at Unilever who was with me in Davos joins me to weigh in on the 53rd Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum.

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Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top US-Asia founders, funders and execs. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we cover it all in the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SILVIA:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/silvia-wiesner/

IMAGINE Oxford Experience Silvia is Building: https://imagine.one/oxford-experience/

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

The 'non-political' company leader.

In 2020/2021, we saw feathers ruffled when leaders like those from Google, Coinbase declared certain "political activism" was a distraction.

Employees walked out since of course, in many ways, we're in a generation that have been told to bring "our full selves to work", including our belief systems.

But how do we as leaders, manage what feels like a double bind?

I ask global leaders,

Niels B. Christiansen, CEO of the LEGO Group,

Stanley Bergman, Chair of Henry Schein,

Joseph Ucuzoglu, Global CEO Deloitte to weigh in at #Davos2023 World Economic Forum.

Here's what they said, do you agree?

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Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top US-Asia founders, funders and execs. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we cover it all in the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

Social media platforms and creator-focused startups haven’t looked too hot coming into 2023, with companies like Meta, Snapchat waging of layoffs along with the rest of the tech industry. BUT the creator and influencer economy are more than just buzzwords losing interest among venture capitalists. Despite challenges on a platform level, blogger turned entrepreneur Vivy Yusof is a case study of just how retained attention is a currency that will continue to be important in 2023 and beyond.

FashionValet.com, an online marketplace that once stocked over 400 brands across Southeast Asia, became a major regional player in the fashion industry but, by 2022, she had wound the venture down, shifting her focus to her own in-house modest fashion brands, dUCK and Lilit. The silver lining? By 2022, Yusof had built a network of 14 physical stores across Malaysia and Singapore and sold more than 3 million scarves from just one of her brands. Today, we unpack Vivy’s journey, the cost of building a brand around herself, her regret on not acting on her gut and her BILLION DOLLAR AMBITIONS for her next decade in the modest fashion industry.

Watch this on Youtube: https://bit.ly/3mPihUI

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Find out more about Vivy

And get her book now on Amazon

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Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top US-Asia founders, funders and execs. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we cover it all in the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

Data shows that building with diversity in mind just makes business sense.

Yet, we’ve not moved the dial nearly enough: bringing it to our investment world, as of Sep 2021 according to Knight Research only 1.4% of US AUM are managed by diverse firms, and at a startup level, we all know the abysmal numbers: women get less than 3% of funding, and Black founders hovering at about 1.2 - 1.3%. What can we do, and how do we tactically address this issue?

Today, I take this opportunity to not just celebrate with you the power of diversity; which many of you know my work centers around BUT HOW we can tactically make #BillionDollarMoves by building inclusion and diversity as our lever of growth.

To do so I’m calling in an expert, my friend Sonia Thompson, who has worked with brands from Johnson&Johnson to GSK who weighs in on what it takes to actually build a productive diverse team, how messaging to a broader stakeholder base helps you win and grow and why you shouldn’t be tasking that one diverse team member with your diversity goals.

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Find out more about Sonia Thompson

The Inclusion Marketing Podcast

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Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top US-Asia founders, funders and execs. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we cover it all in the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

Phil Knight, the founder of Nike famously said “Nike is a marketing company, and our product is our most important marketing tool.” But what does it take to build a world-class brand, and rise above the noise?

I dive deep with Eric Toda, former Global Digital Brand Marketing Director at Nike, now Global Head of Social Marketing at Meta and Founder of Meta Prosper who has worked with little upstarts like Facebook, Snapchat and AirBNB in building their brand messaging long before they became the goliaths they are today.

Our conversation ranges from what he thinks founders get wrong to how he is choosing to stand out and use his megaphone in his career to uplift the Asian American community. You don’t want to miss this.

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About Eric

Eric Toda is the current Global Head of Social Marketing at Meta and the Founder/Head of Meta Prosper, a community support program from Meta serving the Asian and Pacific Islander community of small businesses, creators, and non-profits. He has held previous brand and digital marketing leadership roles at Stitch Fix, Gap Inc, Airbnb, Snapchat, and Nike and his work has been awarded by Cannes Lions, Webbys, Clios, amongst others for combining purpose, creativity, and business results. As an Investor at Hyphen Capital and an independent advisor, Eric has helped build disruptive brands like Yumi, Wardrobe, Upaway, Fyllo, amongst many others. He sits on he Board of Directors for Reimagine and LAAUNCH (Leading Asian Americans to Unite for Change), the advisory council for TAAF (The Asian American Foundation), the advisory board of directors for the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, and most recently has been using his voice and platform for the #StopAsianHate movement, with a viral piece in Adweek “My People Are Dying In Silence — And I’m Here With A Megaphone”.

More about Eric here

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Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top US-Asia founders, funders and execs. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we cover it all in the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

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Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

We've heard a lot about scaling tactics for businesses, but have we paused to think about what it takes to scale ourselves as leaders at the helm? In this episode, Kim Yao, shares with us about how each chapter of her companies demanded different versions of her as a leader, and the future of 'virtual' or 'ghost' kitchens, i.e. delivery-only restaurants that proliferated during the pandemic and is set to be a $1 trillion industry by 2030.

About Kim

Kim is building the leading tech-powered food service ecosystem in Southeast Asia through digitally native restaurant brands and proprietary smart kitchen technology. By revolutionizing a massive yet traditional food service industry, her mission at CloudEats is to create the largest cloud restaurant group in the region, challenging brick and mortar heavyweights in F&B. With almost $14m in funding for CloudEats to date, Kim is known to have raised the largest amount of venture capital for a female Filipina led startup. She hopes to inspire female, underrepresented founders to keep dreaming big and work together to pave the way for more women entrepreneurs. 

Find out more about Kim here, and CloudEats here.

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Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top US-Asia founders, funders and execs. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we cover it all in the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

In this episode, Paul Ark shares how "when you take that big leap of faith, what's waiting for you on the other side is not necessarily a bad thing".

From investment banker with global banks Deutsche Bank and Citigroup in Asia and New York, to facilitating Apple and Microsoft's Retail’s market entry into Asian markets, rolling out a US$100 million global corporate venture capital fund, producing one of the top performing fintech CVC funds globally for its vintage and advising pan-Asian venture capital firm, Gobi Partners as Head of ESG, Paul has certainly had his different career chapters you'd want to hear about!

4 things you'll learn:

(1) The power of going with the flow of your career

(2) The nascent VC ecosystem in Southeast Asia, and the opportunities that presents

(3) Failures & successes in building a $100M CVC for Siam Commercial Bank, what strategically hiring means

(4) ESG and shifting mindsets

About Paul:

Find more about Paul here.

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Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the next generation global leader; featuring the top US-Asia founders, funders and execs. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we cover it all in the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website

Watch on Youtube

Join the community

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

What if at the edge of your deepest fear lays your greatest potential?

Exiled from the only place she knew to be home, Iranian singer, Gola (Golazin) shares her story on how her first hand experiences of life under the oppressive Iranian Regime shaped her as a fearless, international women’s rights advocate.

Fighting everyday to have her voice heard since female solo singers are not allowed to release songs or perform publicly in Iran, Gola shows us what pushing boundaries and true bravery means; and how at the edge of your deepest fear is your greatest potential.

View the full video on https://youtu.be/I0hGCtLqbS8

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Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top US-Asia founders, funders and execs. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we cover it all in the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

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About Gola

Golazin, known internationally as Gola, is an exiled Iranian singer and women's rights activist. Her first hand experiences of life under the oppressive Iranian Regime have effectively shaped her as a fearless, international women’s rights advocate while living in exile from her home country; female solo singers are not allowed to record and release songs or perform publicly in Iran. Known by Iranian citizens as the Lioness of Iran, she irrefutably lives up to her reputation as she delivers a divine manifestation of bravery, advocacy, and justice with her historic album ‘CHANGE.’ Gola pushes to usher in an era of peace, gender equality, and reparations for those that have suffered at the hands of the Iranian Regime. Gola and her work have caught the attention of major media outlets such as The Times and The Sunday Times UK, i-D Magazine, C-Heads, and Hunger Magazine, while she continues releasing projects that amplify her mission to spread empowerment, peace, and love. She is among the first Iranian women to professionally sing in Farsi and English, as well as one of the most influential Iranian women to have been born and raised in Iran, and have a pop English track in the UK Club chart. Beyond this, Gola's record label, ZAN Recordings, is dedicated to serving as a vessel of empowerment for other young female creatives. Zan Recordings is currently in search of the perfect collaborator to partner with and sponsor the label's growth and impact. Through Gola's personal artist project and her work with Zan Recordings, the songstress is determined to create an accessible safe space encouraging more women and girls to feel empowered to express themselves through music.

Find Gola on: @gola_official

To support her record label, please reach out to Gola/Sarah below.

EPISODE LINKS:

Gola's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gola_official/

Gola's label: https://zanrecordings.com/

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

Despite Lu Zhang’s accelerated path from researcher to founder to investor — by age 30 —she still reveals how she feels like a failure everyday! This episode is one you'd want to tune into. Full episode here.

About Lu Zhang:

Lu Zhang, Founder and Managing Partner of Fusion Fund, is a renowned Silicon Valley based investor, a serial entrepreneur, and a Stanford Engineering alumna. Lu is a World Economic Forum (Davos) Young Global Leader and was recently selected as a Best 25 Female Investor by Business Insider. She has also garnered other accolades including the Featured Honoree in VC of Forbes 30 Under 30, Silicon Valley Women of Influence, and Town & Country 50 Modern Swans – Entrepreneurship Influencer. Lu is also on the Jury Board of Cartier Young Leader Award.

Prior to starting Fusion Fund, she was the Founder and CEO of a medical device company focused on non-invasive technology for the early diagnosis of Type II diabetes (acq. 2013).

Lu is a frequent speaker at tech events and conferences such as Davos Economic Forum, Future Investment Initiative (FII), Forbes, Web Summit, SuperReturn, etc. and also serves as a mentor and advisor to several tech innovation programs in Silicon Valley. Lu is the board member of the Youth Council of Future Forum and Future Science Award. She received her M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Stanford University.

https://www.fusionfund.com/

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Billion Dollar Moves is THE show for the audacious next generation leader; featuring the top US-Asia founders, funders and execs. From the growing pains of a unicorn journey to IPO, scaling a venture capital firm, we cover it all in the world of venture & business. Learn from the crème de la crème so YOU too, can make #billiondollarmoves — in venture, in business, in life.

--

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website

Watch on Youtube

Join the community

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal