Stanford GSB: View From The Top

In a candid conversation with Kailash Sundaram, MBA ’25, Roelof Botha, MBA ’00 — leader of one of the most influential venture capital firms in the world — reflects on his journey from South Africa to Sequoia Capital. From meeting his wife and partner Huifen Chan, MBA '00, at Stanford Graduate School of Business, to lessons about ambition and failure, Botha reflects on his life and career so far — and why he believes he’s still “not at the top."See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hemant Taneja, managing partner and CEO of General Catalyst, shares his journey from a low-income household in Delhi to a venture capital leader. He emphasizes the vital balance between profit and purpose, especially in sectors like healthcare and AI. Taneja discusses the importance of responsible innovation and collaboration with policymakers. He also highlights the evolving role of venture capital in fostering transformative companies and the need for strategic approaches to new technologies. Personal reflections and insights on leadership complete the engaging conversation.

1,216. That’s the total number of NCAA games won by Tara VanDerveer, making her the all-time winning coach in college basketball history. In addition to coaching for 38 years at Stanford, she led the U.S. Women’s team to Olympic gold in 1996 – finishing with a flawless 16-0 record. “Coaching is teaching. It’s really trying to help people go to places they can’t go themselves,” says VanDerveer. “There’s nothing more rewarding than a great team.”It’s hard to believe that the legendary coach was once barred from playing herself. In the seventh grade, VanDerveer was her school basketball team’s mascot. By the time she was in ninth grade, she still wasn’t allowed to play – even though the coach told her she was the best among both the boys and girls. Since then, the iconic trailblazer for women in sports has changed the game. In this episode of the View From The Top podcast hosted by Shannon Beckham, MBA ’24, VanDerveer shares moments from her legendary career and reflects on what it means to be a great teammate – on and off the court. Stanford GSB’s View From The Top is the dean’s premier speaker series. It launched in 1978 and is supported in part by the F. Kirk Brennan Speaker Series Fund.During student-led interviews and before a live audience, leaders from around the world share insights on effective leadership, their personal core values, and lessons learned throughout their career.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“It wasn’t luck. I worked every single second of the day – I was obsessed with it. I wanted independence for myself, for my family, and I didn’t want to go back to Jacksonville.”In 2022, Daniella Pierson was named the youngest, wealthiest, self-made BIPOC woman in the world by Forbes. The 28-year-old grew her first company, The Newsette, to a $200 million dollar valuation without taking on a single investor. As a one-woman operation, she advertised through word of mouth and ran the company from her college dorm room.She wasn’t just working against a full college course load. Pierson also battled OCD and ADHD diagnoses. Her mental health experiences would help inspire the mental fitness startup Wondermind, confounded with Selena Gomez in 2022. Two years later, Pierson is already onto her next project: Breadwinner, a financial literacy brand dedicated to helping young visionaries turn their barriers into building blocks. In this View From The Top interview, Pierson sits down with Zach Doherty, MBA ’24, to discuss her entrepreneurial journey, work life balance, and what’s next for Breadwinner. “This is my ecosystem of everything that I have proven in my story. None of my businesses have ever been me first.”Stanford GSB’s View From The Top is the dean’s premier speaker series. It launched in 1978 and is supported in part by the F. Kirk Brennan Speaker Series Fund.During student-led interviews and before a live audience, leaders from around the world share insights on effective leadership, their personal core values, and lessons learned throughout their career.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO of NVIDIA, discusses first-principles thinking, founding NVIDIA from washing dishes at Denny's, pioneering graphics technology, navigating leadership challenges, advancements in generative AI, and rapid-fire questions in an engaging and insightful interview.

Aicha Evans, CEO of Zoox, shares insights on leading in a dynamic industry, navigating corporate acquisitions, and the importance of having an irrational belief in startup success. She reflects on the challenges and opportunities in the autonomous vehicle industry, addressing regulatory issues, job security concerns, and the potential impact on driving roles. Evans also discusses the need to clean up the internet before advancing with AI, emphasizing the importance of addressing digital clutter for a safer digital environment. Additionally, she explores managing irritation and relationships at work, highlighting the significance of respect, boundaries, and personal growth.

Neal Mohan, CEO of YouTube, discusses the importance of authenticity for creators on the platform, his journey from the Midwest to India, leadership philosophy, and the future of YouTube with AI technology. He shares insights on supporting artists, navigating identity, and personal reflections on advice and memorable moments.

Guest Sarah Friar, CEO of Nextdoor, shares insights on taking strategic career risks, leveraging technology to unite people, and fostering strong communities. She discusses the importance of empowering individuals in companies to contribute diverse ideas and viewpoints, the value of human connection, and using AI to enhance user engagement and promote positive interactions on social platforms.

"I've seen unbelievable change happen in places that the world sees as not investible. Part of storytelling is doing the work of investing so that people can tell their own stories because of the changes they've made."In 1986 Jacqueline Novogratz quit her job on Wall Street and moved to Rwanda to help open the country's first microfinance institution. She then came to Stanford GSB in 1989, and, in 2001, founded Acumen, a nonprofit impact investing fund."We look at poverty always in terms of income, but poverty is so much more than income. Poverty is a lack of choice, it's a lack of opportunity, it's a lack of agency, it's a lack of feeling that you can contribute. Dignity is the opposite." In this View From the Top interview, Novogratz sits down with Kathleen Schwind, MBA ’23, to talk about her journey into impact investing and how the industry has grown in the last decade.  "We are in this moment of just extraordinary technological acceleration. Our challenge is to ensure that our moral reasoning, our moral imagination, our moral courage keeps pace with that acceleration." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"Now also in that meeting, I asked her, 'Could you introduce me to a few of your friends? I’d love to meet with them and talk about this idea.' Because every meeting has to get you to three other meetings. Never leave a meeting with someone without asking them for that introduction." In this View From The Top interview, Rent the Runway founder and CEO Jennifer Hyman shares stories from her first meeting with fashion-giant Diane Von Furstenberg and how she's worked to foster and maintain relationships with more than 1,000 retail brands. "If you’re an entrepreneur, effectively you are a salesperson. That’s your number one skill that you need to have," Hyman says.   Interviewed by Cyerra Holmes, MBA ’23, Hyman talked about how growing up with a sibling with a disability helped her become relentlessly optimistic in the face of insurmountable odds. And, just twelve years after business school and those first meetings with fashion designers, Hyman took Rent The Runway public, becoming the 30th woman to complete an IPO in the history of U.S. markets.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.