The Recursive Podcast

Our next guest’s mission is to make artificial intelligence more secure and reliable. Petar Tsankov is at the unique intersection of science and entrepreneurship. Until recently, He’s was researcher and a lecturer at ETH Zurich, and currently co-founder of LatticeFlow, a company helping machine learning teams build and deploy trustworthy AI. Before that, Petar already had one successful exit. He sold his first company ChainSecurity to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Petar is the proud owner of “The John Atanassov” award - an initiative that supports young Bulgarian inventors in the area of information technology. He has a Computer Science degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology. In the episode, Petar talks about: 🤖 What is critical to win the market of deep learning technology?; 🤔 Can AI offer more fair way to treat people? 🎨 Is there a boundary between what humans can do and what technology can do?

Our next guest discovered entrepreneurship when he was a teenager. Since then Radu Negulescu has been running multiple successful businesses. While still in university, he founded Trencadis, a company developing IT solutions for governmental institutions and businesses. Trencadis was recognized as one of the fastest-growing companies in Central Europe by Deloitte. During the pandemic, Radu appointed a seasoned manager to run Trencadis to jump-start a new venture. His company Sessions was founded on the verge of transitioning toward remote and hybrid work. Sessions’ mission is to solve the problem of unproductive meetings and help teams communicate more effectively. In the episode, Radu reflects on his journey from a teen entrepreneur, through university-drop-out, to a serial entrepreneur. In this episode you will hear: ✂️ Why entrepreneurship is a craft; 🔮 What is the future of hybrid work; 🤔 How management is different from leadership; 🗂️ His theoretical framework about the nature of information;

Our next guest has participated in the Romanian tech ecosystem since its inception. First as an angel investor, today, Dan Mihaescu is the founding partner of GapMinder VC. He has led GapMinder’s investments in companies like FintechOS, TypingDNA, Cartloop, Cyscale, and DruidAI. Before that,  Dan was a seasoned business executive with experience in small, medium to large enterprises, M&A deals, and venture acceleration. Dan is also an INSEAD Alumni and Harvard Business School graduate. In his conversation with Irina, Dan reflects on the evolution of the Romanian tech ecosystem, his decision-making process as an investor, and the building up of the business expertise in the region. In the episode, you’ll hear: 🌐 What is the spill-over effect after UiPath’s global success? 🚩What are the red flags when an investor is making a risk assessment? ❓What is the question Dan asks founders to test whether they’re playing the long game?

Our next guest is one of the most influential people in tech in Europe. Mike Butcher is Editor-at-large at TechCrunch. But his journalistic work has appeared in many media outlets from The Guardian to the BBC, and Bloomberg. He was recognized by the Queen of England for his services in tech industry and journalism. Mike has also advised UK Prime Ministers and the Mayor of London on tech startup policy. He is the founder of the non-profit Techfugees. A global organization providing tech solutions for displaced people. In his conversation with Irina, Mike opens up about how he got the journalism “bug”. He shares his observation on the growth of the European tech ecosystem and reflects whether regulations are a hurdle or an opportunity for tech businesses. He offers his view on what’s the best use of public money to fuel innovation. Watch the episode to find out: 🔥 Which tech trend he’s most passionate about? 🏃‍♀️ What are the unique advantages of Eastern Europe when it comes to innovation? 🛑 What is the major pitfall startup founders make when pitching their product? 🎙️ What’s the most interesting interview he’s had of all the founders he’s met?

Our next guest takes education very seriously. So much so, that she founded an ed-tech startup. Evelina Necula is the co-founder of Kinderpredia. A school management software that simplifies administrative stuff to help teachers, parents, and students communicate better. Today, Kinderpedia is used by schools and kindergartens in 14 countries. In over 2000 schools and kindergartens worldwide. Evelina leans on her marketing and B2B sales experience to scale the company. In her conversation with Georgi Nenov, Evelina shares why and how she decided to become an entrepreneur even though she had a great career as a marketing professional. Evelina and her co-founders first spotted the need for better communication between parents and teachers. They saw the difficulties both parties were going through to stay in touch - the frustration of the teachers and the anxiety of the parents to be disconnected from their children’s experience in school or kindergarten for most of the day. And they realized the huge opportunity children were missing not having the most important adults in their life communicate and work together towards their progress, Evelina explains. In the episode, she talks about: 🎒 Kinderpedia’s vision to transform education; ✨ What is at the core of leadership? 🤔 Why spending time on validation of your product pays off;

Our next guest is born an entrepreneur. At just 23 years old, he already had three companies, making profits. Andrei Ursachi is a serial entrepreneur, currently serving as the CEO of Stailer, an online booking platform for the beauty industry.  An opportunity Andrei saw and acted on in the midst of the pandemic. He utilizes his background in digital marketing and psychology to build fast-scaling companies. In his conversation with Georgi Nenov, Andrei reflects on what is it like to stay at the top of your game in this intense competition that is running a startup business. Watch the episode for insights on: 💅🏻How he built Linkedin for beauty professionals; 💙 How business teaches you to stay anxious but follow your intuition; 🥊 How to get up when you’ve been knocked down;

Our next guest has a passion for exploring the barriers to AI implementation. As a startup founder, and an advisor, but also as an investor. Dimitrios Skaltsas is the co-founder and Executive Director of Intelligencia. A company that helps pharma and biotech companies reduce risks in drug development and bring new drugs to market faster. Dimitrios has an MBA from INSEAD and he has been an executive resident there. And he has also led the Big Data and AI department at McKinsey New Ventures. Dimitris lives in New York, but you can meet him often in Athens. Intelligentsia’s headquarters is across the ocean, but Athens is the R&D powerhouse of the company. In his conversation with Irina, Dimitris shares lessons learned from: 🥧 His first entrepreneurial venture, selling traditional Greek cheese pies in New York; 📏 Measuring success in a sophisticated industry like drug development; 🧠 Thinking both fast and slow to grow and accelerate a startup;

Our next guest is a true community builder and a person with a passion and talent for connecting people. Pavlina Yanakieva is the co-founder and CEO of Bulgaria Innovation Hub. A non-profit that aims to build bridges between Sofia and the Silicon Valley and help local entrepreneurs scale their businesses in the US market. Before that Pavlina gained experience in sales, marketing, and network development at US Telecoms like AT&T and T-Mobile. She has also worked for Google and Cingular Wireless. Pavlina has a degree in International Relations from San Jose State University in California. And she has specialized in entrepreneurship and product management at Stanford and Berkeley. In her conversation with Georgi Nenov, she reflects on how to crack the culture code when it comes to the perception of entrepreneurship and failure in Bulgaria and the US. She also talks about the power of networks, and her mission to support education in Bulgaria. In the episode you’ll also hear: 👨‍👧How her grandfather taught her first entrepreneurial skills; 🏋️‍♀️ How to nurture a culture of confidence and self-worth in Bulgaria; 🏃‍♀️ What are Europe’s advantages in the competition for capital and talent with China and the US;

Our next guest is known as the Guru of the Greek startups. Apostolos Apostolakis is a partner at Venture Friends. The first 100% private venture capital fund in Greece with successful exits and soonicorns like Blueground and Spotawheel in their portfolio.  Today, Venture Friends has spread its impact not only throughout Europe but also to South America and the Middle East. Apostolos also has a vast portfolio as an angel investor. But before that he was a serial entrepreneur, tapping into niches like e-commerce.  Apostolos has studied civil engineering and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School. He kickstarted his career as a consultant at Boston Consulting Group.  In his conversation with Desy Karapchanska, he shares his lessons learned along his journey from consultancy, to entrepreneurship, to the world of VC.  In the episode, you’ll also hear:   🍀 Why intuition is essential in making investment choices;  🔍 How to keep an open mind for constant learning;  🗺️ How to scale a company worldwide;

Next on The Recursive podcast, we welcome the Chief Financial Officer and Partner at LAUNCHub Ventures, Irina Dimitrova. She left behind a prospective career in London, where she graduated in Banking and International Finance from the University of London, to pursue her dream - of making an impact in her home country, Bulgaria. With her financial acumen and determination, she managed to put Southeast Europe on the map for investments when entrepreneurship was still at its embryonic level. First, she wanted to pursue a career in project management, but things took another turn and she became one of the first women in the venture capital market in our region by joining LAUNCHub Ventures. In this episode, you will hear more about: What is the driving force behind a successful career in venture capital? What is more important than the entrepreneurial idea for investors? What does the future of the SEE region hold?