Wharton Tech Toks

Join us for this episode with Peter Cohen, Senior Director of Business Development at Terawatt. In this show we dive into how Terawatt is building commercial scale charging facilities to help facilitate fleets transition to EVs. Terawatt is rapidly growing so give the episode a listen to learn more about them.

Join Atin Sanyal, Co-founder and CTO of Galileo, and Tanika Mehra, Wharton MBA Class of 2025, as they delve into the future of AI-driven platforms and the challenges of building trustworthy generative AI applications. Atin shares his journey from working on natural language systems at Apple to leading Uber’s end-to-end AI platform, where he handled critical models for predicting ETAs, food recommendations, and ride safety. Atin Sanyal founded Galileo to address key issues like model errors, hallucinations, and compliance in generative AI. Drawing on over a decade of experience in AI and ML, including leading AI initiatives at both Apple and Uber, Atin explains the importance of building scalable AI products with transparency, accuracy, and auditability. Tune in for an inspiring discussion on navigating the complexities of AI in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.

Join Nicholas Stevens, VP of Product (AI) at Zillow, and Manasi Patwa, Wharton MBA Class of 2025, as they discuss Zillow's approach to creating and implementing AI-based products. Tune in to this episode for an in-depth discussion on Zillow's key AI features and the tech infrastructure needed to support a growing AI-focused product group. Nicholas Stevens is a Vice President of Product focused on Artificial Intelligence at Zillow. As part of his role, Nicholas leads Zillow’s strategy to incorporate cutting-edge AI into its product suite, including in customer service, improved search, media, and loan officer efficiency applications. Prior to joining Zillow in 2016, Nicholas was a Product Manager at Prismatic and Twitter and began his career in corporate strategy at Juniper Networks. He holds a Bachelor’s from Wharton and a Master’s in Computer Science from Stanford. 

Join Quincy Lee, CEO and Founder of Electric Era to talk about how he and his team applied learnings from Space X to help reinvent electric vehicle chargers. If you are interested in electric vehicles or just how to build a hardware based startup, this episode is for you! If you are interested in learning more about Electric Era you can follow them on the following platforms: Linkedin  𝕏 Website

Join Emily Bennett, Principal at Owl VC, and Manasi Patwa on this episode of Wharton Tech Toks. Owl VC is the largest education technology-focused investment firm with $2B in assets under management and 79 portfolio companies invested in to-date. Emily and Manasi delve into key differences among edtech business models, the role of SPACs in the sector, and the impact of recent AI/data analytics advances on how students, educators, and educational institutions will evolve.

Technology growth equity combines deep market research, proactive prospect sourcing, and thorough due diligence - all targeted at rapidly-developing, innovative sectors. Lead Edge Capital, named a GrowthCap Top Growth Equity Firm in 2023, has $5B in assets under management and counts visionary companies such as Toast, Alibaba, and Figs within its portfolio. Listen as Manasi Patwa speaks with Mitchell Green, Founder and Managing Partner at Lead Edge. The two discuss Lead Edge's founding history, differentiators of a successful growth equity firm, and lessons learned from some of Lead Edge's key transactions.

Join Manasi Patwa and Julien Guiot in a conversation with Cassie Miao, Director of M&A and Ventures at Databricks. In this episode, we dive into sourcing and due diligence best practices in corporate venture and discuss the fastest-growing areas within data infrastructure and data intelligence. Cassie also sheds light on skills associated with a successful career in tech corporate development.

Employee acquisition, retention, and management are top-of-mind objectives across SMBs and enterprises alike. AI offers an opprotunity to dramatically improve companies' abilities to respond to employee needs and proactively drive better employee experiences--and Eightfold AI is at the forefront of this. Join Manasi Patwa and Cynthia Zhou as they speak with Matias Spinetta, Global Vice President of Revenue Operations at Eightfold. If you were curious about drivers of go-to-market success and creative strategy in a fast-growing enterprise AI leader, this episode provides a deep-dive into this arena - along with an insightful discussion around what will define differentiated B2B AI companies in the long-term.

For those interested in the intersection of tech and entertainment, join Steph Kim in this exciting episode as she dives into YouTube creator empowerment with Monica Khan (EVP, Creator Team) and Tyler L. Woods (Director, Creator Experience Strategy & Programs) of Spotter, named one of TIME100's Most Influential Companies in 2023. In addition to providing top creators — from MrBeast to Airrack — with upfront capital, Spotter offers support through innovative AI tools, community, insights, and more. Monica and Tyler share their favorite creator success stories and offer advice for breaking into the industry.

Akhil Iyer from Shield Capital joins the discussion, bringing his expertise in dual-use technologies after eight years in the Marines. He explores the intricate balance between military and commercial tech, emphasizing the pivotal role of AI, cybersecurity, and drones. Akhil highlights how government contracts are shaping venture capital dynamics and the importance of innovation in defense. The conversation also delves into future trends, particularly in the competitive US-China landscape, predicting significant impacts on technology deployment and logistics.