
Sand Hill Road
What makes Silicon Valley the innovation capital of the world? It all starts on Sand Hill Road, considered the mecca of venture capital. Join us for insightful interviews from the heart of Silicon Valley with the VCs, start-ups and innovators behind the trending technologies of tomorrow. Hosted by NBC Bay Area business and technology reporter and host of Press:Here, Scott McGrew.
Latest episodes

May 15, 2025 • 17min
Lori Rosenkopf's Unstoppable Entrepreneurs
Sand Hill Road Host Scott McGrew speaks with Wharton Vice Dean of Entrepreneurship Lori Rosenkopf, author of Unstoppable Entrepreneurs: 7 Paths for Unleashing Successful Startups and Creating Value through Innovation. They talk about breaking the mold of the "typical" founder, why the median age of successful startup founders is older than you think, and how economic dislocation may actually fuel the next wave of innovation.Rosenkopf reflects on the myth of the 20-something founder with a Stanford degree and a Greylock check, and predicts how ex-government workers could help reinvent the public sector from the outside.To learn more about Wharton's Venture Lab, visit venturelab.upenn.edu.Sara Bueno manages NBC Bay Area's digital platforms. Stephanie Adrouny is the station's news director. If you'd like to get in touch, email us at sandhillroad@nbcuni.com or on any social media platform at @nbcbayarea.

May 9, 2025 • 24min
Entrepreneurship through the eyes of Navin Chaddha
Sand Hill Road Host Scott McGrew spoke with Navin Chaddha, managing partner at Mayfield Fund, to learn more about what the world of entrepreneurship really is. Chaddha has placed in the Top 10 of Forbes' Midas List four times and is hoping to make that list again. Sand Hill Road is hosted by Scott McGrew. Sara Bueno manages NBC Bay Area's digital platforms. Stephanie Adrouny is the station's news director. If you'd like to get in touch, email us at sandhillroad@nbcuni.com or on any social media platform at @nbcbayarea.

May 1, 2025 • 29min
Larry Gadea's startup journey
Sand Hill Road Host Scott McGrew spoke with Larry Gadea, CEO and founder of Envoy, to learn more about his early days at Twitter, now known as X, and Google and what led him to make the entrepreneurial jump. Sand Hill Road is hosted by Scott McGrew. Sara Bueno manages NBC Bay Area's digital platforms. Stephanie Adrouny is the station's news director. If you'd like to get in touch, email us at sandhillroad@nbcuni.com or on any social media platform at @nbcbayarea.

Apr 10, 2025 • 23min
Bobby Franklin’s unkillable movie monster
Just like Godzilla and Frankenstein were misunderstood, so is the case with tax breaks on carried interest, according to those who benefit from it. Some would characterize venture capital as a high-risk business, and the economic incentives of carried interest make it worthwhile.Congress has attempted to kill the carried interest tax loophole, but Bobby Franklin, president and CEO of the National Venture Capital Association, has used his role to interrupt those measures. Sand Hill Road Host Scott McGrew spoke with Franklin to learn more about the state of the industry and why carried interest tax breaks are so important to venture capital. Sand Hill Road is hosted by Scott McGrew and produced and edited by Andrew Mendez. Sara Bueno manages NBC Bay Area's digital platforms. Stephanie Adrouny is the station's news director. If you'd like to get in touch, email us at sandhillroad@nbcuni.com or on any social media platform at @nbcbayarea.

Apr 4, 2025 • 28min
How AI is transforming the cybersecurity landscape
There's no shortage of cybersecurity companies, and artificial intelligence continues to help transform that competitive landscape. So, how do investors decide who's worth helping? Casber Wang, a partner at Sapphire Ventures, identifies what's hot in the market now and where there's promise. Sand Hill Road Host Scott McGrew spoke with Wang to learn more about the space and what stands out to him. Also, McGrew finds out why Wang's name is similar to that of a "Friendly Ghost." Sand Hill Road is hosted by Scott McGrew and produced and edited by Andrew Mendez. Sara Bueno manages NBC Bay Area's digital platforms. Stephanie Adrouny is the station's news director. If you'd like to get in touch, email us at sandhillroad@nbcuni.com or on any social media platform at @nbcbayarea.

Mar 24, 2025 • 19min
Diagnosing diseases and saving lives with AI
Dr. Joshua Reicher, co-founder and CEO of Imvaria, initially missed the opportunity to develop a company similar to DraftKings and instead decided to focus on saving lives. As a serial entrepreneur, he has been committed to using artificial intelligence to improve patient diagnostics since some may not be accurate. Reicher aims to change that, particularly in the context of certain lung diseases, by leveraging AI technology. Sand Hill Road Host Scott McGrew spoke with Reicher to learn more Imvaria's approach to "advancing noninvasive AI biomarkers for better patient lives." Sand Hill Road is hosted by Scott McGrew and produced and edited by Andrew Mendez. Sara Bueno manages NBC Bay Area's digital platforms. Stephanie Adrouny is the station's news director. If you'd like to get in touch, email us at sandhillroad@nbcuni.com or on any social media platform at @nbcbayarea.

Mar 6, 2025 • 30min
AI 's role in developing category killer therapeutics
Dr. Jim Tananbaum, founder and CEO of Foresite Capital, has always had two areas of interest: mathematics and computer algorithms, biology and healthcare. With his passions in mind, he has developed and managed a venture firm with close to $3.5 billion in assets under management. Sand Hill Road Host Scott McGrew spoke with Tananbaum to learn more about how artificial intelligence is fueling developments in healthcare and therapeutics. Sand Hill Road is hosted by Scott McGrew and produced and edited by Andrew Mendez. Sara Bueno manages NBC Bay Area's digital platforms. Stephanie Adrouny is the station's news director. If you'd like to get in touch, email us at sandhillroad@nbcuni.com or on any social media platform at @nbcbayarea.

Feb 14, 2025 • 27min
Fungus among us? 'Canadian values' in the Bay Area VC market
Terry Doyle, managing partner and vice president of Telus Global Ventures, is vocal about spreading the firm's mission, from changing names to understanding how 'Canadian values' play a role in the venture capital market. Sand Hill Road Host Scott McGrew spoke with Doyle, the former senior director of corporate development at Nokia, to learn more about Telus' investment strategy and the closest thing the U.S. has to a Tim Hortons coffee. Sand Hill Road is hosted by Scott McGrew and produced and edited by Andrew Mendez. Sara Bueno manages NBC Bay Area's digital platforms. Stephanie Adrouny is the station's news director. If you'd like to get in touch, email us at sandhillroad@nbcuni.com or on any social media platform at @nbcbayarea.

Jan 23, 2025 • 29min
Why does Steve Vassallo of Foundation Capital choose to invest early?
Steve Vassallo, a general partner at Foundation Capital, has been known to invest at the intersection of design, technology, and business, but at a very early stage. He said much of it has to do with hearing the lessons of his "helicopter mom," the late Helen Guillette Vassallo, a well-known business professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Sand Hill Road Host Scott McGrew spoke with Vassallo, a former project lead engineer at IDEO, to learn more about why he invests early on in startups, his cryptocurrency philosophy, and how his upbringing helped shape his investment ideology. Sand Hill Road is hosted by Scott McGrew and produced and edited by Andrew Mendez. Sara Bueno manages NBC Bay Area's digital platforms. Stephanie Adrouny is the station's news director. If you'd like to get in touch, email us at sandhillroad@nbcuni.com or on any social media platform at @nbcbayarea.

Jan 16, 2025 • 20min
A $40 Million Investment in Exploding Kittens
Exploding Kittens, a kitty-powered version of Russian Roulette, has become a household staple. The company launched on Kickstarter and has never lost its edge. However, despite much success, the company's founding team decided to accept a $40 million investment, which it has yet to use. Sand Hill Road Host Scott McGrew spoke with Elan Lee, the creator of one of the most successful card games in history, to learn more about the company's history and success. Sand Hill Road is hosted by Scott McGrew and produced and edited by Andrew Mendez. Sara Bueno manages NBC Bay Area's digital platforms. Stephanie Adrouny is the station's news director. If you'd like to get in touch, email us at sandhillroad@nbcuni.com or on any social media platform at @nbcbayarea.