

Sand Hill Road
NBC Bay Area
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dec 13, 2024 • 12min
Bay Area Venture Market Remains King
The state of venture capital appears to be rocky at the moment. A report from PitchBook Data and the National Venture Capital Association highlights potential weakness ahead in the venture industry. The Pitchbook/NVCA Venture Monitor First Look report showed fewer active investors and high deal counts but repeat investing. What does that mean for the Bay Area? Sand Hill Road Host Scott McGrew spoke with Kyle Stanford, the Lead venture capital Analyst at PitchBook, to learn more about the report and its local impacts.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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Oct 31, 2024 • 14min
San Francisco's Death is Greatly Exaggerated
Analysis by SignalFire shows the Bay Area still has more tech than 10 other cities combined. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Oct 21, 2024 • 28min
Mike Schroepfer is Saving the World, One Big Step at a Time
The Gigascale founder has big ideas on clean power and clean air. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sep 3, 2024 • 19min
Brian Cho is Ready to Play
Patron Fund's co-founder invests in video games. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Aug 20, 2024 • 25min
Michael Marks of Celesta Capital
Marks discusses global supply chains, manufacturing and his stint as interim CEO at Tesla in 2007.This episode was first released on Nov. 22, 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Aug 2, 2024 • 23min
Rob Smith of M13
Smith talks about AI company misconceptions and his journey from startup fixer to venture capitalist investor. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.