The VentureFuel Visionaries
VentureFuel
Visionaries are defined as having extraordinary foresight and imagination. Those who can see what isn't there. They can imagine the unimaginable and they have the grit to make it happen. Business Visionaries are the change-agents embracing new opportunities to drive outsized results. From the C-Suite to the up-and-coming disruptors, they are blazing new paths, discovering inventive solutions and powering the future. Join us each week as we speak with these Visionaries: the entrepreneurs, investors and corporate leaders driving transformative change across business and society.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 17, 2020 • 34min
Rapid Military Innovation – AFVentures Director, Jason Rathje
Jason Rathje, Major in the Air Force, aeronautical engineer and Director of AFVentures spent 3 years researching the intersection of entrepreneurship, innovation, and national security at Stanford. Now he is part of the team that implements novel initiatives to accelerate product-market fit between companies passionate about national security and Air Force users who need their revolutionary technologies. We talk disruption insurance, how to make it easier for startups to interact with the government and the benefits of open platforms.
Sep 10, 2020 • 21min
Enrich Conversations Everywhere – Holler Founder & CEO, Travis Montaque
Holler is on a mission to make your texts, posts, and DMs more expressive by creating original content meant for messaging (think GIFs/fun animated stickers in places like LinkedIn and Venmo) and then recommending the most relevant ones at just the right moment. 2020 Most Innovative Company (Fast Co), Entrepreneur Magazine’s Most Daring Entrepreneur, Forbes 30 Under 30 -- Founder & CEO Travis Montaque.
Sep 8, 2020 • 41min
Welcome to 2030 – Paramount Pictures Futurist in Residence, Ted Schilowitz
Ted Schilowitz is the Futurist in Residence at Paramount Pictures/Viacom CBS, where he works with studio leadership and tech teams exploring new and emerging technologies. We explore XR, the acceleration caused by the pandemic and why large companies need to get curious about tomorrow. How do we consume content in 2030? Take a listen...
Sep 3, 2020 • 31min
A.I. Democratizing Music – Amper Music CEO Drew Silverstein
Amper is an artificial intelligence composer that allows you to create your own unique music instantly, tailored to any content, without any musical experience required. In fact, I used it to create our new podcast music. CEO Drew Silverstein and I talk about the fusion of music theory and AI. We discuss how you can unlock emotional intent through sonic branding and how to find your sound whether it be Orchestral Hip-Hop, How To Train Your Dragon or Jackson Browne. www.ampermusic.com
Sep 1, 2020 • 28min
Optimizing Human Performance - Mel Strong, Next Ventures Managing Partner
How can the tech tools of the most elite athletes help us perform better in our daily lives? Why should large companies partner with startups? Can sports transform culture? Mel Strong is the Managing Partner at Next Ventures, a VC fund investing in human performance via innovative health, sports and wellness companies. Mel began her investing career after 17 years at Nike where she held senior roles on NikeID, Women’s Training, Skateboarding and more, and is now an advisor to Nike’s Valiant Labs as well as on the board of Women in SportsTech.
Aug 27, 2020 • 37min
Leading in the Dark - Adrian Parker, Global Vice President, Marketing at Patron
Normal Ain’t Working. CFO – Chief Failure Officer. Unrealistic Leaders Move Irreversibly. Storytelling Through Technology. These were just a few of the titles we considered after talking with Adrian Parker – Global VP of Patron, where he oversees all things marketing across 100 countries for the company Bacardi bought for $5b. Learn how Adrian leads and makes decision amidst ambiguity and an ever-changing environment.
Aug 25, 2020 • 16min
Supercharged Children’s Nutrition - Bears Nutrition Founding Team
When an Olympic Gold Medalist + Former UNICEF Chairman + Pediatric Nutritionist + VC with 3 Stanford Degrees get together to create a delicious kids nutritional shake. Winner of the Real California Milk Accelerator, Bears Nutrition, is supercharged milk to provide essential nutrients to help active kids grow. We welcome Adam Kreek: Olympic Gold Medalist and member of the Canadian Hall of Fame; Kevin Yeung: former UNICEF Chairman, and David Sheu: Co-Founder of Bears Nutrition to talk about accelerating growth for both startups and children.
Aug 20, 2020 • 24min
The Power of Passion Communities - Twitch Chief Revenue Officer Walker Jacobs
Why did Amazon buy Twitch for $970M in 2014, and why are the NFL, the Premier League and the biggest stars in music flocking to the platform today? Walker Jacobs, Chief Revenue Office of Twitch, tells us about the passion economy and why live, interactive and community-based content is the future. We also chat about selling new and different, why gaming is no longer niche, brand love, embracing innovation and why he may start to live-stream his bbq.
Aug 18, 2020 • 14min
Food Trends & Makers Communities - Foodboro Founder Mark Johnson
What’s next in food, grocery and beverages? Who are the next wave of makers and how Mark Johnson is building a community to give them the insights and services they need to thrive. Foodboro’s passionate micro-community of food and beverage innovators are connecting with each other to overcome challenges of scaling up and looking to disrupt yesterday’s CPG giants.
Aug 13, 2020 • 24min
Augmenting Our Realities - Eyecandylab CEO & Co-Founder Robin Sho Moser
From immersive ocean worlds for adidas in Paris, to AR Home Shopping Experiences with LG in Korea, to slime dripping from YOUR ceiling during a Nickelodeon broadcast - Eyecandylab is augmenting our experiences for the better, and doing it in a way that is both accessible and scalable with our current devices. We talk about the metaverse, why we can’t Shazam our way to the second screen and what’s next for television and sports.
