Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders (ETL)

Shiza Shahid, co-founder of Our Place and Malala Fund, shares her journey from activism to entrepreneurship. She discusses product design, patents in business strategies, and meaningful work decisions. Shiza also talks about working with a spouse as co-CEOs in a business venture.

Learn about building trustworthy AI systems with ethical foundations at Anthropic, exploring AI model interpretability, constitutional AI, and the versatility of Claud AI tool. Discover the challenges and considerations in implementing generative AI models, balancing safety features in AI models, and navigating complementary roles in leadership within the company.

Ernestine Fu, managing general partner of venture capital firm Brave Capital, talks about navigating the entrepreneurship world at Stanford, using capital wisely in building a successful company, exploring different career paths and taking risks, the importance of team and mindset in startups, and defense investments and startup technology.

ETL is off this week, but in its place, we’re pleased to share the first episode of a new podcast from Stanford eCorner and STVP called Move Fast and Fix the Planet. It’s about climate and sustainability entrepreneurship, and this episode features ETL host Emily Ma, head of special projects in sustainability, real estate, and workplace services at Google. Delve into Emily's journey as an intrapreneur focusing on sustainability within Google's internal operations, particularly in the realm of food systems. Learn about the unique opportunities and obstacles she’s encountered in building a more sustainable future. Gain insights into the entrepreneurial mindset, the intersection of technology and agriculture, and the importance of holistic approaches in addressing global challenges. Move Fast and Fix the Planet is hosted by Mike Lepech, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford’s School of Engineering.-----------------------------------Stanford eCorner content is produced by STVP, the Stanford Engineering Entrepreneurship Center. At STVP, we empower aspiring entrepreneurs to become global citizens who create and scale responsible innovations.CONNECT WITH USTwitter: https://twitter.com/ECorner LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stanfordtechnologyventuresprogram/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ecorner LEARN MOREeCorner Website: https://ecorner.stanford.edu/STVP Website: https://stvp.stanford.edu/Support our mission of providing students and educators around the world with free access to Stanford University’s network of entrepreneurial thought leaders: https://ecorner.stanford.edu/give.

Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao discuss their new book "The Friction Project" and the importance of understanding friction. Topics include pushing back successfully, growth vs. speed in startups, advantages/disadvantages of early stage funding, and the value of choosing the right boss or VC.

Adrian Rodriguez, co-founder and CEO of Dreamlinks, shares his journey as a visually impaired entrepreneur and his dreams of helping other blind and visually impaired people with technology. He discusses the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities and the impact of visual prosthetics on his education. Adrian also talks about his friendship with blind YouTuber Molly Burke and the lessons he learned from her as an entrepreneur. He explores the challenges of game design and introduces Dreamlinks, an alternative for creating augmented reality games. Adrian shares four lessons for pursuing entrepreneurial dreams and discusses the business model behind Dreamlinks as a toy.

Jessica Jackley, founder of Kiva and Untapped Capital, shares her journey as a mission-focused entrepreneur and the power of asking 'what if' questions. She discusses the impact of changing details in storytelling and problem-solving, and highlights the inspiring story of Patrick, who built a thriving business in Uganda. The podcast emphasizes the importance of being honest with oneself, taking the leap to pursue dreams, and creating value without barriers.

Sarah Lamaison, co-founder and CEO of Dioxycle, discusses pioneering sustainable chemistry by converting carbon emissions into everyday chemicals. Topics include decarbonizing industries, avoiding pitfalls in startup founding, developing carbon dioxide conversion tech, overcoming challenges in complex technology, the importance of public-private partnerships and private capital, and goals in the climate tech space.

Michelle Lee, Founder and CEO of Medra, with previous experience at NVIDIA, SpaceX, and McKinsey, talks about starting her deep tech company and giving advice to aspiring founders. She discusses the decision between academia and starting a company, the moment of conviction in entrepreneurship, the importance of optimism, growth mindset, and social support, the importance of building a network and seeking help, and the decision between horizontal and vertical focus and the potential of biology.

Andy Dunn, entrepreneur and author of "Burn Rate: Launching a Startup and Losing My Mind", shares his experiences with bipolar disorder and highlights the importance of acknowledging mental health challenges in the world of entrepreneurs. He discusses neurodiversity in entrepreneurship, the mental health challenges of bipolar disorder, and the power of disclosure and vulnerability in improving mental health. Dunn also emphasizes the need to recognize and respond to bids for help and embrace neurodiversity in society.