Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders (ETL)

Dave Vasen, founder and CEO of brightwheel, shares his experience creating a software solution for early childhood education. Topics include revolutionizing early education, addressing pain points in the pre-K space, supporting parents and children in the transition back to the office, pitching a SaaS company on reality TV, and reflections on the entrepreneurial journey.

Annie Hockey is the co-CEO of Column, a nationally chartered bank that publicly launched in 2022 for developers who are building modern financial products and services. Hockey leads, among other functions, the regulatory, legal, accounting, and human resources aspects of Column. In this conversation with Stanford lecturer Emily Ma, Hockey discusses how she and her co-founder/co-CEO have navigated the complex regulations of the banking industry while building an innovative fintech company.—-----------------------------------Stanford eCorner content is produced by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program. 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/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StanfordTechnologyVenturesProgram/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ecornerLEARN 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.

Elise Densborn, Co-CEO of Splendid Spoon, shares her journey from customer to co-CEO of the direct-to-consumer meal delivery platform. They discuss challenges in fundraising during the pandemic, making healthy meals accessible, and building a competitive moat in the plant-based market.

Dante Disparte is chief strategy officer and head of global policy at Circle, a global financial technology firm at the center of digital currency innovation and open financial infrastructure. He is responsible for overseeing the company strategy, communications, policy and public affairs. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Disparte discusses important lessons from high-profile failures in the financial tech industry and his hopes and advice for building an ethical and innovative future for blockchain and crypto-based companies.—-----------------------------------Stanford eCorner content is produced by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program. 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/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StanfordTechnologyVenturesProgram/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ecornerLEARN 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.

Trevor Martin, CEO of Mammoth Biosciences, and Ursheet Parikh, Partner at Mayfield Venture Capital, discuss building a platform biotech company, utilizing CRISPR technology for genetic diseases, choosing the right market, the importance of company infrastructure, the value of a PhD for entrepreneurs, and ethical considerations in biotech companies.

Charles Hudson, founder and managing partner of Precursor Ventures, discusses structural inequities in the venture capital industry and how to create more access to funding for founders who don’t fit the traditional mold. They explore overlooked factors in VC funding, the role of race in venture capital, and the need for more diversity. Hudson also shares insights into the research process and the ethical implications of investing in certain industries.

Dr. Jerrica Kirkley is the chief medical officer and co-founder of Plume, a virtual healthcare center of excellence dedicated to the transgender community that provides gender-affirming medical care at the convenience of a smartphone. Kiki Freedman is the CEO and co-founder of Hey Jane, a virtual clinic offering telemedicine abortion care, which she founded while at Harvard Business School. In this conversation with Stanford Associate Professor Melissa Valentine, Kirkley and Freedman discuss the opportunities and challenges for entrepreneurs who want to help underserved patients while building successful digital healthcare companies.—-----------------------------------Stanford eCorner content is produced by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program. 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/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StanfordTechnologyVenturesProgram/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ecornerLEARN 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.

Dr. Lisa Dyson is the founder and CEO of Air Protein, a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer company that is reinventing how food is produced in order to sustainably feed the global population, which is estimated to reach 10 billion people by 2050. Air Protein uses an innovative process that makes meat from elements of the air. In this conversation with Stanford Professor Tom Byers, Dyson discusses how her company is finding a totally new process to create a familiar product, and how innovations like these are part of solving climate change.—-----------------------------------Stanford eCorner content is produced by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program. 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/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StanfordTechnologyVenturesProgram/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ecornerLEARN 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.

Tim Brown is the co-founder, co-CEO, and creative vision behind Allbirds, the sustainability-focused shoe company he co-founded in 2015. His experience as a World Cup soccer player for New Zealand led him to think about things on a grand scale, whether that be crafting shoes or running a business. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Brown discusses his predictions for a future economy shaped by carbon accounting and reflects on how aspiring entrepreneurs can learn from his experiences building a sustainable brand.—-----------------------------------Stanford eCorner content is produced by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program. 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/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StanfordTechnologyVenturesProgram/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ecornerLEARN 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.

Meirav Oren, CEO and co-founder of Versatile, discusses forging your own path as a new founder. Topics include filtering advice, asking for help, building with confidence, empowering superintendents in the construction industry, and the importance of vulnerability, transparency, and humanization in leadership.