

Trailblazers
Erica Wenger
Trailblazers is your favorite tech + VC podcast, hosted by Erica Wenger, GP at Park Rangers Capital. Each week, Erica sits down with founders, operators, and investors who’ve found conventional success in unconventional ways.From billion-dollar exits to scrappy early pivots, Trailblazers brings you unfiltered stories of how the next generation of companies are really built. Guests share the hardest moments, the surprising wins, and the lessons that don’t make it onto LinkedIn.This podcast is presented by Brex. New episodes every Tuesday.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 28, 2021 • 45min
Poppy Jamie: Co-Founder of Happy Not Perfect & Co-Founder of Pop & Suki
This week, we chat with Poppy Jamie. Poppy Jamie is one of the world’s leading entrepreneurs, podcast hosts and speakers in the mental wellbeing and mindfulness space, on a mission to democratize conversation and tools for emotional and mental health. Poppy is the founder of the award-winning Happy Not Perfect mindset app, host of the chart topping Not Perfect podcast and author of Happy Not Perfect: Upgrade Your Mind, Challenge Your Thoughts and Free Yourself From Anxiety.Poppy kicked off her career while studying at the London School of Economics when she became the youngest television host at ITN. After graduating, Poppy moved to Los Angeles to work with MTV, ITV and later launched Pillow Talk with Poppy, Snapchat’s first chat show. Then in 2015, Happy Not Perfect was born out of a clear need for a tool to deal with anxiety. Poppy received hundreds of messages from viewers opening up about their stress and anxiety. With her mom being a neurotherapist, Poppy decided something needed to be created to help everyone manage their mental wellbeing better. Whilst developing Happy Not Perfect, Poppy co-founded accessories brand Pop & Suki with actress Suki Waterhouse. The brand celebrates the meaning of friendship. The following year in 2016, Poppy delivered a TEDx talk 'Addicted to likes’, which focused on the harmful effect social media has on our mental health. In 2017, Forbes named Poppy one of their 30 under 30s and she was appointed as the youngest board member of the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital Advisory Board at UCLA to help consult on the well-being of students.Follow us!Poppy: @poppyjamie (and on Fireside here)Happy Not Perfect: @happynotperfect (and buy the book here)Not Perfect Podcast: on Apple Podcasts here and Spotify hereDear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething (and on Fireside here)

Sep 10, 2021 • 49min
Shaniqua McClendon: Political Director at Crooked Media & Creator of Vote Save America
This week, we chat with Shaniqua McClendon. Shaniqua has worked in politics for a decade and currently serves as Political Director for Crooked Media, home to the popular podcast, Pod Save America. In this role, Shaniqua led the creation of their voter engagement program, Vote Save America and volunteer engagement program, Adopt a State, which has educated millions of voters, recruited hundreds of thousands of volunteers and raised millions of dollars for progressive causes and candidates. Prior to Crooked Media, Shaniqua worked on Capitol Hill, serving as a policy advisor to Senator Kay R. Hagan and Congresswoman Alma S. Adams. Shaniqua earned a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications and a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She serves on the Register Her Board and was a fellow at the USC Center for the Political Future.Follow us!Shaniqua: @shaniquam (and on Fireside here)Crooked Media: @crookedmedia and website hereVote Save America: @votesaveamerica and website hereDear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething (and on Fireside here)

Aug 26, 2021 • 31min
Vanessa Dew: Co-Founder of Health-Ade Kombucha
This week, we chat with Vanessa Dew who is the Co-Founder of Health-Ade Kombucha. Vanessa founded Health-Ade Kombucha in 2012 alongside her best friends and husband-and-wife team, Justin and Daina Trout. As Chief Sales Officer, Vanessa brings an invaluable knowledge of sales and marketing amassed from years spent at a major pharmaceutical company before leaving to help start Health-Ade Kombucha. Through her expertise in channel penetration and people management, Vanessa has led Health-Ade’s sales team to boost availability in key channels and markets, while cultivating the Health-Ade brand as a whole. The brand is now available in 35,000 stores including Whole Foods, Target and Trader Joes.Originally from Los Angeles, Vanessa is a first-generation Asian American who has always had an interest in science as well as the entrepreneurial bug, even as a little kid. She received her BS in Biochemistry from UC San Diego and an MBA from the University of Southern California. One of her passions is to give back to the community and other entrepreneurs and serves as a USC Marshall Mentor, advises several young CPG companies, and is an active member of the Female Founder Collective, Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO) and Asian Business Association (ABA). Further, she’s an advisor of GoldHouse with the goal of helping to uplift other Asian American entrepreneurs. She has been awarded the NextGen Innovation Award and has spoken on her entrepreneurial journey from Singapore to NYC. Her interests and hobbies include cooking, travelling, experiencing the food scene in LA and beyond, staying active and hanging out with her husband, Kevin, their son, Oliver, and pup, Dubu.Follow us!Vanessa: @v_dew (and on Fireside here)Health-Ade Kombucha: @healthade and website hereRAPID Decision-Making (technique mentioned during show): more info hereDear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething (and on Fireside here)

Aug 12, 2021 • 40min
Tracy Tutor: Real Estate Agent & Star of Million Dollar Listing LA
This week, we chat with Tracy Tutor who is a luxury real estate agent and star of Million Dollar Listing LA. Continuously being ranked in the top 10 at Douglas Elliman, Tracy Tutor is an integral part of their Sports & Entertainment division. She has an undeniably strong presence and a confidence that has propelled her into the rooms of some of the most powerful people in LA, representing some of the most noteworthy brands in real estate, and iconic architects such as Frank Gehry, John Lautner, and Pierre Koenig. Tracy has consulted for the luxury five-star hotel and resort, Amangiri in Canyon Point, Utah on the sales of over $400 million dollars in branded real estate. From being the first female real estate broker on Million Dollar Listing LA, Tracy’s on-screen persona is revealed in her Instant Wall Street Journal bestselling book: "Fear Is Just a Four-Letter Word." A 21 year veteran in luxury real estate sales, Tracy is currently leading an exclusive virtual series intended to empower women using her raw and always uncensored attitude with one singular mission: provide a no-nonsense guide to analyzing big egos, deflecting power plays, and taking control of any room.Following the successful launch of the West Hollywood Edition, Tracy has exclusively represented the luxury development which has 100% sold in 2021 with sale prices ranging from $4M - $26.5M totaling nearly $200M, breaking records in Los Angeles for price per foot. Other significant sales in 2020 include Kristin Tutor's Holmby Hills Mansion, listed at $29,000,000, followed by $40,000,000+ sales in December alone.A native to California, Tracy has lived all over Los Angeles, from Hidden Hills to the Hollywood Hills. Growing up the daughter of Ronald Tutor, one of the most successful civil and building contractors in the country, Tracy was introduced to Real Estate at an early age. Shortly after graduating from the University of Southern California, she went to work for her father, acquiring a wealth of knowledge and a steadfast work ethic. After almost three years at Tutor/Perini, Tracy transitioned into a career in residential real estate and has never looked back. While expanding her business worldwide and taking on more new developments, Tracy strives to maintain a work-life balance by spending time with her family and friends.Follow us!Tracy: @tracytutor and website (and on Fireside here)Fear Is Just a Four-Letter Word (book written by Tracy, mentioned during show): book hereDear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething (and on Fireside here)

Jul 29, 2021 • 45min
Lavinia Errico: Founder of Equinox
This week, we chat with Lavinia Errico who is the visionary founder behind Equinox Fitness Clubs. She is a nationally acclaimed workplace and wellness entrepreneur and a speaker of essential truths on the subjects of Values-Driven Entrepreneurship, Developing Next Generation Leadership, The Women-Led Workplace, Spiritual Entrepreneurship, Keeping the Soul in Success, The Habits of Success, Building Your Brand, Culture Shifts, and Joy in the Hustle. A sought after board member, consultant, and angel investor in diverse startup companies across a multitude of industries, Lavinia inspires and transforms individuals and organizations with her unique and often disruptive take on how to create a richer, more authentic, inspiring, and joyful career and life journey.Follow us!Lavinia: @lavinajoy (and on Fireside here)Joy in the Journey Journal (practice created by Lavinia, mentioned during show): PDF hereConversations with My People (show hosted by Lavinia, mentioned during show): Watch hereDear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething (and on Fireside here)

Jul 15, 2021 • 31min
Beatrice Dixon: Founder & CEO of The Honey Pot Company
This week, we chat with Beatrice Dixon who is the Co-Founder and CEO of The Honey Pot Company. An empowering black female entrepreneur, Beatrice has been a recipient of the Sundial and Unilever’s multimillion-dollar New Voices fund; was 1 of the first 40 women of color to raise over one million in venture capital; and has been featured in T-Pain's School of Business, the BuzzFeed Ladylike series, The Today Show, CNN, The New York Times, Entrepreneur, ELLE, and Essence to name a few. When Beatrice was younger, she had been suffering with bacterial vaginosis for eight months when one night, an ancestor appeared to her in a dream and provided her with a list of ingredients to heal herself. From that visionary dream, the formula for a powerful and effective herb-powered vaginal wash was created. In 2014, Beatrice launched The Honey Pot Company, a plant-derived vaginal wellness line created with a goal of providing humans with healthy alternatives to traditional feminine care products that are free of unwanted chemicals, carcinogens and sulfates. The rest is history. Through her diverse background and experience, Beatrice continues to make a mark in the world of natural health and retail with a truly revolutionary approach to feminine health and sexual wellness.Follow us!Beatrice: @iambeadixon (and on Fireside here)The Honey Pot Company: @thehoneypotco (and website here)Dear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething (and on Fireside here)

Jun 16, 2021 • 42min
Lara Stein: Founder of TEDx & Co-Founder of Boma Global
This week, we chat with Lara Stein who is the Co-Founder and CEO of Boma Global. Prior to founding Boma, Lara was the Executive Director of Women’s March Global, where she built the Women's March Global platform and oversaw all Women's March initiatives outside of the US. Previously Ms. Stein was Managing Director of Global Development at Singularity University, responsible for Singularity University's global expansion and implementation of vision and strategy. Prior to her time at SU, Lara was the founder and director of the TEDx program at the TED Conferences, creating and leading the effort to bring TED to the world by developing a program that granted free licenses to third parties to organize independent TED-like events. Stein also currently sits on the board of Equality Now, dedicated to creating a more just world for women and girls and Lalela, a non-profit dedicated to education through the arts in South Africa.Follow us!Lara: @citizenstein (and on Fireside here)Boma Global: @bomaglobal (and website here)Dear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething (and on Fireside here)

Jun 2, 2021 • 34min
Jaime Schmidt: Founder of Schmidt's Naturals
This week, we chat with Jaime Schmidt who is the entrepreneur and the founder of Schmidt's Naturals, a brand of natural personal care products that she started in her kitchen in Portland, Oregon in 2010. Jaime is known for modernizing natural personal care products, including the customer-favorite deodorant, and bringing them to the mainstream market. Under her leadership, Schmidt’s grew into a household name lining the shelves of retailers including Target, Costco, Whole Foods, Walmart and CVS across 30 countries. In 2017, Schmidt’s partnered with CPG giant Unilever, with Jaime continuing as the brand’s founder.Jaime is the co-founder of Color, an investment portfolio that specializes in the consumer product industry, retail and ecommerce, brand positioning, and M&A. She is the author of “Supermaker: Crafting Business on Your Own Terms,” a personalized guide on how to put your business on the map, turning your passion into profit.She is regularly profiled in prominent press including Inc., Entrepreneur, Forbes and Fast Company. Jaime is an inaugural member of the Inc. Founders Project and has also been recognized as 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs, PNW Entrepreneur of the Year, Women of Influence and Executive of the Year.Follow us!Jaime: @jaimeschmidt (and on Fireside here)Schmidt's Naturals: @schmidtsnaturalsColor: @colorinvestsGoing Public: @goingpublicDear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething (and on Fireside here)

May 26, 2021 • 44min
Shira Lazar: Founder & CEO of What's Trending
This week, we chat with Shira Lazar who is the Founder and CEO of the Emmy Nominated digital media brand, What's Trending. In 2018, she became the host of the afternoon drive show "Lets Go There" weekdays on the first national LGBTQ+ station Channel Q syndicated and on Radio.com. While in quarantine in April 2020, Shira launched PeaceInside.Live, a wellness community and platform offering virtual classes, workshops and retreats. Peace Inside Live is constantly working to break down the barriers of entry to make tools for well-being accessible for all via community experiences and workplace programs.As a leading broadcaster and interviewer in the digital space, Shira has been the face of the biggest live-streams on the web from awards shows to red carpet premieres including, The Oscars, The Grammys, Tony Awards among many others. She has also been named one of Fast Company’s Most Influential Women in Technology, Huffington Post’s “Women in Tech to follow on Twitter”, honored on the Variety Women of Impact list and Cynopsis Top Women In Digital. A digital trailblazer, she speaks at conferences around the world, is a regular contributor on The Huffington Post, Inc. and Entrepreneur and has appeared frequently on networks like Cheddar, Bloomberg TV, CNN and Fox News Channel discussing Internet culture and digital trends.Follow us!Shira: @shiralazar (and on Fireside here)What's Trending: @whatstrendingPeace Inside Live: @peaceinsideliveDear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething (and on Fireside here)