Invested by Aleph

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Samuel Arbesman, the Scientist in Residence at Lux Capital. In addition, he is an xLab senior fellow at Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management and a research fellow at the Long Now Foundation. He is the author of The Magic of Code, Overcomplicated, and The Half-Life of Facts, and his writing has appeared in such places as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and Wired, where he was previously a contributing writer. He lives in Cleveland with his family. The first computer he used was a Commodore VIC-20. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts!  KEY TOPICS  [00:00:00] The Intersection of AI and Creativity [00:03:11] What it Means to Be a Scientist in VC [00:05:55] The Frontier of Computation and Biology [00:08:51] Biology as a New Computing Paradigm [00:11:45] The Future of Personalized Simulations [00:15:10] Applying Complexity Science [00:17:49] Sci-Fi Ideas in Biotechnology [00:21:07] Ethics of Biohacking and Human Enhancement [00:24:14] Humility and Personal Values in Science [00:36:57] Embracing Uncertainty in Knowledge [00:39:20] The Power of Incremental Progress [00:40:38] Learning from History and Tradition [00:43:59] Reconciling Science with Tradition [00:46:01] The Role of Community in Modern Life [00:48:41] Individualism vs. Community in Tech [00:50:06] Cultural Foundations in Tech Development [00:57:09] AI: Evolution or Revolution? [01:03:06] Finding Meaning in a Post-Scarcity World RESOURCES Follow Samuel on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/arbesman/  Follow Samuel on X  - https://x.com/arbesman  Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc  Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg ‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ ‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom  Producer: Myron Shneider, Yoni Mayer Video and Editing: Ron Baranov Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar  Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts two of the co-founders of Dream, Shalev Hulio and Sebastian Kurz.  Sebastian Kurz is a former Austrian politician who served as Chancellor of Austria from 2017 to 2019, and again from 2020 to 2021. A member of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), he began his political career in the party's youth wing, rising to prominence as State Secretary for Integration (2011–2013) and Foreign Minister (2013–2017). Kurz led the ÖVP to victory in the 2017 election, becoming one of the world's youngest heads of government at age 31. Since leaving politics, Kurz has worked as a global strategist and entrepreneur. Shalev Hulio is a serial entrepreneur and cybersecurity expert. He co-founded NSO Group in 2010, serving as CEO until August 2022, where he oversaw the development of Pegasus, a controversial spyware used by governments to track criminal and terrorist activity. Prior to NSO, Hulio co-founded several tech ventures, including CommuniTake and Kaymera Technologies.  Together with Gil Dolev, Sebastian and Shalev founded Dream Security in January 2023, which specializes in AI-powered cyber defense. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts!  KEY TOPICS  [00:00:00] The Unexpected Birth Story of Dream [00:05:50] From Politics to Tech Entrepreneurship [00:11:48] Cybersecurity: From Offense to Defense [00:14:35] Why AI Matters in Cybersecurity [00:17:32] Cyber Attacks and National Security [00:20:55] NSO & Building Trust in High-Stakes Environments [00:23:54] The Future of Cybersecurity and Ethics [00:26:53] Investing in Times of Crisis [00:29:34] Cybersecurity and Geopolitical Tensions [00:32:59] Dream’s Vision and Market Strategy [00:35:42] Cybersecurity: Challenges and Opportunities [00:44:48] The Importance of Leadership [00:56:29] The Birth of Dream [01:02:01] Cybersecurity as a National Threat [01:06:23] The Changing Landscape of Defense Spending [01:10:32] The Growth of Dream [01:12:01] Navigating Ethical Boundaries in Cybersecurity RESOURCES Follow Sebastian on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-kurz/  Follow Shalev on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shalevholy/  Follow Sebastian on X  - https://x.com/sebastiankurz  Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc  Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg ‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ ‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom  Producer: Yoni Mayer, Myron Shneider Video and Editing: Ron Baranov Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar  Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi

In this deeply personal episode, Michael Eisenberg pauses the usual cadence of Invested to deliver a powerful message about the unfolding war between Israel and Iran. Five days into a conflict triggered by Iran’s escalating aggression, Michael shares an unfiltered account of the situation on the ground, from nightly missile attacks targeting civilians to Israel’s unprecedented precision response across 2,000 kilometers. He explains the motivations behind Israel’s military strategy, the human toll on Israeli families, and the indomitable resilience of a nation innovating under fire–including the story of Shalev Hulio, the CEO of Dream and IDF reservist, who is currently saving lives by day and taking customer calls at night. This episode is more than a wartime update. It’s a call to understand the moral clarity of the moment, the sacrifices being made, and the profound implications for the future of Israel, Iran, and the broader Middle East. Listen for a rare, intimate window into a pivotal moment in history–and what it means for the world. Listen and subscribe to Invested: https://content.aleph.vc/invested RESOURCES Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg ‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ ‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom Producer: Yoni Mayer Video and Editing: Ron Baranov Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Gali Arnon, former Chief Business Officer at Fiverr, the global freelance marketplace that connects businesses with independent talent. Gali joined Fiverr in 2017 as Chief Marketing Officer, helping lead the company’s transformation into a globally recognized brand and guiding its growth through a successful IPO. She later served as Chief Business Officer, overseeing Fiverr’s core marketplace operations and strategic business initiatives.           Prior to Fiverr, Gali held executive roles at Brightcom, an ad tech company, where she served as CEO, and at 888 Holdings, where she led multiple departments and business units and served as VP of Professional Services. She began her career at Wall Street Institute Israel, eventually becoming its CEO. Gali holds a BA in Communication and Psychology and an MBA, both from Tel Aviv University, and is a longtime advocate for women in tech and leadership. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts!  KEY TOPICS  [00:00:00] The Evolving Role of the CMO [00:03:05] Core Values and Personal Journey [00:05:58] Gali’s Competitive Drive and Leadership Style [00:09:03] Fiverr Rebranding from $5 Services  [00:12:02] How AI Is Shaping Freelancing and Work [00:15:08] Women in Tech and AI Adoption [00:17:58] The Future of Work: Humans vs. AI [00:21:08] Embracing Change in the Age of AI [00:25:50] AI FOMO and Information Overload [00:28:00] Choosing Between AI and Human Services [00:35:07] Branding as a CMO in a Changing World [00:38:59] Emotional Branding in the AI Era [00:46:55] Brand Lessons from Fiverr’s Journey [00:51:02] Personal Values and Branding Responsibility RESOURCES Follow Gali on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gali-arnon/ Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc  Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg ‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ ‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom  Producer: Yoni Mayer, Myron Shneider Video and Editing: Ron Baranov Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar  Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Eli Ben-Sasson, a co-founder and CEO of StarkWare, and Chairman of its Board of Directors. StarkWare is a Sequoia-backed startup whose latest fundraise was at a $8b valuation. StarkWare specializes in the productization of zero knowledge proofs via Starknet, a permissionless blockchain that scales both Ethereum and Bitcoin. Eli has been researching cryptographic and zero knowledge proofs of computational integrity ever since he received his Phd in Theoretical Computer Science from the Hebrew University in 2001. Eli is a co-inventor of the STARK, FRI and Zerocash protocols and a Founding Scientist of the Zcash Company. Over the years he held research positions at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, Harvard and MIT, and, most recently, was a Professor of CS at Technion, which he left to co-found StarkWare. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts!  KEY TOPICS   [00:00:00] The Core Innovation of Blockchain  [00:02:59] What Starkware Is and Why It Matters  [00:05:59] Zero-Knowledge Proofs Made Simple  [00:09:09] Building Trust and Integrity in Blockchain  [00:11:51] Foundational Principles of Blockchain  [00:15:02] Why Decentralization Matters  [00:17:52] From Academia to Blockchain  [00:21:09] Blockchain and the Future of Finance  [00:23:50] Barriers to Blockchain Adoption  [00:26:56] Israel’s Contribution to Cryptography  [00:30:08] Blockchain and the Future of Governance  [00:36:33] Rethinking Banking with Blockchain  [00:40:05] What’s Broken in Financial Systems  [00:42:13] Trust and Integrity in Transactions  [00:47:51] Making Sense of the Crypto Cycle  [00:51:05] Trust, Integrity, and What’s Next  [00:54:36] Why Math Will Always Matter  [01:01:27] Personal Reflections and Takeaways RESOURCES Follow Eli on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eli-ben-sasson Follow Eli on X - https://x.com/EliBenSasson Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc  Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg ‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ ‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom  Producer: Yoni Mayer + Myron Shneider Video and Editing: Ron Baranov Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar  Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Katie Stanton, the Founder and General Partner of Moxxie Ventures, which is an early-stage venture fund. Prior to Moxxie, Katie served in numerous executive operating roles at Twitter, Google, Yahoo, and Color. In addition to working in Silicon Valley, Katie served in the (Obama) White House and State Department and began her career as a banker at JP Morgan Chase. Katie sits on the Board of Vivendi, a French multinational media company headquartered in Paris, and previously served on the Board of Time Inc.  Katie started her venture career as a Founding Partner of #Angels and has invested in over 100 early-stage companies including Airtable, Calm, Cameo, Carta, Coinbase, Literati, Modern Fertility, and  Shape Security. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts!  KEY TOPICS  [00:00:00] Intro [00:02:57] The Value of Service  [00:06:01] Moving from Private to Public Sector [00:09:06] Getting into Tech and Innovation [00:11:52] Inside the Obama White House [00:14:59] Challenges of Government Work [00:18:09] Twitter and Social Media Dynamics [00:20:54] Trust and Safety on Social Platforms [00:23:59] Future of Social Media and Community [00:40:48] Today’s Role of Media Companies [00:45:33] Trust and Mistrust in the Media [00:49:07] How Media Shapes Society’s Future [00:50:23] From Operator to Investor [00:54:00] Why Katie Started Moxxie [00:57:06] Facing Challenges in Venture Capital [01:01:21] How AI Will Change Healthcare [01:06:32] Health Tech and Regulatory Hurdles [01:11:08] Reflections on Life and Loss RESOURCES Follow Katie on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiestanton/  Follow Katie on X - https://x.com/katies Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc  Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg ‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ ‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom  Producer: Yoni Mayer Video and Editing: Ron Baranov Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar  Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi

Sarah Tavel, General Partner at Benchmark, shares her journey as a pioneering female partner in venture capital and her insights from leading investments at renowned firms like Bessemer and Greylock. She discusses the critical balance between ambition and caution in tech investing and explores how AI can revolutionize business models while reducing friction in various sectors. Tavel emphasizes the evolving competitive landscape and the importance of personal branding for VCs, alongside the unique challenges faced by women in the industry.

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Omri Casspi. Omri was a trailblazing Israeli professional basketball player, becoming the first Israeli-born athlete to play in the NBA. He enjoyed a 11-year career in the league, playing for teams including the Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors—where he won an NBA championship in 2018—and Memphis Grizzlies, among others.After retiring Omri immediately transitioned into venture capital, co-founding Sheva in 2022 with $36 million to invest in early-stage startups, followed by Swish Ventures in 2024, raising $60 million to focus on cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, and AI. Managing $200 million in assets, he backs standout companies like Upwind, Eon, and many others.Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts! KEY TOPICS  [00:00:00] Intro [00:01:10] On Being the First Israeli NBA Player [00:03:30] Why Trailblazers Inspire Other People [00:09:02] Sports Experience Helps Omri Support Founders [00:11:15] Omri’s Pursuit of Excellence [00:14:51] Investing in Ohio Real Estate [00:19:10] Preparing for the Future [00:20:38] The Team Omri Wanted to Play For [00:22:20] Dealing With Setbacks [00:26:27] Omri’s Venture Fund & Understanding Investing [00:31:24] Founder Hesitations to Omri as an Investor [00:36:13] Different Investing Styles in VC [00:38:50] Why Do Israeli Startups Fail? [00:43:14] Omri’s Favorite Investors and Funds [00:45:02] Growing Jewish Identity in the U.S. [00:48:50] Omri’s Parenting Style [00:50:15] Admiring This Generation of Israelis [00:52:27] Bringing Elon Musk to Israel [00:54:46] Antisemitism in the NBA [00:55:27] Living in the Public Eye and Starting a Podcast [00:59:00] Parenting Children as a High-Achiever [01:01:35] Closing Questions RESOURCESFollow Omri on LinkedIn Follow Omri on XSubscribe to InvestedLearn more about AlephSubscribe to our YouTube channelFollow Michael on TwitterFollow Michael on LinkedInFollow Aleph on Twitter‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn‍Follow Aleph on InstagramCREDITSExecutive Producer: Erica Marom Producer: Yoni MayerVideo and Editing: Ron BaranovMusic and Creative Direction: Uri Ar Content and Editorial: Kira GoldringDesign: Rony Karadi

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Amir Shevat. Amir is a General Partner at Darkmode Ventures, investing in early stage startups. Before joining the dark side, Amir held executive roles at Microsoft, Google, Slack, Amazon, and Twitter. Amir is the author of Designing Bot, and Building Web API both published with O'Reilly media.Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts! KEY TOPICS  [00:00:00] Intro [00:04:30] What MSFT Didn’t Get About Developers [00:07:40] Building Good Products & Dev Communities [00:12:00] Which DevRel Job Do You Wish You Had? [00:14:45] How is AI Changing the Game for Developers? [00:25:20] Personal Values Vs. Innovation [00:27:30] Twitch Controversy [00:31:20] Elon Musk’s X Takeover [00:36:40] Pivoting to Seed Investor [00:40:45] Investing Philosophy & Mentorship [00:48:45] Core Difference Between Israeli & U.S. Founders [00:53:45] What Did Oct. 7 Change for You? [00:54:40] Writing a Fantasy Book & Closing Questions RESOURCESFollow Amir on LinkedInFollow Amir on XSubscribe to InvestedLearn more about AlephSubscribe to our YouTube channelFollow Michael on TwitterFollow Michael on LinkedInFollow Aleph on Twitter‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn‍Follow Aleph on InstagramCREDITSExecutive Producer: Erica Marom Producer: Yoni MayerVideo and Editing: Ron BaranovMusic and Creative Direction: Uri Ar Content and Editorial: Kira GoldringDesign: Rony Karadi

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Dan Davidi, a distinguished scientist and entrepreneur known for his groundbreaking work in computational and synthetic biology. Davidi earned his Ph.D. from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, where he developed expertise in systems biology and metabolism. Following his doctoral studies, he served as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School and then joined as faculty to establish the Synthetic Biology Center, advancing research at the intersection of biology and technology. After Harvard, Dan worked as a strategy and design lead at the Amazon Moonshot Factory, where he applied his scientific insights to real-world challenges. Dan currently serves on the steering committee of the National Israeli Synthetic Biology program.In 2023, he joined Aleph, a venture capital fund, as an Entrepreneur in Residence, focusing on the convergence of artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, and physical sciences to address pressing global issues like climate change and manufacturing security. Dan is currently the Founder and CEO of OHR, a company which uses primordial chemistry and synthetic biology to fashion rocket fuel and other strategic chemicals.Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts! KEY TOPICS  [00:00:00] Intro [00:02:10] - How Dan became the EIR at Aleph [00:05:10] - Harvard vs. Weizmann [00:09:20] - What is Synthetic Biology? [00:13:25] - Core Values [00:14:20] - Returning to Israel and the Experience of an EIR [00:18:30] - Dan’s Company: OHR [00:25:00] - Reverse Engineering Chemistry, or Anti-Darwinism? [00:28:30] - Israel Needs to Learn How to Scale [00:34:30] - Research Happens Outside of Academia Nowadays [00:38:50] - Making Israel the Silicon Valley of Biotech [00:40:23] - What’s the Next Big Area For Scientific Development? [00:43:47] - How is Science Improved by AI? [00:46:00] - Trusting Data to Accelerate Life Science Development [00:50:45] - Why Do Some Ideas Fail as an Entrepreneur? [00:54:00] - What Should Students Study? [00:58:30] - Closing Questions  RESOURCESFollow Dan on LinkedInFollow Dan on XSubscribe to InvestedLearn more about AlephSubscribe to our YouTube channelFollow Michael on TwitterFollow Michael on LinkedInFollow Aleph on Twitter‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn‍Follow Aleph on InstagramCREDITSExecutive Producer: Erica Marom Producer: Yoni MayerVideo and Editing: Ron BaranovMusic and Art: Uri Ar Content and Editorial: Kira GoldringDesign: Rony Karadi