DealMakers: Entrepreneur | Startups | Venture Capital cover image

DealMakers: Entrepreneur | Startups | Venture Capital

Latest episodes

undefined
Apr 2, 2025 • 33min

Wes McKinney On Raising $110 Million To Develop And Promote Open-Source Standards And Tools For Data Analytics And Now Supporting Other Tech Founders

If you’ve ever done data analysis in Python, there’s a good chance you’ve used Pandas, the groundbreaking open-source library that transformed how data scientists work. But behind Pandas is Wes McKinney’s story of intellectual curiosity, risk-taking, and a relentless drive to build useful tools for others. Wes's latest initiative, Composed Ventures, is a micro venture capital (VC) fund that invests in early-stage data infrastructure, AI, and ML companies, as well as next-generation Python tooling and other related technologies.
undefined
Mar 29, 2025 • 30min

Suneera Madhani On Founding And Selling A $1-Billion Payments Company And Now Building A Credit Assessment Platform For Small Businesses

When you hear the term self-made, you might think of grit, long nights, and entrepreneurial tenacity. But in Suneera Madhani’s case, it’s a generational story—one forged in gas station aisles, sharpened in corporate boardrooms, and carried forward in billion-dollar exits. Suneera's latest company, Worth AI, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Silicon Valley Bank, Ingeborg Investments, DeepWork Capital, and Florida Funders.
undefined
Mar 27, 2025 • 38min

Bill Shufelt On Raising $225 Million To Revolutionize Craft Beer For The Modern Adult

In a world where adult beverages have long been synonymous with alcohol, Bill Shufelt saw something different—a cultural and economic opportunity hidden in plain sight. He successfully navigated the startup ecosystem--scaling, manufacturing, building, and financing his company. Bill's company, Athletic Brewing, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like General Atlantic, Keurig Dr Pepper, Blake Mycoskie, and Lance Armstrong.
undefined
Mar 25, 2025 • 37min

Vadim Rogovskiy On Building & Exiting Companies And Now Creating An AI Executive Assistant To Extend Human Capabilities

Some entrepreneurs build one company. Others become serial founders. Then there’s Vadim Rogovskiy — a rare breed who has built, scaled, sold, shut down, invested, and started all over again. His journey involved switching industries and switching sides on both sides of the table. Vadim's latest venture, Stealth Startup, has developed EVE, an AI assistant that allows humans to focus on high-impact decisions while it handles the rest. AI can filter 80% of noise, 80% of less important threads, conversations, etc., thus extending human capabilities.
undefined
Mar 22, 2025 • 32min

Vikram Shekhawat On Selling A Company To Blackboard And Now Building An AI Platform To Offer Companies A Suite Of Tools To Streamline Content Creation And Business Workflows

Entrepreneurship is a rollercoaster ride, and few have navigated its twists and turns with as much grit and adaptability as Vikram Shekhawat. His journey is a testament to resilience, learning, and an unwavering vision when building, scaling, and exiting his many startups. Vikram's latest venture, ModalX, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Plug and Play, Panache Ventures, Combine Venture Builders, and Thin Air Labs.
undefined
Mar 20, 2025 • 40min

Rami Tamir On Selling Two Companies To Cisco And Red Hat, A Third $500-Million Company To Oracle, And Now Helping Businesses Configure Their Applications

Rami Tamir is no stranger to the startup world. A seasoned entrepreneur with multiple successful exits, he has honed his ability to build, scale, and navigate acquisitions like a veteran baseball player hitting home runs with each venture. Rami's latest venture, Salto, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Bessemer Venture Partners, Accel, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Salesforce Ventures.
undefined
Mar 18, 2025 • 38min

Colin Wiel On Taking A $1 Billion-Company Public, Merging A $800 Million-Company, And Now Deploying and Managing Custom AI Workforces For Businesses

In the world of entrepreneurship, few stories embody resilience, vision, and adaptation like that of Colin Wiel. A four-time founder, Colin has built and scaled multiple companies, navigated financial crises, pioneered tech-driven real estate ventures, and is now at the forefront of AI innovation. Colin's latest venture, Qurrent, has raised funding from friends, angels, strategic investors, and venture capitalists.
undefined
Mar 17, 2025 • 36min

Molham Aref On Selling Two $100+ Million Companies And Now Raising $122 Million To Help Organizations In Efficient, Data And AI-Driven Decision-Making

Molham Aref’s journey as an entrepreneur is nothing short of fascinating. With multiple successful ventures, big exits, and a deep history in AI, his story offers insights into the trials, triumphs, and evolution of the tech world, especially around the rise of AI. Molham's latest venture, RelationalAI, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Madrona Venture Group, Addition, Tiger Global Management, and Menlo Ventures.
undefined
Mar 15, 2025 • 37min

Manolo Atala On Building And Exiting Several Companies And Now Raising ~$130 Million To Offer Revenue-Based Financing to SMEs

In the ever-evolving world of entrepreneurship, few stories stand out quite like Manolo Atala's. A founder from Mexico with an unconventional path, Manolo has navigated industries with precision, leveraging storytelling, trust, and a deep understanding of numbers to build and scale companies. Manolo's latest venture, Fairplay, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Carlos Martin, Carlos Salinas, Nut VC, and DILA Capital.
undefined
Mar 14, 2025 • 33min

David Young On Selling A Company For $170 Million To Samsung And Now Providing Global Businesses With Economical Open Source Software

David Young’s journey to becoming a tech entrepreneur is anything but conventional. His career path took him from studying ancient Greek at Indiana University to Wall Street, and eventually to Silicon Valley, where he founded and scaled successful technology startups, including Joyent. David's latest venture, Federated Computer has attracted funding from top-tier investor, Lightning Ventures.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode