DealMakers: Entrepreneur | Startups | Venture Capital

In the entrepreneurship world, stories often begin in predictable places: classrooms, tech hubs, or corporate boardrooms. Casper Henningsen’s tale, however, takes us to the soccer field.As a former professional soccer player in Denmark’s top league, Casper pivoted from the high-stakes world of elite sports to the equally demanding landscape of business and startups. His startup, GetWhy has attracted funding from investors like PeakSpan, Arbejdernes Landsbank, Stig Holledig, and SwiftScale.

Sverre Dueholm, an accomplished entrepreneur known for launching Comundo and advocating for a four-day workweek, shares his inspiring journey of building a premium audio entertainment service. He discusses the challenges of fundraising and the importance of aligning with the right investors. Sverre highlights the innovative work-life balance at Comundo, which has boosted productivity. He also addresses the significance of energy data management for businesses, emphasizing sustainability during unpredictable times.

Mary Lou Jepsen, an award-winning technologist known for her groundbreaking work on the first $100 laptop and now leading Openwater, shares her incredible journey. She discusses the challenges of securing funding for innovative health tech, including wearable imaging devices. Jepsen reflects on overcoming personal health struggles while pursuing academic and entrepreneurial goals. She emphasizes the importance of transforming medical technology for faster FDA approvals and creating open-source models to enhance healthcare accessibility and effectiveness.

Thomas Laurent's story is one of resilience, adaptability, and learning through experience. From his early days in Lyon, France, to leading Micropep Technologies as a pioneer in sustainable agriculture, he has gained valuable insights into entrepreneurship, leadership, and innovation. Thomas' latest venture, Micropep, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Corteva Agriscience, Sofinnova Partners, Denis Lucquin, and Sparkfood.

Sergio Fogel, founder and entrepreneur behind the fintech unicorn dLocal, shares his remarkable journey from Uruguay to an $18 billion valuation. He discusses the evolution of technology in business, reflecting on how it has transformed practices from payments to entrepreneurship. Fogel dives into the intricacies of navigating cross-border payments, revealing key lessons on partnerships and overcoming challenges in emerging markets. His insights underscore the importance of collaboration and adaptability in building a successful enterprise.

In this engaging discussion, Bradley Bostic, the founder of Health Cloud Capital and a seasoned entrepreneur, delves into his journey of raising $80 million to support AI and ML-driven healthcare solutions. He shares insights on the rise and fall of his previous venture, ChaCha, and how personal experiences fueled his mission to transform patient care. Bostic highlights the importance of innovation through strategic partnerships, particularly with institutions like the Mayo Clinic, and emphasizes the significance of a recurring revenue model in ensuring business stability.

Shawn Weidmann’s story is one of transformation, resilience, and thoughtful decision-making. He is a fantastic operator-turned-entrepreneur who successfully raised $90M+ for his company, Zephyr, and scaled it to 300 employees. In this insightful interview, Shawn explores the key moments that shaped his career, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and raising funding in challenging markets from investors like Elda River and The Pritzker Organization.

Richard Socher, an AI pioneer and accomplished entrepreneur, has a story that exemplifies innovation, resilience, and the ability to transform cutting-edge technology into impactful businesses. Richard has had an exceptional journey founding and scaling AI-driven companies like MetaMind and You.com. His latest venture You.com has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Marc Benioff, Salesforce Ventures, NVIDIA, Gen Digital, and SBVA (formerly Softbank Ventures Asia).

Brian O’Kelley, founder of multiple companies including AppNexus, shares his rollercoaster entrepreneurial journey, highlighting both triumphs and setbacks. He reveals the challenges of building a real-time advertising platform that led to a $1.6B acquisition by AT&T. O’Kelley discusses his new venture, Scope 3, aimed at decarbonizing digital supply chains, emphasizing the urgent need for sustainability. He also reflects on the importance of trust and relationships in entrepreneurship, showcasing how mentorship shaped his path.

David García Aceves, born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico, embodies resilience and innovation. His story traces his journey through building two companies that didn’t quite work out before creating a new rocket ship, drawing valuable lessons from his failures. David's latest venture, Digitt, has raised funding from top-tier investors like Clocktower Ventures, Gilgamesh, New Stack Ventures, FJ Labs, and Treville.