Best Silicon Valley Communication Experts Podcasts (2025)

1
Karen Page: Venture Boards, Founder Governance, and the Path from Startup to Scale 57:48

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5d ago57:48

57:48

(0:00) Intro (1:25) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:12) Start of interview (3:01) Karen's origin story (3:44) Early Career and Transition to Technology (5:40) The Dot-Com Era and her time at Brobeck and later at Orrick. (8:50) Her transition to Prosper Marketplace (Chris Larsen's company) (9:40) Her time at …

1
Joele Frank and Anne Chapman: Strategic Communications, Activism, and Governance 54:32

13d ago54:32

54:32

(0:00) Intro to this episode (1:34) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (2:21) Start of interview (3:19) Joele Frank's origin story (5:02) Anne Chapman's origin story (8:41) The history and focus of the firm Joelle Frank (now has ~250 people, with offices in NYC and SF). (12:46) Shareholder activism in today's mar…

1
Stephen Bainbridge (UCLA): The State of Corporate Law and Governance in the U.S. 56:47

27d ago56:47

56:47

(0:00) Intro (1:24) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:11) Start of interview. *Reference to E91 (April 2023) for Steven's personal/professional background. (2:34) The current era of corporate law. (3:39) Transition to Substack Publishing (6:40) The DExit Phenomenon Explained (11:35) Understanding Delaware's SB…

1
Brad Feld: Startup Boards and Lessons from Four Decades in VC 56:23

1M ago56:23

56:23

(0:00) Intro (1:36) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:23) Start of interview (3:11) Brad's origin story (4:54) Venture Capital Beginnings (5:39) The Rise of the Internet (8:10) His role in Softbank Technology Ventures and later Mobius Venture Capital. Reference to Heidi Roizen E6, E108 and E116 (12:26) Transit…

1
State of the Markets and AI with Steven Wolfe Pereira 53:07

2M ago53:07

53:07

(0:00) Intro (1:30) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:16) Start of interview. *Reference to E181 (July 2025) for Steven's personal/professional background. (3:14) IPOs and Market Trends. Including Klarna and Gemini. (5:29) The Stay Private vs. Go Public Dilemma. Valuations and market health (examples of Airbnb…

1
Teresa Briggs: Audit Committees, AI, and the Evolving Role of Corporate Directors. 54:27

2M ago54:27

54:27

(0:00) Intro (1:26) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:13) Start of interview (2:53) Teresa's origin story (4:30) Her career path at Deloitte (37-year career) (7:40) Transition to Board Service (8:37) Joining the board of ServiceNow (10:57) Joining the board of Warby Parker and understanding Public Benefit Corp…

1
Jonathan Foster: On Boards and the Playbook for Modern Governance 47:15

3M ago47:15

47:15

(0:00) Intro (1:27) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:13) Start of interview (2:51) Jonathan's origin story (4:23) His Journey into Governance, initially via accounting with PwC and later with Lazard. (6:17) Types of Governance Structures (7:51) About his firm Current Capital Partners (M&A advisory, corporate …

1
Larry Cunningham: From John Weinberg’s 1948 Thesis, Delaware's Challenge, to the Modern Boardroom 54:50

3M ago54:50

54:50

(0:00) Intro (1:31) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:18) Start of interview. *Reference to E36 (June 2021) for personal/professional background, and E90 (March 2023) (3:13) Celebrating 25 Years of the Weinberg Center (3:47) Uncovering John Weinberg's 1948 Thesis. Details for the Symposium at the Weinberg Cent…

1
Tina Rosenfeld: Independent Directors, Board Diversity, and Governance in Chile 58:46

3M ago58:46

58:46

(0:00) Intro (1:26) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:13) Start of interview *mention of my participation in the Board Summit in Chile (Nov 2025) (3:40) Tina's origin story (6:19) From Germany to Latin America with Beiersdorf (10:14) Her time with D&S and Walmart Chile (11:38) Her start with board memberships …

1
Steven Wolfe Pereira: How Can You Govern Something That You Don't Understand? 1:11:05

4M ago1:11:05

1:11:05

(0:00) Intro (1:28) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:15) Start of interview (3:17) Steven's origin story (7:09) The AI Market Explosion (10:07) Introducing Alpha: the company he leads. (16:01) On Events and Board Forums: "There is going to be a premium on IRL really moving forward because the bar is going to …

1
Erik Gerding (Freshfields): Governance, Regulation, and Risk in a Global Business Environment 52:29

4M ago52:29

52:29

(0:00) Intro (1:14) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:00) Start of interview (2:36) Erik's origin story (4:14) Discussing Foreign Private Issuers (FPIs): His article "SEC Revisits Foreign Private Issuer Eligibility" (June 2025) (16:45) The Rise of AI and Its Implications. Discussion on "AI Washing" (19:30) Dis…

1
Jack Lazar: A Silicon Valley Journey from Finance to the Boardroom 1:02:24

4M ago1:02:24

1:02:24

(0:00) Intro (1:30) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:16) Start of interview (3:09) Jack's origin story (4:11) The Accounting Foundation. His time at PriceWaterhouse (1987-1992) (5:45) His Startup/Executive Journey. Electronics for Imaging => Apptitude => NetRatings => Atheros => Qualcomm (12:15) Transitioning…

1
Walker Newell & Lenin Lopez (Woodruff & Sawyer): Navigating D&O Risk, Delaware Exit, and Boardroom Litigation 1:12:34

4M ago1:12:34

1:12:34

(0:00) Intro to this episode (1:43) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (2:30) Start of interview (3:09) Walker Newell's origin story (6:38) Lenin Lopez' origin story (9:21) Intro to Woodruff Sawyer, and their focus on corporate law and securities litigation. (14:00) The Importance of Corporate Governance (14:38) …

1
Celebrating 5 Years of the Boardroom Governance Podcast & Newsletter 4:42

5M ago4:42

4:42

This episode marks the fifth anniversary of the Boardroom Governance Podcast and Newsletter. In this solo edition, I reflect on: The origin of the podcast and newsletter, both launched during the pandemic Key lessons from over 175 episodes with leading voices in corporate governance The Boardroom Governance Summit My role leading the Center for Bus…

1
Karen Hao: Author of Empire of AI on Why "Scale at All Costs" is Not Leading Us to a Good Place 1:05:17

5M ago1:05:17

1:05:17

(0:00) Intro (1:49) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:36) Introduction by Professor Anat Admati, Stanford Graduate School of Business. Read the event coverage from Stanford's CASI. (4:14) Start of Interview (4:45) What inspired Karen to write this book and how she got started with journalism. (8:00) OpenAI's N…

1
Michal Lev-Ram: On the Intersecting Worlds of Tech, Culture, and Politics in Silicon Valley 50:10

5M ago50:10

50:10

(0:00) Intro (1:09) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (1:56) Start of interview (2:39) Michal's origin story (5:05) Her start in journalism in Silicon Valley with Business 2.0. magazine and later at Fortune Magazine. (7:45) Her project Operation Firewall (audible original podcast involving cybersecurity) (11:40) …

1
Alex Edmans: How Board Members Can Challenge Bias and Think More Critically 1:00:48

6M ago1:00:48

1:00:48

(0:00) Intro (1:37) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:24) Start of interview (3:10) Alex's origin story (5:56) His advisory boards and other board positions. On the importance of the academic practitioner nexus. (7:02) About his book May Contain Lies (2024) (10:07) About confirmation bias, relevant to corporat…

1
Rick Horvath (Dechert): What Corporate Directors Need to Know About Delaware's SB 21 50:39

6M ago50:39

50:39

(0:00) Intro (1:14) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:01) Start of interview (4:38) His professional background starting with Skadden in Delaware. (5:08) About his corporate governance practice at Dechert LLP (8:10) How Delaware Came to Dominate U.S. Incorporations (13:14) What prompted the pushback against De…

1
Roy Shapira: Europe’s Corporate Sustainability Directive and Its Impact on U.S. Board Oversight Duties 52:45

6M ago52:45

52:45

(0:00) Intro (1:30) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:17) Start of interview (3:01) Roy's origin story. (6:35) About the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive ("CS3D"). His paper co-authored with Luca Enriques and Matteo Gatti: How the EU Sustainability Due Diligence Directive Could Reshape Corpo…

1
Robin Feldman: On the Evolution and Regulation of AI 43:48

7M ago43:48

43:48

(0:00) Intro (1:26) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:13) Start of interview (2:45) Robin's origin story (3:55) About the AI Law and Innovation Institute. (5:02) On AI governance: "AI is critical for boards, both from a risk management perspective and from a regulatory management perspective." Boards should: 1…

1
Amy Rojik (BDO Center for Corporate Governance): From Audit Quality to Governance Strategy 52:08

7M ago52:08

52:08

(0:00) Intro (1:13) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:00) Start of interview (2:45) Amy's origin story (3:25) Her start in corporate governance (5:02) About the implosion of Arthur Andersen (she worked there from 1993 to 2002) (7:00) Her time at BDO USA for the past 21 years and founding the BDO Center for Cor…

1
Emily Melton: Mechanics of Venture Investing, the Age of AI, and Implications for Boards 1:00:23

7M ago1:00:23

1:00:23

(0:00) Intro (1:15) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:02) Start of interview (2:45) Emily's origin story (8:27) Her start in venture capital through DFJ with Tim Draper in 2000. (11:56) About the history and evolution of VC (13:42) Investing thesis (founding principle) at her firm Threshold Ventures. (19:21) T…

1
Joe Hurd: Governance in Times of VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity) 59:07

8M ago59:07

59:07

(0:00) Intro (1:26) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:13) Start of interview (2:45) Joe's origin story (4:07) His early career starting in London, with law firm Linklaters. (6:43) His move to Friendster in Silicon Valley. (8:00) His time at Videoegg. (9:24) His time at the International Trade Administration in…

1
Jorge Titinger: Leadership, Governance, and the Erosion of Trust 1:01:34

8M ago1:01:34

1:01:34

(0:00) Intro (1:15) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:02) Start of interview (2:48) Jorge's origin story (6:03) His executive career in Silicon Valley (including computer and semiconductor industries) (9:00) On his board experience (he has served in ~20 boards) (11:32) Distinctions between serving on different…

1
David Chun (CEO, Equilar): The Boardroom Diversity Backlash—A Shifting Pendulum 48:10

9M ago48:10

48:10

(0:00) Intro (1:38) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:25) Start of interview. *Reference to prior episode with Dave (E25 from Dec 2020) (3:30) Equilar's current focus. New: Equilar Research Intelligence Copilot ERIC (7:49) The current status of boardroom diversity. Latest (Q3 2024) Equilar Gender Diversity Ind…

1
Rick Alexander: On the Rise of PBCs in the AI Industry and Firm-Specific vs. Diversified Investor Duties 55:08

9M ago55:08

55:08

(0:00) Intro. (1:33) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:20) Start of interview. *Reference to prior episode with Rick (E14 from Aug 2020) (3:32) Update on Public Benefit Corporations (PBCs) from prior episode (2020) (6:00) Surge of VC investments in PBCs driven by AI startups. *Reference to E159 with David Berg…

1
Jonathan Goodman (Deloitte): Governing Strategy 59:01

9M ago59:01

59:01

(0:00) Intro (1:35) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:21) Start of interview (3:00) Jonathan's origin story (5:10) His start in journalism (7:05) Founding Monitor Canada with Roger Martin (1987) (9:43) Transitioning to Deloitte Monitor (2013) (12:18) About Deloitte Canada’s Podium Club for Directors that he le…

1
Jeff Thomas (Nasdaq): The State of Public Markets in 2025 44:29

9M ago44:29

44:29

(0:00) Intro. (1:52) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:39) Start of interview. *Reference to prior episode with Jeff (E46 from Oct 2021) (3:42) On Nasdaq's IPOs in 2024 (180 IPOs raising $23B). Looking ahead in 2025. (6:23) What to expect facing new Administration. Reference to Nasdaq's IPO Pulse Index. (8:59)…

1
Nora Denzel: Technology Leadership in the Boardroom 58:12

10M ago58:12

58:12

(0:00) Intro. (1:47) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:34) Start of interview. *Reference to prior episode with Nora (E74 from Oct 2022) (3:42) About the 2024 NACD Blue Ribbon Commission on Technology Leadership in the Boardroom: Driving Trust and Value (7:29) On the evolving role of the board overseeing techn…

1
Joe Grundfest: Reflecting on 2024 and What’s Next for Business and Governance 45:18

10M ago45:18

45:18

(0:00) Intro (2:06) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:53) Start of interview. *Reference to prior episodes with Joe (E1 from '20, E35 from '21, E84 from '23, E123 from '24) (4:53) The future of the SEC with Chairman Paul Atkins (6:30) New approach to crypto by SEC (9:40) On the politicization of corporate gove…

1
Ben Joseloff: The Board's Guide to CFIUS and Evolving National Security Reviews 57:35

10M ago57:35

57:35

(0:00) Intro (1:43) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:29) Start of interview (3:11) Ben's origin story (9:39) His start at Cravath in 2010 (10:54) His time at the U.S. Treasury Department and the White House. (15:04) About CFIUS. Reforms from FIRRMA (2018). Control transactions and minority investments in crit…

1
David Berger: Ending the One-Size-Fits-All Model of Corporate Governance 1:02:08

10M ago1:02:08

1:02:08

(0:00) Intro. (2:14) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (3:01) Start of interview. *Reference to prior episode with David (E24 from Nov 2020) (4:22) David's description of the ACGC (7:56) Post-Election Governance Changes (SEC, FTC, etc). ESG and DEI considerations. Federal vs state regulatory matters. (13:06) On c…

1
Richard Blake: 2024 Silicon Valley 150 Corporate Governance Report 1:01:32

11M ago1:01:32

1:01:32

(0:00) Intro. (2:09) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (2:56) Start of interview. *Reference to prior episode with Richard (E126 from Feb 2024). (3:46) About his firm's 2024 SV150 Corporate Governance Report. (9:04) On Virtual (Stockholder) Meetings (89% of SV150). (11:23) Board Committee Structures. Audit, Comp…

1
Tom Callahan, CEO of NPM: Unlocking Liquidity in Private Markets 1:00:52

11M ago1:00:52

1:00:52

(0:00) Intro. (2:05) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (2:52) Start of interview. (3:36) Tom's origin story. (5:37) The start of his career with Merrill Lynch (1991-2008). (7:00) The financial crisis and his transition to the NYSE (2009-2013). (10:53) His time at BlackRock (2013-2022). (15:14) Defining private m…

1
Andrew Shagrin and David Chekroun: Co-Founders of ICG at ESCP Business School in Paris 1:11:00

12M ago1:11:00

1:11:00

(0:00) Intro (3:27) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (4: 14) Start of interview. (4:56) Drew Shagrin's origin story. (8:12) David Chekroun's origin story. (14:15) About the Institute of Corporate Governance at ESCP Business School, based in Paris. (19:13) The focus of ICG between students, alumni, execs, direct…

1
Wolfe Tone & Heather Gates (Deloitte): Insights on Private Company Governance 56:38

1y ago56:38

56:38

(0:00) Intro (1:12) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (1:59) Start of interview. (2:57) Heather Gates' "origin story." (5:17) Wolfe Tone's "origin story." (10:23) On the governance of privately-owned businesses. Distinction with having "outside investors." (15:20) On the nuances of family-owned businesses. *Refe…

1
Valeria Café: Leading Governance Innovation in Brazil as IBGC CEO 40:04

1y ago40:04

40:04

(0:00) Intro. (1:20) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (2:06) Start of interview. (3:20) Valeria's origin story. (6:14) On joining IBGC, its mission and focus: governance training, research, and regulatory work with CVM, B3, Congress, etc. (9:03) On the 25th IBGC Annual Summit. (11:11) On the state of ESG in Bra…

1
Barry Lawson Williams: Addressing Board Refreshment—"the Most Pressing Issue in Corporate Governance Today" 54:13

1y ago54:13

54:13

(0:00) Intro. (1:26) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (2:13) Start of interview. (3:03) Barry's origin story. (7:00) Barry's board journey. (9:39) On distinctions between serving on public and private company boards: "you have the same fiduciary duties." (11:57) Evolution of boards in the last 30-40 years: "the…

1
Boardroom Diversity and the Black Corporate Board Readiness Program 57:08

1y ago57:08

57:08

(0:00) Intro. (1:25) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (2:11) Start of interview. (2:56) Zain Oke's origin story. (5:08) Dianna Jones's origin story. (8:25) Dennis Lanham's origin story. (12:00) How executive education works (as opposed to degree conferring programs) (14:22) On the origin and mission of the Blac…

1
Maggie Wilderotter: Strategic Oversight and the Attributes of Great Directors 48:25

1y ago48:25

48:25

(0:00) Intro. (1:30) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (2:15) Start of interview. (3:05) Maggie's origin story. (7:08) Maggie's board career. Reference to HBS case study on her. On staying on boards between 8-12 years to remain independent. (10:19) On distinctions between serving on public and private company bo…

1
Peter Gleason: CEO of NACD on 2024 Board Practices and Oversight Surveys – Trends and Takeaways 51:10

1y ago51:10

51:10

(0:00) Intro. (1:23) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (2:10) Start of interview. *Reference to prior episode with Peter (E83 from Jan 2023). (3:00) NACD Surveys on Board Practices and Oversight: Private Company Results and Public Company Results. (3:44) 1/ On Technology Oversight: "We are seeing boards go after…

1
Cedric Bru: CEO of Taulia (now part of SAP) on Boardroom Dynamics and the Value of Teamwork 57:11

1y ago57:11

57:11

(0:00) Intro. (1:03) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (1:50) Start of interview. (2:24) Cedric's origin story. (4:30) U.S. talent management insights (cultural differences with other countries): current merit. (6:00) On his management career with HP, Visa, and Syncada from Visa (a joint venture between Visa and…

1
Yvonne Wassenaar: On Boardroom Dynamics and Trends from Silicon Valley 59:05

1y ago59:05

59:05

(0:00) Intro. (1:03) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (1:50) Start of interview. *Reference to E137 with Coco Brown (CEO of Athena Alliance). (2:47) Yvonne's origin story. (5:49) Her executive career starting with Accenture, and later with VMware, New Relic, and CEO of Airware and Puppet. (9:03) On her board jo…

1
Javier Saade: From Capital Formation to Governance, plus his Top of the Game 1:00:17

1y ago1:00:17

1:00:17

(0:00) Intro. (1:15) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (2:02) Start of interview. (2:49) Javier's origin story. (4:31) The blurring lines between VC and PE. Cross-over investors, growth equity investors, and other "alternative" financing. (9:01) On the capital formation cycle. Impact of interest-rates in capital…

1
Carol Hansell: Insights on Modern Governance 51:01

1+ y ago51:01

51:01

(0:00) Intro. (1:10) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (1:57) Start of interview. (2:30) Carol's origin story. (4:34) Evolution of corporate governance in Canada since the late 1980s. (5:51) The origin and focus of her firm Hansell McLaughlin Advisory Group, based in Canada. (10:13) On her personal board career …

1
Oliver Cummings: Unlocking Boardroom Excellence - Insights from Nurole's CEO 1:06:19

1+ y ago1:06:19

1:06:19

(0:00) Intro. (1:20) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (2:07) Start of interview. (2:58) Oliver's origin story. (7:00) His experience in private equity with PE-backed boards. (9:57) About the mission and focus of Nurole, the UK-based board search firm where he serves as CEO. (12:27) On Nurole's network of 65,000…

1
Thompson Paine (Anthropic): "The Potential of AI Technology is Massive" 52:17

1+ y ago52:17

52:17

(0:00) Intro. (1:05) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (1:52) Start of interview. (2:28) Thompson's origin story. (3:42) His startup work at Quizlet (joined a 5 person team) and Stripe (from 2k to 8k employees). Joined Anthropic in early 2023. (6:25) On China-US relations, and the course he teaches at Vanderbilt…

1
Natasha Allen: Navigating AI Regulation, Exits, and Boardroom Challenges 46:23

1+ y ago46:23

46:23

(0:00) Intro (1:20) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (2:06) Start of interview. (2:37) Natasha's "origin story." (6:25) On the risks and opportunities for AI. (8:39) On the regulatory landscape of AI in the US. Reference to President Biden's Executive Order. (11:40) On California's regulation of AI (SB 1047). (…

1
Tyler Shultz: Theranos Whistleblower on Fraud and Startup Governance in Silicon Valley 56:28

1+ y ago56:28

56:28

(0:00) Intro (1:06) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (1:53) Start of interview. (2:37) Tyler's "origin story." (4:50) His beginnings at Theranos. (7:07) On the culture of the Theranos, "the company was extremely secretive and paranoid." (9:41) On the lack of equity compensation for Theranos employees. (10:32) O…

1
Ilya Strebulaev: Venture Mindset Takeaways for Board Members. 58:15

1+ y ago58:15

58:15

(0:00) Intro. (1:39) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (2:25) Start of interview. Reference to E21 with Ilya Strebulaev from October 2020. (4:01) On why he wrote his book The Venture Mindset: for decision makers in large organizations. (5:37) About the first principle: Home Runs Matter, Strikeouts Don’t. Make sm…