Best Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs Podcasts (2025)

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Unlocking Strategic Impact from Startup Engagement: Building the Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs’ Insights Engine 43:25

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17d ago43:25

43:25

In this episode, we bring you an exclusive recording from the Innov8rs LearningLab featuring Tito Obaisi, Senior Manager of Pipeline and Insights at Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs, in conversation with our Founder and CEO Fred Schonenberg. Tito shares how his team captures and socializes insights from startup collaborations across Comcast, NBCUnive…

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Shoptalk Spring 2025: What’s Next in Retail? 20:52

2d ago20:52

20:52

This week, we’re using NotebookLM, Google’s AI-powered research tool, to share insights from Alice Ponti’s on-the-ground experience at Shoptalk Spring in March.This conversation is a comprehensive, insight-rich overview of the conference, organized around ten core themes transforming retail. From the rise of Agentic AI and multimodal search, to the…

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Redefining Healthcare Innovation – Northwestern Medicine Director of Ventures and Innovation Kali Arduini Ihde 25:39

10d ago25:39

25:39

We go inside Northwestern Medicine’s Innovation Engine to see how they are solving healthcare’s biggest challenges with Kali Arduini Ihde, Director of Ventures and Innovation at Northwestern Medicine. Kali is at the forefront of bringing emerging technologies into one of the country’s top academic health systems to help shape the future of patient …

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Strategic Capital and Commercialization – TELUS Global Ventures Partner Rohit Nuwal 31:18

25d ago31:18

31:18

Rohit Nuwal is a Partner at TELUS Global Ventures, Canada’s largest and most active corporate venture capital fund, with over 100 investments across transformative sectors such as HealthTech, AgTech, IoT, and AI. In this episode, we explore TELUS’ unique approach to commercialization beyond capital — and how they leverage deep insights from their g…

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Procurement as a Powerhouse for Public Innovation – Rikesh Shah, Connected Places Catapult 28:54

1M ago28:54

28:54

Rikesh Shah is a visionary in public sector innovation and the driving force behind the Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre at Connected Places Catapult. Rikesh shares how rethinking procurement can catalyze transformative solutions in the public sector, fostering environments where governments proactively solve pressing societal challenges. …

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Tasting Tomorrow Today – Tastewise Co-Founder and CEO Alon Chen 23:28

1M ago23:28

23:28

Today’s guest is Alon Chen, Co-Founder and CEO of Tastewise, and former Google CMO — who just raised a $50M Series B to transform how the food and beverage industry leverages AI. We dive into why big companies shouldn’t build everything in-house, especially when AI is costly to develop and maintain, and why they should instead focus on their true e…

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Women’s Venture Summit – Stella Foundation CEO Flossie Hall 20:57

2M ago20:57

20:57

On today’s show, I sit down with Flossie Hall, CEO of Stella Foundation, a powerhouse organization serving 10,000 women founders and investors worldwide. Flossie shares her journey from serial entrepreneur—having built and exited multiple seven-figure businesses—to leading a global movement that empowers women to launch, scale, and sustain their ve…

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CVC Masterclass – Merck Global Health Innovation Fund President Bill Taranto 27:34

2M ago27:34

27:34

A CVC masterclass from Bill Taranto, Founder and President of Merck’s Global Health Innovation Fund, a $600M fund that is considered one of the most impactful corporate venture funds in the world. Bill has over 20 years of healthcare investing and is focused on digital health companies transforming the future of care. Bill was just named to the Glo…

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Insights at the Speed of AI – Comcast NBCUniversal. Sr. Manager of Pipeline and Insights Tito Obaisi 25:09

2M ago25:09

25:09

On today’s show, we have Tito Obaisi, the Senior Manager of Pipeline and Insights for Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs. Tito leads efforts to identify strategically relevant, enterprise ready AI startups that are at the cutting edge of new technology that not only deliver new capabilities but also shape insights from working with the world’s largest …

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Igniting Dairy Innovation – California Milk Advisory Board CEO Bob Carroll 28:46

2M ago28:46

28:46

Now in its seventh year, the Real California Milk Excelerator has become a powerhouse for commercializing breakthrough dairy innovations. With over 60 startups and 100+ mentors participating to date, the program continues to elevate the dairy category by fueling scalable, consumer-ready products. In this episode, Bob Carroll, CEO of the California …

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Agentic AI For Retail – ALDO Group Vice President of Data & AI Fatih Nayebi 36:50

2M ago36:50

36:50

Fatih Nayebi is the Vice President of Data & AI at ALDO Group where he leads AI initiatives that transform retail operations and customer experiences. He’s also a Faculty Lecturer at McGill University and the author of Foundations of Agentic AI for Retail, the first book on autonomous AI systems in retail. He demystifies agentic ai, federated learn…

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Pilots to Portfolios: Comcast's Integrated Corporate Growth Startup Strategy 23:40

3M ago23:40

23:40

Join our Founder & CEO, Fred Schonenberg, alongside Laura Plunkett, Vice President, Startup Engagement, Head of Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs, and Marc Silberman, Partner at Comcast Ventures, for a fireside chat entitled From Pilots to Portfolios: Comcast’s Integrated Corporate Growth Startup Strategy recorded earlier this year during the Global C…

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Innovating In Your Own Voice – Tahaji Felder Corporate Innovator and Startup Mentor 29:14

3M ago29:14

29:14

Tahaji Felder, a seasoned social entrepreneur, corporate innovator and community leader. She has over a decade of experience supporting startups and founders to accelerate their emerging brands. Her TEDx on the power of embracing your unique voice is simply awesome. She has launched her own lifestyle brand, is a “Corporate Champion”, has mentored o…

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Visionary of the Year - Charlotte Newman 23:52

3M ago23:52

23:52

VentureFuel’s Visionary of the Year is an honor voted on by peers in corporate innovation for the change agent who seizes new opportunities that drive outsized results. This year’s winner, Charlotte Newman, is the former Global Head of Underrepresented Founder and Investor Startup Business Development at AWS, former founder, and a passionate advoca…

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Accelerator Program Design – Wharton School Professor Valentina Assenova 25:04

3M ago25:04

25:04

Valentina Assenova is the Edward B. and Shirley R. Shils Endowed Term Assistant Professor of Management at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. She is renowned for her insightful research on entrepreneurship and innovation, particularly in how cultural and societal factors influence entrepreneurial ecosystems around the world. She recent…

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AI Drug Discovery – Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Innovation Hub Manager Rick Peng 29:07

4M ago29:07

29:07

On today’s show we’re excited to welcome Rick Peng, the Innovation Hub Manager and Digital Licensing Professional at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. We talk about how your organization can build an outside-in, external innovation program to deliver outsized results. Rick breaks down the secret sauce of the MSK Innovation Hub, an accelerator…

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Future Cities – CEO of Smart City Expo USA Aarti Tandon 26:44

4M ago26:44

26:44

Aarti Tandon, CEO of Smart City Expo USA, is a visionary leader at the crossroads of technology, entertainment, and justice, known for driving innovation that builds smarter, more inclusive, and future-ready cities. With a diverse background as a lawyer, activist, and documentary producer, she brings a unique perspective on how cutting-edge technol…

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Blueberry Boost Accelerator – President of US Highbush Blueberry Council and North American Blueberry Council Kasey Cronquist 21:53

4M ago21:53

21:53

Since 2019, Kasey has been the President of both the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council and the North American Blueberry Council where he is dedicated to making blueberries the world’s favorite fruit through strategic marketing, industry collaboration, and innovation. He has led initiatives like the "Grab a Boost of Blue" campaign and launched "The Bu…

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Outside The Norm – Founding Partner of Outside VC Ethan Austin 27:57

4M ago27:57

27:57

Ethan Austin is the Founding Partner of Outside VC, a pre-seed venture fund dedicated to backing “outsider” founders. He is a seasoned entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and advocate for financial inclusion. Before Outside VC, Ethan co-founded GiveForward, the world’s first medical crowdfunding platform, which raised over $200 million to help famili…

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Inside Corporate Venture Capital - Editor-In-Chief of Global Corporate Venturing Maija Palmer 28:00

5M ago28:00

28:00

Maija Palmer is the Editor-in-Chief of Global Corporate Venturing (GCV), a community and media platform that helps corporations drive innovation through strategic investments and partnerships with startups., Maija is one of the top leading voices in corporate venturing and we talk about the evolution of Corporate Venture Capital (CVC), how corporat…

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Transforming Healthcare – Former Chief Strategy Officer John Muir Health Authors George Sauter 25:24

5M ago25:24

25:24

George Sauter is an accomplished healthcare executive with decades of experience driving innovation to transform legacy systems with meaningful results. As the former Chief Strategy Officer at John Muir Health, George has been at the forefront of integrating cutting-edge technologies through impactful partnerships to improve patient care and operat…

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Expo West 2025 - Key Insights and Emerging Trends 17:02

5M ago17:02

17:02

In this episode, we dive into the breakthrough trends and innovations unveiled at Expo West 2025. Our very own Innovation team members, Katrina Zheleznyak and Beau Bergman break down the highlights from this massive event, which brought together over 65,000 industry professionals and more than 3,000 exhibitors. From game-changing products to sustai…

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Harvesting Innovation – FEI’s Seth Adler 23:43

5M ago23:43

23:43

From Clayton Christensen to Steve Wozniak to Mookie Wilson, we cover a lot of ground with Seth Adler who is the head of IMI Media at Informa and a driving force behind All Things Insights and All Things Innovation. Seth has spent his career bringing people together through dynamic content, including events, podcasts, and written works. He’s also pl…

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The AI Marketing Canvas – Kellogg School of Management Professor Jim Lecinski 32:46

5M ago32:46

32:46

Jim Lecinski, Clinical Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, has over 30 years of marketing experience, including a distinguished 12-year tenure as Vice President of Customer Solutions for the Americas at Google. He is a leading expert in marketing strategy and digital transformation, best known for pione…

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Midwest Dairy Accelerator - Research and Innovation Manager Sidney Herr 18:58

5M ago18:58

18:58

Midwest Dairy represents over 4,000 dairy farms across a 10-state region, including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, and eastern Oklahoma. Their mission is to build dairy demand by inspiring consumer confidence in dairy products and production practices. Sidney Herr, the Research & Innovat…

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Unlocking Microsoft's Innovation Secrets – Authors JoAnn Garbin and Dean Carignan 29:14

6M ago29:14

29:14

Dean Carignan and JoAnn Garbin, authors of The Insider's Guide to Innovation at Microsoft, delve into the strategies and practices that have driven Microsoft's most groundbreaking innovations over the past 50 years. From the Xbox revolution to the rise of Bing in AI, Dean and JoAnn share behind-the-scenes stories and insights into the company's app…

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The 3 Jobs of Corporate Innovators – Innov8rs Chief Hans Balmaekers 21:59

6M ago21:59

21:59

Hans Balmaekers is the Chief of Innov8rs, a global community dedicated to empowering corporate innovators. Hans has spent over a decade collaborating and learning about how to innovate within the world’s top organizations and shares some of his top tips with us, such as how the best corporate innovators have a day job (innovation, the work), a nigh…

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Driving Innovation Through Collaboration: Insights from VentureFuel Visionary of the Year Finalists 7:12

7M ago7:12

7:12

In this episode of VentureFuel Visionaries, we explore how collaboration drives innovation with five visionary leaders. From AWS’s Charlotte Newman on global founder support to LG’s Marita McGinn on equity-free startup models, we dive into the power of partnerships. MassRobotics’ Sokwoo Rhee shares insights on public-private alliances, REI’s Dan Ki…

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Al-Ran to Interconnected Realities - Nokia Head of Trend and Innovation Scouting Leslie Shannon 23:14

8M ago23:14

23:14

On today's show, we have Leslie Shannon, the Head of Trend and Innovation Scouting at Nokia, where she specializes in identifying disruptive technologies that are shaping the future of connectivity. She is an accomplished author of two influential books:"Interconnected Realities," which explores the Metaverse, and "Virtual Natives." We discuss ever…

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Health Trends and Consumer Preferences in Dairy 37:27

8M ago37:27

37:27

Dive into the latest health trends and shifting consumer preferences in the dairy industry with a dynamic panel featuring John Crawford, SVP of Client Insights for the Dairy Category at Circana; Donna Berry, Editor & Consultant at Dairy & Food Communications Inc.; Patrycja Kotowska, Category Strategy Manager at Sprouts Farmers Market; and Fred Scho…

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Balancing Tradition and Innovation in Dairy 33:45

8M ago33:45

33:45

In this thought-provoking episode, John Talbot, CEO of the California Milk Advisory Board and Fred Schonenberg, Founder & CEO of VentureFuel; sit down with Elizabeth Crawford, Senior Editor at FoodNavigator-USA, to discuss the balance between tradition and innovation in the dairy industry. Recorded at the Real California Milk Excelerator’s Future o…

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The Opportunity for Lactose-Free Milk to Retake Share from Plant-Based 39:28

9M ago39:28

39:28

Can lactose-free milk reclaim market share from plant-based beverages? This engaging panel discussion, captured live at the Real California Milk Excelerator’s Future of Dairy Expo, explores how lactose-free milk can win back thecoffee occasion with its functional benefits and versatility. Featuring Veronique Lagrange, Director ofthe California Dair…

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The Future of Health and Wellness in Dairy with Lauren Twigge 35:04

9M ago35:04

35:04

In this insightful keynote, media nutritionist and founder of Nutrition at Its Roots Lauren Twigge explores dairy's natural functional benefits and exciting potential for innovation in health and wellness. Delivered live at the Real California Milk Excelerator's Future of Dairy Expo in November 2024, Lauren discusses why dairy is uniquely positione…

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Exciting Re-Release: External Innovation For Internal Stakeholders — LG Electronics EVP Sokwoo Rhee 31:04

9M ago31:04

31:04

In this special re-release timed for CES 2025, we revisit a powerful conversation with Sokwoo Rhee, EVP at LG Electronics, and the Head of LG's North America Innovation Center, LG NOVA. Sokwoo shares his expertise on how external innovation can drive significant internal value, offering a unique perspective on aligning cutting-edge technologies wit…

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2024 Unwrapped – VentureFuel CEO Fred Schonenberg 28:45

9M ago28:45

28:45

Reflections on the innovative transformations of 2024 and looking ahead to uncover What's Next for leaders, innovators, and changemakers. VentureFuel VP of Growth, Vanessa Rosado, dives in with CEO and Founder, Fred Schonenberg, on 2024’s top technologies and startups (from Gen AI to Frozen Cottage Cheese), to 2025 predictions of industries to thri…

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Space Strategy - Seraphim Space Enterprise Managing Director Alexander Holt 30:47

9M ago30:47

30:47

What is your space strategy? Yes, space. As the cost to launch has plummeted and satellites have proliferated, we now interact with data from space every day, and as Alexander shared, “every company in the future will become a space company.” Alexander is the Managing Director of Seraphim Space Enterprise (SSE), the global insights and acceleration…

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The Most Fundable Companies – Pepperdine Graziadio Business School Program Manager Amy Wood 29:30

10M ago29:30

29:30

What are VCs looking for? Is your startup fundable? What do you need to improve to get financing? On today’s show we have Amy Wood, the Program Manager for the "Most Fundable Companies" initiative at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, a groundbreaking program that empowers early-stage startups by providing critical insights into their readiness …

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Visual Data - Coactive AI Co-Founder Will Gaviria Rojas 24:09

10M ago24:09

24:09

On today’s show, we have Will Gaviria Rojas, co-founder of Coactive AI, a groundbreaking startup transforming how organizations interact with unstructured visual data. With a robust background in electrical engineering from MIT and a PhD in materials science from Northwestern University, Will and the Coactive AI leverage advanced artificial intelli…

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Farm2Food Accelerator – NASDA Foundation Senior Director Chris Jones 25:20

10M ago25:20

25:20

On today’s show, we have Chris Jones, who is the Senior Director at NASDA (National Association of State Departments of Agriculture), where he runs the Farm2Food Accelerator, a 15-week training program built to empower and educate small-scale farmers and food entrepreneurs to become more resilient through food production. The program helps take cur…

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Raising the Bar - All Real Nutrition CEO Niall Harty 25:39

11M ago25:39

25:39

Started in a small kitchen in Ireland, Niall Harty wanted to see if he could create nutritious protein bars made from real food ingredients. We explore how Niall and Co-Founder Ross McDowell have grown the company since we first met him as a participant in Bord Bia’s innovation program with VentureFuel. Now in over 2,000 stores across Ireland and t…

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Re-Release: Excelerating Dairy – CMAB VP of Business Development Bob Carroll 24:06

11M ago24:06

24:06

In this special re-release of VentureFuel Visionaries, we’re excited to welcome Bob Carroll, Vice President of Business Development at the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB). As we count down to the 6th year of the Real California Exceleator on November 14th, Bob shares insights on how CMAB—backed by California’s pioneering dairy farm families—l…

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Empowering Growth: Marlene Orozco on Latino Entrepreneurship and Access to Capital 30:13

11M ago30:13

30:13

Marlene Orozco, lead research analyst at the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative, joins us to discuss the unique challenges faced by Hispanic entrepreneurs, particularly in accessing capital. With her background in sociology, Marlene highlights the initiative's role in advancing Latino entrepreneurship, shares key insights from impactful re…

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Re-Release: Philanthropic Venturing — Valiente Fund's Maria Rodriguez 20:12

12M ago20:12

20:12

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we are re-releasing this episodefeaturing Maria Rodriguez, Executive Director of the Valiente Fund, a collaborativefocused on increasing philanthropic investment in Latine leaders, organizations,and communities. Maria shares insights on the importance of innovation in criticalmoments, scaling bold solutions, and…

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NFL to Venture - Champion Venture Partners Founder Marques Colston 25:29

12M ago25:29

25:29

Former NFL star (one of the top 50 wide receivers in NFL historyand the New Orleans Saints’ all-time leader in every major statistical category for hisposition) and entrepreneur Marques Colston joins us to discuss the future of sportsand the new value chain in sports. As the Founder of Champion Venture Partners,Marques has created a new investment …

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Re-Release: Empowering Latino Entrepreneurs with Natalia Rodriguez-Hilt of Raza Development Fund 24:19

1y ago24:19

24:19

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we're re-releasing this insightful episode with Natalia Rodriguez-Hilt, Senior Director at Raza Development Fund (RDF). Natalia discusses how RDF unlocks the $2.1 trillion revenue potential of Latino-owned businesses through creative financing solutions, including equity-like revenue-based loans. She also highli…

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What Needs to Be Done - Stand Together Venture Lab Fellow Paolo Narciso 31:31

1y ago31:31

31:31

What Needs to Be Done? Is Better Possible? Where do the seeds of change begin, and can entrepreneurs really solve society’s biggest challenges? Paolo Narciso is a Build Fellow at Stand Together Ventures Lab. STVL invests and builds to change society with founders and teams who are obsessed with showing that better is possible. Today, we talk about …

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Leap Venture Studio – Mars Petcare Director Ventures Rachel Sheppard 25:45

1y ago25:45

25:45

“Further, Faster.” Rachel Shepphard, Director of Ventures for Mars Pet Care, shares how the Leap Venture Studio & Academy ignites impactful growth for pet care startups.7 out of 10 US households have a pet, with 97% considering the pet a part of the family - which explains the $320+ billion global pet care market (predicted to get to $500bn by 2030…

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Path Ahead Ventures – REI Dan Kihanya 24:23

1y ago24:23

24:23

Dan Kihanya is the Director of REI’s Path Ahead Ventures, a $30 million fund aimed at supporting founders of color in the outdoor industry. Launched in 2021, this program focuses on providing resources, mentorship, and funding to help diverse entrepreneurs start and scale their businesses. They have multiple programs like Embark (for early-stage fo…

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Figure Eight – Author Marcelo DeSantis 26:13

1y ago26:13

26:13

Marcelo De Santis is a seasoned C-suite leader (former executive at Thoughtworks, Pirelli, and Mondelēz International), and his new book, Figure Eight, unlocks the secrets of leadership in our rapidly evolving world where technology and humanity converge. We talk about leadership in fast times, accelerating time to market, executive mountaineering …

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Re-Release: Where Ideas Take Flight: Glasswing Ventures' Rudina Seseri On AI 33:11

1y ago33:11

33:11

In this special re-release, we dive into the ever-evolving world of artificial intelligence with Rudina Seseri, Managing Partner at Glasswing Ventures, as she reflects on AI investment and innovation. Rudina provides an analysis of the AI industry, addressing pressing questions on the technology's evolution and her assessment of its long-term poten…