The Intentional Investor #38: Danielle Strachman

In this episode of Intentional Investor, Matt Ziegler sits down with Danielle Strachman, co-founder and general partner of 1517 Fund, former director at the Thiel Fellowship, and lifelong supporter of unconventional paths. Danielle shares her journey from a New England upbringing and music-filled childhood to starting a charter school during the financial crisis, building 1517 to back “dropouts, renegades, and sci-fi kids,” and embracing her role as a “professional fairy godmother.” Her story is one of resilience, creativity, and building communities that make a difference.

Matt Zeigler sits down with Eric Pachman to explore how purpose, curiosity, and friendship powered an unlikely path from chemical engineering and ExxonMobil to Wall Street, data storytelling, and exposing hidden costs in healthcare. Eric shares the decisions and inflection points that shaped his life—becoming a parent during Harvard Business School, burning out and rebuilding energy as an introvert, and learning to make complex ideas useful—while offering practical frameworks for better decisions, communication, and impact.

In this episode of The Intentional Investor, Matt Zeigler sits down with Jenny Rozelle—attorney, business owner, and host of the Legal Tea podcast—to explore her journey from small-town Indiana to running a thriving law firm with her husband. Jenny shares stories of persistence, mentorship, and building a business that doubles as a community asset. From stubbornness as a superpower to balancing cattle chores with client calls, this conversation blends humor, resilience, and hard-earned lessons about investing in both life and work.

In this episode of *The Intentional Investor, Matt Zeigler sits down with Devin Anderson — CEO and co-founder of Convexitas — for a wide-ranging conversation on startups, trading desks, and the lessons learned from navigating crises. From working at an internet company in high school to winding down risk at Deutsche Bank’s “bad bank,” Devin shares an unfiltered look at technology, entrepreneurship, derivatives, and risk management.

In this episode of *The Intentional Investor*, Matt Zeigler sits down with Rupert Mitchell—global capital markets veteran, writer, and founder of Blind Squirrel Macro—for a conversation that’s equal parts myth, markets, and meaning. From working on privatization deals in Cairo and Hong Kong’s ETF debut to reflections on career reinvention, cynicism in finance, and Norse mythology, Rupert brings a rare blend of depth, wit, and global experience. If you’ve ever wondered how a Spanish literature major ends up structuring billion-dollar deals—or how a squirrel from Norse myth can explain market dynamics—this one’s for you.

In this episode of The Intentional Investor, Matt Zeigler sits down with John Stoj for a wide-ranging conversation that explores career reinvention, risk-taking, and the deeper purpose behind financial decisions. From an unexpected Wall Street entry via a summer internship, to launching a sushi business, to ultimately rethinking how investment advice should be delivered, John shares a journey filled with humility, humor, and hard-earned lessons.

Bryan Moore, host of The Active Advisor Podcast and veteran ETF trader, joins us to share his remarkable journey through trading pits, ETF desks, market crashes, and more — including putting on a trade for the Vatican. In this conversation, Bryan reveals how embracing discomfort, risk, and uncertainty has been the key to his success in markets and life. From the trading floor to intentional investing, you’ll learn how to rethink risk, growth, and your investing mindset.

From bagpipes to bouncing to betting markets, Andrew Mack’s journey to becoming a successful trader and sports bettor is anything but conventional. In this deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation, Andrew opens up about the detours, doubts, and decisions that shaped his unlikely path from rural Canada to algorithmic trading. Along the way, he shares what working in oil fields, selling used cars, and studying sociology taught him about risk, discipline, and finding conviction in uncertainty. This is a story about reinvention, self-reliance, and the grit it takes to build your own edge from scratch.

In this episode of The Intentional Investor, Matt Zeigler sits down with Andrew Cohen, a former market maker at Bernie Madoff’s firm whose life took a dramatic turn when the largest Ponzi scheme in history unraveled. But this isn’t just a story about scandal—it's about resilience, reinvention, and redefining success on your own terms.

In this captivating episode of The Intentional Investor, Matt Zeigler sits down with Kris Abdelmessih, the mind behind Moontower. From his immigrant family upbringing in New Jersey to becoming a seasoned market maker who covered virtually every trading pit imaginable, Kris shares his fascinating journey through the financial world. Learn how key mentors, family influences, and pivotal life moments shaped his path from trading floors to becoming a respected financial writer.