Seed Stage Stories

Sarah Joyce Franklin recently stepped into the role of CEO at Lattice. During her 16-year tenure at Salesforce, Sarah served as the President, CMO, and Chairwoman Advisory. Sarah is also a runner, space enthusiast, snowboarder, and mom. Her professional success speaks for itself, but what stands out to me — and is not necessarily the norm for tech executives — Sarah has a lot of fun at her job. During our podcast conversation, we talked about her journey from individual contributor to executive and the lessons she learned along the way. She shares: How to make decisions from a place of confidence, not fear The story of her midnight memo to CEO Marc Benioff How she approaches motherhood with such a demanding job Her advice for aspiring leaders in tech To see my four main takeaways from the conversation, check out the Seed Stage Stories blog!

Nikil is the Co-Founder and CEO of Alchemy. He graduated from Stanford with a BS and MS in Computer Science and built consumer apps after college. He launched Alchemy with Joe Lau in 2020, and it has since become the world’s leading blockchain and web3 development platform. Alchemy is hailed as the fastest-growing company in history, going from public launch to a $10 billion valuation in 18 months. We chat about: The importance of speed and consistency over time in entrepreneurship The future of blockchain and blockchain vs. AI The best time to start a company Nikil's favorite memories at Stanford His advice for college students Check out the medium article with key takeaways here!

Kristina Saffran is the Co-Founder and CEO of Equip. She has been recognized by Forbes, Business Insider, and Inc as a thought leader in healthcare, and Equip was named as one of 2023’s 100 most influential companies by Times. They raised $58M in Series B funding earlier this year from the Chernin Group, General Catalyst, Tiger Global, and Alex Morgan.  We chatted about her path toward entrepreneurship, the industry inflections behind Equip, ethical considerations in venture-backed healthcare, and her advice for college students. Check out the Seed Stage Stories medium page for an article with my key takeaways from this conversation. 1:00 - Kristina's personal experiences with Anorexia 3:00 - Industry inflection around the mental health parity act and private equity players entering the space 5:15 - Aligning incentives in healthcare 8:15 - The importance of bringing on healthcare investors 13:55 - Equip as a tech-enabled services company 19:55 - Grit as an entrepreneur 23:30 - Advice for college students 24:32 - Entrepreneurship vs. academia 27:50 - Navigating mental health in college 30:30 - Turning anxiety into adrenaline 34:20 - Kristina's closing advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

Joseph Woodbury is the Co-Founder and CEO of Neighbor, a hyperlocal marketplace for storage, which allows people to monetize extra space in their homes and garages. The company has raised $65M from the top marketplace investors in the world, including a16z and the founders of Uber, DoorDash, and StockX. We talked about: His experience building the company as a college student Joseph's vision for Neighbor, how they are starting with storage like Amazon started with books The importance of great co-founders and clearly defining roles early on The growth curve of consumer marketplaces and why it's the next stage of Utah tech  Staying true to your values as an entrepreneur and building a product that you are proud to stand behind By bringing neighbors closer through the simple act of storage, Joseph and the team at Neighbor are strengthening local communities. He is an incredibly thoughtful, down-to-earth entrepreneur, and I took so many valuable lessons from his story. Check out the Seed Stage Stories medium page for the key takeaways!

Sam Corcos is the Co-Founder and CEO of Levels, a biowearable startup tackling the metabolic health crisis. Levels Health pairs continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) with powerful software to surface personalized, actionable health insights and close the loop between nutrition, exercise, and well-being. The company is backed by a16z and recently raised a $38M Series A.  This is a replay from the Levels Health podcast, where I chat with Sam about: Developing the CEO skillset How aspiring entrepreneurs should approach college Building an all-star team The future of U.S. healthcare Becoming a great communicator Check out the Medium article with four lessons I learned from Sam. You can also find the show notes here. 

After giving up diet soda for fruit-infused water in 2005, Kara Goldin regained her energy, lost weight, and wanted to help others do the same. She started Hint from her garage to help people fall in love with water, and the company is now one of the largest independent beverage companies in the nation with $230+ in sales. Hint has millions of passionate fans, and its popularity at companies like Google led Forbes to name it the “de facto drink of Silicon Valley”.  Kara has won EY's Entrepreneur of the Year, Forbes 40 over 40, and Fast Company's Most Innovative People in Business. She shares some incredible advice on advocating for yourself early in your career, leading during times of crisis, and finding fulfillment in work. Make sure to check out her book Undaunted and her feature on the Seed Stage Stories blog! 

Sukhinder Singh Cassidy is a leading technology executive, entrepreneur, and venture capitalist with more than 25 years of experience scaling companies like Google, Amazon, and StubHub. As the founder of theBoardlist, a company that connects exceptional female and underrepresented talent to board and executive opportunities, Sukhinder has also been a force for greater gender parity and diversity in corporations across the globe. Sukhinder shares pivotal moments in her career and offers advice on risk-taking, decision-making, and pursuing high-impact opportunities. Check out the accompanying Medium article here and make sure to get a copy of Sukhinder's incredible book, Choose Possibility.  If you have any feedback about this podcast or blog, I'd love to hear it! You can reach me at [email protected]

Podium is a B2B SaaS company powering messaging and payments for local businesses. The triple unicorn is led by Eric Rea, a high-energy, gritty leader who took an unconventional path to entrepreneurship. While interning at Podium and watching him lead the company through a period of tremendous growth, I learned some incredible lessons about leadership, communication, and entrepreneurship. Check out the Seed Stage Stories blog on Medium for four key takeaways from my conversation with Eric.

Davis Smith is a serial e-commerce entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Cotopaxi, a b corporation changing the outdoor gear industry for the better. He offers advice on risk-taking, building a brand, prioritizing people, and finding purpose. Davis is an inspirational leader who uses entrepreneurship as a force for good, and there is a lot to be learned from his story.  You can find the accompanying article here. https://medium.com/@emma_casey/dcc1ef13cec0