From KIND Bars to Kind Capital: Elle Lanning on Building Purpose-Led Growth

Today, we’re thrilled to welcome Denielle Finkelstein and Thyme Sullivan, Co-CEOs and Co-Founders of UNICORN in EVERY stall, the company redefining bathroom equity.Cousins and co-CEOs Danielle and Thyme left decades in fashion and consumer goods to create UNICORN. Their sleek dispensers put organic tampons and pads in every stall, just like toilet paper, at companies like JPMorgan Chase, American Express, PepsiCo, and Toyota. What started as a vision for dignity has become a movement transforming culture, productivity, and the future of work.And on today’s episode we’re chatting about their story and how they are advancing the next generation of women, one bathroom stall at a time.Episode Breakdown:Welcome - 00:00:33Intro - 00:01:41Deep Dive - 00:05:28Lightning Round - 00:31:59Shout Out - 00:39:23

Today, we’re thrilled to welcome Elle Lanning, President of Investments at Camino Partners.At Camino, Elle leads investment strategy and execution across asset classes, with a focus on the firm’s direct investment platform. A former KIND executive who helped scale the brand from $20 million to over $1 billion in sales, Elle brings an operator’s lens to investing. Under her leadership, Camino has partnered with standout brands like Belgian Boys, SOMOS, LiveWell, and Barry’s — helping founders grow with purpose and impact.In today’s episode, we explore her journey from scaling KIND into a global powerhouse to leading investments at Camino Partners — diving into what makes purpose and margins truly defensible, how consumer investing has evolved, and the lessons from building brands that last.Episode breakdown:Welcome: 00:00:00Intro: 00:01:48Deep Dive: 00:10:42Lightning Round: 00:38:57

Today, we’re thrilled to welcome Keith Teare and Rob Hodgkinson. Keith is CEO of SignalRank and publisher of That Was The Week on Substack. Previously he was the Co-Founder of TechCrunch and a founder of European ISP EasyNet. Rob is the Co-founder and Head of Investing at SignalRank, previously an investor at Beringea.In this episode, we talk about what signals really matter in the early-stage venture market, how their approach at SignalRank helps identify breakout companies after Seed stage, and how the venture landscape is shifting heading into 2026.Episode Breakdown:00:00:00 - Welcome00:01:24 - Intro00:09:09 - Deep Dive00:34:38 - Lightning Round

Today are happy to welcome Singari Seshadri. Singari is an investor, operator and entrepreneur with deep experience launching and scaling consumer businesses. She incubated Cumulus Media, now the second largest radio operator in the US. Led innovation at Nike, taught entrepreneurship at Stanford and invested across media, health and wellness.She's now focused on women's sports where she brings a unique lens shaped by years in VC, startup and corporate leadership. On today's episode, we're discussing how media and capital are reshaping women's sports and the economic realities facing female athletes.Episode breakdown:00:00:00 - Welcome00:01:12 - Intro00:12:32 - Deep Dive00:30:07 - Shout Out00:35:20 - Learnings00:42:19 - Lightning Round

Today, we’re thrilled to welcome James Cummings, Vice President, Business Development at London & Partners.The organisation has a mission to create economic growth that is resilient, sustainable, and inclusive, and to tell London's story brilliantly to an international audience in partnership with organisations and people who have a stake in London's promotion. James is based in Los Angeles and works with US companies that are expanding into and growing operations in London, and London companies exploring the opportunity in the US.In this episode, we talk about how UK and US companies expand across borders, especially in the media and innovation space. He shares insights on market entry challenges, London & Partners’ global strategy, and upcoming initiatives like LA Tech Week to support international growth.Episode breakdown:Welcome: 00:00:00Intro - 00:01:20Deep Dive - 00:08:04Shout Out - 00:23:36Lightning Round - 00:25:50

Today’s guest is Cathy White, the founder and CEO of CEW Communications—a leading European PR agency. Since launching in 2016, Cathy and her team have helped early-stage and growth-stage startups, as well as venture capital firms tell their stories and gain media attention across Europe.Some of their past clients include: Mondu, Sleepwave as well as funds such as Aldea Ventures and Unlock VC.Before founding CEW, Cathy led communications at Seedcamp and Tech Nation (now part of Founders Forum), becoming known as a go-to expert at the crossroads of startups, capital, and media.In this episode, we’ll discuss:- How founders can use storytelling and PR as growth tools - Why press coverage can influence both customers and investorsEpisode breakdown:00:00:00 - Welcome00:01:30 - Intro00:05:11 - Deep Dive00:29:51 - Shout Out00:31:59 - Learnings00:38:02 - Lightning Round

Today, we’re joined by Simone Kendle, CEO of Wove, the custom jewelry brand that’s redefining what luxury means. Wove blends deep personalization, craftsmanship, and trust in a way the traditional jewelry industry has never done. Under Simone’s leadership, Wove is quickly becoming a cultural force — most recently capturing headlines when Taylor Swift was seen wearing their bracelets.On this episode, we’ll talk about her journey, how she’s scaling a company rooted in authenticity and innovation, and what it takes to create consumer brands that connect deeply and grow fast in today’s world.Episode Breakdown:00:00:00 - Welcome00:01:36 - Intro00:12:38 - Deep Dive00:32:35 - Shout Out00:36:18 - Lightning Round

Today, we’re thrilled to welcome Evan Shapiro, Emmy-winning producer, professor, media strategist, and founder of ESHAP.ESHAP is a “change agency” known for making sense of chaos in media. If you’ve ever seen the famous Media Universe Map, you’ve seen Evan’s work—he’s the self-proclaimed Media Cartographer, charting how platforms, creators, and culture collide.With a media career spanning iconic comedy shows like Portlandia and Comedy Bang Bang, Evan has become a rare bridge between traditional media and the creator economy. Through his company, his podcast “The Media Odyssey,” and his Substack “Media War & Peace,” Evan is shaping the global conversation on what comes next.Episode breakdown:Welcome - 00:00:00Evan's Path - 00:01:21Deep Dive - 00:09:59Shout Out - 00:23:23Lightning Round - 00:27:32Future - 00:38:44

We’re thrilled to welcome Amit Khosla, Executive Director at AYA Capital Inc. – 3rd generation alternative investment vehicle of one of the founding families of Grupo Modelo, Latin Americas largest vertically integrated brewing businesses.The Private Office, while keeping a low public profile, is known in the right circles for its Blockchain, E-Gaming, B2B SaaS and Direct Consumer investments. They take a global approach with a focus on North/ South America and Europe. Relevant to this Podcast is an investment AYA made into Monou, an e-gaming business from Mexico which has recently secured $5m in Media Capital from one of MFG’s media partners, Televisa to help sustain its exponential growth across Mexico.On the podcast, we talk about capital efficiencies, the rise of alternative investment models, and what makes a VC truly valuable.Episode Breakdown:00:00:00 - Welcome00:01:30 - Intro00:06:57 - Deep Dive00:24:04 - Shout Out00:28:01 - Learnings00:31:55 - Lightning Round

Today, we’re thrilled to welcome Pedro Schmidt, CEO and Founder of KA-EX, the world’s first fast-acting cortisol stress reducer.KA-EX is built on a science-backed foundation, with three clinical trials and thousands of professional athletes across Europe using it daily - from top European football clubs, such as Paris-Saint Germain and the Swiss National Football Team, to TUDOR Pro Cycling, and numerous Olympic gold medalists.After becoming one of Switzerland’s best-selling dietary supplements, with over 2 million units sold annually, the equivalent of 100 million units per year in the U.S. when adjusted for population size, KA-EX is now expanding into the U.S. market, focusing on high-performing athletes.Episode Breakdown:00:00:00 - Welcome00:01:29 - Intro00:03:50 - Deep Dive00:17:33 - Shout Out00:20:14 - Important Learnings00:27:39 - Lightning Round