The Room Podcast

Claudia Laurie and Madison McIlwain

Welcome to the Room. A series interviewing your favorite tech founders and funders. Our guests were in the room where it happened and they’re sharing their stories.

  1. 1 दिन पहले

    S13E3: Creating Longevity Drugs for Dogs with Celine Halioua, Founder of Loyal

    Welcome back to another episode of The Room Podcast! This week, we sit down with Celine Halioua, Founder and CEO of Loyal, a biotech company pioneering FDA-approved longevity drugs for dogs. From a childhood surrounded by rescue animals to an academic journey through neuroscience, health economics, and venture capital, Celine’s path to entrepreneurship is as winding as it is inspiring. Today, Loyal is leading the charge in redefining what’s possible in veterinary medicine—aiming not just to treat disease, but to extend healthy lifespan itself. In this episode, Celine shares how her scientific curiosity about aging and her love for animals converged into a singular mission. She takes us behind the scenes on the founding story of Loyal—from a chance conversation around a campfire, to navigating the capital-intensive world of biotech, to winning over regulators and pet parents alike. Listeners will walk away with hard-earned insights about fundraising in uncertain markets, balancing ambition with operational discipline, and the importance of being both scientifically rigorous and soulfully driven when building something truly generational. (00:00) Introduction (05:00) How did Celine’s early upbringing in Austin shape her worldview? (06:31) Did Celine always think she’d become a founder? (06:49) What early research made Celine believe in longevity as a real field? (08:51) How did Celine’s love for dogs intersect with her scientific passion? (10:48) What was the aha moment behind starting Loyal? (16:14) What was it like convincing early investors and team members to believe in Loyal? (19:41) Who was the first person to invest in Celine and Loyal? (21:29) How did Celine build trust with both regulators and pet owners? (24:24) What’s a moment that didn’t go as planned, and how did Celine turn it around? (30:47) Is it challenging to build a brand while the product isn’t ready to go to market? (34:17) Is getting a drug for animals approved by the FDA different than a drug for humans? (36:41) What did Celine consider when building her team at Loyal? (40:21) Can Loyal’s work in dogs translate to longevity solutions for humans? (42:34) Who is a woman in your life who has had a profound impact on you and your career? For The Room Podcast in your inbox every week, subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram  Follow us on TikTok  Check out our guide to podcasting here!  Don't forget to subscribe to our channel on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music! Brought to you by Perkins Coie and Mercury.* *Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC. WX Productions

    45 मिनट

  2. 7 अक्टू॰

    S13E2: Scaling Warp and Supercharging Developers with AI with Founder Zach Lloyd

    This week on The Room Podcast, Claudia and Madison sit down with Zach Lloyd, Founder and CEO of Warp. Before founding Warp, Zach spent nearly a decade at Google, where he led engineering on Google Sheets and Docs, and later co-founded the startup Self-Made before launching Warp in 2020. Warp is a modern re-imagining of the command line, transforming one of the most widely used developer tools into an AI-powered, productivity-boosting experience. In this episode, Zach shares lessons from his challenge of finding the right founder–market fit, we explore how Warp integrates AI into developer workflows, why timing mattered during the ChatGPT wave, and the importance of retention before growth. Tune in for insights on building developer-first products, rethinking foundational tools, and how to adapt a startup in a fast-moving AI landscape.   (0:00) Introduction (04:54) Where did Zach grow up and how did that shape his view of the world? (06:04) Did Zach always see himself becoming a founder or CEO? (07:07) How did Zach’s early years shape his career path, and why did he leave law school after one year? (09:37) How did Zach’s time at Google shape some of the insights behind Warp? (11:47) What did Zach’s first startup Self-Made do, and how did that experience influence Warp? (15:08) Why was the developer tools space so exciting and important for Zach to tackle with Warp? (18:41) In Zach’s words, what is Warp and how does AI supercharge the new terminal experience? (21:52) What was Zach’s “oh shit” moment in November 2022 when AI changed Warp’s trajectory? (24:58) How did Zach explain this AI-driven shift in product direction to investors? (26:53) What were Warp’s first growth inflection points and what drove that traction? (29:34) How did Warp differentiate itself from the explosion of AI coding tools after ChatGPT’s launch? (31:27) Who was the first person to invest in Warp? (33:29) What were some of the toughest user-experience or branding challenges Warp faced early on? (35:25) How is Warp growing into a dual approach of PLG and enterprise? (37:17) Do we need new business models to support what is happening in tech? (39:24) Who does Zach see as Warp’s true competitors in the AI developer tools space? (40:49) What’s Zach’s quick take on Model Context Protocol and how it fits into Warp’s future? (42:13) What can new users look forward to next with Warp? (43:11) Who is a woman in Zach’s life that has had a profound impact on him and his career?   For The Room Podcast in your inbox every week, subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram  Follow us on TikTok  Check out our guide to podcasting here!  Don't forget to subscribe to our channel on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music!   Brought to you by Perkins Coie and Mercury.* *Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC.   WX Productions

    46 मिनट

  3. 30 सित॰

    S13E1: Reinventing Work Through AI-Native Communication with Craig Walker, Founder & CEO of Dialpad

    In this episode of The Room Podcast, hosts Claudia Laurie and Madison McIlwain sit down with serial entrepreneur Craig Walker, founder and CEO of Dialpad. Craig’s story begins in Cupertino, back when apricot orchards defined the neighborhood and a young Steve Jobs lived just a few houses down. From those early days in Silicon Valley, Craig went on to earn degrees from Berkeley and Georgetown before starting his career as an M&A lawyer advising Cisco, Kleiner Perkins, and Sequoia. That legal lens shaped his entrepreneurial instincts and prepared him for the rollercoaster ride of building companies through both downturns and booms. Craig shares the pivotal moments behind: Rescuing Dialpad Communications in the wake of the dot-com crash, cutting $3M in monthly burn down to $100K.Founding GrandCentral, which became Google Voice after its acquisition by Google in 2007.Launching UberConference, later rebranded as Dialpad Meetings, and returning to his passion for modern communications.We dive deep into how Dialpad became an AI-native platform, from the bold $50M acquisition of TalkIQ in 2018 to pioneering real-time transcription, sentiment analysis, and call coaching. Craig explains why “work isn’t a place, it’s what you do” has been his guiding philosophy—and how that mindset shaped Dialpad’s remote-friendly, AI-first culture long before the pandemic. The conversation also covers: What it means to build an AI-native company vs. bolting on AI features.Lessons for founders raising capital in today’s market.How to balance automation with maintaining authentic human connection.Craig’s vision for the future of Dialpad and AI-powered work.The woman in Craig’s professional journey who has had a profound impact.This is a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and leading at the edge of technological change

    53 मिनट

  4. 1 जुल॰ · बोनस

    New York Tech Week Special: Live Recording with Partiful Co-Founder and CEO, Shreya Murthy

    Welcome to a special bonus episode of The Room Podcast, recorded live at New York Tech Week! This week, we're thrilled to chat with Shreya Murthy, Co-Founder and CEO of Partiful, the modern social events platform that is revolutionizing how we make plans and build real-world relationships. Since launching in 2021, Partiful has scaled to millions of users and earned major accolades, including Google's Best App of 2024, Apple's Editor Choice, and recognition as one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies for 2025. With its SMS-based approach and frictionless event creation, Partiful has become the go-to platform for gathering people together—so much so that "to partiful" has become a verb! In this episode, Shreya takes us through her unconventional journey from studying political theory at Princeton to building enterprise software, before ultimately founding Partiful to combat social isolation. We dive deep into fascinating topics like launching a party platform during a global pandemic, the strategic decision to start with SMS instead of an app, and how Partiful has maintained remarkable growth with an intentionally lean team. Shreya also shares invaluable insights on co-founder dynamics, navigating venture fundraising as a consumer company, and her vision for building community at every stage of life. Tune in for lessons on product development, authentic relationship building, and what it takes to create a platform that brings people together in an increasingly digital world. (00:00) Introduction (07:02) Where did Shreya grow up and how has that shaped her view of the world?  (08:13) Did Shreya always think she was gonna become a founder? (08:47) How did going from Princeton to the real world spark curiosity about entrepreneurship? (11:30) How has Shreya seen the New York tech ecosystem evolve over the past decade? (13:14) What was the initial idea behind Partiful and what was the aha moment?  (17:33) How did Shreya meet her co-founder Joy and cultivate trust?  (20:10) What advice would Shreya give to folks looking for a co-founder?  (21:33) What was COVID like for the Partiful team and how did the product evolve?  (23:31) What was the strategy behind Partiful's SMS-based approach instead of launching with an app?  (25:53) What metrics did Shreya orient around to know when to launch and build an app? (27:58) Who was the first person to say yes to investing in Partiful?  (29:27) What made Partiful and Shreya so compelling as an angel investment?  (32:56) What is Partiful's go-to-market strategy and business model?  (35:40) How has Shreya managed conversations with VCs about when to start monetization? (36:57) How has Shreya thought about scaling the team at Partiful?  (38:35) What's Shreya's favorite Partiful Invite that she's ever seen?  (40:13) How has Partiful thought about building into the social graph network? (43:56) What is Shreya's take on consumer as a sector for growth and opportunity?  (45:45) What have you seen resonate with consumer investors for folks fundraising?  (49:16) What's next for Shreya personally?  (51:45) Who is a woman that has inspired Shreya and impacted her career? For The Room Podcast in your inbox every week, subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram  Follow us on TikTok  Check out our guide to podcasting here!  Don't forget to subscribe to our channel on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music! Brought to you by Perkins Coie and Mercury.* *Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC. WX Productions

    55 मिनट

  5. 27 मई

    S12E8: Direct-to-Consumer Pioneer to AI Psychology with Neil Parikh, Co-Founder of Casper and Slingshot

    In this season’s finale of The Room Podcast, we're thrilled to chat with Neil Parikh, Co-Founder of Casper and current Co-Founder of Slingshot. Neil first disrupted the mattress industry by building Casper into a household name, pioneering the direct-to-consumer sleep revolution before taking the company public. Now, he's tackling an even bigger challenge with Slingshot, building a foundational AI model specifically designed for psychology and mental health therapy. In this episode, Neil takes us through his unconventional journey from medical school dropout to D2C pioneer, sharing the serendipitous moments that led to Casper's creation and the harsh realities of going public during a pandemic. We delve into the mental health crisis facing society, the limitations of current AI therapy approaches, and how Slingshot is training models on real-world human therapy data to create more effective interventions. Neil also opens up about his therapy journey, the power of taking nudges when they appear, and why he believes we're entering an era of unprecedented change that will reshape how we think about mental health access and self-actualization. (04:06) Where did Neil grow up and how has that shaped his view of the world? (04:54) Did Neil always think he was gonna become a founder? (06:06) Was entrepreneurship in the water at Brown like it is today at Stanford or Harvard? (07:38) What led to Neil's decision to drop out of medical school? (10:52) What did Neil do after dropping out of medical school? (14:20) What made Neil believe that VC was the right route for a mattress company in 2014? (16:44) What was the name before Casper? (18:46) What advice would Neil have for DTC founders during this current climate? (22:17) What did Neil learn from the later stages of fundraising and preparing for the IPO? (27:14) How did Slingshot become the idea for Neil's next exciting phase? (31:40) How did Neil get the confidence to take "the nudge"? (32:48) How is Neil thinking about data sources, model training, and ethical guardrails for psychology? (38:53) How is Neil's model specificity even better than using ChatGPT for therapy? (41:58) Who's the first person to say yes to backing Slingshot? (43:25) What does Neil think is next for Slingshot and what is he excited for? (44:55) What's next for Neil personally, and what is he excited for this year? (46:34) Who is a woman in Neil's life that has had a profound impact on himself and his career? For The Room Podcast in your inbox every week, subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram  Follow us on TikTok  Check out our guide to podcasting here!  Don't forget to subscribe to our channel on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music! Brought to you by Perkins Coie and Mercury.* *Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC. WX Productions

    49 मिनट

  6. 20 मई

    S12E7: From Tech Reporter to Media Founder with Alex Konrad, Founder of Upstarts Media

    Welcome back to another episode of The Room Podcast! This week, Madison and Claudia sit down with Alex Konrad, former Senior Editor at Forbes and now Founder of Upstarts Media. After a decade covering technology and venture capital at Forbes, where he pioneered coverage from the Midas List to the Cloud 100, Alex has launched his own media company focused on telling the stories of early-stage founders and companies challenging the status quo. Throughout this conversation, Alex shares insights from his front-row seat to some of tech's most defining moments, including interviews with industry leaders like Sam Altman and Mark Benioff. He discusses the evolution of media in the age of AI, his decision to bootstrap rather than raise venture funding, and his vision for building a community-first media company. Alex also reveals how his upbringing in New York City shaped his no-nonsense approach to tech reporting and why he believes the future of media lies in creating direct, authentic connections with audiences. Tune in for a fascinating look at the changing media landscape and what it takes to build a modern media company from the ground up. (03:52) Where did Alex grow up and how did that shape his view of the world? (04:49) Did Alex always think he would become a founder? (05:35) What was the story as an intern that Alex got printed? (07:57) When Alex reflects on his Forbes interviews with tech leaders like Satya Nadella and Sam Altman, which ones stand out most? (10:04) What has Alex learned about power, vision, or vulnerability from being in the room with industry giants? (12:10) Why has Legacy Media been struggling to build an authentic connection with the startup community? (13:27) How is Alex thinking about building a foundation with Upstarts that's going to build into a legacy as lasting as Forbes? (16:03) How is Alex going to be thinking about events as a complement to media? (17:30) Is Alex seeking venture dollars to get Upstarts off the ground? (19:52) If Blue Links are dead, how does Alex think building an audience for the future is going to shift with AI? (23:57) How is Alex using AI in his workflow from editorial decisions to distribution? (29:05) What's next for Upstarts and for Alex personally? (40:06) Who is a woman in Alex's life that has had a profound impact on him and his career? For The Room Podcast in your inbox every week, subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram  Follow us on TikTok  Check out our guide to podcasting here!  Don't forget to subscribe to our channel on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music! Brought to you by Perkins Coie and Mercury.* *Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC. WX Productions

    43 मिनट

  7. 13 मई

    S12E6: Data Ownership in the AI Era with Anna Kazlauskas, Founder of Vana

    Welcome back to another episode of The Room Podcast! This week, we're excited to chat with Anna Kazlauskas, Co-Founder of Vana, a pioneering company creating an alternative to centralized AI monopolies. Vana uses crypto principles like ownership, incentives, and decentralization to build AI models that users collectively own and benefit from, empowering individuals to control their data while earning from its use. In this enlightening conversation, Anna takes us through her journey from growing up in cold places around the world to her time at MIT's AI lab, and how that led to her vision for data ownership. We explore fascinating concepts like Data DAOs (which Anna compares to labor unions for your data), the emergent "DataFi" category, and how Vana enables users to pool their data to create more powerful AI models than any company could build. Anna shares invaluable insights on fundraising across both crypto and AI spaces, emphasizing the importance of aligning with investors on long-term vision. Tune in for a glimpse into how the future of data ownership could revolutionize our relationship with technology. (00:00) Introduction (03:57) Where did Anna grow up, and how has that shaped her view of the world? (05:25) Did Anna always think she was going to become a founder? (06:58) How did Anna go from just building in general to building in a tech-forward way at MIT? (08:44) What research did Anna ultimately do during her time at MIT's CSAIL? (11:02) How did Anna's insight around the power of data lead to iAmbic, her YC batch 2018 startup? (14:21) How did Anna's experience at Celo shape her understanding of decentralization and data ownership? (16:52) How did Anna decide to start something again and commit to a five-to-ten-year journey? (18:14) Why should users care about Vana creating an alternative to centralized AI monopolies? (21:56) What kind of compensation models is Anna exploring for users who contribute their data? (24:30) To what extent does Anna feel big tech companies will start to empower users with their data to compete with the unionization DAO approach? (27:20) Who was the first person to say yes to investing in Anna? (31:30) How has Anna navigated constantly evolving her story and telling that to both customers and investors? (34:41) What are some of the product and company-wide milestones that Anna is excited about looking into 2025 and beyond? (37:19) What degree of technical feasibility, from a crypto native perspective, is Anna seeing from these builders? (39:15) What is something Anna is most excited for that Vana will be launching later this year? (41:13) Who is a woman in Anna's life that has had a profound impact on her and her career? For The Room Podcast in your inbox every week, subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram  Follow us on TikTok  Check out our guide to podcasting here!  Don't forget to subscribe to our channel on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music! Brought to you by Perkins Coie and Mercury.* *Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC. WX Productions

    43 मिनट

  8. 6 मई

    S12E5: Bootstrapping to Billions in Corporate Travel with Elia Wallen, Founder and CEO of Engine

    In this episode, we are joined by Elia Wallen, Founder and CEO of Engine (formerly Hotel Engine), the B2B travel booking platform that's streamlining how businesses manage their travel needs. From its origins as an internal tool for Elia's previous company, Travelers Haven, to becoming a $2.1 billion company, Engine has carved out a significant niche by focusing on serving SMBs with a frictionless approach to corporate travel management. In this conversation, Elia shares his unconventional path from dropping out of college to founding multiple businesses, including the fascinating story of how Engine began as a side project that he almost shut down several times. We explore his philosophy of maintaining "strong conviction loosely held," his approach to fundraising (including a nail-biting near-miss with payroll), and why staying focused on doing one thing extremely well before expanding was crucial to Engine's success. Elia also offers valuable insights on bootstrapping versus raising capital, building in a non-tech hub, and why eliminating friction for customers has been central to Engine's competitive advantage in the crowded travel tech space. (00:00) Introduction (04:20) Where did Elia grow up and how did that shape his view of the world? (04:42) Why did growing up in Naples push Elia to succeed? (05:32) Did Elia always think he was going to become a founder? (06:28) How did earlier founding experiences shape his view of leadership? (07:28) What is Engine's core product? (08:51) How does someone break into the corporate travel space? (10:05) How did Elia think about scaling the go-to-market motion? (11:59) How did Elia position Engine as it scaled? (13:55) How did Elia and his leadership team discern which was the right scaling direction to go? (15:57) How does a founder balance extreme focus while managing two businesses? (18:29) How was building a company in Denver, and what prompted the decision to move to the Bay Area? (20:42) How did fundraising begin for Engine? (22:40) What is a moment when things didn't go as planned during Elia's founder journey? (25:41) How did Engine think about building out both the integration suite and the business model? (28:25) How will AI affect Engine's business model and policies? (30:07) How is Engine thinking about diversifying customer benefits? (31:35) How is Elia feeling about corporate travel as a sector for growth and opportunity? (32:04) Where does Elia think Engine and he will be in five years? (33:20) Who is a woman in Elia's life that has had a profound impact on him and his career? For The Room Podcast in your inbox every week, subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram  Follow us on TikTok  Check out our guide to podcasting here!  Don't forget to subscribe to our channel on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music! Brought to you by Perkins Coie and Mercury.* *Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC. WX Productions

    35 मिनट
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ट्रेलर

परिचय

Welcome to the Room. A series interviewing your favorite tech founders and funders. Our guests were in the room where it happened and they’re sharing their stories.

जानकारी

  • निर्माता
    Claudia Laurie and Madison McIlwain
  • सक्रिय वर्ष
    2020 - 2025
  • एपिसोड
    123
  • रेटिंग
    अश्लील
  • कॉपीराइट
    © 2020
  • कार्यक्रम की वेबसाइट
    The Room Podcast

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