Wealthing Podcast

Alicia Castillo Holley
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Investing
  • Updated Weekly

The Wealthing Podcast is a natural expansion of the work we do at the Wealthing Group. We want to bring exciting, new ideas, that reflect how we grow and create wealth for everyone, bringing technology, inspiration, capital, and progress. We share a highlight of an after-dinner conversation in a 15-20 min format. We see to bring a different, refreshing, no-nonsense podcast, that could be heard over a commute, a walk, or a break. https://wealthing.club

  1. 3d ago ·  Video

    The Investor Trust Triangle: Henryk Dabrowski on Wealth, Family, and Legacy Ep. 81

    In this episode of the Wealthing Podcast, host Alicia Castillo Holley sits down with Henryk Dabrowski, entrepreneur and investor, to discuss the hard-won lessons from building multiple companies — from learning to be more analytical than intuitive, to continuing his formal education, to the ongoing challenge of prioritizing family over business. The conversation explores the pressure facing today's entrepreneurial community, especially in North America and Asia, and how that pressure shapes company-building and wealth creation. Henryk explains his view that wealth is created through added value across a chain of economic elements, and that investors carry a responsibility to grow wealth rather than destroy it. Alicia and Henryk also dig into why venture capital negotiation is fundamentally different from traditional deal-making — it requires an ongoing relationship long after the deal closes, something a purely transactional approach fails to account for. Throughout the interview, the dialogue moves between Henryk's framework for the three types of investors — confrontational, relational, and responsible. Henryk describes his own legacy as a builder and creator who makes things happen, emphasizing that the journey matters more than the destination, and closing with a Buddhist teaching on listening and learning. Together, they touch on themes of trust, family, and what it really means to build something that lasts. About Henryk:  Dr. Henryk Dabrowski is a veteran entrepreneur, investor, and executive with over 30 years of experience building and scaling high-growth ventures across fintech, blockchain, mobile payments, deep tech, and aerospace in both private and public markets. He has raised over $250M in capital, launched global IEOs and ICOs, and led complex mergers, acquisitions, and corporate restructurings. He serves as CEO of Areca Financial Services and Managing Director at STX Aerospace and F3 Funds, a venture platform focused on biosciences and healthcare innovation. Henryk holds an MBA in Finance, an MSc in Space Economy, and a PhD in Innovation in Aerospace & Aeronautics. A licensed pilot and competitive sailor, he brings the same discipline and forward-thinking mindset to the cockpit, the racecourse, and the boardroom. Connect with Henryk: Website: www.arecafinancial.com

  2. 3d ago ·  Video

    Imagination Capital: Eric Dawson on Microfinancing, Mentorship, and Youth Power Ep. 80

    In this episode of the Wealthing Podcast, host Alicia Castillo Holley sits down with Eric Dawson, founder of RIVET, to discuss his journey to becoming a lifelong advocate for young people — as a youth organizer at 14, the founder of Peace First (which reached young people in 166 countries over 30 years), and now the builder of the world's first microfinancing platform for young changemakers.    The conversation explores the massive gap RIVET was built to close: of the 2 billion young people worldwide, roughly 85% live in "capital deserts," with only 0.002% of the world's $700 billion in philanthropic capital reaching young people with innovative ideas. Eric explains how RIVET provides up to $1,000 in no-strings-attached grants, paired with mentorship from local and global partners across 190 countries and 50 states — building what he calls a "capital ladder" toward RIVET's goal of giving a million young people their first financial support over the next decade and a half.   Throughout the interview, the dialogue moves between Eric's philosophy that young people are powerful and brilliant in the present, not just the future, and Alicia's own reflections on mentorship, social capital, and what she calls the transformative power of feeling valued. Eric introduces the concept of "imagination capital" — the belief in possibilities — illustrated through the story of a young man in Lagos who pivoted from an after-school program to solar engineering after RIVET's initial support. Together, they touch on themes of presence, "holy listening," and what it means to invest not just in ideas, but in people.   About Eric: Eric Dawson is the founder of RIVET, the world's first microfinancing platform for young changemakers, providing capital and mentorship to help promising projects scale from a first grant to larger investment. He is also the founder of Peace First and the author of Putting Peace 1st. Eric's work centers on unlocking the potential of the world's 2 billion young people — believing they are powerful agents of change today, not just leaders of tomorrow.   Connect with Eric:   LinkedIn: Eric Dawson Website: https://rivet.org/

  3. 5d ago ·  Video

    Leading with Empathy and Safety with Chip Dawson Ep. 79

    This week on the Wealthing Podcast, host Alicia Castillo-Holley is joined by Lawrence "Chip" Dawson. Together, they explore his evolution from his early days as a volunteer firefighter in Lakewood, New York, and his training in fire protection at Oklahoma State University, to his distinguished 22-year career at Kodak. The conversation covers the leadership and tactical lessons Dawson applied as he rose to become the Director of Industrial Safety at Kodak, supervising 550 employees during the company's peak employment of 36,000 people. It delves into his supportive management philosophy, characterized by the constant question "how can I help?"—an approach that resonates with the host's view on human value in industry. Additionally, the episode examines life lessons on the importance of doing tasks well and thoroughly, alongside the value of partnership in raising children and family. The discussion addresses retirement planning challenges, contrasting the security provided by military benefits and a generous Kodak retirement plan with the uncertainty of international pensions, highlighting the importance of financial proactivity. The dialogue concludes with a reflection on legacy and the meaningful impact individuals can leave through their long-term actions and relationships. About Lawrence (Chip) Dawson: Lawrence Dawson had a distinguished career focused on safety, industrial safety, and fire protection. After serving in the U.S. Navy and teaching at the University of Illinois, he joined Kodak, where he spent over two decades leading the industrial safety department until his retirement.

  4. Aug 29 ·  Video

    From Private Banking to Solar Data: Marco Funk on Capital, Verification, and Scale Ep. 78

    In this episode of the Wealthing Podcast, host Alicia Castillo Holley sits down with Marco Funk, founder of Enerlink, to discuss his unconventional path into clean energy — from Nielsen, to private banking in Dubai, to building the "Uber of home services" in Singapore, picking up nearly a dozen languages along the way before finding his true calling in solving one of the world's biggest infrastructure problems. The conversation explores Marco's deep passion for clean energy and why closing this gap matters at a global scale: local solar is already cheaper and cleaner than fossil energy, yet makes up less than 1% of global supply — a gap Marco argues isn't a technology problem, but a data problem. Marco and Alicia also dig into the importance of relationships in making projects succeed — how trust, partnerships, and the right network are often what separate a good idea from a bankable one, especially when working across Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and beyond. Throughout the interview, the dialogue moves between Marco's work building Enerlink's data infrastructure and Alicia's own reflections on capital, trust, and what it takes to move money toward the world's biggest problems. Together, they touch on themes of resilience, global impact, and what it means to make clean energy not just possible, but bankable.   Connect with Marco: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marcofunk Website: www.enerlink.ai

  5. Aug 19 ·  Video

    Funding the Future: Mitra Miller on Instinct vs. Impact in Early-Stage Investing Ep. 77

    In this episode of the Wealthing Podcast, host Alicia Castillo Holley sits down with Mitra Miller, Managing Director at Mill River Capital and President of the Houston Angel Network, to discuss her journey from a multicultural upbringing in Texas to becoming a driving force in early-stage investing. Raised by a Brazilian father and an American mother, Mitra shares how her multicultural upbringing shaped her own philosophy: that wealth is an opportunity for good, best realized through entrepreneurship and investing. The conversation explores what it takes to fuel innovation outside major tech hubs like Silicon Valley, and how the entrepreneurship community in cities like Houston remains welcoming and collaborative for investors and founders alike. Mitra also opens up about her personal growth journey — from being shy and reserved to finding confidence through genuine connection with others — and shares candid reflections on suicide prevention, purpose, and the importance of giving people "another day." Throughout the interview, the dialogue moves between Mitra's work building the next generation of investors and founders, including her nonprofit Eagle Investors, which teaches under-resourced high school students about entrepreneurship and investing, and Alicia's own reflections on imposter syndrome, mentorship, and legacy. Together, they touch on themes of resilience, community impact, and what it means to invest not just in companies, but in people. About Mitra: Mitra Miller is Managing Director at Mill River Capital and President of the Houston Angel Network, where she supports early-stage investment across energy, technology, life sciences, consumer, and aerospace. She is also the founder of Eagle Investors, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching entrepreneurship and investing to under-resourced high school students, helping the next generation build confidence and professional skills through direct interaction with entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. Connect with Mitra  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitram/ Mill River Capital: www.millriver.us Houston Angel Network: www.houstonangelnetwork.org

  6. Aug 13

    From Saudi Activism to Silicon Valley: Samah Damanhoori on Purpose and Resilience

    In this episode of the Wealthing Podcast, host Alicia Castillo Holley sits down with founder, tech developer, and women's rights activist Samah Damanhoori to discuss her journey from Saudi Arabia to Silicon Valley. After losing support from her family and country due to her activism, Samah channeled her personal struggles and love of knowledge into creating BlendBound Inc. BlendBound's debut title, Folded, is an emotional sandbox game and AI tool designed to help players reflect on their identity, build emotional intelligence, and preserve hope. The conversation explores the cultural values Samah carries from her home country, the therapeutic power of storytelling, and her mission to foster self-worth and purpose in younger generations before critical developmental milestones. Throughout the interview, the dialogue moves between Samah's personal experiences, including her work diversifying the voice of Siri and navigating exile, and Alicia's own reflections on life, family, and aging. Together, they touch on themes of resilience and what it means to leave a lasting, positive legacy behind.    About Samah: Samah Damanhoori is a strategic operator and founder with 10+ years of experience translating complex vision into clear execution across technology, media, and startups. She specializes in building structure where it's missing—aligning cross-functional teams, designing operational systems, and driving delivery in fast-moving environments. Her work spans companies like Apple, Meta, HBO, Genentech, and Genvid. Today, she operates as Founder & CEO of Blendbound, where she leads the development of Folded, an open-world sandbox game exploring identity, creativity, and emotional gameplay.   Connect with Samah: www.linkedin.com/in/samah-damanhoori BlendBound: www.blendbound.co Folded (Steam Link): store.steampowered.com/app/4603570/Folded_Inner_Journey 🌐 Wealthing Club: www.wealthing.club

  7. Aug 5

    Following the Money: Adrian & Senofer Mendoza on Narrative vs. Reality in Late-Seed & Series A

    This week on the Wealthing Podcast, host Alicia Castillo Holley is joined by Adrian and Senofer Mendoza for an extended episode on the Mendoza's decade-long journey co-founding and scaling Mendoza Ventures into a multi-fund venture capital firm. Drawing from their early experiences as tech founders navigating a notoriously difficult pre-seed market in 2014, Adrian and Senofer offer an authentic, operator-turned-investor perspective on what it takes to build a sustainable firm. Over the course of three funds and 150 limited partners, they break down their strategic evolution from pre-seed micro-bets to leading late-seed and Series A rounds, detailing how they identify high-conviction thematic opportunities across decentralized finance (DeFi) and the rapidly expanding LATAM ecosystem. The conversation dives deep into the realities of modern venture investing, emphasizing why investors must look past market hype to ensure narratives are grounded in real operational experience and unit economics. As underrepresented minorities in an industry historically lacking diversity, Adrian and Senofer candidly address the systemic challenges female and Latino founders face, offering tactical advice on navigating capital access while leveraging unique perspectives as an investment edge. The pair also tackle the dual nature of AI, analyzing how machine learning accelerates venture workflows while underscoring the critical need for human judgment and data accuracy. Ultimately, the discussion circles back to their driving vision for wealth and legacy: using their platform to open doors, mentor the next generation, and institutionalize pathways for underrepresented leaders across the broader venture capital ecosystem.     About Senofer: Senofer Mendoza is a founder and General Partner of Mendoza Ventures, a Boston based pre-seed Fintech, AI, and Cybersecurity venture capital firm. After having a career in enterprise sales and hospitality design, she began Mendoza Ventures to address the growing funding gap in the pre-seed investment stage. The firm was launched in January of 2016 and invests internationally in the Cybersecurity, AI, and Fintech space. She is a published author, innovator, and thought leader in the technology, startup, and VC space with a passion for equity and diversity.   About Adrian: Adrian is the founder and general partner at Mendoza Ventures which is both Latinx and woman-owned and the first Latinx-founded VC fund on the east coast. His firm focuses on investments in Fintech, AI, and Cybersecurity, with diversity playing an important role in their investment decisions—about 80% of their portfolio consists of startups led by immigrants, people of color, and women. Since its founding seven years ago, Mendoza Ventures has raised two funds and had two successful exits. The firm is currently raising its third fund, a $100M fintech fund anchored by Bank of America, focused on early growth funding rounds. In 2022, Axios Magazine listed Adrian as one of the five most influential people in Boston and the LA Times honored Adrian as a DEI visionary as one of California's most prominent game-changers and thought leaders in the business world today. Adrian is also a regular contributor on CNBC on the state of Venture capital in the US and the firm has recently been covered in Forbes, Bloomberg, and The Boston Globe.    Connect with Senofer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/senofermendoza/ Connect with Adrian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianmendozavc/ Mendoza Ventures: https://mendoza-ventures.com/ 🌐 Wealthing Club: www.wealthing.club

  8. Jul 29

    Investing in Women's Health: La Keisha Landrum Pierre on Capital Efficiency, Syndication, and Legacy Ep. 74

    La Keisha Landrum Pierre joins host Alicia Castillo Holley on this episode of The Wealthing Podcast to trace her journey from an aspiring childhood storyteller to her role as Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Emmeline Ventures. Focusing on early-stage, women-led businesses—particularly across women's health, wealth, and well-being—La Keisha breaks down what it takes to challenge systemic funding disparities in venture capital. Drawing on her foundational experience, she offers an insider's perspective on the power of operator-led investing, syndication, and radical collaboration in building a healthier, more equitable startup ecosystem.   The conversation explores the critical mechanics of the venture ecosystem, highlighting why sharing deal flow and fostering cross-fund collaboration creates stronger outcomes for investors and founders alike. Moving beyond pitch deck tactics, La Keisha emphasizes the necessity for early-stage founders to understand venture capital as a business model, urging entrepreneurs to develop a deep respect for money as an instrument for leverage and progress rather than just a survival metric. Grounded in reflections on family, legacy, and personal fulfillment, the discussion illustrates La Keisha's holistic vision for building generational wealth—showing that true venture success lies in aligning capital with purpose, supporting transformational founders, and maintaining a sustainable balance between professional ambition and personal life.   About La Keisha: La Keisha Landrum Pierre is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Emmeline Ventures, an early-stage VC fund, where she invests in healthcare, fintech, and sustainability solutions built by female founders. She invests in the most promising female founders across these sectors and has spent the last 13+ years building world-class operational teams, infusing strategic excellence and scalability into impact focused companies. Prior to Emmeline Ventures, La Keisha was the Managing Director of NLA Ventures, an early stage fund where she also invested in healthcare, sustainability and cybersecurity. Prior to NLA Ventures, La Keisha built a career working at the intersection of tech, impact, and digital media.  As the CEO of one Nigeria's largest digital media start-ups, Sahara Reporters Media Group, La Keisha built and scaled the first civic media platform of its kind. With venture backing for an African company when Africa was an overlooked market, she grew the company from 2MM to 50MM monthly users, positioning it for investment by impact funds, and raising millions in funding.  She partnered with the Omidyar Network, MacArthur, Google and Bloomberg Philanthropies to found the first of its kind Civic Media Lab, Lagos with support from the MIT Center for Civic Media. There, she was the Executive Director and today sits on the board of the Civic Media Lab, Nigeria. She is also now the Chairwoman of Sahara Reporters. La Keisha is a 2x founder of Harvard Innovation Lab incubated start-ups and was a deep-tech researcher at the Youth and Media Group at Harvard Law School's Berkman Klein Center where she studied the intersection of digital and media literacies for youth. La Keisha brings domain expertise in building and scaling impact-driven companies, taking complex business challenges and designing solutions that create lasting financial and social change in the world.   Connect with La Keisha: www.linkedin.com/in/lnlpierre Emmeline Ventures: www.emmelineventures.vc 🌐 Wealthing Club: www.wealthing.club

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About

The Wealthing Podcast is a natural expansion of the work we do at the Wealthing Group. We want to bring exciting, new ideas, that reflect how we grow and create wealth for everyone, bringing technology, inspiration, capital, and progress. We share a highlight of an after-dinner conversation in a 15-20 min format. We see to bring a different, refreshing, no-nonsense podcast, that could be heard over a commute, a walk, or a break. https://wealthing.club

Information

  • Creator
    Alicia Castillo Holley
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    80
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Wealthing Podcast