Tech Startup Network Podcast with Ashley DiBiase

Tech Startup Network

Tech Startup Network is a weekly podcast where we dive into the real stories behind startups directly from the people building them to those backing them. Whether you're a founder, investor, operator, or advisor, Tech Startup Network is your inside look at startups today.

  1. FEB 10

    Making the Art World Inclusive with Devika Sarin

    Devika Sarin is the founder of soal, an app making art discovery a daily ritual for millennials and gen z. Her path into entrepreneurship blends a multidisciplinary background, beginning in economics, investment management, an MBA in London, and several years consulting on M&A diligence and strategy. soal is her second startup in the art-tech space, built from a deep belief that creativity, ritual, and storytelling can change the way people see themselves and the world. They just need permission to jump in. She is passionate about building mission-driven companies that sit at the intersection of ambition and impact, and about designing a product that makes the art world feel more accessible and engaging. She also loves exploring ideas at the intersection of creativity, wellbeing, personal growth, and startup life- threads she brings into her work, writing, and leadership. Devika is curious by nature and loves spending time outdoors, exploring, and noticing the small daily moments of magic. During this episode, we discuss: What Devika is building with soal and how it’s making the art world more accessible to younger people or people who feel excludedHow her first startup closely brought her into the pain points of younger peopleThe role of AI in soalHow Devika’s journey as a second founder has been very different from her first startupThe self-awareness she now has as an individual and leaderThe concept of “no rules” as a founderHow Devika has pivoted many times as a founderWhat goes into finding the right investorWhy it’s important to look into communityWhat goes into building a waitlist for an appDevika’s advice to a new founder for finding success And more. Tune into this episode as we dive into all things art!

    31 min
  2. FEB 5

    Gaining Momentum Through Narrative and Press with Sonia Baschez

    Sonia Baschez is the founder of Bend Growth Co, a fractional CMO and marketing consultancy helping early-stage startups build momentum through narrative, growth, and press. She specializes in taking companies from zero to their first major milestones—whether that's landing enterprise deals, raising capital, or driving viral product launches. Before Bend Growth, she led growth at Atmos, a homebuilding startup. As Head of Marketing and part of the leadership team, she joined pre-YC and scaled inbound 20x and pipeline 10x through Series A, directly supporting $16M+ in fundraising from Bedrock, Sam Altman, Dylan Field, and Khosla. She helped take the company from early idea to multi-state launch, with major coverage across TechCrunch, Forbes, and Business Insider. Additionally, Sonia co-hosts Meme Team, a weekly marketing podcast decoding the intersection of business, culture, and brand strategy. Marketing isn't just logic — it's culture. Each week, she and co-host Amanda Natividad break down real campaigns and cultural moments with sharp takes and zero fluff. During this episode, we discuss: Sonia working with startups for almost 10 years nowHow she’s learned how to do pressThe level of legitimacy and trust that comes with being featured somewhereUnderstanding where your customers are and what they’re talking about to bring your content back to themThe non-negotiables that should be a part of building your marketing & comms strategyWhy you need to focus on brand awarenessHow startups actually know if their strategy is workingWhat companies are doing wrong with their marketing Tune in as we dive into all things marketing!

    34 min
  3. FEB 3

    Investing in the Physical World with Raja Ghawi

    Raja Ghawi is a Partner at Era Ventures, a venture capital firm he joined at inception in 2022 to drive transformational change in our physical world. Prior to joining Era, Raja worked at Suffolk Construction. While there, he helped to found Suffolk’s venture arm, Suffolk Technologies, which invests in startups in the AEC industry and helps them to scale by leveraging Suffolk’s network and resources. At the end of 2020, he was named Suffolk Tech’s Investment Director. While at Suffolk, he founded and led Boost, Suffolk Technologies’ accelerator program, the leading AEC innovation accelerator, which has since graduated 30 companies. Before joining Suffolk, Raja worked for McKinsey & Company in Boston and spent meaningful time at QuantumBlack, McKinsey’s AI/ML arm. A native of Syria and a Harvard graduate, Raja currently lives in Brooklyn. He’s an avid reader, a budding cyclist, and a big fan of Brooklyn’s underground art scene. During this episode, we discuss: How Era Ventures invests in innovation in the physical worldWhat got Raja really excited about VCHow he joined Era at inceptionSome of his favorite portfolio companies throughout that timeTypes of industries that he works with in the physical world (real estate, construction, agriculture, energy, manufacturing, etc.)Where he sees the physical world going in 2026The impact of inflation and labor shortages on these industriesSpending more time in robotics and physical AIThe problems that come with go to market - how to prove your products workHow robots can be used for growth in companiesWhat Raja looks for when investing in startupsThe importance of having a trusted community/network who will try your product And more. Tune into this episode as we dive into investing in the physical world!

    34 min
  4. JAN 29

    Confronting the Caregiving Crisis with Lily Vittayarukskul

    Lily Vittayarukskul, Waterlily's CEO and Co-Founder, was on the path to become an aerospace engineer at an exceptionally young age, a patented inventor, starting college at 14 and interning at NASA by 16. But her life took an unexpected turn when her Aunt, a cornerstone of her first-generation immigrant family, was diagnosed with terminal stage colon cancer. Post chemotherapy her family was shocked to learn that health insurance doesn't cover long-term care costs, driving their family to provide care from the home, stepping away from work and school to take on the physically demanding tasks of daily caregiving. This devastating event revealed the profound gaps in the healthcare preparedness of most families, leaving lasting impacts on her own. Determined to ensure a future where no one else would face the same hardships, Lily shifted her focus from aerospace engineering to healthcare innovation. Graduating from UC Berkeley with a degree in Genetics and Data Science, Lily led product and engineering teams at multiple startups before founding Waterlily, a company dedicated to making healthcare and its costs accessible, understandable, and empowering for all. During this episode, we discuss: What she does at WaterlilyHow she got the idea for her startupThe expense that goes into long-term careThe solutions that Waterlily offersWhy parents shouldn’t be paying for thisHow Lily never wanted to become a founder but what led her away from being an aerospace engineerWhy she did a lot of things YC teaches you not to doWhat led her to bringing on a co-founderHer advice for anyone looking to fundraise And more. Tune into this episode as we dive into all things long-term care!

    34 min

About

Tech Startup Network is a weekly podcast where we dive into the real stories behind startups directly from the people building them to those backing them. Whether you're a founder, investor, operator, or advisor, Tech Startup Network is your inside look at startups today.