Techstars

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Channel • 6 Shows

Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

Updated 6d ago
Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

Updated Weekly
Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

Updated Biweekly
Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

Updated Feb 17
Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

Updated 12/09/2020
Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

Updated 04/05/2021

Jan 6

The Long Game of Venture and Generosity with David Hornik

In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld talks with David Hornik, founding partner at Lobby Capital. David shares how a relationship driven approach has shaped his career in venture capital, from investing to community building. He reflects on why generosity compounds over time, how trust creates durable networks, and why long term thinking matters in both business and life. The conversation also touches on the origins of the Lobby conference, David’s connection to Adam Grant’s Give and Take, and how the Give First mindset shows up in his work with founders, students, and investors. David Hornik LinkedIn ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidhornik/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 6

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29 min
05/07/2021

Sourcery: Giving developers magic powers

On this episode of The Lead Up, we catch up with Brendan, Tim, and Nick, cofounders of Sourcery. They empower developers to write beautiful, clear code, all the time, through real time refactoring. As a team with decades of combined experience in software development and scaling, they share their thought process behind pursuing a bottom-up go-to-market model, deciding against going open source, launching on Product Hunt, and how negative feedback helped improve their team dynamic and vision. Techstars personnel and/or guests who speak in this podcast express their own opinions, and not the opinion of either Techstars or any company discussed in this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities are for illustrative and/or informational purposes only and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investor or prospective investor, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by Techstars. Certain of Techstars funds own (or may own in the future) securities in some of the companies discussed in this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

05/07/2021

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24 min
09/22/2021

Justin Field / Enhancing Government Policy and Funding for Climate Technology Startups

Until recently, startups and VCs in the climate technology space haven’t had a lot of resources or reach. Government has been particularly hostile toward innovative startups, crippling funding and opportunities -- but the NVCA (National Venture Capital Association) is working with the federal government to change that. A record amount of capital is streaming in, bills are passing robustly, and the NVCA is committed to making sure the best technologies win big and do well. This unified front promises to organize and coordinate voices so entrepreneurs in fields like carbon capture can feel more confident, impactful and profitable. Connect with our guest: Justin Field, NCVA: https://nvca.org/about-us/staff/justin-field/ NCVA on social: https://twitter.com/nvca Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

09/22/2021

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37 min
12/09/2025

Rethinking Capitalism with Seth Levine

In this episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen talks with Seth Levine, Partner at Foundry and co-author of Capital Evolution. Seth looks back on the early days of Techstars, the original Boulder community that shaped it, and how Foundry is approaching its final fund while still actively investing. The conversation explores why so many people are questioning capitalism today. Seth breaks down the decline in economic mobility, the growing wealth gap, and the rise of populism on both sides of the political map. He explains why he believes capitalism can still work, but only if more people have access to ownership and economic participation. Seth also shares insights from interviews featured in his book and highlights ideas like broader employee ownership, baby bonds, and modernized investing rules. He ties these themes back to the Give First mindset and how expanding opportunity can strengthen communities and the future of entrepreneurship. Seth Levine LinkedIn ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethjlevine/ Get Capital Evolution here 📖 https://www.amazon.com/Capital-Evolution-New-American-Economy/dp/1637747780 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12/09/2025

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26 min
08/23/2021

The Role of Government in a Startup Community

More and more today, startup communities are rising to the top of city, state, regional and federal governments’ priority list as they realize that entrepreneurial economic development is a necessary component of their future economy. With that good news comes the challenge of developing an engagement strategy with entrepreneurs, investors, existing entrepreneurial support organizations, local corporations and colleges. One thing we know for sure, do not treat the startup community like you would when building a highway, or a new building; activities that the government is good at but do not work for a more complex system like an entrepreneurial ecosystem. Join Brad, Ian and Chris along with Bala Kamallakharan of Iceland and Gonzalo Villaran of Lima, Peru as we discuss the role of government in a startup community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

08/23/2021

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38 min
Feb 17

Burn Bright, Not Out: James Oliver Jr. on Founder Mental Wellness

In this episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen sits down with James Oliver Jr., Techstars alum, entrepreneur, and author of Burn Bright, Not Out. James shares his journey navigating the pressures of high achievement and the hidden cost of hustle culture. He introduces the Burn Bright Spectrum, a framework to help founders recognize the difference between healthy ambition and burnout, and explains why rest, micro-wins, and alignment are essential to long term success. The conversation explores founder mental health, breaking stigma in the startup community, and how sustainable performance drives deeper impact than constant grind. Follow James Oliver Jr. on LinkedIn ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-oliver-jr/ Order Burn Bright, Not Out ➡️ https://www.amazon.com/Burn-Bright-Not-Out-ShatteringThe-ebook/dp/B0GG8FCCQZ Check out the Kabila Founder Mental Health Fund ➡️ https://give.socialgoodfund.org/KabilaMentalHealth?ref=ab_7QGjqr7P0pr7QGjqr7P0pr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 17

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24 min
04/14/2021

Creating Demand for Breakthrough Climate Tech, with Nan Ransohoff and Shawn Drost

New and breakthrough technologies are essential to solving our planet’s climate crisis. We need tech that replaces high CO2-emitting processes, tech that removes carbon from our atmospheres, tech that connects it all — and more. That’s why Hannah Davis, Program Director of the Techstars Sustainability Accelerator in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, is talking with Nan Ransohoff, Head of Climate at Stripe, and Shawn Drost, CEO at Diversified Hydrogen. Listen for a dive into the importance of creating demand for new climate-friendly technologies, plus a clear explanation of why hydrogen is such an important element of climate solutions — and how it’s being used now. Follow Nan on Twitter @nanransohoff Follow Shawn on Twitter @shawndrost Techstars personnel and/or guests who speak in this podcast express their own opinions, and not the opinion of either Techstars or any company discussed in this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities are for illustrative and/or informational purposes only and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investor or prospective investor, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by Techstars. Certain of Techstars funds own (or may own in the future) securities in some of the companies discussed in this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

04/14/2021

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20 min
02/23/2021

What Exactly Is Going On With Our Planet? with Dr. Kamal Kapadia

We’re all trying to wrap our minds around climate change, its enormous consequences if left unchecked, and how people and organizations can fight it. In this first episode of the Techstars Climate Tech podcast, host Cody Simms, SVP for Climate & Sustainability at Techstars, talks with Dr. Kamal Kapadia, Cofounder of Terra.do, about the big questions, like what exactly is going on with our planet, and what our lives may look like in 20 or 50 years, before diving into the ways that technology can help. Listen for answers to these key questions: What are the biggest, hardest problems to solve about climate change?Where is technology a solution? Policy?Where is technology ready, but in need of marketplace support?How can entrepreneurs and startups help? The good news? Kamal is an intelligent optimist, and she offers a lot of reasons why we can be hopeful. Follow Kamal on Twitter @kamal_kapadia Techstars personnel and/or guests who speak in this podcast express their own opinions, and not the opinion of either Techstars or any company discussed in this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities are for illustrative and/or informational purposes only and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investor or prospective investor, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by Techstars. Certain of Techstars funds own (or may own in the future) securities in some of the companies discussed in this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

02/23/2021

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32 min
06/01/2021

How To Start and Grow a Renewable Energy Company, with Steph Speirs and Yoav Lurie

Renewable energy startups — and the entrepreneurs who found them — are crucial to the fight against climate change. These founders are smart, driven, and agile enough to see the opportunities in energy right now, and dive in. This is a fascinating time in energy, as renewable sources become cheaper and easier to democratize, reaching a more racially and economically diverse set of users, and big utility companies are also starting to see the need to get on board with sustainable initiatives. It wasn’t long ago that climate tech was unpopular. We’re grateful to see that changing. But here are some words of wisdom from Yoav to other entrepreneurs who are doing the right thing, even when no one else believes in their mission: “Don't be afraid to do the unpopular thing, because the rest of the world is just going to catch up.” Listen to learn about community solar, energy savings at home, learning to work with utility companies, the importance of infrastructure, and more. Follow Solstice on Twitter @solarforgood Follow Yoav on Twitter @yoavlurie Techstars personnel and/or guests who speak in this podcast express their own opinions, and not the opinion of either Techstars or any company discussed in this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities are for illustrative and/or informational purposes only and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investor or prospective investor, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by Techstars. Certain of Techstars funds own (or may own in the future) securities in some of the companies discussed in this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

06/01/2021

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25 min
03/10/2021

An Academic and an Entrepreneur Talk Climate Change, with Dr. Chip Fletcher and Sierra Peterson

In order to survive the climate change crisis, we’re going to need solutions from all over. That’s why Hannah Davis, Program Director of the Techstars Sustainability Accelerator in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, invited Dr. Chip Fletcher, Professor at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, and Sierra Peterson, entrepreneur and climate tech investor, to talk about climate change and the solutions they see coming from research and from business — and how entrepreneurs can get involved. To quote Sierra: “For anybody who is thinking about starting a company in this space and devoting your time and talent to working on climate solutions, I can tell you your work matters. This is the defining challenge of our time. And if you succeed, you will influence the quality of life on earth and the only known life that we know in the universe.” Listen for a profoundly informed and thoughtful conversation about where we’re at now — and practical solutions for how we can save the planet and ourselves. Follow Chip on Twitter @fletcher_chip Follow Sierra on Twitter @sierrap Techstars personnel and/or guests who speak in this podcast express their own opinions, and not the opinion of either Techstars or any company discussed in this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities are for illustrative and/or informational purposes only and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investor or prospective investor, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by Techstars. Certain of Techstars funds own (or may own in the future) securities in some of the companies discussed in this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

03/10/2021

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18 min

The Techstars Podcast Network looks to elevate and amplify voices and stories from around the Techstars worldwide network, showcasing the points of view of founders, investors, mentors, and innovation leaders.