Finding Founders

Finding Founders
  • 5.0 (137)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Finding Founders

A podcast about vulnerability and entrepreneurship — learn from the life stories of founders 🚀, activists ✊, and even drug lords 💊 Our aim is to inspire you and let's face it... you aren't inspired when you hear about success. Real inspiration comes from hearing someone's lowest moment, and rising with their success. Using music, sfx, and voiceover, we interview the founders of companies, movements, and even drug cartels to reveal vulnerability so you can learn from victory. I’m your host, Samuel Donner, and together with my team we aim to inspire and educate a global community of leaders.

  1. 6 DAYS AGO

    Modernizing an 800 Year Old Japanese Tradition- #173: Kyukei Goto | Creators

    Kyukei Goto was saddled with massive responsibility from birth. He was the first born son to his father of 50, meaning Goto would have to carry the weight of a tradition going back 28 generations. He comes from a lineage that has perfected the art of Kamakura Buri which is a method of carving wood and then coating lacquer to make sculptures, plates, tea sets, cutlery and other household items. But this sentence belies the spiritual and technical intricacies of this art form. Facing the death of his father, Goto dove deeper into his artistry and craft as a way to understand his father, his ancestors, but also as a way to understand and explore his own identity as an artist. He now owns the Kamakura Carving Gallery in Japan, selling pieces and hosting workshops to continue the Kamakura tradition. From his bamboo art to his popular exhibition in the Tokyo Art Museum, Goto strives for perfection in his work, and he’s not alone in the practice. With 28 generations to make proud, Goto shares with us the story of how this tradition came to be in the first place… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    46 min

  2. NOV 7

    The Dog Who Rode the Wave to Fame and Fortune | #226 Ivan Moreira | Surf Dog Family

    Growing up near the beach in Rio de Janeiro, Ivan Moreira lived for the water, first learning how to surf at 5 years old. He was a lifelong amateur surfer, but when his dog Bono joined him on his surfboard, the world took notice. At first it was just something fun for the pair of water loving creatures to do together, but now they travel the world together surfing. The duo has won 5 world championships, set two Guinness world records, and Bono has become one of the first pet influencers. Even though Bono retired from the surfing world earlier this year, now his daughter, Cacau, has taken over his spot on Ivan’s surfboard, winning her first world championship in August. But before the medals and prizes, let’s go back to when Bono was nothing more than a little puppy swimming after Ivan’s paddle board… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    34 min

  3. OCT 31

    From 37 Rejections to Over 40M Books Sold and a Hit Netflix Show - #156:Daniel Handler | Creators

    Disheartened by the 37 rejection letters in his back pocket, Daniel was shocked when a hasty bar-pitch landed him with a $40,000 publishing deal. After all, he was still relatively unknown…and his children’s story was odd to say the least. What kind of kid would want to read a faux (FOE) gothic novel about three orphans with a bloodthirsty relative out for their inheritance”? If this plot is sounding familiar…you may have heard of Daniel Handler before—or should we say…Lemony Snicket. Despite Daniel’s slow start in the publishing industry, he has since sold over 70 million copies of his books and become a household name. His literary work has also spawned countless film and tv spin offs, most recently the 2017 award-winning Netflix show “A Series of Unfortunate Events” starring Neil Patrick Harris. But before Count Olaf ever entered the picture, before he spent months writing in a dusty college basement, Daniel started like many other writers do: with a book in his hand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    54 min

  4. OCT 24

    The $300M Space Junk Problem - #160: Nobu Okada | Astroscale

    Kobe Earthquake 1995. At 5:46 in the morning, the city was struck by a 6.9 magnitude earthquake, leaving 6,000 casualties and 45,000 others homeless. Nobu Okada was only just out of college when he witnessed this scene of devastation and decided to turn his life towards a path of action and purpose. But what career would he turn to next? Now, we know Nobu as the founder of Astroscale, a company working towards a goal of long term spaceflight safety by targeting space debris in Earth’s orbit. His company has received multiple awards, earning the title of TIME100’s Most Influential Companies, Forbes JAPAN’s “Start-up of the Year” in 2019, and the Grand Prix (pree) for UNESCO’s 2020 Innovation Forum. Despite this incredible growth over the past decade, Nobu’s path did not always lay outside the stratosphere, as his career began in government finance, IT consulting, and business startups. Before we reach for the stars with today’s guest, let's trace his story back to where it began, the innocent days of science magazines and the promise of space camp… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    35 min

  5. OCT 17

    From Hustling Video Games at 11 to $500M Construction Empire- #225 Damion Lupo | Financial Underdogs

    Damion Lupo has always been a hard worker since the age of 11. His first business started when he wanted to buy video games for himself. When he went to college he started another business of selling books at a cheaper price than his school bookstore. Damion was kicked out of college for outselling his school bookstore shortly after. Damion found a love for real estate. However during the 2008 financial crisis in America, Damion went from having a multimillionaire lifestyle to living in his car. Damion was able to find peace in Yokido, a fusion of Yoga and Aikido. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 40m

  6. OCT 10

    Black Magic, Boarding School and Bali's First Waterpark- #183: Sayan Gulino | Waterborn Bali

    Maybe it was black magic, or maybe it was the locals pushing back on the first signs of foreign development. Regardless, it is a complicated thing to start a business when you are a foreigner. In spite of countless roadblocks, Waterborn stands, and Sayan Gulino, the current CEO of Waterborn Bali, has pushed his father's legacy forward. Today, Waterborn has won several awards and is recognized for its dedication to sustainability, but joining the family business doesn't mean success was just handed to Sayan on a silver platter. Sayan's journey to success involves music, nature, boarding schools, party planning, summer jobs, and acting gigs. Lets go back to the beginning, to when his parents, eager for adventure, left Europe for the mystical island of Bali. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    47 min

  7. OCT 3

    Transforming Lives Through Psychedelic Microdosing- #224 Paul Austin | Third Wave

    For Paul Austin, psychedelics are a tool or skill to be used to courageously explore and create. His own psychedelic journey began at the age of 19, and through those journeys, they allowed him to release some of the shame and guilt he’d been raised in within a fundamentalist religious family. Now, with Third Wave and Psychedelic Coaching Institute, he works to expand knowledge and guide others through similar experiences, transforming people’s lives through microdosing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    57 min

  8. SEP 26

    From Drive-By Shootings to Chicano Social Movements- #166 Raul Baltazar | Creator

    Raul Baltazar wields the power of painting, video, visual art performances, and much more to examine the experiences of the Mestizo Los Angeles Communities, including responses to trauma and post-colonialism. Baltazar has exhibited his community-focused art in LA and internationally, including Mexico, Taiwan, Vienna, and Australia. Baltazar has earned international acclaim and received fellowships to continue his work as an activist artist, working to preserve indigenous cultures. His unique talent for finding common ground between the old and the new is how he expresses pride in his culture and questions the nature of changing identities, bringing to the forefront of conversation groups that have long been overlooked. Raul Baltazar knows art is power and healing and is willing to share his special gifts with the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    46 min
See All (328)

Trailer

5
out of 5
137 Ratings

About

A podcast about vulnerability and entrepreneurship — learn from the life stories of founders 🚀, activists ✊, and even drug lords 💊 Our aim is to inspire you and let's face it... you aren't inspired when you hear about success. Real inspiration comes from hearing someone's lowest moment, and rising with their success. Using music, sfx, and voiceover, we interview the founders of companies, movements, and even drug cartels to reveal vulnerability so you can learn from victory. I’m your host, Samuel Donner, and together with my team we aim to inspire and educate a global community of leaders.

Information

  • Creator
    Finding Founders
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2024
  • Episodes
    328
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Finding Founders

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada