The Founders Peak Podcast Where exceptional startup founders share untold stories that shaped who they are

Start-up Founders, is your millions of dollars idea protected? Here is a 15-minute crash course by Seth Graham on safeguarding your creations and works of art. Gain the knowledge to shield your competitive edge - from essentials of patents to trademarks to copyrights to trade secrets. Empower yourself better to navigate the complex but critical world of intellectual property.



Tokyo-based tech & IP lawyer Seth Graham is a partner in Morrison & Foerster’s Technology Transactions Group, and helps established and emerging companies navigate complex technology and intellectual property issues. Over 15 years, he's advised on licensing, transfers, development agreements, and strategic growth across IT, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and telecom. Seth's expertise goes beyond the basics. He tackles open-source software, AI applications, and hosted services, keeping his clients ahead of the curve.



Recognised as an "Asia Super 50 TMT Lawyer" (2023), Seth is admitted to practice in New York, California, and Japan. Originally from New York, he brings a global perspective honed at Stanford Law.

Chie Ito is the CEO of FINOLAB. She spent 14 years as an IT engineer in capital markets at DentsuSoken, but don't let that fool you – a stint working at a German bank sparked her entrepreneurial spirit, leading her to boldly quit and move to the US! Talk about taking a leap of faith! And guess what? Fate - or maybe some impressive coding skills - brought her back to DentsuSoken, where she pivoted into business development. This journey of twists and turns led her
to FINOLAB, a FinTech ecosystem builder launched in 2016.



In her talk titled "How to overcome the lack of understanding from people around you", Ito-san
shares her experience navigating a non-traditional path and overcoming obstacles. This episode is all about defying the odds and building something amazing, so buckle up and get inspired!

Nikos Andrikogiannopoulos has one of the longest last names with 19 letters! Nikos is the CEO of Metrika and is no stranger to beating the odds – he secured a coveted spot at MIT as one out of just one Greek student every two years! And when faced with a competitive
reservation system, Nikos channelled his inner engineer and wrote a script to get what he wanted. In his talk titled "Beyond the Red Line: A Tale of Train Tracks, Mentorship, and Pioneering Blockchain Frontiers",
Nikos takes us on the fascinating journey that led him to build Metrika, a 100% remote company with a name inspired by the ancient mathematician Heron of
Alexandria.



They've even secured over $22 million in funding, with Microsoft joining the investment train! Buckle up for this episode – it's a journey beyond the red line, filled with wit and innovation! 

Ever dream of a global career but land smack into a financial crisis in a new country, not knowing a word of English? That's the wild ride Ryota Hayashi, Co-founder & CEO of Finatext Holdings, took at the beginning of his journey. But Ryota's story isn't just about weathering storms – it's about emerging stronger with a will powered by optimism (which, coincidentally, is the perfect segue to the title of his talk: "Optimism is of Will"), Ryota's entrepreneurial path has been paved with challenges – from his wife's postpartum depression after the birth of their first child to facing product flops and near two years of zero revenue.



But through it all, Ryota's unwavering optimism has kept him going. In this episode, he shares his hard-earned wisdom, the grit it takes to persevere, and maybe even a laugh or two about the absurdities of the startup world.

Eric Wei, the Founder & CEO of timelyhero is a total trailblazer – he left a big tech job to dive headfirst into the wild world of startups. This Taiwanese immigrant brought his digital transformation skills from the global stage to Japan, and guess what? He fell in love with the culture! Now, he's on a mission to connect Japan to the world with timelyhero, a global skill-sharing platform powered by AI.



They match instructors and learners across borders, making it easier than ever to share knowledge. In his talk "Empowering Global Learning: Timelyhero's Story Unveiled", Eric shares his journey of leaving the corporate nest and building a platform that connects people across the globe.