Wealthing Podcast

Alicia Castillo Holley
  • 5.0 (4)
  • 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. 14M AGO

    The Speed of Decision: Startup Leadership and Pivoting with Chuck Gershman

    This week on the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia Castillo Holley is joined by Chuck Gershman, CEO and co-founder of Owl Autonomous Imaging, for a deep dive into the leadership philosophies that drive successful startups. Chuck shares insights from his entrepreneurial journey, focusing on the critical importance of "time to decision" and the necessity of pivoting in the face of challenges. Drawing from their relationship as founder and investor, Alicia and Chuck discuss why the most effective investors often prioritize a team's resilience and adaptability over a static business model. Chuck also delineates the vital distinction between management and leadership, arguing that true leadership is defined by the ability to inspire a collective vision rather than just maintaining operational efficiency. The conversation concludes with a reflection on the "human" side of the C-suite, including Chuck's personal strategies for emotional stability and his commitment to mentorship as a form of legacy. Together, they offer a candid look at the challenges of the startup ecosystem and the grit required to build a company that lasts.   About Chuck: Charles "Chuck" Gershman is CEO and Co-Founder of Owl Autonomous Imaging (Owl AI), a leader in advanced uncooled LWIR thermal imaging and AI-enabled perception systems. Mr. Gershman is an inductee into the Drexel University College of Engineering Alumni Circle of Distinction — the highest honor bestowed upon its alumni. He was selected as a finalist for CMP Publications' (EE Times) prestigious ACE Award for High Technology Executive of the Year and was previously recognized as a Top 40 Healthcare Transformer by Medical Marketing & Media for his work advancing Clinical AI Decision Support systems for oncology applications. He holds four U.S. patents in microprocessor architecture and AI computer vision. With more than 30 years of experience in the technology and semiconductor industries, Mr. Gershman has led organizations across executive management, engineering, business development, sales, marketing, and strategic advisory roles. Over the course of his career, he has secured more than $200 million in U.S. Government contracts and closed over $500 million in technology sales. A serial entrepreneur, Mr. Gershman has served on the executive leadership teams of five startups, co-founding three, including Owl AI. He has led multiple successful exits, including acquisitions by Intel and PMC-Sierra. As CEO/COO and Board Director of three companies, he has raised more than $225 million in capital from venture capital, strategic investors, angel investors, and government funding sources.   Connect with Chuck: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckgershman/ 🌐 Wealthing Club: wealthing.club

    35 min

  2. FEB 18

    Solving Financial Inefficiency through AI with Marinella Pinate

    This week on the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia Castillo Holley is joined by Marinella Pinate, CEO of Zumma, for a conversation on the intersection of fintech innovation and operational discipline. Marinella shares the strategic journey of Zumma, detailing the company's evolution from its beginnings as an AI financial advisor app to its current focus on automating administrative financial processes. She provides an inside look at the challenges of building technology designed to cut through bureaucracy, explaining how Zumma uses AI to streamline invoicing and financial workflows for businesses. Together, Alicia and Marinella explore the realities of leadership in the startup ecosystem. Marinella reflects on her experiences managing diverse teams and navigating cultural differences, emphasizing that perseverance and adaptability are as critical as the technology itself. Grounded in the philosophy of living with purpose, the episode offers a candid look at what it takes to pivot a business successfully and maintain a clear mission in a complex global market.   About Marinella: Marinella Pinate is the co-founder and CEO of Zumma. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, she grew up in a family of self-made entrepreneurs. She moved to Florida at the age of 13. She holds a degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Florida and an MBA from MIT, where she focused on product management and entrepreneurship. Marinella started her career at Goldman Sachs, where she was part of the founding team at Marcus, the bank's digital consumer platform. She worked directly with the CFO and COO to build and scale the business, managing a $300M budget and leading cost reduction efforts that saved $130M for the bank. She also drove customer acquisition and product strategy for personal loans, overseeing the partnerships channel and generating over $20M in monthly revenue. Prior to founding Zumma, Marinella was Chief of Staff and part of the executive team at Arcus, a Y Combinator-backed fintech acquired by Mastercard. She has visited over 60 countries and has lived in 9 different cities. She brings a global perspective to problem-solving. She also enjoys running, dancing and scuba diving. She has completed the NYC Marathon and several half marathons. About Zumma: Zumma is building the future of autonomous finance: -Automating financial operations workflows starting with expense management and invoicing for companies. -Leveraging the tools companies already use like WhatsApp, Zumma is quickly becoming the category-defining company in this space. -Trusted by 500+ companies, including those of the likes of Gilead, Boston Scientific, Arcos Dorados (McDonald's operating partner in Latin America), Mega Alimentos, Swiss Just, and Italian Coffee.   -The company is quickly becoming the go to solution for expense invoicing in Mexico - owning and redefining a category that serves as a wedge for broader growth in autonomous finance -Backed by Techstars, Outside VC, and MIT -Team of previously bootstrapped founders and seasoned operators from MIT, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan & early-stage tech with track record of building and scaling products and businesses.   Connect with Marinella: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marinella-pinate/ Zumma: https://www.zummafinancial.com/ 🌐 Wealthing Club: wealthing.club

    40 min

  3. FEB 11

    Addressing Systemic Barriers to Female Entrepreneurship with Pooja Sharma Goyal

    This week on the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia Castillo Holley welcomes Pooja Sharma Goyal, a former corporate executive turned social sector leader, for a conversation on the mechanics of scaling impact in India's evolving economy. Pooja details her transition from an engineering background to entrepreneurship, and eventually to her current work with The Udaiti Foundation. She shares her insights on the importance of recognizing "S-curves" in business growth—identifying when to pivot and how to navigate the plateaus that every organization faces. A significant portion of the discussion focuses on her mission to improve women's workforce participation in India, highlighting the need for scalable solutions that address deep-rooted systemic barriers. Together, Alicia and Pooja reflect on the broader challenges facing the global tech and social sectors, including the necessity of bridging cultural divides and mitigating bias within AI development. Grounded in Pooja's experience building startups, the conversation emphasizes that the greatest learning opportunities often reside within the initial hurdles of a venture's journey.   About Pooja: Pooja Sharma Goyal is the Founding CEO of The Udaiti Foundation, where she leads the foundation's mission of Closing the Gender Gap in India's workforce, with the aim of creating a more inclusive and equitable economic ecosystem, and enabling India to reach its true economic potential - of becoming a $30 trillion economy by 2047. Her work around gender-focussed initiatives is grounded in both professional experience and personal conviction shaped by years of navigating corporate leadership as a woman and building ventures while balancing caregiving responsibilities. A serial entrepreneur, Pooja co-founded Avishkaar, which established 2,500+ robotics labs globally, and Intellitots, later acquired by KLAY. She began her career in strategy consulting and then worked in the US with companies like Adobe and PalmSource where she led product and developer marketing. Her journey revealed how systemic inequities limit women's participation and inspired her to act. At Udaiti, she drives initiatives to scale women's workforce participation, promote gender-smart infrastructure, and foster financial inclusion. Through their flagship Close the Gender Gap 30x30 initiative, she collaborates with leading Indian companies and governments to raise women's representation in the formal workforce from 18% to 30% by 2030. Pooja is a Women Transforming India Awardee, an angel investor, a founding member of Plaksha and Ashoka University, and a Limited Partner at Appreciate Capital. She holds a B.Tech from IIT Delhi and an MBA from INSEAD.   Connect with Pooja: http://www.linkedin.com/in/poojasgoyal 🌐 Wealthing Club: wealthing.club

    35 min

  4. FEB 4

    Investing in the Future of Longevity and Biotech with Mila Shabalina

    This week on the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia Castillo Holley is joined by Mila Shabalina, an investor specializing in longevity and biotechnology, for a discussion on the personal and professional drivers behind healthcare innovation. Mila shares her unconventional trajectory from history and journalism to investing in the biotech sector. She discusses how her mother's battle with a rare neurodegenerative disease and her own near-death experience during childbirth served as catalysts for her career shift, leading her to seek a more purposeful role in supporting healthcare research. The conversation examines the intersection of compassion and investing, with Mila emphasizing the value of social awareness and the necessity of strong, collaborative alignment between founders and their investors. Together, Alicia and Mila explore the future of longevity science, highlighting potential breakthroughs in treatment while addressing the critical ethical questions society must face as life expectancy rises. Grounded in both scientific interest and human experience, the episode offers a thoughtful perspective on how capital can be used to address fundamental human challenges.   About Mila: Mila was born in the late Soviet Union to an economist and a process engineer. She graduated from Ural State University with an MA in the History of Culture and Arts in 1999. She worked as a journalist for over a decade in Russia, focusing on interviewing business founders. She moved to the U.S. with her family in 2014. She studied entrepreneurship at Golden Gate University, Stanford, and Columbia University. In 2016, she founded DIVO, an artisanal skincare brand pioneering organic, food-grade ingredients. She joined Wealthing VC Club in 2024 and subsequently became active in the longevity space. She is a member of the Alliance for Longevity Initiatives (A4LI).   Connect with Mila: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mila-shabalina 🌐 Wealthing Club: wealthing.club

    37 min

  5. JAN 28

    Generational Wealth & Global Health: A New Investment Thesis with Preetha Ram

    This week on the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia Castillo Holley sits down with Preetha Ram, a scientist, educator, and venture capitalist at Pier 70 Ventures, for a deep dive into the evolution of global healthcare and the power of intentional career transitions. Preetha shares the story of her "quantum leap" from her roles as a scientist and Dean at Emory College to becoming a Silicon Valley investor. Drawing on her experience scaling an EdTech platform to 60 million users, she explains her shift toward venture capital as a means to solve global health challenges at scale. The conversation explores her current investment thesis: building a disease-free future through patient-centric, data-driven, and AI-enabled healthcare solutions. Together, Alicia and Preetha discuss the critical roles of preparation and intuition in seizing life-changing opportunities. They reflect on the collaborative spirit of Silicon Valley and the necessity of moving from transactional networking to genuine, relationship-based community building. Grounded in optimism, the episode highlights Preetha's personal commitment to helping others and her vision for creating generational wealth by solving the generational problems of our time.   About Preetha: Preetha Ram, PhD, is a Managing Partner at Pier 70 Ventures, where she architects the "Future of Health" through a high-impact 3D investment strategy focused on the convergence of Drugs, Devices, and Digital Health. A driving force for gender equity in finance, Preetha is actively building a powerful community of women VCs in the Valley, leveraging her role as an LP in How Women Invest and her leadership on the Board of TiE Silicon Valley to mentor the next generation of female check-writers. A Yale-trained scientist and exit-tested CEO, she previously scaled the learning platform OpenStudy to 60 million global users, securing multimillion-dollar backing from the NSF, NIH, and the Gates Foundation. Today, she bridges the gap between cutting-edge research from top-tier universities and global Fortune 200 networks, serving as a Director for Pelvital and a strategic advisor to disruptive health-tech startups.   About Pier 70 Ventures: Pier 70 Ventures is a venture capital powerhouse architecting the future of healthcare through its high-velocity "3D" investment strategy: a concentrated focus on the convergence of Drugs, Devices, and Digital health. The firm capitalizes on the next generation of clinical breakthroughs, from AI-driven drug discovery to intelligent medical devices. By securing priority access to disruptive, patent-pending research from the world's leading universities, accelerators, and incubators, Pier 70 identifies science-backed technologies at their most critical inflection points. Led by elite operators with deep roots at institutions like Eli Lilly, the firm integrates institutional operational expertise with a global Fortune 200 network to scale transformative innovations that are fundamentally redefining the modern healthcare landscape.  Come join us in our mission to build the future of health.   Connect with Preetha: linkedin.com/in/preetharam Pier 70 Ventures: www.pier70ventures.com 🌐 Wealthing Club: wealthing.club

    40 min

  6. JAN 21

    Sri Lanka to Silicon Valley: Tech, Value, and Mentorship with Ruban Kanapathippillai Ep.47

    This week on the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia Castillo Holley is joined by Ruban Kanapathippillai, a seasoned computer engineer and entrepreneur, for an expansive look at the journey from startup founder to billion-dollar value creator. Ruban shares his inspiring trajectory from his roots in Sri Lanka to founding high-growth tech companies in the United States. He offers a grounded perspective on the rise of Artificial Intelligence, emphasizing the importance of understanding its limitations while leveraging its strengths in enterprise and medical applications. Throughout the conversation, Ruban highlights how fostering diverse teams and empowering others were central to building companies that exceeded $1.3 billion in value. The episode concludes with a look at Ruban's current focus: mentorship. He discusses his commitment to coaching underprivileged entrepreneurs via LinkedIn and other platforms, reflecting on the importance of human connection and providing guidance to those who need it most. Together, Alicia and Ruban explore what it truly means to build a legacy that extends beyond the balance sheet.   About Ruban: Over the past 30 years, Ruban has developed a deep business and technical understanding of hardware, software, and systems areas including Compute, Networking, and Storage areas. Ruban was a founding team member of two successful Silicon Valley start-ups, VxTel (VoIP) acquired by Intel for US$550m and Virident (Storage) acquired by WDC for US$720m. Ruban holds more than 30 US-granted patents in the areas of semiconductor chip and system designs, applications, and algorithms. His focus lies in scaling technology and products from ideas to enterprise class products as an engineering leader, product architect, and customer technology evangelist.  Ruban is a well-respected veteran of Silicon Valley and graduated from Stanford University with a Masters degree in Electrical and Computer engineering, a Bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota in Electrical and Electronics Engineering with the highest honor Summa Cum Laude, and a minor in Economics. Ruban was originally from the war-torn Northern province of Sri Lanka where he escaped the brutal war and migrated to the US via Botswana, Africa.   Connect with Ruban: linkedin.com/in/rubankk/ 🌐 Wealthing Club: wealthing.club

    40 min

  7. JAN 14

    Scaling Sustainability: 15 Years of Climate Tech with Jan of Eco Summit

    This week on the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia Castillo Holley is joined by Jan, the organizer of EcoSummit in Berlin, for a compelling conversation on the evolution of climate tech and the enduring importance of human connection in the investment world. Jan shares his 15-year journey of building the Eco Summit into a premier destination for sustainability-focused startups and investors. He reflects on his personal path to Berlin and his dedication to fostering a low-carbon economy through invitation-only events that prioritize deep, personal relationships over transactional networking. Together, Alicia and Jan explore the current state of the green innovation ecosystem, with Alicia drawing on her 20 years of teaching entrepreneurship to discuss the necessity of humility and the unique challenges facing today's tech founders. The conversation highlights a shared vision for a more sustainable future and the critical role that disciplined strategy and authentic community play in solving the planet's most pressing environmental challenges.   About Jan: Jan Michael Hess is the Founder and CEO of Ecosummit. Ecosummit Berlin 25-26 March 2026 accelerates startups and investors in climate tech, energy, mobility and buildings to decarbonise our economy and save our climate with the help of AI. The 2-day pitch event enables fundraising, lead and co-investing, portfolio development, open innovation, corporate venturing and M&A. Since 2010, Ecosummit organised 25 conferences, 25 online events and published 1,585 videos on Youtube. Before Ecosummit, Jan worked in the internet and mobile telecom industry as a project manager and strategy consultant. He holds a diploma degree in Business Administration from University of Mannheim and studied 1 year abroad at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.   Connect with Jan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janmichaelhess/   Ecosummit: https://ecosummit.net   🌐 Wealthing Club: wealthing.club

    32 min

  8. JAN 7

    Investing in the Underestimated: Preeti Adhikary and the Mission of Momo Ventures

    This week on the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia Castillo Holley is joined by Preeti Adhikary, the founder of Momo Ventures, for an engaging discussion on the power of inclusive investing and the journey of building a mission-driven venture fund. Preeti shares the highlights of her diverse career path and the inspiration behind Momo Ventures, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the fund's first year of operations. She delves into her unique investment approach and what she looks for when evaluating founders, sharing early successes from her portfolio and her strategic plans for the year ahead. Together, Alicia and Preeti explore the vital role of cultural perspective in the startup world and how technology can be leveraged to create more equitable business ecosystems. Their conversation emphasizes the importance of community-building and Preeti's deep-seated passion for championing underrepresented founders to create a lasting, positive impact on the future of innovation. About Preeti: Preeti Adhikary is the General Partner of Momo VC, a US-based early-stage venture capital fund dedicated to supporting underrepresented founders. She is also the Founder of The Great Nepali Diaspora (founded in 2022), a global nonprofit community that brings together exceptional Nepali talent to foster connection, collaboration, and camaraderie. In addition, she founded Empowered Women, an initiative focused on connecting and uplifting Nepali women across the globe. Preeti holds a Master of Advanced Management from Yale School of Management and an MBA from the University of British Columbia. Prior to Yale SOM, she served as Vice President of Marketing and Operations at Fusemachines Inc. in New York City, which became the first company founded by a Nepali entrepreneur to go public on NASDAQ in 2025 (Ticker: FUSE).  With nearly 20 years of experience spanning technology startups, banking, and the nonprofit sector, Preeti is deeply committed to building and supporting community-driven ventures that generate meaningful social and economic impact.   About Momo VC: Momo VC invests in pre-seed/seed stages of technology startups in the following sectors - AI, cybersecurity, healthtech, biotech, fintech and sustainability. They have made 4 investments so far from the $2.2 million Fund I. Preeti Adhikary and Sajan Gautam are the two General Partners of the fund. Momo VC has an ecosystem builder approach to venture investing and is building an expert network in each of their sector focus areas.    Connect with Preeti: linkedin.com/in/preetiadhikary Momo VC: momo-vc.com 🌐 Wealthing Club: wealthing.club

    30 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

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
    52
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Wealthing Podcast