Silicon Valley Impact

S3 E3 - From Vision to Velocity: How Leaders Scale Technology, Teams, and Impact

🚀 Operator Energy
🎙️ This week on Silicon Valley Impact, we’re joined by three leaders shaping the future of technology, capital, and innovation:
🔹 Faisal Mushtaq — Founder & CEO of TechCon Global, best-selling author, investor🔹 Ellen Damaso — Venture & Capital Partner at Plus Ultra Capital Partners🔹 Kunal Chandiramani — Co-Founder & CEO of ZeroToIP
Faisal Mushtaq is a visionary C-suite executive, board member, and entrepreneur with 20+ years of experience leading digital transformation and scaling global organizations across startups and Fortune 500 companies. Former CTO of Sleep Number, he helped transform the company into a health & wellness leader—scaling the AI-powered SleepIQ™ platform to 3M users and contributing to $2B+ in revenue growth. He’s a frequent speaker on AI and innovation, an active angel investor, and the Founder & CEO of TechCon Global.
Ellen Damaso is a Venture & Capital Partner at Plus Ultra Capital Partners with 15+ years of experience spanning technical sales, marketing, and business development. She has worked with global leaders including Samsung, Micron, and Raytheon. A founder, author, speaker, and mental health advocate, Ellen brings a rare blend of engineering, marketing, and human-centered leadership to venture and innovation.
Kunal Chandiramani is a serial entrepreneur and operator, currently Co-Founder & CEO of ZeroToIP—an AI-native IP infrastructure platform—and Chairman of KStar Holdings. He serves on multiple private and nonprofit boards and focuses on building scalable systems, executing high-leverage strategies, and driving growth across technology and commerce.
🎧 We dig into AI, venture capital, scaling companies, and what it really takes to build durable innovation.
👉 Listen in and join the conversation.
This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!
Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on:
🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J
🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823
📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact
Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies like MoralesHR and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://moraleshr.com/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.
Event Partnerships:
Join us in Austin, San Francisco, and San Diego for TechCon. Get more information and tickets at https://techconglobal.com/
Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.

S3 E2 - AI, Fundability, and the Human Edge

🎙️ This week on Silicon Valley Impact — we’re bringing together builders, investors, and connectors shaping the startup ecosystem from multiple angles.
Joining me on the show:
🔹 Sam Wong — CEO of FundableStartups.com, serial startup operator, and author of 21 Secrets of Successful Startups. Sam has led multiple venture-backed companies through scale and acquisition and now helps founders become truly fundable before they raise—focusing on execution, pitch readiness, capital strategy, and long-term value creation.
🔹 Lisa Yu — General Partner at 99VC, former Microsoft and Silicon Valley executive, founder, angel investor, and advisor. Lisa brings 20+ years of experience launching and scaling products across AI, SaaS, data platforms, and emerging tech, with deep insight into go-to-market strategy, product–market fit, and revenue growth.
🔹 Vishal Chamaria — Founder & CEO of Xuman.AI, building infrastructure for human-to-human services. Vishal is rethinking how solopreneurs earn, grow, and compound trust over time by combining content-led discovery with instant booking—turning reputation into a compounding asset.
🔹 Jake Tital — Chief Strategy Officer and natural super-connector with a people-first mindset. Jake specializes in pattern recognition and forming strategic partnerships across startups, SaaS, and emerging tech—connecting people and opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise collide.
💡 We dive into fundraising readiness, AI-driven growth, marketplace innovation, and why authentic relationships still outperform hype.
This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!
 
Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on:
🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J
🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823
📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact
 
Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, MoralesHR and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://moraleshr.com/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.
 
Event Partnerships:
Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register
 
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.
 

S3 E1 - Big vision, hard-earned lessons, and the mindset behind building impact at scale

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we kickoff Season 3 with Keith Kaplan, CEO of Maykr Inc.; and San Jose entrepreneurial legend, Mauricio Mejia.
Keith is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and executive with deep experience across capital, technology, and media. He leads Maykr’s integrated ecosystem, directing investment toward AI, robotics, sustainable and nuclear energy, and advanced data infrastructure to help build a more technologically sophisticated and environmentally conscious future. Recognized as an early voice on “The Autonomous Age,” he has advised the White House, the State of California, and the City of Los Angeles on innovation and technology. Previously, he co-founded and served as CEO of the Tesla Foundation, a science and technology think tank focused on emerging technologies, workforce development, and large-scale research and education initiatives. Keith also co-founded TGE Global Entertainment, an entertainment, media, and technology holdings company, and earlier founded KKMedia, an advertising agency he successfully led through acquisition.
Mauricio is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and mentor based in San Jose, California, recognized for reshaping the city’s nightlife and building a diverse business portfolio in Silicon Valley. Born in San Francisco and raised in Los Angeles by a single mother, he navigated gang life, poverty, and homelessness before becoming a millionaire in his twenties and later a respected business owner and investor. Over the years, Mauricio has owned and promoted landmark nightclubs in San Jose, led a successful staffing company, and expanded into real estate development, fitness, and media, including roles with companies such as California Labor Force, CalDev/CalEx, Punch King Fitness, and Latin Life. Deeply committed to community impact, he supports Latino leadership, produces cultural events, and uses his books and public speaking to inspire others to decide, commit, and execute on their own potential.
This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!
 
Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on:
🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J
🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823
📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact
 
Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.
 
Event Partnerships:
Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register
 
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.

S2 E43 - Scaling the Future: Where Veteran Operators Meet Multi-Agent AI

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Anshu Agarwal, General Partner at Converge; and Amar Flora, General Partner at Solaris Venture Partners. We talking  about Scaling the Future: Where Veteran Operators Meet Multi-Agent AI.
Anshu has spent 20+ years founding, scaling, and exiting venture-backed B2B tech companies in Silicon Valley. She has helped build four startups as a founder or early executive—each acquired by public companies including Akamai, Juniper Networks, HP, and Citrix. In 2018, she co-founded Nimbella, a pioneer in serverless computing, and led it as CEO from ideation to acquisition by DigitalOcean in under three years. She later served as VP/GM of DigitalOcean’s Serverless & Kubernetes business. Across her exits, she was repeatedly recruited by acquirers to lead integration and revenue expansion. Anshu holds engineering degrees from IIT Roorkee and Rutgers, an MBA from Kellogg, and serves on the Board of the IIT Bay Area Association.
Amar brings global experience across banking, finance, technology, and international business expansion. He began his career in banking in Sydney, later working in telco/digital infrastructure and strategy for wealth management in New York. As Director of Finance and COO at the University of Sydney, he led international growth across energy, infrastructure, mining, and technology sectors, executing deals across Australia, the U.S., Canada, India, Singapore, and China. He founded and exited an EdTech startup in 2020 before co-founding Klaviss, a first-of-its-kind multi-AI-agent ecosystem for real estate, now with three patents pending. Amar studied Software Engineering, completed a postgraduate program at the University of Cambridge, and earned an Executive MBA from UNSW. He also mentors postgraduate students in strategy and global market expansion.
This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!
Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on:
🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J
🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823
📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact
Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like TheAgentic, and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.
 
Event Partnerships:
Join us October 27th, following Day 1 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, for the "Venture Partner 'Unofficial TechCrunch Disrupt 2025' Afterparty: Silicon Valley's Best!" Get you tickets here while they last: https://luma.com/3w4qt0r2
Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.

S2 E42 - Evergreen Capital & Early Bets: What Investors Are Backing Nex

On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we speak with Kamal Hassan, Managing Partner at Loyal VC, and Baron Cannon, educator and angel investor with Sand Hill Angels.
Kamal is a Managing Partner at Loyal VC, a diversified evergreen venture fund that offers investors the flexibility to buy or sell units quarterly. Loyal invests early in top founders from three global networks and earns loyalty for preferred access to follow-on deals.
Kamal's 20-year career as an entrepreneurial CEO and 15 years as an angel investor inspired the creation of Loyal. He draws upon his experiences as a Global Director with the Founder Institute, former INSEAD Alumni Association President, consultant at Bain & Co., and engineer at IMAX. Kamal holds an INSEAD MBA and a degree in engineering physics from Queen’s University. He’s well-traveled, having visited over 100 countries, and speaks five languages.
Baron is a Silicon Valley–based educator-turned-investor with a rare blend of “on-the-ground” institutional operations and early-stage tech investing expertise. For over a decade, he’s taught entrepreneurship and economics at Saint Francis High School (a Catholic high school in Mountain View, CA), and led high-stakes programs including a summer-school operation with a seven-figure budget. Parallel to his instructional work, Baron has invested via Sand Hill Angels in Seed-to-Series A startups, with a particular eye for startups rewriting legacy, high-friction industries through data-driven, compliance-rich vertical software platforms.
Baron also brings a multi-generational stewardship lens to his work. He is the Managing Member of the Baron Family Fund, a single-family office, and he serves on the Investment Committee of the John Sheehy Company, a family enterprise founded in 1901. Most recently, he joined the Advisory Group for Santa Clara University’s new Social Impact MA program, helping shape an executive-level pipeline for the next generation of nonprofit and social-sector leaders.
This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!
Follow us and listen to all our episodes on:
🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact
Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies like TheAgentic, STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the world’s largest full-stack venture ecosystem. It’s over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go — everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent need to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.

S2 E41 - Two powerhouse innovators: Jackie Wu and Alan Malon

🎙️ NEW EPISODE ALERT — Silicon Valley Impact This week, we sat down with two powerhouse innovators: Jackie Wu and Alan Malon.
⭐ Jackie Wu — From Refugee to Top 1% Sales Leader & Global Coach
Jackie’s story is one of extraordinary transformation. From escaping war-torn Vietnam and arriving in the U.S. barely speaking English… to building a career that spans Stanford University, Nvidia, and becoming a Top 1% nationwide Enterprise Sales Professional across multiple Fortune 500 companies.
During the pandemic, Jackie launched Treasure Life’s Journey from scratch—and within a year, was serving clients across multiple continents. Today, she coaches founders and revenue leaders using her signature method:
🔥 Quick Sales Conversion — One Conversation to YES™ – The same method she used to close $228,000 with Tiffany & Co. in under 30 minutes, – And win the support of California State Treasurer Fiona Ma in just 7 minutes.
Jackie teaches entrepreneurs how to grow faster, avoid burnout, and bypass the endless follow-ups and drawn-out negotiations that drain time and profit.
⭐ Alan Malon — Serial Entrepreneur & AI Trailblazer
Alan has been deep in LLMs and SLMs since 2019, advancing his research at Stanford. He’s raised venture capital in both Latin America and Silicon Valley and worked with tier-1 accelerators and global VCs.
His track record includes:
⚙️ 10+ years scaling B2B platforms serving 3,000+ businesses 🚀 Pioneering the “Automated Social Media Content” category in 2017 📈 Scaling Brazil’s fastest-growing MarTech to market leadership (2022) 💸 Supporting founders in raising millions—including X.ai’s $1B round
This—and so much more—is inside this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, where business insight meets startup innovation.
🎧 Listen now: Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823 YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact
🌐 Special Thanks & Venture Partners
Silicon Valley Venture, LLC—the parent of Silicon Valley Impact—is a proud global venture partner to world-class organizations including TheAgentic, STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower – Oakland.
Explore the world’s largest full-stack venture ecosystem (1.2M+ sq ft of Live | Work | Play | Go): 🔗 https://www.theagentic.ai 🔗 https://stakspace.com
📅 Upcoming Events & Partnerships
📍 Alternative Investing Summit 2025 Dana Point | Dec 7–9 Tickets → https://opalgroup.net/conference/alternative-investing-summit-2025/
📍 IIT 2026 Conference Long Beach | April 22–25 Register → https://www.iit2026.org/register
⚠️ Disclaimer
The opinions shared by hosts and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and do not constitute financial advice. Please consult a professional before making financial or business decisions.
 

S2 E40 - Wine, Wisdom, and Wealth: Lessons from Napa Valley Opal Group Napa 2025

🎙️ This Week on Silicon Valley Impact
We’re coming to you from beautiful Napa Valley, California, where we hosted an Opal Spotlight episode at the Family Office & Private Wealth Forum West (October 22–24).
Over three incredible days, we connected with some of the smartest—and kindest—leaders shaping the future of family offices, private wealth, and innovation.
A huge thank you to David Liebowitz and the entire Opal Group team for inviting Silicon Valley Impact to capture insights and stories from some truly remarkable individuals, including:
✨ Jacqueline (Jackie) Mirkopoulos✨ Skip Coomber✨ Bobby Console-Verma✨ Sanjay Shrivastava✨ Rick Spencer✨ Mike Moore✨ Frank Roberson✨ Frank Rohde✨ James Rosebush✨ Samy Dwek✨ Denny Lancer & Carrie Graham
Thank you all for sharing your time, insights, and stories with us. Episodes from our Opal Spotlight Series drop Tuesday October 28th on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. Stay tuned—this one’s full of heart, wisdom, and impact straight from Napa Valley. 🍷🎧
This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!
 
We will see you in Dana Point for the Alternative Investing Summit 2025! 
Get your tickets here: https://opalgroup.net/conference/alternative-investing-summit-2025/
Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on:
🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J
🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823
📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact
 
Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like TheAgentic, and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.
 
Event Partnerships:
Join us in San Francisco October 27th-29th, for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Get your tickets here (use promo code: siliconvalley25 to get 25% off your ticket purchase): https://tcrn.ch/41JLNgv

S2 E39 - Health Revolution: AI, Drug-Discovery & the Ageless Generation

On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we’re talking health and startups with Dr. Ashish Atreja, Dr. Luke Blauch, Ph.D., and Nick Larson — Founder of Silicon Zombies Live Show & Podcast and Co-Founder of the Ageless Evolution Longevity Summit.
 
Dr. Ashish Atreja, known as “The App Doctor,” is a nationally recognized physician executive, entrepreneur, and founder of GVX Venture Accelerator and GenServe.AI. A pioneer in evidence-based digital medicine (EBDM), he has led digital transformation at leading institutions including UC Davis Health, where he served as Chief Information and Digital Health Officer, and Mount Sinai Health System, where he founded the AppLab innovation hub and earned patents for prescribing digital apps and AI tools. He has founded multiple ventures from academia, including Rx.Health, acquired after impacting over 30 million patient lives, and VALIDAI.Health, a national initiative advancing responsible generative AI in healthcare. A fellow of the ACP and AGA, Dr. Atreja continues to drive the future of AI-enabled healthcare through innovation, entrepreneurship, and impact-driven leadership.
 
Dr. Luke Blauch, Ph.D., is an expert in building high-throughput technologies for biological applications and the Founder and CEO of DropXcell. After experiencing the inefficiencies of drug development firsthand, Luke set out to create technology that makes drug discovery faster, cheaper, and more effective. During his Ph.D. at Stanford University, he worked to solve complex engineering problems for top scientists, including a Nobel Prize winner, and published research in top journals such as Science and PNAS. In industry, he previously led the development of high-throughput screening platforms as an early scientist at VC-funded biotech startups. At DropXcell, Luke’s goal is to test thousands of times more drug molecules for function—derisking drug discovery and ensuring only the best molecules reach patients. He invented the Xcell Drop screening technology, is an author on multiple patents, and is enabling AI-driven drug discovery to reach its full potential.
 
Nick Larson is a Bay Area native with a passion for people, technology, and surfing. A serial founder, Nick has started and scaled mission-driven companies such as Willow—an AI social media platform backed by investors including Google and Green Park Ventures (now valued at over $200M)—and OnePiece Work, a co-working and accelerator space that expanded to 12 locations with investment from UpHonest Capital. Nick was named one of PRWeek’s “25 Most Influential People in Communications Technology” (2021) and is the host of Silicon Zombies, a live show and ecosystem that demystifies emerging technology and highlights the brightest minds in the industry. He was also recognized as one of LinkedIn’s “Top Voices”, an honor awarded to just 300 people worldwide each year.
 
This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!
Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on:
🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J
🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823
📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact
 
Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like TheAgentic, and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.
 
Event Partnerships:
Join us in Napa, October 22nd-24th for the Opal Group Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gjeSSHTP.
 
Join us in San Francisco October 27th-29th, for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Get your tickets here (use promo code: siliconvalley25 to get 25% off your ticket purchase): https://tcrn.ch/41JLNgv
 
Join us October 27th, following Day 1 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, for the "Venture Partner 'Unofficial TechCrunch Disrupt 2025' Afterparty: Silicon Valley's Best!" Get you tickets here while they last: https://luma.com/3w4qt0r2
 
Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register
 
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.
 

S2 E38 - AI, Talent, and Trouble: Three Powerful Women Rewiring Silicon Valley and the Future of Work

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact my good friend, Founder and General Partner of  GoodTrouble Ventures, AJ Thomas is back on the set to help me guide the conversation with Kelly Steven-Waiss, Chief Transformation Officer at ServiceNow, and Shelly Morales, Founder and CEO at MoralesHR. Today we’re talking about talent, enterprise AI strategy and so much more.
 
Kelley is Chief Transformation Officer at ServiceNow, where she helps global enterprises drive digital and workforce innovation. Formerly Founder & CEO of Hitch Works (acquired by ServiceNow), Kelley brings 30+ years of executive experience, including 13 as CHRO in tech. A Forbes HR Council member and published author of The Inside Gig and Valley Girls, she serves on the board of FormFactor (NASDAQ: FORM) and is recognized among the most influential voices shaping the future of work and HR technology.
 
Shelly is the Founder & CEO of MoralesHR, a recruiting firm connecting transformative leaders with top startups and investors. A former executive at LinkedIn, Juniper Networks, and Cadence Design Systems, she blends startup agility with enterprise depth. Shelly also serves as Chief Activation Officer at Polymathic, helping align talent, capital, and vision, and is known for her trusted network spanning tech, venture, and innovation communities.
 
AJ is the CEO of The Troublemaker Lab and Founding General Partner of Good Trouble Ventures, investing in technologies powering the future of creativity and digital transformation. A futurist and leadership advisor, she has guided Fortune 100s and global startups on innovation and AI-driven growth. AJ also serves as CXO-in-Residence at A.Team, faculty at Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute, and Forbes contributor on leadership and the evolving world of work.
This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!
 
Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on:
🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J
🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823
📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact
 
Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like TheAgentic, and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.
 
Event Partnerships:
Join us in Napa, October 22nd-24th for the Opal Group Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gjeSSHTP.
 
Join us in San Francisco October 27th-29th, for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Get your tickets here (use promo code: siliconvalley25 to get 25% off your ticket purchase): https://tcrn.ch/41JLNgv
 
Join us October 27th, following Day 1 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, for the "Venture Partner 'Unofficial TechCrunch Disrupt 2025' Afterparty: Silicon Valley's Best!" Get you tickets here while they last: https://luma.com/3w4qt0r2
 
Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register
 
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.
 

S2 E37 - Silicon Valley’s New Wave: Entertainment, AI, and Deeptech Disruption

On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Kelli Richards: Founder, President & Chief Connections Officer of The All Access Group LLC; Ivan Linn, CEO of Wavv, and Filip Orth, Principal at ZAKA Venture Capital, and Head of North America at Cleevio.
Kelli is a recognized leader where Silicon Valley meets Hollywood. A longtime Apple executive overseeing music and entertainment, she has worked with top tech and media innovators, celebrities, and entrepreneurs to reimagine how content is created, monetized, and distributed. A strategist, visionary, and super-connector, Kelli thrives at the intersection of innovation and creativity—working on cool things with cool people.
As a certified executive coach and trusted advisor for nearly 25 years, she has guided visionary founders, creative leaders, and HNW individuals through pivotal transitions toward more meaningful and fulfilling next chapters. Her work blends business strategy with personal reinvention to help clients fine-tune their legacies.
A published thought leader, Kelli has authored books and articles in major outlets and is a frequent guest on podcasts and at events. She holds an MBA, two coaching certifications, and was named a Top 100 Woman of Influence by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Learn more at kellirichards.com.
Ivan is a Taiwanese-American entrepreneur and CEO of Wavv, leading innovation at the crossroads of technology and entertainment. With deep expertise in generative AI, he’s transforming how audiences experience music, gaming, and digital content.
Under his leadership, Wavv has launched groundbreaking projects—including a gaming title that generated $35 million in its first year—and contributed to global franchises like Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts. Ivan also produced the Assassin’s Creed Symphony World Tour, merging live performance with interactive technology to redefine audience engagement.
His vision for Wavv centers on AI-driven platforms that empower creators, enhance fan connection, and modernize content distribution. Ivan’s work continues to shape the future of entertainment through innovation, interactivity, and impact.
Filip is Principal at ZAKA VC and Head of North America at Cleevio, where he leads the firm’s Silicon Valley office. He focuses on seed and pre-seed investments in biotech and life sciences, as well as deeptech with an emphasis on robotics and industrial technologies. Originally from Slovakia, Filip began his career in venture capital and tech sales before moving to Silicon Valley for his university studies, which sparked his passion for the VC industry and innovation ecosystem.
This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!
Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on:
🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J
🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823
📺 Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact
 
Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to great companies, like TheAgentic, and STAK Ventures, and 1900 Broadway Tower - Oakland. Check out https://www.theagentic.ai/ and https://stakspace.com/ to gain access to the worlds largest full stack venture ecosystem. It's over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go; everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent needs to gain a global advantage, access, alignment, and accelerate your venture.
 
Event Partnerships:
Join us in Napa, October 22nd-24th for the Opal Group Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gjeSSHTP.
Join us in San Francisco October 27th-29th, for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Get your tickets here (use promo code: siliconvalley25 to get 25% off your ticket purchase): https://tcrn.ch/41JLNgv
Join us October 27th, following Day 1 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, for the "Venture Partner 'Unofficial TechCrunch Disrupt 2025' Afterparty: Silicon Valley's Best!" Get you tickets here while they last: https://luma.com/3w4qt0r2
Join us in Long Beach, April 22-25th for the IIT 2026 Conference. Get your tickets register here: https://www.iit2026.org/register
 
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.