Silicon Valley Impact

S2 E27 - Blake Beltram founder of Mindbody; Guy Horowitz of 33N Ventures; and Meg McWilliams, Founder of Gossip Goblin.

On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we speak with Blake Beltram, former founder of Mindbody and current founder of OffyO; Guy Horowitz of 33N Ventures; and Meg McWilliams, Founder and COO of Gossip Goblin.
Blake is the co-founder of Mindbody, the global leader in wellness business software that helped transform the fitness industry and ultimately sold for nearly $2B. He introduced online class booking—pioneering a new era in Fit-Tech. Having thrived through the dotcom boom and helped lead the wellness tech revolution, Blake is now stepping into the AI era with OffyO: an AI Self-Evolution Companion designed to help people live healthier, happier lives.
An author, mentor, and podcaster, Blake is known for fusing visionary thinking with pragmatic execution. His entrepreneurial memoir captures the raw reality of the founder’s journey, and his work continues to center on elevating the human experience.
Having recently launched his daughter into college as a single father, Blake is once again building from zero—with clarity, purpose, and conviction.
Guy is an entrepreneur-turned-VC who never really left the garage. While he primarily backs later-stage companies at 33N Ventures (and previously at DTCP), his heart still beats for early-stage founders and inception-stage chaos. A lifelong musician, Guy brings rhythm, instinct, and improvisation to the business world—traits that helped him spot some of Israel’s top cyber and SaaS stars before they made headlines. Now based in Silicon Valley, he’s blending Tel Aviv hustle with West Coast ambition, hunting for the next breakout. Whether on stage or in a boardroom, Guy is all about what matters most: helping others amplify their impact.
Meg is the Co-Founder and COO of Unproductive AI, where she’s building Gossip Goblin—AI agents that help you meet the right people at events.
Her passion lies in using technology to bring humans together. A community and event organizer since the age of five, Meg’s background is in VR and gaming. Most recently, she co-founded a game studio where she focused on creating truly social multiplayer experiences.
All this and more on Silicon Valley Impact!
🎙️ Spotify: Listen here 🍎 Apple Podcasts: Listen here 📺 YouTube: Watch here
We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (Accounting and Advisory professionals) and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and shared commitment to our vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact.
Silicon Valley Venture, LLC, the parent company of Silicon Valley Impact, is a proud global venture partner to leading organizations like Stak Ventures and 1900 Broadway Tower – Oakland. Visit stakspace.com to access the world’s largest full-stack venture ecosystem: over 1.2 million square feet of Live, Work, Play, Go—everything innovators, investors, ecosystem influencers, institutional partners, and global talent need to gain global advantage, alignment, and acceleration.
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 a professional before making any financial or business decisions.
 

S2 E26 - Akash Saraf, Founder and Hans Sandhu, Chief Business Officer at TheAgentic; Iddo Tal, Founder of Raise The Round

On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we speak with Akash Saraf, Founder of TheAgentic—builders of the best large reasoning models for AI agents; Hans Sandhu, Chief Business Officer at TheAgentic with a focus on strategy and revenue; and Iddo Tal, Founder of Raise The Round.
Akash is a serial entrepreneur with over $600M in acquisitions and a track record of building and scaling transformative companies. Inspired by his father, a pioneer in India’s tech revolution, Akash grew up immersed in technology and innovation. TheAgentic is the culmination of Akash’s lifelong journey of entrepreneurship, driven by a passion for creating impact through cutting-edge solutions.
Iddo is the founder of Raise The Round, the Silicon Valley school of fundraising, where he shares the method he used to raise capital from hundreds of investors—without the need to chase intros, have a large network, or show significant traction. He has founded five startups; his last, invi, was acquired by Google, where the team helped grow Google Messages from 30M to 5B users. Iddo lives in Palo Alto with his wife, Tracy, and their two kids.
Hans has built a career at the intersection of startup growth and flawless business execution. He brings deep roots in Silicon Valley and a passion for scaling venture-backed startups. With foundational GTM roles across Series A to C companies and leadership experience at both public and private firms, Hans has consistently driven millions in ARR and record-breaking customer growth. At SLI Systems, he rose from SDR to Head of North American Account Management, playing a key role in the company’s acquisition by ESW Capital. At SnapLogic, he helped launch the "Velocity" program, securing 44 net-new logos and building a GTM strategy that unlocked new markets and multimillion-dollar revenue. Currently an angel investor and LP in 7BC VC, Hans supports capital-efficient companies at the forefront of AI innovation.
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
We’re grateful to our amazing partners—Withum (Accounting and Advisory Professionals) and Salesbricks 🧱—for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact.
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 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 their ventures.
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 E25 - Christopher Peralta, Founder & CEO of Silicon Valley HQ; Saurabh Bhatia Co-founder of FuturePath AI

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Christopher Peralta, Founder & CEO of Silicon Valley HQ, and Saurabh Bhatia Co-founder of FuturePath AI, and global investor. Join us as we talk about acceleration, investing, and building.
 
Christopher Peralta is a seasoned business development executive with over 30 years of experience closing strategic and tactical deals across 50+ tech companies worldwide. His passion for building meaningful relationships is matched by his commitment to empowering what he calls "the 99%" — individuals who deserve access to quality education and employment opportunities.
 
Since 2015, Christopher has focused on helping entrepreneurs and startups scale their businesses. He has curated and executed over 100 accelerator programs for governments and organizations in more than 10 countries, with a strong emphasis on fundraising and go-to-market strategies in the U.S. He has mentored more than 1,000 startups and was among the first mentors at Google Launchpad. His commitment to nurturing the next generation recently contributed to a student team winning a Google pitch competition out of 5,000 participants.
 
As the Founder and CEO of Silicon Valley HQ (SVHQ), Christopher is building a next-generation workforce ecosystem designed to help over one million people in emerging markets — starting with the Philippines — overcome digital skills gaps and gain access to global job opportunities. SVHQ partners with leading universities, staffing firms, and training providers, integrating AI to enhance global competitiveness. The company also launched the Philippines’ first trusted AI agency, employing human AI Operators to curate and manage AI Agents for clients. Through this, SVHQ ensures emerging markets are not left behind in the digital revolution.
 
Saurabh Bhatia is an AI builder and early-stage investor focused on real enterprise impact. He builds and backs AI-native companies solving hard problems—legacy systems, decision bottlenecks, and operational inefficiencies. His work spans product, GTM, and leadership, taking ventures from zero to meaningful traction.
As an occasional investor, Saurabh backs hands-on founders with deep tech expertise, strong velocity, and sharp domain insight—primarily in Enterprise AI, automation, and healthcare.
 
Previously, he scaled and exited Chocolate, a first-of-its-kind 100% server-side video SSP delivering over 20B+ monthly impressions. With a strong track record in scaling VC-backed startups, Saurabh brings the mindset of a builder, the experience of an operator, and the lens of an investor—in that order.
 
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
 
We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (Accounting and Advisory professionals), and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact.”
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 world 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.

S2 E24 - Immigrant Empowerment, Frontier Tech and AR Innovation

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with  Aytakin Aliyeva, Founder of Femigrants Foundation; Iryna Voskerician, Founder and Managing Partner of MachX; and Randy Marsden, CEO of Skidattl.
 
Aytakin is the Founder of the Femigrants Foundation, a global community dedicated to empowering diverse female immigrants through connection, mentorship, and visibility. Featured in Forbes and Yahoo Business, Ika is a recognized social entrepreneur who transformed a group of 10 women into a thriving network of over 5,500 in just three years.
 
She curates high-impact events in the Bay Area and London that unite immigrant leaders, expats, and changemakers, and she frequently speaks on international stages to amplify the voices of underrepresented women. Ika is a double Gold Award recipient from the Women Changing the World Awards 2023 in London and has been personally recognized twice by Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York. She was also named a Top 25 Female Influencer of 2023 by WomElle.
Her inspiring journey has been featured in Forbes, Yahoo Finance, AP News, The Washington Times, London Daily Post, Huffmag, Intuit, and other global media. By leveraging LinkedIn, she scaled her personal brand from 500 to over 25,000 followers in just two years.
 
Beyond her nonprofit work, Ika has over a decade of experience as a senior project manager, leading cross-functional teams at tech giants such as Instagram, Oculus, NVIDIA, and HTC VIVE.
 
Iryna is the Founder and Managing Partner of MachX, a venture fund investing in frontier technologies across AI, biotech, space, media, and next-gen consumer innovation. She is currently a participant in the elite VC/PE Investor Accelerator at Venture University, where she collaborates with leading venture capitalists to source deals, conduct due diligence, and invest in high-growth startups.
 
With over 15 years of corporate experience in procurement and supply chain strategy at global Fortune 500 firms, Iryna brings deep operational expertise and a data-driven lens to evaluating startups and scaling businesses efficiently.
In parallel, Iryna is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Red Hot Monde Magazine, a boutique media platform spotlighting visionary founders, investors, and creatives in fashion, art, tech, and wellness. Her work as a brand strategist and publicist has positioned her as a go-to amplifier for CEOs, entrepreneurs, and luxury innovators.
She is also Co-Executive Producer of Silicon Valley Stilettos, a bold reality TV series co-created with multiple Emmy Award-winner Rick Borjas. The show chronicles the journeys of powerful female entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, blending tech, culture, and ambition.
 
Randy is a serial entrepreneur, inventor, and innovator with 27 patents and four successful exits to date. Currently, he serves as CEO of his fifth startup, Skidattl, which delivers augmented reality "virtual signs" at geo-located points—helping people rediscover the world around them through immersive technology.
 
Previously, Randy served as Senior Director of Innovation at Nike, where he led groundbreaking work in sport science, including collaborations with Nike’s Sport Research Lab. Before Nike, he was a Senior Engineering Manager and Project Lead at Apple, where he joined via acquisition in 2014. At Apple, he contributed to text input systems and later became a founding manager and Product Lead for the Exposure Notifications project, Apple's global COVID-19 contact tracing technology.
 
Earlier in his career, Randy founded or co-founded four companies focused on human-computer interaction—developing 12 commercial products, including Swype, DRYFT, Cleankeys, and adaptive tools like onscreen keyboards and head-tracking cameras for users with disabilities. A hands-on engineer at heart, Randy has deep experience across hardware and software. He has spoken on global stages, including a TED Talk that highlights his innovative work in accessible technology: Watch here.
 
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
 
We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (Accounting and Advisory professionals), and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact.”
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 world 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.
 
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 E22 - Allison Paz, Arnaud Saint-Paul and Jonathan Festejo

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Allison Paz, Co-founder & Chief Operating Officer at Nicklpass, and Partner at Reign Ventures; Arnaud Saint-Paul, founder and CEO of the Heart Leadership Institute Tapuat; and also on the show Jonathan Festejo, Co-Founder and CEO at Salesbricks.
Allison Paz is a Partner at Reign Ventures. With over 15 years of experience as an operator and investor, she has co-founded and scaled multiple companies, raised venture funding, and led go-to-market, product, and financial operations across SaaS, fintech, and emerging tech. Prior to Reign, she held leadership roles at Nicklpass, CredReady, and BNY. Allison also serves on the boards of the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance and Ednology, Inc.
Arnaud Saint-Paul is a philanthropist and award-winning serial entrepreneur in software, finance, and social impact, with over 20 years of experience. Throughout his career, he has directly guided hundreds of individuals — and inspired over 50 million people — to reconnect with the intelligence of their heart. Arnaud is leading a global movement that empowers leaders to unlock their full potential by integrating heart intelligence into leadership.
At Tapuat, they believe true leadership arises when inner coherence and external impact converge, creating a profound ripple effect across teams, organizations, and society. Arnaud has spent over two decades guiding entrepreneurs, executives, and change agents to transform how they lead, live, and serve — by aligning their inner coherence with their outer impact. He believes true impact begins within. His upcoming book, The Heartful Method for Entrepreneurs, brings this journey to print.
Jonathan “Jon” Festejo is the Co-founder and CEO of Salesbricks. Prior to launching Salesbricks, Jon led RevOps for various a16z-backed companies, building the infrastructure and processes needed for SaaS businesses to generate and manage revenue. Today, he's building the first-ever "RevOps in a box," automating pricing and packaging management, quoting, billing, payments, and customer operations.
Jon is changing the way software is bought and sold — making B2B feel more like B2C. Since going to market two years ago, Salesbricks has processed over a quarter of a billion dollars in SaaS transactions, with platform revenue growing 90% quarter over quarter.
This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact! Follow 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
We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (accounting and advisory professionals), Skidattl, and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact.
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 world’s largest full-stack venture ecosystem — 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.
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 E21 - Svetlana Kamyshanskaya, Founding Partner at Primum Law Group PC; LouAnn Conner, Founder & CEO of Sagacious Think LLC

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Svetlana Kamyshanskaya, startup advisor, and Founding Partner at Primum Law Group PC; and LouAnn Conner, Founder & CEO of Sagacious Think LLC.
 
Svetlana is the powerhouse behind Primum Law Group, where she helps international startups land, launch, and scale in the U.S. With a sharp legal mind and a global business lens, she guides tech founders through venture deals, equity structuring, and market entry with clarity and confidence. Known for translating complex legal hurdles into practical strategy, Svetlana is the go-to advisor for startups ready to play big on the global stage.
 
LouAnn is the founder of Sagacious Think, an advisory firm helping growth companies with their transformation from global expansion to preparing for IPO/M&A or post-M&A integration. She works closely with company leadership and boards to ensure optimized engagement. A recognized expert in corporate governance, LouAnn is also a published author and global speaker.
 
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
 
We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (Accounting and Advisory professionals), Skidattl, and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact.”
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 world 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.
 
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 E20 - Jean-Philippe "JP" Persico, co-founder at shuckerVC

On this weeks episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Jean-Philippe "JP" Persico, co-founder at shuckerVC.
 
JP has over 20 years of experience in business transformation, corporate growth development, and digitalization across various industries including SaaS, e-commerce, and automotive. He is currently a Co-Founder and Managing Partner at shuckerVC, a Bay Area seed fund investing in AI-powered B2B software companies.
 
Before co-founding shuckerVC, JP was an operator and served as the Head of Strategy and Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) for a major industrial conglomerate. There, he led investments, formed startups, and managed joint ventures. His investments have shown impressive growth, achieving a 25x MOIC (Multiple on Invested Capital) and attracting major VC firms to lead future rounds.
 
JP's operational experience includes a role as VP of Platform and Business Development at a software platform. In this position, he contributed to a 20x growth in corporate business and optimized operating margins through platform migration.
 
At shuckerVC, JP leverages his extensive experience in corporate strategy, venture capital, and startup operations to create real value add for their portfolio.
 
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
We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (Accounting and Advisory professionals), Skidattl, and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact."
 
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 E19 - Jeremiah Owyang of Blitzscaling Ventures and Nathan Beckord of Foundersuite.com and Fundingstack.com

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we speak with Jeremiah Owyang, General Partner at Blitzscaling Ventures and Founder of Llama Lounge, and Nathan Beckord, CEO of Foundersuite.com (for startups) and Fundingstack.com (for VCs and i-bankers).
Jeremiah is the General Partner leading AI investments in early-stage startups at Blitzscaling Ventures. He’s also the founder of the Llama Lounge AI startup event series and a well-known conference speaker. A longtime Silicon Valley veteran dating back to the Dotcom era, Jeremiah has co-founded multiple technology research firms.
Nathan Beckord, CFA, is the Founder and CEO of Foundersuite.com and Fundingstack.com. These are end-to-end platforms for raising capital—designed for startups, VCs, and investment bankers. The platforms offer a database of over 210,000 global investors to build your target list, a “Get Intro” feature to secure warm introductions, a CRM to manage the raise, pitch deck hosting, investor update tools, email marketing capabilities, and a Virtual Data Room to close the deal.
Collectively, Foundersuite and Fundingstack have helped users raise over $21 billion in capital worldwide.
Previously, Nathan worked at VentureArchetypes in San Francisco and in J.P. Morgan’s private placement group in New York, where he supported startups and VCs in raising capital. He holds an MBA in Entrepreneurship, a B.S.C. in Finance, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). In his free time, he enjoys sailing, traveling, and riding motorcycles.
All this and more on Silicon Valley Impact!
🎙️ Follow 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
We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (Accounting and Advisory Professionals), Skidattl, and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact.
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.

Vineet Jain, Managing Partner at Wild Tree Venture; Sara Zare, founder and CEO of PodYar; Cynthia Abbott Kerr, founder and CEO of WellPay.ai

🎙️ On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact:
The show features Vineet Jain, Managing Partner at Wild Tree Venture. A seasoned entrepreneur and venture capitalist, Vineet is passionate about helping early-stage founders bring their visions to life. Having experienced the ups and downs of launching and growing companies, he understands the challenges of early-stage fundraising.
Through Wild Tree Venture and his platform vineet.vc, Vineet shares insights and strategies that have helped over 100 startups raise more than $30 million in seed funding. His mission is to support founders as they tackle big problems with creative solutions and chart bold paths toward a better future.
Also featured is Sara Zare, founder and CEO of PodYar, a platform designed to document, structure, and preserve first-hand human knowledge in a world increasingly dominated by AI-generated content. A former global product leader at Google and a multidisciplinary engineer, Sara coined the term “Knowledge Integrity Crisis” to describe the growing erosion of human-authored insight. Her work focuses on preserving lived experiences and expert wisdom by reimagining podcasting as a digital vault for authentic knowledge and storytelling.
The episode also highlights Cynthia Abbott Kerr, founder and CEO of WellPay.ai, an AI-powered platform transforming how companies manage compensation. With over 20 years of leadership experience in HR, people analytics, and executive strategy—across both Fortune 500 companies and high-growth startups—Cynthia is a respected voice shaping the future of work. WellPay.ai offers organizations a “compensation team in their pocket,” providing real-time insights, simplifying complex processes, and empowering HR teams to make smart, data-driven decisions. Under Cynthia’s leadership, the platform is quickly becoming the go-to solution for forward-thinking companies striving to build fairer, more effective compensation systems.
All this and more on Silicon Valley Impact—where business insight meets startup innovation.
🎧 Listen and subscribe:
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
🙏 A special thanks to our partners — Withum (Accounting & Advisory), Skidattl, and Salesbricks — for their continued support and commitment to our shared mission. Your partnership fuels our growth and amplifies our impact.
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 solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult a professional before making any financial or business decisions.
 

S2 E17 -How Tech Tounders Can Future-Proof Their Finances

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we explore how tech founders can future-proof their finances with a strategic lens on tax, growth, and planning.
Now, I’ll be honest—I’ve never loved accounting. But as a founder building Silicon Valley Venture, I’ve realized how critical it is to understand the numbers. That’s why I brought in the tax guys—to learn what I didn’t know I needed to know.
Today we sit down with the team from Withum, a forward-thinking advisory and accounting firm known for its deep expertise in technology and emerging growth sectors. As innovation accelerates, founders and tech executives face complex tax, planning, and compliance challenges—both personally and professionally. Withum’s dynamic approach goes far beyond traditional accounting, offering strategic insight, personalized tax planning, and a powerful network to help tech leaders stay ahead of the curve.
The truth is, growth, fundability, and successful exits all depend on financial clarity. Whether you're raising your first round or planning your next move, knowing your numbers isn’t just helpful—it’s non-negotiable.
Joining us are:
Tanner Ellis, Business Development Manager, who brings 15 years of leadership to help clients navigate today’s business complexity with confidence.
Daniel Krolikowski, CPA and specialist in founder stock, equity compensation, and private client services, offering tailored income tax strategies for high-growth tech leaders.
Tony Panico, Partner and leader of Withum’s Founder's Group, with 27+ years of experience in tax compliance and planning for founders, closely held businesses, and high-net-worth individuals.
We also dive into timely wealth and tax strategies tech leaders should be thinking about right now:
Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS): How to unlock tax-free upside and protect founder gains
New tax proposals + TCJA sunset: What founders and execs need to prepare for now
Financial planning in volatile times: Why a strong plan—with stress testing—can keep you calm and on track
Roth conversions & contributions: Down markets can be opportunity-rich—timing matters
Tax return reviews: Using 2024 filings to uncover planning opportunities
Wealth transfer strategies: GRATs, asset substitution, and gifting while values are low
Refinancing insights: Rates hit lows recently—there could be real savings
Equity comp planning: Why now might be a smart time to exercise options
📊 Whether you’re a founder navigating your first exit or a seasoned exec managing complex compensation, this episode is full of insights to help you anticipate what’s next—and act with clarity.
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
 
We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (Accounting and Advisory professionals), Skidattl, and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact."
 
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.