Join us as we sit down with Danielle Strachman, a VC and founder! Danielle is on the founding team of the Thiel Fellowship, which is a two-year program that gives one hundred thousand dollar grants to young people wanting to skip or stop school to build new things.

She is also the co-founder of the 1517 fund, a venture capitalist firm that backs dropouts, renegade students & sci-fi scientists at the earliest stages of their companies. They’ve funded companies like Loom, Luminar, and Lambda. And if that wasn’t enough, Danielle has also founded Innovations Academy, which is an innovative school based in San Diego.

In this episode we discuss Danielle’s journey into the VC world as well as her experience working with both the 1517 fund and the Thiel Fellowship. Danielle shares stories of young founders, as well as actionable advice, in her easy-going, engaging way.

Useful links:

- 1517 fund

Join us as we talk to Chandhana, a TKS alumnus who has explored a variety of fields ranging from bioplastics to BCIs. Chandhana is currently working on scaling her bioplastic (that costs less than one dollar!) but is also following her curiosity through university.

Chandhana sheds light on how to decide what projects to work on, and the benefits of trying different things. She explains how the point of projects is to litmus test - if you aren’t learning and you aren’t enjoying it, maybe it’s time to move on. She also talks about the importance of working on things you are genuinely curious about and following what excites you.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway is the done > perfect mindset. Chandhana completely embodies this mindset, and she shares some specific advice for people on how to develop it. From creating artificial deadlines to the concept that it is never too late to start, this conversation will inspire you to just start. Just start on that project you’ve had in mind for a while. Publish that article, ask that person for a warm intro. Just do it.

Where to find Chandhana:

LinkedIn: Chandhana Sathishkumar | LinkedIn

Personal Website: chandhanas.com

Noel is a Las Vegas based intrapreneur who worked at Zappos, and scaled a company they acquired, 6pm.com, to 1 billion dollars in revenue per year. Crazy, right?! She is also a past TKS director (just keeps getting better 🤩). Noel is now working on a software company called CodingScape.

In this episode we discuss scaling, building brands by creating emotion, being an intrapreneur, and being ok with breaking things. Noel shares tons of actionable advice that goes right to the root of what being an intrapreneur and scaling means. She also explains who should be an intrapreneur. Finally, we talk about “paths,” and intentionality of choosing where you are going.

Where to find Noel:
LinkedIn: Noel (Cusimano) Hurst | LinkedIn
Slack: @Noel Hurst

Helen is the head of school at Holy Trinity School (HTS), which is a K-12 independent school based in the Toronto area. As the head of school, Helen is focused on creating innovation in the school system, transforming it from the industrialized system that we see into a place that will empower young people to tackle the problems in our future world.

In this episode, we talk about Helen’s view on education, as well as what should be changed - the “ideal day.” One of our favourite things about Helen is how in touch she is with the students: her vision for the future of education is centered around what would be best for the learners themselves.

Where to find Helen:

HTS: Home - Holy Trinity School (HTS)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-pereira-raso-a5814918

Instagram: https://instagram.com/hts_headofschool?igshid=NzZhOTFlYzFmZQ==

Dr. Shini is a podcaster, youtuber, author, tedX speaker, and much more. She is sharing her knowledge and passion in STEM through various forms of media to make it accessible to others. Previously, she worked in Computational Fluid Dynamics during her doctorate in mechanical engineering.

All her life, she has been working towards becoming an engineer, overcoming challenges such as stereotypes, mathematics, and external pressures.

In this episode we discuss Shini’s journey of seeking her authentic self, and pursing the path that felt “right” to her. We discuss work life balance and working smart, as well as strategies Shini has found to have helped her, including meditation. We also discuss Shini’s method for communicating clearly, and how to make knowledge accessible for everyone. This episode is filled with mindsets and insights that are sure to resonate with anyone trying to become more authentic to themselves.

Where to find Dr. Shini:

Crash Course Physics: Crash Course Physics Preview - YouTube

Latest Book: Engineers Making a Difference: 9781804660270: Books - Amazon.ca || Engineers Making a Difference (engineers-making-a-difference.com)

Personal Website: Dr. Shini Somara - Home (drshinisomara.com)

Jennah Dohms is currently working at The Knowledge Society, a human accelerator program for teenagers. Before this however, she lived many different “mini-lives.” From wanting to be a lawyer to educating Syrian refugees, she then began working at an anti-human trafficking non-profit, and eventually switched to working at a Christmas light startup.

Jennah truly embodies what it means to take an unconventional path. Her story is incredibly inspiring, despite all the twists and turns, she remains guided by her north star of unlocking human potential.

In this episode we discuss Jennah’s perspective on taking an unconventional path, as well as mindsets that have helped her along her journey. From creating systems to support you in tough times to having a bias towards action, this conversation is packed with actionable insights.

Sanskriti Deva is a quantum computing researcher, engineer and current intern at IBM. She is also the youngest person ever elected in the UN national council.
Despite her young age, she has accomplished some remarkable things. Among others, she is the founder of InventSTEM, an organization working on STEM accessibility and STEM education throughout the world.
In this episode, we talk about her journey with quantum computing and the UN. Sanskriti shares advice on various pillars of everyday life, like battling imposter syndrome and building self confidence, establishing connections and taking action.