Best Manager Ever

Luis Duarte is the CEO and co-founder of Amoofy, an AI-guided storytelling platform. Luis has a rich background as a three-time entrepreneur, and a leader in philanthropy and impact investing. 

Luis's direct reports describe him as an amazing listener, who is able to bring a sense of calm to chaos. They praise his willingness to take on short-term challenges for long-term gains and his focus on building trust.

In this episode, show creator and Fort Light founder Annie Riley sits down with Luis,

and they discuss:

• Luis’ unique approach to leadership that emphasizes empathy, risk-taking, and redefining success beyond traditional metrics
• How and when to take on short-term pain for the long-term vision 
• Values-driven hiring 
• Living by your own definition of success 
• How to find roles that are the right fit – or build something where you will be the best fit 

If you’re interested in sponsoring an episode of Best Manager Ever, reach out: [email protected]

Connect with Luis Duarte

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Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

Connect with our show’s Producer, Alexis Ramdaou

Nominate your Best Manager Ever for the Podcast

This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

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Carol Mahoney is a seasoned Chief People Officer. She’s well known for her work operationalizing the famously beloved company culture at Gainsight. She’s also served as the SVP of People and Culture at Zoosk and SVP of HR at LivingSocial, among others.

Carol's direct reports praise her ability to get things done, while creating a positive culture and showing up as her authentic self. She is recognized for setting high standards and being a strong yet supportive leader, and for adapting to the needs of her team and org. 

In this episode, show creator and Fort Light founder Annie Riley sits down with Carol,

and they cover:

• What human first leadership actually means
• The importance of co-creating mutually beneficial working relationships 
• Operationalizing values and intentions into a consistent culture
• Fostering a safe space for concerns and doubts 

Join us on Substack 

Connect with Carol Mahoney 

Check out Carol’s new venture, élan Talent Management

Connect with Annie Riley

Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

Connect with our show’s producer Alexis Ramdaou

Nominate your Best Manager Ever for the Podcast

This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Helen Min is a venture partner at True Ventures, and an investor and advisor to over 50 early-stage enterprise software and fintech companies. Helen has a notable background leading global marketing and communications at companies like AngelList, Plaid, and Quora and was an early marketing leader at Dropbox and Facebook. 

Helen’s direct reports highlight her genuine care for the team, her support for their growth and development, her polished approach to communication, and her ability to involve the team early in strategy and planning. 

In this episode, show creator and Fort Light founder Annie Riley sits down with Helen,

and they cover:

• Helen’s background, from joining the early marketing team at Facebook to leading global marketing and comms teams, and now ultimately investing and advising
• Good vs. bad reasons to want to be a manager 
• The most rewarding and hardest parts of being a manager 
• Long-term benefits of authentic relationship-building 
• When and how to bring the team into project planning 
• Making the most of 1:1s 
• Inquiry as an under-utilized manager superpower 
• Helen’s transition into VC, and how she leverages operating experience as an investor 

Connect with Helen Min

Connect with Annie Riley

Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

Connect with our show’s producer Alexis Ramdaou

Nominate your Best Manager Ever for the Podcast

This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seif Salama is the Senior Director of Product Marketing at Fanatics. Seif previously held marketing roles at Carta, AngelList, Affirm, and more. 

Seif’s direct reports praise his ability to maintain high standards while ensuring the team's morale and his talent for building a diverse and talented team dynamic. They describe him as a leader who, through authenticity and open communication, created an environment where team members felt proud, motivated, and connected.

In this episode, show creator and Fort Light founder Annie Riley sits down with Seif, and they cover:

• Navigating the challenges and surprises of leadership
• Hiring effectively, including competency-based hiring tactics and when to let go 
• Setting high standards while fostering a positive team culture

Join us on Substack 

Connect with Seif Salama

Connect with Annie Riley

Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

Connect with our show’s producer Alexis Ramdaou

Nominate your Best Manager Ever for the Podcast

This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hank Taylor is Head of Marketing at Laravel. Hank has been on the ground floor of Marketing and Rev Ops functions at Vercel, Lambda School, GitLab, Neo Technology, and more. He has also been an advisor and fractional marketing leader at several companies through his company, GrowthSprint. 

Hank’s direct reports describe him as an unconventional leader who cares deeply for his people, encourages creative risks, and invests in his team’s development.

In this episode, show creator and Fort Light founder Annie Riley sits down with Hank, and they cover how to: 

• Set up a strong hiring process 
• Build trust and set expectations, starting with the hiring process
• Foster an innovative, high-trust team culture 
• Break away from conventional methods to take risks and achieve outstanding results  

Join us on Substack 

Connect with Hank Taylor

Connect with Annie Riley

Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

Connect with our show’s Producer, Alexis Ramdaou

Nominate your Best Manager Ever for the Podcast

This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jully Kim is the Senior Director of Technology Excellence at Autodesk and was previously the Senior Director of Engineering Practices at Zendesk. Jully has a track record of excellence in technology enablement and engineering program management. 

Jully’s direct reports describe her as unique, action-oriented, extremely transparent, and deeply caring. 

In this episode, show creator and Fort Light founder Annie Riley sits down with Jully, and they cover: 

• How Jully builds a unique and memorable personal brand at work 
• Tactics for influencing effectively, especially to senior leaders 
• Proactive communication to promote transparency and trust among the team, especially as it scales 

Connect with Jully Kim

Connect with Annie Riley

Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

Connect with our show’s Producer, Alexis Ramdaou

Nominate your Best Manager Ever for the Podcast

This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anthony Sottile is the VP of Partner Success at Freewill, a startup that enables free estate planning and has helped individuals commit more than $11B to charity. 

Anthony's direct reports describe him as down-to-earth and accessible, and emphasize his ability to lead through humor and celebration. 

In this episode, Annie Riley sits down with Anthony to discuss his insights on creating a transparent and honest workplace culture, celebrating team successes, and the importance of approachability in leadership. 

Connect with Anthony Sottile

Connect with Annie Riley

Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

Connect with our show’s Producer, Alexis Ramdaou

Nominate your Best Manager Ever for the show

This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Best Manager Ever shares the secrets of building and leading winning teams from the most successful and beloved leaders in the startup and tech worlds. All guests have been nominated as the “best manager ever” by their direct reports. Before each interview, we collect feedback and stories from their team about how the guest *actually* shows up as a leader. Each episode unpacks that feedback and explores the guest’s leadership playbook and lessons learned. Our goal is honest, actionable conversations that help you build your own leadership playbook and serve as an expert mentor and friend in your pocket. 

This season, we’ll continue delivering leadership lessons and management advice that you can apply immediately. We’ll go into more specific stories, and chat with leaders from new industries and functions, including Customer Support, People Ops, and Finance.

Season 2 drops March 26th, with new episodes every Wednesday.

Subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode, and join the conversation on Substack. 

Join us on Substack 

Connect with Annie Riley

Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

Connect with our show’s Producer, Alexis Ramdaou

Nominate your Best Manager Ever for the Podcast

This is a production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amanda Richardson is the CEO of CoderPad, a technical interview and assessment platform. Amanda built her career in Product, and previously led the product teams and played a critical role in scaling the company at HotelTonight and Prezi. 

Amanda has built a reputation as a dynamic and direct leader. Her direct reports describe her as transparent, authentic, and someone who fosters trust and vulnerability within her teams.

In this final episode of season one (!), Annie Riley, Founder of Fort Light sits down with Amanda to dive into her leadership principles, discussing how Amanda builds and monitors team health, the importance of clear expectations, and how to take responsibility as a leader. Amanda emphasizes curiosity, direct communication, and the importance of diving into conflict head-on.  

Connect with Amanda Richardson 

Connect with Annie Riley

Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

Connect with our show’s producer Alexis Ramdaou

Looking to create a podcast email our producer Alexis

Nominate your Best Manager Ever for Season 2

This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Namrata Ganatra, is the Chief Product and Technology Officer at Pipe. She has a notable career in tech and startups, including roles at Facebook, Coinbase, BloomTech Lambda School, PayPal, and Microsoft. 

Namrata's direct reports praise her for balancing technical expertise with empathetic leadership, and highlight her as a hardworking and inspiring leader with a strong focus on accountability and growth.

In this episode, Annie Riley, founder of Fort Light, sits down with Namrata to discuss her approach to quickly building trust within teams, her unique strategy for managing transitions during chaotic periods, and her method for balancing technical expertise with people management. Namrata also shares insights on fostering innovation and staying ahead of industry trends, providing valuable lessons for both startup leaders and aspiring managers.

Connect with Namrata Ganatra

Connect with Annie Riley

Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

Connect with our show’s producer Alexis Ramdaou

Nominate your Best Manager Ever for Season 2

This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.