Rob Lalka, Tulane professor and author of The Venture Alchemist, explores how big tech used venture capital and surveillance to convert profits into political and societal power.

Guest Bio: Rob Lalka is a Professor of Practice at Tulane University, where he leads the Albert Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. A former senior advisor at the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and staffer at the U.S. Department of State, Lalka is the author of The Venture Alchemist: How Big Tech Turned Profits Into Power.

Topics Discussed:

• The roots of big tech’s power in government partnerships and VC incentives
• The evolution of surveillance capitalism post-9/11 and the Patriot Act
• Venture capital’s hidden influence on founders and startups
• Uber, Palantir, Facebook, and Google as case studies in privatized power
• The blurring lines between government and Silicon Valley
• The role of Saudi wealth, Elon Musk, and Peter Thiel in shaping tech empires
• Alternatives to the VC model and stories of ethical entrepreneurship
• The political ascent of J.D. Vance and the networked power of tech elites

📺Watch Full Episode YouTube https://youtu.be/1rbqtg0kKxI

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