First Builders

By The Council

The First Builders Podcast from The Council dives into the stories of those who go first—founders, funders, and early operators who helped build category-defining companies before they were househo

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FAQs about First Builders:

How many episodes does First Builders have?

The podcast currently has 29 episodes available.

First Builders episodes:

March 16, 2026Rebuilding the Safety Net: Siran Cao on Benefits Access, Care Infrastructure, and Founder Resilience
In this episode of First Builders, Amber Illig and Rachel Tsui sit down with Siran Cao, Co-Founder and CEO of Mirza, a company simplifying how families access public benefits. Inspired by her childhood navigating fragmented systems and later by scaling frontline operations at Uber, Siran is on a mission to modernize the safety net with dignity at its core. Mirza offers a streamlined, mobile-first platform that helps families apply for childcare, nutrition, and health benefits through one unified experience.

Siran explains why the care economy is not just a social issue, but critical workforce infrastructure. When childcare is inaccessible, labor participation declines. When benefits are too complex, billions go unclaimed. This conversation explores what it takes to build in a shifting policy landscape and how technology can help restore trust in the systems families rely on.

We cover:
The “benefits cliff” and how current systems discourage upward mobility
Designing for dignity when serving families who have been failed by institutions
Why trust, not just awareness, is the real barrier in benefits access
Navigating legacy government systems built on decades-old infrastructure
Expanding from childcare to nutrition and healthcare benefits without losing focus
Translating impact into economic data for policymakers and partners
Lessons from early Uber: moving fast without asking permission and knowing when not to be combative
Founder mental health, responsibility, and the weight of building mission-driven companies
Why care work is foundational workforce infrastructure and largely AI-proof
This episode is a powerful look at building technology in service of equity and at what it takes to lead with conviction when the stakes are both deeply personal and nationally consequential.

FOLLOW SIRAN CAO
Website: heymirza.com

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43min
March 02, 2026Empathy Meets Execution: Duanni Hurd on Shifting from Hardware Executive to Scaling Home Care
In this episode of First Builders, hosts Amber Illig and Rachel Tsui sit down with Duanni Hurd, Founder and CEO of Starlight Caregivers, to explore what it really takes to build and sustain a business in one of the most essential and human industries: caregiving.

Duanni shares her unconventional path from global hardware and graphics companies during Silicon Valley’s golden era to founding and leading a concierge home care organization serving aging adults and people with disabilities across the Bay Area. Drawing from her experience at Acer, ATI/AMD, and multinational OEM environments, she reflects on how lessons in execution, cross-functional alignment, and resilience translated into building a 24/7 healthcare operation from the ground up.

Now, more than 13 years into building Starlight Caregivers, Duanni discusses the realities of running a mission-critical service business, leading through COVID, earning trust in deeply personal moments of families’ lives, and why empathy is not just a value but an operating advantage. The conversation also explores scaling challenges in the care economy, the limits of “Uberizing” healthcare, responsible uses of AI, and how writing, the arts, and yoga shape her leadership philosophy.

Why empathy is a competitive advantage in essential industries
Lessons from global tech leadership that translate to caregiving
The “speeding ticket” lesson: moving fast without leaving your team behind
Leading through crisis during COVID in a 24/7 healthcare operation
Why scaling caregiving is harder than scaling software
The limits of automation and where AI can responsibly support care
Building trust with families in high-stakes, end-of-life environments
Writing, policy engagement, and community leadership beyond the company
Balancing long-term entrepreneurship with personal resilience and wellness

This episode is a thoughtful conversation about building in the care economy, leading with humility, and creating impact that extends far beyond financial returns.

FOLLOW DUANNI HURD
Website: https://starlightcaregivers.com
Instagram: @duannihurd and @duanniduanni

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50min
February 16, 2026The Assembly Economy: Filip Aronshtein on Trust, Manufacturing Systems, and Reindustrialization
In this episode of First Builders, hosts Amber Illig and Rachel Tsui sit down with Filip Aronshtein, Founder and CEO of Dirac, to unpack what it takes to create software for the physical world and why assembly, not just design or production, is the missing layer in modern manufacturing.

Fil shares his path from neuroscience labs and defense research into entrepreneurship, including work on brain computer interfaces, radar systems, and classified hardware programs. He reflects on why he has consistently gravitated toward technically demanding problems, how an early healthcare hardware venture shaped his views on responsibility and risk, and what is at stake if the West continues to lose hands on manufacturing expertise.

At Dirac, Filip is developing an automated work instruction and assembly platform that translates CAD designs into executable, shop floor ready workflows. The conversation explores the realities of shipping software into hardware first industries, earning credibility with legacy manufacturers, navigating long sales cycles, and designing systems that extend rather than disrupt existing infrastructure.

They also discuss leadership evolution, founder psychology, hiring for high agency, and why reshoring and reindustrialization must be cultural shifts as much as technical ones.

Topics covered include:
Why assembly is the most underestimated constraint in manufacturing
Insights from working across defense, healthcare, and industrial systems
What high agency teams look like in practice
Establishing trust in mission critical factory environments
Bridging the gap between hardware timelines and software velocity
Reindustrialization, reshoring, and restoring manufacturing capability
When execution matters more than technical perfection
The difference between elegant ideas and outcomes that scale
This episode is a deep dive into creating resilient systems for the physical economy and leading with conviction, discipline, and a long term view of impact.

FOLLOW FILIP ARONSHSTEIN
Website: https://www.diracinc.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/filip-aronshtein/
X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/filarons

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45min
February 02, 2026From Google to Healthcare: Lina Scroggins on Product Leadership, Scale, and Building for Trust
In this episode of First Builders, hosts Amber Illig and Rachel Tsui sit down with Lina Scroggins, SVP and Chief Product Officer at Mercy, to explore what it means to build and lead product orgåanizations inside some of the most complex, high-stakes environments.
Lina shares her journey spending nearly two decades at Google, where she helped build systems and teams during the company’s formative growth years, before transitioning into healthcare. She reflects on what changes when products are no longer abstract software experiences but tools that directly affect patients, providers, and underserved communities.
Now at Mercy, one of the 15 largest health systems in the United States, Lina is focused on unifying consumer-facing and clinical technology to deliver a more seamless patient experience, particularly across rural America. The conversation dives into product leadership at scale, operating within regulated environments, aligning data and infrastructure, and building trust-driven technology where failure is not an option.
Topics covered include:
What early Google taught Lina about scaling systems and organizations
Transitioning from consumer tech to healthcare and what fundamentally changes
Building product strategy in regulated, mission-critical environments
Designing technology that earns trust from both patients and providers
Leading through ambiguity and aligning teams around long-term impact
Why healthcare product leaders must think beyond speed and features
Serving rural and underserved populations through thoughtful technology
This episode is a deep dive into product leadership with real-world consequences, and what it takes to build durable systems that truly serve people.

FOLLOW LINA SCROGGINS
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lina-scroggins/
· Mercy Leadership Team
· Mercy.net
· MyMercy app
· Mercy Quick Facts
Scroggins, now part of the Mercy leadership team, will be leading efforts to strengthen the health system’s digital experience, including Mercy.net and MyMercy app. Mercy is one of the15 largest U.S. health systems and serves millions across multiple states, operating one of the nation’s largest, highest‑performing Accountable Care Organizations.

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42min
January 19, 2026Inside the Physical Economy: Charles Julius on Platforms, Trust, and the Food Supply Chain
In this episode of First Builders, hosts Amber Illig and Rachel Tsui sit down with Charles Julius, Co-Founder and CEO of Loamy, to explore what it really takes to build platforms for essential, historically under-digitized industries.
Charles shares his unconventional path from healthcare law to software engineering, and how formative experiences at Procore and Motive (formerly KeepTruckin) shaped his philosophy around platform building, customer trust, and leadership. He reflects on building marketplaces and developer ecosystems inside construction and logistics - and how those lessons now apply to the food supply chain, where even small operational failures can create massive downstream impact.
Now at Loamy, Charles is focused on reducing food loss by building an operating system for food manufacturers and distributors bringing visibility, AI-driven insights, and end-to-end coordination to one of the most complex supply chains in the physical economy. The conversation covers leadership growth, co-founder dynamics, earning customer trust in mission-critical environments, and why great design and customer empathy matter more than speed.
Why customer trust is the foundation of platform adoption in essential industries
Lessons from building marketplaces at Procore and enterprise platforms at Motive
Transitioning from law to engineering and learning by getting uncomfortable
Applying AI responsibly in high-stakes, operational environments
How Loamy is tackling food waste across manufacturers and distributors
The difference between being “right” and being an effective leader
Co-founder relationships, communication, and long-term partnership
Why design-led workflows outperform tech-first solutions
This episode is a deep dive into building durable platforms for the physical economy, and leading with humility, resilience, and purpose.
FOLLOW CHARLES JULIUS
Website: https://getloamy.com
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-julius/
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46min
January 06, 2026From SaaS to Science: David Apple on Driving Biotech With Purpose
In this episode of First Builders, hosts Amber Illig and Rachel Tsui sit down with David Apple, founder and CEO of Shark Tooth Biotech, to explore purpose-driven building, rare disease innovation, and what it really takes to start over in an entirely new industry.
David helped scale two of the most iconic SaaS companies of the last decade—Typeform and Notion—as an early go-to-market leader. Today, he’s bringing those same first-principles instincts to biotech, building Shark Tooth Biotech to develop treatments for CMT1A, a rare, progressive neurological disease affecting his young son and more than a million people worldwide. He shares how his son’s diagnosis reshaped his definition of success, why rare diseases remain underfunded despite impacting 1 in 10 people globally, and how AI, drug repurposing, and unconventional paths can accelerate progress in a traditionally slow field—while reflecting on scaling early teams, building with personal stakes, and why curiosity, retention, and purpose matter more than ever for founders.
Why early-stage building starts with first principles, not optimization
Lessons from scaling Typeform and Notion from zero to global adoption
Why retention—not acquisition—is the foundation of sustainable growth
What most tech founders misunderstand about biotech fundraising
How AI is accelerating drug discovery and repurposing
The emotional highs and lows of building a company for your child
Why founders should prioritize purpose alongside commercial outcomes
This conversation is a powerful look at building not just for scale, but for impact.
FOLLOW DAVID APPLE
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/appledavid/
Twitter/X: @davidcapple
https://www.sharktooth.bio/
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43min
January 05, 2026From SaaS to Science: David Apple on Driving Biotech With Purpose
In this episode of First Builders, hosts Amber Illig and Rachel Tsui sit down with David Apple, founder and CEO of Shark Tooth Biotech, to explore purpose-driven building, rare disease innovation, and what it really takes to start over in an entirely new industry.
David helped scale two of the most iconic SaaS companies of the last decade—Typeform and Notion—as an early go-to-market leader. Today, he’s bringing those same first-principles instincts to biotech, building Shark Tooth Biotech to develop treatments for CMT1A, a rare, progressive neurological disease affecting his young son and more than a million people worldwide. He shares how his son’s diagnosis reshaped his definition of success, why rare diseases remain underfunded despite impacting 1 in 10 people globally, and how AI, drug repurposing, and unconventional paths can accelerate progress in a traditionally slow field—while reflecting on scaling early teams, building with personal stakes, and why curiosity, retention, and purpose matter more than ever for founders.
Why early-stage building starts with first principles, not optimization
Lessons from scaling Typeform and Notion from zero to global adoption
Why retention—not acquisition—is the foundation of sustainable growth
What most tech founders misunderstand about biotech fundraising
How AI is accelerating drug discovery and repurposing
The emotional highs and lows of building a company for your child
Why founders should prioritize purpose alongside commercial outcomes
This conversation is a powerful look at building not just for scale, but for impact.
FOLLOW DAVID APPLE
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/appledavid/
Twitter/X: @davidcapple
https://www.sharktooth.bio/
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43min
December 22, 2025First Builders Holiday Special 2025
In this holiday special episode of First Builders, hosts Amber Illig and Rachel Tsui sit down to reflect on 2025, what it was like to build The Council in this tumultuous year, the launch of First Builders, and some predictions for 2026.
In this conversation, Amber and Rachel discuss:
Firm highlights like Rachel joining full time, starting to deploy Fund II, and launching the podcast
Viral moments from 2025 like Soham Parekh going viral, PR being handled well and not well (i.e. Bryan Johnson’s love letter vs. Coldplay video cam)
2025 market reflections, especially how everyone entered the year with optimism on IPO and M&A market opening up and then tariffs were announced
The AI boom and predictions on the bubble, and what companies are more durable vs. others
Amber and Rachel’s predictions for the market in 2026!
Thank you to all of our listeners for an amazing first year of First Builders!
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33min
December 15, 2025Building Reliable AI: Haroon Choudery on Infrastructure, Education, and Scaling Trust
AI is moving faster than ever—but reliability remains the missing layer.
In this episode of First Builders, hosts Amber Illig and Rachel Tsui sit down with Haroon Choudery, founder and CEO of Autoblocks AI, to unpack what it takes to build trustworthy AI systems in high-stakes, regulated environments. Haroon has spent over a decade building at the intersection of AI, healthcare, and infrastructure, with a career that spans early work with Mark Cuban on computer vision projects, foundational roles at Komodo Health, and the launch of a nonprofit focused on AI education.
Haroon shares how his early exposure to machine learning—and the real-world consequences of rapid technological change—shaped his belief that education, reliability, and proactive risk management are essential to scaling AI responsibly. At Autoblocks, he’s building the testing and evaluation layer that helps companies catch AI issues before their users do, working with customers like Hinge Health to ensure AI applications meet the highest standards of safety and performance.
In this conversation, Haroon discusses:
Why testing and evaluation are the missing infrastructure layer in AI
What “reliability” really means for generative AI systems
Why healthcare is a proving ground for high-stakes AI adoption
How founders can scale AI safely without sacrificing speed
The role of education in reducing uncertainty and building trust
Why generalist skill sets and wearing many hats matter for early builders

This conversation explores what it takes to build AI that works beyond the demo, where trust, reliability, and education play a central role alongside innovation.
FOLLOW HAROON CHOUDERY
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haroonchoudery/
https://www.autoblocks.ai/
aiready.so

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51min
December 02, 2025Law, Policy & the Public Trust: Prashanthi Raman on Building at the Frontier
Regulation and policy is often seen as a barrier to innovation, but it doesn’t have to be.
In this episode of First Builders, hosts Amber Illig and Rachel Tsui sit down with Prashanthi Raman, former head of government affairs at both Cruise and Lyft, after starting her career as an attorney in healthcare policy.
Prashanthi has worked at the intersection of policy and tech for over a decade, and started her career as an attorney focused in healthcare policy. She spent time working at the office of the governor of Illinois to help shape policies to ensure compliance with the ACA and Medicaid Expansion programs, before moving into the tech ecosystem.
At Lyft, she spearheaded nationwide policies to enhance ridesharing regulations, and helped shape a new category that did not yet have strong regulatory frameworks in place. Prashanthi then moved to Cruise, an autonomous vehicle company, to again help shape a new category for regulatory compliance - autonomous driving and vehicles.
In this conversation, Prashanthi shares:
How her time at Lyft and Cruise - category defining companies - reshaped her view of government affairs
Why AI will still need human relationships to drive regulatory frameworks
Why government affairs is a catalyst, not just a cost center, for tech companies
How she stays calm and thrives in high chaos environments
How her leadership style was shaped by working in policy early on
Why humanized storytelling and putting people first is the guiding force for her career in government affairs
This is a candid conversation on how tech companies should embrace rather than shy away from government affairs and regulatory compliance, and how focusing on humanized storytelling continues to be a core competency for early First Builders.
FOLLOW PRASHANTHI RAMAN
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prashanthi-raman/
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40min

FAQs about First Builders:

How many episodes does First Builders have?

The podcast currently has 29 episodes available.