FutureWork Playbook

In this week’s episode, host Natalie Pierce speaks with attorneys Alexa Belonick and Andy Thorpe from Gunderson Dettmer's Public Companies and Capital Markets practice. The three discuss the increasing focus on ESG factors in the venture capital landscape and by public companies. 

Top takeaways from this episode

★    The Rising Importance of ESG Initiatives: ESG initiatives have gained significance in recent years. There’s an increased focus from regulators, institutional investors, and the public on the ESG goals and policies of companies. This shift has been driven by high-profile events, the rise of mission-aligned consumers and employees, and the growth of ESG investing portfolios.

★   Adopting ESG Frameworks and Investor Considerations: Businesses can adopt and disclose against existing ESG frameworks, like TCFD, SASB, and GRI. These frameworks can help companies better align with stakeholder expectations and report on ESG performance. Investors are also increasingly considering ESG factors in their decision-making processes through methods including impact investing, negative screening, and setting minimum ESG standards.

★   Challenges and Controversies in ESG Implementation: There are various challenges and controversies surrounding the focus by companies on ESG initiatives. Some stakeholders express skepticism about the link between ESG initiatives and the capital markets, questioning whether ESG initiatives materially improve business performance or address material risks. There are also concerns about "greenwashing," where brands may exaggerate or misrepresent their commitment to ESG principles. Plus, the pace of regulatory changes, such as the SEC's adoption of climate change rules, adds another layer of complexity to ESG implementation. But despite these challenges, businesses and investors must navigate the evolving ESG landscape to remain competitive and meet the demands of an increasingly socially and environmentally conscious market.

Name: Natalie Pierce

Organization: Gunderson Dettmer

Connect: LinkedIn

Name: Alexa Belonick

Organization:  Gunderson Dettmer

Connect: LinkedIn

Name: Andy Thorpe

Organization:  Gunderson Dettmer

Connect: LinkedIn

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This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be construed as legal advice specific to your circumstances. If you need help with any legal matter, be sure to consult with an attorney regarding your specific needs.

In this week’s episode, host Natalie Pierce interviews Alberto Yépez, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Forgepoint Capital, a leading cybersecurity-focused venture capital firm, about incorporating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives into all they do, including the firm’s investing principles.

Our first episode of the year highlights the growing importance of ESG considerations in the venture capital industry and the steps that firms like Forgepoint Capital are taking to integrate these principles and initiatives into their investment strategies and operations. Forgepoint also provides examples in its portfolio like CyberCube, which is taking actionable steps towards ESG goals.

To learn more, check out Forgepoint’s blog on ESG and get a copy of Forgepoint’s ESG Handbook. 

Name: Natalie Pierce

What she does: Natalie is the Chair of Gunderson Dettmer’s labor and employment practice. Her practices focuses on the needs of start-ups, emerging growth companies, venture capital firms and private equity funds. She also counsels companies developing and/or incorporating robotics, telepresence, generative AI, and other enhancement technologies into the workplace.

Organization: Gunderson Dettmer

Connect: LinkedIn

Name: Alberto Yépez

What he does: Alberto is Co-Founder & Managing Director of Forgepoint Capital, the largest and most active sector-focused cybersecurity venture capital firm with over $1B AUM and forty portfolio companies. A serial entrepreneur, executive, and investor in cybersecurity, Alberto has a track record of building global businesses and leading them to successful exits. At Forgepoint, he led investments in Attivo Networks (acquired by SentinelOne) Area 1 (acquired by Cloudflare), BehavioSec (acquired by LexisNexis Risk Solutions/RELX) and currently serves on the boards of Constella Intelligence, Huntress, NowSecure, ReversingLabs, and Uptycs.  

Organization: Forgepoint Capital 

Connect: LinkedIn | Twitter

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Subscribe to FutureWork Playbook in your preferred podcast app so that you never miss an episode. 

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be construed as legal advice specific to your circumstances. If you need help with any legal matter, be sure to consult with an attorney regarding your specific needs.

Last year, VTEX went public on the New York Stock Exchange and became the first Latin American company in its niche to do so. On a mission to show other Latin American companies that it’s possible, they accomplished their goal — but not without adequate preparation. 

Going public is not as easy as setting a date and expecting it to happen. The team at VTEX was preparing years in advance. For co-founder Alex Soncini and General Counsel Juliana Lopes, going public came with its share of challenges and changes in their respective fields. 

In this season finale episode of the FutureWork Playbook, Alex and Juliana join host Natalie Pierce to talk about company growth, personal improvement and achieving your biggest goals. They discuss how their company, VTEX, went public on the New York Stock Exchange and how they prepared for the shift. They also share expert tips on seeking new opportunities, building a stable company, and growing in your personal and professional life.

Natalie Pierce | Gunderson Dettmer | LinkedIn

Name: Alex Soncini

What he does: Alex Soncini brings over 20 years of experience in the digital commerce industry and a passion and appreciation for the accelerated transformation of brands and retailers. With a Computer Engineering, Master's Degree in Project Management, and part of the alumni network of Harvard Business School graduated in the GMP, Alex has participated in hundreds of digital commerce projects spearheading the digital transformation of Fortune 500 companies across diverse industries.

A co-founder of VTEX, the enterprise digital commerce platform, he has successfully propelled the company’s expansion and dominance in Latin America, currently serving over 3,200 online stores in more than 38 countries.

Alex has also coordinated the E-commerce Platform Committee of the Brazilian Chamber of Electronic E-commerce for two years and is an international speaker and subject matter expert for main emerging markets digital commerce events. He also gave digital commerce classes at the most prestigious universities and higher learning institutions in Latin America.

Organization: VTEX

Connect: LinkedIn

Name: Juliana Tavares Lopes

What she does: Juliana is the Head of Legal and Data Privacy at VTEX, and for the past few years, she has assisted VTEX in the IPO, fundraisings, and multiple M&As. Ms. Lopes has held various legal positions in Maritime Business dealing with corporate affairs. 

She holds a law degree from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and a Master of Laws Degree (LLM) in Business Law from Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV). She is a member of "CAJE", the Commission on the Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship and Startups of the Brazil Bar Association (OAB/RJ).   

Organization: VTEX

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Subscribe to FutureWork Playbook in your preferred podcast app so that you never miss an episode. 

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be construed as legal advice specific to your circumstances. If you need help with any legal matter, be sure to consult with an attorney regarding your specific needs.

In just two short years, Treinta and its co-founders raised over $60M in funding and is bringing its already 5 million small business customers to the digital age. 

On this episode of the FutureWork Playbook, Lluís Canadell, founder and CEO of Treinta, joins host Natalie Pierce to discuss the opportunity to build impact with small businesses in Latin America by creating a digital platform for a more connected global market. 

Lluis brings his insights on finding a great co-founder, someone he trusted and with skills that complement his own, getting into Y Combinator, and overcoming one of the most difficult challenges in closing a big Series A round.

Lluís’s passion for helping small Latin American businesses drove him to take the leap. He felt there was a gap in fintech where he could make his mark while simultaneously helping people and businesses. 

“We have focused on [customer service] since day one,” said Lluís. “For example, one of the metrics that we have for customer experience teams is that we need to have an answer to a WhatsApp message from our users in less than a minute, which is challenging sometimes because the inflow can be more than expected. That is something that we want to maintain, always.” 

From the beta phase and fundraising to maintaining an edge in an extremely competitive market, Lluís and Natalie discuss best practices and how Treinta has managed to be so successful.

Natalie Pierce | Gunderson Dettmer | LinkedIn 

Name: Lluís Cañadell 

What he does: Lluís is the co-founder of Treinta, where he fulfills his passion for helping small Latin American businesses become more efficient. 

Organization: Treinta

Connect: LinkedIn

🗝️ Key Points 🗝️

Top takeaways from this episode

★    Start off strong. When trying to get a startup off the ground, Lluís says the beta phase is incredibly important. Having benchmark competitors to look to for valuation and qualified numbers can really help founders understand where they stand and what they need to do. 

★     Maintain your focus. There are many twists and turns when starting a business, but keeping a tight focus on the company’s core values and mission is pivotal for any young company.  

★     Hire the right people. Maintaining a positive company culture is also a crucial ingredient to a business’s success. Lluís discusses the importance of hiring people that you feel embody the culture and values you want to promote.

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Subscribe to FutureWork Playbook in your preferred podcast app so that you never miss an episode. 

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be construed as legal advice specific to your circumstances. If you need help with any legal matter, be sure to consult with an attorney regarding your specific needs.

Growing a company is a marathon, not a sprint. Every task from leading a company and developing your team to scaling your culture and building partnerships take time. And for one CEO, Kadu Monguilhott, the marathon led to one great acquisition.

Working with Neoway for nearly 10 years, Kadu saw the ups and downs of building a business. Working his way up from the sales team to executive roles, Kadu became close with the customers and employees, and he understood the vision of the company. 

Now, as the CEO, Kadu is taking Neoway to even greater heights. In late 2021, the company was acquired by the Brazilian stock exchange for 1.8 billion Brazilian reais. But it didn’t happen overnight.  

Great things — like the Brazilian stock exchange acquisition — take time. For leaders, this means dedicating time to really understand the company’s needs and shape yourself around the company. And don’t just focus on the short-term goals. Plan a strategy for how you’re going to scale, adapt, and continue evolving.

When it comes to partnerships, the same rule applies. Great partnerships (and mergers) don’t happen instantly. You need to keep your connections open, decide on the right path, and develop a collaborative strategy that aligns with each partner’s goals. When you invest time into your plan, you’ll see significant growth and reach incredible achievements.  

In this episode of the FutureWork Playbook, Kadu joins host Natalie Pierce to discuss how his company, Neoway, was acquired by the Brazilian stock exchange. Kadu also details his leadership journey, the secrets to a great partnership and growth-centered organization, and how Neoway is working to improve economic growth in Brazil.    

Natalie Pierce | Gunderson Dettmer | LinkedIn 

Name: Kadu Monguilhott

What he does: Kadu is the CEO of Neoway, a Brazil-based company that develops big data analytics and AI solutions that generate precision for decision-making and productivity. Their efforts are focused on areas including marketing, compliance, fraud prevention, legal analysis, and credit management. Kadu studied economics at the University of California, Davis before joining Neoway’s sales team in 2013. 

Organization: Neoway

Connect: LinkedIn

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Subscribe to FutureWork Playbook in your preferred podcast app so that you never miss an episode. 

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be construed as legal advice specific to your circumstances. If you need help with any legal matter, be sure to consult with an attorney regarding your specific needs.

With fearless energy, a little luck, and great connections, Matias Muchnick was able to pitch to top-tier investors and take his business to new heights. However, Matias says that there’s more to building a sustainable business than your investors and revenue.

Getting in front of high-level investors and achieving unicorn status are great accomplishments, but they shouldn’t be your end goal. Your business should always be looking for ways to change the world.

That’s exactly what Matias is doing with his company, NotCo. Although he’s achieved unicorn status and has been backed by top investors like the Bezos Expedition, Matias cares more about how his products are disrupting the industry and bringing positive change.

NotCo combines AI technology and human knowledge to develop and scale plant-based foods. Instead of asking why plant-based, they’re asking why not? While catering to consumers’ needs, NotCo is reinventing the food industry by avoiding animal products and protecting the planet without compromising flavor.

And it doesn’t stop there. Matias and his team are constantly looking for ways to improve and expand their reach. They’re continuing to train their algorithm and ensure that it meets consumers’ changing needs. Their brand has launched in seven countries, with its most recent launch in the North American market. Through the challenges, they’ve kept two key things in mind to succeed: the consumer and their vision.

In this episode of the FutureWork Playbook, Matias joins host Natalie Pierce to talk about how he took his company, NotCo, from startup to successful venture. He discusses the mindset that every founder should have, how he scaled NotCo and continues to disrupt the industry, and the must-read book for founders in any industry. 

Natalie Pierce | Gunderson Dettmer | LinkedIn

Name: Matias Muchnick

What he does: Matias is the Founder and CEO of NotCo, a food tech company that combines AI and human knowledge to quickly and accurately develop and scale plant-based foods that appeal to the mass market. Previously, Matias founded Eggless Company, which developed plant-based foods, and Chooz, an app created to incentivize healthy living. Matias received his bachelor’s degree from the Universidad de Chile and went on to further his education at the University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University Graduate School of Business, and Harvard Business School.

Organization: NotCo

Connect: LinkedIn

Connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Subscribe to FutureWork Playbook in your preferred podcast app so that you never miss an episode. 

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be construed as legal advice specific to your circumstances. If you need help with any legal matter, be sure to consult with an attorney regarding your specific needs.

Inspired and supported by various people throughout his life, Eduardo della Maggiora made it his mission to help people do better, live better, and be better. Now, his company, Betterfly, has taken off to massive heights, becoming Latin America’s first billion-dollar social impact unicorn. 

Eduardo was just 15 when his father suffered a heart attack that left him nearly immobile and in very poor health. His father died three years later when Eduardo was 18 years old. Like many Latin American families, Eduardo endured the struggles of losing a loved one without life insurance coverage. This was the first seed planted towards Betterfly.

Decades later, after working in finance for a long time, Eduardo volunteered in Africa. While there, he faced the reality of childhood malnutrition — a preventable disease that takes the lives of millions of children. 

Around the same time, Eduardo began training for Ironman triathlons. He began losing pounds of weight, and an idea crossed his mind. He thought, “What if I could convert the pounds I lost exercising into pounds of food for these kids I worked with in Africa? What if we could convert the calories of exercise into calories of food? And what if we could use technology to combine the power of giving back with helping people to live their best lives?" Thus, Betterfly was born. 

For just four dollars per month — comparable to a Netflix or Spotify subscription — employees and individuals can live healthier lives while giving back to those in need. Betterfly’s full-stack platform helps people generate healthy habits, gain life insurance coverage, and make an impact on their communities and our planet. 

In this episode of the FutureWork Playbook, Eduardo joins host Natalie Pierce to talk about his journey to founding Betterfly. Eduardo shares stories about the inspiration behind the platform, how real people’s lives have changed through Betterfly, and how it’s generating positive impacts across the globe. 

Name: Eduardo della Maggiora

What he does: Eduardo is the CEO and Founder of Betterfly. This benefits program enables employees to build healthy habits and companies to get credit for social impact. Prior to Betterfly, Eduardo founded Tyndall Group and PIC Parks, was the CEO of the Pan-American Games, and was Vice President of M&A at J.P. Morgan for 10 years. Among many achievements, Eduardo has been recognized as one of Chile’s 100 Young Leaders, was the EY Chile Entrepreneur Of The Year™ in 2022, and is a 2x World Champion runner-up in the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in his category in 2016 and 2017. 

Organization: Betterfly

Connect: LinkedIn

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Gunderson Dettmer Website: www.gunder.com

Subscribe to FutureWork Playbook in your preferred podcast app so that you never miss an episode. 

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be construed as legal advice specific to your circumstances. If you need help with any legal matter, be sure to consult with an attorney regarding your specific needs.

Today on the show we talk with CEO of Lyndra Therapeutics, Dr. Patricia Hurter, and President and COO Jessica Ballinger. Lyndra Therapeutics is reinventing the way we take medicine with game-changing technology that helps patients take oral medications less frequently, using a long-acting delivery system.

In this episode, they discuss how Lyndra Therapeutics has created a diverse and mission-focused team to overcome the challenges surrounding the need to take life-improving medicine on a daily basis.

What we discussed:

• Trish details how Lyndra Therapeutics is developing oral long-acting therapies that allow you to take your medicine much less often, sometime once a week or even once a month
• Discussion of the prominent female leadership throughout the company and how Lyndra created such a diverse collection of talent
• Jessica describes Lyndra’s three core values and the impact those have throughout the company
• How Lyndra is able to consistently ensure they are “walking the walk” when it comes to its commitment to diversity of ideas, interests, and backgrounds
• Why Lyndra is focusing its efforts on developing a long-acting medicine and how it will be a game-changer
• How the dosage form works and the significant impact the freedom from injectables and daily pills has on patients and providers
• Lyndra’s important work to combat the opioid crisis and allow patients to travel only once per week, instead of daily, to receive their medication
• The challenges around developing this kind of oral medication and how Lyndra has become successful in overcoming them
• How Lyndra is focusing its efforts in 2022 and beyond

Helpful links:

Lyndra Therapeutics Website

Dr. Patricia Hurter LinkedIn

Jessica Ballinger LinkedIn

Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:

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Gunderson Dettmer Website: www.gunder.com

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be construed as legal advice specific to your circumstances. If you need help with any legal matter, be sure to consult with an attorney regarding your specific needs.

Today on the show we feature Scott Chetham, Ph.D. and CEO of Faro Health, a company that is leading the charge when it comes to integrated clinical development that simplifies the design and authoring of complex clinical studies.

In this episode, Natalie and Scott discuss the importance of collecting data with a patient-centric approach and how Faro Health strives to simplify the process for project teams and design clinical studies that could account for a diverse population.

What we discussed:

• Scott explains the clinical integrated environment and why he and his team at Faro Health created this kind of software to help streamline the clinical trials process
• The importance of collecting data in a patient-centric way, the positive impact that has, and how Faro Health is eliminating archaic ways of data collection and management
• How the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted and changed the landscape of health sciences
• How to meet the existing challenge of being more intentionally inclusive in the design of clinic trials, including practical tips for doing so
• The process for gathering feedback from patients to ensure their voice is represented early and continuously throughout the trial
• Faro Health’s vision to make the clinical trials process broader and more diverse so it is a more accurate representation of data
• Faro Health’s focus for 2022 and beyond, including continuing to improve the patient journey and increased integrations with partnerships
• Scott’s predictions for the future state of the industry

Helpful Links:

Faro Health Website

Scott Chetham LinkedIn

Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/gunderson-dettmer

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Gunderson Dettmer Website: www.gunder.com

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be construed as legal advice specific to your circumstances. If you need help with any legal matter, be sure to consult with an attorney regarding your specific needs.

Replicate Bioscience are designing and delivering RNA-based treatments that revolutionize the practice of medicine In this episode, Natalie talks with immunologist Nathaniel Wang, CEO of Replicate Biosciences.

You may have heard a lot about RNA vaccines over the past year so Natalie take this opportunity to ask Nathaniel to explain the science behind the technology and how it has become a breakthrough in providing critical care to many.

What we discussed:

• The history of Replicate Bioscience, how they were founded, and the work they were doing on RNA research prior to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Nathaniel explains what RNA is and why it’s so important, especially as it relates to COVID-19
• RNA isn’t a new technology, but the challenge was scaling it
• How the development and implementation of this technology has impacted accessibility to medical care
• How drugs are currently made and why RNA is such a gamechanger 
• The existing concerns around synthetic technology and why some people may get sick after getting the COVID-19 vaccine
• Nathaniel talks about the clinical trial process, regulatory hurdles, and the importance of having varying experts across many fields on their team
• An overview of some of the new products that Replicate Bioscience is excited about
• How Nathaniel got series A funding from ATP and why they’re excited to partner with Replicate Bioscience
• The future of Replicate Bioscience

Helpful Links: 

Replicate Science Website 

Nathanial Wang LinkedIn

Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/gunderson-dettmer

Twitter: www.twitter.com/GundersonLaw

Gunderson Dettmer Website: www.gunder.com

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be construed as legal advice specific to your circumstances. If you need help with any legal matter, be sure to consult with an attorney regarding your specific needs.