Give First

In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld sits down with Sameer Dholakia, partner at Bessemer Venture Partners and former CEO of SendGrid, the first Techstars company to go public.

When Sameer joined SendGrid, growth was slowing and the company was losing money. Under his leadership, it became a $250M business, went public, and was later acquired by Twilio.

Sameer shares the story of how his mother’s advice shaped his approach to leadership and why empathy and clarity became his greatest tools as a CEO. From his first days stepping into a nervous team, to navigating “oh sh*t” moments on the path to IPO, Sameer reflects on the lessons that defined his career, and how they continue to guide his work with founders today.

Sameer Dholakia ➡️ LinkedIn

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In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld sits down with Robert Glazer, 5x entrepreneur, #1 Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, and author of the new book The Compass Within.

Robert shares his framework for uncovering personal core values, the principles that guide decisions, relationships, and leadership. The conversation explores why many people are climbing the wrong mountains, how self-awareness shapes growth, and why aligning words with actions may be the most important skill any founder or leader can develop.

Find out more about Robert Glazer here ➡️ robertglazer.com

Follow Robert Glazer on LinkedIn ➡️ linkedin.com/in/glazer

The Compass Within is out today, order your copy here ➡️ robertglazer.com/compass

Check out the Six Core Values Questions page ➡️ robertglazer.com/six

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In this episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen sits down with longtime Techstars friend Andy Sack and former Starbucks Chief Digital Officer Adam Brotman, co-CEOs of Forum3 and co-authors of AI First: The Playbook for a Future-Proof Business and Brand.

They explore why AI isn’t just another vertical, but the foundation of how companies will be built, operated, and scaled in the years ahead. Andy and Adam share insights from their work on what it means to be an “AI-native” founder, why iteration and prompting are becoming core entrepreneurial skills, and how disruption could lead to billion-dollar companies run by just a handful of people.

The conversation covers practical takeaways for entrepreneurs, lessons from their entrepreneurial journeys, and why adopting an AI-first mindset may be the difference between thriving and being left behind in the next wave of innovation.

Get Andy and Adam’s book ➡️ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D8TZDR74?ref=KC_GS_GB_US 

Follow Andy Sack on LinkedIn ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andysack/ 

Follow Adam Brotman on LinkedIn ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/adambrotman/

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In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld talks with Scott Dorsey, co-founder of High Alpha and former CEO of ExactTarget, the email marketing pioneer acquired by Salesforce. Scott shares his journey from launching a startup with no technical background to building a company of 2,000 employees, going public, and running Salesforce Marketing Cloud.

The conversation dives into why relationships and core values matter as much as product and market, how emotional intelligence shapes leadership, and what it means to mentor by guiding rather than controlling. Scott also reflects on failure, empathy for founders, and the importance of playing multi-turn games in venture.

For founders wondering how to practice give first without being taken advantage of, Scott offers timeless advice: everyone can be both a mentor and a mentee, no matter where they are in their journey.

Scott Dorsey ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-dorsey-096b393/

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In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld talks with Elizabeth Gore, co-founder and president of Hello Alice, about what it takes to build and scale a platform serving over 1.5M small business owners.

Elizabeth shares how Hello Alice became a critical lifeline during COVID, launching grant programs, pivoting product builds, and creating community hubs for entrepreneurs in crisis. She reflects on the tension of running a venture-backed social enterprise, the lessons from winning a landmark federal lawsuit, and how AI and open banking could transform access to capital for underrepresented founders.

This conversation shines a light on the entrepreneurs who keep our communities running, and the technology helping them thrive.

Follow Elizabeth Gore here 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethgoreusa/ 

Check out Hello Alice 👉 https://helloalice.com/

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In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld reconnects with Landon Young, pre-seed investor at Elevate Ventures and a longtime builder of startup ecosystems. Landon shares stories from both sides of the table, as a founder and investor, including what it means to write the first check when a company is still just a sketch on a napkin.

They revisit the early days of the Kansas City Startup Village, the ripple effects of Google Fiber and Techstars, and how a single idea sparked a movement in startup philanthropy. 

From coffee shop meetings to complex donations, this conversation is a powerful reminder that the smallest bets, on people, on timing, on place, can shape entire communities.

Check out 👉 donateequity.com 

Elevate Ventures 👉https://elevateventures.com/ 

Follow Landon Young on LinkedIn 👉https://www.linkedin.com/in/landonyoung/

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In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld sits down with Bobby Franklin, President and CEO of the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). They unpack the disconnect between Washington, D.C., and the startup world, and why that gap poses a growing threat to innovation in the U.S.

Bobby shares stories from the front lines of venture policy, illustrating how small regulatory changes can have major consequences for emerging fund managers and founders. From the unintended impact of tax reform to upcoming anti-money laundering rules, this conversation reveals the hidden obstacles that could stall the next generation of startups.

Brad and Bobby also discuss how mentorship, education, and smarter policymaking can strengthen the startup ecosystem and why the venture community needs to lead that effort.

Bobby Franklin ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bfranklindc/

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In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld sits down with longtime friends and Simple Energy co-founders, Justin Segall and Yoav Lurie. Together, they revisit a pivotal moment in their startup journey, when the company was on the verge of collapse.

The conversation dives into the chapter inspired by their experience in Brad’s new book, Give First, titled The Near Death of Simple Energy. They reflect on the pressure to follow investor expectations, the emotional toll of nearly losing everything, and the breakthrough conversation that helped them course-correct.

Brad, Justin, and Yoav explore the power of mentorship, what it means to lead with integrity, and how staying true to your values can revive not just your company but your sense of purpose.

Follow Justin Segall on LinkedIn ➡️https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinsegall/ 

Follow Yoav Lurie on LinkedIn ➡️https://www.linkedin.com/in/yoavlurie/

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In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld sits down with organizational psychologist and bestselling author, Adam Grant, for a conversation about the power of generosity in business, leadership, and life.

Brad and Adam trace the roots of give first and give and take, uncovering how their philosophies arrived at the same conclusion: that success isn’t about what you extract, but what you contribute.

They explore why some givers thrive while others burn out, how smart generosity is often a sign of intelligence, and what it really takes to build cultures where people show up for each other. Adam also shares a how to confront takers, and maybe even convert them.

Follow Brad Feld on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bfeld/) and Twitter (https://x.com/bfeld?lang=en)

Follow Adam Grant on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/AdamMGrant/) and X (https://x.com/adammgrant)

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In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld is joined by 22-time bestselling author and entrepreneur Seth Godin for a conversation that cuts to the core of leadership, impact, and what founders often get wrong.

Seth reflects on his early days as an entrepreneur, the first time he met Brad, and what he’s learned since about ego, ambition, and the trap of "founder mode." Together, they explore why saying no is a gift, how systems shape behavior and the difference between building for metrics versus building for meaning.

They also dive into the long-term vision behind Techstars, the value of doing hard things for the right reasons, and how real leadership starts when the spotlight fades.

If you’ve ever felt pulled between doing what scales and doing what matters, this one’s for you.

Check out Seth Godin's website and LinkedIn

Follow Brad Feld on LinkedIn and Twitter

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