Liftoff with Keith: Conversations with Super Founders and Growth Experts sharing useful insights

Due to some video connection challenges the host wasn't on the video feed for the first few minutes of the programs

What if your battery didn’t need to be replaced every few years?

In this episode of Liftoff with Keith, Keith speaks with Raouf, co-founder and CEO of CTRL ENERGY, a Paris-based energy startup building a different approach to battery technology.

CTRL ENERGY is developing ZERO, a repairable, modular and scalable portable battery, alongside LEPO, a stationary energy storage system designed for a much longer operating life. Raouf explains how his previous experience in the energy sector led to the company's focus on repairability, reuse and battery recycling.

The conversation covers:

• Why CTRL ENERGY chose to bootstrap a hardware deep tech company
• How ZERO is designed to be repairable, modular and scalable
• Using 3D printing and automated microfactories for localized manufacturing
• Why CTRL ENERGY is building a community around product development
• The company's Kickstarter strategy and early customer traction
• How ZERO and LEPO serve different markets and business models
• Battery recycling and the afterlife of battery cells
• The role of AI and automation in manufacturing
• The challenges of getting deep tech hardware funded in Europe
• Why founders should build a working prototype as early as possible
• Why building a community can give hardware startups an advantage

Raouf also shares his perspective on why hardware is becoming easier to build and why there is still significant room for innovation outside the current AI boom.

Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses’ growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs. Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/

Connect with Raouf:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raoufremidan/
• Website: https://ctrl.energy/
• Learn more about CTRL ENERGY and ZERO:https://go.nomorezero.com/

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What if safety isn't just a compliance requirement, but one of the most important foundations of leadership, culture, and business performance?

In this episode of Liftoff with Keith, we sit down with Brian L. Fielkow, recognized business leader, board director, advisor, former CEO of Jetco Delivery, and author of Making Safety Happen, to explore how leaders can build organizations that remain strong when the pressure is high.

Brian shares lessons from decades of operating and advising businesses where safety, risk, and performance are closely connected. We discuss why safety should be treated as a core value rather than simply a department, how leadership shapes employee behavior, and what it takes to create a culture where people feel comfortable speaking up when something isn't right.

From managing operational risks to building trust, accountability, and psychological safety, this conversation offers practical insights for founders, CEOs, and business leaders who want to build companies that are both safe and productive.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why safety is a business responsibility, not just the job of a safety department
• The difference between a compliance culture and a genuine safety culture
• How leadership influences employee behavior and organizational performance
• Why psychological safety encourages employees to speak up and report risks
• Building accountability and learning from near misses
• How companies can balance growth, productivity, and risk management
• Identifying hidden risks during periods of rapid growth
• The importance of clear, practical, and understandable processes
• Hiring for both technical competence and attitude
• Why humility and the ability to course-correct matter in leadership
• How leaders reveal their culture when things go wrong
• Why maintaining culture requires continuous investment

Brian also shares examples from his experience at Jetco Delivery, including how listening to frontline employees can uncover risks and lead to meaningful improvements.

Whether you're a founder scaling a business, a CEO managing operational challenges, or a leader working to build a stronger company culture, this conversation offers valuable perspectives on leadership, safety, and sustainable performance.

About Brian L. Fielkow

Brian L. Fielkow is a recognized business leader, board director, and advisor known for his work in safety, risk, and organizational performance. He previously served as CEO of Jetco Delivery and is the author of Making Safety Happen.

Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses’ growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs. Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/

Connect with Brian:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfielkow
• Book: https://www.amazon.in/Making-Safety-Happen-Productive-Profitable-ebook/dp/B0GX2ZXGFY

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Harvey Liu, CEO of LeveX, joins Keith to discuss his journey from computer science and network engineering to venture capital, Web3 investing, and building a next-generation crypto trading platform.

Harvey shares how LeveX grew from an early-stage product into a platform with hundreds of thousands of registered users, why he believes crypto is becoming increasingly connected with traditional finance, and how institutional adoption is changing the market.

In this episode, Harvey also discusses:

• Building LeveX around traders and their feedback
• The evolution of Bitcoin, Web3 and crypto markets
• Tokenized stocks and real-world assets
• Why technical founders need strong communication and sales skills
• Organic growth versus paid customer acquisition
• Choosing strategic investors over purely financial capital
• Differences between the U.S. and Chinese venture capital ecosystems
• How AI can help startups operate with leaner teams
• Why Harvey would consider a decentralized model if starting LeveX today
• The future of DeFi, prediction markets and crypto trading

Harvey brings a unique perspective shaped by technology, venture capital, finance and years of experience across global markets.

Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses’ growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs. Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/Connect with Harvey:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harveylevex/
• Website: https://levex.com/en

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Physical AI is everywhere in the conversation, but getting it to work reliably in the real world is a very different challenge.

In this episode of Liftoff with Keith Newman, Keith sits down with Mike Link, COO of Kami Vision, to explore what it takes to move computer vision and physical AI from promising demos to real-world products operating across millions of devices.

Mike shares how Kami Vision evolved from home security into AI-powered applications for elder care, including fall detection and remote monitoring, while continuing to expand into enterprise security and robotics.

The conversation covers:

• What makes scaling physical AI different from traditional software
• Moving from hardware to software and eventually an AI-native model
• Using computer vision to transform elder care
• The challenges of enterprise AI deployment
• Privacy, trust and adoption in real-world environments
• Why partner-led distribution can accelerate growth
• How AI agents are changing internal business operations
• Why founders should get real customers using their product before trying to scale

A practical conversation about the gap between building AI that works in a demo and building AI that works in the real world.

Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses’ growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs. Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/

Connect with John:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbrenard/
• Website: https://www.southviewtimber.com/

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Most investors are chasing the next hot market—from AI and data centers to the latest high-growth opportunities.

But sometimes, the better opportunity is hiding somewhere few people are looking.

In this episode of Liftoff with Keith Newman, Keith sits down with John Brennard, Managing Director & Founder of Southview Timberland Investments, to explore the world of timberland investing and what makes it an intriguing alternative asset class.

John shares how his family's timberland investment in 2008 introduced him to the asset class, eventually leading him to build Southview around timberland and rural land investments across the U.S. Southeast.

The conversation goes beyond timberland, covering:

• How to find opportunity in overlooked markets
• Why disciplined underwriting matters
• The value of patient ownership and hands-on execution
• How timber harvesting and land development can create value
• Why understanding an investment is critical before entering private markets
• The importance of staying close to sales and making progress every day

As John puts it, there are no shortcuts in this game—and sometimes the best opportunities aren't the ones everyone is talking about.

Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses’ growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs. Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/Connect with John:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbrenard/
• Website: https://www.southviewtimber.com/

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• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589
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Most founders think they have a growth problem, team problem, or technology problem.

But what if the real constraint is the founder?

In this episode of Liftoff with Keith Newman, Keith sits down with Damon Flowers, a business growth expert who has spent more than two decades building, scaling, and exiting companies across SaaS, eCommerce, coaching, and real estate—including taking one company from $3.5 million to $30 million in just two years.

Damon explains why businesses often struggle to scale because their founders become the glue holding disconnected systems, people, and processes together.

The conversation explores:

• Why a business can only grow as far as its founder does
• How founders become the bottleneck without realizing it
• The three stages of building a scalable business
• Why growth should come after the right operational foundation
• How disconnected tools can create more chaos
• Why simply adding AI tools isn't enough
• How an integrated operating system can help businesses move faster
• What founders need to change to make faster decisions and respond to the market

Damon's core message is simple:

Don't just try to grow faster. Build a business that is actually ready to grow.

Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses’ growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs. Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/

Connect with Damon:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damonflowers
• Website: https://modernoperators.com/
• Media Kit: https://on.modernoperators.com/media/

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What if you're building a successful company—but accidentally building a life you don't actually want?

In this episode of Liftoff with Keith Newman, Keith sits down with Charles T. Lee, founder of Ideation, to explore what it really means to build a successful business while protecting your health, relationships, purpose, and personal well-being.

Charles shares why founders should:

• Slow down to create space for better ideas
• Invest in people, not just technology
• Understand their personal rhythms and energy
• Let go of ego and focus on building the right team
• Make time for reflection and personal development
• Stop comparing themselves to other founders
• Think about what "enough" and success really mean

They also discuss how AI can give founders something increasingly valuable: more time to focus on the human side of leadership.

The goal isn't simply to build a great company.

It's to build a great company without losing the life you're building it for.

Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses’ growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs. Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/

Connect with Charles:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlestlee/
• Website: https://theideation.com/
• Book: http://www.designyourgoodlife.com/

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#LiftoffPodcast #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #Founders #BusinessGrowth #AI #WorkLifeBalance

Most founders never think about transfer agents... until they become a problem.

In this episode of Liftoff with Keith Newman, Keith sits down with Rob Schoder, Co-Founder & CEO of Vinyl Equity, to discuss why one of the most important pieces of capital markets infrastructure has remained stuck in the past—and how modern technology is changing it.

Drawing from his experience leading portfolio operations at AngelList, Rob explains why outdated shareholder systems create unnecessary friction for founders, investors, and public companies, and how Vinyl is building the next generation of ownership infrastructure.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Why transfer agents are critical to every public company
• The biggest challenges companies face during IPOs
• How legacy infrastructure slows innovation
• Why API-first platforms are changing capital markets
• The growing role of AI in shareholder management
• Lessons from building a regulated fintech startup
• Why founders should market their wins earlier
• What the future of capital markets could look like

Whether you're a founder, CFO, investor, legal professional, or fintech enthusiast, this conversation offers valuable insights into the technology powering modern equity ownership.

Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses’ growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs. Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/

Connect with Rob:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rwsjr/
• Website: https://www.vinylequity.com/
• Vinyl Equity LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vinyl-equity/home/

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What if the biggest threat to your startup isn't competition, funding, or even product-market fit—but your own management team?

In this episode of Liftoff with Keith, I sit down with entrepreneur, investor, and author Hunter Hastings to explore one of the most important—and controversial—ideas in modern entrepreneurship.

Hunter is the co-author of Venture Mode: Escape the Administration Trap by Finding and Unleashing Entrepreneurial Leaders, where he argues that companies rarely fail because they grow too quickly. Instead, they lose the entrepreneurial behaviors that made them successful in the first place.

As organizations scale, speed gives way to bureaucracy, customer obsession is replaced by internal process, and entrepreneurial leaders become administrators.

We dive into what Hunter calls "The Administration Trap"—and how founders can avoid it.

In this episode we discuss:

• Why management—not growth—is often what kills startups
• The earliest warning signs that bureaucracy is taking over
• How founders can add structure without losing entrepreneurial culture
• Why customer value—not internal metrics—should drive every decision
• How to identify and empower entrepreneurial leaders inside your company
• Why traditional MBA thinking often fails founders
• Cash flow, value creation, and building resilient businesses
• How AI is changing the economics of startups and leadership
• The biggest misconceptions founders and investors have about scaling companies
• Hunter's personal lessons from decades as a CEO, investor, executive, and educator

If you're a founder, executive, investor, or anyone leading a growing company, this conversation offers a fresh framework for scaling without sacrificing innovation.

Connect with Keith

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Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses’ growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs. Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/Connect with Hunter:

• Book: Venture Mode: Escape the Administration Trap by Finding and Unleashing Entrepreneurial Leaders https://www.amazon.in/Venture-Mode-Administration-Unleashing-Entrepreneurial-ebook/dp/B0FQWF2FP5
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunterhastings/
• Website: https://venturemode.biz/

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What if your AI assistant didn't just answer questions—but actually understood how you work and helped get things done?

In this episode of Liftoff with Keith, Keith sits down with Jean-Denis Greze, Co-Founder & CEO of Town, to explore the future of personalized AI assistants and what it takes to build AI that can work across the tools people already use.

The conversation dives into how AI can move beyond the traditional chatbot experience to help manage tasks, workflows, email, calendars, and more—while learning from the context of how each person actually works.

Jean-Denis also shares insights into building an AI product, the challenges of creating a truly useful assistant, and the broader opportunity to make AI more accessible to everyday users and businesses.

If you're interested in AI, AI assistants, startups, productivity, entrepreneurship, and the future of work, this episode is for you.

Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses’ growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs. Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/

Connect with Jean-Denis:

• Website: https://www.town.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeandenisgreze/

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