The failure of Silicon Valley Bank sent shockwaves throughout the tech and banking sector. The bank had played a pivotal role with venture capitalists, tech companies, and—in a lofty sense—America’s new ideas. The ripple effects were so enormous, the US government had to bail out depositors while allowing the bank itself to collapse. But what if the government was involved from the get-go? What if there was another option to financing America’s latest and greatest innovations?

Episode art by Vicky Leta