Just like Godzilla and Frankenstein were misunderstood, so is the case with tax breaks on carried interest, according to those who benefit from it. Some would characterize venture capital as a high-risk business, and the economic incentives of carried interest make it worthwhile.Congress has attempted to kill the carried interest tax loophole, but Bobby Franklin, president and CEO of the National Venture Capital Association, has used his role to interrupt those measures.

Sand Hill Road Host Scott McGrew spoke with Franklin to learn more about the state of the industry and why carried interest tax breaks are so important to venture capital.

Sand Hill Road is hosted by Scott McGrew and produced and edited by Andrew Mendez. Sara Bueno manages NBC Bay Area's digital platforms. Stephanie Adrouny is the station's news director. If you'd like to get in touch, email us at [email protected] or on any social media platform at @nbcbayarea.

There's no shortage of cybersecurity companies, and artificial intelligence continues to help transform that competitive landscape. So, how do investors decide who's worth helping? Casber Wang, a partner at Sapphire Ventures, identifies what's hot in the market now and where there's promise.

Sand Hill Road Host Scott McGrew spoke with Wang to learn more about the space and what stands out to him. Also, McGrew finds out why Wang's name is similar to that of a "Friendly Ghost."

Sand Hill Road is hosted by Scott McGrew and produced and edited by Andrew Mendez. Sara Bueno manages NBC Bay Area's digital platforms. Stephanie Adrouny is the station's news director. If you'd like to get in touch, email us at [email protected] or on any social media platform at @nbcbayarea.

Dr. Joshua Reicher, co-founder and CEO of Imvaria, initially missed the opportunity to develop a company similar to DraftKings and instead decided to focus on saving lives. As a serial entrepreneur, he has been committed to using artificial intelligence to improve patient diagnostics since some may not be accurate. Reicher aims to change that, particularly in the context of certain lung diseases, by leveraging AI technology.

Sand Hill Road Host Scott McGrew spoke with Reicher to learn more Imvaria's approach to "advancing noninvasive AI biomarkers for better patient lives."

Sand Hill Road is hosted by Scott McGrew and produced and edited by Andrew Mendez. Sara Bueno manages NBC Bay Area's digital platforms. Stephanie Adrouny is the station's news director. If you'd like to get in touch, email us at [email protected] or on any social media platform at @nbcbayarea.

Dr. Jim Tananbaum, founder and CEO of Foresite Capital, has always had two areas of interest: mathematics and computer algorithms, biology and healthcare. With his passions in mind, he has developed and managed a venture firm with close to $3.5 billion in assets under management.

Sand Hill Road Host Scott McGrew spoke with Tananbaum to learn more about how artificial intelligence is fueling developments in healthcare and therapeutics.

Sand Hill Road is hosted by Scott McGrew and produced and edited by Andrew Mendez. Sara Bueno manages NBC Bay Area's digital platforms. Stephanie Adrouny is the station's news director. If you'd like to get in touch, email us at [email protected] or on any social media platform at @nbcbayarea. 

Terry Doyle, managing partner and vice president of Telus Global Ventures, is vocal about spreading the firm's mission, from changing names to understanding how 'Canadian values' play a role in the venture capital market.

Sand Hill Road Host Scott McGrew spoke with Doyle, the former senior director of corporate development at Nokia, to learn more about Telus' investment strategy and the closest thing the U.S. has to a Tim Hortons coffee.

Sand Hill Road is hosted by Scott McGrew and produced and edited by Andrew Mendez. Sara Bueno manages NBC Bay Area's digital platforms. Stephanie Adrouny is the station's news director. If you'd like to get in touch, email us at [email protected] or on any social media platform at @nbcbayarea. 

Steve Vassallo, a general partner at Foundation Capital, has been known to invest at the intersection of design, technology, and business, but at a very early stage. He said much of it has to do with hearing the lessons of his "helicopter mom," the late Helen Guillette Vassallo, a well-known business professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Sand Hill Road Host Scott McGrew spoke with Vassallo, a former project lead engineer at IDEO, to learn more about why he invests early on in startups, his cryptocurrency philosophy, and how his upbringing helped shape his investment ideology.

Sand Hill Road is hosted by Scott McGrew and produced and edited by Andrew Mendez. Sara Bueno manages NBC Bay Area's digital platforms. Stephanie Adrouny is the station's news director. If you'd like to get in touch, email us at [email protected] or on any social media platform at @nbcbayarea.

Exploding Kittens, a kitty-powered version of Russian Roulette, has become a household staple. The company launched on Kickstarter and has never lost its edge. However, despite much success, the company's founding team decided to accept a $40 million investment, which it has yet to use. 

Sand Hill Road Host Scott McGrew spoke with Elan Lee, the creator of one of the most successful card games in history, to learn more about the company's history and  success. 

Sand Hill Road is hosted by Scott McGrew and produced and edited by Andrew Mendez. Sara Bueno manages NBC Bay Area's digital platforms. Stephanie Adrouny is the station's news director. If you'd like to get in touch, email us at [email protected] or on any social media platform at @nbcbayarea.

The state of venture capital appears to be rocky at the moment.  

A report from PitchBook Data and the National Venture Capital Association highlights potential weakness ahead in the venture industry. The Pitchbook/NVCA Venture Monitor First Look report showed fewer active investors and high deal counts but repeat investing.  

What does that mean for the Bay Area?  

Sand Hill Road Host Scott McGrew spoke with Kyle Stanford, the Lead venture capital Analyst at PitchBook, to learn more about the report and its local impacts.

Sand Hill Road is hosted by Scott McGrew and produced and edited by Andrew Mendez. Sara Bueno manages NBC Bay Area's digital platforms. Stephanie Adrouny is the station's news director. If you'd like to get in touch, email us at [email protected] or on any social media platform at @nbcbayarea.

Analysis by SignalFire shows the Bay Area still has more tech than 10 other cities combined.

The Gigascale founder has big ideas on clean power and clean air.