Startup Science Podcast with Gregory Shepard

Greg continues his conversation with Ash Kaluarachchi, CEO of StartEd, diving deeper into the world of education technology. Ash offers valuable insights for both investors and entrepreneurs, emphasizing the long-term potential of EdTech and the importance of patient capital. They discuss the aftermath of the pandemic, which created both an influx of EdTech startups and a subsequent market correction, leaving behind companies "forged in steel" and poised for success. Ash shares his perspective on how technology can help underserved communities access education tailored to their needs, rather than replicating elite educational experiences. This episode provides an exploration of EdTech’s future, investment opportunities, and the role technology plays in creating a more equitable education system.

StartEd’s EDTECH WEEK is the #1 EdTech event in NYC. This year's anniversary edition promises to be their best yet, featuring over 200+ speakers, exclusive networking opportunities, and open discussion sessions on the most talked-about topics impacting EdTech.  Mark your calendars 📅 #EDTECHWEEK is back in New York City this October 8-10, 2024 🏙️🍎 Don’t miss this year’s 10th annual event. Tickets are selling fast–register here https://bit.ly/edtechweek-register and use promo code SCIENCE2024 for 20% off your general registration ticket.

Greg welcomes Ash Kaluarachchi, CEO of StartEd and producer of EDTECH WEEK. Ash shares how his upbringing in a school run by his mother inspired his passion for education technology. They discuss the evolution of the EdTech landscape and how StartEd's innovative accelerator model provides personalized support to startups, moving away from traditional batch processes. The conversation explores the impact of AI on education and the pressing challenges facing the industry today, including the need to adapt to the rapidly changing future of work. Ash offers valuable advice to founders on recognizing product-market fit and assembling the right team. This episode provides thought-provoking insights into the intersection of profitability and social impact within the EdTech ecosystem.


StartEd’s EDTECH WEEK is the #1 EdTech event in NYC. This year's anniversary edition promises to be their best yet, featuring over 200+ speakers, exclusive networking opportunities, and open discussion sessions on the most talked-about topics impacting EdTech.  Mark your calendars 📅 #EDTECHWEEK is back in New York City this October 8-10, 2024 🏙️🍎 Don’t miss this year’s 10th annual event. Tickets are selling fast–register here https://bit.ly/edtechweek-register and use promo code SCIENCE2024 for 20% off your general registration ticket.

In the second part of their conversation, Greg and Chris delve into insightful discussions around investing in the post-COVID era, the AI hype cycle, and how to evaluate opportunities in today's market. Chris provides a candid perspective on the valuation excesses of 2021 and why prudent valuations are critical for preserving investor capital.  He shares his cautious views on the AI gold rush, emphasizing that Solyco is taking a measured approach by applying AI for operational efficiency within portfolio companies rather than betting on unproven AI platforms. The conversation transitions to how Chris's investor base of family offices, institutions, celebrities and more value the transparency and tangibility of Solyco's deal-by-deal syndicate model. Chris explains how being able to "touch and feel" the specific companies resonates better than opaque, traditional funds. As the episode closes, he expresses excitement about recent portfolio additions like an AI scouting company, as well as opportunities Solyco is evaluating in areas like alternative investment platforms and logistics. Overall, Chris provides a refreshingly balanced founder/investor perspective shaped by his embrace of the entrepreneurial struggle.

In this episode, Greg chats with Chris Van Dusen, a Senior Partner at Solyco Capital - a vertically integrated investment firm taking a unique private equity approach to venture capital. Chris shares his incredible entrepreneurial background, including founding and exiting several companies like a major CBD brand as well as starting a liquor distillery. Chris provides a fascinating inside look at Solyco's differentiated model where the firm's partners are former operators themselves who get deeply involved in helping portfolio companies execute and scale, almost like "fractional C-suite" services aligned with founder incentives. He discusses the range of industries they invest in, the firm's criteria for evaluating opportunities, how they structure deals, and why their interests are so tightly aligned with the founders they back. The conversation dives into hard-earned lessons from Chris's own startup experiences going through acquisition processes, navigating founder disagreements, focusing on the right verticals, and not over-promising during diligence. Chris emphasizes the importance of proving there is a real market "wind" blowing before trying to build the "boat." Overall, this is a must-listen for investors and founders alike interested in an innovative, operator-centric venture capital model.

In the second half of the episode, the conversation dives deeper into the practical applications of AI that entrepreneurs can leverage. David explains time series models for forecasting how situations evolve over time and how founders can use causal discovery techniques to identify the true drivers of outcomes rather than just correlations. They discuss the potential for AI to aid investors in evaluating startup trajectories and finding whitespace opportunities. David stresses the importance of having high-quality data to feed AI models. He advises entrepreneurs to look for repetitive tasks where desired outcomes are clear as areas ripe for applying AI capabilities. The talk also covers AI's limitations around subjective aspects requiring human context and judgment. David recommends having AI handle the routine, mundane elements while reserving higher-level decision-making for humans to get the best combination. Overall, David provides insightful guidance on practical ways founders can utilize AI technologies like time series modeling, causal analysis, and task augmentation while being intentional about which aspects to keep under human control. His advice can help entrepreneurs navigate the hype to determine the right AI applications for their businesses.

In this fascinating episode, Greg talks with David Danks, Professor of Data Science and Philosophy at UC San Diego. David's research explores the intersection of philosophy, cognitive science, and machine learning to tackle complex interdisciplinary problems around AI. They dive into the philosophical considerations around the rapid advancement of AI technology and its growing impact across industries. David shares his perspectives on the ethical implications of AI systems and the importance of aligning them with human values during the design process. The conversation covers how AI could reshape society by boosting productivity and enabling shorter working hours, but only if we make concerted efforts to steer it in that positive direction. David cautions about the risks of worker dislocation happening much faster with the low-cost scaling of AI compared to previous technological disruptions. They also discuss the challenges of regulating AI given the patchwork of different approaches across nations, the dangers of AI hallucinations and misinformation, and the need for open discussions around which human skills we're willing to "de-skill" as AI handles more tasks. Don't miss this insightful look at the philosophical considerations entrepreneurs must weigh when harnessing the power of artificial intelligence.

In the second half of this episode, Greg continues his illuminating open-source conversation with Heather Meeker, General Partner at OSS Capital. With her deep expertise on both the legal and business strategy sides, Heather shares invaluable insights for investors evaluating commercial open-source startups. Heather outlines key factors investors should consider when assessing these unique companies. She also dives deeper into one vertical she sees as a major open-source opportunity right now. Tune in to hear Heather's guidance for open source investors on what metrics matter most as well as where she sees fertile ground for new commercial open source ventures taking root and scaling over the next 5 years. You'll walk away better equipped to spot the next big players in open-source business software.

Heather Meeker, a leading expert on open-source software licensing and business strategy, joins Greg on the podcast. Heather is a General Partner at OSS Capital, an early-stage VC fund investing exclusively in commercial open-source startups. In this episode, Greg and Heather discuss her latest book, "From Project to Profit: How to Build a Business Around Your Open Source Project." They explore Heather's insights on the opportunities and challenges faced by open-source founders seeking to create sustainable businesses. Heather shares her valuable perspective, gained from nearly 30 years of experience advising companies on open source strategy and licensing. Whether you're thinking about launching an open-source startup or looking to scale an existing one, this conversation aims to shed light on turning passion projects into thriving companies.

In part two of their talk, Owen provides background on the Canadian Fulbright Entrepreneur Initiative, which enables Canadian entrepreneurs to study approaches to innovation and entrepreneurship in leading ecosystems. Owen also touches on his aim to serve as a "humble thought leader" seeking to make meaningful contributions rather than pursue status or fame. He discusses the responsibility he feels to give back by helping develop future generations of entrepreneurs and technology talent capable of driving continued innovation.

About Owen Matthews: Owen helps lead the vision and direction of the Alacrity Foundation and is a major contributor to the local technology community in Victoria. He donates his time and resources to multiple groups within and outside of the Alacrity portfolio.Owen is also a General Partner at Wesley Clover International, responsible for managing their technology portfolio. Wesley Clover is a private investment firm with active portfolios in technology, hospitality and commercial real estate.Prior to his move to Wesley Clover in 2007, Owen was the founder and CEO of NewHeights Software. NewHeights was a pioneer in enterprise unified communication products and was acquired by CounterPath Corporation. Owen is an active member on the Board of Directors for Counterpath Corporation, EchoSec Systems, Encepta Corp., Pretio Interactive, Referral SaaSquatch, and Tutela Technologies.On the community engagement side Owen is a Governor on the Board of Power to Be, a non-profit organization that empowers people to explore their limitless abilities through inclusive adventures rooted in nature. He has been active on the board of advisors for the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria, Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island and St. Margaret’s School.He is also on the board of directors for the Victoria Innovation, Advanced Technology and Entrepreneurship Council, Victoria’s one-stop hub connecting people, knowledge, and resources to grow and promote the local technology sector.

This week on The Startup Science Podcast, Greg is joined by pioneering technology entrepreneur and investor Owen Matthews. As Chairman of Alacrity Canada, Owen has made major contributions to Western Canada's tech ecosystem through his ventures and his work with Alacrity. As Chairman, Owen has helped bring over $225 million into Western Canada's tech ecosystem and employed 300+ people. He is a true community builder, supporting technology education initiatives, serving on numerous boards, and giving back through philanthropic organizations. On the show, Greg and Owen discuss his varied career, lessons learned along the way, advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, the future of the Canadian tech scene, and more. Tune in to hear insights from this pioneer, who has dedicated his career to building technology companies and giving back.

About Owen Matthews: Owen helps lead the vision and direction of the Alacrity Foundation and is a major contributor to the local technology community in Victoria. He donates his time and resources to multiple groups within and outside of the Alacrity portfolio.Owen is also a General Partner at Wesley Clover International, responsible for managing their technology portfolio. Wesley Clover is a private investment firm with active portfolios in technology, hospitality and commercial real estate.Prior to his move to Wesley Clover in 2007, Owen was the founder and CEO of NewHeights Software. NewHeights was a pioneer in enterprise unified communication products and was acquired by CounterPath Corporation.
Owen is an active member on the Board of Directors for Counterpath Corporation, EchoSec Systems, Encepta Corp., Pretio Interactive, Referral SaaSquatch, and Tutela Technologies.On the community engagement side Owen is a Governor on the Board of Power to Be, a non-profit organization that empowers people to explore their limitless abilities through inclusive adventures rooted in nature. He has been active on the board of advisors for the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria, Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island and St. Margaret’s School.He is also on the board of directors for the Victoria Innovation, Advanced Technology and Entrepreneurship Council, Victoria’s one-stop hub connecting people, knowledge, and resources to grow and promote the local technology sector.