🎧 Building Health & Wealth Equity with Sydney Thomas of Symphonic Capital

What does it take to close the gaps in health and wealth access—and build a future where equity isn't just a buzzword, but a business model?

In this episode of The Optimist Circuit, we sit down with Sydney Thomas, founder of Symphonic Capital, a trailblazing venture firm backing health tech and fintech companies working to dismantle systemic barriers. With a background shaped by lived experience and a sharp eye for resourceful founders, Sydney is rewriting the rules of early-stage investing—one values-driven startup at a time.

💡 In this conversation, you'll learn:

• Why resourcefulness is the #1 trait she looks for in founders ("making a dollar out of ten cents")
• How companies like Flourish Care help moms access doula services through their insurance—solving not just care gaps, but information gaps
• Why climate resiliency is the next frontier for both health and wealth equity
• Her measured take on AI as a tool—not a replacement—for human-centered decision-making
• How Sydney stays grounded and optimistic through community, storytelling, and listening to elders for historical context

🎙️ Whether you're a founder, investor, or future-builder, this episode will leave you feeling energized, thoughtful, and ready to invest your time and values into something greater.

Sydney is the Founder and General Partner of Symphonic Capital, an early-stage VC firm investing in the next generation of institutions serving overlooked and underserved communities. She has focused on this thesis for the past decade and is now on a mission to elevate the perspectives of founders, investors and LPs who have a diverse set of lived experiences and are dedicated to solving problems that impact the majority of people. She participates in several extracurricular activities to increase diversity in tech and level the playing field more broadly. 

Sydney is a proven fund builder and investor. She joined one of Silicon Valley’s first Pre-Seed funds and scaled it from a Solo Operating GP with 10 investments to a 3-person team with 400+ investments and $200M+ in AUM.

👉 Follow Sydney on LinkedIn and explore her work at symphoniccapital.com.

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Season 1, Episode 2 – Informed Optimism: Harnessing AI for Sustainability and Social Good

Ellen Spooner and Francesca Fernandez welcome you to The Optimist Circuit podcast, where they explore the powerful intersection of technology, sustainability, and social impact. This episode takes you behind the scenes of their vision for the podcast and introduces the co-hosts' impressive backgrounds.

Ellen shares how Francesca has shaped environmental and community development programs for organizations ranging from startups to Fortune 500 tech companies, including her work with innovation competitions like XPRIZE. Francesca reveals her journey from humanitarian work to sustainability, realizing that community prosperity depends fundamentally on healthy ecosystems. In turn, Francesca highlights Ellen's eight-year career in strategic communications, from leading ocean conservation campaigns in the South Pacific to her recent work exploring AI and sustainability.

What makes The Optimist Circuit unique is its deliberate focus on solutions rather than dwelling exclusively on problems. While acknowledging the real challenges of AI—from energy consumption to potential social disruptions—Ellen and Francesca are committed to showcasing concrete examples of technology driving positive change. They spotlight innovations like Citrineio, which uses AI to invent new materials that solve specific sustainability challenges, and explore how major tech companies’ demand for energy could accelerate renewable infrastructure at unprecedented scale.

The hosts embrace what they call "informed optimism"—acknowledging difficulties while actively highlighting pathways forward. As they explain, we're at a pivotal moment in the AI revolution where there's still time to shape how these powerful technologies evolve.

Subscribe now and join a growing community that believes technology and nature can—and must—work together to create a brighter, more sustainable future for everyone.

🎧 Follow and connect with us:

• LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube: @TheOptimistCircuit

#AIforGood #SustainableTech #Podcast #TheOptimistCircuit #InformedOptimism #TechForChange #AIEthics #ClimateTech #InnovationForImpact

In this episode of The Optimist Circuit, we sit down with Cheryl Goodman, a trailblazing tech executive and founder of Goodtech. With a career spanning Qualcomm, Sony, and Startup San Diego, Cheryl shares her insights on navigating the AI revolution, building influence in tech, and the power of strategic communications in emerging industries.

From AI's role in reshaping brand storytelling to how non-tech professionals can thrive in an AI-driven world, this conversation is packed with insider wisdom, career strategies, and bold predictions for the future of technology.

🎧 Tune in to discover:
✅ How AI is transforming corporate communications
✅ Strategies for making an impact in emerging tech spaces
✅ The mindset shifts needed to succeed in the evolving digital landscape

Subscribe now and join the conversation on the intersection of AI, tech, and human innovation! 🚀✨

Cheryl K. Goodman 

[email protected] 

CEO, FindGood.tech - Author - "How to Win Friends and Influence Robots" ebook & print 

Forbes | Technology Programming |  Certified AI Workforce Expert 

 Mind the Machine Podcast  

Watch on Spotify  & Youtube or listen at Apple or anywhere you like to hear your podcasts. 

Welcome to The Optimist Circuit podcast where we are Building the Circuit: Connecting AI, Tech, Nature, and People to Spark Optimism and Power Solutions for Society.

The Optimist Circuit podcast is your gateway to exploring how human ingenuity—combined with AI, technology, and nature—is solving society’s most pressing challenges.

Through compelling interviews with AI, tech, and business leaders, real-world case studies, and stories of groundbreaking innovation, The Optimist Circuit delivers insights and inspiring narratives that highlight how technology and nature can work together to create a better future.

Join hosts Ellen Spooner and Francesca Fernandez as they spotlight the pioneers behind businesses, startups, and research, revealing the human ingenuity driving transformative ideas that connect communities and amplify human potential.

Ellen Spooner, co-founder and cohost of The Optimist Circuit, brings over eight years of strategic communication experience with organizations like NOAA, the Smithsonian, and the Waitt Institute. Her expertise in making complex science accessible to millions and her passion for AI and tech drive the podcast’s commitment to impactful storytelling.

Francesca Fernandez, co-founder and cohost of The Optimist Circuit, is a circular economy and sustainability strategist with over a decade of experience in circularity, decarbonization, and nature & biodiversity. She specializes in maximizing value and minimizing waste—whether in material flows, emissions, habitat loss, or social inequity. Francesca’s expertise in strategy, innovation, and human-centered research informs her passion for building a healthier planet and more equitable communities.

Our mission is to empower changemakers, innovators, and thought leaders with stories and strategies that prove optimism, collaboration, and innovation are the keys to solving global challenges.

Subscribe now and be part of the conversation shaping the future of tech, AI, and sustainability.