Stephen Crook, Executive Director at Achieve Kids, explains how the organization supports students with special needs through individualized education, behavioral support, and vocational training. For over 60 years, Achieve Kids has provided a structured and supportive environment where students can develop independence. By working closely with school districts, educators, and families, the organization helps students transition back into public schools or the workforce. Stephen also shares the challenges and rewards of leading a nonprofit in special education, the impact of mentorship on student success, and how Achieve Kids partners with 35+ school districts to fulfill its mission.

Stephen Crook, Executive Director at AchieveKids, explains how the organization supports students with special needs through individualized education, behavioral support, and vocational training. For over 60 years, AchieveKids has provided a structured and supportive environment where students can develop independence. By working closely with school districts, educators, and families, the organization helps students transition back into public schools or the workforce. In this special Podcasthon episode, Stephen also shares the challenges and rewards of leading a nonprofit in special education, the impact of mentorship on student success, and how AchieveKids partners with 35+ school districts to fulfill its mission.

In this episode, you'll learn:

[03:00] How Stephen’s journey from psychology research to teaching led him to AchieveKids

[07:34] What makes AchieveKids different from traditional special education programs

[14:01] A powerful success story of a student overcoming severe behavioral challenges

[20:50] Why teacher shortages threaten special education and what’s being done about it

[23:09] The biggest challenges families face when seeking support for their children

[26:04] The future of AchieveKids and how the program is expanding to meet growing needs

Stephen Crook is the Executive Director of AchieveKids, a nonprofit school serving students with special needs. With a background in developmental psychology, teaching, and school administration, he has dedicated his career to improving special education programs and advocating for students with disabilities. Before joining AchieveKids, Stephen worked as a therapeutic teacher and school director, helping students with significant behavioral and emotional needs gain the skills to succeed in school and beyond.

AchieveKids is a nonprofit school that serves students ages 5 to 22 with autism, intellectual disabilities, emotional needs, and developmental challenges. With campuses in Palo Alto and East San Jose, AchieveKids partners with 35+ school districts to provide individualized education, behavioral support, mental health services, and vocational training. The goal is to help every student transition into a more independent and fulfilling life.

Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.

Allen Taylor, Managing Partner at Endeavor Catalyst, shares how Endeavor is fueling the rise of world-class startups in emerging markets—places often overlooked by traditional venture capital. Allen reveals how Endeavor identifies and supports high-potential founders before investing, why scaling talent is just as critical as scaling products, and how global ecosystems are evolving to produce unicorns from regions like Latin America, the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa. He also shares practical advice for founders operating outside established innovation hubs and highlights how Endeavor’s unique investment model flips traditional venture capital on its head.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

[03:00] How Allen’s international career led him to Endeavor and a global mission to support entrepreneurs in overlooked markets

[05:55] Why talent is everywhere—but opportunity isn’t—and how Endeavor flips the script on where billion-dollar companies are built

[09:50] The contrarian strategy that made Endeavor Catalyst one of the most successful global venture funds

[15:31] What does it take to become an Endeavor startup? 

[25:48] The biggest challenges founders face outside major tech hubs—and why scaling talent is the hardest part of growth

[29:04] Why Allen is bullish on Latin America, the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa as the next breakout regions for global innovation

The non-profit organization Allen is passionate about: Kauffman Fellows

Allen Taylor is the Managing Partner at Endeavor Catalyst, the venture capital fund supporting Endeavor’s global community of high-impact entrepreneurs. With nearly 20 years at Endeavor, Allen has helped drive the organization's global expansion and innovative investment model, which backs companies across Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and beyond. Previously, Allen worked in international development and studied in Argentina, igniting his passion for supporting global entrepreneurship. Allen is also a Kauffman Fellow and serves on the board of the Kauffman Fellows Program.

Endeavor Catalyst is the co-investment fund of Endeavor, the leading global community of high-impact entrepreneurs. Since 2012, Endeavor Catalyst has invested in over 300 companies across 30+ countries, backing founders who are building transformative businesses in emerging and underserved markets. With a rules-based model, Endeavor Catalyst automatically invests alongside professional VCs when Endeavor Entrepreneurs raise Series A, B, or C rounds. Its portfolio includes Latin America’s first unicorn, Mercado Libre, and pioneering companies like Nubank and InstaDeep.

Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.

Connor Ryan, Partner at Bridge Venture Fund, shares his insights on investing in overlooked markets and the importance of sustainable unit economics. He explains why he prioritizes revenue quality over aggressive growth, the difference between projected and demonstrated product-market fit, and how Bridge Venture Fund supports startups tackling inefficiencies in industries like legal tech and sports sponsorship analytics. Connor also discusses the asymmetric risks in venture capital and how VCs can better support founders, even when things don’t go as planned.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
[02:27] From private equity to venture capital—Connor’s unconventional path and why he invests in overlooked industries

[07:06] How Bridge Venture Fund identifies overlooked industries ripe for innovation

[12:28] The two key questions Connor asks in every pitch meeting

[16:52] How legal tech startups like CaseText are transforming traditional workflows

[17:32] Why non-lead VCs like Bridge Venture Fund have to move fast but still maintain rigorous diligence

[22:38] The most common reason Connor passes on startups: weak unit economics and misleading LTV/CAC assumptions

[27:49] Connor’s perspective on venture capital’s asymmetric risk and why founders bear the brunt of failure

The non-profit organization that Connor is passionate about: World Wildlife Fund

About Connor Ryan

Connor Ryan is a Partner at Bridge Venture Fund, where he focuses on investing in startups serving overlooked and underserved industries. Before joining Bridge, he worked in private equity and investment banking, gaining deep insights into business model sustainability and market inefficiencies. Connor holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and is passionate about supporting founders who bring real innovation to lagging industries.

About Bridge Venture Fund

Bridge Venture Fund is a Chicago-based early-stage VC firm investing in startups that serve industries underserved by innovation. With a focus on sustainable unit economics and market-defining solutions, the firm has backed companies in legal tech, sports sponsorship analytics, retail, and more. Notable investments include CaseText (acquired by Thomson Reuters) and Trajektory.

Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.

David Hornik, founding partner at Lobby Capital, shares insights from his 25-year journey in the industry. David discusses the evolution of venture capital, the growing importance of relationships over transactions, and his structured yet practical approach to investing. He highlights how liquidity challenges impact founders and early investors. David also shares his take on what makes a startup truly investable and why understanding a problem deeply is more valuable than chasing market trends.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

[06:14] How venture capital has evolved from a simple early- vs. late-stage VC model to today's fragmented landscape with seed, pre-seed, and late-stage funds

[09:57] Entrepreneurship was for misfits in the 90’s; it’s now a top career choice.

[19:06] Networking is a key driver for startup connections and investment in venture capital.

[26:23] How David evaluates startups

[32:21] Common reasons for saying no to a startups

[35:07] Why even great VCs miss billion-dollar opportunities

The non-profit organization that David is passionate about: Institute of Contemporary Art in San Francisco

About David Hornik

David Hornik is the founding partner of Lobby Capital, a Silicon Valley-based venture firm focused on Series A investments. With nearly 25 years in venture capital, he previously spent two decades at August Capital. A seasoned investor, he has backed companies like Fastly, Splunk, and MaintainX. David also created Lobby, a renowned invite-only conference fostering deep founder-investor relationships. In addition to investing, he teaches entrepreneurship at Stanford and Harvard. Known for his relationship-driven approach, he emphasizes market potential, customer validation, and founder expertise when evaluating startups. He and his wife support the Institute of Contemporary Art in San Francisco.

About Lobby Capital

Lobby Capital is a Silicon Valley-based venture firm founded on decades of experience and a powerful network of entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders. Emerging from the renowned Lobby Conference community, the firm takes a people-first, hands-on approach to Series A investing. By providing deep expertise, strategic connections, and dedicated support, Lobby Capital helps founders scale and build transformative companies. With a strong belief that great businesses are built by great people, the firm leverages relationships to drive venture success and long-term impact. Its portfolio companies include Vantage Discovery, Kolena, Apera AI, Ownify, Procyon.ai, Faros AI, The Easy Company, Sprout Labs, Better Trucks, ForeVR Games among others.

Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.

Pablo Srugo, partner at Mistral Venture Partners and host of The Product Market Fit Show, shares his journey from co-founding startups like Gymtrack to becoming a venture capitalist focused on seed-stage investments. He reflects on the lessons learned through his and other founders' entrepreneurial highs and lows, including raising $6 million for a wearable tech company and navigating the challenges of a failed acquisition.

Now, as an investor, Pablo emphasizes the importance of founder passion, solving top-priority customer problems, and the "why" behind ventures. He discusses what makes founders stand out, noting that only 10% of first meetings turn into investments. With vivid examples, like a company scaling to $90M in revenue before a dramatic downturn, Pablo provides an authentic look into the messy realities of early-stage investing.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

[01:50] Meet Pablo Srugo: From startup hustler to VC

[06:24] Why some founders make poor investors and vice versa

[09:08] The art of letting go: The ability to step back as an investor

[13:05] How a compelling founder’s personal story and origin drives VC decision-making

[16:49] Pablo’s focus on team, market fit, and value proposition

[23:40] Value creation vs. noise: Understanding and delivering clear value is the most critical factor in gaining an investor’s conviction to invest.

[30:25] Lessons from missed opportunities: Pablo passed on a startup that later scaled 30x and learned the importance of truly understanding the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).

[35:48] The Product Market Fit Show dissects the zero-to-one journey of successful founders and shares lessons from those who failed despite early traction.

Felipe Camposano, Managing Partner at Taram Capital, shares his journey as a pioneer in Chile's venture capital ecosystem and his efforts to support startups across Latin America. He discusses his transition from entrepreneur to investor, emphasizing his focus on mission-driven founders and leveraging networks for deal sourcing and evaluation. Felipe highlights Taram Capital’s unique approach to scaling startups through corporate partnerships, the importance of founder obsession with solving problems, and the critical role of localization in the region. He also shares insights from portfolio companies like YAPP and Webdox, showcasing the value of strong teams and founder-led growth.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

[02:05] Felipe’s Path to VC: From entrepreneur to investor, Felipe reflects on early lessons in founder selection at Fundación Chile.

[07:36] Evolving the Chilean VC Landscape: Launching one of Chile's first VC funds to support local entrepreneurs and regional expansion.

[10:31] The Genesis of Taram Capital: Leveraging corporate partnerships to help startups scale their go-to-market strategies.

[13:15] Focus Areas for Investment: B2B SaaS, fintech, e-commerce, and data-driven solutions with a localization focus.

[17:40] Investing with Fewer but Deeper Relationships: Building a network-driven approach to founder evaluation and support.

[26:24] Spotlight on Portfolio Companies: YAPP simplifies health-tech connections; Webdox fosters business growth collaborative contract management.

The non-profit organization Felipe is passionate about: ChileFlorida.org

About Felipe Camposano

Felipe Camposano is the Managing Partner at Taram Capital and Strategic Planning Chair at ASEM-BIO (The Chilean Biotechnology Association). He co-founded Lucien Biotech, holds board seats at DICTUC’s Agro Biotech Center, and previously directed New Business Development at Fundación Chile. Felipe founded INTRA, an enterprise knowledge management firm, and co-founded NEXION, offering tech development services in China. He has advised CORFO and ProChile, taught technology marketing at Universidad Católica, written for BioNexa, and holds patents recognized with innovation awards. His career spans venture creation, investment, and international business development across Latin America and beyond.

About Taram Capital

Taram Capital is a Santiago-based early-stage venture capital firm specializing in early-stage investments in software, information technology, and healthcare. With a primary focus on Chile and the United States, Taram has made investments in companies such as Andes STR, Keirón, Regcheq, Dentalink, TaskHuman, Radar (Financial Services), SimpliRoute, Lirmi, LAP Global, and Webdox.

Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.

Neil Devani, founder of Necessary Ventures, shares his journey from healthcare and healthcare policy to venture capital, focusing on mission-driven startups tackling societal challenges. He discusses his investment strategy, offering insights into evaluating startups for transformative potential, talent retention, capital efficiency, and impactful storytelling. Neil highlights the importance of customer empathy and avoiding gratuitous technology. He also advocates for quality over speed during venture deals, emphasizing the importance of long-term founder-VC alignment. With a thoughtful approach to impact and innovation, Neil provides actionable advice for navigating the VC landscape.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
[01:49] How Neil’s early frustrations with the U.S. healthcare system inspired a desire to address systemic issues through technology and startups.

[08:43] Creating Necessary Ventures with a mission to invest in companies addressing major societal challenges with innovative solutions.

[11:38] Necessary Ventures investment strategy and philosophy: Mission-driven companies are prioritized for their competitive advantages in talent retention, capital efficiency, and market visibility.

[14:37] The importance of avoiding "gratuitous" uses of technology and focusing on practical, impactful applications.

[19:33] Speed vs. quality in venture capital: Prioritize long-term founder/VC alignment over short-term funding speed.

[23:13] Have deep customer empathy and offer a solution providing transformative value to win over investors.

[28:48] The future of Necessary Ventures: Fostering a unique approach to creating and measuring impact and value-add to startups.

The non-profit organization Neil is passionate about: Upsolve

About Neil Devani

Neil Devani is the founder and managing partner of Necessary Ventures, where he prioritizes investments in companies tackling complex challenges, particularly in healthcare, financial services, and education. His portfolio also includes startups in emerging technologies such as machine learning and robotics. Beyond investing, Neil serves as an advisor to various companies, nonprofits, and venture funds. He holds a J.D. from Stanford Law School, attended medical school at Drexel University, and earned a B.S. from Pennsylvania State University.

About Necessary Ventures

Necessary Ventures is a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm specializing in seed to early-stage investments in AI, healthcare, and machine learning. The firm focuses primarily on companies in North America and Europe, with a particular emphasis on San Francisco, London, and New York. Its portfolio includes companies such as Plural Energy, Unlearn.AI, Readout AI, Magrathea, Rubi Laboratories, and Mooch, among others.

Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.

Dave Anderson, founding general partner at Beat Ventures, discusses his approach to investing in tech startups targeting overlooked legacy industries. He highlights the role of AI in revolutionizing these industries, giving examples of predictive AI application in meat processing and generative AI in finance. Dave stresses the importance of building Silicon Valley networks for funding and hiring while maintaining close customer relationships for execution. Drawing from his unconventional journey into venture capital, he calls for more diversity in the industry to open up opportunities for both founders and investors.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
[04:40] Challenges legacy industries face in adopting new technology
[09:15] Beat Ventures’ focus on niche markets with high growth potential
[14:22] The importance of networking in Silicon Valley and proximity to customers
[19:08] How democratized technology is fostering diverse founders and investors
[21:47] Notable AI innovations transforming legacy industries

The non-profit organization Dave is passionate about: San Francisco School Board

About Dave Anderson

Dave Anderson is a Founding Partner and General Partner at Beat Ventures. Dave previously served as an Associate at Toyota AI Ventures. Prior to that, he co-founded Bamboo Detroit, the city’s first and largest co-working space for entrepreneurs, and was the director of venture services at NextEnergy, an early-stage technology incubator. An electrical engineer with experience in advanced battery systems, Dave worked with Bosch Battery Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems. He’s recognized as one of Crain Detroit Business’s 20 in their 20s and featured by Huffington Post and ABC’s 20/20. He holds an electrical engineering degree from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he helped launch HBS Accelerate.

About Beat Ventures

Beat Ventures is a San Francisco-based VC firm investing in AI-driven companies that enhance human performance in overlooked legacy industries. Focused on pre-seed and seed stages, Beat Ventures supports startups using applied AI to complement human ingenuity, rather than replace it. The firm believes the future's most impactful companies will blend technology and human creativity to advance business and society. Its portfolio includes Volur, Stack AI, Truewind, Bitpart AI, Treehouse, Fishtail, Theo AI, Bolo AI, Poka Labs, Safe, Dropverse, and Clockwork.

Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.

Yiğit Ihlamur, co-founder and general partner at Vela Partners, shares his unique venture capital approach, which combines data analysis with personal connections to identify exceptional founders. At Vela Partners, an algorithmic scan of companies helps narrow down investment choices, but final decisions hinge on assessing founder resilience and motivation during meetings. Yiğit explains that, typically, he has already decided to invest by the time he meets a founder; the meeting confirms his conviction. He also discusses AI’s role in shaping the future of productivity tools and offers valuable advice to founders on preparation and authenticity when seeking investment.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

[02:06] Yiğit's journey from Google to venture capital, and his unique approach to combining engineering and venture investing.

[06:27] How Vela Partners integrates artificial intelligence and quant-driven algorithms to identify high-potential startups

[10:21] The significance of a balanced quantitative and qualitative assessment in VC investing

[12:41] How AI is enabling the next generation of productivity tools

[19:08] Articulate your personal story, intrinsic motivation, and ability to articulate your commitment to solving a particular problem.

[24:07] What should startups do to attract algorithm-driven funds like Vela Partners?

 [27:02] Slow decision-making pace in VC is a problem

The nonprofit organizations Yiğit is passionate about: American College Institute (ACI) in Turkey

About Yiğit Ihlamur

Yiğit Ihlamur is a co-founder, general partner, and Chief Technology Officer at Vela Partners, a venture capital firm specializing in AI and product-led solutions. Prior to Vela, Yiğit had an impactful career at Google, where he led initiatives for Gmail, Chrome, and Google Workspace, focusing on product-led growth strategies such as self-service signups, activation, and pricing flows. Starting in Google's European headquarters, he initially worked on technical support for IT admins and created productivity tools for internal teams. Yiğit is passionate about advancing human productivity through technology. Outside his professional pursuits, he enjoys kitesurfing, skiing, running, and spending time with his family.

About Vela Partners

Vela Partners is a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm specializing in product-led, AI-native startups from inception to Series A. Acting as an "AI startup investing in other AI startups," Vela leverages its proprietary AI to guide investment decisions and enhance its own returns. The firm’s investor-focused tools drive its fund’s performance, while self-service tools for entrepreneurs expand Vela’s brand and distribution channels. Its portfolio includes innovative companies like Vieu, Cartken, Goooods, Nominal, LeakSignal, Base Operations, Cerby, Lightup, Vartana, and Axiom Cloud, among others.

Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.

Jessie Guo, an investment partner at Next Legacy Partners, shares her journey from early life in the northern China town of Dingxiang to a chance meeting with co-founder Russ Hall and joining the team at Next Legacy Partners. The firm supports mission-driven, early-stage tech startups and funds. Jessie discusses their approach to backing both emerging and established managers, highlighting the importance of diversity, discipline, and conviction in choosing investments.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

[02:15] Evolution, mission and core focus of Next Legacy Partners

[09:10] The venture ecosystem expansion; new opportunities for emerging managers

[12:30] Differences between Next Legacy’s emerging and established manager portfolios

[19:32] The importance of differentiation in forming the conviction to back emerging managers

[26:50] Two key areas for improvement in venture capital

The nonprofit organizations Jessie is passionate about: Venture Forward, Alzheimer's Foundation of America

About Jessie Guo

Jessie Guo is an Investment Partner at Next Legacy Partners, focusing on Flagship and Emerging Leaders strategies. A Kauffman Fellow, Jessie also serves on the permanent board of Bridge Funding Global, supporting women and underserved emerging managers. She brings deep expertise in venture capital, having worked at CICC and China Renaissance, where she led private equity and venture capital investments and helped establish CICC’s fund of funds and wealth management businesses. Jessie earned both her bachelor’s and master’s in Finance from Peking University and an MBA with top honors from UC Davis.

About Next Legacy Partners

Next Legacy Partners is a Silicon Valley-based venture capital and private equity firm dedicated to achieving meaningful returns by backing top early-stage venture capital firms and high-potential founders. Focused on democratizing access to venture capital, Next Legacy Partners invests on behalf of philanthropists, athletes, and changemakers, giving them entry into exclusive venture funds and companies. The firm’s mission extends beyond financial returns, aiming to drive positive impact. Next Legacy investments include: Affinity, Instil, Babylist, Rubrik, Lime, Kitopi, NorthOne, Flexport among others. 

Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.