Venture with Grace

David Zhu is the Co-Founder and CEO of Reevo.~~~~~~~~~~~~~This episode is brought to you by Nebius — the ultimate cloud for AI innovators.Nebius provides AI infrastructure you can count on, combining reliability and speed with flexibility and engineering support unmatched by hyperscalers.AI leaders like Meta, Shopify, and Higgsfield already partner with Nebius to run their AI workloads. Plus, venture-backed startups can save up to $150,000 on compute costs when they apply for access. Visit nebius.com or nebius.com/startups to learn more~~~~~~~~~~~~~Building an integrated platform that connects the full revenue journey from first customer touch to closed deal, while running Zhu Ventures as General Partner backing era-defining companies—after scaling DoorDash from $700M Series C to $75B IPO as Head of Engineering across New Verticals (grocery/alcohol/retail), Money (payments/compliance), Platforms (identity/developer tools), and Enterprise (Drive/Work solutions) leading 200+ engineers, plus Head of Growth/Engineering at OpenStore ($40M revenue, $970M Series B valuation), Cisco NEMO founder, and Acer/iGware engineering leader through $395M acquisition. Serial scale-up operator turned founder/VC with playbook for 100x company transformations. Earlier in his career, he founded and led engineering within Cisco’s incubation unit and was part of iGware, which exited for $395M.Podcast Topics

• How Reevo Eliminates Fragmented GTM Stack Inefficiencies Through Integrated Revenue Platforms
• Tips from Managing 200+ Engineers Across Platforms as DoorDash Scaled from $700M Startup to $75B Public Company
• Designing the Financial Infrastructure Behind Marketplaces

#SalesTech #Reevo #DoorDash #OpenStore #Startups #VC

Kathy Ross is the CEO of Sequoia One.~~~~~~~~~~~~~This episode is brought to you by Nebius — the ultimate cloud for AI innovators.Nebius provides AI infrastructure you can count on, combining reliability and speed with flexibility and engineering support unmatched by hyperscalers.AI leaders like Meta, Shopify, and Higgsfield already partner with Nebius to run their AI workloads. Plus, venture-backed startups can save up to $150,000 on compute costs when they apply for access. Visit nebius.com or nebius.com/startups to learn more~~~~~~~~~~~~~Leading all aspects of the PEO business to drive growth, retain clients, and enhance employee engagement. With deep expertise in revenue growth, sales operations, margin expansion, digital transformation, and service operations, she has built a reputation for operational excellence across HR technology, occupational health, and total compensation services. Kathy’s prior leadership roles include Senior VP at Paylocity, Division VP at Abbott, and executive positions at ADP and ARAMARK. She is a Cornell University alum with an MBA from Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management and an active member of C200 and Exceptional Women Alliance.Topics

• How Sequoia One helps VC-backed startups optimize comp/benefits during hypergrowth
• Scaling Paylocity client operations across 3,000 employees through digital transformation
• PEO strategies that reduce people spend while boosting retention for tech scaleups

#HRTech #SequoiaOne #Paylocity #Abbott #StartupHR

David Kwon is a Partner at Abstract, a $1.8B AUM venture capital firm and early partner to category-defining companies including xAI, SpaceX, Solana, Rippling, and Cognition. He focuses on frontier AI and next-generation software investments, helping lead backing for high-growth companies such as Polymarket, Decart, Hedra, and Socket, alongside multiple stealth ventures. Previously, he led enterprise software investing at Greycroft, backing breakout companies including Extra Card, ZenBusiness, and MNTN that later reached unicorn status, and began his career at Stripes investing in growth-stage software and consumer companies. Berkeley Economics BA and Forbes 30 Under 30 VC, David spots technical excellence traditional funds miss, bridging research to unicorn trajectories.Topics

• How Abstract sourced xAI SpaceX and Cognition before trillion-dollar narratives too shape
• Lessons carried from Stripes and Greycroft into early-stage investing, and how late-stage metrics inform seed and Series A conviction
• Spotting Polymarket Hedra and Vapi when AI agents were fringe ideas

#VentureCapital #VC #AbstractVC #xAI #Polymarket

Brian Powers is Co-Founder and CEO of Markups.ai, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~This episode is brought to you by Nebius — the ultimate cloud for AI innovators.Nebius provides AI infrastructure you can count on, combining reliability and speed with flexibility and engineering support unmatched by hyperscalers.AI leaders like Meta, Shopify, and Higgsfield already partner with Nebius to run their AI workloads. Plus, venture-backed startups can save up to $150,000 on compute costs when they apply for access. Visit nebius.com or nebius.com/startups to learn more~~~~~~~~~~~~~Where Agent Marko—the AI contract colleague—negotiates MSAs, NDAs, DPAs from your inbox with zero software installs, creating custom playbooks from your precedents for perfect redlines and analysis in minutes while integrating with existing CLMs and folders. Previously, Brian co-founded TemperPack, scaling it to $100M+ in revenue and earning recognition as Forbes 30 Under 30 and EY Entrepreneur of the Year (Mid-Atlantic). With a background in investment banking at Moelis & Company and a Wharton School finance degree, he blends operational scaling, AI product strategy, and legal tech innovation to transform how enterprises handle contracts efficiently.Topics

• How Agent Marko negotiates contracts from inboxes without CLM migrations or training
• Lessons from scaling TemperPack to $100M+ in sales and operational growth through enterprise sales and sustainability tailwinds
• Why AI agents beat legal ops teams at routine agreements while lawyers focus on strategy

#LegalTech #AIContracts #MarkupsAI #VentureWithGrace #LegalAI

Andrew Felbinger is Partner at Urban Innovation Fund.~~~~~~~~~~~~~This episode is brought to you by Nebius — the ultimate cloud for AI innovators.Nebius provides AI infrastructure you can count on, combining reliability and speed with flexibility and engineering support unmatched by hyperscalers.AI leaders like Meta, Shopify, and Higgsfield already partner with Nebius to run their AI workloads. Plus, venture-backed startups can save up to $150,000 on compute costs when they apply for access. Visit nebius.com or nebius.com/startups to learn more~~~~~~~~~~~~~Backing 60+ seed startups solving urban challenges with capital and regulatory expertise—scoring exits like codeSpark, DropCountr, Electriphi (Ford acquisition), and Jiffy while building leaders in climate, mobility, govtech, and proptech. Wharton MBA valedictorian and Seton Hall 4.0 grad, he was Head of Finance & Biz Ops at Grain Technologies (YC W20), earlier Senior Associate at UIF, Acquisitions Associate at Castellan Real Estate Partners, and Barclays AVP building fixed-income trading—now Techstars mentor and founding angel at Vitalize Venture Capital.Podcast Topics

• Scaling Grain Technologies ops during YC while sourcing fund's next decade of unicorns
• Why boring urban infra like permitting and payments creates trillion-dollar opportunities
• Transitioning from Barclays trading to seed investing in tomorrow's city infrastructure

#VentureCapital #PropTech #ClimateTech #GovTech #UrbanInnovationFund

Mek Stittri is the CTO of Stuut, an AI-driven accounts receivable automation platform backed by top VC firms like Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and Khosla Ventures. ~~~~~~~This episode is brought to you by Nebius — the ultimate cloud for AI innovators.Nebius provides AI infrastructure you can count on, combining reliability and speed with flexibility and engineering support unmatched by hyperscalers. AI leaders like Meta, Shopify, and Higgsfield already partner with Nebius to run their AI workloads. Plus, venture-backed startups can save up to $150,000 on compute costs when they apply for access.Visit nebius.com or nebius.com/startups to learn more~~~~~~~Previously VP at GitLab and with deep experience from leadership roles at VMware, he is a seasoned technology executive, startup advisor, and board member who guided complex engineering transformations to enhance performance, collaboration, and efficiency. Known for aligning technology strategy with business goals, fostering high-impact global teams, and delivering results like $6M in annual savings through resource optimization at GitLab, Mek champions AI integration, operational excellence, and talent development to help companies achieve sustainable growth in competitive markets.Topics:

• AI-Driven Platform Scaling
• Engineering Org Transformation
• Resource Optimization Strategies

#AI #EngineeringLeadership #CTO #SaaS #Fintech #AIPlatforms #GitLab #VMware #Startups #VentureCapital

Javad Mostofizadeh is Partner at WilmerHale's San Francisco.~~~~~~~~~~~~~This episode is brought to you by Nebius — the ultimate cloud for AI innovators.Nebius provides AI infrastructure you can count on, combining reliability and speed with flexibility and engineering support unmatched by hyperscalers.AI leaders like Meta, Shopify, and Higgsfield already partner with Nebius to run their AI workloads. Plus, venture-backed startups can save up to $150,000 on compute costs when they apply for access. Visit nebius.com or nebius.com/startups to learn more~~~~~~~~~~~~~A corporate practice, advising top venture capital, growth equity, and private equity funds—from seed to late-stage—on fund formation, structuring, operations, investor relations, partnership agreements, tax issues, and strategic lifecycle management for US and international clients including opportunity funds, fund-of-funds, and SPVs. Returning to WilmerHale after Partner roles at Latham & Watkins (Silicon Valley) and Gunderson Dettmer (fund formation/tax), Javad brings 15+ years counseling elite Bay Area funds through market cycles with deep relationships across the innovation economy.Topics

• How top VC funds structure seed-to-late-stage vehicles amid AI infrastructure frenzy
• Negotiating LP terms when elite investors demand side letters and co-invest rights
• Operating multi-stage funds through down markets and $100B+ follow-on rounds

#VentureCapital #FundFormation #PrivateEquity #WilmerHale #VCFunds

Patrick Thompson is Co-Founder and CEO of Clarify.~~~~~~~~~~~~~This episode is brought to you by Nebius — the ultimate cloud for AI innovators.Nebius provides AI infrastructure you can count on, combining reliability and speed with flexibility and engineering support unmatched by hyperscalers.AI leaders like Meta, Shopify, and Higgsfield already partner with Nebius to run their AI workloads. Plus, venture-backed startups can save up to $150,000 on compute costs when they apply for access. Visit nebius.com or nebius.com/startups to learn more~~~~~~~~~~~~~The AI-native CRM platform automating pipeline management, outreach, and follow-ups for early-stage startups—replacing fragmented tools with autonomous agents that let sales teams focus on selling. Three-time founder who co-founded Iteratively (acquired by Amplitude for $5.4M where he became Director of Product), built Atlassian's Jira growth team as Design Manager, and led design at Syncplicity—now angel investor in 15+ startups including Warp, CoScreen (Datadog acquisition), Inflection.io, Reforge, Revefi, and Limited Partner at Madrona/Ascend.vc/Essence VC with Community Access Fund. Seattle-based lifelong learner, photographer, and yogi balancing startup life with family.Topics:

• How Clarify's AI agents eliminate manual CRM busywork so founders can focus on customers
• Building Iteratively from zero to Amplitude acquisition then leading product post-exit
• Why early sales teams need autonomous focus not dashboards and deal stages

#CRM #AIAgents #Clarify #Amplitude #Atlassian

Henry W. (Lifan Wang) is Co-Founder and COO of Kaon (prev. FlowGPT).~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This episode is brought to you by Nebius — the ultimate cloud for AI innovators. Nebius provides AI infrastructure you can count on, combining reliability and speed with flexibility and engineering support unmatched by hyperscalers. AI leaders like Meta, Shopify, and Higgsfield already partner with Nebius to run their AI workloads. Plus, venture-backed startups can save up to $150,000 on compute costs when they apply for access. Visit nebius.com or nebius.com/startups to learn more ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The AI-native content platform backed by DCM, Goodwater, and B Capital—scaling FlowGPT.com to 5M DAU in 6 months as the world's largest prompt platform with Google/HuggingFace hackathons, FlowStudio (text-to-film engine, Product Hunt #1 & Golden Kitty nominee), and Emochi (10M+ users, fastest-growing AI content platform). Ex-Amazon Software Development Manager (5+ years), Berkeley Haas MBA, Henry drove SEO/organic growth, content supply chains, and AI infra strategy while building creator communities that turned viral prompts into billion-impression businesses.Topics

• How FlowGPT hit 5M DAU in 6 months through creator-led prompt hackathons with Google
• Building FlowStudio from zero to Product Hunt Golden Kitty as the first text-to-film AI engine
• Scaling Emochi to 10M users blending paid ads with organic creator supply-demand networks

#ConsumerAI #FlowGPT #AIPrompts #ProductHunt #AIContent

Byron Ling is Partner at Twelve Below.~~~~~~~~~~~~~This episode is brought to you by Nebius — the ultimate cloud for AI innovators.Nebius provides AI infrastructure you can count on, combining reliability and speed with flexibility and engineering support unmatched by hyperscalers. AI leaders like Meta, Shopify, and Higgsfield already partner with Nebius to run their AI workloads. Plus, venture-backed startups can save up to $150,000 on compute costs when they apply for access. Visit nebius.com or nebius.com/startups to learn more~~~~~~~~~~~~~Twelve Blow is an NYC seed/pre-seed VC firm ($160M AUM) backing breakthrough software-enabled businesses with high-conviction 10-15% ownership stakes—leading investments in Ro, Papa, K Health, Mirror (LULU acquisition), Italic, Osmind, Mantra Health, Odyssey Energy, Accrue Savings, Croissant, Campus, Truehold, Solstice, Health Universe, Conduit Health, Rondah AI, Barnwell Bio, VoiceOps, and Arya. NYC ecosystem veteran since Gilt Groupe operator days (2010), Byron honed thesis at Primary Venture Partners and Canaan Partners before co-founding Twelve Below with Taylor Greene (ex-Collaborative Fund/Lerer Hippeau) to nurture founders through product-market fit with hands-on strategy and networks. Wharton MBA holder focused on consumer health, healthcare infra, fintech, energy, SMB, and consumer.Topics:

• Why NYC remains the underrated hub for healthtech fintech and consumer startups despite SF dominance
• Building breakthrough companies through product-market fit with hands-on networks from day zero
• Spotting defensible software moats in complex markets like healthcare infrastructure and energy

#SeedInvesting #VentureCapital #ConsumerHealth #HealthcareInfrastructure #EarlyStage