Welcome to the Arena from ICR – Conversations with Today's Innovators & Business Leaders

As we continue to work on some new episodes for you, please enjoy this episode from June featuring Sami Inkinen, the co-founder and CEO of Virta Health.

Summary:
The medical establishment spent decades telling patients that type 2 diabetes is a chronic and irreversible disease. Today’s guest decided to prove them wrong.

Sami Inkinen is the co-founder and CEO of Virta Health, a company using a combination of nutrition science, remote monitoring technology, and individualized coaching to help patients reverse type 2 diabetes, obesity and other metabolic conditions. 

Previously, Sami co-founded Trulia, the online real estate marketplace, serving as COO and president through its IPO and eventual sale to Zillow. He has also held roles at Microsoft and McKinsey, and rowed from California to Hawaii with his wife to raise awareness of the dangers of sugar.

Sami joins us to talk about how his own health journey influenced his decision to start Virta, the challenges of scaling in the health space, and the incredible success they’ve had in treating metabolic disease. 

Highlights:

• A personal pre-diabetes diagnosis (2:35)
• Lessons from Trulia (6:00)
• Why reversal, not management (9:30)
• Clinical results and outcomes (12:47)
• GLP-1s and Virta’s approach (15:26)
• Technology and personalization (17:33)
• Selling to employers (20:17) 
• Overcoming the status quo (22:33)
• Building a full-stack team (25:15)
• Rowing California to Hawaii (28:30)
• Goals for ‘26 into ‘27 (30:58)

Links:

Sami Inkinen LinkedIn

Virta Health LinkedIn

Virta Health Website

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Twitter

ICR Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you’d like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected]

As we take a short production break for summer we'll be re-releasing some old favorites, including this episode from back in June, featuring Mike Silvestrini, the co-founder and Managing Partner of Energea.

Enjoy! 

Show Notes:
Investing in clean energy infrastructure in emerging markets sounds more altruistic than profitable. But today's company shows that doing the right thing can also be incredibly lucrative.

Mike Silvestrini, co-founder and Managing Partner of Energea, a US-based renewable energy investment platform. Mike's a seasoned renewable energy professional who has played a central role in developing over 500 solar projects across the US, Brazil, and Africa, contributing meaningfully to the global transition to clean energy.

Today, we talk to Mike about how Energea evaluates investment opportunities, how they mitigate risk, and the incredible differences he's been able to make in different regions around the world.

Highlights:

• Where the idea for Energea came from (2:20)
• How the platform functions (5:58)
• The types of deals Energea pursues (7:30)
• The minimum investment in Energea (9:52)
• Investment portfolios (11:53)
• Brazil (13:33)
• Investor Relations (15:27)
• Energea's Wealth Management Channel (18:32)
• Vetting new deals (19:45)
• Big institutional partners — Brookfield & Goldman Sachs (22:20)
• Community impact (24:23)
• Life perspective (28:16)
• Emerging Markets (30:11)
• Goals for '26 into '27 (31:37)

Links:

Mike Silvestrini LinkedIn

Energea LinkedIn

Energea Website

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Twitter

ICR Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected]

Historically, urgent care clinics were places you only went to treat acute injuries, but people are now turning to them for a growing slate of non-emergency medical services. And for operators in the space, that's creating a huge amount of opportunity. 

Jeremy Morgan is the CEO of American Family Care, the nation's leading provider of urgent care with nearly 400 walk-in clinics across the United States. AFC's team of over 3,500 highly trained healthcare professionals deliver care to more than four million patients annually, driving system-wide sales exceeding a billion dollars. 

Jeremy joins us to discuss how changes in American healthcare are impacting AFC's growth prospects, their approach to franchising, and how they're leveraging technology to deliver fast, convenient, and high quality healthcare to the communities they serve. 

Highlights:

• Why Jeremy Joined AFC (2:20)
• Urgent Care as a Retail Business (4:00)
• What Makes AFC Different (6:22)
• Taking Over a Founder's Business (8:26)
• The Three-Stage Growth Plan (10:48)
• Building the Leadership Team (12:58)
• Going All-In on AI (17:36)
• The Case for Franchising with AFC (20:10)
• Buying Out the Competition (25:39)

Links:
Jeremy Morgan LinkedIn
AFC LinkedIn
AFC Website
ICR LinkedIn
ICR Twitter
ICR Website

Feedback:
If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected]

What if instead of a corporate cafeteria, your employer brought a different local restaurant to your office every day? It’s a simple idea, but the execution is surprisingly complicated. 

Orazio Buzza is the founder and CEO of Fooda, a leading workplace dining platform serving offices, hospitals, distribution centers and other workplaces across the US. Before founding Fooda in 2011, Orazio was part of the founding team at Echo Global Logistics, where he served as president and COO and helped take the company public. 

Today, Orazio walks us through how Fooda went from a single pop-up program at a Chicago office to a national platform, how they rebuilt the company almost from scratch after losing 95% of their business during COVID, and why food has become table stakes for employers trying to attract the best talent. 

Highlights:

• Echo Global Logistics and the IPO (1:54)
• The origin of Fooda (4:12)
• The three-sided marketplace (6:06)
• The scale of the business today (12:35)
• City-by-city expansion (13:20)
• Losing 95% of business in COVID (15:00)
• Return to office and food as a perk (19:07)
• Technology and Fooda OS (22:33)
• Goals for ‘26 into ‘27 (27:20)

Links:

Orazio Buzza LinkedIn

Fooda LinkedIn

Fooda Website

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Twitter

ICR Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you’d like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected]

Summary:

In a restaurant, food and labor account for 60 to 65 cents of every dollar spent, and there are a lot of ways to lose money when you’re not watching them closely. Most back-office tools only tell operators what went wrong after the fact; today’s company gives them a clear picture of what’s happening right now, and what it will cost them if they don’t do anything about it.

David Cantu is the CEO of Craftable, one of the hospitality industry’s leading SaaS profit management platforms. He’s been in the industry for approximately 35 years — starting in operations at P.F. Chang’s, co-founding HotSchedules, and most recently serving as CEO of Black Box Intelligence.

Today, David walks us through how Craftable works, what they’re most focused on as they look to automate the back-office workflow, and why you can’t manage costs at the expense of the customer experience.

Highlights:

• Hooked from the first shift (2:08)
• From P.F. Chang's to HotSchedules (2:52)
• How David came to Craftable (6:40)
• The back-office workflow, explained (9:21)
• Scale and ideal customer (11:40)
• Staying operator-first (13:40)
• Actual vs. theoretical (17:37)
• Cost discipline vs. guest experience (20:09)
• Texas Roadhouse and playing the long game (23:18)
• What's next for Craftable (24:29)

Links:

David’s LinkedIn

Craftable LinkedIn

Craftable Website

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Twitter

ICR Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected]

We're taking a short hiatus for the holiday, and we thought now would be a great time to resurface this episode from March about a venture capital fund focused on restoring America’s arms manufacturing capabilities. 

We hope you enjoy! Happy Fourth of July! 

Summary:
When it comes to defense tech, it's not enough to design the best weapons systems, you need to be able to actually build them. Today's company is investing in the infrastructure that will restore American arms manufacturing capabilities, and preserve our advantage in a world that's becoming more dangerous.

Our guest today is Joe Musselman, Founder and Managing Partner of Bravo Victor Venture Capital, a US-based early seed and series-A venture capital fund. Joe is accountable for the firm's strategic vision and day-to-day mission, and leads all teams at the firm, including capital, investment, portfolio, and fund operations.

Since 2019, Joe's invested in companies like Firestorm, Epsilon3, Havoc AI, and notable early breakouts like Anduril, and Figure AI. And importantly for our conversation today, he recently led investments into Union, a new energetics prime where he is Co-Founder and Chairman.

Today, Joe discusses his fascinating journey as a founder, how BVVC is enabling national security start-ups to scale effectively, and why winning the AI race will be crucial for the future of our country.

Highlights:

• Joe's journey (2:17)
• Why defense tech? (6:01)
• Fund in the field (8:26)
• Scaling national security startups (13:18)
• Union and the manufacturing advantage (19:01)
• The importance of AI (23:25)
• Why defense tech investments are crucial (27:29)

Links:

Joe Musselman LinkedIn

Joe Musselman LinkedIn

BVVC Website

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Twitter

ICR Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected]

In ‘ID Fund’, Meghan McGowan and her husband Joe built a platform that gave their investors seamless access to exclusive — and lucrative — private investment opportunities. Now, with their new firm, Barramundi, they hope to build on that previous success by leveraging new technology, and expanding their total addressable market.

Meghan is the Founder and CEO of Barramundi, a private markets and pre-IPO investment firm. Under her leadership, the company has grown to roughly 1.5 billion in assets under management, with more than five hundred million invested across the companies, and they are defining the next era of the economy, from AI infrastructure to drone technology and digital finance.

Meghan joins us to discuss her atypical career path from wine futures to founding Barramundi, and the incredible opportunities they're creating for investors.

Highlights:

• From wine to private markets (2:41)
• Coming up with a better way to invest (7:20)
• Investment opportunities (11:09)
• Barramundi vs. ID Fund (14:02)
• Leveraging Technology (16:38) 
• 50k Minimum (17:50)
• Investing at Inflection Points (18:53)
• Marriage and Business (22:29)
• 5-year Outlook (25:05) 

Links:

Barramundi Website

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Twitter

ICR Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected]

Many people view their dogs as more than just pets — they see them as family members. So when they bring them to the groomer, they want to be sure they're well cared for. And many dog owners are willing to pay a premium for that kind of certainty.

Ricardo Azevedo is the CEO of Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming, America’s largest premium pet brand. Since joining in 2022, Ricardo has led the company from 150 locations to more than 330, adding five to eight new stores every month. 

Prior to Woof Gang, Azevedo held senior leadership roles at Restaurant Brands International, where he worked across iconic brands, including Tim Hortons and Burger King. 

Today, we talk to Ricardo about how his QSR experience translated to the pet space, what it takes to scale a franchise brand sustainably, and why the grooming industry is ripe for a dominant national player.

Highlights:

• A decade at RBI (2:15)
• Inside Woof Gang (5:14)
• The white space in grooming (6:55)
• Footprint, growth, and real estate (9:48)
• Building the infrastructure (13:26)
• Restaurants vs. services (17:07)
• Selecting franchisees (18:38)
• Protecting brand standards (21:49)
• The pet industry today (23:49)
• Goals for ‘26 into ‘27 (27:38)

Links:

Ricardo Azevedo LinkedIn

Woof Gang LinkedIn

Woof Gang Website

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Twitter

ICR Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you’d like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected]

The medical establishment spent decades telling patients that type 2 diabetes is a chronic and irreversible disease. Today’s guest decided to prove them wrong.

Sami Inkinen is the co-founder and CEO of Virta Health, a company using a combination of nutrition science, remote monitoring technology, and individualized coaching to help patients reverse type 2 diabetes, obesity and other metabolic conditions. 

Previously, Sami co-founded Trulia, the online real estate marketplace, serving as COO and president through its IPO and eventual sale to Zillow. He has also held roles at Microsoft and McKinsey, and rowed from California to Hawaii with his wife to raise awareness of the dangers of sugar.

Sami joins us to talk about how his own health journey influenced his decision to start Virta, the challenges of scaling in the health space, and the incredible success they’ve had in treating metabolic disease. 

Highlights:

• A personal pre-diabetes diagnosis (2:35)
• Lessons from Trulia (6:00)
• Why reversal, not management (9:30)
• Clinical results and outcomes (12:47)
• GLP-1s and Virta’s approach (15:26)
• Technology and personalization (17:33)
• Selling to employers (20:17) 
• Overcoming the status quo (22:33)
• Building a full-stack team (25:15)
• Rowing California to Hawaii (28:30)
• Goals for ‘26 into ‘27 (30:58)

Links:

Sami Inkinen LinkedIn

Virta Health LinkedIn

Virta Health Website

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Twitter

ICR Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you’d like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected]

Investing in clean energy infrastructure in emerging markets sounds more altruistic than profitable. But today's company shows that doing the right thing can also be incredibly lucrative.

Mike Silvestrini, co-founder and Managing Partner of Energea, a US-based renewable energy investment platform. Mike's a seasoned renewable energy professional who has played a central role in developing over 500 solar projects across the US, Brazil, and Africa, contributing meaningfully to the global transition to clean energy.

Today, we talk to Mike about how Energea evaluates investment opportunities, how they mitigate risk, and the incredible differences he's been able to make in different regions around the world.

Highlights:

• Where the idea for Energea came from (2:20)
• How the platform functions (5:58)
• The types of deals Energea pursues (7:30)
• The minimum investment in Energea (9:52)
• Investment portfolios (11:53)
• Brazil (13:33)
• Investor Relations (15:27)
• Energea's Wealth Management Channel (18:32)
• Vetting new deals (19:45)
• Big institutional partners — Brookfield & Goldman Sachs (22:20)
• Community impact (24:23)
• Life perspective (28:16)
• Emerging Markets (30:11)
• Goals for '26 into '27 (31:37)

Links:

Mike Silvestrini LinkedIn

Energea LinkedIn

Energea Website

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Twitter

ICR Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected]