Geeks Of The Valley podcast

33:27

In this episode, we sit down with Bam Azizi, the CEO and Co-Founder of Mesh—a fintech infrastructure company revolutionizing how businesses and users interact with financial systems through embedded crypto and stablecoin solution with 300+ integrations today. Mesh empowers developers to seamlessly enable read, write, and transfer functionality within their applications. They recently closed an $82M Series B round, primarily settled in stablecoins, reflecting the company’s core mission of making digital money programmable and practical. Before Mesh, Bam Azizi co-founded NoPassword, a pioneering identity company acquired by LogMeIn, where he later served as Director. He brings over a decade of experience in software architecture, cybersecurity, and AI, including roles at Infineon Technologies and Robotic Research Labs. A visiting researcher at Johns Hopkins University and PhD holder from Technical University of Munich, Bamizi combines deep technical expertise with visionary entrepreneurship. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bam-azizi-54117310a Mesh LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/meshconnectapi/ Website: https://www.meshconnect.com/…

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#109: The Overlooked Side of Wellness & The Future of Physiotherapy with Joint Dynamics’ Colin Symmonds 38:48

7 days ago38:48

38:48

Today, we’re excited to welcome Colin, a seasoned clinician with 27 years of experience revolutionizing physiotherapy through personalized treatment plans. Guided by the belief that “every body is unique, therefore every physio treatment plan should be unique,” Colin emphasizes the vital role of the nervous system in pain management and functional movement. With a Bachelor’s in Physical Therapy, an MHS in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy, and a Fellowship in Applied Functional Science, Colin’s expertise in movement therapy has shaped his innovative approach to care. He advocates for combining manual therapy with personalized exercise strategies to achieve long-lasting results. Join us as we dive into Colin’s philosophy, his integration of the nervous system in rehabilitation, and how he’s redefining recovery and wellness in modern healthcare. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-symmonds-416a3a14/…

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#108: Decoding Venture Capital Through Data-Driven Insights with Hatcher+’s John Sharp 39:48

21 days ago39:48

39:48

John Sharp is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Hatcher+, a venture firm pioneering data-driven investment strategies. With a distinguished career spanning leadership, technology, and venture capital, he has played a pivotal role in transforming the investment landscape. Previously, John served as CEO of Authentium, where he co-authored three U.S. patents and developed cybersecurity solutions for global organizations like NASA, Google, and Microsoft. His leadership experience also includes serving as Managing Director, Asia, at WorldSpace and as CEO of Hatcher, the predecessor to Hatcher+. An accomplished entrepreneur and technologist, John has successfully raised capital worldwide, driven innovation, and developed advanced investment platforms. As CTO at Hatcher+, he continues to shape the future of venture investing. In addition to his executive roles, he has been a board member and advisor to pioneering companies like Telr and ThoughtRiver, contributing his expertise to their growth and success. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsharp1/?originalSubdomain=sg…

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#107: From Big Platforms to Big Ambitions with Optimist Ventures' Teddy Himler 28:15

5 weeks ago28:15

28:15

Teddy Himler brings over 15 years of global experience at leading institutions, including Goldman Sachs, SoftBank, Comcast Ventures, and Antler, to his role at Optimist Ventures. Throughout his career, Teddy has cultivated deep expertise in global technology trends, innovative business models, and firm-building, with a focus on sectors such as artificial intelligence, insurance, healthcare, and industrial automation. At Antler, Teddy served as a partner, where he played a key role in the firm’s growth, helping it become the world’s most active early-stage venture capital firm by deal count. Prior to Antler, Teddy was instrumental in scaling SoftBank’s operations in both the U.S. and Southeast Asia. In 2018, he launched SoftBank Group International’s first New York City office, where he managed assets outside of SoftBank’s Vision Fund, including Arm, Sprint, Boston Dynamics, and Brightstar. Earlier, as SoftBank Capital’s first West Coast hire, Teddy served as Vice President, spearheading its Southeast Asia strategy from Jakarta while collaborating with partners like Alibaba. From 2018 to 2021, Teddy was a Principal at Comcast Ventures in New York, where he focused on investments in consumer internet, robotics, fintech (including insurtech and crypto), and other emerging technologies as part of Comcast’s corporate venture capital platform. Teddy began his career at Goldman Sachs as an investment banking analyst in the Technology, Media & Telecom group in San Francisco. He holds a B.A. in Government and Economics from Harvard University. Over the years, Teddy has backed five unicorns at the seed or Series A stages and has been a deal team leader or member in numerous landmark investments, including Kabbage, Fitbit, Dialpad, BigCommerce, Grab, Tokopedia, Cheddar, Acorns, Hippo, Blockdaemon, Madison Reed, Blockchange, ABL Space, KeyMe, Arm, Boston Dynamics, SoftBank Robotics, Sprint, Cybereason, Zola, SoFi, Airspan, OneWeb, Kindbody, Berkshire Grey, Lemonade, Brightstar, Airalo, Earlytrade, Folio, Ora Health, Endless Health, and Inshur. Teddy’s career reflects a track record of identifying transformative technologies and building global ventures, making him a key figure in the venture capital ecosystem. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teddy-himler-84674719/…

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#106: Revolutionizing Global Healthcare Through AI from Opyl's Saurabh Jain 39:05

8 weeks ago39:05

39:05

In this engaging episode we welcome Saurabh Jain , Executive Chairman of Opyl Ltd , to delve into how artificial intelligence is driving transformative changes in the healthcare and biotech sectors. With a career marked by pioneering tech startups and forward-thinking healthcare innovations, Saurabh provides a compelling perspective on the evolving role of AI in global health. Saurabh Jain is a seasoned leader in technology and healthcare, currently serving as the Executive Chairman of Opyl (ASX: OPL), a company pioneering AI-driven solutions for clinical trials. Appointed to this role on April 30, 2024, Saurabh spearheads Opyl's mission to transform clinical trials through advanced AI technologies. His leadership has been instrumental in fostering innovation and accelerating the global adoption of AI solutions in the healthcare sector. Throughout his extensive 25-year career, Saurabh has held various senior executive positions, including CEO and Executive Director roles. His experience includes founding Netpro Express, an internet service provider later acquired by Telstra, and serving on multiple ASX boards and private companies. Known for his entrepreneurial acumen and vision, Saurabh has consistently driven transformative change and fostered business growth across industries. His current focus is on expanding Opyl’s global footprint while enhancing the commercialization of its innovative AI solutions. Saurabh holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Software Engineering), an Executive Master of Business Administration, and a Master of Business Technology from the Australian Graduate School of Management, UNSW. Under his guidance, Opyl has engaged in strategic partnerships, participated in high-profile industry events, and expanded its influence in both the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/saurabhjain10 Website: ⁠https://opyl.ai Twitter: https://x.com/OpylAI…

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#105: Decoding Recruitment in the Digital Age with Madison Pearl's Warwick Pearmund 17:37

16 weeks ago17:37

17:37

Warwick Pearmund leads Madison Pearl's Hong Kong operations, specializing in sourcing top-tier talent across a wide array of disciplines, including financial technology, quantitative and systematic finance, payments, digital strategy, insurtech, data science, analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, blockchain, and cybersecurity. Prior to his career in recruitment, Warwick worked as an equities trader and sales trader in both the UK and Asia. With extensive experience across the APAC region—on both the client side and in recruitment—he has cultivated a robust network of professionals across banks, insurers, global consulting firms, and technology companies. While his primary geographic focus is Hong Kong and China, Warwick also undertakes global mandates for senior executive roles. Having relocated to Asia in 2006 with Jefferies investment bank, Warwick spent several years in Tokyo before moving to Hong Kong with his family in 2011—a city he proudly calls home. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Studies from Cass Business School, City University of London. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/warwick-pearmund-7023a377/…

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#104 Generational Wealth Management Beyond Balance Sheets with Clearwater Capital Partners' John Sleeting 38:39

19 weeks ago38:39

38:39

In this episode, we welcome John Sleeting , Executive Partner at Clearwater Capital Partners and host of the podcast Entrepreneurial Legacies . We dive deep into the challenges and opportunities unique to entrepreneurial families, exploring topics such as pre-liquidity event planning, intergenerational wealth transfer, and the role of family offices in navigating global markets. John Sleeting is an Executive Partner at Clearwater Capital Partners (CCP) and Managing Partner of Clearwater Capital's Family Office Practice. With over thirty years of finance and capital markets experience, John is uniquely positioned to serve a select group of successful ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families in the development and integration of estate and financial planning strategies, investment portfolio management, estate and wealth transfer strategies, strategic philanthropy and administration, cash-flow planning, risk management insurance solution structuring, as well as family governance and education. John strives to serve as a client’s “Family Chief Financial Officer” to facilitate inter-generational wealth management strategy creation and implementation. John received his Certificate in Financial Management for the Family Office (CFMFO) through Pepperdine University, was a Charter Member of the Family Office Club, and is Clearwater Capital's Leader within the nationally recognized Family Office organization the Family Wealth Alliance (FWA). John holds a B.S. in Management with Honors from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and an MBA in Finance from the University of Maryland. His professional development includes programs at Yale University and GE’s Executive Management and Advanced Financial Management courses. John serves as Chairman of a Family Holding Company Board, Director for two Private Grant-making Family Foundations, a Private Operating Foundation, Clearwater Capital Partners Board of Directors, and the Clearwater Capital Foundation. Clearwater Capital Partners is an independent wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients across the U.S. With a focus on professionalism and sophisticated advice, the firm is dedicated to helping clients navigate the complexities of financial decisions in an ever-changing world. Learn more about John W. Sleeting here Connect with John W. Sleeting on LinkedIn Learn more about Clearwater Capital Partners here This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be regarded as personalized investment advice or relied upon for investment decisions and is not intended to provide legal or tax advice. John Sleeting is an employee of Clearwater Capital Partners. All opinions expressed by participants are solely their own opinion and do not reflect the opinion of Clearwater Capital Partners.…

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#103 Indie Dreams & Gaming Insights with Execution Labs' Jason Della Rocca 40:23

20 weeks ago40:23

40:23

Ever wondered how small indie studios become global game changers? Jason Della Rocca—game industry entrepreneur, funding advisor, and co-founder of Execution Labs—shares his extensive experience in transforming the game industry. He provides unique insights into pitching, funding, and ecosystem development, offering a glimpse into what it takes to thrive in the competitive game industry. Jason Della Rocca is a game industry entrepreneur, funding advisor, and cluster expert. He specializes in business/partnership development, pitching/funding, and ecosystem/cluster development. As the co-founder of Executions Labs, he was a hands-on early-stage investor to over 20 independent game studios from North America and Europe. Between 2000-09 he served as the executive director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), and was honored for his industry-building efforts with the inaugural Ambassador Award at the Game Developers Conference. In 2009, Jason was named to Game Developer Magazine’s “Power50,” a list which profiles 50 of the most important contributors to the state of the game industry. As a sought-after expert on the game industry, Jason has lectured at conferences and universities worldwide. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasondellarocca/ Website: https://www.executionlabs.com/…

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#102: Pioneering Fintech in Latin America with Mercado Pago's Osvaldo Giménez 43:48

23 weeks ago43:48

43:48

Osvaldo Giménez serves as the President of Fintech at Mercado Libre, and is also the CEO of Mercado Pago, its financial services division. Osvaldo shares his journey, the challenges of building fintech solutions for diverse markets, and the strategies that have made MercadoLibre Latin America's largest e-commerce powerhouse, Mercado Pago is Mercado Libre’s financial services unit accounting for over 50M active users and over $50B in transaction volume, where he oversees the business strategy, including product development and promotion. Mr. Giménez joined Mercado Pago in 2004 and became President in 2020. Osvaldo was previously Country Manager for Mercado Libre in Argentina and was responsible for launching the digital trading platform in Chile, Uruguay and Peru following the firm’s IPO. Before joining Mercado Libre, Giménez was an associate consultant at Booz Allen and Hamilton and worked in the fixed income department at Santander in New York. Giménez graduated with a degree in industrial engineering from ITBA (Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires) and holds an M.B.A. from Stanford University. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/osvaldogimenez/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mercadolibre…

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#101: Generative AI for Filmmakers and Creatives with CyberFilm AI’s Russell Palmer 44:41

25 weeks ago44:41

44:41

In this episode, we sit down with Russell Palmer , CEO & Co-Founder of CyberFilm AI and the co-creator of the first and leading Generative AI app for screenwriters and filmmakers called SAGA ( ⁠WriteOnSaga.com⁠ ). We explore how Generative AI is transforming the world of filmmaking. Russell shares his journey from his engineering and product management roots at Microsoft and JPMorgan to co-creating the first AI app tailored for screenwriters and filmmakers. He has a background in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, and has worked for the last 15 years as a Product Manager at companies like Microsoft, Samsung’s AI Lab “Viv Labs”, and JPMorgan’s Palo Alto AI Lab. He founded the company with his brother Andrew, an accomplished Hollywood filmmaker and indie writer / screenwriter / actor / director / producer, who has worked on shows including “Suits” and “The Boys” out of Toronto where he also runs an award-winning Production Company “Synapz Productions”. Russell and Andrew have been building SAGA since 2021 to democratize Hollywood film production, enabling people to make more of their best work faster, and break in to Hollywood career with a portfolio of films they can create on indie budgets with small teams that look like Hollywood productions…

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#100: Blueprint for Success Strategies and Lessons with Illumination International’s Rick Li 33:50

27 weeks ago33:50

33:50

Rick is the CEO of Illumination International, a family office based between the US and Asia. He is a seasoned investor specializing in distressed consumer assets, with an impressive track record of managing a diversified portfolio of over six businesses. His expertise extends into the real estate sector, where he has successfully developed and constructed multi-family residential complexes in the Midwest. Rick is also recognized for his strategic procurement abilities and commodity specialization, further enhanced by his high-level political connections. Rick graduated from Purdue University, where he studied Business Administration and Management. He furthered his education by earning a master's degree in Entrepreneurship from the University of Southampton Business School. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iyang-li-3b54a9a0/…

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#99: Navigating China’s Media Landscape to Neural Networks with Ex-New York Times China’s Craig Smith 36:26

28 weeks ago36:26

36:26

Craig S. Smith, born on October 13, 1955, in Spokane, Washington, is an American journalist and former executive at The New York Times. Until January 2000, he wrote for The Wall Street Journal, notably covering the rise of the Falun Gong movement in China. In 2000, he joined The New York Times as the Shanghai bureau chief, reporting extensively on the practice of harvesting organs from executed prisoners in China. In 2002, Smith moved to Paris and reported from over forty countries, including Iraq, Israel, and Kyrgyzstan. He covered significant conflicts such as the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, the 2003 Iraq War, and the 2006 Israeli-Lebanese War, as well as the 2005 unrest in the French banlieues. In 2008, he became the executive editor of a financial news venture by Hong Kong billionaire Richard Li Tzar Kai and later served as senior vice president of Li's Pacific Century Group. Smith returned to The New York Times in late 2011 as China managing director, where he founded and ran their first foreign language site, cn.nytimes.com. In late 2016, he came back to the U.S. as a writer at large for the Times, focusing on Canadian stories, before retiring in 2018. He now writes about artificial intelligence for the Times and other publications. Additionally, he served as a special government employee for the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence and hosts the podcast "Eye on AI," which is ranked number 2 among AI-related podcasts by Feedspot. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-s-smith-58680010/…

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#98: Future of AI Innovation & Safety with Qantm AI’s Seth Dobrin 36:21

30 weeks ago36:21

36:21

Dr. Seth Dobrin is the founder and CEO of Qantm AI, a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) with over two decades of experience driving innovation in the tech space. Formerly IBM’s inaugural Global Chief AI Officer, Dr. Dobrin has made significant contributions in developing human-centered AI strategies that drive business modernization and data-driven insights. His work has been recognized globally, earning accolades such as AIConics Innovator of the Year and a spot among the Top 10 Most Influential Chief AI Officers in 2023. Dr. Dobrin’s multidisciplinary background, including a Doctorate in Molecular and Cellular Biology, allows him to integrate AI, data, and business transformation seamlessly. A vocal advocate for responsible and inclusive AI, Dr. Dobrin continues to be a thought leader at major technology conferences, and his work has been featured in outlets like BBC, Forbes, and NPR. Tune in to learn how AI is reshaping industries and what the future holds for this groundbreaking technology. Website: https://qantm.consulting/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdobrin/ Substack: https://siliconsandstudio.substack.com/…

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#97: Revolutionizing Meditation & Shaping Wellness with Jammy's Eric Davich 44:00

33 weeks ago44:00

44:00

Eric Davich is the Founder and CEO of Jammy, a mental health coaching app with music committed to enhancing the emotional well-being of young adults. Prior to Jammy, he co-founded Songza, later acquired by Google, and was an early team member of Amie Street, acquired by Amazon. During his 8.5 years at Google, he led various partnership marketing functions for Android, YouTube Subscriptions, and Google Play. His depth in music, mindfulness, and mental health comes from a lifelong practice in emotional regulation through music, meditation, studying mindfulness, and facilitating Google's 'Fundamentals of Mindfulness' course. Recognized in Forbes '30 Under 30,' Davich's blend of technological expertise, entertainment experience, and mindfulness knowledge uniquely equip him to drive innovations in mental health technology. Website: http://jammy.chat Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericdavich/…

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#96: Real-World Assets & Token Valuations with MANTRA's John Patrick Mullin 31:02

45 weeks ago31:02