Founder’s Voyage is a podcast for the ones building in the dark, the ones failing forward, and the ones figuring it out as they go.
We bring you unfiltered conversations with founders who’ve faced the highs, and the lows. Just real lessons from the people in the arena.
Whether you're scaling a startup or sketching your first idea on a napkin, these are the stories that remind you you're not alone—and the insights that help you move forward.
We are an entrepreneurial community united by a shared mission of shared learning and supporting each other.
Founder’s Voyage is a podcast for the ones building in the dark, the ones failing forward, and the ones figuring it out as they go.
We bring you unfiltered conversations with founders who’ve faced the highs, and the lows. Just real lessons from the people in the arena.
Whether you're scaling a startup or sketching your first idea on a napkin, these are the stories that remind you you're not alone—and the insights that help you move forward.
We are an entrepreneurial community united by a shared mission of shared learning and supporting each other.
Arul and Shirali Nigam are the sibling co-founders behind Circuit Breaker Labs, a pioneering venture focused on detecting mental health vulnerabilities in AI-powered applications. Blending Arul's technical expertise in AI with Shirali's background in Business Administration and Science, the duo have tackled the growing issue of self-harm and “AI psychosis” stemming from unsafe AI interactions. Their journey includes impactful philanthropic and technical projects, from delivering thousands of meals to frontline workers during the pandemic to building an app supporting travelers with food allergies. Now, with Circuit Breaker Labs, they’re at the forefront of AI safety in mental health, driven by a strong ethical commitment and an ability to iterate quickly based on customer and clinician feedback.
💡 What You’ll Learn from Arul and Shirali's Journeys:
🔸 Leverage Complementary Strengths: Arul and Shirali’s partnership thrives on leveraging their unique backgrounds in AI and business, highlighting the value of co-founders with diverse yet complementary expertise.
🔸 Embrace Rapid Iteration & Feedback: Their pivot from post-deployment guardrails to proactive, development-phase AI red teaming shows the importance of shipping MVPs quickly, gathering feedback, and iterating to meet real customer needs.
🔸 Center Real-World Impact: Staying closely connected to the problem, by talking to end-users, clinicians, and those impacted by unsafe AI, ensures your solution remains meaningful and effective.
🔸 Seek Help & Don’t Fear "No": Consistent outreach and asking for feedback or assistance, even from unexpected sources, is essential, "the worst they can say is no," and the connections you build can be invaluable for both product and mission growth.
You can connect with Arul and Shirali on LinkedIn to follow their journeys.
🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at vidops.io for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.
👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.
🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on Patreon and help amplify more voices like this exceptional duo Shirali and Arul.
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Simon is a serial entrepreneur and investor known for applying cutting-edge AI to real-world problems, with a track record spanning over a decade across diverse verticals. As CEO and founding partner of Togi AI, he leads initiatives to bring autonomous intelligence to manufacturing, building on a legacy of transformative startups, successful exits, and hands-on hardware-software integration. Simon has also co-founded one of the world’s largest AI hackathon platforms and accelerators, and actively manages a venture fund investing in deep tech across Europe. His approach blends rapid prototyping, deep technical expertise, and a unique talent for recognising and capitalising on industry transformation opportunities.
💡 What You’ll Learn from Simon's Journey:
🔸 Embrace the Pain and Keep Moving: Building a startup is never a smooth ride, expect setbacks, frustration, and self-doubt. Simon emphasises developing resilience and learning to love the process of continual challenge and adaptation.
🔸 Build, Iterate, and Validate Fast: Simon stresses the importance of rapid prototyping and relentless iteration. Launch early, get real-world feedback, and use it to guide your product and business decisions rather than waiting for perfection or outside funding.
🔸 Chase Deep Value, Don’t Settle for Surface Solutions: For lasting impact and defensability, look for opportunities where you can integrate deeply into verticals (like manufacturing), control more of the value chain, and solve core, not peripheral, problems.
🔸 Choose Investors Strategically, Not Just for Capital: Simon explains that most investors provide little value beyond money. Seek out partners who offer operational leverage, industry insight, and real networks, especially those who've truly experienced your target sector.
You can connect with Simon on LinkedIn to follow his journey.
🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at vidops.io for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.
👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.
🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on Patreon and help amplify more voices like Simon.
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Erica Olsen is an accomplished entrepreneur, strategic planning expert, and the co-founder and CEO of OnStrategy, a strategic planning software and consulting firm. With over 20 years dedicated to helping organizations worldwide execute their vision, Erica recently launched Madison AI, a fast-growing govtech startup spun out of OnStrategy. Under her leadership, Madison AI has rapidly scaled to 40 government clients in just 18 months, pioneering responsible and user-centric AI solutions for cities and counties. Erica is also the author of "Strategic Planning for Dummies" and a popular creator of practical business content on YouTube, known for her approachable, effective strategies and authentic leadership journey.
💡 What You’ll Learn from Erica's Journey:
🔸 Resilience Through Change: Erica’s openness about weathering economic downturns, personal health crises, and the rapid evolution of technology highlights how resilience and adaptability are critical traits for entrepreneurial longevity.
🔸 The Power of Product-Market Fit: Learn why genuine product-market fit is unmistakable, and essential for scalable growth, as Erica contrasts the grind of professional services with the rocket-ship trajectory of Madison AI.
🔸 Responsible Innovation in GovTech: Discover how Erica’s partnership with government clients and focus on responsible, accessible AI is enabling even small jurisdictions to unlock efficiency through technology without being left behind.
🔸 Redefining Success & Leadership: Erica shares the importance of personal wellbeing, team-first leadership, and redefining entrepreneurial success beyond just financial outcomes, offering a holistic and human perspective on building lasting businesses.
You can connect with Erica on LinkedIn to follow her journey.
🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at vidops.io for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.
👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.
🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on Patreon and help amplify more voices like Erica.
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Gillian (Wildfire) Sowray is the co-founder and CEO of Fordje, the first AI platform designed to truly understand and structure the complex and ever-changing world of city, zoning, and building codes. With a background that spans political campaigns, an MBA from Carnegie Mellon, and product leadership in clean tech and software, Gillian has channeled her expertise into building a transformative tool for construction and clean energy teams. By taking on one of the biggest bottlenecks in construction, navigating thousands of local regulations, she empowers teams to scale confidently and efficiently across the US and beyond. Under her leadership, Fordje is not only solving a technical challenge but also helping cities and companies bring their values and ambitions for sustainable growth to life.
💡 What You’ll Learn from Gillian's Journey:
🔸 The Power of Customer-Centric Product Development: Gillian’s story highlights the importance of deep customer research, listening to feedback, and focusing on pain points that are both highly niche and broadly impactful.
🔸 Trust-Building in Emerging Markets: Learn how building credibility, especially in industries that are slow to adopt new tech, is crucial, and how leveraging relationships and transparency accelerates early traction.
🔸 Scale and Focus: Gillian demonstrates the discipline required to say “no” to distractions, stay focused on core markets, and design a business model that adapts as technology and customer needs evolve.
🔸 Founders, Teams, and Community: Discover how cultivating open communication in founding teams, surrounding yourself with supportive advisors, and building community is vital for surviving, and thriving, on the entrepreneurial journey.
You can connect with Gillian on LinkedIn to follow her journey.
🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at vidops.io for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.
👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.
🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on Patreon and help amplify more voices like Gillian.
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Spencer is a senior R&D Robotics Systems engineer at Magnet Medical Robotics, a co-founder of the Founder's Voyage Discord Community, and an MIT Entrepreneurship Bootcamp alumnus. With a deep passion for robotics, household automation, and IoT, Spencer focuses on leveraging technology to improve daily life. Recently, he has delved into developing deployable parabolic dish technology for space communications, pitching innovative ideas to organizations like NATO and seeking to address the infrastructure challenges of modern space exploration. Spencer’s entrepreneurial journey is marked by technical expertise, strategic thinking, and a steadfast commitment to advancing humanity’s reach into space.
💡 What You’ll Learn from Spencer's Journey: 🔸 Turning Inspiration into Action: Discover how early fascination and exposure to sci-fi sparked a tangible pursuit of solving real-world problems in space communication. 🔸 Navigating High-Stakes Grant Applications: Learn Spencer’s approach to writing compelling grant proposals, leveraging AI tools wisely, and refining ideas through collaboration and constructive feedback. 🔸 Building Complementary Teams: Explore the importance of finding co-founders with complementary skills, broad mindsets, and the ability to balance vision with practical considerations in early-stage startups. 🔸 Iterating in Uncharted Markets: Understand how to creatively identify new markets for emerging technology, persist through challenges, and plan multiple paths to funding and viability in the face of uncertainty.
You can connect with Spencer on LinkedIn to follow his journey.
🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at vidops.io for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.
👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.
🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on Patreon and help amplify more voices like Spencer.
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Pavithra Gopal is an accomplished corporate innovator specializing in supply chain management and logistics. With roots in eastern India and a background as the daughter of an entrepreneur, Pavithra’s journey has taken her from engineering studies to a master’s from the University of Illinois at Chicago, a MicroMasters from MIT with distinction, and impactful roles at Textron and Sonos. Now a Senior Consultant at Deloitte, she is at the forefront of warehouse and transportation automation, integrating cutting-edge technology and best practices in her field. Pavithra stands out for her passion for streamlining complex systems and empowering emerging innovators in the logistics space.
💡 What You’ll Learn from Pavithra's Journey:
🔸 Embracing Calculated Risk & Failing Fast: Pavithra emphasizes the importance of informed risk-taking, doing due diligence but not staying stuck in analysis paralysis. Taking swift, calculated action is critical for growth and innovation.
🔸 Leveraging Technology for Scale: She shows how automation and visibility are game-changers for startups transitioning to larger operations in logistics, underlining that even young companies should invest early in tech solutions to stay competitive.
🔸 Innovate Everywhere, Corporate or Startup: Pavi demonstrates that entrepreneurial skills are vital not just for founders, but also for intrapreneurs within large organisations. You can drive impactful change by simplifying processes and championing user-centric innovations wherever you work.
🔸 The Vital Role of Ethics and Collaboration: She encourages big players to support, not stifle, startup innovation, citing issues of intellectual property and corporate acquisitions as crucial areas for preserving a healthy, evolving industry.
You can connect with Pavi on LinkedIn to follow her journey.
🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at vidops.io for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.
👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.
🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on Patreon and help amplify more voices like Pavi.
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Mollie Langdon is a postdoctoral seed development biologist at Rothamsted Research in the UK, where she focuses on increasing crop yields through advanced gene editing techniques such as CRISPR. With a PhD and undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Bath, Mollie has become a key voice in the field of plant biotechnology, recently representing the Association of Applied Biologists at the Royal Society of Biology’s “Voice of the Future 2025” event. Her expertise spans the intricacies of genetic modification and editing, and she is committed to clear science communication, bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and public understanding.
💡 What You’ll Learn from Mollie's Journey:
🔸 Science Communication Matters: Mollie demonstrates how demystifying complex scientific concepts for the public builds trust and enables informed decision-making, a crucial skillset for entrepreneurs in any tech-driven space.
🔸 Ethical Innovation & Regulation: Navigating new technology requires ethical awareness and adherence to (and even advocacy for) smart regulatory frameworks, as seen in Mollie’s discussion of gene editing laws in the UK and globally. 🔸 Leveraging Precision for Impact: Mollie highlights the value of precise technological advancement, whether in biotechnology or business, showing how aiming for incremental, targeted improvements can drive outsized change.
🔸 The Power of Critical Thinking: Her advice to always check information sources and maintain a questioning mindset is a crucial habit for founders navigating hype cycles, media narratives, and new trends.
You can connect with Mollie on LinkedIn to follow her journey.
🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at vidops.io for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.
👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.
🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on Patreon and help amplify more voices like Mollie.
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Sharon Cunningham is the CEO and co-founder of Shorla Oncology, an innovative specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing oncology drugs for women’s and pediatric cancers. Recognized as Ireland's Best Young Entrepreneur of 2019 and EY Entrepreneur of the year 2024, Sharon brings deep expertise at the intersection of finance and biotech. With a chartered accountancy background, an executive MBA, and experience scaling and exiting a previous pharma startup, Sharon is leading Shorla Oncology’s push for accessible, life-changing therapies in areas often overlooked by larger firms.
💡 What You’ll Learn from Sharon's Journey:
🔸 The Power of Mentorship: Sharon credits key mentors as fundamental to her personal growth and resilience, emphasizing the importance of seeking diverse advisors at every career stage.
🔸 Building in Overlooked Markets: By focusing on women’s and pediatric cancers, areas often ignored due to lower commercial appeal, Sharon demonstrates how passion, expertise, and mission-driven strategies can uncover meaningful entrepreneurial opportunities.
🔸 Team and Culture Matter: She highlights that skillsets alone aren’t enough; attitude, adaptability, and a shared mission underpin her team’s rapid progress and innovative culture.
🔸 Navigating Growth and Change: Sharon offers candid insights on fundraising, pivots, and the vital role of being in love with solving the problem, not being wedded to one solution, even in the face of regulatory and logistical setbacks.
You can connect with Sharon on LinkedIn to follow her journey.
🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at vidops.io for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.
👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.
🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on Patreon and help amplify more voices like Sharon.
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Miranda is an accomplished social entrepreneur and co-founder/CEO of ZigWay, a social enterprise dedicated to supporting low-income families in Myanmar. An MIT Bootcamp alumna, Miranda has mentored multiple bootcamp cohorts and brings a unique perspective as a first-generation immigrant, seasoned finance professional, and global development leader. Her achievements include spearheading innovative fintech and food security solutions for underserved communities, leading emergency food distribution during Myanmar’s upheaval, and navigating dynamic, politically volatile markets with resilience and deep compassion.
💡 What You’ll Learn from Miranda's Journey:
🔸 Resilience in Crisis Leadership: Miranda’s experience steering a mission-driven venture through Myanmar’s military coup and civil unrest reveals how leaders can rapidly adapt, pivot operations, and keep teams motivated in times of deep uncertainty.
🔸 Building Solutions with (and for) Your Community: Her journey demonstrates the importance of deep user research and co-designing solutions directly with those you seek to help, pivoting from financial to food interventions when local feedback pointed to new priorities.
🔸 Purposeful Adaptation & “Loving the Problem”: Miranda’s story highlights why entrepreneurs should fall in love with the problem, not the solution, enabling creative pivots, from launching nano-loans to delivering humanitarian aid, while staying grounded in purpose.
🔸 Operating Safely in High-Risk Environments: Drawing from her frontline work in Myanmar, Miranda shares detailed best practices for organizational security, discreet supply chain operation, and supporting team wellbeing in conflict zones.
You can connect with Miranda on LinkedIn to follow her journey.
🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at vidops.io for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.
👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.
🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on Patreon and help amplify more voices like Miranda.
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Iman Urooj is an accomplished entrepreneur and business development leader, currently serving as Head of Business Development at SafePay, a pioneering fintech startup backed by Stripe and a Y Combinator alum, focused on transforming online payments in Pakistan. Recognized as a top-five finalist and audience favorite in the Visa Everywhere initiative (MENA region), Iman has an extensive background in coaching entrepreneurship through MIT Bootcamps and brings a global perspective shaped by her Pakistani and Venezuelan heritage. Her expertise lies in navigating regulated markets, building resilient business relationships, and mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs, especially in emerging markets where digital adoption and gender equality are rapidly evolving.
💡 What You’ll Learn from Iman's Journey:
🔸 The Power of Polite Persistence: Discover how Iman's unwavering, yet respectful, approach to stakeholder and partner engagement enables her to break through even the most resistant organizations, demonstrating the value of resilience and patient advocacy.
🔸 Authentic Relationship Building: Learn the art of fostering genuine, trust-based business relationships by balancing tenacity with authenticity, showing that true curiosity and empathy are the keys to long-term success over purely transactional connections.
🔸 Women’s Leadership & Financial Empowerment: Gain insights into navigating male-dominated, regulated industries as a woman, maintaining self-respect, and advocating for financial independence as a cornerstone for both personal and societal change.
🔸 Embracing Change & Lifelong Learning: Be inspired by Iman's approach to thriving amid uncertainty, adapting to new industries, and continuously upskilling, underscoring the necessity of staying hungry, humble, and passionate no matter your starting point.
You can connect with Iman on LinkedIn to follow her journey.
🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at vidops.io for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.
👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.
🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on Patreon and help amplify more voices like Iman.
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Liz is a seasoned entrepreneur, educator, and advocate for sustainability with a track record spanning high-tech, consumer electronics, strategic planning, and environmental activism. Her diverse journey includes founding a surf shop that championed eco-friendly practices, working in corporate finance, and later pivoting into user research and product management at Google. Liz has also been a dedicated mentor and facilitator in the MIT venture leadership bootcamps, where she empowers others to find product-market fit and master design thinking. Her experience bridges the corporate and nonprofit worlds, and she is passionate about catalyzing circular economies, environmental responsibility, and community-driven change.
💡 What You’ll Learn from Liz's Journey:
🔸 Embrace Failure as Fuel: Liz highlights the importance of learning from and even celebrating failures, using them as stepping stones toward innovation and personal growth.
🔸 Leverage Transferable Skills: Her ability to pivot across industries, from accounting to user research to product management, demonstrates the power of building and applying a broad skill set in new contexts.
🔸 Drive Change Locally and Globally: Liz shows that meaningful impact starts at the community level, but can scale through collaboration, partnerships, and persistent advocacy, even when federal or global legislation lags behind.
🔸 Build with the Customer in Mind: Methodologies like customer journey mapping, disciplined entrepreneurship, and catalytic questioning are central to Liz’s toolkit for designing products and services that genuinely solve customer problems.
You can connect with Liz on LinkedIn to follow her journey.
🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at vidops.io for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.
👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.
🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on Patreon and help amplify more voices like Liz.
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Sangeetha Parthasarathy is a healthcare entrepreneur, SaaS leader, and trauma therapist whose career spans three continents. With roots in India and professional experience in the US and UK, she brings a unique perspective to maternal health, mental well-being, and the intersection of culture and entrepreneurship. Sangeetha is the founder of the Sangpath Inc, and an advocate for decolonizing both birth and mental health practices, focusing on culturally sensitive, trauma-informed approaches.
Her work bridges the worlds of corporate leadership, nonprofit advocacy, and direct client care, making her a sought-after mentor for aspiring social impact founders.
💡 What You’ll Learn from Sangeeta's Journey:
🔸 Embracing the Pivot: Sangeeta emphasizes that it’s okay for founders to change direction, highlighting the importance of letting go of shame and honestly re-evaluating purpose when the landscape changes.
🔸 The Power of Co-Regulation & Support Networks: She underlines how entrepreneurial and personal journeys are strengthened by meaningful partnership, community, and collaboration, both for yourself and those you serve.
🔸 Decolonizing Mental Health & Birth Work: Sangeeta demonstrates the impact of challenging colonial, individualistic models by centering cultural context, language, and collective approaches in care and building organizations.
🔸 Balancing Impact and Sustainability: She shares hard-won wisdom on finding equilibrium between doing purpose-driven work and maintaining financial sustainability and personal well-being, for herself and her family.
You can connect with Sangeeta on LinkedIn to follow her journey.
🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at vidops.io for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.
👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.
🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on Patreon and help amplify more voices like Sangeeta.
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Monica is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, and founder of InnovatorsBox, a company dedicated to transforming workplace culture and unlocking creativity at every level of an organization. With a background that spans international relations, nuclear security, and consulting for Fortune 500 companies, Monica is internationally recognized as a thought leader on creativity, inclusion, and people development. She is the author of "Rethink Creativity," a sought-after keynote speaker, podcast host, and the creative force behind innovative content, workshops, and music designed to inspire positive change and organizational resilience.
💡 What You’ll Learn from Monica's Journey:
🔸 Embracing Your "Otherness" as a Strength: Monica’s multicultural upbringing and experiences highlight how being different can sharpen your empathy, observation, and bridge-building skills, a superpower for innovative leaders.
🔸 Building Creativity into Everyday Routines: Creativity isn’t just for big projects, it starts with small, intentional changes in your daily habits and approaches, making you more adaptable and resilient over time.
🔸 Sustainable Success through Self-Care: Monica emphasizes that personal well-being and fun are vital ingredients for long-term entrepreneurial success; taking care of yourself supercharges your creativity and prevents burnout.
🔸 Redefining Impact: True success isn’t just about numbers or accolades; it’s about the ripple effects you create, the lives you touch, and the environments you transform, even if the full impact isn’t immediately visible.
You can connect with Monica on LinkedIn to follow her journey.
🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at vidops.io for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.
👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.
🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on Patreon and help amplify more voices like Monica.
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Our guest today, Fay de Waal, is a dynamic and passionate sustainability innovator, materials scientist, and diversity advocate. With experience with multiple master thesis, a specialist in the recyclability of offshore wind turbines, an analyst at 414, and founder of the Libra Network, Fay exemplifies holistic thinking in both technical and social realms.
Her work bridges sustainable engineering, stakeholder management, and gender equality, while her commitment to entrepreneurial problem-solving is matched by her drive for continuous learning and impact.
💡 What You’ll Learn from Fay's Journey:
🔸 Systems Thinking in Sustainability: Fay demonstrates why solving large challenges like wind turbine recyclability requires a holistic view, accounting for material lifecycles, data limitations, and interdisciplinary collaboration, not just technical fixes.
🔸 The Critical Role of Data: Her experience shows how better data management and transparency, across supply chains and product life cycles, are fundamental for enabling true circularity and informed decision-making in both business and policy.
🔸 Redefining Success: Fay’s journey is a reminder that success isn’t measured solely in output or hours worked, but in finding balance, enjoying the process, and pursuing projects aligned with your values and passions.
🔸 Diversity as a Sustainability Driver: Through founding Libra Network and her advocacy in STEM, Fay underscores that diverse voices and equitable workplaces are not just social goods, but essential ingredients to devising robust, resilient solutions for the future.
You can connect with Fay on LinkedIn to follow her journey.
🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at vidops.io for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.
👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.
🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on Patreon and help amplify more voices like Fay.
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Reuben McQueen is the co-founder and CTO of Open Kit, an AI consultancy focused on helping organisations strategise, develop, and integrate cutting-edge AI solutions to reduce costs, minimize errors, and boost efficiency. With a background in computer science and years of entrepreneurial experience, Reuben has navigated the challenges of founding and scaling a tech business, from university projects to winning public sector contracts. He is also passionate about education, supporting student engagement in computer science and entrepreneurship as an enterprise advisor.
💡 What You’ll Learn from Reuben's Journey:
🔸 Embracing Business Model Evolution: Discover how staying flexible and rapidly iterating your business model, such as shifting from fixed-cost to consultancy-first approaches, can be critical for survival and growth in a changing market.
🔸 Building Resilience through Sales Pipelines: Learn why prioritizing early investment in outbound sales and consistent lead generation can protect your company from the feast-or-famine cycles that challenge many startups.
🔸 Navigating Technical and Ethical Hurdles in AI: Understand the complexities of building AI SaaS, from API cost challenges to the importance of data sovereignty and ethical considerations when deploying AI models for clients.
🔸 The Value of Complementary Co-Founder Dynamics: See how balancing differences in personality and work style within your founding team can be a decisive advantage, fostering better decision-making and sustainable growth.
You can connect with Reuben on LinkedIn to follow his journey.
🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at vidops.io for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.
👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.
🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on Patreon and help amplify more voices like Reuben.
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Mark is an accomplished engineer, entrepreneur, and fintech leader originally from Ghana and now based in South Africa. With a background in electronic engineering and experience spanning food production, investment banking, and technology, Mark currently leads the fintech advisory at Absa Group in South Africa, spearheading efforts to bridge gaps between banks and startups across Africa. He's the co-founder of Honeybee Chilli Sauce and has a rich history of building businesses, overcoming funding challenges, and mentoring others. Mark’s unique path blends technical expertise, entrepreneurial grit, and a passion for enabling innovation across sectors.
💡 What You’ll Learn from Mark's Journey:
🔸 The Value of Perseverance: Success in entrepreneurship takes time. Mark’s experiences highlight the necessity of persisting through setbacks, “dark patches,” and slow progress to build lasting, meaningful ventures.
🔸 Building Trust Before Growth: Creating new products, especially in unfamiliar markets, requires gaining customers’ trust, which is a gradual process that can’t be rushed, but pays off with loyal, returning customers.
🔸 Leveraging Diverse Experiences: Mark demonstrates how skills and lessons from one industry, engineering, food, or finance, can be transferred and applied to new challenges, fueling adaptability and innovation.
🔸 Action Over Aspiration: Ambition needs to be paired with practical steps. Mark emphasizes that translating ideas into consistent, tangible action is what separates dreamers from doers in the entrepreneurial world.
You can connect with Mark on LinkedIn to follow his journey.
🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at vidops.io for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.
👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.
🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on Patreon and help amplify more voices like Mark.
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In this episode of Founders Voyage, we welcomed Natalia Suniga, an accomplished PhD Sociologist and Foundress of Strategy Of Things where she develops 360 strategies connecting brands, communications, culture and business.
Natalia lead the TikTok Creative Operation for more +10 markets in LATAM, worked for UN and spoke at SXSW 2022. With a PhD in Social Sciences, years of impactful research, and experience guiding global brands at communications agencies, she has developed a keen understanding of how brands must evolve to connect with new generations.
💡 What You’ll Learn from Natalia's Journey:
🔸 Embracing Interdisciplinary Paths: Natalia’s career shows how combining academic insight with practical industry roles can unlock new forms of innovation and leadership, empowering entrepreneurs to draw from diverse backgrounds.
🔸 Social Change as Strategic Value: Learn how embedding diversity, gender perspective, and social causes into your business strategy can create authentic connections with audiences and drive long-term brand relevance.
🔸 Adapting to New Generational Mindsets: Natalia explains the importance of understanding and engaging Gen Z not simply as consumers, but as creators and participants in social movements, challenging traditional marketing approaches.
🔸 Courage to Pivot: Her story highlights the value of moving beyond fear and making bold pivots, even when unconventional, to align your work with evolving passions, skills, and emerging markets.
You can connect with Natalia on LinkedIn to follow her journey.
🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at vidops.io for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.
👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.
🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on Patreon and help amplify more voices like Natalia.
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Simon is the CEO and founding partner of XY Ventures, a seasoned VC investor, and a venture advisor to leading accelerator programs such as 500 Startups, Techstars, and Founder Institute. With a background in energy engineering and deep experience in entrepreneurship, Simon has mentored and invested in companies across the globe, with a particular focus on deep tech and energy innovation. He has successfully founded and sold startups, contributed to the growth of innovation ecosystems in Sweden and internationally, and is recognized for his pragmatic and people-focused approach to venture building and investment.
💡 What You’ll Learn from Simon's Journey:
🔸 The Power of Starting from Nothing: Simon shares how the thrill of building from the ground up and embracing the role of a beginner fuels his entrepreneurial spirit, encouraging founders to experiment fearlessly and learn by doing.
🔸 Building Resilient, Cohesive Teams: Discover why Simon prioritizes founding teams with deep relationships and a proven track record of working together, and how grit and shared vision are key determinants of startup success.
🔸 Navigating the Startup “Great Filter”: Learn how Simon identifies founders willing to pivot quickly in response to feedback and market demands, and why persistence past the critical three- to four-year mark separates thriving startups from those that falter.
🔸 Structuring a Sustainable & Enjoyable Career: Simon discusses practical strategies for time management, outsourcing, focusing on work that energizes you, and designing your career around passion and impact, not just financial gain.
You can connect with Simon on LinkedIn to follow his journey.
🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at vidops.io for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.
👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.
🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on Patreon and help amplify more voices like Simon.
#FoundersVoyage #Entrepreneurship #Podcast
Damian Connolly is the founder and Managing Director of Sakura Business Solutions, an accountancy practice specializing in outsourced finance team services and strategic business advisory. With a rich background spanning private equity, SME advisory, and hands-on experience in business exits, Damian has dedicated his career to helping entrepreneurs build profitable, resilient, and exit-ready companies. His approach uniquely blends deep financial expertise with practical, actionable guidance, shaped by international experience from Ireland to the UK and beyond.
💡 What You’ll Learn from Damian's Journey:
🔸 Building an Exit-Ready Business: Understand why preparing your business for exit should start years in advance and how it creates valuable options, not just for selling, but for scaling and succession.
🔸 The Power of Strong Financial Foundations: Discover why a proactive, embedded accountant is the backbone of every thriving company, and what most SMEs miss by neglecting this critical function.
🔸 Leadership Through Delegation & Documentation: Learn how systematizing processes and empowering teams allows founders to work on, not just in, their business, paving the way for growth and eventual exit.
🔸 Embracing Version One Over Perfection: Why overcoming the fear of releasing imperfect work and focusing on tangible action accelerates learning, opportunity, and business development.
You can connect with Damian on LinkedIn to follow his journey.
🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at vidops.io for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.
👏 Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier Chacón Sánchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.
🥂 Want to support the journey? Join us on Patreon and help amplify more voices like Damien.
#FoundersVoyage #Entrepreneurship #Podcast
Dr Nithya Koratagere is a doctor, healthcare innovator, passionate sustainability advocate, and co-founder of Care on Call, a pioneering home and corporate healthcare company based in India. With a background in medicine and years of leadership experience, Nithya navigated her company through the COVID-19 crisis, tripling capacity to deliver home-based services during lockdowns, and driving the business to financial sustainability. She is celebrated for her ethical approach to healthcare, focus on team well-being, and commitment to bridging care gaps in India's dynamic medical landscape. Nithya has also successfully raised funding from leading angel investors and remains dedicated to shaping the future of accessible, quality healthcare in India.
💡 What You’ll Learn from Nithya's Journey:
🔸 Resilience in Entrepreneurship: Nithya’s story highlights the power of resilience, making bold decisions during uncertain times, including expanding in the face of a 35% decline in demand and learning from failures to build long-term success.
🔸 Ethical Leadership & Patient Focus: She shares how maintaining ethical medical practices and prioritizing patient care, even when pressured to increase profits, is key to building trust and long-term sustainability in healthcare ventures.
🔸 Work-Life Balance and Co-Founding Dynamics: Dr Nithya offers valuable insights for entrepreneurs co-founding with a life partner, emphasizing clear boundaries, understanding complementary strengths, and embracing self-care to avoid burnout.
🔸 Strategic Growth and Fundraising: Learn how Dr Nithya strategically approached fundraising, choosing the right timing, balancing debt with equity, and leveraging strong stakeholder relationships to attract mission-aligned investors.
You can connect with Nithya on LinkedIn to follow her journey.
🎥 Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at vidops.io for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.