Startup Alley
Startup Alley is a podcast that delves into venture capital and entrepreneurship, hosted by The Lang Entrepreneurship Center at Columbia Business School. It features interviews with startup founders and investors, discussing their experiences and insights on industry trends. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other platforms.
Episodes
The Evolution of Venture Capital: Ian Sigalow '06 on Intelligent Applications and Quantum Computing [Ep. 11]
In this episode of Startup Alley, we sat down with Ian Sigalow '06, co-founder of Greycroft, to discuss his journey from physics to venture capital. From humble beginnings to founding a multibillion-dollar fund, Ian shares his insights on the evolution of the VC industry, the future of intelligent applications, and potential quantum computing investments. Join us as we delve into the complexities
Future of Retail - Sapna Shah '98 - Red Giraffe Advisors [Ep. 10]
In this episode, we are joined by Sapna Shah '98, founder of Red Giraffe Advisors, which makes pre-seed and seed investments in the future of retail. Sapna takes us through her career journey, transitioning from strategic roles at major retail brands to becoming an entrepreneur and, eventually, an early-stage investor. She offers valuable insights into current industry trends, market shifts, and t
Investing in Student Founders - Dorm Room Fund's Molly Fowler and Sydney Hertz '24 [Ep. 9]
In this episode, we're joined by Molly Fowler (Founding GP) and Sydney Hertz '24 (Investment Partner) from Dorm Room Fund, a VC firm investing in student-led startups. We discuss Molly's journey from campaign manager to founding GP, along with the genesis and strategic focus of the fund. We also dive into how they evaluate opportunities at the earliest stages, what student founders can do to stand
The Evolution of Early-stage VC Investing - Rob Hayes '95 - First Round Capital [Ep. 8]
In this episode, we're joined by Rob Hayes (CBS '95), a board partner at First Round Capital. Rob shares his journey from product manager to VC partner, including early investments in companies like Uber and Square. Rob shares insights into the evolution of seed-stage investing, current market dynamics for early-stage founders, and a framework for how to evaluate companies at this stage. Please vi
Next-Gen Startups with Paul Canetti - How Generative AI is Revolutionizing Entrepreneurship [Ep. 7]
In this episode, we welcome Paul Canetti, CEO and co-founder of Skej, an AI-powered personal scheduling assistant. Paul discusses the transformative role that generative AI is playing in the startup and technology ecosystem today, challenges and opportunities for founders who are leveraging this technology, and insights into how entrepreneurs and investors should be thinking about defensibility an
David Rosenberg '02 - AeroFarms - Revolutionizing Agriculture [Ep. 6]
David Rosenberg '02 is the Co-Founder and CEO of AeroFarms and Chairman of Hycrete. After successfully exiting from Hycrete, he transitioned his focus to revolutionizing the agriculture industry. We sat down with David to discuss finding a problem to solve, building the right team, and innovating on how we grow produce. David graduated from Columbia Business School in 2002. Checkout Startup Alley
Ron Gonen '04 - Closed Loop Partners - Investing in the Circular Economy [Ep. 5]
Ron Gonen '04 is the Founder and CEO at Closed Loop Partners. He has experience in founding companies, working for the government, and investing in startups. Ron joins the Startup Alley podcast to discuss his entrepreneurial journey in the waste management and circular economy sectors. He shared with us key lessons learned throughout his career while also highlighting how the sustainability landsc
Carolyn Butler '18 and Rich Amsinger '18 - Manymoons - Building America's First Circular Retailer [Ep. 4]
Carolyn and Rich are the co-founders of Manymoons, America's first circular retailer. The founders graduated from Columbia Business School in 2018 and made the decision to start their own company in 2020. We sat down with the couple to discuss their journey into entrepreneurship and how they balance their personal and professional lives. We cover everything from leaving well-paying jobs to raising
Ju Rhyu '08 - Hero Cosmetics - Achieving $100 million in Revenue in 5 years [Ep. 3]
Ju Rhyu '08 is the founder of Hero Cosmetics, a company well known for its revolutionary Mighty Patch. Soon after this recording, the company was acquired by Church and Dwight in September of 2022 for $630m. We spoke with Ju about everything from determining if there is a market for your product to leveraging marketing tools to build brand awareness. Check out Startup Alley Podcast to learn mor
Connor Wilson '15 - Thursday Boots - Launching a Consumer Goods Company [Ep. 2]
Connor Wilson '15 is the co-founder and Executive Chairman of Thursday Boots. We sat down with Connor to discuss startup ideation, changing careers, manufacturing a boot, and everything in between. Check out Startup Alley Podcast to learn more about the episode and access the transcript. Please visit The Lang Entrepreneurship Center to learn more about the entrepreneurship program at Columbia Bus
David Olk '11 - ShopKeep - Building a Successful Saas Business [Ep. 1]
David Olk '11 is a co-founder of ShopKeep and Junction Venture Partners. While at ShopKeep, David ran the business day to day while raising over $100m and helping to build the company into one of the larger Saas businesses in the US before it was acquired by Lightspeed. We sat down with David to discuss running a startup, raising VC funds, and what it takes to succeed as a founder. Check out St
Welcome to Startup Alley
Listen to Startup Alley, the podcast where we dissect and discuss all things entrepreneurial. Led by current Columbia Business School students, Startup Alley explores the experiences of startup founders and their perspectives on industry trends and events. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
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