Inspired in 15: Recent Episodes
Inspired Capital
Brought you by early-stage venture capital firm Inspired Capital, Inspired in 15 dives into big ideas with the smartest founders and operators we know—all in under 15 minutes. No category of innovation is off-limits, from the future of search to restaurant technology.
On this episode of Inspired in 15, we are joined by our four partners—Alexa von Tobel, Penny Pritzker, Mark Batsyian, and Lucy Deland—for an exciting announcement: introducing Inspired III, a $330M fund committed to backing fearless founders solving the hardest challenges facing humanity. We cover why we founded Inspired Capital five years ago, our view of where venture is headed, and how venture capital—when properly deployed—is the most powerful economic engine on the planet. Inspired III marks a new chapter in our long-term journey to support the most ambitious founders of our generation, and we encourage you to come say hello.
What lies ahead for the landscape of aesthetic dermatology in the coming decade? Praveen Ramineni, the Founder and CEO of Portrait, is revolutionizing the field by streamlining back-office operations for individual practitioners, allowing them to dedicate their energy to providing top-notch clinical care. In our discussion, we delve into the pivotal role mid-level providers are poised to play in healthcare, the strategic choice behind Portrait's launch within the aesthetic dermatology vertical, and the evolving partnership dynamics with pharmaceutical companies in the industry.
For many, Scholastic is synonymous with education as the largest publisher and distributor of children’s books with a reach of 54 million students. As Chief Academic Officer, Amanda Alexander leads Scholastic’s research and validation efforts to ensure that their products are impacting learning outcomes positively. We cover the human capital shortages in school districts, how technology will have an outsized impact on assessments, and why teachers are no longer the only educators in the classroom.
Sandra Clarke, the COO of Blue Shield of California, has taken on the ambitious task of overhauling the healthcare system to cater to the needs of everyone involved. Health Reimagined by Blue Shield is revolutionizing every facet of the flawed health system, from rethinking pharmacy care to streamlining real-time claims and integrating electronic health records. In this episode, we dive into the distorted incentives within the healthcare system, why paying for pharmaceutical drugs on a net-price basis is the goal, and how startups and payers can collaborate.
The idea of the fifth generation of mobile technology (or 5G) is familiar to most consumers who own a smartphone. However, how do enterprises benefit from the lightning-fast speed of 5G networks? Rajeev Shah, Co-Founder and CEO of Celona, is on a journey to make 5G technology as accessible to enterprises and industrial organizations as Wi-Fi. In this episode, we cover why the unlock for broader 5G adoption arrived in the past year, how 5G is powering enterprise use cases, and why computer vision got lost in the artificial intelligence hype cycle.
Physical security often goes unnoticed in the tech landscape. Dave Selinger is driven to revolutionize this industry by bringing in cutting-edge technology and innovation. As the CEO and Co-Founder of Deep Sentinel, he combines human capabilities with AI technology to combat crime effectively. In this conversation, we cover the importance of addressing consumers' primary concerns, the crucial role of honesty in decision-making, and strategies for mitigating bias in datasets.
As Chief Executive Officer of Folx Health, Liana Douillet Guzmán is leading the movement to bring a technology-driven, innovative care model tailored specifically to the LGBTQIA+ community's needs. After having been founded a mere two years ago, Folx Health is already at the forefront of serving the LGBTQIA+ community in a variety of ways. We cover the challenges in the regulatory landscape, why Folx opted for a direct-to-consumer business model, and how the incumbent healthcare system isn’t set up to treat the LGBTQIA+ community.
When Formic emerged in the realm of automation and robotics for manufacturing, the concept of seamlessly integrating cutting-edge robotics technology into small businesses appeared ambitious. However, Formic's Co-Founder and CEO, Saman Farid, has played a pivotal role in democratizing robotics by significantly enhancing accessibility and user-friendliness. We delve into the factors driving the rapid evolution of robotic intelligence, the persistent labor shortages in the manufacturing sector, and where to start if you are building in the industry.
Paul Appleby, the Chief Revenue Officer of Spring Health, is leading the charge in advancing precision mental healthcare into the mainstream. In this discussion, we delve into strategies for retaining the next generation of workers, the significance of fostering a healthy workforce community, and the initial deployment of generative AI as a tool to access additional therapeutic resources.
Justin Barad, the CEO and Founder of Osso VR, stands at the forefront of integrating virtual reality into the healthcare industry. He embarked on his journey as a video game developer before pursuing a degree in Orthopedic Surgery at UCLA Medical School. Following his medical education, he founded Osso VR with the mission of enhancing surgical training. In this discussion, we explore the various applications of virtual reality in healthcare, the pivotal role of robotics in shaping the industry's future, and strategies for establishing trust in new healthcare technologies.
Every company building generative artificial intelligence today shares a major question: what data can be used to train these models? Kristin Leavy has unique expertise in this topic as Special Counsel and copyright law expert at Cooley, the #1 most active law firm representing VC-backed companies since 2005. We cover who should be responsible for generative artificial intelligence model outputs, what future potential regulation might look like, and why the four factors of fair use matter.
What does the next decade hold for retail? Andrew Blackmon has been at the forefront of bringing technology to the antiquated formalwear industry as the visionary behind The Black Tux, an online provider of men's tuxedo and formalwear rentals. We cover why weddings are recession-proof, what successful experiential retail looks like, and how to build distribution through partnerships.
How do you organize all of the different customer data across multi channel brands? Meet mParticle. Michael Katz has spent the past twenty years problem-solving in all things mar-tech, and he co-founded mParticle to integrate and orchestrate customer data for businesses. We cover the future of SEO in a generative AI-driven world, why influencers are the future of social media marketing, and how to build categorical dominance.
The US energy market is changing, with more and more electric vehicles on the road each year. Enter Wallbox, where Enric Asuncion is propelling this change to electric vehicles and supporting the industry. We cover how your car can power your home for four days, the place for software systems in the energy ecosystem, and why people will be far more aware of their energy usage going forward.
How do you scale people? Claire has spent the past two decades problem-solving in all things management and company building. Previously, she was a core member of Stripe's early executive team as COO and went on to write the book "Scaling People". We cover the mindset to approach reading her book, why smart operating is more important now than ever, and why early structural decisions are so important.
From a $1.8 trillion student debt load to significant decreases in college enrollment, there are tailwinds behind new models of higher education. Tade Oyerinde, the Founder & Chancellor at Campus, believes that community college is moving online. His company, Campus, powers an online-first community college experience where young people can complete the first two years of college. We cover why 'earn while you learn' will become the holy grail, how he thoughtfully picked student outcome-focused investors, and why he's bullish on the power of college degrees.
Why is prompt engineering undoubtedly the career of the future? Vijay Karunamurthy, the Field CTO at Scale, is at the center of a groundbreaking company that assists organizations in transforming their raw data into exceptional training data. We cover example applications of reinforcement learning through human feedback, advice for today's computer science students, and what the future of search will look like.
Overnight, the pandemic dramatically reshaped people's relationships with restaurants, leading to a surge in the utilization of delivery technologies like Doordash. George Jacobs, whose upbringing revolved around his father's pizzeria, has dedicated his entire career to contemplating the essence of restaurants. We cover the profound challenges confronting the industry, the enduring significance of restaurants in fostering community, and the compelling case for a third-party delivery experience to enhance first-party ordering.
What if renovating your home could be a seamless experience? Julie Kheyfets, the Chief Operating Officer at Block Renovation, works to help homeowners and contractors collaborate and renovate better together. With housing supply at a 25-year low, people's investment in their current homes has only increased. We delve into why software can’t fix everything, why the Joint Center for Housing Studies publishes required reading, and what role AI and automation will play in the future.
How can one develop AI responsibly? Navrina shares her expertise from her extensive experience in tackling various aspects of artificial intelligence governance and regulation. She led Qualcomm Innovation for an extended period, played a significant role in the advancement of Microsoft AI's virtual agents, and presently holds a position on Biden's National AI Advisory Committee. Our discussion delves into debunking common misconceptions surrounding AI governance, exploring the government's regulatory approach to generative AI, addressing emerging copyright concerns, and much more.
Have you ever considered the impact of digital fashion on virtual communities? Platforms like Roblox have demonstrated the importance of expressing oneself in a digital environment. Mishi McDuff recognized this opportunity and established House of Blueberry to introduce fashion and design into virtual spaces. Our discussion delves into the dynamic relationship between creators, brands, and platforms, how creators build communities around their designs, and the future of digital fashion.
Historically, medical infertility has had a specific and limited definition. But today's definition of fertility healthcare has expanded to include everything from egg freezing to surrogacy to IVF. Tammy Sun started Carrot in 2016 to make fertility care accessible to all as part of the core healthcare stack offered by employers. We cover how fertility care varies in the 120 countries Carrot serves, why surrogacy usage has seen a recent spike, and how the pandemic impacted patient demand.
While most companies today want to implement AI, scaling is historically complex and costly. As a result, 85% of AI projects fail to make it to production. As a PhD candidate at UC Berkeley, Robert Nishihara set out to solve that problem and has since started Anyscale to help companies reduce compute costs and accelerate time to market. We cover why machine learning is so computationally intensive and why better infrastructure systems will unlock AI's full potential.
If you've ever tried an Impossible or Beyond burger and wondered what's next for food science, the answer may be found in precision fermentation. Laura Katz is a food scientist and entrepreneur who started Helaina to create human proteins that provide the same immunity benefits of breast milk. We cover how technology can create food as medicine and why fermentation can be a powerful tool in combating future formula shortages.
What if setting up internet for your business could be as easy as switching on electricity? Anil Varanasi and his brother Sunil started Meter in 2015 to bring a full-stack approach to internet infrastructure. As people return to the office, our shared dependence on the internet has only increased. We cover where 5G and Starlink fit in, why Nicole Starosielski's The Undersea Network is required reading, and what role automation will play in the future.
How do you verify someone's identity online? Alain has spent the past decade problem-solving in all things digital identity. He was a founding member of the Stanford Bitcoin Group and went on to start identity verification company Cognito, which was acquired by Plaid. We cover how identity is shifting as we move toward web3, why the DMV is central to verification in the US, and how the globalization of fintech increases the risk of identity fraud.
The US housing market has seen sky-high demand, with a record number of homes being sold last year. At Qualia, Nate Baker has created a vertical SaaS business to support the industry. Qualia is now the default closing platform used by over half a million real estate and mortgage professionals in all 50 states. We cover why real estate technology is a "sneaky big market," how the next chapter of digital transformation in real estate will unfold, and why he's keeping an eye on whether Zillow expands to own the full purchase transaction.
Every aspect of how we work and live is being changed for the better with data. So what does the next decade hold for the data tech stack? Matthew Scullion has been at the forefront of bringing data analytics to the cloud at the helm of Matillion, a data integration and transformation platform. We cover why data is the new currency, the shift toward every business person becoming a data person, and why we are still in the early innings of making data useful.
From a consumer commitment to sustainability, to the supply chain crisis, there are tailwinds behind new models of commerce. Andy Ruben, who served as Walmart's first Chief Sustainability Officer, believes recommerce is the future. His company, Trove, powers circular shopping for leading brands from Patagonia to Levi's. We cover why consumer consumption is becoming less sustainable at an alarming pace, how tech enables the best brands to sell their items multiple times, and why he's bullish on web3's future as an authentication tool in resale markets.
Overnight, the pandemic shifted modes of healthcare delivery across the United States, with telemedicine suddenly spiking in usage. Dr. Thomas Lee has spent over a decade thinking about healthcare delivery. Before smartphones were ubiquitous, he launched One Medical with a brick and mortar-centric model of delivering primary care. Now he's shifted his focus to last-mile healthcare and bringing care to the most complex populations across the country. We cover why the core challenge is how to facilitate better clinical decisions, why payers are a critical participant in the healthcare system, and why he's hopeful that American healthcare will improve over the next decade.
Dapper Labs has quickly become a top player in the NFT craze, responsible for some of the most broadly used applications in the history of crypto. As web3 continues to rise in prominence, all eyes are on regulators at the global, federal, state, and local level. As the head of Government Affairs at Dapper Labs, Alison Kutler is leveraging her expertise (she was formerly Chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at the FCC) to educate regulators about the future of the internet. We cover why not all NFTs are created equally, why regulation has the potential to make the US a leader in digital assets, and how one of the biggest industry blockers is regulatory inaction.
When Peloton started in 2012, the idea of an at-home fitness experience that was equal parts motivating and social seemed like a wild idea. But over the past decade, Peloton has been at the forefront of building tech-enabled workouts that have redefined the industry. Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer Tom Cortese has been there from day one—and has seen the rapid acceleration that Covid brought to the promise of at-home workouts. We cover why the combination of hardware, software, and content works, where the creator economy and fitness industry will intersect, and what fitness will look like in a post-pandemic world.
With the Great Resignation top of mind for every employer, creating a people-centric employee experience has never been more important. For two decades, Sequoia has provided benefits, HR, payroll, and risk management solutions for employers across the country. As Sequoia's Principal and CMO, Michele has a front-row seat to the programs that employers are adopting in order to maximize their investment in people. We cover why so many companies are deepening their investment in mental health benefits, how early-stage startups are managing workforces that are suddenly distributed across state lines, and how HR has become an increasingly strategic function within every organization.
Paul Budnitz is no stranger to the world of art, toys, and fashion. A serial entrepreneur and artist, he founded Kidrobot and has numerous creations in the permanent collection of MoMA. Now, at Superplastic, he's building an entertainment company composed of animated synthetic celebrities—digital characters which boast millions of followers across social media platforms. We cover how virtual celebrities will exist between the metaverse and real life, why Facebook's name change missed the Web3 mark, and how storied art institutions and fashion houses will engage with NFTs.
For years, the promise of autonomous vehicles has seemed like a distant dream. But Oliver Cameron, VP of Product at Cruise—the $9B autonomous ride-hail subsidiary company of General Motors, says we're at a transitional moment. With the deployment of driverless cars in major cities, we're on the cusp of an exciting future that can redefine how we get around. We cover how AV companies can help build consumer confidence, what it takes for self-driving vehicles to be the more sustainable option, and how the industry's use of machine learning has actually accelerated technology in wholly different fields.
Every tech company today shares a major pain point: the search for engineering talent. Prashanth Chandrasekar has a unique viewpoint on the topic as CEO of Stack Overflow, the world’s largest online developer community with over 100 million monthly visitors. We cover what developers care about most (spoiler: flexibility and learning opportunities rank high), why more engineers are embracing the gig economy, and why asynchronous work is inevitable.
For over twenty years, Google has been synonymous with search, and they hold 92% of the market. Few know Google’s market dominance better than Sridhar Ramaswamy, who was SVP of their $100B ads and commerce business. Now, he’s building Neeva, the world’s first ad-free, private subscription search engine. We cover what it means to bring search back to the basics, how Web3 will impact the relationship between search engines and publishers, the limitations of voice search, and more.
When the Squire cofounders started fundraising for their barbershop tech platform, they got pushback on the vertical SaaS model. Would the market be large enough? But the business vision—and their granular focus—has paid off, with 2,000+ partners in over 40 major markets. We cover why payments must be the centerpiece of a vertical SaaS strategy, why SMB customers are more similar to consumers than enterprise, how Covid encouraged digital adoption, and more.
How will restaurant technology evolve over the next decade? We sit down with the founder of Slice, which supports 17,000 independent pizzerias across all 50 states. We cover the shift toward mobile transactions, why ordering delivery over the phone is bad for restaurants, what place robotics will have in the kitchen, and more.
A taste of Inspired in 15, the new podcast from early-stage venture capital firm Inspired Capital. Each episode features an expert founder or operator, sharing their insights on the future in just 15 minutes.