Master Minds by Sway Ventures: Recent Episodes
Sway Ventures
There’s nothing magical about it, it comes down to hard work.
Master Minds by Sway Ventures takes you inside the world of venture capital and technology, featuring enlightening interviews with entrepreneurs, investors and tech industry leaders. The podcast is hosted by Sway Ventures partner and COO Greg White.
As former founders and operators we needed help in four key areas: capital, revenue, talent, and product. Now as investors, we relentlessly hustle to deliver value in these four areas. We give our time liberally, listen intently, and take action immediately.
24 months of cash is the new 12 months!
Sway Ventures Partner within our Supply Chain Tech Sector Team; Darren Kimura, joins the Sway Ventures Master Minds Podcast to share his thoughts on fundraising and operations management in a downturn.
Anticipating Shifting Consumer Preferences within Retail & Brands
Sway Ventures Advisor within our Retail & Brands Sector Team; and CEO of Victoria's Secret Beauty, Greg Unis, joins the Sway Ventures Master Minds Podcast to share his thoughts on seeing around corners, and strategies for staying ahead of shifting consumer preferences. He discusses the power of an iconic, global brand; how embracing e-commerce can augment longevity; and he shares his perspectives on Retail & Brands and advice he'd give founders.
Sway Ventures Partner within our Retail & Brands sector team; Shelly Kapoor Collins, joins the Sway Ventures Master Minds Podcast to share her thoughts on the importance, value, and returns associated with female-led technology companies,"Male Allyship" relative to female entrepreneurs, start-ups, and asset management, and, why is now the time for Retail & Brands investing.
An Executive's View of the Digital landscape and how Retail & Brands Companies can Accelerate Sway Ventures Advisor within our Retail & Brands Sector Team; and SVP of Product and Manufacturing Innovation within Global Operations of the Ralph Lauren Corporation, Jason Berns, joins the Sway Ventures Master Minds Podcast to share his thoughts on retail in a post-pandemic world from both a customer and brand perspective; the emerging trends, and where he believes retail, and perhaps luxury brands in particular are going; and what technology will fuel the next wave of innovation.
An Executive's View of What Start-Ups Should Be Doing Now and how Strategics & Customers Can Benefit Sway Ventures Advisor within our Retail & Brands Sector Team; and Founder and Managing Director of Halo Advisory Network, Gene Han, joins the Sway Ventures Master Minds Podcast to share his experience at Target overseeing new product development and commerce models involving emerging technology and directing the startup engagement process across Target’s offices in Minneapolis, San Francisco, and Bangalore (India). Gene shares his thoughts on retail in the current Pandemic Circumstance (for customers and or Corps / Strategics), and the impact on retail post Pandemic - where is retail headed? Lastly, he tells us more about "RE-commerce" and why that's something to watch?
An Interview with David Marino, the Co-founder & Executive Vice President at Hughes Marino – David has been representing tenants in commercial real-estate for over three decades Topic #1): It’s been 5 months since we last spoke about this together, where do you see the commercial real-estate market today? Topic #2):What’s happening now to tenants (especially those in the start-up community)? Topic #3) And, what are the one to three things tenants should be doing now (how do companies take advantage of the current situation and what are your suggestions for navigating a tenants' market not seen for nearly 20 years)?
Founder and Managing Partner of Material Capital Partners, Alex Chalmers, joins the show to share his experience building and investing in thriving startups and opportunities in The Southeast. In this episode, Greg and Alex talk about how the financial crisis of 2008 and now the global COVID-19 Pandemic have shown the entire country that low-income communities are often the first hit and last to recover during times of economic instability. One of the ways this is being addressed is via Opportunity Zones, bipartisan legislation authored by South Carolina Senator Tim Scott enacted through the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Alex discusses how Material Capital Partners is helping and why communities, local leaders and investors all benefit. Plus, he discusses how Silicon Valley’s benefits regarding access to capital, amazing talent and innovation.
Material Capital Partners is headquartered in Charleston, SC with a presence in San Francsico, CA.
CEO at Nex Cubed, Marlon Evans joins Greg White on the Sway Ventures Master Minds Podcast - they discuss Nex Cubed's Historical Black Colleges Founder’s Program; attracting universities, students, corporate sponsors, community leaders and philanthropists to the mission; and what people can do today to get involved.
"Social Impact - Startup and Non-Profits - Fund Allocation Thought Processes" An Interview with Pete Settelmayer, the Executive Director of City Year San José / Silicon Valley
"International Expansion is like Creating a Wonderful Meal - Methodical, Genuine and Local" An Interview with Albert Vazquez, an Operating Partner at Sway Ventures
An Interview with Jennifer Johnson, the Co-Founder at Canyon Snow on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) & Environmental Social Governance (ESG) -- Key Diligence and Inspection areas for Investors, Founders & CEO's alike.
Digital Marketing - SEO, Tools, and Marketing Strategy -- Things to do Today to enable Success: An Interview with Bill Quell, the CEO and Founder of ClickAwayCreative
An Interview with Debbie Rosler, a CFO Consultant, and Reynolds Morgan, Director of Venture Capital & Ecosystems at Burkland Associates on Financial Preparedness Earlier In Your Lifecycle as well as what you should be doing Right Now relative to SBA PPP Loan - Transparency / Accounting.
An Interview with Evan Walden, the Founder & CEO at Monday.vc, on “The Current State of Talent” and what startups are doing right now to expedite needed hiring and or to help displaced associates find their next opportunity.
An Interview with Sean Golfaden from CoEfficient Labs on “growth hacking.” The divide between traditional agencies and growth hacking firms, disruptive ideas & differentiation for shortening sales cycles, expanding pipelines, improving closure rates as well as suggestions / recommendations on what to do right now.
Listen to the Interview with Jack Nelson from JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle) Here on what tenants and landlords need to do now to ready themselves to return to offices / workspaces.
"It's a Tenants' Market" an Interview with David Marino of Hughes Marino. It's an opportune time to renegotiate your leases / subleases and ready yourselves for the massive "tenant market" shift coming in commercial real estate.
Fed / Gov & DoD Funding Opportunities: An interview with Andy Bair (Sway’s Partner in Washington, DC) as he addresses three Key Questions specific to Fed / Gov & DoD non-dilutive, dual-use funding opportunities:
- The DoD / Fed Gov has been a long-standing innovator / sponsor of technology. That said, what’s different?
- Examples and more specifically, how changes apply and impact the start-up community
- What should start-up Founders / CEOs and Exec Teams do about it right now?