Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs Invites

IN THIS EPISODE: Host Denise Silber sits down with Harvard alumna Dr. Merritt Moore, who is a quantum physicist, ballet dancer, educator and entrepreneur all at once! They explore her unique multi-disciplinary journey at the intersection of dance and robotics. Dr Moore reveals the challenges and triumphs of merging her two passions, and how her work offers deeper insights into human-machine interaction. Dr. Moore shares how she is creating a new industry by coding robots and performing as a professional ballet dancer on global stages. Dr Moore's innovative teaching approach in creative robotics at NYU Abu Dhabi offers entrepreneurs insights into embracing interdisciplinary approaches and combining diverse skills to forge unique career paths and inspire market-defining innovations. GUEST BIO: Dr. Merritt Moore graduated from Harvard College in physics and from the University of Oxford with a PhD in Quantum Optics. She danced professionally with the English National Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, and Zurich Ballet, and continues to perform with the Boston Ballet. Additionally, she is an Adjunct Professor at NYU Abu Dhabi, teaching robotics. She was awarded Forbes 30 under 30, she was one of the 12 candidates on BBC "Astronauts: Do you have what it takes?". She has been invited to perform with robots at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Forbes Women's Summit, and around the world. This led to features in TIME, Financial Times (FT), Vogue, BBC.

IN THIS EPISODE: In this unique episode taking us to Latin America, Denise Silber interviews HBS alumna Christine Kenna, Partner at a leading early-stage VC fund in Mexico, in order to explore and amplify the often overlooked opportunities for venture capital investment in the region. Drawing from her experience as a former Silicon Valley executive, operational manager in LatAm, and board member, Christine Kenna shares insights on identifying innovative business models and supporting entrepreneurs in this emerging market. Listeners will gain valuable takeaways on the region's tech landscape, the importance of local partnerships, and the evolving role of women in venture capital. Christine Kenna also discusses her initiatives to empower women in VC, the necessary balance between personal values and profess GUEST BIO: Christine Kenna, an alumna of the Harvard Business School, is Partner at IGNIA, a leading venture capital fund investing in global technology companies reinventing the way to do business across Latin America. Christine, a trailblazer in the investor and entrepreneurial ecosystems, co-founded Mujeres Invirtiendo and MBA Mujeres de México to accelerate the careers of professional women in LatAm. With 15+ years of VC experience, she serves on IGNIA´s boards and is an independent Board Member of ALSEA and the Kauffman Fellows. Recognized as one of Latin America's top female investors, Christine's background includes leadership roles at Google, EF Education First, and EY Parthenon and The Guggenheim Foundation. Christine did her undergraduate degree at Duke University and is a Kauffman Fellow.

IN THIS EPISODE: In this podcast episode, host Philip Guarino speaks with Andrew Lo, a distinguished professor at MIT and an entrepreneur with a focus on healthcare and deep tech ventures. Andrew shares his journey from academia to entrepreneurship, detailing his transition from economics to founding a quantitative investment firm and later exploring the financial challenges of drug development. He discusses the fundraising challenges for deep tech entrepreneurs, how investors' risk calculation differs for more complex ventures and how this requires continuous investor communication and learning. Lo also highlights the vibrant innovation ecosystem in the Boston-Cambridge area and his passion for mentoring students in entrepreneurial projects. GUEST BIO: Andrew W. Lo is the Charles E. and Susan T. Harris Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, director of MIT's Laboratory for Financial Engineering, and principal investigator at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. He is a co-founder and director of BridgeBio Pharma, a director of AbCellera, Atomwise, and Vesalius, a co-founder and chairman of QLS Advisors, and a member of the advisory board to the American Cancer Society's BrightEdge Impact Fund. Dr. Lo received his B.A. in economics from Yale University and his A.M. and Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University.

IN THIS EPISODE: In this podcast episode, Anthony Soohoo, an entrepreneur with experience in both startups and Fortune 100 companies, shares his insights on the value of corporate skills for entrepreneurs and vice versa. He discusses the differences between startup and corporate work environments, emphasizing the importance of an entrepreneurial mindset in large organizations for innovation and nimbleness. Anthony also reflects on his board experiences and the role of entrepreneurs in governance. Anthony Soohoo discusses how corporate skills can benefit entrepreneurs, touching on empathy and understanding organizational dynamics. Anthony talks about his advisory roles, including his involvement with Spryker and AI Fund, and his upcoming participation in a case study discussion at his alma mater. GUEST BIO: Anthony Soohoo is an entrepreneurial leader who has led businesses from zero to billions. Over his career, Anthony has led some of the largest business and digital transformations across media, retail, and tech. As EVP at Walmart, he helped lead the company's omnichannel transformation as they merged their physical and digital businesses together. At CBS, Anthony launched the company's first over-the-top streaming service, catapulting CBS.com into the largest television network site in the industry in the late 2000s. He has served as a co-founder & CEO at Dotspotter, acquired by CBS and at Dot & Bo, now part of Alibaba. He is currently a board member at Spryker Systems, Venture Advisor with AI Fund, and an Entrepreneur-In-Residence at Harvard Business School.

IN THIS EPISODE: In this episode, our host Philip Guarino is joined by Dr. Eric Dawson, CEO of RIVET, a company which channels the economic power of young people to fund their work as social innovators. Representing over three trillion dollars in consumer spending, today's youth are a powerful economic force that is ever more committed to social causes. They don't lack ideas- they lack resources. Eric discusses the vast potential and creativity of today's young generation and how RIVET's innovative microfinancing program empowers them to effect change. This inspiring conversation highlights the potential of today's young minds in shaping a better future. GUEST BIO: Dr. Eric Dawson has led organizations and research at the intersection of youth culture, social innovation, and brands. Currently, he serves as the CEO of RIVET, the world's first consumer-facing, social impact brand that leverages the collective consumer power of GenZ to fund young social innovators through a micro-financing platform. Dr. Dawson holds three degrees from Harvard University: a B.A in social studies; M.Ed in human development psychology; and an M.Div. in pastoral care and counseling. His doctorate is in Leadership and Innovation from New York University; his research focused on founder transitions and the relationship between founders and their successors

IN THIS EPISODE: In this episode, our host, Philip Guarino, is joined by Maik Taro Wehmeyer, Co-Founder & CEO at Taktile. Maik shares his journey from engineering and statistical optimization to pioneering machine learning in finance. In this segment, Maik explains the gap in decision infrastructure for platforms used in accounting, banking and other industries. This gap led to the creation of Taktile, a low-code/no-code platform which empowers credit and risk teams to generate highly accurate automated underwriting decisions more efficiently and at scale. Join us to learn how this innovative firm is using artificial intelligence to revolutionize decision-making technology for fintechs, banks and insurance companies alike. GUEST BIO: Maik Wehmeyer is the CEO and Co-Founder of Taktile, a leading decision engine software that is empowering fintechs and banks across the globe to make smarter, faster, and more accurate automated risk decisions. Taktile's low-code platform makes it simple for business teams to build, test, and optimize powerful automated decisions in a data-driven way. Prior to founding Taktile, Maik was an early member of QuantCo, McKinsey, and SAP. He has significant experience in the machine learning and financial services spaces, serving as a member of the EU Commission's AI Alliance and the German AI Alliance.

IN THIS EPISODE: In this episode our host, Philip Guarino, is joined by Jahn Karsybaev, a Managing Partner at Big Sky Capital, a VC for B2B enterprises in emerging markets. Together they discuss Jahn's journey as an immigrant from entrepreneur to venture capitalist, his firm's unique focus on emerging markets and how founders can best navigate the challenging funding environment. In this installment, Jahn sheds light on what he looks for in founders and how the right venture capital firm, board and advisors can play a crucial role in accelerating growth. Jahn discusses the importance of a right product-market fit and go-to-market strategy, the value of networking and how entrepreneurs can best future-proof their operations to propel long-term success. GUEST BIO: Jahn Karsybaev is a Managing Partner at Big Sky Capital, an early-stage fund investing enterprise SaaS companies. He is a former Technology Executive for Fortune 100 companies and a serial entrepreneur with multiple exits. Jahn is an alumnus of Harvard Business School, University of Montana and NSU. He holds multiple Board positions at various companies like mgBasePay, Cerebra AI, HBS Alumni Angels, Tarlan Payments and many more. Jahn is also a founder and executive host on Ivy Podcast: Interviewing Top Global Executives. Jahn Is a published author and his most recent book "The PM Imperative: Guide for Leading and Managing Projects & Delivering Value" is on Top 50 Amazon's Global Business Books. He is originally from Kazakhstan and currently resides in South Florida with his wife and three children.

IN THIS EPISODE: In this episode, our host, Philip Guarino, is joined by Vanessa Westphal, the co-founder of Choosy. Together they talk about the trends in food consumption, sustainability and biodiversity, and how artificial intelligence can help us make better decisions for our health and that of the planet. Consumers are paying more attention to what they eat. Although this isn't a new trend, with the food industry responsible for over 1/3 of CO2 emissions, consumers are more conscious than ever of the environmental impact of what we eat. There is a shift towards consuming more plant-based, organic and sustainable foods. Yet making good decisions can still be complex, with opaque labeling and heavy industry marketing. Choosy is a novel solution, an AI-powered app that learns from our personal tastes and nudges us to eat better and sustainably. GUEST BIO: Vanessa is an entrepreneur, innovator and thought leader. She studied electrical engineering and holds an MLA in Management with focus on Organizational Behavior from Harvard University. After nearly 10 years in the corporate environment, she has (co-)founded two companies and combines knowledge from the corporate & startup world. She has built an incubator, led an intrapreneurship program and coached founders. As co-founder of the German Tech Startup Choosy, Vanessa aims to make healthy, planet-friendly eating enjoyable for everyone. Choosy leverages AI to help individuals improve eating habits and tackling two of the most significant topics of our time with tech: planetary & human health.