Founder and CEO of SponsorCX Jason Smith interviews Founder & Chairman Peak Capital Partners & Element Ventures Jeff Burningham

Founder and CEO of SponsorCX Jason Smith interviews Founder & Chairman Peak Capital Partners & Element Ventures Jeff Burningham

From Silicon Slopes | Leaders Interviewing Leaders by Silicon Slopes

December 3, 2025 · 24 min

About this episode

Jason Smith interviews Jeff Burningham about his entrepreneurial journey and insights on leadership and investing.

In this episode, Jason Smith, Founder and CEO of Sponsor CX, sits down with Jeff Burningham, a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and mentor. Jeff shares his journey from starting a tech company as an undergrad at BYU to becoming a venture capitalist and even running for governor of Utah. 00:12 - Introduction and Guest Welcome 00:38 - Jason's Mentorship and Early Days of Sponsor CX 01:09 - The Decision to Go All-In on Sponsor CX 02:09 - Initial Investment and Early Support 02:52 - The Hero's Journey of an Entrepreneur 03:11 - Importance of Believing in the Founder 03:58 - Jeff's Venture Investing Philosophy 05:00 - Jeff's Background and Career Overview 07:09 - Running for Governor and Post-Political Journey 08:19 - Transition to a More Reflective Life 08:31 - Jeff's Investment Approach and Early Stage Focus 09:13 - Qualities of a Successful Founder 11:04 - Scaling a Startup and Building a Team 12:08 - Achieving Product-Market Fit 13:39 - Leadership Qualities in Startups 15:58 - Key Characteristics of Effective Leaders 17:03 - Importance of Kindness in Leadership 19:01 - Human Element in Leadership and Management 19:41 - Introduction to Jeff's Book on AI and Humanity 20:16 - Why…

More episodes of Silicon Slopes | Leaders Interviewing Leaders

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Silicon Slopes | Leaders Interviewing Leaders podcast page.