What Fuels You

Greg Davidson is the Co-Founder and CEO of Lalo, a modern baby and toddler brand built around the idea that new parents deserve better: better design, better guidance, and products that actually grow with their kids. Greg's path to founding a baby brand is not what you'd expect. He came up through a series of fast-growing startups in sales and go-to-market roles at Elastic, Krossover, WayUp, and Artsy before co-founding Lalo in 2017 with his former WayUp colleague, Michael Wieder. Neither of them had kids at the time. His first child was born in 2020, just after officially launching the business in 2019 and right before a global pandemic. They were somehow still able to grow 400% that first year. Lalo has since raised a $10.1 million series A, and expanded into Target, Babylist, Pottery Barn Kids and beyond. Greg is based in Miami and is a dad of three.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jennifer Worthington is the Co-Founder and President of Two Dice, a new live experience company she's building with George Kliavkoff, with whom she shares a belief in the power of live experiences to create connection and lasting memories.  She started her career at Jerry Bruckheimer Films, where she rose to senior vice president at age 23, working on some of the biggest films of that era: Armageddon, The Rock, Black Hawk Down, Pirates of the Caribbean. Then she walked away from Hollywood to open the Coyote Ugly Saloon on the Las Vegas Strip, which became the highest grossing bar per square foot in the country.  Jennifer is the author of In the Spirit of Las Vegas for Assouline and the creator of Little Angels, a multi-platform entertainment franchise developed in partnership with Mark Burnett and Roma Downey and now part of Hearst Entertainment. Most recently, she served as CEO and Co-Founder of Play Social Inc., where she launched Play Playground, a next-generation experiential entertainment concept redefining social play for teens and adults. She holds a degree from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amanda Schutzbank and Deborah Benton are Co-Founders and General Partners at Willow Growth Partners. Willow is an emerging growth fund providing early capital to entrepreneurs building next-generation, values-led consumer brands. They typically lead the first institutional round for companies generating $1-5 million in revenue, applying a disciplined approach to valuation, capitalization, and scaling for long-term success. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aaron Finn is the CEO of SingleFile. He has spent over 25 years building and leading technology companies across consumer, internet, digital advertising, healthcare, and legal and compliance infrastructure. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at classmates.com, where he worked on customer acquisition analytics and scaling consumer platforms. He later co-founded AdReady, an automated advertising company, and led it through multiple growth phases and an eventual acquisition. Across those roles, Aaron has often been responsible for stepping into complexity and helping organizations scale responsibly. He joined SingleFile in 2021 to lead the company through its next phase of growth, with a focus on clarity, execution, and building infrastructure that works quietly and reliably in a highly regulated space.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Court Lorenzini is the founder and CEO of multiple successful technology startups including DocuSign, Point.com, Primus BioVision and MetaBrite Inc. His latest venture, FounderNexus, aims to triple the success rate of venture-backed startups, and his work with the Lorenzini Family Foundation is aggressively investing in building a stronger and more equitable society. Additionally, Mr. Lorenzini serves on the Boards of many early-stage companies across the US and UK as well as the United States Olympic and Paralympic Foundation, and is an active investor and advisor. Over his career, Mr. Lorenzini has raised over $300M in venture and strategic funding from leading corporations and venture capital funds. Prior to his entrepreneurial ventures, Mr. Lorenzini held senior management positions with Cisco Systems and KLA-Tencor, including two years running a technology business in Neuchatel, Switzerland. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Duke University and post graduate credentials from Stanford University, UC Berkeley and University of Wisconsin at Madison.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Raina Kumra is the Founder of Spicewell, a "Food is Medicine" startup focused on bringing everyday Ayurveda to the American diet, closing nutrient gaps, and planetary health. Raina is also an advisor to Google X and CEO of Juggernaut, a transformation bureau that focuses on placing capital and storytelling for an organization's next leap. Previously, she worked in the Obama administration and served as Head of Digital for Wieden + Kennedy in New York. For What Fuels You listeners, Raina has provided a promo code for 25% off SpiceWell products. Shop here for superfood seasonings, which make a great gift: What Fuels You discount code (https://spicewell.com/whatfuelsyou)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dawn Lepore is the former CEO and Board Chair of drugstore.com—a leading online retailer of health, beauty, and wellness products—which she led from 2004 until the successful sale to Walgreens in 2011. Prior to joining drugstore.com, Dawn held leadership positions at the Charles Schwab Company, where she played a key role launching and then building Schwab's highly successful e-commerce business. Currently, Dawn serves on the boards of LoanDepot.com, Servco Pacific, and SecureSave, and she's Board Chair at Amperity. Dawn also serves as Co-Chair of the Washington Teach for America Board. Dawn has been honored by Fortune Magazine four times as one of the 50 most powerful women in American business, and by the National Organization for Women at their Aiming High Conference.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michelle Wahler is an entrepreneur, business leader, and mother who co-founded the active lifestyle brand Beyond Yoga in 2005. As CEO, she built the company from the ground up—transforming a concept into a global business with a thriving e-commerce platform, a robust wholesale presence, and six retail stores. Under her nearly 20 years of leadership, Beyond Yoga sold tens of millions of units worldwide and became a leader in inclusive, body-positive apparel.Michelle championed a female-focused, values-driven culture centered on diversity, empowerment, and authenticity—both internally and for the broader community. In 2021, she led Beyond Yoga through a successful $400M acquisition by Levi Strauss & Co., continuing as CEO and joining Levi’s Executive Leadership Team through 2024. Her work has earned national recognition: she was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2021 and honored as a DEIA Visionary by the Los Angeles Times in 2023. Originally from Maryland, Michelle began her career in New York City and now resides in Los Angeles with her husband, two children, and two dogs. Through the family foundation she co-founded, she actively supports philanthropic initiatives, advises emerging founders, teaches, and invests in mission-driven ventures.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doug Glant is a true renaissance man, a Stanford educated historian, master storyteller, former intelligence officer, radio host, educator, and community builder. From serving with the CIA and DIA in Vietnam and the Middle East to leading his family's Pacific Iron and Metal, Doug has navigated both high stakes, global arenas and the relationship driven world of industry. He's also shared his expertise as a lecturer on business history and US popular culture at Stanford, the University of Washington, and the Bohemian Club. In the community, Doug has been a scout, on and off the field, photographer for the Washington Huskies, a mentor to youth in Seattle's Central District, and—even more unexpectedly—a vocalist performing with the Harry James Orchestra. His leadership roles include serving as international president of the Young President's Organization, national Chairman for Business in the Reagan-Bush White House in 1980, and decades of service to the Anti-Defamation League and American Jewish Committee.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Lazarovits is the CEO and Co-Founder of Archon Biosciences, a leader at the intersection of materials engineering and artificial intelligence. James brings over 15 years of experience building, mentoring, and investing in deep tech startups across AI, software, hardware, and robotics. Before founding Archon, James was at the forefront of AI-driven computational protein design as a post-doctoral fellow and later research faculty at the Institute for Protein Design at the University of Washington, under the direction of 2024 Nobel Laureate, David Baker. There, he contributed to pioneering methods that integrate machine learning and molecular engineering to create next-gen therapeutic proteins. Jamie earned his PhD in nanotechnology engineering from the University of Toronto where he worked under Nanomedicine expert, Dr. Warren Chan. His doctoral work focused on overcoming biological delivery barriers, using nano materials and deep learning, laying the groundwork for his later contributions to rational protein design. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yoko Miyashita is the CEO of Leafly, the go-to platform for cannabis education, discovery, and community. Yoko joined Leafly in 2019 as general counsel and stepped into the CEO role the following year, right in the middle of the pandemic and a major turning point for the industry. Born in Japan and raised in the US, Yoko spent much of her childhood translating for immigrant parents, an experience that gave her an early understanding of voice, access, and responsibility. That thread has carried through her career from practicing law to leading through change. Before Leafly, Yoko spent over a decade at Getty Images as SVP and general counsel, guiding the company through the global legal strategy during a time of massive digital transformation. She's a UC Berkeley and UW law school grad. At Leafly, Yoko is helping shape what the future of cannabis can look like, centered around trust, education, and community. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emily Long is the co-founder and CEO of Edera, the pioneer of strong workload isolation technology for cloud and AI infrastructure. She places the highest value on people and bringing diverse teams together to build something that is greater than the sum of its parts. Emily is a tactical and strategic leader who’s proven in scaling operations, fostering strong company cultures, and driving strategic execution. She’s also an unapologetic people person who believes in the capacity of humor and human connection to motivate and empower team members to achieve more. Prior to Edera, she was the COO at Chainguard, where she built, scaled, and led core business functions that helped lead the company to its Series C and Unicorn status. Emily also served as Chief Operating & People Officer at Anchore, where she oversaw business operations and sales and spearheaded its DEI initiatives. She’s also held strategic operations roles at LogicMonitor and KPMG. Emily is based in Santa Barbara, California and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Elizabeth Wako is president and CEO of Swedish Health Services, where she oversees an organization with more than 1,500 licensed patient beds, 48,000 annual inpatient admissions and $3.4 billion in revenue.  Dr. Wako has over 30 years of experience in the healthcare field. Before stepping into her current role, she worked as a registered nurse in behavioral health and held several key executive positions at Swedish. She received her medical degree from the University of Utah and returned to the University of Washington to complete a medical residency in anesthesia, a fellowship in perioperative medicine, and finally, her MBA. Dr. Wako lives in Seattle with her husband and four children.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.