The Boost VC Podcast

Today Dan joins us to share how IDEO came to explore emerging technology in the blockchain space. We discuss his introduction to cryptocurrency as well as IDEO CoLab’s current projects. Listen in for Dan’s advice around the application of design thinking to blockchain technology and his definition of success in his role at IDEO.

Today Jonathan joins us to explain what sets Mothership apart from other drone technologies. We discuss the lessons Jonathan has learned as an entrepreneur and the challenges around communicating with investors when your market size is somewhat intangible. Listen in for Jonathan’s insight around the evolution of the drone market and the value of future-thinking.

Today Michael joins us to share IBM Watson’s utility as an AI platform, explaining how its VR Speech Sandbox provides a toolkit for developers to build products that incorporate Watson’s services. We discuss the best methods to incentivize developers, and Michael offers insight around converting developers into advocates. Listen in to understand how IBM Watson plays into the rise of digital assistants like Alexa and Siri, and learn how you might use its services to build your own custom VR and AR experiences.

Today Sebastian joins us to share his journey down the crypto rabbit hole, explaining how his background in programming and computer science led to an interest in the space. We discuss the evolution of the ecosystem from 2012 to 2018, and Sebastian offers insight on the legitimization of Bitcoin via government regulation. Listen in and learn Sebastian’s take on current needs in the cryptocurrency space and how RCN built a community through its token sale.

Today Peter joins us to share his initial skepticism toward VR, explaining how live motion controllers made him a believer. He offers his best advice for VR designers and shares some of his favorite experiences. We discuss the value in finding a co-founder with a complementary personality and what sets Sketchbox apart from competing design tools. Listen in and learn why Peter believes that standalone headsets will eliminate the barriers to entry and usher in a new era inVR.

Today Taylor shares how she fell into the crypto rabbit hole and the experience that inspired MyEtherWallet. We discuss ICOs, the potential for bad decisions in the emerging crypto tech space, and the value of struggle—for individuals and companies. Listen in for Taylor͛s insight around managing a remote team and keeping your team happy when money doesn't matter!

{Rebroadcast} Season 1, Ep. 19: Kathleen Breitman, Co-Founder of Tezos The people have spoken and they want more crypto! The rise of the prices in the industry have led us to interview someone who has an upcoming ICO, Kathleen Breitman with Tezos. We challenge other currencies and discuss governance structures.

{Rebroadcast of our very first episode with Greg Castle from July 22, 2016} Bay Area VC Greg Castle is the managing partner of Anorak Ventures. An early-stage investor in frontier technologies, Greg was a seed investor in Oculus, and that experience afforded him a deep knowledge and a strong network in the VR space.

Lucas Toohey is the CEO of ObserVR, an analytics platform for virtual reality that tracks user actions throughout their experience to identify patterns over time, giving developers data-driven insights around user engagement with their VR products. Lucas founded the company with fellow California Polytechnic students Jacob Copus and Justin Cellona, and together they are intent on helping to define the standards and benchmarks for VR as the technology gains traction.

Bart Stephens has always been on the cutting edge of new technologies. He began his career with E*TRADE, pioneering online stock trading in the early 1990’s. Bart went on to become an entrepreneur, founding Oncology.com, the internet’s largest cancer-related website, before selling it to Pfizer in 2001. Then he joined forces with his brother to form Stephens Investment Management, a hedge fund and VC firm that broke new ground in the area of Nanocap investing.

Charlie Lee created Litecoin in 2011 while he was working as software engineer for Google. Litecoin is ‘the silver to Bitcoin’s gold,’ functioning as a peer-to-peer cryptocurrency that complements Bitcoin. In the long-term, Charlie sees Litecoin becoming a payment currency used at both physical and online stores, and he is currently working to promote widespread merchant adoption.

Linda currently serves as the co-founder and managing director of Scalar Capital, a cryptocurrency hedge fund. An expert in the areas of privacy and security, she is passionate about crypto as an ‘unseizable asset’ that governments cannot control. Today Linda shares her take on where we should be storing our Bitcoin and what is stopping cryptocurrency from mass adoption.

Luis Cuende’s interest in the blockchain began in 2011 when he was only 16 years old. After reading the Bitcoin white paper, Luis connected with others drawn to the idealistic implications of cryptocurrency and started working on blockchain pioneer Stampery, a service providing secure and decentralized proof of existence and ownership.

“Venture capital, to me, is a way that we can raise money to help entrepreneurs who can go out there and do something for the world that just opens it up. I am always pushing for freedom, and I think it’s great to see venture capital be able to support entrepreneurs—wherever they are—to go out there and do something extraordinary for freedom.” -- Tim Draper

What happens when you marry a background in genetic engineering with extensive experience in design? A unique skill set that supports life scientists in becoming entrepreneurs, helping PhDs turn benchtop science into applied products with the potential to change lives. Arvind Gupta is the co-founder of IndieBio, the world’s largest seed biotech accelerator. He has over a decade of experience helping startups and Fortune 50 companies launch new tech products, and his thought-leadership has been published in Time, Design Observer, and Rotman Management Magazine, among others. Arvind has received a number of international awards for design and innovation, and he is a frequent speaker at events like SFMOMA and TEDx New Silk Road. Today Arvind shares his take on how the future of humanity rests in biology, explaining how advances in technology have facilitated better, faster results in scientific research. We discuss how the IndieBio approach takes capital expenditure out of the system and coverts it into operating expenses for biotech startups. We cover the current trends in biotechnology, where to go for information about the industry, and the types of companies Arvind is looking for right now. Listen and learn what the term CRISPR really means and how this powerful technology will eventually allow us to “design ourselves.”