Funds and Founders: Untold Journeys Behind Their Breakthroughs
Episodes
What’s Holding Back 98% of Women Founders from $1M Revenue? ft. Nomiki Petrolla
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Nomiki Petrolla founder of Theanna, a groundbreaking platform empowering women tech founders, unpacks the realities of startup succes...
What Founders Get Wrong About Success ft. Harry | Funds and Founders
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with Harry Morton, the founder of Lower Street and host of Moneywise, to uncover the emotional real...
How to Survive the First 6 Months ft. Albert Behr | Revenue and Investment Consultant
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most founders don’t fail because of bad ideas. They fail because they run out of money, energy, or clarity in the first six months. In this brutall...
The Hard Truth About Building a $100M Startup ft. Christian Facey (Audiomob)
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it actually take to build something from scratch, when no one’s watching, no one’s funding you, and the world’s falling apart? In thi...
Inside the $6B Scotch Whiskey Industry – Opportunities, Tech & Building a Fund | Ep 71
28 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of *Funds and Founders*, we sit down with a whiskey entrepreneur who has spent over a decade in the Scotch industry — building inves...
From Zero to $1 BILLION: The Vet Clinic That Broke Every Business Rule | Ep 70
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael’s entrepreneurial journey started at 12 with a paper route and grew into building Thrive Pet Healthcare into a billion-dollar company. In th...
James Brewer hacked his way into the founding team | Ep 69
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
James Brewer went from being Import Yeti’s 3rd user to its co-founder—and helped scale it to 150K+ paying users and 2M monthly visitors. In this e...
How Lucy Banks Built a Million-Dollar Brand Without Stripe or Ads | Ep 68
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lucy Banks went from corporate banking to becoming a top 1% OnlyFans creator — and now runs a PR & marketing agency for adult creators. In this ...
The Smartest Founders Build Email First | Ep - 67
20 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Newsletters are not dead, Dylan from Growth in Reverse breaks down how indie founders and B2B operators are building 5-figure audiences and monetizing...
This Founder Turned Colors Into an million dollar exit - Ep 66
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What drives a founder to go back into the grind after a life-changing exit?In this episode, we sit down with Ganesh, a serial founder who bootstrapped...
The Startup That’s Taking On The Banks To Make The 99% Richer | Ep 65
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with Michael, co-founder of Q Branch and Populace, who shares how he's helping international startu...
He quit Apple to sell honey jars and learn sales | Ep- 64
14 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From building apps at Best Buy to getting into Techstars, this episode is a masterclass in startup grit. Our guest, a Toronto-based founder and ex-App...
This Is Why Most Startups Fail at Go-To-Market Strategy | Funds and founders
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cody Anderson is back for Part 2! In this episode, we dive deep into what actually works when it comes to go-to-market (GTM) strategies — especially...
The Costliest AI Mistake in Startups | Protik Mukhopadhyay - E61
14 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do you actually sell to enterprises? Why do most startups fail at it? In this episode, we talk to the founder of DataColor.ai — a seri...
This One Hire Nearly Killed My Business | Pat Killoren - E60
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when a startup sales pro burns out and decides to start a podcast? In this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with Pat Killoren —...
How He Built 3 Startups, Backed 70+ & Now Advises a $250M VC Fund | Andrew Ackerman - E59
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with Andrew Ackerman, a seasoned founder, venture studio operator, and author of The Entrepreneur’...
How he Built a $1.5M Startup Without Ads, a Website, or a Team | Rob Kaminski - E58
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with the co-founder and CEO of FletchPMM—a company that’s helped over 350+ B2B startu...
How TrulyMadly Took on Tinder & Built a 100 Crore Dating App in India | Snehil Khanor - E57 Part II
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we sit down with the founder of TrulyMadly, India's most trusted dating app, to explore the startup journey, fundraising pitfalls, gr...
How I Accidentally Became a Consultant & Made 1 Year’s Salary in 1 Month | Snehil Khanor - E57 Part 1
11 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we dive deep into a candid conversation with a founder who shares how he stumbled into consulting, earned a year's salary in a single...
How I Hacked College Admissions to get Into Top schools! ! Anthony Berryhill - E56
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How I Hacked College Admissions to get Into Top schools!descriptionIn this episode of Fundsandfounders, we sit down with Anthony Berryhill, ...
How He Built a SaaS for Creators 💡 | Ansh Vashisht - E55
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Funds & Founders, we sit down with Ansh, co-founder of Quickreel, the AI-driven platform that helps content creators,...
Lessons from a Paperboy who built a $13M Company! | James Wahba - E54
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
**From delivering newspapers in 4th grade to raising millions for real estate and co-founding a thriving co-working space—James Wahba’s journey is...
Proven Playbook to Get Investors on Board in 30 Days! | Rajesh Sawhney - E53
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with Rajesh Sawhney—a seasoned investor, advisor, and the founder & CEO of GSF—who’s back...
Navigating Fundraising and Growth in a Competitive Market 💰 | Justin Schoenfelder - E52
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Funds and Founders, we welcome back Justin, founder of Fantasy Elect, a cutting-edge political gaming startup. Justin div...
Learn how to Raise Millions with the Perfect Pitch Deck | Garret Dailey & Brian Schuster - E51
01 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with Garrett and Brian from Lucid, a consulting firm specializing in pitch decks and brand clarity....
The Ultimate Paid Ads Playbook: Accelerate Your Business Growth | Moby Hayat - E50
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with Moby, a seasoned paid ads specialist who helps startups and established businesses alike accel...
This Goal Setting Framework Made Me 3x My Business | Aaron Trahan - E49
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with Aaron, a performance coach who helps founders and entrepreneurs optimize their business execut...
Stop Wasting Money on Engineers! | Silicon Valley Secrets from Ex-Bay Area CTO | John Davidson - E48
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with John Davison, founder of StartupLandia, a hybrid venture studio and development shop. John sha...
Why I Left My VP Role for a Seed-Stage Startup | Inside Beehive's Growth Story | Preeya Goenka - E47
18 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we sit down with Preeya, COO of Beehive, to discuss her journey from being a VP at a large tech company to joining Beehive as employe...
Startup legal essentials that founders NEED to know before raising money | Dean Elazab
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with Dean Elazab, a former big law attorney who now helps startups navigate the legal landscape. De...
The Untold Way to Build Airbnb for Musicians | Damian Longoria - E45
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with Damian Longoria, founder of Hubble - a marketplace connecting artists with live event opportun...
Finding Your True Calling: Confessions of a Startup Founder & Podcaster | Sarthak Kaul - E44
11 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with Sarthak Kaul, founder at GigPay and host of the True Calling podcast. Sarthak shares his uniqu...
Startup Lessons: Why He Left a $40M Business to Start Again | Ash Barot - E43
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Subscribe here https://newsletter.fundsandfounder.com/subscribeIn this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with Ash, co-founder of Wolf.xyz, wh...
How a $47 Template Generated $120K+ in Revenue | Sara Loretta - E41
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Subscribe here https://newsletter.fundsandfounder.com/subscribeIn this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with Sarah Loretta, a former nonprof...
From Shoe Obsession to Luxury Brand to build a Custom Shoe Business | Joshua Rozario - E40
02 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Subscribe here https://newsletter.fundsandfounder.com/subscribeIn this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with Joshua Rosario, founder of J.Ro...
Hustle Exit Conquer Becca's $4M Workweek Success | Becca Sherman - E39
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Subscribe here https://newsletter.fundsandfounder.com/subscribeIn this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with Becca, co-founder and COO of Wo...
Building a Niche Travel Marketing Agency | Brennan Bliss - Ep 38
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Subscribe here https://newsletter.fundsandfounder.com/subscribeIn this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with Brennan Bliss, CEO of Propellic...
From Engineer to Serial Entrepreneur: Building Million-Dollar Businesses | Tomer Soran - E37
19 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Subscribe here https://newsletter.fundsandfounder.com/subscribeIn this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with Tomer, a former structural engi...
SEO Genius Reveals Secret to Building & Selling a 7-Figure Agency | Jon Cooper - E36
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Subscribe here https://newsletter.fundsandfounder.com/subscribeIn this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with Jon, former CEO of Hyperlinks M...
Building a 6-Figure Video Business in Less than a Year | Ryan Atkinson - E35
19 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Subscribe here https://newsletter.fundsandfounder.com/subscribeIn this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with Ryan Atkinson, CEO and co-found...
How to find the right market fit? | Catalin Briciu - E34
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Subscribe here https://newsletter.fundsandfounder.com/subscribeIn this captivating episode of Funds and Founders, Catalin, co-founder and CEO of Linni...
From Homeless to Millionaire: The Empire Built from Nothing | Hunter Burkey - E33
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Subscribe here https://newsletter.fundsandfounder.com/subscribeJoin us as we sit down with Hunter Burkey, Partner at Next Level Valet and CEO of Next ...
Building a Multimillion-Dollar Agri-tech Empire | Nikhil Dixit - E32
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this captivating episode of Funds and Founders, Nikhil, CTO and co-founder of Hylio, shares the inspiring journey of building an innovative drone c...
Raising Millions for the Future of Sustainable Farming | Jessi Roesch - E31
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the latest episode of Funds and Founders, Jessi, founder of Downland, reveals how agrotourism and regenerative agriculture could revolutionize land...
Building a Feature vs Creating a Product | Simran Singh - E30
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Simran Singh narrates his entrepreneurial journey from his college days at Duke University to co-founding Zogo, a financial education platform which w...
The Evolution of South by Southwest (SXSW) | Hugh Forrest - E29
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Having been with SXSW for 35 years, Hugh Forrest, the Chief Programming Officer and Director of the Interactive Section of South by Southwest (SXSW), ...
Scaling, Hiring, and Building Strong Teams | Vikas Punna - E28
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Vikas is an experienced entrepreneur, advisor and the Managing Director of Frisco Analytics. In this conversation, he discusses the importance of sele...
3 Steps Every Startup Should Immediately Implement | Vinay Chandrasekaran - E27
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Vinay Chandrasekaran, founder of Frontek Solutions, Crayon’d, and Layerpath, shares his fascinating journey from learning HTML as a teenager in Indi...
The Iron Triangle: Integrating Product, Engineering, and Design | Alberto Silveira - E26
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Alberto Silveira is a seasoned engineering leader with a diverse career spanning companies like IBM, Kaplan, Amplify, OnDeck, and currently, HireVue. ...
Why You SHOULD NOT Follow Your Mentor | Aaron Trahan - E25
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Aaron Trahan, founder of Performance Mindset Coaching, discusses the fundamental differences between a coach and a mentor. Aaron shares his journey to...
Community Building, A Harvard Study’s Take on Fulfillment, and The 4 P’s of Mentoring | YJ Lin - E24
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
YJ Lin is a key player in the Austin startup ecosystem. He graduated from the University of Houston and is deeply involved with communities like Ascen...
Customer Discovery, Validation, and Acquisition for Early-Stage Growth | Jeff Eversmann - E23
19 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jeff Eversmann is an experienced design engineer, fractional CFO at Miranti Growth, and GP at Longview Tech Ventures. Drawing from his career across v...
Robotic Delivery, Co-Founder Dynamics, & Seeking Feedback | Ben James and Dylan Mankey - E22
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben James and Dylan Mankey from Tubular Networks discuss their journey from their initial meeting at HomeAway to co-founding Tubular Networks. Ben sha...
Humanity and AI, Embracing Serendipity, and the Art of Storytelling | Mark Fallows - E21
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Fallows is a seasoned advertising professional and founder of Fabrica Collective. He is also a creative collective based in New York, now operati...
Building TeleSign, Registering a C Corp, Navigating Acquisitions, and Utilizing Cybersecurity | Stacy Stubblefield - E20
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Stacey Stubblefield is a former entrepreneur in residence at Curious Minds Inc, who co-founded TeleSign, a company born out of the incubator. Stacey s...
Reimagining Media Consumption, Podcasting and Advertising | Sky King - E19
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sky King shares his journey from being a digital marketing specialist to founding his own company, Modern Stoa. King discusses his early career, his e...
Unshackled: An Immigrant’s Guide to Thriving in the US | Soundarya Balasubramani - E18
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Soundarya Balasubramani, an NIT Trichy and Columbia graduate, writer, and founder of Unshackled.club, details her journey from India to the U.S. Her c...
Navigating a Venture Debt Approach as an Early Stage Founder | Chris De Ayala - E17
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Chris De Ayala, a UT McComb School of Business graduate working in banking, specifically in venture debt at the Bank of California shares insights int...
Is Your Product Solving the Right Problem? | Jake O’Shea - E16
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jake O'Shea, currently a Principal at Antler in Austin, delves into his rich background in the startup ecosystem. With experiences ranging from direct...
Product Leadership, Sales, & Pricing in B2b SaaS | Mike Ditson - E15
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In episode 15, Mike Ditson joins us today to talk product management, sales, and innovation! Currently, Mike is the VP of Product Strategy at Envato G...
Navigating Acquisitions, Saying ‘I Don’t Know’, Embracing Randomness | Ken Platt - E14
17 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 14 features Ken Platt, an experienced entrepreneur and advisor with a rich history in operations, supply chain management, and startup leaders...
What You Need to Get Right to Nurture a Successful Mentorship | Scott Finkelstein - E13
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Scott, a seasoned C-level executive, draws from a diverse background in business leadership and organizational transformation. Originally aspiring to ...
Financial Modeling, Profitability & Raising Venture Capital for Startups | Lauren Pearl - E12
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lauren Pearl is a Fractional CFO/COO and Advisor who graduated from Boston University and NYU Stern where she did her MBA. She has a rich background i...
Finding the Lessons in Messy Situations | Curtis Dean - E11
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Curtis Dean is the founder and creative director for Strangers Only, a lifestyle clothing brand and is also a coach helping people maximize their pote...
Trust is a Commodity, Hiring for Culture vs Skill Set, & Change Management | Steven Puri - E10
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Steven Puri is a multipreneur who launched his career in the film industry and is also the founder of Sukha Company, previously known as Centred. ...
Establishing a CPG Athleisure Brand, Calculated Risks, and Aligning with a Co-Founder | Daniella Rosa - E9
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Daniella Rosa is the founder of Aiea Golf, an athleisure lifestyle brand for women golfers. She also was the owner and designer of cutclothing.com. Da...
Tony Robbin’s Peak Performance Strategist on Overcoming the Top 3 Fears in Sales | Brian Mayoral - E8
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Brian Mayoral has been the number one peak performance strategist for Tony Robbins for over six years and is currently the CIO and founder of his agen...
Immigrating to the States, Building Community, & Establishing Brand Value | Lekan Olude - E7
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lekan Olude is a distinguished Nigerian entrepreneur best known for co-founding Jobberman, West Africa's leading job search engine. In 2021, he founde...
What Founders Underestimate About Building a Startup | Saleem Ahmad - E6
21 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, serial entrepreneur, investor and founding partner of Anti-VC, Saleem Ahmed, joins us in an engaging discussion about his transition ...
Market Validation, Sales & Co-Founding Job Machine | Brandon Tigges - E5
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Brandon Tigges, the CEO of Job Machine, shares his journey as an entrepreneur, and the valuable lessons that have shaped his career i...
Building Intuitive Problem-Solving SaaS Products | Bret Siers - E4
07 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we sit down with the founder of Training Layers, Bret Sears. He shares his entrepreneurial journey, from running a financial services...
Austin’s Startup Ecosystem, Building a Personal Brand, Finding Mentors & Venture Capital | Marc Nathan - E3
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Marc Nathan is the Vice President of Client Strategy at Egan Nelson LLP, specializing in Emerging Technology and Venture Capital. With a robust backgr...
Scaling to A Million Users: Jobberman Job Board Giant | Lekan Olude - E2
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lekan Olude is a distinguished Nigerian entrepreneur best known as the co-founder of Jobberman, West Africa's leading job search engine. Born and rais...
Transforming Politics into Fantasy Sports: Fantasy Elect | Justin Schoenfelder - E1
28 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Justin Schoenfelder is the CEO and Founder of Fantasy Elect, a platform that merges the fantasy sports experience with politics, allowing users to com...
The Untold Stories Behind Their Breakthroughs
27 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to "Funds & Founders: Untold Journeys Behind Their Breakthroughs," where we dig deep into the stories of successful Austin founders. Inste...