Two to Twenty Podcast

Personal Development & Qualities Of Successful Founders Featuring Moonlan Zhang

In this episode, Katie Vander Ark speaks with Moonlan Zhang from Crossbeam Ventures about her journey into venture capital, the importance of personal development, and the qualities that make successful founders. They discuss the impact of AI on the industry, the significance of building a personal board of advisors, and provide valuable advice for early-stage founders and aspiring VCs.
 
[00:00:58] Intro
[00:02:24] Traditional To VC
[00:06:09] Investment Thesis
[00:08:30] Lessons Learned
[00:11:50] Reasons To Back Founders
[00:13:05] Founder Market Fit
[00:14:17] AI
[00:17:09] Development As A VC
[00:20:05] Mentoring
[00:23:49] Advice
 
 
Editor: Cory Jennings 
Music Production: Dustin Belt

The Fintech Founder Journey With Shiv Patel

In this episode, Katie Vander Ark interviews Shiv Patel, CEO of Cratoflow, about her journey as a founder and the challenges she has faced. They discuss topics such as finding product-market fit, building relationships with customers, fundraising, and the importance of having investors who understand your business. They also touch on the experience of being a founder and a new parent, and the balancing act that comes with it.
 
[00:01:11] Early Stages
[00:05:10] Initial MVP Of Product
[00:07:02] Build One Thing
[00:09:12] Market Strategy 
[00:12:47] Challenges Faced
[00:16:24] Investor Qualities 
[00:21:13] Advice For Founders
[00:25:23] Becoming A Mom
 
 
Editor: Cory Jennings 
Music Production: Dustin Belt
 

Investing in Female Founders & Building Community Featuring Alex Chung

In this episode of the podcast, Julia Belt interviews Alex Chung from Chai Ventures, discussing her journey into venture capital, the day-to-day responsibilities of a VC, and the importance of supporting women founders. Alex shares insights on networking, the investment thesis of Chai Ventures, and the diligence process involved in evaluating startups. The conversation emphasizes the need for community building and the unique challenges faced by women in the entrepreneurial space.
 
[00:02:37] Day To Day Activities[00:07:35] Networking[00:11:20] Chai Ventures[00:15:00] Chai Ventures Support Outside Of Capital[00:18:08] Diligence[00:25:46] Rapid Fire Questions
 
 
Editor: Cory Jennings 
Music Production: Dustin Belt
 

Startup Legal Survival Kit: What Every Founder Needs to Know Featuring Caroline Cherkassky

In this episode, Katie Vander Ark speaks with Caroline Cherkassky, a partner at Orrick Law Firm, about the intersection of law and startups, particularly in the context of empowering women in tech. They discuss Caroline's journey into startup law, the growth of the LA tech ecosystem, and essential legal considerations for early-stage founders, including founder equity, intellectual property, and corporate structure. The conversation also touches on the importance of seeking legal advice and the role of equity incentives for employees. Caroline shares insights for aspiring tech lawyers and emphasizes the value of community engagement in the tech space.
 
[00:01:19] Early Stages
[00:05:22] Founder Equity Split
[00:09:00] Protecting Your IP
[00:11:05] Company Registration
[00:13:07] Equity For Employees
[00:15:56] Seed Stage Round
[00:18:37] Seeking A Lawyers
[00:23:17] Recommendations 
 
 
Editor: Cory Jennings 
Music Production: Dustin Belt
 

The Los Angeles Wildfire Relief Episode Featuring Jesse Draper

In this episode, Katie Vander Ark and Jesse Draper discuss the devastating impact of recent wildfires in Los Angeles, sharing personal stories and the community's response. They highlight immediate relief efforts, including GoFundMe campaigns, and emphasize the importance of long-term recovery for families affected by the fires. The conversation also touches on mental health resources and the resilience of the community as they come together to support one another during this crisis.
[00:00] Personal Connection to the Wildfires
[04:15] - Community Response and Support Initiatives
[07:14] - Navigating Family Dynamics During Crisis
[10:11] - The Role of Women in Rebuilding
[13:21] - Final Thoughts and Call to Action
[13:51] - Introduction to the Fire Relief Podcast
[19:06] - Immediate Needs of Affected Families
[27:03] - Mental Health Resources and Support
 
Editor: Cory Jennings 
Music Production: Dustin Belt

From Corporate World To AI Startup Founder Featuring Angela Mascarenas

In this episode, Katie Vander Ark interviews Angela Mascarenas, the CEO of AI Furnace. They discuss Angela's background, her journey from the corporate world to startups, and the importance of supporting women in the AI space. They also touch on the ethics and security around AI, the AI Furnace community, and the skills and mindset needed for entrepreneurship.
 
[00:01:25] Background Information[00:07:05] Ethics And Security Of AI[00:11:20] Compliance and Security[00:12:48] What Is In The Works[00:14:23] How Do People Get Involved
[00:18:32] Starting A New Venture
[00:23:56] Personal Circle And Network[00:28:51] Skills And Advice
 
Editor: Cory Jennings 
Music Production: Dustin Belt

Building a Career in Finance, VC and Tech Featuring Jess Schultz

In this episode, Katie interviews Jess Schultz, CEO of Amplify Group, about her career journey and the challenges of being a founder. Jess shares her experience transitioning from finance to tech to VC to founder and the different skills required for each role. She emphasizes the importance of finding founder-market fit and setting clear metrics and timeframes for success. Jess also discusses the pros and cons of being a solo founder and the importance of mentorship in her entrepreneurial journey. She concludes by sharing her passion for helping startups with sales and marketing and her ideal client profile.
 
[00:01:00] Navigating Career Shifts
[00:09:26] Suggestions For Getting Into VC
[00:13:11] Angel Investing
[00:18:12] Qualifications To Be A Founder
[00:22:03] The Good And Bad
[00:26:10] Mentorship
 
 
Editor: Cory Jennings 
Music Production: Dustin Belt
 

How to Know When It’s Time to Pivot

Sam Pantazopoulos, CEO and co-founder of Vizor, shares her journey as an entrepreneur and the evolution of her company. She discusses the inspiration behind launching Vizor and how the mission has expanded over time. Sam also talks about the funding process and the challenges she faced in building the MVP. She emphasizes the importance of mindset and resilience in entrepreneurship and shares her favorite tools and quotes that have helped her along the way.
 
[00:01:25] Inspiration
[00:04:50] Product Pitching
[00:07:19] First Year In Business
[00:09:24] Pivot To B2B
[00:14:10] Product Market Fit
[00:16:50] Rapid Fire Round
 
Co-Hosts: Katie Vander Ark and Julia Belt
Editor: Cory Jennings 
Music Production: Dustin Belt
 

From Oil to Early Stage Venture Capital

In this episode of the Two to Twenty podcast, Katie interviews Juliette Richard, an associate at the Artemis Fund. They discuss their collaboration on a female founders and funders event during LA Tech Week, the growth of the Two to Twenty event series, and Juliette's background in economics and social equity. They also delve into the founding story of the Artemis Fund and its focus on investing in female-founded startups. Juliette shares her insights on the importance of mentorship, advice for breaking into venture capital, and trends she's excited about in the tech space.
[00:03:23] Juliette's Background
[00:09:06] Investing In Women
[00:12:03] Fintech Solutions
[00:13:07] Basic Founder Tips
[00:18:07] AI
[00:21:08] Education & Trends
[00:23:06] Mentorship
[00:25:00] Venture
 
Co-hosts: Katie Vander Ark and Julia Belt
Editor: Cory Jennings 
Music Production: Dustin Belt

The Two to Twenty Podcast: An Introduction

In the inaugural episode of the Two to Twenty podcast, hosts Katie Vander Ark and Julia Belt discuss their mission to empower women entrepreneurs and address the challenges faced by female founders in the startup ecosystem. They share the backstory of Two to Twenty podcast, emphasizing the importance of community and mental health in entrepreneurship. The hosts outline their plans for future episodes, including interviews with founders, funders, and experts, while also discussing essential tools and resources for startups. The episode concludes with a call for listener engagement and feedback.
[00:00:57] Start of Podcast
[00:03:40] The Importance of Community
[00:05:26] Falling into Entrepreneurship
[00:09:19] Upcoming Podcast Topics
[00:13:05] Fire round: Startup 101 
[00:15:01] Helpful Tools
[00:20:02] Closing
 
Editor: Cory Jennings 
Music Production: Dustin Belt