The Syndicate

Miguel Arias Cañete was the European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy and led the EU negotiations of the Paris Agreement. He’s now involved with the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation which has launched the Prize for Humanity, an annual €1m award for people or organizations from all over the world focused on mitigation of, and adaptation to climate change. Miguel has served the Spanish Government as both the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries and Minister for Agriculture, Food and Environment before being selected to head his Party List in the European Parliamentary elections.   Listen and Learn: * The unique challenges that went into crafting the Paris Accord * What the US’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement means for climate policy * How hard it is to ensure collective action on big problems * China’s role in addressing the environment * Why Miguel thinks the US will rejoin the Paris Accords * How the EU is leading the effort on decarbonization * What to think about nuclear energy * The reason transportation is so hard to go green * What happens if we don’t reach climate goals * The problems of bureaucracy and why the EU is actually pretty efficient * Which agritech areas are most important to reduce global warming * How business can be used as a force for good * Are we headed for a future of mass migrations * Why democracy is a stronger governance system than centralized economies in the long run * How China’s policy on coal could crush climate goals Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Miguel Arias Cañete was the European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy and led the EU negotiations of the Paris Agreement. He’s now involved with the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation which has launched the Prize for Humanity, an annual €1m award for people or organizations from all over the world focused on mitigation of, and adaptation to climate change. Miguel has served the Spanish Government as both the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries and Minister for Agriculture, Food and Environment before being selected to head his Party List in the European Parliamentary elections.   Listen and Learn: * The unique challenges that went into crafting the Paris Accord * What the US’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement means for climate policy * How hard it is to ensure collective action on big problems * China’s role in addressing the environment * Why Miguel thinks the US will rejoin the Paris Accords * How the EU is leading the effort on decarbonization * What to think about nuclear energy * The reason transportation is so hard to go green * What happens if we don’t reach climate goals * The problems of bureaucracy and why the EU is actually pretty efficient * Which agritech areas are most important to reduce global warming * How business can be used as a force for good * Are we headed for a future of mass migrations

Morten Bove (@mbove) is the founder and CEO of Wohn Homes, a Danish startup revolutionizing modular, eco-friendly affordable housing designed with tokenized ownership for students. Morten also runs Block21, a blockchain-focused tech podcast on the future of decentralization. In today’s episode we discuss: * How recycled plastic can be used to make sustainable housing * Why inequality is the driving factor in almost all social unrest * What does the future of cities look like * Why Morten is big on blockchain and tokenization * What happens now that the ICO bubble burst, and where crypto is headed * The big difference between European and US startups * Why smaller countries make things simpler * How to build better triple-bottom-line businesses (here’s a free guide for founders) * How business can be used as a force for good * Why it’s so hard for startups to raise funding (ps. here’s a free pitch deck guide!) * The scary truth about surveillance and privacy * Why Trump pulling out of the Paris accord wasn’t all bad Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Morten Bove (@mbove) is the founder and CEO of Wohn Homes, a Danish startup revolutionizing modular, eco-friendly affordable housing designed with tokenized ownership for students. Morten also runs Block21, a blockchain-focused tech podcast on the future of decentralization. In today’s episode we discuss: * How recycled plastic can be used to make sustainable housing * Why inequality is the driving factor in almost all social unrest * What does the future of cities look like * Why Morten is big on blockchain and tokenization * What happens now that the ICO bubble burst, and where crypto is headed * The big difference between European and US startups * Why smaller countries make things simpler * How to build better triple-bottom-line businesses (here’s a free guide for founders) * How business can be used as a force for good * Why it’s so hard for startups to raise funding (ps. here’s a free pitch deck guide!) * The scary truth about surveillance and privacy * Why Trump pulling out of the Paris accord wasn’t all bad Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Carinne Chambers-Saini is the founder and CEO of DivaCup, an eco-tech startup focused on making feminine health more sustainable. She’s been awarded the EY Entrepreneur of The Year for Sustainable Products and Services, been recognized as one of Canada’s 40 under 40, and her company, Diva has ranked 138 on the 2018 GROWTH 500 list and 103 on the 2017 PROFIT 500 list, along with being recognized as one of Waterloo’s Top Employers for 2019. Listen and Learn: * How to design more eco-friendly products and businesses * Why packaged goods and disposables are ruining our world * Advantages of self-funding startups * Why funding’s harder for female founders * Ways Carinne would improve the education system * The benefits of building a certified B Corp * Why businesses need to be the ones to drive a better world * How to build better triple-bottom-line businesses (here’s a free guide for founders) * The reason Carinne’s more-than-worried about screen time for her kids * Why social media is such a powerful force for good, and bad * How DivaCup is addressing inequality in a big way * What does the future of jobs look like * Why focus trumps everything for founders and success Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Carinne Chambers-Saini is the founder and CEO of DivaCup, an eco-tech startup focused on making feminine health more sustainable. She’s been awarded the EY Entrepreneur of The Year for Sustainable Products and Services, been recognized as one of Canada’s 40 under 40, and her company, Diva has ranked 138 on the 2018 GROWTH 500 list and 103 on the 2017 PROFIT 500 list, along with being recognized as one of Waterloo’s Top Employers for 2019. Listen and Learn: * How to design more eco-friendly products and businesses * Why packaged goods and disposables are ruining our world * Advantages of self-funding startups * Why funding’s harder for female founders * Ways Carinne would improve the education system * The benefits of building a certified B Corp * Why businesses need to be the ones to drive a better world * How to build better triple-bottom-line businesses (here’s a free guide for founders) * The reason Carinne’s more-than-worried about screen time for her kids * Why social media is such a powerful force for good, and bad * How DivaCup is addressing inequality in a big way * What does the future of jobs look like * Why focus trumps everything for founders and success Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Gerald Kutney (@geraldkutney) is a climate scientist, professor, journalist/speaker, author and founder/consultant of 6esm, a C-level consulting firm focused on the bio-economy, renewable energy and the politics of the Kyoto Protocol and others like it. Gerald’s a frequent contributor to the HuffingtonPost, Canada’s National Observer and is the author of the peer-reviewed: Carbon Politics and the Failure of the Kyoto Protocol – in search for an answer to the failure of the international community to act on climate change. Listen and Learn: * The main reasons the Kyoto Protocol failed * What caused the climate denier movement and how to stop it * How a carbon tax credit system is working well in Canada * What propaganda is doing to political discourse * How everyone can do their part to fighting climate change * Did social media break democracy * Unique ideas to change public perception of climate science * How bad is the state of fake news and propaganda * Why we still haven’t solved the collective action problem * The importance of arguing against false beliefs * Gerald’s thoughts on authoritarianism and inaction * How tax breaks could incentivize innovation and investment in green tech * The scary truth about geoengineering * Why corporate campaign contributions are one of the biggest issues in America Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Gerald Kutney (@geraldkutney) is a climate scientist, professor, journalist/speaker, author and founder/consultant of 6esm, a C-level consulting firm focused on the bio-economy, renewable energy and the politics of the Kyoto Protocol and others like it. Gerald’s a frequent contributor to the HuffingtonPost, Canada’s National Observer and is the author of the peer-reviewed: Carbon Politics and the Failure of the Kyoto Protocol – in search for an answer to the failure of the international community to act on climate change. Listen and Learn: * The main reasons the Kyoto Protocol failed * What caused the climate denier movement and how to stop it * How a carbon tax credit system is working well in Canada * What propaganda is doing to political discourse * How everyone can do their part to fighting climate change * Did social media break democracy * Unique ideas to change public perception of climate science * How bad is the state of fake news and propaganda * Why we still haven’t solved the collective action problem * The importance of arguing against false beliefs * Gerald’s thoughts on authoritarianism and inaction * How tax breaks could incentivize innovation and investment in green tech * The scary truth about geoengineering * Why corporate campaign contributions are one of the biggest issues in America Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Chip Meakem is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Tribeca Venture Partners. Prior to co-founding Tribeca, Chip worked at both Kodiak Venture Partners and DFJ Gotham. Previous notable acquired investments include Appnexus, Ingenio and Q-Link. Listen and Learn: * How quantum computing will change the world forever * What areas Chip sees as the biggest opportunities to invest in * Why companies like Uber and DoorDash are such powerful democratizing forces * What is the future of the ad economy * Are you in a VC bubble, and what happens next * Thoughts on triple bottom businesses and social entrepreneurship * Why education inequality is the scariest thing about the US * Which tech companies Chip would bet big on * Thoughts on the trade war and its impact on startups and tech * The unintended consequences of government regulation * How technology can transform education for the better * Why Chip isn’t a fan of encryption and believes platforms should police themselves * How business can be used as a force for good * Why Amazon may end up owning healthcare * Why cybersecurity is such a big deal Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Chip Meakem is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Tribeca Venture Partners. Prior to co-founding Tribeca, Chip worked at both Kodiak Venture Partners and DFJ Gotham. Previous notable acquired investments include Appnexus, Ingenio and Q-Link. Listen and Learn: * How quantum computing will change the world forever * What areas Chip sees as the biggest opportunities to invest in * Why companies like Uber and DoorDash are such powerful democratizing forces * What is the future of the ad economy * Are you in a VC bubble, and what happens next * Thoughts on triple bottom businesses and social entrepreneurship * Why education inequality is the scariest thing about the US * Which tech companies Chip would bet big on * Thoughts on the trade war and its impact on startups and tech * The unintended consequences of government regulation * How technology can transform education for the better * Why Chip isn’t a fan of encryption and believes platforms should police themselves * How business can be used as a force for good * Why Amazon may end up owning healthcare * Why cybersecurity is such a big deal Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Andrew Winston is the founder of Winston Eco-Strategies, author of The Big Pivot and Green Recovery, and coauthored Green to Gold, the best-selling guide to what works — and what doesn’t — when companies go green. He’s a globally recognized expert on green business and has appeared in WSJ, Time, BusinessWeek, NYTimes, and CNBC. His clients have included Bank of America, Bayer, HP, Pepsi, Boeing, and IKEA. He’s a respected speaker, served as the Director of Corporate Environmental Strategy Project at Yale’s renowned School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and has a weekly column for Harvard Business Online. He was recently named a “Planet Defender” by Rock the Earth.   Listen and Learn: * How to redesign the economy and stock market to incentivize a better future * What are the biggest megatrends affecting our future * Why eating less/clean meat is the biggest thing you can do to fight climate change * Fixing the shareholder value incentive ruining our world * Why short-termism is the route of the most evil * What you should know about the Green New Deal * Why the US doesn’t do enough for infrastructure * The reason the US doesn’t solve the election turnout issues * How close are we to point of no return on environment * Andrew’s thoughts on the future of renewable energy and why it’s inevitable * Why Andrew’s optimistic about fighting climate change * What’s the role of government going forward * Why we need circular economics and to tackle climate change now * The danger of the devices and social media Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Andrew Winston is the founder of Winston Eco-Strategies, author of The Big Pivot and Green Recovery, and coauthored Green to Gold, the best-selling guide to what works — and what doesn’t — when companies go green. He’s a globally recognized expert on green business and has appeared in WSJ, Time, BusinessWeek, NYTimes, and CNBC. His clients have included Bank of America, Bayer, HP, Pepsi, Boeing, and IKEA. He’s a respected speaker, served as the Director of Corporate Environmental Strategy Project at Yale’s renowned School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and has a weekly column for Harvard Business Online. He was recently named a “Planet Defender” by Rock the Earth.   Listen and Learn: * How to redesign the economy and stock market to incentivize a better future * What are the biggest megatrends affecting our future * Why eating less/clean meat is the biggest thing you can do to fight climate change * Fixing the shareholder value incentive ruining our world * Why short-termism is the route of the most evil * What you should know about the Green New Deal * Why the US doesn’t do enough for infrastructure * The reason the US doesn’t solve the election turnout issues * How close are we to point of no return on environment * Andrew’s thoughts on the future of renewable energy and why it’s inevitable * Why Andrew’s optimistic about fighting climate change * What’s the role of government going forward * Why we need circular economics and to tackle climate change now

Jaya Rao is the co-founder of Molekule, a transformative SF based startup that’s raised $38M+ to tackle the clean air problem worldwide, starting in people’s homes to promote a healthier future. Prior to Molekule, Jaya focused with Stanford’s Public Sector InnovationLabs to work with citizens to redesign public transit. Listen and Learn: * The epidemic of air pollution worldwide * How mold, toxins, and allergies lead to shortened lifespans and disease * Why we need more women and diversity in tech and government * Public transit from a public policy perspective * Why the indoors is often many times more polluted than outside * Which tech trends most worry Jaya and why * The power and problems of the smart home movement * What science-focused startups need to do differently to raise money * Why competitive entrepreneurs and innovators are the answer to most problems * The reason hardware is so hard to fund * Why diversity leads to much better outcomes * The importance of commercializing university innovations * The state of health tech today Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow. Jaya Rao is the co-founder of Molekule, a transformative SF based startup that’s raised $38M+ to tackle the clean air problem worldwide, starting in people’s homes to promote a healthier future. Prior to Molekule, Jaya focused with Stanford’s Public Sector InnovationLabs to work with citizens to redesign public transit. Listen and Learn: * The epidemic of air pollution worldwide * How mold, toxins, and allergies lead to shortened lifespans and disease * Why we need more women and diversity in tech and government * Public transit from a public policy perspective * Why the indoors is often many times more polluted than outside * Which tech trends most worry Jaya and why * The power and problems of the smart home movement * What science-focused startups need to do differently to raise money * Why competitive entrepreneurs and innovators are the answer to most problems * The reason hardware is so hard to fund * Why diversity leads to much better outcomes * The importance of commercializing university innovations * The state of health tech today Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Arthur Holland Michel (@writeauthor) is a writer and researcher focused on drones, surveillance, artificial intelligence, robots, the arts, immigration, and movies for topnotch publications like Wired, Vice, The Verge, Fast Company, Motherboard, Al Jazeera America, U.S. News and more. Arthur’s the author of EYES IN THE SKY, about the rise of advanced aerial surveillance technology and is the founder and co-director of the Center for the Study of the Drone, a research institute at Bard College in New York State. Listen and Learn: * Where we are at with the cutting edge of drones * The pros and cons of drone development * How militaries are deploying drones and unmanned aircraft today * Why lethal autonomous weapons are so dangerous but not just around the corner * Which aspects of surveillance and privacy Arthur is most worried about and why * The power of the press to keep governments honest * What to think about consumer drone delivery and Amazon * Which under-discussed industries will actually be most impacted by drones * Why China’s expertise in facial recognition and surveillance is so troubling * The formula for a perfect dictatorship * Is Minority Report inevitable * Where do our personal freedoms and privacy lie * How someone shut down one of the world’s busiest airports with a little kid’s toy * What Arthur thinks about social media surveillance Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow. Arthur Holland Michel (@writeauthor) is a writer and researcher focused on drones, surveillance, artificial intelligence, robots, the arts, immigration, and movies for topnotch publications like Wired, Vice, The Verge, Fast Company, Motherboard, Al Jazeera America, U.S. News and more. Arthur’s the author of EYES IN THE SKY, about the rise of advanced aerial surveillance technology and is the founder and co-director of the Center for the Study of the Drone, a research institute at Bard College in New York State. Listen and Learn: * Where we are at with the cutting edge of drones * The pros and cons of drone development * How militaries are deploying drones and unmanned aircraft today * Why lethal autonomous weapons are so dangerous but not just around the corner * Which aspects of surveillance and privacy Arthur is most worried about and why * The power of the press to keep governments honest * What to think about consumer drone delivery and Amazon * Which under-discussed industries will actually be most impacted by drones * Why China’s expertise in facial recognition and surveillance is so troubling * The formula for a perfect dictatorship * Is Minority Report inevitable * Where do our personal freedoms and privacy lie * How someone shut down one of the world’s busiest airports with a little kid’s toy * What Arthur thinks about social media surveillance Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Nikolas Badminton is a world-respected futurist speaker, author, and researcher. He wows audiences with keynote speeches on the impact of exponential technologies including: Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality; Work Productivity; The Sharing Economy; Autonomous Transportation; Smart Cities; Education; The Future of AI integrated with Life and Business; and Predictions for humanity from 2017 to 2030, and beyond. Nikolas regularly appears on the BBC, CBC, CTV, Global News, Fast Company, VICE, and writes for the Techcrunch, Huffington Post, Forbes, Venturebeat, Betakit, TechVibes, Business.com, and other media. Listen and Learn: * The reason the world’s most valuable company has yet to be created * Why we need to start taking climate change seriously and saying screw you to lobbyists * The biggest problems with the traditional education and a few creative ways to solve them * Why China is making such fast technological and economic progress and what it means for the future of the West * The future of energy and why it is renewables all the way * What Amazon Alexa and voice assistants mean for the future of work and parenting * How agritech and AI will change the future of cities and supply chains * Why the singularity is and isn’t almost here * The reason some companies and kids dominate the world while others die out * Why genetic engineering and CRISPR based designer babies aren’t something that worries Nikolas * How to address the issues social media * Why the future is never really knowable and rarely predictable Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Nikolas Badminton is a world-respected futurist speaker, author, and researcher. He wows audiences with keynote speeches on the impact of exponential technologies including: Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality; Work Productivity; The Sharing Economy; Autonomous Transportation; Smart Cities; Education; The Future of AI integrated with Life and Business; and Predictions for humanity from 2017 to 2030, and beyond. Nikolas regularly appears on the BBC, CBC, CTV, Global News, Fast Company, VICE, and writes for the Techcrunch, Huffington Post, Forbes, Venturebeat, Betakit, TechVibes, Business.com, and other media. Listen and Learn: * The reason the world’s most valuable company has yet to be created * Why we need to start taking climate change seriously and saying screw you to lobbyists * The biggest problems with the traditional education and a few creative ways to solve them * Why China is making such fast technological and economic progress and what it means for the future of the West * The future of energy and why it is renewables all the way * What Amazon Alexa and voice assistants mean for the future of work and parenting * How agritech and AI will change the future of cities and supply chains * Why the singularity is and isn’t almost here * The reason some companies and kids dominate the world while others die out * Why genetic engineering and CRISPR based designer babies aren’t something that worries Nikolas * How to address the issues social media * Why the future is never really knowable and rarely predictable Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Dr. Ayesha Khanna is Co-Founder and CEO of ADDO AI, an artificial intelligence (AI) solutions firm and incubator that was named one of 4 top AI companies in Asia. She has been a strategic advisor on artificial intelligence, smart cities, and fintech to leading corporations and governments and serves on the Board of Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the Singapore government’s agency that develops its world-class technology sector to drive the country’s digital economy and power its Smart Nation vision. Her clients have included SMRT, Singapore’s largest public transport company; Singtel, Singapore’s largest telco; SOMPO, Japan’s largest insurance firm; Habib Bank, Pakistan’s largest bank; and Smart Dubai, the government agency tasked to transform Dubai into a leading smart city. Prior to founding ADDO AI, Ayesha spent more than a decade on Wall Street developing large scale trading, risk management, and data analytics systems and was the co-founder of the Hybrid Reality Institute, a research advisory group established to analyze the social and economic impact of accelerating technologies. Ayesha is the co-author of Hybrid Reality: Thriving in the Emerging Human-Technology Civilization. She has been published or quoted in most major publications and presented at major financial, technology and other industry conferences, provided high-level government briefings, chaired symposiums such as AI Asia and spoken at TEDx events. Ayesha is also the Founder of 21C GIRLS, a charity that delivers free coding and artificial intelligence classes to girls in Singapore, a Fellow at the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies and on the Board of Advisors for Humanity+ and directed the Future Cities Group at the London School of Economics, and has been a Faculty Advisor at Singularity University. In our wide-ranging conversation, we cover many things, including: * How Singapore’s government operates like a startup to promote innovation * What the future of smart cities holds and why it should be citizen-centric * Why data privacy and governmental policies are so important to the future of all of us * The ways changing transportation systems will affect our physical cities, beyond what’s normally discussed * How to design the cities, city-states and nations of the future * The reason Ayesha is working to overhaul education and how we should structure it instead * Why the future will increasingly be defined by the East * What the jobs of the future look like and how governments can cope * Why Ayesha is optimist and a little worried about AI and society Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Dr. Ayesha Khanna is Co-Founder and CEO of ADDO AI, an artificial intelligence (AI) solutions firm and incubator that was named one of 4 top AI companies in Asia. She has been a strategic advisor on artificial intelligence, smart cities, and fintech to leading corporations and governments and serves on the Board of Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the Singapore government’s agency that develops its world-class technology sector to drive the country’s digital economy and power its Smart Nation vision. Her clients have included SMRT, Singapore’s largest public transport company; Singtel, Singapore’s largest telco; SOMPO, Japan’s largest insurance firm; Habib Bank, Pakistan’s largest bank; and Smart Dubai, the government agency tasked to transform Dubai into a leading smart city. Prior to founding ADDO AI, Ayesha spent more than a decade on Wall Street developing large scale trading, risk management,

David Orban is an entrepreneur, author, keynote speaker and the Founder and Managing Partner of Network Society Ventures, a seed stage global investment firm focused on innovative startups at the intersection of exponential technologies and decentralized networks. An early adopter of blockchain and an active Bitcoin investor since 2010, he was the first to own Ether during the Ethereum launch in 2014. He also led the adoption of Bitcoin and blockchain in start-ups and is an advisor and investor in numerous blockchain companies and funds, such as Blockchain Capital, Bancor, Swarm Fund, and others. David was the keynote speaker at the first Ethereal Summit in May 2017 in New York and is the Founder and a Trustee of Network Society Research, a London-based global think tank present in over 40 countries focused on decentralized exponential technologies disrupting governments and corporations. He is a mentor for the Thiel Fellowship, a Scientific Advisory Board Member for the Lifeboat Foundation on the Faculty of and an advisor to the Singularity University, an investor in the Singularity University Labs Accelerator Fund (now SU Ventures), President of SingularityU Italy Summit and an advisor to Humanity+. David is a sought-after speaker, he has given over 100 keynote addresses and speeches around the world for organizations including Abbvie, Cisco, Oracle, Roche, Ernst & Young, Accenture, Gilead, TEDx Academy, Alphabet and others and blogs at davidorban.com Listen and Learn: * The future of blockchains and cryptocurrency * Why David invested in Bitcoin when it was under $10 * Which industries blockchain has the biggest potential to disrupt * The reason government and governance will be radically changed in the coming years * How regulations affect the blockchain industry and are primarily protectionist * Why David thinks on a 1000 year time horizon and might just live to see it happen * How David thinks about isolationism and the future of nation-states * The future of micro-payments and money * How robots will interact with economy and colonize galaxy * The model for a sustainable Mars colony and what needs to happen * Why David is bullish on clean meat and hydroponics for the future of food * How to forecast the future and predict timing * What you need to know about China and cryptocurrency Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.David Orban is an entrepreneur, author, keynote speaker and the Founder and Managing Partner of Network Society Ventures, a seed stage global investment firm focused on innovative startups at the intersection of exponential technologies and decentralized networks. An early adopter of blockchain and an active Bitcoin investor since 2010, he was the first to own Ether during the Ethereum launch in 2014. He also led the adoption of Bitcoin and blockchain in start-ups and is an advisor and investor in numerous blockchain companies and funds, such as Blockchain Capital, Bancor, Swarm Fund, and others. David was the keynote speaker at the first Ethereal Summit in May 2017 in New York and is the Founder and a Trustee of Network Society Research, a London-based global think tank present in over 40 countries focused on decentralized exponential technologies disrupting governments and corporations. He is a mentor for the Thiel Fellowship, a Scientific Advisory Board Member for the Lifeboat Foundation on the Faculty of and an advisor to the Singularity University, an investor in the Singularity University Labs Accelerator Fund (now SU Ventures), President of SingularityU Italy Summit and an advisor to Humanity+. David is a sought-after speaker, he has given over 100 keynote addresses and speeches around the world for org...

David Cuartielles is the co-founder and co-creator of Arduino the open hardware platform Arduino, which has become a leading platform for DIY electronics and which earned the team an Honorary Mention at the Ars Electronica Digital Community Prix 2006, the SER price 2015, the FIUM price 2017, and an Ashoka Fellowship 2017, among others. David’s work spans the fields of programming, education, research, and product development and since the late nineties, he has developed robotic, mobile and net-based interactive art installations and open source tools for live performance and education. He is a passionate speaker on how we can reform education through practically enabling children and young people to play and test, engineering ideas in partnership with peers and experts others. David works to enable such learning to take place through various initiatives including the Institute Of Interactive Objects laboratory at Malmö University, the Arduino community and his academic research and forthcoming Ph.D. at Malmö University Listen and Learn: * How opensource is affecting education and improving lives worldwide * Why open-source software is different than open-source hardware * What makes hardware so hard * How to recreate the education system for the modern era * The reason edtech startups so often fail * Why Arduino took forever to finally make money * What David thinks about Sweden’s political system and the importance of healthcare * Why technology is not good or bad * The reason cities make more sense than nation-states for governance Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.David Cuartielles is the co-founder and co-creator of Arduino the open hardware platform Arduino, which has become a leading platform for DIY electronics and which earned the team an Honorary Mention at the Ars Electronica Digital Community Prix 2006, the SER price 2015, the FIUM price 2017, and an Ashoka Fellowship 2017, among others. David’s work spans the fields of programming, education, research, and product development and since the late nineties, he has developed robotic, mobile and net-based interactive art installations and open source tools for live performance and education. He is a passionate speaker on how we can reform education through practically enabling children and young people to play and test, engineering ideas in partnership with peers and experts others. David works to enable such learning to take place through various initiatives including the Institute Of Interactive Objects laboratory at Malmö University, the Arduino community and his academic research and forthcoming Ph.D. at Malmö University Listen and Learn: * How opensource is affecting education and improving lives worldwide * Why open-source software is different than open-source hardware * What makes hardware so hard * How to recreate the education system for the modern era * The reason edtech startups so often fail * Why Arduino took forever to finally make money * What David thinks about Sweden’s political system and the importance of healthcare * Why technology is not good or bad * The reason cities make more sense than nation-states for governance Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Eric O’Neill is an accomplished speaker, security expert and author that presents keynotes about espionage and national security, cybersecurity, fraud, corporate diligence and defense, hacking, pursuing one’s dreams and surviving Hollywood. Eric has worked as an FBI counterterrorism and counterintelligence operative, a national security attorney, as a corporate security consultant and founded The Georgetown Group, a premier investigative and security services firm. In February 2001 Eric helped capture the most notorious spy in United States history, Robert Phillip Hanssen. In the three months preceding Hanssen’s arrest, Eric was selected to work with the spy, charged with gaining Hanssen’s trust and slowly drawing the traitor out of deep cover. They caught the traitor, thanks to Eric’s James Bond-esque skill which we’ll of course discuss. Listen and Learn: * How espionage has evolved since the Cold War * Why cyber warfare is the spying of today * How Eric and his team were able to catch the most notorious spy in US history * The reason terrorism has such an outsized effect on public policy and society * How to prevent the US from becoming a surveillance state * The effects of Edward Snowden * Why IoT means security will become even more vital * What’s really going on between the US and China * Why Hollywood isn’t exactly ghost hunting spies * The truth about Huawei Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Eric O’Neill is an accomplished speaker, security expert and author that presents keynotes about espionage and national security, cybersecurity, fraud, corporate diligence and defense, hacking, pursuing one’s dreams and surviving Hollywood. Eric has worked as an FBI counterterrorism and counterintelligence operative, a national security attorney, as a corporate security consultant and founded The Georgetown Group, a premier investigative and security services firm. In February 2001 Eric helped capture the most notorious spy in United States history, Robert Phillip Hanssen. In the three months preceding Hanssen’s arrest, Eric was selected to work with the spy, charged with gaining Hanssen’s trust and slowly drawing the traitor out of deep cover. They caught the traitor, thanks to Eric’s James Bond-esque skill which we’ll of course discuss. Listen and Learn: * How espionage has evolved since the Cold War * Why cyber warfare is the spying of today * How Eric and his team were able to catch the most notorious spy in US history * The reason terrorism has such an outsized effect on public policy and society * How to prevent the US from becoming a surveillance state * The effects of Edward Snowden * Why IoT means security will become even more vital * What’s really going on between the US and China * Why Hollywood isn’t exactly ghost hunting spies * The truth about Huawei Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Prosanta Chakrabarty is a systematist and an ichthyologist studying the evolution and biogeography of both freshwater and marine fishes. His work includes studies of Neotropical (Central and South America, Caribbean) and Indo-West Pacific (Indian and Western Pacific Ocean) fishes. Prosanta is an Associate Professor and Curator of Fishes at the Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Science at Louisiana State University and is also a Research Associate at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. He has gone on research trips to Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Madagascar, Panama, Kuwait, and many other countries and discovered over a dozen new species including new anglerfishes and cavefishes in the process. His latest books include A Guide to Academia: Getting into and surviving grad school, postdocs and a research job and Making a Big Splash with Louisiana Fishes. He is also a former Program Director at the National Science Foundation and was named a TED Fellow in 2016, and a TED Senior Fellow in 2018. Listen and Learn: * How the attitude towards science and scientific research has changed in DC since Trump * What happens when science discover completely new species * Why Prosanta is optimistic about the direction the world is headed * What happens if and when we revive the Neanderthals * How a fisherman found humanity’s closing living fish relative thought extinction 65 million years ago * Why biology is shifting away from the organismal view and towards biotech * The reason Prosanta is pretty terrified about CRISPR * How soon until we start to see newly engineered species of human * The problems with containing CRISPR and gene editing * Ways to redesign education for a more well-rounded individual * What we can learn from fundamental scientific research why it needs more money * When should we consider genetically editing humans and why it’s probably inevitable * Why evolution might be more complex than we think Prosanta’s Twitter: @preaux_fish Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Prosanta Chakrabarty is a systematist and an ichthyologist studying the evolution and biogeography of both freshwater and marine fishes. His work includes studies of Neotropical (Central and South America, Caribbean) and Indo-West Pacific (Indian and Western Pacific Ocean) fishes. Prosanta is an Associate Professor and Curator of Fishes at the Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Science at Louisiana State University and is also a Research Associate at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. He has gone on research trips to Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Madagascar, Panama, Kuwait, and many other countries and discovered over a dozen new species including new anglerfishes and cavefishes in the process. His latest books include A Guide to Academia: Getting into and surviving grad school, postdocs and a research job and Making a Big Splash with Louisiana Fishes. He is also a former Program Director at the National Science Foundation and was named a TED Fellow in 2016, and a TED Senior Fellow in 2018. Listen and Learn: * How the attitude towards science and scientific research has changed in DC since Trump * What happens when science discover completely new species * Why Prosanta is optimistic about the direction the world is headed * What happens if and when we revive the Neanderthals * How a fisherman found humanity’s closing living fish relative thought extinction 65 million yea...

Derek Sivers is a serial entrepreneur, blogger, author and musician who revolutionized the music industry pre-Spotify with CDbaby, the largest online distributor of independent music which he founded accidentally sold in 2008 for $22 million. Before that, he donated the company to a charity to fund public music education. Derek also created a viral TED talk called “How to Start a Movement,” blogs on entrepreneurship, life and stoicism at Sivers.org and is the author of Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur. In today’s episode we discuss: * Why human beings are a competitive advantage over robotics, software and AI * F*&k yes, or No!… and how to apply it to your life * Why less is more when it comes to life * How bootstrapping a business helped Derek Sivers’ CD Baby succeed * Derek’s best advice for all aspects of life * Why reading the news and social media is a bad idea * How to achieve mastery at anything, and why you should * Why Derek doesn’t get excited about new technology * Why Derek gave it all away to charity * How success can fuel depression and loss of self * Tons of strategies to live a healthier, more fulfilled life * Why Derek doesn’t ascribe to any -isms Derekk’s Twitter: @sivers Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Derek Sivers is a serial entrepreneur, blogger, author and musician who revolutionized the music industry pre-Spotify with CDbaby, the largest online distributor of independent music which he founded accidentally sold in 2008 for $22 million. Before that, he donated the company to a charity to fund public music education. Derek also created a viral TED talk called “How to Start a Movement,” blogs on entrepreneurship, life and stoicism at Sivers.org and is the author of Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur. In today’s episode we discuss: * Why human beings are a competitive advantage over robotics, software and AI * F*&k yes, or No!… and how to apply it to your life * Why less is more when it comes to life * How bootstrapping a business helped Derek Sivers’ CD Baby succeed * Derek’s best advice for all aspects of life * Why reading the news and social media is a bad idea * How to achieve mastery at anything, and why you should * Why Derek doesn’t get excited about new technology * Why Derek gave it all away to charity * How success can fuel depression and loss of self * Tons of strategies to live a healthier, more fulfilled life * Why Derek doesn’t ascribe to any -isms Derekk’s Twitter: @sivers Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.