The Syndicate

Andrew Hessel is the CEO of Humane Genomics Inc., a seed-stage company developing virus-based therapies for cancer, starting with dogs and also co-founded the Genome Project-write, an international scientific effort working to engineer large genomes, including the human genome. Andy has been Singularity University faculty since 2009 and from 2012-2017 was the Distinguished Researcher at Autodesk Life Sciences. Andy’s goal is to help people better understand and use living systems to meet the needs of society and he has written articles on genetic technology for The Atlantic, Wired UK, and Huffington Post and given over 100 invited talks on next-generation biotechnology. Listen and Learn: * How we can use viruses to kill cancer * The reason synthetic biology is THE technology of this century * Why CRISPR babies we an inevitability and why we didn’t discuss them beforehand * How we can prevent biotech from becoming problematic * Why Andrew isn’t all that worried about bioterrorism * The reason students should study biological systems * How healthcare and pharma transform as we edit the code of life * The important differences between our ability to read and write genomes * What gene drives mean for the future of our species * Why viruses are the low hanging fruit of fighting disease * What biotech can mean for the sustainability of our planet * Why Andrew is fundamentally optimist about our future Andrew’s Twitter: @andrewhessel Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Andrew Hessel is the CEO of Humane Genomics Inc., a seed-stage company developing virus-based therapies for cancer, starting with dogs and also co-founded the Genome Project-write, an international scientific effort working to engineer large genomes, including the human genome. Andy has been Singularity University faculty since 2009 and from 2012-2017 was the Distinguished Researcher at Autodesk Life Sciences. Andy’s goal is to help people better understand and use living systems to meet the needs of society and he has written articles on genetic technology for The Atlantic, Wired UK, and Huffington Post and given over 100 invited talks on next-generation biotechnology. Listen and Learn: * How we can use viruses to kill cancer * The reason synthetic biology is THE technology of this century * Why CRISPR babies we an inevitability and why we didn’t discuss them beforehand * How we can prevent biotech from becoming problematic * Why Andrew isn’t all that worried about bioterrorism * The reason students should study biological systems * How healthcare and pharma transform as we edit the code of life * The important differences between our ability to read and write genomes * What gene drives mean for the future of our species * Why viruses are the low hanging fruit of fighting disease * What biotech can mean for the sustainability of our planet * Why Andrew is fundamentally optimist about our future Andrew’s Twitter: @andrewhessel Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

David Heinemeier Hansson is the creator of Ruby on Rails, co-founder and CTO at Basecamp (formerly 37Signals), and the best-selling co-author of Rework and Remote: Office Not Required. He’s blogged the past two decades at Signal v Noise, been featured on the Tim Ferriss Show, and if that wasn’t enough, DHH is a Le Mans & WEC class-winning racing driver. Listen and Learn: * Why capitalism can’t solve society’s biggest problems * What gives David hope (and fear) about the future of privacy and big tech * The epic issues with education in America * How being a well-rounded person makes entrepreneurs and employees better * Why the US healthcare system is so eff’ed up * What’s the future of media and advertising * Ways to redesign education for the 21st century * Where the US went wrong from a socialist perspective * David’s thoughts on Trump and transforming government * Lessons learned from other cultures * Why the US may have peaked and be headed for collapse * What parents do wrong when raising and educating kids * Why the prison system horrifies David * The reason David became a Le Mans racecar driver   David’s Twitter: @dhh Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow. David Heinemeier Hansson is the creator of Ruby on Rails, co-founder and CTO at Basecamp (formerly 37Signals), and the best-selling co-author of Rework and Remote: Office Not Required. He’s blogged the past two decades at Signal v Noise, been featured on the Tim Ferriss Show, and if that wasn’t enough, DHH is a Le Mans & WEC class-winning racing driver. Listen and Learn: * Why capitalism can’t solve society’s biggest problems * What gives David hope (and fear) about the future of privacy and big tech * The epic issues with education in America * How being a well-rounded person makes entrepreneurs and employees better * Why the US healthcare system is so eff’ed up * What’s the future of media and advertising * Ways to redesign education for the 21st century * Where the US went wrong from a socialist perspective * David’s thoughts on Trump and transforming government * Lessons learned from other cultures * Why the US may have peaked and be headed for collapse * What parents do wrong when raising and educating kids * Why the prison system horrifies David * The reason David became a Le Mans racecar driver   David’s Twitter: @dhh Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Polina Chebotareva is a co-founder of Cambridge Companies SPG, a social mission-oriented VC firm on fixing nutrition, farming, and health worldwide. Prior to Cambridge, Polina was an Executive VP and Partner at a real estate investment firm with $350M Equity AUM. She is a Board Member for The Laguna Art Museum, helps raise awareness and funding for environmental issues and has devoted her time and resources to The Village of Hope Rescue Mission which helps struggling parents restore stability in their lives and the lives of their children.   Filipp Chebotarev is COO and Managing Partner of Cambridge Companies SPG. After working with California Congressman Ed Royce to manage the relationship between business, government, community, and other constituencies, Filipp went on to corporate, later finding impact investing. Filipp is a major donor to Harvesters – Food Bank in Orange County, the JNF, and Actively Involved with Shoes That Fit, a 501C3 empowering children in low-income areas. The pair emigrated to the US after the USSR’s collapse, and their fund is now investors in the likes of organic and health food/product companies: Once Upon a Farm, Wild Friends Foods, Matchabar, and dozens of others. Listen and Learn: * How health-focused food and beverage companies are creating a better world * Why GMOs (specifically the pesticides they enable) are ruining our health * The future of foodtech and clean meat * Ways to increase access to organic and quality food * Why we’re all excited about lab-grown meat * How impact investing changes the world and drives returns * The challenges and realities of immigrating to the US, without speaking English * What tech trends Filipp and Polina are most excited about * Why IPOs and acquisitions aren’t necessarily the endgame for consumer companies * The importance of founder-investor alignment * Why Filipp’s not worried about 23andme or genetic privacy * The reason there’s not enough money invested in foodtech * Why millennial consumers are driving better company practices * What’s the future of e-commerce and it’s relation to retail   Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow. Polina Chebotareva is a co-founder of Cambridge Companies SPG, a social mission-oriented VC firm on fixing nutrition, farming, and health worldwide. Prior to Cambridge, Polina was an Executive VP and Partner at a real estate investment firm with $350M Equity AUM. She is a Board Member for The Laguna Art Museum, helps raise awareness and funding for environmental issues and has devoted her time and resources to The Village of Hope Rescue Mission which helps struggling parents restore stability in their lives and the lives of their children.   Filipp Chebotarev is COO and Managing Partner of Cambridge Companies SPG. After working with California Congressman Ed Royce to manage the relationship between business, government, community, and other constituencies, Filipp went on to corporate, later finding impact investing. Filipp is a major donor to Harvesters – Food Bank in Orange County, the JNF, and Actively Involved with Shoes That Fit, a 501C3 empowering children in low-income areas. The pair emigrated to the US after the USSR’s collapse, and their fund is now investors in the likes of organic and health food/product companies: Once Upon a Farm, Wild Friends Foods,

Sean Gourley is a physicist, founder and CEO of AI company, Primer, an expert on the mathematics of war, TED Fellow, speaker and political advisor. Before that, he was CTO and co-founder of Quid, an augmented-intelligence company and also worked on self-repairing nano-circuits at NASA. Sean was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford focused on complex systems and the mathematical patterns underlying modern war which was published on the cover of Nature. He has served as a political advisor, briefed USCENTCOM at the Pentagon and addressed the United Nations in Vienna, serves on the Board of Directors at Anadarko (NYSE:APC). Sean is also a two-time New Zealand track and field champion and sits on the Knight Commission focused on reforming collegiate athletics. Listen and Learn: * The future of the US-China relationship, and possible war * What differentiates AI creativity from humans * The automation law that ALWAYS leads to occasional epic consequences * Should we develop autonomous weapons? Will we * What are the biggest predictors of war and civil strife * Why San Francisco is anything but a model city * Are cyborgs and genetic superhumans inevitable * How long until we have human-level AI * Why economic war creates the conditions for actual fighting * What works well with mutually assured destruction * How to engineer equality into our economy * Why Sean is worried about deep fakes breaking democracy * How to think about dynamic geopolitical decisions * The importance of education and what its future holds   Sean’s Twitter: @sgourley Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow. Sean Gourley is a physicist, founder and CEO of AI company, Primer, an expert on the mathematics of war, TED Fellow, speaker and political advisor. Before that, he was CTO and co-founder of Quid, an augmented-intelligence company and also worked on self-repairing nano-circuits at NASA. Sean was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford focused on complex systems and the mathematical patterns underlying modern war which was published on the cover of Nature. He has served as a political advisor, briefed USCENTCOM at the Pentagon and addressed the United Nations in Vienna, serves on the Board of Directors at Anadarko (NYSE:APC). Sean is also a two-time New Zealand track and field champion and sits on the Knight Commission focused on reforming collegiate athletics. Listen and Learn: * The future of the US-China relationship, and possible war * What differentiates AI creativity from humans * The automation law that ALWAYS leads to occasional epic consequences * Should we develop autonomous weapons? Will we * What are the biggest predictors of war and civil strife * Why San Francisco is anything but a model city * Are cyborgs and genetic superhumans inevitable * How long until we have human-level AI * Why economic war creates the conditions for actual fighting * What works well with mutually assured destruction * How to engineer equality into our economy * Why Sean is worried about deep fakes breaking democracy * How to think about dynamic geopolitical decisions * The importance of education and what its future holds   Sean’s Twitter: @sgourley

Geoff Colvin (@geoffcolvin) is FortuneMagazine’s Senior Editor-at-Large, an award-winning thinker, author, broadcaster, and speaker on the most significant trends and issues impacting business, politics and the economy. Geoff’s work has earned him millions of loyal fans and 7M weekly listeners on CBS Radio Network He’s the author of four books including groundbreaking bestsellers Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else and Humans are Underrated on the future of work and how humans fit into a workplace filled with robots and smart technology. Geoff has appeared on Today, Good Morning America, Squawk Box, CBS This Morning, ABC’s World News Tonight, CNN, PBS’s Nightly Business Report, and dozens of other programs. He also served as anchor of Wall $treet Week with Fortune on PBS and has moderated panels with or interviewed Jack Welch, Henry Kissinger, Richard Branson, the Prince of Wales, Bill Gates, Alan Greenspan, Steve Case, Tony Blair, Michael Dell, Ted Turner, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Henry Paulson, Ben Bernanke, and many others. Listen and Learn: * The US relationship with China and why we’re already in the Cold War * Geoff’s thoughts on the decentralization and breakup of big tech * What we both think about the separatist movements spreading worldwide * Why Geoff’s skeptical of long term centralized economies * What the business roundtable CEO stakeholders memo means * Thoughts on economics and when the trickle-down effect died * What does Brexit mean for the economy * Why loneliness and isolation is the biggest threat to humanity * How to re-engineer the economy to fight inequality * Will AI be net positive or negative * What’s the future of education and where did it go wrong * Where should students look for the careers of the future * A public markets debate about incentives and timeframes Geoff’s Twitter: @geoffcolvin Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Geoff Colvin (@geoffcolvin) is FortuneMagazine’s Senior Editor-at-Large, an award-winning thinker, author, broadcaster, and speaker on the most significant trends and issues impacting business, politics and the economy. Geoff’s work has earned him millions of loyal fans and 7M weekly listeners on CBS Radio Network He’s the author of four books including groundbreaking bestsellers Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else and Humans are Underrated on the future of work and how humans fit into a workplace filled with robots and smart technology. Geoff has appeared on Today,

August Bradley is a futurist business consultant, founder/host of the Mind & Machine podcast and former COO of the pioneering virtual reality company Kite & Lightning. August’s worked with brands including Coke, Xbox, Kia, Gap, J.Crew, Banana Republic, Fisker Automotive, and many more. He is also a Board Member & Director of the AI & Machine Learning Society, Chairman of the Technarte International Conference, technology series moderator for The Los Angeles World Affairs Council (LAWAC) and head of the Los Angeles Self Driving Car Meetup. Listen and Learn: * Why August and I won’t let voice assistants in our homes * What happens next with VR and where it is headed * Which technologies worry August most and why * What does privacy look like in a more connected world * How Amazon helps transform healthcare * The reason AI and automation will be net-negative on jobs * What we have to look forward to when it comes to future technologies * The reason space exploration is so important and exciting * What do we do about big tech and regulation * Why August isn’t worried about AI consciousness or superintelligence * The reason food science and clean meat is such a promising field to pursue * Why immigration is a stupid topic to focus on when it comes to jobs August’s Twitter: @augustbradley Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.August Bradley is a futurist business consultant, founder/host of the Mind & Machine podcast and former COO of the pioneering virtual reality company Kite & Lightning. August’s worked with brands including Coke, Xbox, Kia, Gap, J.Crew, Banana Republic, Fisker Automotive, and many more. He is also a Board Member & Director of the AI & Machine Learning Society, Chairman of the Technarte International Conference, technology series moderator for The Los Angeles World Affairs Council (LAWAC) and head of the Los Angeles Self Driving Car Meetup. Listen and Learn: * Why August and I won’t let voice assistants in our homes * What happens next with VR and where it is headed * Which technologies worry August most and why * What does privacy look like in a more connected world * How Amazon helps transform healthcare * The reason AI and automation will be net-negative on jobs * What we have to look forward to when it comes to future technologies * The reason space exploration is so important and exciting * What do we do about big tech and regulation * Why August isn’t worried about AI consciousness or superintelligence * The reason food science and clean meat is such a promising field to pursue * Why immigration is a stupid topic to focus on when it comes to jobs August’s Twitter: @augustbradley Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Russell Gold is an author and award-winning investigative journalist and energy reporter at The Wall Street Journal best known for covering the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill. They were awarded the Gerald Loeb Award for best business story of the year and were finalists for the Pulitzer. He’s the author of The Boom: How Fracking Ignited the American Energy Revolution and Changed the World and his new book, Superpower: One Man’s Quest to Transform Energy tells the story of Michael Skelly, who helped created the wind energy industry in the US in a push for sustainability.   Listen and Learn: * How to speed the transition to renewable energy * The pros and cons of fracking and why it has a bad rap * Why the energy industry is so fragmented in the US * What we need MOST to see renewables replace the grid * How batteries are holding back cleantech * The pros and cons of monopolies in public infrastructure * Why Silicon Valley doesn’t invest much in energy * How one innovator can change the course of history and energy consumption * What we NEED to do to combat climate change * Why Andy thinks going public is the way to go * Thoughts on Elon, Tesla and the future of transportation * What will journalism look like in ten years * Are billionaire-owned media corporations a net positive Russell’s Twitter: @russellgold Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Russell Gold is an author and award-winning investigative journalist and energy reporter at The Wall Street Journal best known for covering the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill. They were awarded the Gerald Loeb Award for best business story of the year and were finalists for the Pulitzer. He’s the author of The Boom: How Fracking Ignited the American Energy Revolution and Changed the World and his new book, Superpower: One Man’s Quest to Transform Energy tells the story of Michael Skelly, who helped created the wind energy industry in the US in a push for sustainability.   Listen and Learn: * How to speed the transition to renewable energy * The pros and cons of fracking and why it has a bad rap * Why the energy industry is so fragmented in the US * What we need MOST to see renewables replace the grid * How batteries are holding back cleantech * The pros and cons of monopolies in public infrastructure * Why Silicon Valley doesn’t invest much in energy * How one innovator can change the course of history and energy consumption * What we NEED to do to combat climate change * Why Andy thinks going public is the way to go * Thoughts on Elon, Tesla and the future of transportation * What will journalism look like in ten years * Are billionaire-owned media corporations a net positive Russell’s Twitter: @russellgold Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Jarrett Walker is an international public transit network design and policy consultant and the author of popular public transit blog HumanTransit.org, and the book Human Transit: How Clearer Thinking about Public Transit Can Enrich Our Communities and Our Lives. This book is a friendly, non-technical introduction to transit’s underlying geometry and the real value judgments that must be explored to make both transit and development policy. His background integrates an arts and humanities Ph.D. with long technical experience in all aspects of transit and its role in city-building. He is a frequent keynote speaker, teacher, and facilitator of decision-making processes. Listen and Learn: * How to engineer cities so ALMOST everyone wins * What does the future of urban transit look like * Why autonomous vehicles actually lead to more traffic * The reason Uber and Lyft are part of the problem * The geometric test to any transportation claim * Why the Boring Company is bogus * The law of induced demand and its implications * How tech marketing twists issues and creates bigger problems * What Jarrett thinks about electric scooters and micro-mobility * Where we’re at in the IoT hype cycle * Thoughts on regulating and market distortions * Why cars are a dead-end future   Jarrett’s Twitter: @humantransit Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow. Jarrett Walker is an international public transit network design and policy consultant and the author of popular public transit blog HumanTransit.org, and the book Human Transit: How Clearer Thinking about Public Transit Can Enrich Our Communities and Our Lives. This book is a friendly, non-technical introduction to transit’s underlying geometry and the real value judgments that must be explored to make both transit and development policy. His background integrates an arts and humanities Ph.D. with long technical experience in all aspects of transit and its role in city-building. He is a frequent keynote speaker, teacher, and facilitator of decision-making processes. Listen and Learn: * How to engineer cities so ALMOST everyone wins * What does the future of urban transit look like * Why autonomous vehicles actually lead to more traffic * The reason Uber and Lyft are part of the problem * The geometric test to any transportation claim * Why the Boring Company is bogus * The law of induced demand and its implications * How tech marketing twists issues and creates bigger problems * What Jarrett thinks about electric scooters and micro-mobility * Where we’re at in the IoT hype cycle * Thoughts on regulating and market distortions * Why cars are a dead-end future   Jarrett’s Twitter: @humantransit Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Andy Rachleff  is the co-founder and Executive Chairman (prev CEO) of Wealthfront, an automated investment service startup to provide wealth advisor-like management to everyday folks. Andy co-founded Benchmark Capital in 1995 (one of the most successful venture capital firms of all time) and was a general partner until 2004. Prior to Benchmark, he was a GP with Merrill, Pickard, Anderson & Eyre. He has frequently been named to Forbes’ Midas List as a top tech venture investor. He teaches courses on technology entrepreneurship at Stanford Graduate School of Business and is a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania, chairman of the board of overseers for its School of Engineering and Applied Science and vice chairman of its endowment investment committee. He is also a board member of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. NOTE: I use and love Wealthfront for managing my personal finances. Get $5k managed for free with this link! Listen and Learn: * How to win at investing despite all the contradictory advice * What makes for an investible landmark business * Why Matt uses Wealthfront to manage his finances * Where automation is headed in regards to jobs * How the finance industry screws you sideways and rigs the game * The problem with science and biotech research and how Andy’s solving it * Why data and AI is the biggest thing happening today * How the venture capital landscape is changing with the rise of SoftBank * What does the future of blockchain look like * Why Andy thinks going public is the way to go * Thoughts on regulating tech monopolies and industries cycles * What index investing does for average consumers Andy’s Twitter: @arachleff Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Andy Rachleff  is the co-founder and Executive Chairman (prev CEO) of Wealthfront, an automated investment service startup to provide wealth advisor-like management to everyday folks. Andy co-founded Benchmark Capital in 1995 (one of the most successful venture capital firms of all time) and was a general partner until 2004. Prior to Benchmark, he was a GP with Merrill, Pickard, Anderson & Eyre. He has frequently been named to Forbes’ Midas List as a top tech venture investor. He teaches courses on technology entrepreneurship at Stanford Graduate School of Business and is a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania, chairman of the board of overseers for its School of Engineering and Applied Science and vice chairman of its endowment investment committee. He is also a board member of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. NOTE: I use and love Wealthfront for managing my personal finances. Get $5k managed for free with this link! Listen and Learn: * How to win at investing despite all the contradictory advice * What makes for an investible landmark business * Why Matt uses Wealthfront to manage his finances * Where automation is headed in regards to jobs * How the finance industry screws you sideways and rigs the game * The problem with science and biotech research and how Andy’s solving it * Why data and AI is the biggest thing happening today * How the venture capital landscape is changing with the rise of SoftBank * What does the future of blockchain look like * Why Andy thinks going public is the way to go...

Paul Shapiro is the bestselling author of Clean Meat: How Growing Meat Without Animals Will Revolutionize Dinner and the World, the CEO and co-founder of The Better Meat Co., a four-time TEDx speaker, the co-host of the Business for Good Podcast, and a long-time leader in food sustainability. He’s been interviewed by hundreds of news outlets from CNN to StarTalk Radio with Neil deGrasse Tyson as an authority on food sustainability issues, and also published hundreds of articles in publications ranging from daily newspapers like the Washington Post to magazines like FORTUNE to academic journals. Prior to co-founding a plant protein company, he spent his career lobbying for better agricultural sustainability policies. Paul’s also the VP of the Humane Society in the US Listen Now: * How soon you’ll see plant-based meat in stores * The sad truth about animal agriculture and emissions * Why Paul thinks we’ll have multiple forms of clean meat * The food spoilage problem and how to solve it * Why the Amazon fires are caused by cow herding * What the daily-free milk movements tells us about the future of food * How to use business for good * Lessons learned from Whole Foods * What’s the future of biotech and GMOs * The economic incentives that will end animal farming * Ways Paul organizes his life and focus * How to feed 10 billion people * Which runaway climate effects scare Paul most * Why Paul thinks we’ll have a mix of large and small scale agriculture * Why business is the best way to change the world Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow. Paul Shapiro is the bestselling author of Clean Meat: How Growing Meat Without Animals Will Revolutionize Dinner and the World, the CEO and co-founder of The Better Meat Co., a four-time TEDx speaker, the co-host of the Business for Good Podcast, and a long-time leader in food sustainability. He’s been interviewed by hundreds of news outlets from CNN to StarTalk Radio with Neil deGrasse Tyson as an authority on food sustainability issues, and also published hundreds of articles in publications ranging from daily newspapers like the Washington Post to magazines like FORTUNE to academic journals. Prior to co-founding a plant protein company, he spent his career lobbying for better agricultural sustainability policies. Paul’s also the VP of the Humane Society in the US Listen Now: * How soon you’ll see plant-based meat in stores * The sad truth about animal agriculture and emissions * Why Paul thinks we’ll have multiple forms of clean meat * The food spoilage problem and how to solve it * Why the Amazon fires are caused by cow herding * What the daily-free milk movements tells us about the future of food * How to use business for good * Lessons learned from Whole Foods * What’s the future of biotech and GMOs * The economic incentives that will end animal farming * Ways Paul organizes his life and focus * How to feed 10 billion people * Which runaway climate effects scare Paul most * Why Paul thinks we’ll have a mix of large and small scale agriculture * Why business is the best way to change the world Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Neal Gorenflo is the co-founder of Shareable, award-winning news, action, connection hub for the grassroots sharing transformation. Neal’s worked with startups like P2P asset sharing platform Moogul.com, an online DVD exchange, a spinout of Cisco’s corporate asset sharing platform, and Divvy.com. He co-organized The Abundance League monthly salons in SF between 2005 and 2010, consulted with Institute for the Future, Stanford, Lowe’s, and has been featured by The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, CBS Sunday Morning, Wired and Fast Company and appeared at SXSW, Sustainable Brands, and SOCAP. He is co-editor of the books Share or Die: Voices of The Get Lost Generation in the Age of Crisis and Policies for Shareable Cities, the first sharing economy policy guide and is an adviser to governments and NGO initiatives. Grab his free book here! In today’s episode we discuss: * How US zoning policies institutionalized racism * What participatory budgeting can do for revitalizing civic life * Why the capitalism experiment of the free market failed * The power of local networks and connections * How we should rethink cities and urban planning * Why Neal isn’t that excited about driverless cars * The huge problem with America’s suburbs system * Why the gig economy is eroding our future * How Neal views the future of government * Why blockchain isn’t the answer to our problems * What libertarianism gets massively wrong * Why big tech is the most dangerous force today * How hundreds of cities are saving the world through sharing * Why Airbnb and Uber aren’t sharing companies at all Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow. Neal Gorenflo is the co-founder of Shareable, award-winning news, action, connection hub for the grassroots sharing transformation. Neal’s worked with startups like P2P asset sharing platform Moogul.com, an online DVD exchange, a spinout of Cisco’s corporate asset sharing platform, and Divvy.com. He co-organized The Abundance League monthly salons in SF between 2005 and 2010, consulted with Institute for the Future, Stanford, Lowe’s, and has been featured by The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, CBS Sunday Morning, Wired and Fast Company and appeared at SXSW, Sustainable Brands, and SOCAP. He is co-editor of the books Share or Die: Voices of The Get Lost Generation in the Age of Crisis and Policies for Shareable Cities, the first sharing economy policy guide and is an adviser to governments and NGO initiatives. Grab his free book here! In today’s episode we discuss: * How US zoning policies institutionalized racism * What participatory budgeting can do for revitalizing civic life * Why the capitalism experiment of the free market failed * The power of local networks and connections * How we should rethink cities and urban planning * Why Neal isn’t that excited about driverless cars * The huge problem with America’s suburbs system * Why the gig economy is eroding our future * How Neal views the future of government

Jim Pugh (@dr_pugh) is a co-founder of the Universal Income Project, a fiscally sponsored organization focused on raising awareness and support for UBI. Jim’s also the founder and CEO of ShareProgress, a social-good startup that helps progressive organizations use the power of data and technology to grow their base and win their campaigns. He previously served as the Director of Analytics and Development for President Obama’s Organizing for America (OFA) and the Democratic National Committee and was the founding Chief Technology Officer at Rebuild the Dream. In today’s episode we discuss: * Why we NEED universal basic income before the robots come * The true impact of giving people free money * How to pay for UBI * The problems and possibilities of universal basic income * How we should rethink immigration, especially if we enact UBI * Why America’s two-party system is fundamentally flawed * The surprising truth about working in politics * Why Jim thinks we need to fix antitrust * How grassroots movements and decentralization go forward from here * Why universal healthcare is so connected to universal income * The reason governments need to run more pilot programs * Why Trump broke (and fixed) politics in the US * What’s the future of capitalism in America Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow. Jim Pugh (@dr_pugh) is a co-founder of the Universal Income Project, a fiscally sponsored organization focused on raising awareness and support for UBI. Jim’s also the founder and CEO of ShareProgress, a social-good startup that helps progressive organizations use the power of data and technology to grow their base and win their campaigns. He previously served as the Director of Analytics and Development for President Obama’s Organizing for America (OFA) and the Democratic National Committee and was the founding Chief Technology Officer at Rebuild the Dream. In today’s episode we discuss: * Why we NEED universal basic income before the robots come * The true impact of giving people free money * How to pay for UBI * The problems and possibilities of universal basic income * How we should rethink immigration, especially if we enact UBI * Why America’s two-party system is fundamentally flawed * The surprising truth about working in politics * Why Jim thinks we need to fix antitrust * How grassroots movements and decentralization go forward from here * Why universal healthcare is so connected to universal income * The reason governments need to run more pilot programs * Why Trump broke (and fixed) politics in the US * What’s the future of capitalism in America Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Robin Chase is the founder and former CEO of Zipcar, the largest carsharing company in the world; Buzzcar, a carsharing marketplace in France; and GoLoco, an online ridesharing community as well as co-founder of Veniam, a company that moves TBs of data between vehicles and cloud. Her recent book is Peers Inc: How People and Platforms are Inventing the Collaborative Economy and Reinventing Capitalism and current passion is working with cities to maximize the transformation possible with the introduction of self-driving cars. Robin is on the Board of the World Resources Institute, the National Advisory Council for Innovation & Entrepreneurship for the US Department of Commerce and the OECD’s International Transport Forum Advisory Board. She also served on the Intelligent Transportations Systems Program Advisory Committee for the US Department of Transportation, the Massachusetts Governor’s Transportation Transition Working Group and Boston Mayor’s Wireless Task Force. She lectures widely, is frequently featured in major media and has received many awards including Time 100 Most Influential People, Fast Company Fast 50 Innovators and BusinessWeek Top 10 Designers. Listen and Learn: * How Robin invented the ride-sharing market almost a decade before Uber * What does the future of urban transportation look like * The important difference between ridesharing and car-sharing, and what that means for climate change * Why Europe is so far ahead of the US when it comes to livable cities * The reason decentralization is so valuable and why it doesn’t always work * How to fix our cities for healthier, happier people * What will driverless vehicles mean for the future of car ownership * Why electrics bikes and scooters change everything when it comes to transforming cities * What Robin thinks about Lyft and Uber’s business models * Why Robin is intrigued and worried about blockchain and Bitcoin Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Robin Chase is the founder and former CEO of Zipcar, the largest carsharing company in the world; Buzzcar, a carsharing marketplace in France; and GoLoco, an online ridesharing community as well as co-founder of Veniam, a company that moves TBs of data between vehicles and cloud. Her recent book is Peers Inc: How People and Platforms are Inventing the Collaborative Economy and Reinventing Capitalism and current passion is working with cities to maximize the transformation possible with the introduction of self-driving cars. Robin is on the Board of the World Resources Institute, the National Advisory Council for Innovation & Entrepreneurship for the US Department of Commerce and the OECD’s International Transport Forum Advisory Board. She also served on the Intelligent Transportations Systems Program Advisory Committee for the US Department of Transportation, the Massachusetts Governor’s Transportation Transition Working Group and Boston Mayor’s Wireless Task Force. She lectures widely, is frequently featured in major media and has received many awards including Time 100 Most Influential People, Fast Company Fast 50 Innovators and BusinessWeek Top 10 Designers. Listen and Learn: * How Robin invented the ride-sharing market almost a decade before Uber * What does the future of urban transportation look like * The important difference between ridesharing and car-sharing, and what that means for climate change * Why Europe is so far ahead of the US when it comes to livable cities * The reason decentralization is so valuable and why it doesn’t always work

Tae Hea Nahm is co-founding Managing Director of Storm Ventures and co-author of Survival To Thrival. Survival to Thrival is a mind-meld of a 3x entrepreneur (Bob Tinker) and a VC/board member (TH Nahm), and other enterprise entrepreneurs, which demystifies building enterprise startups. Tae Hea was the founding CEO of Airespace, later sold to Cisco for $450m.  Currently, he is interested in “AI + SaaS” companies.   Listen and Learn: * How Go To Market evolves and affects funding milestones * The different levels of company building as a startup scales * Why Tae is so bullish on enterprise SaaS * Lessons learned from scaling a $450M company * The relational difference between being an angel and a VC * An inside look into Korea’s startup ecosystem * The way VCs think about product-market fit * Why data is the ultimate moat * How the tech giants affect innovation in America Tae’s Projects: Storm Ventures Tae’s Twitter: @taeheanahm Storm Ventures Twitter: @stormventures Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow. Tae Hea Nahm is co-founding Managing Director of Storm Ventures and co-author of Survival To Thrival. Survival to Thrival is a mind-meld of a 3x entrepreneur (Bob Tinker) and a VC/board member (TH Nahm), and other enterprise entrepreneurs, which demystifies building enterprise startups. Tae Hea was the founding CEO of Airespace, later sold to Cisco for $450m.  Currently, he is interested in “AI + SaaS” companies.   Listen and Learn: * How Go To Market evolves and affects funding milestones * The different levels of company building as a startup scales * Why Tae is so bullish on enterprise SaaS * Lessons learned from scaling a $450M company * The relational difference between being an angel and a VC * An inside look into Korea’s startup ecosystem * The way VCs think about product-market fit * Why data is the ultimate moat * How the tech giants affect innovation in America Tae’s Projects: Storm Ventures Tae’s Twitter: @taeheanahm Storm Ventures Twitter: @stormventures Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Jonathan Levi is an experienced entrepreneur, angel investor, superlearner and lifehacker from Silicon Valley. He runs the SuperHuman Academy Podcast (3M+ downloads) and since 2014, has was one of the top instructors (over 60k students) on Udemy, with his course Become a SuperLearner® (now retired), in addition to his Masterclass course. In addition to his own bestselling book, Becoming a SuperLearner, Jonathan’s been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, TEDx, Entrepreneur On Fire, Mixergy, Dream. Think. Do and many more. Listen and Learn: * The science of memory and speed learning * What’s wrong with the education system and how to fix it * How LSD transformed Jonathan’s life for the better * Where we’re headed with brain-machine interfaces and cyborg citizens * Why we’re headed towards a jobless future * How to increase creativity and productivity * The scary future of American democracy * Why Jonathan is terrified about AI * How blockchain threats governments and the status quo * Which life hacks Jonathan’s implemented from his incredible guests * Why depression and mental health issues are common amongst high performers * How online education and courses plays into our future Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Jonathan Levi is an experienced entrepreneur, angel investor, superlearner and lifehacker from Silicon Valley. He runs the SuperHuman Academy Podcast (3M+ downloads) and since 2014, has was one of the top instructors (over 60k students) on Udemy, with his course Become a SuperLearner® (now retired), in addition to his Masterclass course. In addition to his own bestselling book, Becoming a SuperLearner, Jonathan’s been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, TEDx, Entrepreneur On Fire, Mixergy, Dream. Think. Do and many more. Listen and Learn: * The science of memory and speed learning * What’s wrong with the education system and how to fix it * How LSD transformed Jonathan’s life for the better * Where we’re headed with brain-machine interfaces and cyborg citizens * Why we’re headed towards a jobless future * How to increase creativity and productivity * The scary future of American democracy * Why Jonathan is terrified about AI * How blockchain threats governments and the status quo * Which life hacks Jonathan’s implemented from his incredible guests * Why depression and mental health issues are common amongst high performers * How online education and courses plays into our future Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.