CapLander

What separates good CEOs from truly exceptional ones? Executive coach and CEO advisor  Julie Jackle  has spent 17 years helping founders and executives navigate the toughest stages of growth—from building their first leadership team to leading billion-dollar public companies. In this episode, she shares the leadership habits that consistently separate successful CEOs from those who get stuck. Juli...

What do startup equity, social media influencers, luxury brands, and handwritten thank-you notes have in common? More than you might think. Jody and Morgan begin by unpacking the latest conversation around QSBS trust stacking and why founders need to ensure they're earning the right equity before they start planning how to preserve wealth. From there, they explore why entrepreneurs like Bethen...

Irish-born entrepreneur Margaret O’Leary joins CapLander to share the story behind the knitwear company that bears her name. From arriving in San Francisco with a deep knowledge of sweaters to growing a beloved retail brand with 14 stores, Margaret reflects on entrepreneurship, fashion, motherhood, and staying true to her vision. Jody and Morgan discuss the evolution of retail, the balance between...

Troy Alexander's life changed forever after a college fight landed him in prison. What could have become the defining mistake of his life instead became the foundation for everything that followed. In this episode, Troy shares how two years of incarceration taught him resilience, discipline, and the power of mindset. He opens up about rebuilding his life from scratch, breaking into the worlds...

In this episode of CapLander, Morgan and Jody discuss the realities of entering today’s competitive job market—and why some of the simplest professional habits still make the biggest difference. From showing up on time and learning from demanding mentors to networking in unexpected places and pursuing opportunities in the startup world, they explore the mindset that helps young professionals stand...

Venture capital has evolved from a cottage industry into a global ecosystem—and the next generation of investors is reshaping what comes next. Chris Harvey, founder of Harvey Esquire, joins Jody and Morgan to discuss the rise of emerging fund managers, why firms like Andreessen Horowitz changed the venture landscape, and how AI is influencing everything from investment decisions to firm operations...

This week on CapLander, Jody and Morgan sit down with EO Products co-founder and co-CEO Susan Griffin-Black to talk about building one of the original natural personal care brands decades before “clean beauty” became mainstream. From launching EO in Marin County in 1995 to creating the massively successful Everyone line, Susan shares how intuition, authenticity, and long-term thinking helped grow...

Morgan and Jody check in from the Blue Ridge Mountains and cover everything from airport travel and luxury stroller shopping to the changing future of startups, venture capital, and leadership. Along the way, they unpack why smaller companies are becoming more powerful, how AI is reshaping entrepreneurship, and why the next generation of founders will need grit, adaptability, and relentless focus...

In this episode of CapLander, Jody and Morgan discuss the spirit of entrepreneurship and leadership with David Stine and Stephanie Abbajay - while digging into the realities of what it's like working with your spouse. David shares how he left a successful law career and turned his woodworking hobby into a pursuit of excellence, becoming a featured exhibitor at the Architectural Digest Design S...

Morgan and Jody recap a work trip to Austin, Kentucky Derby upsets,  The Devil Wears Prada , a The Wall Street Journal breakdown of high-earning women, and Belle Burden's memoir—on the surface, they don’t seem connected. But together, they point to one idea: the top 1% is built through accumulated steps, not isolated wins. We talk through how careers actually compound over time, and how the de...

From a small-town gas station to the front lines of luxury resale, Ashley Maurice’s journey into fashion is anything but typical—and that’s exactly why her perspective cuts through the noise. In this CapLander episode, Ashley (Manager of Buying at The Vault Luxury Resale) breaks down what actually holds value in today’s resale market—and what doesn’t. From Hermès Birkins outperforming traditional...

What does it take to go from first employee at a hyper-growth media startup to founding a consumer brand, landing a deal on Shark Tank with Mark Cuban, and pivoting into angel investing and real estate development — all while raising two kids under two? Kaylin Roche has done exactly that, with intention every step of the way. Jody and Morgan sit down with Kaylin to trace the through-line of a care...

Geoff Meyerson didn’t just choose a career—he built one. From investment banking and venture capital to launching Locust Walk the day Lehman Brothers collapsed, Geoff shares how betting on himself led to a 17-year nonlinear journey at the center of biotech dealmaking. This episode dives into what it really means to “zig when others zag,” why Boston still matters (but isn’t untouchable), and how Ch...

This week on CapLander, Jody and Morgan kick things off with a brutally honest look at accountability—why a simple “I screwed up” is so hard to say, and why it matters more than ever. From there, they dive into a provocative Wall Street Journal piece on AI founders dropping out of elite schools while venture capitalists foot the bill. Is this the ultimate fast track—or a shortcut with long-term co...

Nate DaPore, founder and managing partner of Roo Capital, joins Jody and Morgan to share how he built a venture firm centered on talent, conviction, and a “who not how” mindset. He explains how his firm blends investing with in-house recruiting to create real value for founders, and why surrounding yourself with the right people is the ultimate advantage in today’s market. The conversation also ex...

What happens when biotech, spirituality, and real life collide? You get Rabbi Brian. In this episode, Morgan and Jody sit down with Brian Denker—conference leader at BioCentury and a rabbi serving interfaith and modern families—for a conversation that goes well beyond a typical career path. After a deeply personal rejection when trying to get married, Brian made an unexpected decision: he became t...

What does real wealth actually look like when you strip away the buzzwords? In this episode, Morgan and Jody sit down with longtime friend and finance powerhouse  Christine Leong Connors , co-founder and CEO of  Verita Strategic Wealth Partners , for a conversation that goes far beyond money management. Christine breaks down what a modern  multifamily office  really does, why so many high-achievin...

This week Jody and Morgan sit down with Jan D'Alessandro, founder of Blue J Strategies and one of the driving forces behind Pledge 1%, the global movement encouraging companies to pledge equity, profit, product, or employee time for social impact. Jan shares her path from big law to AOL, venture-backed startups, major exits, and purpose-driven advisory work. They dig into what a general counse...

In this episode of  CapLander , Jody and Morgan turn the mic on themselves. With Morgan celebrating her 31st birthday (and expecting her first child), the two take a step back to share how their partnership—and their family business—actually works. They talk about how Jody built J. Thelander Consulting nearly 30 years ago, how Morgan eventually joined the company, and what it’s really like to work...

Katie Stanton, Founder and Managing General Partner of Moxxie Ventures, joins Jody and Morgan for a candid conversation about what it really takes to build—and back—early-stage companies in today’s market. From her journey as a longtime Silicon Valley operator to launching Moxxie in 2019, Katie shares why courage is at the core of entrepreneurship, what she believes venture capital gets wrong, and...

From parking wars to the real work of creating value inside private equity portfolios, this episode is all about  personal agency . Jody and Morgan sit down with  Paul Press of Press & Associates , a trusted search partner to private equity firms building value creation and portfolio operations teams. Paul breaks down what “value creation” actually means in PE today, how portfolio ops teams wo...

In this episode, Jody and Morgan are joined by Lauren Makler, co-founder and CEO of Cofertility, a modern fertility company redefining family-building. Lauren shares how her background in tech prepared her to launch her own company, the inspiration behind Cofertility's first-of-its-kind egg sharing model, and what's ahead for the next generation of fertility and family planning. 

In this episode of the CapLander podcast, hosts Jody and Morgan Thelander sit down with Alessandro Chesser, founder & CEO of GetDynasty to discuss how they help startup founders pay zero taxes through Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS). Discover how Alessandro's journey from banking to tech led to the creation of a full-stack trust company aimed at reducing taxes for entrepreneurs. Learn ab...

Join Jody and Morgan as they debrief from the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference and share an exciting update for what's to come in 2026. Jody breaks down the smartest wardrobe investments - what's worth the price tag, where to save and how to play the high-low game while Morgan prepares for a snow storm. The conversation offers listeners an insight into the mother-daughter dynamic behind the...

Join Jody and Morgan as they kick off JP Morgan's 44th Annual Healthcare Conference in San Francisco. They are joined by Ali Murata, compensation and benefits partner at Cooley. Ali shares her insights on the evolving compensation landscape, the strategic role of legal advice in business, and her unique journey from law school to becoming a trusted advisor in Silicon Valley. Join us for an eng...