Startups Dil Se 🎙️

He was the quietest guy in the room now he's building a billion-dollar company. Anthony Prakash sits down with Haran Shivanan, CEO of IVIVA, in one of the most personal episodes of Startups Dilse yet. The two go back over 20 years to their time together at Cognizant in Chennai, and this conversation is as much a reunion as it is a masterclass in building deep tech products across global markets. I...

In this episode of Startups Dil Se, we sit down with Isabella De Rosa, the Italian founder and CEO of WinkSuite  a bootstrapped SaaS platform helping brands run smarter promotions, loyalty programs, and employee incentivization campaigns. Isabella joined us straight from San Francisco, just one week after we met at an  @innovitsf  networking event, and she brought an incredible story with her. Fro...

What happens when developer communities are scattered across a dozen different platforms? In this episode, we sit down with Arpan Garg, founder of Commudle, who's on a mission to solve one of the biggest headaches in developer relations: fragmentation. From watching Extreme Machines as a kid to speaking at Google I/O, Arpan's journey is anything but typical. After facing rejection as an electronic...

Joining us from Mumbai, Axel shares his fascinating transition from a material scientist in Silicon Valley to a key diplomat bridging the business ecosystems of France and India. In this episode, we explore how Axel promotes the Paris region across three crucial verticals: Investment, Tourism, and the Film Commission. 🌟 A Global Citizen's Journey Axel details a truly global career path that led h...

What happens when a Ukrainian 🇺🇦 software engineer becomes a father and decides to change the world? 🚀Denis Yakovenko, CEO of Faster Than Light (FTL), shares the exact moment that transformed him from employee to entrepreneur—and how he built a company that helps startups launch products at record speed. 🔥 WHAT WE COVER:The personal catalyst that made him quit his job Why startups beat big corpo...

In this milestone 25th episode of Startups Dil Se, host Anthony Prakash sits down with Earnest Sweat , a distinguished venture capitalist from the Bay Area who exemplifies authentic leadership in the investment world. Earnest opens up about his remarkable journey from Little Rock, Arkansas, to the heart of Silicon Valley, sharing how his parents—a computer science graduate and dedicated educator—i...

Join Startups Dil Se hosts Riddhi Gore and Anthony Prakash for a fascinating conversation with the team behind Safi - an innovative startup tackling the intersection of climate change and public health. University of Waterloo graduates Miraal Kabir (CEO), Daria Margarit (COO) & Martin Turuta (CTO) share how their journey began with a UN climate challenge and evolved into a mission to prevent d...

In this insightful episode, host Anthony Prakash sits down with Vishal Modi , Founder & CEO of Spoonified , who is pioneering smart utensils to transform how we track nutrition and develop mindful eating habits. Episode Highlights: Vishal shares his personal journey from struggling with weight management as an immigrant to founding a company that addresses the "mile zero problem" in nutrition...

This week, we welcome Gina Elmanasterly , the visionary founder and CEO of FULLY FYNE, who's changing the haircare game for people with fine hair everywhere. Coming from a lineage of entrepreneurs, Gina's business acumen was shaped by watching her grandfather and father build their own ventures. These early influences planted the seeds for her own entrepreneurial journey, which began taking shape...

Join us for an insightful discussion with Jason L Zimmerman , Founder and Chief Strategist of 3Fold Collective, who brings a revolutionary approach to business strategy by combining psychology, economics, and organizational sociology. Based in Chicago, Jason's journey begins with a childhood passion for economics, sparked by helping his mother with everyday math problems. After completing his unde...

Sebastian Sulma , a Czechxican serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist, has founded Cuid , a startup dedicated to making security technology affordable and accessible globally. Motivated by personal experiences with crime, Sulma is leveraging advanced AI and hardware solutions to address safety challenges. Key Highlights of Cuid: Quarterly revenues exceeding $100,000 Raised approximately $800,0...

From building apps for Indian farmers to revolutionizing podcast production with AI, Sachin Gaur's journey exemplifies purpose-driven innovation. In this episode, we sit down with the founder of Ukumi.ai to explore how his 'tinkerer' mindset and passion for solving real-world problems have shaped his entrepreneurial path. Sachin takes us through his evolution from an Adobe engineer to a serial ent...

Meet the visionary behind Africa's cross-border payment revolution. In this compelling episode, Tope Alabi, Co-founder and CEO of Afriex , shares his extraordinary journey from winning the visa lottery to building a FinTech powerhouse that's transforming how millions handle international transactions. Tope's story begins with a life-changing moment: his mother's sudden announcement that they'd be...

Meet the man behind Nokia's phenomenal success in India during the telecom revolution of the late 1990s. ⁠Chandan Chatarjee⁠ joins us for a riveting conversation about building markets from scratch, navigating complex business landscapes, and transforming challenges into opportunities. In this episode, Chandan takes us through his remarkable journey from the Tata Group to becoming a key architect...

In this compelling episode , we sit down with Venkata Chunduru , a visionary engineering leader who has been quietly revolutionizing India's transportation and infrastructure landscape for over two decades. As the Director and Head of India Operations at Arcadis IBI Group, Venkat offers an unprecedented look into the complex world of infrastructure development, innovation, and technological transf...

Join us for an electrifying conversation with Ralph Gootee , Co-founder and CTO of TigerEye , as he shares his extraordinary journey from creating animated blockbusters at Pixar to revolutionizing business strategy through AI technology. In this episode, you'll discover: How a chance meeting sparked a $875M startup success The inside story of PlanGrid and its game-changing impact on construction t...

What happens when frustrated doctors decide to fix healthcare technology themselves? In this fascinating episode, we dive into the world where medicine meets code with two remarkable physician-entrepreneurs who are tackling one of healthcare's biggest headaches: broken software systems.  Meet Dr. John Manning and Dr. Grey Faulkenberry , who split their time between saving lives in emergency rooms...

Ever had that sinking feeling something's wrong with your boat? This week, we're trading land for water as we chat with Matija Jasarov , Co-founder and CEO of VisionAnchor , who turned a frightening personal experience into a game-changing solution for maritime safety. In this episode, you'll hear how a successful music and video producer pivoted to maritime tech after his anchored boat drifted pe...

From the high-stakes trading floors of Goldman Sachs to revolutionizing investment access in India, Ram Tulluri 's journey is a masterclass in purpose-driven entrepreneurship. As the founder of Shrish Infotech and creator of WealthUpp , Ram is tackling a crucial challenge: while India's NIFTY 50 has delivered 20X returns since 2000, 95% of Indians haven't participated in this wealth creation. In t...

Revolutionizing Digital Identity with Port's CEO Aniruddh Balasubramaniam In this eye-opening episode, we sit down with Aniruddh Balasubramaniam , the visionary CEO of Port by Numberless , who's on a mission to transform how we manage our online identities. Episode Highlights: The COVID-19 lightbulb moment : How pandemic contact tracing exposed the need for better digital identity solutions From f...

In this episode, we sit down with Shiti Rastogi Manghani, the CEO of STEPN by Find Satoshi Labs (FSL). A true trailblazer , Shiti's journey from consultant to CEO is nothing short of remarkable. Episode Highlights: Shiti's impressive career trajectory, including her transition from consulting to leadership roles in the CPG industry The founding of Breathe Happy  during Covid-19, revolutionizing at...

In this captivating episode, we continue our conversation with Sabari Raja, Managing Partner at JFF Ventures, as she shares invaluable insights from her journey from entrepreneur to venture capitalist. Sabari dives deep into the world of startups and VC, offering: Essential advice for new entrepreneurs The critical importance of personal connection to your startup idea Eye-opening perspectives on...

Episode Overview In this special two-part episode of the Startups Dilse Podcast, we bring you the inspiring journey of Sabari Raja , Managing Partner at JFF Ventures . Host Anthony sits down with his former SMU B-school classmate to uncover a story of determination, innovation, and success against all odds. Part 1: Breaking Barriers and Building Dreams Sabari Raja's story is one of relentless purs...

Ever struggled to find decent housing? Samir Aliyev and his friends did too - and they decided to do something about it. In this eye-opening chat, discover how a group of frustrated UBC Okanagan students transformed their rental woes into RentalHunt , a groundbreaking platform that's shaking up the rental housing market. 🎓 Discover how RentalHunt: Transforms the "First Come, First Served" model i...

In this episode, we take a fascinating detour from our usual startup founders and investors to explore how a Fortune 500 company is embracing the startup ecosystem. Join us as we sit down with Abhishek Prasad , the leader of JLL's Idea Labs in Bengaluru. JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle) isn't just a real estate giant; they're actively shaping the future of PropTech through their innovative incubation arm,...