Entrepreneurial Thinkers with Rob Ryan

Will the United States survive a MAGA Takeover? Are you worried about President Trump’s manufactured trade war with Mexico and Canada? Can the relationships between these three long time North American allies, survive this moment in history? Tariffs, political strategies, and a media revolution in how and where we source our information, are reshaping our world in real time, can we keep up? This c...

Can we build growth companies in traditional industries? Can technology & the construction industry come together to build a better America? What happens when Josh flips the script to ask Rob some questions? In this episode, Rob and Joshua Ogundu, Founder & Head of Product at Tradeway Tech have a high energy optimistic discussion of the transformative potential of treating the traditional...

What if your favorite indulgence could also be your healthiest choice? Do you ever wonder how your favorite food products make it to your grocery shelves? In this episode of Entrepreneurial Thinkers, Rob dives into the inspiring story of Diogo Valente and Tiago Rebelo, founders of Swee Creamery—a vegan ice cream brand born in Portugal during the pandemic, selling successfully now in US grocers in...

Diverse fund teams are more profitable! Do you believe diversifying the venture capital investment industry actually creates better investment returns? Hint, it does! In this episode of  Entrepreneurial Thinkers , Rob sits down with Megan Stevenson-Krausz, co-CEO of Diversity VC, a unique non-profit organization helping its VC Firm members worldwide, to uncover why diversity isn’t just a moral imp...

What happens when entrepreneurial thinking meets social justice? Can you imagine collaborating with the people you like the least? In this episode, Rob sits down with the dynamic leader, Nisha Anand, CEO of  Dream.org , to explore her journey from punk rock protester to social justice executive of a National organization, where she bridges divides across a wide array of social and societal issues...

Do you know what a Family Office is? What do family offices, blockchain, and Hollywood investors have in common? Robert Mowry joins Rob on this episode of  Entrepreneurial Thinkers  to discuss the dynamic intersection of venture capital, technology, and LA’s uniquely diverse entrepreneurial ecosystem. The two discuss inequities in funding for women and under-supported founders and emerging VC’s, e...

As we close out 2024—a year of growth, challenges, and opportunities—we’re sharing this special holiday episode as our heartfelt gift to you. From the wisdom of our incredible guests to personal stories and actionable insights, we explore four essential themes for all entrepreneurial thinkers no matter where you are in your business, career or life journey: ✨  Community : The people who support a...

Do you want to be more of an entrepreneurial thinker? Do you love learning from experienced leaders? Are you someone who works in the entrepreneurial industry and want to learn how to grow your local community? In this episode of  Entrepreneurial Thinkers , Rob sits down with Andy Wilson, the (recently departed) Executive Director of the Alliance for SoCal Innovation, and one of Los Angeles’ longe...

What would you choose- Life saving drugs that would extend your life, but leave your family overwhelmed with debt, or death? Is anyone obsessed with enabling a world where life saving drugs and therapies are readily, affordably accessible to everyone who needs them? In this episode of  Entrepreneurial Thinkers , Rob Ryan sits down with DJ White, founder and CEO of Cytodyme, a San Diego based softw...

Do Mexican VC’s have to chase “unicorns” to be successful, like their US peers? What industries are ripe for reinvention in Mexico and Latin America? Are you an institutional investor seeking greater returns on better valued deal flow? This is an episode you don’t want to miss. Rob and Alejandro Gonzalez, Managing Partner at Redwood Ventures and Santatera Capital talk about playing the Venture Cap...

Do you want to know how the most progressive modern investors think? Do you worry about the cultural barriers preventing more diverse entrepreneurs from success? Do you want to know how to pursue your own highest potential? Rob sits down with his friend Qiana Patterson; Venture Investor, Advisor, Educator, Yoga Practitioner, Mentor and Problem Solver, to discuss her life philosophies shaped by her...

Have you ever stopped to observe “how you feel” when you’re outside? Do you consider yourself a City Person or an Outdoorsy type? Have you ever met an entrepreneur who is turning the outdoors into an experiential education business? If you listen to this- you will meet one of the best! In this episode, Rob enjoys a really thought-provoking conversation with Yvonne Leow, Founder and CEO of Bewilder...

Are local independent pharmacies better than Big Corporate pharmacies? Have you ever thought about the amount of medications that go to waste every night at your pharmacy? Do you know how your prescription drugs make it to you? Or how your pharmacists make money? Or how your pharmacist is an entrepreneur! In the United States’ terribly fragmented, complicated healthcare system, pharmacies are ofte...

Can you be a successful entrepreneur alone? Do you want to learn how the greatest founders in the world leverage their communities? In this episode, Rob is joined by his LA neighbor, Justin Gordon, Founder at Village Lane and Just Go Grind. The two talk about the importance of entrepreneurial experimentation, of his own creativity and about “Community”, the buzzy tech industry word, that everyone...

Do you believe one person can make a difference? Do you understand what the “New Majority” economy or “Care Economy” are? Do you think we need more equitable economies and communities? Rob gets really fired up by this conversation with the unstoppable force that is Erika Lucas, a long time Economic Development leader, Investor and founder of Stitch Crew, Vest and Vest/Her from her great state of O...

Do you ever think about the people who make the clothes you wear? Would you pay more, for better quality clothing that is made by better paid people? In this episode, Rob visits with a true South Central Los Angeles Hometown Hero, Guadalupe Tlatenchi, Founder and CEO of GTLA Apparel and the brand Loopé. They explore the history, opportunities and challenges of Los Angeles' garment and fashion indu...

Can non-salespeople become good salespeople? Can you succeed in growing your business without being good at selling? In this episode, Rob Ryan chats with Chris Stock, CEO of SalesMD, about how ethical sales practices are reshaping the nearly $20 billion a year medical wellness industry. They also discuss his early career at IBM, and how some historic sales best practices are just as applicable tod...

How do you build non-traditional entrepreneurial communities? How do you make an impact in your community, regardless of your resources? Isn’t it a good idea for us to invest in more small businesses and less traditional entrepreneurs? In this episode, Rob sits down with Marie Rocha, founder of Realist Ventures, from Stamford, Connecticut. Marie is a beacon for anyone trying to build an entreprene...

Can investing in our Oceans save our Planet? Have you ever heard of the Blue Economy? Do you know how much of the carbon we create or heat we create, gets absorbed by the ocean? Have you ever seen the “Colossal Squid”?- because our guest is on a lifelong mission to find it and film it in it’s natural environment.  The ocean covers 70% of the planet, but very little of our historic innovations in e...

Do you ever think about how your cup of coffee makes it into your hands? Can you imagine getting your product idea into the biggest retailers in the world? Or building a new product business in a market with 10’s of thousands of competitors? In this episode of  Entrepreneurial Thinkers , Gefen Skolnick, founder of Couplet Coffee from here in Los Angeles, California, reveals how she’s rewriting the...

Can Venture Investment into more diverse founders, in more diverse neighborhoods yield better ROI? Can a Venture Firm become “the” community resource for entrepreneurs in a City? In this episode, Rob and Miki Reynolds sit down to explore and answer these questions! Miki is an incomparable Los Angeles entrepreneurial thinker, and now Head of Programs at Slauson & Co, which is a dynamic young an...

Yes, we can… but the how, and how you fit in, will surprise you! Can conversations between people who disagree, shift the tide for our human survival on earth? In this episode, Rob sits down with Asher Jay, founder and CEO of Henoscene, to passionately explore the urgent and complex challenges of climate change and species extinction, including our human species. They discuss the realities of our...

Have you wondered if you or your company needs a “Chief of Staff?” Are you curious about what a great Chief of Staff really is? Melanie Jones, the CEO of the ArlanWasHere Company and Founder of “Elevation, Chief of Staff Training”, joins Rob to dive into her own curiosity and willingness to ask more questions, which has led her evolution as an “entrepreneurial thinker” throughout her career. She s...

How well would you do, if you got off a plane, in a Country you’d never been, with some cash in your pocket, no cultural context and no friends? Could you build a million dollar business in those conditions? Carol Shih, a Proud Taiwanese-Australian-American and successful founder of Qode Space, did exactly this! Carol is a literal “Amazing Woman in E-Commerce” award winner, in a field dominated by...

This week, we're turning the tables on Rob, for a special episode. In the Opening you’ll hear Rob mention private links & “investors only”, but be assured you are now allowed full access to this special conversation, which was originally only privately recorded. Rob is interviewed by Will Stringer, our Lead Investor, to discuss how easy it is to invest in Rob and his new media production c...