Founder@50

In this episode of Founder@50, Jeremy sits down with colleague and good friend Ben Walter, a dynamic leader with an amazing career journey. From his early days at Continental Airlines to his current role as CEO of Chase for Business at JP Morgan Chase, Ben’s career is a testament to the power of cold emails and warm connections. With a background that spans multiple industries, including consultin...

In this episode of Founder@50, Jeremy sits down with the remarkable Debra Williamson, a trailblazer in the world of digital marketing and media. From her early days as a copy editor at Advertising Age to leading the social media practice at eMarketer, Debra’s career is a testament to the power of seizing opportunities and adapting to the ever-evolving landscape of technology and media. With a back...

In this episode of Founder@50, Jeremy sits down with Tom Matta, a dynamic entrepreneur whose journey from the steel mills of Pittsburgh to the sunny shores of Hawaii is nothing short of inspiring. With a background in material science and engineering from Carnegie Mellon, Tom’s career took a fascinating turn as he pivoted from metallurgy to the world of startups. From his early days at Capital Tec...

In this episode of Founder@50, Jeremy Toeman sits down with Barry Lowenthal, a media executive whose journey from Yeshiva student to the heights of the advertising world is nothing short of inspiring. Barry’s story begins in a traditional Jewish household on Long Island, where he initially aspired to be a plastic surgeon. Twists and turns in his vision led him to pivot towards the world of media a...

In this episode of Founder@50, Jeremy Toeman sits down with Rob Miller, fellow CMU alum whose journey from the fields of upstate New York to the bustling startup scene is nothing short of inspiring. Rob’s early days were spent on a farm, where he learned the value of hard work and resilience. These foundational experiences paved the way for his diverse career, which includes stints as an actor in...

In this episode of Founder@50, host Jeremy Toeman engages in a captivating conversation with Bill Lederer, a dynamic entrepreneur whose career has traversed the realms of finance, e-commerce, art, and AI. Bill recounts his journey from his early days as a quant securities analyst and portfolio manager to founding art.com, a pioneering force in the digital marketplace. Throughout the episode, Bill...

On this episode of Founder@50, Jeremy Toeman sits down with Arielle Nissenblatt, where they explore her journey from studying geography and Judaic studies to becoming a key figure in the podcasting world. Her work with companies like Squadcast and Descript have been at the forefront of innovative tools in shaping the future of podcasting. Arielle’s insights into the industry, combined with her cre...

In this episode, Jeremy Toeman engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Eric West, a seasoned professional with a rich background in engineering and business. From his early days at Carnegie Mellon University to his transformative roles at Sikorsky Aircraft and Ford Motor Company, Eric shares his journey through the evolving landscape of technology and innovation. He discusses the pivotal...

In this episode, Jeremy Toeman engages with Danny Nathan, a dynamic figure in the tech and innovation space, to explore his journey from amateur theater to founding his own tech agency, Apollo 21. Danny shares his experiences transitioning from theater to advertising, and eventually to building his own innovation consultancy. His story is a testament to the power of adaptability and the pursuit of...

In this episode, Jeremy Toeman sits down with Marc DeBevoise, a visionary leader in the media industry, to discuss his journey from Tufts University to becoming a key player at major media companies. Marc shares insights from his early days in finance at H&Q to his transformative role in launching CBS All Access (now known as Paramount Plus). During the episode we discuss * the strategic decisions...

In this episode, Jeremy Toeman engages in a lively conversation with Robert Plank, a tech enthusiast who transitioned from a computer science graduate to a successful entrepreneur. Robert shares his journey from his early days as a tinkerer to founding DFY Podcast, a company that helps creators manage their podcast content. He reflects on his experiences working at CSU Stanislaus and the pivotal d...

In this episode, Jeremy chats with Ben Elowitz, who transitioned from early coding days at Microsoft to leading successful ventures such as Blue Nile and Fatbrain.com. Ben shares insights from their time at Bain & Company, where he learned to navigate the complexities of tech and telecom industries, including work with giants like Kaiser Permanente. We discuss pivotal moments, such as joining a st...

In this episode, we sit down with Robin Raskin, a trailblazer in the tech industry whose career spans from the early days of PC Magazine to shaping the future of CES. Robin shares her journey from an accidental entrepreneur to receiving a call from Bill Gates, offering a unique perspective on the evolution of technology and media. Her insights into the digital revolution and the future of AI are n...

In this episode of Founder at 50, Jeremy Toeman dives into the remarkable career of Sarah Rose, a visionary product leader who has navigated the ever-evolving landscape of technology and innovation. From her early days at Anderson Consulting to her pivotal role in the dot-com era with Mob Shop, Sarah's journey is a testament to the power of adaptability and foresight in product management. Join us...

In this episode of Founder at 50, Jeremy talks with Bob Gillbreath about his path from economics major to banker, marketer, founder, and now reflective entrepreneur. Bob shares candid stories of building companies, learning from failures, and finding purpose beyond profit. Key themes from the conversation: Early career lessons in banking and the moment he realized he needed work with real differen...

Jeremy Toeman sits down with Dave Feldman to trace a career that spans the dawn of the commercial internet to today’s AI-fueled creative experiments. From pioneering exploring the Web using Mosaic to leading UX design projects at Yahoo/AOL, Google, and others, Dave shares insights on the evolution of product design, the challenges of founding startups, and the importance of team dynamics. Along th...

In this episode of Founder@50 , Jeremy Toeman sits down with Neha Tiwari, whose career spans the golden days of Web 2.0 in San Francisco to leadership roles at CNET, IGN, YouTube, and Fandom. Neha is a gamer, storyteller, and media executive who now runs her own consultancy helping highly productive people get even more done. She shares how she built a career that bridges creative vision with busi...

In this episode Jeremy Toeman sits down with peer, mentor, and parenting friend Leslie Fine. Leslie is a behavioral scientist turned product leader/coach who’s been a Chief Scientist at Crowdcast and a VP Products at Salesforce. They discuss… • How Leslie’s background in behavioral economics shaped her approach to product and team building • Lessons from building B2B products that prioritize user...

In this episode, Jeremy Toeman talks with Michael Stern, Managing Director at Kintegral Asset Management, about his journey from a programmer in a Los Alamos chemistry lab to being a startup founder to socially driven investor. • How early work in chemical modeling led to DE Shaw, startups, and eventually socially responsible investing • What happened when Michael had to choose between product mar...

In this episode, Jeremy Toeman catches up with longtime friend Tami Arnowitz who shares how she transformed five distinct careers into a consulting business that blends mission, strategy, and heart. • How she moved from product management to mortgages to launching Good Questions Consulting • Why each career shift was guided by values like autonomy, meaning, and flexibility • How she helps Jewish n...

In this episode Jeremy Toeman sits down with David Cohn a lifelong storyteller who went from a philosophy and rhetoric student at UC Berkeley to shaping the future of news through product thinking and platform design. Today they discuss : • How a Wired internship and a Craigslist blog gig sparked a 20 year friendship with Jeremy and a career in digital media. • Why David pivoted from traditional j...

In this episode Jeremy Toeman sits down with Barbara Basbanes Richter, and they discuss how she… • Turned a Smith and Tufts French degree and a decade of public school teaching into a ghostwriting career • Leveraged her family’s book legacy to launch DIY Book an affordable do it yourself writing platform • Learned to write client voices by mining her own process and creating scaffolded storytellin...

David Arnett’s career proves that the best job description is the one you write yourself. A Wharton grad who taught tennis and chess before digitizing the world’s first TV ad archive he spent 16 years inventing his own roles in market research and product management. His chess champion mindset became his secret weapon for breaking down startup problems. In early 2020 a weekly virtual poker game sp...

In this episode, Jeremy Toeman talks with his former boss Mark Larkin, who began as an unpaid CNET intern at age 27 and rose through 15–20 different roles to become president of CNET’s portfolio under CBS. Mark lays out the exact behaviors that got him noticed early (showing up before anyone else, volunteering for extra tasks) and how he translated producer skills into leadership by learning to sp...

In this episode Jeremy Toeman sits down with Mark Ely. Mark Ely’s journey from answering support calls to founding a consumer streaming startup shows that endurance outlasts perfect plans. Over two decades at Sonic Solutions he moved into leadership by mastering the technology product and strategy then applied those lessons to SimpleTV’s hardware and software pivots. Along the way he discovered th...