Founder Storiez

Erica Brescia has done it all in tech: she founded and sold Bitnami, served as COO of GitHub during the launch of Copilot, and is now a Managing Director at Redpoint Ventures, where she decides which startup founders get funded.  In this episode of Founder Stories, Erica shares how she closed a $2.7M deal with Microsoft just days after giving birth, drove to her Y Combinator interview with a two-w...

Steve Ward has been a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, a Secret Service agent who ran one of the first computer-network wiretaps in U.S. history, the CISO of Home Depot, a partner at Insight Partners, and an early backer of Wiz,  Abnormal and a dozen others . Today he runs his own cyber venture fund, Bright Mind — named after his son.  But this isn’t a victory lap. Steve talks openly about the engine u...

Niv is the co-founder and CEO of Noma Security. He raised a $100M Series B and scaled from 20 to 100 employees in a year, as a first-time founder, in cybersecurity, in the middle of a war that started the day Noma launched. In this conversation, Niv talks about what it actually takes to win: the four-day POC sprint with no product, the candidate they signed three days after he'd already signed wit...

Raj grew up in a town in India with two traffic lights. He's now the CEO of Jetstream, a cybersecurity startup he founded after leaving CrowdStrike, which then turned around and invested in his company. In this conversation: his mother's anything less than #1 pressure, the failures behind the successes (a WhatsApp competitor he didn't build, Cylance's missteps), the July 19th CrowdStrike outage an...

Shachar Hirschberg, Co-founder & CEO of Artemis Security, on building a cybersecurity company with thirty employees, one manager, and no traditional titles, only "Builders." We get into the flat-org experiment, why he thinks AI-era product velocity makes traditional hierarchies obsolete, the hiring process that gets candidates an offer in 24 hours (sometimes 3), the decade-long career plan that le...

In this episode, I sit down with Dean Shahar to discuss the reality of venture capital decision-making. Investors often have to make high-stakes decisions with incomplete information, especially when startups are reaching critical inflection points. Topics include: • The hardest part of venture capital • When startups transition from early customers to enterprise • How investors evaluate risk • Wh...

Lia Cromwell, Partner at UpWest, joins us for a candid conversation about venture capital, founder psychology, and the signals most entrepreneurs misread during fundraising. We discuss: – What VCs really think after your pitch – How to know if a meeting actually went well – Israeli vs American business culture – Why conviction can’t be built in one meeting – Founder red flags investors notice imme...

In this powerful conversation, We sit down with Shay Sandler, co-founder of Vega , to unpack how grit, identity, and discipline shaped his journey from immigrant kid to elite operator to cybersecurity founder. Shay shares raw lessons from his upbringing, the mental battle of running marathons, and how those experiences shaped the way he builds companies and leads teams. They dive deep into what’s...

Rom Carmel, CEO & Co-Founder of Apono, shares a deeply personal founder story from running his first business at age seven in Nigeria to leading a $54M, post-Series B cybersecurity company today. In this conversation, Rom reflects on how growing up in Lagos shaped his adaptability, how Israeli intelligence changed his leadership style, and how he evolved from perfectionist founder to empowering CE...

In this episode, we sit down with Ori Barzilay , Partner at Team8 , to explore what truly drives exceptional founders and investors. Ori shares his journey from elite military service and competitive sports to becoming one of the youngest partners at a tier-1 venture firm. We discuss winning mentality, humility, intuition in investing, founder-team dynamics, execution as a moat, and why Israel’s t...

In this deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation, Zohar Einy , Founder & CEO of Port.io , shares the real story behind building one of the fastest-growing developer platforms in the world. Zohar opens up about raising a $100M Series C at an $800M valuation, one week before his wedding , how partnership (both personal and professional) became an amplifier rather than a distraction, and why sel...

Jacques Benkoski , Managing Partner at USVP, joins the show for a candid, wise, and insightful conversation on venture capital, company building, and life. Jacques opens up about: Growing up without money and raising kids young The emotional moment he finally felt financially secure Why are many serial entrepreneurs driven by unresolved childhood scarcity Why the venture industry has lost its disc...

In this episode of Founder Stories ,  we sit down with Dan Povitsky , co-founder of Vine Ventures , to explore the deeply personal and professional story behind one of the fastest-growing venture firms in the world. From an immigrant upbringing and academic family roots to launching a $60M fund at the height of COVID, Dan shares the principles, lessons, and personal growth that shaped his journey,...

In this episode of Founder StorieZ , I sit down with my good friend Dor Fledel , co-founder and CEO of Spera , which was acquired by Okta . Dor opens up about his childhood lessons in competitiveness , how tennis and debating shaped his mindset as a founder, and the intrinsic motivation that drove him forward. We dive into: • How Israeli culture and 8200 shaped his journey.•  • Building Spera from...

Dean Sysman, CEO and co-founder of Axonius, built a $2 billion cybersecurity company—but his real story starts long before that. In this raw, powerful conversation, Dean opens up about growing up with financial hardship, battling childhood obesity, and forging an unbreakable mindset. From extreme sports injuries and military service to failed POCs and an unwavering commitment to his wife, daughter...

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Dheeraj, who arrived in the U.S. with just $900 and went on to found tech giants Nutanix and DevRev. From growing up in one of India’s poorest states to building multi-billion dollar companies, Dheeraj shares deeply personal stories of sacrifice, resilience, and ambition. In this episode, discover how education became his gateway, how he balanced family a...

Three top-tier rising VCs – Jordan Siegel (RedPoint), James Green (CRV), and Morgan Gerlak (TCV) – pull back the curtain on venture capital. In this candid conversation, these friends and competitors share their journey from career pivots and childhood lessons to competitive deal wins and investment philosophies. Discover how they evaluate founders, maintain relationships in a cutthroat industry,...

In this episode, we speak with Yair Kuznitsov, CEO and co-founder of Anecdotes. Yair recently led the company through a successful Series B funding round, securing a total of $55 million. Yair provides fascinating insights into the strategic decision to extend Series B rather than rushing to Series C and how Anecdotes is positioned to disrupt the GRC market with its unique approach to data and AI...

In this powerful episode, Tomer Targin CEO of Yotpo, shares his extraordinary journey of surviving stage 4 lymphoma twice while building a successful company. Tomer reveals how cancer transformed his approach to leadership, family, and life itself. Through meditation, gratitude, and unwavering positivity, he turned devastating diagnoses into fuel for personal growth and business innovation. Learn...

"The biggest risk isn't failing—it's not pushing yourself far enough." — Gil, CEO of Orca Security In this episode, we dive deep with Gil Geron, CEO & co-founder of Orca Security. With over $600M in funding and a unicorn valuation, Gil reveals the mindset that's disrupting the cloud security landscape. This isn't your typical success story. Gil opens up about the childhood experiences in Israel th...

In this powerful episode of Founder's Stories, Bruce, Managing Director of Blumberg Capital, takes us through his remarkable journey in venture capital and shares deeply personal insights about life, loss, and leadership. From humble beginnings to managing over a billion dollars in assets, Bruce's story is a testament to the power of perseverance, relationships, and unwavering values. What You'll...

Meet Aleksandr Yampolskiy, the founder and CEO of Security Scorecard, whose journey embodies the American dream. Arriving from Moscow at 14 without speaking English, Aleksandr transformed early hardships into fuel for success, building a cybersecurity company now valued at $1 billion with over $100M in annual revenue.   In this episode, Aleksandr opens up about his family's immigrant struggles, fr...

Conversation with Mo Koyfman, founder and General Partner of Shine Capital, as he shares his remarkable journey from immigrant roots to venture capital success. Mo reveals how his parents' teachings shaped his core values of freedom, family, and meritocracy, while exploring his innovative approach to venture investing through "lateral thinking."  In this episode, we dive deep into:  • The power of...

In this conversation, we sit down with Yotam Segev, co-founder and CEO of Cyera, for an intimate conversation about entrepreneurship, cybersecurity, and the remarkable journey of building a billion-dollar company.    Key Highlights:  • From 50 to 400 Employees: Cyera Explosive Growth  •  Raising Funds: $60 Million to $740 Million  • Company Valuation: $3 Billion Success Story  • Leadership Insight...

In this episode, we speak with Jonathan Lehr, General Partner and Co-founder of Work-bench, a VC firm that placed an early, bold bet on New York's enterprise tech scene. Drawing from over a decade of venture capital experience, Jon offers a masterclass in VC, startups, and life.   Episode Highlights: - How Workbench recognized NYC's unique position as an enterprise tech hub - The power of diverse...