Founders in Motion with Thea Ngo

Making friends as an adult is tough and Sam built Butter to change that. With over 10,000 young adults already using , Butter makes it easy to find new friends through dinners, coffees, runs, and real-world social plans. In this episode, Sam shares her founder story: why existing friend-making apps don’t work, how she shipped fast to build community, and Butter’s bold vision to solve modern loneli...

Ever wonder how a late-night party idea can become a startup that sells out in 48 hours? That’s exactly what happened with Sip Hrd, the Asian-inspired alcohol brand whose lychee vodka seltzer vanished after its first 150 cases. In this episode, Phung, Daniel and Hanson share how they built from scratch: recipe testing, dodging alcohol regulations, branding and packaging hurdles, and creative go-to...

They got into Y Combinator with an idea that the partners disliked? In this episode, the Affil founders share what really happens inside YC, the surprising power of doing things that don’t scale, and how they’re solving compliance pain points in financial affiliate marketing with AI. Perfect for early-stage founders, builders in regulated industries, and anyone wondering if their startup idea suck...

He brought cutting-edge AI from Stanford to Vietnam — and flopped. But after just 3 months of rebuilding, he's now leading one of Vietnam’s most exciting edtechs, with 40,000 users and entering 23,000 schools. In this episode, we dive into how he redesigned the product around students' real stressors and learned to ship unpolished versions without shame. We also chat founder psychology, wh...

Floriye Elmazi, co-founder of Sisterwould, didn’t mean to start a haircare brand - she just wanted to help her dad’s skin. Fast forward: she’s stocked in Revolve and Chemist Warehouse, with celeb fans like Lindsay Lohan and Dua Lipa. In this episode, Flo shares how she bootstrapped a business as a single mom, landed retail deals, and built a community-first brand centered on inclusion and purpose...

Brian Pham, founder of LiteCard, is betting big on your Apple Wallet. In this episode, he shares how he turned a niche idea into a global platform by ditching loyalty apps and using what’s already in your pocket. We dive into his agency-first GTM strategy, global expansion lessons, and how AI is transforming how brands engage customers. Topics: Digital marketing transformation, mobile wallet strat...

Robert Huynh built Nook, a blue-collar job marketplace in Vietnam, through Y Combinator. He hit 50,000 users, raised at a $20M valuation, then watched it all crumble. This is his brutally honest post-mortem. In this raw conversation, Robert reveals: The growth hack that got 50K users FAST Why a $20M valuation couldn't fix broken unit economics The cultural blindspots that killed the business H...

Ben Wood, co-founder of Waste in Progress, joins us to talk about how a random old tent sparked a design business built on upcycling, sustainability, and community partnerships. In this episode, we explore how creative founders can scale impact, balance craft with cash flow, and turn circular design into a viable business model—without burning out. Whether you're building a mission-led brand o...

How do you build a fintech startup in Vietnam—where regulation is murky and trust in new financial products is low? In this episode of Founders in Motion , we sit down with Nhi Nguyen , CEO of MaiMoney , to talk about her journey from personal frustration to building a platform that now manages over $2M in investments and serves thousands of everyday users. If you're into emerging markets , fi...

Quit your job to start food brand? Build in public? Grow 10k followers in months? That’s exactly what Kiki and Elan did. These Stanford besties left private equity and big tech to launch Beny Yogurt. From co-founder dynamics to pop-up strategies and shelf-life nightmares, this convo is startup gold (and a whole lot of fun). 💡 If you enjoyed this episode, follow Founders in Motion and leave us a r...

In this episode, Nate Spiteri, co-founder of Shopfront, shares his experience raising $800K for an AI-powered secondhand fashion tool, including what it’s like to pitch 1,000 investors and close a round over Christmas (while getting engaged). We talk founder resilience, the power of accelerators like Antler, and the future of sustainable resale. If you're fundraising or building in ecomm, this...

In this episode of Founders in Motion , we dive into the startup journey of Selina Li , founder of Gymii.ai , an AI-powered nutrition tracking platform revolutionizing the way we log food. As a former pro golfer turned AI founder , Selina shares how she built her MVP in just 2 months , the power of open-source LLMs in software development, and the real struggles of bootstrapping a tech startup . W...

Abby Huang, founder of Dime Inc., joins Founders In Motion for her first-ever podcast appearance. Dime is a marketing agency that has helped brands like Casetify, Lulu’s, ByteDance, and more connect with Gen Z consumers. Abby shares insights on Xiaohongshu, social media trends, landing her first big brand deal, and iterating on Dime’s products If this episode helped you, leave a review on Apple Po...