Founder's Voyage

Simon is a serial entrepreneur and investor known for applying cutting-edge AI to real-world problems, with a track record spanning over a decade across diverse verticals. As CEO and founding partner of Togi AI, he leads initiatives to bring autonomous intelligence to manufacturing, building on a legacy of transformative startups, successful exits, and hands-on hardware-software integration. Simon...

Erica Olsen is an accomplished entrepreneur, strategic planning expert, and the co-founder and CEO of OnStrategy, a strategic planning software and consulting firm. With over 20 years dedicated to helping organizations worldwide execute their vision, Erica recently launched Madison AI, a fast-growing govtech startup spun out of OnStrategy. Under her leadership, Madison AI has rapidly scaled to 40...

Gillian (Wildfire) Sowray is the co-founder and CEO of Fordje, the first AI platform designed to truly understand and structure the complex and ever-changing world of city, zoning, and building codes. With a background that spans political campaigns, an MBA from Carnegie Mellon, and product leadership in clean tech and software, Gillian has channeled her expertise into building a transformative to...

Spencer is a senior R&D Robotics Systems engineer at Magnet Medical Robotics, a co-founder of the Founder's Voyage Discord Community, and an MIT Entrepreneurship Bootcamp alumnus. With a deep passion for robotics, household automation, and IoT, Spencer focuses on leveraging technology to improve daily life. Recently, he has delved into developing deployable parabolic dish technology for sp...

Pavithra Gopal is an accomplished corporate innovator specializing in supply chain management and logistics. With roots in eastern India and a background as the daughter of an entrepreneur, Pavithra’s journey has taken her from engineering studies to a master’s from the University of Illinois at Chicago, a MicroMasters from MIT with distinction, and impactful roles at Textron and Sonos. Now a Seni...

Mollie Langdon is a postdoctoral seed development biologist at Rothamsted Research in the UK, where she focuses on increasing crop yields through advanced gene editing techniques such as CRISPR. With a PhD and undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Bath, Mollie has become a key voice in the field of plant biotechnology, recently representing the Association of Applied Biologists at...

Sharon Cunningham is the CEO and co-founder of Shorla Oncology, an innovative specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing oncology drugs for women’s and pediatric cancers. Recognized as Ireland's Best Young Entrepreneur of 2019 and EY Entrepreneur of the year 2024, Sharon brings deep expertise at the intersection of finance and biotech. With a chartered accountan...

Miranda is an accomplished social entrepreneur and co-founder/CEO of ZigWay, a social enterprise dedicated to supporting low-income families in Myanmar. An MIT Bootcamp alumna, Miranda has mentored multiple bootcamp cohorts and brings a unique perspective as a first-generation immigrant, seasoned finance professional, and global development leader. Her achievements include spearheading innovative...

Iman Urooj is an accomplished entrepreneur and business development leader, currently serving as Head of Business Development at SafePay, a pioneering fintech startup backed by Stripe and a Y Combinator alum, focused on transforming online payments in Pakistan. Recognized as a top-five finalist and audience favorite in the Visa Everywhere initiative (MENA region), Iman has an extensive background...

Liz is a seasoned entrepreneur, educator, and advocate for sustainability with a track record spanning high-tech, consumer electronics, strategic planning, and environmental activism. Her diverse journey includes founding a surf shop that championed eco-friendly practices, working in corporate finance, and later pivoting into user research and product management at Google. Liz has also been a dedi...

Sangeetha Parthasarathy is a healthcare entrepreneur, SaaS leader, and trauma therapist whose career spans three continents. With roots in India and professional experience in the US and UK, she brings a unique perspective to maternal health, mental well-being, and the intersection of culture and entrepreneurship. Sangeetha is the founder of the Sangpath Inc, and an advocate for decolonizing both...

Monica is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, and founder of InnovatorsBox, a company dedicated to transforming workplace culture and unlocking creativity at every level of an organization. With a background that spans international relations, nuclear security, and consulting for Fortune 500 companies, Monica is internationally recognized as a thought leader on creativity, inclusion, and peopl...

Our guest today, Fay de Waal, is a dynamic and passionate sustainability innovator, materials scientist, and diversity advocate. With experience with multiple master thesis, a specialist in the recyclability of offshore wind turbines, an analyst at 414, and founder of the Libra Network, Fay exemplifies holistic thinking in both technical and social realms. Her work bridges sustainable engineering,...

Reuben McQueen is the co-founder and CTO of Open Kit, an AI consultancy focused on helping organisations strategise, develop, and integrate cutting-edge AI solutions to reduce costs, minimize errors, and boost efficiency. With a background in computer science and years of entrepreneurial experience, Reuben has navigated the challenges of founding and scaling a tech business, from university projec...

Mark is an accomplished engineer, entrepreneur, and fintech leader originally from Ghana and now based in South Africa. With a background in electronic engineering and experience spanning food production, investment banking, and technology, Mark currently leads the fintech advisory at Absa Group in South Africa, spearheading efforts to bridge gaps between banks and startups across Africa. He's...

In this episode of Founders Voyage, we welcomed Natalia Suniga, an accomplished PhD Sociologist and Foundress of Strategy Of Things where she develops 360 strategies connecting brands, communications, culture and business. Natalia lead the TikTok Creative Operation for more +10 markets in LATAM, worked for UN and spoke at SXSW 2022. With a PhD in Social Sciences, years of impactful research, and e...

Simon is the CEO and founding partner of XY Ventures, a seasoned VC investor, and a venture advisor to leading accelerator programs such as 500 Startups, Techstars, and Founder Institute. With a background in energy engineering and deep experience in entrepreneurship, Simon has mentored and invested in companies across the globe, with a particular focus on deep tech and energy innovation. He has s...

Damian Connolly is the founder and Managing Director of Sakura Business Solutions, an accountancy practice specializing in outsourced finance team services and strategic business advisory. With a rich background spanning private equity, SME advisory, and hands-on experience in business exits, Damian has dedicated his career to helping entrepreneurs build profitable, resilient, and exit-ready compa...

Dr Nithya Koratagere is a doctor, healthcare innovator, passionate sustainability advocate, and co-founder of Care on Call, a pioneering home and corporate healthcare company based in India. With a background in medicine and years of leadership experience, Nithya navigated her company through the COVID-19 crisis, tripling capacity to deliver home-based services during lockdowns, and driving the bu...

Alice is a trailblazing social entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Wabbani, and president of the Rupununi Learners Foundation. Her work bridges nonprofit and social enterprise by partnering with indigenous communities in Guyana, most notably through Cayman House, a community-owned enterprise that is now the largest employer and consumer of local goods and services in its region. Alice’s achievements...

Sameer is an accomplished entrepreneur and founder with a rich cross-continental journey from India to the United States. With a background in mechanical engineering and operations research, Sameer transitioned from a tech and engineering career to founding his own quantitative finance recruiting firm in 2008, navigating the depths of the financial crisis as a first-time business owner. Over the p...

Felix is a seasoned medical innovator, entrepreneur, and mentor with over 30 years of experience spanning investment banking, healthcare, and technology. As a two-time founder with one exit, Felix has trained at Stanford in medical bio-design and further broadened his expertise at MIT and Harvard’s Medical Innovation Program. He leads healthcare investments as a venture partner at Headline Asia, o...

Giovanni is an accomplished supply chain management professional with a passion for lifelong learning and social impact. Having twice served as a CTA for the MIT Supply Chains Analytics course, Giovanni continues to expand his expertise across statistics, economics, and logistics. Outside his core career, he actively volunteers with Informatics Without Borders , leading projects to bridge the digi...

This episode features a deep-dive discussion into Porter's Five Forces framework, an essential analytical tool for understanding industry competition and strategic positioning. Rather than a traditional guest interview, our hosts and team explore how Michael E. Porter's model helps businesses of any stage assess market attractiveness, identify opportunities, and anticipate threats. Along the way,...

Wycliffe is a Kenyan social entrepreneur, educator, and community leader dedicated to empowering young people and combating educational inequality, youth unemployment, and Africa's brain drain. As founder of Kosi Africa and Kosi Tech Initiatives, Wycliffe has mentored tens of thousands of youth, launched innovative sustainability projects in rural schools, and is pioneering grassroots-led innovati...