FutureWork Playbook

In his book about the history of LGBTQ venture capital, Jackson Block keeps a card from Gunderson Dettmer that reads: “Nothing good comes out of just staying in your comfort zone. Be uncomfortable and create.” That philosophy has helped guide the co-founder and CEO of LGBT + VC as he bridges finance and social impact. With host Natalie Pierce , Jackson shares how he created the first nonprofit ded...

Even in high school, Katherine Mizrahi Rodriguez was interested in arts, crafts – and chemistry. Now co-founder and Chief Implementation Officer at Osmoses , she is revolutionizing clean energy production through a breakthrough membrane technology. In this installment of “The FutureWork Playbook” series spotlighting founders on Forbes’ “30 Under 30,” Katherine discusses her past and looks to the f...

Host Natalie Pierce updates listeners on two past guests and introduces them to a new one. First, she highlights Daniel Robinson, a guest from the first episode of “The FutureWork Playbook” in 2021. Daniel is the co-founder and CEO of Red 6, a company that has revolutionized pilot training by bringing live in-cockpit AR training to the US Air Force. Red 6 has been “outrageously successful” since D...

Coral reefs generate $2.7 trillion a year by powering tourism economies, protecting coastlines from storms, and yielding medicines that fight infections and cancer. Yet 90% of the planet’s coral reefs could be gone by 2050 – a loss that Sam Teicher describes as an “ecological tragedy and a socioeconomic catastrophe.” That’s why he co-founded the reef restoration company Coral Vita . In this instal...

As Gunderson Dettmer celebrates clients on the Forbes “30 under 30” list, Emily Zhen reflects on her immigrant family's journey, her unique background spanning biology and finance at Wharton and her early role in healthcare investment banking at Goldman Sachs. Today, she is a principal at Zeal Capital Partners , where she deploys capital to close gaps in health, wealth, and skills. “I think a lot...

Being an independent college admissions advisor opened Julia Dixon ’s eyes to the industry’s unequal playing field, where those who can afford elite support get into elite universities. But she also saw how individual support can be a powerful tool to guide students in the admissions process. Her solution? ESAI (pronounced es-aye-eye ), an ethical AI platform that has helped over 550,000 students...

Daniel Landesberg had a passion for clean energy but little background in the industry when he applied to Amogy . Hired as the head of legal, he feels the excitement among engineers and, indeed, the whole company. It’s contagious. With host Natalie Pierce , Daniel describes the startup’s revolutionary work to unlock the potential of ammonia as a source of clean energy. He also discusses the role h...

When a Jüsto shopper fills their digital basket via the platform’s app, the teams behind the scene are getting to know the customer. Using AI, they create a personalized experience to meet the customer’s evolving needs.  Paulo Neto, Jüsto’s Chief People and Performance Officer, visits host Natalie Pierce for a conversation about the teams and technology that are driving Latin America's fastes...

Gabe Duncan combined his unique experience – including stints as a musician, data engineer, and data science manager – with his entrepreneurial spirit to co-found Slang.ai five years ago. In Slang.ai, he envisions a “utopian vision.”  If you dine at restaurants, you’ve probably called to book a reservation, only to be put on hold by a harried host. If you’re a host, you’ve probably had to nav...

Host Natalie Pierce invites Justin Schiefner, vice president of global people operations and culture at Arkose Labs , for a conversation about how Arkose Labs – on Fast Company’s prestigious list of “Most Innovative Companies” – builds on an alchemy of technology and people to create a successful global platform. Arkose Labs emphasizes a holistic approach to talent acquisition and prioritizes skil...

Vanta , a company that helps customers get compliant and build security programs, uses an AI tool to answer security questionnaires. Where humans had once spent hours on the task, the tool completes it quickly and accurately. Vanta’s customers love it. That’s not to raise the specter of automation stealing human jobs, explains Vanta’s chief legal officer and chief people officer, Ari Shahdadi. “We...

“Those that are equipped with and know how to ably use AI are going to be outdoing those lawyers and law firms that do not.” The FutureWork podcast episode 6 features Dr. Lance Eliot, a regular Forbes contributor and AI Fellow at Stanford University and Dazza Greenwood, a renowned Fortune 100 legal tech advisor and the Executive Director of Law. MIT.edu. Both guests have industry-leading research...

The FutureWork podcast episode 5 features Charlene Li, an expert in transformative technologies that disrupt the business landscape. Charlene is a keynote speaker, Fortune 100 advisor and author. Her upcoming book "Mega Transformations" is set to release in early 2024.  Charlene Li's expertise in generative AI provides valuable insights into the future of work and the potential of AI to drive...

Who said the legal industry is slow to adopt novel technology? Generative AI has made it possible to shift even the most reluctant of industries to create a new paradigm for reading, writing and reasoning. And beyond that, the era of generative AI is helping develop a new mindset about how these tools can augment human intelligence and strategic planning. In this episode, Natalie dives into the wo...

“Right now, we have this great opportunity to create a balanced and reasonable law that works for an industry that also protects individuals.” In this episode, Natalie welcomes Anna Westfelt, the Head of Gunderson Dettmer’s Data Privacy Practice, to discuss the growth of AI technology, the possible negative and positive effects, and how individuals can prepare themselves for this changing landscap...

When it comes to integrating AI technology in the workplace, uncertainty and fear can blind business from innovation and advancement. In this episode, host Natalie Pierce, dives back into the discussion of generative AI.  The episode kicks off with a discussion of the recent Generative AI webinar series presented by guests and colleagues Katie Gardner and Aaron Rubin, two partners in Gunderso...

We're back for Season 5 and we're diving into the fascinating world of generative AI! This season, we'll explore the technology underpinnings, the exciting advancements made so far, the ethical and legal considerations it brings to the forefront, and the possibilities it opens up for the future.  Tune into this first episode as host Natalie Pierce speaks with two colleagues from Gunderson's p...

The ESG standards have seen much attention from the SEC in the last several years. Now, the debate of including an “H” stands in line to extend the framework and consider the well-being of individuals with a more concentrated pillar.  In this week’s episode, host Natalie Pierce speaks with Dr. Bonny Forrest, a Principal at FirmLeader. Bonny is a renowned psychologist and former big law litiga...

“The term ESG, it's a term that gets applied to a lot of things, but at the end of the day, we're really just talking about looking at the risks and opportunities of investing in a company. And we're making it good data.” In this week’s episode, host Natalie Pierce speaks with Lorraine Wilson, the Chief Sustainability Officer of Novata, to discuss the importance of ESG metrics and how Novata helps...

In this episode, Sarah Milby, the founder and CEO of Valor Performance, joins host Natalie Pierce to discuss the importance of coaching and upskilling in the modern workforce. Valor Performance combines human coaching with technology to provide a personalized coaching experience for leaders while offering data-driven insights to organizations to help make decisions around leading their workforce.&...

In this week’s episode, host Natalie Pierce speaks with attorneys Alexa Belonick and Andy Thorpe from Gunderson Dettmer's Public Companies and Capital Markets practice. The three discuss the increasing focus on ESG factors in the venture capital landscape and by public companies.  🗝️ Key Points 🗝️ Top takeaways from this episode ★    The Rising Importance of ESG Initiatives: ES...

In this week’s episode, host Natalie Pierce interviews Alberto Yépez, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Forgepoint Capital, a leading cybersecurity-focused venture capital firm, about incorporating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives into all they do, including the firm’s investing principles. Our first episode of the year highlights the growing importance of ESG consideratio...

Last year, VTEX went public on the New York Stock Exchange and became the first Latin American company in its niche to do so. On a mission to show other Latin American companies that it’s possible, they accomplished their goal — but not without adequate preparation.  Going public is not as easy as setting a date and expecting it to happen. The team at VTEX was preparing years in advance. For...

In just two short years, Treinta and its co-founders raised over $60M in funding and is bringing its already 5 million small business customers to the digital age.  On this episode of the FutureWork Playbook, Lluís Canadell, founder and CEO of Treinta, joins host Natalie Pierce to discuss the opportunity to build impact with small businesses in Latin America by creating a digital platform for...

Growing a company is a marathon, not a sprint. Every task from leading a company and developing your team to scaling your culture and building partnerships take time. And for one CEO, Kadu Monguilhott, the marathon led to one great acquisition. Working with Neoway for nearly 10 years, Kadu saw the ups and downs of building a business. Working his way up from the sales team to executive roles, Kadu...