Startup and Nation

In this episode of Startup & Nation, I sit down with Vijay Rajendran, an investor, founder, venture builder at gAI Ventures, and author of The Funding Framework, one of the most practical and accessible fundraising books released this year. We discuss how founders can master storytelling, navigate investors with intention, evaluate market size, differentiate from incumbents, and approach fundr...

In this episode of Startup & Nation, host Meng Fei Shen speaks with with Rob Ganim, a former Capitol Hill staffer, Pentagon appointee, and defense innovation advisor who’s spent years bridging the worlds of policy, startups, and national security. Rob shares insights from his roles as a legislative advisor in the Department of Defense, a lobbyist, and a bridge between the DOD and startups. He...

In this episode of Startup & Nation, we dive deep with Natalie Ma, co-founder and head of business development at Deep Origin. Natalie's journey from environmental science undergraduate to co-founding a startup is a fascinating tale of curiosity-driven transitions. We explore her path through a PhD in synthetic biology, frustrations with the slow application of academic research, and a fortuit...

Join us for an insightful conversation with Deanna, an expert in transforming breakthrough science and technology into market-shaping products and businesses. With over 25 years of experience at Pfizer, Genentech/Roche, Kite/Gilead, and Johnson & Johnson, Deanna has led seven blockbuster products generating $7B+ annually. In this episode, she discusses her unique bench-to-bedside mindset, comb...

In this episode of the Startup and Nation, we sit down with Tyson, a seasoned entrepreneur who has spent over 20 years in Japan. Recorded at the Sushi Tech conference in Tokyo, the conversation dives into Tyson's journey from Hawaii to Hokkaido, his ventures in the education sector, and his innovative approaches to business challenges. Tyson shares invaluable lessons on bootstrapping, the impo...

In this episode of Startup and Nation, I sit down with Huynh Cong-Thang and Gaku Echizenya at the Sushi Tech Conference in Tokyo. Thang co-founded InnoLab Asia and is a key player in Vietnam's growing startup ecosystem, fostering connections between policymakers, startups, and corporations both domestically and internationally. Gaku, a Japanese entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in...

In this episode of the Startup and Nation podcast, we sit down with Ashish Gupta, a veteran entrepreneur, investor, and advisor who has played an significant role in the tech sector in shaping how India’s tech sector interacts with the world. Ashish shares the evolution of India's startup ecosystem, and discuss key factors like government regulations, market penetration strategies, and the uni...

In this episode of Startup Nation, I interview Bill Reichert, a pioneering figure in Silicon Valley's venture capital ecosystem. Bill shares his journey from founding a software company in the 1980s to establishing Garage Technology Ventures with Guy Kawasaki. Known for coining and popularizing fundamental investment concepts like seed and pre-seed funding, Bill has been instrumental in shapin...

Join us for an insightful conversation with Dr. Jackson Ewing, Director of Energy and Climate Policy at the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability at Duke University. In this episode, Dr. Ewing discusses his career journey, starting with graduate studies in Australia and leading to impactful work throughout Asia, including China and Southeast Asia. He shares key differences...

“The politics change, but policy does not change.” In this episode of Startup and Nation, I chat with Serena Allen, founder & CEO of AirVitalize, who’s building a clean air tech company across two very different worlds: Fairbanks, Alaska’s public sector and Los Angeles’s athletic space. Serena studied public policy at USC, and instead of going the nonprofit route, she found her path in climate...

In Japan, corporate venture capital for startup investments grew from $140M in 2013 to $3.4B in 2024. That’s a 24-fold increase. And Kenneth Jeng is connecting Japan's startup boom with the world. As Global Platform Lead and Investor at Headline, Kenneth is building cross-border resources, advising founders, and connecting Japan to Silicon Valley. In this episode of Startup and Nation, Kenneth...

The land of K-pop + K-beauty could also be the place to build your next startup 🇰🇷 In this episode of Startup and Nation , I chat with Clément Metharam , Chief Partner Officer at the Global Startup Center (GSC) . Funded by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Republic of Korea and KISED (Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development) , the GSC supports foreign entrepreneurs in South...

Have you ever heard of a food hackathon? 🍽️ Dr. Soh Kim, Executive Director of Stanford University's Food Design Lab, brings together students, chefs, tech innovators, and design thinkers to develop creative food solutions and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration. She’s partnered with companies like TCHO Chocolate to lead food hackathons everywhere from Barcelona to Silicon Valley. In thi...

Aspiring founder but don't have an idea? 💡Christon Hill at Georgetown's Office of Technology Commercialization may have a solution for you. Universities across the country are creating tech commercialization offices to bring academic research into the business world. They’re actively looking for founders and VCs to help bring these technologies to market. In this episode of Startup and Na...

Professor Richard Dasher from Stanford University is of the few who have worked across all sectors. US Diplomat in Korea and Japan. Businessman in Tokyo. Linguistics academic. Advisor to the most prominent multinational corporations, governments, VC firms, incubators and startups across Asia and the U.S. Last year, I took Professor Dasher’s course on “Entrepreneurship in Asian High Tech Industries...

Ever thought of expanding or building your startup in Taiwan? If so, it might actually be the best time right now. In this episode, I sit down with Jonathan Liao, Managing Director at International Talent Taiwan Office and the Taiwan Employment Gold Card Office to chat about Taiwan’s business-friendly policies and why Taiwan could be a great destination for founders who are looking to build or exp...

Renan founded Good.inc, a personal hygiene company based in Brazil, raised $10M+ in Brazil, and recently moved to San Francisco.  In this episode, I chat with Renan about his experiencing building a startup in Brazil, how he leveraged partnerships with academia and government to build credibility, and his strategies for scaling internationally and building networks.  Startup and Nation is a podcas...

I recently visited DC, Seoul, Tokyo, and Austin to host events and attend conferences. During my travels, I dove into the startup ecosystems within each of these cities, and I learned that across countries and sectors, there’s so much work that’s being done to encourage entrepreneurship, innovation, and cross-sector/country partnerships.  But many startups aren’t aware of these opportunities, or h...