The Innovators & Investors Podcast

In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with Yotam Cohen, co-founder and CEO of Daisy, a technology-driven property management company focused on transforming homeowners associations (HOAs). Yotam shares how a personal frustration with outdated property management inspired him to create an end-to-end platform that simplifies building operations, i...

In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with Kevin Lancaster, founder and CEO of Channel Program, to explore the challenges and opportunities within the fragmented IT channel marketplace. Kevin shares his entrepreneurial journey from founding a government contracting firm to building and exiting a cybersecurity company, ID Agent, highlighting key...

In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Christian Marquez speaks with Michael Johnson, President of the New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJI). Michael shares how NJI bridges the gap between academia and industry by accelerating translational research, fostering innovation, and supporting workforce upskilling. He discusses NJI’s unique organizational structure as a separate...

In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with Brian Armstrong, Managing Director of Ensemble Innovation Ventures, to explore the dynamic world of healthcare venture capital. Brian shares how Ensemble focuses on investments in health tech and tech-enabled services that enhance both patient care and backend operations across healthcare stakeholders i...

In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with Sid Masson, co-founder and CEO of Wokelo AI, to explore how their platform is transforming due diligence and research workflows in private equity, venture capital, consulting, and banking. Sid shares the origins of Wokelo AI, born from firsthand experience with the tedious and error-prone aspects of man...

In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with Yehuda Niv, founder and CEO of Spines, an AI-powered publishing platform transforming the traditional book publishing industry. Yehuda shares how Spines drastically reduces publishing time from months to weeks and cuts costs significantly, making book publishing accessible to more authors. The discussio...

In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Christian Marquez sits down with Leanne Buchanan, president and CEO of the Miami-Dade Innovation Authority (MDIA). Leanne shares how MDIA is transforming government innovation by streamlining procurement and pilot programs to fast-track emerging technologies that improve public services in areas like mobility, housing, healthcare, and...

In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with Diane Yu, co-founder and CEO of TidalWave, to explore how her company is revolutionizing mortgage origination through AI-powered technology. Diane shares her journey from engineering roles at major tech firms like DoubleClick and Google to founding Freewheel, which was acquired by Comcast, and ultimatel...

In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez welcomes Konstantin Sonkin, CEO of iBrainTech, to explore the cutting-edge intersection of neuroscience, AI, and athletic performance. Konstantin shares his journey from academic research to deep tech entrepreneurship, focusing on how his company uses brain-computer interface technology to enhance natural intelligence...

In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with Danielle D'Agostaro, co-founder and strategic advisor of Alchemist Accelerator and principal partner at WVV Capital. They explore the unique investment thesis behind WVV, a $100 million fund backed by major corporates like Foxconn, Advocate Health, Northwestern Mutual, and Johnson Controls. Danielle sha...

This is the fourth of four episodes in a special series dedicated to the 2025 NVCA Award Recipients. To learn more about the NVCA and their work in crafting the future of Venture Capital, visit their website at https://nvca.org/.  ---- In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with Matt Schappell, principal investor at Frist Cressey Ventures, t...

This is the third of four episodes in a special series dedicated to the 2025 NVCA Award Recipients. To learn more about the NVCA and their work in crafting the future of Venture Capital, visit their website at https://nvca.org/. ---- In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with David Rothzeid, principal at Shield Capital and a recent NVCA award re...

This is the second of four episodes in a special series dedicated to the 2025 NVCA Award Recipients. To learn more about the NVCA and their work in crafting the future of Venture Capital, visit their website at https://nvca.org/. ---- In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with Chris Rizik, CEO of Renaissance Venture Capital and recipient of the...

This is the first of four episodes in a special series dedicated to the 2025 NVCA Award Recipients. To learn more about the NVCA and their work in crafting the future of Venture Capital, visit their website at https://nvca.org/. ---- In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with Howard Morgan, chairman of B Capital Group and a recipient of the NVCA...

In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez welcomes Sivan Zamir, Vice President of Enterprise Innovation and Venture at Xylem, the world’s largest water technology provider. Sivan shares how Xylem addresses critical water challenges including scarcity, contamination, flooding, and workforce shortages through innovative technologies and strategic corporate vent...

In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with Renan Devillieres, founder and CEO of OSS Ventures, to explore how technology is reshaping manufacturing and supply chain operations. Renan shares the origins of OSS Ventures, a firm dedicated to building and investing in tech startups that modernize factories, warehouses, and logistics through AI and s...

In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with Ronen Soffer, Chief Product Officer at Intuition Robotics, to explore how AI-driven companion robots are addressing the growing challenge of loneliness among older adults. They discuss the thoughtful design behind ElliQ, a social desktop robot that offers emotional support, cognitive engagement, and soc...

In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with Ranvir Mangat, co-founder and COO of InsightRx, to explore how their software addresses the critical issue of one-size-fits-all dosing in healthcare. InsightRx leverages precision dosing and clinical analytics integrated directly into medical records to tailor medication plans based on individual patien...

In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with Srikant Vasan, founder and managing partner of Avesta Fund, to explore early-stage investing focused on climate change and economic opportunity. Srikant shares his unique perspective shaped by his experience as a founder, operator, and investor, including lessons learned from Techstars and other venture...

In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with Kenny Vassigh, founder of Caylan Space, to explore the evolving commercial space industry and the challenges startups face in connecting technologies with customers. Drawing from his extensive NASA experience, Kenny discusses how Caylan Space’s platform streamlines the discovery and comparison of space...

In this insightful episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with Charles Anselm, CEO and co-founder of OSYTE, to explore the complexities of managing multi-asset portfolios across public and private markets. They discuss the growing shift of capital from public to private investments and the resulting liquidity challenges faced by allocators such as family...

In this insightful episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with Dr. Yvonne Lutsch, Investment Director at Lam Research Capital, a leading player in the semiconductor equipment industry. They explore Lam Research Capital’s strategic investment thesis, focusing on cutting-edge startups across the semiconductor value chain, including materials, sensors, robo...

In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast hosted by Kristian Marquez, guest Sindhu Joseph, founder and CEO of CogniCor, shares how artificial intelligence is transforming the financial services and wealth management industry. Sindhu discusses the significant wealth disparity she has observed globally and how CogniCor’s AI-powered co-pilot platform empowers financial advisors to sca...

In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with Ryan Chandra, Data and AI Investment Lead at Accenture Ventures, to explore how Accenture’s corporate venture capital arm is driving strategic investments in cutting-edge data, AI, and enterprise technologies. Ryan shares deep insights into Accenture Ventures’ unique investment thesis, emphasizing their...

In this compelling conversation marking of the 100th episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with Scott Wharton, CEO of Tandem PV, to explore groundbreaking advancements in solar energy technology. Scott shares how Tandem is revolutionizing the industry by developing next-generation perovskite-silicon tandem solar panels that deliver 30% higher efficiency...