The Jennifer Kamara Podcast

Jake is the cofounder of CANN a cannabis-infused social tonic that’s the number one micro-dose drink in California. He brings me up to speed on the history of various forms of cannabis, what the effects of THC and CBD are, and how CANN is leading the beverage market as a healthier and lighter alternative to alcohol. We talk about the education that the market requires around alcohol, cannabis, and...

I am joined by the one and only Steph Smith, a walking example of carving out your own path in life. You know her from several projects she led as an online creator from leading the Hustle’s newsletter Trends to 15k+ subscribers, her writing on online content creation, and as the host of a16z’s podcast. Steph tells me about what growing up in a multicultural household was like, what her dream is,...

Tony “the GOAT” Taveras sits with me to talk how to make lemonade when life hands you lemons. From having to walk away from a 10 year NFL dream because of an injury, to then becoming one of the youngest sales leaders at LA Fitness, and now co-owning America’s largest roofing company, Tony tells me about how grit, perseverance, and purpose gave him the strength to not just get through but thrive in...

Senan is a physician-scientist and the founder of Delfina, a company taking a data approach to address the maternal care crisis. Senan tells me about who faces the worst outcomes, why that is, and how we can begin to improve our state of care. We talk about what 3 things every woman and family should do to maximize the health of mom and baby, what 3 things to ask your OBGYN, and what minority wome...

Shaniqua and I met in Professor Seglin’s writing class at the Harvard Kennedy School. She tells me about what growing up as the daughter of a single mom was like. How she got into politics and landed her dream job at Crooked Media, along with all the failures and how she learned from them along the way. We talk about what everyday citizens can do to contribute toward building the America we care a...

Emergency episode to shed light on Silicon Valley Bank collapse, Department of Treasury announcement, and what it means for all of us -  startups, VCs, and the general public. Our rockstar guest today is Sunny Kumar, MD. He's a partner at GSR Ventures where he focuses on early sage AI and ML tech applications to healthcare. Thanks for sharing what you know with us, Sunny! Connect with Sunny: https...

On women's day we dive into how to pursue your dreams and embody your most powerful self - with the Oscar nominated writer of Pixar's Inside Out. Meg tells me about what her conflict was growing up, how she's overcame it, and shares tips we can all incorporate for ourselves. She describes what fear she had to overcome to pursue her dream job, what saying no to J.J. Abrams was like and what she's l...

Hey rebel crew! Jes Wolfe is the perfect lady to kick off women’s month with. She is the CEO of multi-platform brand, Rebel Girls - on a mission to instill confidence in girls ages 6-12yo. Jes and I talk what it means to be a rebel girl, what challenges girls specifically face, and why a confidence gap emerges between the ages of 6-12yo that causes girls to fall behind boys. We discuss how we can...

Ahead of the Major League Soccer season starting Feb 25th, I catch up with my friend Ian Anderson who is Chief Strategy Officer at San Jose Earthquakes. Ian helps set the context for soccer’s journey in the U.S., its biggest challenges and opportunities. What off the field career paths in soccer look like. And all of what we have to look forward to with the 2026 World Cup hosted in North America!...

Ben Wilson is the creator of How to Take Over the World Podcast, producer of My First Million Podcast, and founder and CEO of PodRamp. We discuss how to think about entertainment in content production and what exactly makes a great show. Ben tells me what he's learned about himself through podcasting, what's important to him in this season of life, and why PodRamp is so fulfilling. He walks me thr...

I talk to Neha Samdaria, founder of Aam, a responsible clothing brand for pear and hourglass shaped women. In our conversation we covered: - A detailed step by step on how to start a clothing brand: from design, manufacturing, packaging and shipping, pricing, marketing, all the way to funding. - What responsible clothing means: materials and ethics around manufacturing. - As a consumer, how to cho...

Ryan Mundy is an 8-year NFL veteran, Super Bowl champion, and the founder of Alkeme Health - a company that aims to be the universal health platform for the black community. Ryan tells me about Alkeme, his vision for generational health, and how they've started with a focus on mental health. Speaking of mental health, we talk about how to take better care of black men. Ryan shares what playing at...

Nimit Mehta, CEO of TopQuadrant, explains to me what a search fund is, how to become one, and his personal journey into entrepreneurship. We discuss how Nimit navigates working in an industry where 94% of people don't look like him, his approach to having a co-founder, and building culture while growing a business. Connect with Nimit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nimitmehta/ Mentioned in this episo...

Laura Fravel is an award winning storyteller and executive communications advisor for brands like Netflix, Amazon, or Adidas. She previously worked for National Geographic, New York Times, Washington Post, and breaks down for us: - what makes a powerful story - how to craft your personal story in a powerful way - where we tend to go wrong in telling and distributing our stories - who the greatest...

Dr. Ami Kumordzie is an impressive founder. She's a Stanford-trained MD/MBA and is building a fintech marketplace backed by Silicon Valley's top investors to help us all tap into $8B of health benefits that go unused each year. Ami tells us why she's building Sika, how to claim these funds, and gives advice to founders on fundraising as well as the routines that keep her operating at peak performa...

I talk to Lacey Reddix, CEO & Founder at Olokun Minerals. Lacey says that two third of the world’s population is at risk of clean water shortages by 2025. That’s two years from now - let that sink in (sadly, pun intended). In our conversation we cover: - 2025 water shortage risks: who will be most affected - What Lacey and her team at Olokun minerals are doing to protect our water supply, and...

Today on the JKP, I talk to Jen Hoar. Jen is a corporate investigations and intelligence specialist and a Managing Director at Forward Risk and Intelligence. She is formerly in Threat Discovery at Facebook, and was a journalist at ABC and CBS News. Jen and I discuss: - What corporate intelligence is and how investors and companies can benefit - Tips from the intelligence field that are applicable...

I have a very special guest today, my husband! Marcin is an entrepreneur and investor. Together with two friends, he bootstrapped and sold an 8-figure digital agency in his 20s and he is now paying it forward by helping the next generation of founders start their first company. He’s taking an audacious challenge in 2023 - he is going to build a $1m revenue business completely from scratch and cove...

Basar is the co-founder of a mission-driven ed-tech startup, Kunduz, with the goal of bringing access to high-quality education to students around the world. Kunduz provides 24/7 access to tutors who can answer students' questions in just 15 minutes, and at an affordable price! The company operates in the US, Turkey, and India with plans to expand globally.  Learn from Basar about: - How after 2 y...

Throwing it back to one of the first-ever podcast episodes recorded, fam! I talk to my dear friend, Eamon O'Connor, an urban designer living in NYC. He believes cities are at their best when they bring people together in spaces of solidarity and coexistence. As an urban planner, designer, and strategist at Gehl, he brings expertise in people-first planning and design, visual and written storytelli...

On this holiday weekend fam, I present you with my soulful friend, Geoff. He is the co-founder of Spoken - a Y Combinator-backed company that brings you the best prices on furniture available on the internet. Geoff describes how the experiences of building both a small business and a Venture Capital-backed fast-growing startup in Silicon Valley are different and similar. He describes the value of...

Today on the Jennifer Kamara Podcast, I talk to Ian Vorbach, aerospace engineer, early-stage investor in space industry, and the founder of Space. Biz newsletter. I had a great time learning from Ian about development of reusable rockets, the competition between SpaceX and Blue Origin, and how private companies have helped propel space development forward on the shoulders of NASA's foundation. Con...

I talk to Joel Peterson, former chairman of JetBlue Airways, professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business, founder of Peterson Partners with $3B in assets under management. We start with the meaning of life, discuss Joel's experience with cancel culture, debate how universities can be better at encouraging diversity of opinions, and the importance of having healthy debate. Joel also gives his...

Today on the JKP, I talk to Kayiita Johnson, the founder of PM While Black, Black Surfers, and a Product Manager at Cruise where he's helping build autonomous vehicles. We learn all about how to break into product management and the various paths available to you depending on your background. We also talk about Kayiita's personal journey into PM, his Stanford MBA experience, and his experience bui...

I talk to Matt Abrahams, professor of Strategic Communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Matt gives tangible advice on how to overcome the fear of public speaking, as well as how to communicate effectively. Connect with Matt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maabrahams/ Mentioned in this episode: Think Fast Talk Smart Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ll0MwobDt1JW9gYaOONEo Subscribe...