The Silicon Dreams

Tatyana Mamut | Dharma and Leadership: Lessons from the Mahabharata In this episode, our host Preethy Padmanabhan sits down with Tatyana Mamut , Co-founder & CEO of Wayfound , for an inspiring conversation on the Indian epic “Mahabharata” authored by Sage Vedavyasa . 🌿⚔️ Together, they explore the timeless concept of Dharma (duty and moral law) and its powerful relevance to modern leadership....

In this episode, our host Preethy Padmanabhan sits down with Diane Yu, Co-founder & CEO of TidalWave.ai, for a thought-provoking discussion on Fei-Fei Li’s book “The Worlds I See.” 🌍✨ They explore how compassion and inclusion can shape the next wave of AI innovations — and how Diane’s own journey as a serial entrepreneur mirrors the book’s vision of purpose-driven technology. From co-foundin...

Ever wondered how a classic management book from 1984 can transform a modern SaaS business? In this episode, Preethy Padmanabhan sits down with Andy MacMillan, CEO of Alteryx, to explore The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt. The Goal is a management novel that follows Alex Rogo, a struggling plant manager, as he learns to transform his factory and improve efficiency. Discover how to spot bottlenecks, stre...

Ever wondered how corporate venture capital really works? In this episode, host Preethy Padmanabhan sits down with Andrew Romans, author of Masters of Corporate Venture Capital , to uncover the strategies, challenges, and opportunities that shape the future of innovation funding. 🚀 Masters of Corporate Venture Capital demystifies the world of CVCs, blending real-world stories with practical insig...

Falling hurts, but Rising Strong reminds us that true courage comes from getting back up. In this episode, host Preethy Padmanabhan sits down with Amritha Prasad, Design Director at Netflix (Early Uber, Ex-Calm), to unpack Brené Brown’s powerful book Rising Strong. The book explores how owning our stories of failure—and moving through the discomfort—gives us the power to write brave, new endings....

In this episode of the 10x Growth Strategies Podcast, host Preethy Padmanabhan sits down with Amanda Heyman, Managing Partner at Tundra Ventures, to unpack Greg McKeown’s Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. From focusing on what truly matters to mastering trade-offs, Amanda shares her personal journey and practical insights on designing life with intention—protecting energy, managing co...

Declan Waters

In this episode, host Preethy Padmanabhan sits down with Preetha Ram, Managing Partner at Pier70 Ventures, to dive into “The Startup of You” by Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha. The Startup of You is more than a career guide—it’s a playbook for thriving in an unpredictable world. The authors argue that just like startups, careers should be built on adaptability, calculated risk-taking, and relentless...

Your promotion is not just about you; it's about everyone around you who has supported you and everyone who will follow in your footsteps." – Stacy Mayer, Promotions Made Easy This book is more than a guide to climbing the corporate ladder—it’s about finding joy in your work, building meaningful relationships, and lifting others as you rise. Recently promoted to VP of Sales, Consumer, and...

Subha Chugh | Decentralizing Legal Frontiers: Odyssey in Web3 Jurisprudence

Vishal Gondal | Exploring The Gamified Health Revolution

Kuntal Ganguly | Exploring Blockchain's Impact

In this Silicon Dreams episode, host Preethy Padmanabhan sits down with Raj Rajamani, CPO at SentinelOne, to unpack how the OKR framework turns big dreams into measurable wins. They dive into “Measure What Matters” by John Doerr — the book that helped companies like Google and Intel achieve 10X growth — and explore how OKRs can transform ambition into action. Raj sums it up perfectly: “Dreams beco...

On this episode of The Silicon Dreams , host Charlene sits down with Abdul-Rashid “Zack” Zakaria , a PhD researcher at the University of Mississippi, whose work merges AI, computer vision, and remote sensing to tackle railway ground hazard mitigation. Zack shares his journey from geology engineering in Ghana to computational science in the U.S., and how his fascination with LiDAR sparked a passion...

On this episode of The Silicon Dreams , host Charlene welcomes Prasoon Agrawal , co-founder of Hercules Ventures and veteran entrepreneur with 13+ years building and investing in startups across India, Singapore, Kuwait, and beyond. From launching his first fund at 15 to scaling ventures in Web2 and now Web3, Prasoon shares how his journey shaped his thesis: every Web3 product is a digital nation....

On this episode of The Silicon Dreams , host Charlene from Orbis86 sits down with Arpit Chhikara , Founders Office at WorkHack and former conversation designer. Arpit shares how he moved from designing conversational AI bots to shaping AI-driven platforms, highlighting lessons in prompt design, personalization, and user-centric innovation. He discusses how hyper-personalized messaging doubled enga...

What does it really mean to live a happy life? In this reflective episode, our host Preethy Padmanabhan speaks with Rehmat Kharal , Global VP of GTM Strategic Enablement, to explore the transformative teachings from The Art of Happiness by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Dr. Howard Cutler. Rehmat unpacks powerful lessons on gratitude, empathy, and reclaiming your narrative—from surviving to truly...

On this episode of The Silicon Dreams , host Sharlaine Menezes from Orbis86 chats with Chris Joannou , VP of Ecosystem Growth at Draper University, seasoned startup mentor, and global business development leader. With over a decade in startups and venture capital, Chris shares Draper U’s unique approach to training entrepreneurs—combining real-world expertise, immersive residency programs, and unc...

On this episode of The Silicon Dreams , host Sharlaine Menezes from Orbis86 welcomes Aigerim Omer-Bhcova , a seasoned marketing executive and Web3 pioneer with a proven track record in DeFi, GameFi, and fintech. From launching token and NFT projects to forging partnerships with global players like Visa and MasterCard, Aigerim shares her journey of building startups from the ground up across divers...

In this eye-opening episode, our host Preethy Padmanabhan sits down with Kay Sarathy, SVP of Insurance Applications at Berkley Technology Services, to explore the powerful insights from “Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less” by Leidy Klotz. Kay shares how the art of subtraction is shaping her digital transformation strategy—and why cutting the clutter might be the smartest move we often overlook...

In this episode of Silicon Dreams , host Sharlaine Menezes from Orbis86 talks with Matthew Liu , Partner and CSO at SynFutures, about his journey from traditional finance to decentralized finance. With experience at Deutsche Bank, General Motors, and Ant Financial—where he built one of the largest blockchain-based trade finance platforms—Matthew shares how his expertise in trading and risk managem...

In this episode of Silicon Dreams , host Sharlaine Menezes, from Orbis86 speaks with Tyler Choy , Partner Relations Manager at Shardium and former NASA researcher, about making blockchain education accessible to all. Tyler shares his unique journey from virtual reality research for aerospace to helping build one of the most community-driven blockchain ecosystems. Discover how Shardium’s “Proof of...

In this episode of Silicon Dreams , host R.J. Sonia sits down with David Goldsmith , global strategist, author of Paid to Think , and founder of Project Moonhut. With experience in over 50 countries and founding more than 20 businesses, David shares his visionary plan to reshape life on Earth by leveraging space innovation. From the concept of “mirth” (moon + Earth) to tackling six global mega cha...

On this episode of Silicon Dreams, host Preethy Padmanabhan sits down with Elena Elkina , Partner at Aleada Consulting and an expert in Privacy & Data Protection, to explore “The First 90 Days” by Michael Watkins. A powerful guide for leaders, this book outlines how to navigate transitions and set the stage for long-term success.  Elena shares how these strategies helped her achieve early wins...

In this episode of Silicon Dreams , host R.J. Sonia talks with Kenneth Hurley , veteran software engineer, gaming industry pioneer, and founder of Genius AI . From programming iconic video games in the '80s to leading innovations at NVIDIA, Ken shares his journey toward building a decentralized AI platform that harnesses idle GPU power from everyday devices. Discover how Genius AI aims to demo...