Venture Ahead

In this episode of Venture Ahead, we talk to Adriana Pereira, co-founder of The Fabricant, an AI-powered design suite for the fashion world. We hear from Adriana about how AI and blockchain are revolutionizing the fashion industry, making it more productive, efficient and sustainable. Adriana shares why she thinks fashion professionals shouldn't be afraid of AI, believing that it can make thei...

In this episode of Venture Ahead, we talk to Tanguy Audouin about his journey from building DIY electric skateboards as a teenager to launching a forward-facing micromobility product designed to solve real urban pain points. Built upon hundreds of street interviews and five major product iterations, his product, Glydz, has developed through direct user feedback. We talk about what it really takes...

In this episode of Venture Ahead, our host, Victoria Pérez Jiménez, welcomes Juan Moliner, the co-founder of InvoPop. InvoPop is a Y Combinator-backed startup revolutionizing how companies handle invoicing across borders. Juan shares his journey from management consulting at Boston Consulting Group to building a company that helps businesses navigate complex tax systems across multiple countries....

In this episode of Venture Ahead, we sit down with Marci Zaroff, founder and CEO of ECOfashion Corp and a pioneer of the global eco-fashion movement. From lemonade stands and business cards at age 11 to redefining sustainability in fashion, Marci shares her 35-year journey building businesses that are a force for good. Together, we explore how conscious leadership, circular design and regenerative...

In this episode of Venture Ahead, our host, Victoria Pérez Jiménez, welcomes Eric Sim, former investment banker at UBS, educator and author of "Small Actions." Eric reflects on his journey from selling street food to working at the highest levels of global finance, and on the small, consistent steps that shaped his career. The conversation explores key career skills including confidence,...

In the new edition of Venture Ahead, Mikayel Vardanyan Co-founder & COO at Picsart, Advisor & Investor joins Ainhoa Valencia to talk AI, creativity and the reality of the challenges facing entrepreneurs. Mikayel is honest in his assessment of the daily challenges, but says it's important to remain positive in confronting them. There are, he says, always more opportunities if you have t...

In this episode of Venture Ahead, our new host, Victoria Pérez Jiménez, IE Business School International MBA student, welcomes Paris de L’Etraz, managing director of IE Venture Lab, and Ana Tasić, International MBA alum. Paris and Ana explore how AI is shaping the world today, focusing on the positive and negative impacts that it is having on students. They share their concerns around the conseque...

In this episode of Venture Ahead we speak to AI entrepreneur Iwo Szapar, cofounder of AI Maturity Index. Iwo discusses where we are in the ongoing AI revolution, and offers a stark vision of its implications for the future labor economy. But he also has plenty of room for optimism, seeing AI as a tool that humanity will use to solve real-world problems, helping us and the planet in the process. On...

In this episode of Venture Ahead, IE Business School's International MBA student Victoria Pérez Jiménez is joined by healthcare entrepreneur and lifelong learner Aline Gómez-Acebo Finat. In a wide-ranging discussion, Victoria and Aline discuss the real meaning of sustainability, framed against the traditional entrepreneurial imperative to pursue constant growth. Aline, CEO of healthtech firm E...

In this first episode of the third season of Venture Ahead, host Ainhoa Valencia talks to serial entrepreneur Folajimi Daodu about his career and his businesses, Vault Hill and Saifra Events. Folajimi describes his path to entrepreneurship, from growing up in Nigeria to studying a master’s in the UK that changed the trajectory of his career. He explains how his businesses came about and the genuin...

In this episode of Venture Ahead, Joe Haslam talks with Ed Soo Hoo, Lenovo's WW CTO for Global Accounts, about building resilient companies through uncertain times. Ed introduces his "three Ns" framework - Now, New, Next - and explains why innovation flourishes when you pair fresh eyes with wise eyes. They discuss optimizing for return on experience over ROI, and creating cultures where unexpected...

In this episode of Venture Ahead, Joe Haslam talks with Alex Henning, Oscar-winning visual effects artist and co-founder of Magnopus, about using immersive technology to reconnect digital information with physical reality. Alex traces his path from winning an Academy Award for Hugo to building XR experiences at Magnopus. They discuss leadership principles including promoting talent quickly while p...

In this episode of Venture Ahead, Professor Joe Haslam talks with global venture capitalist and author Alexandre Lazarow about how high-performing startups outside Silicon Valley succeed with different playbooks. Drawing on his book "Out-Innovate," Alex contrasts blitzscaling with resilient camel startup strategies that prioritize capital efficiency and staged growth. They explore why st...

In this episode of Venture Ahead, host Joe Haslam talks with Bruno Loiola, cofounder of Pluggy and IE University alum, about his journey from the Venture Lab to building fintech infrastructure in Brazil. They discuss Brazil's remarkable transformation from a cash-based to digital-first economy, driven by innovations like Pix instant payments and Open Finance regulations. Bruno explains Pluggy's ro...

In this episode of Venture Ahead, Professor Joe Haslam chats with Chris Roe, an actor turned public-speaking coach who helps entrepreneurs, CEOs and other business professionals around the world understand the value of confident, authentic communication. https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisroecoach/ https://chrisroe.co/ https://www.southsummit.io/brazil/

In this episode of Venture Ahead, recorded at South Summit Brazil in Porto Alegre, IE Business School professor Joe Haslam sits down with Orkut Buyukkokten, creator of the pioneering social network Orkut.com, to explore the power of connection and the lessons learned from building a global online community. Buyukkokten shares his journey from a multicultural childhood in Turkey, Germany and the US...

In this episode of Venture Ahead, recorded at South Summit Brazil in Porto Alegre, IE Business School professor Joe Haslam sits down with Nicolas Sauvage, President of TDK Ventures, to explore what it means to be a resilient and impact-driven entrepreneur in today’s fast-changing world. Sauvage talks about the journey of a startup and the right moment for scaling, as well as how different VCs can...

In this latest episode of Venture Ahead, recorded at South Summit Brazil, Professor Joe Haslam talks to leading venture capitalist Veronica Serra, founder of Innova Capital.  In a wide-ranging discussion, Veronica explains what she did to be taken seriously early on as a woman in a very male-dominated sector, the advantages of a more empathetic and collaborative approach to VC, her approach to add...

In this episode of Venture Ahead, recorded live at South Summit Brazil, IE Business School's professor Joe Haslam speaks with Erik Day, Dell’s senior vice president of small & medium business, and global executive chair of Dell’s PRIDE Employee Resource Group (ERG). Erik and Joe discuss the importance of SMBs in the business ecosystem—and the world. They explore the effect that greater acc...

In this episode of Venture Ahead, recorded live at South Summit Brazil, IE Business School professor Joe Haslam speaks with Damaris Mendoza, Partner at VC firm 500 Global. Together, they dive into the complex topic of diversity in venture capital, exploring the biases that shape investment decisions, the patterns that exclude promising founders and how the industry can move from awareness to real...

In this episode of Venture Ahead, recorded live at South Summit Brazil, IE Business School professor Joe Haslam sits down with Tony Jamous—founder and CEO of Oyster, a company on a mission to remove barriers to remote work and unlock global talent potential. Tony shares his personal journey from growing up amid war in Lebanon to reimagining the future of work without borders. He explores how leade...

In this episode of Venture Ahead, recorded live at South Summit Brazil, IE Business School professor Joe Haslam sits down with Jeff Hoffman—serial entrepreneur, co-founder of Priceline and Booking.com, and a global advocate for innovation and education. Jeff shares hard-won insights on building and scaling successful ventures, including the art of asking the right questions rather than having all...

In this episode of Venture Ahead, host Joe Haslam talks with Paula Ganem, who at the time was Head of Canada and LATAM Capital Markets at the New York Stock Exchange, about connecting Latin American companies with global investors, the current state of tech IPOs from LATAM and why the market went quiet after 2021. Paula explains the key benefits of going public on the NYSE, from the cost of capita...

In this episode of Venture Ahead, host Joe Haslam talks with Leandro Balbinot, CTO at Amazon and Whole Foods Market, about his return to Porto Alegre for South Summit Brazil. They discuss Amazon's customer-obsessed philosophy and flywheel approach to innovation, exploring how the company uses data to identify new opportunities. Leandro shares insights on building a culture that embraces experi...

In this episode of Venture Ahead, host Joe Haslam talks with cybersecurity expert Nancy Wang about her keynote at South Summit Brazil and her mission to boost female leadership in deep tech. They discuss her journey in the industry, including the role of women in supporting other women. Nancy talks about the value of awareness, action and allyship, and why inclusion depends on everyone having a se...