Wealthing Podcast

This week on the Wealthing Podcast, host Alicia Castillo Holley sits down with keynote speaker and workshop facilitator Stefan Wetterholm to unpack his transformative framework, "From Noise to Clarity." Stefan shares how a simple story about a Japanese consultant—who optimized a factory floor by placing a single mark on the ground—inspired him to champion extreme simplicity in overwhelming, comple...

This week on the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia is joined by Raphael Roettgen, the founding partner of space venture fund E2MC, to detail his fascinating career evolution from investment banking and hedge fund management into the frontier sector of space investment. As a space investment specialist and the founder of E2MC, a venture capital fund dedicated to early-stage space startups, Raphael reflects...

This week on The Wealthing Podcast, Alicia is joined by Jason Bock, CEO of CTMC, for an inspiring look inside the front lines of cancer treatment innovation at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Jason details the revolutionary shift toward personalized, single-dose cell therapies that engineer a patient's own T-cells to target and eliminate cancer. This cutting-edge approach represents a fundamental pivot...

This week on the Wealthing Podcast, host Alicia Castillo Holley is joined by Nancy Hayes, who shares her remarkable transition from a high-level corporate executive at IBM into a leading angel investor and advocate for women entrepreneurs. Throughout her non-linear career, Nancy has successfully navigated multiple sectors, pivoting from corporate leadership to impactful nonprofit work, and later s...

In this episode, Alicia sits down with Sage Wohns, the CEO and Co-Founder of Jericho Security, a company that uses generative AI to create hyper-realistic attack simulations. Sage dives into how Jericho builds deepfake voice and text attacks to test corporate defenses and train organizations before real-world adversaries strike. He details the company's strategic trajectory: how they spent three y...

In this episode, host Alicia Castillo Holley sits down with Kethees Ketheesan, the CEO of Puloli, a cutting-edge methane monitoring company providing independent, third-party emissions verification. Kethees shares his personal arc, from being born in Sri Lanka during a civil war to becoming a Silicon-Valley-backed entrepreneur tackling global warming. He opens up about Puloli's strategic shift fro...

In this episode, host Alicia Castillo Holley sits down with Prerna Prasad, the founder of Ecoplore, a sustainable tourism company partnering with 1,500 eco-friendly hotels across India. Prerna details her transition from journalism and politics into environmental entrepreneurship in 2016. Driven by a philosophy that prioritizes environmental impact over commercial gain, she shares a raw, honest lo...

In this episode, host Alicia Castillo Holley sits down with J ustin Woodward, the founder of Interabang Entertainment and the The Media Indie Exchange (The MIX). Justin's path is a masterclass in skill-transfer, beginning as an autism specialist before leveraging his background in psychology to eventually navigate the complex social and technical landscape of the video game industry. Justin shares...

In this episode, Alicia interviews Vera Futorjanski, the visionary behind Veritas Ventures and Beyond Global. Vera shares her fascinating, nonlinear trajectory, which began on the professional Argentine Tango stage. A life-altering accident forced her to find a new path, leading her to the London School of Economics, a career in the European Union, and eventually to the entrepreneurial landscape o...

In this episode, host Alicia Castillo Holley interviews Kartik Sathappan, the Founder and General Partner of Families Fund. Kartik shares his evolution from a small-town Ohio upbringing to becoming a patent-holding engineer at Apple. He recounts his "accidental" entry into venture capital, sparked by a curiosity for the business behind the tech he was building. The heart of the conversation focuse...

In this episode, host Alicia Castillo Holley sits down with Sandra Velasquez, the founder and CEO of Nopalera, a high-end beauty brand inspired by the Nopal cactus. Sandra reflects on her non-linear path, starting with her 15-year career as a professional musician. When the music industry's economics shifted, Sandra didn't retreat. Instead, she channeled her creative energy into the beauty space,...

In this episode of the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia Castillo Holley talks with Scott Wharton, CEO of Tandem PV, about his journey through the evolving landscapes of technology. From his early roles in internet infrastructure and video conferencing to his current leadership in perovskite-based solar panels, Scott shares the lessons learned from decades of high-stakes entrepreneurship. The conversation...

This week on the Wealthing Podcast, host Alicia Castillo Holley is joined by Lise Birikundavyi, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of BKR Capital, Canada's first institutional VC fund focused on Black founders. Lise shares her professional evolution from the hedge fund world to the forefront of impact investing, sparked by the inequities she witnessed in how capital is distributed globally. Lise prov...

This week on the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia Castillo Holley talks with Cristina Stoyanov, a venture capitalist and scientist specializing in cell and gene therapy. Christina recounts her non-linear journey to the top of the biotech world, beginning with her move from Panama to the US in 1995. Originally intended as a short stay to study English, her path led to a PhD from Cornell and a deep immersi...

This week on the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia Castillo Holley sits down with Laura Moreno Lucas, former Managing Director at NASDAQ turned venture investor, for a deep dive into the evolving landscape of inclusive capital. Laura shares her journey from her upbringing in Guadalajara to the heights of the financial sector, detailing the non-linear path that led her to launch two distinct funds: L'ATTIT...

This week on the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia Castillo Holley is joined by Avanthi Shah, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, technology architect, and founder of NextVerse Ventures, for a wide-ranging conversation on emerging tech and the evolution of self. Avanthi shares her professional trajectory, starting with her early experiences in programming during the 1990s and her transition into the high...

This week on the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia Castillo Holley is joined by Paul Essery, a mountaineer, entrepreneur, and podcast host, for a compelling discussion on the intersection of adventure and business strategy. Paul shares how his background in elite mountaineering provided a foundational framework for his entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing the critical roles of risk assessment, decision-ma...

This week on the Wealthing Podcast, host Alicia Castillo Holley is joined by Fabiano Cid, Chief Solutions Officer of Powerling, for a wide-ranging conversation on resilience, career evolution, and the global language services industry. Fabiano shares his unique trajectory, moving from early interests in acting and diplomacy to the founding of a successful localization firm. He reflects on his pers...

This week on the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia Castillo Holley is joined by Chuck Gershman, CEO and co-founder of Owl Autonomous Imaging, for a deep dive into the leadership philosophies that drive successful startups. Chuck shares insights from his entrepreneurial journey, focusing on the critical importance of "time to decision" and the necessity of pivoting in the face of challenges. Drawing from t...

This week on the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia Castillo Holley is joined by Marinella Pinate, CEO of Zumma, for a conversation on the intersection of fintech innovation and operational discipline. Marinella shares the strategic journey of Zumma, detailing the company's evolution from its beginnings as an AI financial advisor app to its current focus on automating administrative financial processes. Sh...

This week on the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia Castillo Holley welcomes Pooja Sharma Goyal, a former corporate executive turned social sector leader, for a conversation on the mechanics of scaling impact in India's evolving economy. Pooja details her transition from an engineering background to entrepreneurship, and eventually to her current work with The Udaiti Foundation. She shares her insights on...

This week on the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia Castillo Holley is joined by Mila Shabalina, an investor specializing in longevity and biotechnology, for a discussion on the personal and professional drivers behind healthcare innovation. Mila shares her unconventional trajectory from history and journalism to investing in the biotech sector. She discusses how her mother's battle with a rare neurodegene...

This week on the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia Castillo Holley sits down with Preetha Ram, a scientist, educator, and venture capitalist at Pier 70 Ventures, for a deep dive into the evolution of global healthcare and the power of intentional career transitions. Preetha shares the story of her "quantum leap" from her roles as a scientist and Dean at Emory College to becoming a Silicon Valley investor....

This week on the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia Castillo Holley is joined by Ruban Kanapathippillai, a seasoned computer engineer and entrepreneur, for an expansive look at the journey from startup founder to billion-dollar value creator. Ruban shares his inspiring trajectory from his roots in Sri Lanka to founding high-growth tech companies in the United States. He offers a grounded perspective on the...

This week on the Wealthing Podcast, Alicia Castillo Holley is joined by Jan, the organizer of EcoSummit in Berlin, for a compelling conversation on the evolution of climate tech and the enduring importance of human connection in the investment world. Jan shares his 15-year journey of building the Eco Summit into a premier destination for sustainability-focused startups and investors. He reflects o...