I think you could probably go back and track the stages of grief, probably that is what I went through. But I think if you do it right, you end up at acceptance. And that's where I ended up. And that's not to say that I've fully accepted the idea that the golden toad is extinct. Personally, I do still hold out hope that it could still be out there in those forests." - Trevor Ritland This conversation is with Trevor Ritland, who—along with his twin brother Kyle—authored The Golden Toad . The book chronicles their remarkable journey into Costa Rica’s cloud forest, once home to hundreds of brilliant golden toads that would emerge for just a few weeks each year—until, one day, they vanished without a trace. What began as a search for a lost species soon became something much more profound: a confrontation with ecological grief, a meditation on hope, and a powerful call to protect the natural world while we still can. Links: SpeciesUnite.com Kyle and Trevor: https://kyleandtrevor.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adventureterm/ Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222249677-the-golden-toad Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Toad-Ecological-Mystery-Species/dp/163576996…
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Welcome to Breaking Precedent, the podcast that dives deep into the stories of trailblazers, innovators, and game-changers who are redefining societal precedents. Join us as we sit down with extraordinary individuals who are pushing the boundaries of social norms, challenging precedents, and setting new ones in their fields. Whether it’s in technology, art, social justice, or beyond, Breaking Precedent is your source of inspiration for understanding how precedents are broken and new paths are forged.
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Inhalt bereitgestellt von Leah Solivan. Alle Podcast-Inhalte, einschließlich Episoden, Grafiken und Podcast-Beschreibungen, werden direkt von Leah Solivan oder seinem Podcast-Plattformpartner hochgeladen und bereitgestellt. Wenn Sie glauben, dass jemand Ihr urheberrechtlich geschütztes Werk ohne Ihre Erlaubnis nutzt, können Sie dem hier beschriebenen Verfahren folgen https://de.player.fm/legal.
Welcome to Breaking Precedent, the podcast that dives deep into the stories of trailblazers, innovators, and game-changers who are redefining societal precedents. Join us as we sit down with extraordinary individuals who are pushing the boundaries of social norms, challenging precedents, and setting new ones in their fields. Whether it’s in technology, art, social justice, or beyond, Breaking Precedent is your source of inspiration for understanding how precedents are broken and new paths are forged.
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Breaking Precedent
During our summer break, we’re revisiting powerful conversations from Season One of Breaking Precedent. In this episode, host Leah Solivan explores the paradox of venture capital—a system designed to fund innovation but resistant to change. Featuring Ann Miura-Ko of Floodgate, Pete Flint of NFX, and Aaron Holiday of 645 Ventures, this episode exposes the subtle forces that shape who gets funded, whose ideas are considered “viable,” and what it really takes to break into the inner circle of VC. From early Lyft experiments to navigating legality and bias, these precedent breakers challenge the notion that disruption ends with the product—sometimes, you have to disrupt the system itself. Ann Miura-Ko is the Co-Founder and General Partner at Floodgate, an early-stage venture capital firm known for backing iconic startups at their inception, including Lyft, Refinery29, and Twitch. Often described as one of Silicon Valley’s most respected investors, Ann is a self-proclaimed "precedent breaker"—someone who thrives in ambiguity and seeks out founders who challenge conventional wisdom. Explore Floodgate: https://www.floodgate.com Connect with Ann Miura-Ko on X: https://x.com/annimaniac Pete Flint is a General Partner at NFX and the Founder of Trulia, one of the most successful real estate platforms in the U.S., which IPO'd and later merged with Zillow in a multi-billion-dollar deal. Now a leading venture capitalist, Pete channels his experience as a founder into mentoring startups with world-changing potential.. Learn more about NFX: https://www.nfx.com Connect with Pete Flint on X: https://x.com/pflint Aaron Holiday is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of 645 Ventures, a venture capital firm backing early-stage startups led by visionary, often underestimated founders. With a background that bridges entrepreneurship, systems thinking, and institutional investing, Aaron takes a high-conviction, hands-on approach to venture capital. Explore 645 Ventures: https://645ventures.com Connect with Aaron Holiday on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronholiday Listen to the full episodes here: Breaking Tradition: Co-Founding Partner of Floodgate, Ann Miura-Ko, on innovations in Venture Capital — Ann Miura-Ko Listen here: Apple | Spotify House Broken: Pete Flint on Disrupting Real Estate and Building Trulia — Pete Flint Listen here: Apple | Spotify Venture Capital: Aaron Holiday on 645 ventures' data-driven approach to sourcing deals and bringing the invisible to life — Aaron Holiday Listen here: Apple | Spotify Resources: TaskRabbit Lyft (originally Zimride) Uber Trulia Show Notes: (00:00) Introduction to venture capital's paradox (00:30) Inside the pitch room: personal experiences (01:30) Breaking precedents: Ann Marico's story (02:00) The Zimride to Lyft transformation (06:00) Challenges and innovations in venture capital (07:00) Aaron Holiday: redefining access and experimentation (11:00) The future of venture capital: diversity and resilience (11:50) "Venture has a branding problem." — Pete Flint, founder of Trulia (14:30) Conclusion: reframing venture capital --- Leah Solivan is the host of Breaking Precedent, a podcast that explores the stories of innovators who are pushing societal boundaries and setting new precedents in their fields. Leah is General Partner at Fuel Capital, where she invests in early-stage companies across consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail. Leah has 15 years of experience building and creating technology products that have reached millions of people around the globe. She started her career at IBM as an engineer in the software group, working on Lotus Notes and Domino. In 2008, Leah founded TaskRabbit, the leading on-demand service marketplace in the world. Connect with Leah: Website: breakingprecedent.com/ Instagram: @labunleashed X: @labunleashed…
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The Precedent Spectrum: From Law to Art During our summer break, we’re revisiting powerful conversations from Season One of Breaking Precedent, in this episode host Leah Sullivan explores how precedent shapes everything from law to art. Leah starts with Justice Steven Breyer discussing the landmark Supreme Court case Brown vs. Board of Education, which broke the 'separate but equal' precedent. The episode also features Bismarck Lepe, founder of MiSalud Health, who revolutionized healthcare access for the Hispanic community, and Kara Golden, who disrupted the beverage industry with Hint Water. Other notable guests include Eric Ryan, who transformed the consumer products market; Ann Miura-Ko, a venture capitalist with a keen eye for 'super thinkers'; and Shiza Shahid, co-founder of the Malala Fund. The episode concludes with artist Trevor Paglen, who redefines art by pushing its boundaries. Each guest’s journey illustrates how breaking precedent, though risky, can lead to significant societal advancements. Listen to the full original episodes here: Breaking Precedent: Retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer on what is precedent? — Justice Stephen Breyer Listen here: Apple | Spotify Breaking Tradition: Co-Founding Partner of Floodgate, Ann Miura-Ko, on innovations in Venture Capital — Ann Miura-Ko Listen here: Apple | Spotify Piercing the Veil: Shiza Shahid on co-founding the $1B Malala Fund to transforming kitchenware with Our Place — Shiza Shahid Listen here: Apple | Spotify Breaking Dawn: How Eric Ryan of Method, Olly, Welly, transforms boring products into billion dollar brands — Eric Ryan Listen here: Apple | Spotify Breaking Cover: Trevor Paglen with a bold artistic approach to challenging societal thinking and setting new precedents — Trevor Paglen Listen here: Apple | Spotify Rompiendo Precedente: Bismarck Lepe on Breaking Barriers from the Fields to Google to Founding Mi Salud Health — Bismarck Lepe Listen here: Apple | Spotify A Water Break: The Undaunted Journey of Kara Goldin and Hint — Kara Goldin Listen here: Apple | Spotify Show Notes: (00:00) Introduction: The Power of Precedent (01:00) The Legal Bedrock: Precedent in Law (04:30) Healthcare Innovation: Breaking Barriers with MiSalud (08:30) Entrepreneurial Grit: The Story of Hint Water (13:00) Revolutionizing Industries: Method, Ollie, and Welle (15:30) Empowering Change: Shiza Shahid and the Malala Fund (18:30) Art and Innovation: Challenging the Status Quo (21:00) Conclusion: The Impact of Breaking Precedent --- Leah Solivan is the host of Breaking Precedent, a podcast that explores the stories of innovators who are pushing societal boundaries and setting new precedents in their fields. Leah is General Partner at Fuel Capital, where she invests in early-stage companies across consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail. Leah has 15 years of experience building and creating technology products that have reached millions of people around the globe. She started her career at IBM as an engineer in the software group, working on Lotus Notes and Domino. In 2008, Leah founded TaskRabbit, the leading on-demand service marketplace in the world. Connect with Leah: Website: https://www.breakingprecedent.com/ Instagram: @labunleashed - https://www.instagram.com/labunleashed/ X: @labunleashed - https://twitter.com/labunleashed?lang=en…
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In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan sits down with Julie Rice, co-founder of SoulCycle and Peoplehood, to discuss how she helped redefine not just boutique fitness, but the modern experience of community. Julie shares how her background in theater and talent management laid the foundation for one of the most iconic wellness brands in the world. Together, they unpack the emotional blueprint behind SoulCycle’s five-part class design, the revolutionary decision to prioritize instructors as full-time talent, and the power of scaling human magic. With Peoplehood, Julie is channeling her obsession with connection into relational health designing group experiences that teach how to actively listen, support, and feel seen. Guest Bio and Links: Julie Rice is a serial entrepreneur and community-builder best known as the co-founder of SoulCycle and now Peoplehood, a platform for relational fitness and guided group conversation. Her work centers on designing experiences that build human connection at scale. Listeners can learn more about Julie Rice through LinkedIn @julierice Check out Julie’s latest venture Peoplehood , and learn more about Soulcycle Show Notes: (0:00) Leah announces fall 2025 launch of Breaking Precedent! (4:30) Leah welcomes founder of Soulcycle, Julie Rice (5:00) How precedent breaking shows up for Julie (6:00) The intentionality behind building a fitness community (8:00) Love of theatre and connecting a stage to Soulcycle (14:00) Meeting Elizabeth, Julies business partner (16:00) The napkin math that started Soulcycle (20:00) Opening the Bridge Hamptons studio (20:45) “ It was always supposed to be something that helped you feel empowered, that made you feel like you could be more than you thought you could, that made you feel good in your body, that allowed you to want to communicate differently with support other people.” - J.R (23:00) What sets Soulcycle apart from other fitness classes and gorups (28:30) Scaling Soulcycle out of cultivating human experience (31:00) The number one most important investment - the instructors (32:30) The culture of ‘yes’ as a business principle (36:00) ”There is a simplicity in knowing people. That is really the biggest gift that people want.” - J.R (36:30) Why they never franchised SoulCycle (37:30) Partnering with Equinox - the pros and the tradeoffs (42:00) Julies’ emotional transition out of Soulcycle (44:00) Introducing Peoplehood - realtional health (47:00) The art of active listening (48:00) SoulCycle and Peoplehood - Are they a sunrise, tide, or rainbow --- Leah Solivan is the host of Breaking Precedent, a podcast that explores the stories of innovators who are pushing societal boundaries and setting new precedents in their fields. Leah is General Partner at Fuel Capital, where she invests in early-stage companies across consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail. Leah has 15 years of experience building and creating technology products that have reached millions of people around the globe. She started her career at IBM as an engineer in the software group, working on Lotus Notes and Domino. In 2008, Leah founded TaskRabbit, the leading on-demand service marketplace in the world. Connect with Leah: Website: breakingprecedent.com/ Instagram: @labunleashed X: @labunleashed…
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1 When the Bough Breaks: Sarah Hoover with Her Literary Debut, The Motherload, and the Rage, Beauty, and Rebuilding After Birth 55:55
In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan dives deep into the life-altering journey of Sarah Hoover, author of 'The Motherload.' Sarah discusses how her rage and postpartum depression propelled her to write a raw and honest memoir that challenges societal norms about motherhood. Leah and Sarah unpack topics such as postpartum trauma, the inadequacies of the medical system, and the unique challenges faced by working mothers. Sarah’s story doesn’t just break precedent, it dismantles the silence around maternal mental health and invites us to question the rigid norms we've long accepted. Guest Bio and Links: Sarah Hoover is an art historian, writer, and former director at Gagosian Gallery whose work centers around the cultural intersections of womanhood, art, and maternal identity. Her debut book The Mother Load dismantles the myths of motherhood through raw honesty and wit. She lives with her husband and two kids in Manhattan. Listeners can learn more about Sarah Hoover on her website , and on IG @sarahhoov Sarah’s book - The Motherload: Episodes from the Brink of Motherhood Show Notes: (0:00) Intro (2:00) Leah introduces guest, Sarah Hoover to Breaking Precedent (2:30) Icebreaker - child yelp reviews (5:00) Sarah’s roots - ballet, art, and indiana (7:30) Connecting over ballet (13:00) “ I have a very standard birth, but I found it violating and scary and terrifying, and it left me really broken. When my son was born after 19 hours of labor, I felt so assaulted by what I had been through in that delivery room.” (15:00) Turning rage into purose (20:00) Cultural conditioning and the female burden (24:30) Failures of modern medicine and the edinburgh scale (31:30) Sarah’s acknowledged the need to seek help (32:00) Another layer of stress - entrusting a nanny to help parent (33:00) Medical history of maternal care (35:30) Trauma-informed care - what needs to change (39:00) AI medical care becoming preferred over human medical care? (40:00) Leah shares her surrogacy experience and seeing birth from the other side (43:00) What writing has taught Sarah (50:45) Question: What's one piece of parenting advice you think is bullshit? (53:00) Breaking precedents - you can’t have it all (at once) --- Leah Solivan is the host of Breaking Precedent, a podcast that explores the stories of innovators who are pushing societal boundaries and setting new precedents in their fields. Leah is General Partner at Fuel Capital, where she invests in early-stage companies across consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail. Leah has 15 years of experience building and creating technology products that have reached millions of people around the globe. She started her career at IBM as an engineer in the software group, working on Lotus Notes and Domino. In 2008, Leah founded TaskRabbit, the leading on-demand service marketplace in the world. Connect with Leah: Website: breakingprecedent.com/ Instagram: @labunleashed X: @labunleashed…
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1 Prison Break: The Last Mile's Chris and Beverly Share a Blueprint for Change, Born at San Quentin, Scaling Nationwide 1:02:27
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedIn this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan sits down with Chris Redlitz and Beverly Parenti, co-founders of The Last Mile, a groundbreaking prison education program that’s transforming lives behind bars through coding, entrepreneurship, and purpose. From venture capital success stories in Silicon Valley to walking the yards of San Quentin and Indiana State Prisons, Chris and Beverly share their radical journey into social innovation. They explore how tech education is breaking generational cycles of incarceration, lowering recidivism rates, and redefining second chances. Chris and Beverly share some deeply moving stories of transformation, including a woman who declined early release to finish the program, and a man who was once cellmates with his father. Guest Bio and Links: Chris Redlitz is a venture capitalist and former endurance athlete who co-founded The Last Mile after a pivotal visit to San Quentin prison. With a background in growing companies like Reebok and launching digital ventures, he now channels his entrepreneurial experience into transforming prison education. Beverly Parenti is a veteran tech entrepreneur and innovator who co-founded The Last Mile to empower incarcerated individuals, particularly women, with marketable skills. As the first-generation daughter of Holocaust survivors, Beverly's life has been profoundly shaped by her father's experiences during World War II. Her father's story of survival became a guiding light in her life, instilling in her the values of resourcefulness, resilience, and relentless perseverance. Learn more about The Last Mile at their website Connect with Chris Redlitz on LinkedIn @ChrisRedlitz , and on X @ChrisRedlitz Connect with Beverly Parenti on LinkedIn @BeverlyParenti and on X @thebev Show Notes: (0:00) Intro (1:45) Leah introduces guests, Chris and Beverly to Breaking Precident (2:10) Icebreaker - moments that changed everything (4:30) Beverly's journey - from retail to PayPal (7:00) Chris’s journey from sailing to Silicon Valley (10:00) The birth of The Last Mile (15:00) ”What my father taught me was to be resourceful, to be resilient and relentless. and to this day, those three Rs are not only part of my mo, but also things that I teach others.” - Beverly Parenti (21:30) First steps - building trust in San Quentin (26:00) The business case for prison reform (28:00) Impact and success - reducing recidivism (31:30) Expansion and new programs (35:00) Culture shift - from infractions to aspirations (38:00) Rigorous application process (43:00) Stories of transformation - Billie and Darnell (44:30) Generational change through scholarships (46:30) Scaling and adapting the program nationwide (52:00) Social enterprises and equity for graduates (56:00) What they’ve unlearned (1:00:00) Reflections and tuture goals --- Leah Solivan is the host of Breaking Precedent, a podcast that explores the stories of innovators who are pushing societal boundaries and setting new precedents in their fields. Leah is General Partner at Fuel Capital, where she invests in early-stage companies across consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail. Leah has 15 years of experience building and creating technology products that have reached millions of people around the globe. She started her career at IBM as an engineer in the software group, working on Lotus Notes and Domino. In 2008, Leah founded TaskRabbit, the leading on-demand service marketplace in the world. Connect with Leah: Website: breakingprecedent.com/ Instagram: @labunleashed X: @labunleashed…
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1 Take a Break: Matteo Franceschetti on Breaking Sleep Cycles and Turning Rest into a Competitive Advantage with Eight Sleep 43:01
In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan sits down with Matteo Franceschetti, the visionary founder and CEO of Eight Sleep, to explore how sleep is becoming the most critical, and most overlooked dimension of human performance. From growing up in an Italian town to revolutionizing sleep technology in Silicon Valley, Matteo shares a remarkable journey of grit, ambition, and innovation. He opens up about the transformation from competitive athlete to tech entrepreneur, and why he believes the future of sleep lies in compression, personalization, and AI-driven health scans. The two dive into topics like sleep fitness, temperature regulation, global expansion, and even how sleep training parallels child development. Guest Bio and Links: Matteo Franceschetti is the Co-Founder and CEO of Eight Sleep, the sleep fitness company.Eight Sleep developed a proprietary technology which is redesigning sleep by developing cutting-edge AI and machine learning models to track bio signals during the night and optimizing body recovery and rest while asleep. The end goal of the Pod is to compress sleep and scan your body while asleep to monitor your health. Eight Sleep is currently used by pro athletes and top performers across multiple industries and was recognized as one of TIME’s “Best Inventions” in 2018 and 2019, was named one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Companies” in 2018, and has raised over $150M in funding from leading investors, including Founders Fund, Softbank, Khosla Ventures, Y Combinator, Valor Equity Partners, General Catalyst, Naval Ravikant, and Patrick Collison. Discover your perfect sleep set up - Take Quiz Connect with Matteo Franceschetti on X @m_franceschetti Show Notes: (0:00) Intro (1:30) Leah introduces guest, Co-Founder and CEO of Eight Sleep, Matteo Franceschetti (2:00) Q: If you could sleep anywhere in the world, where would it be? (3:00) Matteo’s early life and career as lawyer (9:00) The Birth of Eight Sleep (10:30) Innovations in sleep technology (13:30) Redefining sleep as performance (16:30) Full-body scanning - the future of preventative health (19:00) Contrasts between italian and Silicon Valley cultures (26:00) The discipline of survival in hardware (30:00) Jet lag strategies and biohacking sleep (33:30) Early challenges in manufacturing (37:00) Sleep’s role in the health tech movement (40:00) Eight sleep's operating principles and startup discipline (40:30) “ I always push the team to think in terms of hours.” (42:30) Closing thoughts --- Leah Solivan is the host of Breaking Precedent, a podcast that explores the stories of innovators who are pushing societal boundaries and setting new precedents in their fields. Leah is General Partner at Fuel Capital, where she invests in early-stage companies across consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail. Leah has 15 years of experience building and creating technology products that have reached millions of people around the globe. She started her career at IBM as an engineer in the software group, working on Lotus Notes and Domino. In 2008, Leah founded TaskRabbit, the leading on-demand service marketplace in the world. Connect with Leah: Website: breakingprecedent.com/ Instagram: @labunleashed X: @labunleashed…
In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan dives deep with Founder of Trulia, Pete Flint. Pete opens up about his early days studying physics at Oxford and how his curiosity eventually led him into the fast-paced world of startups. He talks about his experience at lastminute.com, one of the UK’s hottest tech companies at the time, and what it was like navigating through the chaos of the dot-com crash and the aftermath of 9/11. After moving to Silicon Valley to attend Stanford, Pete shares the story behind the lightbulb moment that sparked Trulia—and how he broke into one of the most tightly regulated industries in the U.S. Now a partner at NFX, Pete reflects on what he's seeing in the next wave of startups, especially around AI, and how the rules of building and scaling companies are changing in real time. Guest Bio and Links: Pete Flint is a serial entrepreneur and investor who co-founded Trulia, steering the company through its IPO and a multi-billion-dollar merger with Zillow. Today, he's a General Partner at NFX, investing in early-stage companies that leverage network effects and cutting-edge technologies. Listeners can learn more about Pete Flint at NFX , and on LinkedIn @PeteFlint Trulia Show Notes: (0:00) Intro (2:00) Leah introduces guest and founder of Trulia, Pete Flint (2:30) Pete gives a brief background of himself (5:00) Pete's childhood and early influences (9:30) How studying physics shaped Pete's thinking (12:00) Internships, London startups, and lastminute.com (17:30) Dot-com crash lessons (20:30) Transition to Silicon Valley and Stanford (24:40) The birth of Trulia (26:30) Launching during a market collapse (38:00) The role of technology in disrupting industries (42:00) The Zillow merger (44:00) Becoming an Investor (47:30) The future of startups and venture capital --- Leah Solivan is the host of Breaking Precedent, a podcast that explores the stories of innovators who are pushing societal boundaries and setting new precedents in their fields. Leah is General Partner at Fuel Capital, where she invests in early-stage companies across consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail. Leah has 15 years of experience building and creating technology products that have reached millions of people around the globe. She started her career at IBM as an engineer in the software group, working on Lotus Notes and Domino. In 2008, Leah founded TaskRabbit, the leading on-demand service marketplace in the world. Connect with Leah: Website: breakingprecedent.com/ Instagram: @labunleashed X: @labunleashed…
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1 Breaking the Food Chain: Pat Brown's Mission to Transform the Meat Industry with Impossible Foods 56:06
In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan dives deep with Dr. Patrick Brown, the founder of Impossible Foods, who left a celebrated career in science to take on one of the most urgent issues of our time - animal agriculture. Together, they discuss how a plant-based alternative could dismantle an outdated, destructive food system and catalyze planetary restoration. Brown shares the origin story behind Impossible Foods, recounting his bold pivot from Stanford professor to food-tech pioneer. He unpacks the global environmental costs of livestock farming and o Guest Bio and Links: Patrick Brown is a biochemist, former Stanford professor, and founder of Impossible Foods, a company revolutionizing the way meat is made by eliminating animals from the equation. Through science, sustainability, and purpose-driven entrepreneurship, he is working to replace the global animal agriculture system by 2035. Listeners can learn more about Patrick Brown on his website , on LinkedIn @PatrickBrown , and on Stanford Profiles Resources: Impossible Foods Origins Show Notes: (0:00) Intro (2:30) Leah introduces guest and founder of Impossible Foods, Patrick Brown (3:30) How Patrick challenged the status quo (4:30) ”Impossible Foods has been called a game changer, a disruptor, it's even been called a threat by the traditional meat industry.” (7:30) Early life and growing up with a father in the CIA (12:30) Patricks early career life (19:30) Patrick takes a sabbatical that sparked a revolution (24:00) ”The basic problem is not that people love meat. It's that we're using the wrong technology to produce it.” (26:30) Reversing climate damage through food system reform (32:30) Mission over market - a scientist's radical path (37:00) Launching a meat revolution - Impossible Foods (39:00) Winning over chefs - Dave Chang and strategic launch (44:30) Declining Google’s buyout (45:30) Barriers to scale - cost, regulation, and disinformation (51:30) The 2035 vision - what it will take to succeed (53:00) Final thoughts --- Leah Solivan is the host of Breaking Precedent, a podcast that explores the stories of innovators who are pushing societal boundaries and setting new precedents in their fields. Leah is General Partner at Fuel Capital, where she invests in early-stage companies across consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail. Leah has 15 years of experience building and creating technology products that have reached millions of people around the globe. She started her career at IBM as an engineer in the software group, working on Lotus Notes and Domino. In 2008, Leah founded TaskRabbit, the leading on-demand service marketplace in the world. Connect with Leah: Website: breakingprecedent.com/ Instagram: @labunleashed X: @labunleashed…
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1 Party Crashers: How Selina Tobaccowala created Evite, scaled SurveyMonkey, and is transforming where you live with HomeBoost 54:08
In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan is joined by Selina Tobaccowala, a pioneering tech entrepreneur whose journey began with co-founding Evite and scaling SurveyMonkey to new heights. Selina shares how her childhood fascination with computers, combined with an insatiable drive for problem-solving, led her to break boundaries in Silicon Valley. From navigating the dot-com bubble to her latest venture, HomeBoost , she reveals the principles that have guided her success, including her father’s three essential questions for career decisions. Leah and Selina explore the intersection of technology and impact, the challenges of raising venture capital as a female founder, and how AI is transforming residential energy efficiency. Guest Bio and Links: Selina Tobaccowala is a tech entrepreneur and innovator who co-founded Evite, served as President and CTO of SurveyMonkey, and is now revolutionizing home energy efficiency with her latest company, HomeBoost. Selina has a deep passion for using technology to solve real-world problems and she has built and led companies that have transformed industries. Listeners can connect with Selina Tobaccowala on her IG @sootle HomeBoost SurveyMonkey Evite Show Notes: (0:00) Intro (0:00) Leah introduces guest and entrepreneur, Selina Tobaccowala (4:30) “ I think it's like different between how you might perceive yourself versus how others might perceive you.” (6:00) Selina’s early life and childhood inspirations (7:30) Discovering computer science (9:00) The accidental basketball captain (11:45) Choosing Stanford for college (16:00) The birth of Evite (22:00) Navigating rapid growth, venture capital, and the reality of selling a startup (28:30) Evite's unconventional sale (30:30) Joining SurveyMonkey (35:00) Lessons from SurveyMonkey (37:30) ”There's always this culture act like an owner, but if people don't feel empowered to take that risk, you can't act like an owner. And so you have to balance those things together.” (39:45) New project: HomeBoost (46:00) The simplicity and future of home energy (51:00) Advice for non-traditional founders --- Leah Solivan is the host of Breaking Precedent, a podcast that explores the stories of innovators who are pushing societal boundaries and setting new precedents in their fields. Leah is General Partner at Fuel Capital, where she invests in early-stage companies across consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail. Leah has 15 years of experience building and creating technology products that have reached millions of people around the globe. She started her career at IBM as an engineer in the software group, working on Lotus Notes and Domino. In 2008, Leah founded TaskRabbit, the leading on-demand service marketplace in the world. Connect with Leah: Website: breakingprecedent.com/ Instagram: @labunleashed X: @labunleashed…
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Breaking Precedent
1 Rompiendo Precedente: Bismarck Lepe on Breaking Barriers from the Fields to Google to Founding Mi Salud Health 59:59
In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan is joined by Bismarck Lepe, a serial entrepreneur who has shattered conventions at every stage of his life. From growing up as the child of Mexican migrant workers to becoming a Stanford graduate and an early Google employee, Bismarck shares his incredible journey of resilience, innovation, and leadership. He discusses his early entrepreneurial ventures, the lessons learned at Google, and the groundbreaking work of his companies, including Ooyala, WiseLine, and MiSalud. With profound expertise in business, technology, and seizing opportunity, Bismarck provides an inspiring perspective on how vision and perseverance can transform industries. Guest Bio and Links: Bismarck Lepe, founder and Executive Chairman of Wizeline, is a seasoned Silicon Valley entrepreneur and investor. As an early Google employee, he left to start Ooyala, an online video platform that sold for $400 million to Telstra in 2014. Passionate about economic growth and education, he has helped transform Guadalajara into a thriving tech hub through Wizeline Academy and StartupGDL, generating over 1,500 jobs and attracting significant investment. Under his leadership, Wizeline expanded to seven countries, with talent spanning 15 nations. For over a decade, he has been a key force in fostering Mexico-Silicon Valley collaboration in technology and entrepreneurship. Listeners can learn more about Bismarck Lepe on LinkedIn @BismarckLepe WizeLine in the Press MiSalud Health - Designed For Spanish-First Teams on the Move Show Notes: (0:00) Intro (2:45) Leah introduces Bismarck Lepe, (4:00) Bismarck’s early life and background (8:30) Educational journey and parental sacrifices (10:15) Starting roots in Southern California and Mexico (14:00) Learning English through Sesame Street & Mr. Rogers (17:00) Cultural identity & navigating assimilation (23:30) Path to Stanford University and a life-changing conversation (30:30) Joining Google and the Acquisition of YouTube (35:00) Founding Ooyala (35:30) Early failures and lessons learned (41:00) The 2008 financial crisis and its impact (46:00) WizeLine - building tech talent in Mexico (51:15) ”Talent is evenly distributed around the world. It's just opportunity and experience that isn't.” (53:30) Founding MiSalud - revolutionizing healthcare access (1:04:30) Changing perceptions of Mexico & Latinx talent (1:06:30) ”Here we were, as a brand, we were a vehicle to change the perception of Mexicans. People weren't talking about soccer players or tequila or mariachi, they were talking about intellectual property that Mexicans were building.” --- Leah Solivan is the host of Breaking Precedent, a podcast that explores the stories of innovators who are pushing societal boundaries and setting new precedents in their fields. Leah is General Partner at Fuel Capital, where she invests in early-stage companies across consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail. Leah has 15 years of experience building and creating technology products that have reached millions of people around the globe. She started her career at IBM as an engineer in the software group, working on Lotus Notes and Domino. In 2008, Leah founded TaskRabbit, the leading on-demand service marketplace in the world. Connect with Leah: Website: breakingprecedent.com/ Instagram: @labunleashed X: @labunleashed…
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Breaking Precedent
In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan sits down with Jes Wolfe, CEO of Rebel Girls, adventurer, and precedent-breaker. Jes shares her experience summiting Mount Aconcagua, one of the tallest mountains in the world, and how she found the strength to keep going after facing an unexpected tragedy on the climb. Jes then discusses the birth of Rebel Girls, and the importance of sharing real-life stories of strong women and how early biases in media, education, and parenting contribute to the confidence gap in girls. Jes shares Rebel Girls’ ambitious mission to reach 100 million girls, the launch of Rebel Girls Sport, an ESPN-style platform designed to engage young fans in women’s sports, and the one major societal norm she would change if she could. Guest Bio and Links: Jes Wolfe is the CEO of Rebel Girls, a global storytelling company on a mission to inspire and empower young girls. A lifelong adventurer and leader, Jes has a background in finance, international business, and entrepreneurship. Before joining Rebel Girls, she held roles at Morgan Stanley, the World Bank, and various startups, bringing a wealth of experience in scaling purpose-driven companies. An avid mountaineer, Jes recently summited Mount Aconcagua, demonstrating her philosophy of resilience and ambition. Under her leadership, Rebel Girls continues to break barriers, reaching millions of girls worldwide with stories of fearless women and redefining representation in children’s media. Listeners can learn more about Jes Wolfe on her website , and on LinkedIn @JesWolfe Show Notes: (0:00) Intro (2:45) Leah introduces Jes Wolfe, adventurer, dog mom, and CEO of Rebel Girls (5:00) Climbing Mount Aconcagua (7:15) Jes shares a personal tragedy while on Mount Aconcagua (8:30) ”It started out as a journey for me and it ended up as a thing for him.” (10:00) The physical and mental challenges of summiting (13:55) ”To be successful to do this is you have to break everything down into the smallest parts.” (15:00) A little background into Jes’s adventurous childhood (18:00) From finance to finding purpose (26:00) The next chapter - Rebel Girls (27:30) Empowering girls through storytelling (31:00) How Rebel Girls is rewriting history and inspiring a new generation (35:00) Norms that still need to be challenged (37:30) ”94 percent of parents say that their kids were inspired because of our storytelling and 86 percent said that their daughter's confidence increased because of our storytelling. And to me, that's the ultimate measure of success is, are we achieving what we're setting out to do, which is to help raise a generation of girls that are going to go forth and be awesome and believe in themselves.” (40:30) Expanding Rebel Girls' impact (42:30) Future goals and inspirations (46:00) Rebel Girls Sport (51:00) Closing thoughts --- Leah Solivan is the host of Breaking Precedent, a podcast that explores the stories of innovators who are pushing societal boundaries and setting new precedents in their fields. Leah is General Partner at Fuel Capital, where she invests in early-stage companies across consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail. Leah has 15 years of experience building and creating technology products that have reached millions of people around the globe. She started her career at IBM as an engineer in the software group, working on Lotus Notes and Domino. In 2008, Leah founded TaskRabbit, the leading on-demand service marketplace in the world. Connect with Leah: Website: breakingprecedent.com/ Instagram: @labunleashed X: @labunleashed…
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Breaking Precedent
1 A Water Break: The Undaunted Journey of Kara Goldin and Hint 1:13:28
1:13:28 Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir Geliked1:13:28
Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedIn this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan talks with Kara Goldin, founder and CEO of Hint Water, to talk about her journey from AOL exec to beverage industry disruptor. Kara shares how her father’s influence, a knack for asking the right questions, and a fearless approach to problem-solving led her to create an entirely new category in drinks. She also opens up about learning from visionaries like Jeff Bezos, balancing entrepreneurship with family, and refusing to compromise on product integrity—despite having no industry experience. Guest Bio and Links: Kara Goldin is the founder and CEO of Hint, Inc., the pioneering brand behind unsweetened flavored water. Before launching Hint in 2005, she was a Vice President at AOL, where she helped grow its e-commerce business to over $1 billion. She is the author of the bestselling book Undaunted and has been recognized as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year and one of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs. Listeners can learn more about Kara Goldin at her website , on LinkedIn @karagoldin , on IG @karagoldin Kara’s Book: Undaunted Show Notes: (0:00) Intro (3:00) Leah introduces guest, Kara Goldin, founder and CEO of Hint Water (5:00) Early life for Kara (10:00) Creating Hint - a new beverage category (13:00) Lessons from Dad (19:30) Challenges in retail and distribution (24:00) Joining CNN and meeting Ted Turner (26:30) Making the move to San Francisco (37:00) Building the AOL marketplace (39:30) ”Sometimes it's better to look outside of your industry for the answers that you need, especially if you're trying to up your own game.” (41:30) Meeting Jeff Bezos in Amazon’s early days (47:30) From AOL to family life - new beginnings (48:00) The birth of Hint Water (56:30) Challenges and innovations in extending shelf life (1:04:30) “ It just takes somebody who is curious, who's a little crazy and who's willing to try.” (1:07:00) The family influence with Hint (1:11:15) Final thoughts --- Leah Solivan is the host of Breaking Precedent, a podcast that explores the stories of innovators who are pushing societal boundaries and setting new precedents in their fields. Leah is General Partner at Fuel Capital, where she invests in early-stage companies across consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail. Leah has 15 years of experience building and creating technology products that have reached millions of people around the globe. She started her career at IBM as an engineer in the software group, working on Lotus Notes and Domino. In 2008, Leah founded TaskRabbit, the leading on-demand service marketplace in the world. Connect with Leah: Website: breakingprecedent.com/ Instagram: @labunleashed X: @labunleashed…
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Breaking Precedent
1 Breaking Pointe: San Francisco Ballet’s Tamara Rojo with Her Bold Vision for a Vibrant Future 1:04:13
1:04:13 Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir Geliked1:04:13
Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedIn this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan talks with Tamara Rojo, a trailblazing ballerina, choreographer, and artistic director of the San Francisco Ballet. Tamara shares her extraordinary journey from humble beginnings in Madrid to becoming one of the most celebrated dancers of her generation. Leah and Tamara touch on Tamara’s innovative approach to leadership, redefining classic stories like Carmen , and the importance of accessibility and diversity in the arts. Guest Bio and Links: Tamara Rojo is one of the most celebrated ballerinas of her generation. Born in Montreal and raised in Madrid, Tamara broke barriers as an outsider in the ballet world, becoming the first female Artistic Director of the English National Ballet and, more recently, the San Francisco Ballet. Known for her emotional depth, technical brilliance, and innovative leadership, she continues to push the art form forward by commissioning bold new works and amplifying diverse voices in ballet. Listeners can learn more about Tamara at her website , and on IG @rojotamara Show Notes: (0:00) Intro (0:30) Leah introduces guest, Spanish ballet dancer, Tamara Rojo (4:30) Tamara on growing up in Madrid (13:00) Tamara’s initial thoughts on ballet (19:00) Joining the Scottish Ballet and classical training (20:30) The evolution and influence of ballet (27:30) The emotional connection in ballet performance (28:00) ”You need to be a master of your craft because you can only lose yourself in the emotion of the character if you're not worried about whether or not you can finish your pirouette.” (30:45) Overcoming dance limitations (32:30) Reimagining Carmen (36:00) Creating 'Mere Mortals' (47:00) Vision for San Fransisco ballet (54:00) Supporting dancers' well-being --- Leah Solivan is the host of Breaking Precedent, a podcast that explores the stories of innovators who are pushing societal boundaries and setting new precedents in their fields. Leah is General Partner at Fuel Capital, where she invests in early-stage companies across consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail. Leah has 15 years of experience building and creating technology products that have reached millions of people around the globe. She started her career at IBM as an engineer in the software group, working on Lotus Notes and Domino. In 2008, Leah founded TaskRabbit, the leading on-demand service marketplace in the world. Connect with Leah: Website: breakingprecedent.com/ Instagram: @labunleashed X: @labunleashed…
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Breaking Precedent
1 The Breakdown: Andy Dunn on Building Bonobos, Battling Bipolar, and Baking Pie 1:11:10
1:11:10 Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir Geliked1:11:10
Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedIn this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan talks with Andy Dunn, founder of Bonobos, author, and advocate for mental health. They discuss Andy's groundbreaking work in retail with Bonobos, his personal experience navigating mental health challenges, and his latest venture, Pi Social, aimed at fostering in-person connections. Andy opens up about the influence of growing up in a multicultural household, the impact of his bipolar disorder diagnosis, and how he turned what many see as a weakness into a powerful aspect of his identity. Guest Bio and Links: Andy Dunn is an American entrepreneur and the co-founder of Bonobos Inc. Dunn served as CEO for eleven years after co-founding the Bonobos brand in 2007. In June 2017, Walmart announced purchasing the Bonobos brand for $310 million in cash. Learn more about Andy Dunn at his website , on IG @dunn Andy’s Book: Burn Rate: Launching a Startup and Losing My Mind Show Notes: (0:00) Intro (2:30) Leah introduces guest, Andy Dunn, founder of Bonobos (3:30) Andy discusses growing up in a multicultural household (6:00) Realizing the power in differences during college (11:00) Transition from pre-med to business (15:00) The Stanford experience and meeting Brian (17:30) Challenges and successes of building Bonobos (19:00) The digital brand revolution (24:00) The innovation of Bonobos' guide shops without inventory (30:00) Mental health advocacy and writing Burn Rate (35:00) Substance use and misdiagnosis (36:00) Burying the bipolar diagnosis (37:00) Repressed memories and mental health (38:00) Depression and starting Bonobos (39:30) Second episode and higher stakes (46:00) Cultural differences in mental health (52:00) ”Strengths have shadows.” (56:00) Founding Pi and platonic friendships (1:04:00) Challenging societal norms (1:06:00) Finding empathy in political norms (1:10:00) Closing thoughts --- Leah Solivan is the host of Breaking Precedent, a podcast that explores the stories of innovators who are pushing societal boundaries and setting new precedents in their fields. Leah is General Partner at Fuel Capital, where she invests in early-stage companies across consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail. Leah has 15 years of experience building and creating technology products that have reached millions of people around the globe. She started her career at IBM as an engineer in the software group, working on Lotus Notes and Domino. In 2008, Leah founded TaskRabbit, the leading on-demand service marketplace in the world. Connect with Leah: Website: breakingprecedent.com/ Instagram: @labunleashed X: @labunleashed…
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Breaking Precedent
1 Broken Records: Windy Chien on changing paths, tying stories into knots, and designing a new language of possibilities 1:02:22
1:02:22 Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir Geliked1:02:22
Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedIn this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan talks to Windy Chien, a former tech professional turned celebrated artist renowned for her intricate knots and innovative art installations. Wendy shares her journey of creative reinvention, drawing insights from her project 'The Year of Knots,' and delves into her background, influences, and the transition from tech to tactile art. She emphasizes the universal language of knots, the role of discipline, and the beauty of day-to-day creativity. The episode explores how Wendy's non-traditional path led her to collaborations with major institutions and a unique approach to art that honors tradition while breaking new ground. Guest Bio and Links: Artist Windy Chien is best known for her 2016 work, The Year of Knots , in which she learned a new knot every day for a year. Her work ranges in size from a knot that can fit in the palm of a child's hand to room-sized installations that are sought after by private collectors. Following long careers at Apple and as the owner of legendary music shop Aquarius Records, she launched her studio in 2015. Select clients include the National Geographic Society, the De Young Museum, the San Francisco MOMA, Nobu Hotels, Google, and the Kering Group, and her work has been covered by Wired, The New York Times , and Martha Stewart . Windy’s book about her work was published by Abrams in 2019. Listeners can learn more about Windy Chien at her website and on IG @windychien Resources: The Year of Knots by Windy Chien Exhibitions Collaborations Windy's Install at Leah's Show Notes: (0:00) Intro (3:00) Leah introduces guest, Windy Chien, Artist and Innovator (3:30) The journey of knot making (4:00) Windy's early life and influences (6:00) The impact of her military upbringing (7:30) Creativity and cultural heritage (11:30) Embracing the outsider perspective (16:00) Changing circumstances and sitting with uncertainty (21:00) ”The thing that makes a knot a knot is intentionality. That's what separates it from a tangle, right? It was tied in a certain way to do a certain thing. And knots occur in every occupation, every culture around the world for centuries.” (23:30) From filmmaking to music (29:30) Transition to Apple and tech innovations (32:00) The impact of recognition and amplification (32:30) Revolutionary apps and TaskRabbit's role (33:00) A creative epiphany at Apple (35:00) Exploring new creative avenues (36:00) Discovering fiber art and woodworking (40:00) The Year of Knots and Its impact (43:00) Large-scale installations and their influence (51:00) Collaborations across mediums (56:00) Advice for aspiring artists (58:00) Final reflections and inspirations --- Leah Solivan is the host of Breaking Precedent, a podcast that explores the stories of innovators who are pushing societal boundaries and setting new precedents in their fields. Leah is General Partner at Fuel Capital, where she invests in early-stage companies across consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail. Leah has 15 years of experience building and creating technology products that have reached millions of people around the globe. She started her career at IBM as an engineer in the software group, working on Lotus Notes and Domino. In 2008, Leah founded TaskRabbit, the leading on-demand service marketplace in the world. Connect with Leah: Website: breakingprecedent.com/ Instagram: @labunleashed X: @labunleashed…
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