Billion Dollar Moves™ with Sarah Chen-Spellings | Global Venture Capital

We’re back—kicking off our 2026 season live from SXSW Austin with the Ayana Foundation. Featuring: Allison Ellsworth on scaling Poppi from kitchen experiment to a $1.95B sale to Pepsi; Rachel Roy on creative control, brand ownership, and navigating legal battles; Theresa Fette on the identity shift after exit—and choosing yourself over the title. From Shark Tank moments to hard decisions behind the scenes, this is a candid look at what happens after the spotlight. If you're building, scaling, or thinking about your next move—this one’s for you. Timestamps/Key Takeaways 00:00 Panel Introduction: Women of the New Frontier 01:40 Meet the Panelists: Origins in Soda, Fashion, and FinTech 04:14 The Poppy Story: From Oil & Gas to Probiotic Soda 06:16 Launching in a Pandemic: The Rebrand and the Power of TikTok 09:19 Why Embarrassment is a Secret Weapon for Success 10:20 Rachel Roy on 25 Years of Creative-First Design 12:22 Lessons from a Namesake Brand: Why Names Matter in Business 15:25 Theresa Fette on Luck, Law, and the 50% Opportunity 18:28 Understanding Self-Directed IRAs and the Bitcoin IRA Pivot 21:05 Fighting for Your Name: Rachel Roy’s New York Supreme Court Battle 25:26 The Shark Tank Turning Point: Getting the Deal with Rohan Oza 27:14 Founder Advice: Knowing Your Value and Staying the Face of the Brand 31:36 Negotiating the Exit: Turning a $27M Offer into $100M 34:48 Choosing Partners: Aligning Core Values and Saving Your Soul 37:19 The Power of the Board Seat: Retaining Control vs. Valuation 40:45 Can You Scale and Stay Authentic? The Future of Poppy and Pepsi 43:08 The Identity Crisis After an Exit: Life as an Intuitive Leader 48:42 Audience Q&A: What Investors Really Look for in a Founder 51:21 Testing for Resilience: The Number One Marker for Success 53:14 Advice to a Younger Self: Navigating Stress, Lawsuits, and Motherhood 56:04 Final Takeaways: Why Failure is Inevitable and Fun is Fuel -- About the speakers Allison Ellsworth is the founder of Poppi, a prebiotic soda brand she scaled from her home kitchen to a massive $1.95 billion exit to Pepsi. Rachel Roy is a world-renowned designer and the founder of her namesake brand, Rachel Roy Design, who has spent over 25 years navigating the complexities of creative control and brand ownership. Theresa Fette a serial entrepreneur and tax attorney who pioneered the self-directed IRA space in FinTech, successfully exiting three companies and currently leading Bitcoin IRA and Digital Trust. -- Billion Dollar Moves Podcast | The Top Global Venture & Business Podcast for Founders & Funders | Backed by HubSpot Podcast Network Conversations with billionaires, unicorn founders, and the world’s leading funders. Hosted by Sarah Chen-Spellings, Billion Dollar Moves examines how enduring companies — and the capital behind them — are built. Through long-form conversations, the show explores decision-making under uncertainty, capital allocation, and the inflection points that shape category-defining businesses. From early platform backstories to allocator frameworks used across private markets, the focus is on judgment, incentives, and long-term value creation — beyond headlines and hype. New episodes weekly. Built for those who take the long view. PODCAST INFO: ⁠Podcast Website⁠ |⁠ Watch on Youtube⁠ |⁠ Join the Community⁠ FOLLOW SARAH: ⁠LinkedIn⁠ |⁠ Instagram⁠

The future of food and climate resilience in Southeast Asia is being shaped as much in cassava fields and starch factories as it is in boardrooms. In this episode of Billion Dollar Moves, Ho Ren Hua, CEO of Thai Wah Public Company Limited, joins Sarah to unpack how he is reinventing a 77-year-old family starch business into a regional agri-food and bio-materials platform built on “innovation and sustainability from farm to shelf.” We go inside his operator playbook: leading 3,500 people through crisis with the principle “I can lose money, but I cannot lose a life,” transforming legacy vermicelli and tapioca products into higher-value ingredients and using distribution as a moat across Asia and beyond. For investors, founders, and family-business leaders thinking in decades, this is a rare look at what long-term, values-led execution really takes. Timestamps/Key Takeaways02:10 – Legacy, trees & being “rooted”06:10 – Stepping into a 77-year-old family business12:32 – F4 framework: Farm, Factory, Family, Food15:15 – Making circularity real: factories, water, solar & biogas19:48 – Managing talent across China & Southeast Asia + AI workforce23:24 – From noodles & starch to circular-economy platform26:51 – Innovation & ROSECO: building new revenue engines28:26 – Rockefeller Foundation, deployment & blended finance32:19 – Time horizons, synthesis & “go slow to go fast” --About Ho Ren HuaHo Ren Hua is CEO of Thai Wah Public Company Ltd, a leading Southeast Asian starch and consumer foods group founded in 1947, now expanding across multiple markets in Asia. Previously, he was Executive Director and Country Head, China for Banyan Tree Holdings, helping cement its position as a leading luxury hospitality brand in China, and began his career at Bain & Company in New York, Hong Kong, and China in private equity and strategy. He has served on boards including UN Women Singapore and Wharton China Alumni Club, and currently sits on the boards or advisory councils of Banyan Tree Holdings, the Asia Pacific Agri-Innovation Summit, and Singapore Management University. He holds a BS in Economics (Hons) from The Wharton School and is a graduate of the CEIBS Advanced Management Programme. --Billion Dollar Moves Podcast | The Top Global VC Podcast for Founders & Funders | Backed by HubSpot Podcast Network In venture, every move can make—or break—a billion-dollar outcome. Hosted by Sarah Chen-Spellings, award-winning entrepreneur, investor, and venture insider, Billion Dollar Moves pulls back the curtain on the strategies, stumbles, and breakout moments that define the world’s most iconic companies. From boardroom power plays to investor backchannels, you’ll hear the untold stories behind iconic companies like YouTube, Canva, and Vimeo, and go inside the minds of those moving capital at firms like Sequoia, Lightspeed, and beyond. Whether you're chasing your first $10M—or your next billion—this show is your front-row seat to how the smartest founders and funders win. Think raw, unfiltered, no-BS insight—designed to help you move faster, smarter, and bolder. This isn’t just another business podcast. This is your billion-dollar playbook. PODCAST INFO: Podcast Website | Watch on Youtube | Join the Community FOLLOW SARAH: LinkedIn | Instagram | X/Twitter

The biggest industrial transformation of our lifetime is happening now and it’s not AI. It’s climate industrialism. Shawn Xu, Partner at Lowercarbon Capital (founded by Chris Sacca), discuss how Lowercarbon backs outlier founders, why “cheaper, better, faster” wins over green premiums, and where the biggest opportunities are emerging: energy, carbon removal, fusion, materials, resilience, and the AI-power bottleneck. If you’re an investor, founder, or operator ; or just tracking where smart money is moving- this episode is a must-watch. ---- Join Venture Nordics, the top investor program in Europe, designed for international GPs, LPs and Family Offices eager to explore opportunities in the New Nordics (Scandinavia & Baltics). Taking place in Helsinki, Finland, alongside Slush, the world's largest venture capital gathering. The 7-day program offers: Exclusive networking with Finnish and Nordic investors Deep insights into the Finnish startup and venture ecosystem Complimentary Slush ticket with access to curated side events A cottage getaway with the fellow participants to further bond and create long-lasting connections The program is free of charge, powered by Helsinki Partners (backed by the City of Helsinki). Participants only cover their travel and accommodation. Only 10 investors will be selected. Register your interest now at www.venturenordics.vc to be the first to know when applications open. ---- Timestamps / Key Takeaways 03:36 – The climate industrial revolution & “unfuck the planet” 12:30 – AI, energy demand & the $500 billion program 17:00 – From Silicon Valley kid to VC 23:23 - Becoming a climate investor in a trillion dollar market 37:32 - “Greedy capitalist” & a Series A $900M fusion round 44:54 - 40-Page memo, the biggest lessons on conviction 57:41 - Q&A: The one “billion dollar move” takeaway ---- About Shawn Xu Shawn is a Partner at Lowercarbon Capital, focused on backing audacious founders building bold solutions to the climate crisis. An accomplished early-stage investor, he was previously a Partner at On Deck’s venture fund and accelerator, backing companies across 20+ countries and earning a founder NPS of 100. He also invested at Floodgate and First Round Capital’s Dorm Room Fund, was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 (Venture Capital), and has partnered with ~50 companies, helping founders go from zero to one—from ideation to product-market fit. Follow Shawn: https://lowercarbon.com/team/shawn-xu/ Resources: Chris Sacca — How to Succeed by Living on Your Own Terms | Tim Ferriss https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIBo69EsAzw Chris Sacca Interview (Full Episode) | The Tim Ferriss Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqaXz2BPsfY Chris Sacca: Drifting Back to Real | Dialectic with Jackson Dahl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acwhhgGGdX8 ---- Billion Dollar Moves Podcast | The Top Global VC Podcast for Founders & Funders | Backed by HubSpot Podcast Network In venture, every move can make—or break—a billion-dollar outcome. Hosted by Sarah Chen-Spellings, award-winning entrepreneur, investor, and venture insider, Billion Dollar Moves pulls back the curtain on the strategies, stumbles, and breakout moments that define the world’s most iconic companies. From boardroom power plays to investor backchannels, you’ll hear the untold stories behind iconic companies like YouTube, Canva, and Vimeo, and go inside the minds of those moving capital at firms like Sequoia, Lightspeed, and beyond. Whether you're chasing your first $10M—or your next billion—this show is your front-row seat to how the smartest founders and funders win. Think raw, unfiltered, no-BS insight—designed to help you move faster, smarter, and bolder. This isn’t just another business podcast. This is your billion-dollar playbook. PODCAST INFO: Podcast Website | Watch on Youtube | Join the Community FOLLOW SARAH: LinkedIn | Instagram | X/Twitter

In this Billion Dollar Bite, Joel Sandhu (Co-Founder of Top-Tier Access; Partner at Investors Capital) breaks down the forces reshaping private markets. From the great normalization post-2021, to how LPs actually underwrite managers, to why family offices are rewriting their approach to access and alignment. We unpack the real liquidity picture, the rise of GP-led secondaries, and why the “elastic mid-market” may be the most compelling place to generate outsized returns in the decade ahead. If you’re a GP, LP, or allocator navigating this cycle, this is a must-listen. Watch the full episode here: https://billiondollarmoves.com/podcast-episode/from-family-offices-to-private-equity-power-plays-w-joel-sandhu-top-tier-access/ Timestamps / Key Takeaways 0:00 - Intro 01:40 - Key Takeaway #1: The market reset & picking managers 11:09 - SCS’s takeaway: Underwriting & selection is KEY 12:48 - Key Takeaway #2: The Family Office advantage & why they need a new model 18:18 - Key Takeaway #3: The future of venture, secondaries & the “elastic” mid-market 28:48 - Closing remarks About Joel Sandhu Joel is co-founder and Partner at Investors Capital, a Riyadh-based fund of funds. With an investment strategy primarily focused on buyout, the platform offers investors across the globe access to top decile funds that is well-diversified. Prior to this, Joel co-founded TTA, a Brussels based fund of funds in Private Equity. TTA brings institutional grade PE to the family office and HNWI segment. FOLLOW JOEL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelsandhu/ - Billion Dollar Moves Podcast | The Top Global VC Podcast for Founders & Funders | Backed by HubSpot Podcast Network In venture, every move can make—or break—a billion-dollar outcome. Hosted by Sarah Chen-Spellings, award-winning entrepreneur, investor, and venture insider, Billion Dollar Moves pulls back the curtain on the strategies, stumbles, and breakout moments that define the world’s most iconic companies. From boardroom power plays to investor backchannels, you’ll hear the untold stories behind iconic companies like YouTube, Canva, and Vimeo, and go inside the minds of those moving capital at firms like Sequoia, Lightspeed, and beyond. Whether you're chasing your first $10M—or your next billion—this show is your front-row seat to how the smartest founders and funders win. Think raw, unfiltered, no-BS insight—designed to help you move faster, smarter, and bolder. This isn’t just another business podcast. This is your billion-dollar playbook. PODCAST INFO: Podcast Website | Watch on Youtube | Join the Community FOLLOW SARAH: LinkedIn | Instagram | X/Twitter

In this episode, we sit down with Chris Rynning (AMYP Ventures; Piëch/Porsche family office) and Anulika Malomo (HarbourVest & impact advisor) to unpack what it really takes to future-proof portfolios in 2025 and beyond. From AI’s existential risks to global liquidity crunches, China’s DeepSeek shock, secondaries, midstream renewable opportunities, and the rise of long-term family office strategies — this conversation cuts through hype and surfaces where capital and opportunity are truly misaligned. If you’re an LP, GP, family office, or allocator thinking long-term, this is a must-listen. Timestamps / Key Takeaways 0:00 - Intro: A modern Piëch/Porsche family office and PE global investment lens 04:26 - Why future-proofing portfolios matters in 2025 and beyond 09:14 - How LPs and family offices are navigating liquidity crunch: Secondaries, IPO freeze & new exit pathways and timeframe 16:49 - Capital vs. Opportunity: Where the biggest disconnects lie 21:07 - Impact vs. Harm (e.g., the crypto-climate paradox) 24:14 - Practical guide on how to allocate capital while “future-proofing” 26:37 - Are we optimistic? The Next-Gen & AI dilemma 28:19 - Q&A: What they’re NOT investing in? Panelists: Chris Rynning, Managing Partner, AMYP Ventures Anulika Malomo, Non-Executive Director, HarbourVest Global Private Equity Hosted by: Sarah Chen-Spellings, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Beyond The Billion - Billion Dollar Moves Podcast | The Top Global VC Podcast for Founders & Funders | Backed by HubSpot Podcast Network In venture, every move can make—or break—a billion-dollar outcome. Hosted by Sarah Chen-Spellings, award-winning entrepreneur, investor, and venture insider, Billion Dollar Moves pulls back the curtain on the strategies, stumbles, and breakout moments that define the world’s most iconic companies. From boardroom power plays to investor backchannels, you’ll hear the untold stories behind iconic companies like YouTube, Canva, and Vimeo, and go inside the minds of those moving capital at firms like Sequoia, Lightspeed, and beyond. Whether you're chasing your first $10M—or your next billion—this show is your front-row seat to how the smartest founders and funders win. Think raw, unfiltered, no-BS insight—designed to help you move faster, smarter, and bolder. This isn’t just another business podcast. This is your billion-dollar playbook. PODCAST INFO: Podcast Website | Watch on Youtube | Join the Community FOLLOW SARAH: LinkedIn | Instagram | X/Twitter

From a North Dakota childhood shaped by reinvention to a $100M exit and a $35M investing run, Anne Mahlum’s story is a masterclass in conviction, resilience, and ownership. In this powerful episode, the founder of Back on My Feet and solidcore pulls back the curtain on the defining moments that shaped her rise. In this episode, you’ll learn: The unconventional decisions that shaped Anne’s rise What conviction looks like when the stakes are high Lessons from scaling solidcore far beyond virality How to turn adversity into fuel — not fear The ownership mindset every founder, investor, and leader needs to hear Whether you’re a founder, operator, or investor, Anne's philosophy is a blueprint for betting on yourself — loudly, unapologetically, and with full skin in the game. Before we dive in, a special thank you to our episode sponsor, ⁠Newton Street⁠ — a women-led strategic communications firm that brings people and ideas together to change the world. They advise global health organizations, philanthropies, family offices, high-profile leaders, social impact groups, and forward-looking companies tackling some of the most complex issues of our time. Their work sits at the intersection of influence and impact — and we’re proud to have them support this episode. Timestamps / Key Takeaways 0:00 - Intro 01:42 - North Dakota beginnings and how her father’s gambling addiction shaped her drive 03:40 - From running to purpose: The birth of Back on My Feet 05:51 - Reinvention & “This is my next thing” — solidcore 09:09 - “I went all in”: turning down the $75K offer & fighting against lawsuits while scaling 12:49 - Bootstrapping to 25 studios; the first PE deal with nearly $60M valuation 15:24 - “I wanted $100M and I did it,” — the exit from solidcore 18:43 - Growing $35M from the $100M; Anne’s investment playbook 23:03 - Billion Dollar Questions with Anne Mahlum 25:37 - Recap: conviction, ownership, and leadership that lasts About Anne Mahlum Anne Mahlum is an American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and keynote speaker. She founded Back on My Feet in 2007 — a nonprofit that uses running and community to help individuals experiencing homelessness achieve self-sufficiency. In 2013, she launched solidcore, a boutique fitness company; she bootstrapped it with her life savings (~US$175,000), scaled it to over 100+ studios, raised more than US$200 million, and eventually sold her shares in 2023. A self-made entrepreneur with a net worth exceeding US$100 million, Anne is now focused on investing, advisory work, writing, and speaking on leadership, boldness, and social change. FOLLOW ANNE: https://www.instagram.com/annemahlum https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-mahlum https://x.com/AnneMahlum - Billion Dollar Moves Podcast | The Top Global VC Podcast for Founders & Funders | Backed by HubSpot Podcast Network In venture, every move can make—or break—a billion-dollar outcome. Hosted by Sarah Chen-Spellings, award-winning entrepreneur, investor, and venture insider, Billion Dollar Moves pulls back the curtain on the strategies, stumbles, and breakout moments that define the world’s most iconic companies. From boardroom power plays to investor backchannels, you’ll hear the untold stories behind iconic companies like YouTube, Canva, and Vimeo, and go inside the minds of those moving capital at firms like Sequoia, Lightspeed, and beyond. Whether you're chasing your first $10M—or your next billion—this show is your front-row seat to how the smartest founders and funders win. Think raw, unfiltered, no-BS insight—designed to help you move faster, smarter, and bolder. This isn’t just another business podcast. This is your billion-dollar playbook. PODCAST INFO: Podcast Website | Watch on Youtube | Join the Community FOLLOW SARAH: LinkedIn | Instagram | X/Twitter

India’s venture ecosystem is at a turning point — and women are leading the charge. In this powerful conversation recorded live in Bangalore, we brought together four trailblazers shaping the future of innovation and capital: Vani Kola (Managing Director, Kalaari Capital), Priya Mohan (Former Partner, General Catalyst), Aarti Gupta (CIO, Family Office DM Gupta & Anikarth Ventures), and Shuvi Shrivastava (Partner, Lightspeed India). Together, we unpack how India’s venture model must evolve, what democratizing opportunity truly means, and how the rise of women investors and family offices is reshaping where the next billion dollars will go. Timestamps / Key Takeaways 0:00 - Intro 01:35 - Priya Mohan: India’s unique evolution and democratizing opportunities 05:01 - Vani Kola: Reflections on being an outlier and building Kalaari Capital 12:45 - Aarti Gupta: Inside India’s $1 trillion wealth moment as family offices 17:27 - Shruvi Shrivastava: India’s tech evolution, premiumization, and inclusion 21:49 - Rethinking the venture model; the General Catalyst–Venture Highway merger 24:44 - The power of smaller funds; lessons from Silicon Valley’s evolution 30:15 - Final takeaways Panelists: Dr. Aarti Gupta CIO, Family Office DM Gupta & Anikarth Ventures Shuvi Shrivastava Partner, Lightspeed India Vani Kola Founder & Managing Director, Kalaari Capital Priya Mohan Former Partner, General Catalyst Hosted by: Sarah Chen-Spellings Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Beyond The Billion Full Recap: https://beyondthebillion.com/the-billion-dollar-brunch-dell-bangalore-2024/ - Billion Dollar Moves Podcast | The Top Global VC Podcast for Founders & Funders | Backed by HubSpot Podcast Network In venture, every move can make—or break—a billion-dollar outcome. Hosted by Sarah Chen-Spellings, award-winning entrepreneur, investor, and venture insider, Billion Dollar Moves pulls back the curtain on the strategies, stumbles, and breakout moments that define the world’s most iconic companies. From boardroom power plays to investor backchannels, you’ll hear the untold stories behind iconic companies like YouTube, Canva, and Vimeo, and go inside the minds of those moving capital at firms like Sequoia, Lightspeed, and beyond. Whether you're chasing your first $10M—or your next billion—this show is your front-row seat to how the smartest founders and funders win. Think raw, unfiltered, no-BS insight—designed to help you move faster, smarter, and bolder. This isn’t just another business podcast. This is your billion-dollar playbook. PODCAST INFO: Podcast Website | Watch on Youtube | Join the Community FOLLOW SARAH: LinkedIn | Instagram | X/Twitter

Fired at 36 from his dream job at Time Inc., Michael Loeb turned rejection into the billion-dollar spark behind Synapse and Priceline.com. A true serial entrepreneur, Michael shares how he reinvented industries—from magazine subscriptions to online travel to healthcare—and why he believes the entrepreneurial gene shows up long before the first startup pitch. In this week's episode, we unpack the mind of a founder who built and sold multiple ventures, now running Loeb.nyc, a venture collective redefining how startups are scaled. Packed with wisdom on resilience, reinvention, and legacy, this episode is a masterclass in building with capital and conviction you won't want to miss! Timestamps/Key Takeaways 0:00 - Intro 01:48 - From Firing to Fortune: Turning a corporate setback into an $800 million exit 05:12 - The Entrepreneurial Gene: Why the lemonade stand still predicts success 09:30 - Synapse to Priceline: Inside one of the internet’s most iconic startups 12:03 - Betting on Healthcare Before GoodRx: How ScriptRelief scaled to millions 14:39 - Reinventing the Model: Building The Loeb.nyc — a venture collective under one roof 17:44 - Legacy & Family: Raising entrepreneurs and building impact that lasts 20:23 - Billion Dollar Questions About Michael Loeb Michael Loeb is a serial entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Loeb.nyc. After starting his career at Time, Inc., Michael co-founded the Synapse Group with then partner, Jay Walker. Under Michael’s direction, Synapse grew to become the largest seller of consumer magazine subscriptions worldwide, with its revolutionary and patented Continuous Service Model. Michael and Jay went on to form and incubate Priceline.com together at Synapse, leveraging a shared team of operators and capital. When Synapse Group was sold to Time Warner in 2006, Michael formed Loeb Enterprises with partner, Rich Vogel to ideate and develop new business concepts. The largest of those ventures was ScriptRelief, a pharmacy discount provider that has a membership in excess of 12 million Americans. In 2019, Loeb Enterprises rebranded to Loeb.nyc and boasts a portfolio of over 18 direct investments, most of which execute from Loeb.nyc headquarters in Manhattan. Under Michael’s visionary leadership, Loeb.nyc has established a new model for startup investments. By pairing exceptional strategic and executional talent with passionate founders, Loeb.nyc significantly de-risks startup launches. Michael sits on the board of several non-profit organizations and is an avid philanthropist. He currently resides in New York City with his wife and children. Follow Michael: LinkedIn https://www.loeb.nyc/ - Billion Dollar Moves Podcast | The Top Global VC Podcast for Founders & Funders | Backed by HubSpot Podcast Network In venture, every move can make—or break—a billion-dollar outcome. Hosted by Sarah Chen-Spellings, award-winning entrepreneur, investor, and venture insider, Billion Dollar Moves pulls back the curtain on the strategies, stumbles, and breakout moments that define the world’s most iconic companies. From boardroom power plays to investor backchannels, you’ll hear the untold stories behind iconic companies like YouTube, Canva, and Vimeo, and go inside the minds of those moving capital at firms like Sequoia, Lightspeed, and beyond. Whether you're chasing your first $10M—or your next billion—this show is your front-row seat to how the smartest founders and funders win. Think raw, unfiltered, no-BS insight—designed to help you move faster, smarter, and bolder. This isn’t just another business podcast. This is your billion-dollar playbook. PODCAST INFO: Podcast Website | Watch on Youtube | Join the Community FOLLOW SARAH: LinkedIn | Instagram | X/Twitter

When you build beyond yourself — what does legacy really look like? In this special crossover episode, our own host Sarah Chen-Spellings joins The Jasmine Star Show for a candid conversation on leadership, investing, and the power of women building boldly. From cutting million-dollar checks in her 20s to co-founding Beyond The Billion, Sarah shares how she turned a question “Where are the women?”, into a global movement mobilizing over $1.4 billion towards women-founded companies. Tune in to hear how to think bigger, do hard things, and build for generations. Timestamps/Key Takeaways 0:00 - Intro 02:09 - From Instagram DM to real-life connection 05:36 - How Sarah’s mother inspired her journey from Kuala Lumpur to boardrooms and billion-dollar funds 13:20 - Becoming an “accidental feminist” in venture capital: Lean In Malaysia & Beyond The Billion (launched as Billion Dollar Fund for Women) 17:11 - Moving to the U.S., and starting over without a network 20:47 - From volunteer to co-founding Beyond The Billion 23:59 - Hitting the $1B goal in nine months & the updated impact numbers 29:25 - Funding 101: How founders should think about capital 35:16 - How the business of venture capital works 37:25 - How to sell your dream to investors: Sarah’s 3-step framework to pitch with conviction 42:07 - Challenge yourself to do the hard things Watch the original episode here About Jasmine Star A world-class speaker, thought leader, podcast host, CEO, and entrepreneur dedicated to helping you reach your fullest potential - After getting her start in the entrepreneurial world as an internationally recognized wedding photographer, Jasmine became a speaker and business strategist for creative entrepreneurs - and spent almost a decade helping business owners across the world take risks and live their lives to the fullest. Jasmine then went on to found tech company Social Curator: a monthly subscription that serves as a digital marketing agency in your pocket, complete with an A.I. social media manager providing customized marketing content. As a top podcast host and keynote speaker, her goal is simple: to empower you to change the way you approach your professional and personal ambitions. Her approach is rooted in the desire to help you build the future you want and help you see your own potential - regardless of whatever stands in your way. Follow Jasmine: https://www.instagram.com/jasminestar/ https://www.youtube.com/@officialjasminestar https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jasmine-star-show/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasmine-star/ - Billion Dollar Moves Podcast | The Top Global VC Podcast for Founders & Funders | Backed by HubSpot Podcast Network In venture, every move can make—or break—a billion-dollar outcome. Hosted by Sarah Chen-Spellings, award-winning entrepreneur, investor, and venture insider, Billion Dollar Moves pulls back the curtain on the strategies, stumbles, and breakout moments that define the world’s most iconic companies. From boardroom power plays to investor backchannels, you’ll hear the untold stories behind iconic companies like YouTube, Canva, and Vimeo, and go inside the minds of those moving capital at firms like Sequoia, Lightspeed, and beyond. Whether you're chasing your first $10M—or your next billion—this show is your front-row seat to how the smartest founders and funders win. Think raw, unfiltered, no-BS insight—designed to help you move faster, smarter, and bolder. This isn’t just another business podcast. This is your billion-dollar playbook. PODCAST INFO: Podcast Website | Watch on Youtube | Join the Community FOLLOW SARAH: LinkedIn | Instagram | X/Twitter

The rules of private market investing are shifting; and so is the timeline for generating alpha. In this conversation from Arctic15 LP Summit earlier this year, leading allocators Selale Zaim (third-generation family business leader and venture investor) and Kim Groop (Co-Founder, First Fellow Partners) joined us to unpack how family offices and institutions are rethinking their playbooks. From compressed market cycles and delayed liquidity to the rise of co-investments, secondaries, and specialized family offices, we dive into how investors are navigating volatility, reshaping allocation strategies, and re-defining what it means to create long-term value. A must-listen for LPs, GPs, and founders who want to stay ahead in an increasingly dynamic private markets landscape. TIMESTAMPS / KEY TAKEAWAYS 0:00 - Intro 01:56 - Meet the Investors: From Family Conglomerates to Founder-Led Funds 04:43 - Returns, compression, and the shifting VC cycle 07:10 - Why family offices are splitting and specializing 09:06 - One unicorn in every 10 investments: Founder-first approach to investing 11:04 - Cracking the code on direct investments and avoiding negative selection 13:24 - Liquidity engineering: co-investments, secondaries, and partial exits 17:20 - Finland’s ecosystem and the rise of homegrown unicorns 18:42 - Cross-border collaboration among family offices 21:52 - Lessons learned: family business vs. financial returns 24:05 - AI and the new investment frontiers 26:57 - Audience Q&A; final takeaways Panelists: Kim Groop, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at First Fellow Partners Selale Zaim, Board Member at Inci Holding & Head of Investment Committee at Vinci Venture Capital Hosted by: Sarah Chen-Spellings, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Beyond The Billion - Billion Dollar Moves Podcast | The Top Global VC Podcast for Founders & Funders | Backed by HubSpot Podcast Network In venture, every move can make—or break—a billion-dollar outcome. Hosted by Sarah Chen-Spellings, award-winning entrepreneur, investor, and venture insider, Billion Dollar Moves pulls back the curtain on the strategies, stumbles, and breakout moments that define the world’s most iconic companies. From boardroom power plays to investor backchannels, you’ll hear the untold stories behind iconic companies like YouTube, Canva, and Vimeo, and go inside the minds of those moving capital at firms like Sequoia, Lightspeed, and beyond. Whether you're chasing your first $10M—or your next billion—this show is your front-row seat to how the smartest founders and funders win. Think raw, unfiltered, no-BS insight—designed to help you move faster, smarter, and bolder. This isn’t just another business podcast. This is your billion-dollar playbook. PODCAST INFO: Podcast Website | Watch on Youtube | Join the Community FOLLOW SARAH: LinkedIn | Instagram | X/Twitter

What does it take to build a billion-dollar fund from Australia — and back global unicorns like Canva, SafetyCulture, and Culture Amp? In this episode, we sit down with Rick Baker, Co-Founder of Blackbird VC, to unpack the journey from 530 investor rejections to becoming one of the most successful venture firms in the Southern Hemisphere. Rick shares the real stories behind meeting and backing Canva’s Melanie Perkins, scaling a multi-generational VC franchise, and why storytelling and diversity are key to building enduring funds. This is a masterclass on conviction, culture, and capital. Timestamps / Key Takeaways 00:00 Intro 02:01 The early days of Australia’s startup scene: Atlassian & the incoming of US VC firms: Sequoia, Accel, Benchmark, a16z and more. 05:27 From founder to investor: lessons from two failed startups 07:28 How 530 meetings led to Blackbird’s first $29M fund 11:02 The first Canva meeting and what convinced Rick to invest in Melanie Perkins 15:01 Luck vs pattern recognition; turning a $29M fund into 40x returns 17:43 Why funds should last longer than 10 years 19:39 Building a multi-generational VC franchise 21:22 Inside Blackbird’s blind hiring and bias-free investing 24:41 The future of AI and deep tech in Australia 29:02 The thesis of Blackbird VC and portfolio construction 32:00 Lessons from the Kiki incident: investing and accountability 35:13 Gender-lens investing, transparency, and joining Beyond The Billion’s pledge 43:02 “Would you have built Blackbird differently?” 44:25 Billion Dollar Questions About Rick Baker Rick Baker is a co-founder of Blackbird Ventures, a venture capital firm focussed on investing in the best global tech startups being formed in Australia. Rick has led the firm’s investments such as Canva, SafetyCulture, Baraja, Gilmour Space and Ovira. Prior to Blackbird, Rick ran MLC’s venture capital portfolio with investments of over half a billion dollars. Prior to MLC, Rick co-founded two successful software companies: IDC Global and Right Party Connect. Blackbird partners with founders at the very beginning and surrounds them with a community of other founders who have built successful technology companies before. The firm was founded in 2012 and currently manages $1.3 billion dollars. Follow Rick: - Billion Dollar Moves Podcast | The Top Global VC Podcast for Founders & Funders | Backed by HubSpot Podcast Network In venture, every move can make—or break—a billion-dollar outcome. Hosted by Sarah Chen-Spellings, award-winning entrepreneur, investor, and venture insider, Billion Dollar Moves pulls back the curtain on the strategies, stumbles, and breakout moments that define the world’s most iconic companies. From boardroom power plays to investor backchannels, you’ll hear the untold stories behind iconic companies like YouTube, Canva, and Vimeo, and go inside the minds of those moving capital at firms like Sequoia, Lightspeed, and beyond. Whether you're chasing your first $10M—or your next billion—this show is your front-row seat to how the smartest founders and funders win. Think raw, unfiltered, no-BS insight—designed to help you move faster, smarter, and bolder. This isn’t just another business podcast. This is your billion-dollar playbook. PODCAST INFO: Podcast Website | Watch on Youtube | Join the Community FOLLOW SARAH: LinkedIn | Instagram | X/Twitter

With record outflows from ESG funds and rising political scrutiny, the climate investing conversation is shifting dramatically. In this episode, we sit with Anna Herlin (KONE Family, Tiina and Antti Herlin Foundation) and Dr. Krista Halttunen (Halton Ventures) — two next-generation family office leaders driving sustainable innovation in the built environment. We asked: what comes next at the intersection of climate tech, venture capital, and LP strategies? Together, they unpack what it means to deploy patient and catalytic capital in an era of ESG fatigue; from decarbonizing steel and transforming HVAC systems to building data-driven frameworks that measure planetary boundaries. As allocators face rising pressure to balance returns, reputation, and regulation, this candid conversation explores how to future-proof portfolios and redefine value in the next economy. TIMESTAMPS / KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 – Intro 02:23 – ESG backlash and geopolitical landscape 05:25 – Where the capital is flowing now 08:20 – Efficiency as the new climate strategy 11:24 – Systems change vs. incremental innovation 14:12 – Building the Planetary Boundaries framework; beyond box-ticking and science-based investing 18:38 – How to spot Greenwashing & find true additionality 22:22 – Defining “Catalytic Capital for the New Economy” 25:55 – AI and Energy 28:19 – Hardware renaissance: Clean Energy, Green Steel & HVAC; “The Future Is Circular” 32:04 – Audience Q&A 37:06 – Where should Family Offices start in climate investments? Panelists: Anna Herlin, Board Member at TAH Foundation & Vice Chair at Security Trading Krista Halttunen, CEO of Halton Ventures Hosted by: Sarah Chen-Spellings, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Beyond The Billion Video Credit: Arctic15 LP Summit 2025 - Billion Dollar Moves Podcast | The Top Global VC Podcast for Founders & Funders | Backed by HubSpot Podcast Network In venture, every move can make—or break—a billion-dollar outcome. Hosted by Sarah Chen-Spellings, award-winning entrepreneur, investor, and venture insider, Billion Dollar Moves pulls back the curtain on the strategies, stumbles, and breakout moments that define the world’s most iconic companies. From boardroom power plays to investor backchannels, you’ll hear the untold stories behind iconic companies like YouTube, Canva, and Vimeo, and go inside the minds of those moving capital at firms like Sequoia, Lightspeed, and beyond. Whether you’re chasing your first $10M—or your next billion—this show is your front-row seat to how the smartest founders and funders win. Think raw, unfiltered, no-BS insight—designed to help you move faster, smarter, and bolder. This isn’t just another business podcast. This is your billion-dollar playbook. PODCAST INFO: Podcast Website | Watch on Youtube | Join the Community FOLLOW SARAH: LinkedIn | Instagram | X/Twitter

From living in motels and battling recurring infections to leading one of the fastest-growing feminine care brands in America, Beatrice Dixon’s story is as unlikely as it is inspiring. In this episode, Bea reveals how a dream sparked the formula for The Honey Pot, how she scaled from kitchen batches to Target’s Super Bowl ads, and why she walked away from a higher $450M offer to exit on her own terms. Whether you’re a founder, investor, or leader, this is a masterclass in resilience, conviction, and building generational wealth without selling your soul. TIMESTAMPS / KEY TAKEAWAYS 0:00 Intro 01:45 Chapter 1: Rock Bottom to Mindset Shift 03:26 Chapter 2: The Genesis of Honey Pot — a dream of grandmother’s recipe turned the formula that changed her life 07:01 Chapter 3: From Kitchen Batches to Target Super Bowl Ad 13:46 Chapter 4: Scaling with Capital — Why every founder must master money and Bea’s lessons on raising responsibly 16:36 Chapter 5: The Exit & Walking Away From $450M 18:05 Chapter 6: Modern Matriarch & Legacy Builder — on scrutiny, social media storms, and leading Honey Pot into the future 23:13 Bea Dixon’s 5 lessons: invest early, stay authentic, raise with clarity, exit on your terms, and scale with soul ABOUT BEA DIXON Beatrice Dixon is the CEO, cofounder, and chief innovation officer of The Honey Pot Company—the first complete personal wellness brand “made by humans with vaginas, for humans with vaginas.”® She has been named one of Goldman Sachs’s 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs, Worth’s Worthy 100, Forbes’ Top 100 Female Founders, Inc.’s Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs, Ebony’s Power 100, and Create & Cultivate’s 100. FOLLOW BEA: LinkedIn | Instagram Source: Healing from the Earth with The Honey Pot Founders | Black America | CUNY TV Honey Pot Founder Beatrice Dixon Talks Wellness, Black-Owned Business, & Shares Her Five Minute Face The Business of Making Money w/ Bea Dixon - Billion Dollar Moves Podcast | The Top Global VC Podcast for Founders & Funders | Backed by HubSpot Podcast Network In venture, every move can make—or break—a billion-dollar outcome. Hosted by Sarah Chen-Spellings, award-winning entrepreneur, investor, and venture insider, Billion Dollar Moves pulls back the curtain on the strategies, stumbles, and breakout moments that define the world’s most iconic companies. From boardroom power plays to investor backchannels, you’ll hear the untold stories behind iconic companies like YouTube, Canva, and Vimeo, and go inside the minds of those moving capital at firms like Sequoia, Lightspeed, and beyond. Whether you're chasing your first $10M—or your next billion—this show is your front-row seat to how the smartest founders and funders win. Think raw, unfiltered, no-BS insight—designed to help you move faster, smarter, and bolder. This isn’t just another business podcast. This is your billion-dollar playbook. PODCAST INFO: Podcast Website | Watch on Youtube | Join the Community FOLLOW SARAH: LinkedIn | Instagram | X/Twitter

From Wall Street to Silicon Valley's inner circle—this is the untold story behind one of tech’s most trusted capital stewards. In this episode, we sit down with Mike Anders, Partner at ICONIQ, the quiet powerhouse managing over $80B for tech’s most iconic names. Mike opens up about his activist roots, Wall Street disillusionment, and the journey to building a purpose-driven financial empire. We go behind the curtain of ICONIQ’s rise, the venture bets that paid off, the AI wave, and why collaborative philanthropy is their next big frontier. Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 02:11 - Roots & Activism: Academic upbringing and activist parents; “Start outside politics” 04:25 - Disillusionment & Reinvention: donor-advised funds (DAFs), discovering purpose in philanthropy & the pivotal first coffee with Divesh Makan 07:37 - Building ICONIQ: From Alibaba to enterprise software to data centers; the power of collective wisdom from founder clients 15:09 - Market, AI, & Culture: Surviving financial crises and market cycles; ICONIQ’s bet on AI; reflections on culture 26:31 - The Shift to Impact: The genesis of ICONIQ Impact and the CoLab model 31:06 - The Cost & The Legacy: Leadership, humility, and enduring values READ MORE: ICONIQ Impact Half a Billion Report Michael Anders | Partner, ICONIQ Michael Anders is a founding partner of ICONIQ, a global investment firm that channels ideas, talent, and capital to initiatives that advance society. Michael is also the founder and Chairman of ICONIQ Impact, which convenes ICONIQ’s extraordinary community of families, founders, and organizations to catalyze collaborative philanthropy for giving at scale. To-date, ICONIQ Impact has advised on nearly $600M in grants, tackling the world’s most urgent challenges, including climate change, education and economic mobility, ocean health and other impact areas. FOLLOW MIKE: LinkedIn | Instagram | X/Twitter Matti Navellou | Head of ICONIQ Impact, ICONIQ Matti Navellou is the Head of ICONIQ Impact, ICONIQ’s platform for collaborative philanthropy, which convenes ICONIQ’s extraordinary community of families, founders, and organizations to catalyze collaborative philanthropy for giving at scale. To-date, ICONIQ Impact has advised on nearly $900M in grants, tackling the world’s most urgent challenges, including climate change, mental health, women’s health and rights, refugee resettlement and poverty relief. Across her career, Matti has developed and launched several global human rights campaigns, including most recently at UNICEF HQ in New York, leading public advocacy campaigns for child rights. FOLLOW MATTI: LinkedIn | X/Twitter - PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves FOLLOW SARAH: LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal X/Twitter: https://x.com/sarahchenglobal

How do you build a cross-border VC fund that backs female founders before the world sees their value? In this #MeritIn Motion series, we sit down with Marisa Warren, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of ALIAVIA Ventures and Founder of the ELEVACAO. A former Microsoft and SAP exec turned entrepreneur and investor, Marisa shares how she’s rewriting the rules of venture, by backing high-growth female founders across the U.S. and Australia before they're on anyone else’s radar. Backed by Carol Schwartz, the Forrest Family Office, the Denholm family and more, Marisa and co-founder Kate Vale (ex-Google, Spotify) are proving that investing in diverse teams isn’t charity—it’s smart capital. Tune in now to learn more about generating cross-border alpha, and why Aussie startups may just be VC’s best-kept secret. Timestamps / Key Takeaways 0:00 - Intro 02:21 - From teenage hustles to Microsoft, SAP, and Workday; built SAP’s SME channel and scaled Microsoft cloud partner revenue 07:35 - The gender gap in VC; founded ELEVACAO to support women in tech 14:24 - Building ALIAVIA: a cross-border VC fund amid the pandemic; creative loan structure to beat the “no track record” barrier 18:38 - Fund strategy & the edge of cross-border dynamics: Australian startups are often undervalued, capital-efficient, growth-ready 24:48 - LP co-investment as a value driver; founder red flags & must-haves 31:14 - Portfolio focus & the influence of AI on Future of Work and HealthTech 35:10 - The maturity of Australian startup scene; LP alignment and stakeholder management 39:52 - Looking ahead: Fund II at $25M; Fund III to follow with potential growth fund 42:41 - Billion Dollar Questions ABOUT MARISA WARREN Marisa Warren is the Founder and Managing Partner of ALIAVIA Ventures, investing in female-founded tech startups across the U.S. and Australia. Established in 2021, ALIAVIA has delivered it's first exit, Loupe Art to Stingray, and invested in 12 early stage companies. She’s also the founder of ELEVACAO, a not-for-profit that helped 175 women raise over $120 million in funding, leading to 5 exits. FOLLOW MARISA: https://www.aliavia.vc/ https://www.elevacao.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisawarren - PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves FOLLOW SARAH: LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal X/Twitter: https://x.com/sarahchenglobal

When Guild Education’s co-founder Rachel Romer suffered a life-threatening stroke, the company’s future rested in the hands of Bijal Shah — then on maternity leave, recovering from a traumatic birth. In this intimate and deeply strategic conversation, Guild’s now-CEO shares what it took to step up, scale a mission-driven business, and guide 70,000+ employees toward career mobility. From building slum workforce programs in India to powering skills transformation for giants like Walmart, Chipotle, and Disney—Bijal unpacks what it means to lead through adversity, design with empathy, and operate for long-term resilience. This episode is for anyone thinking about the future of workforce development, durable marketplaces, or leadership when it matters most. Timestamps / Key Takeaways 0:00 - Intro 02:11 - From Visa to slum development in India to scaling Guild 03:58 - Joining Guild: The founding vision, team conviction, and social enterprise thesis 07:51 - Evolution of the business model from content creation to a scalable marketplace 09:11 - Customer-led transformation: Meeting both employer and employee skill demands 12:41 - Workforce shifts: Aging population, AI disruption, and the half-life of skills 14:58 - Measuring impact: 70,000 learners, 2.6x retention boost, customized talent solutions 18:03 - Building long-term partnerships over short-term revenue: Walmart, Chipotle, Disney and more major clients 27:40 - Stepping into the CEO role: Permission to lead, guidance from the board, Rachel’s trust 39:45 - Billion Dollar Questions ABOUT BIJAL SHAH Bijal Shah is the CEO of Guild, a talent development company partnering with leading employers to help them build the talent needed for today and the resilient workforce of tomorrow. Guild works with organizations like Chipotle, Discover, Target, and Providence Health to provide seamless pathways for talent mobility that enhance the employee experience and activate internal talent to achieve business goals. Bijal has been named a CNBC Changemaker, and Guild has been recognized as one of TIME’s Most Influential Companies, CNBC’s Disruptor 50, LinkedIn’s Top Startups, and received Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas award. Prior to Guild, Shah held leadership roles across data analytics at Ibotta and corporate strategy at Visa. She served on the Board of Directors of Girls Inc. and was named one of Denver Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. Shah graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and the MIT Sloan School of Management. She lives in Denver with her husband and children. FOLLOW BIJAL LinkedIn | Instagram - PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves FOLLOW SARAH: LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal X/Twitter: https://x.com/sarahchenglobal