Give First
Business & Finance
About
In the startup world, Give First means simply trying to help anyone—especially entrepreneurs—with no expectation of getting anything back. It's the pay-it-forward principle that builds strong startup networks. Hosts David Cohen and Brad Feld—Techstars cofounders, lifelong entrepreneurs, and startup investors—talk with mentors and founders about what giving first looks like in action, and how it makes great entrepreneurship possible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
- Burn Bright, Not Out: James Oliver Jr. on Founder Mental Wellness
In this episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen sits down with James Oliver Jr., Techstars alum, entrepreneur, and author of Burn Bright, Not Out . James shares his journey navigating the pressures of high achievement and the hidden…
- Finding Your Way Back to What You Love Through Give First with John Fein
In this episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen sits down with John Fein, partner at Firebrand Ventures and former Techstars managing director. John reflects on the winding path of his career, from moments of uncertainty to finding…
- The Long Game of Venture and Generosity with David Hornik
In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld talks with David Hornik, founding partner at Lobby Capital. David shares how a relationship driven approach has shaped his career in venture capital, from investing to community building…
- Rethinking Capitalism with Seth Levine
In this episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen talks with Seth Levine, Partner at Foundry and co-author of Capital Evolution . Seth looks back on the early days of Techstars, the original Boulder community that shaped it, and how F…
- Starting and Closing a Bank in 3 Months with Bala Kamallakharan
In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld talks with Bala Kamallakharan, founder of Startup Iceland and a driving force behind the country’s modern startup ecosystem. Bala shares the remarkable story of moving to Mumbai to build…
- How Pledge 1% Sparked a Global Movement for Startup Philanthropy
In this special episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld and Sameer Dholakia revisit the origins of Pledge 1%, the global movement helping startups build philanthropy into their business from the start. What began as a simple conversat…
- How Sameer Dholakia Led SendGrid to IPO and Exit
In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld sits down with Sameer Dholakia, partner at Bessemer Venture Partners and former CEO of SendGrid, the first Techstars company to go public. When Sameer joined SendGrid, growth was slowing…
- The Compass Within: Robert Glazer on Leading with Core Values
In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld sits down with Robert Glazer, 5x entrepreneur, #1 Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, and author of the new book The Compass Within. Robert shares his framework for unc…
- AI First Leaders | Andy Sack & Adam Brotman on Scaling with the AI Wave
In this episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen sits down with longtime Techstars friend Andy Sack and former Starbucks Chief Digital Officer Adam Brotman, co-CEOs of Forum3 and co-authors of AI First: The Playbook for a Future-Proo…
- Building Startups and Lasting Relationships with Scott Dorsey
In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld talks with Scott Dorsey, co-founder of High Alpha and former CEO of ExactTarget, the email marketing pioneer acquired by Salesforce. Scott shares his journey from launching a startup wit…
- Breaking Barriers for Entrepreneurs with Elizabeth Gore
In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld talks with Elizabeth Gore, co-founder and president of Hello Alice, about what it takes to build and scale a platform serving over 1.5M small business owners. Elizabeth shares how Hello…
- Building Ecosystems from the Ground Up with Landon Young
In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld reconnects with Landon Young, pre-seed investor at Elevate Ventures and a longtime builder of startup ecosystems. Landon shares stories from both sides of the table, as a founder and inv…
- How Policy Shapes Startups: Bobby Franklin on the VC Industry’s Silent Battle
In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld sits down with Bobby Franklin, President and CEO of the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). They unpack the disconnect between Washington, D.C., and the startup world, and why t…
- The Near Death (and Rebirth) of Simple Energy with Justin Segall & Yoav Lurie
In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld sits down with longtime friends and Simple Energy co-founders, Justin Segall and Yoav Lurie. Together, they revisit a pivotal moment in their startup journey, when the company was on the…
- Givers, Takers, and Building Cultures That Last with Adam Grant
In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld sits down with organizational psychologist and bestselling author, Adam Grant, for a conversation about the power of generosity in business, leadership, and life. Brad and Adam trace the…
- Leadership, Ego, and Saying No with Seth Godin
In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld is joined by 22-time bestselling author and entrepreneur Seth Godin for a conversation that cuts to the core of leadership, impact, and what founders often get wrong. Seth reflects on hi…
- Mentorship, Ecosystems, and Feedback Loops with Ian Hathaway
In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld sits down with Ian Hathaway, co-author of The Startup Community Way , host of Outsider Inc., and Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Far Out VC, to unpack what makes entrepreneurial ecosy…
- Part 2 - Founders at the Center | The Story of the Startup Community Movement with Lesa Mitchell
In this special episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen and Brad Feld go deep with Lesa Mitchell on the 35-year evolution of the startup community movement. Recorded live at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress, they reflect on the…
- Part 1 - Founders at the Center | The Story of the Startup Community Movement with Lesa Mitchell
In this special episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen and Brad Feld go deep with Lesa Mitchell on the 35-year evolution of the startup community movement. Recorded live at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress, they reflect on the…
- Reinventing the Boardroom with Robert Wolfe of Zeck
In this episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen sits down with Robert Wolfe , founder of Zeck and serial entrepreneur behind companies like Moosejaw and CrowdRise. Robert shares his transition from consumer brands to enterprise soft…
- Brad Feld Returns: The Power Behind “Give First”
In this special episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen is joined once again by co-host Brad Feld, back after nearly two years away from the spotlight. Brad shares why he stepped back, what brought him back, and the deeper thinking…
- Democratizing Venture Capital with Usman Gul of Metal
In this episode of the Give First podcast, host David Cohen is joined by Usman Gul , founder and CEO of Metal . Usman shares his entrepreneurial journey and how his company is revolutionizing the fundraising process for startups. Usman dis…
- Building the Future of Aviation with Kevin Noertker of Ampaire
In this episode of the Give First podcast, hosts David Cohen is joined by Kevin Noertker , CEO and co-founder of Ampaire . Kevin shares his journey from aspiring astronaut and NASA engineer to leading a revolutionary Techstars-backed compa…
- Educating the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs with Marc Steren
In this episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen speaks with Marc Steren , Cofounder and Co-CEO of University Startups. The two discuss the entrepreneurial journey and the transformative impact of education. Marc offers insight…
- Sliding into Diem: Emma Bates talks raising $3.7M to build the front door of girl internet
Emma Bates , co-founder of Diem , is reshaping the way women search the internet. Diem is a social search engine designed to provide women with trustworthy, community-driven results. In this episode of Give First, Emma talks about her jour…
- The Sky’s The Limit
Kirill Bigai , Preply CEO and co-founder, launched the company’s first set of values back in 2015, while participating in the Techstars Berlin program. But as the team has changed, so have the values. “It’s an evolution,” said Bigai, who i…
- The Perfect Storm with Elizabeth Kraus
For 20 years, Elizabeth Kraus was busy being an entrepreneur. So busy and stressed, she wasn’t eating well, had wild energy swings and barely slept despite training for, and tackling long-distance triathlons. A host of other medical challe…
- Using Your Dragonfly Eyes with Charles Conn
Charles Conn is a builder, a creator and an environmentalist. He’s managed to wed those three passions together by investing in the biotech space as the co-founder of Monograph Capital. “The most consistent thing you can do is work in this…
- Bottoms Up: A Conversation with Bevi CEO Sean Grundy
Sean Grundy, co-founder and CEO of Bevi, wouldn’t budge despite calls from, ironically, David Cohen, the GiveFirst podcast host. Cohen wanted Bevi smart water coolers in more places than just Boston. Grundy wanted to prioritize quali…
- Startup Community Builder Chris Heivly and his Newest “Build the Fort” Book
Described as the foremost expert on how to build startup communities, Chris Heivly has written “Build the Fort: The Startup Community Builder's Field Guide.” Listen in as Chris and David talk about what Heivly discovered while writing and…
- Leading Through Crisis: 96 hours after the fall of SVB
The fall of SVB will go down in history as one of those ‘where were you when …’ moments. For David Cohen, he was sitting at a sporting event when his phone began buzzing incessantly. For Brad Feld, he was couch shopping with his wife. Feld…
- MeatoDoor Founders on Startups With Family— But Not A Family Business
Though many might shy away from working with their spouse, MeatoDoor Founders Ambreen Khan and Rashid Ahmed wouldn’t have it any other way. “We don't see that as a challenge in terms of running the company. We are both totally differ…
- Creator Science Founder on The Value of Creating Content
As an entrepreneur, Jay Clouse loves to create. After spending time in the product world as both a founder and an employee of another company, he stumbled into the world of content creation, where he could build products on his own timelin…
- Arweave Co-Founder on Building an Archive of History Using Blockchain
Do you have a digital storage problem? As almost everything begins to be stored digitally, customers are often looking for sustainable but secure and permanent storage for their assets. What was once considered science fiction has been cre…
- Techstars Director of ESG on Being a Responsible Founder and Investor
When a thoughtful founder or investor is thinking about creating or sustaining long-term value and a company that adapts for the future, they are already inherently thinking about environmental, social, and governance issues (ESG). ESG is…
- QuickHire Co-Founder & CEO on Raising Capital as a Person of Color
When we talk about a startup successfully raising money after being part of a Techstars accelerator, that’s not an unusual story. But did you know that only 0.3% of all venture capital funding goes to black women? For Deborah Gladney , co-…
- Endel CEO and Co-Founder on the Future of Sound
Imagine always having a soundscape that adapts to what you're doing and what you need to get done without the need to manually select a playlist. This is the future with Endel, an app that utilizes circadian rhythms and the neuroscie…
- David Cohen and Brad Feld Talk Mental Health for Entrepreneurs
It took decades for Brad Feld to understand his depression and mental health struggles. “There was a period of time, pretty deep into this depressive episode. … Work was fine. Business was fine, but I would describe it looking backwa…
- Recast Capital Co-Founder on Working With Emerging Managers
If an entrepreneur takes a seed stage investment from a very large brand-name venture fund, they’re unlikely to get very much of the venture fund’s time. However, when it comes to emerging managers, this group often comes up with very spec…
- ESG Takeover: B Lab Community Engagement Manager and Project Canary COO on What It Means to be a B Corp
In this final ESG takeover episode, Dr. Mairi-Jane Fox , who helps lead ESG at Techstars, talks with B Lab Senior Manager of Community Engagement and Network Strategy Becca Quirk and Project Canary Co-founder & COO Will Foiles about what i…
- ESG Takeover: Soona CEO and UN PRI Head of Private Equity on How to Engage with Investors
In this second ESG takeover episode, Dr. Mairi-Jane Fox , who helps lead ESG at Techstars, talks with Soona CEO and Co-Founder Liz Giorgi and UN-sponsored Principles for Responsible Investment Head of Private Equity Peter Dunbar about diff…
- Integrated Capital Strategies Founder Sharon Schneider on Value Integration and Social Entrepreneurship
We all have a set of principles for how we live our lives. How well are those principles aligned across every facet, though? You might be environmentally conscious but it’s important to ask yourself: Where do you do your banking? Who holds…
- ESG Takeover: Sustaio Founder and SVT Group CEO on Benefits of ESG Measurement for Your Company
In this first ESG takeover episode, Dr. Mairi-Jane Fox , who helps lead ESG at Techstars, talks with Sustaio founder and CEO Olivia Pedersen and SVT Group CEO Sara Olsen about the benefits and the how-to of measuring ESG impact for early-s…
- Techstars Berlin Managing Director Martin Schilling on Guiding Global Tech Startup Builders
Martin Schilling said he would never work in finance. However, after two years of scaling N26 Group, a large European fintech company, he left with a wealth of knowledge that he needed to share. So he wrote “The Builder’s Guide to the Tech…
- Flikshop CEO Marcus Bullock on Reshaping the Criminal Justice System
At 15 years old, Marcus Bullock ’s life changed forever. He was locked in an adult maximum-security prison for 8 years after carjacking a man. Marcus began to feel hopeless, so his mother began to send photos and letters each day. A few ye…
- HILOS Founder Elias Stahl on Creating A New Supply Chain
Supply chains are a big nut to crack, and Elias Stahl ran straight for them. He was empowered to start a whole new supply chain and have his company HILOS be at the forefront of creating a different way to manufacture shoes, where it is gr…
- Twelve Labs CEO Jae Lee on Video Search Innovation and Accelerating with Techstars
Innovation is just innovation if no one uses it. This is a lesson Jae Lee , co-founder and CEO of Twelve Labs, learned while building multimodal neural networks and video search AI. Through the Techstars Seattle Accelerator, mentors, and c…
- Authors Mark Achler and Mert Iseri on Exit Strategy and Building Your Legacy
There are many business books out there for current and future entrepreneurs: How to start, how to raise money, how to market, and more. However, after selling his business SwipeSense to SC Johnson, Mert Iseri , with his mentor Mark Achler…
- Stream Founder Thierry Schellenbach on Listening to Customers and Following the Metrics
Stream might be a small startup company, but by listening to its customers and their needs, the company decided to launch a second product that helped it scale. “Focusing only on a single product, it was hard to go for larger channel…
- Articulate Persuasion Founder Monique Maley on Delivering Ideas with Conviction
Monique Maley actually began her career in acting, which has shaped how she became an entrepreneur and mentor. When she transitioned out of the acting industry, she used her skills of communication and body language to help other leaders g…