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Seed to Harvest
🎙️ Seed to Harvest | Stories from Technical Storytellers
Welcome to Seed to Harvest, the podcast by Behind Genius Ventures.
We talk to early-stage founders, operators, and investors—people building with code and conviction. Each episode is a chapter in their story: from the messy beginnings to the quiet pivots, from planting ideas to growing companies that matter.
Expect:
🌱 Honest conversations on the earliest chapters of company-building
🧠Tactical insights from technical minds with narrative soul
✨ Reflections on resilience, rituals, and reinventing what’s possible
This podcast is for the builders who think in frameworks and metaphors. The ones who whiteboard in wild places. The ones writing their own mythologies—one commit, pitch, or poem at a time.
From spark to story.
From seed to harvest. 🌾
Episodes
93 episodes
NJOY's Journey: From $1B Val to Bankruptcy to $2.75 Billion Dollar Exit | What It Takes Ep 1
In this special series of 'What It Takes,' Paige and analyst Chinwuba interview founders who have sold their companies for more than $1B. Our first episode features Mark Weiss and Jeff Weiss, the founders of NJOY, a billion-dollar e-cigarette c...
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Episode 93
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50:48
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The Business of Broadway: Behind the Scenes with Tony Award Winner Sue Gilad | Ep 92
In this episode of 'Seed to Harvest,' hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, delve into the intricate world of Broadway with five-time Tony Award-winning Broadway producer, Sue Gilad. Sue shares her journey from a childhood love of theater to becoming a...
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Episode 92
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41:26
Tackling Mold Toxicity with MoldCo CEO Ariana Thacker | Ep 91
From Mold Toxicity to Million Dollar Startup: Ariana Thacker's Inspiring Journey with MoldCoIn this episode of 'Seed to Harvest,' host Paige Finn Doherty welcomes back Ariana Thacker of MoldCo. They discuss Ariana's journey from discover...
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Episode 91
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39:46
the technical storyteller: a founder archetype | Ep 90
The Technical Storyteller: A Founder ArchetypeIn our April 2024 Fund II launch, featured in Fortune magazine, we made ...
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Episode 90
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9:25
NYC’s Early Stage Venture Evolution with Lerer Hippeau Managing Partner Ben Lerer | Ep 89
Today, I am joined by Ben Lerer, the Managing Partner at Lerer Hippeau, an early stage venture firm based in New York that invests in iconic companies that rattle the status quo. Ben shares insights into his journey from founding digital media ...
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Episode 89
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30:49
stitching a sustainable future: Missy Oei on fast fashion and venture capital | Ep 88
In today's episode, Missy Oei, winner of the BGV winter break college essay contest and senior at the University of Dayton studying entrepreneurship & marketing, shares her journey from realizing the significant impact of fast fashion on he...
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Episode 88
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29:47
unlocking the revolutionary potential of multimodal AI | Ep 87
In today's episode, we discuss the transformative world of Multimodal AI, an advanced form of artificial intelligence that integrates and processes multiple data types—text, images, audio, and video—to emulate human-like perception. Unlike text...
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Episode 87
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16:29
reviewing the Behind Genius Ventures winter break college essay contest! | Ep 86
In today's podcast, I'm thrilled to share insights from the Behind Genius Ventures winter break college essay contest, which I launched in December. We received 20 diverse essays from schools like Cornell, Georgia Tech, UNC, SDSU and more. The ...
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Episode 86
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31:19
Exited Founder to Building a Startup Insulator: Brickyard Co-founder Cam Doody | Ep 85
Today, I am joined by Cam Doody, the Co-founder & General Partner at Brickyard, a first-round venture capital firm and residency. In this episode, we explore Cam's transition to the venture side, raising ~ 115 million dollars, his principle...
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Episode 85
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27:30
how to teach a founder to coach themselves with executive coach Jasper Stephens | Ep 84
Today, I am joined by Jasper Stephens, a leadership coach specializing in working with CEOs and executive teams of Seed Series A and Series B companies. In this episode, the focus is on the role of executive and leadership coaches in the growth...
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Episode 84
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29:05
launching the Behind Genius Ventures winter break college essay contest! | Ep 83
In today's podcast, I am thrilled to announce the Behind Genius Ventures winter break college essay contest for college students. Drawing from my own experience of funding education through essay scholarships, I recognize the need for a platfor...
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Episode 83
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4:04
how community led growth resulted in millions in revenue & a wsj bestseller for lloyed lobo | Ep 82
Today, I am joined by Lloyed Lobo, Co-Founder of Boast.AI & Traction, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of "From Grassroots to Greatness." In this episode, Lloyed shares the 4 things he did to make his book a Wall Street Journal ...
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Episode 82
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31:37
Closing a $31 Million Dollar Fund with Rishi Taparia of Garuda Ventures! | Ep 81
Today, I am joined by Rishi Taparia, Managing Partner of Garuda Ventures, who enthusiastically discusses the accomplishment of securing a $31 million fund. Rishi sheds light on the challenges of fundraising, providing insights into Garuda's jou...
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Episode 81
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33:06
using my playlisting methods to build an investment portfolio | Ep 80
In today’s podcast, I talk about the “Spotify Playlist” method, discussing how the approach of naming playlists and creating the right mix extends beyond music curation to impact various aspects of business and content creation. I also explore ...
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Episode 80
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9:37
blending artistry into investment strategy with The Magic Grid | Ep 79
In today’s podcast, I talk about returning from an amazing two-week trip to Guatemala with my mom, thanks to Local Hope and Art Ambassadors for a Colorful World. During the trip, I had the incredible opportunity to contribute to art classes, wi...
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Episode 79
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7:15
answering founder fundraising FAQs | Ep 78
In today’s podcast, we're diving deep into the world of venture capital and pitch deck mastery. Over the last three years, I've assessed thousands of pitch decks and made 39 investments at the pre-seed and seed stage. Today’s episode features a...
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Episode 78
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33:03
Investing in Generative AI with BGV Portfolio Founder Deepak Sekar | Ep 77
Today, I'm joined by Deepak Sekar, Co-Founder and CEO of Prof Jim, bringing content to life with Generative AI. Prof Jim transforms books, websites, and other text into interactive videos — at scale. Deepak has been granted 200+ patents, making...
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Episode 77
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29:24
One Ring to Rule them All: Why We Invested in Lotus with CEO Dhaval Patel | Ep 76
Today, I'm joined by Dhaval Patel, Founder and CEO of Lotus, a Techstars portfolio company, that makes a wearable ring to control objects at home by pointing. Unlike traditional smart home tech - no rewiring, no app, no internet. Lotus' mission...
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Episode 76
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33:42
our approach to investing in early stage AI companies | ep75
In today’s podcast, I talk about AI’s power to automate, optimize, and revolutionize, making AI a goldmine for opportunities. However, because of the rapidly accelerating pace of AI innovation, what seems like a cutting-edge investment today co...
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Episode 75
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15:44
Investing in Micro-Influencer Marketing with BGV Portfolio Founder Kristen Wiley | Ep 74
Today, I'm joined by Kristen Wiley, Founder of Statusphere, a influencer marketing platform that helps brands earn authentic micro-influencer posts at scale in a fraction of the time. With Statusphere, brands save 98% of the time they’d typical...
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Episode 74
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26:31
Investing in Creator Testing with BGV Portfolio Founder Anthony Privitelli | Ep 73
Today, I'm joined by Anthony Privitelli, Founder of Creator Testing, on-demand creator-focused feedback and insights. Essentially, Creator Testing was built for teams and individuals who want to get creator feedback, whether it's podcasters, sh...
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Episode 73
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39:02
BGV Portfolio Founder Max EcheverrĂa of Eskuad on Disrupting Field Ops | Ep 72
Today, I'm joined by Max Echeverria, Founder & CEO of Eskuad, a field data platform built specifically for operations and compliance. Eskuad transforms the way you work in the field — whether you operate by yourself or with a team. Easily o...
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Episode 72
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33:54
CEOs are not born, they are created: Pear VC Managing Partner Mar Hershenson | Ep71
Today, I'm joined by Mar Hershenson, Managing Partner at Pear VC, where seed specialists partner with founders at the earliest stages to turn great ideas into category-defining companies. Pear VC founded 10+ companies and invested early in star...
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Episode 71
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32:49
How SaaS Founders Can Reach the Gen Z Market | ep70
In today’s podcast, I talk about my focus on the Gen Z market, which is values-focused and seeks to connect with brands that align with their ideals. I provide three key strategies for SaaS founders to reach the Gen Z market: standing for somet...
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Episode 70
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7:34
22 of my favorite off-script podcast questions | ep69
Join me in today's podcast as I dive into 22 of my favorite off-script podcast questions and reminisce about previous inspiring guests.Highlighting Ashley Flucas, Halle Kaplan-Allen, Nik Sharma, Beezer Clarkson, Meagan Loyst, Judith Dad...
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Episode 69
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4:16