Shane Ray Show

Hosted by Shane Ray Show

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122

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Jul 2026

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About the show

AI. Startups. World Peace.✌️ Welcome to the Shane Ray Show.

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July 3, 2026Episode 1224 min

SAFEs and Term Sheets Explained for Founders with Will Halliday, Partner at William Mullen

Raising VC money soon? Don't sign anything yet.In this episode, Shane sits down with Will Halliday, attorney at Williams Mullen and former investment banker, to break down the documents every founder faces: SAFEs, convertible notes, and term sheets.You'll learn:- What a SAFE is and the one number that determines your ownership- What term sheets do and why they matter, even though they're non-binding- How dilution works and why founders get burnedLots of examples. No law degree required! Connect with Will on LinkedIn. He's based in Virginia and DC.🎧 Hosted by Shane Ray Martin - venture investor at B Ventures and CEO of the PeaceTech Accelerator.

June 19, 2026Episode 1129 min

Circuit Breaker Labs: The Last Line of Defense Before AI Hurts Someone with Arul Nigam

A chatbot told a teenager how to die.That is the problem Arul and Shirali Nigam set out to fix.In this episode, meet the co-founder of Circuit Breaker Labs, a startup backed by A16Z Speedrun that stress-tests AI before it ever reaches a real person.They call it the crash test dummy for AI. Their team runs thousands of fake conversations to find the moment a chatbot breaks. Then they patch it before someone gets hurt.✅ What you'll learn:Why AI guardrails pass the easy test and fail on real peopleThe "grading your own homework" flaw in how most companies score AI safetyHow a homemade flyer at a conference turned into a major contractWhy safety becomes the next big moat, the way cybersecurity didHow the US can move fast on AI and stay safe at the same time🎧 Hosted by Shane Ray Martin, venture investor at B Ventures, CEO of the PeaceTech Accelerator, former startup founder, LinkedIn Top Voice in Negotiation, and certified peace mediator helping founders scale technology and peace.

June 6, 2026Episode 1029 min

Building Tech for Peace During War with Mantis Analytics CEO, Maksym Tereshchenko

Maksym Tereshchenko is building a startup while his country is at war. ✅ What you'll learn:Stop founder-driven sales and build a predictable machineSurvive the mental toll of doing 10 jobs all at onceHire your first GTM person without taking a guessSpot supply chain disruption before it hits youLeverage relationships to close dealsReach out to Max:LinkedIn: Maksym TereshchenkoWebsite: mantisanalytics.com

May 20, 2026Episode 915 min

Inside Sovereign's Capital: The $1B+ Faith-Driven Fund with Richard Cunningham

If you're a faith-driven founder or investor - this one's for you! I've been so fortunate to get to know Richard, Phil, Jake, and so many others in the FDI "Faith Driven Investor" community, and this conversation was a chance to go deep on how Sovereign's Capital built a $1B+ fund rooted in faith. Richard Cunningham walks me through the full story - from Henry Kaestner getting turned down 40 times on Sand Hill Road, to bootstrapping Bandwidth.com to IPO, to launching Sovereign's Capital, Faith Driven Entrepreneur, and Faith Driven Investor.Then we get into the heart of the fund of funds: how they pick managers, what "descriptive vs. prescriptive" faith really means in the marketplace, and why capital might be one of the most powerful forms of influence on the planet! Richard is a man for the people and loves Jesus; this is a good one.🎧 Hosted by Shane Ray Martin — investor at B Ventures, Founder of the PeaceTech Accelerator, LinkedIn Top Voice in Negotiation, author, and certified peace mediator helping founders build technology that predicts, prevents, and manages conflict.

May 11, 2026Episode 827 min

RAISE Global Summit: Where 100 Fund Managers Meet Their Future LPs

Scott Dubin helps run RAISE, the event where 100 emerging fund managers get in front of 330 LPs in one day in San Francisco. What we get into:Why "I make intros and serve on boards" scores a 5 out of 10The application section where most GPs lose How to use your existing LPs as a weapon onsiteThe follow up email everyone sends that gets ignoredWhy the GP who printed their logo on the sidewalk had the right ideaMy honest take: most GPs treat RAISE like a conference. It's not. It's a long form sales pitch that starts the second you submit your application and doesn't end for a year. Scott walks through how the LP selection committee actually scores you, what gets you a 5 vs a 10, and the follow up game that turned one Fund 1 GP's week in SF into $16M. If you're raising a fund, or thinking about it, apply before June 1.Link: https://events.raiseglobal.co/event/2026GlobalSummit/gps-apply-to-attend 📅 Apps close June 1, 11:59pm PT. RAISE Week is Oct 19 to 22. Main event Oct 22 at the Presidio. GP Day training the day before with NVCA and Venture Forward.🎧 Hosted by Shane Ray Martin, VC at B Ventures, CEO of the PeaceTech Accelerator, LinkedIn Top Voice in Negotiation, and certified peace mediator.

April 24, 2026Episode 729 min

What a Yale Psychologist Learned About Closing Enterprise SaaS Deals with Pianpian Xu Guthrie

In today's episode of The Shane Ray Show, Shane sits down with Pianpian Xu Guthrie - founder and CEO of Amotions AI, and a Yale-trained sociologist who spent her career obsessing over one question: why do people trust you?Her answer became a company. Amotions AI is a real-time AI teammate that listens live on your sales calls — detecting tone, emotional signals, and conversation patterns — then coaches you on exactly what to say next.✅ What you'll learn:Why deals move at the speed of trust — and how to build it fasterHow Emotions AI detects skepticism, hesitation, and buying signals in real timeWhat founders with a full pipeline and zero closes should change immediatelyHow emotional intelligence differs across cultures — and why it matters for global dealsWhere AI sales tools are headed in the next 5 years🎧 Hosted by Shane Ray Martin — venture investor, CEO of the PeaceTech Accelerator, LinkedIn Top Voice in Negotiation, and certified peace mediator.

April 6, 2026Episode 67 min

The PeaceTech Accelerator Is Live: Here's What You Need to Know

The PeaceTech GTM Accelerator is officially open! In this episode, Shane breaks down everything - why it exists, who it's for, and what founders can expect from 12 weeks of go-to-market training, advisor access, and a Demo Day pitch in front of 20+ VCs on July 30th.This is a free, zero-equity accelerator headquartered one mile from the Pentagon in Arlington, VA. Only 6 spots. The waitlist is already moving.If you're a founder building software to reduce violent conflict - apply below now. https://forms.gle/hcXJzh6oTgwdvnHu5 ---If you want to get your brand in front of PeaceTech founders building the next generation of national security - we have limited partnership opportunities available. Reach out to Shane directly at shane@shaneraymartin.com.

March 13, 2026Episode 552 min

Building Predictable B2B Revenue: Patterns from $480M+ in Capital Raised with Adam Chen

In this episode, you'll hear from Adam Chen, CRO at FinStrat.FinStrat has helped more than 300 founders and supported startups that have raised $480M+ in capital.Shane and Adam break down the patterns behind predictable B2B revenue.If you’re a founder trying to close enterprise customers or raise venture capital, this episode will save you months of trial and error.Most founders think sales is about pushing harder.The best founders know it’s about asking better questions and uncovering the truth. ✅ What you’ll learn:• The signals that show a deal is moving forward• Why founders should send consistent outbound messages• How to identify the internal change agent inside a company• How respectful curiosity beats aggressive selling every time• Why mapping decision makers dramatically increases close rates• The simple outreach structure that removes pressure from salesThis episode is packed with practical advice for founders building.🎧 Hosted by Shane Ray Martin - investor at B Ventures, founder of the PeaceTech Accelerator, former startup founder, LinkedIn Top Voice in Negotiation, author, and certified peace mediator helping founders build technologies that predict, prevent, and manage conflict.🔗 Connect with Adam Chen and FinStrat:FinStrat: https://finstratmgmt.com/Adam Chen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamschenInnovators and Investors Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@finstratmgmt

March 6, 2026Episode 442 min

Can Money End War? The Rise of Peace Finance with Marcel Smits

Can money help end wars?Most investors never ask that question.Marcel Smits has spent 25+ years working in conflict zones across Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. After years on the ground, he noticed a major problem:Peacebuilders create stability.Then investment arrives.But without the right safeguards, money can sometimes undo the peace that was just built.So Marcel is building something new.Peace Finance.In this episode we talk about:• The rise of PeaceFinance.org• What peace-positive investing actually means• Why the market for peace finance could reach $40B+• Why finance and peacebuilding rarely talk to each other• New funds and financial instruments designed to stabilize fragile regions• How PeaceTech startups and global development finance could work togetherWe also debate a hard question:Can technology truly be “peaceful”… or is every technology dual-use?If you care about venture capital, global stability, investing, or PeaceTech, this conversation will challenge how you think about money and conflict.Learn more: PeaceFinance.orgPodcast Timestamps00:00 Intro: Why peace finance matters00:21 Marcel’s background working in conflict zones01:40 The frustration that led Marcel to create Peace Finance02:55 The core idea: What if finance could contribute to peace?03:40 What PeaceFinance.org is building05:15 What “peace-positive investing” actually means06:35 Finance for Peace vs PeaceFinance.org explained09:15 Why the peace ecosystem is fragmented today10:05 Shane’s vision: PeaceTech as a $100B industry11:55 Marcel on the potential of PeaceTech12:50 Why safeguards matter when building peace technology15:00 The big debate: Can technology ever be neutral?17:00 Governance vs technology in conflict environments19:10 Will regulation slow down PeaceTech innovation?20:20 Marcel’s view: Standards should guide, not stop innovation22:00 Examples of Peace Finance standards23:50 How inclusiveness and trust shape peace technologyOpportunity Section (Investors / Market)25:45 Major institutions adopting peace finance26:00 African Development Bank applying a peace lens to investments27:50 New peace funds being created28:10 $50M humanitarian development peace fund in Somalia28:40 New financial instruments: Orange Peace Bonds29:40 Growing interest from impact investors31:10 Market size: $30B–$40B peace finance opportunity33:20 How Marcel will know the market is workingEcosystem Opportunity (Important for Your Audience)35:10 How PeaceTech and Peace Finance could work together37:10 The bridge between startups and large funds38:30 Why peace tech startups and development funds need each otherClosing40:05 Where to find Marcel and PeaceFinance.org41:00 Final thoughts: why most people want peace

March 3, 2026Episode 341 min

Is VC Still Worth It? What 50,000+ Startups in 160 Countries Tell Us with Peter Walker

🚀 PEACETECH COMMUNITY PERK Get Carta for free (with free onboarding) 👉 https://app.carta.com/launch/create-account/?ir=corps-launch-hero1%2F&utm_medium=ChannelReferral&utm_source=peaceventures&PID=peaceventures It’s free up to your first $1M raised. Plus, through our partnership, you get:✅ Waived onboarding✅ 25% off your first year after you raise--- Should you raise VC right now?You’ll hear from the GOAT of VC, Peter Walker at Carta. He leads Insights at Carta and works with data from 50,000+ startups across 160 countries.You’ll hear what’s really happening in venture today:• Does geography still matter?• Are solo founders actually at a disadvantage?• What do fewer deals and more capital concentration mean for founders?• How many seed companies truly make it to big outcomes?• Is the exit market recovering or still frozen?Most importantly, we answer the question:Is raising VC still rational?If you’re building, thinking about fundraising, or deciding whether to bootstrap, this conversation will help you think clearly and act smarter.Let’s make peace profitable! If you're a PeaceTech founder, send me a note: s@bventuresgroup.com