Inspired with Alexa von Tobel

Hosted by Inspired Capital

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273

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Jun 2026

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Inspired with Alexa von Tobel dives headfirst into conversations with the most ambitious people on the planet. Host Alexa von Tobel, Founder and Managing Partner of Inspired Capital, gets under the hood of guests’ ambitions, from pivotal childhood moments to the critical advice that shaped their life paths. What does it take to be a true visionary, one who stares down monumental challenges with grit and resilience? Learn directly from those builders and problem-solvers whose determination is shaping a brighter, more inspired future.

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June 3, 202644 min

Boris Sofman Went from Leading Autonomous Trucking at Waymo to Building Bedrock Robotics

Boris Sofman has spent his entire career at the forefront of physical AI. He co-founded Anki, shipping more than 3.7 million consumer robots globally, before leading autonomous trucking at Waymo, where he helped pioneer the world's most advanced driverless vehicle program. Now he's applying everything he learned to the machines that build our world. Boris is the co-founder and CEO of Bedrock Robotics, valued at $1.75 billion, which retrofits existing construction equipment into fully autonomous machines at a moment when demand is skyrocketing and the industry faces a shortage of more than 500,000 workers. What You'll Learn: How leading autonomous trucking at Waymo shaped Boris's vision for the future of physical AI Where autonomous trucking is headed and what the next decade looks like for the industry Why the construction industry is at a breaking point and what autonomy does about it What it actually takes to make a machine driverless outside of a test environment How autonomous heavy machinery will fundamentally change the way we build What the world looks like when physical AI works at scale across the entire economy Chapters: 2:16 Introduction4:40 Boris's Time at Waymo9:35 The Future of Autonomous Trucking13:19 What Autonomous Trucking Looks Like in Practice18:15 How Self-Driving Changes Our Cities20:40 The Birth of Bedrock Robotics24:55 What Bedrock Actually Does26:10 Why Retrofit Instead of Build From Scratch28:23 The Role of Humans on the Autonomous Job Site30:45 The Advantages of Going Autonomous34:05 Big Predictions for Physical AI36:48 The Contrarian Take on Humanoids38:50 What Excites Boris Most39:59 Quick Fire Round Follow Boris Sofman and Bedrock Robotics: Website: https://bedrockrobotics.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bedrock-robotics/ X: https://x.com/BedrockRobotics Boris's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bsofman Boris's X: https://x.com/bsofman Follow Inspired:‍ Website: https://www.inspiredcapital.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inspired-capital-partners X: https://x.com/InspiredCap Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspiredcapital/ Substack: https://alexavontobel.substack.com/

May 20, 202652 min

Max Shaw and Brian Distelburger on Reinventing People Management with Windmill

Windmill co-founders Max Shaw and Brian Distelburger are building the AI-powered people platform for how companies develop and manage their talent. Founded alongside Mark Tanner, Windmill replaces the broken, once-a-year performance review with something faster, smarter, and that employees actually love. Since launching in November 2025, they've reached more than 100 customers including Kalshi, The Farmer's Dog, and Rho, and Inspired is so proud to have led their recent seed round. As AI makes every employee more powerful, the companies that win will be the ones that put the best talent in exactly the right role. What You'll Learn: Why the current state of performance management is broken How AI will change the relationship between managers and their teams What the future of work looks like as companies grow more complex Why skills assessment is about to become one of the most important things a company can do Why Max and Brian are optimistic that AI will benefit people at work Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 02:33 Meet Max and Brian 03:44 What Is Windmill 05:38 The State of Performance Reviews 09:20 Where Windmill Is Headed 13:20 AI Coaching for Every Employee 16:15 Why They Chose This Problem 18:33 The Biggest Change Management Moment of Our Lives 24:15 Early Traction and What's Working 27:30 Where the World of Work Is Going 34:55 The IKEA Example 36:16 Skills Assessment and Workforce Redeployment 41:18 Why New York 43:35 Quickfire Follow Max, Brian, and Windmill: • Website: https://gowindmill.com/ • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gowindmill/ • X: https://x.com/trywindmill • Max's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-shaw-82287025/ • Brian's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandistelburger/ Follow Inspired:‍ • Website: https://www.inspiredcapital.com/ • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inspired-capital-partners • X: https://x.com/InspiredCap • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspiredcapital/ • Substack: https://alexavontobel.substack.com/

May 6, 202652 min

Cristóbal Valenzuela on How Runway's World Models Are Changing Storytelling

Runway founder and CEO Cristóbal Valenzuela grew up in Chile before moving to New York to study at NYU's ITP program, where the seeds of Runway were planted. Since co-founding the company in 2018, he has built it into one of the leading generative video AI companies in the world, having raised more than $500M in funding and pioneered some of the first widely used text to video and video to video models. Runway is now pushing toward what Cristóbal calls world models, systems that can understand and simulate reality in ways that are reshaping film, advertising, gaming, and beyond. The next era of human creativity is just getting started. What You'll Learn: Why world models represent a fundamental shift in how we create and consume content How the democratization of storytelling will change culture as we know it What real time video generation means for the future of entertainment and gaming How AI is poised to transform the advertising industry from the ground up Why optimism, not fear, is the right response to AI and the future of work Chapters: 00:00 Introduction01:30 Growing Up in Chile04:20 What Is Runway06:38 Real World Use Cases10:25 The Technology Behind the Breakthrough12:00 Underestimating the Speed of Progress14:55 If Content Is Free Does It Lose Value20:10 How Runway Makes Money24:05 The Real-Time Generation Revolution29:15 Gaming and Interactive Experiences33:00 The Future of Advertising35:45 The Consequences of Infinite Content37:20 Why Billions of Stories Are Waiting41:00 Will AI Kill Jobs44:00 Quickfire Follow Cristóbal and Runway: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runwayapp LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/runwayml/ X: https://x.com/runwayml Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/runwayml Cristóbal's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cvalenzuelab/ Cristóbal's X: https://x.com/c_valenzuelab Follow Inspired:‍ Website: https://www.inspiredcapital.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inspired-capital-partners X: https://x.com/InspiredCap Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspiredcapital/ Substack: https://alexavontobel.substack.com/

April 22, 202650 min

Dan Lorenc on Building Chainguard into a $3.5B Open Source Security Company

Chainguard founder and CEO Dan Lorenc is building the security layer the entire software industry should run on. After nearly a decade at Google working on open source infrastructure, Dan co-founded Chainguard in 2021 to solve a problem hiding in plain sight. 90 to 95 percent of the code powering the world's software is open source, free, and largely unsecured. Now leading a $3.5B+ company with more than 600 customers, Dan shares his unfiltered take on where software security, AI, and the future of engineering are all headed. What You'll Learn: How Chainguard is securing the open source software the world runs on Why the AI coding boom is making software security harder, not easier What the future of software engineering actually looks like Why CISOs can't afford to say no to AI, even when it scares them Whether we've already hit AGI in the software space How to think about your own digital security right now Chapters: 00:00 Introduction01:30 Growing Up a Builder04:22 The Origin of Chainguard08:20 How Chainguard Works and Who It's For13:20 How Chainguard Cleans and Secures the Code15:20 How Dan Decides Where to Expand17:15 The Future of Software and Software Engineers25:30 Where Chainguard Goes From Here26:48 Are We Already at AGI?28:30 The Security Crisis No One Talks About31:27 Why CISOs Can't Afford to Say No33:25 Biggest Trade-Offs and What's Next for Chainguard38:00 What Disappears in an AI World39:22 What Shocked Dan Most and What Scares Him42:30 When Security Becomes Part of Engineering44:39 QuickfireFollow Dan and Chainguard: Website: https://www.chainguard.dev/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chainguard-dev/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chainguard X: https://x.com/chainguard_dev Dan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danlorenc/ Dan’s X: https://x.com/lorenc_dan Follow Inspired: Website: https://www.inspiredcapital.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inspired-capital-partners X: https://x.com/InspiredCap Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspiredcapital/ Substack: https://alexavontobel.substack.com/

April 10, 202648 min

Teamshares CEO Michael Brown on Why Going Public Is Just the First Inning

Teamshares CEO Michael Brown is on a mission to address one of the biggest problems in the American economy. Millions of small businesses are owned by Boomers and Gen X approaching retirement, and most will never find a buyer. Teamshares buys these businesses from retiring owners. With more than 90 companies acquired across 30 states, over 500 million in revenue, and a Nasdaq listing on the horizon, Michael is proving that the small business economy deserves a better solution. What You'll Learn: How Teamshares actually works and why the model gets stronger as it scales What nearly 100 acquisitions have taught Michael about small businesses that most people don't see Why going public changes everything for Teamshares and why Michael says it's still the first inning How he built through COVID and the 2022-2023 rate shock without losing conviction The long-term mindset behind building a company with a 200-year plan Chapters: 01:30 Michael's Childhood 04:04 What Is Teamshares 07:44 Why Going Public Is Just the Beginning 15:30 Lessons from 90 Acquisitions 18:50 The Future of Teamshares 28:19 The 200-Year Mindset 32:25 Building Culture at Scale 36:00 Leading Through Market Shocks 37:55 Quickfire Follow Teamshares: Website: https://www.teamshares.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/teamshares/ X: https://x.com/Teamshares Follow Inspired: Website: https://www.inspiredcapital.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inspired-capital-partners X: https://x.com/InspiredCap Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspiredcapital/ Substack: https://alexavontobel.substack.com/ Important Disclosures and Disclaimers This podcast episode features a discussion with Michael Brown, Co-Founder and CEO of Teamshares, Inc. (“Teamshares”), and Alexa von Tobel, Founder and Managing Partner of Inspired Capital. Ms. von Tobel and Inspired Capital are existing investors in Teamshares and may have a direct financial interest in the outcome of the proposed business combination described below. Proposed Business Combination. Teamshares has entered into a definitive agreement for a business combination with Live Oak Crest Acquisition Corp. (“Live Oak”), a special purpose acquisition company. In connection with the proposed transaction, a registration statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement”) has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). This podcast does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. For important information about the proposed transaction, including where to find the Registration Statement and other legal disclaimers, please refer to the press release available at https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260403515446/en/Teamshares-and-Live-Oak-V-File-S-4. Clarifications. References to Operating EBITDA throughout refer to Pro Forma Operating EBITDA, which includes pre-acquisition results of acquired businesses as if they had been owned for the full year. References to “Corporate EBITDA” throughout the episode refers to 2025 Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA. Investors should review the full set of assumptions and risk factors accompanying these metrics in the Registration Statement, including a full reconciliation of any non-GAAP measures.

March 25, 202658 min

Replay: How Ben Lamm (Colossal Biosciences) is Bringing Back Extinct Species

What happens when humanity faces the sixth mass extinction event in Earth's history? Serial entrepreneur Ben Lamm believes we need a backup plan. With a track record of building and exiting companies across AI, gaming, and conversational intelligence, Ben took on his most audacious venture in 2021: co-founding Colossal Biosciences with Harvard geneticist Dr. George Church to bring extinct species back to life. The company has already successfully de-extincted the dire wolf and aims to return woolly mammoths to the Arctic by 2028. In this episode, Ben shares how his self-described "unemployable" streak became his entrepreneurial superpower, why asking naive questions helps him tackle impossible challenges across industries, and how Colossal's breakthrough technologies represent humanity's essential insurance policy for planetary survival. Follow Inspired: ⁠Website⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ⁠X⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠Substack

March 11, 202647 min

Taylor Francis on How Watershed Is Solving the Climate Crisis

Watershed CEO Taylor Francis is building the infrastructure for companies to decarbonize at scale. After building Stripe's climate program, he saw how technology could move the needle faster than policy alone and set out on his journey as a founder. With a 500 million ton CO2 reduction goal by 2030 and customers like FedEx, Walmart, Airbnb, and Spotify, Taylor is proving that climate action can be both urgent and profitable. What You'll Learn: Taylor's journey from An Inconvenient Truth to founding Watershed What he learned at Stripe about scaling impact and building mission-driven companies How supply chain collaboration is the real lever for decarbonization (and why it matters more than you think) What the next decade of climate actually looks like and why the world is winning faster than predicted The frameworks and principles that attract the best people to solve the hardest problems Chapters: 1:57 Growing Up and An Inconvenient Truth 5:35 From Princeton to Policy 7:40 What Stripe Taught Him About Scale 9:54 The Origin of Watershed's 500 Megaton Mission 13:09 Breaking Down Scope One, Two, and Three Emissions 16:00 How Watershed Works With Fortune 500 Companies 18:50 The Story Behind the Name Watershed 21:00 Why Network Effects Matter in Decarbonization 23:15 What the Best Investors Taught Him 28:15 The Truth About Climate Today 33:10 Where the World Is Actually Headed 36:20 Product Footprints and AI Done Right 39:42 Why Domain-Specific AI Beats Generic Models 41:00 Quick Fire Follow Watershed and Taylor: Watershed Website Watershed LinkedIn Taylor Francis LinkedIn Follow Inspired: Website LinkedIn X Instagram Substack

February 25, 202642 min

Julia and Thomas Berolzheimer on Why the Future of Shopping Will Run Through Creators

Julia Berolzheimer and Thomas Berolzheimer have spent 15 years turning a fashion blog into one of the most powerful e-commerce brands in the creator economy. What started with a camera and an idea in 2011 has grown into a multi-platform empire spanning a blog, Instagram, Substack, ShopMy, Amazon, and their newest venture, Coreli. What You'll Learn: How Julia and Thomas built one of the most trusted brands in the creator economy Why curation beats creation when it comes to driving real commerce How they think about managing content, platforms, and technology as a team Where AI fits in and where it doesn't for creators who've built on authenticity What the next decade of the creator economy actually looks like Chapters: 01:52 Intro 02:35 The Beginning of Julia and Thomas's Journey 04:45 Milestones and Evolution of Gal Meets Glam 06:41 Curation and How Julia Starts Every Morning 11:30 Managing Content Across Different Platforms 15:34 ShopMy 20:25 Tools and Technology 25:20 How Julia and Thomas Work Together 29:00 The Future of the Creator Economy 31:05 Using AI for Influencer Content 35:45 Quickfire Round Follow Julia and Thomas Berolzheimer: Julia Berolzheimer Blog Julia's Instagram Thomas' Instagram Substack Coreli Follow Inspired:‍ Website LinkedIn X Instagram Substack

February 11, 202651 min

Solace Founder Jeremy Gurewitz Raises $130M to Transform Healthcare Advocacy

Solace founder and CEO Jeremy Gurewitz is building a marketplace that connects patients with healthcare advocates—covered by insurance. After losing his mother to pancreatic cancer and witnessing firsthand how difficult it was to navigate the US healthcare system, Jeremy founded Solace to help every American manage the overwhelming complexity of healthcare, from finding the right doctors to dealing with insurance. Now, after raising $130 million in a Series C led by IVP, Solace is expanding into commercial insurance and scaling nationally. With a patient NPS of 90 and data showing improved outcomes and lower costs, Jeremy shares how he is building for a future where healthcare advocacy becomes as standard as having a primary care physician. What You'll Learn: Jeremy's personal journey from losing his mother to building Solace How healthcare advocacy works and why patients achieve a 90+ NPS Why the US healthcare system is so broken and how advocates fix it Where Jeremy sees healthcare heading in the next decade Chapters:02:00 Growing Up with a Doctor Mother06:45 From Quantitative Finance to Healthcare09:00 What Solace Does for Patients11:38 Why Inspired Invested in Solace12:45 Real Stories of Solace Saving Lives17:35 Why the US Healthcare System Is So Broken20:35 Building a Marketplace of Healthcare Advocates22:45 Measuring What Matters: Outcomes and Costs28:50 Announcing Solace's $130M Series C30:31 Building Culture at Scale33:00 Where Solace Is Headed36:30 When AI Helps and When Humans Are Essential40:20 Jeremy's Predictions for Healthcare in 2035 Follow Solace and Jeremy:‍ • Solace Website • Solace LinkedIn • Jeremy Gurewitz LinkedIn Follow Inspired:‍ • Website • LinkedIn • X • Instagram • Substack

January 28, 202648 min

Kevin Ryan, the Godfather of NYC Tech, on AI in the Decade Ahead

Kevin Ryan is known as the godfather of New York City tech. Over three decades, he's founded or backed companies worth more than $40 billion combined, including DoubleClick (acquired by Google), MongoDB (now valued at $30 billion), Business Insider (sold for $450 million), and Gilt Group. As founder of AlleyCorp, Kevin has spent his career building category-defining companies and correctly predicting major technology shifts before they happened. From betting on the internet in 1996 to understanding AI's trajectory today, Kevin shares his framework for seeing what's next and why speed executed properly changes everything. What You'll Learn: How Kevin spotted the internet would change everything in 1996 and the patterns he uses to see what's next The two categories Kevin is betting on: vertical AI applications and deep science breakthroughs Why winning the first four years matters more than anything else How to compete for top 0.1% talent in today's market Kevin's 2036 predictions for work, NYC vs SF, and where technology is headed Chapters: 00:00 Introduction02:10 Kevin's Childhood 05:00 Reflecting on His Entrepreneurship Journey08:30 Speed Matters11:15 The Feeling When You Know a Company Is the One14:58 Why You Need Top 0.1% Talent17:00 Two Categories Kevin Is Betting On20:00 Drawing the Defensibility Line in Vertical AI22:22 Thinking About the Product23:10 Acceleration of Science and When Kevin's Antenna Goes Up25:08 What the World Looks Like in 203627:00 Job Loss and AI Displacement32:00 San Francisco vs New York City38:18 What Kevin Hopes for NYC Tech40:50 Interesting Topics Kevin Is Exploring42:36 Quickfire Round Follow AlleyCorp and Kevin: AlleyCorp Website AlleyCorp LinkedIn Kevin Ryan LinkedIn Follow Inspired:‍ Website LinkedIn X Instagram Substack

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