Geeks of the Valley connects with some of the brightest minds globally, who are leading their respective industries today. We discuss the hottest upcoming industry trends and how their work is affecting the global economy.
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June 8, 2026Episode 2942 min
#127: The AI Investment Terminal Putting a Private Bank in Your Pocket with Barebone's Brian Tam
Brian is the Hong Kong-born founder of Barebone (barebone.ai), an AI finance research app. He grew up in Hong Kong (Diocesan Boys' School) and studied Economics at the London School of Economics. Before founding Barebone he came up through elite finance: a summer analyst stint at Warburg Pincus (2019), then Goldman Sachs — starting as an IB summer analyst (2020) and spending roughly three years on the Hybrid Capital team. He left that institutional track to build a consumer fintech company, splitting time between Hong Kong and San Francisco.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-yu-fung-tam/
April 6, 2026Episode 2829 min
#126: Bringing Wall Street's AI Trading Brain to Main Street with Veyra's Peter Ashton
Peter Ashton is the Founder and CEO of Veyra, a trading technology company focused on redefining the future of financial intelligence and portfolio management through advanced predictive analytics, algorithmic systems, and next-generation financial software.A former Division I and professional football player, Peter has evolved into a visionary entrepreneur and investor operating at the intersection of finance, technology, and global impact. Throughout his career, he has advised, built, or invested in more than 60 ventures across multiple industries, including over 25 disruptive technology companies. He went on to consult for and strategically advise numerous companies, helping them secure more than $350 million in capital.In 2025, Peter launched Veyra with a mission to democratize institutional-grade AI trading technology for retail investors. The platform features a Multi-Agentic Trading Brain consisting of seven AI specialist agents that collaborate through a mathematical voting protocol on every potential trade. Veyra has begun integrating with Apex Trader Funding, the largest prop trading firm in the U.S. with 700,000+ traders, and is running a pilot with Equitable Advisors, a $1.82 trillion asset management firm.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-ashton-veyra/
April 6, 2026Episode 2739 min
#125: From Tsinghua to Wall Street, Building a Six-Layer AI Investment Thesis with Quartus Capital's Afzal Tarar
Afzal M. Tarar, Chairman and Managing Partner of Quartus Capital Partners, joins us to share his extraordinary journey from studying AI at Tsinghua University in the 1980s to becoming a pioneer in AI-focused growth equity investing.We dive into Quartus's unique six-layer AI investment framework that separnfrastructure plays from vertical AI solutions in healthcare, logistics, and beyond. Afzal discusses why companies with $5M+ in revenue and defensible technology stacks are the sweet spot, what he learned from deploying Fund I across nine investments, and how 14 years living in China shaped his crossborder investing lens.We also explore the potential bubble dynamics in AI infrastructure, the most compelling opportunities in healthcare AI, and his hard-won lesson on building with people you know and trust.Afzal M. Tarar is the Chairman and Managing Partner of Quartus Capital Partners, an AI and technology growth equity firm based in New York with offices in Miami, Silicon Valley, and Asia. A former Head of AI at KeyBank (1991) and veteran of 25+ years in management consulting at firms including Deloitte, IBM, KPMG, and PwC, Afzal brings a rare crossborder lens shaped by studying AI at Tsinghua University in Beijing and 14 years of living and working in China.
November 10, 2025Episode 2636 min
#124: Crypto’s Maturity and the Rise of Private Equity with Maelstrom's Akshat Vaidya & Adam Schlegel
Akshat Vaidya – Managing Partner & Co-Founder, MaelstromAkshat Vaidya is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Maelstrom, the family office founded by BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes. In this role, Akshat leads Maelstrom’s investment strategy across its multiple verticals, including venture investments, liquid markets, and private equity deals. He oversees the recently launched Maelstrom Equity Fund I (a US$250 million fund) which focuses on acquiring mid-sized, profitable companies in the crypto-infrastructure space.Akshat’s journey into digital assets began over a decade ago. He first started buying Bitcoin in 2013 while still working in traditional finance. Before co-founding Maelstrom, he served as Head of Corporate Development and M&A at BitMEX, where he led the exchange’s expansion through acquisitions and strategic partnerships. Earlier in his career, Akshat was an investor at Granite Creek Capital Partners, executing leveraged buyouts and growth investments in U.S. middle-market companies. He holds a Bachelor’s in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, combining a classic finance education with a forward-looking tech perspective.Under Akshat’s leadership, Maelstrom has grown from a two-person family office into a multi-strategy investment platform. The firm now operates across venture capital, liquidity provisioning, and private equity initiatives. Akshat remains a champion of long-term value creation in a market often driven by hype and short cycles. He strives to bridge traditional financial rigor with digital-asset innovation, ensuring Maelstrom’s portfolio is built on strong fundamentals and sustainable growth. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshatvaidya/Adam Schlegel – Partner & Head of Private Equity, MaelstromAdam Schlegel is a Partner at Maelstrom, where he leads the firm’s private equity strategy and heads its debut buyout vehicle, Maelstrom Equity Fund I. With over a decade of experience in traditional private equity and cross-border transactions, Adam brings institutional discipline to the evolving crypto-infrastructure space. He joined Maelstrom to expand its reach into buyouts of established crypto-industry companies, applying proven investment frameworks to this emerging sector.In his previous roles, Adam built a strong foundation in global finance. He was an Investor at Haveli Investments – the Austin-based private equity firm founded by Brian Sheth (co-founder of Vista Equity Partners) – focusing on enterprise SaaS buyouts and growth-equity deals. Prior to Haveli, he served as an Associate at Baring Private Equity Asia, executing large cross-border transactions across the Asia-Pacific region. Adam began his career as an Investment Banking Analyst in Morgan Stanley’s Global Energy Group, where he gained experience in capital markets and corporate finance. He holds a Master of Arts in International Finance from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (with a minor in Chinese) from Swarthmore College.At Maelstrom, Adam is driving the firm’s expansion into private equity by identifying and acquiring crypto-infrastructure and data analytics companies that meet specific criteria. Adam’s approach blends traditional buyout expertise with a deep understanding of how digital assets, stablecoins, and decentralized finance are transforming financial infrastructure worldwide. By applying classic private equity frameworks (e.g. rigorous due diligence, operational improvements, and long-term value creation plans) to crypto-enabled businesses, he aims to bridge the gap between conventional finance and the crypto economy. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-schlegel-2b5247b/
November 10, 2025Episode 2535 min
#123: Sandbox to Scale The MENA Fintech Playbook with VentureSouq's Sonia Gokhale
Sonia Gokhale, Co-Founder and General Partner at VentureSouq, breaks down how founders can build and scale fintech across the Gulf. We unpack why Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the first markets to crack, how government sandboxes and clear licensing paths reduce friction, and why B2B fintech often delivers the strongest unit economics. Sonia also walks through lessons from recent exits like Tabby, fundraising dynamics for seed through Series B, and the infrastructure opportunities in payments, credit, and compliance. If you are a founder aiming to land your first enterprise customers in the region or an investor mapping the next wave of MENA fintech, this conversation delivers a practical playbook.What you’ll learnHow to navigate sandboxes and licensing in KSA and the UAE, Pricing and unit economics that work for B2B fintech in the Gulf, and Fundraising expectations and how global capital views MENA today.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonia-seth-gokhale-b0906014Website: http://venturesouq.com
November 3, 2025Episode 2328 min
#122: The Future of Sales: How AI and Human Relationships Will Redefine Customer Acquisition with SalesAI’s Devin Johnson
Devin Johnson is a tech entrepreneur and AI innovator who has built multiple high‑growth SaaS companies by combining an obsessive focus on relationships with cutting‑edge automation. His entrepreneurial journey began at 16, when a series of family hardships — a father involved in drugs, a sister battling brain cancer and the death of a close friend — pushed him to start flipping sneakers to support his household . The success of that side hustle gave him early exposure to marketing and sales . By age 19 he had become a devout Christian and found a mentor in Cody Harvey; together they would later found and build the digital marketing agency Kennected .In 2018 Johnson and Harvey sketched an idea on a napkin: software to automate LinkedIn outreach. Frustrated by the hours he spent prospecting, Johnson “founded Kennected out of pure frustration” . As CEO he grew the Indianapolis‑based SaaS company to more than 15,000 users and over 100 employees , generating more than $15 million in annual sales . Under his leadership Kennected landed on the Inc. 5000 list at No. 583 with 832 % three‑year revenue growth , a testament to his ability to turn vision into execution. Employees describe him as an inspirational, empathetic leader who values relationships over profit and fosters a culture of hard work and positivity . He has been willing to “take massive action” since high school, travelling across the U.S. to conferences simply to network with potential clients .After stepping away from Kennected, Johnson co‑founded SalesAI, a next‑generation sales enablement platform. SalesAI uses autonomous AI agents to qualify leads and provide real‑time voice‑ and text‑based sales conversations, reducing average response times from an hour to seconds . The platform integrates directly into a customer’s CRM to manage outreach via voice, SMS and email, and is scaling revenue more than 20 % month‑over‑month . Johnson is a four‑time Inc. 500 founder with two successful exits and has been named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year . He is a frequent speaker at AI and SaaS conferences, sharing frameworks on speed‑to‑lead and how to build AI‑first companies . Through appearances on podcasts such as Dropping Bombs, Sharkpreneur, and The Mind of George Show, he encourages entrepreneurs to harness AI while doubling down on human connection.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devin-johnson-salesai/
November 3, 2025Episode 2236 min
#121: How a SaaS Marketplace Is Redefining Plastic Waste Recovery with PCX’s Sebastian DiGrande
Sebastian DiGrande is the Chief Executive Officer of Plastic Credit Exchange (PCX), where he leads the company’s mission to eliminate plastic waste through a technology-driven, market-based platform. Under his leadership, PCX is building a verified marketplace that connects corporations with plastic recovery and recycling partners worldwide, creating measurable, scalable environmental impact.Before joining PCX, Sebastian held senior executive roles at Gap Inc., overseeing more than $5 billion in global P&Ls across e-commerce, credit, international franchises, and the Intermix brand. Earlier, he spent nearly two decades at The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) as a Senior Partner and Managing Director, where he led major practices in technology, marketing, and pricing, helped launch BCG Digital Ventures, and advised global consumer and retail clients on digital transformation. He currently serves on the Board of Directors at Big Lots and lectures at leading business schools including Stanford, UCLA Anderson, and Wharton.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-digrande-b34961/
October 1, 2025Episode 2144 min
#120: Bridging Global Innovation with Enterprise Tech and Trust with Sentinel Global’s Sylvester Wee
Sylvester Wee is a Partner at Sentinel Global, a New York–based, Singapore-anchored venture fund that leads a $200M+ vehicle backing frontier enterprise technologies. At Sentinel, he focuses on enterprise AI, fintech, cybersecurity, programmable finance, and next-gen infrastructure partnering with Series-A and growth teams that demonstrate strong product-market fit and a clear path to commercializing with regulated customers.Before joining Sentinel, Sylvester founded ChrysCard, a U.S.-focused fintech that built alternative credit underwriting and mobile-first financial products to expand access for underserved consumers; ChrysCard was recognized as a winner of the CB Insights FinTech Global Innovation Challenge. Prior to his entrepreneurship, he invested across growth equity and venture at GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, where he participated in deploying over $1B across global technology and financial services companies.Sylvester’s leadership and resilience trace back to competitive sport and military service. He served as an Artillery Officer in the Singapore Armed Forces. Lleading battalion operations and more than 200 personnel, and earning the Sword of Merit—and competed internationally as Singapore’s top-ranked tennis player, representing the country in the Davis Cup and Australian Open Juniors. Those experiences inform his founder-first, execution-oriented approach to scaling high-impact enterprise companies.He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.S. in Economics from The Wharton School.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sylvesterweeWebsite: https://www.sentinelglobal.xyz
September 8, 2025Episode 2028 min
#119: The Next Frontier of Fintech & Localized AI with Kadan Capital's Felix Frenzel
Felix Frenzel is the Founding Partner of Kadan Capital, a Singapore-headquartered early-stage venture capital firm backing category-defining startups across Southeast Asia and beyond. At Kadan, he focuses on high-impact companies in fintech and artificial intelligence, targeting ventures with strong early traction and potential for rapid scale.Before co-founding Kadan Capital, Felix built his expertise across investment management and strategy consulting. He was an Investment Manager at Antler, a leading global early-stage VC platform, and a strategy consultant at Bain & Company, where he advised top-tier clients on transformative growth strategies. Earlier in his career, he gained experience in public equity investing, adding depth to his financial acumen.Felix’s passion for investing runs deep. At just sixteen, he launched a small fund focused on European equities—a first step that reflects both his entrepreneurial drive and early fascination with capital markets.He holds an MBA from INSEAD, an MSc in International Finance from HEC Paris, and a BSc in Economics from the University of Bonn.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felixfrenzel/
August 25, 2025Episode 1937 min
#118: Navigating Embedded Finance, and Web3's Future in Emerging Markets with Saison Capital's Qin En Looi
In Episode #118 of Geeks of the Valley, we sat down with Qin En Looi, Partner at Saison Capital. Backed by Credit Saison (Tokyo-listed, ~US$30B AUM), Saison has 100+ direct investments and 15+ fund investments across Asia and LATAM.We unpack why operator experience produces better investor how Qin En’s time scaling Glints shaped his emphasis on distribution, sales, and practical due diligence. The conversation dives deep into embedded finance. Saison’s playbook for pairing venture equity with tailored debt to de-risk lending-backed businesses, and the market signals that matter for India, Southeast Asia, Brazil and LATAM from eKYC and payment rails to regulatory openness. We close with a pragmatic look at web3 and digital assets: institutional tailwinds, realistic timelines, and how blockchain could become the new rails for moving money at internet speed.About Saison Capital: Saison Capital is an early-stage venture fund (pre-seed to Series B) focused on emerging markets, backing founders across fintech, commerce and web3. Backed by Credit Saison (Tokyo-listed, ~US$30B AUM), the team combines operating experience with flexible capital solutions—100+ direct investments and active fund-of-funds activity across Asia and LATAM—to help startups scale faster and more sustainably.About Qin En Looi: Qin En leads Saison’s early-stage direct investments across fintech, commerce and web3, and he jumpstarted Credit Saison’s digital-asset strategy. He co-founded ONCHAIN (Asia’s first real-world-asset conference) and sits on the boards of Southeast Asian fintechs including Helicap and SkorLife. Prior to VC, Qin En was Co-Founder and COO of Glints, Southeast Asia’s largest talent ecosystem (Series D), and has been recognised on Forbes 30 Under 30 and Entrepreneurs 27 Under 27.LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/looiqinenWebsite: saisoncapital.com
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