The Executive

Hosted by Matt Harbert

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Latest episode

Jan 2025

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EN-US

About the show

Tune in as Matt uncovers the inspiring stories, lessons, and advice on how to make it at the highest level from top executives, entrepreneurs, founders, thought leaders, and investors. Conversations include a wide range of topics and conversations including career advice, industry trends and challenges, failing forward, and incredible stories of perseverance and overcoming the odds especially in the arenas of tech, life sciences, finance, and more.

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41 recent

January 10, 202551 min

Electrifying the Skies: Nate Millecam’s Journey to Reinvent Aviation

Aerospace is on the brink of an electronic revolution, and at the forefront is Nate Millecam, Co-Founder & CEO of EP Systems. With a bold vision to electrify aviation and beyond, EP Systems has secured over $100M in funding and partnered with top names to make fully electric aircraft a reality. We sit down with Nate to discuss his journey from a traditional aerospace giant to leading one of the most innovative startups in the industry. He shares his top advice on decision-making, scaling hard tech, and building an adaptable team culture.

October 18, 202454 min

Navy SEAL Mindset & Tackling Gun Violence

Rob Huberty, former Navy SEAL and Co-Founder & COO of ZeroEyes. Rob shares how his proximity to previous shooting tragedies and military experience led him and his co-founders to create an AI-powered solution that's revolutionizing gun detection and prevention.

April 19, 20241 hr 5 min

From Airlines to Autonomous Vehicles: Richard Tame, Tech Industry Veteran and CFO

Meet Richard Tame, a seasoned finance executive who is now serving as the CFO of Coeus Institute, an AI data driven analysis company. His journey across various industries and renowned corporations, from British Airways to tech giants like Amazon, Meta, and Lyft, has been marked by a wealth of diverse experiences. With a standout tenure as CFO at Aurora, the groundbreaking autonomous vehicle startup, Richard navigated the complexities of a rapidly expanding enterprise, orchestrating successful capital raises and forging strategic alliances that propelled Aurora to success in the fiercely competitive realm of self-driving cars. During our conversation, Richard shares insights into his unique experience in raising capital, particularly with Aurora's journey from the Series B stage to its public listing via a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC). He offers invaluable advice for navigating the complexities of high-growth startups, from charting a course for success to achieving a balance between career and personal life pursuits.

April 8, 202450 min

Serial Entrepreneur & Silent Investor: Jackson Moses, Founder of Silent Ventures

Jackson Moses is a successful serial entrepreneur and early defense tech investor. He currently serves as the Founder and Managing Partner of Silent Ventures, an early stage venture firm investing in aerospace, defense, and national security startups including Anduril, Castelion, Chaos, Hadrian, and Saronic. Prior to launching Silent Ventures, Jackson founded MainStreet and Spectrum Labs, later acquired by ActiveFence. Between both startups, he raised over $120M, employed hundreds, and generated $30M+ in ARR. In this interview, Jackson shares invaluable insights gained from his experiences as a serial entrepreneur and early-stage investor. From navigating the complexities of the defense tech sector to advising startups and venture firms on investment strategies, Jackson offers practical advice and actionable takeaways for aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned investors alike.

March 22, 202435 min

Embracing Ambiguity: Dr. Seth Lederman, CEO & Chairman of Tonix Pharmaceuticals

Dr. Seth Lederman, CEO and Chairman of Tonix Pharmaceuticals, shares insights into his journey from medical practice to pharmaceutical entrepreneurship. From his early days combating the AIDS epidemic to specializing in rheumatology and fibromyalgia research, Dr. Lederman discusses the lessons learned from founding and leading Tonix Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Lederman offers valuable insights into the dynamics of drug development and commercialization. He also shares his perspective as a seasoned CEO, providing actionable advice on effective leadership and fostering a culture of innovation within the company. With the impending launch of Tanmaya, Tonix's pioneering product for fibromyalgia management, Dr. Lederman highlights the company's mission to address unmet medical needs and enhance patient well-being.

March 15, 20241 hr 0 min

Behind the Scenes of Private Equity: Jeff Hart Shares his Strategic Approach

Jeff Hart is a partner at AE Industrial Partners, a Private Equity firm with over $6 Billion in AUM that has invested in some of the most exciting aerospace, security, and industrial companies across the country including Firefly Aerospace, Sierra Space, and York Space Systems. Jeff has spearheaded the Aerospace & Defense sector within the firm with his partner Bryan McElwee and has taken multiple companies public including Redwire and BigBear.ai where he remains on the board of directors.

February 23, 20241 hr 8 min

Building Success Beyond the Hype; Justus Kilian, Space Capital

Justus Kilian, Managing Partner at Space Capital, discusses how to create a culture of excellence, why Elon Musk interviewed the first 1,000 hires at Tesla, and how to find your dream mentor. Space Capital is a venture firm at the forefront of the Tech-Space intersection, boasting a robust portfolio with over $100 million in assets under management. With a steadfast commitment to innovation, Space Capital has joined forces with visionary founders and made strategic investments in breakout companies like Rocket Lab and SpaceX.

February 9, 20241 hr 0 min

Trailblazing Her Own Path In Venture Capital In Space

Meagan Murphy Crawford, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of SpaceFund, which has invested in over 20 Aerospace companies including SpaceX, Axiom Space, and Voyager Space. Meagan also co-founded the world’s longest running space business plan competition, and has taught, coached, and advised hundreds of space startups through their earliest stages – including some of the most successful aerospace companies around today. --Topics Covered -- Trailblazing Her Own Path In Venture Capital In Space (0:00) Meagan M. Crawford's journey from a personal financial planner at Primerica to her role in space-related industries ⁠(02:07)⁠ Meagan's perspective on evaluating business plans and what stood out in successful pitches ⁠(14:13)⁠ Setting the company up for success ⁠(21:40)⁠ How to manage being on eight boards and how to effectively run them ⁠(23:49)⁠ Maximizing the value in board meetings ⁠(26:53)⁠ Meagan's reflections on mistakes made in her career and how she overcame them ⁠(29:31)⁠ The importance of asking “Why Not?” ⁠(30:47)⁠ The impact of educators and counselors on her career ⁠(32:49)⁠ Founders' Common Mistakes ⁠(34:13)⁠ Finding the balance of being a mom and a partner ⁠(37:50)⁠ Managing the dark days as an entrepreneur ⁠(44:20)⁠ One piece of advice that Meagan received ⁠(45:38)⁠ Meagan's favorite book ⁠(48:09)⁠ The number one piece of advice for founders ⁠(56:52)⁠

February 2, 202450 min

The Winning Traits of Founders; Andrea Hippeau, Partner at Lerer Hippeau

Andrea Hippeau is a Partner at Lerer Hippeau, an early-stage venture capital fund that has invested in some of the most forward thinking brands - Warby Parker, Allbirds, Cotopaxi, Casper, and Thrive. Andrea shares what traits all the best founders have, what her investor matrix is, how she uses her network, how founders should leverage their investors, and what her number one focus would be if she was starting all over again in venture capital.

October 6, 202326 min

Early Employee to CEO of Public Company: Hadi Chaudhry

Hadi Chaudhry is the CEO & President at CareCloud, a publicly traded healthcare technology company. Hadi was an early employee at CareCloud where he rose the ranks helping take the company public and eventually becoming CEO. He has over 20 years of experience in the industry, and has been at the forefront of driving innovation and efficiency in healthcare management.