# Give First: the investor podcast, by episode

> Give First: Techstars founders, mentors and investors on building from the earliest days. 115 episodes, each linked to the investors in it.

Source: https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/give-first (Millionrounds; every figure on the page links to its filing or article)

Founders · new episode 20 Oct 2026

# Give First

Hosted by **Techstars**

Techstars founders, mentors and investors on building from the earliest days.

Follow on Apple PodcastsBrowse the episodes

**115** episodes

**36** investors heard as guests

**27 min** an average episode

12 in the last 12 months

## The regulars

Investors named as guests in the most episode titles on Give First.

[EK *2* **Elizabeth Kraus** MergeLane](https://millionrounds.com/person/elizabeth-kraus)[JO *2* **James Oliver** Thorney Investment](https://millionrounds.com/person/james-oliver)[LM *2* **Lesa Mitchell** Techstars](https://millionrounds.com/person/lesa-mitchell)[BK *1* **Bala Kamallakharan** 1 episode](https://millionrounds.com/person/bala-kamallakharan)[BF *1* **Brad Feld** Foundry Group](https://millionrounds.com/person/brad-feld)[BB *1* **Brittany Barreto** Coyote Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/person/brittany-barreto)[CC *1* **Charles Conn** Monograph Capital](https://millionrounds.com/person/charles-conn)[CS *1* **Chris Schroeder** 1 episode](https://millionrounds.com/person/chris-schroeder)[CS *1* **Cody Simms** Techstars Alabama Power EnergyTech Accelerator](https://millionrounds.com/person/cody-simms)[DH *1* **David Hornik** August Capital](https://millionrounds.com/person/david-hornik-3)[EG *1* **Elizabeth Gore** 1 episode](https://millionrounds.com/person/elizabeth-gore)[HR *1* **Heidi Roizen** Threshold](https://millionrounds.com/person/heidi-roizen)

## Every episode 115 · page 1 of 4

- 115 **The Unicorn Helping Millions Build Credit featuring James Garvey** 20 Oct 2026 · 25 min About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen sits down with James Garvey, co-founder and CEO of Self, the credit access unicorn that has helped millions of people build and rebuild their credit. James opens up about stepping away from the company and returning to the CEO seat to refound it, and the values… ▶Show page
- 114 **The Unicorn Reinventing How Healthcare Reaches You with Jon Lensing** 6 Oct 2026 · 32 min About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen sits down with Jon Lensing, co-founder and CEO of OpenLoop, the unicorn building the infrastructure that lets any company offer virtual healthcare to the people it already serves. Jon shares why he left medicine to reimagine healthcare around convenience, how the… ▶Show page
- 113 **The Unicorn Giving Parents Peace of Mind with Kurt Workman** 22 Sept 2026 · 28 min About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen sits down with Kurt Workman, co-founder and executive chairman of Owlet, the company behind the smart sock that tracks a baby's heart rate and oxygen and sends the data to a parent's phone. Kurt shares the personal story that sparked Owlet, the moments that… ▶Show page
- 112 **From a Mall Booth to a Billion-Dollar Unicorn featuring Matt Oppenheimer** 15 Sept 2026 · 30 min About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen sits down with Matt Oppenheimer, founder and chair of Remitly, the cross-border payments company he grew from a mall booth into a billion-dollar business. Matt reflects on the focus and grit it took to scale Remitly across borders, the fundraising road that… ▶Show page
- 111 **From Lab Bench to Billion Dollar Unicorn with Etosha Cave** 25 Aug 2026 · 24 min About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen sits down with Etosha Cave, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Twelve, the billion-dollar company turning carbon dioxide and water into jet fuel. Etosha shares what it really takes to build a deep tech unicorn, from the funding playbook for hard science… ▶Show page
- 110 **Burn Bright, Not Out: James Oliver Jr. on Founder Mental Wellness** 17 Feb 2026 · 24 min [James Oliver](https://millionrounds.com/person/james-oliver) About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen sits down with James Oliver Jr., Techstars alum, entrepreneur, and author of Burn Bright, Not Out. James shares his journey navigating the pressures of high achievement and the hidden cost of hustle culture. He introduces the Burn Bright Spectrum, a framework to… ▶Show page
- 109 **Finding Your Way Back to What You Love Through Give First with John Fein** 20 Jan 2026 · 23 min [John Fein](https://millionrounds.com/person/john-fein)[Firebrand Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/firebrand-ventures) About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen sits down with John Fein, partner at Firebrand Ventures and former Techstars managing director. John reflects on the winding path of his career, from moments of uncertainty to finding renewed purpose through startups, venture, and community building. He shares… ▶Show page
- 108 **The Long Game of Venture and Generosity with David Hornik** 6 Jan 2026 · 29 min [David Hornik](https://millionrounds.com/person/david-hornik-3)[Lobby Capital](https://millionrounds.com/fund/lobby-capital)[Adam Grant](https://millionrounds.com/person/adam-grant) About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld talks with David Hornik, founding partner at Lobby Capital. David shares how a relationship driven approach has shaped his career in venture capital, from investing to community building. He reflects on why generosity compounds over time, how trust creates durable… ▶Show page
- 107 **Rethinking Capitalism with Seth Levine** 9 Dec 2025 · 26 min [Seth Levine](https://millionrounds.com/person/seth-levine) About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen talks with Seth Levine, Partner at Foundry and co-author of Capital Evolution. Seth looks back on the early days of Techstars, the original Boulder community that shaped it, and how Foundry is approaching its final fund while still actively investing. The… ▶Show page
- 106 **Starting and Closing a Bank in 3 Months with Bala Kamallakharan** 25 Nov 2025 · 49 min [Bala Kamallakharan](https://millionrounds.com/person/bala-kamallakharan) About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld talks with Bala Kamallakharan, founder of Startup Iceland and a driving force behind the country’s modern startup ecosystem. Bala shares the remarkable story of moving to Mumbai to build an Icelandic bank in 2008, only to watch the entire financial system collapse… ▶Show page
- 105 **How Pledge 1% Sparked a Global Movement for Startup Philanthropy** 11 Nov 2025 · 23 min [Brad Feld](https://millionrounds.com/person/brad-feld)[Sameer Dholakia](https://millionrounds.com/person/sameer-dholakia) About this episode In this special episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld and Sameer Dholakia revisit the origins of Pledge 1%, the global movement helping startups build philanthropy into their business from the start. What began as a simple conversation in Boulder between Brad and Rally Software co-founder Ryan Martens grew… ▶Show page
- 104 **How Sameer Dholakia Led SendGrid to IPO and Exit** 28 Oct 2025 · 38 min [Sameer Dholakia](https://millionrounds.com/person/sameer-dholakia)[Bessemer Venture Partners](https://millionrounds.com/fund/bessemer-venture-partners) About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld sits down with Sameer Dholakia, partner at Bessemer Venture Partners and former CEO of SendGrid, the first Techstars company to go public. When Sameer joined SendGrid, growth was slowing and the company was losing money. Under his leadership, it became a $250M… ▶Show page
- 103 **The Compass Within: Robert Glazer on Leading with Core Values** 15 Oct 2025 · 29 min About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld sits down with Robert Glazer, 5x entrepreneur, #1 Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, and author of the new book The Compass Within. Robert shares his framework for uncovering personal core values, the principles that guide decisions,… ▶Show page
- 102 **AI First Leaders | Andy Sack & Adam Brotman on Scaling with the AI Wave** 23 Sept 2025 · 25 min [Andy Sack](https://millionrounds.com/fund/andy-sack) About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen sits down with longtime Techstars friend Andy Sack and former Starbucks Chief Digital Officer Adam Brotman, co-CEOs of Forum3 and co-authors of AI First: The Playbook for a Future-Proof Business and Brand. They explore why AI isn’t just another vertical, but the… ▶Show page
- 101 **Building Startups and Lasting Relationships with Scott Dorsey** 9 Sept 2025 · 32 min [Scott Dorsey](https://millionrounds.com/fund/scott-dorsey)[High Alpha](https://millionrounds.com/fund/high-alpha) About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld talks with Scott Dorsey, co-founder of High Alpha and former CEO of ExactTarget, the email marketing pioneer acquired by Salesforce. Scott shares his journey from launching a startup with no technical background to building a company of 2,000 employees, going… ▶Show page
- 100 **Breaking Barriers for Entrepreneurs with Elizabeth Gore** 26 Aug 2025 · 29 min [Elizabeth Gore](https://millionrounds.com/person/elizabeth-gore) About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld talks with Elizabeth Gore, co-founder and president of Hello Alice, about what it takes to build and scale a platform serving over 1.5M small business owners. Elizabeth shares how Hello Alice became a critical lifeline during COVID, launching grant programs,… ▶Show page
- 99 **Building Ecosystems from the Ground Up with Landon Young** 12 Aug 2025 · 25 min [Google](https://millionrounds.com/fund/google-assistant-investments)[Brad Feld](https://millionrounds.com/person/brad-feld) About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld reconnects with Landon Young, pre-seed investor at Elevate Ventures and a longtime builder of startup ecosystems. Landon shares stories from both sides of the table, as a founder and investor, including what it means to write the first check when a company is still… ▶Show page
- 98 **How Policy Shapes Startups: Bobby Franklin on the VC Industry’s Silent Battle** 29 Jul 2025 · 32 min About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld sits down with Bobby Franklin, President and CEO of the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). They unpack the disconnect between Washington, D.C., and the startup world, and why that gap poses a growing threat to innovation in the U.S. Bobby shares stories… ▶Show page
- 97 **The Near Death (and Rebirth) of Simple Energy with Justin Segall & Yoav Lurie** 22 Jul 2025 · 41 min About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld sits down with longtime friends and Simple Energy co-founders, Justin Segall and Yoav Lurie. Together, they revisit a pivotal moment in their startup journey, when the company was on the verge of collapse. The conversation dives into the chapter inspired by their… ▶Show page
- 96 **Givers, Takers, and Building Cultures That Last with Adam Grant** 16 Jul 2025 · 38 min About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld sits down with organizational psychologist and bestselling author, Adam Grant, for a conversation about the power of generosity in business, leadership, and life. Brad and Adam trace the roots of give first and give and take, uncovering how their philosophies… ▶Show page
- 95 **Leadership, Ego, and Saying No with Seth Godin** 8 Jul 2025 · 31 min [Seth Godin](https://millionrounds.com/person/seth-godin) About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld is joined by 22-time bestselling author and entrepreneur Seth Godin for a conversation that cuts to the core of leadership, impact, and what founders often get wrong. Seth reflects on his early days as an entrepreneur, the first time he met Brad, and what he’s… ▶Show page
- 94 **Mentorship, Ecosystems, and Feedback Loops with Ian Hathaway** 30 Jun 2025 · 34 min [Far Out VC](https://millionrounds.com/fund/far-out-vc) About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld sits down with Ian Hathaway, co-author of The Startup Community Way, host of Outsider Inc., and Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Far Out VC, to unpack what makes entrepreneurial ecosystems actually work. They revisit the early days of their collaboration, from… ▶Show page
- 93 **Part 2 - Founders at the Center | The Story of the Startup Community Movement with Lesa Mitchell** 23 Jun 2025 · 36 min [Lesa Mitchell](https://millionrounds.com/person/lesa-mitchell)[Kauffman Foundation](https://millionrounds.com/fund/kauffman-foundatio) About this episode In this special episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen and Brad Feld go deep with Lesa Mitchell on the 35-year evolution of the startup community movement. Recorded live at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress, they reflect on the early days of entrepreneurship support, from the founding of EO and early angel… ▶Show page
- 92 **Part 1 - Founders at the Center | The Story of the Startup Community Movement with Lesa Mitchell** 23 Jun 2025 · 26 min [Lesa Mitchell](https://millionrounds.com/person/lesa-mitchell)[Kauffman Foundation](https://millionrounds.com/fund/kauffman-foundatio) About this episode In this special episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen and Brad Feld go deep with Lesa Mitchell on the 35-year evolution of the startup community movement. Recorded live at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress, they reflect on the early days of entrepreneurship support, from the founding of EO and early angel… ▶Show page
- 91 **Reinventing the Boardroom with Robert Wolfe of Zeck** 27 May 2025 · 24 min [Robert Wolfe](https://millionrounds.com/person/robert-wolfe)[Edward Norton](https://millionrounds.com/person/edward-norton) About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen sits down with Robert Wolfe, founder of Zeck and serial entrepreneur behind companies like Moosejaw and CrowdRise. Robert shares his transition from consumer brands to enterprise software, and how Zeck is modernizing how executive teams communicate, collaborate,… ▶Show page
- 90 **Brad Feld Returns: The Power Behind “Give First”** 15 May 2025 · 26 min About this episode In this special episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen is joined once again by co-host Brad Feld, back after nearly two years away from the spotlight. Brad shares why he stepped back, what brought him back, and the deeper thinking behind his new book, Give First: The Power of Mentorship. They dive into the… ▶Show page
- 89 **Democratizing Venture Capital with Usman Gul of Metal** 8 May 2025 · 29 min About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, host David Cohen is joined by Usman Gul, founder and CEO of Metal. Usman shares his entrepreneurial journey and how his company is revolutionizing the fundraising process for startups. Usman discusses his own experience raising capital, the challenges he encountered, and… ▶Show page
- 88 **Building the Future of Aviation with Kevin Noertker of Ampaire** 26 Jun 2024 · 30 min About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, hosts David Cohen is joined by Kevin Noertker, CEO and co-founder of Ampaire. Kevin shares his journey from aspiring astronaut and NASA engineer to leading a revolutionary Techstars-backed company. Ampaire is advancing hybrid electric aviation, aiming to cut aircraft fuel… ▶Show page
- 87 **Educating the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs with Marc Steren** 28 May 2024 · 27 min [Michael Jordan](https://millionrounds.com/fund/michael-jordan)[Steven Spielberg](https://millionrounds.com/person/steven-spielberg) About this episode In this episode of the Give First podcast, David Cohen speaks with Marc Steren, Cofounder and Co-CEO of University Startups. The two discuss the entrepreneurial journey and the transformative impact of education. Marc offers insights into his 30-year entrepreneurial career, from pioneering mobile ticketing to… ▶Show page
- 86 **Sliding into Diem: Emma Bates talks raising $3.7M to build the front door of girl internet** 23 Apr 2024 · 25 min About this episode Emma Bates, co-founder of Diem, is reshaping the way women search the internet. Diem is a social search engine designed to provide women with trustworthy, community-driven results. In this episode of Give First, Emma talks about her journey building Diem, starting with her experience in the Techstars accelerator and… ▶Show page

## Who the show talks about

Firms named in its episodes, and people named in descriptions: talked about, rather than on the show.

[B **Brad Feld** *13*](https://millionrounds.com/person/brad-feld)[**Google** *4*](https://millionrounds.com/fund/google-assistant-investments)[A **Andy Sack** *2*](https://millionrounds.com/fund/andy-sack)[E **Excelerate Labs** *2*](https://millionrounds.com/fund/excelerate-labs)[H **Harry Stebbings** *2*](https://millionrounds.com/fund/harry-stebbings)[**Kauffman Foundation** *2*](https://millionrounds.com/fund/kauffman-foundatio)[T **Troy Henikoff** *2*](https://millionrounds.com/fund/troy-henikoff)[W **Wendy Lea** *2*](https://millionrounds.com/person/wendy-lea)[A **Adam Grant** *1*](https://millionrounds.com/person/adam-grant)[**Bain Capital** *1*](https://millionrounds.com/fund/bain-capital)[**Bain Capital Ventures** *1*](https://millionrounds.com/fund/bain-capital-ventures)[B **Ben Uretsky** *1*](https://millionrounds.com/person/ben-uretsky)

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