Navigating Venture Capital, Media, and AI

Ed Barker sits down with Arif Gursel, partner at Uncap Ventures, to discuss his journey from the world of Big Tech to VC. Arif shares his initial hesitance and subsequent embrace of the venture world, and the founding of Uncap Ventures and its mission to support startups with black founders. They dive into the importance of media and storytelling in entrepreneurship, the role of AI in the creative industries, and the challenges of driving investment into underserved communities.

00:00 Introduction

00:22 Meet Arif Gursel: Background and Career Journey

05:44 The Role of Uncap Ventures in Supporting Black Founders

10:26 The Union: A Space for Innovation and Development

15:05 The Importance of Storytelling in Entrepreneurship

20:51 Navigating the Investment Landscape

25:45 The Art of Raising Capital

29:44 AI in the Creative Industry

33:46 The Future of Work and AI

43:02 Finding and Supporting Founders

51:46 Final Thoughts

About Your Host

Ed Barker has enjoyed a weird and varied career. Ed is a Brit now resident in Seattle and has founded three startups, enjoyed a long career in corporate strategy, and most recently as a VC. Sound Investments shines a small light on the fantastic work being done in the Pacific Northwest entrepreneurial community.

Studio 1878

Podcast strategy and production studio focused on helping brands tell smarter, more human stories. We work with founders, operators, and marketing leaders to design shows that serve clear strategic goals. Studio 1878 handles the full process - from concept and positioning through recording, editing, and distribution. Our work blends editorial thinking with production craft, prioritizing substance over noise. The result is podcasts that build trust, credibility, and long-term brand value.

Arif Gursel, UnCap Ventures

Arif is a Seattle-based founder, investor, and ecosystem builder. He is a General Partner at UnCap Ventures, where he backs early-stage founders with a focus on access, conviction, and long-term company building. Arif previously worked across product, partnerships, and strategy at companies including Microsoft, Google, Netflix, and Salesforce. He is also the founder of The Union, a community space designed to bring founders, creatives, and operators together. Across investing and community work, Arif is known for his emphasis on founder support, ecosystem building, and expanding pathways to capital.

Connect with Arif:

* UnCap: uncap.vc

* The Union: www.theunion.io

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Ed Barker talks with Anthony Herman, managing partner at Snowball, an innovation advisory firm specializing in corporate venture capital (CVC). The discussion highlights the dual roles of CVC employees, who balance traditional venture capital duties with corporate stakeholder engagement. Anthony shares his career journey, including his early work in private equity, founding a VR enterprise startup, and his experiences at Amazon Web Services and EQT. The episode delves into the inception and mission of Snowball, emphasizing the importance of having experienced practitioners to guide CVCs, governments, and family offices in innovation and investment strategy. They explore the common challenges CVCs face, the benefits and complexities of startup-corporate relationships, and the evolving landscape of corporate venture investing.

00:00 Introduction

05:17 Anthony's Journey

08:31 Why Corporates Invest in Startups

18:12 Working with CVCs: What Founders Need to Know

23:57 CVC Market Trends

29:41 Beyond Corporate: Government & Family Offices

31:30 The Future of Corporate Innovation

36:09 The Future of Snowball

About Your Host

Ed Barker has enjoyed a weird and varied career. Ed is a Brit now resident in Seattle and has founded three startups, enjoyed a long career in corporate strategy, and most recently as a VC. He's now building a podcast production company, Studio 1878. Sound Investments is a modest attempt to shine some light on the fantastic work being done in the Pacific Northwest entrepreneurial community.

Anthony Herman, Snowball Innovation Advisory

Anthony is Senior Advisor and Managing Partner at Snowball Innovation Advisory, where he helps organizations build and execute corporate innovation and venture strategies. He brings more than 15 years of experience as a startup founder, corporate executive, and venture capital investor - including early investments in companies like Oculus, Palantir, Addepar, and RelateIQ. Before Snowball, Anthony founded and exited his own tech startup and led startup & venture partnerships for Amazon Web Services in Northern Europe. His work bridges the gap between founders and large organizations looking to leverage corporate venture capital and strategic innovation.

Connect with Anthony:

* Snowball Innovation Advisory: www.snowballinnov.com

* Anthony's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/anthonyherman

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Perfecting Your Pitch: Insights from Dana Sather Robinson

In this episode, Ed Barker is joined by Dana Sather Robinson, founder of Pitch4Impact, to discuss common mistakes founders make in their pitches and how to improve them. Dana emphasizes the importance of understanding what investors really want to hear and how to craft a compelling narrative. She highlights the significance of good communication skills in pitching and broader founder communication, including customer interactions, team building, and relationship management. Dana shares her journey and provides practical tips on structuring and refining pitches to captivate investors, emphasizing the value of practice, storyboarding, and preparation for Q&A sessions.

To receive the download, “What Investors Really Want”, click here.

00:00 Introducing Dana Sather Robinson

02:42 Dana's Journey to Pitch Coaching

05:35 Common Pitching Mistakes

11:15 What Investors Really Want

16:13 Storyboarding Your Pitch

25:46 Communication as a Leadership Signal

29:14 Mastering Q&A

40:50 Building Investor Relationships

About Your Host

Ed Barker has enjoyed a weird and varied career. Ed is a Brit now resident in Seattle and has founded three startups, enjoyed a long career in corporate strategy, and most recently as a VC. He's now building a podcast production company, Studio 1878. Sound Investments is a modest attempt to shine some light on the fantastic work being done in the Pacific Northwest entrepreneurial community.

Dana Sather Robinson, Pitch4Impact

As an angel investor, Dana has evaluated hundreds of investor pitches and decks over the years. She knows what investors need to get from a pitch in order to want to go further. As a professional trainer with decades of experience in presentation skills training, she works with founders to improve their skills to create and deliver impactful pitches. The Pitch 4 Impact training program helps improve startup pitches and be able to adapt to different situations and investors.

Connect with Dana:

* Pitch4Impact: pitch4impact.com

* Dana's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dana-sather-robinson/

* What Investors Really Want: preview.mailerlite.io/forms/804767/176514105053545618/share

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.