Inception

Business
Entrepreneurship

entrepreneurship
Venture Capital
investment
Entrepreneur
vc
investing
entrepreneurs
startup
startups

Hosted by Joyance Partners Managing Partner Mike Edelhart, Inception is a series of conversations about the beginning of things - of companies, careers, new science, breakthrough technology, and a peek into the future. Each episode features an intimate talk between Mike and the founder of one of the remarkable companies in our portfolio. Together, they explore the grit, determination, and skill required to start a company, the underlying philosophies and psychologies of entrepreneurship, and the secrets of how startups are created, funded, and ultimately, win.

Watch Inception on YouTube

S1E1: The Inception of Inception with Guest Charles Smith, Social Starts Venture Partner

In the very first episode of Inception, Social Starts/Joyance Partner Managing Partner Mike Edelhart talks with Venture Partner Charles Smith about the remarkable spark of aspiring entrepreneurs, the key factors that motivate investors, the complicated art of saying no forever (or just no for now), and much more.

S1E2: Guest Chieh Huang, CEO of Boxed

Chieh Huang is CEO of Boxed, the bulk delivery service. In this episode, Chieh talks about making your dream come alive, the grit it takes to keep that dream alive, the correlation between joy and success, and much more.

S1E3: Guest Austen Allred, CEO of Lambda School

Austen Allred is CEO of Lambda School, the online software engineering training school for no up-front cost. In this episode, Austen shares the powerful personal story behind founding his company, what it feels like to have a bullet in your back, the one big worry that keeps him up at night, and more.

S1E4: Guest Tina Hedges, CEO of LOLI Beauty

Tina Hedges is CEO of LOLI, the world's first zero waste beauty brand. In this episode, Tina talks about the tumultuous transition from the corporate world to the startup world, her superpower of thriving in times of chaos, and the extreme care that goes into the creation of her product, including the personalized ritual performed with each order.

S1E5: Guest Daniel Chait, CEO of Greenhouse

Daniel Chait is CEO of Greenhouse, the talent acquisition company. In this episode, Daniel talks about the pros and cons of rapid growth, how he leverages his leadership position as a "flamethrower," and that one time he started a business from the principal's office in high school.

S1E6: Guest Jun Deng, Investment Partner at Joyance Partners

Jun Deng is an Investment Partner at Joyance Partners, the first VC fund focused on health-driven happiness. In this episode, Jun talks about what it's like being a young woman working in an "old man" industry, how she leverages her scientific expertise when evaluating companies, the advantages of Joyance's diverse and flexible team, and more.

S1E7: Guest Hunter Rosenblume, CEO of Sweet

Hunter Rosenblume is CEO of Sweet, an app that can save you up to 50% on your monthly phone bill. In this episode, Hunter talks about his phone-themed bar mitzvah, the challenges of pivoting his company three times, how he convinced investors to invest in his idea before he was even 20 years old, and more.

S1E8: Guest Tyler Shultz, CEO of Flux Biosciences

Tyler Shultz is CEO of Flux Biosciences, a company that repurposes the tech used to read and write computer hard drives to perform sensitive and quantitative point-of-care in vitro medical diagnostics. In this episode, Tyler talks about transitioning from the academic world to the startup world, recovering from working at a company where the culture was built on fear, and the incredible experience of creating his own company based on revolutionary scientific breakthroughs.

S1E9: Melanie Travis, CEO of Andie Swimwear

Melanie Travis is CEO of Andie, a swimwear brand made for women, by women. In this episode, Melanie talks about the bright moment she realized the key to her success, the surprising pros of having zero swimwear expertise when she started her company, and the deep satisfaction she gets from creating a product that makes her customers comfortable and empowered for the first time in their lives.

S1E10: Guest Sam Parr, CEO of The Hustle

Sam Parr is CEO of The Hustle, a media company that produces a wildly popular tech and business newsletter for young professionals. In this episode, Sam talks about his first startup ("Weiners as big as a baby's arm!"), his mother's interpretation of what he does now ("Wall Street Journal meets the Daily Show"), and the satisfaction he experiences from getting to do what he loves every single day.