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11. Building an open-source business: a conversation with Bob van Luijt, CEO and co-founder at Weaviate.
22:17||Season 1, Ep. 11In this episode of the Venture Playbook podcast, host Marcin Lukowicz interviews Bob Van Luijt, co-founder and CEO of Weaviate, AI-native database for a new generation of software. Bob shares his unconventional journey to a technology entrepreneur, emphasizing the organic nature of his career path driven by curiosity and passion. He discusses the inception and growth of Weaviate, highlighting the importance of open-source as a distribution model and the approach of a remote-first company. Bob also reflects on the evolving landscape of AI, predicting significant changes in software development over the next decade. He concludes with advice to entrepreneurs to occasionally pause and appreciate their journey.
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10. Opening a market in Shanghai: A conversation with Enjoyce Zhu, Head of China at Sia.
15:04||Season 1, Ep. 10In this episode of the Venture Playbook podcast, host Ambre Julhia speaks with Enjoyce Zhu, Head of China at Sia and founder of the Shanghai Sia office. They discuss the opportunities and challenges of establishing Sia’s first presence in the Chinese Mainland, the strategic focus on luxury, lifestyle, hospitality, and FMCG sectors, and how global branding supports local growth. Enjoyce also shares her perspective on the role of data and AI in driving digital transformation, the innovative trends shaping consumer engagement in China, and Sia’s approach to supporting clients in this rapidly evolving market.
9. Climate-Tech Ventures Today: A conversation with Lauren Pilgreen, Associate Director of Product and Innovation at Sustainable Ventures
34:06||Season 1, Ep. 9In this episode of the Venture Playbook podcast, host Emily Orlik speaks with Lauren Pilgreen, Head of Startup Innovation at Sustainable Ventures, the leading growth partner for some of the most exciting climate technology start ups in the UK. Sustainable Ventures support entrepreneurs from idea to exit and help them scale through access to funding, workspace, expert business services and a thriving community of peers and partners. Start ups in Sustainable Ventures have a survival rate of around 85% compared and industry average of 40%, demonstrating the success of the approach. Lauren tells us about what's important for climate-tech start-ups today and what the future holds.
8. Innovating in Insurance: A conversation with Sebastian Rahlf, Global Head of Brand Experience & Product Management at Allianz Trade
22:19||Season 1, Ep. 8In this episode of the Venture Playbook podcast, host Emily Orlik speaks with Sebastian Rahlf, Global Head of Brand Experience & Product Management at Allianz Trade. Sebastian works at Allianz Trade HQ in Paris - a company that has 75000+ clients around the world and protects €1,400 billion business transactions globally. Ultimately they give companies the confidence to trade, and be paid. Sebastian shares with us his experiences of innovation (and it would be amiss not to also explore what it was like to sponsor the Paris Olympics!).
7. The Power of Community: A conversation with Dupsy Abiola, Innovation Leader.
31:44||Season 1, Ep. 7In this episode of the Venture Playbook podcast, host Emily Orlik speaks with Dupsy Abiola, an independent innovation leader who has held fascinating roles such as Chief of Staff at Monzo, Head of Global Innovation at International Airlines Group, and strategic advisor to the Venture Cafe (a network of innovators recently launched in London). Dupsy shares her story and what innovation means to her, be it in the context of a FTSE 100 company or of a start up. She walks us through concepts such as the four Ps of innovation success (Priority, People, Process and Permission to fail forward), an approach to innovation that aims to ensure the success of change.
6. Operating flexible workplaces at scale: A Conversation with Paul Dutnall, COO at Work.Life.
37:49||Season 1, Ep. 6In this episode of the Venture Playbook podcast, host Marcin Lukowicz and co-host Mo Rajput speak with Paul Dutnall, COO at Work.Life. Work.Life was founded in 2015 and provides access to offices, co-working spaces, and event spaces in 14 locations across England. Paul takes us through his journey to becoming a COO and Work.Life's business model.This episode offers insight into the commercial real estate industry as well as hospitality in a post-pandemic era.
5. How AI and radar technology are transforming road safety: A Conversation with Barry Lunn, Founder and CEO of Provizio
31:52||Season 1, Ep. 5In this episode of the Venture Playbook podcast, hosts Emily Orlik and Ambre Julhia speak with Barry Lunn, the founder and CEO of Provizio. Provizio is a deep-tech company on a mission to prevent road accidents, with their pioneering AI and radar enabled car safety technology. In this conversation, we explore Barry’s experience of launching and growing businesses (he sold his previous company for $50 million in 2017), the value proposition and development of Provizio’s technology, the business landscape of Ireland, and how to balance big vision with the day-to-day grind of starting something from scratch.