A podcast dedicated to meaningful conversations with founders and investors on all things startups and venture capital. Our guests take us inside the world of tech and innovation, from industry trends to leadership principles. We also get lots of valuable career advice, especially geared toward young professionals interested in breaking into venture and entrepreneurship.
This podcast is entirely student-run and brought to you by A-Level Capital, a VC fund managed by undergraduates at Johns Hopkins University that invests in Hopkins entrepreneurs. To learn more, visit www.alevelcapital.com.
Founder + Investor Series: Nick Culbertson (Techstars) on Building and Investing in AI Health Companies
Our guest this week is Nick Culbertson. Nick is the Managing Director at Techstars AI Health Baltimore, an accelerator committed to empowering AI healthcare startups. Prior to Techstars, Nick co-founded, led and sold Protenus, an AI company that brings automation and risk reduction to healthcare compliance.
This episode is loaded with valuable advice based on Nick's experiences across med school, entrepreneurship, investing and more. He discusses:
Co-founding Protenus during med school
His conviction in Baltimore's entrepreneurial ecosystem
What he looks for in health-tech founders
The importance of governance and compliance in AI healthcare companies
His number one piece of life advice
Nick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickculbertson/
Techstars AI Health Baltimore: https://www.techstars.com/accelerators/baltimore-ai-health
ALC LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-level-capital/
To reach out to the A-Level Capital Pod with feedback or suggestions, please email pratibha@alevelcapital.com and rose@alevelcapital.com.
19 Jan 2026
Founder Series: Shiv Gaglani (Osmosis) on Building Strong Teams and Scaling Companies
Our guest this week is Shiv Gaglani. Shiv is a 3x founder passionate about healthcare & education. His health & medical learning platform, Osmosis (also an ALC portco), was acquired by Elsevier. More recently, he's been investing in and advising companies that improve society.
This episode is loaded with valuable advice based on Shiv's experiences across med school, entrepreneurship, writing, and more. He discusses:
What sparked his interest in the intersection between healthcare and technology
How lessons from his early ventures informed his approach to scaling Osmosis
The importance of building the right team
The value of writing and content creation
His number one piece of life advice
Shiv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivgaglani/
Osmosis: www.osmosis.org
ALC LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/a-level-capital/
To reach out to the A-Level Capital Pod with feedback or suggestions, please email rose@alevelcapital.com and pratibha@alevelcapital.com.
16 Jan 2026
Investor Series: Chelsea Zhang (Equal Ventures) on Supply Chain
Our guest this week is Chelsea Zhang. Chelsea is a Principal at Equal Ventures, an early-stage VC leading & co-leading seed rounds in startups transforming legacy markets like retail, insurance, supply chain, and climate.
This episode dives into Chelsea's career journey as well as her take on the future of supply chain. We cover:
How Chelsea's early experience in consulting fostered skills transferrable to investing
Unique challenges in seed-stage investing as opposed to later stages
Equal's thesis and approach to portfolio management
How AI & globalization is impacting supply chains
Best ways to stay tapped into the latest in supply chain & tech
Chelsea's LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/zhangchelsea/)
Equal Ventures (www.equal.vc)
ALC LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/company/a-level-capital)
To reach out to the A-Level Capital Pod with feedback or suggestions, please email rose@alevelcapital.com and pratibha@alevelcapital.com.
25 Jul 2023
Founder + Investor Series: Halle Tecco on Building and Investing in Digital Health
Our guest this week is Halle Tecco. Halle has been building and investing at the forefront of digital health for over a decade. She is the co-founder of Cofertility (reshaping egg donation and egg freezing), Natalist (acquired by Everly Health), and digital health venture fund Rock Health. She is also an Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School, where she teaches the school’s first MBA-level course on digital health investing, and hosts The Heart of Healthcare podcast.
In this episode, we cover:
The evolution of digital health
How to remain a healthcare optimist in today's environment
Who has benefited most from digital health innovations … and who has been left behind
Whitespace and opportunity in women’s health, especially fertility care
Co-founding Cofertility
Halle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/halletecco/
Cofertility: https://www.cofertility.com/
The Heart of Healthcare: https://www.heartofhealthcarepodcast.com/
Blog post, Defining Women’s Health: https://www.hbs.edu/healthcare/blog/post/defining-womens-health-womens-health-is-more-than-female-anatomy-and-our-reproductive-systemits-about-unraveling-centuries-of-inequities-due-to-living-in-a-patriarchal-healthcare-system
Blog post, Why Fertility Care is Broken: https://fortune.com/2022/04/28/reasons-why-fertility-care-broken-cost-access-outcome-women-health-halle-tecco/
To stay updated on all things A-Level Capital: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-level-capital/
28 Jun 2023
Investor Series: Merrill Anovick (25m Health) on Incubating and Investing in Health-Tech Companies
Our guest this week is Merrill Anovick. Merrill is the President and COO of 25m Health, a health-tech venture studio founded in partnership with Lifepoint Health that backs startups aimed at enhancing the delivery of high-quality healthcare.
This episode dives deep into the venture studio model of investing + incubating. We cover:
the difference between a venture platform and a more
traditional VC firm
where venture studios can add the most value
how 25 Madison and 25m Health think about mitigating risk and validating potential incubation opportunities
the decision to incubate vs invest
some of the challenges faced by health-tech entrepreneurs
if there is a ‘formula’ for successfully launching companies
... and much more!
Merrill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/merrillanovick/
25m Health: https://www.25madison.com/health
To stay updated: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-level-capital/
7 Mar 2023
Investor Series: Morgan Cheatham (Bessemer Ventures) on Predictions for Healthcare & Life Sciences
Our guest this week is Morgan Cheatham. Morgan is a VP at Bessemer Venture Partners in the healthcare and life sciences group. He’s simultaneously pursuing medical training at Brown University … and in case that wasn’t enough, is active on Twitter (@morgancheatham) and Substack (@ Decoding Tech Bio).
Morgan is an absolute wealth of knowledge on all things bio. We cover lots of ground, including AI applications in healthcare, techbio, value-based care, direct-to-clinician distribution models, and balancing investing with medical school. We hope you enjoy (and take notes)!
Morgan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgancheatham/
Morgan on Twitter: @morgancheatham
Morgan on Substack: https://decodingbio.substack.com/
To stay updated:
A-Level Capital LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-level-capital/
To reach out to the A-Level Capital Pod with feedback or suggestions, please email jemina@alevelcapital.com and anusha@alevelcapital.com
21 Feb 2023
Founder Series: Robin Shah (Thyme Care, OneOncology, Flatiron Health) on Transforming the Cancer Patient Care Journey
Our guest this week is Robin Shah, founder and CEO of Thyme Care. Robin has spent his entire professional career in digital health, working toward one primary goal: to improve the cancer patient care journey. Before founding Thyme Care, he was among the first employees and VP of Marketing at Flatiron Health (acquired by Roche), then joined the founding team at OneOncology ($200M in funding, backed by General Atlantic). Today, Thyme guides cancer patients through a complex healthcare system by providing personalized support, quality resources, and quick access to high-value care. They’ve raised $22M from firms like Andreessen Horowitz and Bessemer.
Robin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-shah-8072bb35/
Thyme Care: https://www.thymecare.com/
To stay updated:
A-Level Capital LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-level-capital/
To reach out to the A-Level Capital Pod with feedback or suggestions, please email jemina@alevelcapital.com and anusha@alevelcapital.com
14 Feb 2023
Investor Series: Dr. Hesam Motlagh (Khosla Ventures) on Investing in Breakthrough Technologies
Our guest this week is Dr. Hesam Motlagh. Hesam is an investment partner at Khosla Ventures, a VC firm that backs bold, innovative companies leveraging technology to solve today’s most pressing problems. Founded in 2004, their portfolio includes OpenAI, InstaCart, Affirm, and Impossible Foods.
At KV, Hesam focuses on companies that translate basic science into products that impact and improve society. He is also Chief of Staff to the legendary Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems and founding partner of KV. We speak with Hesam about his journey into investing from academia, the mission behind KV, and how they live up to their thesis of being bold, early, and impactful.
Hesam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hesam-motlagh-1a379663/
Khosla Ventures: https://www.khoslaventures.com/
Resources: The Power Law (https://a.co/d/9UcxUGl) (Sebastian Mallaby); Vinod Khosla: 70-80% Of VCs Add Negative Value To Startups (https://techcrunch.com/2013/09/11/vinod-khosla/) (TechCrunch), The Entrepreneurial Roller Coaster by Khosla Ventures (https://www.khoslaventures.com/the-entrepreneurial-roller-coaster-high-highs-low-lows) (Khosla Ventures), A few Critical Climate Technology Breakthroughs Multiplied by “Instigators” is desperately needed (https://www.khoslaventures.com/a-few-critical-climate-technology-breakthroughs-multiplied-by-instigators-is-desperately-needed) (Vinod Khosla)
Stay updated:
A-Level Capital LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-level-capital/
To reach out to the A-Level Capital Pod with feedback or suggestions, please email jemina@alevelcapital.com and anusha@alevelcapital.com
24 Jan 2023
Founder Series: Michelle Stephens (Oath Care) on Building a New Model of Maternal Digital Health Rooted in Community
Our guest this week is Michelle Stephens. Michelle is the co-founder of Oath Care, a maternal digital health company focused on the experience of fertility, pregnancy, and pediatrics. The company delivers on what mothers crave most: medical advice from experts who deeply know you, paired with anecdotal wisdom from fellow mothers who are there or have been there. At its core is a belief that health is fundamentally social.
Oath is backed by investors including OMERS Ventures, XYZ Ventures, General Catalyst, and Eros Resmini, former CMO of Discord. In this episode, we speak about Oath Care's mission, Michelle's journey as a founder, and trends in maternal digital health. We also get lots of career advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, along with tips on how to find more meaning and purpose in your career.
Michelle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-stephens-oath-care/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-stephens-oath-care/)
Oath Care is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store
Oath Care website: oathcare.com
Stay updated:
A-Level Capital LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-level-capital/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-level-capital/)
To reach out to the A-Level Capital Pod with feedback or suggestions, please email jemina@alevelcapital.com (mailto:jemina@alevelcapital.com) and anusha@alevelcapital.com (mailto:anusha@alevelcapital.com)
17 Jan 2023
Investor Series: Yousuf Khan (Ridge Ventures) on the State of Early-Stage Software Investing
Our guest this week is Yousuf Khan. Yousuf is a Partner at Ridge Ventures, a venture capital fund founded in 2007 that backs early-stage enterprise startups (portfolio companies including Fastly, Braze, and Discord). Before joining Ridge, Yousuf spent over a decade as an enterprise company CIO. He was one of the early advisors at Zoom, and has been leveraging his operating experience to support early-stage founders well before he began his career in investing.
Yousuf is intimately familiar with all things software. In this episode, we get his take on the state of early-stage enterprise investing today, his advice for founders building during a downturn, and why he’s still optimistic about venture capital in 2023 despite a turbulent market. We also get lots of career and life advice - what it takes to become a venture capitalist, why he loves his job, and words of wisdom for young people early in their careers.
Yousuf on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yousufakhan/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/yousufakhan/)
Ridge Ventures website: https://ridge.vc/ (https://ridge.vc/)
Stay updated:
A-Level Capital LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-level-capital/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-level-capital/)
To reach out to the A-Level Capital Pod with feedback or suggestions, please email jemina@alevelcapital.com (mailto:jemina@alevelcapital.com) and anusha@alevelcapital.com (mailto:anusha@alevelcapital.com)
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