Podcasts by Launch Pad

Special Episode! Venture Lab 2021 Startup Challenge from 2021-04-22T14:15:50

Venture Lab is hosting their 2021 Startup Challenge, sponsored by Eric Aroesty, on Friday, April 30th and Karl interviews five semi-finalists from challenge in this hour long special episode!&nb...

Zwift- More than just a cycling community from 2021-02-26T14:06:40

Eric Min, CEO of Zwift shares his story with Rob about how he and his team transitioned traditional outdoor cycling to the convenience of ones home. Soon after, the concept expanded and led to a va...

Medicine in a bottle? It's GT Dave's Kombucha from 2021-02-17T22:12:57

CEO and Founder, GT Dave of GT Dave's Kombucha shares the story of this medicinal beverage, full of natural health benefits and the path that lead to "Living Foods."

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AllBirds Update from 2021-01-12T17:36:47

Joey Zwillinger, CEO and Founder of AllBirds

From merino wool to eucalyptus, Joey tells Rob how AllBirds has evolved to become a leading brand in material innovation. He also shares h...

Strengthen your body and mind with Tonal from 2021-01-12T15:34:41

Chris Stadler, Chief Marketing Officer of Tonal tells Rob how to get fit from the comfort of your very own home using digital weights via AI with Tonal. Chris also shares his marketing journey of h...

What's the currency? It's BitWise Cryptocurrency! from 2021-01-12T15:22:30

Hunter Horsley CEO, Board Director of BitWise shares with Karl how the company works to give customers a cryptocurrency index and beta funds.

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Tackle everything from moving to improving with Matt Ehrlichman, CEO and Co-Founder of Porch from 2020-11-18T16:08:25

Rob speaks with CEO and Co-Founder of Porch, Matt Ehrlichman about how his company began and how he's tackling the home industry one project at a time.

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Michael Preysman: Founder and CEO of Everlane from 2020-09-24T22:15:43

Karl talks with CEO of Everlane, Michael Preysman and learns more about the philosophy behind the company and their transparent sustainability mission.

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Thirsty? End it With Liquid Death from 2020-08-26T21:04:36

There's tap, bottled, sparking, and now, Liquid Death... water. Mike Cessario, Founder of canned water company "Liquid Death" shares his story about how the idea came about and where you can get it...

Unveiling "The Unicorn's Shadow" with Wharton professor, Ethan Mollick from 2020-08-19T19:44:57

In The Unicorn's Shadow: Combating the Dangerous Myths that Hold Back Startups, Founders, and Investors, Wharton School professor Ethan Mollick takes us to the forefront of an empirical re...

Streamline The Production Process With Stringr from 2020-08-13T15:28:35

Karl speaks with Lindsay Stewart, CEO and Founder of Stringr, a video platform that allows customers to source, edit, publish and monetize video. Stringr has more than 100,000 videographers wh...

Actualizing Atomic from 2020-08-13T15:19:37

Startup studio, Atomic led by Jack Abraham Founder, Managing Partner & CEO helps to actualize people's creative ideas by building dynamic teams.

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The Unique Ubiquity of Udacity from 2020-08-12T18:35:27

In an ever changing world and job market, global online learning platform, Udacity provides tools for people to develop skills to advance their careers. Karl speaks with CEO Gabe Dalporto of Udacit...

Connecting The Dots With Codecademy from 2020-08-12T17:50:40

Zach Sims, Co-Founder and CEO of Codecademy talks with Karl about how they teach more than 45 million people around the world the skills they need to upgrade their careers.

from 2020-08-12T16:21:25

Rob and Karl discuss how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting entrepreneurship globally and domestically, the importance of wearing a mask, and 3 ways to increase creativity levels.

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From Sod to The Sill (replay) from 2020-08-12T16:05:43

Eliza Blank, Founder and CEO of The Sill speaks with Karl about her company, which brings the joys of backyard gardening to the inside window sill of a city dwellers apartment.

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CES 2020 Recap Episode from 2020-01-29T15:08:49

CES is the world's gathering place for all those who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. It has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 50 years —...

A Food Lover's Field Guide from 2019-12-12T14:55:47

The Infatuation's mission is very simple: to bring you the most honest and trustworthy opinions on where to eat around the world, with reviews and guides curated by a small group of highly trained,...

Creating "Gouda" Content For The Masses from 2019-12-04T17:52:45

Watched live by more than 6.5M people each month, Cheddar is the leading post-cable news, media, and entertainment company. Cheddar also garners hundreds of millions of organic video views monthly ...

Revive & Refresh Your Home from 2019-11-20T17:45:40

Revival Rugs believes that buying one-of-a-kind, vintage handmade rugs should be smooth, transparent, and affordable. They handpick a carefully curated selection of rugs and bring them to your door...

Caffeinated Cruise Control from 2019-10-30T17:18:50

Super Coffee utilizes healthy fats for fuel! Coconut Oil has become one of the most popular "superfoods" for its powerful good fats, the elusive MCTs (Medium Chain Triglyceride). The fast-burnin...

Delectably Deformed from 2019-10-30T16:23:29

In America, many of us still don’t have access to high-quality fresh fruits and vegetables. We waste as much food as we eat. Almost half of what our nation’s farms grow is never eaten. Much of t...

A Speedy, Special Delivery from 2019-10-10T17:32:49

SpeedWeed is the largest, most successful medical marijuana delivery service in America. Launched by AJ Gentile, his wife Jennifer and his brother Gene in September 2010 from the living roo...

Nothin' But Net from 2019-09-26T16:17:10

AND 1 was, and still is, a legendary brand that brought sports and pop culture together in ways never seen before. At its peak, it was the No.2 shoe in the U.S. behind Nike. In addition, AND 1’s...

Further Than The Eye Can See from 2019-09-19T15:06:43

The Spatial Computing age is coming and businesses need to adapt. Infinite Retina is a full-service agency that exists to help companies enter and succeed in Spatial Computing – from building a com...

Balance & Beauty From Within from 2019-09-04T14:00:41

Vital Proteins helps people feel better and live fuller lives through sustainably-sourced nutrition products, promoting health, fitness and natural beauty. Our bodies’ collagen production slow...

Stories Crafted From Wood & Steel from 2019-08-27T13:12:02

Inspired by their Pacific Northwest roots - and trusting their instincts to trailblaze - brothers Ryan and Andrew Beltran set forth on a mission in 2013: Create an entirely unique timepiece out of ...

Slip or Slide Into These Stylish Shoes from 2019-08-21T13:40:44

In 2013, Mickey Ashmore created a magical pair of leather shoes with a family of craftsmen in southeast Turkey. He called them Sabahs, an original shoe based on a traditional shoemaking method that...

Empowering Entrepreneurs to Grow with Confidence from 2019-08-15T18:25:54

Justworks' mission is to help entrepreneurs and businesses grow with confidence. With a simple and friendly platform, expert support from real people when it’s needed, and access to corporate-level...

Meals At the "Snap" of Your Fingers from 2019-08-01T14:35:11

Snap Kitchen offers a wide selection of ready-to-go meals, curated from fresh meat and produce, to help you meet your dietary and fitness goals. Founded in 2010, Snap was established on the prin...

Boost Your Brain Power from 2019-08-01T14:25:34

A Columbia University-conducted study has shown that cocoa flavanols, a powerful antioxidant, can support brain, heart, skin, and circulatory health. To achieve these effects, a person needs to con...

Fill Up Anywhere, Anytime from 2019-07-11T14:49:10

Fuelster brings gas to you, helping you save money, save time, with confidence. With on-demand ordering via the Fuelster App and safe, convenient fuel delivery, Fuelster means never having to go to...

Protein-Packed Super Snacks For Pups from 2019-07-11T14:20:36

There's a shift in the way we consume our food, making it more sustainable, hoping to reverse the long-term effects of agricultural practices. But what about our pets? Well, Wild Earth is leading t...

Cardio In The Comfort of Your Home from 2019-07-11T13:21:28

When off, it's a full-length mirror. When on, see yourself, your instructor and your classmates in a sleek, interactive display, complete with embedded camera and speakers. Mirror is a fully-integr...

The Future of Mobility from 2019-06-05T13:46:30

WHILL was started by a group of automotive, consumer electronics, and medical device designers and engineers who dreamed of pushing the boundaries of pedestrian transportation for everyone, especia...

Bringing Home The Bacon from 2019-05-22T15:56:40

Outstanding Foods’ was founded to create “tasty as hell” plant-based foods that everyone can enjoy while making cruelty-free, plant-based living as accessible as possible. Combining ingredients suc...

Startup Challenge and Showcase Special, Part 4 from 2019-04-29T17:45:24

We’re proud to announce this year’s Semifinalists for the 2018-2019 Penn Wharton Startup Challenge. Teams consist of students from The Wharton School, The College of Arts and Sciences, The Schoo...

Startup Challenge and Showcase Special, Part 3 from 2019-04-29T17:42:34

We’re proud to announce this year’s Semifinalists for the 2018-2019 Penn Wharton Startup Challenge. Teams consist of students from The Wharton School, The College of Arts and Sciences, The Schoo...

Startup Challenge and Showcase Special, Part 2 from 2019-04-29T17:38:18

We’re proud to announce this year’s Semifinalists for the 2018-2019 Penn Wharton Startup Challenge. Teams consist of students from The Wharton School, The College of Arts and Sciences, The Schoo...

Startup Challenge and Showcase Special, Part 1 from 2019-04-29T17:36:11

We’re proud to announce this year’s Semifinalists for the 2018-2019 Penn Wharton Startup Challenge. Teams consist of students from The Wharton School, The College of ...

Pasture to Platter: Re-Envisioning the Food Supply Chain from 2019-04-17T17:52:26

What is Regenerative Agriculture? It's simpler than it sounds. Put plainly, regenerative farms utilize photosynthesis and healthy soil microbiology to draw down greenhouse gasses and capture the...

For The Entrepreneur, By The Entrepreneur from 2019-03-27T04:00:50

Imagine, if there was a place you could go to, a one stop, A-Z solution, for which you could take your ideas and turn them from dreams to reality. An entrepreneurial paradise, so to speak. Being...

The Greatest Medical Challenge of Our Time from 2019-03-20T17:17:32

Founded with the mindset of combating diseases that pharma companies have failed to treat, Denali Therapeutics is currently working on therapies for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Amyotrophic Late...

Management Through Meditation from 2019-03-06T20:39:34

Simple Habit is an award-winning app for daily stress relief. Founded in 2016, their mission is to empower people to live better, every day. With more than 1,500 sessions based on situations like s...

Sleep Away The Stress from 2019-02-27T16:27:30

Between busy schedules and constant notifications, alarming world news and growing stressors, many of us are struggling to fall asleep. The CDC estimates that 50-70 million adults in the US have ch...

Dollars and Change with Prof. Katherine Klein from 2019-02-23T00:51:35

What happens when the same minds that bring you smart phones, designer coffee, and standing desks turn their attention to social challenges such as poverty, poor education, and childhood obesity...

Crafting Timeless Collections in a Modern Era from 2019-02-21T19:15:21

Karla started Cuyana with the vision of creating a global design house that inspires intentional buying through pieces that are crafted with integrity. Shilpa was drawn to Cuyana for the opportunit...

Can Entrepreneurship Save The Press? from 2019-02-13T14:40:46

The press (i.e. journalism) is essential to our society. It’s how the public remains aware of what happens in our neighborhoods, in our cities, and across our country. It has become synonymous w...

The Bitmoji Killer from 2019-02-06T05:00:35

They're hailed as the most dynamic avatar on the market, combining 3D motion capture technology and AI to create realistic digital clones. They are Genies, the most personalized avatars availabl...

Your Family, Our Future from 2019-01-30T14:29:21

Future Family has set out to improve access to fertility treatments through building a premiere healthcare platform and empowering their consumers by offering subscription-based plans to familie...

The Micro-Sized, Modular, Modern Home from 2019-01-23T05:00:23

To truly understand what’s its like to live small and comfortably, Jeff Wilson gave away most of his possessions and moved into a 33-square-foot dumpster. His experience led him to start Kasita....

Onstar For The Blind from 2019-01-16T05:00:30

A chance meeting and a discussion about Google Glass led to the creation of the world's first "Onstar" for the blind. Aira blends assistive service with wearable technology, empowering a network...

Coravin Elevator Pitch from 2018-12-18T15:35:46

Here’s Greg’s elevator pitch: “Coravin is a simple handheld system that allows you to drink any amount of wine from any bottle you own, whenever you want, without having to think about when you’...

Cut Loose The Corkscrew with Coravin from 2018-12-18T15:33:12

The idea for Coravin began as a pet project during Greg’s medical career. Coravin is his first consumer product, a departure from the field of medical device innovation.

As an avid win...

For The Foodies In Your Life from 2018-12-12T16:12:40

Made In Cookware looks to reach out to millennials by providing quality cookware at more than affordable prices. It does so by cutting out the middleman and making its products direct-to-consume...

The Q To Your Bond: Meet Ministry of Supply from 2018-12-05T05:00:05

Ministry of Supply is where advanced reconstruction meets innovative materials by developing fabric to solve common problems such as wrinkles and sweating. Backed by sports science and technolog...

Bridging the Gap Between Students and STEM from 2018-11-28T05:00:34

Austin, Texas is one of the hotbeds of startup and innovation in the country. Google, Apple, Facebook, AMD, Cisco and Amazon are just a few of the large-scale data and tech-driven conglomerates ...

Contemporary Art Remixed Into Stylish Streetwear from 2018-11-21T15:36:26

The late 1970s and early 1980s brought forth a new variation of counterculture, birthed in Los Angeles, rooted in surf and skate culture. The style of fashion ass...

Lia Elevator Pitch from 2018-11-14T16:19:49

Here’s Bethany’s elevator pitch for Lia: “Lia is the first flushable, 100% biodegradable at-home pregnancy test.” Listen to her give the complete elevator pitch here.

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Curated Content Written and Produced By Kids For Kids from 2018-10-17T19:30:54

There was a time when children couldn't wait until Saturday morning to sit down in front of the television and waste half a day watching cartoons. Today -- almost everywhere you turn -- there's ...

Cozmo Elevator Pitch from 2018-10-08T15:12:29

Here's Mark's elevator pitch for Anki: "Anki is a consumer robotics and AI company that takes a lot of the sophisticated science of robotics and applies it to mass-market consumer products."
<...

Cozmo Brings AI to the Living Room from 2018-10-08T14:50:24

Anki originated a decade ago as a group of Ph.D. students who spent their weekends brainstorming and collaborating. "Every Saturday we'd get together and we would just work the entire day," Mark...

If You Build A Better Breast Pump from 2018-07-13T15:00:26

Here’s Adriana’s elevator pitch for Lilu: “We are making breastfeeding more compatible with the lifestyle of the modern mom.... We have dev...

Lilu Elevator Pitch from 2018-07-13T15:00:25

Karl Ulrich's Elevator Pitch for the Month of July is Lilu, founded by Adriana Vazquez Ortiz, GEN'16.

Elevator Pitch, from Adriana: “We are making breastfeeding more compatible with th...

Down With The Desk Phone! from 2018-07-06T15:00:43

If you’re at work right now, chances are you’ve got a phone on your desk that came with the job. If not, you’re one of the lucky few: according to Craig Walker, founder of Listen

Sending Comfort, In The Form Of Soup from 2018-06-29T15:00:49

Nothing says comfort like chicken soup, and now you can send that comfort to your far-away loved ones with Spoonful of Comfort. Listen

Daily Harvest Elevator Pitch from 2018-06-22T15:00:47

Karl Ulrich's Elevator Pitch for the Month of June is Daily Harvest, founded by Rachel Drori, C'04

Elevator Pitch, from Rachel: “Daily Harvest makes ready to blend smoothies, ready to ...

How Do You Plan To Be A Good Mother And An Entrepreneur? from 2018-06-22T15:00:28

When Rachel Drori, founder of Daily Harvest, was raising her Series A, she had an investor ask her this question: How do you plan to ...

The Uber of Waste & Recycling from 2018-06-15T15:00:56

Just a few minutes into the conversation between Karl Ulrich, Wharton's Vice Dean of Entrepreneurship & Innovation, and Gregory Lattieri, founder of Recycle Track Systems, Karl called RTS "t...

Delicious, Healthy, Sustainable Bugs from 2018-06-07T14:56:53

Listen now for the sheer amusement of hearing Wharton Vice Dean of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Karl Ulrich spend 10 minutes eating bugs: chocolate covered crickets, chile-lime crickets, and coc...

Matching Skills To Jobs from 2018-06-01T16:38:21

Summer Crenshaw explains Tilr: "Tilr is a mobile first technology that matches people’s skills to company job requirements to automate the recruitment process. So really we’re in the business of el...

Big Data for Better Energy from 2018-05-24T19:03:19

Karl Ulrich talks with Startup Challenge Semifinalist & Welligence founder Seth Neel, GRW'20.

Elevator Pitch, from Seth: “What Welligence does is we gather the richest dataset of u...

Finding Doctors Who Care For LGBTQ+ People from 2018-05-24T19:01

Karl Ulrich talks with Startup Challenge Semifinalist & SpectrumScores founder Philip Williams, C'15, M'20.

Elevator Pitch, from Philip Williams: “SpectrumScores was founded a...

The Right Care For Every 911 Caller from 2018-05-24T18:57:49

Karl Ulrich talks with Startup Challenge Semifinalist & MD Ally founder Shanel Fields, WG'19.

Elevator Pitch, from Shanel: “MD Ally is a non-emergency 911 navigation solution that ...

An Unparalleled Gifting Experience from 2018-05-24T18:55:10

Karl Ulrich talks with Startup Challenge Semifinalist & Collecto founder Federika Longinotti-Buitoni, WG'18

Elevator Pitch, from Federika: “Collecto is an online luxury retailer th...

Automating Energy Savings from 2018-05-24T18:52:27

 Karl Ulrich talks with Startup Challenge Semifinliast & InstaHub founder Michael Wong, W'19

Elevator Pitch, from Michael: “Our vision is to simply simplify automation with sn...

Delicious Cricket Dog Treats from 2018-05-24T18:45:50

Karl Ulrich talks with Startup Challenge Semifinalist & Chipper founder Haley Russell, WG'18

Elevator Pitch, from Haley: “Chipper Pet is an environmentally conscious pet food compa...

Curing Blindness With Nanotechnology from 2018-05-24T18:42:14

Karl Ulrich talks with Startup Challenge Semifinalist & Avisi founder Rui Jing Jiang, W'18

Elevator Pitch, from Rui Jing: “Avisi is a medical devices company that's working on a pr...

Equity Crowdfunding for All! from 2018-05-17T20:08:19

Republic is, in founder Ken Nguyen's words: "an investment platform that allows everyone, not just millionaires, every day people, irrespective of your income of net worth, to actually invest in...

An Intelligent Search Engine for Business from 2018-05-10T20:11:34

As an analyst at a big Wall Street bank, Wharton Executive MBA grad Jack Kokko spent a lot of time digging through information, and he vividly remembers the feeling of “fearing that you're missi...

Small Business Lending, Made Fast & Easy from 2018-03-26T18:02:42

Karl Ulrich does a great job of summarizing what Kabbage, founded by Kathryn Petralia, does, after several minutes of intense conversation around APRs and credit lines: “I can get a reasonable a...

In Computers v. Radiologists, AI Wins from 2018-03-23T13:45:34

When it comes to finding patterns in huge quantities of data, computers are way better than the human brain--at least once they're properly trained. (This is the hard part.)

Zebra Med...

VEERAH elevator pitch from 2018-03-16T17:00:59

Karl Ulrich's Elevator Pitch of the Month for March is VEERAH, founded by Stacey Chang, WG'12.

Elevator pitch, from Stacey: “Veerah is inspired by women, made for warriors. We are a mi...

How To Make A Luxury Vegan Shoe from 2018-03-16T16:58:32

How do you go about convincing factories to work with your startup--especially if you're trying to make a luxury shoe entirely vegan, without sacrificing quality craftsmanship or comfort?

Stopping Food Allergies Before They Start from 2018-03-09T16:26:15

After 20 years as what she calls a "sick care entrepreneur," Ashley Dombkowski wanted to truly become a health care entrepreneur. She’s now Co-founder and CEO of SpoonfulOne, a startup that is t...

A Better Way to Find Your Next Apt from 2018-03-02T15:11:57

Finding a new place to live is stressful, but VeryApt—founded by two Wharton MBA alumni, Scott Bierbryer and Ashrit Kamireddi, both WG’14—aims to reduce that stress by restoring trust in the apa...

Building A Bridge To Good Credit from 2018-02-22T18:52:15

Fig Loans is super cool for a bunch of reasons:

1)They’re in the payday loans business, but they’re helping people rebuild their credit;

2)The founders are Wharton alumni who met a...

Rockets of Awesome elevator pitch from 2018-02-15T15:32:43

Karl Ulrich's Elevator Pitch of the Month for February is Rockets of Awesome, founded by Rachel Blumenthal.

Elevator pitch: “Rockets of Awesome is a personal shopping service and vert...

What's in a name? A Rocket of Awesome, that's what. from 2018-02-15T15:30:23

Karl Ulrich has given a LOT of thought to how to come up with a great company name, but his conversation with Rockets of Awesome founder Rachel Blumenthal has made him revise his naming rules. <...

On Not Disrupting Small Business Insurance from 2018-02-09T18:43:39

In the words of Sally Poblete, WG'00, Wellthie founder: “Wellthie is a marketplace and sales optimization platform so that small businesses can find the best fit insurance for them across the Un...

Luxury Home Essentials at Affordable Prices from 2018-02-02T16:16:42

You need to deck out a new home--you need Snowe. Founder Andres Modak, WG'12, G'12, has sourced luxury essentials and priced them way below fancy department stores.

Here's his elevato...

The One Health Company elevator pitch from 2018-01-19T14:22:10

Karl Ulrich's Elevator Pitch of the Month for January is The One Health Company, founded by Penn and Wharton alum Benjamin Lewis.

Here’s Ben's elevator pitch: “The One Health Company ...

Animal Testing That Is Kind, Not Cruel from 2018-01-19T13:33:42

Here’s founder Ben Lewis' elevator pitch: “The One Health Company is changing the way that animal testing is done. We’re totally turning it on its head, from something that hurts animals to some...

Your Healthcare Bill, Finally Explained from 2018-01-12T19:26:36

Possibly the worst part of healthcare is the sheer incomprehensibility of the bill. Is it right? Is it wrong? With all those codes, and back and forth with the insurance company, who can tell? <...

Using Wearables To Treat PTSD from 2017-12-22T14:52:01

If you can lead soldiers into battle, you can cold call 140 investors.

Neuroflow founder Chris Molero, WG’17, is a veteran, and he’s seen the effects of PTSD. As he reminds us, “20 ve...

Harper Wilde elevator pitch from 2017-12-15T16:21:28

Karl Ulrich's Elevator Pitch of the Month for December is Harper Wilde, founded by Jenna Kerner and Jane Fisher, both WG'17.

Harper Wilde “takes the BS out of bra shopping.” Jane and ...

Taking The BS Out Of Bra Shopping from 2017-12-15T16:17:53

All right, men: imagine that every time you wanted to buy a pair of boxers, you had to spend three hours searching through hundreds of options and pay $50 or even $70?

This is the hoo...

Tis the Season for Engagements! How to Buy That Diamond from 2017-12-04T21:11:12

If what you need is a diamond, head over to RareCarat.com immediately.

If what you need is some insight into founding and growing the Kayak for diamonds, listen to this fascinating co...

Mom Techies Make the Best Parenting Apps from 2017-11-30T19:26:35

What happens when two women with amazing tech skills and experience have kids? They create Winnie, a companion app for modern parents.

Sara Mauskopf and Anne Halsall, founders of Winn...

Allbirds Elevator Pitch from 2017-11-20T14:36:26

Karl Ulrich's Elevator Pitch of the Month for November is Allbirds, founded by Joey Zwillinger, WG'10.

Elevator Pitch: “We set out to make the most comfortable shoe in the world. What ...

Branding the Apple of Shoe Companies from 2017-11-20T14:33:47

Karl's wearing Allbirds right now.

Partly for the look--no logos, just a stylish wool sneaker--partly because they really are, as Time magazine called the, The Most Comfortable Shoe In...

Fertility Care For Your Employees from 2017-11-09T21:14:54

Fertility care is expensive—and the experience itself is far from wonderful. Enter Carrot, which works with employers of any size to offer egg freezing and in-vitro fertilization (IVF) as a work...

Lunch For Under $6 from 2017-11-03T18:26:48

Lunch for under $6. That’s what MealPal promises.

Here’s how it works: you place an order online, anytime between 5:00 pm the night before and 9:30 am that morning, and you get to cho...

Zipline Elevator Pitch from 2017-10-17T15:32:35

Karl Ulrich's Elevator Pitch of the Month for October is Zipline, founded by Keenan Wyrobek.

Elevator Pitch: “We deliver essential medical products using drones, small robotic aircraf...

Drones Delivering Lifesaving Blood from 2017-10-17T15:22:03

Blood has a very short shelf life, and in Rwanda--as in many countries--getting blood to where it's needed can be a transportation nightmare. Enter Zipline, which uses drones to deliver blood to th...

The Easiest Way To Buy & Sell Cars from 2017-09-25T16:12

A test drive that comes to you. A car loan you can close on your mobile device. Wouldn’t it be amazing if buying a car could be this easy? With Shift, it is.

Here’s founder George Ari...

Flyr Elevator Pitch from 2017-09-18T14:58:20

Karl Ulrich's Elevator Pitch of the Month for August is Flyr, founded by Alex Mans.

Elevator Pitch: “What we do at Flyr is we are really good at predicting what the price and availabi...

Buy Travel Better from 2017-09-18T14:27:31

Elevator Pitch: “What we do at Flyr is we are really good at predicting what the price and availability of specifically airline tickets will be in the future, and we use that knowledge to either...

Not Your Ordinary VC from 2017-09-11T16:53:05

Andy Rachleff, W'80 isn’t your ordinary VC.

After founding Benchmark, which has among the highest returns in the entire venture industry, he retired. Then he came out of retirement to...

Hot Cloud Storage from 2017-09-05T14:55:11

If you’re a cloud storage geek, then do we have a treat for you!

This interview with Wasabi founder David Friend goes deep into the weeds of how and why they’re offering, in David’s w...

What's In Your Tampon? from 2017-08-28T20:05:41

What’s in your tampon? Bet you don’t know—unless, of course, you already use Lola, in which case the answer is 100% organic cotton.

Lola founder Alex Friedman, WG’11 got fired up when...

A Foldable Helmet, A Safer Ride from 2017-08-21T15:39:45

“About 90% of bike-related deaths were associated with people that were not wearing a helmet,” explains AnneeLondon founder Rachel Benyola.

Wearing a helmet, “reduces head and neck in...

Ringly Elevator Pitch from 2017-08-15T14:29:40

Karl Ulrich's Elevator Pitch of the Month for August is Ringly, founded by Christina Mercado.

Ringly is smart jewelry and accessories that connect to your phone and alert you, through ...

A Ring That Rings from 2017-08-15T14:24:42

Naivete can persuade you to try for the seemingly impossible. If you follow this up with education and hard work--sometimes the impossible becomes a successful startup. That's how Ringly founder...

Cancel that unused subscription from 2017-07-31T20:10

That gym membership you signed up for but haven’t used in five years? You know they’re still charging your credit card every month, right? What if someone would not just point that out to you—bu...

Customer Service, Reinvented from 2017-07-24T16:00:33

Calling customer service is a nightmare. But what if it didn’t have to be?

What if you could call up a major company—your credit card or your airline, for example—and they instantly k...

YouVisit Elevator Pitch from 2017-07-19T13:29:23

Karl Ulrich's Elevator Pitch of the Month for July is YouVisit.

YouVisit is making virtual reality a reality for brands and corporations by building out a proprietary technology platfo...

Making Virtual Reality A Reality from 2017-07-14T15:59:54

YouVisit is making virtual reality a reality for brands and corporations by building out a proprietary technology platform as well as providing an award-winning production studio. Users can take...

Wearable Airbags from 2017-07-10T19:23:51

The #1 fear of older adults is falling and breaking their hips. The #2 fear is dying, in case you were wondering. Which is what happens, all too often, after a bad fall. So Drew Lakatos, founder...

Neural Computing from 2017-06-26T17:32:11

Karl Ulrich describes Dan Goldin as “thinking in galactic terms,” and that’s exactly what makes their conversation so deeply fascinating.

Dan ran NASA for 10 years. He's worked on inn...

A Kayak of Abandoned Properties from 2017-06-26T15:48:32

Karl Ulrich calls FixList the “Kayak of abandoned properties.”

That’s because FixList helps “developers, investors, and nonprofits in major urban markets across the country” to “find ...

Real Food for Real Dogs from 2017-06-15T17:08:25

Just imagine: dog food made out of “real, actual ingredients just like you’d find in a grocery store,” delivered conveniently to your door. That’s what The Farmer’s Dog does.

Lots of ...

Comfortable, Sexy Bras for Breast Cancer Survivors from 2017-06-08T17:51:50

Comfortable, sexy bras for breast cancer survivors, from a woman who is a survivor herself: founder Dana Donofree's story is a classic example of solving your own problem--and perfect illustration ...

AnaOno Elevator Pitch from 2017-06-08T17:49:01

Karl Ulrich's Elevator Pitch of the Month for June is AnaOno.

Comfortable, sexy bras for breast cancer survivors, from a woman who is a survivor herself. Founder Dana Donofree's story ...

On-Demand Alcohol Delivery from 2017-05-25T18:25:07

You’re sitting down to dinner and realize you’d like to have a glass of wine with your meal—but there’s no wine in the house. What do you do? In a few key cities, mainly in California, instead o...

Living Your Best Life, Through Great Content from 2017-05-22T15:35:36

MindBodyGreen is the result of Jason Wachob almost getting back surgery.

Jason started yoga instead, and “that led me down a rabbit hole. I started to look at things like sleep and st...

Technology, Data, and People from 2017-05-12T18:17:16

“Technology, data, people, you put those three together you can work magic.” George Karibian, WG’93, serial entrepreneur and founder of PaymentSense.

As a member of Penn Wharton Entrep...

Twine Elevator Pitch from 2017-05-08T19:14:50

Joseph Quan WG'17 and Nikhil Srivastava WG'17 give Karl Ulrich their elevator pitch for Twine, "HR software specifically for internal hiring"--which just won the Perlman Grand Prize at the 2017 Pen...

Startup Challenge Winners 2017 from 2017-05-08T18:24:03

We’ve got a special edition of Launch Pad this week, featuring the top three winning teams from the Penn Wharton Startup Challenge! Karl Ulrich talks with: Perlman Grand Prize winners Joseph Quan, ...

3D Printing To Make & Buy from 2017-04-24T18:26:57

“If you can’t find it anywhere else, then why not make it?” asks Peter Weijmarshausen, Founder of Shapeways, a 3D printing company that lets you do exactly that.

Peter explains: “Shap...

Fix Your Commute from 2017-04-17T14:36:26

Hate your commute? Scoop, founded by Rob Sadow W’08, has a solution for you: a “fully automated carpooling solution for commuters.”

Scoop partners with enterprises, office parks, and ...

Scoop Elevator Pitch from 2017-04-17T14:24:46

Rob Sadow, W'08 gives Karl his elevator pitch for Scoop, "a community and a fully automated carpooling solution for commuters."

Hosted on Acast. S...

Cleaners, Handymen, & Plumbers, Oh My! from 2017-04-10T18:27

Here’s a fun statistic: about 1% of the working population of the United States have applied to join Handy as cleaners or handymen or plumbers.

Now another stat that may show why this...

Teaching Teachers To Teach from 2017-04-03T17:02:16

Which is harder, being an algebra teacher or a startup CEO? According to Jeremy Rogoff—who has done both—algebra teacher is harder. No contest.

Jeremy is the Founder and CEO of KickUp...

3D Printing the Human Body from 2017-03-27T16:17:46

“The promise of biology is to do incredible things. Like cure different diseases, eliminate the organ waiting list, push life to other planets, or even begin to remediate our own planet.” So say...

Co-Living Arrangements from 2017-03-20T19:07:27

You’ve got a great new job, and you move to a new city—say, New York or San Francisco. You don’t know anyone. You don’t know the neighborhoods. You don’t have a community. Where do you live? The...

Cotopaxi Elevator Pitch from 2017-03-13T18:30:38

Davis Smith gives Karl his elevator pitch for Cotopaxi, where he's selling "Gear for Good"--quality outdoor gear made with a social mission, and funding a social mission.

He and Karl Ulrich have a fascinating convers...

Meat Grown In the Laboratory from 2017-02-28T14:56:34

Meat grown directly from animal cells. It sounds like science fiction, but like so much else in this age of marvels, this hopeful fiction is turning into actual science, at Memphis Meats.

Curing Cancer With Big Data from 2017-02-21T15:41:30

What's a guy supposed to do when he sells his first startup to Google for over $80 million, just 2 years after graduation? Found another company, Flatiron Health (which has so far raised $228 mi...

New York To London In 3 Hours from 2017-02-14T14:40:10

Karl is terrifically excited about Blake Scholl's startup, Boom, which is building a new generation of supersonic airplaines that are significantly more efficient and affordable than Concord eve...

Boom Elevator Pitch from 2017-02-14T14:35:06

Blake Scholl gives Karl his elevator pitch for Boom, where he's building a supersonic aircraft that could travel from New York to London on three hours and 15 minutes instead of seven hours--but fo...

Running a Beverage Company Like a Software Company from 2017-02-07T14:39:07

Neel Premkumar built his startups "more like a software company, less like a packaged goods company." And that's the secret to his success--instead of years spent perfecting a product, he got an...

Bringing Fast Fashion to Jewelry from 2017-01-31T14:55:26

Who shops at Stone and Strand? Founder Nadine McCarthy Kahane, WG’12 describes their customer: “The urban woman who buys jewelry for herself and cares about fashion. So she wants jewelry that fi...

Indiegogo Elevator Pitch from 2017-01-17T15:35:51

Slava Rubin W'00 gives Karl his elevator pitch for Indiegogo--and goes into a deep dive on equity crowdfunding, how Indiegogo is implementing it, and where he thinks companies will meet with the gr...

Equity Crowdfunding On Indiegogo from 2017-01-17T15:29:58

Back in 2006, Slava Rubin and his Indiegogo cofounders asked a very interesting question: “Why not just maybe use that ultimate democratization tool, which is the internet, to create a marketpla...

Turning Art Into Stuffies from 2017-01-10T14:05

Your kid draws a picture (or you do). Or you take a picture of, say, a half eaten breakfast sandwich. You send that picture in to Budsies, and in just two weeks you get back a stuffed animal of ...

Making Pictures Shop-able from 2017-01-03T14:55:45

What does Curalate do? It makes pictures shop-able.

Why is this awesome? Because unfortunately, as Curalate founder Apu Gupta, WG’05 says, “The pictures are not aware of the products ...

Adventures That Come In The Mail from 2016-12-21T15:35:35

“We hear from parents that their kids are literally putting down their iPads and running to the mailbox to get their package. They are incredibly engaged.” That’s how children respond when their...

A Chubby Brain for Big Data from 2016-12-19T17:54:51

What CB insights does sounds daunting: a software and data company, they mine immense amounts of unstructured data, like patents, venture capital financing, news media, or government grants, to ...

Xpand Elevator Pitch from 2016-12-13T15:40:41

Deb Bardhan WG'11, Founder of Xpand, gives his elevator pitch to Karl Ulrich in this excerpt from Launch Pad. Want to listen to the full interview? Find it on Soundcloud, iTunes, or Google play. Listen

Expediting Employee Onboarding from 2016-12-13T15:38:27

What's the fastest way to get new employees up to speed?

Deb Bardhan got the idea for Xpand through his own work experiences, and seeing how long it took for companies to get employee...

Making Social Media Ads Just For You from 2016-12-06T14:22:52

Ever wonder where the ads in your Facebook and Twitter feeds come from? Karl Ulrich interviews Jesse Pujji C'06/W'06 about his company, Ampush, a marketing solutions provider that powers customer a...

The Largest Social Network for Teens from 2016-11-28T16:48

Karl Ulrich interviews Cory Levy about his startup, After School, the largest social network for teens.

After School is a place for teens who want to be themselves, make new connectio...

Building Brands for Fitness Instructors from 2016-11-03T14:28:29

Karl Ulrich interviews Holly Shelton about her startup, Movewith, which helps fitness instructors build personal brands and thriving careers both in the studio and beyond.

Bonus: As a...