In this episode of the Berkeley Startup Podcast, we sit down with Rohan Verma, founder of Arbor Advisory, executive coach, startup advisor, and former LinkedIn and Dropbox exec. With over 15 years of leadership experience in scaling billion-dollar tech products, Rohan shares his remarkable journey from Berkeley undergrad to tech executive, and ultimately, to full-time coach and entrepreneur.

Rohan opens up about his values-driven career decisions, the founding of his coaching firm, and his edtech venture, Gritty, which is built on the principle that grit and personality can outweigh privilege and pedigree. He also unpacks what truly sets his coaching apart, the nuances between team and individual coaching, and how he leverages his unique cross-industry fluency to support leaders from tech to sports to pharma.

Whether you're an aspiring founder, a career pivoter, or someone exploring the impact of coaching in a rapidly evolving workplace, this conversation is filled with insight, candor, and deeply actionable wisdom.

What sets him apart in the coaching space

There are three key differentiators. Differentiator number one is that I was actually an executive at one point in a particular industry with domain expertise, and I made a conscious choice to move over into more of an executive coaching and advisory role. Number two, I don't do this on the side. It's not like I have my old day job at LinkedIn, and I do some coaching because it's fun, or it's invigorating, or I need a little bit of extra cash. I took the rigor and intensity of my old day job and brought it to the coaching world. And with that comes a certain style of personality that I tend to mesh with. Number three, I don't let my operating skills atrophy. I'm still managing some folks.  It's not really coaching work, but it will make me a better coach. I can still have some fluency in terms of the day-to-day running of a business.

On the importance of mastering difficult conversations

There are a few commonalities. Commonality number one, by far, is how to have difficult conversations in a way that allows you to give and receive feedback without shying away, and without being too vitriolic, right? And you're teetering on criticizing someone like an ad ho attack, where you’re holding back. So, how to really navigate through delivering and receiving hard conversations is paramount.

On using AI to your advantage

Be very deliberate and mindful about staying up to speed on as much as you can about the various developments and constantly thinking about how they could make you more efficient or better in your job, rather than cowering in fear. Think about how AI could provide you with leverage. Don't get caught flatfooted.

• Arbor Advisory
• Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckwort
• Gritty

In this episode, we speak with Lisa Altieri, founder of BrightAction, a SaaS platform designed to empower people and organizations to take meaningful climate action in their daily lives. Lisa shares how her commitment to protecting the planet and advocating for strong climate policies led her to create a tool that bridges the gap between intention and action—helping two-thirds of Americans who want to help the climate but don’t know how.

Lisa discusses how BrightAction supports cities, companies, and individuals in reducing their carbon footprint by focusing on five everyday behaviors that account for 42% of U.S. emissions. She also unpacks how she built the platform as a solo founder, the challenges of marketing and founder-led sales, and the importance of designing for behavior change. Her journey highlights the importance of being deeply connected to your mission—and what it means to build something you simply can’t not do.

On turning climate advocacy into entrepreneurial action

I decided that the most important thing to me was to focus my work on protecting our beautiful planet and doing what I could to really make a difference in climate change. I was spending a lot of time outside of my career organizing and advocating for strong climate policy, and this was when there were a lot of us out there spending time really advocating for strong policy, and we really didn't see it happening.

And so I started to really see this chasm growing between where climate policy was at and where science said we needed to be. And I started to really think about what else, in addition to policy, could we be doing to help move climate solutions forward? Because at the end of the day, what really matters is to actually go and implement the solutions that are going to address climate change and create a more sustainable, livable future for everyone.

On building a sustainable ESG business model

 There's a lot of perception that if you're making a positive impact, you're not gonna have a sustainable business model. And I think that's completely not the case. There are so many opportunities to combine impact with creating a sustainable business—ongoing, recurring, sustainable revenue, and opportunities.

 When I thought about building this [BrightAction], I thought about how to create a business around that. And ultimately, what we're creating is something of value. And I think that whenever you're creating something of value, there's a way to have that value be recognized and included.

On building with, not just for, your customers

Connecting with the people who have the pain point you're trying to solve, and inviting a few of them to be part of your journey and your development is a really powerful strategy to kick off

things and help you to not only get to market and get customers, but also to make sure that you're building something that's gonna be useful and be attractive to your buyer.

Start when not starting isn’t an option

You should only start a company if you can't not do it. Because it takes that much of you. It has to be something that you are so compelled to do, that you feel so strongly about, that you just can't not go do it. And you have to be in it for the long haul. You have to be ready to dig in and spend the time to make it work. There are gonna be times that are hard. You're gonna hit stuff that you've not done before. It’s tough. It takes a lot to figure out when you hit barriers and get past them. And so, just be ready to commit the time. Be ready to dig in. Best of luck and enjoy the ride; there's nothing like it ever.

• BrightAction
• Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

SaaStr Blog (Startup Sales & Marketing)

In this insightful episode of Berkeley Startups, Arjun Dev Arora, founder of Format One and Retargeter, joins us to share hard-earned lessons from over 15 years of supporting 500+ startups. A UC Berkeley alum and seasoned operator-turned-advisor, Arjun unpacks the reality behind successful startup journeys—from the grit it takes to build during downturns, to the power of deep customer listening, and the underestimated art of timing and obsession.

We dive into topics like co-founder alignment, communication as the core of leadership, when to raise capital, and how founders—whether fresh grads or seasoned professionals—can find their edge. Arjun’s reflections aren’t just tactical—they’re human. He talks openly about what he would’ve done differently at Retargeter and what founders should prioritize when navigating growth, conflict, and market waves. Whether you’re building your first product or navigating a pivot, this episode is packed with wisdom you’ll want to replay.

On how communication, repeated and refined, helps leaders lead

From a very tactical and practical perspective, it is off of just communication. Leadership is communication, and communication is repetition. And so you just want to continue to figure out ways to say the same thing in a different way. On a very practical level, synthesizing complex ideas simply and then communicating them and recommunicating them in different ways so that they can land with folks.

On how obsession powers resilience and breakthrough ideas

While that's helpful, I think the human experience is often driven by emotion and obsession. So, I think it's good to post facto look at that and rationalize, ‘Oh yes, this was a combination of things that I was particularly good at’. But the reality is, I think you have to find something that you can truly get obsessed about. Because I think that obsession and drive is what's going to push you through those difficult times, and it's gonna help you create that grittiness. Resilience is gonna happen through that kind of obsession. So, finding that kind of sharp wedge of obsession and drive, and then on the back of that, building around that to ensure you have a true product.

On learning the lessons you’re meant to learn

 I think everything had to happen the way it did. And I think that provides a lot of peace now, 10 years later. But I think there's always the idea of, sell the company earlier, raise capital a different way, be thoughtful about your cap table, focus on product roadmap expansion—earlier if you know that there's market pull. There are a lot of I think little things here and there. But at the end of the day, I think you, as a founder, have to go through the experiences you go through in order to learn the lessons you need to learn. In retrospect, it's hard 'cause you typically are just making the best decision you can in the moment and the best information you have. But lots of lessons learned and I share those as often as I can with anyone who listens, hopefully be able to help them in their own journeys as well.

• Format One – Strategic Advisory for Startups
• Retargeter (acquired by Sellpoints)
• True Self | Self-awareness tool mentioned by Arjun
• OpenX – The open-source platform used in early days of Retargeter
• 500 Startups Accelerator
• Y Combinator – Accelerator Program

In this episode of Berkeley Startups, host Aish interviews Chirag Mahapatra, founder of Blaze, a Y Combinator-backed startup that built AI-powered marketing agents on emerging platforms like Discord and Telegram. Chirag shares how he transitioned from working at leading tech companies to co-founding Blaze, which went on to raise over $5 million in funding and was recently acquired.

He opens up about the intense experimentation process at Y Combinator, where he and his co-founder tested new product ideas weekly until they found product-market fit. We dive deep into the pivotal moment that validated their direction—when inbound customer interest sparked demand before a single line of code was polished.

Chirag also breaks down how his team harnessed AI tools like GitHub Copilot to increase product development speed, enabling a small, globally distributed team to launch multiple products in a single summer. He shares the behind-the-scenes strategies they used to scale efficiently, the challenges of building cross-functional teams in the US and India, and why open-source contributions became a key hiring signal.

As the conversation moves toward acquisition, Chirag reveals how they navigated the process—from recognizing their growth plateau to leveraging investor networks and exploring acquisition pathways with customers and strategic partners.

The episode wraps with valuable advice for aspiring founders on navigating uncertainty, embracing experimentation, and building enduring skill sets—plus a sneak peek into Chirag's next chapter at Merko, a startup using AI to improve hiring outcomes.

Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a product builder, or someone fascinated by the future of AI in startups, this episode is packed with practical insights, real-world lessons, and inspiration.

On exploring different paths to acquisition

There are a number of ways you can get acquired. Typically, people get acquired by their customers, or people get acquired by, you know, strategics, et cetera. And the third one is through investors. We were actually recommended to explore all of them and then see what works out, right?

I think that’s actually the best way to go about it so that you create the maximum optionality for yourself, and for your investors as well. As founders, I think it’s actually—you know—you’re doing the right thing by exploring as many avenues as possible.

I can share that with examples. A customer would be, of course, the simplest one—if someone is already using your software, spending a lot on it, they have a reason to acquire it. The second is strategic—there might be bigger players in the industry who want to, let’s say, add additional functionality and features. They’re definitely not a customer of yours, but they might be interested in acquiring you to hire the talent as well as acquire the product.

And the third one is, of course, some of your investors who already know other companies who might see you as a fit in their portfolio.

That’s kind of how we approached it as well. We looked at all avenues and ended up seeing what worked best for all stakeholders.

On taking the leap into entrepreneurship

I think—just do it. That’s probably the only way to kind of understand the nuances and the processes of building a company. And I think, at least from my experience and that of many of my friends, whether it turns out to be a great outcome or not, the experience itself is very relevant—even if you end up working as an operator in a big company.

Of course, as everyone knows, the stats show that very few startups actually make it in the way we typically define success. That said, the skill sets you build along the way definitely go a long way in helping you understand the business end-to-end.

At least from my personal perspective, it helped me improve technically, from a product point of view, and also helped me become much more business-minded in how I think through things.

So, if there’s any takeaway from this podcast, it’s this: just go and do it—and see how things shape up.

• Y Combinator
• Blaze
• Mercor
• Open Source Contributions (as a hiring signal)
• NFX

In this episode, we sit down with Vishal Kumar, co-founder of Twin Peak Wealth Advisors, a boutique financial advisory firm he launched with his identical twin brother, Tushar. Vishal shares how early life experiences—including the loss of their father and the influence of their entrepreneurial mother—shaped their path into wealth management. He opens up about bootstrapping their business straight out of UC Berkeley, cold-calling engineers in Silicon Valley, and eventually scaling their firm to manage over $450 million in assets.

From building credibility in a saturated industry to embracing niche marketing, Vishal offers invaluable insights into what it takes to grow a service-driven business while staying true to your values. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur or simply curious about what it’s like to manage money for the tech elite, this episode is packed with practical advice, real-life lessons, and entrepreneurial honesty.

Berkeley Startup Podcast is produced by University FM.

Better and effective marketing made a big difference

 We did a lot of cold calling and just spent our networks that way. It wasn't until 10 years into the business where we started to really consider, Hey, what can we do to have hyper growth in this industry? That's where we realized that what was missing was not our sales aspect or the ability to get referrals. It was marketing effectively. Our top of the funnel was much smaller than it could and should have been. Once we started investing, putting time and energy and money behind the marketing efforts, that's when we saw our business almost grow by threefold in one year. My brother and I really started applying ourselves, understanding business, marketing, investing in coaches and mentors very heavily, et cetera, and that's when our growth really started to accelerate.

On talking to people who may not be interested

You build thick skin over time, but you realize that you're not going to be for everybody. And you're really trying to go through this world and figure out who the people are that you are speaking to and that resonate with your message. And I realize you don't need to be everybody's cup of tea. You just need to find the people that you are that cup of tea for, right? And so, I think dealing with rejection is something that you get used to very quickly when you are in a sales-oriented career. It was tough, but we got comfortable with it early on.

Entrepreneurship comes with trade-offs

I think it can be a very rewarding journey but it comes with a lot of risk. You know, I had seen my mom having the flexibility of being able to be there for us as kids because she was a business owner. But I think people who get into entrepreneurship for the flexibility, that's one thing I've learned is, it’s not really it.

Because you don't just have a boss. Every single one of your clients is your boss, and then you're also managing your employees, your hr, you’re just everything. So I would say anybody that thinks of it as like this is easier than going and working for a corporation, that's definitely not true. And I think a lot of people know that now, too.

• Twin Peak Wealth Advisors
• The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel

In this episode, we sit down with Claudia Natasia, CEO and Co-founder of Riley AI, to explore her unexpected journey into entrepreneurship, the power of AI-driven insights, and the challenges of building a startup from the ground up. Despite initially resisting the idea of launching her own company, Claudia found herself inundated with interest for a product she had only presented conceptually—before a single line of code was ever written.

She shares how speaking at conferences led to Riley AI’s first paying customer, how she and her co-founder built the platform in stealth mode, and how they raised $3 million in seed funding without the typical VC milestones. Claudia also explains why early advocates are crucial, how the go-to-market strategy often matters more than the product itself, and what it took to win over established companies as early adopters.

This episode is packed with insights on building with intent, leveraging thought leadership, and navigating the fast-evolving landscape of AI in business. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, data scientist, or simply curious about how big ideas take shape, Claudia’s journey offers a powerful blueprint.

On the Unexpected Path to Entrepreneurship

 My mom's an entrepreneur, and she always asked me to consider this path, but I would tell her, no, there's no way I'm going to be an entrepreneur. I started my career in data science, and I was so adamant that I was just going to stay as a data scientist and a product manager. I think what made me decide to take this leap is, people always talk about product market fit and how hard it is to find product market fit. For me being in this space for so long, I presented this idea for this product at a few different conferences, and hundreds of PMs, researchers, and data scientists had reached out to me on LinkedIn after asking for access to what is now Riley. And so knowing that there's already that initial traction even before one line of code was written made me decide. I think we have something amazing here. I want to be the person building this for the future. And so I don't think it was being an entrepreneur that drew me into entrepreneurship. It's the fact that there is this huge need that I feel like I'm the best person equipped to build this for the world.

On Building a Defensible Startup

Two reasons. One, we wanted to be sure that we build a defensible moat. And two, we wanted to be sure that we stay focused in the first few months of building the product. Defensible moat is hard to build right now. AI makes it very easy for anyone to build anything. I think it's very good to be disciplined and to realize that you want to be focused. You don't want to follow flashy trends. This is what you stand for, and to build that quietly. The moment you start publicizing what you're building, competitors or aspiring competitors will go on your LinkedIn profile, go on everything to try to find out exactly what you're building. So it was to really protect that.

On Female Entrepreneurship

The  thing that was encouraging is, I remember pitching to one investor, and that investor said it is very rare. You are probably the only female founder who is also a CEO who is also technical and the person in charge. It's very rare, but I want to write you a check right now. So before this, my narrative was it's very rare, and therefore it's going to be hard. But this conversation proved to me that it's very rare, but it's special. So please,  if you're a (female) founder, again, start something right away.

Startup Advice from Claudia

My biggest advice is to not overthink it. Most of the learning happens after you start the company. So start it right now. Start experimenting with your idea right now. And then the second thing that I learned very quickly is the hardest part about building a company is not building the product, it’s building the go-to-market engine. So if you already have something that gives you an unfair advantage from a go-to-market perspective, you're already many steps ahead from competitors or other founders. So please pay attention to the go-to market.

• Riley AI

In this episode, we sit down with Pranav Mallampalli, founder of Assembly and a recent graduate of UC Berkeley, where he double-majored in Political Science and Data Science. Pranav takes us through his entrepreneurial journey—from initially wanting to become a lawyer to discovering his passion for building companies. Inspired by early experiences in high school entrepreneurship competitions and a study abroad program in Portugal, Pranav found himself drawn into the vibrant startup culture at Berkeley.

He discusses how Assembly began as a solution for code search for engineers but pivoted to customer success software after engaging with over 400 potential users and identifying a more pressing market need. Pranav shares valuable insights on how to approach pivoting with confidence, the importance of listening to customers, and how founder-led sales can make or break an early-stage startup.

We explore how participating in Y Combinator helped shape Assembly’s direction and how the team leverages their technical background to differentiate in a competitive space. Pranav also reflects on the challenges of fundraising as a young founder, the value of leveraging your alumni network, and why flexibility and hyper-focus on your ideal customer profile (ICP) are critical to startup success.

Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, an early-stage founder, or simply curious about startup life, this conversation is packed with practical advice, candid stories, and a healthy dose of Berkeley pride.

On Building and Releasing a Product:

 I think one of the hardest things was actually that moment which is building a product and releasing it. To a lot of founders out there, the most daunting thing you could do is creating something and then giving it to other people or showing it to somebody else. A lot of people will feel really self-conscious about it. You get really stressed out about what people think about your product or if they'll use it at all. And if there's one thing that I learned in that moment, it was literally like, it doesn't really matter. Build the product and release it and kind of go from there. You need something to build off of in order to build a company.

On Finding Patterns and Knowing When to Pivot:

 I think one of the biggest things, especially when you're pivoting, talking to as many people as you can and hearing them say the same thing was a very, very important metric for us in order to fully commit to a new product. It's not necessarily hearing the same thing, but it's hearing the same problem. What great companies do is they hear or see a pattern in different verticals or even across an entire industry, like a horizontal product. And so what you're trying to do when you're really, really early on at a startup, and if you're a founder is can you find this pattern a hundred times? Can you find it five hundred times? Can you find it a thousand times? And what you are trying to do is build a product that can essentially solve that pattern problem over time.

On the Power of Founder-Led Sales:

 I think founder-led sales is both the most beautiful and daunting thing that any startup goes through, because, as a founder, there's literally nobody else that can replicate your passion for what you're building. This is your baby. You spend an enormous amount of time, maybe even too much time, building it, working on it, stressing about it. When you sell something to another company or to another person, they see that from you. They see the passion you have. If a founder can't sell, that's a really big problem. The founder should be able to sell the thing that they're building because at the end of the day, it's their passion project. It's their child. You need to be able to put it out there and get people to want it.

• Assembly
• Y Combinator
• Berkeley SkyDeck