by Young Founders Network
A podcast about ideas, resilience, and leadership. Here we explore the journeys of extraordinary leaders who dared to dream, faced challenges, and transformed visions into reality. Through deep, introspective conversations, we uncover lessons in growth, meaning, and the relentless pursuit of impact. Join us as we dive into the stories shaping the world—and find inspiration to shape your own.
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Publishing Since
5/2/2021
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April 19, 2025
<p>Marie-Sophie Ando is an VC-Investor at Vorwerk Ventures specialising in Consumer & Climate Tech. Before that she was an Investor at Foundamental investing in Construction Technology globally. In this episode, we talk about: </p><p><br></p><p>00:00 Marie’s Journey into Venture Capital</p><p>02:20 Bridging the Gap Between Research and Business</p><p>08:50 Opportunities for Collaboration Between Researchers and Entrepreneurs</p><p>12:50 Utilizing Research Institutions for Commercialization</p><p>18:04 Investment Focus: Climate Tech and Consumer Tech</p><p>25:24 What Catches Attention in Pitch Decks</p><p>29:26 Balancing Focus and Openness in Opportunities</p><p>30:17 Diverse Sources for Niche Understanding</p><p>33:55 The Importance of Networking and Research</p><p>36:27 Identifying Red Flags in Founders</p><p>37:08 What Makes Founders Stand Out</p><p>41:02 The Investment Decision Process</p><p>43:42 Under-Hyped Opportunities in Consumer Tech</p><p>46:47 Assessing Founders for Consumer Success</p><p>49:58 Opportunities in Construction Tech</p><p>51:22 Global Market Dynamics and Local Winners</p><p>Subscribe on Spotify:</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbVpwUnNyc3o1YldkWDlMZWV1Q0ZUZ1lCd1lBd3xBQ3Jtc0treFJ6R0V1RUFfbS1nZzNJUTE0QmdWay11djdEamt5VTllNlVOM092bTM1Y3N2eWpPeU9KdUlVQkZMTTRZbW1Ya3NkblA0cU5QNV92aTU5bXFGMkF2SnpyeDBTSXJUVE1KTmpyN21hdXZnTHdRYmY4cw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Fshow%2F42ijB4A..&v=NzIYkcD1C6w">https://open.spotify.com/show/42ijB4ANyvM9kWqf6uf3aS?si=51cd412120bc4732</a></p><p>Follow us on Instagram:</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa251c281VGcySHJhRlVuZ1d0ZWwzRFNSNlFzUXxBQ3Jtc0tuS29uUmNENHhvSG5TZlBXRTBHWWx1VERXeHZmRy15ZVNPWkhMYlA4RXFDamFiNUV2R2d5YU9RUUtlRkpzd05BZ1JrVVVMa09QVUp1M2YtNk1WRllrMkh5Y0VnZjB3WktTQm9CMVJLQWQwZFhCelAyNA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Froots2disrupt%3Figsh%3DMXJ3eW9sZnVoa2Vibg%3D%3D&v=NzIYkcD1C6w">https://www.instagram.com/roots2disru...</a></p><p>Visit our Website:</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbndZbGdvbC1RckV6N2JCQjQ2ODFiM1VQRGdHZ3xBQ3Jtc0tsaVhnNXhqUVBkNlhTMnF4UnllSGJLbkUxdllzTEVST08tbkhZTlRVQWsyT3VpNktia0VtNzdBVVZzNXhUU0dSTmYxMU9sUUxudG0zTXVsbFF2MUFNOW93TUhlUDVoSkppaVg3OTdfUWloNkF0ZWRCTQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fyoungfounders.network%2F&v=NzIYkcD1C6w">https://youngfounders.network/</a></p><p>Visit Marie’s LinkedIn Profile:<br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbGY1QmFKWmhIQ3NJMVV4bjdrR0ZvYTI1eDZJd3xBQ3Jtc0trV2JVLS11SzI3R0VVVlVPaVNka1JvbWdLRmJLZW16WUxVOEJEUXhKV1pjSWFleFRrdXhPQ045YnpiWVdVLUlQSVB3cWphaHRBa1ZmdDBGUGF6S0diVWpjdGRSaXFseEhablZfSjFoVGNwWk9hSUVGcw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fbenedict-kurz-11abb1159%2F&v=NzIYkcD1C6w">https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-sophie-ando/</a></p><p><br></p><p>#roots2disrupt #venturecapital #Consumertechnology #venturemindset <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/openai">#openai</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/nvidia">#nvidia</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/amd">#</a>deepseek <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/ai">#ai</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/inference">#inference</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/startups">#startups</a> </p>
April 4, 2025
<p>Benedict Kurz is the co-founder and CEO of Knowunity, an AI learning platform with over 18 million users and $23 million in funding. He founded Knowunity while still in high school, when he was also playing competitive tennis and was the German junior Vice Champion at the age of 17. Now 23, he leads over 100 employees and is building the future of education with AI, making a better education accessible for every student and shaping a more democratised world. He is also the youngest board member of the German Startup Association.</p><p><br /></p><p>In this episode, we talk about: </p><p>✅ How Benedict transitioned from tennis to tech and built Knowunity straight out of high school</p><p>✅ Why growing up in an entrepreneurial family shaped his mindset early on</p><p>✅ The role competitive sports played in developing grit, confidence, and leadership skills<br />✅ How Knowunity used TikTok and student creators to go viral in new markets<br />✅ Why cultural fit is more important than skill in early-stage hiring<br />✅ How they navigate firing — and why it should never be a surprise<br />✅ Lessons from launching in Latin America and soon the U.S.<br />✅ Why product-led growth and A/B testing fuel Knowunity’s scaling<br />✅ How a strong internal feedback culture supports team development<br />✅ The importance of authentic leadership as a young founder</p><p><br /></p><p>This Episode is hosted by Ahmad Zandnia.</p><p>-----------------</p><p>Chapters:</p><p><br /></p><p>00:00 Introduction to Benedict and Knowunity</p><p>03:26 The Journey from Tennis to Entrepreneurship</p><p>06:13 Influence of Family Background on Entrepreneurial Path</p><p>09:09 Deciding Between Tennis and Entrepreneurship</p><p>12:14 Building Knowunity: Early Days and Challenges</p><p>14:41 Hiring and Team Culture at knowunity</p><p>17:41 Expansion Plans and Market Strategies</p><p>20:23 Virality and Branding Strategies</p><p>23:22 Leadership and Team Management</p><p>26:15 Lessons Learned and Future Outlook</p><p><br /></p><p>Subscribe on Spotify:</p><p>https://open.spotify.com/show/42ijB4A...</p><p><br /></p><p>Subscribe on Apple Podcast:</p><p>https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast...</p><p><br /></p><p>Follow us on Instagram:</p><p>https://www.instagram.com/roots2disrupt?igsh=MXJ3eW9sZnVoa2Vibg==</p><p><br /></p><p>Visit our Website:</p><p>https://youngfounders.network/</p><p><br /></p><p>Visit Benedict's LinkedIn Profile:</p><p>https://www.linkedin.com/in/benedict-kurz-11abb1159/</p><p><br /></p><p>Visit Knowunity's Website: </p><p>https://knowunity.ai/</p><p>----------------</p><p>#AILearning #EdTech #AIStartup #FutureOfEducation #roots2disrupt #ArtificialIntelligence #GenZ#EducationInnovation #Tech #Knowunity</p><p><br /></p>
March 14, 2025
<p>Nazanin Daneshvar is one of the most influential entrepreneurs in Iran and the Middle East. She founded Iran's first online supermarket, Meydoonak, in 2009 and Takhfifan, Iran's first and largest discount platform. Takhfifan has now millions of users and is filed for an IPO. In Iran, Nazanin is not only an entrepreneur but also a national hero as she is one of the first female founders in the technology sector and has played a very crucial role in shaping the startup ecosystem. Her Startup acquired Netbarg, its largest competitor, in 2019 after almost a decade of intense competition. Today, Nazanin is an investor in Europe, investing in promising founders in the technology sector and helping them scale. She used to invest with EQT Ventures for a while and now focuses more on her own angel investments. </p><p>In this episode, we talk about: </p><p>✅ Challenges woman face in Iran especially in business</p><p>✅ Her journey from studying in Iran to moving to Europe, going back, founding multiple startups</p><p>✅ Scaling startups in Iran and the challenges but also opportunities there</p><p>✅ How she made Takhfifan sustaining customers while similar models in Europe and US have failed</p><p>✅ The skills future founders need to succeed</p><p>✅ Her transition to an VC Investor and the challenges in that process</p><p>This Episode is hosted by Nour Idelbi and Ahmad Zandnia.</p><p><br /></p><p>00:00 – Introduction</p><p>02:02 – Early Motivation – Family, culture, and proving herself in a male-dominated society</p><p>05:12 – Founder Mindset – From problem-solving to entrepreneurship.</p><p>07:52 – First Startup Attempt – Iran’s first online supermarket—success and failure.</p><p>13:30 – Lessons from Failure – Market timing and business fundamentals.</p><p>16:32 – Family as Co-Founders – The pros and cons of working with her sister.</p><p>19:20 – Returning to Iran – Why she went back to build something bigger.</p><p>24:12 – Challenges as a Female Founder – Navigating bias and credibility issues.</p><p>28:12 – Has Iran’s Startup Scene Changed? – What’s different now for women in tech.</p><p>32:50 – Building Trust in E-Commerce – Educating businesses and consumers.</p><p>37:22 – Handling Crises – Economic instability, scaling, and regulations.</p><p>41:51 – Leaving Iran – Her decision to move to Germany.</p><p>45:29 – Staying Connected – Supporting Iran’s tech ecosystem from abroad.</p><p>49:27 – Toughest Leadership Moments – Layoffs, crisis management, and resilience.</p><p>53:47 – Becoming an Investor – The shift from founder to VC.</p><p>57:22 – Women in VC & Leadership – The need for more diversity in tech.</p><p>01:03:22 – Final Advices – Lessons on resilience, networking, and soft skills.</p><p>Subscribe on Spotify:</p><p>https://open.spotify.com/show/42ijB4A...</p><p>Subscribe on Apple Podcast:</p><p>https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast...</p><p>Follow us on Instagram:</p><p>https://www.instagram.com/roots2disrupt?igsh=MXJ3eW9sZnVoa2Vibg==</p><p>Visit our Website:</p><p>https://youngfounders.network/</p><p>Visit Nazanin Daneshvar’s LinkedIn Profile:</p><p>https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazdnr?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app</p><p>Visit Nazanin Daneshvar's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/<a href="https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCr4M3kBhbJ3pxleo2l6LgDg" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> @controlbcast </a> </p><p><br /></p><p>#Podcast #Entrepreneurship #Startup #Business #Founder #IranianEntrepreneur #WomenInBusiness #TechFounder #FemaleEntrepreneur #StartupJourney #TechStartup #BusinessGrowth #VCFunding #ScalingABusiness #WomenInTech #FemaleLeadership #WomenEmpowerment #WomenEntrepreneurs #IranStartups #MiddleEastTech #PersianFounder #IranianWomen #IranianSuccess #SuccessStory #YoungFounders #FounderMindset #BusinessLessons #TechInnovation #AngelInvestor #VentureCapital #StartupFunding #InvestmentTips #EntrepreneurMindset </p>
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