Roxana Taghavi
Roxana co-founded Valencia-Taghavi LLP with her partner, Benjamin Valencia. She is a Certified Family Law Specialist (CFLS) recognized by the State Bar of California, a certification held by only about…
Founders don’t come with instruction manuals. Neither do these interviews. What you’ll find here are real conversations with people who’ve built things. Some massive, some modest, all meaningful. They talk about what worked, what didn’t, and the stuff nobody warns you about. No highlight reels. No curated origin stories designed to make you feel bad about your Tuesday.
The founders featured here come from every industry imaginable. Tech, food, fashion, healthcare, education. Some raised millions. Others bootstrapped with pocket change and a stubborn refusal to quit. The common thread isn’t money or fame. It’s the willingness to start something when the outcome was far from guaranteed.
These interviews cover the practical stuff too. Daily routines. Biggest mistakes. The advice they’d give their younger selves. How they handle the days when nothing seems to work. Because those days happen to everyone, even the people who look like they’ve got it all figured out.
If you’re starting something, thinking about starting something, or just curious about what makes founders tick, this is a good place to spend some time. Not because every answer will apply to your situation. But because somewhere in here, someone said the thing you needed to hear.
Roxana co-founded Valencia-Taghavi LLP with her partner, Benjamin Valencia. She is a Certified Family Law Specialist (CFLS) recognized by the State Bar of California, a certification held by only about…
Xin Xiao is a Chinese born Canadian citizen who moved to Canada in his early teens. He attended McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in…
Javier Loya is Chairman and Co-CEO of commodities broker OTC Global Holdings (OTCGH), a company he co-founded in 2007 and has led to become the largest independent interdealer brokerage in…
Rob Thompson is the founder of Value Check Cashing, based in Tulsa, OK, and has built a career spanning over 13 years in the financial services industry. A graduate of…
Maayan Aviv joined American Friends of NATAL (AFN) as Executive Director in 2023, bringing with her 15 years of dedicated service and expertise in the non-profit sector. With a background…
Ryan McCorvie is the founder and chief scientist of The Martingale Group, a boutique firm that offers tailored statistical consulting. The Martingale Group helps clients make sense of their data…
Jorge Sonville is a Managing Partner at Savile Capital Group. As a seasoned wealth manager, he assists clients in navigating through the preservation and creation of wealth by creating portfolios…
Trevor Forbes is the CEO of Freestone Companies, an experienced business executive with a track record of delivering impressive EBITDA growth in his seven years as President, and then CEO…
Elyse Bensusan is a licensed clinical psychologist, author, interior designer and philanthropist. Starting her career as an Ivy League-trained psychologist, she developed a keen interest in Environmental psychology. This interest…
Scott Gelbard, based in Vancouver, is an accomplished strategic consultant, entrepreneur, and Managing Partner at Peak Ventures, with over a decade of experience in international business consulting. His expertise spans…
Sergio Alvarez, CEO and Founder of Ai Media Group, is a recognized pioneer in performance marketing and digital attribution. With a strong foundation in psychology and sales, Sergio launched the…
Dr. Aleksandra Zuraw is a renowned digital pathology expert, board-certified toxicologic pathologist at Charles River Laboratories, and author of “Digital Pathology 101: Everything you need to know to start and…