Shows
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoThe Networking Strategy That Actually Gets You HiredIf you've been sending applications and hearing nothing back, you're not unqualified, you're just invisible. In this episode, why the job application is a dying channel and what to do instead: from crafting outreach that actually gets responses, to having conversations that make hiring managers remember you, to building a personal brand that makes opportunities come to you. Three concrete strategies, no fluff. For students, recent grads, and anyone trying to break into a competitive industry without starting from zero.CHAPTERS00:00: Intro00:59: The Networking Lie03:12: Warm...
2026-02-1908 min
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoWhat Harvard Didn't Know: I Was Building an 8-Figure Startup | Stephen Turban, Lumiere EducationStephen Turban was two semesters into his Harvard PhD when he got called into a Zoom room and confronted with his own face on the Lumiere website. The ultimatum was simple: PhD or startup. He chose the company. Four years later, Lumiere is 100 people strong and doing eight figures. We talk about using a startup as an exit strategy from academia, the hidden cost of scattered focus, content tactics that actually work, and why creating belonging matters more than preserving optionality.For: founders, operators, aspiring entrepreneurs, content creators, anyone building globally
2026-02-1229 min
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoHow to Stand Out Without ExperienceIf I covered your name on your resume, could it belong to 5,000 other people? If yes, you're playing a losing game.In this episode:→ Why you're not getting callbacks: You're indistinguishable, not unqualified→ What signaling actually is: Proving you're already doing the job (just not for them yet)→ The Signal Equation: Specific + Relevant + Public (miss one = invisible)→ The 48-hour challenge: How to build receipts this weekendBest for: Early-career professionals, recent grads, career pivoters who are tired of hearing silence after applicat
2026-02-0509 min
Founders in Motion with Thea Ngo1000 Oversold Orders at PE Nation Led to This AI Startup | Jevon Le Roux, KeeyuJevon dropped out of high school to become a pro surfer, then built Nike's Hurley brand in South Africa, ran PE Nation and Surf Stitch, and now he's building Keeyu, an AI platform that stops ecom complaints before customers even notice problems. This episode covers his pivot from selling a "vitamin" to a "painkiller," why distribution beats product-first, and the customer who said she "wouldn't come to work" without Keeyu. Perfect for ecom founders, ops leaders, and anyone building in AI
2026-01-2927 min
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoMass Applying Is a Dead Strategy in 2026Mass applying, tweaking resumes, and waiting for callbacks doesn’t work anymore and it’s not because you’re bad at job hunting.In this episode, we break down what actually changed in the job market and the 4-step framework that works in 2026: positioning, proof, distribution, and conversion.Anything I can be helpful with, leave a comment!This is Episode 1 of The 2026 Job Playbook, a mini series on how people actually get hired today
2026-01-2211 min
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoBuilding a Cult Food Brand: The Umami Papi StoryHow do you turn a lockdown side project into a cult food brand?In this episode of Founders in Motion, Ethan Yong, founder of Umami Papi, shares the real story behind building one of Australia’s most talked-about chilli oils. We dive into the origin of the name “Flavor Daddy,” early product experiments, breaking into retail, and what it actually takes to stand out in a crowded food and CPG market.This conversation covers branding, distribution, manufacturing realities, and the mistakes Ethan learned from along the way.Perfect for founders, marketers, brand builders, and an...
2026-01-0828 min
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoHow He Built a $50M Beer Brand… With 0% Alcohol | Heaps NormalAndy Miller didn’t just start a beer company, he helped spark a cultural shift. In this episode, he shares how Heaps Normal grew from a lockdown experiment into a $50M non-alcoholic beer brand loved across Australia. We unpack building a product for the “sober curious,” turning pandemic challenges into momentum, landing the first 200 customers, designing a category-defining brand, scaling a premium CPG business, and becoming a B Corp from day one.Perfect for founders, brand builders, CPG operators, marketers, and anyone curious about the mindful drinking movement.
2025-12-1129 min
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoWhen AI Breaks in Production: VibeFlow’s Big Bet (YC S24)Most AI dev tools can write code but they fall apart in production.In this episode, the founders of VibeFlow (YC S24) explain why they bet their entire company on fixing that exact problem. We break down the real bottleneck in AI development (maintainability), how they built a platform that’s ready for real-world use, and how they gained 6,000 users in their first three weeks.Perfect for engineers, product builders, technical founders, or anyone trying to ship faster in the AI era.
2025-11-2727 min
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoInside the Collapse of Australia’s $70M “Theranos” | Joe Zhou, StrongRoomStrongRoom AI was once hailed as a healthtech rising star then came the collapse. Joe Zhou stepped in to buy the company out of administration and rebuild from chaos. We dive into the lawsuits, leadership shifts, and the hard lessons behind bringing a broken startup back to life.A must-listen for healthtech founders, investors, and anyone curious about startup resilience.
2025-11-1325 min
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoThe $4 Million Bet on Fraud Detection AI | Satya Tumati, Socratix AI (YC S25)What if AI could take over the most painful parts of fraud detection?In this episode, Satya Tumati, co-founder and CTO of Socratix AI, shares how he went from tuning cars with code to building AI coworkers that automate fraud analysis for banks and fintechs.We unpack the early MVP that landed his first customers, how they got into Y Combinator with nothing, and why confidence isn’t required to start up.Perfect for: founders, engineers, and anyone curious about how AI is quietly tr...
2025-10-3025 min
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoReinventing Fraud Detection with AI | Satya Tumati, Socratix AI (YC S25)What if AI could take over the most painful parts of fraud detection? In this episode, Satya Tumati, co-founder and CTO of Socratix AI, shares how he went from tuning cars with code to building AI coworkers that automate fraud analysis for banks and fintechs.We unpack the early MVP that landed his first customers, how they raised $4M, and why confidence isn’t required to start up.Perfect for: founders, engineers, and anyone curious about how AI is quietly transforming the financial crime in...
2025-10-3000 min
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoHe Built a Shopify App for MrBeast, Now It's Doing $2M ARR | Hamish McKay, Order EditingHamish McKay built a Shopify app for MrBeast and turned it into one of Shopify’s fastest-growing startups. In this episode, he shares the scrappy early days, his 3 pillars to hit $1M ARR FAST, and building in public on LinkedIn.Perfect for founders, personal brand builders and just anyone obsessed with e-commerce growth and startup building.
2025-10-0922 min
Founders in Motion with Thea Ngo$600M AI Robots Powering the Future of the Physical Economy | Jason Ma, Dyna RoboticsJason Ma turned down offers from Google and Meta to build Dyna Robotics, a $600M startup making AI robots that actually work. We cover the 800-napkin breakthrough, taking robots from lab demos to laundromats, and what it means to power the physical economy. Perfect for founders, operators, and anyone curious about applied AI beyond the hypeIf you want a live demo, check out the full episode on youtube
2025-09-2528 min
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoThe Friendship App Helping 10,000 Adults | Sam Richardson, ButterMaking friends as an adult is tough and Sam built Butter to change that. With over 10,000 young adults already using, Butter makes it easy to find new friends through dinners, coffees, runs, and real-world social plans. In this episode, Sam shares her founder story: why existing friend-making apps don’t work, how she shipped fast to build community, and Butter’s bold vision to solve modern loneliness. Perfect for founders, product builders, and anyone curious about adult friendships.
2025-09-0425 min
Stachel und Herz10 Jahre „Wir schaffen das“ – aber wie christlich ist die CDU heute noch?
10 Jahre nach „Wir schaffen das“ fragen sich Thea & Sarah: Wie christlich ist die CDU noch? Geht es beim C um Christlichkeit – oder eher um Circus? Sie reden über Merz & die bröckelnde Brandmauer zur AfD, Klöckners NGO-Kritik an der Kirche & ihr Verbot der Regenbogenflagge am Bundestag, Söders Kreuzerlass und den Kulturkampf ums Thema Abtreibung.
Grundlage: Andreas Püttmanns Artike: https://www.blaetter.de/ausgabe/2025/mai/zwischen-christdemokratie-und-rechtspopulismus?utm_source=chatgpt.com
mit freundlicher Unterstützung vom YEET-Netzwerk -
2025-09-0143 min
Founders in Motion with Thea Ngo3 Friends. Asian Flavors. A Sold-Out Alcohol Brand | Sip HrdEver wonder how a late-night party idea can become a startup that sells out in 48 hours? That’s exactly what happened with Sip Hrd, the Asian-inspired alcohol brand whose lychee vodka seltzer vanished after its first 150 cases.In this episode, Phung, Daniel and Hanson share how they built from scratch: recipe testing, dodging alcohol regulations, branding and packaging hurdles, and creative go-to-market strategies.Perfect for founders building physical products, marketers tackling regulated industries, or anyone curious about turning a wild idea into a fast-selling startup.
2025-08-2027 min
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoEarly-Stage Founder Lessons from YC’s $600B Startup School | John & Vivek, Affil.ai (YC S24)They got into Y Combinator with an idea that the partners disliked?In this episode, the Affil founders share what really happens inside YC, the surprising power of doing things that don’t scale, and how they’re solving compliance pain points in financial affiliate marketing with AI.Perfect for early-stage founders, builders in regulated industries, and anyone wondering if their startup idea sucks
2025-08-0629 min
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoHow We're Building a Founder Podcast We Can’t Quit | Behind the CameraWe accidentally started a podcast and now we can’t stop. In this behind-the-scenes episode, we reflect on how a random shower thought turned into a real startup media brand. From perfectionism to metrics obsession, quitting fantasies to growing ambitions, we unpack the chaos of building something from scratch while trying to stay sane. If you're curious how media gets made, this one's for you.
2025-07-2707 min
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoStanford to Vietnam’s Hottest EdTech Startup Founder Story | Hung Bui, AIducationHe brought cutting-edge AI from Stanford to Vietnam — and flopped. But after just 3 months of rebuilding, he's now leading one of Vietnam’s most exciting edtechs, with 40,000 users and entering 23,000 schools. In this episode, we dive into how he redesigned the product around students' real stressors and learned to ship unpolished versions without shame. We also chat founder psychology, what it takes to bounce back, and why education innovation must center local context.🎯 Perfect for early-stage founders, edtech builders, and anyone recovering from a messy launch.
2025-07-1025 min
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoI Sold My Car & Built a Cult Haircare Startup Founder Story | Floriye Elmazi, SisterwouldFloriye Elmazi, co-founder of Sisterwould, didn’t mean to start a haircare brand - she just wanted to help her dad’s skin. Fast forward: she’s stocked in Revolve and Chemist Warehouse, with celeb fans like Lindsay Lohan and Dua Lipa. In this episode, Flo shares how she bootstrapped a business as a single mom, landed retail deals, and built a community-first brand centered on inclusion and purpose - before launchTopics: Celebrity marketing, inclusive product design, bootstrapped beauty brands, CPG manufacturing, community-led growth, accessible packaging, and retail expansionPerfect for: Beauty founders, DTC builde...
2025-06-2627 min
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoThis Founder Replaced Physical Loyalty Cards Forever Founder Story | Brian Pham, LitecardBrian Pham, founder of LiteCard, is betting big on your Apple Wallet. In this episode, he shares how he turned a niche idea into a global platform by ditching loyalty apps and using what’s already in your pocket. We dive into his agency-first GTM strategy, global expansion lessons, and how AI is transforming how brands engage customers.Topics: Digital marketing transformation, mobile wallet strategy, global scaling, agency partnerships, and rapid-fire founder insights.Perfect for entrepreneurs, marketers, and retail executives.
2025-06-1229 min
Founders in Motion with Thea Ngo$20M Valuation to Zero: A Startup Failure Story | Robert Huynh, NookRobert Huynh built Nook, a blue-collar job marketplace in Vietnam, through Y Combinator. He hit 50,000 users, raised at a $20M valuation, then watched it all crumble. This is his brutally honest post-mortem.In this raw conversation, Robert reveals:The growth hack that got 50K users FASTWhy a $20M valuation couldn't fix broken unit economicsThe cultural blindspots that killed the businessHow to tell your team you're shutting downHis mental health struggles during the crisisWhy co-founder selection makes or breaks everything
2025-05-2931 min
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoTurning Scrap Into a Creative Startup Founder Story | Ben Wood, WipWrkBen Wood, co-founder of Waste in Progress, joins us to talk about how a random old tent sparked a design business built on upcycling, sustainability, and community partnerships. In this episode, we explore how creative founders can scale impact, balance craft with cash flow, and turn circular design into a viable business model—without burning out. Whether you're building a mission-led brand or bootstrapping a product business, this one’s for you⏱️ Chapters:00:00 - Introduction to WipWrk and Textile Upcycling01:25 - Backstory: How WipWrk Was Born02:51 - First Product: Chalk Bags for Rock Climbers04:33 - Partners...
2025-05-1528 min
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoHow She Built One of Vietnam’s Fastest-Growing Fintechs Founder Story | Nhi Nguyen, MaiMoneyHow do you build a fintech startup in Vietnam—where regulation is murky and trust in new financial products is low? In this episode of Founders in Motion, we sit down with Nhi Nguyen, CEO of MaiMoney, to talk about her journey from personal frustration to building a platform that now manages over $2M in investments and serves thousands of everyday users.If you're into emerging markets, fintech innovation, or female founder stories, this one’s for you.⏱️ Chapters:00:00 – Intro & Why Banks Aren’t Enough01:00 – How Vietnamese People Invest Today02:00 – Viet...
2025-05-0127 min
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoFrom Private Equity to Yogurt Startup Founder Story | Kiki & Elan, Sourmilk YogurtQuit your job to start food brand? Build in public? Grow 10k followers in months? That’s exactly what Kiki and Elan did. These Stanford besties left private equity and big tech to launch Beny Yogurt. From co-founder dynamics to pop-up strategies and shelf-life nightmares, this convo is startup gold (and a whole lot of fun).💡 If you enjoyed this episode, follow Founders in Motion and leave us a rating — it really helps us reach more future founders like you.
2025-04-1730 min
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoRaising Venture Capital Funding for My AI Fashion Tech Startup | Nate Spiteri, ShopfrontIn this episode, Nate Spiteri, co-founder of Shopfront, shares his experience raising $800K for an AI-powered secondhand fashion tool — including what it’s like to pitch 1,000 investors and close a round over Christmas (while getting engaged). We talk founder resilience, the power of accelerators like Antler, and the future of sustainable resale. If you're fundraising or building in ecomm, this one’s for you.💡 If you enjoyed this episode, follow Founders in Motion and leave us a rating — it really helps us reach more future founders like you.
2025-04-0328 min
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoThe Future of Crypto, DeFi Lending: An Inside Look with a Serial Founder | Nam Vuong, Spine FinanceIn this episode of Founders In Motion, we dive into the world of crypto with Nam Vuong, the founder of Spine Finance. We break down:✅ Building the best performing use store with over $70 Million in total value locked✅ The challenges of bringing crypto to the masses✅ Building narratives in crypto (e.g., Real World Assets)✅ How Spine Finance is bringing fixed rates to the volatile crypto lending marketIf you're into crypto, DeFi, or Web3 innovation, this episode is a must-watch! 🚀💡 If you enjoyed this episode, follow Founders in Mo...
2025-03-2036 min
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoHow Open-Source LLMs Are Shaping Software Development, an AI Startup Story | Selina Li, gymii.aiIn this episode of Founders in Motion, we dive into the startup journey of Selina Li, founder of Gymii.ai, an AI-powered nutrition tracking platform revolutionizing the way we log food. As a former pro golfer turned AI founder, Selina shares how she built her MVP in just 2 months, the power of open-source LLMs in software development, and the real struggles of bootstrapping a tech startup.Whether you’re an early-stage founder, an aspiring entrepreneur, or an avid listener of startup journeys, this episode is packed with insights on AI, building in in the consumer space, and fi...
2025-03-0626 min
Founders in Motion with Thea NgoInside the GenZ Marketing Agency that's Changing Influencer Marketing Founder Story | Abby Huang, Dime.IncAbby Huang, founder of Dime Inc., joins Founders In Motion for her first-ever podcast appearance. Dime is a marketing agency that has helped brands like Casetify, Lulu’s, ByteDance, and more connect with Gen Z consumers. Abby shares insights on Xiaohongshu, social media trends, landing her first big brand deal, and iterating on Dime’s products💡 If you enjoyed this episode, follow Founders in Motion and leave us a rating — it really helps us reach more future founders like you.
2025-02-2037 min
On Change with Petro du Pisani#031 Intentional Interludes | Thea WeeksPausing with Purpose: Giving back, Parenthood, and Resilience.
Episode 5 of a series of podcasts on taking conscious breaks from work.
In this episode, Petro du Pisani speaks to Thea Weeks who shares her transformative journey of taking three significant career breaks. In her breaks, Thea worked for an NGO for 5 years, focused on her new baby, and had to adapt to life and work after losing hearing in one ear.
Thea offers deep insights into the motivations behind each break, how she prepared, and the challenges she faced both personally and professionally.
Throughout the...
2024-09-1247 min
Matrix PodcastsESG: Global - What’s Your Beef?In this podcast, Jamas Hodivala KC discusses with his guests Théa Bounfour and Jean-Philippe Fogle a money laundering complaint filed with prosecutors by the French NGO, Sherpa, alleging that banks are laundering the proceeds of environmental crimes committed by large Brazilian cattle companies.
2024-02-2742 min