Shows
Silicon Valley ImpactS2 E24 - Immigrant Empowerment, Frontier Tech and AR InnovationOn this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Aytakin Aliyeva, Founder of Femigrants Foundation; Iryna Voskerician, Founder and Managing Partner of MachX; and Randy Marsden, CEO of Skidattl.
Aytakin is the Founder of the Femigrants Foundation, a global community dedicated to empowering diverse female immigrants through connection, mentorship, and visibility. Featured in Forbes and Yahoo Business, Ika is a recognized social entrepreneur who transformed a group of 10 women into a thriving network of over 5,500 in just three years.
She curates high-impact events in the Bay Area and London tha...2025-07-081h 10
Verso Talk With AytakinShe escaped civil war. Lived in a ghetto neighborhood in Canada. Became an investor in Silicon Valley - Mariane BekkerShe escaped the brutal civil war in Lebanon when she was a child. She had to hide in different bomb shelters together with her family. Moved to Canada with her mother and lived in a so-called "Arabic ghetto" neighborhood. "The kids there were so poor they couldn't get breakfast. " She says.
To build a better life she moved to Silicon Valley and worked as an engineer in a male-dominated industry.
The guest of the Verso Talk with Aytakin is Mariane Bekker.
Mariane Bekker is a tech executive with over a decade of experience i...2025-04-3047 min
She Rises PodcastEmpowering Immigrant Women in Tech: Aytakin Aliyeva's Journey and Femigrant's VisionIn this episode of How She Rises, Tiffany Odutoye ("Tiffany-O") interviews Aytakin Aliyeva, founder of Femigrants, who shares her inspiring journey as an immigrant woman navigating the tech industry and now leading a nonprofit to empower other immigrant women. Aytakin discusses the challenges she faced, from job rejections to finding her voice at Instagram and Facebook, as well as the importance of cultural sensitivity and supportive leadership. Tiffany-O and Aytakin also dive into the significance of mentorship, executive coaching, and creating inclusive workplaces. Aytakin’s vision for Femigrants is to expand globally, supporting immigrant women around the wo...2025-04-1154 min
Verso Talk With AytakinHe Saw Apple and NVIDIA Grow—Now He’s Backing Founders. Sunmeet Jolly, VC InvestorThe guest speaker is Sunmeet Jolly, Managing Partner at Jolly VC, providing venture support to early-stage AI, SAAS & IOT startups.
The portfolio includes Posh.AI, Caspar.AI, DecileGroup.com, Lincode.AI, HeyPinnacle.com, Bizly.com, Virtuix.com and Questanalytics.com.
Sunmeet is an Angel Investor in 44 Technology Startups (38% IRR, 4.4X MOIC, 25 active, 5.2X MOIC from 19 exits/dissolved). Early-stage investments in Heliogen (IPO: Dec 2021), Knightscope (IPO: Jan 2022), Monogram Ortho (IPO: May 2023), Commerce.AI, Apptopia, Virzoom, CleanCapital, Quest Analytics, Virtuix, Vantage Robotics, StartEngine, AtomBeam, GoSun etc.
He spent over a decade wo...2025-04-0955 min
Verso Talk With AytakinImmigrant Founder Took $20K, Pivoted 4 Times—Now She's Funding Startups!The guest speaker of the Verso Talk with Aytakin today is Subha Rajana, a Femigrant (female immigrant) from India.
She is a Venture Partner at 3i Partners and a Founding LP at How Women Invest Fund and MFV Partners.
As the former CEO of Biarca, a cloud security software development company, she developed a strong foundation in strategy, operations, and business development—the pillars of any successful venture.
Before that, she held leadership roles at global software firms like Vedams and SriTech, where she navigated complex business landscapes, scaled global operations, and built hi...2025-04-0248 min
Verso Talk With AytakinHe Left Wall Street to Build the Future at Nvidia. Allen Wu, Director of Corporate DevelopmentWhat does it take to leave Wall Street and pivot into big tech?
In this powerful episode, Allen Wu — now Director of Corporate Development at Nvidia — shares how he transitioned from an investment banker at JP Morgan to leading strategic investments, acquisitions, and partnerships at one of the world’s top tech companies.
🎓 With degrees from Stanford (BA in Economics) and Columbia (MBA), Allen walks us through:
- How he knew it was time to pivot industries
- Tips & resources for successful career transitions
- What it's like worki...2025-03-2647 min
Verso Talk With AytakinMillionaire Mindset: How Immigrants Can Build Wealth from Scratch!Are you making the most of your savings?
Or are you unknowingly leaving money on the table?
We hear about 401k, CDs, Treasury Savings, and Education Savings Plans. But are we actually using them to their full potential?
What if I told you there are hacks that no one talks about? Simple tweaks that could maximize your savings, reduce risks, and accelerate your journey to financial freedom. Especially if you're an immigrant navigating the U.S. financial system.
On this week’s episode of Verso Talk, Dipti Arora, Vice Pre...2025-03-1934 min
Verso Talk With AytakinHow a Random Cable Car Encounter Led to a Game-Changing VC Connection!Our Guest today is Jennifer Wong, Limited Partner and an Angel Investor at the West Coast Angel Network. She is a Femigrant (female immigrant) from Canada.
Jennifer is a hands-on partner and Client Services leader with a relentless focus on worldwide success and high-performance teams.
She is an expert in global consulting and alliances experience from startup through IBM and Dell - empowering sales teams, implementing global solutions, and reinventing services delivery programs - in highly dynamic environments on a global scale.
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Whether you're an investor, startup founder, or entrepreneur, this...2025-03-1240 min
Verso Talk With AytakinBreaking Barriers: Wendy Nguyen's Bold Transition from TV Star to Silicon Valley InvestorToday's guest speaker is Wendy Nguyen, a dynamic television host turned global businesswoman with a bold career in media, marketing, and partnerships that has spanned over a decade.
From the glamour of newsrooms and TV shows to the high-stakes world of Silicon Valley, Wendy’s journey is defined by her ability to connect the dots and make impactful deals.
After a successful and celebrated career in television, Wendy made a bold pivot, moving to the U.S. to pursue her MBA. Since then, she has become a key player in Silicon Valley's vibrant eco...2025-03-0643 min
Verso Talk With AytakinWhen She was 21, Her Business Idea Won $50K from Guy Kawasaki. VC Investor Mala RamakrishnanMala Ramakrishnan, founder and managing partner at Progressive Ventures, is the guest on the "Verso Talk with Aytakin" Podcast.
Mala Ramakrishnan is an entrepreneurial leader with over 20 years of experience in executive leadership roles in product, engineering, and marketing for companies of all sizes, from startups to publicly traded firms.
She is a three-time product founder with significant experience in building and scaling 0-1 products.
Currently, she serves as the Founder and Managing Partner of Progressive Ventures, an investment firm focused on early-stage B2B AI startups.
Mala holds a...2025-02-2658 min
Verso Talk With AytakinBounced 9 startups, lost money, but made it to become a pre IPO investor - Shoba Viswanath, Indian American InvestorShoba Viswanath is a Femigrants from India. As a child immigrant from India, she was raised in the US, being the product of two cultures, both Indian and American.
Since her childhood, she dreamed of being a doctor and convinced her parents about it.
She got accepted into Medical school, but then realized that it wasn't for her.
She bounced 9 startups, became an angel investor, lost money but MADE her way to become a pre-IPO investor.
She has a hardcore life science and medicine background; She...2025-02-1943 min
Verso Talk With Aytakin"Only 2% of venture funding goes to women, and that has to change!" Preethy Padmanabhan, InvestorThe guest speaker is Preethy Padmanabhan, an investor with Portfolia, and How Women Invest.
Preethy serves as a Board Director for Nextstem.ai and board advisor for Sendoso.
She is host of the 10X Growth Strategies podcast and has featured popular Silicon Valley CXOs and investors as guests.
We talked about
- Career transition from engineering to marketing and to investment
- Top 4 rules to follow when joining the investment world
- How to decide if your AI startup idea offers a unique solution or n...2025-02-1245 min
Verso Talk With AytakinEasy Ways To Raise Money Faster in Silicon Valley – Insider Secrets from Rux Muys, an Angel InvestorWhy Raising Money in Silicon Valley is Easier – Insider Tips from Angel Investor Rux Muys.
In this exclusive interview, Rux Muys, angel investor and co-founder of WIT Angels Club, shares her journey from launching a career in healthcare in Romania to joining a financial institution in Paris and finally breaking into the investment world in Silicon Valley.
She reveals why startup founders in Silicon Valley raise money faster than in Europe, breaking down the key differences in fundraising, venture capital, and investor mindset.
If you're a startup found...2025-02-0643 min
Verso Talk With AytakinHow Investors Think on Making Smart Investment Choices: Katie Fenner, Ex-Goldman Sachs InvestorKatie Fenner, a seasoned investor with years of experience at Goldman Sachs, shares her expertise in making smart investment decisions.
Katie dives into the essential factors she evaluates before deciding to back a company and provides practical tips for both new and experienced investors.
Key topics include:
The top three priorities every investor should assess when evaluating a potential investment.
How to identify the right companies to invest in, whether in public markets or private deals.
The minimum amount of money needed to get started with investing and how to scal...2025-01-3041 min