Sanjit Biswas is the co-founder and CEO of Samsara, a global leader in allowing physical operations organizations to harness data, AI, and the Internet of Things. He started the company with the mission to increase the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of the operations that power the global economy. In this presentation, Biswas tells the story of how he co-founded his first company as a graduate student and pivoted to a new industry to found Samsara, sharing advice for aspiring entrepreneurs on finding meaningful problems to solve, building a team, and running feedback loops to understand what customers need. Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders and other Stanford eCorner content is produced by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP), the entrepreneurship center at the Stanford School of Engineering. STVP empowers aspiring entrepreneurs to become global citizens who create and scale responsible innovations. CONNECT WITH US YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ecorner   X: https://x.com/ECorner   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stanfordtechnologyventuresprogram/   Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/stanfordstvp.bsky.social    LEARN MORE STVP: https://stvp.stanford.edu/  eCorner by STVP: https://stvp.stanford.edu/ecorner  Support our mission of providing students and educators around the world with free access to Stanford University’s network of entrepreneurial thought leaders: https://stvp.stanford.edu/giving-to-stvp/.

Drew Endy is an associate professor of bioengineering at Stanford University and a pioneer of synthetic biology. A co-founder of the BioBricks Foundation, Endy helped launch the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition to democratize biotechnology for student innovators worldwide. In this presentation, Endy gives a primer on synthetic biology and the obstacles it has encountered in the United States, shares where he hopes the field is going, and explains how aspiring entrepreneurs can adapt his framework to imagine their own futures. Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders and other eCorner content is produced by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP), the entrepreneurship center at the Stanford School of Engineering. STVP empowers aspiring entrepreneurs to become global citizens who create and scale responsible innovations. CONNECT WITH US YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ecorner   X: https://x.com/ECorner   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stanfordtechnologyventuresprogram/   Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/stanfordstvp.bsky.social    LEARN MORE STVP: https://stvp.stanford.edu/  eCorner by STVP: https://stvp.stanford.edu/ecorner  Support our mission of providing students and educators around the world with free access to Stanford University’s network of entrepreneurial thought leaders: https://stvp.stanford.edu/giving-to-stvp/.

Grant Lee is the CEO and Co-founder of Gamma, an AI-powered presentation and website design tool that has scaled to 50 million customers and $50 million in annual recurring revenue with fewer than 50 employees. In this conversation with Adjunct Lecturer Ravi Belani, Lee shares how his search for energizing projects and partnerships shaped Gamma’s path, and he gives advice for early-stage entrepreneurs on building conviction, finding good co-founders, and gauging product-market fit. Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders and other Stanford eCorner content is produced by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP), the entrepreneurship center at the Stanford School of Engineering. STVP empowers aspiring entrepreneurs to become global citizens who create and scale responsible innovations. CONNECT WITH US YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ecorner   X: https://x.com/ECorner   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stanfordtechnologyventuresprogram/   Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/stanfordstvp.bsky.social    LEARN MORE STVP: https://stvp.stanford.edu/  eCorner by STVP: https://stvp.stanford.edu/ecorner  Support our mission of providing students and educators around the world with free access to Stanford University’s network of entrepreneurial thought leaders: https://stvp.stanford.edu/giving-to-stvp/.

Tina Seelig is an educator, entrepreneur, and bestselling author who has spent decades teaching creativity, innovation, and leadership at Stanford. She is the executive director of Knight-Hennessy Scholars and director emerita of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program. In this presentation, inspired by her forthcoming book What I Wish I Knew about Luck, Seelig gives practical and encouraging advice – illustrated by real-life stories – designed to help young people see and seize lucky opportunities. ------------------------ Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders and other Stanford eCorner content is produced by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP), the entrepreneurship center at the Stanford School of Engineering. STVP empowers aspiring entrepreneurs to become global citizens who create and scale responsible innovations. CONNECT WITH US YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ecorner X: https://x.com/ECorner LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stanfordtechnologyventuresprogram/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/stanfordstvp.bsky.social LEARN MORE STVP: https://stvp.stanford.edu/ eCorner by STVP: https://stvp.stanford.edu/ecorner Support our mission of providing students and educators around the world with free access to Stanford University’s network of entrepreneurial thought leaders: https://stvp.stanford.edu/giving-to-stvp/.

Relentless vision, not conformity, drives lasting innovation.

Creating a more inclusive tech workforce is a long-term investment.

Working on something that matters can help you stay motivated through tough times.

Changing your environment can help you identify your emotions and follow your personal mission.

Financial discipline, building culture, and getting to a forever internal mission are how you grow.

Bonny Simi’s journey proves that, entrepreneur or not, creativity, courage, and a willingness to take risks can lead to success in any path.

Payal Kadakia shares how embracing her full identity, aligning passion with purpose, and making values-driven decisions led to lasting success.

Justin Kan reflects on the highs and lows of entrepreneurship and how to find true satisfaction.

Astro Teller explains how innovation thrives where failure is celebrated, audacity is rewarded, and learning drives every bold experiment.

Sarah Friar advocates for community connection and kindness, particularly during challenging times.

Aicha Evans discusses innovation in a competitive market, overcoming skepticism, and leadership in autonomous vehicle development.

Debbie Sterling's journey highlights the importance of supporting young girls in STEM fields.

Alberto Savoia shares how his "pretotyping" framework helps innovators ensure they're building “The Right It.”

Josh Wolfe discusses funding counter-conventional solutions to the most vexing problems of our time. The episode first aired on June 7, 2023

Tina Seelig speaks with four Stanford graduates about taking their ideas and learnings to the real world.

Clara Shih highlights the significance of nurturing existing friendships and acknowledges the evolving responsibilities of leadership as companies grow.