Episode #4: Dad Died, Now The Work Starts
Tech Optimist Podcast — Tech, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation
In this episode of Tech Optimist, Mike Collins explores cutting-edge technologies with experts. He discusses silicon photonics in home medical testing with Michael Dubrovsky, estate settlement innovations with Alexandra Mysoor, and the broader industry impacts of technology with Naren Ramaswamy.
Episode #4: Dad Died, Now The Work Starts
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In this Tech Optimist episode, we dive into three segments that explore innovative technologies shaping our future. The first features Mike Collins discussing silicon photonics in medical diagnostics with Michael Dubrovsky of SiPhox, highlighting advances in home medical testing. In the second, Alexandra Mysoor from Alix shares how her company is transforming estate settlement. The final segment brings insights from a conversation between Mike and Naren Ramaswamy, discussing the broader impacts of technology in the industry.
Watch Time ~65 minutes
The show is produced by Alumni Ventures, which has been recognized as a “Top 20 Venture Firm” by CB Insights (’24) and as the “#1 Most Active Venture Firm in the US” by Pitchbook (’22 & ’23).
READ THE FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Creators and Guests
HOST
Mike Collins
CEO, and Co-Founder at Alumni Ventures
Mike has been involved in almost every facet of venturing, from angel investing to venture capital, new business and product launches, and innovation consulting. He is currently CEO of Alumni Ventures Group, the managing company for our fund, and launched AV’s first alumni fund, Green D Ventures, where he oversaw the portfolio as Managing Partner and is now Managing Partner Emeritus. Mike is a serial entrepreneur who has started multiple companies, including Kid Galaxy, Big Idea Group (partially owned by WPP), and RDM. He began his career at VC firm TA Associates. He holds an undergraduate degree in Engineering Science from Dartmouth and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
GUEST
Michael Dubrovsky
Co-Founder, SiPhox
Michael Dubrovsky is the Co-Founder of SiPhox, a YC, Intel Capital, and Khosla Ventures-backed startup leveraging existing semiconductor infrastructure to deliver next-generation at-home and wearable diagnostics.
GUEST
Alexandra Mysoor
Co-Founder, Alix
Alexandra Mysoor is the Co-Founder of Alix, a platform powering wealth across generations with an intuitive, AI-powered app and dedicated care team that handles the hardest parts of estate settlement for you. From the first conversation to the last signatures, Alix delivers personalized guidance and takes tedious tasks off your plate so you can be sure your next step is the right one while giving time back to the people who need you most.
GUEST
Naren Ramaswamy
Principal, Spike & Deep Tech Fund at Alumni Ventures
Naren combines a technical engineering background with experience at startups and VC firms. Before joining AV, he worked with the investing team at venture firm Data Collective (DCVC) looking at frontier tech deals. Before that, he was a Program Manager at Apple and Tesla and has worked for multiple consumer startups. Naren received a BS and MS in mechanical engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. In his free time, he enjoys teaching golf to beginners and composing music.
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