Episode #53: Three Breakthroughs: Tech and Our Brains
Tech Optimist Podcast — Tech, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation
Back with a ‘Three Breakthroughs’ episode of the AV Tech Optimist podcast, where Mike Collins and Mike Peri as they discuss the groundbreaking development of roads that can charge your electric vehicle as you drive. This episode also highlights AI deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s treatment and the latest advancements in remote surgery technology.
Episode #53: Three Breakthroughs: Tech and Our Brains
See video policy below.
This week on the Tech Optimist podcast, join Alumni Ventures’ Mike Collins and Michael Peri as they cover three exciting breakthroughs:
- Road Advancements — Discussing roads that charge your electric vehicle while you’re on the move.
- AI Deep Brain — Discussing stimulation & advancements for Parkinson’s treatment.
- High Tech Surgery — Discussing the latest advancements in remote surgery technology.
Tune in for a deep dive into these cutting-edge developments.
Watch Time ~40 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 Peri
Partner, Alumni Ventures
Mike, an accomplished venture capitalist and operator with over a decade of industry experience, brings a wealth of expertise to Alumni Ventures. Before joining AV as a Partner, he held a Lead Director role at CVS Health Ventures, where he focused on investments in early and growth-stage digital health companies and played a key role in shaping the firm’s portfolio management strategy. Prior to this, Mike served as a Partner at Distributed Ventures, an early-stage fund with a strong thematic emphasis on digital health, insuretech, and fintech sectors. His journey in the industry began with leadership in product and analytics at Yaro Health, a venture-incubated company that achieved a successful acquisition. Throughout his career, Mike has assumed pivotal roles in strategy, early-stage startups, and data science, shaping his comprehensive understanding of the venture landscape. Mike holds a Masters of Science in Applied Data Science from the University of Chicago, along with graduate and undergraduate degrees from DePaul University and the University of Iowa, respectively.
To Learn More
Click the logos below for more information.
Important Disclosure Information
The Tech Optimist Podcast is for informational purposes only. It is not personalized advice and is neither an offer to sell, nor a solicitation of an offer to purchase, any security. Such offers are made only to eligible investors, pursuant to the formal offering documents of appropriate investment funds. Please consult with your advisors before making any investment with Alumni Ventures. For more information, please see here.
One or more investment funds affiliated with AV may have invested, or may in the future invest, in some of the companies featured on the Podcast. This circumstance constitutes a conflict of interest. Any testimonials or endorsements regarding AV on the Podcast are made without compensation but the providers may in some cases have a relationship with AV from which they benefit. All views expressed on the Podcast are the speaker’s own. Any testimonials or endorsements expressed on the Podcast do not represent the experience of all investors or companies with which AV invests or does business.
The Podcast includes forward-looking statements, generally consisting of any statement pertaining to any issue other than historical fact, including without limitation predictions, financial projections, the anticipated results of the execution of any plan or strategy, the expectation or belief of the speaker, or other events or circumstances to exist in the future. Forward looking statements are not representations of actual fact, depend on certain assumptions that may not be realized, and are not guaranteed to occur. Any forward- looking statements included in this communication speak only as of the date of the communication. AV and its affiliates disclaim any obligation to update, amend, or alter such forward-looking statements whether due to subsequent events, new information, or otherwise.