FROM MARKET SHAKEUPS TO SOLAR BREAKTHROUGHS: MAY HIGHLIGHTS

FROM THE GROWTH CAPITAL PODCAST

In the May episodes of the Growth Capital Podcast, host Justin Dixon sat down with visionary founders and forward-thinking investors who are transforming sectors from clean energy to enterprise communication. These conversations unpack what it truly takes to raise capital, disrupt entrenched markets, and scale with clarity and conviction, especially in today’s unpredictable economic environment.

Whether you're building a lean startup, mentoring founders, or navigating deep-tech manufacturing, the stories this month are a must-listen for operators and investors alike.

Episode 25: Fueling Fintech Innovation with Trey Ikard

Guest: Trey Ikard, Managing Partner, WIV VenturesTitle: Fintech Launchpad: Fueling Early-Stage Disruption

From launching his VC fund while his wife was in labor to mentoring Austin-based founders, Trey Ikard brings both grit and clarity to the venture world. This episode explores his pivot from tech operator to VC, why billion-dollar exits are rare in Texas, and what makes a startup pitch stand out—or get passed over.

“This town is paved with great press releases for companies that don’t exist anymore.”

 🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify

Episode 26: Investing in Diverse Founders with Laurel Mintz

Guest: Laurel Mintz, Founder & GP, Fabric VCTitle: Scaling Visionaries, Funding the Future

Laurel Mintz is not afraid to mix empathy with economics. She’s building Fabric VC to back diverse founders, while negotiating tough, founder-friendly deals in a cautious VC market. With a deep marketing background, Laurel reveals why most startups fail (hint: not product, but GTM) and how she helps fill that gap.

“I’m a bleeding heart, but I’m a capitalist.”*

🎧 Tune in now: Spotify

Episode 27: Bridging Sales and Product with JOIN’s Larissa Licha

Guest: Larissa Licha, CEO & Co-Founder, JOINTitle: Where Product Meets People: Building Better Teams Through AI

Larissa’s journey from tattoo artist in Germany to tech founder in Brooklyn is as bold as her company’s mission. JOIN is solving the chaos between sales, customer success, and product teams by creating real-time, curated context, without another dashboard. With just five employees, JOIN is beating $350M-funded competitors.

“Engineering doesn’t speak sales and sales doesn’t speak engineering... JOIN is the translation layer.”

🎧 Check out the episode on YouTube

Episode 28: Revolutionizing Solar with Scott Wharton

Guest: Scott Wharton, CEO, Tandem PVTitle: Disrupting the Grid, Redefining the Game

Scott Wharton is betting on a solar-powered future—fast. With decades of startup and scale-up experience, he’s leading Tandem PV’s move from R&D to commercialization, using game-changing perovskite tech. This episode tackles manufacturing in America, the AI-fueled energy crunch, and why domestic clean tech is critical.

“If you want AI to have any power this decade, you only have solar and batteries.”

🎧 Explore the full conversation on Apple Podcast