Why diversity and inclusion matter at your company (feat. Pedro David Espinoza)
TechieBytes4 Helmi 2020

Why diversity and inclusion matter at your company (feat. Pedro David Espinoza)

Episode 57: We spoke with Pedro David Espinoza, internet entrepreneur, angel investor, and co-author of Differences That Make A Difference. We discuss diversity and inclusion in the workplace, including in-depth conversations about the gender pay gap, implementing policies such as blind interviews, and how diversity helps your bottom line. Enjoy!


Pedro David Espinoza is an internet entrepreneur, angel investor, TED speaker, and author. At the age of 19, Pedro became the founder & CEO of SmileyGo, a platform that helps companies give smarter. Pedro is also the CEO of Alpaca Pan Peru, a social venture that empowers women to become entrepreneurs. Educated at Stanford and Berkeley, Pedro began his career as a car mechanic at Toyota. He has been profiled in Univision, Telemundo, Hispanic Shark Tank, Fox News, and Forbes.


The leaders -- 80 male, 80 female -- include Reed Hastings (CEO, Netflix), Michelle Lee (Former Under Secretary of Commerce), Eric Schmidt (Google) and Judith Estrin (Internet pioneer). Spanning the globe and representing a variety of ages and cultural backgrounds, they give voice to two key conclusions:

  • Diversity and inclusion do make a tangible difference
  • Organizations that are not doing the work of keeping diversity and inclusion alive and thriving are missing out on vital opportunities.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/besttechie/support

Jaksot(89)

Building a luxury audio company (feat. Jonathan Levine)

Building a luxury audio company (feat. Jonathan Levine)

Episode 17: We spoke with Jonathan Levine, the founder & CEO of Master & Dynamic, a NYC-based audio company. We discuss how he's found success with Master & Dynamic, the challenges of manufacturing, and the future of audio. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/besttechie/support

29 Touko 201840min

What AR/VR means for Hollywood (feat. Roy Taylor)

What AR/VR means for Hollywood (feat. Roy Taylor)

Episode 16: We spoke with Roy Taylor, a former exec at AMD and Nvidia and current Advisor at Cubic Motion, an industry leading computer vision company. We discuss VR/AR (with a special focus on Hollywood and entertainment), growing sales from $0 to $300 million while at Nvidia, and more! Plus there’s a special treat towards the end. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/besttechie/support

21 Touko 201845min

Digital media, finance, and being #old (feat. Alex Wilhelm)

Digital media, finance, and being #old (feat. Alex Wilhelm)

Episode 15: We spoke with Alex Wilhelm, the Editor-in-Chief at Crunchbase News. We discuss editorial strategy, tech finance (including crypto), and being #old. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/besttechie/support

16 Touko 201849min

The future of AI and conversational UI (feat. Mark Progano)

The future of AI and conversational UI (feat. Mark Progano)

Episode 14: We spoke with Mark Progano, a cofounder at Actively.ai, a company building an AI to make it easier to book and manage classes at fitness studios. We discuss how much data it takes to make a good AI, the future of AI and conversational UIs, and how to find success as an early stage startup. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/besttechie/support

7 Touko 201853min

Grow at all costs to sustainable growth (feat. Ethan Agarwal)

Grow at all costs to sustainable growth (feat. Ethan Agarwal)

Episode 13: We spoke with Ethan Agarwal, the founder & CEO of Aaptiv, an audio-based fitness app for iOS and Android. We discuss Aaptiv’s grow at all cost strategy and its recent pivot to a sustainable growth strategy as well as how other subscription based companies can do the same. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/besttechie/support

3 Huhti 201838min

Can Zuck be trusted? (feat. Matt Hodges)

Can Zuck be trusted? (feat. Matt Hodges)

Episode 12: We spoke with Matt Hodges, a software engineer who developed technology for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign. We discuss the Facebook and Cambridge Analytics story in detail, providing insights into how Aleksandr Kogan's personality quiz app worked, what Facebook users should know, and what this means for Facebook and developers going forward. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/besttechie/support

25 Maalis 20181h 3min

What to know about investing in ICOs (feat. David Drake)

What to know about investing in ICOs (feat. David Drake)

Episode 11: We spoke with David Drake, the Chairman of LDJ Capital, a multi-family office with a network based all over the world. Most recently David has been focused on investing and advising cryptocurrency and blockchain companies through ICOs. We discuss how he vets companies he advises and invests in, whether ICOs should be regulated, as well as whether or not he agrees with Jack Dorsey on Bitcoin becoming the world's single currency in 10 years. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/besttechie/support

23 Maalis 201835min

The importance of a strong team (feat. Toby Milstein)

The importance of a strong team (feat. Toby Milstein)

Episode 10: We spoke with Toby Milstein, the Director of Business Development for Joy, a company that has built a magical hardware photo album. We discuss Joy, her approach to business development, and the importance of a strong team. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/besttechie/support

18 Maalis 201842min