From Dorm Rooms to $8 Million in Funding: Life Lessons from the Founders of Phia
Ambition 2.029 Loka 2025

From Dorm Rooms to $8 Million in Funding: Life Lessons from the Founders of Phia

In the debut episode of Ambition 2.0, host Amanda Goetz sits down with Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni—the visionary co-founders of Phia, the AI-powered shopping assistant backed by Hailey Bieber, Kris Jenner, Sheryl Sandberg, and other major investors. From meeting as college roommates at Stanford and launching Phia as a class project to raising an $8M seed round for their company, Phoebe and Sophia have been through it all together. They get candid about building a tech startup from scratch, navigating friendship as co-founders, and learning how to set boundaries to avoid burnout. They open up about: The real meaning of work-life balance (and does it even exist?) Why personal branding is a superpower for founders The “ground rules” that keep their friendship—and business—thriving Lessons from their fundraising journey and startup leadership The creative philosophy behind their own podcast, The Burnouts Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or just love a good founder origin story, this episode dives deep into ambition, friendship, and what it takes to build something groundbreaking. (00:00) Intro (03:50) The origin story of Phia (05:18) Building the Phia team and shaping company culture (11:50) Raising $8M with high-profile investors (14:15) Friendship “ground rules” for co-founders (23:10) Burnout, boundaries, and balance (28:42) Work-life balance (30:45) Why personal branding matters more than ever (32:00) Rapid-fire questions (38:23) Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs GUEST LINKS Phoebe Gates: https://www.instagram.com/phoebegates/ Sophia Kianni: https://www.instagram.com/sophiakianni/ Phia: https://www.instagram.com/phiaco/ The Burnouts Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/theburnouts/ FOLLOW THE PODCAST IG: https://www.instagram.com/girlboss/ | TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@girlboss Amanda Goetz: https://www.instagram.com/theamandagoetz/ https://girlboss.com/pages/ambition-2-0-podcast SIGN UP Subscribe to the Girlboss Daily newsletter, filled with career inspiration and intel for ambitious women: https://newsletter.girlboss.com/ For all other Girlboss links: https://linkin.bio/girlboss/ DISCLAIMER This episode is sponsored by Semrush. Check out Semrush One, the only solution built for the next era of search. It unites Semrush’s leading traditional SEO tools with powerful AI search capabilities, all in one place, so you can make smarter, faster marketing decisions. Search moves fast, and you should have the right solution to stay ahead of the curve. Trusted by 10M+ marketers worldwide, try it today at semrush.com. #Ambition2Point0 #PhoebeGates #SophiaKianni #PhiaAI #GirlbossPodcast #WomenInBusiness #AIShopping #Startups #FemaleFounders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jaksot(333)

Girlboss Radio Presents, Mentor Memos - Christene Barberich & Neha Gandhi

Girlboss Radio Presents, Mentor Memos - Christene Barberich & Neha Gandhi

In this episode of Mentor Memos, the new podcast from the Girlboss Radio Network, produced in partnership with TRESemmé, we hear a story that’s highly personal to our host, Neha Gandhi. Before working...

11 Loka 201943min

How to ‘figure it out’ when you don’t know where to start, with Jennifer Meyer, jewelry designer

How to ‘figure it out’ when you don’t know where to start, with Jennifer Meyer, jewelry designer

When your client list reads off like a red carpet event guest list (Think: Meghan Markle, Janelle Monáe, Hailey Bieber, Ashley Graham, and Reese Witherspoon)—you're clearly doing something right. Jenn...

9 Loka 201946min

Girlboss Radio Presents, Mentor Memos - Cecile Richards & Kersha Deibel

Girlboss Radio Presents, Mentor Memos - Cecile Richards & Kersha Deibel

Welcome to the very first episode of Mentor Memos, the new podcast from the Girlboss Radio Network, produced in partnership with TRESemmé. In each episode, Girlboss COO Neha Gandhi chats with a differ...

4 Loka 201949min

The style secrets of Hollywood’s power  stars, with Karla Welch, celebrity stylist and creative director

The style secrets of Hollywood’s power stars, with Karla Welch, celebrity stylist and creative director

Picking out what clothes Hollywood’s A-listers wear can seem like the stuff of dreams. And—for the most part, it can be.  But, as we learn in this episode of Girlboss Radio, behind every show-stopping...

2 Loka 201941min

Girlboss Radio Presents In Progress, Season 2 - Patty Rodriguez

Girlboss Radio Presents In Progress, Season 2 - Patty Rodriguez

Patty Rodriguez is not only senior producer of On Air With Ryan Seacrest, but she’s also a serial entrepreneur. On this episode of In Progress, Patty and host Aurora James explore how being raised by ...

27 Syys 201958min

How a few t-shirts turned into 15 stores, with Anine Bing, fashion brand founder and chief creative officer

How a few t-shirts turned into 15 stores, with Anine Bing, fashion brand founder and chief creative officer

Today, the words “Anine Bing” are synonymous with an effortlessly chic aesthetic that women on-the-go gravitate toward—and buy around the world. It’s an impressive feat, but one that’s all the more re...

25 Syys 201937min

Why it’s important to stand up for yourself, with Sophia Bush, actress, activist and entrepreneur

Why it’s important to stand up for yourself, with Sophia Bush, actress, activist and entrepreneur

Sophia Bush is no stranger to television. She was cast as Brooke Davis in the popular WB/CW drama series One Tree Hill while still in high school—a role she maintained for more than a decade. Since th...

20 Syys 20191h 2min

Making money as a medium and solopreneurship, with Jessica Lanyadoo, resident Girlboss astrologer

Making money as a medium and solopreneurship, with Jessica Lanyadoo, resident Girlboss astrologer

It’s no secret that at Girlboss, we love horoscopes. We publish them monthly on our site, and, if you’re a member of the Girlboss network, you can check yours daily! It's true that in recent years, th...

18 Syys 201938min

Suosittua kategoriassa Liike-elämä ja talous

sijotuskasti
mimmit-sijoittaa
psykopodiaa-podcast
rss-rahapodi
pomojen-suusta
ostan-asuntoja-podcast
rss-rahamania
rss-draivi
herrasmieshakkerit
inderespodi
rss-sami-miettinen-neuvottelija
rahapuhetta
rss-myyntikoulu
rss-seuraava-potilas
salkunrakentaja-podi
rss-lahtijat
rss-bisnesta-bebeja
rss-ainin-sekatoimisto
rss-set-for-life-sijoita-ja-vaurastu
hyva-paha-johtaminen