E93: Exploring Venture Capital & Surveillance Capitalism w/ Rob Lalka

Rob Lalka, Tulane professor and author of The Venture Alchemist, explores how big tech used venture capital and surveillance to convert profits into political and societal power.

Guest Bio: Rob Lalka is a Professor of Practice at Tulane University, where he leads the Albert Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. A former senior advisor at the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and staffer at the U.S. Department of State, Lalka is the author of The Venture Alchemist: How Big Tech Turned Profits Into Power.

Topics Discussed:

• The roots of big tech’s power in government partnerships and VC incentives
• The evolution of surveillance capitalism post-9/11 and the Patriot Act
• Venture capital’s hidden influence on founders and startups
• Uber, Palantir, Facebook, and Google as case studies in privatized power
• The blurring lines between government and Silicon Valley
• The role of Saudi wealth, Elon Musk, and Peter Thiel in shaping tech empires
• Alternatives to the VC model and stories of ethical entrepreneurship
• The political ascent of J.D. Vance and the networked power of tech elites

📺Watch Full Episode YouTube https://youtu.be/1rbqtg0kKxI

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