Internet infrastructure
Rob Ryan
Co-founder and CEO of Ascend, often called a father of the modern internet
Infrastructure, timing, and the operating discipline behind internet-scale growth.
American Dreams archive
Twenty defining voices from American Dreams.
Founders, owners, operators, entertainers, and market thinkers whose conversations helped shape the American Dreams archive.
From Joe Lacob and Tim Draper to Rob Riggle, Konstantin Guericke, and Danielle DiMartino Booth, the roster crosses ownership, venture capital, internet infrastructure, entertainment, consumer brands, and macro policy.
20
featured conversations
4
editorial groupings
Archive
venture, ownership, film, brands, and macro voices
Rob Ryan
Giacomo Marini
Dan Forootan
Konstantin Guericke
Dixon Doll
Venktesh Shukla
Tim Draper
Wally Hawley
Joe Lacob
David Checketts
Gary Rogers
Tom Chatham
Mark Stidham
Rob Riggle
Mark Eaton
Alan Brown
Mitzi Perdue
Reed Wilcox
Danielle DiMartino Booth
Sheila Driscoll
01
Builders, capital, and scale
Venture, technology, and internet builders.
Founders and investors behind infrastructure, software, networks, and the capital that helped modern companies scale.
Technology leadership
Giacomo Marini
Co-founder of Logitech and CEO of Noventi Ventures
Product judgment, entrepreneurship, and the habits behind durable technology companies.
E-commerce growth
Dan Forootan
CEO of Ryzeo
Data-driven growth, customer behavior, and how brands build repeatable e-commerce momentum.
Network effects
Konstantin Guericke
Co-founder of LinkedIn
Product-market fit, network effects, and the trust required for a global professional platform.
Venture capital
Dixon Doll
Co-founder of DCM and former Chairman of the NVCA
The investor lens on founders, venture judgment, and what separates momentum from lasting companies.
Founder networks
Venktesh Shukla
President of TiE and General Partner at Monta Vista Capital
The communities, mentorship, and capital networks that keep early-stage builders moving.
Early-stage conviction
Tim Draper
Founder of DFJ, founder of BizWorld, and one of Harvard's Top 100 alumni
Risk, contrarian conviction, and spotting the next category-defining company early.
Venture and stewardship
Wally Hawley
Co-founder of InterWest Partners and former President of SHV North America
Long-range investing, service, and the stewardship that follows business success.
02
Leadership at scale
Operators, brands, and ownership groups.
Leaders responsible for franchises, consumer brands, family businesses, and the teams required to sustain them.
Ownership and investing
Joe Lacob
Majority Governor of the Golden State Warriors and venture capitalist
Competition, culture, and the investment mindset behind organizations that win repeatedly.
Sports business
David Checketts
Former CEO and President of Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks, and the Utah Jazz
Leadership inside high-visibility organizations where ownership, teams, and public expectations collide.
Consumer brands
Gary Rogers
CEO of Dreyer's Ice Cream and Chairman of Safeway Inc.
Consumer-brand leadership, stewardship, and scaling household names with discipline.
Family enterprise
Tom Chatham
Chairman of Chatham Created Gems & Diamonds, Inc.
Preserving a family legacy while continuing to evolve a category-defining business.
Retail entrepreneurship
Mark Stidham
CEO and co-founder of LuLaRoe
Rapid growth, direct selling, and the leadership pressures that come with a national consumer brand.
03
Public-facing leadership
Sports, entertainment, and film.
Conversations shaped by performance, audiences, reinvention, and the discipline behind public careers.
Reinvention & service
Rob Riggle
Actor, comedian, SNL alumnus, and former U.S. Marine
Discipline, humor, service, and building a second act that still reflects the person behind the spotlight.
Team leadership
Mark Eaton
NBA record holder, former All-Star, founder, and author
Team performance, leadership habits, and the commitments that make winning cultures stick.
Film production
Alan Brown
Film producer with Castle Rock, Columbia, and Universal Studios
Creative leadership, large-scale execution, and getting ambitious projects across the finish line.
04
Long-range judgment
Leadership, markets, and legacy.
Guests whose conversations move toward stewardship, education, economics, family legacy, and purposeful leadership.
Legacy & advocacy
Mitzi Perdue
Syndicated columnist, speaker, and former President of AAW
A legacy-minded conversation about stewardship, influence, and using a platform for lasting good.
Education & motivation
Reed Wilcox
Co-founder of General Resonance and former President of Southern Virginia University
Motivation, liberal arts, and the leadership patterns that shape people long before titles do.
Macro perspective
Danielle DiMartino Booth
CEO and Chief Strategist of Quill Intelligence
A candid macro conversation about monetary policy, economic signals, and what leaders should watch as markets shift.
Wealth & purpose
Sheila Driscoll
Managing Director of Billionaire Foundation and co-founder of SCCI
Wealth creation tied back to family legacy, philanthropy, and the responsibility that comes with significant resources.
American Dreams archive
The broader library continues well beyond this featured roster.
The full archive and guest bio library carry the conversation further across American Dreams.