18VC Podcast
Conversations with the founders and investors shaping the student startup ecosystem.
Latest Episode
How Sarah Chen Built CampusDash from a Dorm Room to a $12M Series A
with Sarah Chen
Sarah shares the full story of building CampusDash — from a class project to Y Combinator, navigating co-founder conflicts, and closing their Series A in a down market.
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David Park on Scaling CardinalAI from a Side Project to 500 Enterprise Customers
with David Park
David breaks down how a weekend hackathon project turned into an AI company serving Fortune 500 clients, and why he almost quit three times along the way.
Priya Patel on Rethinking College Food Systems and Raising from Mission-Driven VCs
with Priya Patel
Priya explains how FightOnFoods is tackling food waste and food insecurity on college campuses, and the unique challenges of building a social enterprise.
Marcus Johnson: The Fintech Playbook for Gen Z — Building Minted from Zero to 100K Users
with Marcus Johnson
Marcus reveals the growth tactics, regulatory hurdles, and product decisions behind Minted — the fintech app helping Gen Z build credit history through micro-subscriptions.
Elena Rodriguez: From Pre-Med to HealthTech Founder — How Cura Health is Connecting Underserved Communities
with Elena Rodriguez
Elena shares her unconventional path from pre-med student to telehealth founder, and how Cura Health is bridging the healthcare access gap in Los Angeles.
Alex Kim: Lessons from Building StudyLoop Through Three Pivots and a Pandemic
with Alex Kim
In our inaugural episode, Alex recounts the wild journey of building StudyLoop — including three major pivots, running out of money, and finally finding product-market fit.