In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan sits down with Aaron Holliday, Founder and Managing Director of 645 Ventures, a venture fund with an unprecedented model and a mission to bring the invisible to life. Aaron shares his inspiring journey from growing up in New Orleans to building a data-driven sourcing model that uncovers promising startups and founders at the earliest stages. With over half a billion dollars under management and a 10-year anniversary, 645 Ventures has truly broken the mold.

Guest Bio and Links:

Aaron is the co-founder and Managing Partner at 645 Ventures. He oversees the firm’s investing approach, strategy, investor relations, and governance. Since founding 645 Ventures in 2014, Aaron has worked closely with portfolio company founders to strengthen, grow, and scale businesses. Aaron led 645 Ventures early-stage investments in several breakout successes, including Goldbelly, Iterable, FiscalNote, Squire, Resident/Nectar Sleep, FLY Labs (acquired by Google), Source3 (acquired by Facebook), and several other category-defining companies. In 2021, Aaron made the Midas Brink List of VC investor up-and-comers to watch for his involvement and investments in startup companies that have scaled to hundreds of millions in revenues and unicorn status.

Listeners can learn more about Aaron Holiday on X @aholidayiii

Show Notes:

• (0:00) Intro
• (0:20) Leah introduces guest, Aaron Holiday, Founder of 645 Ventures to Breaking Precedent
• (3:30) Aaron's early life and inspirations
• (6:30) Early college days - math to computer science
• (12:00) The Hustleman - entrepreneurial spirit
• (14:15) Authorship: Award winning author of First Gen, Alejandra Campoverdi, on breaking generational cycles
• (17:00) Experience at Goldman Sachs
• (23:30) Discovering Venture Capital at business school
• (31:30) Internship at Blip.tv
• (35:30) Building Cornell Tech
• (40:00) The birth of 645 Ventures
• (46:00) Challenges and successes of 645 Ventures
• (55:30) “You bring the invisible to life.”
• (57:30) The physics of the entrepreneurial ecosystem
• (1:01:00) Reflections and difficulties on the Venture capital industry

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Leah Solivan is the host of Breaking Precedent, a podcast that explores the stories of innovators who are pushing societal boundaries and setting new precedents in their fields. Leah is General Partner at Fuel Capital, where she invests in early-stage companies across consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail. Leah has 15 years of experience building and creating technology products that have reached millions of people around the globe. She started her career at IBM as an engineer in the software group, working on Lotus Notes and Domino. In 2008, Leah founded TaskRabbit, the leading on-demand service marketplace in the world.

Connect with Leah:

Website: breakingprecedent.com/

Instagram: @labunleashed

X: @labunleashed

In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan is joined by Eric Ryan, a transformational entrepreneur known for reimagining mundane product categories into billion-dollar brands. They dive into Eric’s playbook, exploring how he uses design to capture shifts in consumer behavior. Eric shares his journey from childhood influences to starting Method Soap, Ollie Vitamins, Welly Bandages, and Cast Jewelry, detailing his emphasis on people, culture, and differentiation through design.

Guest Bio and Links:

Eric Ryan is a serial entrepreneur, investor, advisor, and father. Eric is the driving force behind numerous successful brands, including Method Soap, Olly Vitamins, Welly Bandages, and Cast Jewelry. Known for reinvigorating overlooked product categories, Eric has built companies that focus on innovative design, consumer trends, and collaborative team culture.

Listeners can learn more about at website, on IG @ericthomasryan and X @ericthomasryan

Resources:

Method Products - Method's got your back with irresistible, mood-boosting products that make you feel good inside and out.

Welly Bandages - Bandages that seal, protect and get you back in the game with a bit of style.

Olly Vitamins - Olly, also known as Olly Nutrition and Olly Public Benefit, is an American company and brand of vitamin supplements and other products.

Cast Jewelry - Shop Cast, a place to discover wonder-filled fine jewelry. Explore our curation of unexpected collections and find your perfect piece.

Show Notes:

• 
  (0:00) Intro
• (0:20) Leah introduces guest, Eric Ryan to Breaking Precedent
• (1:00) Meet Eric Ryan - the entrepreneurial journey
• (4:30) Eric shares childhood memories that shaped his entrepreneurial spirit
• (6:45) “I tried hard in school, but, and I was a solid, you know, C plus B minus student. But I think it was that work ethic that really taught me. And there was areas I did excel. When you get out of those stupid scantron tests.”
• (9:00) The ice rink story - a glimpse into young Eric’s creative thinking
• (13:45) “Ideas are easy, execution is the hard part.”
• (14:25) The birth of Method
• (18:15) Designing Method with 90K
• (22:30) Scaling up with Target
• (26:00) Olly Vitamins - applying lessons from Method to a new category
• (30:00) Eric’s design vision and design process
• (35:45) The birth of Welly Bandages
• (38:30) When to know when to walk away from a project
• (41:40) The birth of Cast Jewlery
• (47:00) Eric’s jewelry on HBO’s White Lotus - a TV moment for Cast
• (50:00) Launching Tandy
• (51:30) Reflections on entrepreneurship and legacy
• (54:30) Conclusion and final thoughts

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Leah Solivan is the host of Breaking Precedent, a podcast that explores the stories of innovators who are pushing societal boundaries and setting new precedents in their fields. Leah is General Partner at Fuel Capital, where she invests in early-stage companies across consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail. Leah has 15 years of experience building and creating technology products that have reached millions of people around the globe. She started her career at IBM as an engineer in the software group, working on Lotus Notes and Domino. In 2008, Leah founded TaskRabbit, the leading on-demand service marketplace in the world.

Connect with Leah:

Website: breakingprecedent.com/

Instagram: @labunleashed

X: @labunleashed

In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan is joined by a Pakistani-born social activist, angel investor, and co-founder of the Malala Fund. Shiza shares her journey from organizing relief efforts in Pakistan to co-founding a billion-dollar nonprofit for girls’ education. She discusses her work with Malala Yousafzai, breaking barriers in the venture capital space, and building OurPlace, a direct-to-consumer kitchenware brand rooted in inclusivity and purpose. Shiza reflects on her upbringing, challenges she’s faced, and her passion for empowering marginalized communities worldwide.

Guest Bio and Links:

Shiza Shahid is a Pakistani-born social activist, angel investor, and entrepreneur who has pushed the boundaries in every aspect of her life. She co-founded the Malala Fund, a multi-billion dollar global nonprofit focused on ensuring girls have access to 12 years of free education. She also launched her own Now Ventures, investing in purpose-driven startups, and is the co-founder of OurPlace, a direct-to-consumer kitchenware and home goods brand known for its focus on creating multifunctional, aesthetically pleasing, and inclusive kitchen products.

Listeners can learn more about Shiza Shahia at IG @shiza and on X @shiza

Resources:

Malala Fund

OurPlace

He Named Me Malala

Show Notes:

• (0:00) Intro
• (0:25) Leah introduces guest, Shiza Shahid to Breaking Precedent
• (2:45) Breaking precedents - Shiza's journey
• (4:30) Growing up in Pakistan - education and family influence
• (7:20) Parental support and benevolent neglect
• (9:30) Protesting for Rule of Law
• (12:00) The importance of protests for youth
• (17:00) Journey to Stanford University
• (20:00) College experience and loneliness
• (23:00) Meeting Malala and organizing the summer camp
• (28:45) Malala’s shooting and recovery
• (37:00) Transition to entrepreneurship - NOW Ventures
• (40:00) Purpose-Driven startups
• (43:00) OurPlace - a brand for inclusive cooking
• (48:30) The Traditionware Collection
• (53:00) Ending questions and closing thoughts

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Leah Solivan is the host of Breaking Precedent, a podcast that explores the stories of innovators who are pushing societal boundaries and setting new precedents in their fields. Leah is General Partner at Fuel Capital, where she invests in early-stage companies across consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail. Leah has 15 years of experience building and creating technology products that have reached millions of people around the globe. She started her career at IBM as an engineer in the software group, working on Lotus Notes and Domino. In 2008, Leah founded TaskRabbit, the leading on-demand service marketplace in the world.

Connect with Leah:

Website: breakingprecedent.com/

Instagram: @labunleashed

X: @labunleashed