Ara Ohanian is the CEO of Netstock, a global provider of AI-powered inventory optimization and supply chain planning software for mid-market businesses. An experienced B2B SaaS and enterprise software leader, he brings deep insight into the challenges companies face when managing inventory, forecasting demand, and scaling operations. Ara leads Netstock's mission to help businesses reduce stockouts, lower excess inventory, and unlock working capital. He has held executive roles at Systech, Unite Us, Infor, and Dubilier & Co., bringing broad expertise across supply chain, ERP, compliance, and growth strategy.

Inventory can either fuel growth or quietly drain cash from a business. When companies rely on spreadsheets or outdated planning systems, they risk tying up working capital in the wrong products while missing demand for the right ones. So how can growing businesses forecast smarter, reduce stockouts, and keep cash moving?

Ara Ohanian, a seasoned B2B SaaS and enterprise software leader, says businesses need better visibility into what inventory they should have in the future, not just what they have today. He highlights the importance of using predictive planning tools to help companies make faster decisions when demand shifts, supplier costs change, or disruptions hit the supply chain. The main impact is more efficient inventory management, fewer missed sales, and less working capital tied up in excess stock. Instead of relying on manual spreadsheets, businesses can use AI-powered insights to anticipate demand across warehouses, markets, and product categories. This gives mid-market companies a stronger chance to compete with larger enterprises that have historically had access to more sophisticated planning resources.

In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz speaks with Ara Ohanian, CEO of Netstock, to discuss smarter forecasting for inventory and cash flow. Ara explains predictive ERP overlays, demand planning across warehouses, and retail forecasting challenges like pricing, promotions, and shelf life. He also shares leadership lessons on culture and curiosity.

Sasha Orloff is the CEO and Co-founder of Puzzle, an AI-powered accounting platform helping startups, small businesses, and accounting firms gain real-time financial insights through a smart general ledger. Before Puzzle, he was a serial entrepreneur, serving as Co-founder and CEO of LendUp and Co-founder & Advisor to Mission Lane, with previous ventures collectively raising over $1 billion. Sasha also hosts the "Tech Finance" with Sasha Orloff podcast, where he interviews leaders shaping the future of finance and accounting.

For many businesses, accounting remains a slow, backward-looking process that delivers insights long after decisions have already been made. As AI reshapes industries across the economy, could financial operations become real-time, accurate, and proactive rather than reactive? What would it take to modernize one of the most critical yet overlooked functions in business?

Sasha Orloff, a serial entrepreneur and technology innovator, says the key is to rebuild accounting systems from the ground up, with data integrity and AI at the core. He notes that traditional software lacks real-time intelligence, leading to inefficiencies and delays. By reengineering the general ledger, businesses can access faster, more reliable financial insights and automate complex workflows. AI-powered anomaly detection and reconciliation further improve accuracy while reducing manual effort. The outcome is a more scalable and intelligent financial system for companies of all sizes.

In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz talks with Sasha Orloff, CEO and Co-founder of Puzzle, about transforming accounting with AI. They cover rebuilding systems for the AI era, using AI for accuracy over speed, why strong accounting drives growth, and strategies for adoption, customer trust, and go-to-market in a conservative industry.

Morgan Mizrahi is the Co-founder and COO of Rebillia, a subscription management platform that helps e-commerce, SaaS, and recurring revenue businesses automate billing, reduce churn, and grow revenue. An experienced e-commerce and retail leader, she brings hands-on insight into the challenges merchants face when scaling subscriptions. Morgan helped build Rebillia to provide flexible billing infrastructure, lifecycle management, and customer-centered workflows. She is also a podcast guest and industry voice on subscription commerce and long-term customer growth.

Traditional subscription models often lock customers into rigid plans. As expectations shift in the AI era, merchants need billing systems that adapt to customer behavior, changing preferences, and new revenue opportunities. What does a modern subscription model look like when it is built around choice instead of churn?

For Morgan Mizrahi, a subscription commerce and e-commerce technology leader, the answer is flexibility. She explains how Rebillia challenges the old subscription playbook by helping merchants offer adjustable plans that customers can update throughout the subscription lifecycle. Instead of forcing buyers into one-size-fits-all recurring plans, this approach gives customers more control while helping businesses improve retention and increase lifetime value. Morgan also shares how flexible subscription infrastructure can support e-commerce, SaaS, AI-powered applications, and partnership-driven revenue models.

In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Morgan Mizrahi, Co-founder and COO of Rebillia, to discuss the anti-subscription model for modern commerce. Morgan explains flexible billing, reducing churn through customer choice, and how AI agents and vibe coders are reshaping monetization. She also shares how partnerships create new revenue opportunities.

Bill Lenihan is the Founder and CEO of ZOLA Intelligence (ZOLAi), a company delivering AI-driven enterprise technology solutions that are transforming energy infrastructure in emerging markets. Under his leadership, ZOLA has expanded across multiple countries, supported hundreds of thousands of off-grid facilities, and secured over $25 million in Series A funding. Bill has held operating and private equity roles at Goldman Sachs, Bain & Co., Calera Capital, and Switch Lighting, shaping his expertise in business expansion. He holds a BA in business and economics from UCLA and an MBA from The Wharton School.

Across much of the world, access to reliable energy is still expensive, fragmented, and heavily manual. Communities and businesses often rely on outdated systems that are difficult to scale and maintain. What would it take to transform this broken infrastructure into an intelligent, connected energy network?

According to Bill Lenihan, an entrepreneur and operator focused on energy access in emerging markets, the key lies in turning inefficient, fragmented systems into streamlined, intelligent platforms without needing to fully replace what already exists. He highlights the evolution from distributing solar-powered hardware in remote regions to building a data-driven, software-enabled model that improves deployment, maintenance, and financing. A major turning point came when large-scale operational challenges revealed the limits of manual coordination, accelerating a shift toward automation and intelligence. This approach has enabled more scalable, affordable, and sustainable energy access while improving outcomes for end users and operators alike.

In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, host Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Bill Lenihan, Founder and CEO of ZOLAi, to discuss building an AI-native enterprise to solve global energy challenges. They explore the shift from hardware to software-driven energy services, how automation and AI scale infrastructure in emerging markets, and how data unlocks financing and access. Bill also shares insights on enterprise sales, telecom partnerships, and building a board with relevant operating expertise.

Sampo Parkkinen is the Founder and CEO of Revieve, a beauty technology company focused on helping global beauty, skin, health, and wellness brands deliver personalized digital experiences through AI, AR, and computer vision. A serial technology entrepreneur and operator, he has led Revieve since its founding in 2016 and grown it into a platform supporting brands and retailers across their digital consumer journeys. Sampo previously co-founded RapidBlue Solutions, where he served as COO before its acquisition by ShopperTrak. He is also a Venture Partner at Gorilla Capital, where he supports early-stage technology companies across the Nordics.

Beauty and wellness products are deeply personal, yet most e-commerce experiences still push consumers toward transactions instead of guidance. As AI changes how people discover products, how can brands create digital experiences that feel more helpful, personal, and trustworthy?

For Sampo Parkkinen, a serial entrepreneur and investor focused on AI-powered customer experience, the answer is to shift from selling products to helping consumers buy with confidence. He highlights how personalized digital tools can replicate the value of an in-store advisor by listening to customer concerns, analyzing needs, and recommending relevant products across skincare, makeup, hair care, and fragrance. This creates a more intimate brand experience while improving acquisition, conversion, and loyalty. He also explains why reducing friction, avoiding generic quizzes, and positioning AI experiences as personal analysis can dramatically improve engagement.

In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Sampo Parkkinen, Founder and CEO at Revieve, to discuss AI, personalization, and the future of the beauty industry. Sampo explores AI-powered product guidance, personalized beauty retail, and how brands can reduce e-commerce friction. He also shares insights on SaaS pricing, onboarding, and his work with Gorilla Capital.

Mike Collins is the Founder and CEO of Alumni Ventures, a leading venture capital firm that enables individual accredited investors to access diversified venture portfolios and co-invest alongside top-tier VCs. He is a serial entrepreneur and experienced venture capitalist who has founded multiple companies, including Kid Galaxy, Big Idea Group, and RDM. He also launched Green D Ventures, Alumni Ventures' first alumni fund, where he oversaw the portfolio as Managing Partner. Mike has spent his career helping investors and entrepreneurs build innovative, high-growth businesses, and holds degrees from Dartmouth College and Harvard Business School.

What does it really take to succeed in venture capital, where uncertainty is constant, and failure is often part of the process? What separates investors who consistently build strong portfolios from those who don't?

For Mike Collins, a seasoned venture capitalist and serial entrepreneur, success in venture capital comes from focusing on people over pure ideas and building disciplined, diversified portfolios to manage inevitable risk. He highlights that early-stage investing is less about certainty and more about judgment, trust, and pattern recognition developed over time. A key takeaway is that long-term success stems from striking a balance between conviction and humility and accepting that many investments will fail while a few yield outsized returns. He also emphasizes the value of co-investing and leveraging a global investor community to expand access and insight.

In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, host Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Mike Collins, Founder and CEO of Alumni Ventures, to discuss venture capital, portfolio building, and entrepreneurial lessons. They talk about betting on people over ideas, managing risk through diversification, and lessons from sports and investing. Mike also shares insights on co-investing strategies and democratizing access to venture capital.

Warren Zenna is the Founder of The CRO Collective, a B2B consultancy focused on helping CEOs and CROs design stronger revenue strategies, operating models, and CRO readiness. A seasoned revenue leader and advisor, he brings more than 25 years of experience across B2B sales, marketing, digital media, and emerging technology. Warren is also Founder and CEO of Zenna Consulting Group, where he advises companies on organic growth, marketing, and go-to-market strategy. He is the author of What Chief Revenue Officers Actually Do and hosts The CRO Spotlight Podcast, where he explores the evolving responsibilities, challenges, and strategic importance of the modern CRO.

Hiring a chief revenue officer can transform a growing company — but only if the business is ready. Many organizations expect a CRO to fix revenue problems, yet success depends just as much on structure, authority, and timing. So, how can companies set CROs up to succeed rather than fail?

For Warren Zenna, a longtime revenue leader and advisor to B2B executives, the answer starts with CRO readiness: companies must understand when they need a CRO, what authority the role requires, and how the revenue engine must be structured before making the hire. He highlights that many CROs fail not because they lack talent, but because they inherit broken systems without the autonomy, resources, or runway to fix them. The result is a costly mismatch between expectations and execution. Warren explains that companies often hire CROs too early for vanity or too late after complexity has already hardened into dysfunction. A successful CRO needs the ability to align sales, marketing, customer success, revenue operations, and leadership expectations around one cohesive growth strategy.

In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Warren Zenna, Founder of The CRO Collective, to discuss CRO readiness and the future of revenue leadership. Warren explains why CROs fail, when companies should hire one, and how AI is reshaping revenue organizations. Warren also shares advice for candidates evaluating CRO opportunities.

Sharath Keshava Narayana is the CEO and Co-founder of Sanas, a company pioneering real-time speech AI that helps create clearer and more natural conversations. A serial entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in AI and enterprise software, he previously co-founded Observe.AI and is also a founder and GP at Carya Venture Partners. Sharath, an engineering graduate and Y Combinator alum, has a strong track record of scaling AI-driven products in global markets while fostering inclusive, high-impact technology.

Communication barriers can happen anywhere — from language differences to background noise and unclear speech. As AI voice technology evolves, businesses have more ways to improve conversations at scale. But which innovations truly make communication clearer and more effective worldwide?

For Sharath Keshava Narayana, a serial entrepreneur and AI innovator, the biggest breakthroughs in speech technology come from focusing on clarity and real-world usability. He highlights how AI-powered speech enhancement and accent harmonization can help sales, support, and healthcare teams communicate more effectively across different environments and languages. By listening closely to enterprise customers and iterating based on feedback, his team refined their technology into scalable solutions that improve communication in real time. He also shares how Sanas' consumer language app quickly gained traction across dozens of countries and why partnerships with telecom providers could dramatically expand access to speech AI worldwide.

In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, host Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Sharath Keshava Narayana to discuss AI-powered speech clarity and global communication. They talk about real-time accent harmonization, building products through customer feedback, and scaling voice technology for enterprise and consumer use. Sharath also shares lessons on mentorship, hiring mission-driven teams, and creating technology that breaks communication barriers.