Best Manager Ever reveals the secrets of successful management and empowers leaders to build winning teams. Join a community dedicated to sharing insights and stories from the most successful and beloved leaders in the startup world. All guests have been nominated as the “best manager ever” by a recent direct report. Before each interview, we go behind the guest’s back to collect feedback and stories from their team about what they’re *actually* like to work for. Then we sit down with the guest to unpack that feedback and to dig into their leadership playbook and lessons learned. Tune in, learn from the experts, and enhance your management skills while building meaningful connections throughout your career.
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Patrick Reynolds is the Co-Founder and Head of Product at Office Hours, an expert marketplace. Patrick started his career as a software engineer, before becoming a self-taught product designer and making the leap into product leadership. He has worked at an array of tech companies and startups including Affirm, Sweep, and Adobe. Patrick's direct reports praise him for his exceptional thoughtfulness, noting his ability to remember personal details and small, meaningful actions that remove frictio...
Sophie Ruddock brings deep expertise in scaling mission-driven tech companies, and is now the COO at Empathy. Sophie was an early employee at Multiverse, where she grew with the company and ultimately became their global COO leading through rapid growth and market expansion. Sophie’s direct reports praise her empowering leadership style, her commitment to their development, and her unwavering advocacy. She hires people for their unique expertise and encourages them to bring their full selves to ...
In this expert episode, Annie Riley sits down with Matt Wallaert, an applied behavioral scientist who made the leap into the tech and startup worlds. Matt is currently the CXO at Oceans, and he’s previously held leadership roles at Clover Health, LendingTree, Microsoft, frog design, and more. Matt explains why all leaders should know and use the principles of applied behavioral science– because all startup leaders are in the business of behavior change with our customers, our teams, and ourselve...
In this special Halloween episode of Best Manager Ever, host Annie Riley recounts the top worst manager moments of her career. Tune in to hear scary manager stories, from tales of micromanagement to vague (and unsettling!) feedback… and even Annie’s own manager missteps. There’s value in learning from the best, and ALSO from the worst! You’ll finish this episode feeling less alone, and even with some actionable lessons to help you avoid the same manager mistakes. If you’re interested in sponso...
Amy Yamner Jenkins is the Chief Operating Officer at Meadow, which is an early-stage fintech startup working to transform the financial experience for students and universities. Amy started her career as a classroom teacher, and pivoted into startups by working at NewSchools Venture Fund. Before Meadow, she had a long and successful chapter building Education Elements, and then led the partnerships team at Outschool. Amy’s direct reports describe her as an empowering leader, someone who provides...
Adam Fishman is a product and growth advisor with 20+ years of experience building and leading startup teams. Adam was on the early team at Lyft, where he served as Head of Growth. He then went on to lead Product & Growth at Patreon and Imperfect Foods, before launching his portfolio career. Adam has been an advisor and fractional leader at ResortPass, Mozilla, HelpScout, Peerspace and more. He is also the creator of FishmanAF newsletter and the host of the Startup Dad podcast. Adam’s direct...
Lauren Gold is the Chief Customer Officer at Kustomer, an AI-powered CX platform. Lauren began her tech career at Yahoo before joining the early team at Yext, where she rose from individual contributor to SVP of Enterprise Customer Success. Lauren’s direct reports and colleagues describe her as a leader who supports without micromanaging, fosters autonomy, and creates an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing, learning, and growing. She’s recognized for her attention to detail, dat...
Charlie Coglianese is the Chief Technology Officer at Paloma Learning, a VC-backed edtech startup using AI to improve student learning outcomes. Charlie started his career in finance, before making the leap into startups. He was the Founder & CEO of a startup called Schoolrunner, which was acquired by SchoolMint. Charlie served as the CTO at SchoolMint post-acquisition before returning to early-stage building in his current role Charlie's direct reports describe him as a leader who invests d...
Karin Simelaro is the Chief Revenue Officer at SchoolAI, an AI platform that supports teacher and student success. Previously, Karin served as the Revenue leader at BrainPOP, Pathful, and Seesaw. She was an early employee at Nearpod, where started as the first field sales rep when the company was fewer than 30 people and around $10M ARR, and ultimately grew the business to $100M ARR and a successful exit. Karin’s direct reports describe her as open, transparent, energetic, and having high expect...
Darius Contractor is the Chief Growth Officer at Otter AI. Darius has had a long and impactful career in the startup and tech worlds. Prior to Otter AI, he led engineering, growth and product teams at Vendr, Airtable, Facebook, Dropbox, Bebo and more. He is also an investor and advisor in multiple companies and funds. Darius’s direct reports describe him as a master of frameworks and analogies, someone who balances detail orientation with a big-picture vision, and a manager who pushes boundaries...
Stevie Case is the Chief Revenue Officer at Vanta. Stevie started her career as the world’s first female pro gamer, and then found her way into the tech and startup world through a self-described “winding path”. Prior to Vanta, Stevie had a successful chapter at Twilio, where she started as an individual contributor and then grew to be the VP of Mid-Market Sales. Stevie’s direct reports consistently describe her as an empowering leader who excels at identifying and nurturing the unique strengths...
Best Manager Ever shares unfiltered leadership lessons and actionable advice from the most successful and beloved leaders in the startup and tech worlds. This season, you'll hear honest, insightful interviews with operators who’ve been nominated by their teams as the best manager they’ve ever worked for. And for the first time, we’re adding interviews with experts who’ve gone deep on the leadership topics that matter most to you. Each episode is designed to share actionable advice that helps you...
In this solo episode of Best Manager Ever , host Annie Riley of Fort Light takes a moment to reflect on the standout lessons from Season Two. Annie revisits the powerful insights shared by this season’s guests—from hiring people who challenge you, to seeking out dissenting views, to nurturing both personal and team growth. It’s a chance to pause, look back, and celebrate the wisdom and warmth these leaders brought to the show. Whether you're a longtime listener or just tuning in, this episode of...
Sruthi Lanka serves as CFO of Public, an investing platform that allows everyone to invest in stocks, ETFs, crypto, and alternative assets, like fine art and collectibles—all in one place. Prior to Public, she was VP Finance at MoneyLion, a consumer lending platform that listed on NYSE via SPAC in 2021. Her previous career was in investment banking at the Royal Bank of Canada and technology at Goldman Sachs. Sruthi's direct reports praise her coaching and context-driven leadership approach, main...
Asheesh Birla is an Entrepreneur, Angel Investor and Ripple Board Member. Asheesh joined Ripple in 2013 when the team was fewer than ten people. He had a decade-long journey of building Ripple on the product team, and he continues to stay connected to the company as a member of the board. Asheesh’s direct reports admire his passion, strategic vision, and ability to cultivate a positive work culture. They praise his direct communication, commitment to personal development, and knack for making to...
Lauren Rhode is the VP of Sales at Webflow, and she’s had several interesting chapters to her career. Lauren got her start in public service, working at the Department of Defense. She also played on the national rugby team, and traveled around the world competing for Team USA. She started her tech career in product, before discovering her knack for sales. She has held prior roles at Bablestreet (formerly Vertical Knowledge) and Anaplan. Lauren's direct reports describe her as a hardworking and e...
Leanna Nazzisi is the Senior Direct of Customer Experience at Victoria Beckham Beauty, a clean beauty, cruelty-free, digital-first makeup and skincare brand. Leanna launched her startup career as a seasonal contractor with Birchbox, where she rose through the ranks to become a senior CX leader as the company scaled. She also had a chapter as a customer success leader during Zendesk’s growth stage. Leanna's direct reports praise her for fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and emp...
Amit Shah is the COO of Virta Health, where he’s built the company from ~30 team members to over 800 colleagues working to reverse obesity and diabetes. Amit has 10+ years of experience in building and scaling entrepreneurial and high-growth healthcare organizations, with a focus on delivering financial and operational results while aligning on mission and values. Amit’s direct reports praise his ability to balance the needs of Virta’s members, business, and staff, describing him as incredibly k...
Liz Ludwig is the co-founder of Takes, a game for sports fans. Liz started out working in Fortune 500 companies, before moving into the startup world. She had a successful career building and scaling marketing functions at Sungevity, OhmConnect, and more. Liz’s direct reports describe her as a high-energy manager who builds momentum, trusts her team quickly, empowers them, and balances results with human connection. They appreciate her transparent communication, ability to align teams, and willi...
Luis Duarte is the CEO and co-founder of Amoofy, an AI-guided storytelling platform. Luis has a rich background as a three-time entrepreneur, and a leader in philanthropy and impact investing. Luis's direct reports describe him as an amazing listener, who is able to bring a sense of calm to chaos. They praise his willingness to take on short-term challenges for long-term gains and his focus on building trust. In this episode, show creator and Fort Light founder Annie Riley sits down with Luis, a...
Carol Mahoney is a seasoned Chief People Officer. She’s well known for her work operationalizing the famously beloved company culture at Gainsight. She’s also served as the SVP of People and Culture at Zoosk and SVP of HR at LivingSocial, among others. Carol's direct reports praise her ability to get things done, while creating a positive culture and showing up as her authentic self. She is recognized for setting high standards and being a strong yet supportive leader, and for adapting to the ne...
Helen Min is a venture partner at True Ventures, and an investor and advisor to over 50 early-stage enterprise software and fintech companies. Helen has a notable background leading global marketing and communications at companies like AngelList, Plaid, and Quora and was an early marketing leader at Dropbox and Facebook. Helen’s direct reports highlight her genuine care for the team, her support for their growth and development, her polished approach to communication, and her ability to involve ...
Annie Riley interviews Seif Salama, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Fanatics, about his journey as a first-time manager. They explore the challenges and surprises of leadership, effective hiring practices, and how to set high standards while fostering a positive team culture. Salama shares insights on competency-based hiring, adapting to different team dynamics, and the importance of authenticity in leadership.
Hank Taylor is Head of Marketing at Laravel. Hank has been on the ground floor of Marketing and Rev Ops functions at Vercel, Lambda School, GitLab, Neo Technology, and more. He has also been an advisor and fractional marketing leader at several companies through his company, GrowthSprint. Hank’s direct reports describe him as an unconventional leader who cares deeply for his people, encourages creative risks, and invests in his team’s development. In this episode, show creator and Fort Light fou...
Jully Kim is the Senior Director of Technology Excellence at Autodesk and was previously the Senior Director of Engineering Practices at Zendesk. Jully has a track record of excellence in technology enablement and engineering program management. Jully’s direct reports describe her as unique, action-oriented, extremely transparent, and deeply caring. In this episode, show creator and Fort Light founder Annie Riley sits down with Jully, and they cover: How Jully builds a unique and memorable perso...
Anthony Sottile is the VP of Partner Success at Freewill, a startup that enables free estate planning and has helped individuals commit more than $11B to charity. Anthony's direct reports describe him as down-to-earth and accessible, and emphasize his ability to lead through humor and celebration. In this episode, Annie Riley sits down with Anthony to discuss his insights on creating a transparent and honest workplace culture, celebrating team successes, and the importance of approachability in ...
Best Manager Ever shares the secrets of building and leading winning teams from the most successful and beloved leaders in the startup and tech worlds. All guests have been nominated as the “best manager ever” by their direct reports. Before each interview, we collect feedback and stories from their team about how the guest *actually* shows up as a leader. Each episode unpacks that feedback and explores the guest’s leadership playbook and lessons learned. Our goal is honest, actionable conversat...
Amanda Richardson is the CEO of CoderPad, a technical interview and assessment platform. Amanda built her career in Product, and previously led the product teams and played a critical role in scaling the company at HotelTonight and Prezi. Amanda has built a reputation as a dynamic and direct leader. Her direct reports describe her as transparent, authentic, and someone who fosters trust and vulnerability within her teams. In this final episode of season one (!), Annie Riley, Founder of Fort Ligh...
Namrata Ganatra, is the Chief Product and Technology Officer at Pipe. She has a notable career in tech and startups, including roles at Facebook, Coinbase, BloomTech Lambda School, PayPal, and Microsoft. Namrata's direct reports praise her for balancing technical expertise with empathetic leadership, and highlight her as a hardworking and inspiring leader with a strong focus on accountability and growth. In this episode, Annie Riley, founder of Fort Light, sits down with Namrata to discuss her a...
Mari Nazary is the CEO of App Academy, and brings a strong background working at the intersection of product, operations, and learning science at several ed tech companies across different stages. Her team praises her as the best leader they’ve ever had, citing her strengths in systems, process, and talent development. In this episode, Annie Riley, Founder of Fort Light dives into Mari’s unique approach to building trust and rapport quickly, and how she seamlessly blends high expectations with e...
