Episode description
Mona Sabet – Growth Stage Tech Advisor and Author of Sail to Scale: Steer Your Startup Clear of Mistakes from Launch to Exit
Mona Sabet’s career spans over two decades in Silicon Valley at the vanguard of the technology industry. Leveraging her technical, legal and business background, Mona works with B2B technology companies through their early and growth stages, shaping their corporate strategy to help pave their way to successful outcomes, from acquisitions to IPOs. She has been called an indomitable force in scaling both businesses and communities. She has spent a career spanning over 25 years at the vanguard of the technology industry, steering numerous technology enterprises from their launch stage to exits, either by acquisitions or public offerings. Mona’s expertise is focused on growing businesses through a combination of relentless focus on scaling business operations, building global partnerships, and driving strategic acquisitions. Her book, Sail to Scale: Steering Startups Clear of Mistakes from Launch to Exit, co-authored with Heather Jerrehian and Maria Fernandez Guajardo, aims to help entrepreneurs navigate the range of conditions they’re likely to face on their journeys. Mona has held a number of executive roles at B2B technology companies including as Chief Corporate Development and Administration Officer at VulcanForms, Chief Corporate Strategy Officer at UserTesting and Corporate Vice President at Cadence Design Systems (NASDAQ: CDNS). At VulcanForms, she orchestrates alignment among business operations, commercial activities and overarching financial objectives. Her leadership at UserTesting culminated in the company’s IPO on the New York Stock Exchange. Mona’s career also spans M&A roles, both at Cadence Design Systems and as Managing Partner at Tribal Advisors and Corporate Vice President. Beyond the C-suite, Mona serves on boards and advisory boards, championing the cause of startups and nurturing the ecosystems that sustain them. In addition to her corporate leadership, Mona co-founded the ChIPs Network, a global community for women in tech, law, and policy. She also founded and continues to lead HiPower, a vibrant community of leaders championing executive women poised to shape the future of technology and beyond. Amer Iqbal – Founder & CEO of 5 Ways to Innovate
Amer has spent the last 20 years leading innovation at some of the world’s top companies including Meta (Facebook) and Deloitte Digital. He helps organisations think, act and behave more like a startup in order to reimagine their future in a digital economy. Amer Iqbal is an innovation consultant who has guided dozens of Fortune 500 companies to build the business of tomorrow. He is the author of the upcoming book The 5 Ways to Innovate and hosts the Riding the Wave of Innovation podcast. He has been interviewed as an expert on CNBC, has been featured on the Nasdaq billboard in Times Square and he was a finalist for 2011 Young Executive of the Year. His writing has been published in FastCompany, The Economic Times and WARC. As a keynote speaker, Amer has presented to over 20,000 people on some of the world’s largest conference stages.