Ep. 4 – Building a Sustainable Future from the Heart of Virginia
In this episode of the Virginia Startup Podcast, host William Leonard engages in a deep conversation with James McGoff, co-founder of Richmond-based TemperPack. They explore how building a company in Virginia’s growing startup ecosystem shaped TemperPack’s journey from scrappy beginnings to product market fit. McGoff shares how the region’s talent pool and affordable warehouse space made Richmond the perfect launchpad for his sustainable, last-mile thermal packaging solution. What started with experiments in a sauna evolved into a category-defining company, securing over $140 million in funding while addressing the critical needs of the perishable goods market. Throughout the episode, McGoff reflects on how Virginia’s supportive environment helped TemperPack transition from bootstrapping to raising significant venture capital, scaling from local operations to national impact.
Ep. 3 – The Cleveland Clinic Calls For Virginia’s Top Healthcare Startup Founders in AI, Cardiology, Patient Care and More
In this episode, join Valor VC Managing Partner Lisa Calhoun as she chats with her Kauffman Fellows colleague, venture investor Linda Li, Partner, a seasoned biotech investor based at the Cleveland Clinic. Discover how the 5,600 scientists working at the Cleveland Clinic are driving innovation, how they use a partnership lens for investment strategies, and key trends they’re tracking. Cleveland Clinic is calling for founders and startups in Virginia and beyond to share their expertise and is hunting for potential partnerships. Founders, this is your chance to learn how to connect with the Cleveland Clinic’s innovation team in person too–listen in to hear about their next big event in Las Vegas this October hunting for healthcare, AI, and patient care startups.
Ep. 2 – $200M For Virginia Founders in 2 Years: How Virginia’s Largest University George Mason Underwrites Innovation with Paula Sorrell
George Mason, Virginia’s largest university, has supported 1,600 tech startups in Virginia, helping them secure more than $200M in funding. This unique innovation and economic development platform is led by Paula Sorrell, Associate VP. Get her insights on how your startup or small business can grow faster with the support of George Mason in this far-ranging, fun conversation with Paual and Lisa Calhoun, managing founder at Valor Ventures, an active Virginia seed lead investor.
Ep. 1 – These VCs Are Bullish On Virginia Startups: Here’s Why
Today on the Virginia startup podcast, we’re joined by Gene Riechers, Venture Partner at Sands Capital Management & Seda Goff, Founder and General Partner at Flintlock Capital to unpack the momentum fueling the Virgina startup ecosystem. We broadly discuss the phases of growth the Virginia startup scene has traversed, contrary thoughts on the AI craze, tactical steps to keeping quality university talent in the state, how the federal government empowers an unfair advantage for VA startups and more.