Searching for Mana with Lloyd Wahed – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of Searching for Mana, Lloyd Wahed meets with Lily Liu, President of the Solana Foundation, to unpack her journey from an early fascination with Bitcoin to leading one of blockchain’s most groundbreaking ecosystems. With her expertise spanning traditional finance and digital assets, Lily provides a rare, balanced view of where blockchain is heading and how Solana is advancing the technology’s global impact.

Discover Solana's evolution from a fledgling network to a blockchain powerhouse, overcoming hurdles like the FTX crash while cultivating a vibrant community and ecosystem with over $5 billion in TVL.

Lily’s perspectives on self-custody, economic sovereignty, and user-first blockchain products are a must for anyone following the evolution of digital assets.

Don't miss this episode for a glimpse into crypto’s future, the challenges and promise of blockchain, and the unique strength of the Solana community.

 

Solana website: https://solana.com/

Lily Liu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calilyliu/

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Website: https://manasearch.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mana.search/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana1

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In this episode of Searching for Mana Fintech, co-hosts Dan and Sachin engage in a compelling conversation with Robin Gilthorpe, CEO of Earnix, a pioneering company providing AI-driven SaaS solutions for the financial and insurance sectors. 

Since its founding in 2001, Earnix has led innovation with dynamic tools that transform insurer operations, from risk evaluation to real-time pricing.

The discussion explores strategies that have positioned Earnix as a key player in this evolving industry, covering global market expansion and complex regulatory environments.

Robin shares insights on how Earnix’s technology enables insurers to launch products faster, make smarter pricing decisions, and stay competitive. He also addresses the challenges of global scaling and navigating diverse regulations.

Tune in to discover the strategies positioning companies like Earnix at the forefront of industry advancements.

Earnix website: https://earnix.com/

Robin Gilthorpe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robingilthorpe/

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Website: https://manasearch.co.uk/browse-jobs/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mana.search/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana1

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In this new episode of Searching for Mana, we delve into the exciting world of insurance and cutting-edge technology. Led by our knowledgeable hosts Dan O'Riordan and Sachin Doshi, the discussion explores how the technical prowess of companies like Root is inspiring a new generation of insurance services. Louw Hopley is the CEO and co-founder of Root, an end-to-end digital insurance platform that enables the launching of new products and digital engagement channels fast. Root is based in Green Point, Cape Town, and Louw shares how this innovative company is redefining the industry not only in Africa, but in more places of the globe, such as the UK. He also shares his experience in creating cultural values and adapting them as the business scales up at a rapidly changing speed. ❓Curious about Louw Hopley and Root? Dive deep into their ideas here:  Louw Hopley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louwhopley/ Root: https://rootplatform.com Follow Searching For Mana to stay tuned into our latest episodes. Website: https://manasearch.co.uk/browse-jobs/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mana.search/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana1 ✍️ We'd love to hear your thoughts! Drop us a comment with your opinion, experiences, and questions – we would love to bring them to our future episodes! 👍 Like this episode and subscribe to this channel if our content helped and inspired you! See you in our next episode!

This week, Mana Labs co-founder Mimi Nguyen speaks with Lukasz Marczyk from Accenture's Warsaw office.  As an innovation leader and part of Accenture's leadership team in Poland, Lukasz discusses his experience within innovation management and his journey towards becoming Managing Director and Partner at Accenture.  This episode also does a deep dive into the rise of insurtech and the current innovative trends of the industry. 

Lukasz tells Mimi about the company’s game-changing work on cloud, automation and robotics, why management consulting needs to incorporate design thinking and why talent is the main asset of any company. Plus, he fills us in on why excelling in leadership skills at Stanford University can help senior-level managers advance faster and collaborate better on innovation ideas.

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Episode Highlights:

01:30: The Rise of insurtech

05:50: Design thinking in management consulting

13:20: Skillsets and the job market

18:15: Startups and their competitive advantage

22:38: Stanford University experience

35:29: Journey to becoming Managing Director at Accenture

37:45: Lukasz's Mana - the human side of a leader

This week, Lloyd delves into entrepreneurship and mental health as he welcomes Talis Capital's Matus Maar.

As Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Talis, Matus has overseen early-stage investments in such FinTech giants as Onfido, iwoca, PriceFX and many more. Talis is also a leader in mental health amongst VCs. Recently, the firm announced a new initiative that offers mental health support to founders at its portfolio companies.

On this episode, Matus tells Lloyd why Talis is such an unconventional fund, why the company has focused largely on infrastructure investments, and why he avoids investments in consumer P2P lenders. Then they discuss the mental health burdens of founding a company, why support networks are critical and how the pandemic has affected employers' mental health.

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Learn more about Talis Capital's mental health initiative

 

Episode Highlights:

08:11: How Talis finds cutting edge infrastructure companies

16:12: Why Talis is an unconventional fund

19:15: What Matus loves about venture capital

25:12: Why Talis doesn't invest in consumer P2P lenders

31:46: The mental health burdens of starting a company

38:32: COVID-19 and mental health

46:40: Why success and unhealthy behaviour are not synonymous

50:09: Lloyd's advice for founders

54:10: The importance of self-care for founders

Mana Labs Co-Founder Mimi Nguyen is in the host's seat this week as she discusses product innovation with University College London's Vaughn Tan.

And Vaughn has a unique perspective on the subject. In 2005, he joined Google as a Product Marketing Manager and later worked on projects such as AdWords and Google Maps. Since then, he's become a leading voice on innovation in the culinary sector, advising organisations like the Wellcome Collection and becoming an Assistant Professor at UCL.

Mimi and Vaughn discuss how Vaughn joined Google without a computer science degree, the leadership skills he learned at Mountain View, and why restaurants are great models for innovation. Plus, Vaughn tells us what companies can learn from messenger RNA and how to embrace uncertainty when hiring.

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Check out Vaughn's new book, The Uncertainty Mindset

 

Episode Highlights:

05:24: The innovative way Google approached product

10:25: How to lead without institutional authority

14:20: How efficiency can be the enemy of success

19:00: Spurring creative collaboration in the age of remote working

23:15: Restaurants as biomes for innovation

27:24: The lessons FinTech companies can learn from kitchens

33:23: How to hire with an uncertainty mindset

40:36: The one trait that has helped Vaughn succeed

42:49: What's next for Vaughn

Eterna Capital Partner Andrea Bonaceto joins Lloyd to talk about blockchain investing.

Since launching in 2018, Eterna has provided seed and early-stage funding to blockchain innovators like Algorand, Borderless Capital, DFINITY and more. Forbes has named it one of the top three boundary pushing blockchain investing firms, and Andrea has been named to the publication’s Top 30 Under 30 list.

In their conversation, Andrea and Lloyd wonder whether blockchain will have the same revolutionary impact as the internet, identify the key trends that will shape the sector’s development and question how it will drive adoption of central bank digital currencies. Plus, Andrea outlines the industry's biggest  hotspots and tells us why community-building is essential for blockchain investing firms.

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Check out the book Andrea mentions, Albert Wenger's World After Capital

Browse Andrea's art

 

Episode Highlights:

03:16: Why Eterna’s first fund focused heavily on blockchain infrastructure

09:13: Digital ownership and traceability: the key trends fueling Eterna’s second fund

14:07: How can blockchain fuel adoption of central bank digital currencies?

19:42: Why blockchain is philosophically inclined toward positive social change

22:06: What drew Andrea to the blockchain space

26:45: Do you need to live in San Francisco or London to work in blockchain?

32:02: The role of community-building in blockchain-related companies

38:47: Why Andrea avoids structured approaches to work

It was a big year for Searching for Mana, and that means one best-of show wasn’t enough. That’s right: we’re back with another edition of amazing clips from some of the most interesting people in FinTech and entrepreneurship.

This week, we have tidbits from an additional roster of amazing guests: Romi Savova, (PensionBee), Zihao Xu (Octopus Ventures), Alf Rehn (University of Southern Denmark) and Christian Busch (NYU & World Economic Forum). Plus, Lloyd gives us the key take-aways from each chat and shares the most interesting things he learned from our guests.

Follow Mana Search on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manasearchuk

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https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana-talent/

 

Episode Highlights:

01:14: Romina Savova, PensionBee

05:41: Zihao Xu, Octopus Ventures

14:11: Alf Rehn, University of Southern Denmark

19:27: Christian Busch, Author of Serendipity Mindset, NYU & World Economic Forum
 

As 2020 draws to a close, we look back on some of the brightest moments from Searching for Mana over the past year.

And what a line-up it is! Listen through for amazing conversations with FinTech luminaries such as Conrad Ford (Funding Options, Allica Bank), Joe Parkin (BlackRock), Ned Phillips (Bambu), Adam French (Scalable Capital) and Romi Savova (PensionBee). Plus, Lloyd discusses each guest and the unique insights they brought to the show.

Follow Mana Search on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manasearchuk

Follow Mana Search on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana-talent/

 

Episode Highlights:

01:21: Conrad Ford, Founder of Funding Options

06:15: Joe Parkin, MD at BlackRock

11:53: Ned Phillips, Founder and CEO of Bambu

19:25: Adam French, Founder and CEO of Scalable Capital

Billon Co-Founder and CTO Andrzej Horoszczak joins Lloyd from Poland to discuss how DLT could lead to the advent of fully digital currencies.

It’s an episode that touches on finance, technology and entrepreneurship, all of which are Andrzej’s specialties. After studying computer science and business in the US, Andrzej gained extensive experience as a portfolio manager, IT specialist and CEO. Each of those qualifications comes in handy with Billon, which uses DLT to streamline everything from back office solutions to digital currencies.

To kick things off, Lloyd and Andrzej dive into the obstacles facing central bank digital currencies, whether there’s room for competition in the blockchain space and how Billon could allow banks to exchange coins more efficiently. Plus, they discuss Poland’s promising programming scene and discuss how blockchain and digital currencies will evolve over the next five years.

Follow Mana Search on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manasearchuk

Follow Mana Search on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana-talent/

 

Episode Highlights:

01:45: Does crypto represent a Bolshevik-style revolution in finance?

07:02: Which obstacles stand in the way of central bank digital currencies?

12:04: Is blockchain a zero-sum game?

17:20: How Andrzej came to study in the US, and how the promise of blockchain changed his life

22:53: Why honesty is crucial for founding teams

27:25: How Billon is fundraising for its future

31:54: What reading history has taught Andrzej about failure

35:57: How will blockchain evolve over the next five years?