Journeys to the Summit
Journeys to the Summit
Podcast Description
Journeys to the Summit is your gateway to the private stories of entrepreneurs who have navigated their way to the top. Hosted by Ilya Zlotnik of Vivaldi Capital Management.
Each episode explores adventures of the people who built great businesses and are living fulfilling lives.
From their initial struggles to masters of their craft, our guests share candid experiences, challenges faced, and invaluable lessons learned along the way.
Whether you're a successful entrepreneur or seeking inspiration, this podcast offers a compass to guide you along your journey.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast centers on themes of entrepreneurship, resilience, and innovation, with episodes delving into topics such as overcoming initial struggles, building sustainable business models, and navigating market challenges. For example, one episode discusses a restaurateur's innovative approaches during the COVID-19 pandemic while another explores risk management in trading and investment strategies.
Journeys to the Summit is your gateway to the private stories of entrepreneurs who have navigated their way to the top. Hosted by Ilya Zlotnik of Vivaldi Capital Management.
Each episode explores adventures of the people who built great businesses and are living fulfilling lives.
From their initial struggles to masters of their craft, our guests share candid experiences, challenges faced, and invaluable lessons learned along the way.
Whether you’re a successful entrepreneur or seeking inspiration, this podcast offers a compass to guide you along your journey.
In this episode of Journeys to the Summit, host Ilya Zlotnik (advisor & partner at Vivaldi Capital Management) sits down with healthcare entrepreneur and climbing partner Ian Strug for a candid, high-altitude look at risk, failure, and building again.
Ian walks through his path from:
-Liberal arts major at Vanderbilt with PhD dreams
-Early career at Epic and management consulting
-Co-founding Virgo, an AI-enabled GI/endoscopy company
-Surviving COVID, the SVB collapse panic, and a painful founder exit
-Launching a new, Mayo Clinic–backed company focused on OR efficiency and surgical access
They cover:
-Why being “risk-averse” doesn’t mean you’re not entrepreneurial
-How a Techstars experience flipped Ian’s career trajectory
-What he’d do differently around fundraising, capitalization, and banking
-How to think about equity realistically as an employee
-The mental health cost of tying your identity to your company
-Where AI actually makes sense in healthcare—and where it’s overkill
If you’re curious about healthcare startups, AI, or what it actually feels like to walk away from your “baby” and start again, this is a powerful, honest conversation.
🔔 Subscribe to Journeys to the Summit for more in-depth conversations with builders, leaders, and climbers pushing toward their own summits.
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