Ian Sandler, COO of Insight Partners and co-founder of Riley’s Way Foundation, engages in a deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation on leadership, venture capital, and building meaningful impact. Ian reflects on his unconventional career path, his philosophy on building organizations, and how a personal tragedy shaped his mission to empower the next generation of kind leaders. He also shares practical advice for founders and young leaders on dreaming big, understanding themselves, and building networks that matter.

In this episode:

[00:58] Ian Sandler’s background and upbringing

[03:59] From law to “wimpy entrepreneur”

[06:05] Building and scaling at Insight Partners

[09:27] Balancing venture capital with purpose

[12:35] What makes great investors today

[17:12] The story behind Riley’s Way Foundation

[31:33] Advice for young leaders: dream big, self-care, network

[36:17] The future of Riley’s Way Foundation

The nonprofit organization Ian is passionate about: Riley’s Way Foundation

Ian Sandler is the Chief Operating Officer at Insight Partners, where he oversees the firm’s non-investment operations and helps scale new strategic initiatives. Over a career spanning roles at Morgan Stanley, The Carlyle Group, and Citadel, he has built a reputation as a “builder of businesses” who specializes in identifying talent and turning ideas into scalable platforms. In parallel, he is the co-founder of Riley’s Way Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to developing kind, community-driven young leaders.

Founded in 1995, Insight Partners is a global venture capital and private equity firm focused on high-growth software, internet, and technology companies. The firm manages over $90 billion in assets and has invested in more than 875 companies worldwide, supporting founders from early-stage growth through IPO. Its approach combines capital with hands-on operational support through its “Onsite” team, helping companies scale revenue, build talent, and execute go-to-market strategies.

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Gilad Shai, Managing Director at BMI Capital International, reveals the harsh realities and hidden opportunities in the InsurTech ecosystem. From launching InsurTech LA with 10 people in 2015 to watching billion-dollar valuations evaporate 90% post-IPO, Gilad shares unfiltered insights on why most InsurTech startups are stuck in "purgatory" and what it really takes to succeed in insurance innovation.

In this episode, you'll learn:

[01:13] Building the InsurTech LA community

[05:26] The evolution of InsurTech over the past decade

[10:50] Are we early or late in InsurTech?

[15:01] Why innovation in insurance is harder than it looks

[19:43] Advice for founders entering InsurTech

[23:05] IPO failures and M&A realities

The nonprofit organization Gilad is passionate about: Gift of Life

Gilad Shai is a Managing Director at BMI Capital International. A Global InsurTech expert and lead advisor at BMI, Gilad has over 20 years of professional experience. He invests directly and is an active advisory board member in several organizations. Gilad's experience spans multiple industries and company sizes. He worked for large brands Intel, Hearst, Yahoo!, and Farmers insurance and has launched several startups. Gilad is a host, a speaker, and an author on the InsurTech subject. He has been organizing InsurTech LA events and hosting guest speakers since 2017. He has given keynote presentations and moderated panels at major global conferences in NYC, London, Chicago, Vegas, and Tel Aviv. Gilad co-authored The InsurTech book, published by Wiley, and featured in Financial Times and other media outlets and podcasts.

BMI Capital International is an investment firm focused on the intersection of insurance and technology. The firm specializes in identifying and supporting innovative solutions that transform how insurance products are created, distributed, and managed. BMI Capital provides strategic capital and industry expertise to help portfolio companies navigate the complex insurance ecosystem and achieve meaningful scale.

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Debjit Mukerji, Partner at NGP Capital, explains why deep tech’s defining moment has finally arrived. Drawing on a thesis-driven approach, he shares how he evaluates companies at the intersection where “atoms meet bits”, backing founders building in the physical world. Debjit breaks down the convergence of three powerful forces—labor shortages, generative AI’s expansion into industrial use cases, and faster hardware development cycles—that are unlocking a new era of opportunity for physical technology companies.

In this episode, you'll learn:

[05:28] Why venture capital?

[07:40] Inside NGP Capital’s deep tech focus

[11:05] Why now is the moment for deep tech

[17:02] What Debjit looks for in founders

[19:17] The Tractian story: founder intensity

[31:39] Key deep tech trends: Robotics & AI

[35:43] What makes a great deep tech pitch

The nonprofit organization Debjit is passionate about: MedShare

About Debjit Mukerji

Debjit Mukerji is a Partner at NGP Capital, where he focuses on Deep Tech investments across robotics, AI, and industrial systems.

With over two decades in venture capital, Debjit brings a strong technical foundation, holding a PhD in mechanical engineering from Stanford University. His career has spanned roles across multiple leading firms and industrial technology platforms, where he has consistently focused on translating breakthrough research into real-world impact.

He is particularly passionate about backing founders building at the intersection of software and the physical world—where innovation is hardest, but most enduring.

About NGP Capital

NGP Capital is a global venture capital firm dedicated to investing in Deep Tech companies. With a focus on “digital-physical convergence,” the firm backs startups that apply AI, software, and hardware to transform physical industries.

NGP Capital invests primarily at the Series A and B stages, with a global footprint spanning North America, Europe, and beyond. The firm partners closely with founders building in sectors such as robotics, industrial software, space technology, and connected systems, supporting companies that aim to redefine how the physical world operates.

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