Startup Mindsets

Earl Valencia is a venture-backed startup founder, investor, and corporate innovation executive who has worked in the Silicon Valley, New York, and Southeast Asia. In 2023, he was appointed by the President of the Philippines as an Executive Member of the National Innovation Council representing the business sector. He spent his time in Wall Street in the data team of Bridgewater Associates, the world's largest hedge fund, and then was a Managing Director of Digital at Charles Schwab. Dan Gonzales is a writer by nature with venture capital and startup experience. Fascinated by how entrepreneurs think and what gets them to perform, Dan developed close ties with the Silicon Valley founders and venture capitalists at VU Venture Partners. He holds a BA in English from University of California, Riverside. Dan hosts the Startup Mindsets podcast, a platform that dives deep into how entrepreneurs make decisions and can run successful businesses. He has invested in several early-stage startups including Akash Systems, Contraline, Fan Controlled Sports & Entertainment.