On this week’s episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we speak with Alicia Castillo Holley, PhD—an experienced investor, founder, and General Partner of the Wealthing VC Fund; Rachel Stern of GovTech Ventures; and Carl Brown, Global AI for Retail Leader at Supermicro, AI Infrastructure Executive, GTM Strategist, and speaker.

Alicia is an experienced investor, entrepreneur, and educator with a strong focus on venture capital and high-impact entrepreneurship. She has invested in over 90 companies and a dozen VC funds, specializing in life sciences, climate, and disruptive technologies. After three decades as an investor, she is developing a disruptive model for venture capital that allows accredited investors and family offices access to highly vetted deals—powered by her proprietary due diligence and post-investment processes.

She has lived in several countries, evolving from a biotech scholar to entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. Alicia holds a PhD in Finance and Entrepreneurship from the University of Western Australia, an MBA from Babson College, and a Master of Science and Engineering degree from the Universidad Central de Venezuela. She has played a key role in fostering global entrepreneurial ecosystems and advancing financial literacy programs.

Rachel brings over a decade of experience in the GovTech industry, with a background in venture investing, lobbying, operations, fundraising, and strategy. She has worked with companies of all sizes—from Fortune 500s to pre-seed startups—helping them navigate and partner with state and local governments to drive innovation. She is currently raising a venture fund focused on investing in and supporting early-stage companies serving the public sector.

Carl is a dynamic sales and business development executive with over 20 years of experience driving growth at the intersection of innovation and scale. Currently serving as Supermicro’s Global AI for Retail Leader, he plays a pivotal role in helping some of the world’s largest enterprises navigate AI transformation with speed, power, and purpose.

Carl has led creative deal-making efforts that have generated over half a billion dollars in AI platform infrastructure sales, contributing to billions in market cap growth for Supermicro. His work spans AI Neocloud providers, global financial institutions, healthcare and life sciences, next-gen 5G edge, and the media & entertainment sector—equipping organizations with the infrastructure and strategy to turn cutting-edge AI into real-world impact.

A passionate advocate for partnership-led growth, Carl has worked with some of the most innovative AI startups and strategic ecosystem players, driving LLM go-to-market strategies, hyperscale deployments, and industry-first AI use cases. He believes that technology alone isn’t enough—real transformation happens through people, purpose, and partnership. Known for his authentic, team-first leadership style, he brings clarity, creativity, and a touch of humor to every room he enters, whether guiding CxOs through complex AI planning or speaking on global stages.

This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!

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"Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the host and guests on Silicon Valley Impact are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice or a solicitation. Listeners are encouraged to consult with a professional before making any financial or business decisions.”