On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we explore how tech founders can future-proof their finances with a strategic lens on tax, growth, and planning.

Now, I’ll be honest—I’ve never loved accounting. But as a founder building Silicon Valley Venture, I’ve realized how critical it is to understand the numbers. That’s why I brought in the tax guys—to learn what I didn’t know I needed to know.

Today we sit down with the team from Withum, a forward-thinking advisory and accounting firm known for its deep expertise in technology and emerging growth sectors. As innovation accelerates, founders and tech executives face complex tax, planning, and compliance challenges—both personally and professionally. Withum’s dynamic approach goes far beyond traditional accounting, offering strategic insight, personalized tax planning, and a powerful network to help tech leaders stay ahead of the curve.

The truth is, growth, fundability, and successful exits all depend on financial clarity. Whether you're raising your first round or planning your next move, knowing your numbers isn’t just helpful—it’s non-negotiable.

Joining us are:

• Tanner Ellis, Business Development Manager, who brings 15 years of leadership to help clients navigate today’s business complexity with confidence.
• Daniel Krolikowski, CPA and specialist in founder stock, equity compensation, and private client services, offering tailored income tax strategies for high-growth tech leaders.
• Tony Panico, Partner and leader of Withum’s Founder's Group, with 27+ years of experience in tax compliance and planning for founders, closely held businesses, and high-net-worth individuals.

We also dive into timely wealth and tax strategies tech leaders should be thinking about right now:

• Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS): How to unlock tax-free upside and protect founder gains
• New tax proposals + TCJA sunset: What founders and execs need to prepare for now
• Financial planning in volatile times: Why a strong plan—with stress testing—can keep you calm and on track
• Roth conversions & contributions: Down markets can be opportunity-rich—timing matters
• Tax return reviews: Using 2024 filings to uncover planning opportunities
• Wealth transfer strategies: GRATs, asset substitution, and gifting while values are low
• Refinancing insights: Rates hit lows recently—there could be real savings
• Equity comp planning: Why now might be a smart time to exercise options

📊 Whether you’re a founder navigating your first exit or a seasoned exec managing complex compensation, this episode is full of insights to help you anticipate what’s next—and act with clarity.

This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!

Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on:

🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J

🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823

📺 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact

We’re grateful to our amazing partners — Withum (Accounting and Advisory professionals), Skidattl, and Salesbricks 🧱 — for their continued support and commitment to our shared vision. Your partnership helps fuel our growth and impact."

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.

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact, we speak with Lu Zhang, Founder and Managing Partner of Fusion Fund, and Ben Kromnick, investor, ecosystem builder, venture partner, and Head of Healthcare and Life Sciences at Mercury.

Lu is a renowned Silicon Valley-based investor, serial entrepreneur, and Stanford Engineering alumna. With a strong technical background, she has extensive experience bringing a broad range of technologies to commercialization, with deep domain expertise in AI in healthcare, enterprise AI/networks, edge computing, and data privacy. Founded by Lu in 2015, Fusion Fund is dedicated to supporting early-stage entrepreneurs innovating in healthcare, enterprise AI, and industrial automation. With investments in over 90 companies across the U.S. and Canada, Fusion Fund has generated substantial exits over the years.

Prior to founding Fusion Fund, Lu was a serial entrepreneur and materials science researcher. Following the successful exit of her startup, she began investing in and supporting early-stage entrepreneurs, which eventually led her to create Fusion Fund. Since then, Lu has built a distinguished ecosystem and established her reputation in the venture capital industry. She has been honored as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum (Davos), named one of Silicon Valley’s Women of Influence, recognized as a Top 25 Female Early-Stage Investor by Business Insider, featured as a VC honoree in Forbes 30 Under 30, and selected as a Town & Country 50 Modern Swans - Entrepreneurship Influencer.

Ben is a product and strategy leader with experience building at major organizations and scaling startups across the life sciences, healthtech, fintech, wearables, and AI industries. He loves working at the intersection of major social change and the application of big data and AI to positively impact our world.

At Mercury, Ben is building one of the most rich and diverse ecosystems and financial platforms focused on healthcare and life sciences, aiming to accelerate innovation, improve the efficacy of care, and enhance the efficiency of the U.S. healthcare market. He invites you: Tell me about your biggest challenge in healthcare—and let’s get to work!

Nothing is more exciting or fulfilling to Ben than enabling a founder with a mission to bring that mission to life and make a lasting impact on the world.

This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!

Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on:

🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J

🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823

📺 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact

"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."

On this week's episode of Silicon Valley Impact we speak with Carl Hinrichsen, Managing Partner, Executive Functions LLC; and Hans Sandhu, Chief Business Officer at TheAgentic. Today we’re talking about Go To Market Strategy from all over the world.

Carl is a global sales and partnerships leader with a track record of scaling businesses at Meta, Amazon, and Bertelsmann. He built Meta’s global reseller program from scratch, expanding its footprint to 40 new countries and creating a scalable playbook for international growth. As the founder of Exec Functions LLC, Carl advises high-growth companies on go-to-market strategy, sales execution, and international partnerships. He also scouts investment opportunities for VCs, acts as an operator and leads sales training programs, including at TechCrunch Disrupt. Carl holds an MBA from NYU Stern and ESADE and is based in San Francisco.

Hans is a true Silicon Valley insider, Hans is a startup veteran with a passion for scaling companies and driving record-breaking sales. Having led multiple startups to acquisition, he holds the highest ARR records at three different venture-backed companies. Now, as an LP in a VC fund, he guides founders through market entry, GTM strategy, and hyper-growth execution.

This and much more on Silicon Valley Impact!

Follow us on and listen to all our episodes on:

🎙️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68L4RPfMizjxnKBsmcFb1J

🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silicon-valley-impact/id1776876823

📺 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@siliconvalleyimpact

"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.”