In this episode, we sit down with Ritvik Rustagi, a Venture Scout at GoAhead Ventures and a Carnegie Mellon computer science student, to explore how young people can break into the world of venture capital.

Ritvik shares how working with an early-stage venture fund has exposed him to cutting-edge technology, ambitious founders, and Silicon Valley’s fast-moving startup ecosystem. He also explains what it takes to become a venture scout and offers practical advice on writing cold emails that open doors.

Whether you’re a student interested in startups, investing, or emerging technology, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you get started!

From arriving in the U.S. as an immigrant with limited resources to taking his company public on NASDAQ 27 years later, Alek Szlam’s journey is a powerful example of resilience and long-term vision.

As the founder of Melita International, a company with customers in over 45 countries, Alek and his team built solutions used by global organizations such as Bank of Canada, Bank of Korea, D&B, American Express, CitiBank and Honda, and played a major role in developing innovations like early Caller Identification and intelligent Call Center systems.

In this conversation, Alek reflects on:

• Why working across multiple companies before starting your own can be a major advantage
• Lessons on working with family members in business
• Meeting Steve Jobs in Switzerland
• How to build a company without outside capital, and why solving real problems matters more than chasing money

This episode is packed with practical advice, real stories, and timeless lessons for anyone interested in business, engineering, or entrepreneurship.

Learn more about Alek Szlam and his work:

🌐 Website: https://Melitainternational.com

📧 Email: aszlam@gmail.com

🔗 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/alekszlam

📞 Phone: +1.404.543.4729

In this episode, we sit down with Adam Beadles — owner of Northeast Georgia Rehabilitation Center, professor of kinesiology, and entrepreneur with a history of various creative business ventures ( yes, even water slides ) — to talk about what it really takes to start your own business. Whether you’re a student, a recent graduate, or someone ready to take the leap, Adam shares practical and actionable advice on leadership, risk-taking, and building something from the ground up.