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This show needs little introduction because of the sheer magnitude of what Carlos Rogers and his team at the Philly Classic are achieving - to be clear, that is bringing the greatest single day race in America back from the grave.

This discussion hits home because I’m from Philly and spent 30 years of my life there, so the return of this road race to the calendar is a huge source of pride, especially because it is THE contemporary model for other American race promoters.

Tune in for the story behind the modern day Philadelphia Cycling Classic, including how Carlos and his team signed on Amerigas, the flagship sponsor, and how he convinced no fewer than 8 world tour teams to sign on year one. This one is close to my heart, enjoy.

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It's so gratifying to see a plan come together! Last year I began chatting with Bay Area VC Nate Williams about doing a SXSW event together around “Innovation,” the perfect panel buzzword.

We asked the Hill Climbers network to produce a product company and an athlete that could speak with expertise on the subject along with Nate. If we’re being honest, we had Lucas Bourgoyne, local celebrity and 2025 Crit National Champ, on a short list of 1 and thanks to the intro from Elliott at People’s Endurance, he quickly agreed to join us in between race weekends. Chris Anderson from investment bank pH Partners recommended Devon Price, cofounder of Kenetik, a ketone brand that sponsors Lifetime Grand Prix.

There was a last minute curveball from Nate Williams, who could not join us, but he had already invited Karl Pelletier, Chief of Staff at USAC Cycling who sits on their Tech & Innovation council, and Karl graciously stepped in for Nate. Big shout out to Nate for adding USA Cycling in to the mix.

There are so many high notes in this show: Karl sharing how USAC chose Kristen Faulkner as the most likely candidate to medal in track pursuit using their data sets, Devon surprising the audience with Kenetik’s life saving qualities, and Lucas…being Lucas by showing the room that a 24 year old with talent, passion, work ethic, strategy, and the right team can prove the haters wrong on the crit circuit and in business. Enjoy!

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In January I texted Charlie Tames, an Austin businessman with ties to Rapha, asking if he could put me in touch with someone at corporate ahead of my London visit. His response read, “Fran will be in Austin in February.” He’s referring to Fran Millar, Rapha CEO. A few days later Charlie texted, “If I can get you an interview with Fran Millar, would you be interested?”

Does a fat baby sweat?

Charlie wouldn’t have vouched for us if he didn’t think we were ready. This was a defining moment. In a short time, the Hill Climbers team had created an events brand and operation suitable for Fran, founding member of Team Sky, INEOS 1:59 Challenge Captain, and now CEO of Rapha, one of the most impactful lifestyle brands of our time.

We hosted a live audience podcast at the Trek store in Austin with 50+ attendees that spilled into dinner/drinks after the show.

What struck me about Fran was her vulnerability coupled with a magnificent executive presence. She shared personal details that shaped her career path as easily as she rattled off her five keys to full employee engagement. Fran proudly shared with the group that this brand of servant leadership and communication is authentically female, in contrast with the more classic "hero" version.

This is not to mention the wide range of topics and stories we covered from the state of Rapha, the Kate Courtney She Sends partnership and of course the TeamUSA deal leading into LA28.

So if this piques your interest, and you want to witness a true devotee to excellence share her thoughs on servant leadership, our interview with Fran is just the thing for you. Tune in!

Hill Climbers is more than just a podcast, it's a growing business network for cyclists. You can tap into our event by following our Linkedin and Instagram, and subscribing to our newsletter.

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At this point Kate Veronneau, Director of Women’s Strategy at Zwift, needs little introduction because she’s omnipresent in cycling media around the world including the Tour de France Femmes Avec Zwift, a partnership which has been the culmination of her career on bikes.

I met Kate and her husband Mike on the NOW ride when we lived in LA, and we hit it off pretty quickly because they had lived right outside of Philly by the T-Town velodrome. It doesn’t take long for Kate’s warmth and east coast honesty to make a lasting impression on anyone - especially cyclists - and I am proud to call her a friend. Watching Kate’s influence on cycling from Instagram and Linkedin have been mind blowing and incredibly gratifying and I hoped that one day we’d cross paths again, especially for an interview.

Last year the opportunity presented itself in the form of the Hill Climbers Summit. Zwift graciously came on board as sponsors, and Kate flew in to rep the company and lead a group ride on our favorite Lost Creek segment. I got some quality time with Kate, and something she shared with me really stuck. The ascendance of women’s sports is a driving force in her life, and so of course she has reflected on the topic deeply. Kate is tall, and was a competitive basketball player so she could always “hang with the guys.” She could hack it in a man’s world which has helped her climb to the sport’s highest echelons. More recently she’s realized that her strengths, what she brings to the boardroom and the peloton, are her feminine attributes. Please enjoy the interview.

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We’ve been excited about expanding the Hill Climbers audience beyond Austin, TX and one day back in October a juicy opportunity presented itself. Doug Zell from the Meteor texted me about hosting a group ride in honor of Max Davis, cofounder of Rubber N Road, the NYC kit maker. Doug was excited to add Rubber N' Road product to his retail mix, and the partnership was going to launch with a proper bike ride complete with breakfast tacos and a support vehicle. I secured an interview with Max while he was in town, so we got to the studio soon after he touched down, but not after he rode in Texas hill country for the first time.

This brand is an outlier for the simple reason that it’s a legit road bike apparel company born in New York City with a bricks and mortar retail location on 51st st. With that distinction comes unique character, innovation, grit and diversity - all of which we cover in this discussion. Tune in to hear more about how Max is living a dream - a dream that comes with a lot of adversity. Enjoy.

https://rubbernroad.com/

Hill Climbers is more than just a podcast, it's a growing business network for cyclists. You can tap into our event by following our Linkedin and Instagram, and subscribing to our newsletter.

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A couple of months ago Michelle Kopplow, a new friend and triathlon devotee, reached out to me and suggested an introduction with Mathias Ihlendfeld, the previous CEO of Woom bikes. I was immediately fired up for a couple of reasons - A Woom is the authority on children’s bikes as far as I’m concerned and B here was an example of the Hill Climbers community showing up and adding a ton of value.

Anyway, Mathias and I sat down for lunch and what transpired was a REAL conversation about topics way more substantive than just business or bikes. Mathias has quite a story to tell - from rural Germany to the collegiate tennis courts of Louisiana to international board rooms and of course, a massive children’s bike brand to cap it off.

This is a story of immigrant success coming from very modest beginnings, the American dream. However, that’s just one side of the story. Mathias opens up about the toll taken as a COVID era multinational CEO and how that’s helped him arrive at his present calling - which is to support men in their post-divorce paths AND help founders grow their companies

Mathias is a real one - as you’ll find out and we are so proud to count him as a member of the Hill Climbers community. Enjoy

Mathias Ihlenfeld Linkedin

Hill Climbers is more than just a podcast, it's a growing business network for cyclists. You can tap into our event by following our Linkedin and Instagram, and subscribing to our newsletter.

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Having three Hill Climbers team members do a show without Sam is a statement in and of itself. That's to say the squad is growing quickly.

Stephen Cunningham is a data team lead at EF Education so he gets away with rocking their kit. He’s bored of conventional cycling content and wants to make a mark on the media landscape.

Mark Duroy is the friendliest cyclist among a group of VERY friendly cyclists. He organizes and hosts our rides while promoting his coaching business, Velo Savvy.

Zach Aldrich moonlights as a pro triathlete with a corporate resume that seems impossible when lined up with his age. Just a heads up, when you get a flat and he volunteers to hang back with you, he may ride you off his wheel.

It’s hard to put into words how valuable this team is when executing our mission, which is to encourage networking among cyclists through events, rides and the podcast. These guys bring additional perspective, a TON of diverse business building experience, integrity and their own brand of passion for cycling.

Introducing Stephen, Mark and Zach! Enjoy.

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Noah Kagan was one of the first people I met when I moved to Austin, TX 5 years ago. He immediately invited me to his annual AppSumo ride and also put me in touch with Jeffrey Nolte, who became one of my closest friends in Austin. This is the kind of guy Noah is - he loves Austin and knows that newcomers will get the most out of it by meeting great people.

We reconnected meaningfully when I launched the Hill Climbers group rides - he was one of the first to suffer with us at 645am so his support was extra appreciated. He also put me in touch with Stephen Cunningham, who has become another close friend and partner on Hill Climbers. This time my connection with Noah was a bit tighter because my son had just arrived and his daughter was on the way - we shared the incredible experience.

Anyway, Noah has had quite a journey and accomplished a lot along the way. This is why I knew he was the guy to approach about being the featured guest at our First Annual Hill Climbers summit. Noah was flattered when I asked and on board right away. The evening came together perfectly, and frankly, Noah blew the crowd away with his honesty and audience engagement skillz.

Hill Climbers is more than just a podcast, it's a growing business network for cyclists. You can tap into our event by following our Linkedin and Instagram, and subscribing to our newsletter.

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