Alberto Lopez grew up with a deep connection to the ocean—and today, he’s leading Sunfish to build world-class underwater robotics that protect it. From childhood tinkering to scaling a venture-backed startup, Alberto’s story is a reminder that solving the planet’s biggest problems starts with relentless curiosity and grit.

From co-founding a tech business at 22 to leading Me&U, a company tackling one of hospitality’s toughest challenges - how to delight guests whilst operating profitably, Josh Smith’s journey is anything but linear. What stands out is his raw honesty about leadership, failure, and the often brutal lessons of scaling a team. His take on hiring, gut instincts, and keeping people connected in a digital world offers valuable insight for any founder navigating growth.

Lauren Batterby never set out to be a founder. In fact, she once swore she’d never follow in her father’s entrepreneurial footsteps. But after years in the events industry, a career pivot during COVID, and an innate drive to prove herself, she found herself building Life Event Staffing—a company that now handles thousands of events with a rapidly growing workforce. Her journey is one of unexpected turns, rapid scaling, and the balancing act of being both an entrepreneur and a mother.

Bridget Connelly, founder and CEO of Luna Bay Booch, is rewriting the rules of the alcohol industry by merging wellness with social connection. From facing the challenges of a male-dominated space to pioneering the hard kombucha category, her journey is defined by resilience, intuition, and an unwavering commitment to authenticity. She built Luna Bay Booch not just as a brand, but as a movement—creating a cleaner, more inclusive approach to alcohol while staying true to her values. By prioritizing deep market presence over rapid expansion and championing women in the industry, Bridget is proving that success isn’t just about scale—it’s about impact.

A nine-year-old living with his grandmother while his parents worked abroad doesn't sound like the beginning of a startup story. But for Santhosh, this unconventional childhood sparked an independence that would later help him juggle being both a practicing physician and founder of Medtrics. His mission to free doctors from administrative hell offers a fascinating glimpse into the hidden world of healthcare education tech.

When your brother builds a DIY grow box in college, you don't typically expect it to turn into a multimillion-dollar business. But for Aedan, that moment sparked a journey from a $85,000 pitch competition win to navigating a dramatic COVID pivot that shot revenue from $50,000 to $1.5M. His raw story of resilience, tough partnership lessons, and "no BS" advice for Gen Z shows what it really takes to build something meaningful.