EPISODE
Soren Monroe, Connor Love, Melisa Tokmak, Jordan Schneider, Maxwell Meyer
01:05:13 Soren Monroe-Anderson is the co-founder and CEO of Neros Technologies, a U.S.-based defense startup producing advanced FPV drones with a fully American supply chain. A former world champion in drone racing, he co-founded Neros in 2023 to address the U.S. military's need for mass-manufacturable unmanned systems, securing a contract to deliver 6,000 Archer drones to Ukraine . Monroe-Anderson is also a Thiel Fellow and previously founded FPV Supply Co, specializing in high-performance drone components.
01:37:06 Connor Love is a Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, focusing on frontier technologies in defense, space, manufacturing, and autonomous systems. A former U.S. Army Captain, he served in Northern Iraq and as a strategic advisor in Washington, D.C., before earning graduate degrees from Oxford and Stanford GSB. At Lightspeed, he has led investments in fintech and insurtech startups, including Seel, Lemon Markets, and Herald.
02:04:30 Melisa Tokmak is the founder and CEO of Netic, an AI-native revenue engine designed for essential service industries like HVAC, plumbing, and electrical contracting. Launched in 2024, Netic uses real-time data and automation to help service businesses capture leads and stabilize revenue during demand fluctuations . Previously, Tokmak held leadership roles at Scale AI and Meta, and holds a computer science degree from Stanford University.
02:26:42 Jordan Schneider is the founder of ChinaTalk, a newsletter and podcast offering in-depth analysis of Chinese technology, politics, and U.S.–China relations. He is a fellow at the Rhodium Group and the Center for a New American Security, and previously worked at Kuaishou, Bridgewater Associates, and the Eurasia Group. Schneider holds a BA in history from Yale and an MA in economics from Peking University’s Yenching Academy, and is fluent in Chinese.
02:49:07 Maxwell Meyer is the founder and editor of Arena Magazine, a quarterly print and digital publication launched in 2024 that focuses on technology, capitalism, and civilization. A Stanford geophysics graduate and former editor-in-chief of the Stanford Review, Meyer created Arena to counteract negativity in legacy media and to champion innovation and American dynamism. He also serves as president of the Intergalactic Media Corporation of America, the magazine’s parent company.