What’s it like to be a startup founder? Not the hype, not the spin. What’s it really like? That’s the thesis behind the TechCrunch podcast Found. Each episode features an interview with an early-stage founder to tell the story behind the startup.
We can’t think of a better place to broadcast a live Found podcast than TechCrunch Early Stage in Boston on April 20. And we’re thrilled to announce that hosts Darrell Etherington and Becca Szkutak will interview Russ Wilcox. Currently a partner at Pillar VC, Wilcox commercialized electronic paper displays by founding E Ink, which Amazon acquired in 2009.
Found interviews are open, honest conversations about the process of founding a company, and why anyone would want to do that in the first place. Expect to hear about Wilcox’s leadership style, his fundraising experience, the reasoning and passion behind his product — and wherever else the conversation might lead.
Russ Wilcox is a general partner at Pillar, a seed-stage VC firm in Boston. He entered VC after a career as a serial entrepreneur. Wilcox previously served as CEO of E Ink, a company he co-founded to commercialize electronic paper materials invented at the MIT Media Lab. E Ink conducted groundbreaking research and shipped tens of millions of displays for the Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader, B&N Nook and other devices. Wilcox sold the company for $480 million.
Wilcox also co-founded Transatomic Power, a project to develop safer and cleaner nuclear energy, and Piper Therapeutics, a preclinical drug-discovery company pursuing a preclinical target for immuno-oncology.
Wilcox graduated with honors from Harvard College with a degree in Applied Mathematics and was a Baker Scholar at Harvard Business School.
TechCrunch Early Stage takes place on April 20 in Boston, Massachusetts. You’ll walk away with a deeper, working understanding of topics and skills that are essential to startup success. Buy an early-bird founder pass before prices go up on April 1. No fooling — you’ll save $200.