Dean’s Speaker Series

From Founder to Funder: Michael Stewart’s Path to Venture Capital

Join us for a conversation with Michael Stewart, MBA 15, Managing Partner at M12, Microsoft’s Venture Fund, recorded live on November 17 in the Spieker Forum at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business. Stewart leads investments across generative AI, gaming, and systems, and since joining M12 in 2021 has overseen 16 deals while serving on the boards of several portfolio companies, including Quantum.

Before entering venture capital, Michael built a diverse career spanning startups, semiconductor technology development, and innovation—earning more than 40 patents along the way.

A scientist at heart, Stewart expected to spend his career on the technical side of things doing hands-on research—a career that led him to Applied Materials, where he spent nearly a decade working in semiconductor process engineering and later in solar and cleantech. 

“All I wanted to do for the rest of my life was work on clean energy,” said Stewart, EWMBA 15, in conversation with Haas students Gonzalo Vásquez and Rey Yruegas Almanza, both MBA 26. “I came to Haas to get to the bottom of how the various levels of that market might work.”

In this fireside chat, he shares his journey from founder to investor, breaks down his investment strategy at M12, and offers practical advice for students pursuing careers in venture capital. The session closes with an audience Q&A.

• Read the article and find the full transcript on today's episode on the Haas Newsroom. 
• Read more about the UC Berkeley Haas Dean's Speaker Series and upcoming speakers.
• Read more about the Haas School of Business. 

The UC Berkeley Dean's Speaker Series podcast is a production of the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. 

 

Leading in Tech, Building for Tomorrow: A Conversation with Ana Corrales

In this episode, Ana Corrales, COO of Google Consumer Hardware, shares her journey from early-stage startups to leading global operations at one of the world’s most influential tech companies. She reflects on what it takes to lead in a male-dominated industry, how sustainability shapes her decision-making, and why responsible supply chains matter more than ever.

Drawing on her experiences at Google, Nest, Cisco, and HP—as well as her advisory role at Zero100—Ana offers a candid look at the future of sustainable hardware. The session concludes with an engaging audience Q&A.

• Read the article and find the full transcript on today's episode on the Haas Newsroom. 
• Read more about the UC Berkeley Haas Dean's Speaker Series and upcoming speakers.
• Read more about the Haas School of Business. 

The UC Berkeley Dean's Speaker Series podcast is a production of the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. 

 

Entrepreneur, Diplomat, Innovator: Ambassador Trevor Traina on Leadership and the Future of Tech

Amb. Trevor Traina is a serial entrepreneur having founded and co-founded five successful technology companies, which were all sold to acquirers such as Microsoft, Mastercard, and Intuit. He is currently Head of Business Development and Partnerships for Tools for Humanity, a technology company focused on developing tools for digital identity and blockchain. Amb. Traina took a break from the tech industry to serve as the Ambassador to Austria from 2018 to 2021 and is credited with helping usher in an era of “new closeness” between the two countries.

In a fireside chat format, Amb. Traina discusses his entrepreneurship endeavors, the leadership lessons he has learned in both tech and public service, and where he sees the tech industry heading in the future.

From PhD to CEO: Aravind Srinivas on Reinventing Search with Perplexity AI

Aravind Srinivas co-founded Perplexity in 2022 because of his own curiosity about a more transparent and verifiable AI-powered search experience while he was a researcher at OpenAI, Google, and DeepMind. Through his leadership, Perplexity is one of the largest AI companies, with a base of over 30 million active users and 780 million inquiries. His work Questions the Status Quo in the constantly evolving landscape of AI.

In a fireside chat format, Aravind discusses his journey as a founder, shares insights on the expansion of the AI landscape, and reflects on the impact of Perplexity’s mission to support the world’s curiosity. The session concludes with an audience Q&A.

Listen to the full conversation here.

How’s your battery? Calm CEO David Ko on normalizing mental health at work

David Ko, CEO of the sleep and meditation app Calm and author of the book Recharge, shares his leadership journey from investment banking to purpose-driven leadership. Since 2022, he’s guided Calm’s work in over 190 countries, supporting millions of people seeking to improve their wellbeing.

Ko describes “the battery check,” a simple framework for starting conversations about mental health, describes how burnout happens when leaders don’t explain the “why” behind decisions, and shares some candid personal anecdotes.

The conversation is hosted by Professor Sameer Srivastava and led by UC Berkeley Haas students Avanika Lal and Esa Tilija, both MBA 26. The joint Dean’s Speaker Series and Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation event took place at the Haas School of Business on September 30, 2025.

Reimagining Meat: Peter McGuinness on Leading Impossible Foods and Transforming Brands

Peter McGuinness, CEO of Impossible, is leading the company in its goal to produce sustainable meat-replacement products. Over the course of his over 30-year career, including leadership roles at McCann Erickson, DBB, and Chobani—which he grew to the No. 1 yogurt brand in the U.S.—he has driven profits and transformed brands.  

In this fireside chat, McGuinness discusses remaining persistent and learning from his mistakes as he leads Impossible’s mission to reduce the amount of meat people eat with food that is delicious, nutritious, and accessible. The session concludes with an audience Q&A.

• This talk at the Haas School of Business was originally live streamed on May 1, 2025.
• Read more about the UC Berkeley Haas Dean's Speaker Series and upcoming speakers.
• Read more about the Haas School of Business.
• Read the full transcript here.

Leading the Charge: Cheryl Ginyard-Jones on Innovation, Leadership, and the Future of Green Energy

As managing director for the engineering and design consultancy Ramboll, Cheryl Ginyard-Jones oversees more than 2,000 professionals across the Americas dedicated to developing cutting-edge technologies that mitigate climate change. Over her distinguished career, spanning roles at Worley, Advision, Verizon, and BP, Cheryl has significantly influenced growth, innovation, and operations within the green energy sector.

In this fireside chat, Ginyard-Jones shares insights into her unique career path, her leadership in achieving sustainability goals, and the broad impact of Ramboll’s work across various communities. The session concludes with an audience Q&A.

This event is co-sponsored by the Center for Responsible Business Peterson Speaker Series.

• This talk at the Haas School of Business was originally live streamed on April 16, 2025.
• Read more about the UC Berkeley Haas Dean's Speaker Series and upcoming speakers.
• Read more about the Haas School of Business. 
• Read the full transcript here.

The UC Berkeley Dean's Speaker Series podcast is a production of the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. This production is made possible by our: 

• Haas Events team: Sarah Bottger, Carrie Hults, Meg Fellner
• Podcast production team: Jordan Joseffer, Laura Counts, Stella Kotik
• Dean’s Speaker Series Student Board: Ashley Wong, Budi Sosrodjojo, David Bravo, Fernanda Ortolan, Luis Sante, Olivia Halas-Dias, Punit Vyas
• Interim Dean Jennifer Chatman 
• Berkeley AV Production Team

HSBC U.S. Head of Innovation Banking David Sabow shares why he believes AI will play an outsized role in improving labor productivity

David Sabow joined HSBC as Head of Technology & Healthcare in 2023 to establish a dedicated banking practice focused on the innovation economy, empowering forward-thinkers, and future makers who are questioning the status quo. His two-decade career has centered on innovation banking. David previously held several roles at Silicon Valley Bank, which includes leading the Technology & Healthcare Division, focusing on venture capital relationship management and new opportunity organization, and running the Life Science & Healthcare Business.

In a fireside chat format, David discusses his career journey in banking, how he works in the innovation space, the influence of AI on investment strategies, and gives advice to students who want to break into venture capital.

• This talk at the Haas School of Business was originally live streamed on February 12th, 2025.
• Read more about the UC Berkeley Haas Dean's Speaker Series and upcoming speakers.
• Read more about the Haas School of Business. 

The UC Berkeley Dean's Speaker Series podcast is a production of the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. This production is made possible by our: 

• Haas Events team: Sarah Bottger, Carrie Hults, Meg Fellner
• Podcast production team: Jordan Joseffer, Laura Counts, Stella Kotik
• Dean’s Speaker Series Student Board: Ashley Wong, Budi Sosrodjojo, David Bravo, Fernanda Ortolan, Luis Sante, Olivia Halas-Dias, Punit Vyas
• Interim Dean Jennifer Chatman 
• Berkeley AV Production Team