Building with Carnelian Transistor (https://transistor.fm) https://feeds.transistor.fm/the-execution-gap Join the Carnelian Ventures team for candid conversations about what it actually takes to scale ventures that generate returns and create meaningful change. From early-stage operations and capital strategy to impact measurement that goes beyond metrics, each episode breaks down how founders navigate the critical decisions shaping sustainable businesses. Building with Carnelian is produced by Carnelian Ventures, a venture studio supporting mission-driven founders through operational advisory, technology development, and impact analytics. Have feedback or want to suggest a guest? Reach out at podcast@carnelianventures.com. © 2026 Carnelian Ventures 646ee11a-a616-5281-b0ce-59613f7722c0 yes Lauren Chuhta en Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:55:00 -0400 Wed, 12 Aug 2026 10:28:30 -0400 http://www.carnelianventures.com https://img.transistorcdn.com/SwwTrMQ07_KKyps_mgVVUkZuGZuo4yM9AYXJ2PmNp_4/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80MDQy/YTc4ZmJlOTUyYWEy/ZGE4Y2NiOWQzMjNi/YmYzNy5wbmc.jpg Building with Carnelian http://www.carnelianventures.com episodic Carnelian Ventures Join the Carnelian Ventures team for candid conversations about what it actually takes to scale ventures that generate returns and create meaningful change. From early-stage operations and capital strategy to impact measurement that goes beyond metrics, each episode breaks down how founders navigate the critical decisions shaping sustainable businesses. Building with Carnelian is produced by Carnelian Ventures, a venture studio supporting mission-driven founders through operational advisory, technology development, and impact analytics. Have feedback or want to suggest a guest? Reach out at podcast@carnelianventures.com. Join the Carnelian Ventures team for candid conversations about what it actually takes to scale ventures that generate returns and create meaningful change. impact investing, donor advised funds, ESG analytics, fractional COO Carnelian Ventures No No The Art of Community-Built Impact: A Conversation with Jonna Crocker 4 4 The Art of Community-Built Impact: A Conversation with Jonna Crocker full 4f89161a-d578-4e31-b914-85c9654c15b5 https://share.transistor.fm/s/d9b72864 In this episode of Building with Carnelian, host Lauren Chuhta sits down with Jonna Crocker, a founder, operator, and constituent of the Fighting H.A.R.D. Foundation. Jonna mobilizes her niche perspective to build a growing support system for children with rare diseases. She is as on-the-ground as it gets, and a testament to people-for-people impact.

Jonna shares her insight on the versatility required for progress in the modern purpose-driven space. Calling upon her business background, she reflects on what it takes to get for-profit entities involved in meaningful contributions. Join Jonna and Lauren as they unpack how to build, run, and support enterprises that deliver real impact with rigor and heart.

]]> In this episode of Building with Carnelian, host Lauren Chuhta sits down with Jonna Crocker, a founder, operator, and constituent of the Fighting H.A.R.D. Foundation. Jonna mobilizes her niche perspective to build a growing support system for children with rare diseases. She is as on-the-ground as it gets, and a testament to people-for-people impact.

Jonna shares her insight on the versatility required for progress in the modern purpose-driven space. Calling upon her business background, she reflects on what it takes to get for-profit entities involved in meaningful contributions. Join Jonna and Lauren as they unpack how to build, run, and support enterprises that deliver real impact with rigor and heart.

]]> Mon, 10 Aug 2026 12:50:55 -0400 Carnelian Ventures Carnelian Ventures 1802 In this episode of Building with Carnelian, host Lauren Chuhta sits down with Jonna Crocker, a founder, operator, and constituent of the Fighting H.A.R.D. Foundation. Jonna mobilizes her niche perspective to build a growing support system for children with rare diseases. She is as on-the-ground as it gets, and a testament to people-for-people impact.

Jonna shares her insight on the versatility required for progress in the modern purpose-driven space. Calling upon her business background, she reflects on what it takes to get for-profit entities involved in meaningful contributions. Join Jonna and Lauren as they unpack how to build, run, and support enterprises that deliver real impact with rigor and heart.

]]> mission driven organizations, social impact entrepreneurship, social impact leadership, nonprofit leadership strategies, building mission driven enterprises, community impact storytelling, nonprofit impact measurement, nonprofit program evaluation, nonprofit founder stories, nonprofit operator insights No Lauren Chuhta The Power of Delusion: A Conversation with Priya Abiram 4 4 The Power of Delusion: A Conversation with Priya Abiram full 9cf69a4d-a41b-40e1-b967-724d4b3fe596 https://share.transistor.fm/s/9e3a4cd8 In this episode of Building with Carnelian, host Lauren Chuhta sits down with Priya Abiram, founder of Operation Period, a startup developing menstrual health technology for use in astronomy spaces including SpaceX and NASA. A Forbes 25 Under 25 honoree, Priya has built her company at the intersection of deep science, social impact, and a market most founders never think to enter.

Priya walks through what it has taken to build Operation Period from the ground up, the early conversations with investors, the relationships that have shaped how she leads, and the way she develops and mobilizes data inside her company. She and Lauren get into what it means to be a founder navigating the startup space as an immigrant and woman of color, and what she has learned about pushing an idea for social impact into rooms that were not built with her in mind.

]]> In this episode of Building with Carnelian, host Lauren Chuhta sits down with Priya Abiram, founder of Operation Period, a startup developing menstrual health technology for use in astronomy spaces including SpaceX and NASA. A Forbes 25 Under 25 honoree, Priya has built her company at the intersection of deep science, social impact, and a market most founders never think to enter.

Priya walks through what it has taken to build Operation Period from the ground up, the early conversations with investors, the relationships that have shaped how she leads, and the way she develops and mobilizes data inside her company. She and Lauren get into what it means to be a founder navigating the startup space as an immigrant and woman of color, and what she has learned about pushing an idea for social impact into rooms that were not built with her in mind.

]]> Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:00:00 -0400 Carnelian Ventures Carnelian Ventures 1521 In this episode of Building with Carnelian, host Lauren Chuhta sits down with Priya Abiram, founder of Operation Period, a startup developing menstrual health technology for use in astronomy spaces including SpaceX and NASA. A Forbes 25 Under 25 honoree, Priya has built her company at the intersection of deep science, social impact, and a market most founders never think to enter.

Priya walks through what it has taken to build Operation Period from the ground up, the early conversations with investors, the relationships that have shaped how she leads, and the way she develops and mobilizes data inside her company. She and Lauren get into what it means to be a founder navigating the startup space as an immigrant and woman of color, and what she has learned about pushing an idea for social impact into rooms that were not built with her in mind.

]]> impact investing, donor advised funds, ESG analytics, fractional COO No Lauren Chuhta The Art of Giving: A Conversation with Arden Whitley 3 3 The Art of Giving: A Conversation with Arden Whitley full 769fc601-99d7-443e-8ef3-e4cb591182a9 https://share.transistor.fm/s/5db85290 In this episode of Building with Carnelian, host Lauren Chuhta sits down with Arden Whitley, Senior Development Director at Ronald McDonald House, whose career has carried her from Rhodes College through animal welfare and into children's and family health, where she has spent years building the fundraising infrastructure that keeps mission-driven organizations running.

Arden walks through the fundamentals of development work — funding diversification, navigating corporate and foundation giving, and scaling development operations — and reflects on what the transition between cause areas taught her about how money moves in the nonprofit space. She and Lauren get into what the field looks like today, why development is so often misunderstood, and what keeps her in the work.

]]> In this episode of Building with Carnelian, host Lauren Chuhta sits down with Arden Whitley, Senior Development Director at Ronald McDonald House, whose career has carried her from Rhodes College through animal welfare and into children's and family health, where she has spent years building the fundraising infrastructure that keeps mission-driven organizations running.

Arden walks through the fundamentals of development work — funding diversification, navigating corporate and foundation giving, and scaling development operations — and reflects on what the transition between cause areas taught her about how money moves in the nonprofit space. She and Lauren get into what the field looks like today, why development is so often misunderstood, and what keeps her in the work.

]]> Tue, 02 Jun 2026 09:00:00 -0400 Carnelian Ventures Carnelian Ventures 1868 In this episode of Building with Carnelian, host Lauren Chuhta sits down with Arden Whitley, Senior Development Director at Ronald McDonald House, whose career has carried her from Rhodes College through animal welfare and into children's and family health, where she has spent years building the fundraising infrastructure that keeps mission-driven organizations running.

Arden walks through the fundamentals of development work — funding diversification, navigating corporate and foundation giving, and scaling development operations — and reflects on what the transition between cause areas taught her about how money moves in the nonprofit space. She and Lauren get into what the field looks like today, why development is so often misunderstood, and what keeps her in the work.

]]> impact investing, donor advised funds, ESG analytics, fractional COO No Lauren Chuhta The Truth About Data: A Conversation with Dr. Jenny Aker 2 2 The Truth About Data: A Conversation with Dr. Jenny Aker full 2f22c8bf-3720-403a-a612-6036244db0bd https://share.transistor.fm/s/5061cbc8 In this episode of Building with Carnelian, host Lauren Chuhta sits down with Dr. Jenny Aker, Professor of Development Economics at Cornell University and co-chair of MIT's Poverty Action Lab, whose 25 years of fieldwork across 21 countries in Africa and Latin America has taken her deep into the question of what it actually means to measure impact.

Dr. Aker breaks down what development economics really is, what impact evaluation requires in practice, and why drawing a true causal relationship between a policy and its outcomes is harder and more important than most people realize.

]]> In this episode of Building with Carnelian, host Lauren Chuhta sits down with Dr. Jenny Aker, Professor of Development Economics at Cornell University and co-chair of MIT's Poverty Action Lab, whose 25 years of fieldwork across 21 countries in Africa and Latin America has taken her deep into the question of what it actually means to measure impact.

Dr. Aker breaks down what development economics really is, what impact evaluation requires in practice, and why drawing a true causal relationship between a policy and its outcomes is harder and more important than most people realize.

]]> Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:02:25 -0400 Carnelian Ventures Carnelian Ventures 2318 In this episode of Building with Carnelian, host Lauren Chuhta sits down with Dr. Jenny Aker, Professor of Development Economics at Cornell University and co-chair of MIT's Poverty Action Lab, whose 25 years of fieldwork across 21 countries in Africa and Latin America has taken her deep into the question of what it actually means to measure impact.

Dr. Aker breaks down what development economics really is, what impact evaluation requires in practice, and why drawing a true causal relationship between a policy and its outcomes is harder and more important than most people realize.

]]> impact investing, donor advised funds, ESG analytics, fractional COO No Lauren Chuhta Welcome to Carnelian 1 1 Welcome to Carnelian full e53197ee-648e-45dc-bf05-b34340402a88 https://share.transistor.fm/s/2c75c428 Welcome to the Carnelian Ventures podcast, hosted by Lauren Chuhta. This show explores the powerful intersection of venture operations and social impact. Join us as we dive into how storytelling and data can be mobilized as evidence to empower your pitches, investment evaluations, and everyday decision-making in the venture capital space.

Drawing on her background in global development and research into how language shapes decision-making across various global institutions, Lauren investigates how to scale good intentions into tangible, widespread impact. By bringing together diverse perspectives and breaking down the gates to resources and data, this podcast aims to benefit the community and help stakeholders make confident moves.

Tune in for a variety of engaging episodes, including:

  • Guest interviews with founders, investors, and operators sharing real-life lessons from the field.
  • Solo thought leadership covering market trends, data-informed decision-making, and what makes a founder backable.
  • Panel discussions where investors and operators debate strategy and exchange valuable perspectives.
  • Deep-dive case studies exploring growth journeys and analyzing deals that closed phenomenally or didn't close at all.
  • Industry news reacting to current headlines and policy shifts.
  • Interactive Q&A sessions driven directly by your questions and feedback.

New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Subscribe to join the conversation, and let your input shape the topics and guests we bring on the show!

]]> Welcome to the Carnelian Ventures podcast, hosted by Lauren Chuhta. This show explores the powerful intersection of venture operations and social impact. Join us as we dive into how storytelling and data can be mobilized as evidence to empower your pitches, investment evaluations, and everyday decision-making in the venture capital space.

Drawing on her background in global development and research into how language shapes decision-making across various global institutions, Lauren investigates how to scale good intentions into tangible, widespread impact. By bringing together diverse perspectives and breaking down the gates to resources and data, this podcast aims to benefit the community and help stakeholders make confident moves.

Tune in for a variety of engaging episodes, including:

  • Guest interviews with founders, investors, and operators sharing real-life lessons from the field.
  • Solo thought leadership covering market trends, data-informed decision-making, and what makes a founder backable.
  • Panel discussions where investors and operators debate strategy and exchange valuable perspectives.
  • Deep-dive case studies exploring growth journeys and analyzing deals that closed phenomenally or didn't close at all.
  • Industry news reacting to current headlines and policy shifts.
  • Interactive Q&A sessions driven directly by your questions and feedback.

New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Subscribe to join the conversation, and let your input shape the topics and guests we bring on the show!

]]> Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:44:05 -0400 Lauren Chuhta Lauren Chuhta 429 Welcome to the Carnelian Ventures podcast, hosted by Lauren Chuhta. This show explores the powerful intersection of venture operations and social impact. Join us as we dive into how storytelling and data can be mobilized as evidence to empower your pitches, investment evaluations, and everyday decision-making in the venture capital space.

Drawing on her background in global development and research into how language shapes decision-making across various global institutions, Lauren investigates how to scale good intentions into tangible, widespread impact. By bringing together diverse perspectives and breaking down the gates to resources and data, this podcast aims to benefit the community and help stakeholders make confident moves.

Tune in for a variety of engaging episodes, including:

  • Guest interviews with founders, investors, and operators sharing real-life lessons from the field.
  • Solo thought leadership covering market trends, data-informed decision-making, and what makes a founder backable.
  • Panel discussions where investors and operators debate strategy and exchange valuable perspectives.
  • Deep-dive case studies exploring growth journeys and analyzing deals that closed phenomenally or didn't close at all.
  • Industry news reacting to current headlines and policy shifts.
  • Interactive Q&A sessions driven directly by your questions and feedback.

New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Subscribe to join the conversation, and let your input shape the topics and guests we bring on the show!

]]> Carnelian Ventures, Venture Capital & Operations, Social Impact, Storytelling & Data, Data-Informed, Decision-Making, Investment, Evaluations, Founders & Investors, Community Development, Market Trends, Startup Pitching No Lauren Chuhta