Entrepreneur Speaker Series

James Werbe is a filmmaker turned founder whose path runs through nonprofit service, hands-on engineering, and a lifelong love of entrepreneurship. He is the Founder and CEO of Wayside Energy, a company revolutionizing the power grid making electricity cheaper, safer, and easier to expand. Wayside builds standardized, grid-scale battery systems that operate in any climate, replacing complex infrastructure with a simple, safe solution. This distributed network of batteries allows businesses and utilities to integrate renewables more widely while protecting the grid against blackouts.

Working where art, technology, and people meet, Jamesturns complex ideas into practical solutions that work in the field. Guided by his background in the arts and philosophy, he favors a creative and long term outlook on both people and industry, building choices that compound over time rather than quick wins. James has led teams, helped launch community initiatives, and brought products from sketch to deployment. He is a problem solver, curious, and focused on building tools that help others build a more optimistic future.

Jeanne Sikoff is the owner of Zander's Game House in Camarillo, an inviting events and gaming space dedicated to bringing friends and families together through screen-free play. Since opening the business in 2016, she has cultivated a vibrant community hub featuring a library of over 1,000 board games, along with hosting corporate events, team-building sessions, and celebrations. With more than 25 years of experience as a Corporate Operations Trainer at Pleasant Holidays, Jeanne developed extensive expertise in training, operations, and customer experience—skills that have fueled her success as a small business owner. Passionate about community engagement, she also serves in leadership roles with local organizations, continually working to create meaningful connections both in and beyond the gaming world.

Ian Hathaway is Co-Founder and General Partner of Far Out Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm based in the United States. He is also a startup advisor and mentor; senior fellow at the Brookings Institution; and board chair member at the Center for American Entrepreneurship. Most recently, Ian was SVP and Head of Capital Analytics at Techstars, where was a leader in the firm’s capital formation, fund management, and investment strategy activities globally, and was an advisor to Index Ventures.

Ian has a long track record as a thought leader in startups, innovation, and venture capital, and is co-author ofThe Startup Community Way, a book about entrepreneurial ecosystems published in 2020. His insights are regularly cited in leading press outlets, such as TheNew York Times, The Economist, Financial Times, and many others. He has been a frequent contributor to outlets such as theHarvard Business Review andTheWall Street Journal.

Ian has worked with large businesses, high-growth startups, and governments in the technology and media, startup and venture capital, financial services, and social sectors on a range of strategic, innovation, and analytical matters. He has advised, mentored, or invested in dozens of early-stage startups and emerging fund managers in the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Previously, Ian led product and innovation initiatives in the venture capital and media sectors (Techstars, Silicon Valley Bank, Bloomberg); was a consultant to major technology and financial services clients (e.g., Google, Goldman Sachs); was an economist at leading policymaking institutions (Federal Reserve Bank, World Trade Organization); was a founder, advisor, and early employee for data analytics startups; was a social entrepreneur (co-founded Center for American Entrepreneurship); and was an educator (New York University).

Ian is a graduate of the University of Chicago and the University of Dayton. He resides in Santa Barbara, California with his wife and three children.

Robert is a dynamic and accomplished professional, currently serving as the Director of Italian Business Development for gener8tor, a renowned venture capital firm, and accelerator. With a strong background in fostering innovation ecosystems, Robert plays a pivotal role in spearheading gener8tor's expansion into Italy.

With over 13 years of experience, Robert has established a remarkable track record in developing initiatives that bridge the gaps between various stakeholders in the entrepreneurial landscape. His expertise lies in forging strategic partnerships, cultivating entrepreneurship, and nurturing venture capital ecosystems. Prior to his role at gener8tor, Robert successfully led innovation ecosystem initiatives in California and Texas, where he facilitated collaborations between entrepreneurs, startups, development organizations, corporations, investors, academia, and government entities.

Beyond his role at gener8tor, Robert contributes to the growth of the venture capital community as an advisory board member for Ecliptic Capital, a prominent Austin-based venture fund. Additionally, he serves as the CO-CEO of Village Insights, an ecosystem management platform that empowers universities and innovation hubs to effectively manage and connect their networks, enabling them to achieve their objectives seamlessly.

Robert's expertise spans across various industry verticals, and his impact extends to multiple startups and startup accelerators, including MassChallenge Texas. Through his leadership and strategic vision, he envisions accelerating the Italian entrepreneurial landscape by establishing programs encompassing startup accelerators, corporate programming, speaker series, conferences, skills accelerators, and the launch of an Italian-based venture fund.

Matthew Weisman is the President of LetzChat, Inc., an innovative language technology company specializing in real-time translation solutions that enhance digital communication across industries including sports, media, enterprise, and government. A self-taught developer and entrepreneur, Matthew has led LetzChat’s growth since 2010, positioning the company within the Comcast ecosystem through its participation in the Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech Accelerator. Under his leadership, LetzChat has earned industry recognition, including being ranked among top AI companies on F6S and receiving the “Startup Superstar” award from the Pacific Coast Business Times. A graduate of California Lutheran University with a background in communications and journalism, Matthew combines technical innovation, public speaking, and global perspective to drive disruptive change in the language translation space.

Jordan Orlick is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of LetzChat, Inc., a global leader in real-time translation technology designed to eliminate language barriers across digital communication channels. Since founding the company in 2010, Jordan has driven its growth into a patented, multilingual platform supporting over 100 languages across websites, SMS, chat, voice, and video—serving industries including automotive, enterprise, and media. A highly creative and strategic leader with a background in internet marketing and ecommerce, he brings deep expertise in business strategy, product development, and digital transformation. Jordan is also the co-inventor of multiple patents, including a real-time chat and voice translation system, and has led LetzChat to industry recognition such as the “Startup Superstar” award from the Pacific Coast Business Times. He studied Electrical and Electronics Engineering at California State University, Northridge and is an Eagle Scout, reflecting his long-standing commitment to leadership and community.

Petra Griffith is the Founder and Managing Director of Wedbush Ventures, where she invests in visionary early-stage founders building companies that meaningfully change how we live and do business. Focused on pre-seed and seed investments—particularly in Southern California—Petra partners closely with entrepreneurs to help them achieve product-market fit and scale effectively. Prior to launching Wedbush Ventures in 2020, she held leadership roles spanning venture banking, product development, and innovation, including positions at Netflix and Grandpoint Bank, where she led initiatives supporting high-growth startups. A mentor at Techstars and former Pitch Coach for the Women Founders Network, Petra brings deep expertise across technology, finance, and product strategy. She earned her MBA from London Business School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.