The Next Mountain Podcast

Louis Gagnon, serial entrepreneur and former C-suite leader who built HIV prevention programs in Rwanda and scaled tech companies, shares a life turned inward. He discusses shifting from analysis to following the heart. Topics include meditation and witnessing, company values of compassion/passion/dispassion, replacing KPIs with connection conversations, and the idea of human regeneration and regenerative entrepreneurship.

Raman Sehgal, entrepreneur who built and sold a pharmaceutical marketing agency, reflects on life after an unplanned exit. He talks about the unexpected loneliness after reaching the pot of gold. He explores transitioning to board roles, coaching and peer support, creative outlets like stand-up, and creating youth programs that teach real-life skills.

Ananda Fitzsimmons, entrepreneur-turned-ecosystem restorer who built an ag‑biotech company that raised $50M, shares her path from psychotherapy to living soils work. She explores why soil, water and biodiversity matter for climate. She talks about founding and exiting a biotech, rethinking economics to value nature, and practical tools for regenerative agriculture.

Sami Inkinen, Finnish-American entrepreneur who founded Trulia and now leads Virta Health, explains his shift from post-IPO disorientation to a life driven by purpose. He describes rowing the Pacific, discovering metabolic disease as his North Star, and choosing a mission-first path to scale impact. Short, action-driven moves and deliberate discomfort guided his next chapter.

Kerry Siggins, CEO of StoneAge and author of The Ownership Mindset, who led her company to a 100% ESOP and writes about ownership and legacy. She talks about rising to leadership at 28, transforming company culture through employee ownership, scaling decision-making and autonomy, adapting ownership across global teams, and defining legacy as everyday impact.

Cordell Jacks, CEO and General Partner at Regenerative Capital Group and serial social entrepreneur, reframes business as relational and life-giving. He discusses regeneration as a paradigm shift, trust-based investing, stewarding SME transitions, inner development for leaders, and practical steps to move from extractive models to long-term, community-rooted approaches.

What happens after you exit a business and realize the real work might just be beginning?In this episode of The Next Mountain Podcast, Roy Moëd reflects on his entrepreneurial journey, the emotional complexity of building and exiting companies, and the quieter questions that surfaced once the exit was behind him. He speaks candidly about the peaks and troughs of entrepreneurship, the relief and disorientation that can come with letting go, and the search for meaning that often follows.We explore how Roy found renewed purpose through Lifebook Memoirs, a venture dedicated to preserving personal stories and legacies across generations. Through his work, he has discovered that the process of storytelling can be just as powerful as the stories themselves, creating connection, healing, and continuity between people and across time.✨ Key Themes in This ConversationFinding purpose and fulfillment after an exitStorytelling as a way to preserve memory and meaningLegacy as something lived and shared, not achievedCreating impact through connection, one story at a time

What happens when purpose driven work pushes the body past its limits, and success comes at the cost of vitality?In this episode of The Next Mountain Podcast, we sit down with Yancy Wright, leadership retreat facilitator, conscious communication guide, and founder of a retreat center in Puerto Rico. Yancy shares his deeply personal journey from climbing his first mountain of professional success in green construction and sustainability to a life altering collapse that landed him in the ICU.What followed was a long and very human transition shaped by burnout and risk, with repeated invitations to slow down and listen. That process ultimately led Yancy to reconnect with his purpose and to found a retreat center rooted in presence, vitality, and a more sustainable way of leading.✨ Key Themes in This ConversationWhy purpose alone isn’t enough when work is fueled by stress and pressureBurnout as a signal, not a failure, and why high functioning doesn’t mean healthyThe unconscious commitment to struggle that keeps many leaders stuckNature as a powerful teacher for presence, intuition, and leadershipLearn More About YancyCasa Alternativa Retreat Center WebsiteAmplify your Leadership BookYancy Wright on Linkedin

Jordi Ricard, entrepreneur and co-leader of CURATED Vintage Supercars who moved from wealth-chasing to heart-led business. He recounts a $50,000 paid-forward moment that changed his path. Short stories explore shifting from transactional deals to unconditional giving. He describes how generosity reshaped company culture, mentorship, leadership, and the choice to write a book about paying it forward.

What shapes a founder beyond the metrics, the milestones, and the story on paper?In this episode of The Next Mountain Podcast, Dao Jensen opens up about her journey from arriving in the United States as a Vietnamese immigrant to becoming a successful tech entrepreneur and CEO. She talks about the challenges she faced, the mentors who changed her trajectory, and the personal loss that forced her to rethink what success really means.We explore what it looks like to build a career that aligns with your values, how vulnerability can deepen relationships, and why community, food, and shared experiences create the strongest foundations for support. Dao also reflects on her future aspirations and the impact she hopes to make through her speaking work and new projects.✨ Key Themes in This ConversationResilience and adaptability in the face of adversityThe role of mentorship in shaping career pathsHow personal loss can reshape purpose and prioritiesAligning work with personal values and cultural fitCommunity, connection, and the courage to be vulnerableLearn More About DaoLinkedinSix Sisters Website