Brad Feld: Startup Boards and Lessons from Four Decades in VC

Brad Feld: Startup Boards and Lessons from Four Decades in VC

Author: Evan Epstein October 1, 2025 Duration: 56:23
Brad Feld is a veteran venture capital investor, co-founder of Foundry and Techstars, and the co-author of Startup Boards, among many other books. We discuss his personal journey, from his early life and entry into VC during the internet boom, to co-founding Techstars and helping build hundreds of startups and their boards. Brad shares insights from Startup Boards and reflects on the importance of board dynamics, effective composition, and the evolving expectations of independent directors.

Ever wonder what really happens behind the closed doors of a corporate board meeting? Boardroom Governance with Evan Epstein pulls up a chair to that table. Each episode is built around a substantive, long-form conversation with a leading voice from the world of corporate oversight-founders who have navigated IPOs, seasoned board directors, institutional investors, legal scholars, and top executives. Evan Epstein guides these discussions beyond the headlines and dry policy to uncover the human dynamics and strategic decisions that define modern governance. You’ll hear firsthand about the evolving pressures on boards, from activist investors and regulatory shifts to technology disruptions and crises of leadership. More than just analysis, this podcast delves into the personal journeys and hard-won insights of the individuals shaping these critical conversations. It’s for anyone curious about the architecture of power, responsibility, and strategy at the highest levels of business. Tune in for a rare, nuanced look at the principles and people steering today’s most influential companies.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Boardroom Governance with Evan Epstein
Podcast Episodes
Raffaela Rein: How AI Is Changing the Way Boards Work [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:06
Raffaela Rein, CEO and founder of BoardLens, joins Evan to discuss how AI can help board members prepare better, ask sharper questions, and engage more deeply in strategy. They also explore AI risks, private-market gover…
Marc Huffman, CEO of OnBoard: AI Governance Inside the Board Portal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:33
Marc Huffman, CEO of OnBoard, joins the Boardroom Governance Podcast to discuss AI in the boardroom, director use of AI, and how AI may change the information gap between management and directors. This episode also marks…
Shannon Nash: Boards, AI Agents, and Human Judgment [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:00
Shannon Nash, COO and CFO of Vibrant Planet, Partner at Alpha, and board member at NetScout Systems, SoFi Bank, and Lazy Dog Restaurants, joins the Boardroom Governance Podcast to discuss boards, AI agents, human judgmen…
Sandra Gobert: European Governance in a Changing World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:26
Sandra Gobert, Executive Director of GUBERNA, joins the Boardroom Governance Podcast to discuss European corporate governance, board education, family firms, control structures, relationship agreements, state ownership,…
AI in the Boardroom: What Directors Need to Know Now [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:32
Marie Bafus and Wendy Grasso of Fenwick join the Boardroom Governance Podcast to discuss AI oversight, Caremark duties, mission-critical risk, board minutes, AI washing, disclosure, confidentiality, privilege, AI usage p…
Terry Johnson: Sports, Gaming, and Family Business Governance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:26
Terry Johnson, partner at WilmerHale and Co-Chair of the firm’s Sports & Gaming Practice, returns to discuss sports governance, gaming, family businesses, and family offices, including the sports investment boom, league…