Dual Threat CEOs

Dual Threat CEOs

Author: Paige Soya August 6, 2025 Duration: 38:15

At K Street, we’ve had the privilege of backing some incredible founders and over time, one theme has become increasingly clear: The most impactful leaders aren’t just building great companies, they’re also investing in others. These are dual threat CEOs: founders who play both offense and defense. They're scaling their own ventures while also writing early checks, mentoring rising entrepreneurs, and giving back to the ecosystem that helped them succeed. In the latest episode of High Stakes, K Street investor Sara Fagen joined Paige Soya to unpack what that role really looks like and why it matters. She shared a powerful perspective on how investing can be a vehicle for impact especially for new founders who have big ideas but lack access or experience. These early-stage bets often start with a conversation, a relationship, and a belief that someone just needs their first chance. That’s the ethos we carry at K Street. We back operators who pay it forward and we’re proud to count so many dual threat CEOs in our portfolio and community.


Behind every major innovation, there's usually a risky bet and a tense conversation that made it happen. High Stakes pulls back the curtain on those pivotal moments by focusing squarely on the world of early-stage venture capital. Instead of abstract theory, each conversation pairs a founder who has lived the grind with an investor who has backed the vision, creating a dynamic and often revealing dialogue. They tackle the specific trends and tough questions shaping the venture space right now, from evaluating a team's potential to navigating a market downturn. You'll hear the nuanced strategies, the candid mistakes, and the real-world compromises that define building and funding a company from the ground up. This podcast is built for anyone curious about the mechanics and human drama of startup investing, offering a genuine sense of how capital flows to ideas and what it truly takes to succeed. Tune in for unscripted perspectives that clarify how high-risk decisions are made and what both sides learn when the stakes are at their absolute highest.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 64

High Stakes
Podcast Episodes
Fundraising from VCs: Game Changing Insider Tips | Basel Fakhoury [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:58
What would you do if you spent two years working relentlessly on a startup idea only to realize no one wants it? That’s exactly what happened to Basel Fakhoury before he and his co-founders scrapped their first business…
The End Is Not the End | Greg Vetter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:06
In the final episode of Season 2, K Street Capital’s Managing Partner, Paige Soya, sits down with Greg Vetter—the driving force behind Tessemae’s, one of the nation’s most iconic condiment brands.Greg unpacks the journey…
Why Transparency Can Make or Break a Transaction | Dimitry Gershenson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:19
In this episode of High Stakes, Dimitry Gershenson shares how his team tackled the operational and financial diligence required to pull it off, in this conversation K Street Capital’s Managing Partner, Paige Soya.Dimitry…
Leverage IP For A Winning Exit | Todd Bracher & Paige Soya [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:13
How do you leverage intellectual property for M&A?In this episode of High Stakes, Todd Bracher joins Paige Soya to answer. With over 20+ years experience in building great products, Todd believes that the world’s biggest…
What No One Tells You Before Getting Acquired | Scott Tilton [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:13
Hookit was acquired by KORE Software for much more than the $20 million they raised over three funding rounds.But getting there was no walk in the park.In this episode of High Stakes, K Street Managing Partner Paige Soya…
3 Exit Strategies That Changed Everything, Featuring Zach Axelrod [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:30
In this episode of High Stakes, host Paige Soya dives in with Zach Axelrod, CEO of Redball Energy, uncovering the game-changing moments that shaped his entrepreneurial success. Discover:• How financial leverage and perfe…