First Builders
The First Builders Podcast from The Council dives into the stories of those who go first—founders, funders, and early operators who helped build category-defining companies before they were household names. Hosted by General Partner Amber Illig and Partner Rachel Tsui, each episode brings a candid, practical conversation with someone who has helped shape companies before there was a playbook.
First Builders
Latest Episodes
Inside Clinical Trials: Kyle McAllister on Infrastructure, AI, and Building in Healthcare
In this episode of First Builders, Amber Illig and Rachel Tsui talk with Kyle McAllister, Co-founder and CEO of Trially, about what it really looks like to build inside the clinical trial ecosystem.Kyle shares ...
Building for Builders: Meagan Gamache on Craft, Platforms, and the Future of DevTools
In this episode of First Builders, Amber Illig and Rachel Tsui sit down with Meagan Gamache, VP of Product at Render, to explore what it really means to build products for the people who build everything else.Meagan share...
Reindustrializing America: Zane Hengsperger on Building Nox Metals and the Future of Manufacturing
In this episode of First Builders, Amber Illig and Rachel Tsui sit down with Zane Hengsperger, Founder and CEO of Nox Metals, an AI-powered metal supplier building automated factories in Detroit.Zane grew up around manufa...
The Future of Healthcare Revenue: Eliana Berger on Fragmentation, AI, and Financial Infrastructure
In this episode of First Builders, Amber Illig and Rachel Tsui sit down with Eliana Berger, Co-Founder and CEO of Joyful Health, following the company’s recent $22M raise and rapid growth.Joyful Health began with a simple but ...
Trust Is the Product: Tina Hwang on Navigating Regulation, Global Growth, and Chaos
In this episode of First Builders, Amber Illig and Rachel Tsui sit down with Tina Hwang, Head of Legal at ClassDojo, whose career spans some of the most consequential moments in modern tech. From Google’s rise to WhatsApp’s global expansion, Tw...
