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
Empathy at Scale: Lisa Popovici on Building the Future of CX with AI
What happens when a frustrated operator decides to solve her own problem—and ends up building one of the most empathetic AI companies in the market?
Lisa Popovici, Co-founder of Siena AI, joins First Builders to share how running multiple e-commerce brands led her to create a conversational AI platform that actually understands customer sentiment, not just scripted keywords.
Before launching Siena, Lisa felt firsthand the pain of delivering great customer experience while protecting margins and sanity. Today, Siena has raised $10M+ from investors including Sierra Ventures, Partech, Aglaé Ventures (LVMH), and The Council Capital. Their AI agents handle high-emotion customer conversations—at scale—without losing the human touch.
In this episode, Lisa shares:– How she went from DTC founder to AI entrepreneur before the 2023 AI boom– The hardest pitch she ever made—and the moment she knew she had to build Siena– Why “empathy at scale” isn’t a buzzword but a moat– Lessons on co-founder dynamics, hiring for early teams, and standing out in a competitive AI market– Why traditional customer support isn’t dead—but is being radically redefined
It’s a masterclass in turning pain into product and building tech with a soul.
Follow Lisa Popovici
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisapopovici
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/lisapopovici
Company: https://www.siena.cx
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Show Notes
- Lisa’s journey from e-commerce founder to AI entrepreneur
- Building Siena AI before the mainstream AI wave
- Designing AI agents that read emotional context, not just text
- Co-founder dynamics and staying aligned over years of building
- Why empathy and defensibility are core to CX innovation
- Lessons for founders hiring their first 10 employees