Breaking Precedent

Breaking Precedent

Dive into the stories of innovators pushing the boundaries of social norms, challenging precedents, and setting new ones in their fields. In each episode, Leah uncovers the motivations, struggles, and triumphs of these pioneers, along with the groundbreaking ideas shaping our world. From technology to art to social justice, you'll hear untold stories of how precedents are broken and new paths are forged.

Recent Episodes

Nov. 21, 2024

Fashion: How Bianca Gates built Birdies and broke the mold in footwear

In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan talks with Bianca Gates, founder and CEO of Birdies, about her entrepreneurial journey. Bianca shares her upbringing as the daughter of Latin American immigrants, her …
Nov. 7, 2024

Art: Trevor Paglen with a bold artistic approach to challenging societal thinking and setting new precedents

In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan talks with Trevor Paglen, an artist, researcher, and adventurer. Trevor shares the hidden layers of our world through art, from covert military installations to unders…
Oct. 24, 2024

Venture Capital: Aaron Holiday on 645 ventures' data-driven approach to sourcing deals and bringing the invisible to life

In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan sits down with Aaron Holliday, Founder and Managing Director of 645 Ventures, a venture fund with an unprecedented model and a mission to bring the invisible to life. …
Oct. 10, 2024

Design: How Eric Ryan of Method, Olly, Welly, transforms boring products into billion dollar brands

In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan is joined by Eric Ryan, a transformational entrepreneur known for reimagining mundane product categories into billion-dollar brands. They dive into Eric’s playbook, ex…
Sept. 26, 2024

Social Impact: Shiza Shahid on co-founding the $1B Malala Fund to transforming kitchenware with Our Place

In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan is joined by a Pakistani-born social activist, angel investor, and co-founder of the Malala Fund. Shiza shares her journey from organizing relief efforts in Pakistan t…

About the Host

Leah Solivan Profile Photo

Leah Solivan

Engineer, Entrepreneur, Venture Capital Investor, Public Board Member

Leah is currently a General Partner at Fuel Capital, where she manages three high performing funds boasting top quartile performance. With a portfolio of over 150 companies that span a variety of sectors including consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail, she is an investor in Figma, Flexport, Lattice, Upwards, Bark, Pacaso and more. She’s passionate about finding founders and teams who are taking on world-changing ideas, and providing the support they need to maximize their potential.

Leah relates so well to founders because she is one herself. She created one of the most widely recognized new consumer technology brands of the past decade with TaskRabbit, the pioneering on-demand marketplace company she founded in 2008. TaskRabbit became a revolutionary concept that transformed the future of work and laid the foundation for the gig economy. As TaskRabbit’s CEO for eight years, Leah scaled the company into an international business with operations in 44 cities and more than $50 million in venture capital funding, from many of the top firms in Silicon Valley. In 2016, Leah transitioned into the role of executive chairwoman, and in 2017 oversaw TaskRabbit’s successful sale to IKEA, the multinational home decor corporation.

Prior to founding TaskRabbit, Leah began her career as a software engineer at IBM, where she worked for seven years on products including Lotus Notes and Domino. She earned a B.S. in Mathematics and Computer Science from Sweet Briar College, where she has served on the Board of Directors.

Leah serves o… Read More