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

Jan. 16, 2025

Breaking Pointe: San Francisco Ballet’s Tamara Rojo with Her Bold Vision for a Vibrant Future

In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan talks with Tamara Rojo, a trailblazing ballerina, choreographer, and artistic director of the San Francisco Ballet. Tamara shares her extraordinary journey from humble…
Jan. 2, 2025

The Breakdown: Andy Dunn on Building Bonobos, Battling Bipolar, and Reinventing Friendship with Pie

In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan talks with Andy Dunn, founder of Bonobos, author, and advocate for mental health. They discuss Andy's groundbreaking work in retail with Bonobos, his personal experien…
Dec. 19, 2024

Broken Records: Windy Chien on changing paths, tying stories into knots, and designing a new language of possibilities

In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan talks to Windy Chien, a former tech professional turned celebrated artist renowned for her intricate knots and innovative art installations. Windy shares her journey o…
Dec. 5, 2024

Breaking Bad: Kevin Caldwell and Ossium Health is banking on bone marrow for curing cancers and transforming regenerative care

In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan sits down with Kevin Caldwell, founder and CEO of Ossium Health. From blending astrophysics, economics, and law, Kevin's unconventional journey to biotech is as inspir…
Nov. 21, 2024

Split Sole: 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 …

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