Julia DeWahl
@juliadewahl
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Co-founder & President of Antares. Age of Miracles Season 1 co-host. Angel investor. Formerly Starlink @ SpaceX and Opendoor.
Los Angeles, CA
Joined May 2010
Nuclear energy is carbon-free, reliable 24/7, and incredibly safe -- yet it remains misunderstood, rarely celebrated, and deeply underinvested in. I wrote this essay about why that is, and how we can build more of it. Comments/Qs/feedback welcome! .
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The @SpaceX Starlink team is gearing up for a big 2021! . Starlink is a game changer for worldwide access to the economic & educational opportunities of high-speed Internet. It’s an amazing time to get on board & we are hiring. DM me if you’re interested!. Open roles:👇🏼
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TODAY IS THE VOTE. Do it for clean air, do it for energy abundance, do it for grid stability, do it for our climate, do it for our kids - just do it! . #SaveDiabloCanyon #SB846 @moms4nuclear @savecleanenergy @Gen_Atomic
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Big week for nuclear energy! . 1) Greta Thunberg reverses course & for 1st time supports nuclear: "a mistake to close down plants to focus on coal". 2) Canadian uranium company Cameco purchases Westinghouse (nuclear reactor co) in vote of confidence in nuclear industry. 👇.
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Doesn’t feel like we’d lose too much if all books were half their length, but would gain so much from being able to read twice as many books. Would love to see the new standard for nonfiction book length cut by 50%.
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Whenever I meet an interesting woman in Silicon Valley who’s not on Twitter (just happened this AM; haven’t met interesting man not on Twitter), I am adamant they join immediately. I’ve learned so much, deepened relationships, and even met new people IRL because of it.
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Californians: make sure to vote tomorrow. In LA as of 6/4, almost 50% of votes from age 65+, meanwhile only 5% from young people (<34). Abysmal. Vote @ShellenbergerMD for Governor to bring common sense to crime, homelessness, energy & overall governance.
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I am excited to announce Antares!. @jordanbramble and I started Antares with a shared vision of abundant clean energy for all, from Earth to the asteroid belt. We're building micro-sized nuclear reactors to provide power to remote off-grid locations.
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I was Chief of Staff @Opendoor when we scaled from 200 to 800 people in a year. I wrote a post about the role, including FAQs for both execs and potential Chiefs of Staff.
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The smell of the smoke in San Francisco makes me nostalgic for my time living in India at age 22. For those who are from there or have also spent time there, curious if the smell also brings you back?.
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Legislation to remove the nuclear energy ban is being introduced in Australia. The tide is slowing turning.
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I wrote a guide I could have used back in the day when joining Opendoor. Hope it's helpful for anyone making the jump into startup land!
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Thrilled to announce that we’ve raised a $30M Series A!. This round will accelerate the development and demonstration of our first reactor. Couldn't be a better time to be building in nuclear!.
We are thrilled to announce our $30M Series A fundraise, led by AltCap @jaltma and @caffenaitedcap!. Antares is building microreactors to power defense, space and industrial critical infrastructure and we’re excited to accelerate the development of our first reactor.
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Breaking: new podcast Age of Miracles is now live!. Join me and @packym for Season 1: Nuclear Energy as we go deep on both fission and fusion energy. Take the nuke-pill and enjoy!
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Highlights of the 2010s: .🇳🇪 Lived in India and Italy.🌉 Moved to SF.📈Joined and scaled a startup.😇 Invested in 23 companies.😍 Married my wonderful husband .🚴🏼♀️ Got into cycling & backcountry skiing.🌎 Travelled the world w/ hubs. Looking forward to this next decade!.
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We need to change the narrative from *nuclear energy is bad* to *nuclear energy is cool*. Badass TED talk from @i_sodope_ who has been championing nuclear energy since before it was remotely cool 👏.
the idea that nuclear power is bad is costing us our future, and it’s time to let go of it. my @TEDTalks is now live! please watch and share, i’d love to hear your thoughts 💕 #tedtalk #nuclearpower .
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Bravo @AOC for changing your mind on nuclear energy and sharing your latest thinking on the topic. The progressive left has been slow to embrace nuclear, but here's hoping that changes. Women also poll less supportive of nuclear than men, so great to see more women champions 💪.
Massive cultural shift: superstar Democratic congresswomen @AOC describes how she safely visited a triple-meltdown site in Japan. She further describes French nuclear waste recycling as a good thing. She has 9 million followers, many of whom are young women. This is wild:
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Newsom proposed $1.4B to extend life of Diablo Canyon, 9% of CA electricity. Breaking: counter from CA Dems is to close Diablo and use $1.4B+ for energy efficiency & speeding up renewables. This will not make up for loss of reliable, clean Diablo. We'll turn to nat gas instead 😵.
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3) X-Energy breaks ground on first commercial-scale advanced nuclear fuel facility in US. 4) Sweden announces it will begin to build nuclear again, proposing policy change from 100% renewables goal to 100% fossil-free goal. ⚛️⚛️⚛️.
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We’re just getting started 😄.
Starlink is going to change remote work completely.
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Opendoor has been hit hard by Covid-19. Tough day today with layoffs impacting 600 people, 35% of the team. There are incredible folks now looking for their next gig. Please share with those who are hiring! .
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Had fun chatting with @HarryStebbings on his show @twentyminutevc! . We talk about: .- How to evaluate operationally complex businesses.- The power of checklists & paired metrics.- How to thrive as a generalist.
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While this level of wealth generation is astounding, so is the fact that much of it will transfer to current SF property owners, many of whom are of another generation and never worked in tech. Right place, right time.
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I (finally) built a personal website! . Includes links to my blog posts and travel guides based on the trips I took in 2019. This is where I’ll post all future writing.
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Enjoyed an incredible 2 weeks in New Zealand. Unparalleled natural beauty, friendly people, focus on environmental stewardship, and delightful small cities. Highlights: hiking Roys Peak (see pic), Kinloch lodge’s cabins, the Routeburn track, and cycling near Mt Cook.
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Lots of good stuff in today’s Stratechery. My reaction: Airbnb is best positioned to compete with Google compared to the other OTAs.
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Did you hear?! @packyM is launching a podcast! . Age of Miracles debuts later this month and I'm thrilled to be co-hosting Season 1 on Nuclear Energy!.
Introducing: Age of Miracles. Each season, we're diving into one frontier industry that will shape our superabundant future. We'll talk about the tech, plus the nitty-gritty that goes into actually implementing it. For Season 1, I teamed up with @juliadewahl. We're covering
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Who are the smartest people working on battery storage? Best writing on the topic?. The future of nuclear energy, particularly its economic viability, will be heavily influenced by the perception (and eventually the reality) of our path to cost-effective storage.
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Country Launch Manager: (more Ops / GM roles coming soon too). Growth Manager - job description coming soon! DM me to learn more. Software Engineer - hiring on both the Consumer & Constellation teams:
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Not nearly enough coverage of this and we need both the public and private sectors rallied here.
Do most people realize that the space race between USA v China has started???. This past week:. - China setup their own independent space station & did a video call with Xi XinPing.- China announced their Mars base plans.- USA permanently prohibiting cooperation w/ China in space
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Proud to be a tiny part of the critically important collaboration between tech and government 🤝. Thank you @jacobhelberg and @zebulgar for organizing yet another successful Hill & Valley forum 🇺🇸
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Excited to be a very small part of this! Ad astra @zebulgar & team! 🚀🚀🚀.
Thrilled to announce that we raised a $9m "seed" for @vardaspace co-led by @foundersfund & @Lux_Capital w/ participation from Also Capital @fiftyyears @tonsing @naval @Justin_Mateen. Coverage by Axios here:.
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Most people don’t realize that nuclear accounts for almost 20% of US electricity and 50% its carbon-free electricity. Some fun facts from @GovNuclear 👇.
WATCH👀: Dive into the numbers of the nation's largest source of clean power—nuclear energy. You might be impressed!
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Big day for @Opendoor! I'm proud to have been a part of this journey, and feel so lucky to have worked alongside such an incredible team.
Today we announced our intent to become a public company, marking a major milestone for us on our mission to empower everyone with the freedom to move.
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Historic vote last night to pass SB846 to allow operations to continue until at least 2030 at Diablo Canyon!. Nuclear energy is clean, reliable, 24/7 energy and Californians will benefit from this decision for years to come 👏. #SaveDiabloCanyon #SB846
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Glad to see a whiff of common sense here. There is no good reason to shut down Diablo Canyon @GavinNewsom. We should instead be upgrading and expanding it, and building more (carbon-free!) nuclear. California should be leading the way.
With the threat of power shortages looming and the climate crisis worsening, Gov. Gavin Newsom may attempt to delay the long-planned closure of California’s largest electricity source: the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant.
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Excited to announce that Frontier, the women’s cycling apparel line I’ve been working on, is now live! . Our debut collection features a jersey, windbreaker, and signature high-waisted cycling short. Shop now at
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Took a pandemic but you can finally pay via QR code in the US!
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CA legislature is voting TOMORROW on future of Diablo Canyon. Hotly debated & sadly many "environmental" groups are lobbying hard against it. We need more pro-nuclear voices: call your local reps to support Bill 846: Replace fossil fuels, not nuclear!🙏.
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Yes! This! 📡 🛰 📡 . The opportunity and joy we on the Starlink team get to deliver with each dishy is game changing, and we are scaling up worldwide 🚀.
Imagine being a talented customer support manager working at a growth-stage SaaS company when you could be helping people get their "dishys" set up in amazing off-the-grid locations for Starlink. 📡🛰🚀.
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"We must stop seeing nuclear waste as a dangerous problem and instead recognize it as a safe byproduct of carbon-free power.". Excellent piece from @MadiHilly on nuclear waste in the NY Times Opinion section:
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Another week another DC trip with @jordanbramble working to make it happen for microreactors ☢️ . Defense Modernization Congressional caucus and Pentagon visit to OUSD Research & Engineering were highlights of the trip 🤝
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2018 had some great reads. The Courage to be Disliked was my favorite (h/t @justindross for the rec), closely followed by Why We Sleep and High Growth Handbook. Loving the book list shares - great inspo for 2019!
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Planning a trip to Hawaii! 6 days, open to all islands. Looking for recs on anything outdoorsy (biking, hiking, beginner surf spots), funky (thrift shops, hole-in-wall eateries), and lodging (thinking eco-y or guest house style, not fancy). 🙏🏼🏝🌋.
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Working with several awesome early stage teams who are looking to hire their 1st or 2nd Ops generalist. Similar to the role I took at Opendoor in 2014, with unparalleled opportunity for personal growth. Lmk if you are exploring your next gig and want to learn more!.
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Germany shuts down its last 3 nuclear plants today, which provide electricity to 10 million homes. Coal will take its place, emitting pollution and carbon. Even Greta thinks this is a bad idea, as does over 60% of the German population. History won't look kindly on this.
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and last but not least: . 5) Vogtle Unit 3 in Georgia started fueling today! . This is the first nuclear power plant to come online since Watts Bar Unit 2 in 2016 (and before that there hadn't been a new reactor since 1996).
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4th time getting my bike and/or wheels stolen in broad daylight in SF. This just happened to my bike in front of Sightglass on 7th. 😡.@SFPD @LondonBreed
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Section 2: nuclear energy is a powerful form of carbon-free energy that is:. - Safer and cleaner than fossil fuels.- More consistent and reliable than renewables.- Space and resource efficient
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Just kicked off a few months of travel to explore, read and write, and enjoy time with family and friends. Started in Egypt, just arrived in Israel, then Paris for a month, then more of Europe. Would love book/travel/meetup recs 🙌.
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A step in the right direction on the nuclear regulatory front!. The first small modular nuclear reactor design has been approved by the NRC (after 6 years in progress). I am hopeful this plus NEIMA legislation pushes the NRC to move faster to unlock innovation in nuclear.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission certified a new, smaller nuclear reactor design on Friday that could avoid many of the problems that have made large plants exceedingly expensive.
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People get hung up on nuclear waste, but it’s the only energy industry than manages its own waste. It also takes up very little space and is easily contained. We don’t manage the toxic waste from other industries, such as solar, with nearly enough care.
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Senator Feinstein reversed her support for shutting down Diablo Canyon, California's only nuclear plant that provides 10% of its electricity 👏👏. Shutting down Diablo would mean blackouts & more fossil fuels. No brainer: we need Diablo.
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Let’s go!!!.
Thrilled that $IPOB becomes $OPEN on Monday, 12/21.
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Get ready for the next round of Fundraise from Home! . I'm excited to be hosting a weekly demo day alongside some stellar investors @jmj @HarryStebbings @Nivo0o0 @alexia @imchristiepitts @toddg777 @jamesbeshara. Thanks @weekendfund for organizing! 🙌🏼.
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Section 4: the future of nuclear requires:. - Regulatory reform.- More government support.- More public support.- Innovative nuclear companies (and SMRs!)
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Looking forward to this!! . I’ll be speaking about how we can make progress in nuclear power ☢️.
Announcing Progress Conference 2024: Toward Abundant Futures. Hosted by @rootsofprogress together with @foresightinst @HumanProgress @TheIHS @IFP @WorksInProgMag . Keynotes from @patrickc @tylercowen @jasoncrawford @sapinker. Berkeley, Oct 18–19
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Section 3: nuclear's challenges: . - Over-burdensome regulation.- Negative public perception.- Limited government support.- Cost to build
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1/ I’m glad the US has started to take serious steps to manage the outbreak of COVID-19, but I worry about future outbreaks and 2nd order effects. Top of mind for me recently:.
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This gives me the chills - I’ve biked this exact route home from work for 4.5 years. Hugely supportive of more biking infrastructure for our city. Let’s encourage biking, not discourage it.
We need protected bike lanes, now.
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You know your granola probably shouldn’t be breakfast food when you also eat it for dessert. .
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Section 1: the history of nuclear energy and the anti-nuclear movement
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So excited and proud that Opendoor customers can now buy *any* home on the market through the Opendoor app! . The @Open_Listings team played a huge role in this coming to life - great to have them as part of the Opendoor family.
Today Opendoor launched a new home buying service in Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Raleigh-Durham! . You can now browse, self-tour, and buy any for-sale home right through the Opendoor app. Learn more:.
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Did a fun Q&A with @sarthakgh on side projects, Opendoor, angel investing and more. Sar - you always ask the best questions and love this format! 🙌🏼.
Just published my chat with @juliadewahl . I love the level of detail she engages with in every answer . We talk about her latest project, angel investing, mindsets to excel at startups vs consulting, why there are so many Bain alums in SV, and more .
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Had fun chatting nuclear energy with the @MOZ_Podcast gang today! . We debate the importance of public support and cover regulatory reform, climate narratives, nuclear vs solar, nationalized utilities vs free market, & more w/ @dwr @eriktorenberg @packyM .
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Here's a photo with our first customer to "trade-in" their house with us. They found their dream home, and we made it happen for them. I'm grateful to our first customers for taking a chance on us in the early days.
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Day 2 back in the Bay Area! . Biking the Pescadero area was 💯 on a day like today. Made up for Day 1 that included getting harassed by a homeless guy and a stolen package 😕
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Opendoor alum @ryanmjohnson is building the first car-free neighborhood in the US! 🙅🏼♀️🚗.
Excited to announce Culdesac Tempe - the first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the U.S. #carfree .
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Take 1 minute to share your support for Diablo Canyon, California's last remaining nuclear power plant, with legislators who are *currently considering new legislation* to reverse the planned decommissioning of the plant👇.
Want to fight climate change right now?. Sign the petition to join 79 leading scientists who are calling on CA officials to keep the Diablo Canyon power plant open. Fight climate change, keep the lights on, and save consumers billions of dollars! ✊🏼.
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Annual book post. 2019 featured more geopolitics and memoirs than usual. ** denotes favorites. Happy new year! 🥳
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7 years ago tomorrow. I thought I was late to crypto. 🙂.
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If this doesn't get legislators to realize how much we need Diablo Canyon (9% of California's electricity!), I'm not sure what will.
August 24: California bans sale of new gasoline-powered cars. August 30: California asks Californians to avoid charging electric vehicles due to electricity shortages
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A couple great opportunities if you're looking to get into angel investing: . 1) Invest alongside the talented @tonsing ☕️ 2) Join the @beondeck Angel Fellowship with one of my faves @eriktorenberg 🎙️
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Excellent thread about the nuclear waste myth 👏. Nuclear waste takes up a tiny amount of space, can be recycled into more fuel, and is responsibly managed, unlike the toxic waste from many other industries.
MYTH: We don't have a solution to nuclear's "waste problem". REALITY: Nuclear waste isn't a problem. In fact, it’s the best solution we have to meeting our energy needs while protecting the natural environment! . Here's what you need to know:.
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Hats off to my dear friend @zachperret and the entire @plaid team for building an incredibly valuable company empowering fintech companies and consumers👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼.
We’re incredibly excited to share that Plaid is joining @Visa! . Together, we’re looking forward to expanding our products for developers and connecting consumers with the fintech services that are making money easier for everyone. More details here.
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Couldn't have said it better. Hugely disappointing that the Governor of Illinois vetoed a bill to lift the state's moratorium on new nuclear. And sad that the Sierra Club remains anti-nuclear, despite being an "environmental" non-profit.
Keep thinking about this. I think one of our biggest structural challenges is that the kind of person who would fight things like nuclear have nothing better to do than organize, and the people who support things like nuclear are busy doing things.
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We’re starting with the defense market to enable our military and allies to untether from the burden of fossil fuel supply chains and power next-generation defense technologies.
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Maya Angelou really nailed it: “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”. Resonating as I reflect back on who I spent time with in 2018, and what I’m looking for in 2019.
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We’re a multi-disciplinary team from SpaceX, MIT, the Air Force, and Rigetti Computing, based in Los Angeles. If you’re excited about bringing small-scale nuclear to the world, we’d love to chat!.
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We have raised $8M in seed funding from @caffeinatedcap, @humbavc, @SusaVentures, @PathbreakerVC, @alice__LG, @ShrugCap, @uncommon_cap, @itsmoislam, @hberkman, and many awesome angels.
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Enjoyed spending time in France, Greece and Italy this summer. Wrote up some recs to share. Paris: Greece: Southern Italy: Lmk if you’re headed to one of these spots and need help trip planning!.
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Travel recs for Israel, Egypt and Jordan below. So much history that's highly relevant to what's happening in today's world, plus good food and beautiful places. Lmk if you're going! . Israel: Egypt: Jordan:
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We raised money to transform how people buy and sell homes. Now onwards to 50 cities and hundreds of thousands of customers served! 🏘️
Excited to partner with new and existing investors who share our vision for transforming real estate and building an experience that is simple, frictionless, and stress-free.
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Had fun giving a talk on nuclear energy at the Progress Conference. Now available online for anyone who wants to check it out!.
First batch of recorded talks from Progress Conference 2024 are available now for your holiday viewing pleasure!. 17 videos featuring @tylercowen @sapinker @jasoncrawford @CJHandmer @bkugelma @celinehalioua @vpostrel @juliadewahl @elidourado @salonium @Marian_L_Tupy @AlecStapp
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