## Leadership Wisdom from a Fintech Pioneer

Doug Lebda, the visionary **cofounder and CEO of LendingTree**, left behind a powerful legacy of entrepreneurship and leadership insights before his tragic passing in an ATV accident. His journey building one of fintech's most successful companies offers invaluable guidance for aspiring founders and business leaders.

![Doug Lebda, LendingTree founder and CEO, has died.](https://i.insider.com/68ed761f1c1f80efbec582f7?width=700)

*Source: Steve Jennings/Getty Images*

### 1. **Embrace the Entrepreneurial Mindset**
Lebda demonstrated that true entrepreneurship begins with a specific way of thinking—one that sees opportunities where others see obstacles. His approach to building LendingTree showcased how identifying market gaps and having the courage to pursue innovative solutions can disrupt entire industries.

### 2. **Build with Customer Focus**
At the core of LendingTree's success was Lebda's unwavering commitment to **solving real customer problems**. He understood that sustainable businesses are built by addressing genuine needs and creating value for users, rather than simply chasing profits.

### 3. **Lead Through Vision and Execution**
As CEO, Lebda exemplified how strong leadership combines **big-picture vision** with meticulous execution. His ability to articulate a compelling future while managing day-to-day operations proved essential for scaling LendingTree into a household name.

### 4. **Navigate Challenges with Resilience**
The fintech pioneer's career wasn't without obstacles, but his **resilience in facing adversity** became a hallmark of his leadership style. He showed that overcoming setbacks is often what separates successful entrepreneurs from the rest.

### 5. **Foster Innovation and Adaptation**
In the rapidly evolving financial technology space, Lebda emphasized the importance of staying agile and innovative. His leadership demonstrated that continuous adaptation and willingness to evolve are crucial for long-term success in competitive markets.

These lessons from Doug Lebda's remarkable career provide a blueprint for anyone looking to make their mark in the world of entrepreneurship and leadership.

Here are five career lessons on entrepreneurship and leadership from Doug Lebda, the LendingTree founder, who died in an ATV accident.

5 Game-Changing Entrepreneurship Lessons from LendingTree Founder Doug Lebda

## Airbound's Vision for Ultra-Cheap Drone Delivery

**Airbound**, an innovative Indian drone startup, has secured **$8.65 million** in seed funding to advance its mission of enabling **one-cent deliveries** using uniquely designed drones. The funding round was led by **Lachy Groom**, co-founder of Physical Intelligence, with participation from Humba Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and senior leaders from Tesla, SpaceX, and Anduril.

### Revolutionary Drone Design

Founded in 2020 by **Naman Pushp** when he was just 15, Airbound has developed a drone that features a **tail-sitter design**, allowing it to launch vertically like a rocket and fly efficiently like a plane. The aircraft uses a **blended-wing-body shape** with two propellers, diverging from the common quadcopter setup. This design enhances **aerodynamic efficiency**, reducing the energy required for flight and enabling significant cost savings.

### Achieving One-Cent Delivery

Pushp explains that traditional electric two-wheelers in India cost about ₹2 (approximately $0.02) per kilometer to deliver payloads under 3 kilograms. Airbound's drone, named the **TRT**, aims to slash this cost to as low as **10 paise (around $0.001)** per kilometer by eliminating the human driver and reducing transport weight by roughly **30 times**. This could lead to a **20-fold decrease in energy costs**, making one-cent delivery a realistic goal.

### Technical Innovations and Efficiency

The drone's **carbon fiber frame** and efficient design allow it to carry payloads efficiently. The current version weighs **3.3 pounds** and can carry up to **2.2 pounds**, with a future version targeting a **6.6-pound payload** while weighing only **2.6 pounds**. By using **lithium-ion batteries** instead of lithium-polymer, Airbound extends battery life to 500-800 cycles, reducing replacement costs—a major operational expense.

### From Humble Beginnings to High Ambitions

Pushp started Airbound during the COVID-19 lockdown, inspired by Zipline. His early prototype, made from basic materials, won a $500 grant at a hackathon. Despite not getting into Y Combinator, he secured funding from sources like the 1517 Fund and Lightspeed, signing his first term sheet at 18. Today, Airbound has raised over **$10 million** and employs **50 people**.

### Pilot Programs and Future Plans

Airbound has launched a pilot with **Narayana Health** in Bengaluru, delivering medical supplies like blood samples and tests, with a goal of **10 deliveries per day**. Beyond healthcare, the startup targets **quick commerce, food delivery, and other last-mile sectors**. Production is set to scale from one drone per day to over **100 drones daily**, aiming for **one million deliveries per day by mid-2027**. Expansion to the **U.S. is planned within three years**, pending regulatory approvals from bodies like India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

### Funding and Growth Strategy

The latest funding will boost manufacturing and operational expansion. By improving services and cutting costs through the pilot, Airbound prepares for broader adoption in 2026, positioning itself as a leader in efficient, autonomous logistics.

Lachy Groom backs Airbound in $8.65M seed round as it launches pilot in Bengaluru.

How a 20-Year-Old's Rocket-Like Drones Could Revolutionize Delivery with One-Cent Costs

## From Rejection to Chief Marketing Officer at Cluely

Daniel Min, a recent graduate from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, shares his journey from internship rejections to becoming the **Chief Marketing Officer** at the viral AI startup **Cluely**.

### Overcoming Rejection and Finding a Path

After being rejected from every internship in consulting, finance, tech, and entertainment, Min settled for a social media intern role at a startup called RecruitU. There, he grew their Instagram from 0 to 100,000 followers and his personal account from 0 to 50,000, while increasing the company's user base by 400%. He emphasizes that **persistence in content creation** was key, noting that he "flopped for four years" before one successful video changed everything.

### The Turning Point: A Call from Cluely's Founder

Roy, the founder of Cluely, noticed Min's social media success and reached out with a job offer. Initially, Min only intended to film a YouTube video with Roy, but he was convinced by the startup's **grand vision** and joined the team.

![Photo collage of an anonymous man and coding imagery](https://i.insider.com/68e7c5d6cc993f9955cfdd35?width=700)

### Leveraging Distribution Over Technical Skills

Min highlights that he has **zero coding skills** but leveraged his **edge in distribution** through social media. He believes that in today's landscape, **creating your own demand** is crucial, and social media offers a unique opportunity to do so.

### The Startup Environment: High Expectations and Rapid Learning

At Cluely, expectations are high, with team members often working from wake-up to bedtime, leading to irregular sleep schedules. Min describes the startup environment as one that **cuts through all the BS**, requiring everyone to learn quickly and contribute effectively. He argues that working at a startup accelerates learning more than traditional corporate roles.

### Rethinking Risk and Career Building

Min challenges the notion that joining a startup is risky, calling it **one of the least risky moves** when you create your own path. He had multiple job offers but chose Cluely because **marketing and social media skills** are highly valuable and in demand. He advises college students to **focus on building irreplaceable skills** and gaining experience at startups during school.

### Key Takeaways for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

- **Grades aren't as important as hustling**; practical experience and initiative matter more.
- Starting a social media club at Penn helped Min stand out and secure opportunities.
- He regrets not diving deeper into content creation earlier but emphasizes that **the best time to start is now**.

![Daniel Min used social media to create his own demand and landed a job at viral AI 'cheating' startup Cluely right after graduation.](https://i.insider.com/68edc1c55dbc4fd10daac7b1)

Min's story underscores that in the modern job market, **specialized skills in distribution and marketing** can open doors, even without technical backgrounds.

Daniel Min used social media to create his own demand and landed a job at viral AI 'cheating' startup Cluely right after graduation.

How I Landed a Job at a Viral AI Startup With Zero Coding Skills

![Prem Kumar, CEO of Humanly](https://cdn.geekwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PK-2.jpg)
*Prem Kumar, CEO of Humanly, during an episode of the GeekWire series “Elevator Pitch.” in 2022. (GeekWire File Photo)*

Seattle-based startup **Humanly** is acquiring three recruiting technology companies—**Sprockets**, **Qualifi**, and **HourWork**—to build a comprehensive hiring platform that integrates sourcing, screening, interviewing, and post-hire engagement into a single system.

Founded in 2018, Humanly uses **automation software** to help companies with high-volume hiring needs screen job candidates, schedule interviews, automate initial communication, run reference checks, and more.

### Key Acquisitions and Their Impact

- **Sprockets** brings sourcing and frontline manager tools to strengthen talent pipelines.
- **Qualifi** adds automated phone and voice screening, complementing Humanly’s existing chat, SMS, and video systems.
- **HourWork** extends Humanly into **post-hire engagement**, helping companies onboard, train, and retain hourly workers.

Terms of the acquisitions were not disclosed.

This expansion comes shortly after Workday’s $1 billion acquisition of Paradox, one of Humanly’s main rivals, highlighting increased M&A activity in the HR software sector this year.

### Humanly’s Vision and AI Integration

Humanly’s broader goal is to automate outreach and screening for every applicant, not just the small fraction that typically receives a response. CEO Prem Kumar emphasized, "Anytime there’s a two-way conversation with a job candidate, we want to make that more efficient, more equitable."

Generative AI tools have led to a surge in application volumes as candidates mass-apply, making it harder to differentiate them. Humanly addresses this with its own AI tools, including the **AI Video Interviewer** launched earlier this year, which automatically conducts and transcribes interviews.

Kumar clarified that the aim is not to replace recruiters but to expand access: "It’s helping you get to 100% of candidates, not 5%." He noted some pushback from candidates wary of AI interactions but stressed that for many, it’s the difference between engaging with AI or being ignored entirely.

Humanly leverages millions of transcripts from its AI chat and video systems to train models that score candidates more accurately and aid recruiter decisions.

### Growth and Future Plans

The startup now manages **600 million candidate profiles** and facilitates interviews for about **250,000 candidates per month**. With over 100 customers, including Microsoft, Rogers Communications, MGM, and Dish Network, Humanly tripled its revenue in 2025 and plans to raise more investment next year.

Humanly is intentionally not profitable as it invests in infrastructure. The company employs just over 50 people post-acquisitions and is hiring staff from the acquired firms. It raised $7 million in May, bringing total funding to $24 million.

Kumar, who spent a decade at Microsoft integrating LinkedIn data, co-founded Humanly with Andrew Gardner and Bryan Leptich. The startup graduated from Y Combinator in 2019.

Prem Kumar, CEO of Humanly, during an episode of the GeekWire series "Elevator Pitch." in 2022. (GeekWire File Photo) Seattle-based startup Humanly is

Humanly's AI Hiring Platform Expands with 3 Strategic Acquisitions to Automate Recruitment from Sourcing to Retention

## The financing round is one of the biggest in biotech this year

Investors announced one of the largest private financing rounds of the year for a biotech company, pouring **$600 million** into obesity startup **Kailera Therapeutics**.

Bain Capital’s private equity group led the financing, which also included **Royalty Pharma**, the sovereign wealth fund in Qatar, and the asset manager of Canada’s national pension plan. Several of Kailera’s founding investors also contributed additional funds.

This deal highlights the **persistent heightened attention** being paid to weight loss drugs, even after multiple years of activity and some clinical setbacks. Kailera’s Series B round was announced almost exactly one year after the startup launched with **$400 million**. It also follows closely on the heels of **Pfizer’s announcement** to acquire another privately held obesity drug developer, Metsera, for $4.9 billion.

![Obesity Drug Research](https://www.statnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/AdobeStock_82107772-1600x900.jpeg)

*Allison DeAngelis is the East Coast biotech and venture capital reporter at STAT, focusing on the intersection of scientific ideas and investment.*

The deal points to persistent heightened attention to obesity drugs, even after multiple years of activity and some clinical disappointments.

Kailera Therapeutics Secures Massive $600M in Funding to Revolutionize Obesity Treatment

When **Armin Rad** and **Leila Daneshmandi**, both UConn alumni, founded **Encapsulate** in 2019, they embarked on a journey that would take their MedTech startup to global heights—and beyond.

## Revolutionizing Cancer Care with Biochip Technology

Encapsulate’s **proprietary biochip technology** replicates cancer tumors outside the body, allowing clinicians to test various chemotherapy treatments on a patient’s cancer cells without subjecting the patient to endless trials. Initially focused on gastrointestinal cancers, the company has completed two pilot clinical studies and is expanding to other cancer types.

Armin Rad explains, "Too much of cancer therapy still follows a ‘treat-and-wait’ playbook; reacting to the disease and staying a step behind. We’re shifting to a more rigorous, predictive, and comprehensive paradigm. Encapsulate’s approach is proactive: predict and lead. Our platform allows us to stay ahead, rather than chasing the disease."

If successful, this technology could revolutionize cancer treatment by providing **precise and personalized tools** for doctors and patients.

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## From Startup to Seed Rounds and Global Recognition

In November 2024, Encapsulate closed an **oversubscribed seed round**, raising **$1.8 million** from venture capital firms including Connecticut Innovations, Blackwood Healthcare Breakthroughs Capital, and Ambit Health Ventures.

The company started 2025 by placing **second at the Entrepreneurship World Cup Global Finals** in Saudi Arabia, competing against over 16,000 applicants from 200 countries. Additionally, Encapsulate joined prestigious accelerator programs: **CancerX** and **MedTech/BioTools Innovator**, which provide support in commercialization, scaling, and connections to healthcare systems and investors.

Leila Daneshmandi notes, "We’re both first-time founders. We’ve learned to surround ourselves with strong advisors and partners, and that collective expertise has been important in helping us grow Encapsulate."

Further funding came from the **National Science Foundation (NSF)**, which awarded Encapsulate a **$1.25 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) phase II grant** to advance their automated tumor-on-a-chip platform for personalized chemotherapy selection in pancreatic and colorectal cancers.

## Shooting for the Stars: Cancer Research in Space

Encapsulate is pushing boundaries by launching its technology to the **International Space Station (ISS)**. In March and November 2024, patient samples orbited Earth in a portable, autonomous device called CubeLab, developed in partnership with Space Tango.

> By studying tumors in space, each biochip provides insights that clinicians simply wouldn’t have through traditional methods.

Microgravity conditions on the ISS allow tumors to form **3D configurations** similar to how they behave in the human body, unlike the flat, 2D growth on Earth. This enables researchers to track tumor cell behavior over time, crucial for evaluating metastasis and therapy resistance.

Experiments have shown intriguing results, and Encapsulate received a **$3.63 million NASA InSPA Phase 1 grant** and a **$1 million NASA SBIR Phase I/II award** to develop a next-generation **Metastasis-on-a-Chip platform** using microgravity.

![Microscopic image of cancer cells forming clusters in microgravity](https://today.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/upward-82-encapsulate-onstation-cells-1024x570.jpg)
*This microscopic image captures how microgravity allows tumor cells to self-assemble into clusters, mimicking their behavior in the human body. (Courtesy of Encapsulate)*

## Expanding Clinical Studies and Partnerships

Back on Earth, Encapsulate is conducting a **multi-site pancreatic and colorectal cancer study** at UConn Health, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in New York City, and Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida. These studies will compare real-world patient outcomes against Encapsulate’s prognoses to hone the technology’s predictive capabilities.

Dr. Joel Levine, Chief of Creativity at Encapsulate and founding director of UConn Health’s Colon Cancer Prevention Program, facilitated clinical studies at UConn Health. He states, "Encapsulate has developed a platform that serves a range of important needs. First, it has proven, to date, as highly accurate in predicting clinical response to treatment. As important is its design and use pattern — access and cost are important considerations, and this chip system will be able to be ordered by clinical oncologists as a ‘routine’ test conducted in their own hospital labs. This will speed time for decisions and decrease costs to patients."

![Armin Rad presenting Encapsulate's technology](https://today.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TIP-2-300x169.jpg)
*Encapsulate CEO and Co-founder Armin Rad presents on Encapsulate’s signature technology. (Ethan Giorgetti/UConn Health)*

The founders aim to prepare their first product for clinical use within the next two to three years, while continuing studies on the ground, in space, and across multiple clinical sites.

## Giving Back to the UConn Community

Despite their global success, Rad and Daneshmandi remain connected to UConn. Daneshmandi is an assistant professor-in-residence of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in UConn’s College of Engineering, Director of the Matthew and Margarethe Mashikian Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub, and Co-Director of the Nursing and Engineering Innovation Center.

"I teach courses and develop programs based on what I’ve learned from my lived experience, and I think that resonates with students," says Daneshmandi. "I share a lot of our personal experiences as well. I see my role mostly as empowering STEM students to step out of their shell and see entrepreneurship as a natural extension of their STEM training. I want them to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and realize they can take their ideas beyond the lab and translate them into real-world impact."

Rad is an adjunct faculty member at the UConn School of Medicine, developing courses on clinical entrepreneurship. Encapsulate also employs 4-5 UConn student interns, providing valuable research and entrepreneurial experience.

Rad reflects, "We owe a great deal to the mentors we had at UConn. They challenged us to stretch, to take risks, and to grow. As our relationship has evolved, it’s been a privilege to give back to the community that launched us."

Encapsulate, a MedTech company founded by UConn alumni, closes seed round and aims ever higher

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