H5E Founders with Ryan Wang (Eigen AI $643M exit)

Join Jeffrey Chernick and Alix Gitter, co-authors of High Five Energy: A Different Kind of Founder (#1 Amazon New Release), for High Five Energy Founders Podcast, a deep dive into the founder experience building category-defining companies with purpose and flow. Our special guest is Ryan Wang, co-founder and CEO of Eigen AI, the inference and model optimization company Nebius agreed to acquire for approximately $643 million. Ryan came out of MIT's HAN Lab, where he earned his PhD and led SpAtten, the sparse attention work that became one of the most-cited computer architecture papers of the decade. At Eigen, he and his co-founders built a full-stack optimization layer that makes the biggest open-source AI models faster and cheaper to run in production. Together, we'll explore how a researcher turns lab work into a company, what it takes to build in the fastest-moving market in tech, and what every founder needs to know about where AI is heading next. Walk away with clarity, strategy, and renewed energy to move forward. Expect: Live, unfiltered conversation and audience Q&A Real founder stories and behavioral insights A creative, high-vibe crowd of builders and believers Networking and community energy before and after the show Come for the advice. Stay for the flow.