Founder's Voyage
164 - Joanna Montgomery on Leadership, Funding, and Finding Freedom for Founders - Joanna Montgomery
Published: 2 April 2026 at 12:00 Europe/London
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Episode notes
Joanna Montgomery is a pioneering entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Little Riot, an internationally acclaimed company best known for bringing emotion-driven connected products like Pillow Talk to life.
With over 15 years of experience, Joanna has redefined how technology can foster human connection, especially during times of distance or vulnerability. In addition to her entrepreneurial work, she is a mentor, faculty member at the One Day MBA program, and an active member of advisory circles supporting women and minority entrepreneurs. Her leadership and insights have empowered countless founders and helped shape the evolution of product design at the intersection of compassion and technology.
š” What Youāll Learn from Joanna's Journey:
šø Embracing the Accidental Path: Learn how unexpected opportunities and viral ideas can spark entrepreneurial journeys, even if you never planned to run a business.
šø Balancing Growth and Wellbeing: Discover why sustainable success often means redefining your goals over time and finding a balance between professional ambition and personal fulfillment.
šø The Power of Leadership Evolution: Explore how Joannaās approach to leadership matured with self-awareness and empathy, and how diversity and emotional intelligence strengthen teams.
šø Funding with Intention: Gain realistic perspectives on the pros and cons of taking investment, especially for hardware startups, and how delaying funding can add value and flexibility to your venture.
You can connect with Joanna on ā LinkedInā to follow her journey.
š„ Big thanks to VidOps for supporting Founders Voyage. Use code voyage at ā vidops.ioā for 10% off expert audio, video, animation, and photography services.
š Props to the stellar crew: Nancy Nash, Daniel M. Melo, Carlos Javier ChacĆ³n SĆ”nchez, Matthew Ray, and host Spencer Walker-Fooks. You bring this show to life.
š„ Want to support the journey? Join us on ā Patreonā and help amplify more voices like Joanna.
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