Episode notes
In this episode of The Think Factory podcast, Alka Bahal sits down with Valerie Chianuri—General Counsel, Head of People, and wearer of many hats at NTOP, a computational design startup reshaping advanced manufacturing with AI.
With refreshing honesty, she opens up about navigating chaos in startups, bridging cross-generational communication, and why being a "roll-up-your-sleeves" leader is often the secret to building resilient teams. Valerie also reflects on lessons from her immigrant upbringing, her growth into government relations, and what keeps her up at night—hint: it’s more than just her cat.