Onward, a Fundrise Production
Onward, a Fundrise Production

Onward, a Fundrise Production

Fundrise

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Episodes

Details

Onward is a podcast from America's largest direct-to-investor alternative asset investment platform, Fundrise. Onward offers unique insights and perspectives from company co-founder and CEO Ben Miller and guests.

Recent Episodes

58: What we can learn from the first industry AI took over, with Paul Adams CPO of Fin (Intercom)
JUN 11, 2026
58: What we can learn from the first industry AI took over, with Paul Adams CPO of Fin (Intercom)
<div> <p>Days after ChatGPT launched, Intercom called it an “iPhone moment" and bet a $300 million ARR business that AI was the future of customer service. On this episode of Onward, Ben talks with Paul Adams, Chief Product Officer of Fin (formerly Intercom), about the pivot to AI customer service: why the decision was easier than you might think, why the culture change was brutal, and how the bet ended up strengthening the legacy business instead of killing it. Since Fundrise runs its own investor relations program on Fin, the episode doubles as a customer interview. They get into AI's effect on knowledge work, the risk of letting an agent write to a database, Claude Code as "magic," and why Paul calls himself a "delusional optimist" about what comes next.</p><p>— </p><p>For a deeper dive into these insights and more, be sure to listen to the full episode of the Onward podcast.</p><p>Have questions or feedback about this episode? Drop us a note at [email protected].</p><p>Onward is hosted by Ben Miller, Co-Founder and CEO of Fundrise. Podcast production by The Podcast Consultant. Music by Seaplane Armada.</p><p><strong>About Fundrise:<br></strong><br>With over 2 million users, Fundrise is America's largest direct-to-investor alternative asset investment platform. Since 2012, our mission has been to build a better financial system by empowering the individual. We make it easier and more efficient than ever for anyone to invest in institutional-quality private alternative assets — all at the touch of a button.</p><p>Please see <a href="http://fundrise.com/oc">fundrise.com/oc</a> for more information on all of the Fundrise-sponsored investment funds and products, including each fund's offering document(s).</p><p>Want to see the specific assets that make up and power Fundrise portfolios? Check out our active and past projects at<a href="http://www.fundrise.com/assets"> www.fundrise.com/assets</a>.<br><strong><br>More Info &amp; Disclaimers</strong></p><p>There are no guarantees investment holdings of the Fundrise Innovation Fund (the "Fund") will be successful.</p><p>Investing in the Fund is speculative and involves substantial risks. You should purchase shares of the Fund only if you can afford a complete loss of your investment. Nothing in this material should be construed as tax advice, an offer, recommendation, or solicitation to buy or sell any security.</p><p>Past performance does not guarantee future results. Current and future holdings are subject to risk, and returns of one portfolio company are not indicative of an investment in the Fund. For Fund performance and the most recent schedule of investments, visit <a href="http://GetVCX.com">GetVCX.com</a>. The Fund's annual and semi-annual reports (Form N-CSR), quarterly portfolio holdings (Form N-PORT), and other periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission are available on EDGAR at <a href="http://sec.gov">sec.gov</a> and at <a href="http://GetVCX.com">GetVCX.com</a>.</p><p>The Innovation Fund is publicly registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company.</p><p>The Fund's portfolio will be concentrated in securities issued by technology companies and other investments that provide economic exposure to technology companies and as such, it may be subject to more risks than if it were broadly diversified across additional sectors and industries of the economy. Certain technology companies may face special risks that their products or services may not prove to be commercially successful. Technology companies are also strongly affected by worldwide scientific or technological developments, and as a result, their products may rapidly become obsolete.</p><p>The Fund's investments in companies involved in, or exposed to, artificial intelligence-related businesses may be negatively impacted because of, among other things, limited product lines, markets, financial resources and/or personnel; intense competition and potentially rapid product obsolescence these companies may face; loss or impairment of intellectual property rights; and the inability to successfully develop products or services even after spending significant amount of resources.</p><p>The Fund's investment in private company securities, whether made directly or indirectly (e.g., through derivatives or private pooled investment vehicles) are generally illiquid. Because private company securities are thinly traded, such securities may display especially volatile or erratic price movements, sometimes in response to relatively small changes in investor supply or demand or other market conditions.</p></div>
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40 MIN
56: Will AI do your job? with Raza Habib, Member of Technical Staff at Anthropic
MAR 25, 2026
56: Will AI do your job? with Raza Habib, Member of Technical Staff at Anthropic
<div> <p>Raza Habib, Member of Technical Staff at Anthropic (creators of Claude and Claude Code) unpacks what “Artificial General Intelligence” even means, why the pace of AI progress still looks steep, and what that implies for jobs, companies, and public policy. Raza shares how his own “AGI probability” evolved from PhD-era skepticism to today’s conviction that we’re on a transformative trajectory. </p><p>—</p><p>For a deeper dive into these insights and more, be sure to listen to the full episode of the Onward podcast.</p><p>Have questions or feedback about this episode? Drop us a note at [email protected]. <br><em><br>Onward </em>is hosted by Ben Miller, co-founder and CEO of <a href="http://fundrise.com">Fundrise</a>. Podcast production by The Podcast Consultant. Music by Seaplane Armada. </p><p><strong>About Fundrise </strong></p><p>With over 2 million users, Fundrise is America's largest direct-to-investor alternative asset investment platform. Since 2012, our mission has been to build a better financial system by empowering the individual. We make it easier and more efficient than ever for anyone to invest in institutional-quality private alternative assets — all at the touch of a button. </p><p>Please see <a href="http://fundrise.com/oc">fundrise.com/oc</a> for more information on all of the Fundrise-sponsored investment funds and products, including each fund’s offering document(s). </p><p>Want to see the specific assets that make up and power Fundrise portfolios? Check out our active and past projects at <a href="http://www.fundrise.com/assets">www.fundrise.com/assets</a>.</p></div>
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46 MIN
55: IPO Roadshow: VCX is the public ticker for private tech
FEB 20, 2026
55: IPO Roadshow: VCX is the public ticker for private tech
<div> <p><strong>IPO Roadshow: VCX is the public ticker for private tech</strong></p><p>The number of public companies has been cut in half over the past 25 years. The best private companies are staying private longer than ever. As a result, ordinary investors have been locked out of the biggest wealth-creation opportunities of this generation. With AI threatening to drive wealth inequality to new levels, Ben calls this a fairness problem as much as a financial one.</p><p>His answer: take the Fundrise Innovation Fund public under the ticker VCX, creating the first publicly traded venture capital fund and a new category Ben calls the PVC (Public Venture Capital fund). </p><p>In this episode, Ben and co-host Cardiff Garcia (Economic Innovation Group, New Bazaar podcast) examine the history of financial innovations, what VCX is, and what it means for the everyday American investor who's been locked out of private markets.</p><p>For a deeper dive into these insights and more, listen to the full episode of the Onward podcast. You can learn more about VCX at <a href="https://www.getvcx.com">https://www.getvcx.com</a>.</p><p>Questions or feedback? Drop us a note at [email protected].</p><p>Onward is hosted by Ben Miller, co-founder and CEO of Fundrise, with co-host Cardiff Garcia.</p><p><strong>About Fundrise</strong></p><p>With over 2 million users, Fundrise is America's largest direct-to-investor alternative asset investment platform. Since 2012, our mission has been to build a better financial system by empowering the individual. We make it easier and more efficient than ever for anyone to invest in institutional-quality private alternative assets — all at the touch of a button.</p><p><strong>More Info &amp; Disclaimers</strong></p><p>Investing in the Innovation Fund (the “Fund”) is speculative and involves substantial risks. You should purchase shares of the Fund only if you can afford a complete loss of your investment.</p><p>Past performance does not guarantee future results. Current and future holdings are subject to risk. Returns of one company are not indicative of an investment in the Fund. To obtain Fund performance, visit <a href="http://getvcx.com">getvcx.com</a>. The Fund's most recent schedule of investments is available at <a href="http://getvcx.com">getvcx.com</a>.</p><p>Investors should consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. This information is included in the Fund Prospectus and can be accessed by calling (202) 804-0023. Read the prospectus carefully before investing.</p><p>The Innovation Fund is publicly registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company.</p><p>The Fund’s portfolio will be concentrated in securities issued by technology companies and other investments that provide economic exposure to technology companies and as such, it may be subject to more risks than if it were broadly diversified across additional sectors and industries of the economy. Certain technology companies may face special risks that their products or services may not prove to be commercially successful. Technology companies are also strongly affected by worldwide scientific or technological developments, and as a result, their products may rapidly become obsolete. The Fund’s investments in companies involved in, or exposed to, artificial intelligence-related businesses may be negatively impacted because of, among other things, limited product lines, markets, financial resources and/or personnel; intense competition and potentially rapid product obsolescence these companies may face; loss or impairment of intellectual property rights; and the inability to successfully develop products or services even after spending significant amount of resources.</p><p>The Fund’s investment in private company securities, whether made directly or indirectly (e.g., through derivatives or private pooled investment vehicles) are generally illiquid. Because private company securities are thinly traded, such securities may display especially volatile or erratic price movements, sometimes in response to relatively small changes in investor supply or demand or other market conditions.</p><p>Nothing in the advertising material should be construed as tax advice, an offer, recommendation, or solicitation to buy or sell any security. All investing includes risk, including the possible loss of money you invest, and past performance does not guarantee future performance. Carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Fundrise Innovation Fund, LLC before investing.</p></div>
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85 MIN
54: Real estate AI is a revolution: The launch of RealAI
JAN 28, 2026
54: Real estate AI is a revolution: The launch of RealAI
<div> <p>Real estate is about to get disrupted by technology, again. AI is coming for the core workforce of the industry—acquisitions, underwriting, asset management, market analysis—and it’s going to separate winners from everyone else. If you’re not adopting it, you’re not just missing upside—you’re putting career and company risk.</p><p>Ben unveils RealAI—a “real estate AI analyst” that Fundrise has been building for years—and explains what the first generation of real estate “AI analysts” means for investing and the future of work.</p><p>Check out RealAI (<a href="https://realai.com/">https://realai.com/</a>). It really is amazing.</p><p>—<br>For a deeper dive into these insights and more, be sure to listen to the full episode of the Onward podcast.</p><p>Have questions or feedback about this episode? Drop us a note at [email protected]. <br><em><br>Onward </em>is hosted by Ben Miller, co-founder and CEO of <a href="http://fundrise.com">Fundrise</a>. Podcast production by The Podcast Consultant. Music by Seaplane Armada. </p><p>About Fundrise <br>With over 2 million users, Fundrise is America's largest direct-to-investor alternative asset investment platform. Since 2012, our mission has been to build a better financial system by empowering the individual. We make it easier and more efficient than ever for anyone to invest in institutional-quality private alternative assets — all at the touch of a button. </p><p>Please see <a href="http://fundrise.com/oc">fundrise.com/oc</a> for more information on all of the Fundrise-sponsored investment funds and products, including each fund’s offering document(s). <br>Want to see the specific assets that make up and power Fundrise portfolios? Check out our active and past projects at <a href="http://www.fundrise.com/assets">www.fundrise.com/assets</a>.</p></div>
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56 MIN