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.
Based on the book "High Five Energy: A Different Kind of Founder."
Link to Book: https://www.amazon.com/High-Five-Energy-Different-Founder/dp/B0FCD9FVDK/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0
November 4th, 2026
About: Ryan (Hanrui) Wang
Ryan (Hanrui) Wang is the co-founder and CEO of Eigen AI, a leading AI inference and model optimization company acquired by Nebius for approximately $643 million. He earned his PhD at MIT, advised by Professor Song Han, with research focused on efficient AI computing.
At MIT's HAN Lab he led SpAtten, a landmark sparse attention architecture. Eigen AI brings full-stack optimization across the model lifecycle, from post-training and fine-tuning to production inference for the major open-source models, and now powers Nebius Token Factory.
About: Jeffrey Chernick
Jeffrey is a 3x founder, advisor, angel investor, and former Wall Street wealth manager. He has been featured by more than 30 media outlets including Techcrunch, Forbes, and the LA Times. His company RideAmigos is the leading commute management platform, taking millions of cars off the road annually.
With over 20 million downloads and $12 million raised, his visual caller ID app, Vyng, boasts 5 billion videos played across 170 countries (acquired by Siprocal). Chernick is an inventor of 21 US Patents, 3x Emory Goizueta Business School Alumni Luminary, and both a guest lecturer and advisory board member at Pepperdine University's Entrepreneurship MBA Program. In his spare time, Jeffrey DJ's around the world with neon drum sticks.
🔗 WEBSITE
About: Alix Gitter
Alix is an American actress, writer, and producer from Los Angeles, California. Known for roles in television movies such as Blue Lagoon: The Awakening and The Bling Ring, and appearances in acclaimed series like GCB, Longmire, and Bones, Gitter has brought characters to life with humor and soul.
Beyond the screen, she is a storyteller fueled by curiosity, compassion, and the conviction that life — like art — is a collaborative effort, one where everyone’s role matters. With a passion for the creative process and deep reverence for those who dare to try, Gitter sees the world through a simple belief: creation is participation.
ABOUT The KINN
The KINN is a membership network, accelerator, and collaborative workspace for conscious entrepreneurs, based in Venice, CA. Running tailored inner development and business accelerator programs for startups, providing executive coaching, accountability, and access to a top-tier LA-based community of entrepreneurs, creatives, intrapreneurs, and investors. If you're interested in learning more about KINN Membership, please visit http://thekinn.co/apply