Startup Cafe: High Five Energy Founders with Amos Stern ($500M exit to Google)
Join Jeffrey Chernick and Alix Gitter, co-authors of High Five Energy, for High Five Energy Founders: Live — an in-person, interactive experience that's redefining how founders get support.
Our special guest is Amos Stern, founder and CEO of Siemplify, acquired by Google for $500M. Amos built one of the most advanced security orchestration platforms in the world, scaling it to serve Fortune 500 enterprises and establishing the company’s U.S. headquarters in New York to drive global growth. Backed by $58M in venture funding, Siemplify became Google’s first cybersecurity acquisition, anchoring a new enterprise security strategy and launching Google’s first cybersecurity office in Israel.
Together, we'll explore the mindset shifts and behavioral tools behind the founder flow state — workshopping real challenges from audience members live on stage. Bring a question, a problem, or a moment you're stuck in, and 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, breakfast, and community energy before and after the show
Come for the advice. Stay for the flow.
This is the High Five Energy Founders podcast — live and in person.
Based on the book "High Five Energy: A Different Kind of Founder."
Agenda
8:45 - 9:30 am • Coffee and Socialize
9:30- 10:30 am • Live Podcast Recording with Amos Stern
February 4th, 2026
About: Amos Stern
Amos Stern is the founder and CEO of Siemplify, a security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) platform acquired by Google for $500 million in 2022. Founded in Tel Aviv, Siemplify became the industry standard for helping security operations teams automate incident response and manage threats at scale, serving Fortune 500 companies and government agencies worldwide.
Before founding Siemplify, Amos served in an elite intelligence unit in the Israeli Defense Forces, where he developed deep expertise in cybersecurity and operational technology. He transformed those insights into a company that redefined how enterprises manage security operations, scaling from a bootstrap startup to a strategic acquisition that strengthened Google's cybersecurity portfolio.
Amos's journey reflects the intersection of technical excellence, strategic vision, and the discipline required to build enterprise software that solves mission-critical problems. From navigating competitive markets to orchestrating a half-billion-dollar exit, his story reveals what it takes to build lasting value in the deepest tech verticals.
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
Pilot
Pilot provides outsourced finance and operations support for startups, including bookkeeping, tax, CFO, and COO services. We help early-stage companies scale from Pre-Seed to Series C with accurate financials, operational discipline, and investor-ready insights.
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
ABOUT Nerdstage
Communication training and high-impact events giving tomorrow a louder voice. Nerdstage hosts the Demo Day event series & the Nerdstage Podcast.
If you're a builder turning hard problems into progress, you might be a fit for the Nerdstage Pitch Accelerator.
ABOUT Nerds of LA
Join Nerds of LA—where LA’s most innovative minds collide! We’re building the ultimate network by connecting with other powerhouse groups in the area, expanding our reach across the city. If you’re ready to link up with founders, VCs, AI visionaries, and innovators shaping the future, this is the group you’ve been looking for.
Pick your platform and join the conversation with LA’s tech community. 🤝 🦾
Highlights from previous special guests
Building Businesses from the Heart with Lavinia Errico, Co-Founder of Equinox
How to Scale Consciously with Ryan Blair
Founder Mental Health Pledge with Brad Baum
Art Show with Denise Di Novi
Operating Incubators with Reuben Vollmer
Malibu Love Affair with Brigitte Londo
Live Through Love with Ruben Rojas
Finding Stillness with Henry Mitchell
Smarter with Science! with Science Stanley and Zen Zachary
The Science of Charisma: The 7 Secrets of Public Speaking with Richard Greene
Unveiling the Human Experience with Paul Vincent
Who wants to go to Japan! 🇯🇵
KINN member Jeffrey Chernick partnered with Japan’s largest travel site to launch Kabuk.com — a free travel booking platform that offers:
A personal Japanese Concierge to plan your dream trip
Monthly payment installments instead of one lump sum
Free cancellation or rebooking within 7 days of your trip
Access to unique experiences not found online
Through its parent company, Kabuk has direct partnerships with over 4,000 hotels in Japan, offering up to 40% off your stay.
Sign up at Kabuk.com, book your discovery call, and use the code KINN to receive $200 in travel credits if booked by October 31, or $100 thereafter.
Kloo is a Q Grader coffee sommelier-founded brand on a mission to decode the complexity of craft coffee.