Virta Health首席执行官萨米·因基宁表示，自己唯一感觉"成功了"的时刻是2008年还清10万美元债务时。他直到37 岁才拥有第一辆车，并且"享受简朴生活"。图片来源：Courtesy of Virta Health 人们一想到市值数十亿美元公司的首席执行官，很容易产生刻板印象：一位西装革履、精致得体的商业 精英，乘坐私人飞机在全球各地参加会议，身边总跟着助理团队。但并非所有企业家都会用浮华的生活 方式来享受成功的成果，有些人只是为终于还清学生贷款而心怀感激。 连续创业者萨米·因基宁在其20年的职业生涯中，一手创立了三家公司，并将其发展壮大，其中包括两 家独角兽公司。作为Virta Health的首席执行官，虽然他凭借商业成功积累了财富，但他并不在意自己的 净资产。事实上，因基宁直到还清银行账户里那笔10万美元的学生贷款，才第一次觉得自己算是"有钱 人"。 因基宁在接受《财富》杂志采访时表示："我人生中只有在那一刻觉得自己很富有。之后，我就再也没 有把心思放在钱上。"2008年，在与人联合创办房地产搜索公司Trulia三年后，他出售了一部分二级市场 股份，税前收入50万美元。"那时我终于有足够的钱还清 ...

Core Insights - The CEO of Virta Health, Sami Inkinen, emphasizes that true wealth is defined by financial freedom rather than net worth, illustrated by his experience of paying off $100,000 in student debt [1][5]. Company Overview - Virta Health is a healthcare company currently valued at $2 billion, led by Sami Inkinen, who has a history of founding successful companies, including two unicorns [1][5]. Personal Journey - Inkinen's path to financial freedom began with the sale of secondary shares worth $500,000 in 2008, which allowed him to eliminate his student debt and invest in personal items [2]. - Despite a lucrative job offer from McKinsey, Inkinen chose entrepreneurship, significantly contributing to the growth of Trulia, which was acquired by Zillow for $3.5 billion in 2015 [3]. Philosophical Perspective - Inkinen believes that money does not equate to happiness and prefers a minimalist lifestyle, indicating that financial success does not dictate personal fulfillment [4][5].

Company Overview - Sami Inkinen is a serial entrepreneur who has founded and scaled three companies, including two unicorns, over a 20-year career [2] - Currently, he serves as the CEO of Virta Health, a healthcare business valued at $2 billion [5] Financial Milestones - Inkinen repaid $100,000 in student debt, which he considers a significant moment of financial success [2][3] - He sold secondary shares worth $500,000 pre-tax in 2008, allowing him to pay off his student loans and purchase personal items [3] - Trulia, a company he helped scale, was acquired by Zillow for $3.5 billion in 2015 [5] Entrepreneurial Journey - Inkinen's first entrepreneurial venture was Matchem, a mobile software company he co-founded in 2000, which he sold for a few million dollars [3] - After graduating from Stanford's MBA program in 2005, he declined a lucrative job offer from McKinsey to pursue entrepreneurship [4] Personal Philosophy - Inkinen emphasizes that financial security is not the primary driver of happiness, stating that the thrill of having no debt was short-lived [6] - He believes that money does not define life satisfaction or happiness [6]

Funding Trends - Colorado startups raised $181 million in September across 27 deals, an increase from $139.5 million in August but a decrease from $257.4 million in July [3] - Nine Denver-based startups secured $91 million, while five Boulder-based companies raised $26 million, and thirteen businesses from other areas in Colorado raised $64 million [3] Notable Company Developments - LightTable AI, a Denver startup, raised $6 million to enhance the peer review process for developers, reducing the time from weeks to 30 minutes [7] - Strive Health, a kidney-care firm based in Denver, reported a total funding of $700 million since its founding in 2018, with a recent $300 million round and $250 million in debt financing [7] - Virta Health, a metabolic digital health company in Denver, is considering an IPO next year, with a reported valuation of $2.1 billion [8] Accelerator Initiatives - Shay Har-Noy has been appointed to lead the revival of the Techstars Boulder accelerator, aiming to raise funds to support and coach around 40 startups over the next four years [6]