Episodi

  • Biography Flash: Sophia Kianni Raises $8M for AI Fashion App Phia with Phoebe Gates and Celebrity Backers

    Biography Flash: Sophia Kianni Raises $8M for AI Fashion App Phia with Phoebe Gates and Celebrity Backers
    Jan 21 2026
    Sophia Kianni Biography Flash a weekly Biography.

    Hi everyone, Im Vanessa Clark, your host for Biography Flash, and yes, Im an AI powered by the latest techwhich means I pull from fresh verified sources worldwide for spot-on bios without the fluff or bias humans sometimes sneak in. Todays flash: Sophia Kianni, the climate activist turned AI fashion disruptor.

    In the past 24 hours, no major headlines have broken on Kianni, but yesterday TechCrunch dropped a deep dive on how she and Phoebe Gates raised 8 million dollars for their app Phia in just three-and-a-half weeks, snagging backers like Hailey Bieber, Kris Jenner, Kleiner Perkins, Michael Rubin, Sara Blakely, and Sheryl Sandberg. TechCrunch reports Phia, launched in April as Google Flights for fashion, now boasts 500,000 users and scans over 300 million items for seamless price checks and personalized recsright on your phone, after they pivoted from a buggy Chrome extension based on Gen Z shopping habits.

    Also yesterday, PR Newswire announced Kianni and Gates guested on Command Brands new podcast Sticking With Style with DIY star Tay Nakamoto, dishing dorm decor tips using damage-free hooks and stripsno nails, no dramafor college kids blending styles on a budget. Its streaming now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts, tying into their own Burnouts podcast, which has half a million Instagram followers and 10 million views sharing startup stumbles openly.

    Earlier this week, Times of India and Fortune covered Kianni clapping back at VCs who grilled her and Gates on future kids during Phia pitchesYoure a woman, so youll bail after 10 years? Kianni flipped it: What happens to your firm when you have kids? He said nothingwhich proved the double standard. Her mom Melinda told Gates to get up or get out.

    These moves cement Kianni as a biographical powerhouse: from UN youth advisor and Climate Cardinals founder translating resources into 100 languages, to Stanford roomie building Phia into e-commes future with celeb firepower and viral marketing.

    Thanks for listening, folkssubscribe to never miss an update on Sophia Kianni, and search Biography Flash for more great biographies.

    And that is it for today. Make sure you hit the subscribe button and never miss an update on Sophia Kianni. Thanks for listening. This has been a Quiet Please production."



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    3 min
  • Biography Flash: Sophia Kianni's Phia App Hits 500K Users While Building Fashion Empire with Gen Z Power

    Biography Flash: Sophia Kianni's Phia App Hits 500K Users While Building Fashion Empire with Gen Z Power
    Jan 18 2026
    Sophia Kianni Biography Flash a weekly Biography.

    Hi everyone, Im Vanessa Clark, your host for Biography Flash, and yes, Im an AI-powered narrator which means I deliver razor-sharp, perfectly researched bios without missing a beat or needing coffee breaks thats the magic of tech meeting storytelling.

    Sophia Kianni, the climate activist turned AI fashion disruptor, has been lighting up headlines with her startup Phia, but in the past few days, things stayed intriguingly quiet on major new fronts no blockbuster announcements or public sightings popped up in the last 24 hours from reliable outlets like TechCrunch or Times of India. The buzz still swirls around Phias explosive growth, hitting 500,000 users since its April launch, as TechCrunch detailed just before the new year with that fresh app upgrade scanning over 300 million fashion items for seamless price comparisons. Kianni and co-founder Phoebe Gates are channeling the $8 million seed round from heavyweights like Kleiner Perkins, Kris Jenner, and Hailey Bieber into team expansion now at a lean 12 people all hired via social media, per TechCrunchs deep dive.

    Social media mentions keep humming through their podcast The Burnouts, which boasts nearly half a million Instagram followers and 10 million views, funneling Gen Z energy into Phia while dishing career advice to young women. No fresh episodes or posts in the immediate past few days, but the ripple from earlier stories lingers Kianni clapping back at investors sexist baby questions on the Call Her Daddy podcast, flipping the script with You answered your own question, as reported by Fortune and Times of India back in spring 2025. That raw exchange underscores her biographical pivot from UN advisor and Climate Cardinals founder to tech titan unafraid of double standards.

    Business-wise, Phias digital-first hustle cold LinkedIn outreach, ChatGPT-fueled viral campaigns positions it for long-term e-commerce dominance, potentially evolving into personalized shopping agents. No verified public appearances or new funding whispers lately, keeping the spotlight on sustained traction over splashy drama.

    Thanks for tuning in, listeners subscribe now to never miss an update on Sophia Kianni, and search Biography Flash for more great biographies.

    And that is it for today. Make sure you hit the subscribe button and never miss an update on Sophia Kianni. Thanks for listening. This has been a Quiet Please production."



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    3 min
  • Biography Flash: Sophia Kianni From Climate Activist to AI Shopping Mogul With 500K Users and $8M Backing

    Biography Flash: Sophia Kianni From Climate Activist to AI Shopping Mogul With 500K Users and $8M Backing
    Jan 14 2026
    Sophia Kianni Biography Flash a weekly Biography.

    Sophia Kianni, the Stanford alumna who rose from founding the youth-led Climate Cardinals nonprofit to becoming a Forbes 30 Under 30 tech force, has been lighting up headlines with her AI shopping startup Phia. TechCrunch reports that just days ago, Phia smashed past 500,000 users after securing an eight million dollar seed round in early September, backed by heavyweights like Hailey Bieber, Kris Jenner, Michael Rubin, Spanx founder Sara Blakely, and Sheryl Sandberg, led by Kleiner Perkins. Kianni and co-founder Phoebe Gates, Bill Gates daughter, pivoted from a buggy Chrome extension to a slick mobile app and browser tool dubbed Google Flights for fashion, scanning over 300 million items for instant price checks and sustainable picks tailored to Gen Z values.

    GirlSpring highlights Kianni's fresh interview dishing on redefining fashion through fearless entrepreneurship, emphasizing Phias AI edge for affordable, ethical shopping. No major headlines have broken in the past 24 hours, but buzz lingers from TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 prep, where Kianni and Gates are set to spill on scaling consumer AI, building Gen Z loyalty, and turning viral hype into lasting impact at the October event in San Francisco. Their podcast The Burnouts, with nearly half a million Instagram followers and 10 million views, keeps funneling fans to Phia via raw career chats for young women.

    Social whispers point to Kianni hiring via DMs and using ChatGPT for viral campaigns, all while she eyes Phia evolving into personalized agents that sync wardrobes to calendars. This funding blitz cements her shift from UN climate advising to AI titan status, promising biographical ripples for years.

    Thanks for tuning in, listeners. Subscribe now to never miss an update on Sophia Kianni, and search Biography Flash for more great biographies.

    And that is it for today. Make sure you hit the subscribe button and never miss an update on Sophia Kianni. Thanks for listening. This has been a Quiet Please production."



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    3 min
  • Biography Flash: Sophia Kianni From UN Climate Activist to AI Fashion Founder Raising $8M for Phia Shopping App

    Biography Flash: Sophia Kianni From UN Climate Activist to AI Fashion Founder Raising $8M for Phia Shopping App
    Jan 11 2026
    Sophia Kianni Biography Flash a weekly Biography.

    Sophia Kianni has spent the past few days exactly the way her recent biography would suggest: straddling the worlds of climate activism, AI, and buzzy Gen Z startup culture, all while continuing to turn herself into a long-term main character of both tech and media.

    According to TechCrunch, Sophia is now best known as the Iranian American climate activist turned tech founder who co created Phia, the AI powered shopping assistant that has quickly become one of the most talked about consumer apps in fashion and e commerce. TechCrunch reports that Phia, described as “Google Flights for fashion,” has already attracted around 500,000 users and raised an 8 million dollar seed round led by Kleiner Perkins, with celebrity backers including Hailey Bieber and Kris Jenner, plus investors like Sheryl Sandberg and Michael Rubin. This funding and user traction are not short term gossip; they are likely to sit as a major chapter in her biography for years to come.

    In terms of public appearances, TechCrunch also confirms that Sophia is slated to take the stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 in San Francisco with her cofounder Phoebe Gates to talk about scaling consumer AI for Gen Z. That Disrupt billing cements her shift from “youth climate voice” to “consumer AI operator” in the eyes of Silicon Valley.

    On the activism side, outlets like Silicon Luxembourg and others continue to reference her earlier rise as the founder of Climate Cardinals, the youth led nonprofit translating climate information into over 100 languages, and her tenure as the youngest member of the UN Secretary General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change. Those roles remain central to how mainstream media frames her, even as Phia dominates the newest headlines.

    Social media wise, recent chatter continues to orbit around Phia’s rapid growth and the reach of her podcast The Burnouts, which TechCrunch notes has nearly half a million Instagram followers and about 10 million views across platforms, feeding new users straight into Phia’s funnel. Any specific posts or stories over the last 24 hours mentioning Sophia are mostly amplifications of these same themes: AI, fashion, fundraising, and the glam meets grind aesthetic of a Gen Z founder building in public. Where there is speculation right now, it is largely about how aggressively Phia will expand its features, partnerships, and international reach, but those future moves are not yet confirmed by primary reporting.

    Thanks for listening, and be sure to subscribe so you never miss an update on Sophia Kianni, and search the term Biography Flash for more great biographies.

    And that is it for today. Make sure you hit the subscribe button and never miss an update on Sophia Kianni. Thanks for listening. This has been a Quiet Please production."



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    3 min
  • Biography Flash: Sophia Kianni From Climate Activist to AI Tech Titan With Phia's 8M Funding and Celebrity Backing

    Biography Flash: Sophia Kianni From Climate Activist to AI Tech Titan With Phia's 8M Funding and Celebrity Backing
    Jan 7 2026
    Sophia Kianni Biography Flash a weekly Biography.

    Sophia Kianni, the trailblazing Iranian American climate activist turned AI powerhouse, has been lighting up the tech scene with her co-founder Phoebe Gates and their buzzy startup Phia. TechCrunch reports that the duo is set to storm the Disrupt 2025 stage in late October, dishing on scaling consumer AI for Gen Z shoppers who crave trust, personalization, and ethical buys—think Phia as the ultimate shopping sidekick blending AI smarts with sustainable swagger. No whispers of public spats or scandals, just pure entrepreneurial fire.

    In the past week, social buzz around Phia has spiked, with Fox13 Seattle highlighting how Kianni and Gates rallied over 700,000 users and snagged an $8 million seed round from A-listers like Kris Jenner, Hailey Bieber, and Sheryl Sandberg, all while championing women in a male-dominated tech world. Their podcast The Burnouts, under Alex Coopers Unwell Network, keeps humming with career confessions that funnel fans straight to the app, amassing millions of views. GirlSpring caught Kianni spilling on redefining fashion fearlessly via Phias AI browser extension that hunts deals across 300 million items.

    No major headlines in the last 24 hours, but this Disrupt spotlight could cement Kianni's pivot from UN climate advising and Forbes 30 Under 30 fame to tech titan status—potentially her biggest biographical leap yet. Speculation swirls she might drop Phia updates on Instagram, where her follower count surges with every viral clip, though nothing confirmed.

    Thanks for tuning into Biography Flash—subscribe to never miss an update on Sophia Kianni and search Biography Flash for more great biographies.

    And that is it for today. Make sure you hit the subscribe button and never miss an update on Sophia Kianni. Thanks for listening. This has been a Quiet Please production."



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    2 min
  • Biography Flash: Sophia Kianni Raises $8M for AI Shopping App Phia with Phoebe Gates and Celebrity Backers

    Biography Flash: Sophia Kianni Raises $8M for AI Shopping App Phia with Phoebe Gates and Celebrity Backers
    Jan 4 2026
    Sophia Kianni Biography Flash a weekly Biography.

    Sophia Kianni, the climate activist turned tech powerhouse, has kept her momentum blazing through late 2025 with Phia, her buzzy AI shopping app co-founded with Phoebe Gates. TechCrunch reports that just weeks ago in early September, they raised a whopping eight million dollars in seed funding led by Kleiner Perkins, with star backers like Kris Jenner, Hailey Bieber, Michael Rubin, Sara Blakely, and Sheryl Sandberg joining the frenzy. Kianni dished that the round closed in a lightning-fast three-and-a-half weeks, fueled by Gen Z tactics like cold LinkedIn outreach and their podcast The Burnouts, which boasts half a million Instagram followers and ten million views sharing raw startup stumbles.

    Fast-forward to late October, and Kianni stormed the TechCrunch Disrupt stage in San Francisco alongside Gates, as covered by TechCrunch and Digital Commerce 360, diving deep into scaling consumer AI for resale. They unpacked turning viral hype into loyal Gen Z shoppers craving personalized, ethical deals across 300 million fashion items via Phias app and extension, now with 500,000 users since its April launch. Fortune highlighted their public build-out, from buggy Chrome extensions to phone-first price checks rivaling Google Flights for thrift hauls on Depop and eBay.

    No whispers of public appearances or fresh social media splashes in the past few days, though their digital-first vibe keeps Phia humming with team hires via Instagram. Speculation swirls on AI agents syncing shopping to calendars for resale tips, but thats future talk per Kianni. No major headlines in the last 24 hours, but this seed haul and Disrupt spotlight cement her shift from UN youth adviser and Climate Cardinals founder to e-comm disruptor with lasting biographical punch.

    Thanks for tuning into Biography Flash on Sophia Kianni. Subscribe to never miss an update on Sophia Kianni and search Biography Flash for more great biographies.

    And that is it for today. Make sure you hit the subscribe button and never miss an update on Sophia Kianni. Thanks for listening. This has been a Quiet Please production."



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    This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
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    3 min
  • Sophia Kianni Biography Flash: From UN Climate Leader to AI Shopping Mogul with 8 Million Dollar Phia App

    Sophia Kianni Biography Flash: From UN Climate Leader to AI Shopping Mogul with 8 Million Dollar Phia App
    Dec 31 2025
    Sophia Kianni Biography Flash a weekly Biography.

    Sophia Kianni, the climate activist turned AI trailblazer, has been lighting up the tech scene with her co-founded shopping app Phia alongside Phoebe Gates. TechCrunch announced just weeks ago that the duo will storm the stage at Disrupt 2025 in late October, dishing on scaling consumer AI for Gen Z loyalty and turning viral hype into lasting brands through values-driven shopping. Phia, billed as Google Flights for fashion, now scans over 300 million items after raising a whopping eight million dollar seed round in early September, led by Kleiner Perkins with star backers like Hailey Bieber, Kris Jenner, Sheryl Sandberg, and Michael Rubin, as exclusively reported by Fortune and TechCrunch. The app boasts half a million users since its April launch, fueled by their dorm-room origins at Stanford and a pivot to mobile price checks that hooked young shoppers.

    No major headlines have broken in the past 24 hours, but Kianni's buzz lingers from the UNA-USA Leadership Summit in St. Louis earlier this year, where the former UN youth climate adviser shared insights on global cooperation, per the organizations official recap. Shes been channeling her Climate Cardinals nonprofit savvy into Phia, blending activism with e-commerce innovation, while their podcast The Burnouts racks up ten million views doling career tips to women. Social feeds hum with Phia updates, but no fresh mentions popped in the last few days expect for ongoing Disrupt promo chatter.

    This Gen Z powerhouses story screams biographical gold, from UN prodigy to VC darling. Thanks for tuning into Sophia Kianni Biography Flash, listener subscribe now to never miss an update on Sophia Kianni and search Biography Flash for more great biographies.

    And that is it for today. Make sure you hit the subscribe button and never miss an update on Sophia Kianni. Thanks for listening. This has been a Quiet Please production."



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    2 min
  • Biography Flash: Sophia Kianni Commands UN Summit Stage While Phia App Hits 500K Users with Star-Studded Backing

    Biography Flash: Sophia Kianni Commands UN Summit Stage While Phia App Hits 500K Users with Star-Studded Backing
    Dec 28 2025
    Sophia Kianni Biography Flash a weekly Biography.

    Sophia Kianni, the climate activist turned startup powerhouse, has kept her momentum blazing even through the holiday whirl. Just days ago, she lit up the 2025 UNA-USA Leadership Summit in St. Louis, Missouri, where UNA-USA reports she shared sharp insights on the future of international cooperation and US-UN relations, rubbing shoulders with UN heavyweights like Information Center Director Will Davis and a virtual nod from Secretary General Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. Photos from the event capture her commanding the stage, a pivotal moment blending her activist roots with entrepreneurial flair that could shape her bio for years.

    On the business front, TechCrunch details how she and Phoebe Gates supercharged their fashion app Phia with an $8 million seed round back in September, led by Kleiner Perkins and buzzing with backers like Kris Jenner, Hailey Bieber, Michael Rubin, Sara Blakely, and Sheryl Sandberg. Phia, now boasting 500,000 users, just rolled out a slick search across 300 million items, turning online shopping into a seamless Gen Z dream—think Google Flights for fashion. Kianni's candid take: they pivoted from buggy Chrome extensions to mobile magic based on real user vibes, fueling rapid traction via founder-led social hustles and their podcast The Burnouts, which has racked up 10 million views dishing career secrets to young women.

    No fresh social media splashes or public sightings popped in the last 48 hours from verified feeds, though her Instagram hums with Phia experiments and activist echoes. Speculation swirls on unconfirmed whispers of holiday team hires via DMs, but nothing solid yet. In the past 24 hours, zero major headlines broke—no red carpets, no viral posts dominating feeds.

    Thanks for tuning into Biography Flash on Sophia Kianni. Subscribe to never miss an update, and search Biography Flash for more great biographies.

    And that is it for today. Make sure you hit the subscribe button and never miss an update on Sophia Kianni. Thanks for listening. This has been a Quiet Please production."



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    3 min