In this rare conversation, Jim Sorenson breaks down what happens after liquidity—when building a company turns into building systems of capital.
We start with the moment everything nearly fell apart: losing $1M a month during the dot-com crash, and the unexpected pivot that transformed Sorenson Communications into a near $1B exit—by aligning technology with regulation and real, underserved demand.
From there, Jim unpacks how that experience reshaped his approach to investing.
From deploying early, risk-tolerant capital through Program-Related Investments (PRIs)…
to ultimately rethinking an entire foundation—aligning 100% of its assets toward both financial returns and long-term impact.
This isn’t a conversation about philanthropy.
It’s about how sophisticated capital actually works—where risk is priced, how systems scale, and why impact and alpha aren’t opposites.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – Intro
01:30 – Sorenson Communications
05:30 – Pivoting Under Pressure
09:20 – An Overlooked Community
14:50 – Scale & Capital Design
21:30 – The Mechanics of PRI
27:05 – The 95% Transition
38:40 – ESG & Fiduciary Duty
45:30 – Stewardship After Liquidity
About Jim Sorenson
James Lee Sorenson (Jim) serves as chairman of the Sorenson Impact Foundation, which funds sustainable, scalable endeavors that maximize positive impact on the lives and societies they touch. Sorenson endowed the Sorenson Impact Center at the University of Utah. Sorenson is also Chairman of the Board of Village Capital and a member of the National Advisory Board of Impact Investing. Sorenson was instrumental in developing several new industry categories, including digital compression software that helped usher in the online video revolution at Sorenson Media, where he serves as Chairman of the Board and video relay services which transformed opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing individuals through Sorenson Communications. Jim has served on many community boards, including Utah’s David Eccles School of Business, University Venture Fund, Art Works for Kids, Gallaudet University, and the Utah Sports Commission.
—
Billion Dollar Moves Podcast | The Top Global Venture & Business Podcast for Founders & Funders | Backed by HubSpot Podcast Network
Conversations with billionaires, unicorn founders, and the world’s leading funders.
Hosted by Sarah Chen-Spellings, Billion Dollar Moves examines how enduring companies — and the capital behind them — are built.
Through long-form conversations, the show explores decision-making under uncertainty, capital allocation, and the inflection points that shape category-defining businesses. From early platform backstories to allocator frameworks used across private markets, the focus is on judgment, incentives, and long-term value creation — beyond headlines and hype.
New episodes weekly.
Built for those who take the long view.
PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com
Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal
Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves
FOLLOW SARAH:
https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal
https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal
