Tacos and Tech Podcast: Recent Episodes

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Neal sits down with Adam Jacobs, President of Xzōm, a San Diego company developing a near-patient platform for isolating and analyzing exosomes from a small blood sample in under 30 minutes.

Exosomes are tiny particles released by living cells that carry proteins and genetic material. Researchers believe these particles could provide useful signals about disease earlier or more dynamically than some existing biomarkers. Xzōm is working to turn that science into a compact testing platform, using a disposable cartridge and a mobile-device interface.

The company’s initial focus is early pancreatic-cancer detection. Adam also discusses how the underlying platform could potentially be adapted for other areas - including sepsis, preeclampsia, transplant monitoring, and neurological conditions - by changing the biomarkers targeted by each assay. Those applications would require their own development, clinical validation, and regulatory pathways.

Adam shares his unusual route to biotech: Torrey Pines High School, Cornell baseball, professional ball in Australia, a clothing brand, a yoga studio, and a consulting firm. He also explains how technology originating at UC San Diego eventually came back into his life, Xzōm’s partnership-led development model, and the role data analysis may play in interpreting complex biological signals.

Plus, Adam and Neal bond over a shared appreciation for Roberto’s on Carmel Valley Road.

Key topics

• Isolating and analyzing exosomes on one chip in 30 minutes

• Why exosomes catch disease earlier than DNA - “stage zero”

• A point-of-care lab that runs on a cell phone

• The difference between a versatile platform and a validated diagnostic test

• From pancreatic cancer to sepsis, preeclampsia, and brain injury

• How Xzōm works with clinical and commercial partners

• Adam’s path from pro baseball to biotech

• Why AI on the back end makes the whole thing work

• Giving back: showing up, not just writing checks

Links & resources

• Xzōm

• A Morning Inside Xzōm’s Lab

Connect on LinkedIn

• Neal Bloom

• Adam Jacobs

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Neal sits down with Eric Weiss, a fellow longtime builder in San Diego’s startup ecosystem. Eric is a self-described “parallel entrepreneur,” founder coach, President of the Design Forward Alliance - which produces San Diego Design Week—and Vice Chair of Startup San Diego.

Neal and Eric first crossed paths during the early days of San Diego’s startup community, around EvoNexus and the 101 Broadway vertical campus that helped give rise to Startup Week and Startup San Diego. They revisit that era and trace Eric’s unconventional path from teenage black-hat hacker to earning an MBA in entrepreneurship at SDSU, followed by roles at Raytheon, Sony and Qualcomm. He eventually made the leap into the startup world with EvoNexus company Rock My Run.

At the heart of the conversation is the connective tissue that makes an entrepreneurial community work. Neal and Eric discuss what San Diego lost after COVID, why “third spaces” and professional community management matter more than a coworking lease, and Eric’s tendency to step into leadership vacuums - including helping San Diego become the first U.S. city, and first binational region, named World Design Capital.

Eric also makes the case that San Diego’s smaller, more tightly connected network—and its constraints - can be an advantage. The conversation closes with a preview of San Diego Design Week, running September 15–20, and a sleeper taco recommendation near the marina.

Key topics

• The “founding cradle”: EvoNexus, The Vine, and 101 Broadway

• Reformed hacker to Raytheon, Sony (PS3), and Qualcomm data science

• Why he’s a “parallel entrepreneur” who falls into leadership vacuums

• San Diego becoming the first American World Design Capital

• Opening Design Week beyond digital - fashion, architecture, interiors

• Connective tissue: third spaces and professional community management

• San Diego vs. the Bay: tighter networks, constraints that filter imposters

• Where San Diego wins: deep tech, hardware, and life science

• The investor-vs-community-builder tension of being “the picker”

Links & resources

• San Diego Design Week (Sept 15-20, 2026)

• Design Forward Alliance

• Startup San Diego

Connect on LinkedIn

• Neal Bloom

• Eric Weiss

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Neal sits down with Janine McMurdie, Chief Commercial Officer of Pictor, a proteomics platform company that expanded from New Zealand to Carlsbad. Janine explains why your DNA is only the blueprint - and why proteins, which change in real time as your body responds to a drug or an infection, tell the fuller story.

They get into Pictor’s partner-driven, capital-efficient model, how the platform runs a complex panel of biomarkers as a single answer (for everything from cattle herds to HIV comorbidities to humans), and the new Pictor Imager launching at ADLM. Plus why San Diego’s density of talent, tools, and investors made Carlsbad the right home and Janine’s favorite tacos from Encinitas to Thousand Oaks.

Key Topics

• Why DNA is the blueprint but proteins are the building

• Running 20 tests as one multiplexed answer

• Pictor’s partner-driven, capital-efficient model

• One platform, many species: cattle to humans

• The new Pictor Imager, launching at ADLM

• Why Carlsbad won: talent, tools, and investors

Links & Resources

• Pictor

• ADLM (Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine)

Connect on LinkedIn

• Neal Bloom

• Janine McMurdie

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Episode Summary

Recorded live at the San Diego Angel Conference finale at SDSU, Eric Ries — author of The Lean Startup — sits down with product leader and founder coach Vidya Dinamani to unpack his new book, Incorruptible. His argument: there’s a gravitational force that pulls even mission-driven companies toward decay — “the making of money without the creating of value” — and the more successful you get, the bigger a target you become. Eric walks through how it happens (stack-ranking by ROI, the “what would investors want” ghost in every meeting, Groupon’s two-emails-a-day spiral), why the fix has to come earlier than anyone wants (“it’s too early until it’s too late”), and the concrete governance moves that keep the great ones honest. Along the way: the San Diego origin story of Costco, Cloudflare giving away its best paid feature, Anthropic’s long-term benefit trust, a hard-nosed take on AI, and a health insurer whose customer-service reps act like guardian angels.

Key Topics

• Corruption as “making money without creating value”

• The gravity that pulls companies from mission to mediocrity

• Costco’s San Diego origin — and why FedMart died

• Why stack-ranking by ROI buries the work that builds trust

• “It’s too early until it’s too late” — protecting the mission in time

• The PBC filing and binding your board to the mission

• AI as a “Dunning-Kruger factory,” and how to actually use it

• “Love” as an operating framework: the Devoted Health story

Links & Resources

• Incorruptible

• The Lean Startup

• Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE)

• San Diego Angel Conference

Connect on LinkedIn

• Neal Bloom

• Eric Ries

• Vidya Dinamani

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Neal sits down with Dr. Adam Link, founder of Fireweed Capital and a recovering engineer who spent a decade in tech — including six years at Coinbase through its IPO — before becoming a financial planner for founders and tech professionals. Adam makes the case that diversification is overrated, that concentration is how wealth actually gets built, and that the real skill is knowing where conviction ends and wipeout risk begins. They get into why you can’t “test your finances in prod,” how AI quietly forgot a 37% tax bill, and why the era of the low-skilled generalist is ending. Plus the best tacos in Duluth, Minnesota — trailhead included.

Key Topics

• Why diversification is overrated for founders

• Concentration as the real path to wealth

• Keeping your portfolio uncorrelated with your business

• The line between conviction and wipeout risk

• You can’t test your finances in prod

• Where AI breaks down in wealth management

• Angel investing vs. founder charity

• Why specialists beat generalists in the AI era

Links & Resources

• Fireweed Capital

• Rising Tide Partners

Connect on LinkedIn

• Neal Bloom

• Dr. Adam Link

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Episode Summary

Recorded live at the San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC 8) finale at SDSU, where Neal - the SDAC Fund 8 manager - and 40+ investors spent months turning 135 applications into six finalists, then handed out the checks on stage. You’ll hear all six pitches:

• Cytodyme’s compliance automation for biotech,

• Vium’s sinus device that makes antibiotics 36x more effective,

• Polyvascular’s pediatric heart valve that grows with the child,

• Shezza’s viral anti-blister sock (funded by a cross-country lawnmower race),

• SESH’s blood test for a cancer biomarker most thought impossible to detect, and

• My Village Innovations’ first reimagined speculum in 180 years.

Key Topics

• How SDAC turns 135 applications into six finalists

• 40+ investors building conviction together

• Cytodyme: compliance automation for biotech & medtech

• Vium: a device that makes antibiotics 36x better

• Polyvascular: a heart valve that grows with the child

• Shezza: the viral anti-blister sock funded by a lawnmower race

• SESH: a blood test for an “impossible” cancer biomarker

• My Village Innovations: the first new speculum in 180 years

Links & Resources

• San Diego Angel Conference

• SDSU Lavin Entrepreneurship Center

• The Lean Startup

• Companies featured: Cytodyme, Vayim, Polyvascular, Shezza Socks, Sesh, My Village Innovations (ROSA Spec)

Connect on LinkedIn

• Neal Bloom

• San Diego Angel Conference

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Episode Summary

Recorded at Natilus HQ in downtown San Diego, Neal sits down with Aleksey Matyushev, CEO and co-founder of Natilus, and Dr. Fabiano Piccinno, Global Head of Sustainability for Air Logistics at Kuehne+Nagel, for a roundtable on the real economics of decarbonizing flight. They get into why ordering a new plane today means a 12-year wait, why sustainable aviation fuel still costs nearly double Jet A, and how Natilus’s blended wing body cuts cost and emissions at the same time - the rare case where the greener choice is also the less expensive one. Along the way: fuel-price shocks emptying transatlantic cabins, aviation’s pull back toward defense, and a FedEx flight that hops the San Diego–Tijuana border in ten minutes. Plus the best plant-based tacos in Mexico City.

Key Topics

• The 12-year backlog to order a new aircraft

• Why global aircraft production must nearly double

• Sustainable aviation fuel at ~2x the cost of Jet A

• Blended wing body: 30% less drag, ~50% lower cost

• When sustainability and economics finally align

• Fuel volatility emptying transatlantic flights

• Aviation’s pull toward defense and dual-use

• Inside the Natilus × Kuehne+Nagel feasibility study

Links & Resources

• Natilus

• Kona (Natilus regional freighter)

• Kuehne+Nagel

• ZeroAvia (hydrogen-electric partner)

Connect on LinkedIn

• Neal Bloom

• Aleksey Matyushev

• Fabiano Piccinno

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Neal sits down with co-founders John Sjolund (CEO) and Jon Brilliant(CFO) of Luna Diabetes, two serial diabetes tech founders building what they call “sleep only automation” - the world’s smallest patch pump designed to automate insulin delivery while you sleep. With over 1700 nights of real-world wear and a pivotal study on the horizon, Jon and John make the case that nighttime is where the biggest gains in diabetes management are hiding - and almost no one is solving for it. Neal shares a personal connection through his father’s decades-long journey with Type 1, and the conversation closes with taco picks spanning a hidden Sorrento Valley gem and an upscale Palo Alto staple.

Key Topics

• Why 80%+ of glucose-lowering automation benefit happens at night

• The founding story: from a Hannah Montana watch to the world’s smallest patch pump

• Sleep disruption as the #1 reported issue among people with diabetes

• Building trust through consistency in an intimate use case

• Capital efficiency in medtech: $40M to market vs. the $200M industry average

• The disconnect between what clinicians prioritize and what patients actually need

• Consumerizing medical devices - why diabetes tech still feels like a Game Boy

• WellDoc, Bigfoot Biomedical, and the lineage of connected insulin delivery

Links & Resources

• Luna Diabetes: lunadiabetes.com

• WellDoc: welldoc.com

• Bigfoot Biomedical: bigfootbiomedical.com

• The Craft Taco (Sorrento Valley, San Diego)

• Reposado (Downtown Palo Alto)

Connect on LinkedIn

• Neal Bloom

• Jon Brilliant

• John Sjolund

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Tony Martens, co-founder of Plantible Foods, joins Neal to walk through the company’s eight-year arc - from a free greenhouse in San Marcos to a commercial-scale rubisco protein facility in West Texas. They get into the science of duckweed and why rubisco is both the most abundant and most bioavailable protein on the planet, the modular “crawl, walk, run” scaling philosophy that kept Plantible from getting buried under capex, and how landing in El Dorado, Texas lifted the surrounding county’s median household income by 62%.

Plus: why the Taco Stand in Encinitas remains the most-mentioned spot on the pod.

Key Topics

• Why our food supply chain hasn’t been updated in 3,000 years

• How rubisco from duckweed competes with eggs, dairy, and meat

• The “crawl, walk, run” approach to commercial scale-up

• Why avian flu volatility is driving bakery and egg-replacement demand

• Modular agriculture vs. billion-dollar capex projects

• Living on the San Marcos farm in RVs through COVID lockdown

• Lifting a West Texas county’s median household income by 62%

• Where Plantable products are showing up on shelves today

Links & Resources

Plantible Foods

Connect on LinkedIn

Tony Martens

Neal Bloom

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Angel Academy Session 5 brings in Brian Dirkmaat, a startup attorney at Rimon, P.C and longtime SDAC sponsor, to walk the room through the legal mechanics of angel investing. Brian covers the full evolution of startup investment instruments - from the original bridge notes of the 1990s to today's post-money SAFEs - and breaks down the real differences between convertible notes, SAFEs, and priced equity rounds. The session goes deep on valuation caps, pro rata rights, the unresolved IRS question around QSBS treatment for SAFEs, and the practical tradeoffs between investing directly into a company versus through an SPV. If you've ever looked at a term sheet and wondered what you were actually signing, this is the session.

Key Topics

• The evolution from bridge notes to convertible notes to SAFEs

• How YC's post-money SAFE works: valuation caps, discounts, and MFN provisions

• SAFE vs. convertible note: the unresolved IRS code 1202 (QSBS) question

• Priced equity rounds: Series Seed vs. Series A (NVCA docs)

• SPVs vs. direct investing: platforms, carry, admin fees, and when each makes sense

• The California C Corp trap: unpaid founder wages and W-2 classification

• Term sheet fundamentals: liquidation preferences, anti-dilution, board seats

Links & Resources

• San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC)

• Rimon, P.C

• YC SAFE Documents

• NVCA Model Legal Documents

• Series First Documents

• Rising Tide Partners

Connect on LinkedIn

• Brian Dirkmaat

• Neal Bloom

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Neal sits down with Will Alaynick, managing partner at Phase Two Ventures, for a fireside chat on what it actually looks like to go from building a company to running a venture fund. Will walks through his journey from operating a life science instrumentation startup - backed by a strategic investor who gave him governance, talent, and manufacturing access - to raising a fund focused on the tools and infrastructure layer of biotech. They dig into how fund managers evaluate deals differently than angels, why SBIR funding can be a double-edged sword, and what it takes to say no for a living.

Key Topics

• How a strategic investor provided governance, talent, and manufacturing - not just capital

• Building Phase Two Ventures from operator pattern recognition

• Evaluating life science deals through the lens of an ex-founder

• SBIR funding as a signal - and when it becomes a distraction

• The difference between angel deal evaluation and fund-level portfolio construction

• Why most of the venture job is saying no - and how to do it humanely

• AI's emerging role in life science - and why wet labs still matter

• What angels should know before making the leap to managing a fund

Links & Resources

• Phase Two Ventures

• San Diego Angel Conference

• Rising Tide Partners

Connect on LinkedIn

• Will Alaynick

• Neal Bloom

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Angel Academy Session 3 brings together a panel of San Diego operators who crossed over to the investor side - including Katherine Chapin, Dane Chapin, Ken Potashner, and Bardia Moayedi with backgrounds spanning investment banking, corporate law, and consumer products. The conversation gets honest fast: what it means to bet on a founder who introduces herself as "just a mom," why losing money on a deal teaches you more than any pitch deck, and how San Diego's open, collaborative angel community creates a fundamentally different deal flow than Silicon Valley's closed-door networks.

Key Topics

• Operating experience as an angel investor's real edge

• The "just a mom" story: why passion beats pedigree every time

• Dane Chapin's board game company postmortem and what losing taught him

• San Diego's open angel ecosystem vs. Silicon Valley's closed networks

• Underestimating risk: the Coin investment and what it revealed

• Co-investing with spouses and building shared conviction

• Why brand obsession signals a founder worth backing

• Pitch contests vs. relationship-driven deal flow

Links & Resources

• San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC): https://sdangel.com

• SDSU ZIP Launchpad: https://ziplaunchpad.sdsu.edu

• Rising Tide Partners: https://risingtidepartners.co

Connect on LinkedIn

• Dane Chapin

• Katherine Chapin

• Ken Potashner

• Bardia Moayedi

• Neal Bloom

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners.

This week, I’m flying solo on the mic to unpack a busy week in San Diego tech.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank you and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

Topics Covered

Suja IPO & San Diego’s Consumer Brand Pipeline

• Suja Life IPO

• Coca-Cola’s early investment thesis

• San Diego as a premium wellness and consumer products launchpad

• Comparison to other recent San Diego consumer brand IPOs

• Why San Diego may be one of America’s best “test markets” for health & lifestyle brands

Stone Brewing, Sapporo & Maria Stipp’s Exit Track Record

• Stone Brewing acquisition news

• The evolution of San Diego’s craft brewing ecosystem

• Maria Stipp’s leadership journey across:

• EcoATM

• Lagunitas

• Stone Brewing

• Suja

• Siete Foods board involvement

• The importance of experienced operators recycling through ecosystems

Firestorm Labs Is on an Absolute Heater

• Firestorm Labs raises $82M Series B

• New $30M defense contract

• Distributed manufacturing and edge logistics

• “Factories in shipping containers”

• Why modern defense tech is increasingly about adaptability and rapid production

• Firestorm hosting the first annual Hardtech 50 Release Party

Hardtech 50 + Next Wave 30

• Why it became impossible to stop at just 50 companies

• San Diego’s growing density across:

• aerospace

• robotics

• autonomy

• semiconductors

• energy

• ocean tech

• manufacturing

• • The rise of interdisciplinary founders and “things that move atoms”

UCSD’s Deep Tech Infrastructure Push

• University of California San Diego and advanced engineering initiatives

• Supercomputing, fusion, AI infrastructure, and scientific tooling

• The importance of compute, cooling, energy, and simulation infrastructure

• The long-term impact of institutions like:

• Qualcomm

• General Atomics

• San Diego Supercomputer Center

• Navy-affiliated research

Referenced article: UCSD Guardian coverage

Scripps + San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

• Scripps Institution of Oceanography

• San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

• Conservation, climate science, oceanography, and AI converging

• Why proximity between institutions creates innovation density

Referenced article: Scripps announcement

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Angel Academy Session 2 puts two founder-turned-investors on stage: Neal Bloom and Ashok Kamal. Both built companies, stumbled through first exits, and eventually landed on the investor side of the table. The conversation covers what actually changes when you go from pitching to writing checks — how to evaluate founders when there's nothing but a prototype, why saying no fast is a form of respect, and what most first-time angels get wrong about time horizons and portfolio construction. It's a candid, unscripted look at the operator lens that shapes how both of them deploy capital.

Key Topics

• Neal's founder-to-investor arc: aerospace to startups to fund manager

• Ashok's path from recycled-backpack startup to NuFund

• Why saying no quickly is the most respectful thing an investor can do

• Being helpful versus intrusive as a post-investment supporter

• First-check misconceptions: what new angels get wrong

• Jockey versus horse — evaluating founders when traction is thin

• NuFund's annual fund model and top-quartile performance

• How to think about projections at the earliest stages

Links & Resources

• San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC): https://sdac.sdsu.edu

• NuFund Venture Group: https://nufund.com

• SDSU ZIP Launchpad: https://ziplaunchpad.sdsu.edu

• Rising Tide Partners: https://risingtidepartners.co

Connect on LinkedIn

• Neal Bloom: linkedin.com/in/nealbbloom

• Ashok Kamal: linkedin.com/in/ashokkamal

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Neal sits down with Paige Craig, Founder and Managing Partner at Outlander VC, the first-check fund that backs founders as early as humanly possible. Paige shares how growing up homeless, bootstrapping a defense tech company during the Iraq War, and years of studying what makes founders tick led him to build a 38-point framework for picking people - not plans. They cover physical AI, manufacturing, defense tech, and why first-time founders still get his first call. And yes, there are duck carnitas involved.

Key Topics

• Outlander’s first-check model: investing before product or metrics exist

• The 38-point founder framework: vision, intelligence, character, execution

• Why first-time founders often outperform repeat founders on a risk-adjusted basis

• Bootstrapping a defense tech company in 2003 - driving into Iraq to win contracts

• Physical AI as a 20-year defining theme

• Manufacturing and industrial automation as the next frontier

• The coming dislocation of creative talent from AI

• Defense tech investment beyond the hype cycle

Links & Resources

• Outlander

• Scale AI

• Brad Feld

Connect on LinkedIn

• Paige Craig

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The 2026 San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC) kicks off with Angel Academy Session 1, hosted at SDSU's ZIP Launchpad. Neal Bloom walks a room of aspiring and returning angel investors through the fundamentals — what angel investing actually looks like, how the SDAC's group diligence process works, and why a portfolio approach matters more than picking one winner. With 135 startup applications on the table and a Decision Day set for May 29, the session lays out the full arc from learning to deploying capital.

Key Topics

• What angel investing is and why it's a learned muscle

• The SDAC's group diligence model: applications to investment

• Portfolio approach: deploying into 3–5 companies

• Why in-person founder pitches change the calculus

• The "Super Bowl" — May 29 Decision Day and what it means

• Fund structure: $200K–$2M raise range, SPV side vehicles

• Last year's fund: $440K deployed into three companies

Links & Resources

• San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC): https://sdangel.com

• SDSU ZIP Launchpad: https://ziplaunchpad.sdsu.edu

• Rising Tide Partners: https://risingtidepartners.co

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In this weeks episode, I sit down with Grayson LaFrenz and Chad Lohrli, two of the co-founders of Cadre AI, the San Diego-based AI strategy and integration firm helping mid-market companies turn AI hype into P&L impact. They get into why 99 out of 100 business leaders still can’t point to measurable ROI from AI, how Cadre’s pod model mirrors the playbook Grayson used to build Power Digital into a record-setting exit, and why change management - not technology - is the real bottleneck. The taco question made an appearance.

Key Topics

• Why most companies have no real AI strategy

• Grayson’s path from Power Digital’s PE exit to Cadre AI

• Chad’s journey from hackathons and SDX to co-founding Cadre

• How Cadre’s pod system verticalizes AI delivery

• The maturity index that exposes C-suite blind spots

• Why services businesses lose operating leverage at scale

• Building reusable AI blocks across clients

• Turning call recordings into an autonomous client intelligence system

• Why change management is harder than the technology

Links & Resources

• Cadre AI

• SDx Community

• Power Digital

Connect on LinkedIn

• Grayson LaFrenz

• Chad Lohrli

• Neal Bloom

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Episode Summary

Neal Bloom takes the stage at the 2026 San Diego Angel Conference Knowledge & Networking Event at SDSU to walk a room full of aspiring and active angel investors through the four questions he uses to evaluate early-stage companies. Using live audience exercises - pitching Uber, Airbnb, and Palantir in one sentence, debating whether Viori was a pass or a miss - he turns startup evaluation from an abstract skill into something visceral and personal. This isn’t theory. It’s how the sausage gets made when real capital is on the line.

Key Topics

• The four-question framework for evaluating startups

• Why clarity is a test of the founder, not the investor

• One-sentence pitching exercises with Uber, Airbnb, and Palantir

• Venture scale outcomes vs. good small businesses

• Salt Couture vs. Reef vs. Vuori - three paths from the same starting point

• How EBITDA, CAC, and growth get valued differently across business types

• Excitement as signal, not hype

• The calendar test: would you spend one more hour on this company?

Links & Resources

• San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC)

• SDSU Fowler College of Business

• Evo Nexus

• NuFund

• Vuori

• Rising Tide Partners

Connect on LinkedIn

• Neal Bloom

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

April 2

Manifold Security Raised $8M

Rybodyn Raised $10 Funding

Shield AI Raises $2B

Condor Software Series A

Q1 2026 Funding Report

2026 Cool Companies

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

2026 SD Hardtech 50 Release Event - April 30

TechCon SoCal May 21-23

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Blueprint Equity just closed a $333M Fund III - and they’re doubling down on a thesis that feels increasingly contrarian in today’s AI-fueled world.

In this episode, Neal sits down with Sheldon Lewis and Bobby Ocampo, co-founders and managing partners of La Jolla-based Blueprint Equity, to unpack their “early growth equity” strategy - investing in bootstrapped SaaS companies doing $1–7M in ARR and growing fast.

They share their journey from 2008 investment banking crash, near-billion-dollar exits, to building Blueprint from scratch. Along the way, they break down why they call themselves “anti-VC,” how AI is reshaping SaaS economics, and why raising less capital can actually create better founder outcomes.

If you’re building in SaaS - especially outside Silicon Valley - this is one to study.

Key Topics

• What is Early Growth Equity?

• From I Banking in 2008 to Building a Fund

• The PayLease Story

• Why They Call Themselves “Anti-VC”

• How AI Is Changing SaaS (But Not Killing It)

• Hands-On Portfolio Support

• Fund III: $333M Closed

• Why Great Companies Can Be Built Anywhere

Links & Resources

• Blueprint Equity

Connect on LinkedIn

• Sheldon Lewis

• Bobby Ocampo

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Matt Holman, founder of Commerce Catalyst and Subscription Prescription, joins Neal to unpack what’s really happening inside modern e-commerce and subscription-driven CPG brands. From Utah’s fast-growing “Silicon Slopes” ecosystem to AI-powered personalization, Matt shares how founders are building durable revenue in a post-hype e-commerce world.

They explore the tension between acquisition and retention, why subscription is often misunderstood, and how community-driven ecosystems accelerate operator learning faster than content ever could.

In this episode, they cover:

• Why the best subscription brands win on acquisition first

• The difference between real personalization and surface-level tactics

• How AI is improving research, CX, and performance marketing

• Why e-commerce multiples compressed - and what that means for founders

• The power of Utah’s Commerce Catalyst community

• Balancing growth targets with long-term subscription LTV

Resources & Links:

• Commerce Catalyst

• Subscription Prescription

• Sign up for Matt’s Newsletter

Connect on LinkedIn

• Matt Holman

• Neal Bloom

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Susie Harborth joins the pod to share her journey from refugee immigrant and first-generation college student to biotech operator, ecosystem builder, and now founder-investor behind Inspirafund and Sencie.

After building early-stage life science companies, launching BioLabs in San Diego, and working across venture and banking, Susie is now placing focused bets in overlooked but meaningful spaces - starting with sleep, rest, and recovery in hospitality.

We dive into why sleep is emerging as a foundational performance lever, how design and “invisible care” shape human experience, and why Susie is building at the intersection of science, hospitality, and wellness. We also unpack her next venture concept, SuperHRO - an offboarding support platform for professionals navigating career transitions.

This episode is about investing with conviction, building from lived experience, and designing for how humans actually feel - not just how systems operate.

Key Topics

• Growing up in San Diego as a refugee immigrant and discovering venture capital during the dot-com era

• Why Susie chose to support scientists curing disease instead of becoming a doctor herself

• Building BioLabs and designing physical hubs for “maximum human collision”

• The difference between luxury and “invisible care”

• Why sleep is the most underleveraged performance tool in modern life

• The science behind circadian rhythms, REM quality, and cognitive performance

• Sleep tourism and the opportunity in hospitality wellness

• Launching Sencie and partnering with The Bower in Coronado

• Why some opportunities are too niche for traditional VC — but perfect for focused capital

• Introducing SuperHRO: rethinking HR and support during job transitions

Links & Resources

• Inspirafund - Personal investment platform backing overlooked, high-impact ideas

• Sencie - Sleep and well-being experiences for hospitality and travel

Connect On LinkedIn

• Susie Harborth

• Neal Bloom

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

3/12

• Seasats visit debrief

• BlueNalu tasting debrief

• SD Angel Academy Debrief

• $100 Genome by Element Bio

• New fundings:

• Candid Therapeutics reverse merger of $500M+

• Spinogenix

• Qureator

• NuFund Ventures Closes Most Successful Year Since 2021

• BAE Systems wins support contract for F-16

• Carlsbad proposed for undersea hub for cables between US and Australia

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

Longevity Innovation Forum 2026 March 11

San Diego AgTech Gathering March 19

March Mingle March 25

SD AI x Bio March 26

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Episode Summary

In this episode of the AI Builders Roundtable, the builders cross a line.

Instead of just discussing AI-native companies, they use one - Polsia AI - to start new businesses live on the show.

Neal, Craig, and Greg spin up real ventures, fund them, and watch agents begin executing tasks in real time. MVPs get scoped. Outreach campaigns get drafted. Websites get built. Autonomous execution starts.

What begins as a demo turns into a deeper conversation about ownership, liability, trust, agent-to-agent commerce, and what happens when company creation becomes a commodity.

This isn’t a thought experiment. It’s builders testing the edge.

Key Topics

• Launching AI-native companies live with Polsia AI

• Funding autonomous agents to build and operate startups

• When execution collapses toward zero

• Agent-run outreach, marketing, and MVP development

• Who holds liability when agents transact autonomously

• Micro-venture economics and short business life cycles

• Building for agents, not just humans

• Why emotional trust may become more valuable in an autonomous world

Links & Resources

• Polsia AI

Connect on LinkedIn

• Neal Bloom

• Craig Lauer

• Greg Moser

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In this episode of Tacos & Tech, Neal Bloom sits down with Peter Goldsborough, co-founder and CTO of Rune, to unpack one of the most overlooked but decisive factors in modern warfare: logistics.

Peter shares how his background in software and defense tech led him to a simple realization-while billions have been spent on weapons and command systems, military logistics still runs on spreadsheets, whiteboards, and paper. The conversation explores why future conflicts will be won or lost on decision speed, not firepower, and how Rune is turning logistics into a real-time, data-driven decision system used by the Army and Marines today.

This episode dives into defense innovation, software in degraded environments, and why fixing logistics isn’t just a military problem-it’s a cognitive one.

Key Topics

• Why logistics decides wars

• The problem with spreadsheets and whiteboards in the DoD

• Turning logistics into a real-time decision system

• Defense tech speed vs legacy procurement

• Software for disconnected and high-stress environments

• Lessons from Ukraine and the Pacific theater

• When logistics becomes the bottleneck

• Building resilient software for the physical world

Links

• Rune

Connect on LinkedIn

• Peter Goldsborough

• Neal Bloom

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Episode Summary

In Episode 3 of the AI Builders Roundtable, the conversation jumps right into deployment.

Craig, Greg, and Derrick break down what it actually looks like to run AI agents inside real companies - from shipping production code with Cursor to publishing crowdsourced sports data on-chain, to experimenting with autonomous bots that learn in public.

This isn’t a hype conversation. It’s builders comparing notes while actively rewiring their businesses around AI-native workflows.

The throughline:The interface is changing. The architecture is changing. The buyer may not even be human anymore.

Key Topics

• Why founders can’t afford to “wait and see” on AI

• Edge models vs. cloud models - and why local compute is resurging

• OpenClaw, Claude Code, GLM, and the new agent toolchain

• Publishing data to blockchain as an AI settlement layer

• Turning APIs into agent-friendly microtransactions

• How AI compresses feedback loops inside product teams

• SEO in a world where agents, not humans, query first

• Building for networks vs. building for agents

Links & Resources

• ScoreStream

Connect on LinkedIn

• Neal Bloom

• Craig Lauer

• Greg Moser

• Derrick Oien

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In this episode, Neal sits down with Samantha Pantazopoulos, co-founder of Vizer, to unpack the company’s pivot from a consumer fitness rewards app to a B2B retail demand engine used by brands like Olipop and Health-Ade.

What started as a mission-driven app tying workouts to food bank donations evolved - through COVID, retailer shutdowns, and customer pull - into a platform helping brands drive measurable retail velocity across Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, and beyond.

This conversation dives into what it really takes to pivot, how offers power demand generation, and why grocery may be one of the most complex - and fascinating - battlegrounds in tech today.

Key Topics

• How Vizer pivoted from consumer app to enterprise CPG platform

• Why COVID forced a rethink of the original marketplace model

• The fragmented world of grocery offers: paper, rebate, retailer apps, and beyond

• Turning marketing impressions into measurable retail conversions

• Compressing the funnel with QR codes, paid media, and off-site offers

• The tension between DTC, Amazon, and in-store retail strategies

• Why data in CPG has historically lagged behind DTC

• How brands are thinking about AI in retail

• What drives trial and long-term retention in grocery

• Creative campaigns: sweepstakes, surprise-and-delight, and experiential activations

Links & Resources

• Vizer

Connect on LinkedIn

• Samantha Pantazopoulos

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

2/22

• SD Wind Tunnel Debrief

• Biotech Mixer Debrief

• Cal AI acquired

• Atrium Spins out from Novartis with $270M

• Tandem Diabetes bests $1B in sales

• Software programs decline except at ucsd

• https://x.com/aakashgupta/status/2024710361950384531?s=20

• Fred named to SDBJ Black Leaders of Influence

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

• SDAC Founder Applications are due this Thursday March 5

• SD Founders Hike March 6

• SD Angel Academy March 6

• Alliance Societal Impact - Family Office Summit March 15-16

• March Mingle March 25

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A short audio reflection on what changes when context stops resetting.

And what happens when it starts compounding instead.

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In this episode of Tacos & Tech, Neal Bloom sits down with Troy Helming, founder and CEO of EarthGrid, to explore one of the most ambitious infrastructure plays of our time: building an underground super grid. Troy shares how a chance conversation about Navy SEAL plasma cutters sparked the idea for plasma-based tunnel boring, and how EarthGrid is now using that technology to dramatically reduce the cost, time, and friction of underground infrastructure.

The conversation spans Troy’s decades-long journey through clean energy, wind, solar, and transmission, the real bottlenecks slowing the energy transition, and why underground infrastructure may be the fastest path to unlocking renewable power, AI data centres, water systems, and broadband at scale. From melting granite with plasma to navigating regulation as a registered utility, this episode is a masterclass in deep tech, systems thinking, and building for generational impact.

Key Topics Covered

• The origin story of EarthGrid and plasma-based tunnel boring

• How a Navy SEAL plasma cutting torch inspired a new approach to excavation

• The 10–20 year reality of permitting overhead power lines

• How underground infrastructure cuts permitting timelines dramatically

• Troy’s background in wind and solar and building multi-billion-dollar energy platforms

• Plasma excavation vs traditional drilling, blasting, and tunneling

• EarthGrid’s patented “Thunderdome” spoils removal system

• Trenching vs tunneling use cases for data centers, utilities, and substations

• Why EarthGrid operates as both a contractor and a utility

• The BOOM model: Build, Own, Operate, Maintain

• Underground infrastructure as long-term, cash-flowing real estate

• AI-driven data center demand and the infrastructure crunch

• Why regulation can be a competitive advantage, not a blocker

• Troy’s long-term vision for quality-of-life improvements through infrastructure

Links & Resources

• EarthGrid

Connect on Linkedin

• Troy Helming

• Neal Bloom

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In the span of days, the “AI news cycle” moved again: OpenClaw has been acquired.

Craig Lauer (longtime Qualcomm builder turned angel investor), Ross Young (CEO of Clinically AI, building tools for behavioral health), and Greg Moser (CEO of ShipCalm) break down what they’re seeing… then Greg takes it from theory to practice with a real demo of how he’s deployed autonomous agents inside his company via Slack.

Key Topics:

• Why OpenClaw’s biggest breakthrough wasn’t just autonomy - it was memory + agency

• The difference between 1:1 AI chat and social, collaborative AI inside teams

• Why “execution” may no longer be the moat - mental models might be

• How to think about AI security when giving agents real power

• What the “adoption layer” means - and why it may be the next big opportunity

• How companies can move from AI-curious to AI-native

Links & resources

• ShipCalm

• Clinically AI

• Cursor

Connect on LinkedIn

• Craig Lauer

• Ross Young

• Greg Moser

• Neal Bloom

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

2/18

TechCon Southwest Debrief

Fund raises:

Shield AI - possibly raising $1B on $12B

Seasats $20M Series A raise

Karmel Capital new fund

Plantible FDA Approval

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

SD Gaming Tech Leaders Gathering - Feb. 24

Biocom Investor Conference - Feb. 24-26

SD Angel Academy - March 6

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

2/13

Super Bowl ads worth mentioning:

Rain Drop Agency. Manscape, TurboTax/Intuit, Poppi/Pepsi (local investors)

SD Regional GDP/Economics report & event debrief

UCSD leading NASA missions

Biotech

Iambic inks $1.7B deal with Takeda

Former DermTech CEO launched a new co.

Neomorph Signed New Lease - 83,000 SFT

Tech

Natilus Raised $28M in Fresh Funding

Hauler raised $16M

Opaque raised, CEO is in SD, team is in SF

Drata Opens SF office

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

Alliance Societal Impact - Family Office Summit March 15-16

March Mingle March 25

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New podcast series within Tacos and Tech: AI Builders Roundtable!

Neal sits down with Craig Lauer and Ross Young on a day both Anthropic and OpenAI dropped major releases to talk about what it actually looks like to build with AI right now. Ross walks through how his team at Clinically AI built an internal AI operating system using Claude Co-work - from voice-interviewing department heads to capture tribal knowledge, to running full pipeline reviews from HubSpot in natural language.

Craig shares how LaunchMate, the AI co-pilot he’s building for student founders at SDSU’s Zip Launchpad, uses persistent memory and multi-agent communication to keep founders moving. The conversation moves from tools to workflows to a surprisingly honest riff on identity - and what it means when intelligence is no longer your competitive advantage.

Key Topics Covered:

• The Anthropic 4-6 / OpenAI Codex same-day release and what it signals

• LaunchMate: AI agents with persistent memory for founders, mentors, and cohort management at SDSU Zip Launchpad

• “Tidbits” — auto-generated founder progress updates (”share without sharing”)

• Ross’s AI operating system at Clinically AI: markdown knowledge bases, Claude Co-work projects, HubSpot integration, voice-mode interviews for tribal knowledge capture

• The AI capability spectrum: chatbots → cloud agents with tool access → local agents with full computer access

• OpenClaw vs. Co-work: excitement vs. enterprise readiness and security

• Craig’s LettaBot/WhatsApp cautionary tale

• Natural language as the new programming language - and why social workers may outperform engineers at agent programming

• Processes they’ll never go back to: manual contract redlines, email triage

• Identity in the age of AI - detaching professional worth from intelligence

Links & Resources:

• Clinically AI

• SDSU Zip Launchpad

• Claude Co-work by Anthropic

• LaunchMate (in development)

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Craig Lauer

• Ross Young

• Neal Bloom

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Episode Summary

In this episode of Tacos & Tech, Neal Bloom sits down with Juanny Romero, founder and CEO of Mothership Coffee Roasters, for a raw and deeply human conversation about building businesses rooted in belonging—not hustle.

Juanny shares her journey from growing up in Queens, leaving New York after 9/11 in search of agency, opening her first café in Las Vegas with no business plan during the Great Recession, and learning math from fifth-grade textbooks to keep the business alive. What started as a single café became Mothership—now an eight-figure company built around community, connection, and purpose.

The conversation explores loneliness in modern society, why baristas are “architects of meaning,” and how revenue becomes a byproduct when people feel they belong. Juanny also shares her bold next chapter: slowing down, rejecting hustle culture, and empowering 1,000 women to become millionaires by giving Mothership away like seeds.

Key Topics

• Failing forward and finding agency

• Building community as the real product

• Opening during the Great Recession

• Learning numbers to trust intuition

• Scaling without losing soul

• COVID, chaos, and creativity

• Belonging as a business advantage

• Mentorship, incentives, and boundaries

• Redefining success beyond money

Links

• Mothership Coffee Roasters

Connect on LinkedIn

• Juanny Romero

• Neal Bloom

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

2/9

Debrief from 2026 VC Outlook

January 2026 Funding Recap

Solve Energy IPO & Once Upon A Farm IPO

Rakuten Medical $100M Series F

Macro

Layoffs

Amazon 16,000

Traditional tech stocks are down

Illumina partners with the SD Zoo Frozen Zoo

New Dexcom CEO

Neal is back on twitter/X

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

SD Founder Hike - Feb 6

SDAC Angel Investor Knowledge Night - Feb 10

AFCEA West - Feb. 10-12

TechCon Southwest Austin - Feb. 12-13

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In this episode of Tacos & Tech, Neal Bloom sits down with Cathy Pucher, Executive Director of Entrepreneurship Initiatives at San Diego State University, to trace the roots and the future of San Diego’s startup and early-stage investing ecosystem. From Cathy’s early career in semiconductor sales at Texas Instruments and front-row seat to Qualcomm’s rise, to founding the EvoNexus startup incubator and helping SDSU become a central connector for founders and investors, this conversation is a masterclass in ecosystem-building.

Together, Neal and Cathy unpack how San Diego’s culture differs from Silicon Valley, why experiential learning matters for both founders and investors, and how the San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC) has become a critical on-ramp for new angel investors while putting meaningful capital to work in local startups. The episode also marks the kick off of SDAC Fund VIII, with applications now live for both startups and aspiring angels.

Key Topics Covered

• Cathy’s journey from electrical engineering at UCSD to global semiconductor sales at Texas Instruments

• Early San Diego wireless startups and Qualcomm’s role in shaping the ecosystem

• Why San Diego’s startup culture feels fundamentally different from Silicon Valley

• The leap from big tech to startup leadership at PacketVideo

• Creating EvoNexus as a free incubator for serial entrepreneurs

• How SDSU transitioned from an “island” to an active startup ecosystem connector

• Student-led startups and the power of founder–market fit

• Why SDSU focuses on connecting founders to existing accelerators instead of duplicating them

• The evolution of local angel investing in San Diego

• How the San Diego Angel Conference trains and activates new angel investors

• What makes SDAC a “learn by doing” model for early-stage investing

• The structure, timeline, and goals of SDAC Fund VIII

• Why local capital pipelines matter for long-term ecosystem health

• How students are now being embedded directly into the angel investing process

San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC) Highlights

• Applications for startups are now open

• Startups from across the U.S. are eligible (with in-person requirements later in the process)

• Investor Knowledge & Network Event: February 10 at C3 Bank

• SDSU 2026 Angel Academy: March 6

SDSU SDAC program is designed for accredited investors who want:

• A structured way to learn early-stage investing

• Exposure to real startups and real diligence

• A peer group to learn alongside

• Deeper connection to the San Diego startup ecosystem

• Meetings kick off week of March 9th thru late May

If you’re curious, SDSU is hosting a 2026 SDAC Information Sessions:

Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at 4:00 pm

• Zoom link: https://SDSU.zoom.us/j/89569142579?jst=2

Thursday, February 26, 2026 at 12-1 pm

• Message me for the link

Links & Resources

• San Diego Angel Conference

• Lavin Entrepreneurship Center

Connect on LinkedIn

• Cathy Pucher

• Neal Bloom

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

1/24/2026

• Blueprint Equity new fund 3 $333M

• Seasats wins $24 million DoD award

• Trust & Will new product

• New hires at mPower and funding?

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

• 2026 VC Outlook - Jan. 29

• Farmers Open - Jan 29 - Feb 1

• AFCEA West - Feb. 10-12

• TechCon - Feb. 12-13

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A short audio reflection I recorded after noticing where momentum actually comes from.

It’s not from more events.

It’s from proximity, repetition, and trust.

🎧 On The Radar — Episode 5

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In this episode of Tacos & Tech, Neal Bloom sits down with longtime friend, founder, and self-described “Maine Melon,” Jared Ruth, founder of Ripcurrent. What starts as a walk down memory lane through San Diego’s early startup ecosystem turns into a wide-ranging conversation about entrepreneurship, marketing, AI, and the human moments technology should protect - not replace.

Jared shares his journey from decades in telecom and corporate innovation to building Ripcurrent, a marketing and automation agency focused on Main Street businesses. Together, Neal and Jared unpack how generative AI and no-code tools have radically lowered the barrier to building, why small businesses are both overwhelmed and empowered by tech, and how the next era of marketing isn’t about shouting louder - it’s about removing friction so humans can show up where it matters most.

Key Topics Covered

• Jared’s path from telecom and corporate innovation to founding Ripcurrent

• Early days of San Diego’s startup ecosystem, Founder Dinners, and CTO roundtables

• Building “startups inside big companies” and why that experience matters

• The moment GenAI unlocked solo building and rapid experimentation

• Vibe coding, no-code tools, and the rise of AI-native workflows

• Why small and Main Street businesses struggle with modern marketing tech

• Google Business Profiles, search, and what visibility means in an LLM-driven world

• Automation as a way to remove transactional work - not human connection

• Where AI agents help brands and where they can quietly destroy trust

• Why trust and brand moments matter more than the underlying technology

• Parallels between AI adoption and autonomous driving trust curves

• Using technology to give business owners their time - and humanity - back

• The optimism (and responsibility) that comes with building in the AI era

Links & Resources

• Ripcurrent

Connect with Jared & Neal

• Jared Ruth

• Neal Bloom

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A short audio reflection I recorded after noticing a familiar pattern while reading rock band autobiographies over the holidays.

It’s not about music.

It’s about how talent develops -slowly, quietly, over time.

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners and the Tacos and Tech Podcast.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

1/15/2026

• CES debrief

• JPM happening now

• Fundings & Acquisitions:

• Ventyx acquired by Lily for $1.2B

• Mirador Therapeutics Raises $250M Series B

• ibio $26M in Private Placement Funding

• BlueNalu Funding

• Cubic & Palantir teaming up

• Resmed gets FDA approval on AI CPAP

• Air Surgical Lands $2.6M Grant

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

TechCon Austin - Feb 12-13

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In this episode of Tacos & Tech, Neal Bloom sits down with Eric Aguilar, co-founder and CEO of Omnitron Sensors, to unpack the deep tech powering the next wave of robotics, autonomous systems, and AI infrastructure. From Eric’s early days working on defense sensors and his journey through Google and Tesla, to building one of the most powerful MEMS-based micro-machines on the market, this conversation explores why physical AI is finally having its moment - and what it takes to solve real-world reliability problems at scale.

Eric breaks down why LiDAR has struggled to reach mass adoption, how Omnitron rethought the problem from first principles, and why the same core technology is now attracting attention from trillion-dollar hyperscalers looking to radically reduce data center power consumption. Along the way, they dive into biomimicry, energy efficiency, manufacturing constraints, and what it really means to build a “painkiller, not a vitamin.”

Key Topics Covered

• Eric’s path from Navy research labs to Google, Tesla, and founding Omnitron Sensors

• Why LiDAR reliability - not hype - has been the biggest blocker to autonomous systems

• How MEMS-based silicon micro-machines replace failure-prone mechanical LiDAR components

• The “war on LiDAR” and why cameras alone still fall short in autonomy

• Omnitron’s breakthrough in building large, high-force, highly reliable MEMS mirrors

• Why physical AI and robotics are converging right now

• How Omnitron’s technology extends beyond automotive into AI data centers and optical switching

• Saving massive amounts of energy by keeping data optical instead of electrical

• The hidden challenges of scaling hardware, manufacturing, and global supply chains

• Why MEMS has historically been underfunded - and why that’s changing

• Biomimicry as a tool for engineering breakthroughs

• Advice for engineers and operators thinking about taking the leap into startups

• Why the best startups solve urgent pain, not “nice-to-have” problems

• Eric’s very non-consensus taco pick (hint: it’s a legendary San Diego burger)

Links & Resources

• Omnitron Sensors – https://www.omnitronsensors.com

Connect with Eric

• Eric Aguilar on LinkedIn

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I’ve been noticing something lately about what happens after meetings -

and what changes when the work doesn’t stall anymore.

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In this live session from a recent SDAC Knowledge & Network Event hosted at Mintz Law’s office, investor Neal Bloom and corporate attorney Sebastian Lucier pull back the curtain on what due diligence really means for early-stage startup investing.

Whether you’re a founder preparing to fundraise or an aspiring angel investor doing your first deal, this session is packed with sharp insights and war stories - from spotting red flags on cap tables to identifying green flags that signal breakout potential.

Moderated by Cathy Pucher, this conversation offers a rare dual lens: from the investor side and the legal side.

Key Topics Covered:

• Why due diligence is different for early-stage companies

• How to structure founder equity and employment terms the right way

• Why investor scorecards work best as conversation tools, not decision tools

• When to walk away - even after doing the work

• How investors stay involved after the check clears

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Sebastian Lucier – Mintz

• Cathy Pucher – SDSU ZIP Launchpad

• Neal Bloom – Rising Tide Partners

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

1/5/2026

Draft numbers of total VC Investment into SD Companies in 2025: $3.4B

Select top fundings:

• Tech:

• ShieldAI $240M, Cybereason $120M, Flock Fleight $60M, Clearspeed $60M, FABRIC8LABS $50M, Equip $46M

• Biotech:

• Crystalis Therapeutics $205M; Timberlyne Therapeutics $180M; Protego Biopharma $130M; Aspen Neuroscience $115M; Raythera $110M

2025 Acquisitions:

• Avidity $12B by Novartis

• Cidara Therapeutics $9.2B Merck

• Capstan Thera $2.1B by AbbVie

• Arthrosi Thera $1B

• Kate Thera $1.1B

• Regulus Therapeutics acquired by Novartis ($1.7B)

• Nalu Medical $500M

IPOs:

• Aardvark Thera

• Aptera

• Once Upon A Farm

• Carlsmed

• MapLight Therapeutics

2026 Predictions

• More IPOs & M&A, market up

• Fundings up, in specific areas, more in other markets than SD

• More return to office, in specific areas

Carta Startup Ranking - San Diego #6

Trust & Will Holiday Bowl

TED announced move to SD

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

CES - Jan. 5-10

Carlsbad Industry Exchange - Jan. 6

JPM - Jan. 12-15

State of Venture event - Jan. 29

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A short audio reflection on something I’ve been noticing about willpower - and what happens when it quietly stops being the thing that matters.

This episode isn’t about discipline.

It’s about what changes when friction is removed instead of resisted.

That’s what’s on my radar.

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A short audio reflection on something I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since my first ride in a Waymo.

Not because the technology was impressive -

but because of what happened to my attention once I stopped needing to be alert.

This episode isn’t about autonomy.

It’s about what changes when vigilance disappears.

That’s what’s on my radar.

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In this special episode, we bring you a practical, high-context walkthrough of early-stage investing hosted by the San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC). With insights from the Pillsbury ECVC legal team and SDAC organizers, this session offers angel investors - both new and experienced - a clear breakdown of key financing instruments like SAFEs, convertible notes, and priced equity rounds.

We cover the structure and implications of different entity types (C-Corps, LLCs, S-Corps), the nuance behind valuation caps and discounts, the benefits of pro rata rights, and the tax advantages of Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS). Whether you’re gearing up for Fund 8 or thinking about writing your first check, this session equips you with the frameworks and real-world insights you need to invest smarter.

Key Topics Covered

• Why SDAC is building year-round investor education & networking events

• Overview of startup legal structures: LLCs vs. C-Corps (and why Delaware still leads)

• What investors should understand about SAFE agreements

• How post-money valuation caps really work (and how they differ from discounts)

• Why side letters can protect your upside: pro rata, info rights, MFNs, and more

• How convertible notes differ from SAFEs and when they might be preferable

• Real red flags on cap tables and what they tell you about a company’s past

• What to know about Zombie SAFEs (and how to avoid them)

• Tax advantages of Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) and recent updates to eligibility

• The evolving dynamics of angel rounds, bridge financing, and recapitalizations

Links & Resources

• San Diego Angel Conference Website

• Qualified Small Business Stock Overview – IRS

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In this episode of the Tacos & Tech Podcast, host Neal Bloom sits down with Jared Tangney, co-founder and CTO of Biolinq. From their early EvoNexus days to today’s FDA clearance, Jared walks us through the incredible journey of Biolinq - how it pivoted from sweat-sensing tattoos to a revolutionary microneedle platform that can measure glucose, lactate, and even cortisol with no blood and no pain.

Jared shares how a Mailchimp newsletter led to their first investor, Mark Cuban, and why he believes San Diego is the global epicenter for biosensing innovation. With a focus on serving the largest segment of the diabetes population and plans to expand into broader metabolic and stress biomarkers, Biolinq is changing what’s possible in wearable health tech.

Key Topics Covered:

• How Biolinq’s microneedle platform works and why it matters

• From sweat-based sensors to skin-based semiconductors

• Lessons from nearly a decade of R&D and pivots

• Measuring glucose, lactate, and now cortisol - what’s next?

• How a newsletter sign-up brought Mark Cuban in as the first investor

• Navigating FDA clearance and commercialization strategies

• San Diego’s competitive edge in biosensing, diabetes tech, and medical wearables

• The growing importance of AI and multi-analyte sensing in personal health

• Reflections on community, startup persistence, and tacos (Fish 101 for the win)

Links & Resources:Learn more about Biolinq

Connect with Jared Tangney:LinkedIn

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In this special live episode of the Tacos & Tech Podcast, we take you inside the latest Burbank Tech Talk event, recorded at Tailored Space in the heart of the Media Capital of the World. This panel brought together creators, founders, and technologists to explore the fast-shifting landscape of entertainment, gaming, and AI—and what it means for the future of storytelling, monetization, and creativity.

From visual effects to streaming-era music deals to real-time game personalization powered by AI, this episode dives into what’s working now, what’s being disrupted, and what’s coming next. Whether you’re a founder, artist, developer, or fan of the future, you’ll walk away with clear-eyed insights on where media and tech are headed.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why AI is more workflow revolution than job replacement—and how creators are adapting

• The rise of AI-as-inspiration in music, gaming, and film

• How independent creators can build real businesses with the new tools (if they think like founders)

• Why monetization and royalties are still the biggest friction points in music tech

• What’s coming next: global content, micro-audiences, and curated experiences in the AI era

• The growing importance of local innovation ecosystems like Burbank in a rapidly decentralized creative economy

Featured Speakers:

• Nova Renay– Host and moderator, composer, producer, and creative technologist

• George Karalexis and Donna Budica of Ten2 – Music entrepreneurs helping artists monetize through content transparency and UGC

• Alan Lasky – Former VFX and studio exec, speaking on the evolution of visual effects and media economics

• Cody Germain – Founder of Bear Club Games, previously at Riot and Epic Games, sharing how AI is transforming real-time gameplay and player experience

Key Topics Covered:

• The myths vs. realities of AI in creative work

• How generative tools like Suno and Sora are being used behind the scenes by major producers

• AI in game engines, browser-based games, and new distribution channels

• The death of theatrical? What it means for local film production

• Independent vs. major label artist trajectories in the TikTok era

• The opportunity for cities like Burbank to lead through local investment in experimentation, talent, and infrastructure

Links & Resources:

• Tailored Space – coworking host location

• Burbank Economic Development Division

• Ten2 Media

• Rise and Tide Partners

• Upcoming Burbank Events:

• Burbank Tech Talks: [Tech, Talent & the New Learning Economy] – January 20, 2026

Watch the Recording:

📺 Full Video Link🎬 Event Recap Teaser Clip

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SDSU ZIP Fall 2025 Bootcamp: Building Fast, Building Smart

In this special edition of the Tacos & Tech Podcast, we dive into the action-packed day that was the SDSU ZIP Launchpad Fall 2025 Startup Bootcamp. Designed to push student founders from idea to impact in just four hours, the students go from brand new ideas on a whiteboard, using AI co-pilots to get quick customer development simulations, building a first product with generative AI, and then actually selling pre-orders or actual sales - all in less than 4 hours.

This bootcamp introduced a two-track system - Problem-First and Idea-First - giving students the chance to either discover a real-world problem or go all-in on an idea they already had.

We cover how over 100 students used AI tools, street interviews, customer empathy techniques, and rapid prototyping to validate their assumptions, build MVPs, and in most cases - make actual sales.

Craig Lauer, Cameron Brock, Erica Snider, and the SDSU ZIP Launchpad/Lavin Entrepreneurship Center led an incredible day to support founders from the start.

In this episode, we cover:

• The design of the two-track builder experience: Track A (Problem-First) and Track B (Idea-First)

• What it means to validate ideas through customer currency

• Why teams that pivoted based on user feedback outperformed others

• Key takeaways from the guest session with Chris Barber on deep customer empathy

• Behind-the-scenes reflections from mentors and organizers

• Final results: over 222 real-world sales transactions in just four hours

Key Results:

• 222+ real-world transactions by student teams

• Dozens of MVPs launched using GPT, Canva, V0, and no-code tools

• Multiple teams built landing pages, got preorders, and refined pitches based on live feedback

• Winning teams were recognized for best problem validation, most sales, and strongest empathy-driven design

My dream is for every (SDSU) student to start their first week of school with a sprint like this—where they learn their own potential by building, validating, and selling on Day 1. The ZIP Launchpad and Lavin Entrepreneurship Center make that possible, but only with continued community support.

If you’d like to help fuel more student builders, you can contribute to the SDSU Lavin Seed Fund here:

https://business.sdsu.edu/news/2025/11/lavin-entrepreneurs

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In this special edition of the Tacos & Tech Podcast, we recorded live from Snapdragon Stadium during the 2025 Top Tech Awards San Diego.

We set up shop right on the concourse and captured conversations with the builders, technologists, students, and community leaders shaping the region’s innovation economy. From cybersecurity to community impact, from AI in education to employee scheduling powered by LLMs—this episode captures the real pulse of San Diego tech, one voice at a time.

Oh, and plenty of taco recommendations.

Episode Highlights:

• Julie Oliveira, Director of Tech at South Bay Union School District, shares how COVID reshaped education and why student creation over consumption is key.

• RingCentral’s Erica and Natalie talk AI, seamless work-life blending, and mobile-first sales workflows.

• John Stern (Ringpin) shares how location-based QR tech is transforming retail hiring.

• Bill Smith (Chrome Roads) explains how a smart ID badge is changing how workers log in, stay secure, and get help fast.

• Cal State San Marcos and SDSU students reflect on entering the workforce during the AI boom - and how they’re already using AI to job hunt.

• Citroen Cooperman leaders dive into fractional CFO services, ERP upgrades, and what happens when AI + accounting get serious.

• Jeff Blanton (Conscious Curiosity SD) breaks down how B Corps and values -driven leadership are shaping a new tech economy.

• Marco Thompson (Arcus Nexus) recaps a decade of cross-border startup support and nearshoring before it was cool.

• Cheryl Goodman (Mind the Machine podcast) explores AI’s human implications and why the next big thing isn’t the tool - but the culture shift it forces.

• European founders visiting via the YTILI program reflect on their first impressions of San Diego’s startup scene.

• Ron Nielakes and Shirin Alipana highlight how the YMCA of Escondido is evolving to serve its community with purpose, tech, and tacos.

Taco Intel You Didn’t Know You Needed:

• Anaheim’s Tacos Los Cholos and Escondido’s TJ Tacos made the list

• Learn about the loaded fries that may or may not have been invented in North County

• Where to find the best post-party tacos near Snapdragon Stadium (hint: Tacos El Gordo and Puesto)

🔗 Connect & Explore:

• Top Tech Awards San Diego

• Mind the Machine podcast

• Arcus Nexus

• Citroen Cooperman

• YMCA Escondido

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners and the Tacos and Tech Podcast.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

11/21

BlueTech Week / UCSD Space Symposium

Defense Tech in SD is going

Prebys Ventures writes 5 checks

Brainstorm Thera wins NVIDIA Award

Technology Fundings

Fabric8Labs Raises $50M

Muse Software Raises $4.5M

Infracost Raises $15M Series A

Biotech Fundings

Iambic Therapeutics $100M Series B

Model Medicines Raises $3M

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

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On this episode of the Tacos & Tech Podcast, Neal Bloom sits down with Julie Sokol, Chief Technology Officer of OC Sports & Entertainment, to explore the intersection of immersive fan experiences, smart infrastructure, and placemaking through technology. Julie shares her journey from nearly 25 years in management consulting with Accenture to real estate with the Irvine Company, and now helping shape the ambitious 100+ acre OC Vibe sports and entertainment district surrounding the Honda Center in Anaheim.

From making parking frictionless to redefining what it means to be a digital concierge, Julie and her team are building more than a venue - they’re crafting a next-generation, tech-enabled community destination. Neal and Julie discuss everything from women’s sports and live entertainment to infrastructure partnerships with Cox and supporting local chefs and rising performers.

Key Topics Covered:

• Julie’s career journey from Accenture to real estate to OC Sports & Entertainment

• What OC Vibe is and how it’s reshaping the Southern California experience

• Building a “smart” sports + entertainment district from the ground up

• How tech enables seamless, immersive guest experiences

• Collaborating with Cox and other partners on broadband and infrastructure

• Supporting women’s sports, the 2028 Olympics, and the World Volleyball Championship

• Launching a curated food hall and investing in local culinary talent

• The role of data in powering the digital concierge and connected community

• What it’s like building tech leadership on a greenfield project

About Julie Sokol:

Julie is the Chief Technology Officer of OC Sports & Entertainment, leading the digital and tech transformation of OC Vibe - a 100+ acre mixed-use sports, entertainment, hospitality, and residential district built around the Honda Center in Anaheim. Previously, she held senior leadership roles at Accenture and the Irvine Company.

Resources & Links:

• OC Vibe Website

• Learn more about the Honda Center

• Connect with Julie Sokol on LinkedIn

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This week on the Tacos & Tech Podcast, Neal sits down with Mike Sims, Marine Raider turned venture builder, to talk about how his experience across the military, VC, and global battlefields shaped his mission with Imperium, a trusted marketplace for critical goods and the industrial base.

They explore how modern warfare is redefining innovation cycles, why our national supply chain needs a rethink, and how San Diego is quietly becoming the epicenter of U.S. defense tech.

Key Topics Covered:

• Mike’s journey from blue-collar trade school to Marine Corps Special Operations

• What most people misunderstand about military tech adoption and procurement

• How frontline innovation - like in Ukraine - reveals deeper supply chain insights

• Why the defense supply base is aging, fragmented, and missing credit infrastructure

• The role of marketplaces and automation in rebuilding America’s industrial edge

• How Imperium is working to reduce friction and increase trust between buyers and suppliers

• Why we need more engineers at the front lines, not just HQ

• San Diego’s unique strengths: hard tech talent, military end-users, and lifestyle advantage

• The difference between building tech for persistent problems vs. fleeting missions

• Thoughts on labor, robots, AI, and the human cost of “re-industrialization”

• What’s next for the defense tech ecosystem and how founders, veterans, and investors can plug in

Links & Resources:

• Learn more about Imperium

• Read more about Lux Capital

Connect with the Guest:

• Mike Sims: LinkedIn

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners and the Tacos and Tech Podcast.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

11/8

Eric Topol AI x Healthcare talk debrief

GA launches new drone

Scripps and UCSD win $4M grant for stem cell research

GSK pens a $750M deal with SD-based Empirico

Qualcomm Ventures Celebrates 25th Anniversary

Tide Rock Reaches $1B in Acquisition Capital

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

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This week on the Tacos & Tech Podcast, we dive into San Diego’s growing Bluetech ecosystem with Vanessa Scott, Director of Industry Relations, Innovation, and the StartBlue Accelerator at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UCSD. Vanessa shares how StartBlue helps launch and scale ocean-focused startups - from wave-powered sensor platforms to coral reef restoration biotech - and why San Diego is uniquely positioned to lead the future of the blue economy.

From mentoring early-stage companies to securing a $14M NOAA grant, Vanessa is building the bridge between science, startups, and global sustainability right here on the California coast.

Key Topics

• What is Bluetech? And why it goes far beyond just the ocean

• The origin and evolution of the StartBlue Accelerator

• Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s century-long legacy of innovation

• Why Bluetech needs business minds and scientists

• How San Diego became a hub for ocean startups and blue data infrastructure

• The importance of community, collaboration, and programs like I-Corps

• What to expect at Blue Tech Month, including in-water demos and tall ship meetups

• Startup highlights: Hybrid Reef, Del Mar Oceanographic, Ocean Motion, Kaipono, and more

Links & Resources:

• StartBlue Accelerator

• Scripps Institution of Oceanography

• Blue Tech Month Events via TMA BlueTech

• BlueNalu – Cultivated Seafood Innovation

Connect with Vanessa:

• LinkedIn – Vanessa Scott

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners and the Tacos and Tech Podcast.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

10/30

Uncharted : Pitches Debrief

M&A News

Avidity Acquired by Novartis for $12B

Hologic Acquired by Blackstone and TPG

State of Life Sciences

The SD Investor List goes live

Fundings

Walla raise $5M

Unigrid Battery Receives $2.9M Grant

Wildcat Discovery Technologies $4.9M

ASML / Cymer competitor comes out of stealth

Qualcomm AI chip

EDC Recognizes 30 Top Companies in San Diego: Nautilus, LENZ Therapeutics, etc.

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

SD Founders Hike - Nov 7

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In this week’s episode of the Tacos & Tech Podcast, Neal sits down with Faisal Mushtaq - tech exec, startup scaler, author, and community builder - to explore the lessons learned from operating at every level of the tech stack: from startups in stealth to global public companies.

Faisal shares how his engineering roots led him into roles scaling teams of three to three thousand, the value of building across verticals, and why he sees writing, mentorship, and convening not as extracurricular, but essential to long-term impact.

He also unpacks the origin story of TechCon Global, and what’s next as the cross-regional tech summit expands from San Diego to Austin and beyond.

Key Topics:

• The difference between being an operator and being a scaler and why you need both

• What startups can learn from big companies (and vice versa)

• How blogging became Faisal’s medium for frameworks, reflection, and teaching

• The importance of building bridges between startup ecosystems and the design of TechCon as that connective tissue

• Why giving first is the only real long-term strategy for community leadership

• How AI tools are changing how we write, work, and relate but not how we connect

Links & Resources:

• TechCon Global

• TechCon Southwest – Feb 12–13, AustinTechCon Global

• TechCon SoCal 2026 – May 22–23, San Diego

• Use the special discount code SOCAL26RTP at the link here to get 15% off regular tickets

• Find all books here → Faisal Mushtaq on Amazon

Connect with Faisal

• Follow Faisal on LinkedIn

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners and the Tacos and Tech Podcast.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

10/10

SD Startup Week debrief

State of Biotech Ecosystem

Funding News

• Turnout $21M Seed

• Crystalys Therapeutics $205M Series A

• Once Upon a Farm IPO

Snapdragon Summit - Qualcomm announcements & Eyepop AI announcements

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

SD Founders Hike - Oct 10

Stocktoberfest Oct 20-22

Carlsbad Industry Exchange - Biotech - Oct 22

SD Defense Tech Coffee / Build Day Oct 23

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners and the Tacos and Tech Podcast.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

10/10

SD Startup Week debrief

State of Biotech Ecosystem

Funding News

• Turnout $21M Seed
• Crystalys Therapeutics $205M Series A
• Once Upon a Farm IPO

Snapdragon Summit - Qualcomm announcements & Eyepop AI announcements

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

SD Founders Hike - Oct 10

Stocktoberfest Oct 20-22

Carlsbad Industry Exchange - Biotech - Oct 22

SD Defense Tech Coffee / Build Day Oct 23

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In this episode of the Tacos & Tech Podcast, we sit down with Matt Ober, Managing Partner at Social Leverage, to unpack the future of fintech, the evolving landscape of wealth tech, and what it means to build and invest with long-term conviction.

Matt shares his journey from hedge funds and quant trading to early-stage venture capital, with stops at Bloomberg, WorldQuant, and Third Point before joining Social Leverage. We talk about the firm’s investing thesis, from Robinhood and Alpaca to the social side of investing with Stocktwits and the upcoming Stocktoberfest event in San Diego.

From deep dives on compliance tooling and wealth advisor rollups to the convergence of trading, crypto, and sports betting - this episode maps the edges of where fintech is headed next.

Key Topics covered: * Matt’s path from hedge fund data scientist to early-stage investor * The origin story of Social Leverage and how its partners found each other * Fintech then vs. now: what’s changed and what hasn’t * Why wealth management is ripe for disruption * Regulation, crypto, and the blending of gambling, investing, and community * How Stocktwits still matters in a Robinhood world * The magic of Stocktoberfest and how in-person density builds stronger networks * What it’s like building and investing from San Diego

Links & Resources * Social Leverage * Stocktwits * Stocktoberfest - October 20-22, 2025

Connect with Matt * LinkedIn * X

Fintech, Forecasts, and Stocktoberfest

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In this episode of the Tacos & Tech Podcast, host Neal Bloom sits down with Aleksey Matyushev, co-founder and CEO of Natilus, the San Diego-based aerospace company reinventing air freight and passenger travel with next-gen aircraft. With over $39 billion in orders and a growing footprint in South County, Natilus is bringing cutting-edge manufacturing back to San Diego.

Aleksey shares his journey from growing up near a Soviet airfield to becoming an aerodynamicist at Piper and Kratos. He walks us through the founding story of Natilus, early pivots from seaplanes to blended wing bodies, and how customer feedback (and cold emails) helped shape the company’s strategy. Plus, we dive into capital efficiency, certification pathways, and how Natilus is carving out space in a market long dominated by Boeing and Airbus.

Key Topics Covered: * The legacy of aerospace in San Diego and why Natilus is doubling down here * Aleksey’s path from Piper Aircraft to Kratos to Natilus * Lessons learned from military-grade drones and commercial aviation * The first MVP: a 30-foot autonomous seaplane built in 14 months * Why cargo came first - and how airlines asked for passenger planes next * The Kona and Horizon: aircraft designed for freight and people, optimized for fuel, volume, and cost * Navigating testing, tooling, and certification with just $15M in capital raised * Why wind tunnels, FAA approvals, and Brown Field are key San Diego assets * How India became a fast-moving market for commercial orders * The future of aviation as seen from South County, San Diego

Links & Resources * Natilus * Learn more about Rising Tide Partners

Connect with Aleksey & Neal * Connect with Aleksey on LinkedIn * Connect with Neal Bloom on LinkedIn

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners and the Tacos and Tech Podcast.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

9/19

Broader Defense Tech:

Harpoon x Firestorm Mixer Debrief

El Segundo Defense Tech Mixer Debrief

Firestorms Labs opens 60,000 SFT Facility in Mira Mesa

Biotech:

Treeline Biosciences emerges from stealth with $200M backed by ARCH Venture.

Arnatar Therapeutics focused on precision RNA therapies emerges from stealth.

Debut Bio raises and expands to Asia

Yatiri - acquired another startup

Luna Diabetes raises a Series A

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

Sept 26 - Defense Tech Gathering

Oct 3-5 Startup Weekend

Oct 6-10 SD Startup Week

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This week on Tacos & Tech, Neal sits down with Rose Bowlus - lawyer, founder, and angel investor - whose journey from trading floors to startup boardrooms brings a rare blend of Wall Street experience and founder empathy.

Rose shares how her legal career evolved from the capital markets and energy sectors to launching her own firm, Rose Bowlus Law, where she now advises early-stage startups and funds. They talk legal tech, Web3, fintech moats, and what founders often overlook when raising capital. Plus, Rose unpacks her growing role as an investor, how she’s empowering other lawyers through her Angels in the Law network, and what she looks for in the next generation of legal innovation.

Key Topics * Rose’s career path from Berkeley to in-house counsel to founding her own law firm * Legal insights for fintech, Web3, and capital markets * How regulation shapes - and lags - innovation in financial services * Trends in legal tech adoption and where traditional firms are falling behind * Her philosophy of “give first” investing and building a founder-friendly syndicate * The origin story of Angels in the Law and the rise of lawyer-investors * Why clarity is everything when supporting (or funding) founders * Rose’s controversial taco take: Islands, North County edition

Links & resources * Rose Bowlus Law * Rising Tide Partners * Women’s Venture Summit

Connect on LinkedIn * Connect with Rose on LinkedIn * Connect with Neal on LinkedIn

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In this episode of the Tacos & Tech Podcast, host Neal Bloom sits down with Eric Birkemeier, founder of ShredLights and now part of Meepo Electric Skateboards. Eric’s story is a wild ride - from 3D-printing in the SDSU ZIP Launchpad and selling Jordans out of thrift stores, to building a niche hardware company and ultimately exiting to a global electric skateboard brand.

They unpack how Eric turned an early failed Kickstarter into a business with over $1M+ in revenue (with zero ad spend!), the importance of discovering product-market fit through real customer feedback, and the emotional rollercoaster of running and eventually selling a hardware startup during a downturn. From bootstrapping to navigating COVID, tariffs, and copycats - Eric shares what it really takes to get to the finish line (and how the finish line is just another beginning).

Key Topics Covered: * From basement builds to business: Eric’s early love for inventing and entrepreneurship * The SDSU ZIP Launchpad, finding community, and the startup that wasn't a fit * Why the wrong customers helped him discover the right market * Pivoting from skate culture to the growing micro-mobility movement * Scaling from 3D printers to overseas supply chains - and the lessons from doing it the hard way * How Kyle and Eric’s founder relationship helped them navigate burnout, illness, and transition * Building trust with manufacturers and how one trip to China changed everything * Financial forecasting, staying lean, and prepping for an acquisition * The gritty, real story behind selling a business - and what Eric’s learned about what comes next

Links & Resources: * ShredLights * Meepo Electric Skateboards * Physics Girl on YouTube

Connect with Eric & Neal * Connect with Eric Birkemeier * Connect with Neal Bloom

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This week on Tacos & Tech, Neal sits down with Drew Wilson, longtime North County founder, designer, engineer, and community builder. From launching products solo to landing a GoDaddy acquisition, Drew’s track record speaks for itself. Now he’s back with a new company, Opacity, and relaunching his beloved creative conference, ValioCon, right in the heart of Oceanside.

In this episode, Drew shares his journey from early design days and Flash websites to building Plasso, navigating acquisition, and diving headfirst into GenAI-powered product development. He also gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what’s coming with Opacity, why he’s bullish on version control for designers, and how tools like Midjourney and Claude are shaping his build stack.

Key Points

• Building Plasso as a solo founder and selling to GoDaddy
• Going through YC while still working at GoDaddy
• Launching (and shutting down) a modern digital bank
• The origins of ValioCon and why it’s back after 9 years
• The inspiration behind Opacity and the future of visual coding
• Building products in the GenAI era — what’s actually different
• His go-to North County burrito and tales from Cave Week

Links & Resources Learn more about Opacity Grab your ticket to ValioCon

Connect with Drew & Neal Follow Drew on Linkedin & X Follow Neal: LinkedIn & X

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Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms.

Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners, building and investing in community.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

Aug 22

Defense Tech Founders Event Recap of autonomous tech and military end-users

New org leaders: Connect - James Z.

Naturally San Diego - Renee Solares

Techstars - Misti Cain

BuyBack Ventures launches

Funding

Srt Therapeutics - $47M

Ceresti $11M

Ilundent - $4M Seed Round

M&A

GroGuru acquired by Goanna Ag

Gatsby acquired Klayvio

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

Defense Tech Build Day - Aug 28

Gaming Gathering Build Day - Sept 2

SD Defense at SoCal Deep Tech - Sept 16

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In this episode of the Tacos & Tech Podcast, Neal Bloom sits down with Larsen Jensen, former Olympian, Navy SEAL, and now Managing Partner of Harpoon Ventures, an early-stage venture firm backing founders building in the national interest.

Larsen shares the journey from serving Team USA to launching a venture fund focused on what he calls the Freedom Stack - critical technologies like AI, autonomy, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing that shape not just industry, but national security and global stability.

They explore how Harpoon was early to the intersection of tech and geopolitics, why San Diego is uniquely positioned to lead in hardtech and defense innovation, and how founders can better navigate the path to working with the U.S. government through Harpoon’s new initiative: Black Flag Incubator.

Key Topics Covered: * Larsen’s Olympic and Navy SEAL background, and how it shaped his service-driven mission in venture * The original thesis behind Harpoon Ventures - and how the market caught up * Defining the "Freedom Stack": AI, cyber, energy, compute, defense, and more * The rise of government demand for critical technologies * Black Flag Incubator: helping founders navigate government engagement * Why San Diego is poised for hardtech and national security innovation * Advice for early-stage founders working in dual-use or deep tech * The importance of founder communities, ecosystem building, and paying it forward * Larsen’s go-to taco spot (hint: it’s inside Petco Park)

Links & Resources: * Harpoon Ventures * Black Flag

Connect with Larsen & Neal: * Larsen Jensen on LinkedIn * Neal Bloom on LinkedIn * Follow @NealBloom on X

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners and the Tacos and Tech Podcast.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

Aug 15

SDEE event debrief

Biotech layoffs: Thermo, Poseida Therapeutics

Equillium raise

Scale Bio acquired by 10X Genomics

Plantible opens a 100-acre manufacturing module in Texas

BAE Shipyard Gains Defense Build Contracts

Prebys Foundation Donates $1M to support grant medical research

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

Defense Tech Build Day - Aug 28

Gaming Gathering Build Day - Sept 2

SD Defense at SoCal Deep Tech Week - Sept 16

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In this episode of the Tacos & Tech Podcast, Neal Bloom sits down with Madeline Fraser, the dynamic founder and CEO of Gemist, a B2B SaaS and AI company revolutionizing the jewelry industry.

Madeline shares how a frustrating search for a custom engagement ring sparked the idea for Gemist, which now powers customization, stone sourcing, and hyper-realistic rendering for jewelry brands and retailers. With deep product insight and two previous startups under her belt - including an appearance on Shark Tank and an exit into the gaming space - Madeline unpacks how her creative background and startup experience led her to build scalable tech that’s reshaping a centuries-old industry.

They talk about her time on The Pitch (where she met Neal and landed Gemist’s first investment round), her vision for modernizing the jewelry shopping experience, and why customization is no longer optional for today’s customers.

Key Topics Covered: * How Madeline turned a personal pain point into Gemist’s founding story * Her Shark Tank experience - and why the deal didn’t go through * What it’s really like to bootstrap vs. fundraise * Why user testing came before writing a single line of code * The tech stack behind Gemist’s jewelry customization engine * Scaling B2B SaaS in a traditional industry * The future of Gemist: watches, new verticals, and profitability * Startup lessons from interior design to jewelry tech * Why every founder needs grit, agility, and a chip on their shoulder

Links & Resources: * Gemist

Connect with Madeline & Neal * Madeline on LinkedIn * Neal Bloom on LinkedIn * @NealBloom on Twitter

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Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms.

Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners and the Tacos and Tech Podcast.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

August 8

Debrief Startup SD 1st Mondays event at KILN Rancho Bernardo

New Connect CEO

AI products:

• Seismic AI
• Metro MOIC

Fundings:

• Equip Health $47M
• Trovata $9M Extension Series B

Saronic moves into SD

AgX Food Hub moves forward

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

SD Defense Build Day - Aug 28

Gaming Build Day - Sept 2

SD Defense at SoCal Deep Tech - Sept 16

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In this special episode of the podcast, host Neal Bloom takes us inside the Burbank Startup Pitch Fest - an exciting evening of innovation, capital, and community hosted in partnership with the City of Burbank and Rising Tide Partners.

We kick things off with a welcome from Burbank’s Economic Development team, highlighting why the city is fast becoming a tech and media hub. Neal then moderates a candid conversation with early-stage investors Amy Harmon (Innovent Capital) and Ben Kahan (Pegasus Angel Accelerator) about today’s venture landscape - from what they look for in a pre-seed deal to how AI and founder-market fit are shaping startup success.

Then, five founders take the stage to pitch their startups:

• KATSHID: A frictionless, passwordless biometric identity platform
• Geri Gadgets: Sensory tools supporting cognitive wellness in dementia and neurodivergent populations
• Blip Industries: Drone-powered logistics, imaging, and defense systems
• Health-e-Habits: Digital wellness programming helping families build mindful relationships with tech
• Aspivix (Winner): A modern, non-traumatic alternative to the gynecological tenaculum, improving IUD and reproductive care

From pitch insights to early-stage investing frameworks, this episode is packed with startup wisdom and a strong dose of real talk from the entrepreneurial front lines.

Recorded live at Burbank Startup Pitch Fest 2025.

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In this episode of the Tacos & Tech Podcast, host Neal Bloom sits down with Alex Adler, co-founder of Puesto, to talk about how a family with no restaurant background built one of the most beloved modern taco brands in the country. From its La Jolla beginnings to an expanding restaurant group that includes Marisi and Romana Norte, Puesto has grown through a mix of culinary authenticity, operational innovation, and cultural conviction.

Alex shares the origin story of Puesto, early pivots that reshaped their entire concept, how Toast and DoorDash changed the game for their operations, and how they’ve kept taco trends and consumer tastes at the heart of their menu. Plus, we talk about non-alcoholic innovation, building culture at scale, and yes—his all-time favorite taco.

Key Topics Covered * The family roots of Puesto and why hospitality was a leap of faith * How Puesto went from food stand concept to a multi-state operation * The early pivot from fast-casual to full-service that changed everything * Why crispy cheese and house-made tortillas are non-negotiables * How Puesto adapted during COVID—and doubled down on delivery * Tech tools that transformed operations (Toast, DoorDash integrations) * Balancing menu staples with taco trend experimentation * Why they built their own non-alcoholic tequila alternative * Expansion news: new Puesto location, new concepts, and out-of-state growth * Filet mignon taco, pistachio-serrano salsa, and why they still ring the bell

Links & Resources * Puesto Restaurants * Marisi La Jolla

Connect with Alex Adler * LinkedIn: Alex Adler

Connect with Neal Bloom * LinkedIn * Twitter: @NealBloom

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Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms.

Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners and the Tacos and Tech Podcast.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

July 11

• Funding:

  • Firestorm $47m Series A
  • Field Medical raises again
  • Tang Capital acquires
  • SoftEye acquired

  • AI Launches:

  • Trust & Will launches new AI platform

  • Wealth tech Copia AI new partnership
  • Comma AI valued at $1B
  • Clickup’s AI Agent gets top ranking by G2
  • Atrium Energy powering commercial properties
  • Alexandria Signs 466k Lease with Big Pharma
  • Oku launches into Sprouts
  • Modal AI in the new U.S. Defense Department video

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

View Details

In this special recorded event episode, Neal Bloom sits down with Trust & Will co-founder and CEO Cody Barbo in front of a live audience at SDSU’s Angel Academy. It’s an honest, behind-the-scenes conversation on what it really takes to back founders at the earliest of stages especially when they are bouncing back from tragedy.

Cody and Neal reflect on startup missteps, co-founder breakups, raising from friends and angels, and how real trust (and real checks) get built over breakfast, not pitch decks. From being fired from his last venture to scaling Trust & Will to tens of millions in ARR, Cody shares a decade's worth of hard-won lessons with humor, humility, and insight.

Whether you're a first-time founder, active angel, or just startup-curious, this candid session is packed with real talk about how relationships, not just revenue, power great companies.

Key Topics Covered

• Cody’s path from SDSU student to three-time founder
• The co-founder breakup that led to Trust & Will
• Lessons from getting fired as a CEO
• Why Neal invested in Cody before a product even existed
• Raising from 26 angels with $10K–$40K checks
• What great investors do before they wire money
• The power of monthly updates and founder–investor trust
• Behind the scenes of Techstars, Series A/B, and scaling to tens of millions in ARR
• Advice for founders on protecting themselves and choosing aligned investors
• How angels can create value before, during, and after the check clears

Links & Resources

• Trust & Will
• Rising Tide Partners
• San Diego Angel Conference

Connect with Cody

• Cody Barbo on LinkedIn

Connect with Neal

• Neal Bloom on LinkedIn

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In this episode of the Tacos & Tech Podcast, host Neal Bloom sits down with Arman and Andrew, of Podhaus, a full-service podcast production studio based in Burbank, CA. From launching just before COVID to building one of LA’s most sought-after recording spaces, the duo shares how they went from music engineering and tech backgrounds to building a creative business in the heart of the media capital, Burbank, CA.

We dive into what makes a podcast studio succeed, how to think about production versus authenticity, and why audio always matters more than video. Plus, we get real about gear recommendations for on-location podcasting, changes in podtech like Substack and Spotify, and what it takes to attract the right clients - from beginners to corporate teams.

Key Topics Covered * The unexpected origins of Podhaus - and how it pivoted from a music studio to podcast-only * The difference between polished production and authentic podcasting - and why authenticity wins * Why good audio trumps everything else (yes, even video) * Three studio setups Podhaus offers and how creators pick their aesthetic * Who the ideal client is (hint: it’s not always beginners) * Studio tips for on-location recording (gear, lighting, and sound) * Tech trends: Substack’s clip editor, Spotify’s new comment features, and the race to own podcaster workflows * Favorite LA taco spots from classic lengua to artisanal lamb

Links & Resources * Podhaus

Connect with Arman & Andrew * Arman Zeytounyan * Andrew Zeytounyan

Connect with Neal Bloom * LinkedIn: Neal Bloom * Twitter: @NealBloom

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Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms.

Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners and the Tacos and Tech Podcast.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

July 7

Events debrief - Andy Ballester/SD Tech Founders event

Macro market is feeling positive

Carlsmed files for IPO

Capstan Thera acquired

Aquacycl - International expansion through MetroConnect

Blossomhill Therapuetics moves in new HQ

Fundings:

Gallant Therapeutics - $18M

Arialys Therapeutics - $14M

Kelly Slater moved his brand to SD

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

July 8 - Afternoon Founders Hike

July 29 - Dev & Data x CTO Talks: Healthtech Night - link coming soon

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In this episode of the Tacos & Tech Podcast, host Neal Bloom chats with Jeremy Yamaguchi, Founder and CEO of Cabana. A longtime builder in the home services space, Jeremy is now focused on modernizing the pool care industry, one of the largest yet most overlooked service sectors in the U.S.

Jeremy shares how his product and marketing background led him to build Cabana with a blend of operational efficiency, software tooling, and local team empowerment. He dives into his strategy around vertical SaaS, customer experience, and the importance of trust and taste when scaling service-based businesses.

Key Topics Covered * Why the pool industry is primed for tech-enabled reinvention * Cabana’s approach to building a national brand through software and service * How acquisitions, W-2 teams, and onboarding systems set Cabana apart * Why founder psychology and team culture matter in field operations * Applying tech tools (including ML) to streamline quoting and scheduling * Lessons from going through Y Combinator * What “slope over Y-intercept” really means in early team building * Jeremy’s San Diego taco go-to and what makes a taco technically superior

Links & Resources * Cabana Pools

Connect with Jeremy

• LinkedIn

Connect with Neal Bloom

• LinkedIn: Neal Bloom
• Twitter: @NealBloom

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Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms.

Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners and the Tacos and Tech Podcast.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

June 27

Dr Squatch acq again, this time for $2B

IPOs - Chime, Coreweave, eToro, Circle doing well and Wealthfront just filed.

Quidel acquired LEX

New Insulin results

Fundings:

Clearspeed series D

Firestorm raised new funds, according to SEC filing

Lilo of Carlsbad wins a Michelin Star

Deloitte Fast 500 nominations open

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

June 27 - Pitch Night at Bermuda Club

July 1 - SD Tech Founders with Andy Ballester, GoFundMe and Eyepop AI co-founder

July 4 - Founders Hike

July 8 - Afternoon Founders HikeJuly 29 - Dev & Data x CTO Talks: Healthtech Night - link coming soon

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In this episode of the Tacos & Tech Podcast, host Neal Bloom chats with Andrew Albert, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Channel Equity Partners. Andrew brings decades of investing experience - from public markets to private software equity - to the table. He shares how his journey from the East Coast to San Diego led to launching a new kind of early growth equity firm focused on bootstrapped or lightly funded B2B SaaS companies.

Andrew unpacks his investment strategy, discusses founder-alignment, thesis-driven sourcing, and how Channel Equity delivers capital with intention. Plus, he reflects on the power of long-term partnerships, why market cycles don't shake his thesis, and of course, his favorite San Diego burrito spot.

Key Topics Covered

• Channel Equity’s unique approach to early growth equity
• How Andrew’s public markets background shapes his private investing lens
• The “Ideal Founder Profile” and why alignment matters more than hype
• Examples of successful thesis-driven investments (e.g., CreatorIQ, restaurant CMS tools)
• The impact of AI on go-to-market efficiency and capital needs
• Fund I formation and raising capital in a challenging market
• Why IPOs aren’t the goal, and how $100M exits can be life-changing
• Breakfast burritos, New York pizza, and San Diego sunshine

Links & Resources

Channel Equity Partners

Connect with Andrew

LinkedIn

Connect with Neal Bloom

LinkedIn: Neal Bloom

Twitter: @NealBloom

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Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms.

Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

June 20

Recent events debrief: MedTech, AI, GP/LP

BIO in Boston

Startup activity in SD

Recent Carta funding data in relation to San Diego and by stage

Fundings

Retrorate - podcast &

Seaside Equity raises $723M for two funds

Cadre AI coming out of stealth

Qualcomm acquisition of AlphaWave Semi for $2.4B

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

July 1 - SD Tech Founders with Andy Ballester, GoFundMe and Eyepop AI co-founder

July 4 - Founders Hike

July 8 - Afternoon Founders Hike

July 29 - Dev & Data x CTO Talks: Healthtech Night

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What does it take to design a flawless fan experience for 75,000 people on game day, and millions more watching from home? In this episode, Neal Bloom sits down with Vikrant Bodalia, Vice President of Technology Operations at Allegiant Stadium, to unpack the strategy, innovation, and pressure behind the world's biggest live events. From Super Bowl infrastructure to facial-recognition ticketing, Vikrant shares how he reverse engineers every event from the fan perspective first.

With a career that spans NBA, NHL, NFL, and the rapid rise of Las Vegas as a sports tech capital, Vikrant offers a front-row look at how venue technology is evolving and why immersive, secure, and seamless experiences are now the industry benchmark.

Key Topics Covered:

• Vikrant’s journey from IT help desk to VP of tech at world-class venues • Lessons from working behind the scenes in the NBA, NHL, and NFL • What it means to reverse engineer a Super Bowl or Stanley Cup experience • Why “infrastructure first” is the key to delivering at stadium scale • The evolution of venue tech: from 10GB to 100GB+ internet circuits • How ASM Global prepares for record-breaking digital demands • Cybersecurity as a culture, not just a checklist • The role of AI, facial recognition, and immersive media in the future of fan engagement • Las Vegas' emergence as a leading sports and entertainment tech city • How recognition from Top Tech Awards validates years of behind-the-scenes leadership

Links & Resources:

• ASM Global
• Allegiant Stadium
• Las Vegas Top Tech Awards

Connect with Vikrant:

• LinkedIn

Connect with Neal:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter

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In this episode of Tacos & Tech, Neal welcomes a longtime friend, Andy Taylor, Co-Founder and CEO of RetroRate. to talk about building a company around an idea few people even know exists: assumable loans. They dig deep into Andy’s journey from building software at Electronic Arts and Apple to leading product at Redfin, launching mortgage startup Approved, and now tackling a hidden opportunity in real estate finance: assumable loans. Andy shares his personal founder journey, lessons learned across big tech and startups, and why he's committed to building in San Diego.

Key Topics:

• A walk through Andy’s product career—from EA to Apple to Redfin
• Why assumable loans are the key to unlocking a stuck real estate market
• The origin story behind RetroRate and solving a problem most people don’t know exists
• The impact of locked-in low rates on buyer power and seller mobility
• Lessons learned building, scaling, and selling a mortgage startup (Approved)
• Navigating startup life post-acquisition and deciding to build again
• The evolving San Diego startup landscape and why it’s a great place to build
• Real talk on balancing work, life, and entrepreneurship with family in tow
• Leveraging AI and design thinking in modern proptech

Links & Resources:

• RetroRate

Connect with Andy:

• LinkedIn: Andy Taylor

Connect with Neal:

• LinkedIn: Neal Bloom
• Twitter: @NealBloom

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Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms.

Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Rising Tide Partners.

My co-hosts in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

June 6 Tech News

We recorded this week’s pod live on LinkedIn here. What did you think?

General Atomics Fusion Reactor Tour

Funding Roundup – Q2 So Far

• Flock Freight raised $60M Series E
• RevenueCat raised $50M Series B (co-founder based in SD)
• BioLink: $100M Series C
• Hyatt Therapeutics: $65M Series A
• ClearPoint Neuro: $110M public offering

Executive Moves

• Mark Fields named Chief Information & Innovation Officer at Illumina

AI Spotlight

• Personal AI partners with NVIDIA and launches an AI receptionist tool

  • Headquarters moving to SF, but SD office remains
  • Still a top contender in SD’s AI ecosystem
  • Qualcomm & NVDIA making big AI moves

Microsoft x Activision Blizzard

• Global deal, local impact: High Moon Studios (Carlsbad) now under Microsoft
• Gaming community expanding: new meetups + co-working hub in the works

Consumer Brand News

• Jack in the Box (HQ in SD) struggles with Del Taco; 200 stores closed

• Everbowl hits 100th location milestone

  • Rapid growth since franchising
  • Built-in construction arm WeBuild fueling national expansion

Robotics on the Big Stage

• Local startup Psyonic featured by YouTuber Marques Brownlee (MKBHD)

  • Two million+ views on their bionic hand demo
  • Another big win for SD’s hardware + health tech community

Events Roundup – June Highlights

For full list, check out The Social Coyote newsletter

• June 6 - SD Founder Hike
• June 9 - Future In Review 2025 Conference
• June 10 - Carlsbad Sports Active Lifestyle Industry Exchange with Naturally San Diego and SDSI
• June 11 - SD Founders Afternoon Hike
• June 12 - Best Ideas Dinner

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In this episode of the Tacos & Tech Podcast, host Neal Bloom sits down with CEO of Pictor, a diagnostics company transforming healthcare through proteomics-the science of understanding what the body’s proteins are doing right now.

They explore how this next-generation technology is shifting the medical world from slow, reactive testing to real-time, accessible diagnostics for both humans and animals. From Jamie’s early days at Quest Diagnostics to Pictor’s move from New Zealand to San Diego, this episode is a front-row seat to how health innovation really happens.

Whether you’re building a biotech startup or just curious about how your body actually works, this conversation reveals what’s next for diagnostics-and why it matters now more than ever.

Key Topics Covered

• What proteomics is-and why it matters more than ever
• The shift from DNA-based tests to real-time protein diagnostics
• Pictor’s expansion to Carlsbad and why San Diego is a healthtech hotspot
• How regulatory clarity is speeding up innovation
• Lessons in leadership and conviction from Jamie’s founder journey
• Making diagnostics faster, cheaper, and more personal

Links & Resources

• Pictor Diagnostics

Connect with Jamie

• LinkedIn

Connect with Neal Bloom

• LinkedIn
• Twitter

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Episode Summary:

In this episode of the, Neal Bloom chats with Jesse Taylor, Senior Manager of Identity and Middleware Services at UNLV. Jesse shares his journey from early exposure to technology with Atari and Apple II to becoming a technical leader in higher education. They discuss the evolution of technology, the role of AI in augmenting human capabilities, and Jesse’s approach to authentic leadership and team development. Jesse also highlights his work in identity management at UNLV, his involvement in the Las Vegas tech community, and his recognition as a Top Tech Vegas award recipient.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The evolution of technology in education and hospitality sectors
• AI as a tool for enhancing human capabilities
• Leadership strategies for building and supporting high-performing teams
• The importance of workforce development and apprenticeships in tech
• The Las Vegas tech ecosystem and connections with San Diego

Links & Resources:

UNLV’s identity and middleware services

Society for Information Management (SIM) Las Vegas Chapter

Nominate a leader for the Top Tech Awards

Connect with Jesse:

LinkedIn

Connect with Neal:

LinkedIn: Neal Bloom

Twitter: @NealBloom

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Dive into San Diego's evolving product management landscape with Vidya Dinamani as she announces the inaugural Product Management Summit. Learn how the local tech ecosystem has matured and why bringing world-class product leadership to San Diego matters.

Key Topics:

• San Diego Product Management Summit (June 5-6)

• Evolution from Intuit leadership to Product Rebels

• Building Product Tank's 2,500+ member community

• Customer-centric product development methodologies

• San Diego's maturing tech ecosystem

Links & Resources:

Product Management Summit

Product Rebeles

Connect with Vidya:

LinkedIn: Vidya Dinamani

Connect with Neal:

LinkedIn: Neal Bloom

Twitter: @NealBloom

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Applications are open for the next accelerator program!

In this episode, Neal Bloom chats with Misti Cain, the new Managing Director of Techstars San Diego powered by SDSU. They discuss the upcoming Year 3 of the program, the application process, and what makes an ideal founder and company for the accelerator. Misty shares insights into the benefits of the SDSU partnership, the updated investment terms, and the importance of community and mentorship in the Techstars ecosystem.

Key Topics:

• Introduction of Misty Cain as the new Managing Director

• Overview of Techstars San Diego powered by SDSU Year 3

• Application details: Open from April 8 to June 11, 2024

• Ideal founder and company profile

• Benefits of the SDSU partnership

• Updated investment terms: $220,000 total with $200,000 uncapped MFN safe

• Importance of community and mentorship

• Shoutout to Ryan Kuder for his contributions to Techstars in San Diego

• Misty's favorite taco spot: Puesto in Del Mar

Links and Resources:

• Techstars San Diego powered by SDSU Information

• Refer Founders

Connect with Misty Cain:

• LinkedIn: Misti Cain https://www.linkedin.com/in/misticain/

Connect with Neal Bloom:

• LinkedIn: Neal Bloom https://www.linkedin.com/in/nealbbloom

• Twitter: @NealBloom https://twitter.com/NealBloom

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🔊Listen & Subscribe: Available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and other major platforms.

👋 Welcome! Welcome to This Week in San Diego Tech!

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

Joining me as always is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego Substack, covering startups, funding, and M&A across the region.

🗞️Top Headlines This Week: 🎶 Music Tech Meets the Symphony - link * Interlock Capital hosted 30+ tech leaders for a behind-the-scenes tour of the newly renovated Jacobs Music Center ($150M remodel!) * The tech community showed up at the San Diego Symphony’s Discovery Night, featuring jazz, Mardi Gras flair, and remarks by ResMed CEO Mick Farrell * The call to action: it’s time for the next generation of founders to support arts, science, and innovation in SD

🚀 Startup 101 & Founders Funnel Kickoff - link * Neal and Tim Ryan launched Startup 101, a community event for early-stage builders to explore the “car, plane, or rocket ship” path of growth * 10 attendees, curated cohort, high demand for more, filling a new cohort each quarter - and Founders Build Day now expanding to 3 monthly locations in May!

💰 Funding Rounds * Symphonic Capital raises $13.5M for its debut fund, led by Sydney Thomas (ex-Precursor), focused on fintech and digital health

Read Fred’s article » * Bliss AI, an aesthetic-focused AR software platform, secures Series A funding (co-founder based in North County) * Biolinq raises $90M for non-invasive glucose sensing — originally spun out of UCSD labs and now scaling hard

SEC filing »

🧬 NIH Funding Shakeup & Market Headwinds - link * UCSD sees $150M+ in NIH funding paused or cut, impacting researchers and early-stage startups * Federal agency funding delays (FDA, DOD, SBIR) creating ripples in life sciences and defense tech * Tariffs, market uncertainty, and reduced VC capital raise concerns for hardware and deep tech founders

🧱 Real Estate & Ecosystem Expansion * Pfizer moves to new Torrey View campus * Novartis to build a $1.1B San Diego R&D hub * Prebys Foundation acquires Wells Fargo Plaza for $40M (previously $148M), signaling interest in downtown tech corridor * GemPharmatech, Qpex, and BioLabs expanding presence in the region * EvoNexus UTC set to open new space for medtech/life science founders in May

👟 SDSU Goes Jordan * San Diego State men’s basketball team debuts custom Air Jordan 4 PEs — only 50 pairs made!

See them here »

🗓️ Community Events & Ecosystem News * One Million Cups is back!

+ Every Wednesday at 8am @ Ansir Innovation in Convoy
+ Two startup presentations + community feedback
+ Event photo recap »

• Interlock Capital LP + Portfolio Founder Day

  • LPs and founders will be connecting in curated roundtables to move the needle on growth
  • The Social Coyote has your curated event list:

Subscribe here »

💬 Final Shoutouts * Thanks to Michael Robertson and other listeners for your feedback — we’re testing a shorter intro song this week! * Follow Fred on Substack » and Neal on Fresh Brewed Tech »

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How a third-generation builder turned a storage-unit startup into a national infrastructure powerhouse—and what’s next for tech’s invisible backbone.

Floyd Auten, COO and co-founder of TechNet Partners, joins Neal for an episode that digs deep into the literal and figurative foundations of tech. From punchdowns in high school to powering stadiums and data centers across the country, Floyd shares how his family legacy in electrical work turned into a career designing the infrastructure that keeps the digital world running.

They talk about life safety systems, the rise of AI tools in design, the Padres’ Wi-Fi network, and how Floyd’s team at TechNet is scaling services across all 50 states.

Floyd also shares what it meant to win the Top Tech Award in 2024—and why he’s excited to help spotlight other behind-the-scenes innovators this year.

🔑 Key Takeaways & Timestamps: * [2:00] Floyd’s start: lessons from his grandfather’s Navy electrician days * [5:30] How TechNet grew from a storage-unit office to 300+ employees * [9:00] Life safety tech: upgrading USC’s 911 system and keeping infrastructure resilient * [12:30] Data center growth + designing for sustainability * [17:00] From Padres Wi-Fi to MLB partnerships and stadium-scale solutions * [21:00] Floyd’s long-running partnership with Cox Business * [26:30] Winning a Top Tech Award and inspiring the next wave of tech leaders * [29:00] Advice for founders and future tech leaders: love the work, and find mentors * [33:00] 🌮 Taco Talk: Floyd’s go-to spot is TJ Tacos in Escondido

🏆 Top Tech Awards: Floyd was recognized at the 2024 Top Tech Awards - and now he’s helping select the next generation of unsung tech heroes.

👉 Know someone making tech magic happen behind the scenes?

Nominations are now open for the 2025 Top Tech Awards!

Submit yours before May 2 at toptechawards.com

🔗 Links: * Floyd Auten on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/floyd-auten-rcdd-364a4410 * TechNet Partners: technetpartners.com * Top Tech Awards Nomination: toptechawards.com * TJ Tacos: Yelp link

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Meet Jeff Fenster, a serial entrepreneur, problem solver, and relationship builder who’s scaled multiple businesses by identifying problems worth solving - and assembling the right team to tackle them.

Inspired early on by A Shark Never Sleeps, Jeff set out to become a sports agent, only to pivot right after law school and dive into entrepreneurship. His first venture began with a bold move - calling his employer’s bluff and walking out to start his own company, only to face a major hiccup when payroll checks were accidentally sent to clients.

Through trial, error, and big wins, Jeff has honed his entrepreneurial philosophy:

“If you can live in your greatness, success is guaranteed.”

That philosophy was put to the test when he dreamed up what would become Everbowl. Despite critics pointing out he wasn’t a chef - and that most restaurants fail - Jeff saw the opportunity. Why? Because business owners, not chefs, build successful restaurant brands. From that insight, he coined:

“Experience is the most overrated prerequisite to starting a company.”

From the lessons of building Everbowl, Jeff launched his latest venture - WeBuild - a company that helps others bring their physical business ideas to life by streamlining construction and buildouts.

Jeff also shares insights weekly on his podcast, The Jeff Fenster Show, where he interviews top performers, athletes, entrepreneurs, and creators about what makes them great.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How Jeff approaches building multiple businesses at once

• The role of self-awareness in entrepreneurial success

• His 5 core principles for life and business

• His latest book, Relationship Capital, which dives into the power of networking, mentorship, and building value through people

• Business relationships with names like Neil Patel, Drew Brees, Shaq, and the GoFundMe founders

• Why he believes investing in people is the ultimate multiplier

• His new venture, WeBuild, and what he’s solving next

• And the power of storytelling through The Jeff Fenster Show

Plus, we get into tacos (of course):

Jeff’s favorite taco spot: Casero Taqueria

His taco order: The al pastor, shrimp, and whatever the weekly special is.

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

My co-hosts in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

April 4, 2025

• Padres 7-0, Dodgers 8-0 in their starts
• Fred’s Q1 report
• Class of 2025 Cool Companies

• Fundings:

  • Thatch AI

  • Global M&A data

  • Red markets because of tariffs

  • Qualcomm acquisition news: Acquires Gen AI company & rumored to be considering acquiring UK semiconductor company
  • Cymbiotika ranks 10 fast-growing companies

  • Leadership changes

  • Blender CEO Steps up

  • Shield AI New CEO

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

• 1st Mondays SSD April 7
• 1 Million Cups April 16
• Connect Summer Social June 3

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Join us for a roundtable with three longtime builders of San Diego’s startup scene:

Jonah Peake of The Social Coyote and The Career Coyote Hussein Yahfoufi of Startup Beach Neal Bloom of Fresh Brewed Tech and Interlock Capital Designing Events That Actually Build Community

In this episode, we dive into the elements that actually make an event meaningful—from location and check-in experience to dress code and follow-up community building.

We also talk about the growing energy around co-working gatherings and the potential for turning pop-up events into permanent spaces that foster connection, creativity, and collisions. 🔥 Episode Highlights:

• What it would look like to convene the region’s top CEOs—and lessons learned from the OC CEO Leadership Alliance

• The evolution from North County Startup Mixer to San Diego County Startup Mixer

• How events like March Mingle, Indie Hackers, Launchpad San Diego Founders & Investors, and 1 Million Cups are shaping the ecosystem

• Why details like venue vibe, entrance flow, and even what people wear can set the tone for true connection

Whether you’re an event host, startup founder, or just love showing up to meet great people, this episode is packed with insights on how we can all keep building together.

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

My co-hosts in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

3/27

We recorded this week’s pod live on LinkedIn Live here. What did you think?

Neal speaking at Escondido City Council in support of the new AgX Hub

NCAA update

Pura Vida sold for $1m

23&Me bankruptcy

Events.com buying spree

Natalie Rocha leaving the UT for NYT Fellowship

Entos Pharmaceuticals Expands in Canada

Natilus 250,000 sq. ft. facility

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

Marching Mingle - March 26

StartupSD Co Working Day - March 28

Bootstrappers Event April 1

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

My co-hosts in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Follow Fred on LinkedIn and X

Follow Neal on LinkedIn and X

On with the show!

3/20

UCSD/SDSU Basketball in the brackets!

Exits:

Gretel acquired by NVIDIA

Wiz acquired by Google

Poppi acquired by Pepsi

ServiceNow - made an acquisition

Fundings:

Trust & Will Series C

Occuspace Raises $6M

Tiderock AI

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

Dev & Data Night x CTO Talks - March 20

SD Startup Mixer - March 24

SD Hardware Meetup - March 25

Marching Mingle - March 26

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

My co-hosts in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

In this episode we talk about:

Top Funding and Ecosystem News from Fred’s Business of San Diego newsletter

San Diego publicly traded life science companies had a 86% increase performance in 2024 compared to 10-20% in SF & Boston - Fred’s post about this

Recent fundraises

First IPO in SD of 2025!

Acquisitions

New venture fund from the Prebys Foundation and leadership changes at Connect

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

Debrief - defense tech dinner & pre-sneak of San Diego Defense Day

Founder Build Days on March 19 & 20

Dev & Data Night x CTO Talks on March 20

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In Part Two of this roundtable discussion, we go deeper into why tech ecosystem builders Jonah Peake of The Social Coyote and The Career Coyote and Hussein Yahfoufi of Startup Beach, are building their platforms.

We discuss their founder journeys, the problems they each saw worth solving, and how the local startup ecosystem looks different—and better—thanks to their solutions.

Highlights:

• Celebrating The Career Coyote’s exciting milestone: the platform's first successful job placement and its first unsubscribe (a true marker of success!).
• How the "Coyote Super Pack" is making networking events more impactful and intentional.
• Why community-focused platforms, like Startup Beach and The Social Coyote, are crucial for founders, job seekers, and investors to thrive.

Upcoming Events Mentioned:

February’s North County Mixer - Feb 26

Pack of One: Solopreneurs, Remote from HQ, and Han-Solos - March 6

March SD Founders Hike - March 7

Help shape our community: fill out this short survey and tell us what events you think San Diego still needs!

Other links referenced on the pod:

• Invest Like the Best podcast with Marc Andreessen
• SDx
• Arta Finance

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In this special roundtable episode, we dive into the power of in-person events in building and strengthening the San Diego startup ecosystem. I’m joined by two of my ecosystem-building besties: Jonah Peake of The Social Coyote and The Career Coyote and Hussein Yahfoufi of Startup Beach. Together, we discuss why community-driven events are essential, how they fuel startup growth, and what it takes to build a thriving local network.

Jonah Peake has been a driving force in centralizing and curating San Diego’s startup events through his Social Coyote newsletter. His passion for making connections easy has led him to compile the “Who You Need to Know in San Diego” list and build a resource hub for founders, job seekers, and ecosystem players.

Hussein Yahfoufi saw a gap in the local event landscape and built Startup Beach, a platform that makes it easier for organizers and attendees to discover, share, and engage with events. The platform just hit 100 live events and recently launched the Asks & Offers feature to help the community better support one another.

Links & Resources Mentioned:

📌 Jonah’s Who You Need to Know in San Diego List: LinkedIn Post

📌 Startup Beach – Your hub for local startup events: Website

📌 Startup Beach Asks & Offers – A new way to connect: Check it out!

Action Item!

What events don’t exist in San Diego but should? Let’s make them happen! Submit your event ideas here: Event Ideas Form

🎧 Tune in to hear how we're building together as Jonah and Hussein are shaping San Diego’s startup scene—one event at a time!

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In this episode of the Tacos & Tech Podcast, Neal Bloom sits down with Scot Chisholm, the founder of Highland and co-founder of Classy, to discuss what it truly takes to scale leadership alongside a growing company. After leading Classy from a small startup to its acquisition by GoFundMe, Scot saw firsthand that scaling a company is only possible if you scale its leaders.

That insight led to the creation of Highland—a community-driven leadership experience designed for high-growth founders to navigate the challenges of leadership, build better teams, and sustain long-term success. Scot shares the key inflection points in his own journey, the biggest lessons learned, and how founders can avoid the leadership pitfalls that stall growth.

🔥 In This Episode, We Cover:

• The hardest challenges Scot faced as a founder and how they shaped his leadership.

• Why scaling a company is impossible without scaling leadership.

• How Highland is redefining leadership development for high-growth founders.

• The “Founder Mode vs. Leader Mode” framework and how to transition effectively.

• The mindset shift from running a company to empowering teams to run it with you.

• And of course, his favorite taco spots! 🌮

🚀 Resources & Mentions:

🔗 Scot Chisholm’s Website

🔗 Classy

🔗 Highland

🔗 How to Scale Your Company in Founder Mode

🔗 Previous Tacos & Tech Episode with Scot Chisholm

🌮 Tune in to hear how Scot turned leadership challenges into a playbook for growth—and why Highland is the community every founder needs.

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

My co-hosts in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

AND Jonah Peake Jonah Peake, runs The Social Coyote & the Career Coyote newsletters , promoting events and jobs in the San Diego tech ecosystem.

Before we dive in, we wanted to thank and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!

1/30/2025

Fred’s trip debrief

Dent AI debrief

Any SD Super Bowl ad sighting predictions?

Fundings:

Biosapien $7m seed

Take on 2025 already - new administration, opportunities for SD

Iridia sends crypto wallet to the moon

Viasat contract

Northrop contract

Passing the torch at Biocom

Howlin’ Jobs! By Career Coyote

Top clicked jobs and companies

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

North County Startup Mixer breaks 200!

Founders Institute San Diego applications due this Sunday - Feb 2

Feb Founders Hike - Feb 7

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

My co-host in this episode is guest host Jonah Peake, who previously co-hosted with me and runs The Social Coyote newsletter, promoting events in the San Diego tech ecosystem.

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

1/24/2025

TechCon SoCal debrief

Future of Healthcare debrief

Fundings

AskTuring Seed $1M

Deep Vector Seed $1.5M

Xilo Series A $7.2M

Sonocharge Energy $23.5M

Netradyne Series D $90M

Biggest deal of 2024 - Vuori

Biggest VC fund raise of 2024 - Neos and StepStone

Howlin’ Jobs! By Career Coyote

Top clicked jobs and companies

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

Carlsbad Life Action Tech/Sports and Active Lifestyle Gathering - Feb 4

North County SD Startup Mixer

San Diego Cyber Group Meetup

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

My co-host in this episode is guest host Jonah Peake, who previously co-hosted with me and runs The Social Coyote newsletter, promoting events in the San Diego tech ecosystem.

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Tech Community.

1/16/2025

Sending love to our friends and family in LA

The Career Coyote!

Carlsbad revives commercial flights

Fundings

Timberlyne Therapeutics $180M Series A

Light Horse Therapeutics $62M Series A

Rybodyn $4M PreSeed

CES Announcements

Qualcomm - a lot of diverse chip use cases and AI ecosystem building

Illumina & Nvidia collab!

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

TechCon SoCal Preview - Jan 17 & 18

The Future of Healthcare - Jan 22

Carlsbad Life In Action Fashionphile - Feb 4

How to Angel Invest? - Feb 6

SD Founders Hike - Feb 7

From the Pack: - Product Roundtable Lunch- AI + Indie Hackers Happy Hour!- Dent:AI Startup Showcase Reception

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Tacos and Tech Podcast – Episode with Alexandra Renee Poelstra of Startup Grind Carlsbad

🎙️ Guest: Alexandra Renee Poelstra, Chapter Director of Startup Grind Carlsbad

📅 Episode Date: [Insert Date]

📍 Event Mentioned: Startup Grind Carlsbad - SG Global Pitch Battle Carlsbad (Neal will be a pitch judge)

🔗 Links:

• Alexandra Renee Poelstra on LinkedIn

• Startup Grind Carlsbad

• SG Global Pitch Battle - Carlsbad Event This Tuesday Jan. 14

• Global Pitch Battle Info

• Startup Grind San Diego - Neal’s Past Interview

Episode Overview:

In this episode of the Tacos and Tech Podcast, Neal sits down with Alexandra Renee Poelstra, the dynamic Chapter Director of Startup Grind Carlsbad, to discuss the exciting return of Startup Grind events in Carlsbad. Alexandra shares insights into how Startup Grind is reigniting the local entrepreneurial spirit and dives into details about their upcoming SG Global Pitch Battle Carlsbad event, where Neal will be serving as a pitch judge.

They talk about the role Startup Grind plays in fostering startup communities globally and locally and how the Carlsbad chapter plans to support founders in the region. Alexandra also shares her own journey into entrepreneurship and community building.

Neal reflects on his own past experience being interviewed by Startup Grind San Diego, bringing the conversation full circle as he now returns to the community in a new role supporting emerging founders.

Topics Covered:

• Alexandra’s journey into the startup world and Startup Grind

• Reviving Startup Grind Carlsbad after a hiatus

• Details about the SG Global Pitch Battle Carlsbad and how founders can get involved

• The importance of community in supporting founders

• Neal’s previous experience as a guest on Startup Grind San Diego and now serving as a pitch judge

Upcoming Event Details:

📅 Event: SG Global Pitch Battle - Carlsbad - Jan. 14

📍 Location: Event Link

📝 Pitch Application Form: Apply Here

Also mentioned Carlsbad Life In Action event on Feb. 4

Connect with Startup Grind Carlsbad:

🌐 Startup Grind Carlsbad Website

📲 Follow Alexandra on LinkedIn

Thank You to Our Partners:

This episode is brought to you by Fresh Brewed Tech, serving up tech insights with a side of San Diego flavor, for everyone to savor.

Subscribe & Review:

Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review the Tacos and Tech Podcast on your favorite streaming platform!

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

1/9/2025 Top headlines

Predictions

5 VC Investors Share Hot Takes and Predictions

Neal’s predictions - IPO market, M&A, Fundings, In person

M&A news

Coursekey buy out by PSG

Poseida deal closed, up $500m in purchase price. $1b to $1.5b

Funding

Gaming Startup Simulation Theory Raises $2M Seed Funding

Crop Diagnostix raises $3.5M Seed Round

Deep Vector Raises $1.5M

Developments

$85M film studio under construction in Chula Vista

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

Startup Grind Carlsbad is back Jan 14

Angel Conference events on Jan 14 and Feb 18

Rumi AI HH - Jan 16

TechCon SoCal - Jan 17-18

The Future of Healthcare - Jan 22

ACG San Diego | CapCon24 - Feb 21-22

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

1/2/2025 Top Headlines

V.C. Activity Tops $6 Billion in 2024

Join the conversation on Fred’s LinkedIn post

Neal bets Luke Sophinos of Coursekey on number of IPOs in 2025

Fundings

Janux Therapeutics - $350m

Pleno - $25m growth round

Hauler Hero - $10m seed round

StartBlue grant award

Teradata & Amazon partner on Gen AI

GKN Aerospace opens new facility

Heron Therapeutics Moves HQ From San Diego to North Carolina

Events – For full list – check The Social Coyote

SD Founders Hike - Jan. 3

CES - San Diego showcase - let us know if you’ll be at CES

Join me on Tuesday at this event or Wednesday at this event

JP Morgan Healthcare conference January 13-16 (SF/Bay Area)

TechCon SoCal - Jan 17-18

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In this episode of the Tacos and Tech Podcast, we sit down with Faisal Mushtaq, a visionary CTO, serial entrepreneur, angel investor, and the founder of TechCon SoCal, one of the region’s fastest-growing tech summits. Faisal shares his inspiring journey from the San Francisco Bay Area to San Diego and how his mission to connect the two thriving ecosystems culminated in the creation of TechCon SoCal.

What We Covered:

• Faisal’s Career Path: From building and scaling Fortune 500 companies to leading startups to successful exits, Faisal shares insights from his extensive experience in digital transformation, operational excellence, and global team leadership.

• The Founding of TechCon SoCal: What inspired Faisal to move to San Diego and create a tech summit that bridges the innovation of Silicon Valley with the collaborative spirit of San Diego.

• Building Communities Through Tech: How events like TechCon SoCal are fostering partnerships, attracting talent, and sparking innovation between two of California’s most dynamic tech hubs.

• Emerging Technologies: Faisal’s thoughts on the transformative potential of IoT and AI, and how these technologies are shaping the future of industries.

• Advice for Entrepreneurs: Faisal’s strategies for scaling businesses, building strategic partnerships, and driving impactful go-to-market strategies.

• Personal Vision: Faisal’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs through angel investing and mentorship.

Key Quotes from Faisal:

• “TechCon SoCal is about building bridges—between people, ideas, and ecosystems—to create something larger than any one of us can achieve alone.”

• “San Diego is a hidden gem for innovation, and I’m passionate about amplifying its voice on a global stage.”

About Faisal Mushtaq:

With decades of experience as a technology leader, Faisal has driven transformative growth for public and private companies. His expertise in IoT, AI, and health and wellness innovations, combined with his dedication to fostering the startup ecosystem, makes him a key figure in advancing technology and entrepreneurship.

Resources Mentioned:

• TechCon SoCal Website: techconsocal.com

• Connect with Faisal on LinkedIn: Faisal Mushtaq

Join us for this exciting conversation with Faisal as we dive into his journey and his vision for connecting the Silicon Valley and San Diego tech communities!

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In this episode of the Tacos and Tech Podcast, host Neal Bloom sits down with Colin Loveless of the Vegas Golden Knights, and recent winner at the Top Tech Awards Presented by Cox Business in Las Vegas. Colin shares the behind-the-scenes story of how technology drives performance, fan engagement, and operations for one of the NHL’s most exciting teams.

From IT systems to cybersecurity and innovation, Colin explains how he and his team use cutting-edge tools to keep the Golden Knights skating toward success, both on and off the ice.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

1. Colin’s Career Journey: How he went from IT enthusiast to managing the tech infrastructure for an NHL team.

2. Tech Innovations in Hockey: Insights into the tools and systems that power the Vegas Golden Knights’ operations and fan experience.

3. Winning a Top Tech Award: Colin discusses the projects and contributions that earned him the prestigious recognition.

4. Challenges in Sports IT: Balancing cybersecurity, operational excellence, and real-time performance demands in a high-stakes environment.

5. Future of Sports Technology: Colin’s take on how AI, machine learning, and data-driven tools are transforming professional sports.

And of course Colin's favorite taco spot!

Thanks to our friends at Cox Business for powering these technology conversations!

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

12/11 News

Techstars SD by SDSU Demo Day Debrief

San Diego GDP ($261B) bigger than 50% of US States and many countries

Bio M&A in 2024 - Fred tweet

Fundings:

Surglogs

CoachIQ - $1.3m preseed

AI Chip Startup Kneron Seeks Funds at $1 Billion Valuation

Events – For full list – check The Social Coyote

North County Startup Mixer - Dec 17

CES - San Diego showcase - let us know if you’ll be at CES

JP Morgan Healthcare conference January 13-16 (SF/Bay Area)

TechCon SoCal - Jan 17-18

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

12/4 News

Funding - SD VC funding through Q3 & Fred’s tweet

Carlsbad’s Vuori secures $825M in funding, reaches $5.5B valuation

Amprion raises $15M Series B

Acquisitions/M&A

-Kate Therapeutics acquired by Novartis for $1.1B

-Roche Acquires Poseida for $1.5B

-Lundbeck acquires Longboard Pharmaceuticals in $2.6B

Neos Partners new fund - $1.37B

JLABS supports 190+ biotechs

Events – For full list – check The Social Coyote

SD Founders Hike - Dec 6

Tech The Halls - Dec 6 - THE tech holiday party!

JP Morgan Healthcare conference January 13-16 (SF/Bay Area)

TechCon SoCal - Jan 17-18

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In this episode of the Tacos and Tech Podcast, we sit down with Michael Gifford, co-founder and CEO of Splitero, to explore how his innovative company is redefining the way homeowners access and utilize their home equity.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The Splitero Story: Michael shares how Splitero was born out of the need for a more flexible, homeowner-focused solution for unlocking home equity.

• Home Equity Simplified: Learn how Splitero empowers homeowners by providing cash upfront without the need for loans or additional debt.

• Challenges and Wins: Michael reflects on the challenges of disrupting a traditional industry and the successes they’ve seen in helping homeowners achieve their goals.

• The Future of Homeownership: We discuss where the real estate industry is heading and how Splitero is positioned to innovate in the equity-sharing space.

About Michael Gifford:

Michael is a seasoned entrepreneur with a passion for improving financial wellness for homeowners. His background in real estate and finance provided the perfect foundation for launching Splitero. Under his leadership, Splitero has become a trusted partner for homeowners across the U.S., offering solutions tailored to their unique needs.

Connect with Splitero:

• Website: splitero.com

• LinkedIn: Splitero on LinkedIn

• Twitter: @splitero

Connect with Michael Gifford:

• LinkedIn: Michael Gifford

As always, we close out the episode with Michael’s picks for his favorite tacos in town—don’t miss it!

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

11/8

Debriefs:

Post-election future

Grayson Lafrenz, founder of Power Digital, at SDSU

UCSD IGE MedDevice Showcase

News:

SD Life Science Office Sitting Vacant

Hydrostasis is alive!

Send us your swag!

VendiBean

The Brant Cooper Leadership Fund application is live - empowering the next generation of startup community builders

Events – for full list – check The Social Coyote

Mini Mingle - Nov 14

Don Norman Design Award - Nov 14-15

Discount code: ssd24

Tech The Halls - Dec 6

TechCon SoCal - Jan 17-18

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Don Norman, a pioneering figure in design and user experience, has profoundly influenced how we think about human-centered design. Known widely for his book, The Design of Everyday Things, Norman has helped shift the focus toward intuitive, accessible design that prioritizes user needs. His impact spans industries, and he is celebrated for making design thinking an integral part of product and technology development. As the founder of the Design Lab at UC San Diego, Norman has continued to shape the future of design, through his latest book, Design for a Better World, inspiring a new generation to build with empathy and inclusivity at the forefront.

In 2024, Don Norman’s legacy takes a new step with the launch of the Don Norman Design Award (DNDA), a global organization celebrating excellence in humanity-centered design. The DNDA emphasizes the importance of designs that make a meaningful impact in real-world communities, with categories recognizing ‘Excellence,’ ‘Promising,’ and ‘Educational’ contributions. By acknowledging projects and individuals who demonstrate innovation in community-focused design, the DNDA aims to promote solutions that drive societal change and enhance quality of life.

The awards ceremony and DNDA Summit will take place on November 14-15, 2024 in San Diego, gathering designers, thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers to discuss and share ideas on advancing humanity-centered design. The event will feature a formal forum, as well as an “unconference” where participants can engage in workshops led by the community. Through these awards, Don Norman continues to champion the power of thoughtful design, encouraging new voices to push boundaries and impact the world.

Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms you enjoy your podcasts for our conversation with Don as he shares his lifetime journey and how he’s inspiring and empowering generations to come.

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

My co-host of this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years and now he covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

News 10/31

Stocktoberfest, SDSW & health tech event debrief

Fundings

Wildfire Series B - $16M

Serenity EHS - $5.5M

Grant funding for Algensis, Cellibre, Onego for bioindustrials

Nuclear power making a comeback and General Atomic’s fusion tech aims to benefit

New CFO at SOCi

mPower lands Airbus deal to solar-power satellites

Breakthrough Properties

Events – For full list – check The Social Coyote

SD Founders Hike - Nov 1

EyepopAI & Fresh Brewed Tech Vision Tech Workshop - Nov 5

Tech The Halls - Dec 6

TechCon SoCal - Jan 17-18

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

My co-host of this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years and now he covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

10/17 News

LA Tech Week / SD Startup Week

Fred’s SD Startup Week article

Snap office scoop

Danish pharma giant buys San Diego company’s epilepsy drug for $2.6B

Sendlane CEO moving on

Fundraises:

Splitero raises $300M

Firestorm $20m

Model Medicines $14m

858 Therapeutics $50m

Events – For full list – check The Social Coyote

Oct 20-22 Stocktoberfest

Interview with Howard Lindzon incl discount code

Oct 21-25 San Diego Startup Week

Oct 21 SD Startup Week Carlsbad Day Coffee Gathering 2-4pm

San Diego Startup Week discount code - Use code “cp30” at checkout for a 30% off discount.

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

My co-host of this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years and now he covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

10/6 News

Plug and Play debrief

Fred’s Q3 report

SDSU is building out a battery tech campus in Brawley/ ‘Lithium Valley’

Gretal AI and Equip Health make LinkedIn’s Top Startups List

Defense tech news:

Kratos growing

Three startups land funding from Defense Industry: Onego, Cellibre, Algenesis Corporation

Scripps Oceanography wins $10m grant

Events – For full list – check The Social Coyote

Oct 10 Bits and Bio Biotech Mixer

Oct 10 Naturally San Diego Fall Fling

Oct 20-22 Stocktoberfest

Interview with Howard Lindzon incl discount code

Oct 21-25 San Diego Startup Week

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Stocktoberfest Comes Back To Coronado October 20-22, 2024

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Howard Lindzon, General Partner of Social Leverage and Founder & CEO of Stocktwits, joins us to discuss the upcoming Stocktoberfest October 20-22 in Coronado, CA - a premier gathering of minds in money, investing, and technology.

In this episode, Howard shares his journey in investing, entrepreneurship, media, and the many funny lessons he’s learned along the way. He also provides a sneak peek into what attendees can expect at this year’s Stocktoberfest.

Join us in October and use the code “Howard30” for a special discount exclusive to local San Diegans.

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

9/23 News

Recent events debrief

Qualcomm reportedly wants to buy Intel

Sports news:

Oceanside opens $85M Frontwave Arena

San Diego FC name Mikey Varas head coach

TL Foundation invests $400K in San Diego startups

Singular Genomics Receives Acquisition Proposal

Genentech closes of cancer immunology group, layoffs prompt concern

Events – For full list – check The Social Coyote

Sept 23 - Carlsbad Tech Gathering at Shipcalm

Sept 24 - Connect Innovation Day

Sept 25-27 - Women’s Venture Summit

Sept 26 - Top Tech Awards San Diego

Oct 2 - Plug and Play Showcase

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In my interview with RapidScale CMO Sean Wisdom, we explored his journey through the tech world, leading to his current role, where he oversees marketing at RapidScale. Sean shared insights into his career path, reflecting on how shifts in technology, customer needs, and his passion for innovation have shaped his approach to marketing cloud solutions. We then discussed the evolving state of the customer in the cloud and AI era, touching on how companies are navigating new challenges and opportunities.

We dove into the rapidly changing landscape of AI adoption, exploring its impact on hardware, cloud infrastructure, and cybersecurity. Sean highlighted the unique needs of certain industries, from healthcare to finance, as they face distinct challenges in integrating AI while keeping data secure. To wrap up, we talked about his love for Texas tacos, and he shared his two favorite taco spots—new additions to the Tacos and Tech Podcast Database.

Thanks to Sean for joining the podcast and sharing his sharp insights on how technology is revolutionizing the way we work, innovate, and stay ahead in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

9/15

Candid Therapeutics raised $370M

Eli Lilly, HAYA Therapeutics announce $1B partnership

Techstars San Diego Powered By San Diego State University Announces 2024 Class

San Diego International Airport secures $26.3M grant from FAA

TuSimple Leaving Town

San Diego State to Join the Pac-12 Conference

Sand Cloud Opens retail space in Pacific Beach

Platform Science acquires Trimble Inc.

TwitchCon coming back to SD

Events – For full list – check The Social Coyote

9/16 EvoNexus Demo Day 2024

Sept 19 - Dev & Data Night x CTO Talks at Seismic

Sept 23 - Carlsbad Tech Gathering at Shipcalm

Sept 24 - Connect Innovation Day

Sept 26 - Top Tech Awards San Diego

Oct 2 - Plug and Play Showcase

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

9/4

Fundings

TeachTo.Me raises $5m

Events.com goes public with SPAC

Carta data - SD top 5 for Series B funding, top 10 for Series A, not in top 10 in early stage funding, pre-seed and seed

SOCi hits $100m ARR

Dexcom new product

QuidelOrtho gets FDA clearance

New CFO at Viasat

Events – For full list – check The Social Coyote

Sept 6 - SD Founders Hike

Sept 10 - SDxAI Startup Showcase

Sept 16 - EvoNexus Demo Day 2024

Sept 19 - Dev & Data Night x CTO Talks at Seismic

Sept 23 - Carlsbad Tech Gathering at Shipcalm

Sept 24 - Connect Innovation Day

Sept 26 - Top Tech Awards San Diego

Oct 2 - Plug and Play Showcase

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

8/26

Fundings

PatientPartner Raises $3.5M

New Carlsbad Gaming Startup called ModRetro Launches

Inc. 5000 List: Wildfire Systems (top 100), Trovata (554), Shield AI (634), Workiz (825), ZipDev (860), SOCI (1542), GoShare (2506), Cordial (3742)

TideRock new investments

KULR gets new battery tech contract with NASA

Events – For full list – check The Social Coyote

LaunchBio debrief

Aug 26 - Carlsbad Life Science Life in Action Gathering

Sept 6 - SD Founders Hike

Sept 12 - Wharton Biotech panel

Sept 16 - Evonexus Demo Day

Sept 19 - Dev & Data Night x CTO Talks at Seismic

Sept 23 - Pitch Deck Workshop for SD Startups

Sept 23 - Carlsbad Tech Gathering at Shipcalm

Sept 24 - Connect Innovation Day

Sept 26 - Top Tech Awards San Diego

Oct 4 - SD Founders Hike

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

8/14

Avalon BioVentures Startup Acquired for 1.3B

Earnings Season Read Out

Qualcomm up 20%

Resmed up 32%

Sempra up 5%

San Diego Angel Conference moving to SDSU

TuSimple visit

EvoNexus Partners with Healthcare Companies to Accelerate Startups

Metropolis IQ launches

Events – For full list – check The Social Coyote

Carlsbad Life in Action Cleantech debrief

NuFund Summer Social debrief

CEO Retreat in Valle de Guadalupe by SVB, DLA Piper, and

Aug 21 - North County SD Startup Mixer

Aug 22 - EDC Summer BashAug 26 - Carlsbad Life Science Gathering at Thermo Fisher

Sept 6 - SD Founders Hike

Sept 12 - Wharton Biotech panel

Sept 16 - Evonexus Demo Day

Sept 19 - Dev & Data Night x CTO Talks at Seismic

Sept 23 - Pitch Deck Workshop for SD Startups

Sept 23 - Carlsbad Tech Gathering at Shipcalm

Sept 24 - Connect Innovation Day

Oct 4 - SD Founders Hike

Oct 20-22 - Stocktoberfest

Oct 21-25 - San Diego Startup Week

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

7/30

Fundings

Autobahn Therapeutics - $100M Series C

Truvian - $74m Series D+

Alvys - $20m Series A

Ciari Guitars - Ciari Guitars Tuning in for Growth

Shield AI powering new aircraft

Qualcomm/Snapdragon - Manchester United partnership

American Airlines brings a Carlsbad flight back to Phoenix

Events – For full list – check The Social Coyote

North County Mixer - debrief

Aug 4 - Brant Cooper Memorial Service

Aug 5 - Carlsbad Cleantech Gathering at Aptera

Aug 9 - SD Founders Hike

Aug 22 - EDC Summer BashAug 26 - Carlsbad Life Science Gathering at Thermo Fisher

Sept 12 - Evonexus Demo Day

Sept 19 - Dev & Data Night x CTO Talks

Sept 23 - Carlsbad Tech Gathering at Shipcalm

Sept 24 - Connect Innovation Day

Oct 20-22 - Stocktoberfest

Oct 21-25 - San Diego Startup Week

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With the passing of Brant Cooper, many of us are finding it helpful to share our stories of how Brant connected, inspired, and continues to push us forward.

In this latest recording, Ashok Kamal, Executive Director of NuFund Ventures, and Neal Bloom share how they met, how Brant played a key role in their community development roles, and how they will continue to run with the torch forward.

Watch Brant Cooper interview Leo Widrich of Buffer below.

See the School of Rap intro song for Founder Fight Club, a Brant Cooper event, below.

Join Brant Cooper’s Memorial Service by his family on August 4 at 4pm at Powerhouse Park in Del Mar.

Donations can be made to the Brant Cooper Leadership Fund here by selecting the appropriate drop down box.

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

7/24

Fundings

$1B in VC funding for Q2

Athletic Brewing raises $50 at a $800m valuation

Term Labs raises $5.5m Seed

Kandji raises another $100M

Element Biosciences raises a $277m Series D

Kratos new hypersonic vehicle takes flight

Fashionphile is launching a Coronado pop-up this summer in Coronado

Eli Lily inks a deal with Radionics that could be worth $1B

Novartis is shutting down their SD office and cutting 100 jobs

An’s Gelato is #1 Gelato in the U.S.

Events – For full list – check The Social Coyote

Event debrief - Carlsbad Life In Action Tech Gathering - July 16, next one Sept 23

Cheryl Goodman’s new book launch - July 26

Listen in to our interview with Cheryl here

Carlsbad Life in Action Cleantech Gathering - Aug 5

SD EDC Summer Bash - Aug 22

TEDxSanDiegoWomen - Aug 28

Interlock’s event calendar - look for what’s public and what’s private that we’re involved in

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Brand new podcast interview with Cheryl Goodman, CEO of FindGood.Tech and author of How To Win Friends and Influence Robots: An AI Guide for Non-Tech Brilliants Minds.

Listen & subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

We are excited to have Cheryl Goodman on the latest episode of the Tacos and Tech podcast.

As a long time friend, we reminisce about all the ways we’ve collaborated in the tech community and Cheryl has been a tech leader going back to the MP3.com days through now as Vice Chair of Startup San Diego and CEO of FindGood.tech, which is an AI-forward, Go-to-Market consulting agency.

It’s through her thought leadership, including at Interlock Summit, Startup San Diego 1st Mondays, TechCon SoCal, Dev & Data Night, and as a writer for Forbes, that’s she’s heard the repeated ask for breaking down the AI advances into common terms to bring enterprises up to speed for AI’s potential.

Listen in to hear more about her book, the upcoming launch party, and her favorite taco spot!

Follow Cheryl at her FindGood.Tech website and on LinkedIn.

Buy her book directly here.

Join the book launch party on July 26 at 3pm. Details here.

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

Little Tech Agenda by Marc Andreesen

7/7 News

Eli Lilly, Pfizer, J&J incubating the next big drug in San Diego

Liquid Instruments Closes $12 Million Round

Huega House Hats nearly doubled its 2023 revenue

Aptera monetizes its IP portfolio for $130 Million

Sonocharge raises $8.5 Million

SD’s Artiva plans IPO to fund NK cell therapy's autoimmune trials

Events – For full list – check The Social Coyote

Look for upcoming Community CoWorking Days - Aquillius and SDx

July 11 Morning with Aquillius

SD Founders Hike - July 12

Do you want this weekly? Let Neal know

SDx events

💻 AI Hacker Club: Tue, July 16th, 6-8pm | https://lu.ma/dtwrgba3

📚 AI Paper Club:

1. Thu, July 11th, 6-8pm | InstructPix2Pix: https://lu.ma/zg441svz - presented by Panna Felsen

2. Thu, July 25th, 6-8pm | Scaling Monosemanticity: https://lu.ma/v2aqei21 - presented by Diego Caples

Carlsbad Tech Founders event - July 16

Carlsbad Cleantech Founders - July 29

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

6/27 News

A word about Brant Cooper

Industrial & Logistics Tech event debriefs

Dexcom layoffs

Illumina spins off Grail again

Unigrid raises $12m in Series A

Biotech fundings

Rapport filed for IPO

Iambic Therapeutics Raises $153M Series B

Bright Peak Therapeutics Raises $90M Series C

Events - For full list - check The Social Coyote

SDx eventsSD Founder Hike - 7/12

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

6/9

Congrats to Fred on completing his MBA, starting a Masters in Real Estate and writing for the SDBJ again!

TechCon Debrief

Rubio’s bankruptcy

Cue Health

Fundings

Hauler Hero- $2m

Allez Health - formerly Zense - $60M

South 8 and Porsche partnership

Events - For full list - check The Social Coyote

Connect Summer Social - 6/13

Aquillius Agtech Symposium - 6/19

SD Founder Hike - 7/12

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

5/17 Stories

Nearshoring/Friendshoring Debrief

North County Event Debrief

SD Angel Conference Debrief

Iambic Therapeutics raised $29M

Biotech office shutdowns/layoffs

PacBio/Omniome shutting SD office

Takeda to shut down San Diego research center

UCSD Talent Foundry

Events - For full list - check The Social Coyote

Aquillius: Medical Devices Symposium May 15

Techstars San Diego: Ask Me Anything & Happy Hour May 16

SDx:HackerClub May 16

Carlsbad Biotech Gathering May 20

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Welcome to the Tacos and Tech Podcast, where we interview innovative builders and leaders.

This week I am excited to interview Ryan Kuder, Managing Director of Techstars San Diego Powered by San Diego State University.

Ryan is a serial startup operator, ecosystem builder, and Techstars Accelerator leader. He was previously on the podcast and you can listen in to hear more about his background here.

In this latest conversation, he shares the benefits of an accelerator and what kind of company is right for Techstars. Applications are due by May 22, 2024 for the Techstars San Diego Fall 2024 Accelerator. Apply here.

Ryan is consistent in his taco choice, which is the acclaimed meats and ingredients from El Nopalito in Encinitas and making the tacos at home.

Subscribe and share this podcast to enable us to tell great stories about great people.

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

5/6

Fintech founders debrief

Cool Companies debrief

Yembo partners with Atlas Vans

Logistics tech density and CEO gathering

New CEO for Quidel

Escient pharmaceuticals acquired by $750M

Endera Motors $6m raise

NuFund Hits Investment Milestone with 100th Startup

Events - For full list - check The Social Coyote

Nearshoring SD/TJ Event - May 8

SD Angel Conference - May 9

SD Founders Hike - May 10

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Welcome to the Tacos and Tech Podcast, where we interview innovative builders and leaders.

On today's show we have Jodi Duva, Vice President of Cox Business, California and Chris Whelan, Director of Enterprise, Cox Business, San Diego.

Cox Enterprises is a 126 year old fourth-generation family run company. It has been at the forefront of media and connectivity, from its early days in newspapers, to its latest in connected infrastructure.

On this episode we talk about trends the leadership team is seeing in broadband, AI, managed services, and San Diego's newest arena, Frontwave Arena, the new home to the San Diego Clippers.

Tune in to hear what Jodi and Chris are hearing from businesses as technology needs and their favorite taco spot.

Remember to get your nominations in for your favorite tech exec for the Top Tech San Diego Awards in by May 8!

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

4/29

Headline Stories

Naturally San Diego Pitch Slam Competition

Other event debriefs

Q1 Funding Hits $1.57B

Log10.io raise

RevenueCat Series $12M Series C

Behind Genius Ventures Fund 2

Events - For full list - check The Social Coyote

Founders Hike - May 10

Get Connected to SD Tech Ecosystem - May 16

TechCon SoCal - May 24

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Welcome to the Tacos and Tech Podcast, where we interview innovative builders and leaders.

This week I am THRILLED to bring back our one-on-one interview format with the Deputy Director of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) and Deputy Undersecretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, Derrick Brent.

Derrick joined me in conversation while attending the AUTM conference in San Diego. We immediately bonded over innovation ecosystem building and music.

Listen in to our conversation to understand why now it's all hands on deck for the U.S. to lead in innovation especially in intellectual property.

Subscribe and share this podcast to enable us to tell great stories about great people.

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

4/15 Headline Stories

Illumina new execs

Startups acquiring other startups

Drata acquired Harmonize.io

Shield AI acquired Sentient Vision Systems

Platform Science raise $125M in growth capital

Trident IoT raises $10M seed

Battery tech ecosystem

Carlsbad cleantech hub - including Zap, Smartville, ALE, Aptera

Carlsbad cleantech ecosystem event April 29

Cleantech Showcase April 24

Events - For full list - check The Social Coyote

ASU+ GSV edtech in SD April 14-17

From Dorm Rooms to Board Rooms April 17th at UCSD

Get Connected to SD Ecosytem April 19

Alternative Protein Conference at SDSU April 22

Escondido AgX Gathering April 23

Cleantech Showcase April 24

Carlsbad cleantech ecosystem event April 29

SD Founders Fintech lunch April 30

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

4/8

Biolinq raise

Natilus - Interlock participating in their latest round

Defense tech ecosystem

Harpoon defense tech meetup debrief

Alterome Therapeutics raises $132M Series B

Splash raise $4.5m

Tide Rock acquires CABLENET Aerospace

Events - For full list - check The Social Coyote

SaaS Diego – Fundraising for your SaaS Startup April 9

Welcome to SD Virtual Gathering - April 19

TechCon SoCal May 24

Founders Hike May 10

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

4/1 Headline Stories

Contineum Therapeutics IPO

Former Prometheus execs raise $400M

Most Active Tech VCs

Daasity Acquires Red Fox Analytics

Events - For full list - check The Social Coyote

March Mingle recap

Harpoon Ventures Defense Tech Meetup April 4

April Founders Hike April 5

San Diego Angel Conference (Tickets now live - May 9th)

CleanTech Happy Hour (Apr 10)

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

3/22 Headline Stories

Dev and Data CTO Talks debrief

Bio Fundings

Capstan Therapeutics raises $175 million

Engrail Therapeutics $157M Series B

Carlsmed Series C

Q1 VC Funding Report

Brain Corp $32M investment

Taner donates $25M to UCSD

Events - For full list - check The Social Coyote

March Mingle March 27

Use discount code fresh-brewed-tech for 10% off

Harpoon Ventures Defense Tech Meetup April 3

TechCon SoCal - May 24

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

3/18 Headline Stories

Boundless Bio IPO

AgX Hackathon Debrief

SD Clippers G-League in Oceanside

Techstars Anywhere 2024 cohort announced - SD company Namara Water Tech in the cohort

Techstars San Diego applications are open, due May 22

Firestorm raised $12.5m Seed

Rakuten Medical raised $119M Series E

Argonaut Bio Manufacturing raised $45m

Looq AI raise $2.6M Seed

Events - For full list - check The Social Coyote

SDSU Chinyeh Hostler Social Venture: H20 Impact Challenge March 15

Dev & Data Night & CTO Talks - March 19

SDx AI coffee meetups - every other week

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Listen in to the most recent Escondido AgX Gathering to hear the background to the founding of the AgX community, information session about the Escondido AgX Startup Hackathon, and a fireside chat with Jayce Hafner, co-founder and CEO of Farmraise.

Listen in and join us March 7-9, 2024 for the Escondido AgX Startup Hackathon!

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

2/26 Headline Stories

Maya’s Cookies

Edge Theory

Crowe PR acquires Eckis Marketing

QuidelOrtho fires CEO Douglas Bryant

Funding News

Rally Corp raises seed funding

Headlight Health raises $18 million led by Matrix and EPIC Ventures

Qualcomm & Intuit Ventures invest in Anthropic (valued at $15B+)

Events - For full list - check The Social Coyote

StartR Demo Day (February 27)

SDx@HDSI2 (February 28)

SD CTO Talks (February 28)

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

2/19 News

Qualcomm earnings news - grew 10% last year

Change in leadership, CFO becoming COO

Black Tech Link - new events for STEM learning and careers

Welfie - healthcare platform

New company KRBN coming out of stealth

Events - For full list - check The Social Coyote

SDSI event debrief

VC Outlook 2024 debrief

ACG event Feb 21-23

Fred’s ACG article

AgX Hackathon March 7-9

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup community.

2/13/2024 News

More multi-billion $ biotech exits

Inhibrx - $2.2B

Axonics in OC - $3.7B

Talked Ambrx for $2B already

Tyra & many other post-IPO raises

$200M for Tyra Biosciences

$150M for Kura Oncology

Eggscape Entertainment - $4.25M seed

Trust & Will recent raise

Touchdown Ventures, Erie Ventures, Comcasts’ LIFT Labs

Aptera - $33m in crowdfunding

New fund alert! TL Fund by Connect - $15m, all proceeds go back into the fund

Super Bowl ads

In the past - Clickup, Hologic, Cue

Cue Health - layoff 30% of workforce

Events - For full list - check The Social Coyote

North County meetup debrief

SD VC 2024 Outlook - Feb 13

AgX Hackathon March 7-9

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

1/29/2024 News

Resmed invests in Noctrix Health series C

Turquoise Health Series B $30M

Qualcomm-powered NASA Mars helicopter completes 3 year mission

CES recap from Cheryl Goodman

Macroeconomic investment trends event recap

Local Tech layoffs

Apple relocating local Siri team - 150 people impacted

NuVasive - 157 people impacted

Vervent raises $180m for fintech product expansion

Events - Brought to you by the Social Coyote SD Tech Events Newsletter

AgX Gathering Jan 30

SD Founders Hike & Plunge Feb 2

Welcome to SD Tech Call Feb 5

Cool Companies applications are due Feb 9

April 30 Cool Companies showcase

SD VC 2024 Outlook - Feb 13

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

1/19/2024

News

ShieldAI increased $500m funding!

Johnson & Johnson acquires Ambrx Biopharma for $2B

TuSimple shuts down US ops

Local breweries are growing again

Novo Brazil Brewing Company open Mission Valley location

New Amazon robotics-powered sorting center opens in Otay Mesa

Events - For full list - check The Social Coyote

Out of town happy hour by Lenny’s Newsletter - Jan. 23

Investing in Macroeconomic Trends - Jan. 23

The REC Ribbon Cutting - Jan. 24

AgX Gathering - Jan. 30

SD Founders Hike & Plunge - Feb 2

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Welcome everyone to This Week in San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

News as of January 3, 2024:

Happy New Year!

2023 funding

Looking ahead to 2024

Epic Gardening

RayzeBio acquired for $4.1B

Events - subscribe to Social Coyote for SD tech events newsletter

SD Founders Hike - Jan. 5

Get Connected to the San Diego Tech Ecosystem - Jan. 5

JPMorgan & CES

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Neal: Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

Fred: I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of SD Founders substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

12/13 News

Petdesk funding - $100m

Harpoon Ventures - $125m

Evofem acquisition - $100m

Techstars San Diego by SDSU Demo Day

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Neal: Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

Fred: I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of SD Founders substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

11/14 News

Payroll Integrations - $20M raise

ShieldAI - $200M raise Series A

Algenisis - $5M raise

Deloitte Fast 500

CEO/CFO post-event debrief

Interlock Capital last call for Fund I

Events by The Social Coyote

7CTOs/0111 post-event debrief

SD Tech Coffee Downtown

North County Tech Mixer

SD Tech Hub - Nov 14

HomeLab at UC San Diego Nov. 16

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Neal: Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

Fred: I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of SD Founders substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Promote the show:

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

Week of Oct 30 News

Guest co-host Anshel Sag, Principal Analyst of Moor Insights & Strategy

Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit recap

Apple M3 Announcement

Acquired Podcast on Qualcomm

Debut Biotech $40M Series B

Daou Wine $900M acquisition

Viasat satellite update

L3 Harris layoffs

Dod impact in SD

Events

SD Startup Week recap

0111 Conference

San Diego Founders Hike - Nov 3

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Happy San Diego Startup Week! #SDSW2023

Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital and I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of SD Founders substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Oct 23 - News

Beyond Japan Program Selects San Diego

Pro Soccer Roundup

SD Loyal

San Diego Wave

SDFC

Tide Rock

Beam Global

SOCI hires Seismic co-founder as President and CRO

Events

San Diego Startup Week is this week! #SDSW2023

Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit - Oct 24-26

Data Science Alliance Data Science Nightmares - Oct 26

Biocom CEO Summit - Oct 27

0111 Conference - Nov 1-3

Please share this podcast to further the reach to builder stronger bonds in the tech and startup community. Thanks!

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Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of SD Founders substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.

10/17:

A tough week to stay focused for Neal

Q3 Funding report

Qualcomm layoffs

Iambic

Publisher Barb Chodos leaving SDBJ

Events

TiE AI Shark Tank event debrief

SD Tech Hub HH - Oct 18

SDx events Oct 8, 13, 14, 20

Eyepop AI events Oct 3, 5, 14, 17, 19, 21, 24, 26

San Diego Startup Week - October 23-27

0111 Conference Nov 1-3

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Neal: Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

Fred: I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of SD Founders substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Oct 2

MLS SD new training facility

Blenders new hype

Equip new round

Vuori going to IPO next year

Events

Recent events round up - Fashionphile CEO event, Industrial SaaS CEO event, Women’s Venture Summit recaps

Innovation Night Oct 2

SDx events Oct 8, 13, 14, 20

Eyepop AI events Oct 3, 5, 14, 17, 19, 21, 24, 26

San Diego Startup Week - October 23-27

0111 Conference Nov 2-3

AgTech Startup Hackathon Nov 2-4

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Neal: Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

Fred: I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of SD Founders substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

• Missing Mike Freeman - Mike is no longer at the UT and we miss his voice in the tech community
• ShieldAI raising
• Linear App raised $35m Series B
• Acquire.com moving HQ to La Jolla
• Rayze Bio $358m IPO

Events

• Innovation Week review
• Announcing Techstars San Diego powered SDSU first cohort podcast
• Women’s Venture Summit - Sept 28 & 29
• San Diego Startup Week - October 23-27

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We're so excited for Techstars San Diego Powered by San Diego State University first cohort to be announced! We brought Techstars San Diego Investor Misti Cain on the pod to talk through the process of getting to the final 12 teams and walk us through all the companies.

Listen in to get a deep dive and meet the companies in this new program.

Th inaugural 2023 class:

Airbuild | San Diego, CA

Algae panel green roofs for commercial buildings that allow for carbon sequestration and energy production.

Babba | San Diego, CA

Enables parents to feed their baby on the go with the world’s first bottle cooler and warmer.

Cargo Shot | San Diego, CA

A “proof of condition” platform that enables shippers and logistics providers to deliver global supply chain accountability and performance.

CoBroker AI | El Paso, TX

An AI-powered assistant accessible via SMS or WhatsApp that automates research and streamlines marketing operations for brokers.

Craitor | San Diego, CA

Rugged, portable, intelligent 3D printers that can manufacture military-grade parts where and when they’re needed

General Folders | San Diego, CA

Cross-company, cloud-agnostic data collaboration software that allows companies to transfer data securely, monitor the transmission in real time, and easily validate the correct data is being sent.

Mosqitter | New York, NY

A software-driven, non-toxic, outdoor mosquito control solution that protects people from mosquitoes and the diseases they transfer.

Nevemind | Stockholm, Sweden

A desktop application that automatically replies to all your emails and messages

Oblio | Boston Massachusetts, CA

An email-based AI tool that allows college admissions counselors to craft personalized messages for admitted students, leveraging existing data to easily prioritize and communicate.

Remix | Pleasant Hill, CA

A virtual teleporter that lets users freely interact and share complete physical environments from anywhere in the world.

Site Bionics | San Diego, CA

Computer vision and digital twin technology that gives retailers operational insights about their physical space.

Steno | San Diego, CA

A personalized AI-powered market research copilot that extracts insights from digital content to help brand owners research their market and competition.

Reference: Blog by Techstars about the new cohort.

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Neal: Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech.

I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital.

Fred: I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of SD Founders substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

Fundraises:

Occuspace - Series A - $3.6m

Shipcalm - Raised $2m - Tech-enabled 3PL

Lights Helmets

Report Therapeutics - $150m Series A

Events:

Top Tech Awards

Innovation Day

Stella Women’s Venture Summit

View Details

Neal: Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech. Every Friday at 12:30pm Pacific on Clubhouse and now we record them for you to enjoy as well. Find these episodes on Freshbrewedtech.com and favorite podcast player for Tacos and Tech Podcast

I’m Neal Bloom, entrepreneur, investor, and community builder.

Fred: I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of SD Founders substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

8/21/23:

• SD’s top AI startups

  • Real World AI Applications panel from Interlock Summit

• Inc.’s 5000 list

  • SD companies highlighted + 89 listed on full list

• Acquire.com moves to SD

  • Welcome back Andrew Gazdecki and team!
• EDC Summer Bash recap
• AgTech event recap and Escondido AgTech Hackathon on Nov. 2-4

Upcoming tech events:

• Innovation Day Sept 14 / Innovation Week - Sept 12-16
• San Diego Startup Week - Oct 23-27

View Details

Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Aadeel gives an overview of what PSYONIC is [02:34]
• Aadeel shares his background and how he got interested in building bionic limbs [03:17]
• How did Aadeel get started in bionic engineering [04:17]
• What’s the difference between prosthesis and bionic devices? [07:45]
• Aadeel talks about their product designs, the difference of the devices, and the barriers for patients [09:03]
• Aadeel shares the founding story of PSYONIC [10:44]
• What’s entrepreneurial life like for Aadeel? [15:12]
• Aadeel compares San Diego and Chicago, and why he chose to move to San Diego [18:05]
• Aadeel explains why their brand is very big on consumer-facing approach [24:00]
• Aadeel shares what’s is like to have a public facing brand [28:19]
• Aadeel talks about where PSYONIC will be a year from now, their future plans, etc. [30:14]
• Aadeel shares his favorite taco spot, City Tacos [32:17]

Resources:

• Videos of testing the PSYONIC advanced bionic hand

Follow Aadeel

LinkedIn

PSYONIC

Website | LinkedIn

Check out our Tacos and Tech Tacos Database to learn where our local SD entrepreneurs and leaders satisfy their taco crave!

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• Davey gives an overview of his work at UC San Diego [02:23]
• How did Davey end up down the path toward infectious diseases? [03:23]
• Davey talks about the first time he heard about COVID-19 [06:02]
• How did Operation Warp Speed come together and when did Davey get involved? [07:21]
• Davey shares his observations on Model Medicines [11:25]
• Davey describes the technology Model Medicines focus on and how they apply it to many areas [13:10]
• Davey talks about his current involvement such as preclinical testing and preparing for clinical trials [15:05]
• Davey explains why COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses will continue to be a threat, and why new treatments are necessary [16:43]
• Davey emphasizes the need for investing in the science and research to improve next-generation drugs [00:18:55]
• Davey shares how AI is changing the way drug development is being approached today [20:01]
• On the FDA's flexibility and alignment with Model Medicines' plans for testing and development [20:48]
• Davey talks about future plans for Model Medicines, his plans on launching a clinical trial for respiratory viruses, and basket trial [00:22:23]
• Davey shares his take on the technology communities and collaborative and problem-focused culture of San Diego [23:40]
• Davey shares his favorite taco spot on Washington Street, El Cuervo [00:27:05]

Follow Davey

LinkedIn

University of California San Diego

Website | LinkedIn

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• Chrissy gives an overview of what Second Front Systems is [02:50]
• Chrrisy shares how she got into the tech world and how she started her career originally [03:02]
• Chrissy gives a background of what Second Front Systems is and its products [07:53]
• What was Chrissy’s role when she first started in Second Front Systems versus what she’s doing now? [09:32]
• Chrissy shares what she’s learned from her mentors and how they helped in her job [12:02]
• Chrissy talks about Second Front Systems’ technology and where it's affecting the world today [13:33]
• What’s DevSecOps? [15:34]
• Chrissy talks about their Game Warden platform and their next Game Warden product [16:44]
• How does a public benefit organization like Second Front Systems impact the community that they’re staying in? [18:48]
• Chrissy explains what a SkillBridge program is [19:53]
• Chrissy shares what it’s like being a fully remote company and how they utilize the virtual space platform, Gather.town [23:14]
• Chrissy shares her favorite taco spot, Velvet Taco [27:28]

Follow Chrissy

LinkedIn

Second Front Systems

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter

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Neal: Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech. Every Friday at 12:30pm Pacific on Clubhouse and now we record them for you to enjoy as well. Find these episodes on Freshbrewedtech.com and favorite podcast player for Tacos and Tech Podcast

I’m Neal Bloom, entrepreneur, investor, and community builder.

Fred: I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of SD Founders substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

7/28/23:

AI news:

• Tech companies adding in GPT - Travato, SOCi
• AIxBio event debrief with PersonalAI presentation

ECommerce:

• Sunday Golf
• Sendlane - E-commerce Commerce Roundtable Event in September 18
• Steerpoint Capital acquired Escondido Mall to make it an entrepreneur-friendly mall

CoWorking:

• VentureX CoWorking opened in Scripps Ranch
• Mission CoWorking opened in Mission Valley

Events:

• Welcome to SD Virtual event - August 1
• SD Founders Hike - August 2
• 1st Mondays - August 7 AI panel
• AgTech Gathering - August 17
• Top Tech SD - September 13
• Innovation Day - September 14
• Green.org San Diego Summit - September 16 - Use code Tacos25 for a discount
• Sendlane Commerce Roundtable - September 18
• San Diego Startup Week - Oct 23-27

View Details

Neal: Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech. Every Friday at 12:30pm Pacific on Clubhouse and now we record them for you to enjoy as well. Find these episodes on Freshbrewedtech.com and favorite podcast player for Tacos and Tech Podcast. I’m Neal Bloom, entrepreneur, investor, and community builder.

Fred: I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of SD Founders substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

7/24/23:

• Q2 VC Funding Report
• DTx Pharma acquisition and impact for local community

Events:

• SDx Hackathon event review
• SD Founders Hike August 2
• 1st Mondays with Startup SD August 7
• AgTech Gathering August 17
• Connect Innovation Day Sept 14

View Details

Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Jon gives an overview of what Vessel is [02:59]
• Jon shares how he started his first business [07:11]
• Jon recalls his first business, building an e-commerce site, and how it’s different from Vessel [12:54]
• Jon talks about the shift from having a bad cash flow business to having a successful one, how he applied the marketing techniques he learned to his website, and “growth hacking”
• What made Jon stay as an entrepreneur even after having two successful companies already? [20:33]
• Jon talks about venture and bootstrapping and why he prefers the former [25:14]
• Jon shares his thoughts on going hardware versus software [27:15]
• Jon talks about the founding story of Vessel [29:04]
• Jon shares how they decide what products or services to add for Vessel, and lessons he learned along the way [33:57]
• Jon talks about their recently launched 2.0, new tests, and Vessel Flex [36:11]
• What are Vessel’s future plans? [38:40]
• Jon shares his favorite taco spots, Barrio Star, Cocina De Barrio, El Agave, and King and Queen Cantina [40:45]

Follow Jon

LinkedIn

Vessel Health

Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

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Join us as participants intro themselves and ask where they need help from the community.

Join our bi-weekly newsletter for the latest news at https://freshbrewedtech.com/

Subscribe to Fred's Substack at https://sdfounders.substack.com/

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• Victoria gives an overview of what thoughtbot is [02:20]
• How did Victoria end up in the tech industry? [02:58]
• Victoria talks about her work experience in the federal area [03:54]
• Is there a lot of development agency work in the government or do they do a lot in-house? [04:40]
• Victoria shares the history of thoughtbot and how it started [05:47]
• Victoria talks about their platform guide and expanding more into their site reliability engineering space [07:08]
• Victoria shares some use cases, particularly in the need for tech in businesses [08:32]
• Victoria shares what other industries she has spent some time in since working at thoughtbot [09:14]
• What’s it like for Victoria to work and collaborate with a team remotely? [10:34]
• Victoria talks about the San Diego scene and the meetup community [12:36]
• Where does Victoria see communities going especially in a way that thoughtbot is looking at engaging developer communities? [15:28]
• Victoria shares her favorite taco spot, City Tacos [18:04]

Follow Victoria

LinkedIn | Twitter

thoughtbot

Website | LinkedIn

Check out our Tacos and Tech Tacos Database to learn where our local SD entrepreneurs and leaders satisfy their taco crave!

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Neal: Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech. Every Friday at 12:30pm Pacific on Clubhouse and now we record them for you to enjoy as well. Find these episodes on Freshbrewedtech.com and favorite podcast player for Tacos and Tech Podcast. I’m Neal Bloom, entrepreneur, investor, and community builder.

Fred: I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of SD Founders substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

6/23/23:

• Beam global - acquisition
• Kate Therapeutics - raises $51m, comes out of stealth
• Funding environment update

Events:

• AIxBioxSD June event debrief
• Evonexus Demo Day June 26
• SD Tech Hub Job Fair w/ SD Workforce Development & SD Supplier Diversity June 27
• SDx Hackathon - July 15-16

View Details

Neal: Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech. Every Friday at 12:30pm Pacific on Clubhouse and now we record them for you to enjoy as well. Find these episodes on Freshbrewedtech.com and favorite podcast player for Tacos and Tech Podcast. I’m Neal Bloom, entrepreneur, investor, and community builder. Today, we also have special guest Mike Freeman of The San Diego Union-Tribune joining us!

Fred: I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of SD Founders substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

6/23/23:

• CEO change at Illumina
• Ex-Qualcomm leaders pick their SPAC candidate
• Stadium in Midway - Billionaire Stan Kroenke joins development effort

Events:

• Connect Summer Social Debrief
• Evonexus Demo Day - June 26
• SDxAI Hackathon - July 15-16

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• Hilliard gives an overview of what Cox Mobile is [02:31]
• Hilliard shares his background and how he got into tech [03:56]
• Hilliard talks about what it’s like to launch a new product [05:49]
• Hilliard shares what it’s like testing their new product in different markets [07:05]
• Hilliard talks about his involvement in customer development, and what blueprint sessions are like [08:40]
• What are some of the new use cases Hilliard has seen months after launching Cox Mobile [09:50]
• How did launching Cox Mobile help in terms of building a better portfolio and competing with other companies in the space [10:43]
• Where does Hilliard see Cox Mobile headed in the next two years? [12:37]
• Hilliard shares the customer reception to Cox Mobile and the opportunities he sees from them [14:21]
• Hilliard shares his favorite taco spots, Aquí Me Quedo and bartaco [15:46]

Follow Hilliard

LinkedIn

Cox Mobile

Website | LinkedIn

Check out our Tacos and Tech Tacos Database to learn where our local SD entrepreneurs and leaders satisfy their taco crave!

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Neal: Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech. Every Friday at 12:30pm Pacific on Clubhouse and now we record them for you to enjoy as well. Find these episodes on Freshbrewedtech.com and favorite podcast player for Tacos and Tech Podcast

I’m Neal Bloom, entrepreneur, investor, and community builder.

Fred: I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of SD Founders substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

6/09/23:

• Mosaic Series C raise
• Debut Bio Series B raise

Events:

• Startup San Diego AI post-event debrief
• Connect Summer Social - June 13
• Evonexus Demo Day - June 26

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Masha gives an overview of what Nullspace is [02:38]
• Masha shares her background and how she ended up in the industry [04:09]
• What are some of the different kinds of products and companies Masha has worked on in the past? [06:33]
• Masha talks about how she jumped from engineering to marketing to company founder [09:07]
• Masha shares how she got connected with IERUS Technologies [11:05]
• Masha explains what a simulation company is and what they do [12:24]
• Masha talks about the status of IERUS Technologies when she got hired as its CEO, and shares a tip when looking for a job [13:29]
• What’s the current status of Nullspace today in terms of commercializing the technology? [15:41]
• Masha shares the current state of the market in the industry and the technologies they work on [16:48]
• What can the community do to help Nullspace get to where it’s headed in the next one to three years? [21:05]
• What does Masha do during her free time? [23:08]
• Masha talks about the non-profit, Orange County chapter of Engineers Without Borders [23:32]
• Masha shares her favorite taco spot, El Torito [25:18]

Follow Masha

LinkedIn

Nullspace

Website | LinkedIn

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• Zach gives an overview of what Yembo is [02:32]
• How did Zach get into the tech world? [05:04]
• Zach talks about his previous job at Qualcomm [07:51]
• Zach shares how he got started in the startup scene [09:20]
• How did the startup community help Zach in starting a business [11:57]
• Zach gives a background on how Yembo started and how he ended up from working on signal bars to moving industry AI [13:15]
• Zach shares how long it took to start Yembo and the challenges they faced along the way [16:48]
• Zach talks about some of the real values of the Yembo AI, getting clients, and getting feedback from customers [19:54]
• Zach shares the story behind the giant screen from their trade shows [25:16]
• Where is Yembo today? [27:41]
• Zach talks about the current product usage of Yembo [28:43]
• Zach shares the evolution of tools for AI he’s been seeing today [31:16]
• Zach shares his favorite taco spot, Stars & Stripes [33:16]

Follow Zach

LinkedIn

Yembo

Website | LinkedIn

Check out our Tacos and Tech Tacos Database to learn where our local SD entrepreneurs and leaders satisfy their taco crave!

View Details

Neal: Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech. Every Friday at 12:30pm Pacific on Clubhouse and now we record them for you to enjoy as well. Find these episodes on Freshbrewedtech.com and favorite podcast player for Tacos and Tech Podcast

I’m Neal Bloom, entrepreneur, investor, and community builder.

Fred: I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of SD Founders substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

6/02/23:

• Measurabl - $93m raise
• The TJ Tech Boom
• George Hotz’s Tiny Corp $5.1M
• Pureboost raises $2.8M

Events:

• 1st Mondays - 250 tickets as of Thursday
• Founders Hike - June 7
• Summer Social by Connect - June 17th
• EvoNexus Demo Day - June 30th

Subscribe to stay on top of events

Read deep dives into startups in San Diego on SD Founders Substack

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• Kevin gives an overview of what Tech San Diego is [02:26]
• Kevin shares the typical companies they engage with [04:03]
• Kevin shares his journey of understanding the talent needs for Tech San Diego, the talent portfolio they have, and their university talent initiative [05:55]
• Kevin talks about the issues recruiting local talent and what they’re doing about it [08:59]
• How does Tech San Diego help in transitioning university talent to the private sector? [11:49]
• What are the things Tech San Diego is currently focusing on? [13:34]
• Where does Kevin see Tech San Diego a year from now? [15:47]
• Kevin explains why they’re more focused on talents fit for technical jobs [17:08]
• Kevin shares how they make transitioning university talent to the private sector easier [18:42]
• How can a company looking for talent or students looking for jobs connect with Tech San Diego? [20:06]
• Kevin shares his favorite taco spot, a taco place in Escondido [20:55]

Follow Kevin

LinkedIn

Tech San Diego

Website | LinkedIn

Check out our Tacos and Tech Tacos Database to learn where our local SD entrepreneurs and leaders satisfy their taco crave!

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Neal: Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech. Every Friday at 12:30pm Pacific on Clubhouse and now we record them for you to enjoy as well. Find these episodes on Freshbrewedtech.com and favorite podcast player for Tacos and Tech Podcast.

I’m Neal Bloom, entrepreneur, investor, and community builder.

Fred: I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of SD Founders substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

For May 19, 2023:

• SD Tech Hub & next SD Tech Hub event May 23 5pm
• TuSimple leadership issues and layoffs
• SD MLS team announced

Events:

• SD Tech Hub event May 23 5pm
• The Pitch social meetup June 7
• Summer Social June 13
• Innovation Week & Petco Park Day Sept 14

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Suman gives an overview of what Personal.ai is [02:45]
• How did Suman get into the tech industry? [03:25]
• Suman talks about why he decided to continue his education in the U.S. and how it helped him in building a company [04:41]
• Suman shares the original concept for Aira versus what changed and what it is today [07:34]
• Suman shares the technical and business aspect of building Personal.ai [10:33]
• What are some things that Suman learned from Aira to Personal.ai today? [14:44]
• Suman talks about Personal.ai today, the technology development and product [18:52]
• Suman gives his insights about AI and its community today, ChatGPT, and the future of AI [22:31]
• How are people going to be using Personal.ai a year from now? [27:32]
• Where and how can people make a Personal.ai account? [29:27]
• Suman shares his favorite taco spots, Las Hadas and Spitfire [30:14]

Follow Suman

LinkedIn

Personal.ai

Website | LinkedIn

Check out our Tacos and Tech Tacos Database to learn where our local SD entrepreneurs and leaders satisfy their taco crave!

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Neal: Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech. Every Friday at 12:30pm Pacific on Clubhouse and now we record them for you to enjoy as well. Find these episodes on Freshbrewedtech.com and favorite podcast player for Tacos and Tech Podcast

I’m Neal Bloom, entrepreneur, investor, and community builder.

Fred: I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of SD Founders substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

For May 12, 2023:

• Q1 Venture Capital Report by Fred Grier
• Viasat: Launch & Merger
• Upcoming events: Summer Social by Connect

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Valerie gives an overview of what San Diego NFT Friends is [02:35]
• Valerie talks about Red Rug Edutainment and what they do [03:05]
• How did Valerie get into the tech industry? [04:00]
• In what ways did winning an NFT from Gary Vaynerchuk help Valerie? [06:04]
• Valerie talks about when why she started doing her meetups [07:11]
• Valerie shares the background of the people that go to her meetups, and their engagement in the community [10:33]
• Did the San Diego NFT Convention bring more community members and exposure? [13:21]
• Valerie reflects on the accessibility and inclusivity of the Web3 community [15:48]
• Valerie shares how she’s finding unique ways to both educate and interact with people about Web3 [17:30]
• Valerie gives a little onboarding for people interested in going to the meetup, what they can expect, etc. [21:49]
• Valerie shares her favorite taco spots, Mariscos Jalisco and El Gordo [24:01]

Follow Valerie

LinkedIn

San Diego NFT Friends

Website | LinkedIn

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Neal: Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech. Every Friday at 12:30pm Pacific on Clubhouse and now we record them for you to enjoy as well. Find these episodes on Freshbrewedtech.com and favorite podcast player for Tacos and Tech Podcast

I’m Neal Bloom, entrepreneur, investor, and community builder.

Fred: I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of SD Founders substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A.

4/28/23:

• Interlock Summit debrief, Fred’s article on it
• SD Angel Conference Winner - Limber
• Naturally San Diego Pitch Slam Winner - Root and Splendor
• The first Techstars San Diego accelerator class applications are open. Apply now!

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• John shares his focus within the Hospitality Network and Blueprint RF at Cox [02:29]
• How did John get into the tech industry? [03:38]
• John talks about converting buildings to ethernet in terms of age and why they differ [07:12]
• John shares how much more load there is on both the consumer and backend side of the systems and how it affects the infrastructures [09:13]
• How do new customer demands today affect the load on the system? [10:59]
• John shares what he thinks will be the next function of need going is going to be, including two-way services [12:55]
• What does success mean for Cox’s clients in terms of implementation? [14:10]
• Where do Cox and Hospitality Network play a role in the managed service on the video side? [16:20]
• John talks more about Hospitality Network and how and why it’s more casino and hotel oriented [21:41]
• How does the hospitality aspect fit into Cox’s investment strategy? [23:21]
• John shares other areas of technology he’s excited about [25:10]
• John shares his favorite taco spot, Del Taco [27:47]
• John talks about Cox’s mobile services and how customers can now get a mobile phone from Cox [27:56]

Follow John

LinkedIn

Cox Communications

LinkedIn | Website

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• Eric gives an overview of what Haiku is [02:29]
• How did Eric end up in the cybersecurity and tech industry? [04:26]
• Eric talks about his working experience in Sentek [08:13]
• Eric shares how he got started with Haiku, including building his team [10:24]
• What were some of the things Eric learned from building a past company to know the right customers for Haiku? [14:45]
• Eric talks about the accessibility of getting a job and alternative career paths in cybersecurity through their program [21:26]
• Who is playing Haiku and who is it designed for? [24:14]
• On why Haiku is on desktop only and why mobile is not a great fit [26:08]
• Does Eric consider himself a gamer even before Haiku? [30:06]
• Eric shares his favorite taco spot, Me Gusta Tacos [31:59]

Follow Eric

LinkedIn

Haiku

Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

Check out our Tacos and Tech Tacos Database to learn where our local SD entrepreneurs and leaders satisfy their taco crave!

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• Nelli gives an overview of what Tablecloth is [02:34]
• How did Nelli get started in the industry? [03:27]
• Kelly shares his background and how he got started in the industry [05:02]
• Nelli talks about the history of tech for capital markets and what’s changed [07:14]
• Nelli explains what impact investing and ESG means and how they differ [09:38]
• Kelly talks about the use of BI tools and how they integrate them with their business [11:27]
• Nelli shares how Tablecloth is being used by investors [13:06]
• Nelli talks about how Tablecloth started, what’s changed in the industry over the last few years and how it helped in updating their product [14:16]
• Nelli talks about the politicization of ESG [17:13]
• What are the next steps for Tablecloth in terms of impact investing [18:49]
• Nelli shares what Tablecloth does to get solid data from their employees, including triangulating data from numerous sources [20:25]
• Nelli talks about the state of the impact community in San Diego [23:33]
• Kelly shares his thoughts on the impact community in San Diego and where it is now from his perspective [25:39]
• Kelly and Nelli share their favorite taco spots, Salud Tacos and La Posta [29:14]

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Tablecloth

LinkedIn | Website

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• Dan Engel gives an overview of what Santa Barbara Venture Partners is [02:50]
• Dan Engel talks about his background and what the tech community was like in Santa Barbara [05:19]
• What’s the tech and investment education like in Santa Barbara? [07:46]
• When did the tech community come up on Dan Hedden’s radar? What made him want to become part of it? [08:33]
• What made Dan Engel decide to become a full-time investor? [10:17]
• What attracted Dan Hedden to switch to the investor side after working at a startup? [13:17]
• Dan Engel shares where they prefer to make investments, and where they usually get and look for deals [15:40]
• Dan Engel talks about some of the successes they’ve achieved in terms of acquisitions etc. [20:35]
• Hedden and Engel share the right time to meet companies, what they look for, and the importance of building rapport with founders [22:17]
• Dan Hedden talks about deep-level data tracking of companies and trends [24:34]
• Dan Engel shares what it’s like in their workplace, why admin work is essential, and why don’t rely on their service providers entirely [25:35]
• How did Engel and Hedden know it was the right time to look at another fund? [26:53]
• Dan Hedden and Dan Engel share their favorite taco spot, Mony's Tacos [28:01]

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LinkedIn

Santa Barbara Venture Partners

LinkedIn | Website

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3/21/23:

SD Companies Making Acquisitions

• Trust & Will
• Aptera
• MaxLinear
• ResMed
• ClickUp
• Cloudbeds - whistle

Future stories

• SVB
• Fabric8 Labs
• JMI new fund 11 of $2.4B
• Latest FBT newsletter

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• Jill gives an overview of what Audacity Health is [02:33]
• How did Jill end up in the branding and marketing space? [03:52]
• Jill talks about the advantage of having a PhD and marketing skill sets [05:46]
• Jill shares the benefits of having a background in both science and marketing in her line of work [08:41]
• Jill talks about the history of Audacity Health and how it changed over time [09:39]
• What are the storytelling and communicating tools and approaches today that Jill recommends? [11:53]
• Jill shares how they work with companies in dealing with anti-vaxxers and other misconceptions in science [14:54]
• Jill talks about their work setup during the pandemic and how the virtual working environment helped in talent recruitment [16:38]
• At what stage do companies usually reach out for help from Audacity Health? [17:53]
• Jill shares her favorite taco spots, Taco Surf and The Fish Shop [20:36]

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Audacity Health

LinkedIn | Website

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• Lucien gives an overview of what Charbon Plus is [02:06]
• Lucien talks about his background and growing up around entrepreneurs [03:31]
• How did Lucien end up in the US? [05:49]
• Lucien shares his student life and getting involved in the startup community [07:19]
• Why did Lucien decide to create a skincare brand? [08:34]
• Lucien shares how he started his business, including finding the right formula for their product and selling it online [09:56]
• Lucien talks about their skin care product and what they do [12:02]
• Lucien shares the communities and people that have helped him in launching his business [13:33]
• Lucien recalls what it was like to win a pitching competition, go nationals and represent San Diego [15:59]
• What is the current state of Charbon Plus? [17:33]
• Lucien talks about his future plans and goals for Charbon Plus [19:31]
• Lucien shares his favorite taco spot, Don Roman [20:58]

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Charbon Plus

Website | LinkedIn

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• Jenna shares where her background and where she was originally from [02:49]
• Jenna talks about her work experience in DocuSign [05:34]
• At what point did the idea for Uqora start to come through for Jenna? [06:50]
• Jenna explains why once you get UTI you’re more likely to get another one, especially in women [09:17]
• How many tests did Jenna and her team take on their medicine before landing something that looked like a product? [11:04]
• How did Jenna get started in getting educated to come up with a marketable product? [12:58]
• Jenna shares the founding story of Uqora [14:44]
• Jenna talks about Uqora’s official launch and how winning a pitch contest helped them in revenue [17:10]
• Jenna shares how they got started in developing and rolling out their second product [22:31]
• Jenna talks about Uqora’s team, and why community building is important [25:06]
• How did COVID contribute to Uqora’s growth curve, and how did they deal with their customers during this time? [27:56]
• Jenna shares how they deal with the manufacturing and supply aspects of the business during the pandemic [32:11]
• When did selling Uqora come to Jenna’s mind? [33:19]
• Jenna shares what the transition was like for her before and after Uqora’s acquisition [37:51]
• What does Uqora’s team look like today? [41:49]
• Jenna shares her favorite taco spot, Carnitas' Snack Shack [43:08]

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Uqora

Website | LinkedIn

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• David gives an overview of what SuperSight is [02:06]
• David shares his background and IoT has iterated over time [04:11]
• David talks about the direct relevance of consumers wanting to understand their data [06:03]
• What is calm computing? [07:00]
• David talks about technology-embedded services and why some companies haven’t offered them yet [08:40]
• David shares the advantages of having the AR tools we have today for companies [09:46]
• How do you bring more people into the AR or metaverse environment? [12:02]
• David explains what Google navigation AR experience is [13:51]
• Where is David guiding and advising people to focus on when it comes to investing for their own company [17:53]
• David shares how AR is going to play a part in travel interactions and why he’s excited about companies focusing on how to specialize in critiquing a product. [19:28]
• What are digital twins and their special features? [21:47]
• Where is the conversation of the human aspect of the AR meta piece right now? [24:26]
• David shares the kind of people he enjoys working with and why [28:34]
• David shares his favorite taco spot, Boloco [29:48]

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SuperSight

Website

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• Paige gives an overview of what Behind Genius Ventures is [03:08]
• Paige talks about what her life was like at SDSU, and how she figured out what she really wants to do career-wise [05:08]
• Paige shares her work experience and the things she learned, getting rejected by firms, and dealing with the pandemic [07:13]
• When did Paige actually write your first check as an investor? [10:47]
• How did Paige get started with her own investment firm? What was it like raising money for a venture fund? [13:26]
• Paige talks about the posts she wrote to help people who are going down a similar path as she is, including an FAQ doc and an essential guide to cold outreach [16:53]
• Paige shares what it was like to write a book and self-publishing it [18:50]
• Paige talks about growing up with an artist mom and a mechanical engineer dad, how she likes to blend engineering and art, and how she applies that in her work today [21:59]
• Paige talks about her love for investing and growing BGV [26:25]
• Paige shares her favorite taco spot, Oscars [27:04]

Resources:

• The Essential Guide to Syndicates
• The 5-step cold email outreach framework I used to build a community
• A Cold Outreach Workshop

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LinkedIn

Behind Genius Ventures

LinkedIn | Website

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For February 17, 2023:

• 2022 Tech Report by Fresh Brewed Tech

  • Fred’s article: https://sdfounders.substack.com/p/san-diego-hauls-in-48b-in-vc-in-2022
  • Aptera’s Launch Vehicle Announced
  • Cars and Bids Receives Chernin Group Investment
  • Viasat’s $7.3 Billion Purchase of Inmarsat Faces European Antitrust Opposition
  • Genentech Begins $450 Million Expansion in Oceanside to Make New Drugs for Rare Diseases

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• Andrew gives an overview of what San Diego Loyal SC is [02:56]
• Andrew shares his background and how his professional career started [03:43]
• Andrew chronicles the timeline of putting together the San Diego Loyal team [09:17]
• Andrew talks about what it was like to launch the San Diego Loyal team during the pandemic, and what he has learned during the process [11:10]
• Andrew talks about the great four pillars, and how having a structure helped in forming a community in San Diego [13:28]
• What has it been like for USL since last season? [16:00]
• Andrew explains what the 1886 initiative is about [17:36]
• Andrew shares what he’s excited about for USL and San Diego Loyal, and why we need to refrain from using the term “minor league” [19:29]
• How big is the soccer community in San Diego? [22:06]
• Andrew talks about the soccer community across the border and how they bring the communities together [24:15]
• How does Andrew look at the big picture when it comes to building and helping USL grow? [26:47]
• How does tech play a part in the soccer industry? [28:26]
• Andrew shares his favorite taco spot, Ortiz's Taco Shop [32:51]

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San Diego Loyal SC

Website | Instagram

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• Kymberlee gives an overview of what she does as a speaking strategist [03:00]
• How did Kymberlee get started in public speaking? [03:35]
• Kymberlee shares how TED talks have changed people’s lives [09:54]
• Kymberlee talks about the tech company she started [11:52]
• Kymberlee shares how storytelling can help in making connections and building trust [15:44]
• How did Kymberlee master being a good coach? [19:39]
• What do coaching and Kymberlee’s day-to-day look like? [22:02]
• Kymberlee shares what she’s currently working on and her future plans [24:04]
• Kymberlee talks about one of her mantras and her annual live event [27:04]
• Kymberlee shares her favorite taco spot, Teddy's By the Sea [29:04]

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LinkedIn | Website

Storytelling School

Website | LinkedIn

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• Dominic gives an overview of what harpoon is [02:26]
• How did Dominic get started in software engineering? [03:55]
• Dominic shares advice for people, particularly those in the software industry, who want to start a business today [09:34]
• How and when did Dominic realize that he can make his business idea a reality [12:45]
• When did Dominic start testing his idea? What were his first trials like? [14:47]
• Dominic talks about finding the right people or businesses to market your product, and who harpoon is solving problems for [16:54]
• Did Dominic get outside funding or is harpoon self-funded? [20:50]
• Dominic talks about their product, its function, features they're planning to add, and more [22:20]
• Where does Dominic see harpoon in a year? [24:48]
• Dominic shares his favorite taco spots, Tacos El Gordo and Oscars Mexican Seafood [27:53]

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LinkedIn

harpoon

Website | LinkedIn

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• Andrea gives an overview of what Vessel is [02:21]
• Andrea shares her background and how she ended up in the industry [02:59]
• What was it like for Andrea to move from Spain to San Diego? [06:37]
• Andrea talks about the convergence of different technologies and its relation to what Vessel does [09:54]
• Andrea shares her thoughts on the long-term change that people are doing based on consistent data, and Vessel’s role in this [14:40]
• How does Vessel collect data into the app? [18:20]
• Andrea shares Vessel’s future plans and where they’re headed [20:17]
• Andrea talks about the manufacturing side of the business and where it’s going [23:29]
• Andrea shares her favorite taco spot, Blue Water Seafood Market & Grill [24:34]

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LinkedIn

Vessel

Website | LinkedIn

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• Greg gives an overview of what EXUMA Biotechnology is [02:16]
• How did Greg get into the biotech industry? [04:26]
• How did Greg end up in San Diego? [05:18]
• Greg shares what the biotech community in San Diego was like before [06:29]
• Greg talks about recycling nature and where that mentality of his comes from [08:16]
• Greg talks about his first company, Halozyme and working on making recombinant enzymes [09:18]
• When did Greg realize he wants to do another company? How did he get started? [11:17]
• Greg talks about CAR-T and where EXUMA is headed [16:50]
• What’s the current state of the FDA for a company like EXUMA? [23:20]
• Greg shares what people should be looking for from the community and what he’s excited about [24:36]
• Greg shares his favorite taco spots, Roberto’s Taco and Baja [27:59]

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EXUMA Biotechnology

Website | LinkedIn

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• Lauran gives an overview of what BlueNalu is [02:31]
• How did Lauran get started in the cell-based protein field? [03:22]
• Lauran shares why she moved to San Diego [05:18]
• Lauran talks about the industry, what has changed since she joined BlueNalu, and what they’re doing with the technology [08:08]
• Lauran shares what their process is like, including a scale-up procedure [09:33]
• Lauren talks about the importance of product quality and product safety in their business [10:53]
• What does the future development look like for BlueNalu? Where are they currently and what are their future plans? [12:17]
• Lauran shares the possible hurdles they might encounter, including vulnerable supply chain and global warming [13:34]
• Lauran talks about where she spends the majority of her time as CTO, including developing technology and helping their marketing and PR teams [15:57]
• Lauran shares the type of companies she connects with as the CTO and what they usually talk about [17:29]
• Lauran shares her favorite taco spots, Senor Taco and Puesto [19:06]

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BlueNalu

Website | LinkedIn

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• A.J. gives an overview of what Calsense is [02:42]
• A.J. shares his background, where he came from originally, and how he got into Calsense [04:11]
• A.J. talks about how technology has advanced since he started working, and how it helped Calsense in protecting water [11:08]
• Have cities been able to change up landscaping to change up their water needs today? [15:25]
• With the hybrid aspect of work changing corporate campuses, A.J. shares his observations in terms of landscape as well as the mentality around where people work and play [19:34]
• What’s Calsense’s work model and experience like since the pandemic happened? [21:26]
• A.J. shares the things that he makes sure he’s paying attention to as Calsense’s CEO [23:42]
• Does A.J. think there’s a clean tech or agtech density of companies in San Diego? [28:13]
• A.J. shares his favorite taco spots, Fidel's Little Mexico and Aga Su Taco [30:19]

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Calsense

Website | LinkedIn

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• Madison gives an overview of what Privatyze is [02:38]
• Haydar shares his background and how he got into the tech industry [03:50]
• Madison shares her entrepreneurial background and how she got started [04:39]
• Haydar shares how got hired to work for the U.S. military [05:25]
• How did Madison and Haydar decide on the company they were going to co-found together and what was it like? [06:48]
• Haydar shares the changes they’ve seen when it comes to technology and their business from when they started to today [08:51]
• Madison talks about her connection to Launch Factory and how she got to know them [11:44]
• Haydar talks about Privatyze being a customer-focused startup, their mission, and how customer feedback helped them plan strategically over the next few years [13:24]
• Madison shares where the Privatyze platform is today[15:36]
• Haydar talks about Web3 and its functions and what they're currently creating to address today's needs in data ownership [16:44]
• Where is Privatyzed headed a year from now? [19:19]
• Haydar shares what excites him about cybersecurity [20:10]
• Madison talks about NFT in terms of its technical aspects to community and permissions and where that breakthrough is going to come through with Privatyze [24:16]
• Madison and Haydar’s favorite taco spot, Serrano's Street Tacos [26:22]

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LinkedIn

Privatyze

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter

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• Tony gives an overview of what Cox Communications is [02:28]
• How did Tony end up in the telecom industry? [03:15]
• Tony shares what made him want to get into engineering [06:16]
• Tony shares whether he knew it was going to be a long-term communication strategy for him when he was working on satellites while he was in the military [08:02]
• Tony talks about the early days of Cox Mobile and how telecom decides when it comes to infrastructure investment [12:30]
• When did Cox realize they should be looking at things from a product perspective? [16:39]
• Tony shares the internal development that turned into Cox Mobile and what had to go into it from a product development standpoint [19:35]
• What was it like for Tony’s team to reenter Cox into the mobile space product development-wise? How did they turn that into a consumer product? [21:20]
• Tony talks about the Cox Mobile launch and its timeframe now [25:48]
• Tony shares what’s happening behind the scenes now that they’re in launch mode, and where they’re iterating product and the development team right now [28:53]
• Tony’s favorite burrito and taco spots, Fajitas and Watersound Beach Club [30:43]

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Cox Communications

Website | LinkedIn

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• Sanjay gives an overview of what aTyr is [02:44]
• How did Sanjay end up in the pharma and biotech industry? [04:11]
• What brought Sanjay to San Diego? [06:26]
• Sanjay talks about what aTry is currently working on right now, including trials [08:02]
• Sanjay shares the technologies that have changed over the years and why they couldn’t have been done 20-plus years ago [10:16]
• Sanjay talks about running a biotech company today, if you should also run it like a software tech company, and whether it’s unique in San Diego [13:54]
• Sanjay talks about the flip side of data, including building good cloud trial classes with data in mind [16:52]
• Sanjay shares the difference between running a public versus private company, and the importance of being honest with patients instead of overselling things [19:44]
• Sanjay shares his favorite taco spot, El Viejon [24:16]

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LinkedIn

aTyr Pharma

Website | LinkedIn

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• Kate gives an overview of what Cooler Heads Care is [02:44]
• Kate shares her background and the story that led her to build a company [03:40]
• What brought Kate to San Diego? What was it like for her to be diagnosed in 2016? [05:48]
• At what point did Kate realize there needs to be some changes in terms of getting cancer treatments? [09:16]
• Kate talks about what it was like during the early stages of Cooler Heads and the power of networking [13:34]
• Kate shares how attending programs and doing pitches has helped her in building a successful business [15:53]
• Kate shares how Cooler Heads and their product iterated from then to now based on what they’re going to market with [17:45]
• Kate talks about the things she’s learning from the patients [22:44]
• Where is Cooler Heads headed and what is the bigger ecosystem that they’re building out? [23:56]
• Kate shares some of Cooler Heads’ milestones [25:17]
• Kate speaks about the advantage of running a business in San Diego and being surrounded by companies that matter or is making a change [26:48]
• Kate shares her favorite taco spot, Benny's Tacos [27:43]

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Cooler Heads Care

Website | LinkedIn

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• Anthony gives an overview of what Pureboost is [02:46]
• How did Anthony get into the space of building products? [04:34]
• What pushed Sean to start a business and how did he and his partners come up with Pureboost? [07:03]
• Anthony talks about how important it has been for him and his career to be surrounded by other entrepreneurs [11:16]
• Anthony shares the pros of having partners in different networking groups [15:28]
• Anthony talks about how the crowdfunding for their brand is doing [17:55]
• Anthony shares where they will allocate the funds they’re raising for pureboost [18:56]
• What does Pureboost’s workspace look like in terms of bringing the team together? [20:51]
• Sean speaks about the ecosystem for wellness in the CPG industry in San Diego [22:09]
• Sean shares his favorite taco spot, Filiberto's Mexican Food [24:33]

Resources:

• wefunder.com/pureboost

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LinkedIn

Pureboost

Website | LinkedIn

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• Anthony gives an overview of what Reactive Training is [02:25]
• Anthony shares how he got into the fitness industry and why he started a company [03:01]
• What’s the focus of Anthony’s studio and do they cater to a specific clientele? [04:38]
• Anthony talks about the things he learned from having a studio, using his studio to test his ideas, and how it helped in turning his idea into reality [05:19]
• Anthony explains the science and the biomechanics behind Core-Tex [06:10]
• How is Anthony seeing people use their product and what are some of the success stories he's seen from clients? [07:56]
• What were some of Anthony’s observations on how the pandemic affected home fitness and at-home treatment [08:59]
• What's unique about San Diego in terms of being connected to a specific user base? What are the other things Anthony learned in testing and building their product towards where it is now? [10:14]
• How did Anthony manage his employees and deal with supply chains when the pandemic happened? [12:05]
• What can the customers expect from Reactive Training’s latest and future products? [14:44]
• Anthony shares some tips for people who now have become more sitting-focused in their day job [17:35]
• Anthony shares his favorite taco spots, Rubio’s and City Tacos [19:55]

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LinkedIn

Reactive Trainingc

Website | LinkedIn

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• Alex gives an overview of what Alexander Daas is [02:25]
• Alex shares how he got into the eyewear and fashion industry [03:21]
• Alex talks about the industry and what changed since he started managing Alexander Daas [05:51]
• What separates Alexander Daas from other eyewear businesses? [07:17]
• How did Alex end up in San Diego? [08:27]
• Alex shares his observations in terms of eye health, how the pandemic affected it, and whether people still prioritize it [09:17]
• Alex talks about doing private appointments, and how he gets ideas and inspiration from their customers’ feedback [12:58]
• What has it been like working on the fashion aspect of Alexander Daas? Does Alex get guidance and feedback from other eyewear entrepreneurs? [15:45]
• How big or small is the eyewear industry locally? [16:42]
• Alex shares where he sees Alexander Daas one year from now, as well as their future plans and goals [17:32]
• What makes independent boutique brands different from well-known brands? [19:41]
• Alex shares his favorite taco spots, En Fuego and Tamarindo [20:51]

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LinkedIn

Alexander Daas

Website | LinkedIn

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• Julia gives an overview of what Trash Panda is [02:21]
• Julia shares her background and how the idea for Trash Panda started [03:37]
• How and when did the product idea for Trash Panda originate? [07:15]
• What was the pitching process like for Julia and her colleagues? [10:12]
• Julia shares some of the things they did to improve the user experience on Trash Panda [12:27]
• Julia talks about generating revenue for Trash Panda and how they make sure it doesn't bias the information they're giving to the audience, and the community of people she's found within the wellness and tech space [15:09]
• Are wellness brands something unique to San Diego? [20:03]
• Will Trash Panda always be an internalized product within the bigger company? [22:50]
• Julia shares her favorite taco spot, Haggo's Organic Taco [24:03]

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LinkedIn

Trash Panda App

Website | LinkedIn

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• Wes gives an overview of what Driftline is [02:20]
• Greg shares his background and how he met Wes [03:27]
• Wes shares his background and how he ended up in San Diego [05:38]
• When did the actual idea for Driftline come up? [09:01]
• Wes talks about how they started connecting with people that could help them with their business [12:06]
• How did Wes and Greg go from designing to manufacturing their product? [13:29]
• Greg shares what it was like having their first product sample to having their first sale [16:12]
• Wes and Greg talk about Driftline today and how people can find and buy their products [17:34]
• How long did the process take for Wes and Greg to get on Shark Tank? [20:37]
• Wes shares what it’s been like since their appearance on Shark Tank went live, and how it affected their business [22:07]
• Greg shares their future plans for Driftline, including adding more products [25:36]
• Does Wes consider San Diego as an area where a lot of entrepreneurs are starting sports and tech-related apparel? [27:25]
• Greg shares his favorite burrito spot, La Perla [29:39]
• Wes shares favorite taco spots, Oscars and City Tacos [31:13]

Resources:

• Driftline in Shark Tank

Follow Wesley Horbatuck

LinkedIn | Instagram

Follow Greg Orfe

LinkedIn | Instagram

Driftline

Website | LinkedIn

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• Lisa gives an overview of what CCOE is [02:43]
• How did Lisa get into the cybersecurity industry? [03:24]
• Lisa talks about what it was like to start a nonprofit [05:05]
• Lisa shares what the community is like now and how the region cybersecurity industry has grown over the last eight years [07:52]
• Lisa talks about closing the gap in terms of recruiting good talent to the region from other places and developing local talent [12:28]
• Does Lisa consider San Diego a cyber hub in the U.S. or the world? [16:30]
• What's the right entry point to engage with CCOE? [18:20]
• Lisa shares her favorite taco spot, Casa De Bandini [20:30]

Follow Lisa Easterly

LinkedIn

San Diego Cyber Center of Excellence (CCOE)

Website | LinkedIn

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• John gives an overview of what Gryphon is [02:22]
• How did John get into the tech industry? [03:52]
• John shares the trends he was starting to see after working in tech companies [06:12]
• How did John come up with the business idea for Gryphon? [08:18]
• John shares Gryphon’s use cases and success stories [09:56]
• John talks about encryption and its importance [12:12]
• John shares some of the lessons he learned from building hardware and software [13:08]
• John shares the positive and negative effects of the pandemic on their business [15:32]
• John shares Gryphon’s next steps, including building new products [17:03]
• John talks about the crypto aspect and decentralized approach when it comes to security and privacy issues [18:43]
• John explains why they have proof of bandwidth and proof of memory [19:56]
• John shares his favorite taco spot, Yesenia's [21:34]

Follow John Wu

LinkedIn

Gryphon

Website | LinkedIn

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For September 23, 2022:

1. Hone lands $30M in funding

2. ImmunoScape raises $14M in venture capital to fund platform targeting cancer

3. The news we’ve been waiting for! Sapporo completes sale of Stone Brewing for $165M

4. General Atomics opposes Chinese agriculture investment near Grand Forks Air Base in ND

5. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/story/2022-09-20/new-research-shows-you-might-be-able-to-measure-your-blood-oxygen-levels-with-a-smartphone-camera

6. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/story/2022-09-06/european-regulators-move-to-block-illuminas-7-1-billion-acquisition-of-grail

7. https://timesofsandiego.com/business/2022/09/18/new-iphone-emergency-sos-feature-supported-by-qualcomm-chip-custom-apple-technology/

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For September 23, 2022:

1. Hone lands $30M in funding

2. ImmunoScape raises $14M in venture capital to fund platform targeting cancer

3. The news we’ve been waiting for! Sapporo completes sale of Stone Brewing for $165M

4. General Atomics opposes Chinese agriculture investment near Grand Forks Air Base in ND

5. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/story/2022-09-20/new-research-shows-you-might-be-able-to-measure-your-blood-oxygen-levels-with-a-smartphone-camera

6. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/story/2022-09-06/european-regulators-move-to-block-illuminas-7-1-billion-acquisition-of-grail

7. https://timesofsandiego.com/business/2022/09/18/new-iphone-emergency-sos-feature-supported-by-qualcomm-chip-custom-apple-technology/

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Ashley shares how she got into smart home automation [02:52]
• Josh talks about how tech has played a part in his career over the last few years [03:43]
• Ashley shares the first steps Ashley did to get started on sustainability and the first things she tried and tested [05:07]
• How did Ashley monitor if she was being sustainable? [07:51]
• Ashley shares how smart technology made her everyday life as a mother easier and more efficient [09:31]
• Josh shares where he has seen smart tech play a huge part in terms of providing help and care to others [10:42]
• Josh talks about the future of smart tech and sustainability and what he's excited about [12:48]
• Where is Ashley investing her time, energy and research next for sustainability and automation? [14:54]
• Josh talks about how sustainability in the workplace spill over into homes today [17:34]
• Ashley talks about sustainable technology solutions, policy changes, etc. [19:55]
• Josh shares his favorite taco spots, Tacos El Gordo and Rubio's [22:01]
• Ashley shares a taco spot she wants to try, Sugar Taco [23:13]

Follow Ashley online

LinkedIn

Hot Jupiter

Website | LinkedIn

Follow Josh online

LinkedIn

Cox Communications

Website | LinkedIn

View Details

Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Ashley shares how she got into smart home automation [02:52]
• Josh talks about how tech has played a part in his career over the last few years [03:43]
• Ashley shares the first steps Ashley did to get started on sustainability and the first things she tried and tested [05:07]
• How did Ashley monitor if she was being sustainable? [07:51]
• Ashley shares how smart technology made her everyday life as a mother easier and more efficient [09:31]
• Josh shares where he has seen smart tech play a huge part in terms of providing help and care to others [10:42]
• Josh talks about the future of smart tech and sustainability and what he's excited about [12:48]
• Where is Ashley investing her time, energy and research next for sustainability and automation? [14:54]
• Josh talks about how sustainability in the workplace spill over into homes today [17:34]
• Ashley talks about sustainable technology solutions, policy changes, etc. [19:55]
• Josh shares his favorite taco spots, Tacos El Gordo and Rubio's [22:01]
• Ashley shares a taco spot she wants to try, Sugar Taco [23:13]

Follow Ashley online

LinkedIn

Hot Jupiter

Website | LinkedIn

Follow Josh online

LinkedIn

Cox Communications

Website | LinkedIn

View Details

Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Tyson gives an overview of what Greatscale Ventures is [02:26]
• Where was Tyson originally from and how did he get into tech? [04:14]
• On chasing financial success and the first company Tyson built [06:45]
• Tyson talks about his company and how they started by making hospitals efficient at collecting money with software [08:39]
• Tyson shares what his TED Talk was about and the high-value humanity in tech [10:19]
• How did Tyson meet his business partner, Aaron? [13:02]
• Tyson shares how they applied their idea of changing the world with tech into their business, and pivoting [15:08]
• Tyson talks about the companies they’ve worked with and how they helped them [19:30]
• Tyson gives an example of what a startup’s journey and growth is like with Greatscale Ventures [21:15]
• Tyson shares where Greatscale Ventures is right now and what people can expect from them over the next year [27:39]
• [33:33]
• Tyson shares his favorite taco spots, Jack in the Box, City Tacos, and Casa Machado Restaurant [36:59]

Resources:

• Preserving humanity as AI takes us over - Tyson’s TED Talk

Follow Tyson online

LinkedIn

Greatscale Ventures

Website | LinkedIn

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Tyson gives an overview of what Greatscale Ventures is [02:26]
• Where was Tyson originally from and how did he get into tech? [04:14]
• On chasing financial success and the first company Tyson built [06:45]
• Tyson talks about his company and how they started by making hospitals efficient at collecting money with software [08:39]
• Tyson shares what his TED Talk was about and the high-value humanity in tech [10:19]
• How did Tyson meet his business partner, Aaron? [13:02]
• Tyson shares how they applied their idea of changing the world with tech into their business, and pivoting [15:08]
• Tyson talks about the companies they’ve worked with and how they helped them [19:30]
• Tyson gives an example of what a startup’s journey and growth is like with Greatscale Ventures [21:15]
• Tyson shares where Greatscale Ventures is right now and what people can expect from them over the next year [27:39]
• [33:33]
• Tyson shares his favorite taco spots, Jack in the Box, City Tacos, and Casa Machado Restaurant [36:59]

Resources:

• Preserving humanity as AI takes us over - Tyson’s TED Talk

Follow Tyson online

LinkedIn

Greatscale Ventures

Website | LinkedIn

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Following the success with our very first Marketing Night, we recently held our second in-person Marketing Night event on August 30th, featuring impressive panelists who shared helpful career wisdom. Check out more details from our blog post here!

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Following the success with our very first Marketing Night, we recently held our second in-person Marketing Night event on August 30th, featuring impressive panelists who shared helpful career wisdom. Check out more details from our blog post here!

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Elizabeth gives an overview of what Black Tech Link is [02:25]
• How did Elizabeth get into the tech industry? [04:38]
• Elizabeth shares what it was like working at the California Science Center [08:43]
• How did Elizabeth start her own organization? [11:57]
• Elizabeth shares what she learned from joining blacks in techs and working with other people [15:30]
• Elizabeth talks about what she's been doing during the pandemic, including hosting events [18:30]
• How can people support Black Tech Link? [24:38]
• Elizabeth shares why she thinks there needs to be more support in building more programs [26:17]
• Elizabeth shares her favorite taco spot, El Serrano’s [31:27]

Follow Elizabeth online

LinkedIn

Black Tech Link

Website | LinkedIn

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Elizabeth gives an overview of what Black Tech Link is [02:25]
• How did Elizabeth get into the tech industry? [04:38]
• Elizabeth shares what it was like working at the California Science Center [08:43]
• How did Elizabeth start her own organization? [11:57]
• Elizabeth shares what she learned from joining blacks in techs and working with other people [15:30]
• Elizabeth talks about what she's been doing during the pandemic, including hosting events [18:30]
• How can people support Black Tech Link? [24:38]
• Elizabeth shares why she thinks there needs to be more support in building more programs [26:17]
• Elizabeth shares her favorite taco spot, El Serrano’s [31:27]

Follow Elizabeth online

LinkedIn

Black Tech Link

Website | LinkedIn

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Marcos gives an overview of what Pricing I/O is [02:41]
• When did Marcos move to San Diego? [03:33]
• How did Marcos end up in the tech and pricing industry? [05:16]
• Marcos talks about a campaign they did to collect data from companies Marcos shares the observation and trends he noticed from companies [06:36]
• [07:49]
• When did Marcos know he wanted to start a consultancy? [09:52]
• What was Marcos' entrepreneurial first step? [11:23]
• Marcos shares why he decided to write a book and how long it took him to finish it [12:53]
• Marcos shares what his book is all about and some key points from it [13:54]
• How does Marcos look at stages regarding companies from a trajectory standpoint? [15:51]
• Marcos shares what he tells people to do to their companies today pricing-wise based on the current trends and patterns he's seeing [17:56]
• Marcos talks about the importance of communication and transparency around pricing [21:20]
• Marcos shares his favorite taco spot, Puesto [24:09]

Resources:

• Book - Street Pricing by Marcos Rivera

Follow Marcos online

LinkedIn

Pricing I/O

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Marcos gives an overview of what Pricing I/O is [02:41]
• When did Marcos move to San Diego? [03:33]
• How did Marcos end up in the tech and pricing industry? [05:16]
• Marcos talks about a campaign they did to collect data from companies Marcos shares the observation and trends he noticed from companies [06:36]
• [07:49]
• When did Marcos know he wanted to start a consultancy? [09:52]
• What was Marcos' entrepreneurial first step? [11:23]
• Marcos shares why he decided to write a book and how long it took him to finish it [12:53]
• Marcos shares what his book is all about and some key points from it [13:54]
• How does Marcos look at stages regarding companies from a trajectory standpoint? [15:51]
• Marcos shares what he tells people to do to their companies today pricing-wise based on the current trends and patterns he's seeing [17:56]
• Marcos talks about the importance of communication and transparency around pricing [21:20]
• Marcos shares his favorite taco spot, Puesto [24:09]

Resources:

• Book - Street Pricing by Marcos Rivera

Follow Marcos online

LinkedIn

Pricing I/O

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Maritza gives an overview of what ITJuana is [03:02]
• Maritza talks about the earlier perception of Tijuana, and the successful experiment they did of hiring engineers in Tijuana. [04:31]
• Maritza shares her objective in life and why ITJuana veer from traditional outsourcing [07:05]
• Maritza talks about the transformation that happened to their company when the pandemic happened, and the tech talents from Latin America [09:57]
• Maritza shares how ITJuana has been focusing and investing time and effort in talent development [11:52]
• What does Maritza perceive as the local tech community now? [14:46]
• Maritza shares the opportunities that have opened for talents in Tijuana and her goal of Tijuana becoming the "BioMed tech valley" of the world[16:31]
• Maritza gives advice to people who are thinking about building a startup or investing in a company like ITJuana [18:00]
• Maritza shares some tips and tricks she learned to grow her business [19:01]
• Maritza talks about the manufacturing in Tijuana [21:43]
• Maritza shares her favorite taco spots, Taco Nazo, Telefonica, and Valle de Guadalupe [24:18]

Follow Maritza online

LinkedIn

ITJuana

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Maritza gives an overview of what ITJuana is [03:02]
• Maritza talks about the earlier perception of Tijuana, and the successful experiment they did of hiring engineers in Tijuana. [04:31]
• Maritza shares her objective in life and why ITJuana veer from traditional outsourcing [07:05]
• Maritza talks about the transformation that happened to their company when the pandemic happened, and the tech talents from Latin America [09:57]
• Maritza shares how ITJuana has been focusing and investing time and effort in talent development [11:52]
• What does Maritza perceive as the local tech community now? [14:46]
• Maritza shares the opportunities that have opened for talents in Tijuana and her goal of Tijuana becoming the "BioMed tech valley" of the world[16:31]
• Maritza gives advice to people who are thinking about building a startup or investing in a company like ITJuana [18:00]
• Maritza shares some tips and tricks she learned to grow her business [19:01]
• Maritza talks about the manufacturing in Tijuana [21:43]
• Maritza shares her favorite taco spots, Taco Nazo, Telefonica, and Valle de Guadalupe [24:18]

Follow Maritza online

LinkedIn

ITJuana

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

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For August 19, 2022:

1. FBI Issues warning over cyber threats

2. Veriteque awarded Walmart open call deal

3. PSYONIC brings advanced bionics to SD

Check out our recent newsletter to be updated about upcoming events: Latest events calendar

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Marty gives an overview of Always AI [02:18]
• How did Marty end up in the tech industry? [03:53]
• Marty talks about what it was like working for Blackberry and being in the telecom space [05:38]
• Marty shares how he turned his idea for alwaysAI into reality[06:43]
• When did Steven and Marty meet? [07:39]
• Steven talks about what Longley Capital does and what drew them to alwaysAI [09:52]
• Marty shares the trends he's been observing and why San Diego is a great location for alwaysAI [12:12]
• What are the feedbacks they have gotten from their users and community? [14:39]
• Marty explains the earliest stage of a startup that comes into the free model and how they grow alongside [15:50]
• Steven and Marty share some actual use cases they were surprised to see [16:52]
• Marty and Steven share their favorite tacos spots, Las Olas and El Pescador [19:15]

Follow Marty online

LinkedIn

Always AI

Website | LinkedIn

Follow Steven online

LinkedIn

Longley Capital

Website | LinkedIn

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1. Apple expands SD footprint with new 67-acre campus in Rancho Bernardo

2. Brius Technologies wants to give you the perfect smile

3. Persephone Biosciences, startup focused on microbiome-based therapeutics lands $15M in seed funding

4. Nuvee and SDGE power Cajon Valley Schools buses and they power back at night

5. Cari Health is battling the opioid crisis through its wearable device

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Grant gives an overview of what SkySafe is [02:24]
• How did Grant end up in the tech world and the defense route? [03:24]
• Grant shares how he got into the drone space—from being in the military to building a company [05:30]
• Grant talks about drones and how their use has evolved over the years [07:08]
• Grant shares how large autonomous flying planes and UAVs or UAS fit into aviation and mobility in the long term [09:47]
• How did Grant turn his business idea for SkySafe into reality? [13:04]
• Grant shares how SkySafe is doing and where it’s going [16:10]
• Grant talks about how they integrate their platform into their clients’ structure and security operations [21:18]
• Can SkySafe track drones in places they shouldn't be worldwide? [22:44]
• Grant talks about the future of drones and SkySafe’s long-term goals [25:06]
• Grant shares what he thinks the ecosystem is like in terms of building tech in San Diego [26:39]
• Grant shares his favorite taco spots, El Cuervo and Vallarta [27:29]

Follow Grant online

LinkedIn

SkySafe

Website | LinkedIn

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Erin gives an overview of what Equip is [02:34]
• How did Erin end up in the telehealth tech space? [03:26]
• Erin talks about eating disorders and shortage in eating disorders providers [09:21]
• How did Erin and Kristina started their business and partnered with tech teams to build and scale it? [10:51]
• Erin shares the trends and differences she has observed from seeing clients and patients in person versus remotely [13:22]
• Erin shares why they decided to have a fully remote team even before pre-COVID [16:28]
• Erin talks about how Equip is doing now and its long-term goals [18:00]
• Erin shares her favorite taco spot, Las Olas [22:28]

Follow Erin online

LinkedIn | Instagram

Equip

Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Jesse gives an overview of what NSIN is [02:49]
• Jesse talks about his career path and how he got into national security and defense tech space [04:50]
• Jesse shares what he’s learned from having a great military presence and its relationship with innovators in San Diego [09:57]
• What does investment mean from the DoD perspective? [13:50]
• Jesse shares NSIN’s founding story [15:34]
• How can people with startup ideas or working on their startup ideas connect and work with NSIN? [19:24]
• Jesse talks about DoD and the breadth of technology they’re looking for when it comes to business and partnerships [24:02]
• Jesse shares the things he’s learning about innovation happening across the world and his region [27:13]
• Jesse shares his favorite taco spot, Ponce's [31:40]

Follow Jesse online

LinkedIn

NSIN - National Security Innovation Network

Website | LinkedIn

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For July 22, 2022:

1. NAWBO, BofA Team To Help Female Firms Launch, Grow
2. GigTown’s post pandemic reboot
3. Illumina loses court bid to halt European antitrust review of Grail acquisition
4. SD Biotech, ViaCyte, acquired by rival Vertex Pharmaceuticals for $320M
5. Qualcomm joins forces with Swedish and French firms to build satellite-driven 5G Network

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Aubri gives an overview of what Civile Apparel is [02:31]
• Aubri shares how she got into the entrepreneurial world and how her business idea started [03:33]
• How did Aubri end up in San Diego? [05:16]
• Aubri and Kate share how people discover pickleball today, and how they met and eventually became business partners [05:56]
• Aubri talks about the first steps she took to make her business idea a reality [09:38]
• Aubri talks about designing their products despite not having a creative background [13:35]
• Kate shares how she lends her expertise to Civile Apparel, and why she thinks relationships is the key to success [16:26]
• What makes Civile Apparel different from other pickleball apparel? [18:57]
• Aubri talks about the gender equality and inclusivity of pickleball as a game [21:29]
• Aubri and Kate share what now versus next year looks like for both Civile Apparel and the pickleball industry [22:51]
• Kate shares what it feels like building another apparel company [24:47]]
• Aubri shares her favorite taco spots, Tony's Jacal and Taco Picasso [30:32]
• Kate shares her favorite taco spot, Death By Tequila [31:18]
• Aubri shares her favorite tequila [32:18]

Follow Aubri online

LinkedIn

Follow Kate online

LinkedIn

Civile Apparel

Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Miles gives an overview of what PÜL is [02:32]
• Mile talks about their journey to becoming an entrepreneur [03:30]
• When did Miles take interest in building and running his own company? [04:48]
• Jock shares how he got into the startup world [05:59]
• Miles talks about how they came up with the idea for PÜL [09:24]
• Miles shares how the smart cap idea started [11:09]
• What inspired Jock to join in the hydration tech space? [13:06]
• Miles explains how the algorithm and data helps, and why he sees their product as a cognitive training tool [19:29]
• When did Miles and Jock know they were finally ready to have a product and go live? [25:08]
• Jock talks about the current state of their product and the wellness movement [29:27]
• Miles shares what’s next for PÜL [32:04]
• Miles and Jock share their favorite taco spots, Galaxy Taco and Chronic Tacos [35:54]

Follow Miles online

LinkedIn | Instagram

Follow Jock online

LinkedIn

PÜL

Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

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1. Mid year update on venture capital in SD

2. Maui Brewing acquires Modern Times for $15M when Brewery X drops out

3. The future of PCR: Startup Pleno uses telecom coding techniques for clinical diagnostics

4. San Diego construction tech startup AGORUS lands $6.5 million to digitize and automate home building

5. Scripps Clinic First to Use 3D Hologram Tech for Surgery in Southern California

Shoutouts:

• Scratch BBQ Sauce, local SD company, wins Gelson’s Local Discoveries Contest – give em a try at your next bbq!
• Comic Con coming to SD July 21-24! Check em out :)
• July 14 – Innovate78 Startup event – focus on talent and recruitment
• Marketing Night Aug 30 – Focus on consumer

View Details

Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Heather gives an overview of what StoryFile is [02:21]
• How did Heather find herself in the tech field? How did she come up with the business idea for StoryFile? [03:15]
• Heather talks about the journey to making her business idea happen [07:13]
• How did Heather find the right people to work with for her business?[11:55]
• Heather talks about the tech side of her business and how things worked out from a technology ownership perspective [13:58]
• Heather shares the uses of their services and technology [17:08]
• Heather talks about their latest technologies, including having their own natural language processing system [22:03]
• Heather talks about finding talents and how StoryFile can ba be an avenue in doing so [24:33]
• Heather explains what StorFile’s living albums is [27:02]
• Why did Heather give up her role as CEO to become CVO? [28:56]
• Heather shares her favorite taco spots, El Coyote and Escuela Taqueria [31:50]

Follow Heather online

LinkedIn

StoryFile

Website | LinkedIn

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Some great marketing and career wisdom at our last Marketing Night. Listen in here and join us at our next one on Aug 30th!

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Todd gives an overview of what Tyra Biosciences is [02:21]
• How did Todd find his way into the biotech industry? [02:53]
• When did Todd realize he wanted to pursue bioscience as a career [04:39]
• Todd shares what led him to start his own company and his first business idea [05:52]
• Todd talks about his experience working for a project that turned into a company, and how that helped him in his own business [06:26]
• Todd talks about how he envisions IPO [08:25]
• Todd shares the founding story of Tyra Biosciences [10:10]
• Todd talks about his experience in the Bio, Tech and Beyond [11:39]
• Todd gives an overview of what’s happening in the precision space [13:09]
• What has it been like for Tyra Biosciences for the last two years?[16:07]
• Todd talks about where Tyra Biosciences is at right now, and their future plans and goals for the company [19:04]
• Todd shares his favorite taco spot, Pure Taco [20:13]

Follow Todd online

LinkedIn

Tyra Biosciences

Website | LinkedIn

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• Stone getting acquired for $167M
• Qualcomm with BIG updates!
• Pytheas for all: Scripps develops open-source RNA sequencing app Pytheas
• ‘FluentPet’ lets you have a conversation with your furry friend
• Spotlighting SD’s Bluetech Scene
• Global Algae Innovations competing to sequester carbon in the XPRIZE competition

Shoutouts:

• • Have you seen those custom branded Monopoly sets? Made in Carlsbad!
  • Little blue penguins coming to Birch Aquarium!
  • Housecall Pro new funding $125M

View Details

Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Jaclyn gives an overview of what elevatEd Classrooms is [02:22]
• Jaclyn shares her background and where she’s from [03:04]
• What made Jaclyn change her course from Biology to Education? [04:55]
• Jaclyn shares the first steps she took to pursue her goal and fight for education reform [06:37]
• Jaclyn talks about the knowledge she gained from being in different states and classrooms, and how she got into Educational Technology [08:48]
• Jaclyn talks about the patterns she noticed in science teachers' classrooms and the hypothesis she developed [10:48]
• Jaclyn shares how she got laid off, and she came up with the idea for elevatEd Classrooms [13:49]
• When did Jaclyn know she was finally ready to go all-in on her business idea and what was the progress like? [17:05]
• Jaclyn shares what elevatEd Classrooms look like today, and what she’s been working on [21:21]
• When did Jaclyn know she wanted to be surrounded by other businesses and business resources? How did she learn about Connect All? [25:06]
• Jaclyn talks about elevatEd Classrooms plans and goals [27:16]
• Jaclyn shares her favorite taco spot, Taco Surf [29:21]

Follow Jaclyn online

LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter

elevatEd Classrooms

Website | LinkedIn

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Garrett gives an overview of what Agorus is [02:13]
• Garrett shares his background, from studying to joining the military, and eventually getting into construction tech [02:46]
• Garrett talks about what it was like to join the military and the skills he learned [04:47]
• How did Garrett go from having a business idea to actually starting it?[06:20]
• Garrett takes us through the early stages of building their product [09:44]
• What was it like for Garrett to build a startup in the middle of a pandemic? [11:14]
• Garrett discusses home ownership and the future of housing [13:52]
• Garrett shares why he thinks becoming more receptive to new ideas and innovations is essential [16:19]
• Garrett talks about what it's like being in the construction tech industry [17:22]
• Garrett talks about where Agorus is at right now and their future plans and goals for the company [18:55]
• Garrett shares his favorite taco shop, Don Pancho's [21:37]

Follow Garrett online

LinkedIn

Agorus

Website | LinkedIn

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.

• Lamicka gives an overview of what Southeast Fusion is [02:14]
• Lamicka shares her background and how she ended up in the foodservice industry [02:46]
• Lamicka talks about her childhood, and what inspired her to have her own business [04:17]
• Lamicka shares what it was like growing up with specific food and how it influenced what she cooks today [05:50]
• Lamicka talks about the kinds of learning she had in culinary school [06:51]
• Lamicka shares how she started putting her ideas into motion and starting a business [08:19]
• Lamicka shares her initial idea for her business, her style of cooking, and her barbecue sauce [10:39]
• Lamicka shares how Connect All helped her to connect with other people and business owners [12:37]
• Lamicka shares the current trends she’s seeing in the industry and how it’s helping her business [15:17]
• Where can people find Lamicka's food right now? [16:47]
• Lamicka talks about her barbecue sauce [17:44]
• Lamicka talks about her plans for her business, including focusing more on putting her barbecue sauce on the market [18:41]
• Lamicka shares her favorite taco spots, Humberto's Taco Shop and Cotijas [19:22]

Follow Lamicka online

LinkedIn

SouthEast Fusion 619

Facebook | Instagram

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. * Jared gives an overview of what Cox Business is and what they're currently focusing on [02:51] * Jared talks about what it was like for their company to deal with the pandemic and how their business manage to persevere [05:07] * Tim mentions focusing on customers and paying attention to markets trends as one of their big core fundamentals [06:24] * Jared talks about the changes that happen as startups make the transition of growing the business, including the tech side of it [09:17] * Tim shares the importance of the cyber side for startup businesses and why SMBs become prime targets of ransomware attacks [12:57] * Jared talks about the hardware side of businesses and the trends they're seeing, such as the hybrid approach [15:56] * Tim gives an example of how they can help businesses who have unique needs in terms of cloud service environment [18:28] * Jared shares the roles you need and doesn't need in a team for your organization [21:42] * Tim adds why knowing what you want to safeguard and protect your business from is essential [25:08] * Jared shares what they've been noticing in terms of data ownership and the role of the CIO and CTO [26:36] * Jared shares the trend they're seeing with ransomware [29:36] * Tim talks about the trend of DDoS attacks [32:09] * Jared shares why small businesses aren't necessarily safe from ransomware attacks [33:53] * Tim talks about return to office hybrid and why he thinks the trend is customization [36:20] * Jared shares why he thinks that business environment has been similar and why it's more about creating the right balance [37:37] * Jared shares why Cox chooses to engage with premium suppliers and how this helps small businesses to expand and grow [40:42] * Jared and Tim share their favorite taco spots, SC Ranch Market and Albertacos [43:15]

Follow Jared online

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Follow Tim online

LinkedIn

Cox Business

Website | LinkedIn

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• Pree gives an overview of what Preemadonna is [02:20]
• Pree talks about her background, where she grew up, and why she considers herself an accidental entrepreneur [03:05]
• Pree shares her educational background, her passion for American Politics, and the similarities she found between politics and entrepreneurship [04:09]
• Pree talks about what's it like to have worked in a startup as one of its first 10 employees [08:53]
• What led Pree to launch a business and how her idea of nailbot started [09:38]
• Pree talks about the steps she took to get ready and launch Preemadonna [11:47]
• How did Pree build her own hardware, software, and community? [14:12]
• Pree shares how she balanced finding people specific to her industry and how she applied her mentality when she was working in politics to her business [17:18]
• Pree talks about how she ended up in San Diego [22:33]
• Pree shares where nailbot is right now and her other projects [25:28]
• Pree shares her favorite taco spots, City Tacos and Jorge's in Oceanside, and Buccaneer Cafe [26:52]

Follow Pree online

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Preemadonna

Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram

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• Andrew gives an overview of what OK Capsule is [02:17]
• Andrew talks about his background and how he ended up in the health field [03:17]
• Andrew shares what made him interested in medicine, and his educational background [04:15]
• Andrew shares his thoughts on the accessibility of supplements today, and what inspired him to launch his business [06:39]
• Andrew recalls his previous entrepreneurial ventures, including pitching to his patients, and what got him to enter the startup space [09:54]
• Andrews shares his mistake of not building a revenue model, what he learned from that, and how it gave him pushed him to pursue his idea for OK Capsule [11:55]
• Andrew shares the steps he did after deciding to push through with OK Capsule, including building a revenue model and raising money [14:55]
• What was Andrew pitching when he first got his LOIs for his business? And how did it change and improve their business model? [17:04]
• Andrew shares what he’s learned as they were starting their business such as knowing how to allocate things appropriately [20:23]
• Andrew talks about where their company is at today and its future plans [22:40]
• Andrew shares what made them consider going retail and come up with solution packs to turn customers into personalized customers [24:10]
• Andrew talks about sustainability and what he learned being in the industry, and what they’re doing to lessen the waste problem [27:09]
• Andrew talks about where the company is heading and where he would like to focus more in the future such as tech solutions [29:19]
• Andrew shares his favorite taco spots [31:56]

Follow Andrew online

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OK Capsule

Website | LinkedIn

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• Sunny gives an overview of what Sun Genomics is [02:28]
• How did Sunny end up in life sciences and his current line of work [03:19]
• Sunny talks about his discovery as they were doing human genome sequencing which gave him the idea to start testing on probiotics [04:28]
• Sunny talks about testing probiotics and the “probiotic wall of paralysis” [06:03]
• Sunny talks about the finished product, and the process from scaling it to mapping it out [08:59]
• When did Sunny discover that his product is actually working to help his son's gut problems? [10:14]
• Sunny talks about Floré’s products and how it’s helping their customers, including chronic conditions [11:38]
• With the rise of personalized wellness, Sunny talks about where probiotics and gut health and the wave of consumer life sciences are heading [13:02]
• Sunny talks about how integrative medicine doctors use their products and what he hopes to see in the next 4 to 5 years [14:00]
• Sunny talks about what it's like to build a company in San Diego [14:54]
• Sunny shares how he deals with food and shares his favorite taco spot, Mas Veggies Vegan [17:23]

Follow Sunny online

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Sun Genomics

Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube

Floré

Website

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• Amaya gives an overview of what Mya's Catering is [02:17]
• Amaya talks about her childhood and her favorite childhood baked item that started her baking business [02:59]
• When did the idea of launching a business come up for Amaya? [04:32]
• What were the first steps Amaya did once she has decided to launch a business? [05:24]
• Amaya shares the training and education she did that helped her improve her skills and knowledge [06:07]
• Amaya shares what the day to day operation is like for Mya's Catering [07:09]
• What is the Connect All program and how did it help Amaya's business? [08:42]
• Amaya talks about her business, Mya's Catering and its future plans[10:10]
• What are some of the ways Amaya does to get her products out? [11:20]
• Amaya shares advice for those who are planning to launch a business and wants to go all-in [12:10]
• Amaya's favorite taco spot, El Rural Taco Shop [14:02]

Follow Amaya online

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Mya’s Catering

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• Sai gives an overview of what CyberCatch is [02:11]
• Sai talks about how he got into cybersecurity and what made him decide to do so [03:29]
• What were the common threads Sai noticed when he was writing his book about cybersecurity? [06:04]
• Was Sai intending to already create a cybersecurity company when he was writing his book? Who inspired Sai to start a company? [08:24]
• What inspired Sai to start the company? [10:10]
• What does CyberCatch provide to its customers? [11:09]
• Sai talks about the cyber tech world in San Diego and what it's like to be part of it [11:57]
• Sai talks about their product, where it's at right now in terms of maturity, and future plans [13:38]
• Sai shares CyberCatch's goals and future plans, including using AI[16:15]
• Sai shares some tips for small business owners right now such as what to prioritize to protect their business [18:50]
• Sai's favorite taco spot, Tamarindo Del Mar [21:58]

Resources:

• Next Level Cybersecurity: Detect the Signals, Stop the Hack
• SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES VULNERABILITIES REPORT (SMBVR)

Follow Sai online

Website | LinkedIn

CyberCatch

Website | Facebook | LinkedIn

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• Saundra gives an overview of what Evofem Biosciences is, and their product Phexxi [02:15]
• Why did Saundra choose to pitch for their product and what makes it unique? [03:28]
• Saundra talks about her career in women's health and what made her want to move up the corporate ladder [04:24]
• Saundra shares why helping women, not just professionally, is important to her [08:11]
• Saundra talks about working in Biotech, and how it brought her to San Diego [12:19]
• When and how did Evofem come to be? [16:03]
• Saundra takes us through the path to having Phexxi and what the product does for women [19:02]
• Saundra talks about the side effects of birth control, hormones, and how Phexxi can be empowering to women [21:00]
• Why is DTC important for Saundra, and the challenges they faced before they were able to launch the product [24:06]
• Why do retail investors relate more to DTC, and how did Phexxi get Annie Murphy for their ads? See their video with Annie Murphy [27:07]
• Saundra shares the future of Phexxi, and other projects they're working on [30:17]
• Saundra talks about how she built the company the way she did, and why culture is everything to her [31:58]
• Saundra's favorite taco spot, Haggo's Organic Tacos [36:45]

Resources:

• Annie Murphy’s Phexxi commercial

Follow Saundra Pelletier online

LinkedIn | Twitter

Evofem Biosciences

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn

Phexxi

Website | Facebook | Instagram

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. * Les gives an overview of what Raw Botanics is [02:11] * Les shares his background and what made them launch Raw Botanics [03:10] * Brendan shares his agency background, and how he and Les met [04:44] * Brendan and Les talk about being in the agency industry, and what they have observed and learned from their clients in the wellness industry [06:46] * Brendan shares the founding story of Raw Botanics, from figuring out when to launch their product in the market to finding doctors for their brand [10:56] * Brendan shares the long and painful process they had to go through in finding partners and sourcing out people [11:53] * Les talks about CBDs that target specific concerns, what their best-selling products are, and what makes their product better and different from the others [15:25] * Brendan talks more about CBN as a better sleep aid in terms of achieving deep sleep, and how it differs from melatonin [17:15] * Brendan talks about experimenting with their products and making sure that they work [20:12] * Les talks about the products they offer, the current state of their brand and where people can get their products [20:54] * Raw Botanics' competitors in San Diego, how their products and target market differ and what they've learned from these competitors [22:34] * Les and Brendan share their favorite taco spots, South Beach, Brigantine, and Las Olas [25:22]

Resources:

• A Better Night Sleep with REST Softgels... the data is here to prove it!

Follow Brendan Smith online

LinkedIn

Follow Les Kollegian online

LinkedIn

Raw Botanics

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn

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• Chris gives an overview of what LENND is [03:11]
• Josh gives an overview of what Classy Live is [03:53]
• Josh shares his background, how he ended up in San Diego, his journey toward non-profit and tech space, and how he and Chris met [04:50]
• Chris shares his background in tech, including building businesses and being on the buyer side of tech [07:17]
• Josh and Chris talk about how he and Chris came up with the idea for LENND early on, how it evolved, and some highlights on their journey [09:28]
• Chris talks about how and what their company was doing pre-covid, how covid affected the events industry, what they learned from it and how they adapted [13:21]
• Chris shares some of the challenges virtual events companies are facing as in-person events are starting to come back [17:52]
• Josh talks about how the pandemic gave them an idea for LENND and a solution to help marketers and nonprofits, and why they decided to launch a new brand, Fondi [19:23]
• Chris shares his perspective on how they came up with Fondi, including the name of the brand, and why they had to reject a $350K deal during COVID [21:09]
• Chris talks about having a good network in the non-profit space and how it helped them to get customers for their brand, and how they partnered with other platforms [24:00]
• Chris and Josh talk about the importance of listening and talking to your customers and how you can learn something from them [26:45]
• Chris talks about their partnerships with other platforms [28:15]
• Josh talks more about their partnership with Classy, and how their partnership evolved [31:22]
• Josh shares some of the unique cases used in Classy Live, such as broadcasting from underwater [32:44]
• Josh talks about how hybrid works in widening the audience and exposure to events, as well as the challenges in building communities around these events [33:47]
• Chris shares the operational and logistical challenges involved in merging both virtual and in-person events [34:23]
• Josh and Chris talk about working together and what non-profit organizations can learn from them [35:58]
• Josh and Chris share their favorite taco spots, Tuetano Taqueria, Mitch's Seafood, and the taco stand at K58 in Baja [38:14]

Follow Josh online

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Follow Chris online

Twitter | LinkedIn

LENND

Website

Classy

Website

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. * Neal introduces Tom and Allen [01:54] * Tom gives an overview of what Loyal Foundry is [02:22] * Allen and Tom talk about their background and career trajectory [03:03] * Why did Tom and Allen pivot out of VC during the early 2000s? [06:52] * Tom shares why he's interested in mobile tech, particularly in mobile apps [08:29] * On how iPhone changed the mobile game [10:25] * Tom talks about his startup company Verve, what it was like being the CEO, what made him decide to sell it, and how the company is doing now [11:36] * Allen talks about his connection with Tom, and what their team is currently focusing on [13:47] * Tom shares how the app market is doing today, including the current changes and trends they have noticed [15:28] * Tom talks about what he hates about ad tech, why they like the ad market and what they’re doing to help publishers and developers [16:52] * Allen talks about what it’s like experiencing selling and buying apps [19:53] * Allen shares the factors they're looking for from developers such as good category and high ratings and engagement [22:01] * Tom shares the difference between Apple Store and Google Play, and what makes Apple Store better in terms of accepting apps [23:17] * Tom shares how they get information and insights of the apps they're interested in [24:01] * Tom and Allen share their favorite taco spots in San Diego, Rudy's Taco Shop [28:56]

Follow Tom online

LinkedIn

Follow Allen online

LinkedIn

Loyal Foundry: Website | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn | Instagram

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• [02:20] Jayce gives an overview of what FarmRaise is
• [03:28] Jayce talks about how she grew up on a farm, the grant they got from USDA and how it got her interested in the finance aspect of agribusiness
• [06:18] Jayce shares how she met her co-founder in business school, and how their separate thesis helped them see a business opportunity to help farmers
• [09:00] How did Jayce and her co-founder find funding for their business project and turn it into a profitable one?
• [10:00] Jayce shares the things she learned from business school and how she applied them to her business, including the importance of running tests
• [11:19] Jayce talks about what it was like to run the business during the pandemic, how the pandemic affected the farm community, and how they helped farmers through financial opportunities
• [14:43] Jayce gives an update on how the business is doing now, how big their team is, and what their platform does to help farmers and future plans of FarmRaise
• [16:32] Jayce talks about what made her move to San Diego
• [18:40] Jayce shares her favorite taco spots, Oscars
• [19:44] Jayce shares a job opening in their company and what they're looking for in their applicants

Follow Jayce online

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FarmRaise: Website | Twitter | LinkedIn

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. * An overview of what Safu Sake is [02:16] * Paul talks about his background as a physician by training and how he got into business school [03:58] * On why Paul chose sake as the main product for his business [04:47] * Reina gives a backstory about her background in the food and beverage industry, and how she and Paul got connected [06:18] * How Paul and Reina tested out sake for the business virtually during a pandemic [10:17] * Reina talks about how Safu Sake's the first to export sake in their area [13:41] * Paul talks about the history of the brewery and how they've designed a sake that they've never done before [15:11] * On how Paul managed to work as a doctor, go into business school, and set up his business in the middle of a pandemic [16:48] * How did Paul and his team get Safu Sake and their product into the market [18:32] * Paul shares Safu Sake's milestones[19:08] * Paul shares where people can get Safu Sake [21:02] * Can you make sake outside Japan? [21:31] * Paul and Reina's favorite taco places, Tacos El Gordo, Wahoo's Fish Taco, South Coast Grill, and Lanea in Santa Monica, LA [25:30]

Follow Paul online

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Follow Reina online

LinkedIn

Safu Sake: Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram

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• [02:10] Sashee gives an overview of what Tea Drops is
• [02:35] Sashee shares her background and her entrepreneurship journey that lead to launching Tea Drops
• [03:54] The things Sashee learned from her parents as she was growing up, including buying and selling homes, and how to run a store
• [05:42] Sashee shares what she learned working at eBay and how it helped her on running her own business
• [09:57] Sashee shares how she came up with Tea Drops and the process from ideating it to turning it into an actual business
• [13:05] Sashee shares where she got her funding and help for her business, including using her own funds and entering pitch competitions
• [16:46] Sashee shares some of her struggles in sharing her products in San Francisco versus when she moved to LA
• [17:26] Sashee talks about Tea Drops and how the business is going since its launched and the pandemic affected Tea Drops positively in terms of sales
• [20:36] What made Sashee move to San Diego, how Tea Drops work as a team, including having get-togethers and working remotely, and a job opening in their company
• [24:34] Sashee shares her favorite taco spots, City Tacos

Resources:

• Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson

Follow Sashee online

Twitter | LinkedIn

Tea Drops: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

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1. 'A laboratory on the skin': UC San Diego lab works to make new wearable health sensors part of our daily look - La Jolla Light 2. New cannabis testing lab opens in Miramar area

2. Making It In San Diego: Robot server helps Tofu House restaurant overcome pandemic challenges

3. Qualcomm, ESL Gaming launch mobile Esports tournament

4. EV Charger maker Beam acquires Chicago battery maker and doubles company

Shout out section:

• San Diego Angel Conference on March 24th
• inaugural SD NFT Conference on April 9 & 10 (use discount code NFTINCLUSION for 20%)
• Startup San Diego Convergence on April 13 & 14
• 5.10.30 Innovation Day at Petco Park by Connect on April 28th
• San Diego ranks second for California's most supernatural sightings
• Blueprint Equity’s new fund
• Cox is making all calls to Ukraine free

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. * Introducing Mark [02:00] * Mark provides an overview of what Poseida is [02:20] * Mark shares how he ended up in life sciences and how it led him to San Diego [04:04] * What San Diego and the biotech industry were like when Mark moved to the city [07:14] * The founding story of Poseida and what the company is currently working on [08:40] * Mark shares the development of CAR-T [10:33] * An update on the technology, the current programs in Poseida’s clinic and trial dates [12:39] * Mark talks about Poseida going public during the pandemic, and how it started [14:55] * How the pandemic affected the world of biotech IPO [16:56] * What makes working in biotech rewarding [17:25] * Mark shares details about Poseida’s first strategic collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceutical [18:27] * Mark shares what the biotech community is like during a pandemic and what war talent is [19:59] * Mark’s favorite taco spot, Not Not Tacos, and Yesenia’s [22:30]

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LinkedIn

Poseida: Website | Twitter | LinkedIn

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For March 4, 2022:
1. Local startup connects users with favorite athletes, sports personalities
2. Salk Professor Martyn Goulding wins Brain Prize - Salk Institute for Biological Studies
3. Beer battles: Stone Brewing’s trademark fight with Keystone finally heads to trial
4. SD County to divest of fossil fuels
5. General Atomics and Orion Space win contract for military weather satellites

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• Introducing Jamie [01:55]
• What is Stable Auto? [02:14]
• Jamie’s background how he got into tech [02:56]
• Why Jamie got into electric vehicles [06:06]
• The challenges of deploying EV chargers [08:30]
• Jamie talks about the platform and machine learning [12:09]
• How Jamie’s company managed during the pandemic and the data trends they saw [14:55]
• The type of companies and businesses using Stable Auto’s data and product [17:38]
• The role of EV charging [19:07]
• Federal discussion of infrastructure bills and grant funding [20:55]
• Data of charging at home versus charging everywhere else [23:52]
• How accessible can EV charging be? [25:02]
• Why did Jamie move to San Diego [25:58]
• Jamie’s favorite taco spots, Oscars and Just Peachy [28:54]

Follow Jamie online

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Stable Auto: Website | Twitter | LinkedIn

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• Introducing Don [01:53]
• How did Don get into the telecom world? And what was it like in the early days? [03:20]
• The evolution of Qualcomm [08:41]
• Qualcomm's plans of bringing industry-leading experiences to smartphones and helping the automotive industry [11:58]
• What are Qualcomm’s branding strategies? [15:16]
• Consumer brand association with Snapdragon [15:58]
• Qualcomm’s first fan community for Snapdragon [19:28]
• Don’s biggest challenge on a daily basis [20:18]
• All about the Snapdragon Stadium [22:02]
• The future plans of Qualcomm over the next decade [25:44]
• How the pandemic contributed to the acceleration of the technology adoption curve with consumers and how it affected the system [28:58]
• Don’s favorite taco spots, Roberto's (in Solana Beach) and El Pueblo [30:40]

Follow Don online

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Qualcomm: Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook

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1. San Diego's Platform Science raises $115 million for connected truck fleet technology - The San Diego Union-Tribune

2. Column: Black Lives Matter put Maya's Cookies in the spotlight, and owner Maya Madsen is making it count - The San Diego Union-Tribune

3. Element Biosciences acquires Loop Genomics to add long-read tech to DNA sequencing platform | FierceBiotech

4. San Diego’s ResMed CEO: Clogged supply chains still a problem but expected to ease this summer

5. 2018 Law is Reshaping Boards by Karen Pearlman at SDBJ

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• Introducing Andrew [00:08]
• What is MicroAcquire and what do they do? [02:12]
• What has Andrew’s experience been like leading the #1 startup acquisition marketplace? [03:19]
• How did Andrew begin his journey into the world of entrepreneurship? [04:45]
• Where did the idea behind Bizness Apps come from? [07:25]
• When do you know your startup is ready for the exit? [10:50]
• What was Andrew’s experience bootstrapping Bizness Apps and transitioning from San Francisco to San Diego? [12:14]
• How selling Bizness Apps motivated Andrew to start MicroAcquire [13:44]
• Andrew shares what it’s like dabbling in and getting acquired in crypto [15:21]
• Building your own marketplace, managing supply and demand, and working for free [18:06]
• What has Andrew learned from building MicroAcquire in public? [20:43]
• Why there hasn’t been a major change to MicroAcquire’s business model [24:44]
• Trends in MicroAcquire’s buyer and seller markets [26:38]
• How to set your startup up for success and questions founders should be thinking about [30:26]
• Why it’s important to share company building stories [32:26]
• What Andrew’s book is about and why he decided to write it [33:39]
• Where does Andrew envision MicroAcquire to be within one year? [35:33]
• Andrew’s favorite taco spot, Puesto La Jolla [38:07]

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MicroAcquire: Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook

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This Week in SD Tech:

1. Founders First Capital Partners brings a different approach to diversity investing | TechCrunch
2. San Diego's Silvergate Capital buys cryptocurrency assets of Facebook-founded Diem Association - The San Diego Union-Tribune
3. Preemadonna's Nailbot Powers 'Creative Expression' | San Diego Business Journal
4. Smart Carts That Take You To The Best Deals At The Airport

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Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. Phyllis Hong, CEO and founder of Shop My Porch, a social commerce platform that connects makers with shoppers in their local community for free. Founded in 2021 during the pandemic, the application is a combination of Etsy, Facebook, and Nextdoor, all-in-one. This week, host Neal Bloom sits down with Phyllis and co-founders Priscilla Zubia Townshend, Peter Townshend to discuss the company’s beginnings and how far it’s come.

Phyllis has always had a strong interest in business, marketing, and sales. She founded startups focused on consulting and the retail industry. Her experience paved the way to the creation of Shop My Porch, which was inspired by her time at home during the pandemic. Using equipment at home, she made ornaments and sold them on Facebook as a hobby. One day, she decided to sell her ornaments on the porch, hanging them on Christmas trees, giving her front yard a boutique aesthetic. Phyllis posted on three local facebook groups for moms, and sold over 1,000 ornaments that first weekend. The first porch was officially open and soaring in business sales!

The following week had 30 makers, and the idea accelerated and picked up a line of its own. Priscilla was originally a buyer, and was an avid supporter of Shop My Porch, and was joined by her husband, Peter, who was intrigued by the innovative name and idea. Together, the team spent half of 2021 building the application and launched in San Diego and other city groups.

The platform is now working to expand out of Southern California, and actively involves itself in local communities and outreach to give back to the residents. Listen to Phyllis, Priscilla, and Peter share their experiences that helped make the app what it is today.

Their favorite local tacos:

Phyllis: The Taco Stand in Encinitas

Priscilla: Lucha Libre Taco Shop in San Diego

Peter: Miguel’s Cocina in 4S Ranch, street tacos in Tijuana

Connect with them:

Phyllis Hong

Peter Townshend

Priscilla Zubia Townshend

Learn more about Shop My Porch:

Website: https://shopmyporch.com/

Facebook: @shopmyporch

Twitter: @shopmyporch

Instagram: @shopmyporch

LinkedIn

Thanks to our partners at Cox Business & Cox Edge for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.

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• Introducing Tara [01:54]
• What is ReisUP? [02:29]
• How did Tara get into the tech world? [03:06]
• A brief history of how Tara turned her ideas into reality and the early steps and processes that lead to the creation of the app [05:01]
• How did Tara start building out the app and the people who helped her make it happen [09:31]
• All about the private beta, the launch date, and what it currently looks like [10:30]
• The things Tara and her team are tracking and analyzing, such as the goals people are investing for [11:13]
• How Tara got connected to the San Diego startup community [17:51]
• Tara's favorite taco place: Rudy's in Solana beach [20:22]

Follow Tara online

Twitter | LinkedIn | Website

ReisUP/Reason APP: Website | Twitter | LinkedIn

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This Week in SD Tech: * Making It In San Diego: Starting a business during the pandemic * San Diego startup Koji gets $20 million for tech that helps social media influencers make money - The San Diego Union-Tribune * Roll Up — Tilray-Owned SweetWater Expands Cannabis Adjacencies by Acquiring Green Flash, Alpine — Good Beer Hunting * Molson Coors sells Saint Archer to Kings & Convicts - The San Diego Union-Tribune

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Matt Ellis is CEO of Measurabl, the world’s leading ESG software for commercial real estate. Measurabl helps companies collect and report investment grade ESG performance using its platform, helping the real estate community identify green buildings and invest money better.

Matt grew up in Tustin, California, attending UC San Diego for his undergraduate degree and went to San Diego State for his M.B.A. His father was a residential real estate agent, and was influential in guiding Matt toward real estate, encouraging him to get a real estate license and broker’s license. In 2008, he was hired by CBRE, officially starting his real estate career. He became interested in the intersection between real estate, his professional career, and sustainability, his personal interest. This led to him becoming Director of Sustainability Solutions at CBRE, in charge of creating and commercializing services around energy and sustainability. Matt saw firsthand the rise of this issue of ESG and sustainability from a mega real estate provider’s point of view and worked on tech solutions, leading to the creation of Measurabl.

Matt presented the idea of Measurabl as a business plan to CBRE, insisting on the importance of pursuing this software. The company assigned all intellectual property to him, and assisted him financially, also becoming Measurabl’s first customer. Matt also looked for help from friends and family, reuniting with fellow UCSD graduates Lance Onken and David Schumann, who were the first two full-time employees. With the help of those around him, he was able to work toward a minimum viable product and the ultimate vision of helping customers access relevant data and make it useful for personas in the real estate industry. Originally, sustainability was seen as the right thing to do, but now the real estate world sees it as a hard business imperative for success.

Listen to Matt Ellis share the founding story of Measurabl, and the policy levers and economic realities that pushed real estate owners and operators to become greener for the better.

His favorite local tacos:

Mitch’s Seafood in San Diego

Connect with Matt:

Matt Ellis

Learn more about Measurabl:

Website: https://www.measurabl.com/

Facebook: @measurabl

Twitter: @measurabl

LinkedIn

Thanks to our partners at Cox Business & Cox Edge for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.

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This Week in SD Tech:

• ClickUp Launching New Ad Campaign During Super Bowl LVI | San Diego Business Journal
• Qualcomm Expands in Auto Sector | San Diego Business Journal
• Callaway, Port Officials Ink Exclusive Negotiating Agreement for New Harbor Island Topgolf Location | San Diego Business Journal
• New San Diego firm nabs $75M for specialized microscopes that could aid in treatment of diseases - The San Diego Union-Tribune
• Life science developer buys Costa Verde Center near UTC to complete 'mega campus' - The San Diego Union-Tribune
• This San Diegan helps entrepreneurs sell their businesses

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Kerri Leslie is CEO and Founder of Verity, a sustainable packaging company that offers customized metal alternatives to single-use plastic containers. Verity provides sustainable packaging solutions to brands and businesses committed to combating the plastic crisis, giving viable packaging options without compromising user experience or brand aesthetics.

Kerri grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington before coming to San Diego. After re-evaluating her aspirations of becoming a doctor, she joined Spinal Implants, a Carlsbad-based medical device startup focused on spinal implants and instrumentation. There, she was able to use her medical background to work with surgeons and make customer experience better. Kerri eventually became a technical marketing liaison between the surgeons and the company’s engineering department, working in product development and meeting customer’s needs. Wanting to focus on marketing, she left and joined Henry Schein, a global medical device manufacturer and distributor, and moved up to become Director of Marketing.

While building up her expertise in working with medical devices, she started an all-natural deodorant company, Noniko, and came across the problem of the plastic crisis. Realizing she needed to find a safe and sustainable packaging that could be recycled, she researched but found no existing containers to meet her needs. And that’s how Verity began. She worked to design a stainless steel container for the natural deodorant product, and found there was a greater demand for sustainable packaging. By looking for a solution to her problem, she found a whole new business.

Listen to our latest podcast with Kerri Leslie to hear more about her entrepreneurial journey in finding truly sustainable solutions for the beauty and personal care industry.

Her favorite local tacos:

Lourdes in Encinitas

Connect with Kerri:

Kerri Leslie

Learn more about Verity:

Website: https://www.veritycase.com/

Facebook: @veritypackaging

Instagram: @verity.case

LinkedIn

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This Week in SD Tech: 2021 Year in Review Wrap Up and 2022 Predictions

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Brant Cooper, CEO/Founder of Moves the Needle and New York Times bestselling author of The Lean Entrepreneur, teaches leaders how to improve their businesses to remain agile and resilient in the Digital Age in his latest book, DISRUPTION PROOF. Host Neal Bloom and Brant discuss the importance of decentralizing decision making in companies and being able to dynamically adjust to disrupting factors or situations.

Brant graduated from UC Davis with an Economics degree. He lived in the Bay Area for 17 years, following the trajectory of regular business. It wasn’t until he joined his first startup that he understood the difference between entrepreneurial mindset versus a typical business. After coming down to San Diego, he observed the region and their small presence in the tech scene, with few successful startups and venture capital at the tail-end of funds. Since he was familiar with startup culture from the Bay Area, he brought that to San Diego, changing the culture from business professional and formal expectations to casual yet efficient meetups that were modernized to meet the rising digital age.

As his organized meetups grew in popularity, many people became involved and grew interest in the entrepreneurial scene. With more help, he put on the first Startup Week and co-founded Startup San Diego. Eventually, he passed on the organization to new leadership, and watched it go through successful transitions with competent leaders keeping the core fundamental aspects and attributes. He currently travels the world as a keynote speaker on how to discover and create new value and empower change through design thinking and lean methodologies.

Listen to Brant Cooper share his expertise in igniting entrepreneurial action within large organizations through disrupting our current way of thinking in order to find personal and economic growth.

His favorite local tacos:

Roberto’s Mexican Food in Del Mar

Connect with Brant:

Brant Cooper

Learn more about Moves the Needle:

Website: https://movestheneedle.com/

Facebook: @movestheneedle

Twitter: @MovesTheNeedle

LinkedIn

Check out his newest book, DISRUPTION PROOF:

https://brantcooper.com/tacosandtech/

Thanks to our partners at Cox Business & Cox Edge for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.

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Women Who Code San Diego is an international non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring women to excel in technology careers. Women currently represent less than 30% of the technology industry in the United States. WWC’s mission is to provide a community for female tech professionals with resources and support. This week’s Tacos and Tech Podcast features Jillian Moore, Luisa Giuffrida, and Mikyla DeWitt, co-directors of the local chapter.

Jillian is a Senior Software Engineer at PlayStation in San Diego, and was one of the first engineers asked to create the Women Who Code San Diego chapter in 2017. Luisa, former Manager of Online Development at PlayStation, was also part of the company’s team of female leaders to start this community group. She currently works at Amazon as a Software Development Manager. Mikyla is a Senior Software Developer at Mosaic.tech, and became actively involved after coming to WWC San Diego’s launch in 2017. The co-directors all shared the same passion: finding a tech group focusing on and empowering women. Their perseverance led to a successful community group for women technologists to support and learn from one another.

Since its launch, the organization has grown, providing many experiences and events such as monthly meetups, workshops, networking sessions, coding nights, and more. To support WWC, actively attend and support their events and encourage fellow women colleagues to attend and gain resources. If you are interested in reaching out, contact them through email at sandiego@womenwhocode.com or join their meetup group.

Their favorite local tacos:

Jillian: Robert’s Jalapenos

Mikyla: Birria El Rey

Luisa: Lolita’s Mexican Food

Connect with them:

Jillian Moore

Luisa Giuffrida

Mikyla DeWitt

Learn more about Women Who Code

Website: https://www.womenwhocode.com/sandiego

Facebook: @WWCodeSanDiego

Twitter: @WWCodesandiego

Instagram: @wwcodesandiego

LinkedIn

Thanks to our partners at Cox Business & Cox Edge for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.

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Many patients go through stressful medical experiences due to a lack of support or understanding of their procedure and treatment, experts say. George Kramb and Patrick Frank saw this issue and created PatientPartner, a community platform for new and prospective patients to come and engage with past patient mentors for support and empathy. The co-founders built a network of doctors and patients to share their experience and expertise with those who need it.

George and Patrick were both born and raised in San Diego County. George started his career in medical device sales, working in operating rooms and helping surgeons properly use the products. During that time, he would listen to patients and doctors, learning about their experience and what brought them to the hospital. He noticed a gap in the patient-doctor relationship, where many patients were in need of resources and support throughout the surgical process that doctors couldn’t provide. He began connecting pre-op patients with post-op patients and saw the potential in creating a network of relatability and support. He then contacted Patrick who was involved in consumer technology and scaling out platforms and bringing them to the market. Together, they built up PatientPartner and brought value to the healthcare industry by focusing on patients.

PatientPartner went through multiple changes, helping them realize that the best solution is to connect patients to individuals who went through similar treatments and knew the experience firsthand. Empowering patients with resources improves their medical experience, helping them and other patients in the long run as well, they discovered. Listen to Neal chat with George and Patrick about the company’s impact on the healthcare industry and their goals for the future.

Their favorite local tacos:

George:

Ramiro’s Taco Shop in Pacific Beach

The Taco Stand in La Jolla

Patrick:

Maritza's Mexican Food Restaurant in Clairemont

Connect with them:

George Kramb

Patrick Frank

Learn more about PatientPartner:

Website: https://www.patientpartner.com/

Facebook: @PatientPartner1

Twitter: @patientpartner1

Instagram: @patient_partner

LinkedIn

Thanks to our partners at Cox Business & Cox Edge for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.

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It’s been a wild year with the number of investments, total amount invested into companies, and big rounds all up from 2020. While we split life science from the tech/consumer industry, so many life science companies have tech components and we’re going to need to learn to talk about them as one unit soon.

Data from Connect fundings database, Neal/Jonah’s SD Publics sheet, Pebble Finance, Crunchbase, and individual articles. If you see numbers are off, write me and I’ll update.

Click here to read the in-depth 2021 year in review report.

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This Week in SD Tech:

• San Diego/Tijuana wins World Design Capital, defeating Moscow
• San Diego's JuneShine pulls in $24M to drive hard kombucha better-for-you alcoholic beverages
• Pfizer to Acquire Arena Pharmaceuticals
• Study: AI helps catalyze 10% employment growth in San Diego Transportation cluster through the pandemic - San Diego Regional EDC
• Fast food bundle: San Diego's Jack in the Box to acquire Del Taco for $575 million - The San Diego Union-Tribune

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An estimated 56% of Americans plan to move by the end of 2021, showing how many people are interested in remote work opportunities and/or finding communities they would want to live in, according to The Neighbor 2020 – 2021 American Migration Report. Carlsbad is a city actively attracting strong talent to lead its industries and technological developments, boasting its beautiful beaches and connected community. Local leaders from all over San Diego County are actively coming together to work toward city innovation and talent development. In this week’s podcast, David Graham, Chief Innovation Officer at City of Carlsbad, Matt Sanford, Economic Development Manager at City of Carlsbad, and Tim Carty and Winona Dimeo-Ediger, co-founders of RoleCall, share how they’ve built a pipeline of talent for the Carlsbad business community.

The City of Carlsbad has developed its own homegrown talent attraction campaign, Life in Action, to share how people can manage a meaningful career and great quality of life in the city. They emphasize the importance of work-life balance, and how the city’s ecosystem is growing in the business landscape with industry disruptors to ambitious startups, showing a diverse community. RoleCall, a talent attraction agency and consultancy, works with cities like Carlsbad to help attract talent to their city through their customized programs and marketing strategies. A recent trend being observed is people choosing where they want to work first, and then selecting from companies in that area as viable options.

A common factor among these leaders is that they all recognized that local government can have a massive impact in one’s immediate community. David enjoys the manifestation of his work that he can see as he drives down the street, and states that talent powers the future. Matt believes that providing economic strategies can help cities successfully attract talent. Tim is passionate about bringing smart and likeminded talent to help the community, and Winona recognizes the importance of people choosing to work at a place they like, and how cities can cater towards that.

Listen to this latest podcast to hear from leaders from the City of Carlsbad and RoleCall to learn how they are committing themselves to a purposeful life and meaningful work in Carlsbad.

Their favorite local tacos:

David: Tacos La Glorieta in TJ, Lola 55 in San Diego

Matt: Oscars Mexican Seafood in La Jolla

Tim: La Regia Taqueria in Iowa City

Winona: Tacos Y Mariscos El Amigo in Nashville

Connect with them:

David Graham

Matt Sanford

Tim Carty

Winona Dimeo-Ediger

Learn more about Life in Action and RoleCall:

Life in Action

Website: https://carlsbadlifeinaction.com/

Facebook: @Carlsbadbiz

Twitter: @Carlsbadbiz

Instagram: @carlsbadbiz

LinkedIn

RoleCall

Website: https://www.rolecall.pro/

LinkedIn

Thanks to our partners at Cox Business & Cox Edge for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.

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Shayne Skaff is co-founder and CEO of Blooma, the leading digital underwriting platform powered by artificial intelligence for commercial real estate. The startup’s AI platform helps lenders reduce loan origination time and cost, and perform a more comprehensive analysis of their transactions. In this week’s interview, Neal and Shayne chat about the creation of Blooma and how the company originates new loans and handles portfolio management.

Shayne grew up in Los Angeles, and went to University of San Diego for a degree in business administration. He found his way into tech by looking in the San Diego Reader job postings, and found himself a sales job selling hard drives for a distributor in Carlsbad. He transitioned into selling big enterprise computer systems for Avnet, where he gained inspiration for his first startup, MaintenanceNet. With technology rapidly advancing, he transitioned from the hardware industry to selling services and software. MaintenanceNet became the leading SaaS provider for automating maintenance contract revenue before being acquired by Cisco.

After the acquisition, Shayne spent his time looking for companies in SaaS and B2B enterprises where he could help them with productization and their go-to-market strategy. He set up The Sandbox incubator for technical founders to build their ideas, and would occasionally invest in startups he saw potential in. Blooma was built from there, and he was so passionate about the idea he decided to run it himself and become CEO in 2019.

Listen to Shayne Skaff share his entrepreneurial experience in the SaaS industry and how he pivoted directions during the pandemic to make Blooma successful.

His favorite local tacos:

The Taco Stand in Encinitas

Connect with Shayne:

LinkedIn

Learn more about Blooma:

Website: https://blooma.ai/

Facebook: Blooma.ai

Twitter: @blooma_ai

LinkedIn

Thanks to our partners at Cox Business & Cox Edge for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.

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Rebecca Rosen is Director of Field Marketing at Cox Business, a family-owned private telecommunications leader in providing voice, video and data services for more than 275,000 small and regional businesses. In this week’s interview, Neal and Rebecca chat about the trends seen in business workplaces for the past 18 months, and how Cox is planning for the new year ahead.

Rebecca grew up in the Washington, D.C. area. She received her graduate degree in choreography and the integration of technology from Arizona State University, and moved to San Diego shortly after. Rebecca found a job in tech, working for a boutique consultancy. She learned about tech there, and moved to Telepacific Communications (now TPx), working for 13 years before leaving her position as Senior Director of Marketing Communications and Training. After trying different jobs, she joined Cox Business in 2021, where she focuses on marketing and product in California.

Rebecca has seen more change in the last 18 months than she’s seen in her entire career. The penetration of the cloud that was expected to slowly occur over a decade has been accelerated due to workplaces adjusting to the pandemic. Cox Business has invested more than $15 billion in infrastructure, and has committed to invest another $10 billion over the next several years. The company is currently focused on how to provide the same and seamless office experience whether it is in-person or online. She states that it is time to get rid of latency in the network, and for businesses to look toward edge services that provide faster cloud connection like Cox Edge.

Listen to Rebecca Rosen share her thoughts on the future of the IoT industry, how businesses have responded to the pandemic, and how Cox Business aims to help enterprises by providing fast and reliable tech solutions.

Her favorite local tacos:

The Taco Stand in La Jolla

Connect with Rebecca:

LinkedIn

Learn more about Cox Business:

Website: https://www.cox.com/business/home.html

Facebook: @CoxBusiness

Twitter: @coxbusiness

Instagram: @coxbusiness

LinkedIn

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Many people assume attending higher education or college is the only way to succeed in making money and finding a career. However, it often leads to thousands of dollars in student debt with no real passion for a profession. What if there was another way to succeed besides following the herd? Luke Sophinos is founder and CEO of CourseKey, an education management software for trade schools. CourseKey supports schools that provide an alternative pathway to the traditional education route, and helps students from supporting enrollment to career placement.

Luke was born and raised in Denver, Colo., and was interested in entrepreneurship and business growing up. At 16, he started his first business, an events focused application that would help him and his peers find things to do or events to go to. During college, Luke realized he did not want to follow the traditional path to success that was limited and costly, and joined The Thiel Fellowship, a program that gave $100,000 to young people who want to build new things instead of sitting in a classroom. There, he learned how to think big and differently, and developed CourseKey over time.

Initially, Luke tried to bring CourseKey’s software to traditional education institutions and universities. However, he realized there was little interest in student success, as his research showed that less than 1% of their annual budget was used to actually help students get jobs. As a result, he focused on providing software for businesses with credential training programs to help boost student retention and complete their classes. These schools actually wanted to help students learn what they were genuinely in and assist them in getting a job in that field of study. With the help of CourseKey, they are able to effectively boost revenue, manage tasks, and drive career placement.

Listen to Luke Sophinos share his personal insight on the limitations of higher education and how CourseKey offers alternatives routes towards professional success through their education management software.

His favorite local tacos:

Puesto at San Diego

Connect with Luke:

LinkedIn

Learn more about CourseKey:

Website: https://coursekey.com/

Facebook: @coursekey

Twitter: @coursekeyedu

LinkedIn

Instagram: @coursekeyeducation

Thanks to our partners at Cox Business & Cox Edge for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.

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Jasmine LeFlore is co-founder of Greater Than Tech, a local nonprofit organization designed to create the next tech business leaders by teaching girls of color the intersectionality of engineering and business. As someone who always dreamed of being an aerospace engineer, Jasmine said she wanted to help girls define their own path to engineering.

Jasmine grew up near an airport in Flint, Mich. where she cultivated a curious mind for how planes flew. Jasmine was actively a part of First Robotics in high school where she learned more about engineering, taking any opportunity to learn through community programs, with the encouragement of her mom, who was an educator. During her freshman year, she had a college tour to the University of Michigan and visited the aerospace engineering department, realizing that she could learn about aerodynamics and understand how those planes could fly. She pursued her dream and eventually graduated from University of Michigan with a degree in aerospace engineering in 2015.

Post-grad, Jasmine found her first job at United Technologies (now Raytheon Technologies) as a component project integrated team lead, designing and testing engineering projects. She eventually got her masters degree in interdisciplinary engineering from Purdue, which further opened her eyes to the intersectionality of engineering and business and how they can work together. She also taught robotics to middle school girls where she said she saw girls of color didn’t engage as much due to lack of confidence. Feeling empathy for them, she created Greater than Tech for young women of color to be supported in learning robotics.

Greater than Tech is all about self-efficacy, celebrating goals and achievements in all programs, so the students feel like they are motivated and can code for themselves. The nonprofit’s recent four-week program, Girl Meets Drone, was inspired by the lack of representation of women of color in the drone industry, and the desire to expose students to that. Listen to Jasmine LeFlore share her hopes for Greater than Tech’s growth and how she is transforming opportunities for STEM learning for girls of color like herself.

Her favorite local tacos:

Tacos El Gordo in San Diego

Oscars Mexican Seafood in Hillcrest

Connect with Jasmine:

LinkedIn

Learn more about Greater Than Tech:

Website: https://www.greaterthantech.org/

Facebook: @greaterthantech

Twitter: @greaterthantech

LinkedIn

Thanks to our partners at Cox Business & Cox Edge for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.

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This Week in SD Tech:

• Consolidation in space: Carlsbad’s Viasat inks $4B deal to buy UK satellite outfit Inmarsat
• For the first time ever, a life science company spins out of San Diego’s blood bank
• UC San Diego Announces Teams for Blue Tech Accelerator
• Asterra Uses Satellite Data to Solve Engineering Problems

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The drone technology scene in San Diego is booming with many startups and companies taking advantage of the deep relevant talent, experienced tech and collaborative community. In today’s podcast, Neal interviews Chad Sweet, CEO and co-founder of ModalAI, and Dev Singh, General Manager of Robotics, UAVs & Autonomous Systems at Qualcomm, who delved into the rapid growth and development of drone technology.

ModalAI is a San Diego-based robotics startup that accelerates autonomy for smaller, smarter and safer drones. Before founding ModalAI, Chad worked at Qualcomm for 20 years, spending the last five years in leading robotics research and development efforts. He pushed Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon products into new use cases like robotics, which became the beginning for what became a larger effort with IoT and smart cameras, smart cities, robotics, etc. As the program matured, he worked with Dev and his team to commercialize it, working from proof of concept and lab work into actual formal products. When he left Qualcomm, he founded ModalAI, in collaboration with Dev and Qualcomm, and still maintains their close partnership — ModalAI using Snapdragon tech and Qualcomm chipping in the devices.

Dev calls Chad his “partner in crime,” referring to their continuous teamwork at Qualcomm as Chad focused on R&D, and Dev was able to build a business and commercialize products into life. Now, they are working together on a new project: the RB5 5G Platform, a development/reference platform that will help jumpstart companies interested in creating drones with a specific use case or for building the next great application.

Tune in to hear Dev and Chad share how Qualcomm and ModalAI are working together to spearhead the future of drones beyond a visual line of sight. Also, if you want to check out Chad’s previous podcast with us, click here!

Their favorite local tacos:

Dev: The Taco Stand in La Jolla

Chad: Las Olas in Cardiff

Connect with Dev and Chad:

Dev Singh

Chad Sweet

Learn more about Qualcomm and ModalAI:

Qualcomm

Website: https://www.qualcomm.com/

Facebook: @Qualcomm

Twitter: @Qualcomm

Instagram: @qualcomm

LinkedIn

ModalAI

Website: https://www.modalai.com/

Facebook

Twitter: @modal_ai

Instagram: @modal_ai

LinkedIn

Thanks to our partners at Cox Business & Cox Edge for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.

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This Week in SD Tech:

• TuSimple aims to test self-driving trucks on public roads without human safety operator by EOY
• This week in mega funding: BioLinq - $100M for the smallest perfect glucose sensor, Cloudbeds - $150M with SoftBank
• How San Diego Gets Drinking Water From the Ocean
• San Diego's Qualcomm sidesteps supply chain woes to deliver earnings that beat projections

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Hi everyone - we're excited to bring you Sahil Lavingia, author of the upcoming book "The Minimalist Entrepreneur". His book comes out late October, so we'll be among the first to hear him speak! Here's what people are saying about his book:

"Sahil knows not. He knows what not to do, what not to follow, how not to waste, and how not to get caught up in the hype. What's left is the yes - the stuff that really works, the things that actually matter. It's all in this book, and much of it only in this book. Pay attention."
--Jason Fried, cofounder of Basecamp and coauthor of Rework

“In a world where things have become grossly overcomplicated, The Minimalist Entrepreneur teaches us how to strip away the unnecessary and do more with less. Sahil has a profound understanding of the power of community and how to build a business with intention, which makes this book a must read for any aspiring founder.”
--Alexis Ohanian, Founder, Seven Seven Six and Former Executive Chair, Reddit

Bring your founder and budding entrepreneur friends to this event! I'm sure there will be lots of great lessons for all product people.

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Michelle Penczak is CEO of Squared Away, a full-service virtual executive assistant company that hires military spouses to help run operations for its clients. The team of more than 200 assistants gives companies, teams and venture capital firms their time back so they can focus on the things that matter most.

Michelle grew up in eastern North Carolina, and left home for college then found work as a personal assistant in Washington, D.C. There, she met her husband, a Marine, and returned to North Carolina for his deployment. With her title as a military spouse, she realized no one wanted to hire her, as many companies were looking for someone who would stay in the area long-term. It took her eight months before she found a job at virtual assistant company Zirtual, where she worked for two years and became manager. However, the company suddenly shut down overnight, leaving her and her team without jobs.

Despite the loss, she had clients who wanted to continue working with her, so she began working independently as an executive assistant and slowly building up a clientele. One day, a client who was interested in growing his company asked her if it was possible to scale hers to continue working together and staff up. Thinking of her fellow military spouses who wanted to work but couldn’t get hired, Michelle reached out to her friends and started Squared Away. From there, the company grew as clients and assistants would share their positive experiences, building a marketplace to empower military spouses and assist companies with day-to-day operations.

Listen to Michelle Penczak share how she built Squared Away with the business model of hiring military spouses to build meaningful experiences, become trusted assistants, and work from anywhere.

Michelle’s favorite local tacos:

The Taco Stand in La Jolla

Connect with Michelle:

Twitter: @michellepencz

LinkedIn

Learn more about Squared Away:

Website: https://www.gosquaredaway.com/

Facebook: @SquaredAwayVA

Twitter: @gosquaredaway

Instagram: @awaysquared

LinkedIn

Thanks to our partners at Cox Business & Cox Edge for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.

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This Week in SD Tech:

• Neal's Quarterly Report
• ClickUp
• Uber's San Diego Drivers Can Lease Teslas from Hertz in Boost for Electric Vehicles
• Longfellow Buys Nine Office Assets in San Diego for $315.4M, Plans Conversion to Life Sciences Campus

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The pandemic has completely changed the school system, making the transition from in-person to virtual learning difficult and opening new risks of cyber attacks towards young students. Companies like Linewize are focused on keeping students safe in a digital learning environment and content-filtering in the classroom or at district level. Ross Young, Senior Vice President at Linewize, shares his experience in the cybersecurity industry and leading sales operations for the North American branch.

Ross grew up in San Francisco, Bay Area, and worked in the mortgage industry before the crash of 2008. After the financial crisis hit, he switched into the tech industry in order to survive, focusing on sales. He had his first experience with the cybersecurity world through iboss, and was among the first salespeople to sell and deploy the product. Unfamiliar with technical knowledge, he had to self-teach himself the know-hows of the cybersecurity space in order to effectively sell the product. He witnessed the company’s expansion first-hand, leaving iboss as the market share leader in their space for edtech and content filtering at that time.

In 2018, Ross was directly recruited from iboss to Linewize, an Australian cybersecurity company that was looking for someone who was familiar with ed tech content filtering in the States. Their strategy was to sell to school districts and reach the parent community to sell their home content filter through school influence. Ross joined the team, and within three years, they reached a quarter billion raise, driving strong numbers in revenue and profit. Recently, they have acquired competitors Smoothwall and Net Ref, expanding their customer base and product lines.

Listen to Ross Young share his journey into the cybersecurity space and how he was able to merge sales and technology together to successfully expand Linewize and their products.

Ross’ favorite local tacos:

TJ Tacos in Escondido

Four Tunas Fish and Bar in Escondido

Connect with Ross:

LinkedIn

Learn more about Linewize:

Website: https://www.linewize.com/

Facebook: @linewize

Twitter: @linewize

Instagram: @linewize

LinkedIn

Thanks to our partners at Cox Business & Cox Edge for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.

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This Week in SD Tech:

• San Diego scientists are working on a vaccine against all coronaviruses. Yes, all of them
• Shares in this Encinitas-based biotech jump 31 percent in first day of trading
• San Diego County to expand its renewable energy sources
• Flock Freight gets $215 million as it remakes truck shipping
• UCSD won $1M grant to fund accelerator for under represented entrepreneurs

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Ever bought items that you never ended up using? Or do you have things you no longer need, but are still in good condition? Kimia Talebian, CEO and co-founder of Good Use, addresses this issue by connecting communities together through a social application platform to give and receive free stuff, and put it into good use.

Kimia was born in Iran, and immigrated to Canada with her family when she was young. She studied finance during her undergrad at the University of British Columbia before starting her professional career in consulting. She eventually transitioned to Cirque du Soleil, which she states as a pivotal point in her career. Watching her acrobat colleagues risk their lives everyday for something they loved to do inspired her to find something she wanted to do. Kimia left and went to Harvard Business School, where she searched to find a way to work with people and provide technology to make their lives better.

After graduating, she joined Lime as a general manager, where she was able to work on a product to connect communities through technology, and learned a lot about marketplaces. At Lime, Kimia met Darrius Thompson, CEO of SweetLabs. The two connected over their passion for technology and its power to transform communities. And that's how Good Use was born: A marketplace for giving and receiving free things, meeting new people and showing gratitude. They believed that acts of giving can create a positive impact for a community, and can make people happier and grateful through that interaction.

Listen to Kimia share the founding story of Good Use and how the application promotes contributing to the community and creating a happier place for people as they give and receive.

Kimia’s favorite local tacos:

Pacific Beach Fish Shop in Pacific Beach

El Pescador Fish Market in La Jolla

Connect with Kimia:

LinkedIn

Learn more about Good Use: