Growth Pioneers: Recent Episodes
Douglas Erwin
From the Biggest Little City in the World comes a podcast about Pioneers. Not the covered wagon types, the modern day Pioneers exploring new territory in economic development, entrepreneurship and personal development. Join your host, Doug Erwin as he explores what it takes to build resilient communities, companies and lives in this wide ranging podcast.
Doug is former serial entrepreneur turned economic developer and executive coach. He is committed to growing Northern Nevada’s startup and technology ecosystem and supporting entrepreneurs as they embark upon their own journeys. Doug’s work at the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada has helped change the perception of Reno and lay the foundation for future generations of entrepreneurs to thrive in the region. He was a member of Entrepreneurs Organization for 13 years, helped launched and curate TEDx Reno for its initial 3 years, sat on the board of the Discovery Museum and currently serves as a commissioner on the Reno Arts and Culture Commission.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglasrerwin/
Doug Erwin sits down with Tristan Pollock, Managing Director of Generator’s Electrify Nevada program, to talk about Reno’s growing startup ecosystem, Nevada’s strategic advantage in energy and hard tech, and why the region is positioned for a new wave of founder growth. They cover Tristan’s path from startup founder to accelerator operator and investor, the role of AI in entrepreneurship, and how Nevada can turn speed, infrastructure, lifestyle, and deep-tech talent into a durable startup flywheel.Show notesIn this episode of Growth Pioneers, Doug talks with Tristan Pollock about the next phase of Reno’s startup ecosystem.Tristan shares how his journey from Minnesota to Silicon Valley, 500 Startups, climate investing, and global accelerator work eventually brought him to Reno. Now leading Generator’s Electrify Nevada program, he is focused on helping energy, battery, manufacturing, industrial AI, and hard-tech founders break into Nevada’s ecosystem faster.The conversation explores why Nevada has become such a compelling place for founders: proximity to Silicon Valley, fast permitting, major industrial infrastructure, lithium and geothermal strengths, renewable energy, the Tahoe/Reno lifestyle, and a growing base of startup success stories like Positron, Redwood Materials, Ampersand, and SendCutSend.Doug and Tristan also dig into AI’s impact on founders, fundraising, outreach, and company building. Rather than treating AI as just better prompting, they talk about it as a new operating layer for entrepreneurs: helping people research, build, automate, and scale faster than ever before.The episode closes with a broader conversation about optimism, social impact, the future of work, and why curiosity may be the most important entrepreneurial skill in a period of rapid technological change.Key themes• Reno’s ecosystem is moving from potential to sophistication.• Electrify Nevada helps founders speedrun market entry into Nevada.• Nevada’s edge is strongest in energy, batteries, mining, manufacturing, logistics, hard tech, and industrial AI.• AI is changing how founders build, raise capital, find customers, and operate.• The next regional win is building a self-reinforcing startup flywheel: talent, capital, exits, reinvestment, and local founder density.• Optimism and curiosity matter in a moment where technology is changing faster than institutions can adapt.
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Dennis Ferris the Founder and CEO of Dragonfly Energy. Dragonfly is one of Reno's Startup success stories, having started a decade ago and recently going public. They have a wide ranging conversation on the technology, the business and the personal side of the Dragonfly story. They also discuss energy storage and Nevadas Lithium Loop.
On this episode Doug speaks with his good friend Tony Lillios. Tony is a serial entrepreneur, endurance athlete , integral coach and president of the Reno/ Tahoe EO Chapter. They go deep into leadership development topics including what is enough, overcoming resistance, living well and much more.
In this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Dan Feliciano the CEO / Cofounder of Clotheslyne. Clotheslyne is democratizing wash and fold laundry service through its Airbnb style marketplace. They cover topics including, the psychology of laundry, the challenges of 2 sided marketplaces, the value of the Gener8tor investment accelerator and more.
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Heather Brown the Co-founder of Startup Vegas. Heather is a passionate and dynamic leader with a background in community organizing and politics. They deep dive into the state of startups, entrepreneurship and economic development in Las Vegas.
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Kaitlyn Schlesinger, CEO of KS Strategies. They deep dive into the B Crop, discussing the benefits, the process, the potential pitfalls and case studies. Kaitlyn is a dynamic, articulate and authentic leader driving change in Las Vegas. For a free B Corp mini assessment check out https://forms.gle/F8gg16L9wiDVniaj8.
In this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Maggie Brickerman and Jared Byer from Gener8tor. Gener8tor is a nationally ranked top quartile venture fund and investment accelerator program. They cover a ton of ground on the role of accelerators, why Gener8tor is different and how to apply in Nevada. https://www.gener8tor.com/investment-accelerators
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Chris Yount. Chris was the CEO of Fortifiber Corporation a family business which Chris recently sold. They discuss the intricacies of running and selling a family business, what you do after the sale, the importance of boards for entrepreneurial companies and more.
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Elizabeth Redmond. Elizabeth founder Coworkr an IOT workplace dynamics company which was acquired by rZero. They discuss her Entrepreneurial journey, the changing landscape in office space being a founder and a mother and more.
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Kim Lane the COO of Right To Start. Right to start is dedicated to unleashing entrepreneurial opportunity for everyone by breaking down barriers and changing government policies which hamper entrepreneurial growth. They discuss many aspects of the Right to Start initiative in this engaging and important conversation.
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Adam Kramer, CEO of nZero (formerly Ledger8760). Adam is a dynamic and passionate CEO whose committed to combatting climate change. They cover a lot of ground discussing leadership, startup ecosystems, carbon accounting and more.
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Chris Hsu, the cofounder and CEO of Azibo. Azibo is high growth SaaS startup building a one-stop-shop financial platform for landlords. Chris is a down to earth, dynamic and accomplished founder on a hyper growth trajectory. They have a fun and engaging conversation on the future of real estate, venture capital, the benefits of Nevada and much more.
On this episode of Growth Pioneers, Doug speaks with Veteran Entrepreneur Renne Hanson. Renne is the founder of Vertical Athletics a manufacturer of Major League Baseball branded headbands and accessories. They discuss the challenges and opportunities of COVID, the importance of American manufacturing, supporting veteran owned business and much more.
On todays episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Dr. Andrew Brandeis the co-founder and CEO of OK Capsule a private label supplement personalization company. They cover many topics including, the role of supplements in wellness, personalized health care, conscious leadership, startup culture, Zen meditation, burning man and more.
On todays episode Doug speaks with Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill. They discuss the importance of innovation , long term thinking and true leadership in local government. They also explore a number of the key challenges facing the region including homelessness, workforce housing and the role of technology in addressing key environmental issues in Lake Tahoe.
On todays episode of the podcast I speak with serial entrepreneurial turned venture capitalist and private equity investor Robert Goldberg. Roberts work in the venture and private equity communities led to his insight of a dual crisis facing America one of Incrementalism and alignment. We do a deep dive into his insights and explore the implications on business, politics and society at large.
On this episode of the podcast Bryan McArdle of EDAWN returns to talk about the current state and future of the Reno Startup Community. They discuss the changing landscape of the community, the impacts of covid, the influx of founders and talent from California, the importance of the flywheel effect on wealth creation, the growing number of local startup unicorns and much more.
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Reno Entrepreneur Clint Vernon. Clint is the CEO of Message Desk a startup who simplifies business text messaging for small business. We discuss Clints origin story, his passion for small business, the challenges and opportunities of shifting from small business to high growth startup and much more.
In this episode of the podcast Doug speaks his dear friend, psychiatrist Dr. Matt May about mental health and the Cognitive Behavioral model (CBT). Matt is one of kindest, wisest and most impactful people in Doug's life. They cover a broad range of topics centered around mental wellbeing in this thoughtful conversation.
In this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Adam Kiefer Cofounder and CEO of the Reno based startup Talage. They discuss the origin story of Talage, the challenges and opportunities Adam has faced along his journey. They also discuss the broader impacts of startups on communities and much more in this lively and engaging conversation.
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Jeff Burkland the owner of Burkland & Associates, the nations leading fractional CFO service provider. Jeff and Doug discuss startup financing strategy in-depth covering topics including managing founder dilution, aligning incentives with investors and choosing the best financing vehicle. The explore the pros and cons of SAFEs, Convertible Debt, Venture debt and much more in this informative conversation.
In this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with his dear friend of over 15 years, Jeff Schox. Jeff is the founding partner of Schox PLC a boutique patent law firm, the General Partner of Trucks.vc a seed stage transportation focused venture fund and the Founder of Schox Philanthropy. They cover many topics including patent strategy, early stage investing, the future of autonomous vehicles and the power of founder philanthropic giving.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschox/
On this episode of the podcast, Doug speaks with Serial Entrepreneur and Author of The Core Value Equation, Darius Mirshahzadeh. They deep dive into the power of core values to create team alignment and increased productivity and profitability in organizations. They discuss family core values, the challenges of midlife and personal struggles with self aggression and finding balance in life.
Doug interviews the wise and talented co-founder of Optimizey, Pete Koomen. They discuss Petes entrepreneurial journey with Optimizey from its earliest days at Y-Combinator through the recent sale to EpiCenter. He shares valuable insights on the power of experimentation, creating a scalable culture and the personal growth required to scale along with your company in this fun and engaging conversation.
In this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Julie Arsenault, CEO and Founder of Panty Drop a Reno based startup that sells, size-inclusive women's panties via a subscription service. Julie is a remarkable founder and shares a ton of her experience around scaling, finding product market fit, fundraising and more in this fun and engaging conversation.
www.PantyDrop.me
https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliecarsenault/
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve. They talk about her origins in politics, the challenges she has faced running a city during the pandemic and her own personal tragedy. The discuss the mental health crisis in the county and some of her initiatives to address it in Reno.
On this episode of the podcast cast Doug speaks with Stephen Hurst the Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of Mind Medicine Inc. Stephen has dedicated over 20 years of his life to the development of Neurotransformational Medicines. We cover a lot of topics including the different approaches to treating addiction, the stigma associated with psychedelic inspired medicine and the opportunities ahead for patients and the industry.
On this episode of the podcast Doug speaks with Adam Saven the CEO of PeopleGrove. They discuss the importance of mentorship and cultivating alumni connections to improve higher educational outcomes. The challenges hiring and fostering a cohesive culture with a remote work force. They dive into Adams background, his core values and lessons learned pivoting and scaling PeopleGrove.
In this episode of the podcast, Doug speaks with serial entrepreneur Allison Clift-Jennings about her journey as an entrepreneur and experiences running a venture backed startup while transitioning to a transgender woman. They discuss the struggles of building hybrid / remote teams, the ups and downs of building high growth startups and go in-depth into her personal lived experience as a CEO from the lens of both a man and a transgender woman.
Allison Jennings https://www.linkedin.com/in/amcjen/
In this episode of the podcast, Doug speaks with serial entrepreneur and startup lawyer Craig Macy about how changing your relationship with the law can save time, money and brain damage. They discuss common first time founder mistakes, the importance of an abundance mindset and aligning incentives with your advisors and partners to set yourself up for success.
Craig Macy https://www.steamlaw.com/about
In this episode of the podcast, Doug speaks with Jeannie Reeth Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at University of Nevada and curator of the 3rd Annual International Womens Entrepreneurial Symposium (IWES). They discuss the challenges facing female entrepreneurs, the power of building networks, the role of men in supporting female entrepreneurs and much more.
IWES March 9th 2021 8am-2pm https://www.unr.edu/business/initiatives/iwes
Jeannie Reeth https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeannie-anderson-reeth/
In this episode of the podcast, Doug Erwin speaks with Michael Bumann about his life as a first responder, father of 4 and CEO of Red Dot Management a rapidly growing financial services company. They discuss many topics including developing a win/win/win business model, the importance of community support for entrepreneurs, the role of the fire service in developing his leadership style and the impact of being a medic at Burning Man among many other topics.
Michael Bumann https://reddotmgmt.com
In this episode of the podcast, Doug speaks with his dear friend and EDAWN colleague Bryan McArdle about the past, present and future entrepreneurial ecosystem building efforts in Reno. They discuss “the why” behind ecosystem building, its impact on economic development and the value of supporting startups for community growth. They discuss Seed funding, community core values and the power of putting entrepreneurs first.
Reno Seed Fund www.RenoSeedFund.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanmcardle/