San Diego has fostered quite the startup scene, with bright new entrepreneurs cementing their path in today’s growing tech ecosystem. Every novel idea needs space to fully develop, and Rory Moore, co-founder and CEO of EvoNexus, was one of the leaders to make it happen, launching a non-profit incubator organized to re-energize San Diego’s early-stage startup ecosystem.  Listen in as Neal Bloom chats with Rory Moore about the evolution of EvoNexus as well as his personal growth in the San Diego tech industry.  4:00 Rory takes us through his early ventures. Growing up, he held a keen fascination with aerospace, so he started his first aerospace and aviation company in the mid-70s. He joined the airforce straight out of high school and subsequently studied at University of Michigan. After college, Rory started his first venture, a company in the aerospace and aviation industry. This was the first of many startups he built, during the first of many economic crises he’s faced as an entrepreneur.  8:05 Though San Diego is now commonly referred to as a tech hub, it was not always that way. Rory shares that, in the 90s, Qualcomm was not even a chip company, but rather focused its efforts towards improving digital communication and geolocation technology. Rory also sheds light on the state of several other 90s tech companies. 11:34 In Rory’s early days as a San Diego entrepreneur, there weren’t many resources available for entrepreneurs. With limited resources, it was not uncommon for entrepreneurs like Rory to refinance their homes, rent subpar office spaces, and do other scrappy things to make ends meet. And to keep one of his early businesses alive, Rory and his team were able to raise $18.5 million in angel money over the course of several years. 14:53 Amid the Great Recession, Rory felt that it was his personal responsibility to help local entrepreneurs. As a result, he and his business partner set out to find companies that would support the idea of a free incubator; Qualcomm and Viasat, among others, agreed to help set up this resource, and they got to work fashioning an incubator from the ground up. 17:55 Some may wonder why large companies would help kickstart a free resource for early-stage ventures. Rory explains that to these large companies, the early-stage ecosystem matters because it fosters a healthy economy, attracts venture capital to the region, and retains talent.  24:02 Expanding EvoNexus’s reach across multiple locations wasn't always the goal for Rory and the team; they were content with just focusing on the UTC/Golden Triangle area. However, they were approached by Irvine Company with an offer to expand into Downtown, and to focus on helping startups in the software space.  31:55 Long before COVID-19 struck, the EvoNexus decided to eliminate geographic boundaries and adopt a virtual incubator setting. This allowed companies from all around to work with remote access to venture capitalists, mentors, regimen, and programs. Though he is a proponent of the benefits of a digital work environment, Rory believes that in-person interaction is crucial to developing startups, and will eventually revert to being the norm. 40:00 Rory expresses his thoughts on the San Diego startup scene’s future, including the presence of prominent VCs. He believes that local universities need to stress the importance of entrepreneurship among their students more than they currently do in order to foster a stronger startup ecosystem in San Diego.    Rory’s favorite local tacos:  Taco Surf in Pacific Beach   Connect with Rory: LinkedIn   Keep up with EvoNexus: Website: https://evonexus.org/ LinkedIn Instagram: @EvoNexus_Incubator Facebook: @EvoNexus Twitter: @EvoNexus   Thanks to our partners at Cox Business for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.

Tacos and Tech Podcast

Energizing Startup Ecosystems with Rory Moore

Big data has become a household term as of late, and tech companies have access to heaps of information about everything from their respective industries to their customers.. While gaining access to data seems like the end game, what’s even more important than data itself is what we do with it, enter data science. Bahija Humphrey is the CEO of Data Science Alliance, a non-profit startup that was launched in early 2020. The organization is committed to advancing San Diego as a leader in data science Tune in as Neal Bloom chats with Bahija Humphrey about her journey from economics student to data evangelist.  3:06 Bahija takes us through her journey discovering her passion for data science. She was born in Afghanistan, and soon after, her family immigrated to Vancouver. They moved to San Diego when Bahija was in middle school. She then attended UC Berkeley, where she studied economics. After graduating, Bahija moved to New York and worked at a tech company. After years of moving around, she finally settled in San Diego where she landed an accounting position at the Downtown San Diego Partnership, and later went on to work at the City of San Diego. Most recently, Bahija became the CEO of Data Science Alliance. 9:01 It was Bahija’s mentor from the Downtown SD Partnership, Kris Michell, who was able to recruit her to a role at the City. Working at the City of San Diego, Bahija was able to introduce and implement data-informed decision making to solve issues like homelessness. In this role, she was able to realize the importance of data collection and analysis in problem solving.  As the organization’s needs shifted, Bahija transitioned into a new role as director of the Performance and Analytics Department (PANDA). The team was tasked with introducing data-informed decision making to the government, challenging the status quo to incite a cultural change, and building accountability into government. 20:26 Through researching cities across the nation, Bahija realized no single city had aced the full utilization of data science in their operations. San Diego is up there in the rankings and has the potential to take the lead in some areas.  27:24 About a year ago, Bahija was asked to attend a workshop for select data-minded individuals. The workshop opened Bahija’s eyes to the robust data community in San Diego. Soon after, she was recruited to lead Data Science Alliance with the vision to position San Diego as a data science powerhouse within the global community. There is a strong sentiment across Data Science Alliance’s diverse and talented board in retaining data science talent within San Diego, and developing the top data science region. 40:38 Those who want to get involved with Data Science Alliance can become a member and are welcome to volunteer their expertise.   Bahija’s favorite local tacos:  Salud Barrio Logan   Connect with Bahija: LinkedIn Twitter: @BahijaHumphrey   Keep up with Data Science Alliance: Website: https://www.datasciencealliance.org/  LinkedIn Facebook: @DataScienceAlliance Twitter: @DataScienceAll1   Thanks to our partners at Cox Business for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.

Making Data Meaningful with Bahija Humphrey

Small businesses everywhere are looking for an outlet to grow and expand their customer base, especially in the virtual tech environment we find ourselves in today. To assist these transitioning businesses, Alex Goode, founder & CEO of GoSite, launched this platform to help small businesses, namely service ones, transition from offline to online.  Listen in as host Neal Bloom and co-host Ashok Kamal, Executive Director at Tech Coast Angels San Diego, discuss the process of bootstrapping a startup and much more with Alex Goode.  4:37 Alex has been surrounded by small businesses since he was a child, as his family members owned and operated them. He spent much of his childhood helping run those ventures. Alex went on to study engineering at University of Michigan, where he learned how to code and build websites. When he wasn’t in class, Alex utilized his  skills to help his family members and other business owners develop an online presence. After graduating, he moved to San Diego where he recognized an opportunity to help San Diego small businesses, and launched GoSite in 2013.  6:20 Like most startups, Alex started his journey with nothing but an idea and some pocket money. When GoSite first launched, it was more of an agency model, in that it was service-oriented and the team was very hands-on with their customers.  At that time, the startup didn’t even have a tech buildout. After running the company for a few years, Alex realized that there was an opportunity for GoSite to create a tech platform that would more effectively help small businesses grow and operate. In 2017, the startup launched its first product on its SaaS platform. By the end of the year, the GoSite team decided to pivot and become a tech company.. In 2018, they scaled their SaaS business from zero to $2 million within 18 months of pivoting. 11:39 While there are companies like Shopify designed to help businesses sell products online, GoSite goes a step further and caters to those who more specifically want to sell local services, like nail salons, auto repair shops, etc. 13:14 Although some investors prefer not to invest in ventures that cater to small businesses, GoSite has found support from many investors who are able to see the massive opportunity to help small businesses navigate the transition to digital. 14:50 GoSite’s main goal is to transition businesses online, and COVID acted as an accelerant. As Alex puts it, COVID “has changed GoSite from being a nice-to-have to a must-have.” Small businesses are constantly looking for new ways to attract and retain customers, so GoSite gives these business owners a platform on which to digitally engage with customers without worrying about the technicalities themselves. GoSite has partnered with various SoCal investors such as Serra Ventures, Tech Coast Angels, and many more to fundraise and grow the company. 21:08 Looking ahead, Alex aims to continue growing the company and team. His focus currently is centered around product development and engineering.    Alex’s favorite local tacos:  Avocado tacos at Fat Fish in Pacific Beach    Connect with Alex: LinkedIn   Keep up with GoSite: LinkedIn  Website: https://www.gosite.com/ Facebook: @gositeinc Twitter: @gositeinc Instagram: @gositebusiness   Thanks to our partners at Cox Business for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.

Taking Small Businesses Digital with GoSite Founder Alex Goode

Whitney Houston famously sang the words “I believe the children are our future,” and The LEAGUE of Amazing Programmers proudly carries this mantra in its initiative to introduce children from grades 5 to 12 to the tech industry. The after-school Java programming course equips these children with skills that can be applicable later on in their collegiate or professional careers.  Join us as Neal Bloom chats with The LEAGUE of Amazing Programmers Executive Director, Sarah Tuakli Cooper, about her journey with the non-profit organization and its bright students.  4:11 Sarah wasn’t always an educator, as she studied electronic composition in college, which encompassed recording sounds and dissecting the origins of such sounds. Her intrigue with computer science stemmed from her interest in art, more so than from technical interest. From there, she went on to teach music technology - a course detailing computer composition and sound design - to freshmen at Kingston University in the UK.  6:01 Twenty years later, married and with kids, Sarah and her family moved to San Diego, and recently became a US citizen. While looking for ways to volunteer, she came across  The LEAGUE and learned of the organization’s need for someone to help them get set up on Salesforce. After finishing her work as a volunteer, Sarah returned to the school as an operations manager in 2018. Creating a network of intelligent, driven children continues to motivate Sarah, who preaches the importance of “kids to not only be consumers of digital content but to also have a sense of agency.” In 2019, she took over as Executive Director and has been going strong ever since.  11:58 Sarah takes us through the children’s experience in joining the organization. Kids as young as 10 years old undergo an hour-and-a-half-long workshops, working through various programming tasks at their own pace, and will typically branch off to work on their own projects. Collaboration occurs not only between the students themselves but also between the volunteer teachers and their students. This cooperation is incredibly beneficial, as it encourages student-mentor relationships and sets kids up for success in future industry work.  15:07 Sarah discusses impacts, both positive and negative, that the pandemic has had on business norms. The shift to online courses was almost immediate, with curriculum being held online, code being created online, and group work being conducted - you guessed it - online. One of the biggest struggles proved to be providing for the kids who didn’t have access to digital technology, adequate broadband access, or a sufficient space to work in at home. Volunteers used this as an opportunity to do whatever they could to alleviate such difficulties by personally catering to the needs of their students by providing access to WiFi, technology, and other necessities. 19:56 Each age has varying learning curves, so The LEAGUE’s primary purpose rests in providing these students with the lessons and computing skills that K-12 schools don’t necessarily teach - a  norm Sarah hopes to change.  23:09 The LEAGUE uniquely approaches projects as work, instead of play. In the next five years, San Diego is pushing out far less programmers than needed for the growing workforce, so the participation of more tech-savvy students and companies in the program is integral to support the success of the San Diego tech ecosystem. There are already various companies that offer internships to the program’s promising students and volunteers who come in to impart programming skills to the children.  32:30 Over the next few years, The LEAGUE aims to grow from 450 students to 2,000. Sarah also hopes to shift the ratio of girls to boys from 30:70 to 50:50 as well as increase the number of under-resourced children who participate in the program.  Sarah’s favorite local tacos:  Hilberto’s in El Cajon  Authentic tacos in Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico  Connect with Sarah: LinkedIn Keep up with The LEAGUE of Amazing Programmers: Website: https://www.jointheleague.org/ LinkedIn Facebook: @leagueofamazingprogrammers Thanks to our partners at Cox Business for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.

Training Tomorrow’s Tech Talent with Sarah Cooper

In an atmosphere as technologically savvy as today, it’s only natural to seek out new advancements and ways to build on existing products to further improve the lives of others. As a serial entrepreneur, John Burd, co-founder and previous CEO of Dexcom, and current CEO of Lysulin and Wonder Spray, is no exception, in that he started his entrepreneurial journey as early as the 70s and is still going strong to this day, with WonderSpray being his newest invention.  Listen in as host, Neal Bloom, chats with John Burd about his extensive entrepreneurial history and the impact his products have had on millions of lives. 3:05 John discusses his journey leading up to co-founding Dexcom, today a $40 billion continuous glucose monitoring device maker. Out of grad school, John worked at a company that developed at-home diabetes products, a market that was growing at the time. He then joined Miles Laboratories, where he worked in a lab and developed clinical chemistry testing products. After that role, John moved west to Indiana to experience startup life at a company that developed a doctor’s office blood allergy testing system, but the startup, unfortunately, proved unsuccessful. At this startup, John was introduced to the business side of medicine. Following this, he moved to sunny San Diego in the mid 80s and joined Quidel, a facility renowned for pregnancy, ovulation, and allergy testing. After about eight years in that role, John left Quidel and founded his first diabetes company, LXN Corporations, which allowed diabetics to check their blood sugar with a single at-home test per week. LXN was eventually sold to a company that was subsequently acquired by Johnson & Johnson. After the acquisition, John joined a local venture capital firm and decided to start a diabetes-focused venture. Soon enough, he found the technology that would become Dexcom.   10:01 After leaving Dexcom in the hands of his successor, Andy Rasdal, John put time into working with chronic kidney diseases; he noted a correlation between those with kidney problems and those with diabetes. Studies conducted in the late 2000s showed that lysine, an amino acid used to make medicine, helped reduce blood sugar levels, but because it was already easily available in stores, it was a commodity they did not want to pursue selling. After doing further research, John learned of two other powerful supplements that helped those same problems. So in 2018, they launched Lysulin, a combination of zinc, vitamin c, and lysine. Lysulin is available for sale on online platforms such as Amazon, Walmart.com and the company’s website. 16:21 John details the process of releasing his product in the market without FDA approval. Because Lysulin is a product designed to be used therapeutically rather than medicinally, the FDA is not required to approve it.  18:00 Neal shares his personal connection to diabetes, as his father has type 1 diabetes and, in the 70s, he had to make long drives multiple times per week just to get blood sugar readings. Since then, technology has allowed diabetics to access these readings within seconds. 21:43 With San Diego slowly growing into becoming one of the nation’s big tech hubs, John discusses whether he could see companies like Tandem, Medtronic, and others make the region a diabetes tech hub. Many doctors at Scripps Clinic have dedicated decades to diabetes research, with several doctors piggybacking off of recent developments. John reminisces, for a moment, on Dexcom’s humble beginnings. The company’s first headquarters was located in a basement below a dentist’s office. John also shares that his current venture, Lysulin, has a small but mighty team. 30:21 When he initially launched Lysulin, John reached out to professionals in the diabetes space to share his solution with them. One of these prospects introduced John to a wound-healing product he had developed, which took the form of a saline-infused gun that sprays onto wounds. John learned the product had potential but it was incredibly expensive. The duo considered working together to create a low-cost version of the product to make it more accessible but that didn’t work out. John later found hypochlorous acid (HOCl), which is non-toxic and 100 times stronger than bleach. John looked into using this for wound-healing. After collaboration with teams from various countries and obstacles along the road, John founded Wonder Spray, a spray-on product meant for treating wounds and any skin problems (bites, itches, burns, etc). John’s primary mission with this product is to help thousands of people with his products while alleviating the total cost required by the consumer. HOCl is also on the EPA list of approved disinfectants for use against COVID-19, which gives Wonder Spray another use. Anyone who wants a sample of Wonder Spray can send an email to jburd@jburd.com.    John’s favorite local tacos:  Taco Bell   Connect with John: LinkedIn   Keep up with Lysulin Website: lysulin.com LinkedIn Facebook: @lysulin Twitter: @lysulin   Keep up with WonderSpray Website: https://thecraftersbox.com/ thewonderspray.com  Facebook: @thewonderspray   Keep up with Dexcom Website: dexcom.com LinkedIn Facebook: @Dexcom   Thanks to our partners at Cox Business for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.

Finding Natural Solutions to Healthcare Problems with John Burd

The San Diego tech scene is flourishing more than ever, with growing tech companies and a new program upskilling local talent to help keep up with the explosive growth.  In this episode, Neal Bloom discusses Advancing San Diego, a talent training and placement program, and much more, with guests Kate Gallagher, Senior Manager of Economic Development at San Diego Regional EDC, and Rachel Merfalen, Director of Business Services at San Diego Workforce Partnership.  3:33 SD Workforce Partnership’s mission is to empower local talent to fulfill the needs of San Diego employers. As San Diego builds its reputation as a leading tech hub based around collaboration and innovation, SD Workforce Partnership aims to continue bringing funds into the region in order to foster problem solving around workforce needs, among other things. 5:36 The San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC), which is centered around scouting out talent is a privately funded nonprofit organization whose goal is to support and promote San Diego’s economy by providing a variety of services to local businesses and raising awareness of the region’s many offerings. 7:49 Advancing San Diego is a three-year project funded by JP Morgan Chase, and part of its AdvancingCities initiative. The initiative’s mission is to promote inclusive economies, shifting the relationship between industry and education. With the rapid growth of San Diego’s innovation economy, Kate believes that not enough people are accessing the benefits of the robust economy, namely Hispanic and Black employees, as they are blaringly underrepresented in high-demand roles like software engineering, for instance. Advancing San Diego hopes to eliminate this discrepancy and establish relationships between employers, education providers, and workforce development partners to contribute to an environment with more equal access to opportunities.  11:25 SD Workforce Partnership has worked to fill the skills gap. Rachel says “96 percent of educational institutions believe they are adequately preparing students for the workforce while only 11 percent of business owners agree that they are prepared for with the skill sets employers require.” The organization has also helped employees who were recently laid off reskill to pivot their careers, and offers a number of other services. 16:29 Advancing San Diego and EDC similarly measure their demand by researching trends revolving around job growth and engaging employers into working groups (software, engineering, and entry level business talent). 18:43 Software is helping drive much of the innovation in San Diego. Virtually every industry has a need for software development talent, driving up demand for software developers. The local tech community largely contributes to the level of innovation present in the city today, with reports detailing the importance of software development in building a cohesive, diverse tech environment. While San Diego is home to a number of renowned universities, one does not need a bachelor's degree from a four-year university to become a successful software developer. There are a multitude of nontraditional software training programs designed to prepare graduates for the workforce within weeks. With COVID, these are programs that can easily be done remotely and promote inclusivity at all levels. And it’s not just demand for software talent that’s growing. There has also been growth in manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare, to name a few. 26:18 Advancing San Diego strives to increase recruiter knowledge regarding the areas they can source tech talent from in addition to large universities. These schools then become “preferred providers,” and students from their program are offered internships, funded by JP Morgan Chase, at small companies, thus providing students with the experience necessary for attaining tech positions.  Aside from its internship program, Advancing San Diego is hosting a Career Exploration Day on October 20, where students can learn about local job opportunities and connect with employers.  32:57 Rachel talks through SD Workforce Partnership’s work to help companies diversify their teams. Diversity in the workplace goes further than race, gender, and religion. Diversity in background and experience is also important. One of the programs Rachel has helped launch is the Income Share Agreement (ISA) program - the answer to the student loan debt crisis. This program pulls from an investment fund to pay for students’ education, and in turn, the program receives payment from participating students once they are able to land a job that pays an adequate wage.  To learn more about certificate programs and Advancing San Diego, visit advancingsandiego.org. In addition, on October 20, Advancing San Diego is hosting a virtual career fair open primarily to college students, as well as high school students, of San Diego. Details at https://sandiegocareers.vfairs.com/   To further engage in the San Diego tech scene, attend San Diego Startup Month during October for a personalized month of career building, including the Career Incubator on October 16 and community bonding.   Favorite local tacos:  Rachel: Puesto at the Headquarters and a taco truck in Downtown Kate: City Tacos in North Park   Connect with Rachel: Rachel LinkedIn Connect with Kate: Kate LinkedIn   Learn more about the San Diego Regional EDC and the SD Workforce Partnership  SD Workforce Partnership: https://workforce.org/  San Diego Regional EDC: https://www.sandiegobusiness.org/   Thanks to our partners at Cox Business for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.

Advancing San Diego’s Workforce with Kate Gallagher & Rachel Merfalen

Ryan Kuder is the Managing Director of Techstars Anywhere, the remote-first startup accelerator that stems from the prestigious Techstars. The accelerator was founded in 2006, and its roughly 2,000 alumni have raised a collective $10 billion in venture capital.  Listen in as host, Neal Bloom, chats with Ryan Kuder about startup accelerators, entrepreneurial mentorship, and San Diego Startup Month. 4:11 As a third generation San Diegan in a tech-oriented family, Ryan had been surrounded by computers from a young age. His dad worked as a computer programmer for various industries, so having been exposed to his work, Ryan learned how to code and work with AI as early as second grade. Though he hasn’t coded much since, he’s glad he understands how technology works, as it allowed him to better understand and market for larger tech companies like Yahoo and Ebay earlier in his career. 6:32 Ryan launched his first startup in 1998 called givetoschools.com, where his team built virtual shopping malls for K-12 schools. While his startup made a small profit, its competitor raised millions of dollars. From this, Ryan learned a lesson in the intricacies of company growth. After trying his hand at the startup game, he spent the next 12 years working for Yahoo and Ebay, up in the Bay Area. There, he learned how consumer tech companies grow, scale, organize, service themselves, and eventually sell. However, in 2008, Ryan was laid off by Yahoo and this event proved eye-opening for him. He tweeted about his lay off and soon his thread went viral, getting national attention. It wasn’t long before Ryan decided to take control of his life and create his own destiny from then on.  11:20 Ryan discusses his decision to pursue the accelerator route and help companies. He wanted to focus on San Diego startups because the local startup scene is sometimes overshadowed by those of LA and the SF Bay Area. Ryan joined the Techstars team when the accelerator partnered with Qualcomm to launch a robotics accelerator in San Diego. Ryan soon realized that his role at Techstars gave him the perfect opportunity to give back by helping the next generation of founders.  14:31 Ryan shares statistics about the positive impact accelerators have on startups. 86% of companies that have gone through a Techstars accelerator have either been acquired or are still operating today. When it comes to making sure operations can be funded and capital can be accessed, having someone who has undergone the same experience to offer their insight can prove helpful and help founders avoid some pain. “Something that great entrepreneurs do is say ‘where do I want to make my mark in the world and how do I control my destiny for that.’” A good accelerator is beneficial in that it will surround entrepreneurs with mentors who will then help them figure out what they know and don’t know and guide them in the right direction.  16:39 Since March, most companies scrambled to shift almost entirely to a virtual setting. Ryan shares that Techstars Anywhere suffered minimal disruptions, as it has been primarily virtual since its 2017 inception. Because the accelerator is well versed in a remote environment, the Techstars Anywhere team was able to help other Techstars accelerators, as well as ones outside their company, and make the transition to remote by offering guidance in the form of webinars, blog posts, and videos. Ryan believes that remote work will continue to be prevalent in the long term and sees a massive market opportunity for those working on tech to help power the future of work.  23:11 As someone who has been around San Diego for the majority of his life, Ryan has witnessed the San Diego tech community grow and evolve. San Diego is at a point where much of the resources and mentors that are necessary for a healthy startup ecosystem are emerging within the city. And some of the local tech companies that have been successful in fundraising and hiring local talent have been able to attract the attention of investors from outside of the region, a win for the local startup scene.  26:42 Ryan talks through what the San Diego startup ecosystem should focus on building next, as the community continues to grow. One of the factors Ryan mentions is the need for startup employees to learn from their employers and subsequently start their own companies. Experience needs to be shared, as people who have experience with startups are typically those who then create new startups. Capital also plays a big role. Companies need to have the resources to fund themselves internally rather than solely relying on investors from outside the region. With Startup Month approaching, Ryan hopes to introduce mentorship to more companies and get a head start on San Diego's journey in becoming one of the leading tech spots in the country.  30:13 San Diego Startup Month starts October 1, and it will be full to the brim with great speakers, workshops, local incubators, and mentors - there’s something for every attendee and company to find value in. Kick-off night will be a great way to bring everyone together and set the tone for the rest of the month. Get pumped for #SDSM2020, and don't forget to buy your tickets at SanDiegoStartupWeek.com with the discount code “TACOPOD30” for $30 off!  Applications for the Techstars Anywhere 2021 class close on October 11, 2020. Apply here: https://www.techstars.com/accelerators/anywhere    Ryan’s favorite local tacos:  Getting supplies from El Nopalito in Encinitas and making the tacos at home   Connect with Ryan: LinkedIn Twitter: @Ryan Kuder   Keep up with Techstars: Website: https://www.techstars.com/accelerators/anywhere LinkedIn Facebook: @Techstars Twitter: @Techstars   Thanks to our partners at Cox Business for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.

Accelerating the San Diego Startup Scene with Techstars’s Ryan Kuder

San Diego Startup Month is only a week away, and to kick off the excitement, we connected with members from the San Diego Innovation Council, Tech Coast Angels - San Diego, Connect w/ SDVG, and Startup San Diego to talk about the upcoming Inventors & Investors Pitch Competition on October 9, during SD Startup Month. They further discuss the jam-packed month of October and what our listeners can do to prepare for an event filled with engaging workshops, interactive experiences, and career building opportunities from the comfort of their own homes.  Guests include: Tari Suprapto and Ruben Flores from San Diego Innovation Council, Caitlin Wege and Ashok Kamal from Tech Coast Angels (TCA - San Diego), and Alexa-Rae Navarro from Startup San Diego. Listen in as the group discusses entrepreneurial diversity and opportunities in SD Startup Month with local investors and entrepreneurs.  7:50 President of the San Diego Innovation Council, Ruben Flores, starts by explaining how events in the San Diego Innovation Council take place. Each year, the organization holds an Innovation Showcase with about thirty companies at varying stages of development to celebrate previous entrepreneurial successes and introduce a streamline of up-and-coming innovations in San Diego. While the event is directly open to anyone in San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Irvine, and Arizona, investors from all around the world are invited to engage in investments and tech communities in the San Diego area. VP of San Diego Innovation Council, Tari Suprapto looks forward to watching it grow in the following years and excited for how this first time event, Inventors and Investors Pitch Competition, came to fruition 12:10 Quick Pitch competitions have paved the way for young entrepreneurs to engage with over 300 companies and investors to pitch their businesses and gain insight into the industry. However, this year with COVID-19, TCA - San Diego Executive Director Ashok Kamal details the lengths TCA and other organizations involved had to go to to ensure a successful virtual event with the Inventors & Investors Pitch Competition. Through TCA and sponsorships, he’s looking to expand and improve future events by ramping up the production, the quality, the audience, the cash prize, and much more. These competitions are about more than the pitches and companies; they’re about the collaboration and connections made by entrepreneurs, pitch coaches, judges, audience members, and the startup community.  14:52 Startup San Diego Executive Director Alexa-Rae Navarro takes us through the process of pivoting from the traditional SD Startup Week event to the first-of-its-kind SD Startup Month event, just months after being onboarded. Alexa-Rae and her team started planning for the transition process in December, having to temporarily pause when news of the pandemic surfaced. In the spirit of entrepreneurship, she took the circumstances as an opportunity to pivot and embrace the situation.  25:30 Alexa-Rae continues with Startup San Diego’s principal mission in launching the Startup Month experience: to connect, educate, and inspire local founders. At Startup Month, there is something for everyone. Whether someone is a founder, investor, tech worker, or a government representative, there are eight different tracks designed specifically for those with varying interests, skill sets, and backgrounds. To see what’s right for you, check out the schedule at https://www.sandiegostartupweek.com/schedule and apply the discount code TACOPOD30 for $30 off your tickets! 23:41 TCA - San Diego President Caitlin Wege, who advises student entrepreneurs at local universities, shares how SD Startup Month helps students gain access to resources and connections. There are dozens of student entrepreneurs in the San Diego area who have yet to be recognized since many of them are too busy with school or jobs to apply to pitch competitions and alumni events. So, with TCA - San Diego’s partnership with SDIC, they are able to directly focus on student innovations and partner with Startup San Diego to secure a platform and expand globally. In addition to workshops and competitions, Ashok discusses coaching, which aims to help entrepreneurs refine their pitches; this program helps frame a relationship between coaches and entrepreneurs. 37:07 As for judges, Ruben explains how he and his team choose the right people to judge these types of competitions. Firstly, they gather experts who have extensive experience in investing. They aim to garner people from varying industries to create a more diverse panel with a multitude of ideas, both judges and entrepreneurs. From there, they decide who would be the most willing and able to form connections with the entrepreneurs to build a greater tech community. These showcases are very beneficial for entrepreneurs, as they tend to gain partnerships, connections with different startups, and in some cases, investments.  43:30 Alexa-Rae offers tips on making the most out of the virtual Startup Month experience. Starting October 1, there will be a plethora of events available to those who participate, so she advises them to start with the schedule and plan out the entire month so no important event goes unseen.  Sign up for a month of interactive and groundbreaking experiences with discount code TACOPOD30 at SanDiegoStartupWeek.com, and engage with startups and tech workers from all over the San Diego tech community.    Favorite local tacos:  Tari: Mi Ranchito in Rancho Penasquitos Ashok: Blue Water Seafood in Little Italy Alexa: Pete’s Camp at San Felipe, Baja California Caitlin: The Taco Stand in La Jolla and Puesto at the Headquarters Ruben: Cotijas in Encinitas   Connect with: Tari Suprapto on Linkedin Ashok Kamal on Linkedin Alexa-Rae on Linkedin Caitlin Wege on Linkedin Ruben Flores on Linkedin   Keep up with San Diego Innovation Council, San Diego Tech Coast Angels, and Startup San Diego: Innovation council website: https://sdic.org/#home LinkedIn San Diego Tech Coast Angels website: https://www.techcoastangels.com/ Linkedin Startup San Diego website: https://startupsd.org/ Linkedin   Thanks to our partners at Cox Business for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.

Giving Students & Academic Entrepreneurs a Spotlight at San Diego Startup Month

In a generation surrounded by the newest technologies and virtual communities, it is easy to overlook the creative and interactive experience associated with arts and crafts. As an enthusiast of the crafting community, founder and CEO of The Crafter’s Box, Morgan Spenla, introduced an online platform for artists from all over the world to indulge in high-quality digital workshops and purchase the tools necessary for creating crafts of all varieties.   Listen in as host Neal Bloom and guest co-host Al Bsharah, VP of Product Operations at Seismic, chat with Morgan about her background as a crafter and her involvement in the industry.  3:51 Morgan reflects on her early intrigue with crafting, as she always held great interest in creating handmade items  from raw materials. Throughout her journey of building varying arts and crafts, she noted the lack of resources available for purchasing low-cost creations. After graduating from University of Southern California, Morgan worked for a consulting company, in their San Diego office, hoping it would teach her the ins and outs of running large companies. Morgan later served as a director of marketing for an engineering firm in Silicon Valley. She eventually started The Crafter’s Box on the side because she found that her busy schedule made it difficult to fully enjoy crafting during her downtime. 8:36 When sites like Instagram and Pinterest were relatively new, Morgan noticed many artists were able to display their work and grow followings on those platforms but there was a lack of instructions, tips, and tool access for followers. Foraging through the aisles of Hobby Lobby, she purchased hundreds of dollars’ worth of materials for a project and found herself frustrated that the process was more stressful than it was therapeutic. Morgan ultimately started The Crafter’s box to offer guidance to those who are interested in crafting but don’t know where to start. 12:37 For a year, Morgan developed a business plan and estimated the amount of money needed to launch her company before leaving her job. Like many startups, she initially bootstrapped the startup and reached out to artists who she believed would be interested in her platform. Morgan’s assistant from her corporate job joined the startup to help manage the logistics. 15:04 Though the business model of The Crafter’s Box has evolved over the years, the original idea of using a subscription box model continued to prove beneficial. The monthly subscription package included digital workshops taught by well-established artists, who each specialized in specific crafts, in addition to a list of the tools and materials necessary for creating said crafts. In 2019, the company introduced an a la carte option allowing customers to purchase kits from past workshops or individual materials.  22:18 As a company whose business is primarily online, The Crafter’s Box’s business was not adversely impacted by COVID-19. In fact, the startup saw a large influx in orders. However, this growth in demand complicated the management of logistics and shipping, as there were fewer workers present in the warehouse handling the products. Despite these new challenges, Morgan’s goal for the company persists as a fast and convenient way for consumers to remotely purchase the tools required for Do-It-Yourself crafts and instruction.  26:50 Going forward, Morgan hopes to expand the company and launch an even bigger and better online shopping experience. With that experience, she aims to include more virtual live workshops and grow her brand to expand into retail stores like Anthropologie and Nordstrom in time for the holiday season.    Morgan’s favorite local tacos:  Ponce's in Kensington, San Diego   Connect with Morgan: LinkedIn   Keep up with The Crafter’s Box: Website: https://thecraftersbox.com/ LinkedIn Facebook: @thecraftersbox   Thanks to our partners at Cox Business for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.

Using Tech to Equip & Educate Crafters with Morgan Spenla of The Crafter’s Box

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9Hgicyaj7VI As the virtual world around us continues to grow and expand, companies are having to dive a little deeper into how consumers feel about their brand experiences, especially since customer behavior has changed since the pandemic.  Rasto Ivanic, who serves as founder & CEO of GroupSolver, sits with Neal Bloom and Ashok Kamal, Executive Director of Tech Coast Angels San Diego, and shares his insights on how businesses can make important product and marketing decisions faster, and with more confidence by using the startup’s market research technology. GroupSolver is a market research platform that builds intelligence surveys to ask the why, how, and what questions that virtually every consumer company has in the new normal of work-from-home culture. The startup is working to change the way people view market research and focus on the fundamentals of business reasoning. 4:30 Rasto chats about how he shifted from economics to biotech to entrepreneurship, as well as what brought him to sunny San Diego. After completing his Ph.D. in applied economics from Purdue, Rasto worked at McKinsey for five years, not knowing what he wanted to dedicate his career to. He decided he wanted something more long-term, leading him to Mendel Biological Solutions, a small biotech company in the Bay Area, which grew and bred massive grasses to convert to biofuels. After oil prices crashed, he was considering his next career move amid relocating to San Diego with his wife. 5:56 Rasto explains the genesis of GroupSolver. He was at a crossroads when deciding whether to continue to help nonprofits make better decisions or part ways from the grant making process entirely. He and his wife soon realized that everything they were doing to help nonprofits was essentially market research and that there was a market for their services, sparking the idea for GroupSolver. 8:10 Rasto discusses how GroupSolver used investor money to prove the company’s viability. Similar to most learning experiences, Rasto felt the startup nearing an edge on multiple occasions, forcing the company to adapt and make tough decisions fast. In the past two years, GroupSolver has doubled its revenue and secured loyal customers; this has allowed the startup to stabilize the team, and become efficient in paying off any loans. 12:16 Rasto delves into unique cases for which GroupSolver was used. For one project, he and his team partnered with Amazon’s Alexa team to find out why people listen to music, so Alexa’s product development team could better understand the people they were building the features for. That project proved successful when Amazon became a repeat GroupSolver customer. 16:04 Rasto discusses how COVID-19 has specifically impacted consumer behavior. In January, GroupSolver partnered with a food producer in efforts to test out customer relations with canned goods. However, in March they realized that the demand for canned goods had decreased given people’s newfound interest to experiment with fresh ingredients while being in quarantine.  Listen in to hear how GroupSolver helps brands like Amazon learn more about their customers’ behaviors and why investors favor the approach Rasto takes to fundraising.   Rasto’s favorite local tacos:  El Patron at Mira Mesa Connect with Rasto: LinkedIn   Keep up with GroupSolver: Website: https://www.groupsolver.com/ LinkedIn Facebook: @GroupSolver Twitter: @GroupSolver   Thanks to our partners at Cox Business for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.

CEO & Founder of GroupSolver, Rasto Ivanic

Did you know our host Neal worked on the Space Shuttle before he became an entrepreneur? The infinite depth and futuristic existence of outer space intrigues most everyone, especially those who find themselves fascinated with the research behind the unknown. Tech Coast Angels San Diego president Caitlin Wege is no exception, as from a young age, she found herself being amazed by the intricacies of space and the work put into researching it.  In this episode, Neal and Caitlin chat about manned space and the investable space opportunities with members of TCA San Diego. Tune in to geek out about everything from space junk to rocket engines and nano satellites. 2:22 Caitlin introduces Neal, who discusses his extensive background as a systems engineer for Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne from 2008 to 2013. Neal goes on to talk about how he primarily dealt with the business aspect of rocket launches, as he was in charge of building a plan for future launches. During this time, he took part in 12 Space Shuttle launches and about 130 engine tests.  7:31 After they retired the Space Shuttle, Neal continued to work, but most of the company’s staff was laid off. Neal, who was 25 years old at the time,  partnered with his coworker, Adam Markowitz, to help engineers market themselves for employment. That project evolved into  a company called Portfolium, a software company that was sold for $34 million in 2019. This venture was Neal’s first step into becoming involved in the San Diego startup scene. 8:48 Neal runs through the main engine details of the Space Shuttle, which is 14 feet long, 8 feet in width, and 8,000 pounds in weight, making it the same size as a fighter jet engine, but producing 10 times the thrust. 11:34 Neal details the intensive launch sequence required to send seven people into space.  13:56 Neal discusses manned space history. The first shuttle was created in 1969, with its manned launch in 1981. Going forward, SpaceX was founded in 2002 and had its first manned launch this year. In addition, the Artemis Program holds the goal of landing the first woman and next man on the moon by 2024. SpaceX and Boeing have contracts to ”taxi” people and supplies to the Space Station, primarily for scientific purposes and experimentation on human development and such.  16:30 Neal discusses the politics of space. Contrary to popular belief, NASA has a small $20 billion budget. While this may seem like a significant amount, a single aircraft carrier costs $13 billion. NASA’s budget is not only spent researching space, but also researching on earth, contributing towards diplomatic relations through science collaboration with other countries such as Japan, Russia, etc, and impacting the greater humanity. Private companies such as SpaceX are able to effectively utilize their government funding by vertically integrating, ultimately cutting their costs significantly.  21:31 Neal talks about the future of space and investment opportunities. Currently, private companies like SpaceX have been able to use large NASA contracts to develop rockets used for man missions as well as private endeavors. In terms of investments, Neal believes there is huge growth potential for space in areas such as satellites, in-space propulsion, in-space GPS, energy utilization, and radiation protection.  23:10 Neal answers questions from TCA members on topics such as tech transfer between the US military and NASA, space assets, and radiation protection in space. 30:56 Neal discusses more investments in space. One example is Rocketlab, a newer company building full rockets to raise money for the ecosystem around satellites. Also, SpaceX, who’s  first raise was $60 million, has  raised a total of $3.2 billion over 18 years, with the entire company now being valued at $33 billion. (Update since recording: SpaceX raised an additional $1 billion recently and is now valued at $46 billion). 38:45 Space debris is discussed. It burns up upon entering the atmosphere, but because there is a large quantity of it, some of it doesn’t burn and can cause complications. Due to the fact that debris is made up of aluminum (weak magnetic force), it’s difficult to catch debris flying at 20,000 mph, so while we have infrastructure to make satellites, there is a significant need for something to clean up and collect space debris.    Thanks to our partners at Cox Business for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.   Keep up with Tech Coast Angels: Website: https://www.techcoastangels.com/ Linkedin Twitter: @tcasandiego

Far Out: Manned Space & Future Investment Opportunities

Many families have been juggling working from home while making sure their kids are on track with virtual learning. Meanwhile, healthcare providers and patients have been relying more on telemedicine. Not only is this shift in the world of work, education and healthcare a result of Covid-19, it’s sure to be more of the norm in years to come.  Join host Neal Bloom as he talks with Sam Attisha and Duane Cameron, who are part of the Cox Communications & Cox Business executive team in San Diego, about how Cox is working to drive innovative technologies for the current and future world of work, medicine and education as we all continue to shift into a virtual world. Sam and Duane also take a deep dive on how Cox continues to foster the region’s vibrant tech and startup ecosystem.  4:19:  Sam discusses the history of Cox, which was founded in 1898 by school teacher James Cox, who was involved in the newspaper business. Today, the business continues to be family-owned and has been operating in San Diego since 1962. Cox has a long history of giving back to the communities it serves; these past several months, Cox has donated $10 million of cash and in-kind donations in California alone. 9:45:  Duane elaborates on Cox’s involvement with the San Diego tech ecosystem. Cox has been a sponsor of Top Tech Awards; the company also sponsors Quick Pitch, a local startup pitch competition. Cox has also invested in the K-12 space with its “Cox Connect2Compete ” initiative, which has helped bridge the digital divide. Through this initiative, Cox has helped half a million students and families connect to broadband internet.  11:39: Sam talks through how Covid-19  has affected Cox employees. About half of its employees initially worked from home and the other half were working at retail locations, technical facilities, etc. Over the last few months, the company switched to AR (augmented reality), where technicians can communicate with customers on a live app to provide them with services while alleviating in-person interaction. Cox was quick to help its customers as well by offering two months of free internet connection to ensure all children were able to finish out the school year.  Due to the pandemic, in March, the company debuted the Cox Business Work at Home Solutions program, which includes an enterprise-grade, separate Internet connection direct to employees’ homes. 19:22: With all these changes being implemented, Sam discusses whether or not their roadmap has altered and if it has affected the way Cox is investing. The company has built a reputable, billion-dollar network over the years, and continues to invest in the network by creating additional capacity for businesses and residential customers alike. One thing they see in the longer term is telelife, with the  fundamental key to this effectively delivering a powerful broadband network, which they view as an economic leveler.  23:47: Sam and Duanedive into areas Cox is investing in, one of which is telemedicine. CEO Alex Taylor prides the company on giving back to the community and investing money into areas like cleantech, electric vehicles, and leveraging solar plants. Lastly, the company values sustainability, aiming to be zero waste and carbon and water neutral in the coming years. Thanks to our partners at Cox Business for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.   Sam’s favorite local tacos:  The Taco Stand  Duane’s favorite local tacos:  Rubio’s Connect with Sam: Linkedin Connect with Duane: Linkedin   Keep up with Cox Business: Website: https://www.cox.com/business/home.html  Linkedin Facebook: @CoxBusiness Twitter: @coxbusiness

Cox Business and How Covid-19 is Advancing Tech Adoption in the Workplace Rapidly

Josh Komenda is the Co-Founder & CEO of Veyo, an affordable rideshare program for those who rely on Medicaid and Medicare. Like Uber/Lyft, the company has a call center that runs a technology platform, but delivers a service in partnership with existing health plans. Veyo is available in the app store.  When Josh’s cab-hailing startup was outshone by emerging rideshare startups, his team began looking at other opportunities in the ride-hailing market. They realized the medical transportation sector was lacking and antiquated so they set out to build a startup that met that need. 4:17 Josh shares details about the start of his entrepreneurial career as an intern at Qualcomm in San Diego. At the tech giant, he led a global engineering team from 2004-2010. Technology interested him from a young age, so Qualcomm gave him a chance to get familiar with the industry to eventually start his own venture. 6:40 Josh discusses his first startup idea, GoFastCab, which he and his friends launched in 2009 to make the ordering of cabs and taxis easier. Little did they know rideshare startups would disrupt the entire ride-hailing industry. Total Transit eventually hired him and his team, allowing them to further explore their goals.  11:10 In 2013, Total Transit acquired GoFastCab, and hired Josh and his team to ensure more widely available and higher quality service in a new health care transportation venture, Veyo. 15:28 Josh explains Veyo’s business model. Like Uber and Lyft, a plurality of the company’s employee population runs its call center.  17:39 Veyo’s average customers are health payers, so the transportation benefit is primarily catered towards those who struggle with gaining access to transportation services in the moment. Healthcare providers partnered with Veyo help book and manage claims/trips, taking into account the customers’ insurance and maximum benefit. Company growth is generally geographic and insurance based. 23:55 Covid has pushed the startup to make a significant amount of adaptations, as there is a concern regarding the risk of infections spreading. Recently, Veyo contracted with Meals on Wheels to help the nonprofit deliver thousands of meals. Veyo drivers also delivered PPE to at-risk Medicaid members. Lastly, the startup also started an initiative to safely transport those who have been infected by Covid. Josh plans for Veyo to continue taking some of these safety precautions even after the pandemic ends.  Listen in as Josh takes us through his entrepreneurial journey, going from cab-hailing to health care transportation, and the changes he has had to make in light of the pandemic. Thanks to our partners at Cox Business for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.   Josh’s favorite local tacos:  Puesto at The Headquarters  Connect with Josh: Linkedin: Twitter: @josh_komenda   Keep up with Veyo: Website: https://veyo.com/ Linkedin Facebook @veyologistics Twitter: @veyologistics

Josh Komenda & Veyo Are Connecting Those in Need With On-Demand Medical Transportation

Alessandra Lezama is the founder & CEO of TOOTRIS, a tech-enabled service provider that connects parents with childcare providers. As a single mother, Alessandra struggled finding proper childcare for her son, who was young at the time. He had a near-death experience that would be difficult for any mother to forget.  Early in Alessandra’s career, she was a Montessori teacher who then switched over to tech, where she ultimately found her calling. Her new venture, TOOTRIS sits at the intersection of her background in early childhood education and her passion for building tech companies. Tune in as Alessandra shares how her new startup, TOOTRIS, aims to transform the antiquated childcare industry with modern tech. Thanks to our partners at Cox Business for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.   Alessandra’s favorite local tacos: Tacos El Gordo   Connect with Alessandra:  LinkedIn   Keep up with TOOTRIS:  Website: https://tootris.com/ LinkedIn Twitter: @tootrisondemand Instagram: @tootris Facebook: @tootrisondemandchildcare

Modernizing the Future of Childcare with Alessandra Lezama, Founder & CEO of TOOTRIS

Listen in as Tech Coast Angels investors Ashok Kamal and Al Bsharah chat with host Neal Bloom about the latest happenings in San Diego tech.  4:00 Ashok Kamal provides an update on Tech Coast Angels and investing amid the pandemic, noting now is a great time for investors to find favorable deal terms. 7:32 Al, who is the VP of Product Operations at Seismic, gives insight on trends he sees in the SaaS space. Although Seismic had to dial back its hiring spree, it is still adding new members to its team and has made a few successful deals despite the health crisis. 9:10 Biotechs VelosBio and BioAtla each raised tens of millions of dollars in funding. 9:54 Clickup, which moved its HQ from Silicon Valley to San Diego recently, raised $35M. 12:45 GoSecure raised $20M, bringing to light the importance of cybersecurity, especially with the normalization of remote work. 14:30 Koji raised $10M to help non-techies create mini apps, games, and memes. 16:46 Sun Genomics raised $8.6M to support growth in the custom probiotics market, advance scientific publications, and scale delivery of its comprehensive gut probiotics solution. 18:16 Customer insights startup GroupSolver raised $2M. 19:18 Early-stage startup Hygienica raised $1M with local venture fund, Impala Ventures. 20:21 Local incubator CONNECT ALL has a focus on underserved communities, specifically in southeast San Diego. The group also discusses being mentors to startups going through accelerators such as Techstars Anywhere. Apply to join the next Techstars Anywhere cohort here: https://bit.ly/2EQwMC1  23:02 New organization Data Science Alliance aims to put San Diego’s data science hub on the map. 24:47 San Diego Startup Month will be held this October as a unique, virtual event, where attendees can make avatars to represent themselves. Get your tickets here: https://bit.ly/2Dt9otA  Learn more about Ashok and Al’s individual careers in previous Tacos & Tech episodes. Ashok’s episode: https://bit.ly/2XoKsKM | Al’s episode: https://bit.ly/31f8FnN  Thanks to our partners at Cox Business for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego startup and tech ecosystem.

What’s Happening in San Diego Tech in August with Ashok Kamal & Al Bsharah

The Tacos and Tech Podcast highlights the builders of companies, technologies, and the ecosystem of San Diego with a local flair for our lifestyle as well.

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Tacos and Tech Podcast

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