Tacos And Tech Podcast

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  

Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. 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 w

Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. 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]   Follow Kymberlee LinkedIn | Website   Storytelling School Website | LinkedIn  

Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. 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] Follow Dominic Holt LinkedIn   harpoon Website | LinkedIn

Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. 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]   Follow Andrea LinkedIn   Vessel Website | LinkedIn

Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. 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]   Follow Gregory LinkedIn   EXUMA Biotechnology Website | LinkedIn

Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. 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

Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. 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] Follow A.J. van de Ven LinkedIn   Calsense Website | LinkedIn

Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. 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] Whe

Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. 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 th

Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. 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]   Follow Sanjay Shukla LinkedIn   aTyr Pharma Website | LinkedIn

Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. 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 Di

Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. 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   Follow Sean Ross LinkedIn   Pureboost Website | LinkedIn

Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms.   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 ch

Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. 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

Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. 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] Follow Julia Putzeys LinkedIn   Trash Panda App Website | LinkedIn

Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. 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 start

Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. 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