Tacos And Tech Podcast

Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms. Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!  I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital. My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter. Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.    HAPPY NEW YEAR! 1/2/2025 Top Headlines V.C. Activity Tops $6 Billion in 2024 Join the conversation on Fred’s LinkedIn post Neal bets Luke Sophinos of Coursekey on number of IPOs in 2025 Fundings Janux Therapeutics - $350m Pleno - $25m growth round Hauler Hero - $10m seed round Star

Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms. In this episode of the Tacos and Tech Podcast, we sit down with Faisal Mushtaq, a visionary CTO, serial entrepreneur, angel investor, and the founder of TechCon SoCal, one of the region’s fastest-growing tech summits. Faisal shares his inspiring journey from the San Francisco Bay Area to San Diego and how his mission to connect the two thriving ecosystems culminated in the creation of TechCon SoCal. What We Covered: • Faisal’s Career Path: From building and scaling Fortune 500 companies to leading startups to successful exits, Faisal shares insights from his extensive experience in digital transformation, operational excellence, and global team leadership. • The Founding of TechCon SoCal: What inspired Faisal to move to San Diego and create a tech summit that bridges the innovation of Silicon Valley with the collaborative spirit of San Diego. • Building Communities Through Tech: How events like TechCon SoCal are fostering partnerships, at

Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms. In this episode of the Tacos and Tech Podcast, host Neal Bloom sits down with Colin Loveless of the Vegas Golden Knights, and recent winner at the Top Tech Awards Presented by Cox Business in Las Vegas. Colin shares the behind-the-scenes story of how technology drives performance, fan engagement, and operations for one of the NHL’s most exciting teams.   From IT systems to cybersecurity and innovation, Colin explains how he and his team use cutting-edge tools to keep the Golden Knights skating toward success, both on and off the ice.   What You’ll Learn in This Episode 1. Colin’s Career Journey: How he went from IT enthusiast to managing the tech infrastructure for an NHL team. 2. Tech Innovations in Hockey: Insights into the tools and systems that power the Vegas Golden Knights’ operations and fan experience. 3. Winning a Top Tech Award: Colin discusses the projects and contributions that earned him the prestigious recognition. 4. Challe

Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms. Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!  I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital. My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter. Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.   12/11 News Techstars SD by SDSU Demo Day Debrief San Diego GDP ($261B) bigger than 50% of US States and many countries Bio M&A in 2024 - Fred tweet   Fundings: Surglogs CoachIQ - $1.3m preseed AI Chip Startup Kneron Seeks Funds at $1 Billion Valuation   Events – For full list – che

Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms. Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!  I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital. My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter. Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community. 12/4 News Funding - SD VC funding through Q3 & Fred’s tweet Carlsbad’s Vuori secures $825M in funding, reaches $5.5B valuation Amprion raises $15M Series B Acquisitions/M&A -Kate Therapeutics acquired by Novartis for $1.1B -Roche Acquires Poseida for $1.5B -Lundbeck acquires Longbo

Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms. In this episode of the Tacos and Tech Podcast, we sit down with Michael Gifford, co-founder and CEO of Splitero, to explore how his innovative company is redefining the way homeowners access and utilize their home equity. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: • The Splitero Story: Michael shares how Splitero was born out of the need for a more flexible, homeowner-focused solution for unlocking home equity. • Home Equity Simplified: Learn how Splitero empowers homeowners by providing cash upfront without the need for loans or additional debt. • Challenges and Wins: Michael reflects on the challenges of disrupting a traditional industry and the successes they’ve seen in helping homeowners achieve their goals. • The Future of Homeownership: We discuss where the real estate industry is heading and how Splitero is positioned to innovate in the equity-sharing space.   About Michael Gifford: Michael is a seasoned entrepreneur with a passion for imp

Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms. Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!  I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital. My co-host in this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world including breaking news, IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter. Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community. 11/8 Debriefs: Post-election future Grayson Lafrenz, founder of Power Digital, at SDSU UCSD IGE MedDevice Showcase   News: SD Life Science Office Sitting Vacant  Hydrostasis is alive! Send us your swag! VendiBean The Brant Cooper Leadership Fund application is live - empowering the next

Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms. Don Norman, a pioneering figure in design and user experience, has profoundly influenced how we think about human-centered design. Known widely for his book, The Design of Everyday Things, Norman has helped shift the focus toward intuitive, accessible design that prioritizes user needs. His impact spans industries, and he is celebrated for making design thinking an integral part of product and technology development. As the founder of the Design Lab at UC San Diego, Norman has continued to shape the future of design, through his latest book, Design for a Better World, inspiring a new generation to build with empathy and inclusivity at the forefront. In 2024, Don Norman’s legacy takes a new step with the launch of the Don Norman Design Award (DNDA), a global organization celebrating excellence in humanity-centered design. The DNDA emphasizes the importance of designs that make a meaningful impact in real-world communities, with categories

Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms. Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News  I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital. My co-host of this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years and now he covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter. Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.   News 10/31 Stocktoberfest, SDSW & health tech event debrief Fundings Wildfire Series B - $16M Serenity EHS - $5.5M Grant funding for Algensis, Cellibre, Onego for bioindustrials N

Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech. I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital. My co-host of this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years and now he covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter. Promote the show:  Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community. 10/17 News LA Tech Week / SD Startup Week Fred’s SD Startup Week article Snap office scoop Danish pharma giant buys San Diego company’s epilepsy drug for $2.6B Sendlane CEO moving on Fun

Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms. Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech. I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital. My co-host of this episode is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. He wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years and now he covers the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A through his newsletter. Promote the show:  Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community. 10/6 News Plug and Play debrief Fred’s Q3 report SDSU is building out a battery tech campus in Brawley/ ‘Lithium Va

Stocktoberfest Comes Back To Coronado October 20-22, 2024 Listen & subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. Howard Lindzon, General Partner of Social Leverage and Founder & CEO of Stocktwits, joins us to discuss the upcoming Stocktoberfest October 20-22 in Coronado, CA - a premier gathering of minds in money, investing, and technology. In this episode, Howard shares his journey in investing, entrepreneurship, media, and the many funny lessons he’s learned along the way. He also provides a sneak peek into what attendees can expect at this year’s Stocktoberfest. Join us in October and use the code “Howard30” for a special discount exclusive to local San Diegans.

Listen & subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech. I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital. I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A. Promote the show:  Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.   9/23 News Recent events debrief Qualcomm reportedly wants to buy Intel Sports news: Oceanside opens $85M Frontwave Arena San Diego FC name Mikey Varas head coach TL Fou

In my interview with RapidScale CMO Sean Wisdom, we explored his journey through the tech world, leading to his current role, where he oversees marketing at RapidScale. Sean shared insights into his career path, reflecting on how shifts in technology, customer needs, and his passion for innovation have shaped his approach to marketing cloud solutions. We then discussed the evolving state of the customer in the cloud and AI era, touching on how companies are navigating new challenges and opportunities. We dove into the rapidly changing landscape of AI adoption, exploring its impact on hardware, cloud infrastructure, and cybersecurity. Sean highlighted the unique needs of certain industries, from healthcare to finance, as they face distinct challenges in integrating AI while keeping data secure. To wrap up, we talked about his love for Texas tacos, and he shared his two favorite taco spots—new additions to the Tacos and Tech Podcast Database. Thanks to Sean for joining the podcast and sharing his sharp insight

Listen & subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech. I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital. I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A. Promote the show:  Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community.   9/15  Candid Therapeutics raised $370M Eli Lilly, HAYA Therapeutics announce $1B partnership Techstars San Diego Powered By San Diego State University Announces 2024 Cla

Listen & subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech. I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital. I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A. Promote the show:  Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community. 9/4 Fundings TeachTo.Me raises $5m Events.com goes public with SPAC Carta data - SD top 5 for Series B funding, top 10 for Series A, not in top 10 in early stage funding, pr

Listen & subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech. I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital. I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A. Promote the show:  Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community. 8/26 Fundings PatientPartner Raises $3.5M New Carlsbad Gaming Startup called ModRetro Launches  Inc. 5000 List: Wildfire Systems (top 100), Trovata (554), Shield AI (634),

Listen & subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech. I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital. I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A. Promote the show:  Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community. 8/14 Avalon BioVentures Startup Acquired for 1.3B Earnings Season Read Out Qualcomm up 20% Resmed up 32% Sempra up 5%   San Diego Angel Conference moving to SDSU TuSimple v

Listen & subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other platforms. Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News by Neal Bloom and Fred Grier from Fresh Brewed Tech. I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital. I’m Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego substack. I wrote about the tech industry for the San Diego Business Journal for two years. I covered the ins-and-outs of the startup world for much of that time, breaking news on IPOs, fundraising rounds, and M&A. Promote the show:  Before we dive in, we wanted to ask our listeners and SD Tech fans to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community. 7/30 Fundings Autobahn Therapeutics - $100M Series C Truvian - $74m Series D+ Alvys - $20m Series A Ciari Guitars - Ciari Guitars Tuning in for Growth Shield AI powering n

With the passing of Brant Cooper, many of us are finding it helpful to share our stories of how Brant connected, inspired, and continues to push us forward. In this latest recording, Ashok Kamal, Executive Director of NuFund Ventures, and Neal Bloom share how they met, how Brant played a key role in their community development roles, and how they will continue to run with the torch forward. Watch Brant Cooper interview Leo Widrich of Buffer below. See the School of Rap intro song for Founder Fight Club, a Brant Cooper event, below. Join Brant Cooper’s Memorial Service by his family on August 4 at 4pm at Powerhouse Park in Del Mar. Donations can be made to the Brant Cooper Leadership Fund here by selecting the appropriate drop down box.