Finding Genius Podcast

Join us in this episode as Sara Blackmer, a seasoned technology executive and private equity leader, shares her perspective on building and scaling companies across defense and commercial markets. As Managing Member and Senior Partner at Solyco Capital and CEO of portfolio company FluidLogic, Sara brings a wide range of experience in executive leadership, strategic planning, business development, and technology investing.
This conversation covers:
How technology companies can succeed across defense and commercial markets.

The challenges of scaling businesses built around emerging technologies.

The importance of strong leadership and high-performing teams.

How private equity can support innovation and long-term growth.

Sara is a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and Aircraft Maintenance Officer. She has served on advisory boards for organizations including NVIDIA, Intel, the University of Michigan, and the National Advanced Mobility Consortium.
Want to learn more about technology investing, defense innovation, and executive leadership? Tune in now as Sara shares her insights on building and scaling companies in rapidly evolving markets.
Connect with Sara:
Solyco Capital
FluidLogic
LinkedIn
🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/30PvU9C 
🛍️ Recommended Books from this Episode
📖 Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist – A practical guide to understanding venture capital, term sheets, negotiations, financing, and the deal-making process so entrepreneurs can navigate fundraising with greater confidence.
👉 Get it here
📘 The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers – Straightforward lessons on the realities of entrepreneurship, leadership, hiring, managing teams, making difficult decisions, and navigating the challenges of building a company.
👉 Check it out
📙 Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It...and Why the Rest Don't – A practical framework for helping businesses scale by focusing on people, strategy, execution, and cash, while creating systems that support sustainable growth.
👉 Explore it here
📕 Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future – A thought-provoking guide to entrepreneurship and innovation focused on creating something genuinely new, building differentiated businesses, and shaping the future.
👉 Discover it here
Note: These are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps support the podcast. Thank you!

Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly capable of doing more than processing information. It can recognize patterns, interpret human behavior, influence decisions, and increasingly interact with the world in ways that resemble aspects of human cognition. In this episode, we dive into this complex subject with Rana Gujral, AI entrepreneur, CEO of Behavioral Signals, and author of the upcoming book The AI Instinct: The Future of AI and Human Decision-Making, releasing August 31, 2026.
Rana brings a perspective shaped by years of working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, cognitive science, voice technology, and human behavior. His work explores how machines can interpret signals such as tone, emotion, intent, and risk — and what happens when these capabilities begin influencing the decisions people make…
The conversation explores:
How AI is changing the way humans make decisions.

The relationship between artificial intelligence and human cognition.

What Cognitive AI can reveal about emotion, intent, and behavior.

The evolution from today's AI systems toward AGI and more advanced forms of intelligence.

As CEO of Behavioral Signals, Rana works on AI systems that analyze speech and behavioral signals to help organizations understand intent, emotion, and risk. His career has also included founding and building technology companies, leading product innovation at Logitech, and working across AI, robotics, cybersecurity, and voice intelligence.
Connect with Rana:
Personal Website
The AI Instinct: The Future of AI and Human Decision-Making
Behavioral Signals
LinkedIn
Facebook
Instagram
X
🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/30PvU9C 
🛍️ Recommended Books from this Episode
📖 The AI Instinct: The Future of AI and Human Decision-Making – An exploration of how artificial intelligence is changing the way we make decisions, think about technology, and navigate an increasingly AI-driven world.
👉 Get it here
📘 Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI – A practical look at how humans can collaborate with AI to enhance creativity, productivity, decision-making, and the way we work.
👉 Check it out
📙 Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence – A thought-provoking exploration of how AI could reshape work, society, intelligence, and the future of humanity.
👉 Explore it here
📕 Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans – An accessible introduction to AI that explains how modern artificial intelligence works, what it can do, and what its rapid development could mean for people and society.
👉 Discover it here
Note: These are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps support the podcast. Thank you!

Success can be a powerful motivator. But for people who have spent their lives chasing the next goal, achievement can eventually become its own source of pressure. In this episode, we discuss this important topic with Caleb Campbell, former NFL linebacker, West Point graduate, Army officer, keynote speaker, and author of the upcoming book Unstriving: 12 Lessons on Authentic Success From a Recovering Over-Achiever, releasing September 22.
Caleb shares how a lifetime of pursuing achievement ultimately forced him to reconsider what success actually meant. The goals he worked so hard to reach didn't necessarily deliver the freedom or fulfillment he expected, leading him to explore a different approach — one focused less on constant striving and more on alignment, self-awareness, and intentional living…
The conversation explores:
Why achievement doesn't always lead to fulfillment.

The mindset and identity of the chronic overachiever.

How fear of failure can shape our definition of success.

The relationship between performance, self-worth, and identity.

Drawing from his experiences in professional football, the military, and leadership development, Caleb brings a unique perspective to the pressures faced by high performers. His work centers on helping individuals and organizations develop the internal capacity to navigate uncertainty, sustain performance, and respond to pressure with greater clarity.
Connect with Caleb:
Personal Website
Preorder Unstriving: 12 Lessons on Authentic Success From a Recovering Over-Achiever
LinkedIn
🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/30PvU9C 
🛍️ Recommended Books from this Episode
📖 Unstriving: 12 Lessons on Authentic Success from a Recovering Overachiever – A thoughtful guide to redefining success, letting go of constant striving, and creating a more balanced approach to achievement, growth, and fulfillment.
👉 Get it here
📘 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think – A collection of reflections on personal growth, relationships, self-awareness, and the mindset shifts that can help transform the way you view life and yourself.
👉 Check it out
📙 Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones – A practical framework for building better habits, improving daily systems, and making small changes that lead to meaningful long-term results.
👉 Explore it here
📕 The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself – A guide to mindfulness, inner freedom, and understanding your thoughts and emotions to develop greater peace and self-awareness.
👉 Discover it here
Note: These are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps support the podcast. Thank you!

Healthcare has traditionally focused on treating problems after they arise. Keith Bozeman, the founder of MEDgevity, believes the model is shifting toward something more proactive: helping people understand, monitor, and improve their health before problems become more serious.
In this episode, we sit down with Keith to explore the growing field of longevity medicine and the movement toward more personalized, data-driven healthcare. Founded from Keith's own experience as a patient, MEDgevity was created around the idea that people need more than a doctor they see when they're sick — they need a team helping them stay healthy in the first place…
Hit play to learn about:
How longevity medicine is changing the traditional healthcare model.

The importance of preventive and proactive healthcare.

Why personalized health requires more than a single medical perspective.

The roles of physicians, registered dietitians, and exercise scientists.

How diagnostics such as bloodwork, DEXA scans, and genetic testing can inform personalized care.

As healthcare continues moving toward prevention, personalization, and continuous health management, the boundaries between medicine, fitness, nutrition, and wellness are becoming increasingly blurred. Keith is here to share his perspective on where this evolution is heading and what a more proactive approach to healthcare could look like.
Connect with Keith:
MEDgevity
LinkedIn
🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/30PvU9C 
🛍️ Recommended Books from this Episode
📖 Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity – A science-driven guide to extending healthspan by focusing on prevention, metabolic health, exercise, nutrition, and strategies for reducing the risks of age-related diseases.
👉 Get it here
📘 The Blue Zones, Second Edition: 9 Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest – An exploration of the world's longest-lived communities and the lifestyle habits, routines, and principles associated with longevity and healthy aging.
👉 Check it out
📙 Why We Get Sick: The Hidden Epidemic at the Root of Most Chronic Disease—and How to Fight It – A look at the underlying causes of chronic disease, including metabolic health, insulin resistance, and lifestyle factors that influence long-term wellness.
👉 Explore it here
📕 Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health – A guide to understanding metabolism, cellular energy, and how improving metabolic function can support better health, performance, and longevity.
👉 Discover it here
Note: These are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps support the podcast. Thank you!

In this episode, we connect with research scientist and C60 specialist Ken Swartz, known as "Ken the Scientist," to explore Carbon 60 (C60), the science behind the molecule, and its growing presence in conversations around cellular health, oxidative stress, and longevity.
Ken's interest in C60 began while working on fusion reactor technology and researching the effects of radiation. His work introduced him to Buckminsterfullerene, a unique carbon molecule with properties that sparked his interest in its potential applications beyond the laboratory. What began as part of his scientific research eventually became the focus of his career.
During this conversation, Ken breaks down what C60 is, how it interacts with free radicals, and why researchers have become interested in its possible relationship with oxidative stress and mitochondrial function…
Join in now to explore:
The science behind Carbon 60 and Buckminsterfullerene.

How C60 interacts with free radicals and oxidative stress.

Ken's background in research science and fusion technology.

Why C60 has attracted attention in mitochondrial and cellular health.

Ken is the founder and Chief Science Officer of C60 Purple Power, where he has focused on the research, development, and production of C60 products. With a background in laboratory research and applied science, he brings a technical perspective to a something that continues to generate interest across the health, wellness, and longevity communities.
Connect with Ken:
C60 Purple Power
WhatisC60.org
Instagram
🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/30PvU9C
🛍️ Recommended Books from this Episode
📖 Mitochondria and the Future of Medicine: The Key to Understanding Disease, Chronic Illness, Aging, and Life Itself – An exploration of mitochondrial science and its role in understanding energy production, health, aging, and the future of medicine.
👉 Get it here
📘 The Longevity Diet: Discover the New Science Behind Stem Cell Activation and Regeneration to Slow Aging, Fight Disease, and Optimize Weight – A guide to nutrition, fasting, and lifestyle strategies focused on supporting healthy aging, metabolic health, and longevity.
👉 Check it out
📙 Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don't Have To – A deep dive into the biology of aging, longevity research, and the scientific approaches being explored to extend healthspan and improve quality of life.
👉 Explore it here
📕 The Telomere Effect: A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer – Examines how lifestyle choices, stress management, exercise, sleep, and nutrition may influence telomere health and support healthier aging.
👉 Discover it here
Note: These are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps support the podcast. Thank you!