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Tacos and Tech Podcast

Neal Bloom
Tacos and Tech Podcast
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  • Techstars San Diego Powered by San Diego State Year 3 with Misti Cain
    Applications are open for the next accelerator program! In this episode, Neal Bloom chats with Misti Cain, the new Managing Director of Techstars San Diego powered by SDSU. They discuss the upcoming Year 3 of the program, the application process, and what makes an ideal founder and company for the accelerator. Misty shares insights into the benefits of the SDSU partnership, the updated investment terms, and the importance of community and mentorship in the Techstars ecosystem. Key Topics: - Introduction of Misty Cain as the new Managing Director - Overview of Techstars San Diego powered by SDSU Year 3 - Application details: Open from April 8 to June 11, 2024 - Ideal founder and company profile - Benefits of the SDSU partnership - Updated investment terms: $220,000 total with $200,000 uncapped MFN safe - Importance of community and mentorship - Shoutout to Ryan Kuder for his contributions to Techstars in San Diego - Misty's favorite taco spot: Puesto in Del Mar   Links and Resources: - Techstars San Diego powered by SDSU Information - Refer Founders   Connect with Misty Cain: - LinkedIn: Misti Cain https://www.linkedin.com/in/misticain/ Connect with Neal Bloom: - LinkedIn: Neal Bloom https://www.linkedin.com/in/nealbbloom - Twitter: @NealBloom https://twitter.com/NealBloom
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  • 🎙️ This Week in San Diego Tech (4/21/25 Edition)
    🔊Listen & Subscribe: Available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and other major platforms. 👋 Welcome! Welcome to This Week in San Diego Tech! I’m Neal Bloom from Fresh Brewed Tech, the Tacos and Tech Podcast, and Interlock Capital. Joining me as always is Fred Grier, journalist and author of The Business of San Diego Substack, covering startups, funding, and M&A across the region. 🗞️Top Headlines This Week: 🎶 Music Tech Meets the Symphony - link Interlock Capital hosted 30+ tech leaders for a behind-the-scenes tour of the newly renovated Jacobs Music Center ($150M remodel!) The tech community showed up at the San Diego Symphony’s Discovery Night, featuring jazz, Mardi Gras flair, and remarks by ResMed CEO Mick Farrell The call to action: it’s time for the next generation of founders to support arts, science, and innovation in SD 🚀 Startup 101 & Founders Funnel Kickoff - link Neal and Tim Ryan launched Startup 101, a community event for early-stage builders to explore the “car, plane, or rocket ship” path of growth 10 attendees, curated cohort, high demand for more, filling a new cohort each quarter - and Founders Build Day now expanding to 3 monthly locations in May! 💰 Funding Rounds Symphonic Capital raises $13.5M for its debut fund, led by Sydney Thomas (ex-Precursor), focused on fintech and digital health Read Fred’s article » Bliss AI, an aesthetic-focused AR software platform, secures Series A funding (co-founder based in North County) Biolinq raises $90M for non-invasive glucose sensing — originally spun out of UCSD labs and now scaling hard SEC filing » 🧬 NIH Funding Shakeup & Market Headwinds - link UCSD sees $150M+ in NIH funding paused or cut, impacting researchers and early-stage startups Federal agency funding delays (FDA, DOD, SBIR) creating ripples in life sciences and defense tech Tariffs, market uncertainty, and reduced VC capital raise concerns for hardware and deep tech founders 🧱 Real Estate & Ecosystem Expansion Pfizer moves to new Torrey View campus Novartis to build a $1.1B San Diego R&D hub Prebys Foundation acquires Wells Fargo Plaza for $40M (previously $148M), signaling interest in downtown tech corridor GemPharmatech, Qpex, and BioLabs expanding presence in the region EvoNexus UTC set to open new space for medtech/life science founders in May 👟 SDSU Goes Jordan San Diego State men’s basketball team debuts custom Air Jordan 4 PEs — only 50 pairs made! See them here » 🗓️ Community Events & Ecosystem News One Million Cups is back! Every Wednesday at 8am @ Ansir Innovation in Convoy Two startup presentations + community feedback Event photo recap » Interlock Capital LP + Portfolio Founder Day LPs and founders will be connecting in curated roundtables to move the needle on growth The Social Coyote has your curated event list: Subscribe here »   💬 Final Shoutouts Thanks to Michael Robertson and other listeners for your feedback — we’re testing a shorter intro song this week! Follow Fred on Substack » and Neal on Fresh Brewed Tech »  
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  • From Cables to Cloud: Floyd Auten’s Top Tech Journey of Innovation
    How a third-generation builder turned a storage-unit startup into a national infrastructure powerhouse—and what’s next for tech’s invisible backbone. Floyd Auten, COO and co-founder of TechNet Partners, joins Neal for an episode that digs deep into the literal and figurative foundations of tech. From punchdowns in high school to powering stadiums and data centers across the country, Floyd shares how his family legacy in electrical work turned into a career designing the infrastructure that keeps the digital world running. They talk about life safety systems, the rise of AI tools in design, the Padres’ Wi-Fi network, and how Floyd’s team at TechNet is scaling services across all 50 states. Floyd also shares what it meant to win the Top Tech Award in 2024—and why he’s excited to help spotlight other behind-the-scenes innovators this year. 🔑 Key Takeaways & Timestamps: [2:00] Floyd’s start: lessons from his grandfather’s Navy electrician days [5:30] How TechNet grew from a storage-unit office to 300+ employees [9:00] Life safety tech: upgrading USC’s 911 system and keeping infrastructure resilient [12:30] Data center growth + designing for sustainability [17:00] From Padres Wi-Fi to MLB partnerships and stadium-scale solutions [21:00] Floyd’s long-running partnership with Cox Business [26:30] Winning a Top Tech Award and inspiring the next wave of tech leaders [29:00] Advice for founders and future tech leaders: love the work, and find mentors [33:00] 🌮 Taco Talk: Floyd’s go-to spot is TJ Tacos in Escondido 🏆 Top Tech Awards: Floyd was recognized at the 2024 Top Tech Awards - and now he’s helping select the next generation of unsung tech heroes. 👉 Know someone making tech magic happen behind the scenes? Nominations are now open for the 2025 Top Tech Awards! Submit yours before May 2 at toptechawards.com 🔗 Links: Floyd Auten on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/floyd-auten-rcdd-364a4410 TechNet Partners: technetpartners.com Top Tech Awards Nomination: toptechawards.com TJ Tacos: Yelp link
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  • Living in Your Greatness: Building Empires Through Relationships with Jeff Fenster
    Meet Jeff Fenster, a serial entrepreneur, problem solver, and relationship builder who’s scaled multiple businesses by identifying problems worth solving - and assembling the right team to tackle them. Inspired early on by A Shark Never Sleeps, Jeff set out to become a sports agent, only to pivot right after law school and dive into entrepreneurship. His first venture began with a bold move - calling his employer’s bluff and walking out to start his own company, only to face a major hiccup when payroll checks were accidentally sent to clients. Through trial, error, and big wins, Jeff has honed his entrepreneurial philosophy: “If you can live in your greatness, success is guaranteed.” That philosophy was put to the test when he dreamed up what would become Everbowl. Despite critics pointing out he wasn’t a chef - and that most restaurants fail - Jeff saw the opportunity. Why? Because business owners, not chefs, build successful restaurant brands. From that insight, he coined: “Experience is the most overrated prerequisite to starting a company.” From the lessons of building Everbowl, Jeff launched his latest venture - WeBuild - a company that helps others bring their physical business ideas to life by streamlining construction and buildouts. Jeff also shares insights weekly on his podcast, The Jeff Fenster Show, where he interviews top performers, athletes, entrepreneurs, and creators about what makes them great.   In this episode, we talk about: • How Jeff approaches building multiple businesses at once • The role of self-awareness in entrepreneurial success • His 5 core principles for life and business • His latest book, Relationship Capital, which dives into the power of networking, mentorship, and building value through people • Business relationships with names like Neil Patel, Drew Brees, Shaq, and the GoFundMe founders • Why he believes investing in people is the ultimate multiplier • His new venture, WeBuild, and what he’s solving next • And the power of storytelling through The Jeff Fenster Show   Plus, we get into tacos (of course): Jeff’s favorite taco spot: Casero Taqueria His taco order: The al pastor, shrimp, and whatever the weekly special is.
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  • This Week in San Diego Tech Podcast - April 4, 2025
    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-hosts 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. April 4, 2025 Padres 7-0, Dodgers 8-0 in their starts Fred’s Q1 report Class of 2025 Cool Companies Fundings: Thatch AI Global M&A data Red markets because of tariffs Qualcomm acquisition news: Acquires Gen AI company & rumored to be considering acquiring UK semiconductor company Cymbiotika ranks 10 fast-growing companies Leadership changes Blender CEO Steps up Shield AI New CEO   Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote 1st Mondays SSD April 7 1 Million Cups April 16 Connect Summer Social June 3
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About Tacos and Tech Podcast

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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