The Jason Cavness Experience

Jason Cavness
  • 5.0 (105)
  • Business
  • Updated Weekly

The Jason Cavness Experience is where I talk to entrepreneurs and other interesting people.

  1. 15h ago

    Dr. Dave Hester on AI Governance, Consciousness, and Why We're Not Ready for What's Coming

    We're building artificial intelligence the way we built nuclear weapons, without the wisdom to manage it. Neuroscientist and AI ethics advisor Dr. Dave Hester argues that regulation isn't coming from Congress; it's coming from you, your company, and the engineers who know the real risks. If the researchers behind GPT and Claude are asking for a slowdown, we should pay attention. This is not a podcast about AI slop or image filters. This is about the moment right before we decide whether AI serves everyone or just the people who can afford it. It's also about consciousness, multiverse theory, why your brain is constantly connecting memories you didn't know were there, and how to actually change a habit (spoiler: it's not willpower). We also discuss: • What most AI mental health chatbots get dangerously wrong • Why psychedelics are helping combat veterans more than the VA ever did • The neuroscience of why some people have no internal dialogue and how that changes their life  • Genetic engineering, CRISPR, and who really gets access • The Seattle tech ecosystem and what makes the Pacific Northwest different  • How your kids' brains are literally outpacing education • Whether a second version of you exists in another multiverse Guest: Dr. Dave Hester (LinkedIn: go4dave, bio.site/musingyu) Host: Jason Cavness (The Jason Cavness Experience, linkedin.com/in/jasoncavness) Subscribe to The Jason Cavness Experience for new episodes every Tuesday.

  2. Sep 29

    How a Gold Star Military Spouse Built a 3D Printing Company Around Real Math

    Paula Thomas left Amazon after 14 years as a software engineer. She's now running Viter Manufacturing—a 3D printing company focused on custom retail displays. But she's not a typical startup founder. She's a Gold Star military spouse, which means her husband died in service. Her approach to building a company around grief, resilience, and curiosity is the opposite of the hype-and-speed culture that dominates tech.  In this conversation, we talk about why most 3D printing startups fail (the hidden costs nobody tracks), how to know when to push through and when to walk away, the power of learning out loud and getting called out publicly, and why innovation actually requires the customer sitting at the table with you from day one. We also discuss: • Why resilience is a skill you build early, not something you develop in crisis • The brutal math behind 3D printing pricing and why so many entrepreneurs get it wrong • Gold Star families, TAPS and the resources most military families don't know exist • From software engineering to 3D printing: what skills transfer, what doesn't • Beta programs that flip the script on R&D costs • How military spouses are the most underemployed demographic in America • Why listening is harder than talking,and why it matters more Paula links: Weiter Manufacturing  weiter-mfg.com  Paula Thomas on LinkedIn — linkedin.com/in/paula-thomas Jason links: The Jason Cavness Experience thejasoncavnessexperience.com  Jason on LinkedIn — linkedin.com/in/jasoncavness Cavness LLC — cavness.io

  3. Sep 22

    20 And Building A Brand — Chancy Williams

    Chancy Williams didn't know the difference between GSM and cotton blend six months ago. Now he's running his own streetwear brand, Majority, funded entirely out of a 9-to-5 job and a college class schedule. Chancy is 20, a double major in international business and marketing, and the son of one of my old Army buddies. We get into why he started a clothing brand before he had a real job, what happened when his first bulk order came back ruined, and why he thinks his generation needs to stop waiting for permission to start something. We also discuss: Why he chose sweatpants and hoodies as his first drop instead of T-shirts Getting burned by an overseas manufacturer and what he'd do differently Funding a business entirely himself while working retail in Florida The lesson that changed how he thinks about marketing before inventory exists What "Majority" as a brand name actually means to him  Chancy's links Personal: https://www.instagram.com/chayfrmitaly/  Majority (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/majority.rpt/ Majority (TikTok) https://www.tiktok.com/@majority.rpt?     (TikTok): https://www.tiktok.com/@majority.rpt?_r=1&_t=ZT-98fdkoKbu5V Jason's links https://linktr.ee/jasoncavness

  4. Sep 15

    How He's Taking On a $2 Billion Software Giant — Keith McCall

    Keith McCall is building a company that watches the Earth from above. Omniris pulls imagery from drones, satellites, and IoT sensors, overlays it on a map, and adds the one thing that makes data powerful  time. Capture the same field or cell tower ten times across a year and you get a living database, a digital twin more useful than anything sitting in a spreadsheet. His network of 4,000 independent drone pilots has flown Walmart's headquarters, Amazon distribution centers, 11,000 Verizon cell towers, and solar farms around the world.  Keith is the CEO of Omniris, along with the ag-tech company Pollen Systems and the wine venture Everyvine. He and Jason get into why he ripped out a $2 billion incumbent and bet on open source, how he handles data sovereignty across Azure, AWS, and on-premise servers from Saudi Arabia to Chile, and why he thinks the billions being poured into AI valuations could evaporate faster than anyone expects. We also discuss: Why he went open source to scale past a $2 billion competitor The AI valuation bubble and how Chinese model distillation could wipe it out Smart cities. Why Seattle's cameras, drones, and traffic lights aren't on one geospatial layer The coming food crisis and the aging-farmer knowledge problem behind his ag-tech work Hiring for communication, collaboration, and compassion over pedigree Ranking family offices first and venture capital last when raising money    Keith's links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithmccall/ Omniris: https://omniris.world/ Pollen Systems: https://www.pollensystems.com/ Everyvine: http://www.everyvine.com Eastside Entrepreneurs: https://eastent.org/ Jason links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncavness Follow the show so you don't miss an episode.

  5. Sep 8

    Why Local Government Stops Improving — Brien Kennedy

    Most elected officials face voters. Many local officials never face an opponent. Brien Kennedy left a career scaling e-commerce businesses at Amazon, Microsoft, Nuun Hydration, and SmartyPants Vitamins to work inside the Kitsap County Superior Court. What he saw was a system that people depend on during some of the hardest moments of their lives. But often cannot understand or navigate. Now he is running in only the third contested race for Kitsap County Clerk in 28 years.  We also discuss: • Why uncontested elections create complacency  • What a county clerk actually controls • Why 20 to 30 people each week enter divorce court without a lawyer • How confusing court processes punish people who cannot afford representation • Using dashboards, audits, and data to make government accountable • What Amazon taught Brien about writing, preparation, and measurable results  • How he helped scale SmartyPants Vitamins and Nuun Hydration toward acquisition • Why local elections can affect your daily life more than national politics  Brien's links Website: https://kennedyforclerk.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kennedyforclerk/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kennedyforclerk Local leadership matters more than most people realize. Follow The Jason Cavness Experience for more conversations with founders, operators, veterans, and community leaders working to create real change. Find every episode and connect with Jason here: https://linktr.ee/jasoncavness

  6. Sep 1

    Culture Is a Business Advantage Suleiny Altamirano

    Preserving culture requires more than celebrating it. The traditions also need customers, economic opportunity, and a path to the next generation. Suleiny Altamirano, founder and CEO of Tizana Mexicana, shares how moving from Guerrero, Mexico, to Seattle inspired her to build a bridge between Mexican artisans and new markets. She explains why trust matters more than technology, how immigrant founders can build a new support system, and why social impact companies still need a sustainable business model. We also discuss: • Why immigrant founders need to create a new family of mentors, supporters, and collaborators  • How Tizana Mexicana works with approximately 175 artisans • Why artisan products cannot compete on price alone • How cultural traditions disappear when creators cannot earn a living • Building trust across language, banking, technology, and communication barriers • Why founders should talk about their ideas before they feel ready • Balancing social impact with profitability • Expanding beyond Washington and bringing more artisans to Seattle  • The role of community in entrepreneurship and leadership Suleiny' links" LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suly-altamirano  Website: https://www.tizanamexicana.com Instagram: @tizanamexicana Jason's CTA:  Subscribe to The Jason Cavness Experience on YouTube for more conversations with founders, operators, and builders turning personal experience into meaningful companies. Jason's links:  https://linktr.ee/jasoncavness

  7. Aug 25

    Why Most Influencer Marketing Fails with Alex Shebar

    Most brands do not have an influencer problem. They have a strategy problem. Alex Shebar, founder of NYC Social Club, explains why generic campaigns, rigid scripts, and oversized creator lists fail to generate meaningful results. He breaks down how brands can find creators who match their audience, test content without wasting their budget, and build smaller communities that actually care. We also discuss:  • Why 10 engaged followers can be more valuable than 1,000 passive ones • How community managers keep online communities alive • Why brands should stop trying to reach everyone • The problem with publishing 100 mediocre posts a day • How to identify and amplify content that is already working • Why niche creators are becoming more valuable • How Alex built NYC Social Club and began working with major brands • What hackathons teach builders about deadlines and creativity • Why consistency matters more than one viral moment Alex's links:  NYC Social Club: https://www.NYCSocialClub.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-shebar/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@featuringalex Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexshebar/ Jason links: https://linktr.ee/jasoncavness

  8. Aug 18

    Why Encryption Fails Under Pressure with Josh Thomas

    The strongest encryption in the world cannot protect you when someone can force you to unlock your phone. Josh Thomas, founder of Deniable, explains why conventional mobile security ignores coercion and how plausible deniability changes the equation. He also shares a hard-earned rule for builders: decide what would make you kill a project before your identity, money, and emotions become attached to it.  We also discuss: • Why institutions often capture problems instead of solving them  • How incentives shape behavior inside nonprofits and the United Nations  • Why every startup should establish a kill metric • Building technology for high-risk environments • What Josh learned traveling through North Korea and Central Asia • Raising globally curious children • Why people across borders have more in common than we assume  Josh's links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshthom/ Deniable: https://deniable.io Karakoram: https://karakoram.co Jason links: https://linktr.ee/jasoncavness

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The Jason Cavness Experience is where I talk to entrepreneurs and other interesting people.

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