Tacos and Tech Podcast

Neal Bloom
  • 5.0 (37)
  • TECH NEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Tacos and Tech Podcast highlights the builders of companies, technologies, ecosystems with a local flair for our lifestyle as well. risingtidepartners.substack.com

  1. Podcast: Sleep, Science & Invisible Care

    2D AGO

    Podcast: Sleep, Science & Invisible Care

    Susie Harborth joins the pod to share her journey from refugee immigrant and first-generation college student to biotech operator, ecosystem builder, and now founder-investor behind Inspirafund and Sencie. After building early-stage life science companies, launching BioLabs in San Diego, and working across venture and banking, Susie is now placing focused bets in overlooked but meaningful spaces - starting with sleep, rest, and recovery in hospitality. We dive into why sleep is emerging as a foundational performance lever, how design and “invisible care” shape human experience, and why Susie is building at the intersection of science, hospitality, and wellness. We also unpack her next venture concept, SuperHRO - an offboarding support platform for professionals navigating career transitions. This episode is about investing with conviction, building from lived experience, and designing for how humans actually feel - not just how systems operate. Key Topics * Growing up in San Diego as a refugee immigrant and discovering venture capital during the dot-com era * Why Susie chose to support scientists curing disease instead of becoming a doctor herself * Building BioLabs and designing physical hubs for “maximum human collision” * The difference between luxury and “invisible care” * Why sleep is the most underleveraged performance tool in modern life * The science behind circadian rhythms, REM quality, and cognitive performance * Sleep tourism and the opportunity in hospitality wellness * Launching Sencie and partnering with The Bower in Coronado * Why some opportunities are too niche for traditional VC — but perfect for focused capital * Introducing SuperHRO: rethinking HR and support during job transitions Links & Resources * Inspirafund - Personal investment platform backing overlooked, high-impact ideas * Sencie - Sleep and well-being experiences for hospitality and travel Connect On LinkedIn * Susie Harborth * Neal Bloom This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit risingtidepartners.substack.com/subscribe

    46 min
  2. This Week In San Diego Tech News

    6D AGO

    This Week In San Diego Tech News

    Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube. Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News! I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners. 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 thank and ask our listeners 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! 3/12 * Seasats visit debrief * BlueNalu tasting debrief * SD Angel Academy Debrief * $100 Genome by Element Bio * New fundings: * Candid Therapeutics reverse merger of $500M+ * Spinogenix * Qureator * NuFund Ventures Closes Most Successful Year Since 2021 * BAE Systems wins support contract for F-16 * Carlsbad proposed for undersea hub for cables between US and Australia Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote Longevity Innovation Forum 2026 March 11 San Diego AgTech Gathering March 19 March Mingle March 25 SD AI x Bio March 26 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit risingtidepartners.substack.com/subscribe

    21 min
  3. Company Creation as a Commodity

    MAR 11

    Company Creation as a Commodity

    Episode Summary In this episode of the AI Builders Roundtable, the builders cross a line. Instead of just discussing AI-native companies, they use one - Polsia AI - to start new businesses live on the show. Neal, Craig, and Greg spin up real ventures, fund them, and watch agents begin executing tasks in real time. MVPs get scoped. Outreach campaigns get drafted. Websites get built. Autonomous execution starts. What begins as a demo turns into a deeper conversation about ownership, liability, trust, agent-to-agent commerce, and what happens when company creation becomes a commodity. This isn’t a thought experiment. It’s builders testing the edge. Key Topics * Launching AI-native companies live with Polsia AI * Funding autonomous agents to build and operate startups * When execution collapses toward zero * Agent-run outreach, marketing, and MVP development * Who holds liability when agents transact autonomously * Micro-venture economics and short business life cycles * Building for agents, not just humans * Why emotional trust may become more valuable in an autonomous world Links & Resources * Polsia AI Connect on LinkedIn * Neal Bloom * Craig Lauer * Greg Moser This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit risingtidepartners.substack.com/subscribe

    25 min
  4. Logistics Wins Wars

    MAR 10

    Logistics Wins Wars

    In this episode of Tacos & Tech, Neal Bloom sits down with Peter Goldsborough, co-founder and CTO of Rune, to unpack one of the most overlooked but decisive factors in modern warfare: logistics. Peter shares how his background in software and defense tech led him to a simple realization-while billions have been spent on weapons and command systems, military logistics still runs on spreadsheets, whiteboards, and paper. The conversation explores why future conflicts will be won or lost on decision speed, not firepower, and how Rune is turning logistics into a real-time, data-driven decision system used by the Army and Marines today. This episode dives into defense innovation, software in degraded environments, and why fixing logistics isn’t just a military problem-it’s a cognitive one. Key Topics * Why logistics decides wars * The problem with spreadsheets and whiteboards in the DoD * Turning logistics into a real-time decision system * Defense tech speed vs legacy procurement * Software for disconnected and high-stress environments * Lessons from Ukraine and the Pacific theater * When logistics becomes the bottleneck * Building resilient software for the physical world Links * Rune Connect on LinkedIn * Peter Goldsborough * Neal Bloom This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit risingtidepartners.substack.com/subscribe

    34 min
  5. Shipping with AI

    MAR 5

    Shipping with AI

    Episode Summary In Episode 3 of the AI Builders Roundtable, the conversation jumps right into deployment. Craig, Greg, and Derrick break down what it actually looks like to run AI agents inside real companies - from shipping production code with Cursor to publishing crowdsourced sports data on-chain, to experimenting with autonomous bots that learn in public. This isn’t a hype conversation. It’s builders comparing notes while actively rewiring their businesses around AI-native workflows. The throughline:The interface is changing. The architecture is changing. The buyer may not even be human anymore. Key Topics * Why founders can’t afford to “wait and see” on AI * Edge models vs. cloud models - and why local compute is resurging * OpenClaw, Claude Code, GLM, and the new agent toolchain * Publishing data to blockchain as an AI settlement layer * Turning APIs into agent-friendly microtransactions * How AI compresses feedback loops inside product teams * SEO in a world where agents, not humans, query first * Building for networks vs. building for agents Links & Resources * ScoreStream Connect on LinkedIn * Neal Bloom * Craig Lauer * Greg Moser * Derrick Oien This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit risingtidepartners.substack.com/subscribe

    53 min
  6. The Retail Data Gap

    MAR 4

    The Retail Data Gap

    In this episode, Neal sits down with Samantha Pantazopoulos, co-founder of Vizer, to unpack the company’s pivot from a consumer fitness rewards app to a B2B retail demand engine used by brands like Olipop and Health-Ade. What started as a mission-driven app tying workouts to food bank donations evolved - through COVID, retailer shutdowns, and customer pull - into a platform helping brands drive measurable retail velocity across Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, and beyond. This conversation dives into what it really takes to pivot, how offers power demand generation, and why grocery may be one of the most complex - and fascinating - battlegrounds in tech today. Key Topics * How Vizer pivoted from consumer app to enterprise CPG platform * Why COVID forced a rethink of the original marketplace model * The fragmented world of grocery offers: paper, rebate, retailer apps, and beyond * Turning marketing impressions into measurable retail conversions * Compressing the funnel with QR codes, paid media, and off-site offers * The tension between DTC, Amazon, and in-store retail strategies * Why data in CPG has historically lagged behind DTC * How brands are thinking about AI in retail * What drives trial and long-term retention in grocery * Creative campaigns: sweepstakes, surprise-and-delight, and experiential activations Links & Resources * Vizer Connect on LinkedIn * Samantha Pantazopoulos This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit risingtidepartners.substack.com/subscribe

    49 min
  7. This Week In San Diego Tech News

    MAR 3

    This Week In San Diego Tech News

    Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube. Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News! I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners. 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 thank and ask our listeners 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! 2/22 * SD Wind Tunnel Debrief * Biotech Mixer Debrief * Cal AI acquired * Atrium Spins out from Novartis with $270M * Tandem Diabetes bests $1B in sales * Software programs decline except at ucsd * https://x.com/aakashgupta/status/2024710361950384531?s=20 * Fred named to SDBJ Black Leaders of Influence Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote * SDAC Founder Applications are due this Thursday March 5 * SD Founders Hike March 6 * SD Angel Academy March 6 * Alliance Societal Impact - Family Office Summit March 15-16 * March Mingle March 25 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit risingtidepartners.substack.com/subscribe

    24 min
  8. On The Radar — Episode 6

    MAR 1

    On The Radar — Episode 6

    A short audio reflection on what changes when context stops resetting. And what happens when it starts compounding instead. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit risingtidepartners.substack.com/subscribe

    2 min
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5
out of 5
37 Ratings

About

The Tacos and Tech Podcast highlights the builders of companies, technologies, ecosystems with a local flair for our lifestyle as well. risingtidepartners.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Neal Bloom
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    188
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Neal Bloom
  • Show Website
    Tacos and Tech Podcast

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