CV Podcast

Blake Gibson
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Welcome to the Cowles Ventures Podcast, the best podcast to learn about entrepreneurship and starting your own business!

  1. 10h ago

    Can a Box Stop a Wildfire? | Jacob Schuler & Jabez LeBret, Blaze Barrier

    Jacob Schuler and Jabez LeBret of Blaze Barrier on stopping wildfires while they're small. When firefighters run out of water, they still grab shovels and dig. Jacob Schuler, founder and CEO of Blaze Barrier, is an engineer who built a faster way: a box you pull across the ground that lays down a 25-foot fire line in about 30 seconds. Jacob and head of sales Jabez LeBret tell Blake Gibson how a barn fire became a company, why the first prototype was pool noodles and firecrackers, and why they manufacture every unit in Spokane County. In this episode: - How a single barn fire started it all - How the barrier works on the ground - From pool noodles to a product - Raising pre-seed and seed, and what changed - Why everyone in firefighting takes your call - Building in Spokane instead of overseas - Hiring slow, firing fast, and moving quickly - Advice for new founders: find the passion first Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:44 The barn fire that started Blaze Barrier 3:02 How Blaze Barrier works 6:47 An engineer, not a firefighter 10:13 V1 was pool noodles and firecrackers 11:27 The investor meeting that made it real 13:03 Raising pre-seed and seed 14:40 How Jabez joined the team 17:26 Selling to homeowners, businesses and government 21:44 Growing without losing the mission 26:40 Advice for new founders 29:09 Why build it in Spokane 31:48 Scaling up to meet demand 37:28 Hire slow, fire fast 39:00 Biggest lessons 42:25 The 10-year vision 45:29 Wildfire needs more innovators Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn5RNL7RaW3LEul5inqcVXw?sub_confirmation=1

  2. Oct 29

    Would You Pay the Ransom? How Hackers Target Healthcare | Joe Gellatly, Medcurity

    Ransomware gangs don't just lock hospital data anymore. They copy it first, then haggle over the price. Joe Gellatly is the co-founder and CEO of Medcurity, a Spokane company that helps hospitals and clinics measure and lower their HIPAA security risk all year, not once a year. Blake asks him how a ransomware attack actually plays out, why healthcare only gets audited after a breach, how AI has made phishing almost impossible to spot, and how Medcurity uses AI agents to show up when people ask ChatGPT who to hire. Cowles Ventures has backed Medcurity since its early days. Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:55 Two decades in healthcare, and the niche nobody wanted 2:30 The practice manager who couldn't sleep 3:21 Why a 120-page report changes nothing 4:57 Why your medical records are worth stealing 6:11 Ransomware: who pays and how much 6:56 When a backup isn't enough 7:31 Negotiating with hackers 7:59 Why hospitals keep it quiet 9:30 How AI sped up cyber attacks 10:02 Phishing is still the way in 11:08 Spear phishing at scale 13:19 We cloned our CEO's voice 14:15 "Joe never writes this well" 14:57 How a security risk analysis works 17:19 On-site walkthroughs in all 50 states 18:49 Why badge audits matter 19:55 Selling security to hospitals 20:51 No audit until after a breach 21:45 The customers who call after an attack 22:47 AI in the exam room 25:04 The risk of sitting out AI 26:38 How AI changed Medcurity 28:06 AI agents running marketing 29:51 How ChatGPT decides who to recommend 32:15 "Grok says you're the best" 33:45 How a founder's job changes 37:31 Move fast, don't break anything 38:19 Asking ChatGPT to put Medcurity out of business 40:52 What he'd do differently 43:51 Are entry-level jobs coming back? 47:00 Skip the AI course 48:15 The next five years 52:17 Joe's advice: lean in now Subscribe for more conversations with Inland Northwest founders, operators and business owners: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn5RNL7RaW3LEul5inqcVXw?sub_confirmation=1 #Cybersecurity #HIPAA #HealthcareIT #Spokane #CowlesVenturesPodcast

  3. Oct 22

    How Big Is My Fish? Building Fishtechy From a North Idaho River | Lawrence Sowell

    How big is my fish? Lawrence Sowell turned the oldestquestion in fishing into Fishtechy, a company that measures fish from a photo using the Proof Ball and AI.   Lawrence has started businesses in music promotion, realestate, marketing and app development, lived in Panama and in an RV, and now builds Fishtechy from Cataldo, Idaho, on the Coeur d'Alene River. Blake Gibson asks him how he learns a new industry fast, why Fishtechy won't charge a subscription, how he earns anglers' trust with their data, and what he'slearned about raising money.   In this episode: - Inventing the Proof Ball, and why it had to be a ball - Why Fishtechy has no subscription - Letting anglers share data fish by fish - Launching before the app was ready - Talking to investors before you need to raise - The real schedule behind "it must be nice"

  4. Oct 14

    Are Insurers Pulling Out of Your Neighborhood? | Jared Shippey, COUNTRY Financial

    Insurers are pulling out of entire states and zip codes. Here's what that means for your home and what to do if your insurer drops you.Jared Shippey has spent nine years as a COUNTRY Financial representative in the Spokane area and runs his own agency, Guardianship Group Insurance. He started as a "scratch agent" with zero clients. Blake asks him what homeowners and drivers actually need to know before something goes wrong.Quick answers from this episode:- Are insurers leaving the Spokane area? Some carriers are refusing new quotes in certain states, zip codes and areas after big losses, and wildfire is now part of that here. 21:39- Can you still get coverage if you're dropped? Usually yes. Another carrier may take you, though often at a higher rate. Talk to your agent, real estate agent or lender. 24:18- Should you file a small claim? Call your agent first. A small payout can be followed by 3 to 5 years of higher rates. 28:16- Is minimum liability coverage enough? Jared says no. Going from state minimums to $100K, $250K or even $1M in liability usually costs less than people expect. 17:03- No claims in 20 years? Ask about raising your deductible to lower your premium. 29:05- Will AI replace insurance agents? Maybe for simple policies, but people still want a person when something goes wrong. 42:33Chapters0:00 Cold open0:41 From selling shoes to running his own agency3:59 Going full commission: sink or swim5:00 Starting from zero as a scratch agent9:07 Buying leads vs building referrals9:38 Working ON your business, not IN it12:06 Hiring his first team member14:35 Top 3 things to check on your insurance policy17:03 Liability limits and why minimum coverage is risky21:39 Wildfires: why insurers are pulling out of zip codes24:18 Dropped by your insurer? You still have options26:06 Why insurance rates go up (and sometimes down)28:16 Call your agent before you file a claim29:05 No claims in 20 years? Raise your deductible29:34 What separates a good insurance agent33:15 Word of mouth, sponsorships and the Spokane community36:16 Building a business with four kids at home39:39 His #1 advice: go with your gut (and Go for No)42:33 Will AI replace insurance agents?44:32 After the fire: what to do right nowSubscribe for more conversations with Inland Northwest founders, operators and business owners:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn5RNL7RaW3LEul5inqcVXw?sub_confirmation=1This episode is general information, not insurance or financial advice. Coverage, rates and eligibility vary by carrier, property and state. Talk to a licensed agent about your situation.#Spokane #HomeInsurance #Wildfire #Insurance #CowlesVenturesPodcast

    Are Insurers Pulling Out of Your Neighborhood? | Jared Shippey, COUNTRY Financial

  5. Oct 7

    Why 9 Out of 10 New Drugs Fail, and the Spokane Startup Fixing It

    Why do 93% of drug candidates fail once they reach clinical trials? Chandima Bandaranayaka, CEO of Precision Quantomics, explains the hidden data gap behind failed drugs, the $2 billion cost of bringing one to market, and how proteomics and AI could help close it. On Episode 43 of the Cowles Ventures Podcast, Blake Gibson sits down with Chandima to break down how his Spokane biotech company, spun out of WSU research, is building what he calls a Google Maps for drug development: a protein-level data layer that helps pharma companies predict how a drug will behave in humans before it ever reaches a clinical trial. In this episode: - Why 93% of drug candidates fail, and the translation gap between animal studies and humans - The 10-to-12-year, $2 billion road to bringing one drug to market - Why 92% of drugs used in children were never tested on children - How a database of 3.8 million protein data points helps predict drug behavior across different populations - How better data is reducing, not eliminating, animal testing - How AI changed their business model from data provider to end-to-end platform - Why "everything is a sale" for technical founders, and how to pitch deep tech to investors - Why Spokane could be the next Seattle for biotech If you work in biotech, pharma, drug development, healthcare innovation, or you're building a science company outside the big hubs, this one is packed with practical insights. Learn more about Precision Quantomics: https://precisionquantomics.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with founders, investors and operators building companies in Spokane and the Inland Northwest. #Biotech #DrugDevelopment #Pharma #AI #Spokane

  6. Sep 28

    AI Coding Is Getting Expensive. This Spokane Startup Is Fixing It | Code Lexica

    Why does your AI coding bill jump 5X overnight? Code Lexica co-founders Carter Bastian and Tristan Rees explain the hidden economics of AI coding tools like Claude Code, Codex and Cursor, and how their Spokane startup pivoted from codebase intelligence to cutting AI coding costs.On Episode 43 of the Cowles Ventures Podcast, Blake Gibson sits down with Carter and Tristan to unpack how a platform built to help engineers understand massive codebases turned into a tool that tracks and reduces runaway AI token spend for engineering teams.In this episode: How Carter started building Code Lexica right after GPT-3.5 launched, and met Tristan at a Spokane AI meetupWhy their first product, a tool for understanding any codebase, wasn't a painful enough problem to sellThe 3 things they got wrong about the AI coding market: how fast the tools improved, how fast adoption happened, and how much trust teams now give AI agentsWhy an Anthropic bill can jump 5X once a team crosses roughly 30 engineers and moves to enterprise pricingHow feeding AI coding agents the right code context cuts both errors and token costsWhy stealth mode is a mistake and shipping an imperfect product wins in the AI ageJevons paradox and whether AI will shrink engineering teams or create more demand for codeTheir long-term vision: a control plane for how companies govern AI coding tools across the whole orgIf you're an engineering leader, founder, or developer trying to understand AI coding costs, AI adoption, or building a SaaS startup outside Silicon Valley, this one is packed with practical takeaways.CHAPTERS0:00 Cold open: why your AI bill can 5X overnight0:43 Meet Carter Bastian and Tristan Rees of Code Lexica2:06 Building Code Lexica after GPT-3.53:50 Finding a co-founder at a Spokane AI event5:32 Big company vs startup: career advice for engineers6:45 What is codebase understanding?9:21 Why the first product wasn't a hair-on-fire problem11:22 3 things they got wrong about the AI coding market13:09 AI adoption trends and the governance problem14:06 The pivot to tracking and cutting AI coding spend14:55 The two mandates every engineering leader gets16:07 How code context cuts AI errors and token costs18:43 Built for developers: zero-friction setup19:35 Why your Anthropic bill jumps 5X at 30 engineers20:28 Becoming the control plane for AI coding21:54 Who Code Lexica sells to, from small teams to enterprise24:53 Model price hikes and the end of AI subsidies26:08 What drives AI prices up: regulation, energy and compute27:44 Will AI shrink engineering teams?30:00 Jevons paradox and the future demand for code31:57 Non-technical founders building real software33:11 Why stealth mode is a bad idea for startups35:24 Ship an imperfect product, fast37:58 Building an AI-first team40:16 Finding message-market fit42:54 "You'll get tired of your messaging first"44:48 Where Code Lexica is headed next48:21 Advice for founders: use 10X more AI49:15 Hot take: why founders need side projects50:17 Wrap-upLearn more about Code Lexica: https://app.codelexica.com/Watch Carter's first appearance on Episode 1:    • From Zero to Oversubscribed | How Code Lex...  Subscribe for more conversations with founders, investors and operators building companies in Spokane and the Inland Northwest.#AI #AICoding #Startups #SoftwareEngineering #Spokane

  7. Sep 17

    Why Data Centers and Labs Have the Same Energy Problem, and How to Fix Both | James Connelly

    In this episode of the Cowles Ventures Podcast, Blake sits down with James Connelly, CEO of My Green Lab, to break down why laboratories are some of the most energy intensive spaces in the world, more than data centers by some measures, and how his company built a certification standard now used by 43 of the top 50 biotech and pharma companies. We talk about: - Why a single fume hood can use as much energy as three American homes, and an ultra-low temperature freezer as much as two - The study finding that 2.2% of global plastic waste comes from academic research alone - Why My Green Lab split into a nonprofit and a for-profit subsidiary in 2023, and how that structure accelerated its mission instead of compromising it - How AstraZeneca's labs saw a 5X return on investment and a real jump in employee engagement scores after certifying - Why the certification intentionally avoided being the easiest or cheapest option, and chose rigor instead - Operating in 5,500 labs across 62 countries, and where the next wave of growth is coming from - Where AI genuinely helps scale sustainability audits, and the harder conversation about data center efficiency itself James shares tactical insight into building a nonprofit-for-profit hybrid, scaling a certification standard globally, and making corporate sustainability goals tangible for the people actually doing the work. If you're interested in sustainability, biotech, healthcare, entrepreneurship, or building a company with global reach out of Spokane, this conversation is packed with practical insights. Subscribe for more conversations with founders, investors, and operators building the next generation of companies. #sustainability #biotech #healthcare #climate #entrepreneurship #Spokane #podcast #startups

  8. Sep 9

    Nurse Turnover Costs $60,000 a Head. This Spokane Company Built the Fix

    In this episode of the Cowles Ventures Podcast, Blake sits down with David Heath, founder of Lighthouse, to break down why hospitals still run nurse staffing off a shared Excel spreadsheet with 12 tabs, why turnover costs a hospital about $60,000 per nurse, and how AI is finally starting to fix a system that's stayed broken because too many vested interests benefit from it staying that way. We talk about: • Why the US spends double per capita on healthcare compared to any other nation and still gets worse outcomes • How hospitals hire travel nurses 13 weeks in advance with almost no way to predict actual demand • The staffing grid problem, why an accounting tool built for spreadsheets became the backbone of nurse scheduling nationwide • Why Lighthouse 1.0, "Uber for nurses," failed and what building 2.0 with an industry insider taught them • How predictive modeling using weather, air quality, and news events forecasts ED volume up to 12 months out • Why meal and break compliance violations have cost Washington hospitals millions, and how software closes that gap • Why no country's healthcare model gets copied, and how politics keeps the US system from being fixed David shares tactical insight into healthcare operations, workforce technology, AI-driven forecasting, and building a company that solves a problem hospitals didn't know how to explain, let alone fix. If you're interested in healthcare technology, AI, workforce management, hospital operations, or building a company in Spokane, this conversation is packed with practical insights. Subscribe for more conversations with founders, investors, and operators building the next generation of companies.

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About

Welcome to the Cowles Ventures Podcast, the best podcast to learn about entrepreneurship and starting your own business!

Information

  • Creator
    Blake Gibson
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    48
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Blake Gibson
  • Show Website
    CV Podcast