AI Voices of Reason

About the ShowAI Voices of Reason brings together the Chairman of EverQuote, the CEO of LendingTree, and the CEO of EverQuote — alongside the Founder of Symphony42 (AI Voice & Avatar Agents for Customer Acquisition) — for honest, operator-driven conversations about Voice AI in insurance and lending. This isn't hype. These are the people deploying AI voice agents at scale, navigating the regulatory landscape in real time, and deciding what "consumer-first" actually looks like when a machine is on the other end of the call. Our MissionThe mission of AI Voices of Reason is to define what consumer-first actually means in Voice AI—so the market can tell who's living it and building it and who's just saying it. In an industry flooded with buzzwords and marketing claims, we cut through the noise. Why This PodcastThere's no shortage of podcasts about AI's future. Dave Blundin co-hosts Moonshots with Peter Diamandis, covering broad AI breakthroughs and exponential technology. AI Voices of Reason is different: it's sector-specific, operator-driven, and consumer-focused. Two public-company CEOs and a veteran AI investor talk about what's actually happening — right now — in insurance and lending. Not what's theoretically possible. What's deployed, what's working, what's breaking, and what consumers actually experience when AI picks up the phone. Honoring the Founders This podcast was originally conceived by Dave Blundin and Doug Lebda, founder and CEO of LendingTree, in mid-2025. Doug passed away unexpectedly in October 2025. Scott Peyree, who succeeded Doug as CEO, carries forward LendingTree's vision for this project. EverQuote's story carries a parallel: founder and CEO Seth Birnbaum passed away unexpectedly in November 2020. Jayme Mendal, who Seth had mentored and promoted to President, succeeded him as CEO. Both Scott and Jayme lead companies built by founders who left too soon. AI Voices of Reason honors Doug Lebda and Seth Birnbaum — their entrepreneurial vision, their commitment to consumers, and the teams they built that carry their work forward. Why Listen?Learn from leaders who have built industry-defining companiesUnderstand what separates genuine consumer-first AI from hypeGet insights into the future of Voice AI in financial servicesAccess slide decks and resources from each episode