Tacos and Tech Podcast

Episode SummaryRecorded live at the San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC 8) finale at SDSU, where Neal - the SDAC Fund 8 manager - and 40+ investors spent months turning 135 applications into six finalists, then handed out the checks on stage. You’ll hear all six pitches: * Cytodyme’s compliance automation for biotech, * Vium’s sinus device that makes antibiotics 36x more effective, * Polyvascular’s pediatric heart valve that grows with the child, * Shezza’s viral anti-blister sock (funded by a cross-country lawnmower race), * SESH’s blood test for a cancer biomarker most thought impossible to detect, and * My Village Innovations’ first reimagined speculum in 180 years. Key Topics* How SDAC turns 135 applications into six finalists* 40+ investors building conviction together* Cytodyme: compliance automation for biotech & medtech* Vium: a device that makes antibiotics 36x better* Polyvascular: a heart valve that grows with the child* Shezza: the viral anti-blister sock funded by a lawnmower race* SESH: a blood test for an “impossible” cancer biomarker* My Village Innovations: the first new speculum in 180 yearsLinks & Resources* San Diego Angel Conference * SDSU Lavin Entrepreneurship Center* The Lean Startup* Companies featured: Cytodyme, Vayim, Polyvascular, Shezza Socks, Sesh, My Village Innovations (ROSA Spec)Connect on LinkedIn* Neal Bloom* San Diego Angel Conference 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

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 worldLinks* 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

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 activationsLinks & Resources* VizerConnect 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

In this episode of Tacos & Tech, Neal Bloom sits down with Troy Helming, founder and CEO of EarthGrid, to explore one of the most ambitious infrastructure plays of our time: building an underground super grid. Troy shares how a chance conversation about Navy SEAL plasma cutters sparked the idea for plasma-based tunnel boring, and how EarthGrid is now using that technology to dramatically reduce the cost, time, and friction of underground infrastructure.The conversation spans Troy’s decades-long journey through clean energy, wind, solar, and transmission, the real bottlenecks slowing the energy transition, and why underground infrastructure may be the fastest path to unlocking renewable power, AI data centres, water systems, and broadband at scale. From melting granite with plasma to navigating regulation as a registered utility, this episode is a masterclass in deep tech, systems thinking, and building for generational impact.Key Topics Covered* The origin story of EarthGrid and plasma-based tunnel boring* How a Navy SEAL plasma cutting torch inspired a new approach to excavation* The 10–20 year reality of permitting overhead power lines* How underground infrastructure cuts permitting timelines dramatically* Troy’s background in wind and solar and building multi-billion-dollar energy platforms* Plasma excavation vs traditional drilling, blasting, and tunneling* EarthGrid’s patented “Thunderdome” spoils removal system* Trenching vs tunneling use cases for data centers, utilities, and substations* Why EarthGrid operates as both a contractor and a utility* The BOOM model: Build, Own, Operate, Maintain* Underground infrastructure as long-term, cash-flowing real estate* AI-driven data center demand and the infrastructure crunch* Why regulation can be a competitive advantage, not a blocker* Troy’s long-term vision for quality-of-life improvements through infrastructureLinks & Resources* EarthGridConnect on Linkedin* Troy Helming* 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