In this Meet the Startup episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, host Ryan Musto sits down with Gregory Constantine, co-founder and CEO of AIRCO, a pioneering carbon technology company transforming captured CO₂ into valuable products like sustainable jet fuel, vodka, and fragrances. From early days in Brooklyn to groundbreaking collaborations with NASA and the U.S. Air Force, AIRCO is redefining what's possible in climate innovation. Gregory shares how AIRCO uses a proprietary proc...
Apr 17, 2025•27 min
In this Meet the Startup episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, Meera Oak talks with Gokce Guven, CEO and Co-Founder of Kalder, about how her company is transforming loyalty programs into powerful, revenue-generating financial ecosystems. Drawing on her FinTech experience at Robinhood and OpenSea, Gokce explains how Kalder enables brands—from gas stations to sports teams—to build white-label rewards systems that work seamlessly across partners, creating deeper customer engagement ...
Apr 11, 2025•26 min
In this special milestone episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, we celebrate 100 episodes of breakthroughs, bold predictions, and game-changing conversations. Join us as we take a look back at the defining moments that shaped the show—from the birth of Tech Notes to our deep dives into AI, space tech, energy solutions, and the shifting landscape of innovation. We revisit the most impactful discussions with visionary founders, industry leaders, and cutting-edge researchers, reflec...
Mar 14, 2025•1 hr
In this Three Breakthroughs episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, Mike Collins and Lucas Pasch explore three major shifts shaping the future of technology. First, they discuss the rise of "OpenAI Mafia" startups, as top AI talent breaks away to launch competing ventures, driving innovation beyond the tech giants. Next, they examine the evolution of e-commerce, where interactive, social-driven shopping platforms like Whatnot are thriving while major players struggle to adapt. Fina...
Feb 28, 2025•39 min
In this Meet the Startup episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, Meera Oak speaks with Lizzie Matusov, co-founder and CEO of Quotient, about transforming developer productivity. Lizzie shares how Quotient leverages the SPACE framework to identify and resolve inefficiencies in engineering workflows, helping teams eliminate friction and collaborate more effectively. With her extensive experience at Red Hat and Invitae, Lizzie offers unique insights into creating smarter, more efficie...
Feb 25, 2025•18 min
In this Three Breakthroughs episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, host Mike Collins and Lucas Pasch explore three transformative advancements shaping the future. First, they break down the AI arms race, where tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are pouring tens of billions into AI infrastructure, fueling competition and raising questions about market concentration and innovation. Next, they examine the unbundling of social media, with platforms like BlueSky gaining tra...
Feb 21, 2025•35 min
In this Meet the Startup episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, we explore the rapidly growing challenge of telemetry data overload and the innovative solution from Sawmills, a startup redefining how companies manage observability. Host Wesley Yiu sits down with Ronit Belson, co-founder and CEO of Sawmills, to discuss why skyrocketing data costs are becoming unsustainable for engineering teams and how Sawmills' AI-powered smart telemetry platform is helping organizations cut waste...
Feb 21, 2025•28 min
In this Three Breakthroughs episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, we explore three game-changing advancements shaping the future. First, we examine how DeepSeek, a Chinese AI company, has built a ChatGPT rival for just $6 million, igniting conversations about the cost of innovation and global AI competition. Next, we take to the skies with Boom Supersonic, which has successfully tested its Mach 1.1 jet, marking a major step toward the return of commercial supersonic travel. Final...
Feb 18, 2025•34 min
In this Three Breakthroughs episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, Mike Collins and Naren Ramaswamy explore three groundbreaking innovations redefining AI and science. First, they discuss new AI models pushing boundaries in simulation, weather forecasting, and world-building—transforming industries from gaming to meteorology. Then, they analyze Amazon’s massive $8 billion investment in Anthropic, positioning AWS as a major force in the AI race. Finally, they dive into a stunning d...
Feb 12, 2025•37 min
In this Meet the Startup episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, Wesley Yiu sits down with Ali Hussain, co-founder and CEO of Tabs, to explore how AI is transforming B2B accounts receivable. With trillions of dollars in overdue invoices clogging financial pipelines, Tabs is tackling this challenge head-on with AI-powered automation that helps companies collect payments faster, streamline cash flow, and optimize revenue operations. Ali shares insights from his journey scaling Latch ...
Feb 07, 2025•28 min
In this Three Breakthroughs episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, Mike Collins and Lucas Pasch tackle three major developments shaping the AI landscape. First, Chinese AI startup DeepSeek stuns the industry by building a model rivaling OpenAI’s best on a fraction of the budget—raising questions of innovation versus imitation. Then, the U.S. government makes its biggest AI bet yet with Project Stargate, a $500 billion initiative designed to supercharge AI infrastructure and global...
Feb 07, 2025•37 min
In this Blue Flame Thinkers episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, Drew Wandzilak sits down with award-winning journalist and author Ernest Scheyder to explore the high-stakes global battle for critical minerals. As the world races to secure resources like lithium and copper to power the clean energy transition, Ernest unpacks the geopolitical, environmental, and economic challenges shaping the future of energy and technology. They discuss his book, The War Below , and dive into t...
Feb 06, 2025•35 min
In this Meet the Startup episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, Ray Wu sits down with Todd Ruoff, CEO of Autonomys Labs, to explore how the company is revolutionizing AI and blockchain. Autonomys is building a decentralized AI ecosystem designed to democratize access to AI 3.0, with a cutting-edge, storage-first architecture that enhances scalability, security, and accessibility. With nearly 600 petabytes of pledged storage and over 2,000 nodes, Autonomys is redefining how develop...
Jan 31, 2025•16 min
In this Three Breakthroughs episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, Mike Collins and Lucas Pasch explore three groundbreaking innovations shaping the future. First, OpenAI’s new Tasks feature signals a major leap toward AI agents, streamlining workflows and redefining automation. Next, they examine wildfire prevention, where AI-powered cameras, firefighting robots, and public-private partnerships are transforming how we predict and combat devastating blazes. Finally, they discuss c...
Jan 31, 2025•39 min
In this Three Breakthroughs episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, host Mike Collins and guest Lucas Pasch kick off 2025 with a dynamic exploration of transformative tech trends. They discuss AI's explosive growth, from OpenAI's groundbreaking updates to NVIDIA's vision for physical AI, heralding a new era where robots think, adapt, and act. The conversation shifts to the implications of the recent net neutrality repeal, examining how it might reshape internet access and innovatio...
Jan 24, 2025•31 min
In this Meet the Startup episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, Lucas Pasch sits down with Chad Gerstensang, co-founder and CEO of UNIXi, to explore how the company is redefining cybersecurity. Chad explains how UNIXi’s integration-free technology delivers universal single sign-on (SSO) to protect enterprises against social engineering attacks like phishing and credential theft. By addressing critical gaps in identity and access management solutions, UNIXi empowers businesses to s...
Jan 16, 2025•24 min
In this Meet the Startup episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, we spotlight Quai Network, a trailblazer in blockchain scalability and decentralization. Co-founder Alan Orwick joins host Ray Wu to share how Quai's innovative approach, including their groundbreaking proof-of-entropy consensus mechanism and three-by-three hierarchical chain structure, achieves an astounding 50,000 transactions per second. Backed by $15 million in funding, Quai Network is addressing blockchain's "tri...
Dec 20, 2024•24 min
In this Meet the Startup episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, Mike Collins, CEO and Founder of Alumni Ventures, sits down with Andy Hamilton, CEO and Co-Founder of When, a Chicago-based startup transforming the often-overlooked process of employee offboarding. When helps employers turn transitions into strategic advantages by providing seamless solutions for health insurance alternatives, 401k rollovers, career resources, and more. Andy shares how personal experiences inspired t...
Dec 17, 2024•34 min
In this Three Breakthroughs episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, host Mike Collins, Founder and CEO of Alumni Ventures, is joined by Senior Principal Naren Ramaswamy to explore three transformative advancements in artificial intelligence. The conversation covers the debate over AI scaling approaches, the revolutionary impact of AlphaFold 3 in molecular biology and drug discovery, and the rapid development of AI agents that promise to redefine productivity and trust. This episode...
Dec 12, 2024•28 min
In this Meet the Startup episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, Laura Rippy, Managing Partner at Alumni Ventures, interviews Andreas Mjelde, CEO and Co-Founder of Two, a groundbreaking FinTech platform transforming B2B commerce. Two offers instant trade credit with fraud detection and streamlined payment processing, enabling businesses to operate more efficiently and scale globally. Andreas shares insights on Two’s innovative solutions, including its success in industries like foo...
Dec 10, 2024•27 min
In this Meet the Startup episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, Ryan Musto sits down with Paul Lwin, CEO and co-founder of HavocAI, to explore how the company is revolutionizing maritime operations with its autonomous Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs). Paul shares his inspiring journey from Myanmar refugee to Naval Academy graduate and tech leader, while showcasing HavocAI’s innovative platform that enables a single operator to control thousands of USVs. They discuss the company’s r...
Dec 09, 2024•36 min
In this Three Breakthroughs episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, Mike Collins and Naren Ramaswamy spotlight three groundbreaking innovations reshaping our world. First, they unpack how AI is revolutionizing careers, urging listeners to embrace tools and skills critical for thriving in a rapidly evolving job market. Next, they examine the transformative potential of GLP-1 drugs in tackling obesity and diabetes, discussing their profound impact on public health and the wellness in...
Dec 07, 2024•42 min
In this Meet the Startup episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, Jason Bird interviews Jason Park, Co-founder and CEO of Coldcart, about the company’s innovative approach to solving challenges in perishable parcel logistics. Jason shares how Coldcart’s end-to-end platform helps businesses cut shipping costs by 15-50% while reducing spoilage by 40-60%. He explains how the company’s enterprise-grade technology integrates seamlessly into existing systems, optimizing routing and packag...
Nov 26, 2024•17 min
In this Meet the Startup episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, we spotlight HeronAI, a groundbreaking Boston-based startup redefining data analytics. Co-founder and CEO Daphne Pariser shares the journey behind their AI-powered platform, which is transforming how businesses manage data. Learn how HeronAI automates processes, generates dashboards in minutes, and simplifies data integration, offering a seamless and accessible experience for enterprises and SMBs alike. With impressiv...
Nov 22, 2024•28 min
In this Three Breakthroughs episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, Mike Collins and Naren Ramaswamy explore game-changing advancements shaping the future of technology. They discuss prediction markets and their impact on election forecasting, highlighting how innovation is redefining traditional polling. The conversation moves to brain-computer interfaces, featuring a breakthrough device by Synchron that empowers individuals with paralysis to interact with technology in revolution...
Nov 22, 2024•38 min
In this Meet the Startup episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, Chris Sklarin sits down with Erik Severinghaus, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Bloomfilter, an innovative startup revolutionizing software development. Erik shares Bloomfilter's mission to bring clarity and efficiency to the software development life cycle through cutting-edge process mining and AI-driven insights. The conversation dives into Erik's entrepreneurial journey, the challenges of scaling startups, and how Bloomf...
Nov 19, 2024•41 min
In this Meet the Startup episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, Meera Oak, Partner at Alumni Ventures, interviews Ross Correia, co-founder and CEO of Reactiv, a Toronto-based startup transforming mobile commerce. Ross shares how Reactiv’s AI-powered platform, featuring a no-code app builder, AI-driven customization, and innovative Reactiv Clips, enables merchants to create seamless mobile shopping experiences. The conversation dives into Reactiv’s $5 million seed round led by Bonf...
Nov 16, 2024•33 min
In this Three Breakthroughs episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, Mike Collins and Naren Ramaswamy discuss three cutting-edge innovations reshaping technology and society. Explore Eve, a groundbreaking robotic fish collecting environmental DNA to revolutionize marine research. Dive into Google's Project Jarvis, an AI-powered digital assistant poised to transform how we interact with technology. Finally, learn how Meta's emerging search engine is challenging Google's dominance whi...
Nov 14, 2024•35 min
In this Meet the Startup episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, we explore SIQ Basketball, a groundbreaking innovation transforming how players train and improve. CEO Erik Anderson joins Alumni Ventures’ Keaton Nankivil to highlight the FIBA-approved smart basketball that uses a patented 9D sensor to track over 190 data points per shot. Paired with a cutting-edge app, the ball provides real-time analytics, personalized feedback, and gamified training for players of all levels. Wit...
Nov 13, 2024•26 min
In this Meet the Startup episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, Laura Bordewieck Rippy interviews Gautam Narang, CEO and co-founder of Gatik, to discuss how the company is revolutionizing middle-mile logistics through autonomous technology. Gautam highlights Gatik’s journey from its founding in 2017 to becoming an industry leader, with achievements like driver-out commercial deliveries for Walmart and partnerships with major brands like Isuzu and Kroger. The episode explores how G...
Nov 08, 2024•41 min
