Tacos and Tech Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Shipping with AI Mar 05, 2026

Show notes

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

Connect on LinkedIn

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

The Retail Data Gap Mar 04, 2026

Show notes

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

This Week In San Diego Tech News Mar 03, 2026

Show notes

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

On The Radar — Episode 6 Mar 01, 2026

Show notes

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

Building the Underground Super Grid Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

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 infrastructure

Links & Resources

* EarthGrid

Connect 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

AI Coworkers Are Here Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

In the span of days, the “AI news cycle” moved again: OpenClaw has been acquired.

Craig Lauer (longtime Qualcomm builder turned angel investor), Ross Young (CEO of Clinically AI, building tools for behavioral health), and Greg Moser (CEO of ShipCalm) break down what they’re seeing… then Greg takes it from theory to practice with a real demo of how he’s deployed autonomous agents inside his company via Slack.

Key Topics:

* Why OpenClaw’s biggest breakthrough wasn’t just autonomy - it was memory + agency

* The difference between 1:1 AI chat and social, collaborative AI inside teams

* Why “execution” may no longer be the moat - mental models might be

* How to think about AI security when giving agents real power

* What the “adoption layer” means - and why it may be the next big opportunity

* How companies can move from AI-curious to AI-native

Links & resources

* ShipCalm

* Clinically AI

* Cursor

Connect on LinkedIn

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

This week in San Diego Tech News Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube.

Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners.

2/18

TechCon Southwest Debrief

Fund raises:

Shield AI - possibly raising $1B on $12B

Seasats $20M Series A raise

Karmel Capital new fund

Plantible FDA Approval

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

SD Gaming Tech Leaders Gathering - Feb. 24

Biocom Investor Conference - Feb. 24-26

SD Angel Academy - March 6

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

This Week In San Diego Tech News Feb 14, 2026

Show notes

Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!

I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners.

2/13

Super Bowl ads worth mentioning:

Rain Drop Agency. Manscape, TurboTax/Intuit, Poppi/Pepsi (local investors)

SD Regional GDP/Economics report & event debrief

UCSD leading NASA missions

Biotech

Iambic inks $1.7B deal with Takeda

Former DermTech CEO launched a new co.

Neomorph Signed New Lease - 83,000 SFT

Tech

Natilus Raised $28M in Fresh Funding

Hauler raised $16M

Opaque raised, CEO is in SD, team is in SF

Drata Opens SF office

Curated Events List – For full list – check The Social Coyote

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

From AI Toys to AI Operating Systems Feb 10, 2026

Show notes

New podcast series within Tacos and Tech: AI Builders Roundtable!

Neal sits down with Craig Lauer and Ross Young on a day both Anthropic and OpenAI dropped major releases to talk about what it actually looks like to build with AI right now. Ross walks through how his team at Clinically AI built an internal AI operating system using Claude Co-work - from voice-interviewing department heads to capture tribal knowledge, to running full pipeline reviews from HubSpot in natural language.

Craig shares how LaunchMate, the AI co-pilot he’s building for student founders at SDSU’s Zip Launchpad, uses persistent memory and multi-agent communication to keep founders moving. The conversation moves from tools to workflows to a surprisingly honest riff on identity - and what it means when intelligence is no longer your competitive advantage.

Key Topics Covered:

* The Anthropic 4-6 / OpenAI Codex same-day release and what it signals

* LaunchMate: AI agents with persistent memory for founders, mentors, and cohort management at SDSU Zip Launchpad

* “Tidbits” — auto-generated founder progress updates (”share without sharing”)

* Ross’s AI operating system at Clinically AI: markdown knowledge bases, Claude Co-work projects, HubSpot integration, voice-mode interviews for tribal knowledge capture

* The AI capability spectrum: chatbots → cloud agents with tool access → local agents with full computer access

* OpenClaw vs. Co-work: excitement vs. enterprise readiness and security

* Craig’s LettaBot/WhatsApp cautionary tale

* Natural language as the new programming language - and why social workers may outperform engineers at agent programming

* Processes they’ll never go back to: manual contract redlines, email triage

* Identity in the age of AI - detaching professional worth from intelligence

Links & Resources:

* Clinically AI

* SDSU Zip Launchpad

* Claude Co-work by Anthropic

* LaunchMate (in development)

Connect on LinkedIn:

* Craig Lauer

* Ross Young

* 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

Why Hustle Culture Breaks Community Feb 10, 2026

Show notes

Episode Summary

In this episode of Tacos & Tech, Neal Bloom sits down with Juanny Romero, founder and CEO of Mothership Coffee Roasters, for a raw and deeply human conversation about building businesses rooted in belonging—not hustle.

Juanny shares her journey from growing up in Queens, leaving New York after 9/11 in search of agency, opening her first café in Las Vegas with no business plan during the Great Recession, and learning math from fifth-grade textbooks to keep the business alive. What started as a single café became Mothership—now an eight-figure company built around community, connection, and purpose.

The conversation explores loneliness in modern society, why baristas are “architects of meaning,” and how revenue becomes a byproduct when people feel they belong. Juanny also shares her bold next chapter: slowing down, rejecting hustle culture, and empowering 1,000 women to become millionaires by giving Mothership away like seeds.

Key Topics

* Failing forward and finding agency

* Building community as the real product

* Opening during the Great Recession

* Learning numbers to trust intuition

* Scaling without losing soul

* COVID, chaos, and creativity

* Belonging as a business advantage

* Mentorship, incentives, and boundaries

* Redefining success beyond money

Links

* Mothership Coffee Roasters

Connect on LinkedIn

* Juanny Romero

* 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

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