Tacos and Tech Podcast

Hosted by Neal Bloom

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202

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Jun 2026

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About the show

The Tacos and Tech Podcast highlights the builders of companies, technologies, ecosystems with a local flair for our lifestyle as well. risingtidepartners.substack.com

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June 9, 202643 min

Sleep Is the Last Unprotected Hour

Neal sits down with co-founders John Sjolund (CEO) and Jon Brilliant(CFO) of Luna Diabetes, two serial diabetes tech founders building what they call “sleep only automation” - the world’s smallest patch pump designed to automate insulin delivery while you sleep. With over 1700 nights of real-world wear and a pivotal study on the horizon, Jon and John make the case that nighttime is where the biggest gains in diabetes management are hiding - and almost no one is solving for it. Neal shares a personal connection through his father’s decades-long journey with Type 1, and the conversation closes with taco picks spanning a hidden Sorrento Valley gem and an upscale Palo Alto staple.Key Topics* Why 80%+ of glucose-lowering automation benefit happens at night* The founding story: from a Hannah Montana watch to the world’s smallest patch pump* Sleep disruption as the #1 reported issue among people with diabetes* Building trust through consistency in an intimate use case* Capital efficiency in medtech: $40M to market vs. the $200M industry average* The disconnect between what clinicians prioritize and what patients actually need* Consumerizing medical devices - why diabetes tech still feels like a Game Boy* WellDoc, Bigfoot Biomedical, and the lineage of connected insulin deliveryLinks & Resources* Luna Diabetes: lunadiabetes.com* WellDoc: welldoc.com* Bigfoot Biomedical: bigfootbiomedical.com* The Craft Taco (Sorrento Valley, San Diego)* Reposado (Downtown Palo Alto)Connect on LinkedIn* Neal Bloom* Jon Brilliant* John Sjolund 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

June 3, 202638 min

Rebuilding the Protein Stack

Tony Martens, co-founder of Plantible Foods, joins Neal to walk through the company’s eight-year arc - from a free greenhouse in San Marcos to a commercial-scale rubisco protein facility in West Texas. They get into the science of duckweed and why rubisco is both the most abundant and most bioavailable protein on the planet, the modular “crawl, walk, run” scaling philosophy that kept Plantible from getting buried under capex, and how landing in El Dorado, Texas lifted the surrounding county’s median household income by 62%. Plus: why the Taco Stand in Encinitas remains the most-mentioned spot on the pod.Key Topics* Why our food supply chain hasn’t been updated in 3,000 years* How rubisco from duckweed competes with eggs, dairy, and meat* The “crawl, walk, run” approach to commercial scale-up* Why avian flu volatility is driving bakery and egg-replacement demand* Modular agriculture vs. billion-dollar capex projects* Living on the San Marcos farm in RVs through COVID lockdown* Lifting a West Texas county’s median household income by 62%* Where Plantable products are showing up on shelves todayLinks & ResourcesPlantible Foods Connect on LinkedInTony MartensNeal 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

May 26, 202651 min

SAFEs, Notes, and SPVs

Angel Academy Session 5 brings in Brian Dirkmaat, a startup attorney at Rimon, P.C and longtime SDAC sponsor, to walk the room through the legal mechanics of angel investing. Brian covers the full evolution of startup investment instruments - from the original bridge notes of the 1990s to today's post-money SAFEs - and breaks down the real differences between convertible notes, SAFEs, and priced equity rounds. The session goes deep on valuation caps, pro rata rights, the unresolved IRS question around QSBS treatment for SAFEs, and the practical tradeoffs between investing directly into a company versus through an SPV. If you've ever looked at a term sheet and wondered what you were actually signing, this is the session.Key Topics* The evolution from bridge notes to convertible notes to SAFEs* How YC's post-money SAFE works: valuation caps, discounts, and MFN provisions* SAFE vs. convertible note: the unresolved IRS code 1202 (QSBS) question* Priced equity rounds: Series Seed vs. Series A (NVCA docs)* SPVs vs. direct investing: platforms, carry, admin fees, and when each makes sense* The California C Corp trap: unpaid founder wages and W-2 classification* Term sheet fundamentals: liquidation preferences, anti-dilution, board seatsLinks & Resources* San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC)* Rimon, P.C* YC SAFE Documents* NVCA Model Legal Documents* Series First Documents* Rising Tide PartnersConnect on LinkedIn* Brian Dirkmaat* 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

May 19, 202646 min

From Operator to Fund Manager

Episode SummaryNeal sits down with Will Alaynick, managing partner at Phase Two Ventures, for a fireside chat on what it actually looks like to go from building a company to running a venture fund. Will walks through his journey from operating a life science instrumentation startup - backed by a strategic investor who gave him governance, talent, and manufacturing access - to raising a fund focused on the tools and infrastructure layer of biotech. They dig into how fund managers evaluate deals differently than angels, why SBIR funding can be a double-edged sword, and what it takes to say no for a living.Key Topics* How a strategic investor provided governance, talent, and manufacturing - not just capital* Building Phase Two Ventures from operator pattern recognition* Evaluating life science deals through the lens of an ex-founder* SBIR funding as a signal - and when it becomes a distraction* The difference between angel deal evaluation and fund-level portfolio construction* Why most of the venture job is saying no - and how to do it humanely* AI's emerging role in life science - and why wet labs still matter* What angels should know before making the leap to managing a fundLinks & Resources* Phase Two Ventures* San Diego Angel Conference* Rising Tide PartnersConnect on LinkedIn* Will Alaynick* 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

May 13, 20261 hr 3 min

The Operator's Edge: From San Diego Angel Academy

Angel Academy Session 3 brings together a panel of San Diego operators who crossed over to the investor side - including Katherine Chapin, Dane Chapin, Ken Potashner, and Bardia Moayedi with backgrounds spanning investment banking, corporate law, and consumer products. The conversation gets honest fast: what it means to bet on a founder who introduces herself as "just a mom," why losing money on a deal teaches you more than any pitch deck, and how San Diego's open, collaborative angel community creates a fundamentally different deal flow than Silicon Valley's closed-door networks.Key Topics* Operating experience as an angel investor's real edge* The "just a mom" story: why passion beats pedigree every time* Dane Chapin's board game company postmortem and what losing taught him* San Diego's open angel ecosystem vs. Silicon Valley's closed networks* Underestimating risk: the Coin investment and what it revealed* Co-investing with spouses and building shared conviction* Why brand obsession signals a founder worth backing* Pitch contests vs. relationship-driven deal flowLinks & Resources* San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC): https://sdangel.com* SDSU ZIP Launchpad: https://ziplaunchpad.sdsu.edu* Rising Tide Partners: https://risingtidepartners.coConnect on LinkedIn* Dane Chapin* Katherine Chapin* Ken Potashner* Bardia Moayedi* 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

May 11, 202618 min

This Week in San Diego Tech News - May 2026

Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube.Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!I’m Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners.This week, I’m flying solo on the mic to unpack a busy week in San Diego tech.Before we dive in, we wanted to thank you 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!Topics CoveredSuja IPO & San Diego’s Consumer Brand Pipeline* Suja Life IPO* Coca-Cola’s early investment thesis* San Diego as a premium wellness and consumer products launchpad* Comparison to other recent San Diego consumer brand IPOs* Why San Diego may be one of America’s best “test markets” for health & lifestyle brandsStone Brewing, Sapporo & Maria Stipp’s Exit Track Record* Stone Brewing acquisition news* The evolution of San Diego’s craft brewing ecosystem* Maria Stipp’s leadership journey across:* EcoATM* Lagunitas* Stone Brewing* Suja* Siete Foods board involvement* The importance of experienced operators recycling through ecosystemsFirestorm Labs Is on an Absolute Heater* Firestorm Labs raises $82M Series B* New $30M defense contract* Distributed manufacturing and edge logistics* “Factories in shipping containers”* Why modern defense tech is increasingly about adaptability and rapid production* Firestorm hosting the first annual Hardtech 50 Release PartyHardtech 50 + Next Wave 30* Why it became impossible to stop at just 50 companies* San Diego’s growing density across:* aerospace* robotics* autonomy* semiconductors* energy* ocean tech* manufacturing* - The rise of interdisciplinary founders and “things that move atoms”UCSD’s Deep Tech Infrastructure Push* University of California San Diego and advanced engineering initiatives* Supercomputing, fusion, AI infrastructure, and scientific tooling* The importance of compute, cooling, energy, and simulation infrastructure* The long-term impact of institutions like:* Qualcomm* General Atomics* San Diego Supercomputer Center* Navy-affiliated researchReferenced article: UCSD Guardian coverageScripps + San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance* Scripps Institution of Oceanography* San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance* Conservation, climate science, oceanography, and AI converging* Why proximity between institutions creates innovation densityReferenced article: Scripps announcement 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

May 5, 20261 hr 5 min

What Two Operators Learned Writing First Checks

Angel Academy Session 2 puts two founder-turned-investors on stage: Neal Bloom and Ashok Kamal. Both built companies, stumbled through first exits, and eventually landed on the investor side of the table. The conversation covers what actually changes when you go from pitching to writing checks — how to evaluate founders when there's nothing but a prototype, why saying no fast is a form of respect, and what most first-time angels get wrong about time horizons and portfolio construction. It's a candid, unscripted look at the operator lens that shapes how both of them deploy capital.Key Topics* Neal's founder-to-investor arc: aerospace to startups to fund manager* Ashok's path from recycled-backpack startup to NuFund* Why saying no quickly is the most respectful thing an investor can do* Being helpful versus intrusive as a post-investment supporter* First-check misconceptions: what new angels get wrong* Jockey versus horse — evaluating founders when traction is thin* NuFund's annual fund model and top-quartile performance* How to think about projections at the earliest stagesLinks & Resources* San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC): https://sdac.sdsu.edu* NuFund Venture Group: https://nufund.com* SDSU ZIP Launchpad: https://ziplaunchpad.sdsu.edu* Rising Tide Partners: https://risingtidepartners.coConnect on LinkedIn* Neal Bloom: linkedin.com/in/nealbbloom* Ashok Kamal: linkedin.com/in/ashokkamal 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

April 28, 202634 min

Podcast with Paige Craig of Outlander VC: People Over Plans

Neal sits down with Paige Craig, Founder and Managing Partner at Outlander VC, the first-check fund that backs founders as early as humanly possible. Paige shares how growing up homeless, bootstrapping a defense tech company during the Iraq War, and years of studying what makes founders tick led him to build a 38-point framework for picking people - not plans. They cover physical AI, manufacturing, defense tech, and why first-time founders still get his first call. And yes, there are duck carnitas involved.Key Topics* Outlander’s first-check model: investing before product or metrics exist* The 38-point founder framework: vision, intelligence, character, execution* Why first-time founders often outperform repeat founders on a risk-adjusted basis* Bootstrapping a defense tech company in 2003 - driving into Iraq to win contracts* Physical AI as a 20-year defining theme* Manufacturing and industrial automation as the next frontier* The coming dislocation of creative talent from AI* Defense tech investment beyond the hype cycleLinks & Resources* Outlander * Scale AI* Brad FeldConnect on LinkedIn* Paige Craig 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

April 21, 202641 min

A portfolio approach to angel investing

The 2026 San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC) kicks off with Angel Academy Session 1, hosted at SDSU's ZIP Launchpad. Neal Bloom walks a room of aspiring and returning angel investors through the fundamentals — what angel investing actually looks like, how the SDAC's group diligence process works, and why a portfolio approach matters more than picking one winner. With 135 startup applications on the table and a Decision Day set for May 29, the session lays out the full arc from learning to deploying capital.Key Topics* What angel investing is and why it's a learned muscle* The SDAC's group diligence model: applications to investment* Portfolio approach: deploying into 3–5 companies* Why in-person founder pitches change the calculus* The "Super Bowl" — May 29 Decision Day and what it means* Fund structure: $200K–$2M raise range, SPV side vehicles* Last year's fund: $440K deployed into three companiesLinks & Resources* San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC): https://sdangel.com* SDSU ZIP Launchpad: https://ziplaunchpad.sdsu.edu* Rising Tide Partners: https://risingtidepartners.co 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

April 14, 202657 min

The AI Strategy Gap

In this weeks episode, I sit down with Grayson LaFrenz and Chad Lohrli, two of the co-founders of Cadre AI, the San Diego-based AI strategy and integration firm helping mid-market companies turn AI hype into P&L impact. They get into why 99 out of 100 business leaders still can’t point to measurable ROI from AI, how Cadre’s pod model mirrors the playbook Grayson used to build Power Digital into a record-setting exit, and why change management - not technology - is the real bottleneck. The taco question made an appearance.Key Topics* Why most companies have no real AI strategy* Grayson’s path from Power Digital’s PE exit to Cadre AI* Chad’s journey from hackathons and SDX to co-founding Cadre* How Cadre’s pod system verticalizes AI delivery* The maturity index that exposes C-suite blind spots* Why services businesses lose operating leverage at scale* Building reusable AI blocks across clients* Turning call recordings into an autonomous client intelligence system* Why change management is harder than the technologyLinks & Resources* Cadre AI* SDx Community* Power DigitalConnect on LinkedIn* Grayson LaFrenz* Chad Lohrli* 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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