Tacos and Tech Podcast

Hosted by Neal Bloom

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209

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Aug 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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60 recent

August 12, 202642 min

Food for the People

Neal nerds out on tacos with Mauricio Velázquez de León - Mexico City-born writer-turned-publisher, founder of Duo Press, and author of An Illustrated Guide to Tacos and Burritos , a serious cookbook drawn like a comic book, out August 11. They trace tacos from 7000 BC southern Mexico to fine taquerias in Tokyo and Norway, unpack why the burrito is actually a California invention, and get into Duo Press’s backwards publishing model - concept first, author second. Mauricio makes the case that tacos are “food for the people, from the people, to the people,” defends small tacos against the supersizing trend, and hands over a short list of spots worth crossing a border for. Key topics * A serious cookbook built like a comic book * Why tacos are “food for the people” * The burrito as a California (Mission Street) invention * Duo Press’s reverse model: concept first, author second * Tacos de canasta - the bicycle-basket tacos * Corn in the south, flour in the north: the tortilla map * Taco al pastor’s Mexico City origins * Why bigger tacos are worse tacos * Quesabirria, Korean tacos, and the fusion wave Links & resources * An Illustrated Guide to Tacos and Burritos (Duopress, out Aug 11) * Duo Press * Jeffrey Pilcher - Mexican-food historian (University of Toronto), writes the book’s history sections * Josefina Velázquez de León - Mauricio’s great-aunt, renowned Mexican cookbook author Connect on LinkedIn * Neal Bloom * Mauricio Velázquez de León 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

August 4, 202649 min

Signals Before Symptoms

Neal sits down with Adam Jacobs, President of Xzōm, a San Diego company developing a near-patient platform for isolating and analyzing exosomes from a small blood sample in under 30 minutes. Exosomes are tiny particles released by living cells that carry proteins and genetic material. Researchers believe these particles could provide useful signals about disease earlier or more dynamically than some existing biomarkers. Xzōm is working to turn that science into a compact testing platform, using a disposable cartridge and a mobile-device interface. The company’s initial focus is early pancreatic-cancer detection. Adam also discusses how the underlying platform could potentially be adapted for other areas - including sepsis, preeclampsia, transplant monitoring, and neurological conditions - by changing the biomarkers targeted by each assay. Those applications would require their own development, clinical validation, and regulatory pathways. Adam shares his unusual route to biotech: Torrey Pines High School, Cornell baseball, professional ball in Australia, a clothing brand, a yoga studio, and a consulting firm. He also explains how technology originating at UC San Diego eventually came back into his life, Xzōm’s partnership-led development model, and the role data analysis may play in interpreting complex biological signals. Plus, Adam and Neal bond over a shared appreciation for Roberto’s on Carmel Valley Road. Key topics * Isolating and analyzing exosomes on one chip in 30 minutes * Why exosomes catch disease earlier than DNA - “stage zero” * A point-of-care lab that runs on a cell phone * The difference between a versatile platform and a validated diagnostic test * From pancreatic cancer to sepsis, preeclampsia, and brain injury * How Xzōm works with clinical and commercial partners * Adam’s path from pro baseball to biotech * Why AI on the back end makes the whole thing work * Giving back: showing up, not just writing checks Links & resources * Xzōm * A Morning Inside Xzōm’s Lab Connect on LinkedIn * Neal Bloom * Adam Jacobs 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

July 28, 202648 min

The Connective Tissue

Neal sits down with Eric Weiss, a fellow longtime builder in San Diego’s startup ecosystem. Eric is a self-described “parallel entrepreneur,” founder coach, President of the Design Forward Alliance - which produces San Diego Design Week—and Vice Chair of Startup San Diego. Neal and Eric first crossed paths during the early days of San Diego’s startup community, around EvoNexus and the 101 Broadway vertical campus that helped give rise to Startup Week and Startup San Diego. They revisit that era and trace Eric’s unconventional path from teenage black-hat hacker to earning an MBA in entrepreneurship at SDSU, followed by roles at Raytheon, Sony and Qualcomm. He eventually made the leap into the startup world with EvoNexus company Rock My Run. At the heart of the conversation is the connective tissue that makes an entrepreneurial community work. Neal and Eric discuss what San Diego lost after COVID, why “third spaces” and professional community management matter more than a coworking lease, and Eric’s tendency to step into leadership vacuums - including helping San Diego become the first U.S. city, and first binational region, named World Design Capital. Eric also makes the case that San Diego’s smaller, more tightly connected network—and its constraints - can be an advantage. The conversation closes with a preview of San Diego Design Week, running September 15–20, and a sleeper taco recommendation near the marina. Key topics * The “founding cradle”: EvoNexus, The Vine, and 101 Broadway * Reformed hacker to Raytheon, Sony (PS3), and Qualcomm data science * Why he’s a “parallel entrepreneur” who falls into leadership vacuums * San Diego becoming the first American World Design Capital * Opening Design Week beyond digital - fashion, architecture, interiors * Connective tissue: third spaces and professional community management * San Diego vs. the Bay: tighter networks, constraints that filter imposters * Where San Diego wins: deep tech, hardware, and life science * The investor-vs-community-builder tension of being “the picker” Links & resources * San Diego Design Week (Sept 15-20, 2026) * Design Forward Alliance * Startup San Diego Connect on LinkedIn * Neal Bloom * Eric Weiss 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

July 21, 202628 min

Beyond the Blueprint

Episode Summary Neal sits down with Janine McMurdie, Chief Commercial Officer of Pictor, a proteomics platform company that expanded from New Zealand to Carlsbad. Janine explains why your DNA is only the blueprint - and why proteins, which change in real time as your body responds to a drug or an infection, tell the fuller story. They get into Pictor’s partner-driven, capital-efficient model, how the platform runs a complex panel of biomarkers as a single answer (for everything from cattle herds to HIV comorbidities to humans), and the new Pictor Imager launching at ADLM. Plus why San Diego’s density of talent, tools, and investors made Carlsbad the right home and Janine’s favorite tacos from Encinitas to Thousand Oaks. Key Topics * Why DNA is the blueprint but proteins are the building * Running 20 tests as one multiplexed answer * Pictor’s partner-driven, capital-efficient model * One platform, many species: cattle to humans * The new Pictor Imager, launching at ADLM * Why Carlsbad won: talent, tools, and investors Links & Resources * Pictor * ADLM (Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine) Connect on LinkedIn * Neal Bloom * Janine McMurdie 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

July 14, 20261 hr 8 min

Why Great Companies Go Bad

Episode Summary Recorded live at the San Diego Angel Conference finale at SDSU, Eric Ries — author of The Lean Startup — sits down with product leader and founder coach Vidya Dinamani to unpack his new book, Incorruptible. His argument: there’s a gravitational force that pulls even mission-driven companies toward decay — “the making of money without the creating of value” — and the more successful you get, the bigger a target you become. Eric walks through how it happens (stack-ranking by ROI, the “what would investors want” ghost in every meeting, Groupon’s two-emails-a-day spiral), why the fix has to come earlier than anyone wants (“it’s too early until it’s too late”), and the concrete governance moves that keep the great ones honest. Along the way: the San Diego origin story of Costco, Cloudflare giving away its best paid feature, Anthropic’s long-term benefit trust, a hard-nosed take on AI, and a health insurer whose customer-service reps act like guardian angels. Key Topics * Corruption as “making money without creating value” * The gravity that pulls companies from mission to mediocrity * Costco’s San Diego origin — and why FedMart died * Why stack-ranking by ROI buries the work that builds trust * “It’s too early until it’s too late” — protecting the mission in time * The PBC filing and binding your board to the mission * AI as a “Dunning-Kruger factory,” and how to actually use it * “Love” as an operating framework: the Devoted Health story Links & Resources * Incorruptible * The Lean Startup * Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE) * San Diego Angel Conference Connect on LinkedIn * Neal Bloom * Eric Ries * Vidya Dinamani 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

July 8, 202641 min

Diversification Is Overrated

Episode Summary Neal sits down with Dr. Adam Link, founder of Fireweed Capital and a recovering engineer who spent a decade in tech — including six years at Coinbase through its IPO — before becoming a financial planner for founders and tech professionals. Adam makes the case that diversification is overrated, that concentration is how wealth actually gets built, and that the real skill is knowing where conviction ends and wipeout risk begins. They get into why you can’t “test your finances in prod,” how AI quietly forgot a 37% tax bill, and why the era of the low-skilled generalist is ending. Plus the best tacos in Duluth, Minnesota — trailhead included. Key Topics * Why diversification is overrated for founders * Concentration as the real path to wealth * Keeping your portfolio uncorrelated with your business * The line between conviction and wipeout risk * You can’t test your finances in prod * Where AI breaks down in wealth management * Angel investing vs. founder charity * Why specialists beat generalists in the AI era Links & Resources * Fireweed Capital * Rising Tide Partners Connect on LinkedIn * Neal Bloom * Dr. Adam Link 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 24, 20261 hr 29 min

Inside the San Diego Angel Conference

Episode Summary Recorded 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 years Links & 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

June 17, 202642 min

Greener Only Scales When It's Less Expensive

Episode Summary Recorded at Natilus HQ in downtown San Diego, Neal sits down with Aleksey Matyushev, CEO and co-founder of Natilus, and Dr. Fabiano Piccinno, Global Head of Sustainability for Air Logistics at Kuehne+Nagel, for a roundtable on the real economics of decarbonizing flight. They get into why ordering a new plane today means a 12-year wait, why sustainable aviation fuel still costs nearly double Jet A, and how Natilus’s blended wing body cuts cost and emissions at the same time - the rare case where the greener choice is also the less expensive one. Along the way: fuel-price shocks emptying transatlantic cabins, aviation’s pull back toward defense, and a FedEx flight that hops the San Diego–Tijuana border in ten minutes. Plus the best plant-based tacos in Mexico City. Key Topics * The 12-year backlog to order a new aircraft * Why global aircraft production must nearly double * Sustainable aviation fuel at ~2x the cost of Jet A * Blended wing body: 30% less drag, ~50% lower cost * When sustainability and economics finally align * Fuel volatility emptying transatlantic flights * Aviation’s pull toward defense and dual-use * Inside the Natilus × Kuehne+Nagel feasibility study Links & Resources * Natilus * Kona (Natilus regional freighter) * Kuehne+Nagel * ZeroAvia (hydrogen-electric partner) Connect on LinkedIn * Neal Bloom * Aleksey Matyushev * Fabiano Piccinno 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 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 delivery Links & 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 today Links & Resources Plantible Foods Connect on LinkedIn Tony Martens 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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