The Jason Cavness Experience

Hosted by Jason Cavness

BusinessInterviews guests

Website RSS feed

Episodes

515

Latest episode

Sep 2026

Language

About the show

The Jason Cavness Experience is where I talk to entrepreneurs and other interesting people.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

September 8, 20262 hr 25 min

Why Local Government Stops Improving — Brien Kennedy

Most elected officials face voters. Many local officials never face an opponent. Brien Kennedy left a career scaling e-commerce businesses at Amazon, Microsoft, Nuun Hydration, and SmartyPants Vitamins to work inside the Kitsap County Superior Court. What he saw was a system that people depend on during some of the hardest moments of their lives. But often cannot understand or navigate. Now he is running in only the third contested race for Kitsap County Clerk in 28 years. We also discuss: • Why uncontested elections create complacency • What a county clerk actually controls • Why 20 to 30 people each week enter divorce court without a lawyer • How confusing court processes punish people who cannot afford representation • Using dashboards, audits, and data to make government accountable • What Amazon taught Brien about writing, preparation, and measurable results • How he helped scale SmartyPants Vitamins and Nuun Hydration toward acquisition • Why local elections can affect your daily life more than national politics Brien's links Website: https://kennedyforclerk.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kennedyforclerk/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kennedyforclerk Local leadership matters more than most people realize. Follow The Jason Cavness Experience for more conversations with founders, operators, veterans, and community leaders working to create real change. Find every episode and connect with Jason here: https://linktr.ee/jasoncavness

September 1, 20261 hr 14 min

Culture Is a Business Advantage Suleiny Altamirano

Preserving culture requires more than celebrating it. The traditions also need customers, economic opportunity, and a path to the next generation. Suleiny Altamirano, founder and CEO of Tizana Mexicana, shares how moving from Guerrero, Mexico, to Seattle inspired her to build a bridge between Mexican artisans and new markets. She explains why trust matters more than technology, how immigrant founders can build a new support system, and why social impact companies still need a sustainable business model. We also discuss: • Why immigrant founders need to create a new family of mentors, supporters, and collaborators • How Tizana Mexicana works with approximately 175 artisans • Why artisan products cannot compete on price alone • How cultural traditions disappear when creators cannot earn a living • Building trust across language, banking, technology, and communication barriers • Why founders should talk about their ideas before they feel ready • Balancing social impact with profitability • Expanding beyond Washington and bringing more artisans to Seattle • The role of community in entrepreneurship and leadership Suleiny' links" LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suly-altamirano Website: https://www.tizanamexicana.com Instagram: @tizanamexicana Jason's CTA: Subscribe to The Jason Cavness Experience on YouTube for more conversations with founders, operators, and builders turning personal experience into meaningful companies. Jason's links: https://linktr.ee/jasoncavness

August 25, 20261 hr 35 min

Why Most Influencer Marketing Fails with Alex Shebar

Most brands do not have an influencer problem. They have a strategy problem. Alex Shebar, founder of NYC Social Club, explains why generic campaigns, rigid scripts, and oversized creator lists fail to generate meaningful results. He breaks down how brands can find creators who match their audience, test content without wasting their budget, and build smaller communities that actually care. We also discuss: • Why 10 engaged followers can be more valuable than 1,000 passive ones • How community managers keep online communities alive • Why brands should stop trying to reach everyone • The problem with publishing 100 mediocre posts a day • How to identify and amplify content that is already working • Why niche creators are becoming more valuable • How Alex built NYC Social Club and began working with major brands • What hackathons teach builders about deadlines and creativity • Why consistency matters more than one viral moment Alex's links: NYC Social Club: https://www.NYCSocialClub.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-shebar/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@featuringalex Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexshebar/ Jason links: https://linktr.ee/jasoncavness

August 18, 20263 hr 10 min

Why Encryption Fails Under Pressure with Josh Thomas

The strongest encryption in the world cannot protect you when someone can force you to unlock your phone. Josh Thomas, founder of Deniable, explains why conventional mobile security ignores coercion and how plausible deniability changes the equation. He also shares a hard-earned rule for builders: decide what would make you kill a project before your identity, money, and emotions become attached to it. We also discuss: • Why institutions often capture problems instead of solving them • How incentives shape behavior inside nonprofits and the United Nations • Why every startup should establish a kill metric • Building technology for high-risk environments • What Josh learned traveling through North Korea and Central Asia • Raising globally curious children • Why people across borders have more in common than we assume Josh's links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshthom/ Deniable: https://deniable.io Karakoram: https://karakoram.co Jason links: https://linktr.ee/jasoncavness

August 11, 20262 hr 20 min

From Army Veteran to AI Sales Leader with Ben King

Ben King spent six years in the Army before starting over in the startup world as a Sales Development Representative. He brought discipline, leadership, and resilience, but still had to learn a new industry, prove himself in a new environment, and build his civilian career one sales conversation at a time. Now at Loop8, Ben is helping companies move beyond AI hype and use automation and cloud technology to solve real business problems. This conversation explores what veterans bring to tech, what startup sales actually demands, and why successful AI adoption should begin with the mission not the tool. We also discuss: • Starting over as an SDR after leaving the Army • Translating military experience into civilian value • Why veterans are built for high-pressure sales environments • The habits that create long-term sales success • Building go-to-market systems inside a growing company • Selling AI without exaggerating what it can do • How Loop8 approaches AI, automation, and cloud infrastructure • Why business outcomes matter more than flashy technology Sponsor This episode is sponsored by 2BAR Spirits, a Northwest grain-to-glass distillery with an all-female production team. The first Seattle distillery to produce bourbon, 2BAR Spirits creates approachable whiskey designed to bring people together. 2BAR Spirits also sponsored The Jason Cavness Experience Deep Tech Demo Day. https://www.2barspirits.com/ Ben's links Ben King on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-king-013041148/ Email Ben: ben.king@loop8.io Loop8: https://www.loop8.io Cloudy with a Chance of Awesome podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0ynfms8t8MZbLWrU6S5h4a?si=d93ab1af30e64e4b Jason links https://linktr.ee/jasoncavness

August 4, 20261 hr 44 min

Quantum Does Not Need to Solve Everything Lori Salow Marshall

Quantum will not transform every workload and that is exactly why deep-tech founders need to stop selling it as a universal solution. Lori Salow Marshall explains where quantum computing can create real commercial value. Why it must be integrated with classical systems, and how science led companies can translate technical breakthroughs into focused market opportunities. She also breaks down why deep-tech founders should lead with the urgent problem they can solve today not every possible application their technology may support in the future. We also discuss: • Why quantum is fundamentally different from AI and cloud • The problems that create an exponential scaling wall • Where quantum may create value in pharmaceuticals, materials and financial services • Why quantum computing will be use-case driven • The role of classical and quantum hybrid architectures • Why deep-tech founders try to tell too much of the story • How to commercialize science without oversimplifying it • Why category creation matters for emerging technologies • How ecosystems influence product, funding and acquisition strategy • What Lori learned from taking her own technology company to market • Why technical possibility does not guarantee customer demand Lori's Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorisalowmarshall/ The Quantum Links Group: https://www.thequantumlinksgroup.com/ Ecosystem Entanglement Substack: https://www.ecosystementanglement.com/ Email: lori@thequantumlinksgroup.com Jason links: https://linktr.ee/jasoncavness

July 28, 20264 hr 35 min

Military Creator Con Is Building a New Veteran Lane

Military Creator Con exists because the military community is bigger than resumes, contractor jobs, and transition checklists. James Van Prooyen, Air Force retiree and co-founder of Military Creator Con, talks about building a home for military-connected creators, podcasters, entrepreneurs, artists, writers, performers, and builders. We get into why Veterans need more creative paths, how community turns ideas into momentum. Why the next chapter after service does not have to look like the last one. We also discuss: • Why Military Creator Con needed to exist • What military transition still gets wrong • Why veterans and military spouses need creator-focused spaces • How podcasting opened doors for James • Why relational networking beats transactional networking • What made Military Creator Con work as a standalone event • The role of sponsors, volunteers, and community • How running shaped James' mindset • Why military people are already creators, even if they do not call themselves that James' links Email: james@militarycreatorcon.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-van-prooyen-podcasthost/ Website: https://www.militarycreatorcon.com/ Phone: 719-322-8269 Jason links https://linktr.ee/jasoncavness

July 21, 20262 hr 15 min

Turning Any Car Into a Plug-In Hybrid: Tom Gurski Blue Dot Motorworks

On this episode of The Jason Cavness Experience, Jason sits down with Tom Gurski, founder and CEO of Blue Dot Motorworks, an MIT-trained mechanical engineer who spent his career at the front end of product development. From Stirling engine generators at DEKA Research (Dean Kamen's company) to his own consultancy, Carbide Enterprises, to global sanitation projects in some of the world's poorest communities. Tom is now building a bolt-on electric propulsion system that converts any light-duty gas vehicle into a plug-in hybrid cutting fuel use by up to 80% without giving up the gas engine, in about a one-day installation. Jason and Tom get into how the technology actually works, why it's "vehicle agnostic," the business model and pricing, and why Tom believes retrofitting the existing 1.5 billion gas cars on the road is a "need to have," not a "nice to have," solution for hitting climate targets. The conversation also covers: Why Seattle is a tough environment for hardware startups compared to the Bay Area Tom's Wefunder campaign and lessons on raising a "family and friends" round the right way The upcoming Founder Summit (July 15, Seattle Climate Innovation Hub) and PNW Climate Week Nuclear energy, wind turbines, and the "birds vs. wind turbines" myth A carbon tax and dividend policy idea Tom would implement as "climate czar" Washington's EV mileage tax and the ferry-contract controversy The emotional rollercoaster of founder life, burnout, and staying mission-aligned Tom's advice for aspiring engineers in the age of AI Tom'sLinks: Blue Dot Motorworks: https://bluedotmotorworks.com/ Invest via Wefunder: https://wefunder.com/bluedotmotorworks Tom Gurski on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-gurski/ Jason Cavness links: https://linktr.ee/jasoncavness

July 14, 202648 min

Why Podcasting Creates Opportunities You Can't Plan For with Jason Cavness

Jason Cavness didn't leave the Army to become "Major Cavness" in a different uniform. He wanted a clean break. That decision pulled him into startups, podcasting, tech events, Vietnam business relationships, and a career built around one simple habit: say yes when the opportunity is aligned, then figure it out. Mark Shriner talks with Jason about the transition from military life to entrepreneurship, why podcasting is more than content, how in-person relationships beat cold outreach, and what it really takes to keep building when you're introverted, scattered, nervous, and still moving forward. We also discuss: • Leaving the Army without chasing another military-adjacent job • How LinkedIn opened Jason's door into startups • Why podcasts rarely monetize the way people expect • Using a podcast to build relationships, credibility, and opportunity • What Vietnam taught Jason about assumptions, hospitality, and business • Why warm intros and in-person events still matter • Public speaking as a trust shortcut • Being an introvert who still hosts events, podcasts, and rooms • Seattle's tech ecosystem and the value of being where builders gather Jason Cavness: https://linktr.ee/

July 7, 20261 hr 48 min

Why Clarity Beats Better Tech with Crystal Clarity

A better product does not always win. The clearer story often does. Crystal Clarity, Chief Operating Officer at s2s Public Relations, joins The Jason Cavness Experience to talk about why founders struggle to explain what they actually do. Why deep tech companies need to stop leading with features and how AI is flooding the internet with content that feels productive but often makes real connection harder. We also discuss: • Why founders often solve before they understand the problem • How to make complex science and deep tech understandable • Why people care less about features and more about feeling understood • The future of PR, marketing, and AI-generated content • Why human experience still matters in a world of synthetic media • Media trust, misinformation, and the collapse of shared reality • Crystal's career path from broadcast journalism to Pacific Science Center to s2s PR • Empty nesting, parenting, music, and the next stage of life Crystal's links Company: https://www.s2spr.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalclarity/ Jason links https://linktr.ee/jasoncavness