The Bear Roars

Dan sits down with Ron Garan, a former NASA Astronaut, author, keynote speaker, and businessman. Ron has had an extraordinary journey starting as a fighter pilot in Desert Shield and Desert Storm to becoming a NASA astronaut on the Space Shuttle Discovery and a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Ron’s published books include Railroad to the Moon, The Orbital Perspective, and Floating in Darkness. In this episode, Dan and Ron discuss the path that led him to space, including his time as an instructor at a flight academy, where he honed his skills and learned the limits of human and machine capabilities. Inspired by the moon landing, Ron fulfilled his dream of becoming an astronaut. Ron details his remarkable experiences in space, including a six-month stint aboard the International Space Station, where he conducted spacewalks and participated in a joint mission with Russian cosmonauts. Ron and Dan touch on the question of who will walk on the moon next and what the future holds for lunar exploration. In addition to his work in space, Ron delves into his humanitarian efforts, such as clean water initiatives in Rwanda, and the sense of interconnectedness he’s gained through these projects.  Click here to learn more about Ron: https://www.rongaran.com/ To nominate a founder or to nominate yourself as a future guest speaker on our podcast, please send an email to contact@loudbearproductions.com.

Dan sits down with Nick Del Deo, who currently serves as the Managing Director at MoffettNathanson, a leading independent equity research publisher. Dan and Nick’s professional paths first crossed during the Zayo IPO roadshow in 2014, when Nick was a young talented analyst reporting on Dan’s company, Zayo. Nick has grown his career analyzing telecom companies, infrastructure investments, and market trends. Nick’s insights provide a deeper understanding of where the telecom sector is headed.  Nick has an extensive background in telecommunications, having worked as a Vice President at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., LLC, where he covered U.S. telecommunications and cable/satellite sectors.  In this episode, Dan and Nick discuss the rise and fall of the telecom industry, the future of digital infrastructure, and touch on the opportunities and challenges facing companies in this space. Bandwidth is available for pre-order, with a February 2025 release date. Head to dan-caruso.com/book for more details.  Click here to learn more about MoffettNathanson: https://www.moffettnathanson.com/ To nominate a founder or to nominate yourself as a future guest speaker on our podcast, please send an email to contact@loudbearproductions.com.

Dan sits down with Tamim Khalfa, Co-Founder and CEO of Toters. Toters is an on-demand delivery platform based in Lebanon that connects users with restaurants, grocery stores, and various retailers, providing fast and convenient delivery services. Tamim is also an Endeavor Entrepreneur and Board Member through Endeavor Lebanon. Prior to Toters, Tamim was a Management Consultant at Booz & Company and Oliver Wyman. Dan and Tamim discuss the evolution of Toters, including its revenue streams, funding journey, and investor relationships. They also discuss the challenges faced during Toters’ growth, the impact of the economic crisis, and the resilience required to build a business in such a tumultuous setting. The conversation delves into the complexities of payment systems and the innovative FinTech solutions implemented to navigate a cash-dominated economy. Tamim also reflects on his personal journey from consulting to entrepreneurship and Endeavor’s role in supporting startups in the region. The conversation highlights the importance of adaptability, strategic planning, and community support in building a successful business in challenging environments. Click here to learn more about Toters: https://www.totersapp.com/  To nominate a founder or to nominate yourself as a future guest speaker on our podcast, please send an email to contact@loudbearproductions.com.

Dan sits down with Stephanie Copeland, Managing Partner at Four Points Funding. Dan and Stephanie relive the telecom era and their career journeys, including working together at Level 3 and Zayo group. This episode includes many great stories about the early bandwidth days and those influential in shaping the sector: from illegal stock swaps, accounting fraud, to larger than life characters that followed a strict ethical code. Stephanie is currently Managing Partner at Four Points Funding. She previously worked as the President of Wavelengths, IP, Ethernet, and SONET at Zayo Group and has 20+ years of experience in the communications industry. Stephanie joined Zayo in 2012 as Senior Vice President of the European Business Unit and prior to her current role, she ran Zayo’s Ethernet Business Unit. Bandwidth is available for pre-order with a February 4 2025 release date. Head to dan-caruso.com/book for more details. Click here to learn more about Stephanie and Four Points Funding: https://www.fourpointsfunding.com/team/stephanie-copeland To nominate a founder or to nominate yourself as a future guest speaker on our podcast, please send an email to contact@loudbearproductions.com.

Dan sits down with Brandon Spano, the CEO of ALLCITY Network. ALLCITY is a content-focused sports media company that provides in-depth coverage, podcasts, and videos focused on professional and collegiate sports teams in 5 cities across the US: Denver, Phoenix, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Dallas. They also have physical bar locations in each of these cities, which offer a hub for passionate local sports fans. Dan and Brandon discuss ALLCITY’s story in detail, including its roots in Denver as the BSN Network and scaling the company by adding other cities. They dive into ALLCITY’s fundraising history and goals for a future Series C round. Click here to learn more about ALLCITY Network: https://allcitynetwork.com/ To nominate a founder or to nominate yourself as a future guest speaker on our podcast, please send an email to contact@loudbearproductions.com.

This is Part II of Dan's sit down with Bob Yates, a prominent figure in the Boulder, Colorado community. In Part II, Dan and Bob discuss their shared history in the world of telecom in relation to Dan's book, Bandwidth. Bob kicked off his career as a young lawyer at Fraser Stryker LLC in Omaha, Nebraska. He got sucked into the telecom rollercoaster ride through Fraser Stryker's work with Kiewit Construction Company, who invested in a small fiber optics company, Chicago Fiber Optics (later Metropolitan Fiber Systems). With the success of MFS, Bob's interest in the fiber optic industry took off. Join us as Dan and Bob discuss their career journeys, the colorful characters they encountered, and recall the energy of the boom and bust of the internet and its impact on the world. Dan's book, Bandwidth, is available for pre-order at dan-caruso.com/bandwidthbook and will be released in February 2025. To nominate a founder or to nominate yourself as a future guest speaker on our podcast, please send an email to contact@loudbearproductions.com.

Dan sits down with Matthew Kinsella, CEO of Infleqtion, the world’s leading quantum-information company. Infleqtion is a trusted supplier of high-precision components for research labs and quantum machine development.Prior to working at Infleqtion, Matthew was based in the Bay Area and was Managing Director of Maverick Ventures, the private investment arm of Maverick Capital. He was an early stage investor in private technology and healthcare companies at Maverick Ventures. Join us as we dive into all things quantum, including atom modality, Albert Einstein’s “spooky action at a distance” aka entanglement, superposition, time keeping and more! Click here to learn more about Infleqtion:https://www.infleqtion.com/ To nominate a founder or to nominate yourself as a future guest speaker on our podcast, please send an email to contact@loudbearproductions.com.

Dan sits down with Ian Dickinson, President and CEO of Longpath Technologies. Dan and Ian discuss the early days of Zayo, LongPath’s origin story, why it is important to be at the forefront of Quantum, and why LongPath is on a mission to flatten the emissions curve. LongPath installs and maintains continuous laser line sensors to supply real-time emissions monitoring data and actionable insights for their clients, working with oil and gas operators across the energy landscape and providing expanded services to various markets. Ian has over two decades of leadership experience, excelling in business strategy and team building, transforming LongPath from a startup to a successful enterprise. His leadership focuses on strategic direction, fostering innovation, and supporting sustainability goals in the energy sector. Before LongPath, Ian held leadership roles in the energy sector, telecom and finance.Click here to learn more about LongPath Technologies: https://www.longpathtech.com/To nominate a founder or to nominate yourself as a future guest speaker on our podcast, please send an email to contact@loudbearproductions.com.

Dan sits down with Bobby Stuckey, Founder and Partner of the Frasca Hospitality Group. Frasca Hospitality Group owns and operates five restaurants in Denver and Boulder including Frasca Food and Wine, which was awarded a Michelin star in September 2023. The name “Frasca” originates from small neighborhood gathering places in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region in northeast Italy. Bobby also owns Scarpetta Wine, which crafts wines inspired by the same region. In this episode, Dan and Bobby discuss Bobby’s career in-depth, starting at his first job in the industry bussing tables while attending NAU, to opening up his most recent restaurant endeavor, Osterica Alberico. Bobby shares exciting tidbits from his career including his most memorable guests at The French Laundry - Julia Child, Blue Man Group, and Anthony Bourdain. Dan and Bobby also discuss the people who have played integral parts in Bobby’s journey, including his wife Danette and his business partner Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson. Dan and Bobby cover the process of becoming a Master Sommelier. Bobby is one of only 279 professionals  in the world to have ever received this coveted title. Surprisingly enough, of the less than 300 Master Sommeliers, about 20 of them have come through Colorado over the years. The episode concludes with Bobby offering wine recommendations for Dan’s wife, Cindy. Click here to learn more about Frasca Hospitality Group: https://www.frascahospitalitygroup.com/ and click here to learn more about Scarpetta Wine: https://www.scarpettawine.com/  To nominate a founder or to nominate yourself as a future guest speaker on our podcast, please send an email to contact@loudbearproductions.com.

Dan sits down with Corban Tillemann- Dick, Founder and CEO of Maybell Quantum, building the tools needed to usher in the quantum future. This episode dives deep into the Quantum industry. Interested to learn more about topics such as why quantum is more important than AI, when quantum computers will be solving meaty critical problems, the scaling path of Quantum, and how Mabell’s innovations will support the industry with scaled infrastructure? Then this episode is a must watch and listen. Corban brings his extensive knowledge of Quantum computing and Quantum technology to the conversation, one you can’t miss! Corban’s company Maybell builds the infrastructure to power the quantum revolution. Corban has helped Maybell transform the industry as it transitions from research to commercial applications. His emphasis on user-centered design has made complex quantum technologies more accessible, performant, and reliable. Prior to founding Maybell, Corban was a Partner at the Boston Consulting Group, leading their SaaS innovation and quantum computing efforts. Corban holds more than a dozen patents and studied mechanical engineering and economics and the US Air Force Academy and Johns Hopkins University.Click here to learn more about Maybell Quantum: https://www.maybellquantum.com/To nominate a founder or to nominate yourself as a future guest speaker on our podcast, please send an email to contact@loudbearproductions.com.